#we all had brunch together in our favorite restaurant and spent the afternoon laughing and reminiscing

[lazyjellyfish300]

mine & kento's wedding bands ﹕♡ ࣪ 𓈒 ⚘ ⊹

source: amandafinejewelry on etsy & pinterest

[calwrites]

one of those days (s.r.)

Summary: You’ve had a really awful day. Luckily, your boyfriend always seems to make life better.

Pairing: Steve Rogers x female!reader

word count: 5k

we’re going to ignore civil war and just pretend everyone is a big, happy family in this one

request from @maximeevansblog

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You know those days where everything is going so wrong that you can’t even bother being upset about it anymore? As you stood on the sidewalk, staring at the coffee you had just paid too much money for and then dropped after taking three steps out of the coffee shop, you realized that your day had officially reached that point. It shouldn’t have been surprising that your day would turn out like this. You had started off the morning with a new case. One that was actually going to earn you money this time, which should have made you excited. Except your client was suing the Department of Damage Control, which meant going another round against Tony Stark and his legal team. Somehow, you had become the go-to lawyer for New Yorkers suing the DODC. While you and Tony got along on a personal level, you most certainly did not on a professional level.

You had barely had time to read over the new case before going to a meeting about another case you were working on. It was very obvious to everyone involved that your client didn’t have a very strong case, but having to deal with smarmy corporate lawyers rubbing it in was almost unbearable. Still, you managed to cut a deal that was better than anything your client would get in court, though you thought that they weren’t likely to see it that way. You were right. So that probably should have been the low point of the day. 

It wasn’t.

A large bouquet of your least favorite type of flower was sitting at your desk when you got back to your office. Unsurprisingly, a note from Tony was attached, which meant that he had heard about your newest case. Underneath the ugly bouquet were two letters from potential clients asking for your help pro bono. You would take the cases. You always took the pro bono cases, even though you didn’t have the time and could really use the money.

The text was what you thought was going to make you lose it. You had stared at the screen for a minute, wavering between wanting to throw it at the wall and wanting to lay your head down and start crying. Steve was stuck at the compound upstate and wouldn’t be able to make it into the city for date night. He didn’t offer a reason, but he rarely ever did when Avengers things were concerned. There were some things that he didn’t think you needed to know, and you were perfectly fine not knowing them. Still, you had been looking forward to seeing Steve. He had been stuck at the compound for most of the week, and you really missed him. At least he had promised a weekend at the compound, which was the closest thing to a vacation you ever had, to make it up to you.

You and Steve had been dating for a few years now. Though he technically lived at the compound, the two of you basically lived together. Whenever he wasn’t upstate, he was staying in your little Brooklyn apartment. Your friends often teased you that it wasn’t fair that you were the one to snag Captain America when he wasn’t even your favorite Howling Commando. It had been Dum Dum Dugan, but only because eight year old you thought his name was the funniest.

According to Steve, he had known the minute that he saw you, or actually heard you, that he was going to fall in love with you. He hadn’t even opened the door to Tony’s office before he was able to hear you ripping Tony a new one. Perhaps storming into Stark Towers to yell at Tony Stark wasn’t the smartest move, but you were young, it was your first big case, and you were fired up. Plus, the DODC needed to get it together because whatever system they had at that time wasn’t working. You ended up winning the case. Steve had known then and there that he had to know you. And Tony had decided that he needed you on his legal team. Only one of them got their way, and it wasn’t Tony. Not that he wasn’t still trying, you thought, glancing at the ugly flowers again.

It was impossible to be mad at Steve for missing date night because he had superhero responsibilities, but it still bummed you out. You managed to plough through the rest of the afternoon before heading home. As you passed your favorite coffee shop, you thought that you would treat yourself to some caffeine, since you would probably be up late working on the new pro bono cases. Of course, you had dropped the coffee almost immediately, which you took as a sign to just chalk up the day as a loss and head home as quickly as possible before lightning struck you or a tornado swept you up or aliens abducted you.

Morning came too quickly. Though you had gone to sleep earlier than you had anticipated, it was still hard to peel your eyes open. You glared blearily at the clock. It told you that it was still early in the morning, so why were you awake?

The answer came in the form of the creak of your bedroom door. You barely had time to panic about the possibility of an intruder before Steve poked his head in, a smile breaking out on his face at the sight of your sleepy confusion.

“Surprise, honey,” he said quietly.

“What are you doing here?” Despite your confusion, you reached out to him, pulling him onto the bed and snuggling into his chest.

Steve wrapped you up in his arms and settled deeper into the bed. “I felt bad that I had to cancel on date night after you had such a bad day, so I thought I’d surprise you. I’m taking you out and spoiling you today before we head upstate for the weekend.”

“I have work today, Steve,” you protested, though you were too happy to see Steve to really worry about work.

“I’ve already talked to your boss, and he told me that you were taking a half day today. I managed to talk him into giving you the whole day off. One of the perks of being Captain America.”

You hit Steve’s arm lightly. “I don’t know why everyone thinks you're such a golden boy. You’re a bad influence, Rogers.” Steve’s loud laugh caused your heart to soar. You’d stay in bed with Steve all day if you could.

As if he was reading your mind, Steve said, “Why don’t you go back to sleep for a bit? We have a reservation at your favorite brunch place in a few hours. You could get at least another hour of sleep.”

“I won’t argue with you, but you have to stay in bed with me.”

“I like that deal.” Steve kissed the top of your head gently as you snuggled into his side, already drifting back off to sleep.

An hour later, you woke up feeling much more rested. Opening your eyes slowly, you immediately found Steve gazing at you.

“Were you watching me sleep?”

“No.”

“You’re a bad liar, babe.”

“And you’re adorable when you’re sleeping, honey.”

“Ok, Edward Cullen, calm down.” You didn’t really want to get out of bed, but you forced yourself to stand and stretch, leaning down quickly to give Steve a peck on the lips.

“I don’t understand that reference.” It was hard not to laugh at the small pout on Steve’s face as he watched you walk into the bathroom.

“That’s because you refuse to watch Twilight with me. Now, I need to get ready for our day out. You can stay there and pour, or you can take a shower with me.” You didn’t bother waiting to see if Steve would follow you, confident that he was already scrambling out of bed.

After your shower, Steve insisted on picking out an outfit for you while you did your hair and makeup. Once the two of you were ready, you left the apartment and walked down to the restaurant, holding hands the entire time.

It was sometimes a bit strange when you and Steve went out in public. Steve managed to blend in pretty well when he was dressed in casual clothes, but he was occasionally recognized. Many New Yorkers had grown fairly used to seeing Avengers out and about and were content to leave them alone, but tourists were prone to getting over excited and star struck. Luckily, Steve flew under the radar during brunch. You thought that the waiter probably recognized him, but the only sign he gave was charging you for only half of your meal.

As you ate, you caught Steve up on your work, and he told you about some of the stuff the other Avengers had been up to. Bucky was settling into the team well, which you knew was a big relief for Steve. You had only met Bucky a couple times. He wanted to make sure that all of the Hydra brainwashing was gone before you spent much time together, despite both you and Steve trying to tell him that you trusted him.

After brunch, Steve let you drag him into some of your favorite stores. He played the doting boyfriend as you tried on clothes, showering you with compliments and even picking out a few pieces that he thought would look good on you. Despite your protests, he bought you way more than you were planning on getting, and silenced you with kisses when you tried to tell him you didn’t need it all.

You had assumed that you would head back to your apartment to drop it all off and then head up to the compound, but Steve led you into a nail salon on your way home and insisted on paying for you to get your nails done.

“You’re doing way too much, Steve. Honestly, we could have just gone to read in the park and it would have been a perfect day,” you told him. He looked a bit funny sitting on a small chair surrounded by shopping bags.

“I told you that I wanted to spoil you, honey. You work too hard. You deserve a day all about you.” You were about to protest more when your stomach let out a loud growl, causing your face to heat up in embarrassment. Apparently all of that shopping made you work up an appetite. “Wait right there,” Steve laughed as he stood up and made his way out of the nail salon. As if you had much of a choice, considering a woman had just started painting your nails.

The lady had just finished your first hand when the door opened and Steve walked back in, a fast food bag in his hand.

“I got the feeling you were hungry,” he teased as he sat back down next to you. He opened the bag and dug out a couple of fries.

“I’m kind of in the middle of something, babe,” you laughed, nodding your head at your hands that were splayed out on the table.

“That’s why I’m going to feed you,” Steve said as if it was obvious. He held the fries up to your mouth. You shook your head in amusement, but you ate the fries anyway. You knew that you were incredibly lucky to have a boyfriend like Steve, who was willing to sit and feed you fries and chicken nuggets as you got your nails done.

“You’re the best. You know that right?”

“Are you just saying that because I got you food?”

“No. I’m saying it because I love you.”

Steve’s smile spread shyly across his face. “I love you too.”

The two of you had finished the food by the time your nails were done. Steve once again took up all of your shopping bags, and the two of you walked back to your apartment. You packed quickly, eager to leave. To your delight, Steve had ridden his motorcycle into the city rather than taking a car, so you got to press yourself into his back as the two of you rode up to the compound. You loved riding the motorcycle with Steve. It was often too windy and loud to really talk, so you got to enjoy each other’s presence in silence.

“Where is everyone?” you asked when you got to the compound. Normally, you ran into at least one other person on your way to Steve’s room, but it was like a ghost town.

Steve shrugged. “Maybe they’re out. Or training. I think most people should be here this weekend though. They’re all looking forward to seeing you.”

