Adventures in Love and Happiness

Babymoon Recap

2012-01-24T09:00:00.000-05:00

I've decided to power through and just have one recap of our babymoon. Jus & I are terrible at remembering to take pictures so you'll have to forgive me for the lack of pictures.

We flew out of Chicago last Saturday and arrived in Ft. Lauderdale hours after we were supposed to. The first three days we stayed with family & spent time relaxing.

Tuesday morning we woke up and headed to the Florida keys. We stayed the night in Key Largo then woke up and finished the drive to Key West. We spent 3 days in Key West eating, walking around, looking at architecture, visiting Ernest Hemingway's home, seeing the sunset at Mallory Square and enjoying some Jus & Cole time.

If you've never been to the keys I highly recommend that you take the trip we did. It's lots of fun and Key West is a wonderful place to loose yourself. If you have any specific questions let me know.

Bump Update: Weeks 19 & 20

2012-01-23T09:00:00.001-05:00

Hello my dears!

We are back from our babymoon rested & ready to power through and get ready for LBL to arrive & the Behemoth to be finished.

Week 19 in Key West

I have lots in store for this week but thought I'd start with a bump update. I am definitely getting rounder, I was lamenting to my mom about how high I'm carrying and she said that she was the exact same. It's fun to see that my pregnancy is similar to my mom's.

Our next midwife appointment is next week and we have our ultrasound in 3 weeks. Even though we're keeping the gender a surprise it will be wonderful to see LBL.

Vlog Friday: What was your favorite book, movie & song of 2011?

2012-01-13T09:00:00.002-05:00

It's that time again, my dears!

This week's Vlog Friday gives you the opportunity to share some of your favorites from the last year. I had a little trouble narrowing down my favorites but it was fun to think back over the past year.

Next Week's Prompt:
What is your favorite childhood memory from a snowy day?

Jus & I are off to Florida for a week so I'll be taking next week off but I'll be back January 23!

We Vlog Friday, do you?

A Million Thanks

2012-01-11T09:00:00.000-05:00

When I went to post our journey of deciding to have a baby I was slightly nervous about posting something so personal.

But I don't know why I was nervous because you all are the best readers ever and your comments over the last week have warmed my heart & made me cry. I've wanted to respond to each one of you individually but I'm not sure you want to hear me gush anymore.

All I can say is that I appreciate you all more than I can tell you, you're wonderful friends and have been an enormous support to me throughout the years.

I'm planning to keep up the bump updates here but all other baby talk will be migrated over to Baking the Baby, until, of course, LBL is born and then Adventures in Love & Happiness will become all things LBL.

Deciding to Have a Baby

2012-01-10T09:00:00.000-05:00

Part 1
Part 2

When we left off it was August, a week or so before my 26th birthday, and I was freaking out about the possibility of having a baby way sooner than originally planned. I was worried that the Behemoth wasn't completed, that Jus & I hadn't been married long enough, and that we were too young to be tied down. There were trips to take, concerts to go to and a lot more alone time to be had before a baby entered the equation.

While I lost sleep worrying about the fact that my body & struggles with endometriosis were going to throw our entire plan off track. Jus started to get excited about becoming a dad. He dreamed of little league and guitar lessons.

After many hours crying, talking & laughing we realized that while maybe our life wasn't where we expected it to be when we had kids our life was pretty wonderful. We had stable jobs, a great house and lots of love.

And when we thought about it what difference would a year or two really make? We'd still be Jus and Cole, living in the Behemoth, with no clue how to raise a child.

We agreed that our desire to have children was greater than our desire to wait to have those children. We knew that if we waited and my endometriosis continued to get worse that the likelihood of having any children would go down and in the end that risk wasn't worth it. Jus and I decided to have my Implanon removed early and to try and get pregnant. Worst case scenario we couldn't get pregnant but as least we'd be able to come up with a plan rather than wait another year or two in limbo.

I had my Implanon removed and immediately started charting my temperature, trying to catch my fertile days. My doctor had said that my body would be ready for a normal cycle and I kept my fingers crossed that a pregnancy would happen. Over the next four weeks I took 8 pregnancy tests, all which resulted in negatives. I cried, feeling like a fool for missing my fertile days, worried that the endometriosis had scarred me badly enough that a pregnancy wasn't a possibility for me.

And then, 28 days after my Implanon was removed Jus accused me of being pregnant and to prove him wrong I took the last pregnancy test I had hoarded. I sat in the bathroom waiting for the control line to show up without the positive line. I looked down one last time and lo and behold. My hands were shaking and I started crying.

I had a big reveal planned for the moment I would finally be able to tell Jus but he was in the next room and there was no way I could talk to him without giving it away. I ran to the next room, wrapped up an Eddie Vedder onesie and shoved it in Jus's face without a word. He opened the bag, pulled out the onesie adorned with his favorite musician and said "Oh this is cute...wait, really?"

And in the three months since that day I've realized that we were right to go ahead and try earlier than planned. We still don't have a kitchen, I'll only be 26 when this baby arrives and we need to travel more but the love we have for each other is the place a family begins to grow.

We'll take our children to concerts and let them explore the world alongside of us. We'll get a kitchen eventually because that was the plan all along. But for now we couldn't be happier that this little baby will be turning us from a couple to a family an for all of the adventures that that will bring.

Bump Update: Week 18

2012-01-09T09:00:00.000-05:00

This week has been a big week in the land of LBL.

Big because I feel like I've popped and am starting to feel like I have a serious belly going on. I feel like look like I've been eating too many ding dongs & drinking too much beer instead of growing a baby for the last 4 1/2 months.

Also big because I finally felt LBL for the first time! I had felt some flutters before but was unsure if that was the baby or gas but this week I felt some flutters and then BAM! LBL did a sumersault. I'm incredibly anxious to start feeling the baby move every day & for Jus to feel LBL too!

Stay tuned tomorrow for the next installation on how we decided to have a baby.

Vlog Friday: What are you hopes/resolution for the new year?

2012-01-06T09:00:00.005-05:00

Thank you all so much for your sweet comments over the last two days. I'll be back Monday with a continuation of the story, but for now it's back to Vlog Friday!

A couple of days ago Kate from Marshmellow Goodness and I got to talking about how much we missed Vlog Fridays and we decided to start again! If you're not familiar with vlogging Vlog Friday is a great way to get your feet wet. If you play along be sure to link up at the bottom of the post!

This year is going to be a big one for us and I have a lot of hopes for 2012.

What are your hopes & resolutions?

Next Week's Prompt:

What is your favorite book, song & movie from 2011?

We Vlog Fridays, do you?

Adventures in Planning the Future

2012-01-05T09:00:00.000-05:00

I originally wrote this post on August 22, 2011 but was too scared to post it at that point. I was sick to my stomach realizing that our plans were changing and was trying to come to terms with the fact that babies might be a reality way sooner that we had initially thought.

I've vacillated about writing this post for a week now. I'm not even sure if I'll post it but I'm sitting here, one big ball of nerves and I can't think of what to do except spill my guts or cry for an hour and I don't think it's something that's worth crying.

When I was 10 I got my period. Sitting in 5th grade science class, snapping at my partner because he wasn't making our lightbulb light up right. I was the first in my grade to take the step into womanhood even though I was one of the youngest and the school nurse sat me down to explain all of the things we had yet to go over as a class.

Throughout middle school I was riddled with cramps and would often miss at least one day of class a month. The summer after 8th grade I started having irregular periods. For the first time I had a period that lasted 2 weeks and was dangerously heavy. The following year I visited the OB/GYN for the first time and was put on birth control for the first time.

In the 8 years that followed I tried every type of oral birth control possible, and yet sometimes my period would last 2 weeks, sometimes it would come every other week, and sometimes I needed vicodin to ease my cramps. Eventually it got to a point that the nurse practitioner I had seen thought I needed a surgeon and my new doctor suspected I had endomitriosis. In the summer of 2007 they did laproscopic surgery to look for endomitriosis. As I went under anesthesia I told my mom that I knew I would marry Jus.

As it turns out I have endomitriosis on my bladder as well as my uterus, which meant that cauterizing it off wasn't an option as it would burn through my bladder. Following surgery it was decided that I would go on Lupron, a shot that would essentially put my body through menopause. The idea being that we would be "rebooting" my system. Lupron shots lasted a year resulting in a year of hair loss, no periods, mood swings & hot flashes.

During that year Jus was subject to many tears, often he would ask why I was crying and I would say I just didn't know and then cry more because I was crying. (vicious cycle, eh?) The fact that Jus stayed with me through that time makes him even more amazing. Jus & I often say that since we got through that year we can get through anything.

Following Lupron I was put back on oral birth control and had six months of period free bliss which was followed by a year or so of the most regular, normal periods I have ever had. But of course it didn't last. Once again feeling stuck by my situation my doctor recommended that I get an Implanon insert. Implanon lasts for 3 years and I think that if I was a regular girl with regular periods it would have been a wonderful choice. When I went on Implanon at 23 Jus & I decided that when it came out at 26 I would go back on oral birth control for a year and at 27 we'd start making babies.

I'm currently wrapping up my 2nd of 3 years on Implanon and for the first year it was pretty normal. Cramps were bad but I was having one period a month. Of course life doesn't stay normal for very long. This year I've started getting my period every 3 weeks.

Since July 22 I've had my period 3 times.

That's 18 days of the last 31.

Yep, it sucks, I have cramps that aren't controlled by prescription pain killers and every time I get my period I automatically feel drained. I am so tired of having my period, being able to cry at the drop of a hat and being medicated for cramps. Not to mention the lack of intimacy that comes with constantly having your period.

Lately Jus & I have rethought the whole baby making thing and had decided that when the Implanon comes out in September 2012 I'd stay off birth control. We wouldn't measure my temperature or go crazy but we wouldn't try to prevent pregnancy. That gives us a year to get the Behemoth finished and get our brains wrapped around the fact that we'll be parents within the next couple of years.

Last week I had my yearly, I had just finished period #2 and started the appointment by telling my doctor our plan. She was excited to hear that we were getting ready to have a baby because for the past 4 years she's been telling me pregnancy is the only option at fixing my endomitriosis.

