Relay For Life

"We see love in every flame, like a never ending chain, and we know that every candle has a name."

This past weekend I took part in the American Cancer Society's "Relay For Life". I did it in honor of my Uncle Rob who passed away this past year from Lung Cancer. I was a part of team "Family Ties" and so far we have raised a total of $8,500.00 to help find a cure for cancer! To raise that amount we had an array of fundraisers leading up to the event such as happy hour events, a car wash, a cheesecake sale and of course generous donations. We also made a good chuck of that amount at the relay event itself.

Our "Family Ties" booth was a jumping one! We were the only booth to sell balloons for the memorial balloon launch. People could purchase a colored balloon for $1.00 and write a personal message on it. Also one of our teammates is a photographer and took and printed out old-time photos for children. In addition we also sold raffle tickets for themed baskets, and had another separate raffle for a signed Mario Lemieux hockey puck, an NFL football signed by 15 different Pittsburgh Steelers and a signed Lance Armstrong book. We also sold hot shredded beef sandwiches and Italian hoagies in addition to different drinks. Brewster's Ice Cream also teamed up with us and provided a scoop of ice cream for a donation. Team "Family Ties" made over $1,200.00 on the day of the relay alone!! Woohoo!

Activities were going on all day at the different booths. Some had games while others had crafts. One team had a manicurist on site doing nail art while another team had a local artist come and paint live portraits (more on him later!!) but the American Cancer Society also had some events taking place at different hours. One that was pretty funny was the "Minute To Win It" game, a spin-off of the actual show. Man, I wish I would have signed up to do it because I think it would have been so much fun! Another event was the "Mr. Relay Pageant"...lol! Check out Mr. Family Ties...

Each contestant had a half hour to collect as much money as possible and whichever contestant raised the most money was the winner. Our queen came in 2nd place!

The theme of this year's relay was "More Birthdays" so of course there had to be cake...

The cake eating contest was pretty funny...I didn't know anyone in it but it was still enjoyable to watch. You can't see him, but an adorable little 2-year-old took part in this contest...he was too cute!

So more about the painter I had mentioned...I forget him name, but he is the artist that is in the KDKA commercial and paints the pictures of Art Rooney and Troy Polamalu UPSIDE DOWN! He did that same technique live with these three paintings...

Super cool to see! This team raised a ton of money on these paintings...I heard the Troy Polamalu one went for $250.00! It's great to see people with such amazing talents giving back for good causes :-)

As I mentioned before, our team sponsored a Balloon Launch. My cousin Beth manned this part of our booth all day long with the help of her fiancee, Andy.

I snapped this picture of the balloons being let go as each of the teams walked together around the track...

As the sun went down everyone gathered around a separate field where luminaries were being set up all day. Each luminary had a name on it in memory of someone whose health was affected by cancer. We had bags to memorialize my Uncle...

Rob and Beth with one of their Dad's Bag

Aunt Sharon with her husbands bag.

And we also had a bag to commemorate the survival of our Aunt Donna...

Each bag was lit up to honor the name upon it. I didn't get too many good pictures of the bags all lit up. My camera just didn't agree with all the candlelight. But I took a snapshot in my mind and it really was something else. I mean there had to have been thousands of bags! They spelt out "More Birthdays" across the giant field. I took a video, but I'll warn the quality isn't what I would have hoped it would be...

So many times throughout the day I found myself saying silent prayers thanking God for my own personal health and the health of my immediate family. I saw so many names on those bags - most of whom were taken away by some form of cancer. It really made me realize how lucky I truely am.

One of the most empowering things I saw all day were the people wearing purple shirts...those people are the survivors who fought back and won the battle against cancer. There were children my nieces and nephews age wearing those shirts. There were people my age wearing those shirts. And there were people my parents age wearing those shirts. I just felt so thankful that it was none of us wearing them. It's kind of bittersweet really. A part of me feels so sad for them and all they've been through but another part of me feels so happy for them that they won the fight and were able to be there that day. I had to keep in mind all the people who were there wishing their loved ones could be there wearing those purple shirts...

My day spent at the Relay was a real eye-opener into how blessed my life has been. I know that any second of any day it could easily be me being diagnosed with a form of cancer. Hopefully this post will make you realize how blessed you've been with good health...:-)

My Best Friend's Wedding!!!

"I dreamed of a wedding of elaborate elegance, a church filled with family and friends. I asked him what kind of wedding he wished for, he said one that would make me his wife" - Author Unknown (quote from the Dugas wedding program)

On July 16th, 2010 my best friend Kate married her love, Matt Dugas!! Kate made a BEAUTIFUL bride! First, I must tell a little bit of the backstory behind their wedding...Kate was planning a huge Halloween themed wedding for October 29th, 2010 but changed her plans in June after her and Matt bought a home. Once they had the home closing she was pretty eager to move in, so they decided to push up the wedding date so she could do so. With the help of her sisters, her wedding was planned in just over a month! I'm so proud of her for making it happen. It may not have been the huge wedding she had dreamed of as a child or even when she first got engaged, but it was perfect in every way. Just their closest family and friends were there taking part in it and I can honestly say it was just a heartfelt celebration of love, and that's really what it is all about!