At the beginning of your relationship, you had been nervous about meeting all of the Avengers. Your worth had been needless, though, as all of the Avengers had been happy to meet the mystery girl who was helping Captain America settle into the 21st century. Now, you could comfortably say that many of the superheroes were some of your best friends.

“Weird,” you muttered, but you weren’t really too concerned. They all had their own lives, so you couldn’t really expect them to be sitting around waiting for you all the time.

You didn’t have much time to dwell on it. Steve had decided that the two of you were making your favorite dinner, though you didn’t really do much. You sat on the counter and watched as Steve cooked. Music from the 40s floated gently through the room. You knew from Steve’s slightly wistful smile that he was remembering his old life. It broke your heart a little bit whenever he got quiet like that. You could never understand what he went through, but you hoped that you helped make it more bearable for him.

“What are you thinking about?” Steve’s voice broke through your thoughts and made you realize that you had been staring at him.

“You,” you answered simply.

“Me? I’m flattered.”

“Do you miss it? How your life used to be?” It was a subject you tended to skirt around because you were afraid of the answer.

Steve was silent for a minute, his face introspective. “I used to wonder what my life would have been like if I hadn’t been frozen. Or if I hadn’t been picked for the serum at all, I guess. Now, I don’t think there’s any point in that. I can’t change what happened. I don’t think I would even if I could. I have everything I could ever need here.” Steve took your hands, rubbing his thumbs over your knuckles gently.

“There’s nothing you miss? The food? The clothes? The dancing?”

“Food is much better in this century. We used to boil everything. And we can still dance now just fine, honey.” To prove his point, he stepped back and dragged you off the counter. He pulled you against him, and the two of you swayed gently. You weren’t sure how many songs you danced to before the oven timer went off. Steve wrapped up in a hug and kissed you deeply before pulling away to get the food.

Dinner was delicious. Steve’s cooking had made great strides the last few years. You insisted on clearing the table while he got dessert ready. The two of you sat and chatted as you ate your dessert. At one point, Steve laughed so hard at something you said that he knocked his fork off the table. Shaking your head fondly, you bent down to pick it up.

When you sat back up, you were confused to find that Steve wasn’t in his chair across from you. Instead, he was kneeling on the ground next to you. You gasped, your hands flying up to cover your mouth, when you saw the small box in his hands.

“Y/N, you are the most amazing person I have ever met. I was a man lost in time before I met you. You’re my home. You’re the love of my life, and I hope that you’ll let me spend the rest of my life with you. Y/N, will you marry me?”

“Yes,” you laughed, tears falling down your face. “Yes! Yes, of course, Steve.” He took your hand and gently slid the ring onto your finger. He had barely finished before you were throwing yourself into his arms. 

“I was so nervous,” Steve admitted. His voice was muffled slightly because his face was buried in your neck. “I’ve been trying to decide how to do this for so long. Tony offered to book a private island, but I thought that might be a bit much.”

“Just a bit,” you agreed. You pulled back slightly to kiss him. Your hand shook slightly as you held it out to look at the ring. “It’s gorgeous, Steve.”

“It was my mom’s.” Your head snapped up quickly, your eyes once again filling with tears. You hadn’t known that Steve had anything from his family. “Howard and Peggy managed to keep some of my stuff. I guess they never stopped hoping I’d come back.”

“I’m glad they did.” You leaned in again, letting yourself get lost in the kiss. “I love you, Steve.”

“I love you too. Now you have to win your next case so you can pay for the wedding. Unless you want Tony to pay.”

“I can’t even imagine what that wedding would be like,” you groaned. “You might need to get a real job.”

Lucky for Steve, it didn’t come to that. You won your next case. And the one after that. And the one after that. In fact, your career was on a high leading up to your wedding. Not that you needed much money for the wedding. It was a small affair, only close friends invited since neither of you had any family. On Steve’s side were all of the Avengers and their friends. On your side were your friends from school and some of your coworkers, all of whom looked a bit overwhelmed to be in the presence of so many superheroes. You and Steve decided to have the wedding at the compound so that you wouldn’t have to worry about security or paparazzi or anything like that.

“I’m nervous,” you groaned for the hundredth time that morning. “Why am I so nervous? I feel like I’m going to be sick.” 

“You better not be sick. You just got your makeup done,” Nat pointed out dryly.

“And you need to get in your dress soon so you’re not late to your own wedding,” Wanda added.

You and Steve had agreed on having small wedding parties, so Nat and Wanda were your only two bridesmaids, while Bucky and Sam were Steve’s groomsmen. You opened your mouth to respond, but quickly clamped your lips together and rushed over to the toilet, making it just in time to avoid making a mess on the floor. Fortunately, Wanda was able to use her powers to hold your hair back.

“Are you sure nerves aren’t the only reason you’re feeling sick?” Nat asked as you sat back. “I noticed that you didn’t have anything to drink at your bachelorette party.”

Wanda’s eyes grew almost comically wide. “Oh my gosh, Y/N! Are you pregnant?”

Your mind whirled as you tried to come up with a way to spin this, but you realized it was pointless. “You can’t tell Steve.”

“He doesn’t know?” Nat asked. You felt it was a bit hypocritical of her to be judging you for keeping a secret when she was an actual spy, but you decided to let that slide.

“I didn’t want to tell him until I was sure and then he was so stressed about making sure the wedding was perfect. I didn’t want to make him more stressed.”

“This is amazing, Y/N,” Wanda squealed, wrapping you in a hug. After a second, you felt Nat’s arms circle around you too. “Now let’s go get you married.”

Any nerves that you had melted away when you saw Steve standing at the end of the aisle. His eyes filled with tears immediately when he saw you, causing you to become misty eyed too. You tried to hold the tears back, knowing Nat and Wanda would kill you if you ruined your makeup so quickly. However, you lost that battle once Steve started to say his vows, his voice breaking with emotion.

Most of the non-Avengers guests left after staying at the reception for a couple of hours because they didn’t want to be driving back into the city late. Once they were all gone, Sam started urging you and Steve to start opening up your presents. Eventually, you had to give in.

“Let’s see whose gifts are lame,” Sam cheered as everyone took a seat. The first gift that Sam declared lame was from Scott, who claimed that he had shrunk your gift to make transporting it from San Francisco easier and then lost it somewhere in his room.

“Cmon, small fry! Just admit that you didn’t buy anything,” Sam teased. Scott tried to defend himself, but soon everyone was piling on. You had to move on to the next present to put him out of his misery. Most of the others had given you things you mentioned needing for the bigger apartment you hoped to get soon. Even before you knew you were pregnant, you and Steve had decided that it might be time to upgrade from your small, one bedroom apartment.

Peter was a bit embarrassed by his gift. He couldn’t exactly afford to buy anything fancy. He was a high school student after all. Instead, he had made some sort of toaster, microwave, air fryer hybrid that he assured you didn’t explode...anymore. You weren’t sure how confident you were in that, but you acted thrilled anyways.

Vision bought you what he assured you was the safest baby essentials. You almost choked on your water when Steve opened the box for the crib, which Vision told you he would put together. Everyone else was too busy laughing to notice the panicked looks you, Nat, and Wanda shared. There were a lot of jokes about how Vision must be eager for some kids running around the compound, but he didn’t seem to understand why everyone was laughing. You were sure that he had somehow used his super robot brain to figure out that you were pregnant, but apparently he hadn’t mentioned it to anyone else.

Tony insisted on going last, of course. His gift was a world class realtor showing you some of the best apartments in New York, which Tony insisted he would pay for. Steve tried to refuse, but you stopped him.

“We’ll think about it,” you said. Steve looked at you in surprise. Since the Avengers didn’t get paid, Steve usually had to rely on Tony’s money, but you were the one who was always insisting on paying for things yourself.

“We will?”

You shrugged. “There’s no way we’ll get a fancy penthouse or anything, but we could use a good realtor. And let’s face it, Tony will find a way to end up paying for most of it anyways.” You knew that your family would no doubt spend a lot of time at the compound, but you wanted a nice place in the city where your kids could go and be normal kids. If accepting Tony’s help was what it took to ensure that your family would have a nice place to live, you were willing to live with that. Plus, not having to worry about rent would allow you to take more pro bono work. 

Everyone sat around chatting for a while after the presents were done. Steve had you tucked into his side as the two of you lounged on a couch and watched your friends.

“You wanna get out of here?” Steve whispered in your ear.

“I’ll have to ask my husband if that’s okay,” you teased, enjoying the chuckle you got out of Steve.

“I think he’ll be fine with it. Not that you ever listen to anything he says.” Steve stood, pulling you up with him. Your face burned when everyone started cheering the two of you on, but Steve just laughed and waved goodnight to them. The two of you walked through the compound to Steve’s room in comfortable silence. Tomorrow, you would head out for your honeymoon, so you were enjoying your last peaceful moments at home.

“Do you actually think we need Tony’s realtor?” Steve asked suddenly. “I thought you liked that place we saw the other week.”

“Are you trying to start our first marital fight?” you joked, trying to get Steve to drop it. There was no way to explain why you were second guessing the place you and Steve had both liked without explaining that it wasn’t as child-friendly as you would like.

“I’m serious, honey. What made you change your mind?”

“I don’t know. I guess I was just thinking about how a third floor walkup could make some things difficult. And that place isn’t that much bigger than where I live now. There are also much better neighborhoods. Maybe we could look for somewhere closer to a park with a few bedrooms in a building with an elevator.”

“A few bedrooms? Sounds like you're describing a mansion. This is the city we’re talking about.”

“I’m not asking for a penthouse or a townhouse or anything. Just something that isn’t very cramped.” You tried to pull away from Steve, but he wrapped you up in a big hug.