And then she started talking specifics: I need to get healthier, not drop a ton of weight but get to a point I can maintain throughout pregnancy; I need to start taking prenatal vitamins next summer; and I need to get pregnant within the first 6 months of going off birth control. She's worried that after the first 6 months my endomitriosis pain will be so bad that birth control will be my only option.

That's where the record screeched to a stop. Jus & I were planning on being casual about the whole baby making thing and she's telling me we have 6 months at most?

Last week this is where the post was going to stop, I hadn't written it but was planning to open a discussion about this whole planning thing and trying to mentally prepare yourself. I figured most of my readers were about the same age and could help out with some opinions about overcoming the fear & excitement that has washed over me this week. I haven't been able to talk about much besides babies and Jus is feeling good about the situation too.

When I started period #3 Saturday I wanted to cry. In the last couple of months my endomitriosis has gotten so much worse that all hell's broken loose and I'm afraid that over the next year it will just continue to get worse. I'm terrified that I'll end up having my period every single day and when we start trying the endomitriosis will be so bad that I won't be able to get pregnant.

So now we're talking about taking the Implanon out early. As much as I look forward to having a baby with Jus it really freaks me out. I know there is never a good time to have a baby because they will always change your life in ways you'll never know. But don't you think it's a good idea to have a kitchen first?

I'm not even sure the purpose of this post. I'm so excited, nervous, worried and stressed, I can barely think about anything but our future babies. I find myself getting lost looking at baby items on Etsy. And every once in a while I can't believe we're this grown up, it was just a couple of years ago that I was a kid, right?

If I've decided anything in the past week I think it's that couples who are blessed with surprises are lucky because they don't have to go through the stress of planning when to bring a life into the world.

First Comes Love, Then Comes Marriage (and a little planning)

2012-01-04T09:00:00.001-05:00

I've promised to post the story of our plan & how our plan got changed & how we ended up expecting LBL.

This is going to get personal, it's going to be long but I won't go into how LBL was made, because I'm sure you all had sex ed in middle school.

To start out I'll give you a little timeline of our life.

2007-Jus & I started dating
2008- Bought our first house
2009- Got engaged & got Edie
2010- Got married & bought the Behemoth
2011- Got pregnant
2012- LBL will join our family

Baby Cole & Jus circa 2007

Needless to say, Jus & I would be ok with some down time. When we started dating at 21 & 22 it didn't take long to realize that we'd get married. And as the story goes first comes love then comes marriage then comes the baby in the baby carriage.

When we began to realize that we'd be spending the rest of our lives together we knew that babies would be in our future. At the tender age of 22 we decided that we'd wait 7 years until I was 29 & Jus was 30. Plenty of time to get a house, have some fun & go to lots of concerts. Three years later we were on the verge of marriage when we realized that we were still saying 7 years, we readjusted our reality and settled on 27 & 28.

But if I've learned anything in my life it's that you can't plan your life. Every single time I've had a plan it's been shot to hell, and every single time my life has turned out better than I could've imagined.

Stay tuned tomorrow for a post I wrote in August about coming to terms with the fact that our plan was about to change.

Bump Update: Weeks 16 & 17

2012-01-03T09:00:00.000-05:00

First I have to admit that we're bad future parents and missed taking pictures during weeks 13-15. I promise when Little Baby Lehman is actually here we'll take lots and lots of pictures.

Last week was my 16th week and I feel like I'm finally starting to show. If there's any time in my life I wish I had been skinnier it's now. I'll go into our plans in detail later but if I had been able to start this pregnancy smaller I would've started showing earlier and then I wouldn't be going crazy waiting to be obviously pregnant. (I'm also fully aware that in a couple of months I'll be as big as a blimp and wishing I was where I am now.)

We have our next midwife appointment tomorrow and are going on a tour of the birth center to see where LBL will be born.

Hello, hello

2012-01-02T09:00:00.000-05:00

Happy 2012 darlings!

I hope you all had a lovely holiday. To ease our way back in I thought I'd share some photos from our holiday.

And, because I'm sure you probably think I forgot, the winner of the CAPow! giveaway is.....

Congrats, Dana! Shoot me an email with your information!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T14:34:00.000-05:00

I know it seems like I disappeared from the face of the planet this week but my family took a trip to Philly and things got a little hectic in the days before Christmas.

I'll be back in the new year but until then I hope you have a safe & happy holiday & new year surrounded by those you love!

Winner Winner

2011-12-14T15:00:00.000-05:00

I hope you're having a fantastic afternoon, darlings.

Without further ado, the winner of RowHouse 14's lovely chevron stationary is......

Marie from Pink Pouty Princess!

Congrats Marie, email me your information so we can get your stationary to you!

And for all of you who aren't Marie be sure to sign up for today's giveaway!

12 Days of Christmas: Another Giveaway

2011-12-14T09:00:00.000-05:00

This week Little Baby Lehman has been wiping me out and some nights blogging falls into second place behind getting into bed at 9.

But I promise I'll make it up!

And luckily for us the wonderful Crystal from CAPow! has offered one of my readers their choice of 1 8x8 or 8x10 print or 2 5x5 or 5x7 prints.

Not my hometown, but I'm headed there next week!

I've always loved Crystal's hometown hearts series, all of her prints would be a delightful addition to your home.

To Enter this giveaway:

Visit CAPow! and comment with your favorite item

For an extra 6 entries:

(Be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry!)

1. Follow Adventures in Love & Happiness

2. Add CAPow! to your favorites on Etsy or like them on Facebook

3. Follow bothCrystal & me on Twitter and Tweet about this giveaway

Feel free to use this tweet!

I just entered @colekbl's giveaway for @capowcapows gorgeous prints! http://bit.ly/vDP1GV

4. Like Adventures in Love & Happiness on Facebook

5. Follow Crystal's blog

6. Blog or Facebook about this giveaway

7. And just because it's Christmas time, you'll get another entry if you email me a photo of your Christmas tree so I can feature it later this week!

Don't forget to stop by later today for the announcement of who won the Chevron stationary!

12 Days of Christmas: Oh Christmas Tree

2011-12-12T11:05:00.000-05:00

Jus & I got out Christmas tree yesterday. The lights are on & it's awaiting ornaments.

As we wait I'd love for you to send me a picture of your Christmas tree so I can feature them later this week. Shoot me an email at nicolekblehman@gmail.com.

And don't forget, today is the last day to enter the awesome giveaway!

12 Days of Christmas: Christmas Whoopie Pies

2011-12-09T09:00:00.000-05:00

As much as I love working with pumpkin in November I really love working with peppermint in December.

One of my favorite tricks is to take my favorite whoopie pie recipe (something like this with buttercream filling) and roll the edge in crushed peppermint.

Instantly creating a Christmas worthy treat.

What's your favorite way to eat Peppermint?

12 Days of Christmas: Cole's Favorite Christmas Songs

2011-12-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

There's one sure way to get me in the Christmas spirit, Christmas music. There's lots of wonderful music but when I want to get in the spirit there are two I always turn to.

What are your favorite Christmas songs?

PS Don't forget to sign up for the giveaway! And if you can't wait to win be sure to use the code LOVEANDHAPPINESS10 for 10% off!

12 Days of Christmas: Wrap wrap wrap

2011-12-07T09:00:00.000-05:00

Last night this hung on our bedroom door for 3 1/2 hours.

So I could wrap.

And in the end I only wrapped Jus's presents.

What do your gifts look like?

PS Don't forget to sign up for the awesome giveaway!

12 Days of Christmas: Giveaway

2011-12-06T09:00:00.001-05:00

What's Christmas without presents?

Especially for those that you love. And what better gift that beautiful personalized stationary?

I first posted about this chevron stationary on my birthday and lucky for you, Heidi from Row House 14 is kind enough to give away a set for one lucky reader!

To Enter this giveaway:

Visit Row House 14 and comment with your favorite item

For an extra 6 entries:

(Be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry!)

1. Follow Adventures in Love & Happiness

2. Add Row House 14 to your favorites on Etsy or like them on Facebook

3. Follow both Row House 14 & me on Twitter and Tweet about this giveaway

Feel free to use this tweet!

I just entered @colekbl's giveaway for @heidishenk's gorgeous Chevron stationary! http://bit.ly/rrFkGI

4. Like Adventures in Love & Happiness on Facebook

5. Follow Row House 14's blog

6. Blog or Facebook about this giveaway

This giveaway ends December 13 but if you don't want to wait or know someone that would love to get such gorgeous stationary use the code LOVEANDHAPPINESS10 to get 10% off your order!

Bump Update: Where we've been

2011-12-05T15:00:00.002-05:00

This week I'm officially 13 weeks which means I'm entering my 2nd trimester, and I can't tell you how excited I am.

My first trimester was marked by extreme exhaustion and while I was lucky enough to escape the horrors of morning sickness but my exhaustion was reminiscent of mono.

I thought before I began posting weekly updates of my bumps growth with little notes for our Little Baby Lehman I thought I'd show you my progression thus far.

This isn't a bump picture but I was 3 weeks pregnant at this point, the baby was the size of a poppyseed so I was the size I normally am.

Week 9
LBL is the size of an olive and we celebrated Jus's 27th birthday.

Week 10
LBL was the size of a prune. This also marks the first time our Junebug went to a concert.

Week 11
LBL was the size of a lime when we celebrated Thanksgiving. This year Jus & I were thankful for our Junebug & I was thankful that I got to eat two Thanksgiving meals and enjoy every bite.

Week 12
LBL was the size of a plum. I couldn't contain my excitement and had to tell everyone even though we had a week or so left in the first trimester.

12 Days of Christmas: Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake

2011-12-05T09:00:00.000-05:00

Hello my dears!

I thought I'd repost this delicious recipe to sweeten things up on this 3rd day of our 12 Days of Christmas.

Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecake

Ingredients:

For the Crust:

3 cups finely crumbled Oreos (I stick mine in a food processor)

3 Tablespoons Butter

Mix together by hand and press into a 9" spring form pan, press the sides three quarters of the way up the side of the pan, bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes

For the Cheesecake:

2 1/2 pounds cream cheese

1 cup sugar

3 Tablespoons flour

1 Tablespoon vanilla

1 cup sour cream

4 large eggs

2 cups peppermints chopped up (I used the softer, round kind and put them in the food processor for 10 seconds)

Step 1:

Cream cream cheese well (Stand mixers work the best but hand mixers will work, but if you don't have a stand mixer be sure to add that to your Christmas list).