The ceremony took place at St. Mary's church in Sewickley, Pa. I had never been to the small church before and I must say it was just darling! White roses in long vases lined the pews up the aisle while white and red roses adorned the alter. Each bridesmaid (Her 4 sisters, Matt's 2 sisters, and her 2 sister-in-laws) wore one of their own personal black dress and carried white calla lilies.

Kate was beaming as she was escorted down the aisle by her father, Len. She carried a bouquet of beautiful red black magic roses. Her gown was so sparkly and unique - just like Kate! She really did look stunning! One thing is for sure, she was one of the happiest brides I've ever seen :-)













When it came time for vows, Matt went first and Kate followed. Now I've known Kate since we were in 1st grade so I can tell you this much...she is not a cryer, especially over boys - haha! I about lost it when I could hear her choked up as she recited her traditional wedding vows.

The reception took place at "The Fire Escape" in Ben Avon, Pa. The newlyweds walked in to Usher's "OMG" to get the party started. They then shared their first dance as husband and wife. I LOVE this photo I snapped of them :-)

After their dance the Dugas' cut their delicious wedding cake! It was a burnt almond torte cake from Prantel's Bakery in Shadyside. It's both mine and Kate's favorite cake ever! If you've never tried it, I suggest you do...Prantel's is known for it!

It was nice to get to spend some time with Kate at the reception. She shared with us her unique shoes that were pretty much designed for her style and personality! We also got to check out her brand new bling :-)

As the night went on the dance floor heated up! We all had so much fun dancing the night away!

My sister Katie and Kate's brother Ted (they are married!) dancing with their unborn baby boy "Teddy"

Kate and her dad dancing to Dean Martin's "Volare"; below is Kate's mom and dad dancing.

Then came time for the bouquet and garter toss...my friend Kelly and I always duke it out to catch the bouquet and ironically we never even come close haha - it always makes for a funny picture though! Congrats to Kate's sister Anne who caught the bouquet...hopefully what they say is true and she will be the next to walk down the aisle :-) 

Matt was hilarious as he got the garter from Kate's leg while Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On" played in the background! He did a little dance for his bride that was so funny! I so wish I got it on video...the pictures will have to do...

The night was capped off by one other memorable moment courtesy of Matt...him serenading Kate to The Dan Band's version of "Total Eclipse of The Heart"...Old School style - lol. I took a video but because there are some cuss words I'm not going to post it. The pictures are pretty priceless though!

The wedding was a blast! Kudos to Kate and Matt for making it happen in such a short time. I think they could easily start a business for weddings on the fly! Congrats you two! I am so happy that you found each other and can't wait to see what the future holds for you :-)

I will end by posting some other pictures from the night...

Me, Jaclyn, Kate, Kelly, Colleen and Kim

My handsome man and I :-)

I hope you enjoyed "My Best Friends Wedding" as much as I did!

Drive Until The Map Turns Blue...

One of my favorite places to visit in this world is Conneaut Lake, PA. There is nothing really outstanding about it, but I feel so at ease when I am there. It's just comfortable. Maybe it's because I grew up going there as a child and going back takes me back to that carefree state of life? All I know is that I just love spending time there :-)

My parents bought our place at Conneaut in 1993. From age 7 to probably about 11 I spent every weekend going there. My dad bought what he called a "fixer-uper" and each weekend would make additional updates. He redid everything in the home with his own two hands which is awesome and makes me all the more proud of it :-) I snapped this picture while fishing at the marina...I loved that you could see it's reflection in the water...

This weekend Patrick and I headed the hour and a half North to visit for my families annual vacation there. My parents stay the entire week, we just went for the weekend. This was our final trip together this summer and we had a special guest, Patrick's brother, James, join us for it.

When we got there on Saturday we headed right out to the water. I took the guys for a spin on the Sea-Doo and it was interesting to say the least. We were fine at first. As I drove us out I decided to pull out some of my long-known tricks. We had a blast with the spins and donuts but it wasn't so much fun when we couldn't get back on the machine haha! Every time we attempted, the boat would just fill with water and over the side we'd go! Patrick was so mad because he thought it was his fault (he was usually the last one trying to get on)...in his frustration he said "I'm walking back!" and he started swimming for shore. I then gave James the key and swam after him. After about a 10 minute swim we made it to shore while James was out having a blast solo on the Sea-Doo lol. Fortunately, James came back and we were able to get on while being able to push off the lake floor in the more shallow water. We read the Sea-Doo is only supposed to house 495 pounds per ride...Patrick weighs 250 and James is 180...a lady never tells her weight but I will disclose that I no longer weigh 65 pounds so we were just a tad over on the weight limit!!!

