If this isn't nice, I don't know what is

“I need to start doing this more”

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve said that over the last few months.  I think it’s a sign of a good (albeit busy) life. 

I was at the beach a few weeks ago with friends.  Getting sticky from the sun and covered in sand and we were just talking about God and basking in the sun.  We laid on the beach until we couldn’t stand it and then just walked into the ocean and watched the surfers.  It was a brilliant day.  I need to do that more.

This past Saturday I ventured for the first time to the San Diego Swap-Meet.  It was a treasure trove of weird and strange and wonderful things.  For some people that is their Saturday tradition—wandering the aisles, chatting with the sellers, soaking up the San Diego culture.  The hubs and I found a vintage clothes hamper (something I had been wanting forever and this one is just perfect), a vintage Hollywood pin-up bottle opener (the girl has some major gams) and we picked up some tools at a great price (there is never a day when he is not looking for tools).  It was lovely to meander with our friends and find gems that we love.  I need to do that more.

We got a clothes hamper like this one, but green (for 10 dollars!!)

We have a friend who is graduating from the San Diego Probation Officer Academy (I’m sure it has a smoother name than that) and on Friday we’re having a party at our place.  It’s to celebrate him, but also just to celebrate.  I freaking love to celebrate—birthdays, anniversaries, just anything, really anything.  I’ve loved getting decorations and ideas for the party together.  We need to celebrate life and all the good things more often. 

“And I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, 'If this isn't nice, I don't know what is.” 
― Kurt Vonnegut, A Man Without a Country

I need to do that more.

Last night I was able to go to a show at a bar right down the street from me with my lovely, lovely church friends.  I say church friends, because I feel like that makes them extra special.  There’s a bond between people who you are in true community with.  I’m so lucky to have those ladies (and some gents too).  It was a great show, there was great beer, and even some dancing.  Even though I went home and destroyed my phone immediately after (my purse may have fallen in the toilet (ssshhh, don’t freak out about how gross that is)) the night was oh so delightfully good.  I need to do that more often (just not that phone part).

Tomorrow night the boy has planned an extra special date night.  It’s all a surprise.  He’s being sneaky.  I, OF COURSE, need to that more often. 

I’m so damn excited about that.

I need to be that excited more often.

Finding new music that makes my life more wonderfully full of color. I need to do that more.

Discovering more reasons to love this city. I need to do that more.

Isn’t this life just the best? 

We all deserve to fill our lives with things we love. 

You should do that more.

-Whimsy-

My love, don't forget the flowers

Being crafty is a favorite of mine, but one that gets typically pushed to the side.


This girl is busy.  I can't make you that garden gnome bowling set I've been wanting to and I'm sorry.


See said gnomes here:
http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2011/07/how-to_gnome_lawn_bowling_game.html

So fun, right?  Yes.  And I want to make that for you.  I want to make it for freaking everyone, but I can't for so many reasons!!!


(maybe this is a bit dramatic)


Why do crafts have to cost money?
Why can't I have 30 hours a day?
How come I can't thread my sewing machine without my husband or a youtube video?


My work space is achingly boring and I've been trying to think of ideas to make it seem more like my space.  I've had the idea of doing a tiny pennant to string around my computer/inbox/whatever on my desk and I finally started it.


Now that I craft/take pictures/thrift shop/blog so rarely each time is super special and fun to me.

Don't forget the Flowers

I picked out some fabric from the small bundles they have for cheap at Wal-Mart

I originally took this picture without the beer, but then my husband placed it back in view.  I like it better this way.

I traced the circles with a soup can, which made it super easy to get them the same.  Also, I always have soup on hand so it was easy to grab... but I later tried this soup and was sorely disappointed.  I mean, this girl loves gumbo... so I was rreeeaaaalllllllllllll disappointed.

I'll trace anything. Your face, you say?  SURE

The beginning process was super chill and easy.  Whenever the hubs and I were watching TV (we're going through Mad Men again--in love).

I feel like I should have been born in the 30's.  Be a working girl in the 50s and 60s.  I'd be even more sassy. I'm constantly watching old movies and listening to my Billie Holiday Pandora station.  I love finding places in town that have that vintage feel and I'm constantly trying to convert our apartment to a chic, 1960's Mad Men set.

If I was able to start over on this project I would cut on squares and then double it up, sew the semi-circle and cut around it.  Check out these instructions:

http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/2009/10/scalloped-fabric-garland-tutorial/

I obviously didn't go by any directions and wasn't able to use my sewing machine.  I tried, but the folded circles were too small to lead through the machine so it kept on getting caught and tearing the fabric.  So I'm hand sewing each which actually hasn't been too bad.

I still have  A LOT more circles to add, but I'm real happy with the finished product.  I'll put pictures up of it at my office too.

It's been a delightfully busy, crafty, warm and lovely week.

Hopefully this spurt of creativity will continue.  

Next project maybe?

http://www.projectwedding.com/post/list/diy-lace-lanterns

I would love to hear what you creative geniuses are doing.  Give me some inspiration!!

