.... is this thing on?

I logged on and found a draft of a post still just sitting there.....from 3 years ago! Sheesh! It's like a virtual ghost town.
Old broken links... ::Que the western music::
Photos no longer available....  ::rolling tumble weeds::

So. Let's just jump in like no time has past, except that everything is different. You know, like:
-my hair is down to my waist now
-I live in Omaha, Nebraska

Ok wow. I started a list because I thought it would be long, but ok that's really it! I still have a husband I adore. I spend my free time making things. Lots of things. Any things. And the other stuff is just a little different. My job is different now, and I have one kitty and one puppy now (Long story. No really. I love telling long stories where you wonder half-way through where it's going and sometimes I forget too, but this one is boring. Even to me) And oh yea!  I'm still not great at taking photos so you can pretty much just expect phone photos. Although I just discovered this thing called instagram and they have filters, so yeah, color you impressed #i'mawesomenow #allthecoolkidsthinki'mcool.

I think at least once a month for the last 3 years I have told Josh that I'm going to start blogging again. Mostly, I really miss having this record of my life. I'm not a journaler, or a journalee, or a journal-keeping-type-person, so I love having this place that I can write down my thooughts and feeeelings and stuuuuff. You know, not like a journal at all. I'd love to stick to posting once a week, so stay tuned! And ignore the last post (from three years ago) that said I was going to keep updating....

I almost forgot! A photo to prove I am still alive (Unfortunately this is not where we live. Its from vacation in Temecula last weekend. )

my handsome husband has a happy birthday

today is husband's birthday.

 he's pretty adorable.

always has been, actually.

 

and even though we're not doing much to celebrate, we get to be together. 

the added bonus being that a bestie from boston is coming today and we all get to eat at the birthday boy's favorite little thai place.

so, if you're reading this, maybe you can send some good vibes his way today!

{ps- will it annoy you if i mention my giveaway every day until it's over?? i'm just excited!}

scenes from our little thanksgiving

we had a wonderful thanksgiving {and i hope you did, too!}

i was extremely proud of myself for making us a feast and getting it ready on time {i don't cook often, so it's nice to know i can if i want to} 

the menu:

-rotisserie chicken {we're not big meat-eaters, so husband grabbed one of these from the store}

but everything else was made by me:

-homemade bread

 -cranberry relish

-cheesy potatoes {we cheated and made these the night before and had them for dinner!} 

-stuffing

-green bean cassarole

- chocolate crackle cookies

   

we borrowed a table and had dinner in the middle of the livingroom, with good music in the background, and the football game on mute {i don't know how the lions are able to keep fans when they're always so disappointing and heartbreaking, but husband always goes back for more} he sat on a desk chair and i sat on an ottoman.

and besides the food, i also made some decorations. {told you i wanted a leaf theme!}

like some leaf swags:

 and leaf candle holders {using jars i already had}:

and some mini pumpkin votives, too:

i got a remnant of cream-colored burlap a couple weeks ago and made it into a table runner:

i embroidered leaves on it, with one side mirroring the other:

 {the middle} 

 {with graduated colors}

 {from dark brown}

 {to green}

and even though it was just the two of us, i had a little fun with "place cards" using our initials:

i convinced husband to take this photo quick, before we ate:

{and don't be fooled, we put on sweaters over our pj's for about 2 minutes, and then quickly switched back the rest of the day}

so, even though we were far away from family and friends, we had a wonderful day together, with way too much food! 

and then we went and saw harry potter.

i wish thanksgiving came more than once a year!

wedding rings {chronology}

I recently posted about one of hubby's tattoos. but i also wanted to share this one, too.

it's the reason we went into that parlor to begin with:

His (tattooed) wedding band. 

He's not a jewelry person, and I always knew that he wouldn't be crazy about a ring, so this was perfect. Growing up my dad never really wore his wedding ring (I have no idea why)  so I always just thought it was kinda optional for men. Because of that, it really wasn't a source of contention that his wedding band may not be a permanent fixture of his left hand.

Add to that the fact that my sister (the maid of honor) forgot his wedding band during the ceremony and we had to make due with her teeny-tiny little ring. Seriously, this thing was small. It wouldn't fit over his first knuckle! So I always joke that he didn't get a ring during the ceremony so why would I expect him to wear it?

But to go the traditional route, we still got him an (all metal) ring as well, but he lost it within a couple months of the wedding. Although to be fair he was an avid rock-climber at the time and he was always having to take the thing on and off. 

