traditions…

tomorrow marks two months and two weeks that Rob and I have been married.  although the date is not especially significant, it is the first fall that we are spending together as a married couple; just one of many firsts that we will share during year one of marriage.

one thing I am especially excited to share with my hubby is the new traditions we will create and sustain together over the years.  one such tradition is updating our fireplace hearth and mantel with the change of the season, or perhaps for a special occasion.

when we got married in july, I had a special print made up to commemorate the day:

I decided after the wedding that instead of hanging it in a stationary wall spot, that I would display it on our mantel for the first year of our marriage, changing the decor every so often.  in my heart, it signifies the passage of time that we have and will continue to endure as a married couple.  as minutes and days pass, as joys and sorrows come and go, our love is the constant.

I regretfully did not capture our summer mantel on film (I may re-create it when fall is over just to document it in blogland) I recently found a picture of our summer mantel, complete with welcome-home-from-honeymoon decorations from Mama and Papa C:

here is a look-see at our autumn installment:

the pumpkins on the hearth are the result of a lovely day of pumpkin picking with Nannu and Nana, Rob’s maternal grandparents who forayed into wine country with us a few weekends ago.  perhaps a bit early for pumpkins, but I couldn’t resist!

here’s my favorite pic of my sweetie from that day:

getting back to the mantel, the “AUTUMN” banner is homemade and is the product of my first home-craft venture.  the leaf dishes were a years-ago Home Goods find, and the apples and box were a housewarming gift from our good friends.

HAPPY FALL!

A few “first fall” memories from that day:

sweet 16 & the nest

today, MM and i made it official – we put down a deposit on the apartment we’ve been salivating over for months!!!

big, beautiful, breezy windows, a balcony (i’m so happy we’ll be living in a 2nd floor apartment), a guest room, fireplace, jacuzzi tub w/shower, and a gigantic kitchen, our “nest” will be a lovely first home for we two.

it amazes me how things have been falling into place since we got engaged and began the wedding planning process.  actually, scratch that – my future hubby and i sorta threw the rule book out the window, and began planning our nuptials a few months pre-engagement, but who’s keeping track??  ;O)

do you believe in signs?

#16 bears a special significance in this department.  it is the day on which we will marry, it just so happens to be my favorite number, and today we learned that it will be our apartment number!

many of our guests have special events occurring on our wedding day (birthdays, anniversaries, etc.) and, as you learned in a previous post, it is my late aunt rosie’s wedding anniversary.

some people believe in signs; i believe things like this are the big man upstairs’ way of telling me that i’m walking the right path.

where it will lead, well, you’ll have to tune into future posts to find out!

wine country and fluffy little dreams…

MM and i dream big that one day, we’ll be fortunate enough to travel to Napa Valley, CA.

one of our favorite couple pastimes has been wine-tasting, and we would love to continue that tradition into our married life.  we are getting married (in?) (on?) a most beautiful vineyard, but due to budget restraints, decided to save sunny cali for another time.

in my web travels, i discovered a delicious little place called Enjoy Cupcakes {www.enjoycupcakes.com}.  one of their charming features, among the various delectable sweets, is that they have a traveling trailer – vintage! – in order to bring cupcakes to special events.

doesn’t that just look divine??  my tummy’s already growling…

day-tripper

my passport collection is now complete!!!!!

thank you, u.s. government, for responding in a most timely fashion.

st. maarten, here we come!  (well, not exactly…we’re booked for a july honeymoon, but it doesn’t hurt to get excited.)

wishing you musical slumbers…

my morning wake-up ritual: i usually open my laptop, check email, scour friends’ and wedding blogs, etsy, some news, and, of course, the ever-addictive facebook.  the whole process usually takes me about an hour and is a ritual i will surely miss when i return to work.

i came across a curious invention this morning.

have you ever tried to fall asleep listening to music while wearing headphones or earbuds?  now, i don’t know about you, but i always wind up waking some point mid-night, angrily ripping off the headphones, and rubbing my ears to relieve the imprint of uncomfy, plasticky annoyingness.

well, comfort irritated ears no more.  there is a solution.

i give you…SOUND ASLEEP PILLOWS!

i found them on a great site called “i want one of those: stuff you don’t need…but you really, really want” (also known as IWOOT {www.iwantoneofthose.com}) that gives you access to all things UK cool.  check it out; you won’t be disappointed!!

