Looking, Playing, Wasting

Making: Excellent use of our new island - it makes our kitchen such a happy place to hang out in
Cooking: This perfectly autumnal mushroom lasagna
Drinking: A splash of wine nearly every night after Lizzy goes down for the night
Reading: This should say "slogging" since I've been working on this since August, but Longbourn
Wanting: Track pants, real bad
Looking: Oh so tired these days - I need an industrial strength eye cream or something :)
Playing: On my new iPad (I've become one teeny tiny percent more hip!) 
Wasting: Time searching for the perfect baby Halloween costume
Sewing: A new valance for my kitchen window (a total cheat answer because my Mom actually did the sewing for me!)
Wishing: I felt more clear headed
Enjoying: The evening routine we've worked out, which involves playing with Lizzy for a few hours when I get home, then her bath, stories, and bed, followed by dinner, a TV show, and dessert - always dessert - for Peter and me
Waiting: Until the October madness calms down in Salem before checking out this lovely looking exhibit
Liking: How settled our house is feeling these days, even as I make plans for a few more adjustments
Wondering: If we'll be able to pull off a big trip in 2015
Loving: My little clan more and more each day
Hoping: To make a batch of this in very near future
Marveling: At these awesome floating babies in Houston
Needing: To get some dates on the books with friends - we've been somewhat hermetic 
Smelling: Lizzy's head every night at 5:00 p.m.
Wearing: Ballet flats as much as possible before the endless season of boots begins
Following: The new-to-me blog Aspiring Kennedy
Noticing: How beautiful Boston looks this fall - the leaves have exploded in color in the last week
Knowing: Some Top 40 songs for the first time since college, thanks to a lingering Sirius XM subscription in our new-to-us second car (my current fave)
Thinking: That our new normal is starting to feel just that
Feeling: So excited to tag along with my sister to do some wedding dress shopping tomorrow
Bookmarking: Tons of recipes from Jamie Oliver's magazine - it's been a treasure trove of inspiration 
Opening: The windows just a smidge to get some of that delightfully crisp fall air in the house
Giggling: Over Lizzy's seemingly deep voice - it's seriously just like this when she laughs
Feeling: Lucky, lucky, lucky 

This post was inspired by Meet Me at Mikes!

Wedding Scouting

I mentioned earlier this summer that my sister and her long-time boyfriend got engaged. We are still over the moon! Last month we were able to join them on part of a wedding scouting weekend. They checked out places all over Rhode Island and then a few by us on the North Shore.

They decided on the Crane Estate, pictured here. For the last few years, we've been heading up this way to take advantage of our beach pass, but we hadn't been inside the house until this visit. Stunning, right?

They'll have their ceremony there - hopefully outside, if the weather is good, on a rolling green lawn that overlooks the water.

There's also a gorgeous inn on the property that we'll get to stay at. Hooray for wonderful celebrations!!!

P.S. Hopefully my last post didn't have you fearing for my sanity...we're doing much better, slowly adjusting to the new normal.

The Appliance Year

Do we trust this woman that the modern four year anniversary gift is appliances? I'm going to go with it, because we bought appliances out the wazoo this year, and I can honestly say that our new stove, dishwasher, and new-to-us fridge and microwave, have improved our marriage.

We are in the Berkshires this week, and have plans to take Lizzy Bean over to the Mount to show her where her parents got married. I'm sure she'll be super into it :)

I looked through my wedding pictures to find the one above for this post, and counted all the babies our guests have had since then - ten, not counting Lizzy, with another two on the way. Love just grows and grows.

Peter, I'm so happy that I get to walk (and cook!) beside you. Happy anniversary, my dear.

Block Island Redux

Last time we were on Block Island, it was way off season. When we recently returned, the island was quiet and calm; many of the restaurants and bars were closing up shop after the weekend (and were consequently running out of strange things, like sour cream and salad dressing!).

But we were there for a big wedding with two of the most loving families who brought such warmth to the festivities. An example: at the end of the reception, the bride's brother and brother-in-law sang an amazing version of this Boss classic with new lyrics that were completely personalized for the happy couple (the bride is a HUGE Bruce fan). Each time the chorus came, all 200 guests sang along. It probably sounds cheesy, but it was pure wedding magic.

I remember feeling like it was a bright, sunny day on their wedding, but looking back at these photos, I realize it was a bit overcast. All the love in the air was giving me rose colored glasses!