Love

Love

Love 

From the Pacific Ocean

-Whimsy-

Everything's Lighter here in CA

I really do apologize for these blurry pictures. 

My camera lenses (almost all of them) need to visit the lens doctor so these are all from my (crappy) phone.

Have patience!! :)

Here is a picture of brunette Ashley.  Brunette is where my heart is so I'll be back there soon.

 

Now, here is a blurry one that I took yesterday (in my work out clothes) while cooking dinner for me and the hubs (Mexican Casserole and cornbread--YUM)

And one (also blurry--forgive me) on the way to celebrate a friend before he goes up to the Bay area

"Love is not consolation. It is light."--Friedrich Nietzsche

Hairspiration (Hair Inspiration)?!!!

Call me a Californian.

I am going blonder.

Isn't Michelle Williams a Doll?

These are all from her cover on Marie Claire a few months ago.

She SHINES

Hair Appointment in T minus 6 hours.

Life is crazy and beautiful.

--Whimsy--

Every morning another chapter

eek, never finished this... too much baseball

It's true, for the boy... and for sweet potato fries

Marriage is like a ring.  A circle that goes on forever and ever and has no end.
I really hate that speech.  Marriage isn't like a ring.  Period.

Lady got some short hair

The hubs getting his last tattoo 

no pictures of my thighs please

Smokin' real cigarettes.  CHOCOLATE ONES!!!

She's a brick house.

Breakfast Tea

A while ago my sister-in-law gave me the pictures of our vacation that B and I took here to San Diego last year. That week here was such a blissful break in the sun for us.  We had dreams of coming here for good, but at the moment had NO idea that we'd actually do it.  

We ate good food, spent time with family, and loved everything.

Looking back I think we knew that we would be there for real soon.

Things work out.

It's nice to look back and see that.

But, GEEZ I'm so glad this happened. 

Also, my parents will be here soon.

In 

Just 

A

Few 

Days

I will show them around this wonderful new place of mine.  I hope they love it.

I've been in a good mood this weekend because of my Friday after-work commute.

I know that sounds weird.

Shit just worked together.  The interstate was crowded. We all went fast.  We all worked together. No breaking, just smooth sailing and really, it made me love San Diego even more (if possible?).

Little things make me happy.

Hope your weekend made you happy too.

Love,

Weeds

P.S.  It has been a whole year since I shaved my head!!! So crazy, love you Pat!!!

Picture Love

After my post about married life yesterday I wanted to do a "picture recap" or something.  I wish we had more pictures that collected each perfect little moment.  

It's a brief history of us.

We show our love by face grabs 

On a trip back to Illinois to see my parents

This was us driving around the country after our first Sunday together

I have always loved this picture which was taken long before we were ever together

During our engagement picture session

Kissin'

June 21, 2008

"We're not Twins" 

"I want someone who is fierce and will love me until death and knows that love is as strong as death, and be on my side forever and ever. I want someone who will destroy and be destroyed by me." 
— Jeanette Winterson (Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit)

3 years Darling

Hello friends,

Summer is here.  I hope you’re taking every opportunity to lie in the sun, drink something cool and show some skin.

Yesterday was a big day.  A favorite day.

The boy and I have been married for three years!!!!

Hurrah!!

Best three years of my life. 

We’ve been living and loving together for a while now. 

It’s still so sweet to me to wake up beside him.

We met through an internship program and the Camping Ministry.  There were 18 of us and we all became the closest of friends.  We went through the internship aware that it was going to be one of the best seasons of our lives.  We were both so thankful of the friends and experiences we got that year.  We got closer together, just like we were with everyone else.  Everyone was so important to me, like family.  Friendship doesn’t really seem to describe it.  Brad was especially easy to love—we grew close and were so familiar with each other.  One time I even told him that if I had a twin that was a boy it would be him.  It was a huge, weird compliment from me. 

Camp during the summer is hectic, and sweaty, and crazy and fantastic. 

The girls in my cabin each week told me that Brad loved me and that I obviously loved him (imagine this in shrill, giggly voices).  I would say each time that we were just friends, but they never believed me (I have since sent each one an email apologizing that I didn’t listen to them sooner).

Then one day, the always confident Brad, fumbled around this speech of how he liked me.  How leaving to go back to New Mexico (from Wisconsin, where we both were) in two weeks was exciting, but something had changed in him and he couldn’t go back without telling me that he wanted to be with me.  That night I told him that I would at least give him the attention he wanted.  Said that we would try it.  See how it went.  We wrote letters back and forth, barely had any time together b/c of the summer camp chaos. 

Four days later, right before he got onstage to lead us all in worship, I told him I loved him and that I wanted to be with him forever.  He says now that I proposed to him then and there.  Maybe I did.  I said whatever I said and I just walked away (I had to make sure that my girls were eating their dinner and not doing anything too crazy).  He says that he could barely get through that night’s set because he couldn’t concentrate.