After dinner, watching the sunset, and hanging out for a bit we decided to do some night fishing off the boat in the marina. My nephew, Blayze, was the big fisherman for the night! He reeled in a baby catfish on his Spider Man rod - lol. This was his first big catch! I was so proud of the little man :-)

Right after, something pulled at my line. As I was reeling it in it swam under a neighboring boat and managed to sever my line. It got away! I did manage to catch this one though, which is far better then any fish...:-)

On Sunday I took Patrick and James to Pymatuning Lake to visit the "Spill Way". This was about 15 minutes away from Conneaut. For years people have brought their extra bread here to feed the fish. Well, those fish were no dummies...they now hang out there...HUNDREDS of them! There are just piles and piles of huge Carp wrestling each other for bread! It's really something else to see!

After seeing the "Spill Way" we found some live bait and headed home. My dad then took us all out on the boat. After a spin around the lake we parked it at the "Sand Bar" next to the Norbut/Orbovich boat. We spent hours there catching some rays, splashing around in the water and chatting. Heck, some of the guys even did some fishing...lol...I will update this post with more pictures when my mom gets home with her camera but basically Patrick, James and Joe caught some Blue Gill with some Cheese-It's and a t-shirt lol. The pictures are priceless so be sure to check back for them! I may not have gotten the fish but I did get this great snapshot of Blayze getting tossed in the water haha!

Before heading in, we had to get our annual "Zombie" drink from Silver Shores. They use 7 types of alcohol to make it and honestly, you can't taste one trace of it. It tastes like fruit juice, which allows people to suck them down quick...leading to it's fitting name lol! Aunt Rose, Aunt Donna and myself all enjoyed them and managed not to get too "Zombied Out" haha!

After dinner I was eager to give the fish some dinner...at the end of my fishing rod that is! See, I had to catch a fish. Every year I catch at least one and I wasn't about to see that statistic come to an end now...and fortunately it didn't, although it wasn't my favorite catch ever. I caught myself a medium sized Bowfin. This is probably the most hated (and most caught) fish in the lake. Bowfin are trash fish. They basically feed upon all the good game fish like Bass, Pike and Musky - and in turn overpopulate the lake.These suckers have teeth and aren't afraid to use them which also makes them kind of a scary catch. I've seen fishermen at the lake throw this fish in the woods instead of the water and even beat them to death because they are considered a poison to the lake. I don't have the heart to kill a fish so I did practice catch-and-release. Like I said, this wasn't my favorite catch of all time. The fish broke my favorite fishing pole and I look fat in the boast pic! But a catch is a catch and I will post my bragging rights...

For more pictures look back after this weekend. I want to post some more great shots that are on my mom's camera. It was so sad to leave the lake. I had an absolute blast! I just love going there and can't wait until the next time I can go back :-)

Weekend of Weddings

Patrick and I's planned weekend get-a-ways are slowly but surely coming to a close. Just to rewind...first we traveled to New York, then Michigan and this past weekend we headed to Maryland for a 4th of July wedding! This trip was our last out-of-state trip. Sadly, I think we are both a little happy to see them end...I know we're both craving a few days to just veg out, something we haven't been able to do in awhile. But for sacrificing our weekends we in turn got some great memories this summer, which ultimately is most important! :-)

We were actually supposed to head to Annapolis on Friday but our plans changed when I got an invite to my longest friends wedding shower. Kate, who has been my best friend since 1st grade, was actively planning a Halloween themed fall wedding but recently decided to move her nuptials up to this very month!!! When I got the e-vite to her shower I begged Patrick to change our plans and it all worked out for the best I think.

Because we didn't leave on Friday, Patrick actually got to help out some friends by letting them crash at his apartment. Tim and Christy we're passing through Pittsburgh on their way to Philadelphia for a wedding. They took a pitstop and crashed on Patrick's couch.

Our weekend travels were nothing compared to theirs...get this, they traveled from Ann Arbor, Michigan to Pittsburgh then onward to Philly (for a wedding) and then joined us in Annapolis to go to the same wedding we went to, then back to Michigan again of course...all in ONE weekend! WOW!

They were super sweet and it was so nice to meet them and spend a little one-on-one time with them. Up until this weekend I had only met 3 of Patrick's Duke friends (Erin, I count you as a Dukie since you now work there and he knew you when he was there!) so I was looking forward to meeting all of the people he hung around with in college. More on the Dukesters later in this post :-)

On Saturday, Patrick granted my wish and I got to attend Kate's shower! It was at a cute little BYOB Italian place on Mount Washington called "La Tavola". I had been there once before and will definitely go again. It's a charming little place tucked into one of the side streets. It boasts no fabulous view of the city but has delicious food. We feasted on Chicken Parm and Lasagna...YUM!