So I got him one for christmas:

 He helped pick it out from this shop on etsy. All wood and very light and comfortable. He wore it all the time, but after about a year it broke (see the crack?)

So then I got him this one (from this amazing shop):

Probably my favorite. Nope, definitely my favorite! I like that it's a combo of the first two rings: metal and wood together. He still doesn't wear it much and so I did sometimes, but he thought it was weird so I stopped. I don't know, i guess it is kinda weird...

and just so I don't feel left out, here's mine (which could use a good polish, i see...)

i absolutely adore it and you'll never catch me without it. 

 

Josh picked it out all on his own from a local shop, and later we got the wedding band made especially to go with it. I wanted something simple that didn't take away from the unique shape. 

And I love it most of all. Because of all it stands for, because it's my very own one-of-a-kind, and because it was chosen by my very own love!

have i ever told you?

...how much my husband loves me?

 a lot.

i'm talking get-my-name-tattooed-on-his-wrist-a-lot.

less than a week after our wedding we walked into a tattoo parlor and this is what he came out with. it was kind of a big deal. i mean i knew that we'd spend the rest of our lives together, but a tattoo feels a little more permanent than a piece of paper.

this is my very favorite love letter.


ever.

vintage couch love

this weekend we got an early christmas gift from my mom and dad

it's a couch. and it. is. awesome!

i walked into one of our local vintage stores {second thyme around} and there it was. it's in excellent condition and fits perfectly. {and it totally matches the vintage gold chair we already have}

{the price tag}

and besides the fact that husband and i have been without a couch for over a year {and our previous couch was a futon} the kitty loves it, too.

yeah, we stayed inside all weekend cuddling and sleeping on our new couch. 

awesome.

the man

what can i possibly say about this wonderful man i married 4 years ago today? he's my biggest fan, my biggest supporter, and the love of my life. and it's a good life- it might not always be perfect, but there is no other person i would choose to spend it with.

the music

Being a musician (and having played and sung in countless weddings for years and years) I was pretty opinionated about the music. I wanted music meaningful to us. something simple and unique. I had a couple wonderfully talented musician friends play and sing, and the music hubby and I chose together was perfect.

Processional music was "Dawn" from the Pride and Prejudice movie. i'm a huge Jane Austen fan and that movie came out the same year we were married. The soundtrack is mostly solo piano and so romantic! It was perfect. and definitely unique.

Instead of the traditional wedding march, I knew I had to walk down the isle to our song, "Out of My League" by Stephen Speaks.

it's her hair and her eyes today
that just simply take me away
and the feeling that i'm falling further in love
makes me shiver but in a good way
all the times i have sat and stared
as she thoughtfully thumbs through her hair
and she purses her lips, bats her eyes as she plays,
with me sitting there slack-jawed and nothing to say
cause i love her with all that i am
and my voice shakes along with my hands
cause she’s all that I see and she’s all that I need
and i'm out of my league once again

it's a masterful melody when she calls out my name to me
as the world spins around her she laughs, rolls her eyes
and i feel like i'm falling but it's no surprise
cause i love her with all that i am
and my voice shakes along with my hands
cause it's frightening to be swimming in this strange sea
but i'd rather be here than on land
yes she's all that i see and she's all that i need
and i'm out of my league once again

For the recessional we had another song that was meaningful to us, "Life Less Ordinary" by Carbon Leaf. 

the wedding

Thursday is our 4th anniversary. We'll be celebrating later in the week, but for now I'll be bombarding you with wedding wedding wedding! Because besides my hubby and fur babies, my wedding is one thing I think I could gush on and on about. You have been warned.

I think a little detail gets lost in the photos but my mom made my dress (it's covered in Swarovski crystals and ruched tulle)

scenes from a kansas summer

la boheme

we moved all the way out here {manhattan kansas} so that my husband could follow his dream- which led him to school. 

and will lead him to another school after this. 

but i'm not wasting my time here, either- i found a job i love, opened my etsy and am pursuing my suzuki certifications {teaching the violin is my passion}

we didn't exchange christmas gifts this year {we were just happy to be surrounded by friends and family} and we won't do birthday gifts, either.
life is more simple this way. we're taking less for granted and making the most of our time here. in a strange way,  we're living this crazy-poor-artistic lifestyle- doing what we must to get by, but pursuing our dreams non-stop and full-force.

it's kind of romantic.

and i kind of love it. a lot.