Step 2:

Add sugar, flour, vanilla, and sour cream and blend well.

Step 3:

Add eggs one at a time, make sure mixture is well blended in between.

Step 4:

Stir in peppermints by hand.

Step 5:

Pour mixture into baked crust and bake cheesecake at 315 degrees for 2 hours. (I find baking a cheesecake is a little tricky, when the cheesecake is done the top will rise above the edge of the pan and will jiggle a little but be firm to touch.)

Step 6:

LET CHEESECAKE COOL COMPLETELY (Approx. 2 hours) before releasing the spring form. When cheesecake has been released it is ready to be decorated (I drizzled mine with chocolate syrup, piped on some whipped cream and decorated with peppermints)

Step 7:

Enjoy!

12 Days of Christmas: Cole's Favorite Christmas Movies

2011-12-02T09:00:00.000-05:00

If there's one this that always gets me in the Christmas spirit it's watching Christmas movies. And what better way to spread the cheer than by rounding up some of my favorites.

My favorite classic Christmas movie.

White Christmas

My favorite new Christmas movie.

Elf

One that I can't wait to show the baby.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

My favorite book made into a movie.

The Polar Express

The one I wanted to be in as a child. (I adored their affinity for hot chocolate)

The Santa Clause

The one I like the remake as much as the original.

Miracle on 34th Street

Miracle on 34th Street Remake

The one that makes me laugh.

Christmas Vacation

The one that makes me cry.

It's a Wonderful Life

The one that reminds me of my childhood.

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

What's your favorite Christmas movie?

12 Days of Christmas: Advent Calendar DIY

2011-12-01T09:00:00.004-05:00

Happy December!

I thought it would be fun to begin this month by celebrating the 12 days of Christmas with 12 Christmas related posts.

My family grew up with a lot of Christmas traditions, one of my favorites was the advent calendar. I loved opening something every day and knowing that we were one day closer to Christmas.

This year I decided to make an advent calender for Jus. Instead of filling it with candy or knickknacks I thought I'd give him 24 reasons I love him.

To begin with I wrapped a piece of cardboard in Christmas paper.

I folded 24 shipping labels in half & decorated the front, putting the reason I love Jus on the inside.

I taped the labels to the board and now Jus can start every day with a little bit of love.

Outtakes

2011-11-30T09:00:00.000-05:00

Last night I convinced Jus to take some Christmas card pictures. After playing around with the self timer & some Christmas lights for an hour Jus decided Edie needed to get in on the fun.

Luckily for us our sweet girl decided to play along.

Thank you, thank you, thank you

2011-11-29T09:00:00.000-05:00

Thank you so much for all of your love yesterday.

Jus & I are beyond thrilled that we are going to be parents (and only slightly freaked out).

I'm due sometime June 8-10 which means that I'm in my 12th week, I'm inching closer to my 2nd trimester and I'm so excited. As many of your guessed yesterday this is the cause of my extreme exhaustion. I've been lucky to avoid morning sickness but I feel like I have mono all over again. And on the nights that bed calls at 9 then the blog gets ignored.

I promise I won't turn this into an all baby blog, just incorporate our little junebug into the rest of our life, I mean, we still have a kitchen to redo!

Thank you again! Jus & I feel surrounded by love!

How Busy We've Been

2011-11-28T10:23:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday, dears.

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving ours was busy busy!

A while ago Jus & I made a little video to update our friends & family on our life & the Behemoth. I thought I'd share it so you could see all the work we've been doing!

Our Kitchen

2011-11-22T09:00:00.001-05:00

Are you tired of hearing about our kitchen?

Because I'm tired of talking about it. But we can't stop because we still don't have a contractor. It's proving tough to find someone in our price range that's ready to get to work.

The last time I blogged about our kitchen it looked like this.

And now it looks like this.

Yup, it's got more walls.

The downside of opening up three rooms to make one kitchen is that we took out some of the support for the second floor. In order to remove the rest of the walls we had to build support walls and put in a support beam.

Jus finished the beam last week and now it's time to take down the walls and have one big, open room.

Now if we can only build up the courage to tear out the walls.

Helllllllooooooooooooo

2011-11-21T09:00:00.000-05:00

Hello darlings.

I realize it's been practically eons and I don't have a good excuse except to say that we've been busy. Busy with life, busy with the Behemoth. And being busy is exhausting, so I've also been busy sleeping.

We've got some exciting things going on around the Behemoth (still no kitchen) and I promise I'll be back to update you on our lives & the Behemoth.

So what have I missed? What's new with you?

Some nights

2011-10-06T09:00:00.000-04:00

When I start feeling like I'm going to get sick and Jus wants pancakes for dinner it seems like the perfect excuse to go to my parents and dirty up their kitchen.

For the record, we made this recipe and it was deeeeeelicious

I interrupt the Mudroom Makeover...

2011-10-03T09:00:00.001-04:00

To announce that we're getting a laundry room.

Finally.

We haven't had a washer & dryer since we moved into the Behemoth, that means for 9 months & 7 days I haven't been able to do a load of laundry at our house.

We've decided to move the laundry room from the basement to the first floor. We'll be changing the small room that was originally built as maid's quarters then used as a breakfast nook to our laundry.

The plumber is coming this week & Jus will be laying the floor soon but we started with a little paint.

Officially Fall

2011-09-29T09:00:00.000-04:00

It's definitely feeling like fall in Northern Indiana. Leaves are changing, nights are cool and darnnit if I'm not dying for some apple cider, if I could only find our cups.

Another great thing about the fall is that I can start switching up my wardrobe. I've decided I couldn't live somewhere where the climate was the same year round cause I would go cuckoo wearing the same style day after day. Luckily for me I get to switch.

top: forever 21 skirt: forever 21 dress that i hacked in half

tights: kohls boots: target scarf: old enough i can't remember where it's from

What's your favorite thing about fall?

This seems to be happening a lot...

2011-09-28T09:00:00.000-04:00

Hello my loves.

Sorry it's been so long, life has been busy. This weekend we threw a surprise party for my cousin.

My cousin is incredibly special, she has a condition called Prader-Willi which is very rare. When she was born the doctors said she wouldn't live past the age of 4 so when her 40th birthday rolled around we knew we needed to celebrate.

And celebrate we did.

Still Looking

2011-09-21T09:00:00.000-04:00

I'm still on the hunt for the perfect mustard color for the mudroom. This is the first time I've bought samples and it's proving necessary as mustard is a hard color to nail down.

I'm thinking the second from the right with a light gray ceiling and a dark gray floor with a stenciled design in the orange.

What do you think?

Joining the Grandma Club

2011-09-20T09:00:00.000-04:00

It's official.

I'm a card carrying member of the grandma club.

No, Edie didn't have puppies.

But I did buy my very first afghan.

Little List of Things I'm Loving

2011-09-16T09:00:00.000-04:00

Buying paint samples.

We're trying to pick a color for the mudroom and I think I want to go with mustard but finding the perfect shade is tough so for the first time ever I bought paint samples, unfortunately I think I struck out with all three.

Missoni for Target.

I'm sure this isn't a surprise, as everyone's in love. I didn't make it to Target until after work on Tuesday so I missed a lot of the clothes and other cute stuff but made sure to

Ice Cream Tasting Parties.

One of the benefits of working at a restaurant is that every once in a while that restaurant looks for new ice cream distributors and you get included in taste tests.

Apples.

It's started to feel like fall this week and I couldn't be happier. I have the strongest desire to go and get some McIntosh apples.

Matching Jammies.

The cooler nights mean that I can break out my matching jammies, throughout winter I live in these jammies. If you don't own some you're defintely missing out. Go and get yourself a pair now.

It's always something...

2011-09-12T09:00:00.000-04:00

When we bought the Behemoth we knew we were in for a lot of work, but there are somettimes that I look at something that needs to be done and think "What the hell did they think they were doing?"

Case in point, our mudroom.

Our mudroom was added sometime in the 1950s (when the sisters that didn't get along lived in the house) and it's a perfectly fine room, only in need of a little paint. The problem comes (you knew there had to be a problem) with the last owners.

The woman was in a wheelchair and when they put in the elevator they also cut through the mudroom stairs & floor.

First step to fixing the stairs was to fill the floor and luckily Jus & his dad did the dirty work while I was working. Jus was sure to take some pictures to show the process and now we have new cement drying.

How was your weekend?

Baby Art

2011-09-07T09:00:00.000-04:00

My mom & I are headed to a baby shower this weekend and have been working on putting together a big gift full of presents that represent each month.

I was assigned May (along with some other months) and was asked to find a floraly piece of art. Naturally, I procrastinated a bit and realized that I was at the point where I wouldn't have time to order some art so DIY would be my only solution.

And, since this DIY turned out to be super easy & super cute I knew I had to share it with you.

1. Accumulate all the necessary materials. I picked a 12" x 12" piece of patterned paper for the background, some Martha Stewart letter stickers & a sheet of 8" x 10" paper in a coordinating color and an 8" x 10" picture frame. I used scissors, paper cutter & rubber cement.

2. Cut patterned paper down to size.

3. Print out lowercase initial and cut out.

4. Trace backwards onto colored paper (so the trace lines will be on the back of the finished product) and cut out.

5. Center initial and glue down with rubber cement.

6. Center letter stickers underneath spelling the full name.

7. Frame & hang!

This DIY cost about $13 and took about 15 minutes.

Easy Peasy!

Hello fall.

2011-09-06T09:00:00.000-04:00

Hello my dears, and happy fall.

It's certainly been feeling like fall in these parts. Cooler temperatures are making me wish for comfy sweaters, cute boots & thick socks.

via

What do you find yourself wishing for with the changing seasons?

Kitchen Inspiration: Ceiling

2011-09-02T09:00:00.001-04:00

I've shared the majority of our kitchen inspiration but one thing that's still missing is what will be over our heads.

Several months ago Jus mentioned that he'd like a coffered ceiling and I couldn't agree more.

via

What treatment would you give your dream kitchen?

Summer Night

2011-09-01T09:00:00.000-04:00

We couldn't think of a better way to bid adieu to August than with mojitos, dominos & Adele on the stereo.

Today is the day...

2011-08-30T09:00:00.001-04:00

When I begin my 26 year. I've been a little freaked at the idea of officially being closer to 30 than 20 but I have a feeling this is going to be a very very good year.

I've already treated myself to a massage & a pedicure but I've decided to treat myself to a little more relaxation today so I'm off and I'll see you tomorrow, when I'm officially old.

Me, Banan & our cousin on my 6th birthday.

Obviously, Banan was wicked jealous that I got a Magic Nursery doll.

PS Edie just said 26 was old and when Jus said it wasn't Edie responded with "26 isn't old if you live to 1000"

26 Things I Love

2011-08-29T10:00:00.000-04:00

Today is Day 1 of my birthday week. Tomorrow I officially turn 26 and I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a good year.

To kick off the birthday celebrations I thought I'd start with 26 things I love.

Jus.

Our little life in our big Behemoth with our girls.

The rest of my family.

And my friends (and bloggy friends!)

Taking long drives to nowhere with Jus & then discovering a yummy dinner spot.

A good book.

Caffeine, coffee in the morning & diet coke in the afternoon. (I've been trying to cut back but it isn't easy)

Changing seasons. Isn't it funny that the seasons always change when you're tired of the old one?

Puppy snuggles (and husband snuggles)

The first time you get to wear a new outfit.

Listening to a song over and over and over.

That people are basically good & kind.

Dancing, anywhere, any time.

Fresh flowers.

Being good to my body (it had been a while since I've been good but I'm back on the wagon).

Creativity, even if it comes in spurts, at least it comes.

Champagne.

Long summer nights.

Laughing until my tummy hurts.

Good food.

Being excited.

Knowing that fall is coming and that soon I'll be able to eat my favorite apples & wear tights.

Clean sheets.

Ice cream, I couldn't forget ice cream.

Lazy Sundays.

Love. I love love & I really love loving things.

Holy Moly

2011-08-26T09:00:00.000-04:00

Hiya loves.

We're still here, still alive. No alien abduction or gnome invasion.

Rather, just busy nights, a little family stuff and one ornery Basset Hound that won't stop Pinteresting Basset Hounds.

Roundup: My Birthday's Next Week!

2011-08-23T09:00:00.002-04:00

One week from today I will turn 26. This will be my first year closer to 30 than 20 and my birthday list shows my advancing age. My list includes a new window for the guest room, the stained glass door fixed and a dishwasher.

But for today's sake lets just say that I'm not an (almost) adult & it's totally ok to wish for cute things instead of practical necessities.

I've been dying for a mustard cardigan for a couple of years.

Eden Cardigan in Warm Mustard from JCrew $89.50

My cheap boots are no longer cutting it. Time to invest in a good pair.

Frye Shirley Riding Boots from Zappos $388.00

This is essentially my slogan so it only fits that it should hang in our bedroom.

Always Kiss Me Goodnight Print from Type Posters $9.50

I wish I had a fun birthday party to wear this dress to.

Baking for Breakfast Dress from Modcloth $57.99

Speaking of things I'd love to have hanging in our bedroom.

Wedding Banner from Spread the Love $50.00

I'm in desperate need of a cute camera bag.

Millie in Marigold from Jo Totes $87.00

I've been dying to add a pouf or two to our house.

Knitted Grey Pouf from CB2 $89.95

This skirt is the perfect thing for an almost grown up.

The Flynn Skirt from Anne M. Cramer $160.00

I think it's high time that I get personalized stationary with my new name.

Chevron Stripe Stationary from Rowhouse 14 $20.00

Last year I asked for the black hunters, but this year I think I'd take teal.

Hunter Original Gloss in Teal from Zappos $112.50

I'm not even sure I could tell you how much I'd love portraits of Edie & Layla.

Custom Dog Portrait from Berin Made $84.46
Erin is kindly offering Adventures in Love & Happiness readers 10% off their pet portrait with the code "CUSTOMPET10"

So there you have it, my almost grown up birthday list. If any of you need my address just let me know.

Kitchen Inspiration: Cabinets

2011-08-22T09:00:00.000-04:00

Last week I shared our inspiration for the kitchen floor so I thought the best way to start this week would be to share our cabinet inspirataion.

Since the Behemoth's kitchens were very dated we didn't save our old cabinets. Jus & I have decided to bite the bullet and get the cabinets we want even if they're more expensive. We're planning on finding someone to build them for us and we'll buy them bit by bit.

via

Obviously we love glass front cabinets, and lots of them. We're currently planning on white cabinets despite the fact that I LOVE pink & green cabinets.

Summer Nights

2011-08-18T09:00:00.000-04:00

Lately it's been feeling like summer has been winding down.

Local schools are back in session and temperatures aren't flirting with triple digits.

One thing that helps make it feel like summer is sitting in the car on a warm summer night, listening to music, laughing with Jus & eating ice cream.

Kitchen Inspiration: Floor

2011-08-17T09:00:00.000-04:00

We've been waiting to hear back from some contractors with bids for the kitchen so Jus & I have been taking time to finalize the design & aesthetic we're look for.

I thought I'd share some more specific ideas that we've been leaning towards, and what better place to start than at the very bottom.

via

Since very early on in the renovation process I knew that I wanted herringbone floors in the kitchen. I love the pattern and thought it would be a fun change. It would be great to use hardwoods but hardwood floors are pricey so right now we're planning on using beige & ivory vinyl tile to create a soft neutral floor.

What's your favorite floor choice?

Phew

2011-08-15T09:00:00.002-04:00

This weekend was my fifth wedding of the 2011 season. The bride started planning six weeks (WEEKS!) ago and brought me in soon after. We worked to create a wedding that was simple & elegant.

With 60 guests the wedding was set to be an intimate outdoor affair, I spent the morning setting up a drink station and other outdoor decorations only to have to pull them inside when rain threatened and take them back out when the skies brightened. With 20 minutes until the ceremony the sky began to look like all hell would break loose. We started the ceremony early, got the happy couple married & all of the guests inside before the storm came in and the rest of the night went off without a hitch.

I'm still exhausted from the day so instead of blabbering on anymore I'll share some photos I caught with my phone throughout the day.

Little List

2011-08-12T09:00:00.002-04:00

Hello my dears. I've decided I simply must share a little list because it's been too long & my brain is about to burst (plus, I'm pretty sure we're all a little tired of kitchen talk).

1. Banan & I went on a sister date to see The Help. I absolutely loved the book & was a little worried that the movie would let me down, but the movie was such a beautiful representation of the story.

2. I've decided that I don't listen to enough Van Morrison. I'm trying to fix this.

3. This weekend is my 5th (and what I think will be my last) wedding of the summer. I'm not sure if I can tell you how much I love helping couples make their days special.

4. My birthday is 18 days away. It's not particularly a big one but it's the first one where I'll be closer to 30 than 20 and that scares the shit out of me.

5. I may have forgotten one or two of my kitchen inspiration pictures the other day.

via

6. Jus & I are planning a make up honeymoon trip this winter. We're going to head to the Florida Keys and I would gladly take any recommendations you have.

7. We've been meeting with contractors about finishing the kitchen. It's so flipping excited to be able to have a timeline and know that we are getting close to having a real kitchen. I'm already day dreaming of all the fresh food I can cook, it's been 8 months since I've cooked anything cooked anything outside of a microwave, and it's been 4 months since I've microwaved anything.

8. Jus & I have decided that we won't be getting another Basset Hound puppy. It's a little sad but definitely the best option.

9. I really hope you have been enjoying my posts about the kitchen, I love sharing more of what's really going on in our little life.

The Never Ending Saga

2011-08-11T09:00:00.000-04:00

To say dealing with the Behemoth's kitchen situation has been a hassle is an understatement.

Before we bought the Behemoth I loved watching HGTV, loved seeing the the home makeovers and the quick turn arounds. Since we've had the Behemoth I've realized that life doesn't always work like that.

Three days to redo a kitchen? Ha, we're going on ten months without a kitchen and six months with a demolished room.

Another thing they never show on those quick & easy shows is the fact that demolishing several walls can change the structure of the house. Because the Behemoth is a behemoth that was built in the 19th century there is a lot of plaster, hard wood and other heavy materials held up by the first floor.

When we ripped out the walls we left one small wall to hold up the ceiling but now that we're getting serious about the kitchen we're ready to remove the wall & open up the space. All along we've thought we'd have to keep a column in the center of the island but lately our engineer has been giving us hope that we could go beamless.

So it was really no surprise when I walked in the door after work to find this.

Jus had to rip down the drywall to see where the joists landed. Now normally this is where my brain starts to get fuzzy I can design what I want the kitchen to look like but when it comes to the bones of the house I've discovered that joists are important in keeping the house up, and the last thing we want is for the second story of the Behemoth to crumble to the ground.

So by taking the drywall down Jus has allowed us to see that some 10 inch beams run from the back of the house to the middle and some from the front of the house to the middle. Additional 10 inch beams rest on the wall we're planning to take out and some are just hanging out.

Which means we'll definitely need some sort of a beam to make up for the wall but most likely the beam will run horizontally across the ceiling rather than impaling the island.

The Kitchen Situation: Inspiration

2011-08-10T09:00:00.000-04:00

As all of you mentioned yesterday we have a ton of potential with out future kitchen. Over the last couple of months Jus & I have been trying to figure out what we'd like to see.

When dealing with a 100+ house it's hard to find a style that will seem current while being historically accurate. Jus & I have run the gamete. Lots of people have asked if we'll be going the cheap & easy way with Ikea cabinets but despite the fact that one of my all time favorite kitchens is from Ikea we know in our deepest of hearts that a modern Ikea kitchen won't fit in our turn of the 20th century home.

via

If you follow me on Pinterest you've seen some of my kitchen inspirations.

via

I'll fill you in on some more specifics later, but for now, which kitchens are striking your fancy lately?

The Kitchen Situation

2011-08-09T09:00:00.001-04:00

As I promised last week I'm going to start writing about our adventures with the Behemoth more.

It's been a while since I've shown you our kitchen situation, over the last couple of months I've mentioned our lack of kitchen a couple of times. Some readers have questioned lack of a kitchen, surely we must have some semblance of a kitchen, maybe our walls are cabinet less but how in the world can a person not have a kitchen.