MM, i think i’ve found the perfect new addition to our bathroom-to-be: the sudoku loo roll!

although…this knife block is rather disturbing…

that being said…happy slumbers!

adventures in eeeeeekkk!! coli

over the course of the past few months, i have noticed that meat doesn’t taste as good as it used to.  while i have learned, over the years, to appreciate vegetarian foods and dishes (a particular brand of tofu that i ate in london but could never find here comes to mind), i have always considered myself at least part-carnivore, as i can’t go too long without a good dose of steak, bacon, and of COURSE,  grilled-to-perfection summer hot-dogs.

in spite of all that, i feel i am losing my taste for meat.

not to cater to the gross and macabre (although, if you read the title, i’m pretty sure you already know that you’re in for a bit of ick), but meat has been tending to taste really gamey, and just, well, not fresh.  this has led me to do research on how animals and meat are handled in the food industry, along with racking up some killer vegetarian recipes.

in browsing the NY Times food, wine, and dining section, i came across a somewhat disturbing video about taking cautions in the kitchen so as not to spread e. coli.  you may view the video for yourself, but the moral to their story is not just to follow the directives on packaged meat, but to take extra precautions. in light of a 23-year old dance instructor suffering paralysis from eating a contaminated hamburger (article on that and food safety here), i’d say it’s time to re-think our kitchen-ly habits, and perhaps, our ways of life.

here, see the video for yourself.

more and more, i am considering becoming a vegetarian.  having lived in a household growing up where both parents were vegetarians (my mom has since ceased that way of life), i know what it entails.  i just don’t know if i can bring myself to give up those summer dogs…

image courtesy of flickr in creative commons

trouble sleeping…

recuperating from back surgery, planning a wedding, devoting time to online grad courses and anticipating my return to work all = jennie is having trouble sleeping.  my sleep schedule has gone topsy-turvy over the past couple of months.

from the time i was young, i’ve been known to be an early bird.  always up between 6 and 7, i cherished the morning hours when most everyone was still asleep.  i have been mercilessly made fun of for always being the first to fall asleep at slumber parties, and generally not being able to stay up late at all.

since taking a leave of absence from work in october, there have been many weeks where i’ve pretty much gotten my days and nights confused.  not cool.

recently, i was introduced to gwyneth paltrow’s GOOP, an online newsletter about a journey to wellness, both inside and out.  today’s issue focused, fittingly, on the effects of proper (and improper) sleep, which led to a recommendation for an alarm clock that wakes you by simulating a sunrise.  so, of course, i’m thinking, YES.  I NEED ONE OF THOSE.  here’s the newest addition to my “i want one of those!” list:

SOLEIL SUN

Alarm Ultima Clock Radio Dawn Simulator

image courtesy of amazon.com

lookout, MM.  i will be bugging you forever to have one of these for our bedroom once we move in together after the wedding.

thanks for the hook-up, gwyneth!

a cherished memory and a memorable birthday

today is an important day, for many reasons.

for one, it marks my little sister’s tenth birthday!  since forever, i have called her munchkin, which, out of laziness, has been shortened to munch.  she has been anxiously awaiting her tenth birthday, and this morning when she woke up, she touched her finger to her nose and announced, “this is it.  i can feel it.  i’m ten!”  according to my mom, she was very proud to be nine all day yesterday, and would not settle for anyone calling her ten a minute too early.  she appropriately instructed everyone to wait until the next day.

here’s a little peek at what munch will get when i return home next weekend:

i found both items on my favorite site, etsy.  the necklace is handcrafted by gibbygator; the birthday card was made by seasonaldelights.  on our way home, MM and i plan to hit up a great little cupcake place called butta’ cakes i found so that we can bring munch a special birthday treat.   mmmmm…what to choose??  decisions, decisions!

munch, you made my dreams come true the day you arrived on this earth.  for my {then} twenty years, all i had wanted was a little sister.  you are our sunshine, and a wonderful reminder of just how lovely life can be.  on your tenth birthday, i send you all my love.  double digits, baby!!!  woo hoo!!!  ❤

HAPPY 10TH BIRTHDAY, MUNCH!

on a more somber note, this day stands for something else significant.  in february of 2000, my aunt rose learned that she did not have much time left on this earth.  she had been diagnosed with cancer of the colon, which eventually spread to her liver.  she was a beautiful star that gave light to all those in sight of it.  unfortunately, that star was taken from us sooner than we would have liked.  one of aunt rosie’s dying wishes was to make it to munch’s first birthday, which she did – just.  she passed peacefully in the wake of the ones who loved her, and who continue to remember her beauty, both inside and out.

a few weeks ago, MM and i found out that when we dedicate our lives to each other in marriage this coming july 16th, we are doing so on aunt rosie’s wedding anniversary.  i have decided to commemorate her by wearing a photo charm on my bouquet that holds a picture of her from her wedding day.  i’ve also decided to place a picture of her on a special table with a candle, and the lyrics from the dave matthews song “the space between”, a song i listened to over and over during the time she was at her worst…

aunt rosie, we love you and miss you still, every day.  your beautiful way will always be in our hearts; your smile, your ocean eyes.  we will never forget you…

“the space between what’s wrong and right

is where you’ll find me hiding, waiting for you…

the space between your heart and mine

is the space we fill with time…”

~ Dave Matthews

a new day, a new way…

867.5309 has found a new home.  you can visit older posts at my blogspot address.

i find each day brings new questions, opportunities, and answers.  you’ve got to keep your eyes, your heart, your mind open, or life will surely pass you by.

“this is the highest wisdom that i own; freedom and life are earned by those alone who conquer them each day anew.”

~ johann wolfgang von goethe

photo courtesy of loving-long-island.com