Walkin' in a Winter Wonderland

We're living in a winter wonderland right now! Snow started falling around 5 p.m. yesterday and continued falling throughout the night. Some parts of the city saw 15 inches! We definitely got around 8 inches in parts of our area, so I took advantage of my lunch break and documented some of this winter beauty.

The rest of the country probably looks at us like babies every time it snows, but here's the deal: there are no snow plows in Portland! We don't have enough snowstorms to warrant our own plows, so we normally borrow them from other parts of the state. The problem is they're also having a hard winter. And most of the state doesn't use rock salt because of the environmental and corrosive damage it can cause. So we're just hangin' about in our winter wonderland and NOT complaining. Tim and I LOVE it!

I truly can't do the beauty justice with these photos, but I'm certainly trying! Everything is blanketed in white. Tree branches are trying not to succumb to the weight of the snow, kids are sledding at the parks, there are snowmen in random places throughout downtown. The snow is in its most fluffy, perfect form. So, so gorgeous. I don't want it to disappear!

Our Wedding // Part 3

Welcome to part 3 of our wedding story! Part 2 ended with: "When the guys arrived to the house, I was promptly whisked away so Tim wouldn't see me before our "first look," a moment I will cherish for the rest of my life."

Our first look was so, so special - something that I thought you could only see in movies, truly. We debated whether or not to do it, but we ultimately decided to move forward with it because we wanted to look back on this special moment between the two of us for the rest of our lives.

Our photographer asked Tim to wait outside for me and then had him cover his eyes while I walked around the corner of the house. I'm not sure how Tim felt, but it had to be similar to the butterflies I was experiencing. It's such a surreal moment in time - after a year and a half of planning, we're finally here on the morning of our wedding and we're about to see each other all dolled up. It's one of those moments that takes your breath away. I'd say the photos do a wonderful job capturing the feeling:

I love that we get to relive this moment every time we open our wedding album. <3 Pretty quickly after our first look we jumped in our cars and drove a few minutes down the road to the cathedral. We were going to stop by a park for some pictures, but with the unexpected rain, we didn't want to risk all the mud and we were running somewhat low on time. So to the church we went!

When we arrived, we didn't know how to get in. It seemed that all entrances were locked, so we made the most of it and decided to come to the front of the cathedral in front of these big, beautiful pillars and intricate doors and start taking bridal party portraits!

Here are some of my favorites from before the ceremony:

We were able to take so many great photos with the bridal party at the cathedral, so it's hard to narrow them down to just those few above. One of my favorite little "surprises" was the guys' PDX carpet socks. If you're from Portland or have visited Portland, you likely know the reference - the PDX airport had this uniquely patterned carpet for a very long time and you can now find prints of it on almost anything your heart desires - socks, chairs, mugs, magnets, door mats, etc. We thought it was a playful touch ;)

Some of my favorite photos of Tim and I before the ceremony were taken in the courtyard of the church. I mean, just look at how magical these are <3

Next up in part 4: details and photos from the most perfect ceremony where we officially became man and wife. <3

Photography: Gregory Bartning | Hair & Makeup: Chrystal Koivisto | Flowers: Mary Beth Bartel | Dress: Pronovias

Recipe // 3 Health-Filled Smoothies

If you follow me over on Instagram, you know one of the gifts Tim and I were most excited about this past Christmas is our Vitamix. We've been testing out various smoothie recipes, some we like, some we still need to refine ;) So today I wanted to share 3 of my favorite recipes so far. There's nothing better than a good smoothie, don't you think?

1. Leafy Greens Smoothie

This is one of my all-time favorite combos because of its simplicity and perfect balance between sweet and salty. Here's what you'll need:

• 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 tablespoon PB2 (powdered peanut butter)
• 1 banana
• 1 cup spinach
• 1 cup kale and chard mix
• 3-4 ice cubes

2. Berry Green Smoothie

This one might not look like much, but the combo between leafy greens and berries makes it taste absolutely amazing! Here's what you'll need:

• 1/2 cup strawberries
• Handful of raspberries (I didn't measure this, but 1/2 cup is probably about right)
• 1 banana
• 1 cup spinach
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 3-4 ice cubes

3. Mighty Mango Smoothie

This mango smoothie is amazing! It ended up with a thicker texture, so it might also be good served like an acai bowl with berries and coconut flakes on top (as I'm writing this, I'm planning my next trip to the grocery store to buy coconut flakes - yum!). Here's what you'll need:

• 2 tablespoons Chia seeds
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 cup almond milk
• 1/2-2/3 chopped mango

When I was making these yesterday, beautiful, fluffy snow was falling almost all day. It made me feel a little silly making ice-cold smoothies, but they were certainly a delicious treat, even in the below-freezing temps ;)

What are some of your favorite smoothie recipes? Share them in the comments below!