there’s no place like home

i grew up in albert lea, mn. in the same town, on the same street, in the same house, and the same room. still, when i go home to visit, it's all still the same. i have really appreciated this consistency, especially during the many, many changes i have gone through in the past couple of months. no matter where i go, i know that i can always come home. i know the house will always be picked up and clean, and will smell of candles. i know the grass will be freshly cut and the bushes will be trimmed to perfection. i know my bed will be made, and my room will be clean. i know that the fridge will be full and the diet coke and alcoholic beverages will be plentiful. most importantly, i know that i will be greeted with love by my family.

it's funny how it takes moving away to really appreciate how blessed i am with my family. when you live with them day after day, you seem to take things for granted. because you get too fixated on the little things they do that irk you or annoy you. and it takes away from the fact that they are your family. and they will always be there for you and love you no matter what. there's that saying, "you don't know what you got, till it’s gone." or at least ill it’s not always there anymore. when i left for college, i got very homesick. i missed my bed, my mom and dad, my house, and dare i say, my brothers. and as the years have gone by, i have not been as homesick all the time, as i got more comfortable in where i am at. but since my visits with my family have become fewer and farther between, i can now say i truly appreciate how fantastic my family is. and what a wonderful blessing they are. it causes us to really value the time we spend together, and lets us enjoy it more by fixating less on being annoyed with each other. (or at least i try to...)

the more people i meet, the more i realize how very blessed i am to have the family that i do. not that families can be compared, apples to apples, because everyone is a family, and we are all a little bit dysfunctional. whether or not we admit it. and my family is not exception; we are a crazy, loving, sarcastic family. and like all family we have our quirks. we are completely sarcastic almost 90% of the time. we like to joke around, and quote comedians and movies. we like to people watch and use the term, 'bless their heart' which we think excuses any comments we make. we like to enjoy happy hour with snacks and certain beverages. we enjoy to clean and organize. we like to go out for treats and order pizza on a friday night. we don't like to take one car to go somewhere. we go on family vacations. we give each other a hard time. we laugh at ridiculous comments. we pretend my little brother is not really part of the family. we play scrabble. we make it impossible for my mom to get a decent picture of us. we support each other. we sit out in the driveway, drink and people watch, like good 'ol white trash.

most of all, we love each other. always. no matter what.

and i do not know what i would do without them. they are some of my favorite people and my heart is continually bursting full of gratitude for them. because no matter where i go in my life, or what happens; i know that i can always go home. to the house where i grew up. to the house that is my home.

dedicated to my family: tricia, jerry, spencer, haley and carter.

xoxo emma

9 tips to help you say yes to the dress

happy wedding wednesday, lovely people! i first have to state for documentation purposes that the windchill here in minnesota is currently -31 degrees. yes, 31 degrees, below zero. i digress... today we're talking about saying yes to the dress. ask just about any girl what things she is most excited to do once she gets engaged and she will say shopping for 'the dress' and if she doesn't she's lying. probably. i couldn't wait to go try on dresses however, i was super overwhelmed and growing increasingly nervous that my incessant need for perfection would cloud the joy of what should be a wonderful experience. so many styles, so many fits, so many fabrics and so many dollar signs. good news though, i made it through and have said yes to my dress! i am grateful to have had the BEST experience i could have dreamed of - one that felt straight out of a fairy tale.

every list that i read before i went was the same and utterly useless. so i'm taking everything i've learned during this process to help out my fellow and future brides enjoy the process and get through the fears of what this experience “should be” so you too can say, hell yes to the dress.

1. skip the entourage: i don't know about you but when i watch say yes to the dress on TLC and i see a bus load of people i get anxious for the bride. this experience is for you. think about who you want to be there with you for the moment you find "the one" and also who will give you honest (not brutally honest, necessarily - let's leave the claws at home, ladies) feedback but also support you in whatever you choose. i brought my momma, and my personal attendants and wouldn’t have had it any other way.

2. it might be the first one: and that’s ok! everyone is so fearful of saying yes to the first dress they try on. stop it. i will elaborate and add that you should absolutely try on more dresses; but if you keep going back to the first one and you can't imagine yourself in anything else on that day, get it girl! the one that i ended up saying yes to was the second dress i tried on. i kept comparing everything else to it. that's when i knew.

3. enjoy the experience: make a day of it. soak in every moment of it. it’s meant to be fun and all for you. we started our day at caribou coffee, obviously, and then it was over to posh bridal salon. and minnesota girls let me tell you, posh knows how to create the experience. they are in the most adorable location; it's so quaint and fancy and beautiful in there. you are greeted with mimosas and a fantastic staff of ladies. oh and they have snacks! oodles of snacks! we got this little area all to ourselves with a stunningly gorgeous mirror. and then the fun began. gorgeous gowns and necklaces and veils. try it all, i did, because i only plan on doing this once.

4. make sure you can bust a move: you're gonna be busy on the day of and you need to be comfortable. make sure that you can sit, breathe and most importantly dance. these are the important things.

5. you probably won't cry: i'm an emotional person. i can bawl from an episode of parenthood and the series finale of gilmore girls and prison break gets me every. single. time. i expected that my wedding dress would bring me tears. isn't that what's supposed to happen? the whole group crying with happiness? so moved by the beauty that they are brought to tears? no. no it's not. i mean it can, but it definitely doesn’t need to happen in order for you to say yes. nobody shed a tear. we were all smiling too much. and sipping our prosecco.

6. make sure it’s a HELL YES: with yourself, your associate assisting you and your lovely supporters. if you don't like something, say it. don't feel obligated just because they like it. if you want to try something different, let them know. you are the one that needs to feel like the best version of yourself in this dress and only you will know when that happens. i had an appointment scheduled at another bridal salon later that afternoon and was really not sure what to do. i loved this dress, but "what if." thankfully my dress fairy godmother alissa encouraged me to go; she said she wanted me to feel 100%. she would be at Posh until 5 and to give her a call and let her know. well we went, and i just kept comparing. and my 95% went to 100%. i’m so grateful for Posh understanding and not pressuring me - when i said yes it was a HELL YES.

7. get a little dolled up: you don't need to pull out all the stops but you want to feel good about yourself going into it. wear something that’s easy to get in and out of and throw a little color on your cheeks. i curled my hair and tossed on just enough makeup to make me feel good. whatever makes you feel like a rockstar - go with it.

8. know your price range: this one is hard because it really depends on what you're comfortable with. but decide this before you go into your appointment. it's less awkward for both you and the consultant. give them a sticking point that you cannot go over and make sure they don't show you dresses above that. and do not get tempted to try on a crazy expensive one because you can lie to yourself all you want  but you will probably love it and contemplate selling your car to get it.

9. take pictures: document the shit out of this day. BUT! do it on someone elses phone. you don't want anyone who shouldn't see the dress before the day to do so, even accidentally. oh and of course selfies & #blingshots are a given.

i hope these tidbits help you as you search for the dress; and a huge thank you to my momma, tash & lys for being there with me and to alissa and posh for being beyond incredible and making me feel like a princess and letting us stay after closing to cheers with prosecco and jam out to music. you are lovely people and i couldn't be happier to be part of the posh family.

xoxo emma