lessons i learned from my mom

1.  never compromise, especially when looking for a parking spot. it's better to wait it out than walk from the other side of the lot.

2.  don't fear others' opinions when returning something you've changed your mind on. if you bring your husband, he will feel shame enough for both of you, as he tries to stand camouflaged by the nearest clothing rack.

3.  when all else fails, use sunblock, drink lots of water and/or get a bob haircut.

ok really though, from her surprise themed dinners for the family and the little notes she would slip into my lunch, to her berenstain bears book collection and cross-stitching artwork, my mom has taught and inspired me more than any blog or magazine ever could. she's shown me the joy in making others feel special and filling her home with love - all with the strength that comes from understanding God's true love and not having wasted energy from walking from that really really far parking spot.

trash the dress

after much deliberation, i have decided to *gulp* demolish my wedding dress! instead of letting it a) collect dust and wrinkles in our apartment, b) go unnoticed on a craigslist post, or c) get charged extra buckaroos to be put into a fancy box, i have invited my nearest dearests over for a craft party where they can each take a piece of it and use their skills to make something perty to take home and remember our wedding forever and ever!

i'll admit i am a bit anxious to do this. i don't know why but my recurring "worst case scenario" dream ends up with all of us dressed in fraulein maria's curtains.

but then i remember how crazy cool & talented my friends are and i'm more excited to be spending time with each of them and ooh-ing and aww-ing at all the lovely things they'll be sure to produce. stay tuned for pics!

california love

first year of marriage has been like an accelerated crash course where we've been learning so many interesting things about each other and ourselves...like who amasses unimaginable piles of laundry (joe), who needs lots of random and non-random hugs (me), who is more patient (joe), who is most crazy (me), and who we should leave the jokes to (you decide).

i'm so thankful for joe who patiently endures through my craziness, as he keeps me laughing and gives me undeserved hugs (and laundry).

and definitely thankful for the times in between all the learning and growing together we've been able to get away and unwind. i think i'm one of the last of my friends stuck in the dark ages of photography, but here are my pointing-and-shooting efforts from our recent daytrip to san diego.

this is how much joe looooves to take one million pictures :)

home sweet home

one of my favorite parts of being married is turning our small one-bedroom apartment into a home sweet home. i wish i could say it's been a glamorous process of searching through trendy home decor stores and obscure antique shops, but actually much of my fun has come from treasures acquired through the ever-accessible craigslist or refurbished from the clearance shelves at tjmaxx.

nevertheless, at the end of the day, joe reminds me it's each other and not the stuff that makes it a joy to come home. and as much as i love the fake lavendar in the aged tin vase perched atop a shelf in our living room, i agree that our little nest would be nothing but twigs (and bugs) without joe in it.


some twigs: