birthday chad

this love of my life is 26 today.

muse me as i type… what will he remember from today? will he remember the extra long head scratch to wake him up or the before church trip to his favorite pastry shop? will he remember his over exuberant wife singing "happy birthday!!" as he debates over whether or not his to open his eyelids? will he remember me rushing to put the last touches on wrapping his birthday present, late as usual? or the slowing of our morning routine just a touch to make it a little more special in very “it’s your birthday today!” kind of way? or… well…maybe he will remember none of that…and probably neither will i. but here is what i will remember… i will remember this incredible man; tender hearted, open armed, imaginative, generous, deep souled …protector, encourager, comforter...and i will well up.

he has so much more he will grow and do and shepherd and become. today, he is one milestone closer and it is a wonderful thought …but i will not think of that. not today. today i will freeze time and sit in awe as i think of all he is right now. ...and i will thank god for all i can wrap my little brain around in this moment about chad and what he means to me. and i will be amazed. i have been blessed by this amazing man for over 4 years of marriage …four years… blessed. I love him more now than I did 10 years ago when we fell in love.

as for now there are plans to be made, lunch in his honor after church with all of his friends, and dinner with the all of the family. and there will be more gift exchanging and hug giving and smiles to be had. and with all to be done and in whatever happens i know it will be a perfect day. a fun day, chad’s birthday.

happy birthday love!

wedded weekend:

my cousin, my “sister,” and beloved “mother hen” has acquired a beamingly proud husband & sealed the deal on a sunny afternoon on a lawn in vista. it was a blessed day. here are a few snaps taken on that lovely day and about the town that weekend…

that morning, before all things wedding began, we went to the seagrass cafe in solana beach. highly recommended by my mother in law, they have excellant crab cake benedict! we took a couple funny shots...

their "normal" smiles.. ;)

...a couple more from being "home."

it was a sparsely photographed weekend, as far as my camera goes, but many more pictures were taken & are holed up in my parents computer in ca. we were quite busy with family visiting & crafty undertakings, but i guess i'll have to post on those when i can get my hands on them next week. today is saturday & we will be back in ca for wedding #2 in a mere 4 days! hooray for more sunshine! :)

globe trotting:

a trip to sun soaked escondido would not be complete without a token visit to the best thrift store this side of the mississippi, amvets. i grew up going to amvets and have been there more often than i’d like to own up to. :) all through high school it was the source for a great deal on jeans & sweaters. “thrifted” was my answer to almost every “where did you get that?” inquiry. since i’ve moved to seattle, thrifting has taken on a cult following of it’s own, and good deals have become a little bit farther in between. consequently, this jewel has made it on my list of the top 5 things to do in san diego.

i am convinced that 2/3rds of every cool vintage thing i’ve ever admired has and will be passed through their doors. vintage jadite, anchor hocking dishware & retro pyrex, tattered and oh-so-cool books & paper ephemera, sewing notions and linens… all reliably unearthed at this wonderful place! so- i conclude that one thrift store is not the same as the next. if there was ever a store to inspire me to open my own vintage goods retail shop, it would be this one!

here are a few pics of the 12” mid-century cram’s globe i just picked up this weekend for no less than $6. this exact one (pictured below) is currently selling on etsy for $65! i’ve so often admired them, & this one has great color. yes, it made for an awkward carry-on on the flight home, but oh so worth it! :)

cook more:

sorry, i couldn’t leave well enough alone! here are a few (well… 24) more pics i recently collected that deserve honorable mention in the kitchen category. it’s a problem, i know…

again, my claim is nil on the photo credits. all the preceding pics were culled from sites like domino (rip), design sponge, apartment therapy & a zillion other design blogs... sorry, i wish i coulld be more specific! it just confirms the spirit in which these images were saved.. impulsively! i hope to be making a "blogs i follow" listing soon to make a one stop blog shop (at least for me!) to share these inspirational sources. for now, i like to think of this blog as my personal "deco file," (that should make sense to all you domino readers.) a little online inspiration bank where i can stash these ideas and save up for the day my fixer upper is in hand! hope you enjoyed!

holding pattern:

hubby asked, “you should make an entry about what we’ve been up to lately.” ….but i hesitated, i don’t have any pictures! …so, this post is mostly for the parents & dedicated few who would take the time wade through this imageless entry. :) i gave it some thought and here’s a little slice of our daily hum drum…

-sleeping in too late (it’s dark so late here!) & rushing out the door in the mornings.
-trudging off to valiantly battle traffic and fend cube from email assailants with all salvageable sanity.
-thrice weekly “lunch dates” …to add a little sunshine to the late morning no matter the weather. :)
-combating colds & ducking layoff radars…whew!
-homemade veggie soup.
-counting our blessings; home, job, family & salvation. amen.
-pinching our pennies & vacation hours in prep for the 2 california weddings this march!
-getting excited about our skips down to the land of warm pavement & del taco! hooray! t-minus 3 days & counting till wedding #1!
-savoring our saturday morning visits to our favorite pastry shop.
-whittling away in front of lost season 2.
-savoring a few sweet “dink nights” here & there, out & about the city.
-scouring the web for a house… then realizing that we are still 6 months from buying… (a pattern i am in the habit of repeating each day at around 9:45 & 2)
-coping …as is evident by the last 4 blog entries. …then marking off each day on my 3 desk calendars.
-wading elbow-deep in a zillion different design blogs. :) ...a hobby of mine.
-(hence) organizing & reorganizing our increasingly cluttered, lil’ postage stamp of a room.
-struggling to adhere to a strict interpretation of what expense (likely) is and what might not be considered as part of my monthly allowance?
-awaiting an engine for paolo, our mini cooper! hooray!
-this jacket. :)
-recording music!
-working on projects till sore in the fingers & crossed in the eyes!
-treasuring friends & church amidst the last weeks of a snowy/drippy seattle winter.
-discovering a love for pellegrino and the proper pronunciation of rooibos tea.
yup, we’re just chippin away & plugging along as two happy dinks, undoubtedly blessed by grace and the Lord’s providence. ho hum, blessedness. :)

(yellow canary image by this tallented artist found here)