Well, my darlings, when I say we don't have a kitchen I mean we don't have a kitchen. We have a big empty room that has been sitting empty for a couple of months while we try to get the energy & money to start working on the kitchen.

We have some exciting plans for the space but for now I'll leave you with the room we've been living with since spring.

It's ok if it makes you feel better about your house, I usually feel pretty down in the dumps when we visit someone else's house because our's is such a wreck.

Add Lightsaber Cake Baker to my Resume

2011-08-08T09:00:00.000-04:00

In my every day life I'm a baker at my parents restaurant. I make cookies, whoopie pies, pies & a pretty mean Texas Sheet Cake so I couldn't have been more excited when one of our friends asked me to make a cake for their son's 6th birthday.

This particular six year old is one of the coolest kids I know and Jus & I love hanging out with him so I knew I had to step up my game when it came to making his birthday cake. And what better way to step up your game then to make a rice kripie treat lightsaber?

PS During this process I learned a lot about lightsabers. Like that lightsaber is one word and that the good guys have green. Also, that Samuel L. Jackson's favorite color is purple so when he was in the later movies he requested that his lightsaber was purple.

DIY Art

2011-08-05T09:00:00.001-04:00

via

Like many others I spotted this art on Pinterest and added it to my DIY board to sit collecting dust and not being made. Last week when I was trying to decide between a registry pick or cash for our friends wedding this image popped in my head and I knew I had to try it.

I started with a 12"x12" canvas, two 5" letters, a bucket of thin wooden letters, white spray paint & a hot glue gun.

I spent the most amount of time playing around with layout. I wanted something cute to signify their love & wedding.

After deciding on a layout I filled in the holes on the bottoms of the big letters and started hot gluing the letters down. I was sure to apply the hot glue heavily so the letters would stick to the canvas.

I had trouble finding an ampersand or a plus sign so I created one from hot glue.

The best thing about hot glue is how quickly it dries, in just a matter of minutes I had the letters down & was ready to paint. I wanted a little gloss for this piece so I went with a white satin spray paint and after several coats it was ready to go!

I sort of adore the final product & am planning to make a bigger one for our bedroom.

Sometimes my Loved Ones Humor Me

2011-08-04T09:00:00.000-04:00

Like when they not only acknowledge the birth of my Basset Hound but bring their own dogs over for a doggy birthday party and bring Edie presents.

And there was cake! (Of course there was cake, what kind of puppy mom do you think I am?)

The Happiest of Birthdays

2011-08-03T09:00:00.001-04:00

Two years ago a Basset Hound named Queenie went into premature labor. Unfortunately Queenie became very sick and was unable to nurse the only puppy that survived. Queenie's owners bottle fed the little puppy, calling her Angel because she had survived.

Five weeks later Queenie's family got a call from some friends that had just lost one of their dogs. Queenie's owner decided that this girl & her boyfriend were the perfect fit for Angel and let them take her home.

Today I couldn't be happier to celebrate our ~~spoiled~~ sweet little girl's birthday. Edie is one of the best dogs I've ever known & Jus & I are head over heels in love with her.

We're celebrating Edie's birthday with a little party, a lot of cake, and a lot of attitude.

For a longer trip down memory lane check out my album of Edie photos.

Hello you darlings

2011-08-02T09:00:00.000-04:00

Thanks for hanging in there with me. The week break & the survey answers were what I need to refocus myself and Adventures in Love & Happiness.

I spent my week coordinating a wedding, resting a bruised foot, attending a wedding as a guest, and working on some DIYs.

And spending lots of time with this guy (who cut off all of his hair!)

And this little puppy (who just so happens to have a birthday tomorrow!)

I've also spent time thinking about what I wanted this blog to be and how I wanted to relate to all of you. So, instead of lots of roundups of pretty things there will be more stories about our adventures, updates about the Behemoth & some more DIY projects.

Bear with me as we go through some growing pains, but I promise I'm excited about the way things will go and how we'll grow and I'm excited to continue this journey with you loves.

So tell me, what did I miss during my off week?

Help a girl out

2011-07-25T09:00:00.000-04:00

Hello, my darlings.

I hope you're enjoying the heat of the summer, it is hot, hot, HOT here!

I'm sorry I missed a couple of days last week, I've been feeling a little confused about the direction of my blog lately. I've been wanting to narrow the focus a bit, I'd love to do more personal experiences and less planned series but I worry that our life isn't interesting enough and I'll fall behind without a schedule.

So, I'm coming to you for some help. I'm going to take the next week off to collect my thoughts, spend more time with Jus & relax.

If you'd be so kind to fill out these surveys & give me some advice I'd love you forever.


What are your favorite posts to read?


What would you like to see more of?


Thank you in advance! Have a wonderful week and I'll see you then!

xo,
Cole

The Happiest of Birthdays

2011-07-20T09:00:00.000-04:00

Today is an extra special day. Today my little sister turns 22.

Banan on her 21st

22 years ago I woke up, couldn't find my parents, and freaked out until I saw my grandpa sleeping on the sofa. At that point I realized that I was a big sister. The one that would be the role model, the helper & the boss.

Cole & Banan 1989

To say that I've enjoyed having a sister is an understatement. I've loved playing house, sharing clothes & staying up late giggling. The hair pulling, fighting over the bathroom & name calling has helped make me who I am and the mark that Banan has made on my heart will be there long after grow up and have families of our own.

Cole & Banan 2011

Today is the day to celebrate the girl that has gone from my (sometimes) willing playmate to the person I fought with most to one of my favorite people to spend hours upon hours laughing with.

Cole & Banan 2010

Banan, I am so proud of you and so incredibly thankful for our relationship. I know we have had our ups & downs but I am so excited to have the relationship we have now and can't wait to see it develop further.

Cole & Banan 2011

You are a loving soul, a good teacher, & I am so excited to continue to see you develop into the woman you are becoming. Thank you for 22 years of memories and love, and above all, thank you for no longer pulling my hair, I was getting pretty tired of it.

Lovin' Lately

2011-07-19T09:00:00.000-04:00

As we've gone to decorate the walls of the Behemoth I've realized that I am more and more drawn to collections on walls.

I'm not much of a collector of little things, I've never collected dolls or toys or buttons but when it comes to hanging things up I dream of collection upon collection upon collection.

via 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Slightly Stylish: In need of separates

2011-07-18T09:00:00.001-04:00

Happy Monday.

Thanks for all of your wonderful responses to Edie's guest post. She was very flattered & promised to stop by again.

Our weekend didn't go quite as was expected. Jus had to work Saturday so the kitchen got further neglected. We've taken a big break from renovating the Behemoth and are having trouble getting back into it. We spent Saturday evening celebrating my little sister, Banan's, birthday at a beach bar and spent Sunday recovering, doing laundry & watching the women's world cup game.

Recently I've decided that the way to break my repetitive style is to incorporate separates. Unfortunately my closet is short on summer separates and I'm struggling with pairing pieces.

This skirt is one of my favorites. I picked it up a couple of months ago but unfortunately the only tops I have to match are white and I'm in desperate need of more options.

So much so, that I'm planning to do a roundup of things to add to your closet this week. Hopefully we'll all be able to find something to change up our looks.

shirt: american eagle skirt: forever 21

sandals: shoe show bracelet: vintage

necklace: german pendent received in a swap

A Note from Edie

2011-07-15T09:00:00.000-04:00

Helloah my blog friends.

My mom did not know what to post so she say I can do de guest post. Do not tink I am uneducated cos I have da accent.

Did my mom no tell you I gotta da accent? I gotta da little bit of one.

Notting too big arounda here. It's been da super hot so I been laying in da yard all da day. In da morning I tella my dad to letta me out an den I tella my mom to keepa me out. Da Layla likes to go inside but I likes da outside.

I heara da dad say he gonna do some work on da kitchen dis weekend. Dat means I getta to go outside all da day. Da dad is gonna make our kitchen nice an da pretty. Foraever da kitchen has been da messy mess an we hasa no sink or no stove or no nuttin. Sometimes da mom get mad at da dad cause we gotta da no kitchen.

Da other news is dat da dad maybe wanna getta me a kitty cat. I heara him ask if da mom is interested in da kitty an she tella him he can getta me a kitty so dat is looking optomistic. I tink if we getta da kitty he can sleep wit me. Da Jacques isa gonna no likea anuder kitty but oh wells.

Itsa bout da time for my morning nap so I'ma gonna go an sleep on da couch. After dat I'll probably eat some food den nap again. Da Layla an me do dat till da mom an da dad getta home from da work. Just two girls sleeping an eating all da day.

Havea da good day an I'll tella my mom to get it together an do da post.

Love an slobbers,
Edie Sedgwick

Real People in Love: Jee-Young & David

2011-07-13T09:00:00.008-04:00

I was so excited when Jee-Young from Conventional Bliss emailed me about participating in Real People in Love. Jee-Young is someone who I've met through Twitter and I laughed as I read her responses because Jee-Young and her husband, David's, story lines up with Jus & mine.

How old are you and David?

I am 27 and David is 29.

How long have you been together?
We've been married for 9 months and together for 4 years.

When's your anniversary?
Our dating anniversary is January 28, 2007 and our wedding anniversary is September 18, 2010.

What are your occupations?

By day- I am a proposal writer at a global HR firm and David is a bank manager. By night- we are both struggling grad school students.

How did you meet?

David and I met at my first "real-life" job. We both grew up and lived in the same hometown all of our lives, but didn't meet one another until we were working in a town an hour or so away. It was a 100% commission, cold-calling sales job at a private investment firm. Needless to say, I only lasted 6 months and made one decent paycheck. David was my indirect manager and I always joke around with him that he was so into me that he broke the corporate dating policy. Haha, it was definitely fun and exciting, keeping everything a secret! He eventually left for a better opportunity and we always say that the best thing we got out of that company was each other!

How did you get engaged?