Stick Together

This past year, our wedding day has started to feel bit further back in the distance to me, a little fuzzy around the edges. Instead of having specific ideas about escort cards and welcome bags, I found myself just nodding along when I listened to engaged people explain the details of their wedding. I still love hearing about all those details, but I no longer have any advice to offer up (this is undoubtably a good thing, as engaged people usually don't want married people's advice). But I still can't help myself from sharing the best bit of advice we got before our wedding, which was given to us by dear friends who were newlyweds themselves: On your wedding day, stick together.

They prefaced it by saying, "I know this will sound a little intense, but if you don't make a conscience effort to stay near eachother throughout the wedding, the day will go by and you won't have spent it together." I now say the same exact thing, admitting that it does sound sort of intense.

I've come to believe that this advice also translates beautifully into post-wedding days together; at least, it has for us. Life will sometimes be intense, but stick together. In doing so, we get to experience all the magic that our wedding day contained - joy, happiness, friendships, fear, families, annoyances, disappointment, beauty, nervousness, and so much fun - spread out over the course of all our days, together.

Happy anniversary, Peter. I'm so happy you're the one I get to stick with.

3rd Anniversary Gifts: Leather

Peter Lugar steak sauce; black leather soy candle; cowhide rug; rustic leather boxed coasters; metallic leather iPhone case; leather card holder

I get a kick out of putting these little anniversary gift round-ups together. Our third anniversary is now less than six months away, so I feel like I've finally reached the point where I can post this without seeming insanely over-zealous (I didn't say it wasn't still over-zealous...).

This is obviously a liberal interpretation of "leather," including some cow- and beef-related paraphernalia. I know leather luggage tags, or nice leather luggage itself, are popular suggestions, and for good reason! Those are lovely gifts. I also think his and hers watches are a fun way to go.

I better give this some thought. Now I only have five months and three weeks to consider! Any other brilliant leather gifts to throw into the mix?

High on the Hilltop

I have more to say about our trip to North Carolina! You probably thought I was finished since I already showed you 29 photos of cute Asheville, but I was a prolific photographer that weekend! And North Carolina was just so photogenic.

On our drive out to Asheville (after the most wonderful visit with our dear friends in Charlotte!) Peter convinced me that we should make a quick stop for barbecue at Bill's Spoon. North Carolina BBQ and I are BFFs since vinegar base = no tomatoes! Yay for fabulous pork, mustard slaw, hush puppies, and sweet tea.

Everyone kept saying, "Oh, it's going to be so beautiful out in the mountains this weekend!" And I will admit to you that I was a snobby-snob about it and didn't really believe them. I mean, New England in the fall is pretttttttty spectacular, know what I'm saying?

But they were right. Asheville was gorgeous - much more red and orange than my local leaves. I didn't do a great job capturing how crazy colorful it was, so you'll just have to go next October to see for yourself :)

Marissa and Adam got married on a lovely hill top. Their ceremony was one of our favorites - they absolutely radiated joy. Afterwards, we drove down the mountain a bit to a lovely tent set up alongside a stream. There was a fire pit and fantastic wine, cupcakes and a DJ who knew how to play the songs everyone would dance to. My heart is still so happy! And I want to do it all again next weekend.

Coaching Day at The Mount

Yesterday was Coaching Day at The Mount. The coach owners dressed the part, and very nicely answered questions about their horses and carriages. And I got to pet one! He had a long tail down almost to the ground. (High maintenance pony!)

Can you even imagine owning one of these?!

We took a quick little walk around, remembering different spots we had wedding photos taken, like the shot above at the edge of the woods. It was filled with ferns in July; now the floor is covered in leaves. I'm thrilled that we had a summer wedding, of course, but autumn in the Berkshires is truly special.

Doesn't get much better

We had a lovely time in Philadelphia this weekend! It's such a charming city. And while we were there, it happened to be filled with a bunch of friends, so it really doesn't get much better. The pictures above were taken on our walk through Rittenhouse Square to St. Patrick's Church.

The church was stunning (and also super hot that day). We survived!

After the ceremony, we were able to meet up with dear friends - Adam and Ashley (of Meet Me in Philadelphia!) at Devil's Alley. We sat on the second floor by the wide open windows and got to hear all about their fantastic trip to Scandinavia, which she's recapping on her blog this week. As a warning, reading it will most definitely make you want to book the next flight to Stockholm.

The reception was held at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Such a beautiful spot! And I am happy to report that almost all the female guests wore different dresses to the reception. Everything was flawless. A few of my favorite details included the sushi chef preparing fresh rolls during the cocktail hour, a live artist (pictured above) painting the party as it was unfolding (!), and a gelato cart rolled in at the end of the dance-filled night. So much fun!