“Ok, ok, I’m sorry. I just want to know what made you change your mind so much. I thought you said the third floor walkup would ensure we both stay in shape.”

You chewed on your lip thoughtfully, which made Steve know immediately that you were considering something important. Instead of answering, you grabbed Steve’s hand and pulled him down the hallway and into his room. Once you shut the door, you turned to face him. He was alarmed slightly by the nervousness in your eyes. You and Steve hadn’t talked seriously about kids. You both wanted some, but it seemed like both of you thought about them in terms of the future, not right after getting married.

“I’m pregnant,” you said finally.

“What?” Steve had heard you perfectly, even though you had barely whispered it. Perks of being a super soldier. It looked like his brain was short circuiting, though.

“I’m pregnant,” you said again, louder this time. Slowly, you put your hands around Steve’s waist. “Steve? Babe, talk to me. Where’s your head at? I know we weren’t expecting to have kids so soon but-”

“This is amazing,” Steve breathed. He picked you up and spun you around. “Oh my gosh! This is amazing.” He gently set you back on your feet, then kneeled to kiss your stomach. “How long have you known? Does anyone else know?”

“I’ve only known for sure for about a week, but I was suspicious. Nat and Wanda know. And Vision, apparently.”

“That explains the crib,” Steve laughed breathlessly. He hugged you again.

“That explains the crib,” you agreed.

“And the apartment. Honey, I don’t care how much money Tony has to spend. Your kid is going to have the best place in all of New York City.”

“It doesn’t have to be the best. It just has to be home. And just so you know, you’re not allowed to miss the birth because you’re on a mission. You’re taking paternity leave as soon as I’m close to popping.” Steve laughed and agreed before picking you up and carrying you towards the bed.

Steve shouldn’t have been surprised by the text. Of course you would go into labor while he was across the country. You weren’t due for another three weeks, so you and Steve had both thought it would be safe for him to go on one last mission. It had been a quick one, luckily, so he had a chance to get there before you actually gave birth.

A few people gave him strange looks as he ran through the halls of the hospital, almost sliding past your room because he was going so fast. Though the looks might have been because he was still wearing his Captain America uniform.

You couldn’t help but laugh when you saw him stumble into the room. He seemed uninjured, which meant the mission was a success in your books. He was breathing heavily, not you knew it wasn’t from the running. Another perk of being a super soldier. Steve Rogers, who had fought actual aliens, was nervous.

“Thank god I made it,” he gasped, rushing over to grab your hand. “We broke about every speed limit on the way over. Sam thought I should just jump out of the plane and into the roof of the hospital, but I thought that might be a bit much.”

“Just a bit,” you agreed before being overtaken by another contraction. You squeezed Steve’s hand as your eyes screwed shut. “You made it just in time. I’m about to start pushing. I was going to ask them to go find a hot doctor to hold my hand.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” Steve laughed, but he did grip your hand tighter. You smiled brightly at him. Despite what you said, it was such a relief to you that he had made it. Your smile faded when the doctor told you to push. This was the part you hadn’t been looking forward to.

Steve was on the edge of his seat next to you. He hated that there was nothing he could do to really make it easier, but he held your hand and reminded you to breathe.

Finally, you were able to collapse back into the pillows. You and Steve watched in amazement as the doctor placed the tiny, crying body in your arms.

“It’s a girl,” Steve breathed.

“It’s a girl,” you agreed. “And she’s perfect.”

“Yeah she is.” You turned to smile at Steve and realized that his eyes were already on you. He leaned in to gently press a kiss on your lips before bending down to press another on your daughter’s head.

You couldn’t help the tears of joy that ran down your face. You had the two most important people in the world with you now. You couldn’t ask for your life to be any more perfect.

[i-am-a-closet-fanfic-fiend]

Sexiled (Part 7/23) ~ Steve Rogers x Reader College!AU

A/N: Hi lovelies!  More Sexiled! :) Hope everyone has a great week. 

Summary: Getting to know the important people in Steve’s life. Aka parent’s weekend with your not boyfriend 

Rating: T

Warnings: Nothing really, probably language 

Word count: 1798 

Series Masterlist | Main Masterlist

“Looks like traffic from Brooklyn to Boston on a Friday afternoon was worse than they thought. They’re still in Connecticut,” Bucky reported at 5:30. “Becca says it’ll probably be two more hours.”

Steve frowned but nodded.

“I’ll call and see if we can move our reservation.”

“Good plan, but I’m starving. I’m going to go to the dining hall. You two coming?”

“I ate after lab. Sweetness?”

“Not that hungry,” you yawned.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I ate a ton after the exam.”

“Alright. Well I’m going to head down there then.”

Steve was already dialing the restaurants number so Bucky waved and left. You hopped down from the bed and he looked at you questioningly. You mouthed “bathroom” at him and slipped out of the room as the host answered the phone.

When you returned Steve was sprawled out on the bean bag chair flipping through his phone.

“Did they move the reservation?” you asked as you kicked your boots off and shrugged out of your sweater.

“Yup. We will now be seated at 8:30.”

“Perfect.”

You settled yourself between his legs, leaning back on his right thigh so you could look at him. He smiled softly as he scrubbed a hand over his face.  

“You look tired, love.”

“I am. The labs were killer today.”

“Yeah, this week was bad,” you agreed.

“Do you want to watch some more supernatural?”

You weighed the options, grimacing slightly.

“I’m taking that as a no,” he chuckled as he rubbed circles into your lower back.

“I’m just not really awake for it. Something less mentally taxing?”

“Scooby Doo?”

“Perfect.”

“Witch’s Ghost?”

You nodded excitedly and shifted on the bean bag so you were leaning fully against him. He reached for the remote and turned on the movie before settling his arms around your waist.

Neither of you had realized how much the three almost all-nighters had gotten to you, and soon you were fast asleep.

You woke to a bright flash.

“Becca,” someone hissed as you rubbed your eyes trying to get your bearings.

“The flash wasn’t supposed to be on,” someone whispered back.

As you blinked away the blurriness your eyes widened and your stomach dropped. You scrambled to your feet waking Steve in the process. Bucky seemed to be unsure whether he was amused or apologetic. You fiddled with your dress and tried to discreetly smooth your hair down.

“Oh hey everybody.” He grinned, unfazed as he hopped to his feet and hugged his mom. “I’m so glad you could come, ma.”

“Me too, sweetheart.”

When he let go of her, he reached out and slipped his hand in yours tugging you closer.

“Everyone, this is y/n. She’s my best girl.” You hadn’t been sure how he was going to introduce you, but the term had a warm feeling settle in your stomach. “Y/n, this is my mom.”

“It’s lovely to meet you, Mrs. Rogers.”

“Sarah,” she corrected. “Please. And I’m so glad I finally get to meet you. You’re even prettier than your picture.”

You bit your lip as you glanced up at Steve. His cheeks were pink and he nudged you towards Mr. Barnes.

“And this is Bucky’s dad.”

“George,” the older gentleman supplied with a kind smile. You could see where Bucky got his looks from.

“You can call me, Winnie, dear,” Bucky’s mother offered as she took your hand and squeezed it in both of hers.

“And I’m Becca. We’ve heard so much about you,” Bucky’s little sister gushed surging forward to hug you, making you drop Steve’s hand to embrace her.  

“Bex, chill,” Bucky laughed.

She pulled back, cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

“Sorry.”

“Oh be quiet, Bucky. I’m really excited to meet you too,” you told her with a genuine smile.

 Your nerves settled fairly quickly once you got to dinner. Sarah and Bucky’s family were so kind – hardly a surprise knowing their sons, but it still put you at ease.

“So you’re studying biology as well?”

“Yes, I am.”

“And are you premed too?” George asked.

“No, I ruled that path out a while ago. I do want to be in the medical field just on the other side of it.”

“Injuring people?” Bucky teased and you rolled your eyes, but smiled good-naturedly.

“Research,” you explained. “Regenerative medicine, to be exact. But even that is still broad so I’m still trying to figure out my future.”

“That’s very impressive, Y/n. Now what exactly is regenerative medicine?”

“The area I’m interested in basically strips something like a skin cell back to its most basic state where it can become any cell type. It hasn’t made what are called cell fate decisions.”

“And how does that help?”

“Well, by itself it doesn’t really. But the goal is to discover what specific factors cause these cell fate decisions and induce them in the pluripotent cells to create whatever type we want. The end goal being to recreate tissue and even organs that won’t be rejected by patients because it’s their own DNA. But that’s a long way down the road.”

They asked a fair amount of questions and you ended up spending the next twenty minutes explaining the research you someday dreamed of doing. You were so engrossed in what you were talking about that you didn’t notice the slightly awed look Steve was giving you. Bucky didn’t take much notice, that was how Steve always looked at you when you weren’t paying attention, but the rest of the family certainly did.

“How do you choose something like this? I’ve never even heard of it,” Sarah wondered.

“I sort of fell into it. I was reading for bio class junior year about cell fate decisions, and I had this thought – what if we could decide which cell type something would become? We could do so much. I thought I was so original, and then I found out there was a whole field dedicated to doing just that.”

“That’s amazing.”

“It was a welcome discovery if I’m honest. I thought I would end up in medicine, but the prospect of working directly with patients was a bit daunting. This way I’ll get to stay in the field and focus on the science. Assuming everything goes to plan."

“So you want to save the world?” Winnie deduced.

“As much of it as I can,” you announced proudly.

“You two really are well matched,” George chuckled as he looked between you and Steve.

“There’s a reason she’s my best girl.”