Kate got a ton of great stuff, which will come in handy at her new house! Kate and her fiancee Matt actually closed on their new home just a few days before I closed on mine. I've yet to visit but I've seen pictures and it looks super-cute! One of my favorite gifts she got was some framed artwork from thealphacanvas.com. (Hint, hint when I get married...haha!) If you are ever wanting to buy something very unique for a shower or wedding, this is a great site to check out! I wasn't quite as creative with my gift...I instead decided to "spice" up their lives with a pre-filled spice rack that they had on their registry. Funny story...I had long ago said to Kate what a great idea it would be to give someone a spice rack with the spices already in it because spices are kinda pricey. She told me they existed and I didn't believe her until now haha! So when I saw it on her registry I had to get it!

Matt showed up at the shower after his work shift. Kudos to him for bringing some beautiful red roses :-) Below are some more pictures from the day...

Matt's Arrival :-)

Colleen, Kate and I

Soon-To-Be Mr. & Mrs.!












After the shower Patrick picked me up and we started on our 4 hour trip south...literally! We got in a little tiff on the way and it was probably the most miserable car ride EVER! Fortunately we cleared everything up and managed to enjoy the rest of the night and the rest of the trip. When we finally arrived in the "Old Line" state we headed straight to a cookout the brides family had for out-of-town guests. While there I got to meet a lot of Patrick's Duke friends :-) I cannot even begin to tell you how nice they all were! He is so lucky to have such a great group of friends. The only question is why did he hide them from me for so long?!?!

The wedding was at 4:30 PM on the 4th of July so we got to do some exploring before the big event. We met up with our friends Ryan and Erin (Erin is my blog buddy under the name "Living The Wood Life" and was also my inspiration in getting started with blogging!) in downtown Annapolis. Each first Sunday of the month there's an arts festival in town so we decided to check it out. Erin and I share the same passion for creativity so we both enjoyed seeing different ideas for things we could recreate ourselves. One of my favorite inspirations was fashion jewelery made from flashy buttons! Super chic and cool!

After browsing some great art we grabbed a bite to eat. You know you HAVE to do seafood when in Maryland :-) We took a shot in the dark and went to The Middleton Tavern. All of us got the crab cake sandwich, which was Miss Erin's first crab cake ever! After we grabbed some ice cream cones and took some photos by the water. All in all it was a great afternoon :-)

The wedding was absolutely fabulous! It was an outdoor wedding which was just breathtaking! Mainly because of it's beauty but I cannot lie a little because it was SO HOT outside! It was about 95 degrees and there was no shade whatsoever! Patrick looked like he was crying the entire ceremony but in reality it was beads of sweat rolling down his face lol! I can't poke too much fun though because I was just as damp as he was...I just got to wear less layers then him (one of the few perks to being a woman!) Anyhow, I had always wanted to attend an outdoor wedding and it really was lovely :-)

The bride, Allie, was escorted by her father who carried a white umbrella to shield his daughter from her groom until she officially walked down the aisle toward him. Allie looked stunning! Her dress was gorgeous and gosh, you never would have thought she was standing in the same hot weather we were. She was just flawless!

This was the first wedding I have attended that was not a Catholic wedding. It was different but it was very nice. One thing I must say is that I have never been to a wedding that was so focused on God, it really was a beautiful thing to see. Matt and Allie wrote their own words to each other them recited promises to each other before exchanging wedding rings. Congratulations to Matt and Allie...may your love grow stronger with each passing day :-)

After the ceremony we moved it inside to the AIR CONDITIONING! The wedding was at an old mansion so there were lots of different rooms as opposed to just one huge room. Dinner was buffet style and there were three different tables in three separate rooms. After dinner the bridal party made their entrance followed by the first dance. Matt and Allie danced to Michael Buble's version of "Crazy Love".

Then, the party started and Patrick and I hit the dance floor! We had a blast! Below are some pictures from the wedding....

The beautiful cake display!

Patrick & I taking a break from the dance floor!

 Ryan, Patrick, Allie and Shannon

Just us girls!

 The handsome men!

My absolute favorite part of the wedding was the sendoff. I had never been to a wedding with a sendoff, but had always said I wanted one since watching "Father of the Bride" lol. It was adorable :-) As we exited each person was given an extra-long sparkler. Fire went down the line and when all was lit Matt and Allie passed through hand-in-hand. At the end of the line stood their bridal party and families and their decked out car complete with streamers, paint and pop-cans! It was fabulous :-)

All the best to Mr. and Mrs. Matt Martindale :-) Next weekend Patrick and I are making our last weekend trip together for this summer to Conneaut Lake, PA to visit my parents at their lake home. I'll keep you posted on what goes on :-) Until then...