in fact, if we were only {only!} living in paris, i think we would be the quintessential starving artists. a scholar and an etsian.

 it's got a nice ring to it, no?

photos here, here, here

eat, drink and be merry!

last night was hubby's english department christmas party, hosted at the department chair's house. and oh yeah, it was 1930's themed. awesome!

josh didn't dress in costume, but i went to a vintage.thrift shop in town and got a dress and did up my hair. {so much fun!}

plenty of yummy food.drinks and many people in costumes. 

amelia earhart was there

and bonnie {minus clyde}

frida made it out too {but sadly no fotos of her and the unibrow}

some performers from kstate's recent production of "guys and dolls" came to entertain us, and fred and ginger were playing in the background.

next weekend: the classic white elephant.ugly sweater party 

i heart the holidays!

today

...i took a break from my crazy sewing schedule to attend to everyday details that i have been pushing off since sunday (buying toothpaste, putting on clean clothes, going to work, you know, the usual). i don't plan on doing any more sewing until next week. i got six new bags made and i'm pretty happy with that (i'll be posting photos soon)

...i'm going to bed early because i'm exhausted! i still can't breath properly, and i get winded from doing normal shouldn't-be-such-a-big-deal things (taking the trash out, talking too much, walking up stairs, you know, the usual) but the good news is i'm going to topeka (state capitol, at least 45 minutes away) tomorrow to see an allergist.asthma specialist! yay for being normal again! i fully expect to return with a hand full of prescriptions and i'm praying the good doctor won't tell me we need to get rid of one or both kitties!

...hubby made our first fire in our fireplace! very exciting! (he was way more into it than me, but coughing fits make me cranky, so you can't trust my reactions today)

about a mouse

i had an amazing weekend.

one of those weekends where every moment is good.

hubby and i went to a poetry reading at a local art gallery on friday night, then headed to omaha for some time with my family on saturday. and even though we were only there for 24 hours it was wonderful!

so much laughing my stomach still hurts.

josh was doing homework most of our time there,

but we got to spend some quality time together on the trip there and back.

i love traveling with him because i can call a three hour car-ride "quality time" and he makes it seem so much shorter! i'm so glad that after 2 years of dating and 3 years of marriage we can still talk for hours.

anyway, one of my favorite stories from the weekend involves my dad.

background: my dad loves christmas lights, and takes great pride in his yearly (very classy and beautiful) displays.

he also has a terrible habit of breaking things (such as ribs, ankles, and heads) and falling off ladders.

exhibit a: one year (when i was around 8) he was putting up decorations, fell of the ladder onto the fence post and broke several ribs.

exhibit b: last year he was putting up decorations at the office and fell off the ladder, badly sprained his wrist and was very disoriented for hours.

this year my mom called to tell me that he fell off the ladder. again. and broke something. again.

it was a mouse.

he fell on a mouse and killed it.

only my dad.

i love him :)

(putting up more lights with both feet safely and firmly planted on the ground)

it's a hard knock life

... for a grad student (and his wife)

Josh is gone all the time, working like crazy, which gives me a lot of time to myself. It also kinda makes me feel like a slacker. So, to try and balance things out more i am always looking for small things I can do to make his day.week. Life better (and then in return he is sweet and constantly grateful, no matter how small the gesture)

This week I think I made my best move yet. I bought him this a head massager.

He loves it (and me for getting it)

For a mere $4.99 i got him the one thing that can melt away all his stress :)

Mission accomplished!

let the wild rumpus start!

max (probably up to no good, as usual)

flapper girls (birthday girl on the left)

coraline! (complete with alternate reality doll)

max and me!

photos from last night's halloween/birthday party
dinner at chili's followed by many rousing rounds of mafia! at said birthday girl's house
fun was had by all! (and my makeup held up pretty well, all things considered)

oh, and also josh let me tell his hair cut story. which is hilarious.
"i made a mistake didn't I?!?"
love it :)

i can't wait to see everyone else's costumes 

happy halloween!

halloween sisters:

vampire hubby!

the perfect(ish) day

after running errands, taking cache to the vet and other blah blah boring every-day-things, i spent the perfect afternoon outside basking in the beautiful weather! (mid-70's, cloudless sunshine with a slight breeze)

i had the perfect set up.
kittens, favorite (torn up) hoodie, knitting supplies close at hand, and a good book
(this photo was taken before i brought out snacks too)

arie loves hanging out on the deck with us

my guys also spent some time together :)