 “Thanks again for letting me stay with you tonight, y/n.”

“Of course. I’m glad we get to hang out for a bit.”

“Sorry if I was kind of overzealous earlier. It’s just the way Bucky and Steve talk about you, I knew you’d be really cool,” she mumbled as she played with the end of her braid.

“You weren’t at all. I promise. It was actually a relief. I was super nervous about meeting you guys.”

She cocked her head in confusion. “Why were you nervous?”

“I wanted to make a good impression. Though I probably didn’t do a great job of that.”

“Because you two were asleep when we came in?”

You bit your lip and nodded.

“It was honestly really cute. And from what we could tell, totally innocent.”

“Of course,” you rushed to confirm.

“You have nothing to worry about. You completely live up to the hype.”

“So do you.”

“So, since I’m not sure we’ll get any other time alone together, is there anything you want to know about the guys?” Becca offered with a mischievous grin.

“Is there anything juicy I should know?”

“Well…”

The two of you spent a couple of hours gossiping and getting to know each other. Becca was so endearing, you two were fast friends.

 That was how the whole weekend felt. You managed one on one time with all of them, and you grew very close to Sarah. She shared your love of music and the ballet and you fell into easy conversation. On Sunday, after brunch, the seven of you were walking through the park when you noticed one of the public pianos was open.

“Would you like to play a little?” Sarah asked when she noticed your preoccupation.

“I wish I knew how. I can pluck out Mary Had a Little Lamb and that’s about it. Do you play?”

“I used to. I can show you a little if you like?”

“Please.”

The two of you sat on the cold wooden bench and she ran her fingers up and down the scale.

“Surprisingly well tuned for an outdoor piano. So place your hands like this,” she demonstrated and then fixed your hands as you attempted to mimic her. “Good.

You fiddled around playing a few little snatches of things.

“Maybe I’ll stick to singing.”

“That is always an option,” she laughed as she absent-mindedly played a soothing tune. “Y/n, darling. I am so glad that Steve has found you.”

Her words twisted in your gut and you felt like you had been deceiving her.

“Sarah, I have to be completely honest with you.”

“About what?”

“Steve and I aren’t dating.”

The crinkle of worry that had creased her forehead disappeared as she laughed.

“I know that, sweetheart.”

“You do?”

“I do.”

“Then why…”

She continued playing but looked over at you.

“Steve has had Bucky his entire life. Even when he had no one else. When he finally got healthy and grew into his handsome self,” you glanced over at Steve, smiling at how he held himself as he spoke to George and Winnie. “People finally noticed him, but they didn’t care about him. It’s obvious that you do.”

“I really do.”

“Do you feel better now?” She asked, blue eyes twinkling just like Steve’s.

“Much.” You finally recognized the song she was playing and began to hum the opening chords. “I love this song.”

“It was always one of Steve’s favorites when he was little. His father and I would put the record on and dance to it, and he always loved it.”

Your eyes drifted shut, imagining dancing with Steve as you began to sing along.

Stars shining bright above you

Night breezes seem to whisper I love you

Birds singing in the sycamore trees

Dream a little dream of me

You sang quietly, not wanting to draw to much attention to yourself. But it felt good to stretch your vocal chords.  

“Wow.”

Your eyes snapped open at Steve’s hushed exclamation, and you twisted around to look at him.

“I could listen to you sing forever.”

You felt like a deer in headlights, caught by his intense gaze.

“Well, that’s very hard on the vocal chords, so you’ll have to settle for special occasions,” Sarah teased, breaking the moment, allowing you to breathe.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed! I’m sorry the A/n are like barely there on this one. I’m half asleep. 

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[jonasmaurer]

San Diego Adventures

Hey hey! How’s the morning going? Hope you’re having a wonderful day so far. This morning, the girls are off to camp, I have a podcast interview, and I’m looking forward to catching a barre class later. 

For today’s post, I thought I’d share some San Diego adventures. It’s still one of our favorite places to visit, and we love it even more after living there for 2 1/2 years. We don’t have the “see everything, do everything” pressure that often accompanies visiting a new place. We hang out at our beloved spots and don’t feel rushed or hurried. It was a *real* vacation: lots of downtime on the beach, eating at incredible spots, and watching the pure joy on the girls faces.

We got into San Diego on Wednesday afternoon, and after dropping the dogs off with our favorite dog sitter and groomer (the dogs had a vacation, too!), we headed to our Airbnb. It was our first time using it as a family, and I highly recommend it. (We used it for the Beautycounter LEAD conference and it was such a great experience, I couldn’t wait to try it with the fam.) We dropped off our luggage, and then went to OB Noodle House for dinner. Betsy, Jeremy, and the kids met us there, and we had the best dinner of spring rolls, lettuce wraps, dumplings, and pho. No one makes pho like OB Noodle House. We often order it at other restaurants and it’s always good, but it’s never quite as good.

We took the kids for ice cream at Baskin Robbins and then went back to the Airbnb to call it a night.

Thursday was 4th of July, so after an easy breakfast at the Airbnb, coffee from Better Buzz (decaf best drink ever, half sweet), we headed to Betsy’s mom’s house for an epic 4th of July BBQ and pool party. The kids swam for about 3 hours, only taking breaks to eat a hot dog or s’more and immediately jump back in. We sat on the grass, enjoyed amazing food – the spread was out of control – and chatted with everyone. It was perfect.

We left late afternoon for nap time, and after P was awake and ready for party #2, we went over to Betsy’s to hang out by their pool. We got pizza delivered, roasted s’mores over the fire pit, and the adults drank wine out of solo cups while the kids swam again. The girls were in the pool pretty much all day and couldn’t be happier.

Friday, I took an early Cyclebar class, and then we packed up the crew for a day at Bonita Cove. We put out our pop-up tent and set up beach chairs. I was surprised by how cold it was! It was in the 60s, which was freezing to me, but didn’t stop the kids from splashing in the water. We built sand castles, the kids played on the playground, and they got ice cream from the ice cream man. 

Friday night, we had dinner at Crack Shack downtown. I’m not even a fried chicken person, but I LOVE their fried chicken. I’m so glad I didn’t know about Crack Shack while I was pregnant with P because I’d probably have grease marks all over my stretched-out lululemon tanks. It’s that good. I got the Baja chopped salad with smoked chicken, had a piece of fried chicken, and we all shared deviled eggs and super soft biscuits with sweet and salty butter. 

(Got a couple of questions about this dress! Stitch Fix sent it to me when they sent the kids’ boxes and the brand is Free People. It’s on sale right now in coral here.)

After dinner, we headed to Belmont Park so the girls could ride all of their favorite rides. We got them wristbands and they both went on every ride they were tall enough to do. My face hurt from laughing so hard at the Vertical Plunge ride. Liv was an absolute statue and P would shriek and giggle at every single drop. I’m kind of terrified for the future when they’re dragging me on scary roller roasters. 

Sunday morning we had brunch at our favorite spot (Great Maple! Get a spot on OpenTable if you go!) and spending the afternoon hanging out with Betsy and the crew. I was so glad we got to spend so much time with them on this trip. We decided a month is about how long we can go without all getting together.

(We were in Alaska with them not too long ago!)

Of course, it’s not a trip to San Diego without a stop at Tiki Port.

(This is the Drifter bowl + peanut butter)

We had the best time on the trip, and also managed to save a bit of $. We’re trying to be more strategic with our finances this year, so here are some things that helped:

– Staying in an Airbnb (<— my referral link gives you $40 off!). In the end, it was about $100 less per night than we would have spent at a hotel, and it was so much more convenient with the kids. We had a full kitchen, laundry room, dining room, a sofa bed, and while P napped on the master bed, we could all hang out in the living room together. The link to the one we used is here! It had a great central location and was perfect. I highly recommend it.

– We didn’t go out to eat for every single meal. Before we hit the road to San Diego, I packed a small cooler with items we had on hand (and a giant thing of blueberries that would have gone bad while we were gone), and a grocery bag with lots of snacks. We had breakfast at the Airbnb most days (I brought berries, apples, bananas, cereal, oatmeal, and when we arrived, we grabbed some almond milk and eggs, which we hard-boiled). On the 4th of July, we had lunch at the party, and the following day at the beach, I packed the cooler up with snacks. (A loaf of Dave’s Killer bread with peanut butter and jelly to make sandwiches for all the kids, trail mix, Clif bars, dried mango, fruit pouches, and LaCroix.)

We had about 1 *good* meal out each day, and it was perfect. There was also something magical about not having to hurry up and get the girls dressed to head to a restaurant first thing in the morning. We had relaxing breakfast at the Airbnb and got ready for the day.

– Enjoying experiences that didn’t cost a thing. The beach day was completely free (minus a trip to the ice cream truck) and we were all living our best summer lives.

Do you have any hacks for saving money on vacation? We like to travel (a lot), so I’m looking forward to reading your tips! 

Have a wonderful day and I’ll see ya soon.

xoxo

Gina

The post San Diego Adventures appeared first on The Fitnessista.