We feverishly looked at a million houses during summer of 2009. We finally found our dream house as summer was coming to a close. On August 24, we had our final walk-through at our first home.
Our realtor, Elizabeth, David and I (with my notebook and pen in hand) toured the house for any last minute details. Ironically, the master bedroom was the last room that we needed to check. As I came out of the master bathroom, David pulled me in next to him. I pushed him away out of embarrassment because I thought he was giddy about the house and I didn't want him to kiss me in front of Elizabeth, who was just a few feet away. But, he kept insisting and proceeded to say the most meaningful, heartfelt words I have ever heard in my life. I still didn't believe it was happening, even when he got down on one knee!
David planned for Elizabeth to video tape the entire proposal. I can almost guarantee you'll hear me say "OMG, babe, are you serious?" a few times before it actually sunk in. I was completely oblivious to his anxious state on our drive over to the house; and also to the fact that I was scrubbed out in a t-shirt and ripped jeans, while he was all put together.
All I remember is how happy I was; my face literally hurt the next day from smiling so much!

Tell us about your wedding day (not necessarily elements but feelings too)

My heart smiles when I think back to our wedding day; relishing in the joyous day that was about us, our love and the support of our family and friends. Our day was perfect. And if it wasn't, I didn't know about it. From the morning shower (good luck!) to the beautiful sunny afternoon, I was elated with every part of the day. Our first look and ceremony were filled with tears of joy. It was definitely one of the most intimate moments we've shared in the history of our relationship. Our reception was filled with laughter and smiles. We spent all night dancing and celebrating our special day. It meant the world to us to share our day with so many family and friends. From up north to different states to my maternal grandmother who flew in from Korea, I am so thankful for the love and blessing of our family and friends. The only regret I have is not being able to make the day last longer. I wish I could live forever in the moment of officially becoming David's wife and forever roommate.

Define Love:

Love is selfless and patient. It's more than just a whimsical feeling, it's something that defines your actions and your words every day. It's something that makes you want to be the best version of you that is humanly possible.

What's the toughest part of being in a committed relationship?

I think the toughest part of being in a committed relationship is learning how to openly communicate and compromise with one another. We are both individuals who think and act/react differently. We can't expect each other to read minds. It's the whole "selfless" factor of love. We're human beings, so it takes work to truly become selfless in our words and actions to one another.

What is the best part?

Do I have to choose one? I guess I can sum up all of it by saying that the best part of being in a committed relationship is having my best friend as my forever roomie in this crazy journey of life!

What is the best day you and David have had together?

Wow, that's a tough one. I could pick all of the vacations we've been lucky enough to go on together. But, in all honesty, I think the best day(s) we've had together are the ones where we steal away time to just be lazy and enjoy time with each other. We'll sleep in till noon, lay in bed cuddling, chatting, and laughing about this and that. Then we'll get up and cook breakfast for lunch. We'll play with our fur babies, Bailey & Buddy. Usually, we end up back in bed, fur babies in tow, watching a marathon of movies or one of our favorite TV shows (Modern Family, Simpsons, Criminal Minds, or anything on HGTV).

What makes you different from other couples?

I don't know what makes us different from other couples. All I know is that our love for each other isn't extravagant, it isn't perfect, and it isn't atypical. Our love is us, in our best reflection of God's unconditional love. We're just two people who love each other and find adventure in the everyday, conventional bliss we were lucky enough to have been blessed with in our lives.

What is the most essential element of making it?

I think the most essential element of making a marriage work is to acknowledge that it takes work and making the commitment to put in that work. David and I may not like each other every day; but, we do love each other every day. We have good days and bad, but both of us wake up knowing that we choose to make it work every day, because there is no one else we want to experience all of life's ups and downs with, but each other.

What is your favorite thing to do together?

David is obsessed with making to-do lists. We love to run errands all around town, playfully bickering over who gets to check off those never-ending tasks, and pat ourselves on the back for being productive on our time away from work. Whether it's grocery shopping or taking our fur babies to the dog park, doing the simplest of things together makes it that much more enjoyable.

Do you have a song?

We have too many to count. Our first dance song was "Until You" by Dave Barnes. We always joke that Chicago's "Glory of Love" from the Karate Kid 2 Soundtrack is our theme song. (Daniel San= David, Kumiko= me)

What are your hopes for the future?

For the immediate future, baby-making plans are set for 2012. I hope that we will be lucky enough to have happy, healthy children.
In the long run, I hope that as each day passes, we grow to love each more deeply, humbly and intimately that the first day we fell in love.

Anything else the world needs to know about love?

Real love isn't always rainbows and butterflies. But with mutual nurturing through respect, commitment, and honesty; it is the most beautiful thing two people can grow together. So when it comes along your way, hold on tight, and don't ever let it go!

If you'd like to participate in the Real People in Love series just shoot me an email!

Lovin' Lately

2011-07-12T09:00:00.000-04:00

I've decided to revamp the Little List concept a bit, perhaps a little less random, a little more structured. Instead of being a little list of things I'm loving my posts will now focus on one major thing I'm loving.

And right now I'm loving Little Miss Edie Sedgwick. Even though she can be a pain in the butt she's a snuggle bug & sweet pea and about as cute as can be.
(Plus, there's nothing better than a Basset Hound captured by a DSLR)

Slight Stylish: Flowers Three Ways

2011-07-11T09:00:00.004-04:00

Happy 7-11, Sweethearts!

How about that for an unintentional break?

Did you think I forgot about you?
Did you think Jus whisked me away for a romantic weekend in Tahiti?
Did you think Edie was holding us hostage in hopes of getting more treats?
Did you think Jus & I ran away to join the circus?

Sadly, none of those were true. First, I was struck by the stomach flu and as soon as that left me I was struck by the worst cramps I've had in years.

So those are my excuses and I'm sticking to them.

This week's Slightly Stylish is another small one mainly due to the flu but also, in part, due to the fact that I'm bored to death of my closet. The warmer weather leads me to wear sundresses which leads my uniform to be a consistent sundress, belt & sandals every single day.

When I try to switch things up I'm never truly happy with the way the outfits turn out but the other day I mixed a bold print & a bright color and called it a day.

tank & sandals: american eagle

cardigan: forever 21 shorts: h & m

headband: sunshine and carousels

After my change up I was back to my old ways of dresses, belts & sandals. But this combo is so comfy and keeps me cool that it's hard to pass it up. One of my favorite things to do is roll out of bed on a Sunday morning, throw on a dress, and convince Jus to take me to brunch.

dress: forever 21 belt: thrifted

shoes: target

The toughest thing is that lately I feel like I've been repeating my dresses so much that I'm sure you're able to recognize most of my wardrobe. The only change up has come in cutting 4ish inches off my hair last week.

dress: forever 21 belt: thrifted

shoes: blowfish

Do you change up your summer wardrobe or do you stick with what you're comfortable with?

PS Don't forget to stop by 7-11 & get a slurpee today!

Roundup: Summer Drinks

2011-07-07T09:00:00.001-04:00

I'm not sure about you but for me it never really feels like summer until we've celebrated the 4th of July.

Once the weather hits 90 consistently and I can go out at night without a cardigan I know that summer has arrived, and there's no better way to spend a summer evening that sitting outside with friends, listening to good music & laughing late into the night.

And one element that is a must for any summer party is a good drink.

We might be past the stage of lemonade stands but homemade lemonade is the perfect summer drink.

lemonade recipe

Dark & Stormies are very popular at our local bar.

dark & stormy recipe

I've recently developed a love for mojitos.

mojito recipe

One of the best things about summer is the ability to make sun tea. (I always add mint to mine)

sun tea recipe

Margaritas are too yummy to leave to Mexican restaurants.

raspberry lime margarita recipe

I've already exalted the joys of Arnold Palmers but seriously, they're delish.

arnold palmer recipe

White wine sangria is the perfect summer party drink.

pear sangria recipe

This is similar to my every day drink.

raspberry lemonade spritzer recipe

Orangeades remind me of my childhood.

orangeade recipe

As if normal mojitos aren't yummy enough.

strawberry mojito recipe

Snow cones are still one of my favorite summer time treats.

homemade snow cone recipe

Jus's go to summer drink is a gin & tonic.

gin & tonic recipe

What is your favorite summer drink?

Hello, hello

2011-07-06T09:00:00.000-04:00

Hello my loves.

Sorry to have cut out this weekend but I got an extra day off so we spent the long weekend at my parent's lake cabin. It was wonderful to have a weekend to unplug & relax.

Of course, unplugging leads to massively falling behind in the blog world so I apologize if I have an email to respond to or a blog to visit. Summer is such a busy time for us I can hardly stand it!

So I'll leave you with two pictures that sum up our weekend.

The first is a shaky picture of some fireworks (I'm still trying to figure out the secrets of my DSLR), we were fortunate enough to have two night of firework watching on my parents' boat. If you ever have the opportunity to watch fireworks on water I highly recommend it. The reflections are beautiful and the water makes every boom echo.

The second photo is pretty much the definition of how we spent our days at the lake. With temperatures topping 90 degrees it was hard not to spend the day in the water.

How was your Fourth of July weekend?

PS I wanted to remind you that all of your Color Me Happy packages should be sent & you should be receiving them within the next couple of days!

Double Dip: Fourth Fun

2011-07-01T09:00:00.003-04:00

I absolutely loved roundup up all that red, white & blue yesterday and thought it would be fun to keep this week's double dip in the same thought, especially when I saw this adorable party on Pinterest.

via

romper: lands end sweater: madewell

shoes: modcloth sunglasses: amazon

bow: paperdoll

paint: benjamin moore rug: mrs. ginther

light: amazon firework print: farnum ink studio

mirror: crate & barrel shower curtain: west elm

I hope you have a wonderful & safe holiday weekend, my dears. But before I let you go the winner of this week's giveaway is...

Congratulations, Chrissy! Send me an email with your address so I can send you your painting!

Roundup: Red, White & Blue

2011-06-30T09:00:00.000-04:00

Hello, hello my lovebugs.

When I was trying to decide what to roundup I knew that there was no better option than to celebrate this weekend's holiday with a sweet roundup of all things red, white & blue.

The perfect way to cool off this weekend.

Beach Blanket Bingo One Piece from Modcloth $89.99

I think every girl needs this print in her bathroom.

Love Quote from I Screen You Screen $19.00

Add a little color around your neck.

Baby Blue Leather Petals from Haknik $20.00

Perfect for all of your grown up party guests.

Fourth of July Jello Shots from Bakers Royale

Cute to pair with a red shirt.

