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!