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[gonewithawhimm]

Postcards from San Francisco

This is possibly my 5th or 6th visit to San Francisco, I have stopped counting. I never grow tired of visiting this fast-paced city. Some of my best friends live here and no matter how many times I visit, there is always something to do and the energy and vibe of the city is infectious. Last time, I visited the city with my mom and we spent an afternoon with two alpacas at the Golden Gate Park. This time we discovered a nudist beach with a great view of the golden gate, dispensaries that sell marijuana legally {sort of like an Apple store for weed lol and also weed is legal to sell in SF; people were locked up for decades for selling weed a few years ago and now this}, and delicious Burmese fermented tea salad amongst other things. There is always something new, weird, and happening here. SF feels like a smaller and newer NYC and it’s proximity to the Silicon Valley and its status as a tech hub is super exciting, to say the least, especially since I’m in software too. Going to a coffee shop means you never who’s going to be sitting next to you and I always catch tidbits of people’s conversations and the plans for future and I love it. {eavesdropper alert :P} I always dream of what’d be like to live here. The city is built on seven hills, there are many wonderful and diverse neighborhoods scattered around to explore; the restaurant/coffee/bar scene is popping, there are plenty of tech companies and startups on the verge of the changing the world as we know it today, there is an ocean around the corner {I grew up next to a beach and I miss seeing the ocean on a daily basis. No need to remind me that despite that I can’t swim, the water is cold that’s not really an option :P} and there are green parks and oasis in the middle of the urban jungle to enjoy some peace and calm, should I need it, the undulating city landscape means that a walk could double up as a great workout and rest of the Californian/Mexican/West coast is a hop, skip and drive away. So much to explore and so much to do. Like I said before, some of my favorite people live here and I even have some family around so if my parents visit, they can catch up with them too. The only deal breaker is the weather; it’s perpetually windy and cool in SF. I have four “I heart SF” hoodies of different pastel colors for each time that I visited and underestimated how cold it would be. I think I’d rather take four seasons with a hot summer and a cold winter for a few months than a cool climate around the year. I mean it’s not like someone’s waiting with a “welcome here” platter, a six-figure job, and a million dollar house and begging me to move to the Bay but a girl can muse, right? 😀

We go way back

Sukanya and Chinnappa moved to SF from the Bay area to live the high-roller city life for a year and this was the last weekend in the city. They have been ushering us to visit and we decided to make a dash before they moved to the burbs. 😛 Make no mistake, the city life is not for everyone. It costs a pretty penny to live here, you gotta learn how to hustle and you spend a kidney’s worth ever time you step out of the house, so it’s been an interesting year for them. Regardless of whether I move there or not, here are a few photos of the super fun long weekend with them and Vivek and Lakshmi. Vivek, Chinnapa, Sukanya, Gree and I went to GT together and Lakshmi is Vivek’s dancing-diva wife who grew up in the Bay area. It’s always a blast when we get together. I haven’t laughed like this in a long time, my sides still hurt and I’m already plotting a reunion. *glee*.

Chinatown

The Chinatown in SF is the largest Chinatown outside of Asia as well as the oldest Chinatown in North America. It feels is like stepping into a time machine and entering a different world. The typical buildings of SF give away to the pagodas and temple architecture, the grocery stores are teeming with Chinese vegetables and other specialties, signposts and street names are in English and Mandarin; you can hear various dialects as you walk. I love walking the streets. We bought some Chinese eggplants seeds to give our friends lol.

The busy streets of Chinatown

Teracotta warriors of Chinatown

Dragons everywhere, including the fruits

City Lights Booksellers & Publishers

I make sure to visit a library or a bookstore everytime I’m in a new city. City Lights dates back to the 1950s and is oozing with charm. Brick and mortar bookstores are sadly diminishing and I make it a point to buy a book to support their existence. I hope to come back someday, ensconce myself in a corner and finish a book, cover to cover and discover more about the history of this store.

A magical bookstore, City Lights

Baker’s Beach

We went to Baker’s beach shortly before sunset and I must say the setting of this beach is simply stunning. The beach is flanked by the Golden Gate Bridge flanks the beach on its right and craggy cliffs on its left. The sky was engulfed in swirls of blue and pink as the sun set and a few puppies sauntered up to us for cuddles.

Canine cuddles

Palace of the fine arts

Vivek suggested that we visit this place in the night after Baker’s bridge and I wasn’t too excited tbh. We had been walking all day and I was a little groggy with the time difference. But walking into this palace took my breath away. This monumental structure was built in 1915 during the Panama-Pacific exposition to display some work of arts and while we didn’t get time to see any of the art, the architecture itself was marvelous and regal. The palace was lit up, there were a few people scattered about and there was a street artist performing classical music. So serene and peaceful. *goose bumps*.

Sinfully good chocolate souffle cake at Tartine

I had a near-religious chocolate experience at Tartine. The chocolate-souffle cake is dense, rich and exquisite. It elevates you to a different plane with each bite. My only regret was that I didn’t eat a whole cake.

Working remote from Reveille Cafe

Monday morning, Gree and I woke up early and headed to Reveille Cafe near the Embarcardero to get our caffeine fix and work. The beautiful cafe with its tall ceilings and a tiled counter was dappled in sunlight and adorned with the perfect smattering of plants. We ordered cappuccinos, shakshuka, and an acai bowl. The coffee was excellent and sadly the shakshouka was just alright, tbh I can make a better one. Shakshouka is relatively simple to make and it’s one of my favorite weekend brunch recipes. Nonetheless, it was a productive morning and I highly recommend this place if you want to get good coffee or work remote in SF for a few hours.

Pinsas at Montesacro (a slice of Roma in SF)

I had never heard of pinsas until I went to Montesacro. Turns out Pinsas date back to the Roman empire and are the predecessors of pizza; their crust is thin, crisp and airy and the dough is made from a blend of rice, soy, and wheat flour. It is also claimed to be low-fat, low-calorie and easy to digest. I don’t know if that holds true when you wolf an entire oblong pinsa, a glass (or two) of red wine and follow it up with a cup of espresso, but I like to believe that. 😛

We ordered two Margherita pinsas, and they arrived with perfectly charred sour crusts, juicy tomato sauce topped with clouds of creamy mozzarella, a smattering of basil leaves and spicy Calabrian peppers. Perfection in every bite.

Distressed walls, mismatched metal chairs, vintage photos of Roma, old school weighing scales, the restaurant has a rustic and charming vibe. 10/10 would go back for the food, décor and the vibes.

Walking the SF golden gate bridge

It takes about an hour to walk the SF gate but honestly, it was a bad idea. When we walked, it was extremely windy and the gate was reverberating with the ongoing traffic and by the time we were done, Gree and I had a terrible headache when we reached the finish line. lol. If you plan to walk or bike the gate, go when it’s less windy or not windy at all, if that’s possible. 😛 Nonetheless, the views were phenomenal.

Dreamy flaky Kouign Amann at B Patisserie

A good Kouign Amann can cure any problem. This obscure pastry is the French croissant’s distant cousin from the region of Brittany. Flakier and denser in form, it is caramelized with a little sugar to add the perfect crunch. Oh so good. I have never had one before, but to me it seems like th pastry chefs at B Patisserie nailed it lol. Please go if you are in SF!

These are few of my favorite SF things. Have you been to SF? Would you want to live there?

    Postcards from San Francisco  Postcards from San Francisco This is possibly my 5th or 6th visit to San Francisco, I have stopped counting.

[boschlingtumbles]

White Wedding (Ch 37)

Catelyn (Vice and Wish 12 of 12)

Catelyn woke in bed in her family’s summer home in Riverrun, her sister snuggled under the covers inches away. She smiled—hadn’t that always been the way when they were younger? Promising to stay in their own beds and then sneaking out for sleepovers as soon as their mother’s back was turned?

Granted, when they were younger, Lysa typically didn’t fall asleep wearing a very dirty thrift store wedding dress. Was that cheese-whiz down the front?

Catelyn realized she was also still wearing her thrift store wedding dress and that she should probably take a shower and then take Robb off her saint of an uncle’s hands.

Once in the shower, some of the tranquility and coziness of waking up in her old bedroom faded. She recalled her bravado from last night and cringed. Hear me roar indeed.

Since she had left on this thrice-damned family holiday—no earlier than that, since the wedding, no since the PROPOSAL, she had been walking on eggshells around her father. She had always been her father’s favorite, she knew that, and she was so desperately certain that there was a way to make him okay with the man she loved. But at every turn things had gotten worse not better. Had Ned been part of the problem? Well punching her father in the face had certainly not helped, but that didn’t change the fact that she’d more or less made him a stranger from his family all summer and he had been understanding and supportive every step of the way.

In return, trusting what they had built together over the last two years seemed like the very least she could do.

But then she thought of her senior year, at that party Robert had thrown, where Ned had kissed Ashara Dayne during spin the bottle and she’d spent the entire evening crying in the bathroom. And Catelyn felt cold and clammy and like she might want to throw up.

That’s what you get for eating a plate of loaded nachos from a pub called Murfees, Catelyn told herself grimly. Not to mention drinking all that beer. Ugh, not a story to share with her mommy group back in Winterfell. It’d be weeks before she felt safe to breast-feed again.

Did the thought of Ned and Ashara together trigger all sorts of stupid high school anxieties that she’d thought buried and gone forever? Yes, yes, a thousand times yes. But that didn’t change the fact that it was Ned and she loved him and trusted him. They’d been together for years before they’d been married, had freely chosen each other above all others, had a foundation of a million shared experiences and laughs and tears. No stupid spiteful rumor was going to change that.

Catelyn stopped scrubbing the shampoo into her scalp and stood up straighter. Like she’d said at the bar, she was done playing the dutiful daughter, done trying to accommodate everyone and done trying to be so fucking deferential to everyone’s feelings but her own.

She found her uncle in the kitchen playing with Robb in the playpen.

“Was that you girls I heard coming home last night so late?” Brynden Tully teased, as Robb saw her and his whole face lit up.

“Mama!!” He fought free of his great-uncle’s grasp to toddle toward her.

“Oof,” Catelyn smiled as he collided with her full speed.

