The Changing Room: Pentwater & Pinterest-y Wedding

Well, another one bites the dust.

No, I'm not referencing my friend Kelsey's recent marriage which we celebrated last weekend, but I'm actually referring to another year of camping up at Pentwater. I actually am a little embarrassed to admit that I cried halfway home this year when we left.

My summer's greatest memories are shared with this cousins' crew and I hated to see our time together end.

One by one, the kids are graduating from high school and won't always be joining us from here on out.

I treasured the time I could bike up with these guys (nearly 100 miles and 9 hours) to kick off the week of camping.

We had so much fun chatting, reflecting, biking and making memories.

I will cherish that time with them and this one forever: In two years she's gone. Sigh.

We had a great week with great weather and even got to break camp to attend my former neighbor and friend Kelsey's wedding. (Still a friend, just not a neighbor). :)

She planned a beautiful Pinterest inspired rustic barn wedding and it couldn't have been more perfect. Casual elegance doesn't seem like an oxymoron to describe the night. It was wonderfully unpretentious and so much fun to catch up with these hooligans from our Greystone neigbhorhood Cul-de-Sac, which we dubbed "Quality-Sac years ago).

Those of you Chumps following my blog for a while may recall how hard it was for me to leave these fantastic people when we moved across town. I think I cried every day for a year and a half. Special people. Special place. Special time in our lives.

Here are some pics of the venue and Pinterest-y touches that I wanted to share with you. The photos don't do it justice.

Blue Hydrangea Barn in Rockford, Mi.

Google it and see for yourself how wonderful it is.

Guest Party Favors: "We Go Together Like Salt & Pepper".

Even chalkboard signs to designate "Ladies", "Gents" or "Ladies & Gents" on the outhouses.

Okay, I don't know who this pretty girl is but I asked her if I could take her pic to show my daughters her cute dress. She got it downtown Holland at "Spring Sweet". Love it. I'm shameless aren't I?

Pardon my fat finger from getting in the way of the shot, but Kelsey had shepherd hooks with flower filled mason jars leading the way from the pasture to where the ceremony was held.

Cake Balls for dessert! Yum!! Carrot Cake, Triple Chocolate and French Toast:

I heard a rumor that Kelsey and her sister Marcy searched high and low for bridesmaid dresses. They found these at Abercrombie and Fitch but they were cream-and they really wanted light gray-so they dyed them! What?! Amazing! IKR? Kearsten modeling them for me.

I made this sign for them as part of their gift. Leading up to the wedding for the past many months, as a way to document their engagement journey, Kelsey would post #teamkeliam (a mash up of kelsey/william) on instagram. My girls corrected me with the hashtag at the bottom, that it should be all one word so I did repaint that, but forgot to snap another pic. You get the idea. :)