Hear Ye, Hear Ye!

Ladies and gentlemen, I have a big announcement - and it's not about my excitement over the newest batch of photos from our wedding, but I've included a few of them anyway because I want to share two things at once.

Decisions have been decided, things have been taken into consideration, sacrifices have been made, tears have been cried, plans have been put into action, and flights have been booked.
Steve and I are moving to England at the end of July.

It wasn't an easy decision, and it certainly isn't an easy process, but we finally bit the bullet and need to do what is best for the two of us - both now and in our future. As hard as it is going to be to pack up and leave, this is also the most exciting journey of our lives, and I am so so so thankful that we can be embarking on it together. We know that some people will be shocked, and some will be upset, and some will be sad, but right now we need the support of our close family & friends more than ever. Trust me, this is hard. But not going would be harder for us, both in the short and long run. We're going to do our best to see as much of our family & friends as possible before we leave, so please don't hesitate to call/text/email if we can squeeze in a visit before the end of next month.

And once we get our own place across the pond, eventually, one and all will be welcome.



Other notable mentions: I am excited to announce that in August I will be launching a new blog. I'm using this opportunity to really pursue my love of writing and cooking, and the official announcement will follow once the website itself is somewhat finished/up & running.

Notable mention number 2: Did someone say SALE?? I'm going to be having a massive moving clearance in the shop, to minimize the amount of inventory that I will have to move. On top of that, I'll be having a closet sale! I'm not sure if it'll be on eBay or some other site yet, but I'm going to be cleaning out closets and getting rid of a lot! So stay tuned for that, because I have loads of cute stuff (mostly XS/size 0 things that I don't fit into anymore but couldn't bear to part with) that will be up for grabs. Fo CHEAP, yo.

Notable mention number 3: It is with the saddest of sad faces that I am looking for a new forever home for sweet little old Buggy. My dear kitty is not in good enough health to fly with us to our new home, and she would do best in a single-cat household. If anyone has or knows of a wonderful, calm, quiet, loving environment she could be a part of, please let me know! I want the absolute best for her, and my heart is breaking over the thought of saying goodbye to my sweet girl.

More updates to follow as the story develops. That's all for now, folks!

Photography by Naomi Huober

Fruity

I'm currently in recovery mode from three weeks of decadent restaurant dining while my in-laws were visiting, so I decided to go with a salad tonight for dinner. Since so many delicious fruits are ripe and in season at the moment, I grabbed a few pears and peaches and topped off some Belgian endives with a honey & apple cider vinaigrette. Yummy and filling!

 I love grilling summer fruits. The natural sugars caramelize, and the sweetness is offset by a hint of smoke that adds just the right amount of savory flavor. 

Endive, Pear, and Grilled Peach Salad

- 6 leaves Belgian endives

- 1/2 Bartlett pear, sliced

- 1 ripe peach, thickly sliced

- 1 small persian cucumber, thinly sliced

- Several shavings of locatelli or parmesan cheese (bleu cheese crumbles would also work!)

- 3-5 very thin slices of cured salami (optional) 

For the dressing:

-1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

-1 tsp apple cider vinegar (I used Bragg's)

-1/2 tsp organic honey

-1/4 tsp brown mustard (to bind everything together)

A Little Down Time

Howdy y'all. I just wanted to make a brief announcement, which isn't all that important, but kind of is.

As anyone who follows or regularly visits my Etsy shop may have noticed, there hasn't been a lot of new inventory/activity lately. Between planning a wedding and the regular hassles of daily life (not to mention married life), I've recently run out of the time & resources needed to keep the shop as a frequently functioning business.

That being said, this is NOT an announcement that I am closing the shop. Not at all. It's actually an announcement that I have an even more exciting and fun project that I am working on, and hope to launch in the fall. The shop will remain open and active, and I'll occasionally continue to list things as I find them. And I'll absolutely keep shopping and thrifting- because I love to wear all of the vintage even more than I love to share it with you!

I promise to keep you posted on my new little (big) project as soon and as much as I can! In the meantime, check out a few of my favorite items that are still in my Etsy shop: a vintage daisy print romper, an awesome photoreal maxi dress from the 1970s, and a flowy embroidered ombre dress that would be perfect for the summer!

The Best Day: Part 1

So the big day arrived, complete with a hairstyle catastrophe and the need to double up on Spanx.

We're now "officially" church-married, and the sunny 85 degree weather this beautiful weekend in my Pennsylvania hometown made for the most memorable few days in the most beautiful place.

Here's a few of the first photos.... I'll try not to post TOO many :) 

Entering the church in the morning 

Happily ever after! 

The beautiful barn where our reception was held 

Our (second) first dance 

Photography by Naomi Huober

{check out her blog and hire her for your wedding! }

Discovering Decorating

I have a confession to make: I can't decorate a home.  A little over 6 months into married life, and I've really had the desire lately to make our little apartment (and future residences) more home-y. Gradually we've been acquiring furniture (bookshelves, a recliner, an end table) one at a time, as we find ones that "fit" both our apartment and our budget. I moved into our current one bedroom Brooklyn apartment three years ago, a month after college graduation, with nothing but an air mattress and a suitcase. A long two years of 12-hour workdays and assistant's pay left me with few options in the decor and self-indulgence department. But, when Steve moved in, I scrambled for about a month to redo the bedroom and rearrange the furniture to a more livable configuration. Our lease will soon be up, and whether or not we leave or stay, I've been manically searching for interior design inspiration on Pinterest. Modern style doesn't seem to suit me - I don't want anything that has to be pristine, or doesn't provide LOADS of storage in small spaces, and nothing can really be fragile because we live with a hellbent destruction machine, also known as my cat. I'm not a fan of clean lines and empty space. Modernist style doesn't feel like the kind of environment that I could take an afternoon nap in on a lazy Saturday.

I'd like an aesthetic that isn't cluttered, but doesn't look empty and white - something lived in, with furniture that you want to USE. I abuse my possessions, to some degree. The coffee table is also a painting easel, and the side of the sofa is occasionally a cat scratcher when no one is around to prevent it. So, here are some of my ideas of the way I'd like to start to decorate, and I'm BEGGING for help and inspiration!!! Throw it all my way!!!

Empty

             

I would like to start by apologizing for the tiny photos. I have not been taking my camera out & about lately, and I'm really starting to regret that. Days like this beg for a much more quality shot than my outdated phone can deliver. But, it's always with me, and so when random things like private beach picnics with crazy parrot men happen, it's ready to capture what it can. That being said, back to the photos...

This weekend was 1000% necessary for unwinding purposes, before the mayhem of this week began. In 5 days I'll be walking down the aisle of the church I grew up in, where my parents were married in my hometown. Steve's family all landed yesterday, and the next 72 hours before we head for Pennsylvania are a flurry of tourist activities and delicious meals, without a second of down time. I'm yawning as I write this. So much to do, so little time. It's now a matter of days, not weeks, and I'm beginning to have a fluttering somewhere in my midsection that I can only compare to a 6 year old's anticipation of Christmas morning. 

So Saturday dawned bright and early, and just the pair of us decided that some much needed "us" time was on the cards. Cooler packed, we hopped on our secret little express bus and in twenty minutes had an entire beach to ourselves for a day of picnicking, talking, and cuddling while the clouds passed overhead. 

    

Oh, and there was this guy. That's a live parrot on his head, and a handbag made out of tutus. He posed for photos. He's sort of amazing, and came out of nowhere like a magician, then kept walking on his way.

Finally the clouds rolled in and threatened of rain, and we packed up to head back to reality. And now, it begins!