“He reminds me of Edmure at that age. No idea where he’s going but in a hurry to get there,” Brynden shook his head.

“Thank you so much for looking after him,” Catelyn pressed a kiss to the crown of her son’s head. “I thought it was going to be one night and then home early, but things... well escalated.”

She flushed as she again flashed on her and Lysa doing drunken karaoke on a bar top.

“I was happy to do it, Cat. You know I think it’s good for you to get some me time,” Brynden affectionately tugged at his niece’s still damp hair.

“Where is daddy?” Catelyn asked.

“Took off yesterday afternoon to play golf with Jon Arryn in King’s Landing. I guess they went out for drinks after and he was nervous about driving so decided to crash there. Looks like you weren’t the only one who needed some me time,” her uncle rolled his eyes. “You should really know better than to try and keep us under the same roof for extended periods.”

Catelyn let out a small sigh of relief even as she tried to smile at Uncle Brynden’s joke. If Jon Arryn had successfully kept him away from the gossip mill, that was one disaster averted.

“Anything wrong?” Brynden asked, arching an eyebrow at Catelyn knowingly.

“Just the usual drama with Daddy and Ned. Sometimes I get why you ran off,” Catelyn admitted.

“As I recall, I ran off to avoid a wedding, not have one,” Brynden chuckled. “Your father has never met an opinion worth considering over his own.”

“That’s not fair,” Catelyn protested tepidly but her heart wasn’t in it.

“Just because he loves you doesn’t mean he has the faintest idea what’s best for you,” Brynden said firmly. “Now since you’re up, I think this is my cue to leave.”

“You won’t stay for brunch?” Catelyn shot him her best puppy dog expression.

“If I leave now, this will be the first weekend I’ve spent with my brother in ten years that didn’t dissolve into an argument,” Brynden said. “I would do anything for you and Lysa and little Robb here, but there are some things you really shouldn’t ask of me.”

“I’m sorry,” Catelyn said sheepishly. “It’s just going to be dismal.”

“Chin up, Cat. I’ve never known you to back down from a challenge,” Brynden smiled.

Catelyn waved goodbye, and then set about getting herself and Robb dressed and ready. Having accomplished that, she realized her two siblings were still sound asleep with no sign of her father. Rolling her eyes, she went to turn Lysa and Edmure out of bed.

“I thought I’d be sadder about Petyr,” Lysa confided as she stretched her arms. “But I feel like there was a huge weight on my stomach and it’s finally been lifted.”

“Don’t you mean your shoulders,” Catelyn teased, to try and not think about Petyr and his smirking face coming toward her. Gods she missed Ned.

“No I mean my stomach,” Lysa said seriously. “I felt it right in here,” she poked her gut.

“Well just in time to eat brunch then. Now here, take Robb and get him into his car seat. Daddy texted and said he and Jon would meet us at brunch. And Edmure’s still in the shower and we should have left five minutes ago.”

They were fifteen minutes late to the restaurant, but only Rickard and Benjen Stark had gotten there before them.

“Let me see my grandson!” Rickard boomed, and lifted Robb from Catelyn’s arms. Catelyn looked around, but there was nobody else in the private room she’d reserved to eliminate outside stressors like people who objected to high chairs and the occasional temper tantrum.

“Where’s Brandon?” She asked Benjen quietly.

“He called to say he wasn’t coming... He and Barbrey had a HUGE fight last night,” Benjen pulled a face. Catelyn swallowed, thinking of the text Cersei had sent.

“Where is Ned?” She asked hopefully.

“Not here yet—I called him a couple times but his cell doesn’t seem to be working,” Benjen replied. Catelyn twisted her hands uncomfortably. Should she have stoped Cersei from sending that text? She wished Ned were here, she needed to find out what had actually happened with Ashara. He was still coming wasn’t he?

There the squeal of tires and the crunch of gravel from outside and the road of an impossibly loud engine.

“What is that?!” Rickard frowned.

“I’ll check,” Catelyn assured her father in law.

A candy-apple red convertible was parked in front. Ned, wearing an exceptionally wrinkled shirt was clambering out of the front, as Robert Baratheon handed him...

A child.

Catelyn, who had been half way out the door, mid stride to hurl herself into Ned’s arms, stopped short. Ned took the baby, said something to Robert who was grinning, and then turned and saw her silhouetted in the doorframe and froze.

Catelyn swallowed, aware that she was trembling like a leaf.

“Cat!” Ned covered the ground between them in an instant, kissing her temple, the boy in his arms a familiar impediment between them. Familiar and not familiar. Because this was not her boy.

“Is it true?” She blurted.

“True?” Ned gave her a puzzled smile.

She looked down at the baby.

“Oh! Cat, meet our nephew. Jon Snow.”

Her knees buckled and she sat down on the steps.

“Woah! Are you okay, hang on,” Ned carefully put Jon down and sat next to her, pressing his hand to her forehead even as his other hand found her own. “You feel clammy, are you sick?”

Catelyn gave him a tremulous smile. Nephew. Nephew. She could breathe.

“Everyone’s saying that you and Ashara had a baby,” she mumbled, leaning into his hand. “Cersei said it was nonsense, that it had to be Ashara and Brandon, and I believed her of course, but then when I saw you with him—why did you bring a baby to brunch? Why do you even have him??”

“Cat, Jon isn’t Brandon’s,” Ned took a deep breath.

“What?” Catelyn frowned, twisting to face him.

“He’s Lyanna’s.”

“Oh,” Catelyn looked down at the boy who was blinking back at her, with Lyanna’s dark hair and somebody else’s dark eyes.

“And the father?”

“Not in the picture. He was married, and from all accounts, a nasty piece of work.”

Catelyn swallowed.

“So you’re bringing your father a surprise grandchild from the daughter he hasn’t heard from in months to a brunch with my father who hates your guts. And Brandon isn’t here to play peacemaker because Cersei might have told a lot of people that he had a baby with Ashara and it got back to Barbrey...”

“Well when you put it like that,” Ned’s shoulders slumped and they sat side by side on the steps outside the restaurant, the two of them and their surprise nephew.

“Maybe Daddy will be in a good mood from playing golf all day yesterday,” Catelyn offered.

“Robert mooned him on the drive here,” Ned sighed. “He seemed quite peeved.”

There was a pause as Catelyn rested her head on Ned’s shoulder.

“We’ll get through this right?” Ned squeezed her hand.

“We will,” Catelyn said firmly. “Together.”

Hoster Tully entered some ten minutes later in a rare head of steam, towing a tired looking Jon Arryn, and practically spitting nails. If he noticed that Rickon Stark was looking decidedly unwell, he did not say anything.

“What is wrong with this generation?!” Hoster bellowed without preamble.

“Hi Daddy,” Lysa tried to give him a hug only to be brusquely shoved toward Jon Arryn who caught her and gave her a shy kiss on the cheek.

“You will not believe what just happened to me! On the highway, I was mooned!”

“Oh that’s terrible,” Catelyn said soothingly, hurriedly gesturing at the waiter to pour some wine. “It must have been very startling.”

“I knew that ass!” Hoster shouted.

There was a silence as Benjen Stark let out a stifled snort of laughter.

“Hoster thinks it’s the person who mooned him during the club championships ten years ago,” Jon Arryn sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“I KNOW IT WAS! I would recognize those bare buttocks anywhere!” Hoster snapped, draining the wine in one go.

“Got a good look did you?” Benjen snickered, and Ned shoot him a glare.

“I did!” Hoster said, oblivious to Benjen’s innuendo. “I was teeing off on the eighteenth hole, tied with Jonos Bracken for the lead. And you know how that man cracks under pressure,” he added in an aside to Jon and Rickard. “And then, right as I had taken my practice swing and had set up to the ball, I saw it!”

“He’s referring to the butt,” Jon Arryn, who had clearly heard this story many times, sighed.

“Bare and pale, almost luminous! Shining at me from the crowd! I looked away, I tried to focus on the golf ball, but it was too late! It was in my head!”

“He shanked his drive, had to take a penalty stroke and lost by two,” Jon Arryn rolled his eyes, bringing the story to an abrupt end.

“And then I had to get back surgery that winter! I never got my golf game back! That was my last chance to win the championship!” Hoster harrumphed, clearly displeased at having the punchline spoiled.

“You don’t know that it was the same ass,” Jon Arryn said.

“You were driving! You didn’t see it! I— seven hells, why are there two of them?” Hoster abruptly trailed off, having noticed for the first time that there were now two high chairs at the table, and two black haired little boys blinking at him.

“This is Jon, Daddy,” Catelyn said brightly as if the situation were perfectly normal. “Lyanna’s son.”

“I was not aware that Lyanna was er, married,” Hoster’s brow knitted as he shot a look at Rickard.

“She isn’t,” the Stark patriarch said stiffly, the first words he’d spoken in some time.

“This fucking generation,” Hoster glowered at all of them.

“Do you have something to say about my daughter?” Rickard growled, and Catelyn felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Even Benjen stopped snickering.

“I was thinking of getting the eggs Benedict!” Lysa blurted and Catelyn shot her a grateful look.

“That’s my favorite too!” Jon Arryn beamed at her.

“I’ll get the trout I suppose, although I doubt it’ll be anywhere NEAR as big as the one I caught up river from here...” Edmure launched into one of his fly fishing stories.

Catelyn allowed her shoulders to drop ever so slightly as the conversation merrily spun away from anything remotely resembling controversy.

The food came, and Catelyn busied herself getting the children set up for their own meal. Jon had his cousin’s appetite, she thought ruefully. Thank goodness she’d brought extra formula.

