Hair Bows to Wedding Veils

Its only January... but I know 2013 is going to be an amazing year for me. 

 Not only am I going to run 2 more half marathons and attempt a full marathon, 

but my big sister is getting ...

MARRIED!!

Her fiance Jon is a great guy who treats her like a princess... 

and what more could you ask for you big sister?  

So now in addition to my running program, riding, and everything else I do with my crazy life, I am so excited to add in wedding planning!  I am so honored and excited to be her Maid of Honor which means planning, bachelorette parties, wedding showers, engagement parties, and lots of pretty dresses.  And lots more working out.  

When they say you will learn to love your siblings as you get older... they are right.   My sister and I are 13 months apart and were never that close growing up.  While Ashley preferred make up and nail polish, I was usually outside playing wiffle ball or lost in the woods.   

Despite our differences, growing up with a sister practically your age and the same size as you had its advantages.  As a kid I always had toys and someone to play with and as a teenager, clothes shoes and makeup to steal borrow and an ID to try and steal (never got it).  

My mother apparently had no idea how to dress us and sent us out into the world looking like this.  Maybe this is where Ashley's interest in fashion design stemmed from?  Well lucky for us after we got through our awkward teenage years, we turned into two pretty young women who grew closer as the years added on.   

We got to a point where we actually chose to hang out together, from riding our horse we shared to planning trips together.  It helped that out best friends were also sisters who were very close (and live on a horse farm)

It feels like just the other day we were little kids getting into trouble and discussing how crazy our mother was (well... maybe these conversations still happen).   Now we are 25 and 26, and we traded in those oversized hair bows for wedding veils.    

Ashley is getting married at the River House in Haddam, a beautiful venue right on the CT river.  She is going for a rustic chic theme with soft pinks, beige, and greys.  

Wedding dress shopping starts in April, and bridesmaid dress shopping has already commenced.  

We are down to these two options (imagine them in a pale pink):

Will have to see which look better on.  

I am very lucky to have such a beautiful sister I can learn from, whether its how to create a smokey eye or bake a cheesecake.  This is going to be a fabulous year of running, wedding planning, celebrating, and playing dress up.  

Congratulations Ashley, August 30th can't come soon enough!