Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Weekend Away: Play Time

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For the third year in a row, I spent a fall weekend in North Dakota. My friend Sam is from Finley, North Dakota- a town of 500 people. To get there you drive four hours west and then another hour and a half on smaller country roads. It is like nothing I have ever known. The landscape is flat with fields stretching as far as you can see, interrupted sporadically by grain elevators, hay bales, and the occasional house or tree.


On this trip we also got to hang out with Sam's friend Ariel. Sam and Ariel are friends from high school. Ariel lives in Oregon and had not been home to Finley in a long time. Sam and I picked Ariel up outside of town where she had been camping at her Mom's house.


 Ariel is very unique, a free spirit. She is very kind and has a childlike spirit. She regularly meditates and travels with a ukulele in a mandolin case. She offers compliments and may be the only person I've encountered who remembers to find pleasure in the little things. I can't recall all of the times she told Sam and I how beautiful we are, or how many moments she acknowledged a simple happiness- the sky, an apple, a bed, friendship. You have the feeling when you are around her that nothing passes by without recognition.


That kind of personality is contagious. Sam, Ariel, and I went around town like little kids. We played. We climbed, we ran, we made up games. I got over feeling ridiculous and let myself laugh and had so much fun.







Friday, October 21, 2011

Fall Friday: Short Day

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If these walls came crumbling down

Fell so hard, to make us lose our faith

From what's left you'd figure it out

Still make lemonade taste like a sunny day
                       
  -Dave Matthews. American Baby


Listening to Grooveshark on a Friday afternoon. I can't get enough of this song right now. I keep pulling the arrow back to the start just to hear the opening lyrics again. I think Dave Matthews is an absolute poet in addition to being an incredible musician. My friend Julie introduced me to DMB in 9th grade and they are one of the few bands that I have always been proud to share as a favorite. The music is as relatable to me now as it was when I was fifteen and that's saying something.

I was just wondering if you'd come along

Hold up my head when my head won't hold on

I'll do the same if the same's what you want
-Dave matthews The Stone

I am leaving work a few hours early today and driving to North Dakota for the weekend. I am really excited for a roadtrip and to get out of the city for a few days.

Also, I have finally caved in and allowed myself to become addicted to pinterest. For awhile I did not see the point but now I am having so much fun with it as seen above and below.
Enjoy your weekend!!

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Monday, October 17, 2011

Treat Yo Self: What will you remember?


I did not want to come in today. Not at all. Now that I'm here, I realize I'm not the only one that felt that way. Most of my team is MIA. This weekend went by way too fast.

Sometimes I can't help but want to shake out my life. I play with the idea of throwing away everything that I'm "supposed to do" and figure out what I really want.

What would that even look like?? I actually have no idea.

1. I love to travel
2. I need to write
3. I am newly married and plan to keep that guy around
4. I have friends and family that I wish I saw more.

So maybe I would travel around with Nick and write. Yup, that's it.

Except I also have two dogs that I adore and I don't want to leave them behind. Shoot. And Nick has this crazy idea that we shouldn't spend all of our wedding money on travel as we also someday want to have a family and we will need a place to live and babies are expensive.

We are going to Australia in December but selfishly, it's not enough. Yes, Australia is a total dream for us. We long to be back down under, living a life that is slow and beautiful and easy. But I think it's wrong that in order to go, we have to spend every last hour of vacation time and come back with the feeling that we've had our fun, time to work. I don't want that.

Not to say I'm not willing to work for what I have, but if Oprah is right, and of course she is, the work that I'm meant to do won't feel like work, and shouldn't leave me feeling like I'm here because I have to be. The supposed to be that pushes me out of bed every day should be the soul stirring supposed to and not the nagging bills are due supposed to. Sometimes, I forget all of this.

Often I get caught up in schedules, responsiblities, fears of what other will think and I fall in line - I drag myself out of bed, get dressed, walk to the lightrail, and squish onto the train with a bunch of other people that look from their exhausted faces that they also would rather be someplace else.

Why do we do that?? We know life is short. I was told that when I grew up that I could be whatever I wanted. I was also told to always make sure I have insurance. I have found those two statements conflicting. I have to work a 9-5 because I have to make money to pay bills. It doesn't seem like that good of a reason. Can't I make money doing something else? Can't I not have so many bills? But when do I have time to figure out my life plan? When can I sit down and firmly declare- I'm going to drive a bus and write haikus.

Last week Sam was over my place for pizza and wine. We started watching episodes of Arrested Development and then started talking about boys. She missed the last bus back to her place so the decision was made that she would stay over and I would lend her clothes. As it got later, one of us suggested playing hooky from work. "In a year what will you remember more?" Sam asked.

"In a week what will you remember more?" I half joked. That was that.

We stayed up until almost 3:00am watching good tv, drinking cheap wine, and talking about relationships. It was like high school (minus the wine). (Krystal, had you not snuck away when you did- this could have been you!)

On Thursday- we slept in, made pancakes, went grocery shopping, made chili, watched more Arrested Development, and napped. It was so simple and fun. By the time I drove Sam home that evening, I was relaxed and ready for a one day work week.

Friday, October 7, 2011

Wedding Photos: They are here!!


Our photos have finally been posted on our photographer's blog and they are outstanding! I absolutely adore each one and I cannot stop looking them over. She is mailing a proof book to our house but until then, I have her beautiful blog to look at.



Nick let me have my way with choosing photographers. He was too busy with work and school to invest time in looking for photographers. He wanted to be involved, but I was captain of this project. We both believe that the photographer is one of the most important pieces of the day and so I spent a lot of time looking at blogs, scrolling through photos, and emailing photographers.

From the moment I came across Tyra, nobody else even came close. These photos and these photos told me I just had to have her. In addition to having the most gorgeous photos I have ever seen, she responded to my emails quickly, she has an easy-going personality, and most importantly- she really loves what she does.


Nick: "She is REALLY good. She made it look like I can dance!!"

Her name is Tyra Bleek, she is from Washington state but lives in Boston. She is petite, kind, fun to work with, and incredibly talented. I found her through this blog and we began emailing. It took Nick and I awhile to make our final decision but once we did, we made plans to meet up next time we were in town. We met Tyra, in person, only once before the wedding.We had a beer at her favorite restaurant in Boston and we liked her right away. I read her blog regularly so between her photo posts and her wedding tips, I felt like I knew what to expect.

I have looked at her photos a million times but until you see your own photos, you still carry worry. Not about the photographer but about yourself. I am overly critical of myself, especially in photos. My family gets irritated with me regarding this and although they wouldn't dare say anything, I am sure they were nervous about whether I would be content with the outcome.

The photographs are amazing to me! Not only are they lovely but the memories that they conjure up, the moments that were caught with a lens are priceless.



A moment I would never have seen otherwise. Two great-uncles from opposite sides of the family. I treasure this photo.

Wish I knew what they are laughing about but I love!

My friend Sam stepped outside and thought she was alone. Upon seeing this picture Sam: "She really was everywhere!"



I love this man with my whole heart.