A Gentleman and a Sailor Mini Skirt from Lulu's $24.00

Just in case you have a fancy pants Fourth party.

Charmin' Sandiego Dress from Modcloth $49.99

The perfect red accent for a kitchen.

Red Combi Pendent from The Conran Shop $67.15

I know this dress is kinda pricey but I literally oooed out loud.

Happy to Be Me Dress from Modcloth $115.99

The perfect Fourth of July shoes.

Escote Hamptons Skimmer from Urban Outfitters $29.00

Love the color, love the sentiment.

Oh How I Love Thee Print from The Big Harumph $20.00

The cutest way to cozy up this weekend.

Shoreline Cardigan from Modcloth $39.99

A yummy summer recipe.

Summer Berry Trifle from Family Fun

The perfect headboard to put on a brightly colored wall.

Morocco Headboard from West Elm $450.00

I wish that rompers agreed with me because I sure do love them.

Nautical Adventure Romper from Ruche $32.99

A fun addition to your wall.

Pinwheel Print from Suzanna Anna $28.00

Perfect sandals to show off your red pedicure.

Maxout from Blowfish $28.00

Beautiful shades of blue.

Dusk Sun Sapphire Stone Necklace from Lulu's $24.00

Real People in Love: Katie & E

2011-06-29T09:00:00.001-04:00

This week's Real People in Love are the adorable Katie & E from LatteLove. I first "met" Katie through Weddingbee and in the time since I've had fun following along on Katie & E's adventures. (Right now they're in Italy for the summer!)

How old are you and E?

I'm 23 and E is 25.

How long have you been together?
We've been together for almost four years, and married for two of them.

When's your anniversary?
We got married on June 19, 2009

What are your occupations?

E is a graduate student in seminary and I work in graduate school admissions.

How did you meet?

We met through mutual friends in college. I was the geeky, young transfer student; E was the cool, funny smart guy. We were friends for a year before our first date.

How did you get engaged?

We were long-distance (Chicago to San Diego) for most of our relationship. About a year after we'd been dating, E flew out to Chicago without me knowing it and surprised me with a proposal on Navy Pier!
Check out more of their sweet proposal story here

Tell us about your wedding day (not necessarily elements but feelings too)

One of the best things about our wedding day is that I was forced to give up many of my expectations about the perfect details, and just enjoy the event. Everything didn't happen the way I wanted it to, but those details fade quickly. What I want to remember about that day is how we felt so immensely supported and loved!
And beyond that, I don't know what could have been more fun-our best friends & family all in one place to celebrate us. It was absolutely the best party I've ever been to!
Find Katie's recaps here.

Define Love:

Love is a daily act of self-giving.

What's the toughest part of being in a committed relationship?

The work! There were a lot of things I prepared myself for prior to marriage, but there's very little you can do to prepare for the amount of work, forgiveness and self-sacrifice that a healthy marriage requires. It's an every-single-day process on Day 1, Year 2 and Year 20!

What is the best part?

The intimacy. (And I don't just mean physical!) There is something about marriage that involves such closeness with your spouse... you know each other better than anyone else on earth. The secret jokes, the annoying habits, the looks- are all something you share with each other exclusively. That has been one of the most exciting parts of our marriage.

What is the best day you and Chris have had together?

Any Saturday when E is out of school! There's always a certain pressure during the year as E is studying in a very difficult program. When he is out of school, he is much more relaxed. On those days our favorite schedule is: sleeping in (9am is usually as long as we can make it!), make waffles together, read on our patio, watch a movie, hike, and meet up with friends for dinner.

What makes you different from other couples?

As much as I wish we could say "nothing!" I know that's not true. Right now E is a student in seminary, preparing to become a pastor. The student lifestyle can be crazy (and lead us to places like Italy for a summer!) and our life afterwards will be kind of unpredictable.

What is the most essential element of making it?

For us, it's knowing that our wedding vows are a promise first to God, then to each other. It motivates us to continue to pursue each other, love and forgive without a thought to whether or not we'll "make it." We promised we would, and we will.

What is your favorite thing to do together?

We really enjoy hiking together and going to Disneyland, but I think our favorite thing is to pull up two patio chairs and read next to each other.

Do you have a song?

Not really. It took us a long time to even figure our music we could compromise on listening to in the car! (Answer: Taylor Swift)

What are your hopes for the future?

For now? Get through E's last year of school! Other than that, I'd love to stay living in SoCal, but we are open to going wherever. We'd love to do more traveling. We also hope for a few bambinos in our (distant) future, both biological and adopted.

Anything else the world needs to know about love?

It helps if you marry a really awesome person that you respect and admire.

If you'd like to participate in the Real People in Love series just shoot me an email!

Little List

2011-06-28T09:00:00.000-04:00

1. Today is your last day to enter the giveaway. If you haven't entered go ahead and enter now!

2. I use a lot of terms of endearment but for some reason Honey is not one. It's not that I have anything against honey, I like it in my tea and I like sweet words. Baby Cakes, Sweet Pea & Sugar Plum fall in my lexicon but Honey not so much.

3. I spent the weekend helping Banan babysit the twins she nannies. Watching adorable two year olds does not help getting rid of baby fever. Also, forgive me for the crazy baby pinning on Pinterest, I've been hanging out with too many cute babies.

4. I think catching the ice cream truck is one of my favorite things about summer. The jaunty tune followed by bomb pops is perfect on a summer evening.

5. Recently some of our friends got a new house. Not a new, new house but a new to them house. It made me slightly jealous to go over to a house that didn't have 1002 projects that need to be done. Most days it feels like the Behemoth will never be done.

6. The other night Edie brought her toy to bed with her. I'm not sure if she thought we were going to play but she really is a stink pot.

7. Have I mentioned that you should enter the giveaway? Cause you should.

8. Yesterday one of my readers asked about my strapless bra situation. I suppose that since I post weekly photos of my outfits I shouldn't be surprised when questions arise. If you have any questions about my fashion style (or lack there of) leave a comment and I'll put together a post answering your questions.

9. Last Friday I was listening to Jus's radio show when I heard one of my new favorite songs. When the song ended and Jus dedicated it to "his pretty wife" I just about melted.

10. Then he melted me even more when I came home from work on Saturday and got the best gift ever.

I know, I'm an incredibly lucky gal.

Slightly Stylish: Very Slight 1.2

2011-06-27T09:00:00.002-04:00

Happy Monday, Sweet pea.

I hope you had a sunshiney weekend full of fun. I had a fantastic time babysitting, getting a huge surprise from Jus and enjoying warm weather.

This past week was another very slightly stylish week.

Now that it's warm I find myself cycling through my sundresses one right after another and am finding myself in desperate need of something new. I'm drawn to dresses but think that separates might be the way to go to change up my summer look.

Last Tuesday Jus & I went to the local watering hole for trivia night. Let's just say Tuesday was Jus's night to prove his smarts & I may have had to buy him a beer.

dress: target belt: thrifted shoes: blowfish

Thursday we had coolish rain which left me wishing for sweats & take out but Jus, Banan & I went to a new sushi restaurant, instead. While the sushi was ok the drinks were fabulous and I was reacquainted with the deliciousness that is a mojito.

dress: old navy belt: jules boutique shoes: target

So how was your weekend?

Roundup: Things for your BFF

2011-06-23T09:00:00.000-04:00

Today's roundup is another roundup inspired by a lovely blog reader. Lauren was looking for gifts for her bridesmaids (particularly yellow) and I thought it would be fun to expand the topic a little and make a roundup of things for your best girl friend.

"Parteners in Crime" is so much better than "Best Friends."

Partners in Crime Necklace Set from Yardley December $29.00

A perfect way to keep warm on cool summer evening.

We're Butter Together Scarf from Modcloth $17.99

The perfect way for your bridesmaids to keep all their goodies together.

Traditions Yellow Clutch from Tamra's Bag $25.00

A wonderful personalized necklace.

Initial Disc Necklace from Made by Sam $58.98

Friendship as art, nothing sweeter.

My Lovely Best Friend from RKDesign88 $9.00

Classic and elegant necklace.

Kate Spade Dot to Dot necklace from Nordstrom $98.00

Maybe the cuteset bridesmaid clutch I've ever seen.

All About a Bow from Davie and Chiyo $78.00

The perfect necklace for the girl who's been your friend since Elementary School.

For the Best Friend Necklace from Beauty Spot $28.00

A delightfully bright topper.

Jane Gold Headband from Live in Style $24.00

A wonderfully cheery necklace.

Resin and Gold Link Necklace from J. Crew $39.50

An adorable tote for bridesmaids to carry their shoes after the reception.

Diamante Bag from Alphabet Bags $16

A sweet little heart.

Tiny Initial Heart from Mon Cadeau $49.00

It doesn't get more honest than this.

You are my best friend ever print from HoneyBoo $13.00

Just in case you have 2 best friends.

Owl in a Row from Modcloth $14.99

An adorable print for long distance distance friends.

Eloise and Ramona play Telephone from Flapper Doodle Art $10.00

A bright and cheery bridesmaid necklace.

Floral Charm Necklace from MEJ Collection $38.00

Drops of sunshine brighten up your friend's day.

Yellow drop earrings from In Honor of Design $7.80

Fun, ruffly necklace.

Mustard Ruffle Necklace from Pretty Things by Meg $23.00

PS Don't forget to sign up for the giveaway!

Real People in Love: Suze & Shawn

2011-06-22T09:00:00.001-04:00

In the year that I've been featuring Real people in Love I've learned tons about love in the real world and how to make a relationship work. I've featured people that are dating & couples that have been married for several years. I've learned that no matter how old or what the circumstance is everyone has relationship knowledge to pass on and it's usually a good idea to take that knowledge and run with it.

This week's Real People in Love is a couple who are closing in on ten years and have plenty to show for it. Suze is the woman behind Girl Wizard, where she blogs about her lovely life with Shawn and their daughter.

How old are you and Shawn?

Suze is 37, Shawn is 39.

How long have you been together?
9 years

When's your anniversary?
May 25

What are your occupations?

Shawn is a Senior Software Engineer, Suze is a novelist; both are full time parents.

How did you meet?

Shawn and I met when I was a freshman and he was a junior in college. He was the President of the Society of Physics Students and I was Vice-President. At the time, we were just friends with a ton of respect for one another.