The next year was flights back and forth from St. Louis to Albuquerque.  Hours of conversations over the phone every night, letters and mementos sent back and forth.  People say long distanced relationships are doomed, too hard to be able to make it through, but for us it was natural and easy.  We had a wedding date—knew it would be for forever—so we easily stuck it out.  Talking to him each night was the best part of my day.

On June 21, 2008 in an old, factory warehouse we got married.  It was a hot, muggy Southern Illinois day.  It’s such a blur in my memory. 

Three years later and here we are.

"Once upon a time there was a boy who loved a girl, and her laughter was a question he wanted to spend his whole life answering."
— Nicole Krauss (The History of Love)

Life is fantastic
-Weeds-

I'm just telling stories, Trust Me

I'm not saying that I've been doing important stuff.  Things you would be jealous of.

I've been elsewhere.

Now it's 6 months of San Diego life and here we are.  First blog in years.  Days.  Months.  Actually 6 months basically... as I just denoted.

2 months into my full time job at a University in a gorgeous location, with gorgeous people and a gorgeous potential and goal.  I'm lucky.

We've been so busy lately trying to recoup from my months of job searching.  I've cut all shopping which has been tough.  In a city full of vintage finds I have to use a lot of self control--telling myself that we'll scrape by now in order to be safe and happy later.  That's one reason why I've cut back on the blogging life.  I get inspired by blogs to be different, in my vintage stylings.  It tends to make me want to find new pieces.

Not that we aren't safe and happy now.  We're definitely not suffering at all.  We're just trying to get to a point where we can feel at ease with our bills and such.  Maybe that doesn't exist.  I think it does though.  I'm a giver and want to be able to do that.  So cutting certain things are worth it.

It's easier when you have free beaches and parks and friends who invite you over.

Wherever we are now though is a place I love.  Discovering ourselves in this new city.  Exploring new friendships and places.

Dang,  I'm even a blondie of sorts now.

I promise that I've missed you and thought of you often.

I have your picture under my pillow and caress it at night.
I DO.

Not really.

I'm not saying that I'm going to be blogging regularly again.  I know that it doesn't matter that I write this either.  Maybe it does.  I do promise that I'm loving everything.

Yours Truly,
Weeds

Alli G came to visit in San Diego!

"I want someone who is fierce and will love me until death and knows that love is as strong as death, and be on my side forever and ever. I want someone who will destroy and be destroyed by me." 
— Jeanette Winterson (Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit)

Absence

I'm not dead

also, this may be my next tattoo

Poppies and Fringe and Something New

One of my favorite shirts in my closet is this red, poppy-covered blouse with cap sleeves.  It's old-fashioned and soft, the cream on the top balances out the deep red.  I have worn it many ways, but I'm a bad blogger so I don't have pictures of it.  It's flexible and easily mixed, making it a go-to piece and I think it combines a lot of my favorite fashion ideas.  Although, I don't really know how to formulate my fashion ideas because, honestly I don't think about them too much.

**I also don't always know how to use commas correctly if we're being honest**

The light is grainy... cloudy day light

Top: Forever 21
Skirt: Thrifted
Necklace and Belt: Gifted

I'm a lover of this door

tummy

I paired it with another favorite, a teal pencil skirt.  The belt is from Allison and I don't wear it too often because belts aren't really the hubby's favorite thing.

Not like he is against belts... 

or really for belts... 

I just went through a "I must belt everything phase"

Seeing pictures make me realize that I need a haircut, which I will hopefully get soon.  I'll be able to afford it soon.  

Do you wanna know why?

Yeah?

Because I got the job!!!

Full-time

A Salary

Benefits

Frick!

Celebrations will happen when the hubs and I catch up on the monetary hit from me being jobless for a while.

Anyways,  this girl has a lot to smile about.  

April is shaping up to be a great month.

Let's hear it for just getting better and better.

-Weeds

A Wednesday for Health

I am a lover of carbs.

Bread

Pasta

So delicious

What do you go to when you want a delicious, fantastic meal?

Carbohydrates... every time...  at least most times.

I'm trying to cut out a whole lot of that from my diet.

It's going ok, but I'm not really a strict rules type of person.  So I decided to allow myself pasta and bread sometimes, but to really think about it and stay away from it most days.

One day last week the hubs and I wanted to have a nice dinner so I picked up some fresh pasta from Trader Joe's (I had never really been in one).

I had also never had fresh pasta.  I am in love with it.  It was fast and easy, cheap (especially when you compare it to getting pasta at a restaurant), and it tasted so good.

In the evening the light comes into the kitchen beautifully

I don't really think that my eating habits will ever be unbelievably healthy, but I'm trying.  I get fresh produce whenever I can afford it (I hate the fact that the cheap foods are the worst for you--it's not surprising that our country is getting more and more unhealthy).  I am also trying to teach myself some self control.  I'm a bad person when it comes to trying to cut back.

I'm just going to take it meal by meal.

Happy Wednesday