Passport to a Surprise 40th Birthday Party

My friend Anita is one of the most creative people I’ve ever met. She’s not just creative, but she knows how to implement her creativity. It’s quite amazing. If there’s a party and Anita’s involved, you know it’s going to be magic! This party was no different. A surprise 40^th birthday party for the love of her life. 

The party started here: 

But ended up all over the world.

 

Sometimes your greatest plans don’t always go 100% the way you plan. Turns out Jeff showed up 20 minutes before the party was supposed to start, but that was okay. There were enough of us there to pull off the surprise! 

So to begin our trek around the world, we must get our passport. 

And we might need a little money. 

And a menu, so we know what kind of foods to expect along our journey.

And if you see the birthday boy along the way, be sure to wish him a happy birthday. 

Let's begin in Asia

How about we stop in Africa for some Lion's Brew and Zebra pretzels?

Moving on ... Opa!

South America

Next stop...Europe. 

Australia and India

Bundle up ... so we can waddle with the penguins in Antartica.

Se habla espanol?

No matter where we travel in the world...there's no place like home. 

Along our travels, we met some interesting people. 

And it seems that everyone enjoyed a certain particular drink on this trip around the world.

The consensus was...it's so good, but it's got quite a kick! 

And what birthday trip would not be complete without a cake that was out of this world?! Jeff's sister-in-law Heidi made this geographically-correct, amazing world birthday cake. 

Happy Birthday, Jeff! And many more!! 

Amanda + Matt {Engagement Sneak Peak}

I just met this couple for the first time last night. And. I. love. them. I couldn't stop laughing and smiling while I was with them...and then coming home and editing some pictures for a sneak peak, I still couldn't stop smiling. What I love about Amanda and Matt is there are no pretenses with them. No secrets. They show their love for one another in their playfulness. And it is adorable. You can't help but smile.

Our first stop was Chaumette Winery in the beautiful country side of Ste Genevieve. They brought along their furry eight-month old baby, a yellow lab, named Colby. And the shots we got here...just kind of make me a little giddy. :)

We left the winery and drove to their house. They live on a piece of property that has been in Matt's family for many generations. The property is full of scenic and rustic charm. And when I saw this clothes line, I was like, "Oh, yeah, let's hang Matt up with the clothes pins!" Thanks, Matt for being such a good sport!

Thank you so much, Amanda and Matt, for such a fun time. You guys are beautiful on the inside and out!

Mr. Blue Eyes {Sneak Peak}

Meet Mr. C. He's five and has the most amazing pair of blue eyes. I don't quite think photography he's favorite thing. "No more pictures!" he emphatically said, after about 40 minutes of pestering him with "Hey C, how about we sit here?" "Can you lean back this way?" "How about a smile?" But ya know what, we came out of the day with some great shots. Enjoy this sneak peak of Mr. Blue Eyes.