How did you get engaged?

We went our separate ways for eight years but were "reintroduced" by a former Physics professor and mentor through email. We were living in two different cities at the time but Shawn pursued me with zeal. He flew into town every other weekend and it took us about six weeks after we were reintroduced to get engaged. I had never felt so desired! Shawn had just had his doctorate in Physics and had secured a very good job and I was working as an English and Theatre teacher at a private academy. He whisked me away to another city and another life--- it was all very whirlwind!

Tell us about your wedding day (not necessarily elements but feelings too)

We actually married in the courts, first. We were engaged so it wasn't complete whimsy but we were in his apartment on April Fool's Day and he turns and says to me, "You wanna get married, tomorrow?" And I looked at him and said, "Why the hell not?" Best decision I ever made. Hands down. He went into work the next day and told his boss he was going to take off early because he was getting married.

Define Love:

When we were first engaged, Shawn wrote me several incredible letters-- by hand. In them, he wrote of love as being a decision you make every day. Experience has certainly borne that out. Every day of our marriage Shawn has been understanding, patient, quick to see the best in things, a protector-- even a mentor. The amount of respect and gratitude I feel for my husband simply has no bounds. There is a lot of hype surrounding infatuation, ardor, the kind of love one might do something crazy for. But the craziest thing a person can do for another is to love them quietly and faithfully-- every day-- through the endless Saturday morning brunches, oil changes, new water heaters, garage-door fiascoes (we recently had ours replaced,) making sure our daughter-- the apple of our eyes-- is fed, clothed, listened to and valued.

What's the toughest part of being in a committed relationship?

In my opinion (Suze), the toughest part of being in a committed relationship is just growing the hell up. There comes a point in every marriage, no matter how good-- and believe me, I could not have married a more excellent man-- when you're forced to face all of the romantic, idealistic notions you fostered as a child. When you recognize them for what they are-- fantasy-- and then recognize the tremendous gift you've been given--reality--reconciling the two and coming out on the other end strengthened the bond between two people like little else.

What is the best part?

Crikey! How long is your program? :)
There are innumerable beauties to being in a committed relationship-- not the least of which is feeling safe, accepted. Fought for. I feel like, every day, Shawn goes out and fights for me and our daughter. And every night, he comes back to the haven we have created together and leaves the cares of the world at the door. Our home is incredibly stable and harmonious, and I think we have both made that a tremendous priority. We don't yell at one another, we don't insult one another. Over the years, we've fostered an unspoken rule of mutual respect and edification and, just like any habit, it's become second-nature.

What is the best day you and Chris have had together?

I did not want a C-section. In my imagination, I railed against it like nothing else. In the end, I had a C-section. The hard days of recuperation in the hospital were fraught with physical exhaustion, unprecedented amounts of wildly undesired drugs in my system and the cold, stone fer of brand-new parenthood. We were in the hospital the second day after our daughter was born and Shawn was encouraging me to walk around after having been sliced open against my will. My mother was in the room with our little girl, the staff had been trying to force-feed formula into her with about fifty kazillion samples of Enfamil that they threw in our faces every six seconds-- I was adamant to breastfeed-- and nurses were coming in around the clock to check my vitals and make sure I didn't get anything like rest (unheard of.)
Shawn was holding my arm as we walked around the hospital corridor. I had been a runner all of my life but those first, incredibly hard days of walking after surgery were surreal. I was literally taking baby steps. Shawn turned to me and said very simple words, "I am so proud of how hard you're trying." He knew I was heartbroken over the way things had come down because I had ranted against C-sections for the duration of the pregnancy. That moment, just learning how to walk again, with Shawn at my side, is forever burned on my heart.

What makes you different from other couples?

What makes us different from other couples, let's see. I think roles are slightly upturned in our relationship, but who knows? The division of labor in marriage is a very personal thing-- varying from couple to couple. But in our marriage, I handle all of the household finances, bill-paying, etc. and Shawn does at least half of the cooking, if not more. Bit non-traditional, perhaps? Lemme tell you, though, he is one bad-ass cook. The man makes me melt with the plates he sets before me on a regular old Sunday afternoon.

What is the most essential element of making it?

The 80/20 rule. In any relationship, there will be at least 20% about the other person you would change if you could. Screw that 20%-- leave it alone! Focus on the 80% that made you fall in love with that person. Practice acceptance. And if there's some small thing that is meaningful to that other person, even if it's not particularly meaningful to you, make a big deal out of it. Every year on my birthday, Shawn makes me cinnamon rolls with hot pink candles. It's something I asked for a long time ago and the guy just gets it done, year in and year out. It's something silly but it holds meaning for me, and he sees to it that I get my cinnamon rolls with hot pink candles. Sometimes, it's the simple things. Often it's the simple things.

What is your favorite thing to do together?

Just being in each other's presence. We get along really, really well. And smart people jokes. I mean the man has his doctorate in Physics, for criminy's sake! :)

Do you have a song?

This is funny because Shawn's taste in music and mine was so incredibly different when we first got married but it has sort of merged in some ways as the years have gone by. We don't have a song but I think we've constantly discovering stuff we both like since his taste is so eclectic. He's always burning CDs for me and I never know if I'm gonna pop the Doobie Brothers or Mike Patton or Queen with Paul Rodgers or Billy Joel in my car. For my birthday this year he bought me, among other things, a Beatles compilation-- which I found to be a really cool gift. Every day's an adventure--musically-- in our house.

What are your hopes for the future?

To keep doing what we've been doing. If I want to speak specifically, it's to ensure our daughter continues to thrive t home and at school and, for me, to get published. I have my eye on the prize as a career novelist and, bottom line, I would love to someday support his dream as he has supported mine. Shawn works in software development but his heart is in humanitarian efforts. If I were to someday be able to bring in the lion's share of our expenses through my writing, then he would be free to follow his heart. He's already enabled me to do that by supporting me as I've written and "perfected" a trilogy these last three years. I think a writer absolutely needs that kind of faith from a spouse. He's read every word I've written-- numerous drafts! I just want to do right by him as he's done by me.

Anything else the world needs to know about love?

For some, it start out with a bang. For others, it starts out as a humble seed. If you water it, give it sunlight, foot rubs, laughter, traditions, imbue it with personal and sometimes private-- just between the two of you-- meaning, it grows into something you never would have expected: a beautiful life.

If you'd like to participate in the Real People in Love series just shoot me an email!

Little List

2011-06-21T09:00:00.000-04:00

Hello my lovelies.

It's been a little while since I've done a little list and I couldn't think of a better way to spend my Tuesday.

1. Summer is here, I know my slightly stylish post looked like we were freezing but warm weather came with the first week of summer.

2. Speaking of which, is there anything more delightful than sitting outside on a warm summer evening?

3. Ok, an afternoon date for ice cream might be more delightful but I can't decide.

4. I spent all day yesterday cleaning up one of our extra bedrooms. In the 6 months Jus & I have lived in the Behemoth we've painted 9 rooms & only set up 7, four of which are bathrooms. I can't tell you how nice it is to get another room set up.

5. Now that a guest room is set up we're in desperate need of curtains. I'm thinking of buying fabric & having them sown into curtains. I've had the fabric for the living room for a while but have yet to get curtains sewn.

all fabric via

6. I've been craving iced tea lately but I haven't been drinking nearly enough. I need more Arnold Palmers in my life.

7. The people we got Edie from just had another litter of puppies. I'm trying to convince myself that we don't need another Basset Hound.

8. Warm days make me wish that we had a pool in the back yard. I can't tell you how many times a day I would run out back and jump in the pool if we had one.

9. Last week I finally got around to getting new art for our bathroom, or should I say making new art.

10. I ended up making an extra painting that I would love for one of you lovelies to have. And cause I love you oodles I thought I'd give you lots of ways to win this giveaway.

To Enter this giveaway:

Tell me where you'd hang this painting.

For an extra 6 entries:

(Be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry!)

1. Follow Adventures in Love & Happiness

2. Follow me on Twitter and Tweet about this giveaway

Feel free to use this tweet!

I just entered to win a painting on @colekbl's blog! http://bit.ly/lbkacs

4. Like Adventures in Love & Happiness on Facebook

5. Blog or Facebook about this giveaway

You have until June 28 to enter! Good luck my lovelies!

Slightly Stylish: Very Slight

2011-06-20T09:00:00.000-04:00

Holy Smokes. Did the weekend go as quickly for you as it did for me? Luckily I have Mondays off or else I'd probably be calling in sick.

Jus & I spent a lot of time working this weekend. Between my 9 hours Saturday and Jus's 8 hours on Sunday we didn't get much time for relaxing.

We had a brief cold spell which led to cardigans & tights again. I'm ready for summer to be a summer.

dress: forever 21 cardigan: old navy

tights & belt: kohls boots: target

headband: diy from this tutorial

The cold weather made me a skeptic and I still wasn't sure if I could bare my arms so the dreaded cardigan made another appearance. Turns out it was warm enough to go without but silly weather made me wonder.

dress & cardigan: forever 21 shoes: shii

necklace: boutique in northern michigan

Did you have a relaxing weekend?

Double Dip: A Lovely Print

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When I look for my double dip inspiration image the first place I turn to is Pinterest. Like many others I'm madly in love with the site. As it turns out this print is something I pinned many moons ago but when I saw it in my folders I knew I had to use it.

from this lovely shop

dress: ruche tights: we love colors
shoes: target shoe clips: sunshine and carousels
clutch: 2 chic designs necklace: jarka
belt: room of your own

paint color: benjamin moore carpet tile: flor
sofa: ikea print: bubby & bean
lamp: pottery barn pillow: sew panache

Vlog Friday: What did you want to be when you grew up?

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Happy Friday, lovebugs!

I know we've taken a long break from Vlog Friday, but we're back and ready to go! For you new followers, Vlog Friday is a weekly vlogging party.

I've always been one of those people that has interests all over the place and has had trouble narrowing down what I wanted to do with my life, but I have had some ideas along the way.

So what did you want to be? And what's your dream job now?

Next Week's Prompt:
What are your sick movies?

Be sure to link up if you play along!

We Vlog Friday, do you?
Marshmellow Goodness

And be sure to stop by at 3 today for this week's Double Dip!