Hoster Tully had even commented approvingly on how well-behaved Robb had been all weekend (as if he hadn’t ditched him with his brother to play golf yesterday) when disaster struck.

There was a chime of a text from a phone. Hoster’s phone.

Her father reached for it.

“There‘s no cell phone usage allowed here,” Jon Arryn tried, but like a slow motion train wreck, Hoster waved him off and touched the screen.

“Why it’s Petyr Baelish,” Hoster frowned. “What on earth is he doing texting me?”

“Don’t Daddy—“ Lysa began as Catelyn stood, wondering frantically if she could get across the room to slap it out of his hand.

“Tell me Eddard,” Hoster said, and his voice matched Rickard’s earlier growl in intensity though it was louder. “Why did I just get a text saying that Jon is your son?”

“Don’t listen to Petyr!” Lysa protested. “He’s just mad because I told him we through yesterday because I’m dating Jon!”

“Excuse me?” Hoster said slowly.

“I was, um, going to mention that at some point,” Jon Arryn scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

“You’re dating my daughter?!” Hoster sputtered, turning on him. Jon held his hands up.

“I admit this is poor timing, but that’s why I was going to wait to tell you! I didn’t think you’d be upset, only a month ago you were trying to set me up!”

“With Cat! I was trying to set you up WITH CAT!”

“Are you saying you were trying to undermine my son’s marriage?!” Rickard stood up. “I’ve put up with a lot of shit from you Hoster, but this is one step too far!”

“FIRST,” Hoster wheeled on Rickard, “forgive me for thinking your Cat could do better. Your son is an ambitionless hack who cheats on her! And SECOND,” he turned back to Jon before a Rickard could respond, “I wasn’t trying to set you up Lysa because she has her whole life ahead of her! Cat’s the one with limited options!”

Catelyn stood up, her face burning with something close to fury.

“I believe the phrase you’re looking for is damaged goods, Daddy,” she sneered.

“That—that’s not what I meant at all,” her father backpedaled.

“Isn’t it? Because you’ve taken every opportunity I’ve given you to bury the hatchet and twisted in and tried to undermine my marriage. MY FAMILY. Well I’ve had it. I’m done. This was your last chance. So before you shit on Lysa’s life too, maybe you should consider that you’re down to your last daughter. Ned, call Robert and have him pick us up. We’re leaving.”

“Um I don’t know that—“

“NOW!”

“Right, calling Robert,” Ned blurted, almost dropping his phone when he realized it didn’t work.

“Here,” Jon Arryn sighed and handed him his own.

“And for the fucking record,” Catelyn snarled at her father, “Ned had never cheated on me in his life.”

“Hi Robert, sorry to wake you up,” Ned said on the phone. “Can you pick me and Cat and the kids up? Like right now?”

“Catelyn, this is highly unnecessary,” Hoster blustered. Ned shot a hopeful look at Cat.

“It is in fact necessary. Some might say it is long overdue,” Catelyn said tightly as she loaded up Robb’s things.

“You belong with us! Not with this... this... pack of wolves!”

Hoster Tully might have said more, but that was when Rickard Stark punched him in the face.

When Robert pulled up to meet them some fifteen minutes later, Ned and Catelyn were waiting for him in the driveway to the restaurant, each with a dark haired boy in their arms.

“That was fast,” Ned commented. Robert shrugged.

“I just pulled over down the road to take a nap before I drove back to Oldtown. I take it brunch went... less than swimmingly?”

“Please take us to the airport, Robert,” Catelyn said curtly as she buckled little Jon into his car seat. “I have purchased us tickets on the first flight back to Winterfell.”

“Ouch,” Robert winced.

“Indeed,” Catelyn growled.

“Catelyn, can you hurry up?” Ned asked, already done with Robb. “We need to get out of here before...”

“Cat! WAIT!” A much worse for the wear Hoster staggered out of the restaurant. And then he froze.

“That’s the car!”

“Oh no,” Ned breathed, as Catelyn finished her work and shut the car door after her.

“Shit get in Ned,” Robert slid down in his seat, trying to evade Hoster Tully’s glare.

“THAT’S THE CAR THAT MOONED ME!”

“Gas Robert!” Ned slammed his own door.

Robert frantically slammed his foot down, and the car lurched in reverse across the parking lot.

“IF YOU CRASH THIS CAR WITH THESE CHILDREN IN IT I WILL KILL YOU!” Catelyn threw her arms protectively across both of them.

Across the parking lot, Hoster roared and began to charge.

“HE’S CHASING US!” Ned shouted. “GO GO GO!”

Robert frantically changed gears, and then they surged forward and out toward the exit, missing Hoster Tully’s outstretched arms by inches.

“BLINKER!”

“GO!”

“MIXED MESSAGES!”

The car swung out on to the empty road and then there was a moment of silence as the car sped away and they all simultaneously exhaled.

Catelyn cautiously looked over her shoulder.

“Have we lost him?” Robert asked.

“He’s gone,” Catelyn confirmed, checking that both boys were still buckled in. They were smiling, completely placidly, as if high pressure escapes from her father were all great fun.

“To the airport,” Robert shouted cheerfully and Ned cheered. Catelyn allowed a smile to cross her face.

“It’s over,” she said, feeling as if she’d run a marathon. “Finally, we can go home.”

“Well for two weeks,” Robert added. Catelyn’s eyes opened.

“Two weeks?” She repeated slowly.

“You’re coming back down for the wedding!”

Right. The wedding.

[emilyemcnabb]

Ally and Taylor’s wedding at The Kelley Farm

Ally and Taylor met in high school but had few memories of each other when they reconnected years later. Within two weeks of dating Taylor told Ally he loved her and that they would be getting married—about which he was 100% correct. Months later, the couple celebrated their big day at The Kelley Farm with close family, friends, their faith and a beautiful barn wedding and brunch.  Ally attributes much of the design success to the rentals from The Meaningful Details and we’re into the pastel florals by Paisley Petals. Check it all out in these images by B. Jones Photography who was on hand to capture the joy of the day.

What made the wedding special and unique? 

Our wedding was special to us because it was centered around our faith. Our relationship with God is the most important thing in our life, and it was an amazing blessing to have our family and friends together with us to celebrate. Being able to bring people together from all different backgrounds and faiths, all people whom we love is not something we have the privilege of doing very often. There was a time when we considered making the ceremony something that would be more vanilla, and a little less focused on our faith, but we chose to stick to what was important to us. We wanted to make sure our ceremony was true to who we are and our beliefs, and it was so special to be able to share our wedding day with the people who are most important to us.

  Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!

Looking back at the gown I wore for our wedding, I’m not surprised I fell in love with it. It was everything I could have hoped to find. I always envisioned our wedding being classic and timeless, something where wouldn’t look back at the photos and wonder, “what the heck were we thinking?!” I fell in love with the Pronovias brand after seeing many of their dresses online. I was excited when I found a boutique shop in town that carried the Pronovias line. I went to MeaMarie Bridal Atelier in Kirkland, WA with my mom and we loved everything about it. It was beautiful, chic, and has an overwhelming sense of ‘bridal’ which I really appreciated. There’s only one time I’ll be getting a wedding dress for myself, and I was ready to soak it all up! Rachelle, the attendant at the shop, brought me a beautiful selection of dresses to try on. I originally thought I wanted something with lace, and I quickly found I did not like the way it looked on me. When I tried on the Pronovias Tatiana gown, I was blown away by its simplicity and elegance. It quickly became a favorite of all of ours, but I didn’t want to purchase anything right away and end up with buyer’s remorse. I let a couple days go by, but I couldn’t stop thinking about how beautiful the gown was! That weekend my mom and I went back to MeaMarie and let them know I had found my dress!

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal? 

We found this amazing woman, Dawn, who really helped our wedding vision come to life! Dawn owns The Meaningful Details in Bonney Lake, WA and has the most amazing decor rentals! I didn’t want to end up with a bunch of wedding decor that I would probably never use again and end up trying to sell anyway, so I was overjoyed to find Dawn. We rented a ton of vintage picture frames from her to use for different signage, to have wedding photos of our family generations, and photos of Taylor and I around the reception area.

What was the most memorable part of the day? 

Leading up to the wedding Taylor and I talked numerous times about whether or not we would cry. Our first look was so special and the anticipation of it was overwhelming. I was so excited to see Taylor. When I walked over to him behind the barn he turned around and it truly was the most unforgettable moment as we embraced one another. I assumed Taylor would be somewhat emotional, but he bawled. To know someone loves you so much and also knowing you get to spend the rest of your life together creating memories and a legacy together, it’s truly the best feeling in the world. In that moment, it all hit us both that we were about to embark on the most amazing journey.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

Taylor and I actually met many years ago while in high school. However, we only had a few memories of each other up until April of 2016. Today we laugh thinking about how hilarious it would be to go back in time and tell our high school selves that we would be getting married. Neither of us would have believed it, nor would any of our friends. Taylor was two grades below me and was, what some might refer to as a punk, class-clown type whose charm happened to be his saving grace. I was much more reserved, spent my days playing soccer and was never an issue for my teachers.

We lost track of each other over time as I took off for college and Taylor began his career immediately following high school. After nearly eight years of no communication, one night Taylor felt compelled to reach out to me over Facebook. We ended up messaging each other for a few weeks and despite my traditionally patient nature, I got tired of just chatting and requested that Taylor finally ask me out on a date.

