love stories: lindsay & nick

Today, I have Lindsay, one of my most favorite bloggers, here to talk about her love story. One thing I noticed right off the bat from reading pages and pages deep through Lindsay's blog was her uncanny way of making the simple things in life seem magical and absolutely beautiful. Her love story is no exception and with a little one on the way, I'm looking forward to reading and seeing how Lindsay's relationship and life evolves with her new blessing. One of the many reasons I'm so drawn to Lindsay's love story is because it is simple. It began with a friendship and evolved into something truly special which is exactly how I foresee my future forever relationship (but these things can't really be planned, now can they?) So without further adieu...

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Hello all you beauty & the feast readers! Lindsay from Little One Love here. I am so honored that Allie asked me to write a little bit about my husband and I's love story. It's nothing out of a fairy tale book or super fancy, but it's ours and it's what has made us the couple we are today.

Nick and I met in high school, what seems like a lifetime ago. We became instant friends and realized soon after we had all those silly things in common- same hobbies, liked the same music yada yada yada, but way back then, the stars were not aligned for us and friends was all we ever were. Our friendship continued to grow through college and almost accidentally we began to lean on each other. He was the friend I called from Chicago when I thought I couldn't bear the homesickness any longer and though he knew it was extremely hard for me at first, he never once suggested I should come home.

Looking back now it's funny how his supportive and encouraging ways began with me even before our relationship turned into a "relationship." The summer after our sophomore year of college Nick went off to Europe for the summer and how much I missed him surprised me. I couldn't talk to him whenever I wanted. I couldn't listen to the latest whatever song with him, I couldn't drive around with him visiting old friends and getting ice cream whenever I wanted. In our time a part as friends, my heart started to grow in a new way for him. I realized I compared every other date to him and had unknowingly set him as the standard for how boyfriends should compare. The only problem was, no one compared.

That Christmas vacation, I came home and of course spent most of it with Nick but this time, the stars did seem to align and that spark that was never really there came at an alarming rate. That first kiss of ours seemed so magical and literally from that moment on we became inseparable. Every single thing about "us" made so much sense. We almost felt silly for not realizing it sooner but I suppose the relationships we were both in previously were part of the plan and what led us to one another.

That Christmas vacation was seven years ago. Since then we've lived in Chicago, Los Angeles and Brooklyn together, each city a new adventure and chance for us to grow both individually and together. One of our strongest assets to one another is the constant encouragement. No matter how unrealistic a dream may seem, we're each other's biggest fans. I love everything about Nick and can't believe how blessed I am to have this man by my side each and every day. He's the kind of man that makes you better. His heart, his talent, his ambition, his compassion for others- he defines what a good man is. Soon this man of mine and I will welcome our first baby and thinking of Nick as a father literally makes my heart want to explode. This child of ours is going to fall so head over heels in love with him just the way I have. We are lucky, this baby and I.

{Thank you Lindsay for sharing your story & to you all for your AMAZING Etsy recommendations yesterday!}