Diva Wedding Guest

We are heading to Philadelphia this weekend for our first wedding of the season. Can you believe that?! We're getting old (aka - lots of friends are married and moving on to babies already!). The bride is a wedding planner, so I'm extra excited to check out all the fun details she's surely incorporated into the day.

I am going all diva wedding guest and wearing two different dresses! I think I have a good reason, though - the ceremony and reception are five hours apart. You kind of have to be a diva in that situation, right? My nighttime dress seems too dressy for one o'clock...I wish I had roommates to consult with in person for this conundrum!

I hope you all have a wonderful September weekend! Hopefully there will be a glass or two of Prosecco for one and all :)

Two Years In

(Cheers with wedding present wine)

Shortly after we got married, I remember talking with Peter about how long the newlywed stage would last. I thought it might be about two years for us.

Something big shifted for me internally when we got married. Saying our vows made me buzz and bubble up inside, and I felt the hugeness of making that commitment in front of everyone we loved the most. But I'm not sure I really felt like a newlywed in the months and years since. That giddy "Oh my goodness, you're home!" feeling (along with the "Oh my goodness, would it kill you to clean the bathroom?" feeling) came when we first moved in together in New York, three years before our wedding.

I am thrilled we did it that way, of course. When we returned from our honeymoon, we got right down to the business of changing my name, admiring our shiny rings, and drinking lots of left over Prosecco. We were still thrilled to see each other every night, and had long ago figured out the cleaning schedule. It was awesome. But I felt like I was missing the big shift. I spent a lot of time reading about relationships and marriage, looking for secret advice about how I was supposed to act now that we had a marriage to think about.

The shift in my thinking was slow and internal. I share the following not to offer advice to anyone - I'm really in no position to do that - but instead to articulate what I think I've personally learned during this fuzzy newlywed stage.

The first big shift in my thinking occurred when I realized that there was no marriage. There is not an external or tangible thing that Peter or I can focus on or work to improve. It is just the two of us - a tree of love never sprouted up through our now-joined hearts. I can only focus on and work to improve myself by thinking hard about what makes me happy, and where I want to go, and how I can best grow up. Peter can do the same if he chooses (and happily, he does), but I can't really worry too much about his process. When I am working to be at my happiest and best, I must have faith that is the best thing I can do for both of us.

That might sound selfish and a bit harsh. But in my mind, I couple that knowledge with this idea: I know what makes Peter happy better than anyone else in the world. Isn't that an incredible thought? Of course, many friends and family members have a good idea of what Peter loves. But I am the master-keeper of that special knowledge. And that is the thing I can focus on and work to improve. It's a pretty good gig.

Happy anniversary, my sweet.

2nd Anniversary Gift: China

When we were in Paris, I kept my eyes open for something that could work as an anniversary gift. I thought it would be fun for us to celebrate with something we picked up there. 

On our last full day, we went to the Pompidou in the morning, and I found these fantastic heart-shaped gelato spoons in their museum shop. I hemmed and hawed about them. They're not so practical, but they are oh-so-cute. I am thrilled that we pulled the trigger and bought them. 

Later that day, I shopped around a bit while Peter read in a cafe. In Reperages Maison, they had a big table display right in the front of the store of dishware in this darling pattern. I looked at trays and dessert plates, but then it dawned on me that ice cream bowls would be the perfect accompaniment to the gelato spoons. Anniversary gift kismet, says I!

The bowls and spoons are going for an inaugural spin with some roasted sour cherry ice cream :) Yay for celebrations!

2nd Anniversary: China

1. Wickford Sandpiper Hors d'Oeuvers Tray 2. Fifth Avenue Dessert Plate 3. Butterfly Bloom Tea Caddy  4. Emblem lock vide poche 5. Cuckoo Two Tier Cake Stand

The easiest way to do China for the second anniversary is, of course, to pick up a piece of your wedding China. If we were really going to splurge, I would want this gorgeous piece of our China. Gosh, I love that thing! It's practically a plane ticket abroad, though :)

We are not going that route (obviously). Instead, I already found the perfect thing while shopping in Paris! I'll show them to you when our anniversary gets closer - we're waiting until then to put our fun gift to use!

I have to ask - do you guys do the traditional wedding anniversary gifts (or are you planning to?). Peter finds the whole thing to be pretty mystifying, but he goes along with it for me.

P.S. Cotton and Paper!