We didn’t waste any time getting to know one another. From early on, our conversations included talking about the big stuff. The kind of stuff that might scare people away early on in a dating relationship. We bonded over our passion for God and as the days went by, it became more and more clear to us that our re-connection was not just mere happenstance or coincidence, but a divine intervention.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much Taylor had grown and changed over the years. I learned that he too has a burning desire to achieve great success in life. He has an amazing heart and curiosity for people, places, and things like no one else I had ever met. We spent many days and nights having so much fun getting to know one another and learning about what was important to each other. No more than two weeks into dating did Taylor tell me he loved me, followed by letting me know that we would be getting married.

Fast forward to October 2016, Taylor and I were ready for our life to begin together. Taylor respectfully met with my parents and my older brother, and asked each of them for their blessing to marry me. They all were overjoyed at his request and then it was time for the proposal.

I had plans to go to brunch with my mom on a Sunday morning in October before an afternoon we had planned together. I woke up late and only had time to hop in the shower before my mom was going to stop by my house and pick me up. Hair and makeup was going to have to wait for later. My mom urged we had reservations that we could not miss that morning, and looking good did not seem like a priority at the time. As we got to brunch I could tell something was up with my mom, but didn’t think much of it. She began to tell me a story about how the neighbors had all been receiving weird mail. Hanging onto every word she spoke, I hesitantly accepted an envelope with my name on it from her. If my neighbors were getting weird mail, I thought, “what the heck could this be?!” As I opened the letter, I realized it was a very sweet note from Taylor. At first I didn’t think too much of it because he had left me notes many times before. However, at the end of his note, I started thinking, “oh my gosh, maybe he is proposing sometime today!”

Right after I finished reading the letter, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around and there was Taylor! At this point, I knew a proposal was about to happen. Our table was against the windows overlooking part of downtown, and the tables surrounding us were filled with other guests. Taylor took my hand, I got up to my feet and he began telling me all the things he loved about me. He placed my hand on his chest to feel his heartbeat—Taylor is not one to get nervous, but his heart was nearly exploding out of his chest. He got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. In that moment, all of the other people in the restaurant seemed to fade away as I said “yes!”

Ally + Taylor from Channeled Wedding Co. on Vimeo.

Photographer: Becca of B. Jones Photography // Florist: Paisley Petals // Ceremony/Reception Venue: The Kelley Farm // Rentals: The Meaningful Details // Wedding Dress Salon: Mea Marie // Cake: Hoffman’s Fine Cakes & Pastries // Hair/Makeup: Katya Gudaeva | Bridal Beauty Agency // Bridemaid’s Gift to the Bride: Christian Louboutin// Bridesmaid Dress: Azazie // Groomsmen Attire: Calvin Klein & Men’s Wearhouse

  The post Ally and Taylor’s wedding at The Kelley Farm appeared first on Grey Likes Weddings | Wedding Fashion & Inspiration | Best Wedding Blog.

[emilyemcnabb]

Ally and Taylor’s wedding at The Kelley Farm

Ally and Taylor met in high school but had few memories of each other when they reconnected years later. Within two weeks of dating Taylor told Ally he loved her and that they would be getting married—about which he was 100% correct. Months later, the couple celebrated their big day at The Kelley Farm with close family, friends, their faith and colorful decor (and hair!).  Ally attributes much of the design success to the rentals from The Meaningful Details and we’re into the pastel florals by Paisley Petals. Check it all out in these images by B. Jones Photography who was on hand to capture the joy of the day.

What made the wedding special and unique? 

Our wedding was special to us because it was centered around our faith. Our relationship with God is the most important thing in our life, and it was an amazing blessing to have our family and friends together with us to celebrate. Being able to bring people together from all different backgrounds and faiths, all people whom we love is not something we have the privilege of doing very often. There was a time when we considered making the ceremony something that would be more vanilla, and a little less focused on our faith, but we chose to stick to what was important to us. We wanted to make sure our ceremony was true to who we are and our beliefs, and it was so special to be able to share our wedding day with the people who are most important to us.

Tell us about the gown and where/how you found it!

Looking back at the gown I wore for our wedding, I’m not surprised I fell in love with it. It was everything I could have hoped to find. I always envisioned our wedding being classic and timeless, something where wouldn’t look back at the photos and wonder, “what the heck were we thinking?!” I fell in love with the Pronovias brand after seeing many of their dresses online. I was excited when I found a boutique shop in town that carried the Pronovias line. I went to MeaMarie Bridal Atelier in Kirkland, WA with my mom and we loved everything about it. It was beautiful, chic, and has an overwhelming sense of ‘bridal’ which I really appreciated. There’s only one time I’ll be getting a wedding dress for myself, and I was ready to soak it all up! Rachelle, the attendant at the shop, brought me a beautiful selection of dresses to try on. I originally thought I wanted something with lace, and I quickly found I did not like the way it looked on me. When I tried on the Pronovias Tatiana gown, I was blown away by its simplicity and elegance. It quickly became a favorite of all of ours, but I didn’t want to purchase anything right away and end up with buyer’s remorse. I let a couple days go by, but I couldn’t stop thinking about how beautiful the gown was! That weekend my mom and I went back to MeaMarie and let them know I had found my dress!

What were some touches added to make the wedding personal? 

We found this amazing woman, Dawn, who really helped our wedding vision come to life! Dawn owns The Meaningful Details in Bonney Lake, WA and has the most amazing decor rentals! I didn’t want to end up with a bunch of wedding decor that I would probably never use again and end up trying to sell anyway, so I was overjoyed to find Dawn. We rented a ton of vintage picture frames from her to use for different signage, to have wedding photos of our family generations, and photos of Taylor and I around the reception area.

What was the most memorable part of the day? 

Leading up to the wedding Taylor and I talked numerous times about whether or not we would cry. Our first look was so special and the anticipation of it was overwhelming. I was so excited to see Taylor. When I walked over to him behind the barn he turned around and it truly was the most unforgettable moment as we embraced one another. I assumed Taylor would be somewhat emotional, but he bawled. To know someone loves you so much and also knowing you get to spend the rest of your life together creating memories and a legacy together, it’s truly the best feeling in the world. In that moment, it all hit us both that we were about to embark on the most amazing journey.

Tell us how you met and became engaged.

Taylor and I actually met many years ago while in high school. However, we only had a few memories of each other up until April of 2016. Today we laugh thinking about how hilarious it would be to go back in time and tell our high school selves that we would be getting married. Neither of us would have believed it, nor would any of our friends. Taylor was two grades below me and was, what some might refer to as a punk, class-clown type whose charm happened to be his saving grace. I was much more reserved, spent my days playing soccer and was never an issue for my teachers.

We lost track of each other over time as I took off for college and Taylor began his career immediately following high school. After nearly eight years of no communication, one night Taylor felt compelled to reach out to me over Facebook. We ended up messaging each other for a few weeks and despite my traditionally patient nature, I got tired of just chatting and requested that Taylor finally ask me out on a date.

We didn’t waste any time getting to know one another. From early on, our conversations included talking about the big stuff. The kind of stuff that might scare people away early on in a dating relationship. We bonded over our passion for God and as the days went by, it became more and more clear to us that our re-connection was not just mere happenstance or coincidence, but a divine intervention.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much Taylor had grown and changed over the years. I learned that he too has a burning desire to achieve great success in life. He has an amazing heart and curiosity for people, places, and things like no one else I had ever met. We spent many days and nights having so much fun getting to know one another and learning about what was important to each other. No more than two weeks into dating did Taylor tell me he loved me, followed by letting me know that we would be getting married.

Fast forward to October 2016, Taylor and I were ready for our life to begin together. Taylor respectfully met with my parents and my older brother, and asked each of them for their blessing to marry me. They all were overjoyed at his request and then it was time for the proposal.

I had plans to go to brunch with my mom on a Sunday morning in October before an afternoon we had planned together. I woke up late and only had time to hop in the shower before my mom was going to stop by my house and pick me up. Hair and makeup was going to have to wait for later. My mom urged we had reservations that we could not miss that morning, and looking good did not seem like a priority at the time. As we got to brunch I could tell something was up with my mom, but didn’t think much of it. She began to tell me a story about how the neighbors had all been receiving weird mail. Hanging onto every word she spoke, I hesitantly accepted an envelope with my name on it from her. If my neighbors were getting weird mail, I thought, “what the heck could this be?!” As I opened the letter, I realized it was a very sweet note from Taylor. At first I didn’t think too much of it because he had left me notes many times before. However, at the end of his note, I started thinking, “oh my gosh, maybe he is proposing sometime today!”

Right after I finished reading the letter, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around and there was Taylor! At this point, I knew a proposal was about to happen. Our table was against the windows overlooking part of downtown, and the tables surrounding us were filled with other guests. Taylor took my hand, I got up to my feet and he began telling me all the things he loved about me. He placed my hand on his chest to feel his heartbeat—Taylor is not one to get nervous, but his heart was nearly exploding out of his chest. He got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. In that moment, all of the other people in the restaurant seemed to fade away as I said “yes!”

Ally + Taylor from Channeled Wedding Co. on Vimeo.

Photographer: Becca of B. Jones Photography // Florist: Paisley Petals // Ceremony/Reception Venue: The Kelley Farm // Rentals: The Meaningful Details // Wedding Dress Salon: Mea Marie // Cake: Hoffman’s Fine Cakes & Pastries // Hair/Makeup: Katya Gudaeva | Bridal Beauty Agency // Bridemaid’s Gift to the Bride: Christian Louboutin// Bridesmaid Dress: Azazie // Groomsmen Attire: Calvin Klein & Men’s Wearhouse

  The post Ally and Taylor’s wedding at The Kelley Farm appeared first on Grey Likes Weddings | Wedding Fashion & Inspiration | Best Wedding Blog.