pop, pour & flow

happy new year!
for the record, my four {favorite number} resolutions for this year are as follows:
shop at target no more than two times a week.
drink at last a glass of water a day.
take more pride in my appearance:
{new clothes, more manicures, wearing make up for errands, etc.}
text a friend a day.

fairly confident i can keep these resolutions.
the first one will be the hardest.
here's to 2011, what will hopefully be a year full of peace & personal growth.

be a lifeboat

back in the day, when i was six, i had lots of aspirations.
a teacher, a librarian, a firefighter, a secretary, a waitress
& somewhere along the way, an accountant.
all too often we let our jobs/careers define us.
job titles should not be our aspirations.
dreamer. doer. giver. helper. listener. lamp. ladder. lifeboat.
those should be our aspirations.

a nye resolution for 2011: be a lifeboat.
photo via: bippity boppity boo

merry christmas 2010

merry christmas one and all.
just a little snippet of our house decor this year.
stockings, garland lit and intertwined with berries & our reindeer.
i named them sticks & sparkles.
merry christmas to all!

Feast Interruptus

Our car is packed to the brim with fantastically wrapped presents
& we're off to the great white North (Indiana) for a few short days.
I am so excited that I might just throw a wreath on the front of the car.
Or one of those charming little reindeer contraptions.
The "fun & loving chaos of the holidays" {coined by TH as Feast Interruptus}
started with the craze to find & wrap the perfect present and continues with
travelling to multiple family feasts, nieces & nephews feverishly opening gifts,
flowing wine, ugly Christmas sweaters & lots of merriment & laughter.

I wouldn't have our holidays any other way.
Merry Feast Interrruptus to all.

photo of the Tommy Hilfiger Winter Ad Campaign via Invisible PR.

stockings

when i was in pre-school i had a crush and, upon his birthday,
i gifted him the bag of change my mom kept in our kitchen cabinet.
i was as giddy as a school girl the day that i took his (~$10) "gift" in.
his mom called my mom hours later and turned me in.
the inner birthday elf in me was scolded by my Mom.
however, the inner christmas elf in me still shines, to this day.
i still find joy in finding the smallest of stocking stuffers
& crossing a "wanted" item off the list.

tonight we open up gifts with my Mom.
the elf in me couldn't be more excited.
here's to hoping the inner elf us all continues to flourish.
merry christmas!

oh hey december

i know that i'm a little late, but happy december none the less.
earlier this month the husband and i set out to decorate our christmas tree.
we quickly realized that this tree was not one of our finer picks.
it has one trunk that splits into two - so it's crooked no matter how you look at it.
and whomever trimmed it must have been a novice. it's quite thin in parts.
how we didn't spot all of its flaws at the tree lot is beyond either of us.

we felt bad that our pretty ornaments had to go on such a sorry looking tree.
but after the lights went on it and more & more ornaments were added
the tree didn't look as bad. not as pretty as the one in the picture above,
but one might say that its {numerous} flaws give it a little character.

as the "christmas vacation" dvd was ending & the decorating was done
we sat on the couch together in front of the fire & admired our handiwork.
and at that moment, life was good. very good. crooked tree & all.

photo via secret of love

on love & melted cheese

the husband was sick yesterday. all day.
& so with the snow coming down and no housework to do,
i happily curled up in bed next to him for the majority of the day.
no complaints here.

8pm rolled around & the husband decided he was hungry.
naturally, the only thing that sounded good to him was macaroni & cheese.
my worst nightmare.
i cannot stand the smell {& texture} of melted cheese.
but out to the kitchen i went to slave over the stove for 8 minutes.
when i stirred in the cheese, i about died. {ok, not really}
however, there were almost two of us sick in the house.
one from an upper respiratory infection & one from cheese inhalation.
things i do for love. the things i do for that man.

luckily {for both of us} he's feeling better tonight & isn't craving mac & cheese.
raspberrytart via mary ruffle

pinky swear

saturday night we went to a little christmas festival in a nearby small town.
{it would have been a lovely evening, had it not been pouring rain.}
after a scrumptious dinner accompanied by festive beers
{blue moon's for me & 12 dogs of christmas and a white snow for the husband}
we headed home & had another couple over for a few drinks.

by midnight {five miller lights later} the husband had a temperature of 101.
he's been in bed ever since.
he's been a good little patient today.
only once reminding me that i need to take care of him in sickness & in health.
as i brought him slices of toast & propel i offered to pinky swear him on it.
in sickness & in health. me & you. xo.

photo via: bippityboppityboo

a lucky duck thanksgiving

my mom brought this bottle of lucky duck wine to thanksgiving, just for me.
it was one heck of a feast for this little lucky duck.
i have it on good authority that i had at least three helpings of mashed potatoes.

and although i am quite thankful for the fluffy goo that is mashed potatoes
there are many more things in life that i am happy to have around.
like family. healthy family.

already looking forward to next years mashed potato fest.
i mean, thanksgiving dinner.

snap. crackle. pop.

it's the end of november. already.
how can this be!? i feel like fall has passed me by & i'm not thrilled about it.
i didn't even get to have a glass of wine outside by the fire pit with Chris!
the smell of a crackling campfire will never grow old on this little soul.

neither will the smell of:
chicken noodle soup. a new magazine. crisp air. fresh flowers.
chris' cologne. the lake. the musk of old family photos. fall scented candles.
baking cupcakes. sharpened pencils. cheetos. hinkle fieldhouse.

& the smell of a memory. when, for a fleeting second,
a scent is inhaled that immediately takes me back to a certain time/place.
my favorite? the smell of my college dorm room right when we moved in.
newly decorated. fresh. young. full of potential.
that smell, that vivid memory, i will never forget.
thank goodness, as it is a time that i cannot relive {as much as i would love to}.

for now, i eagerly await the spring & the weather to stay above freezing.
so that we can once again bring out the fire pit, pull up some chairs,
take in the smell of the crackling fire pit & the memories made around it.

snap. crackle. pop.
photo via from me-to you. love love love.

happy thanksgiving

happy thanksgiving my dear readers & bloggity blog friends.
may your plate {& wheelbarrow} be filled with goodness today & everyday.

i'm spending thanksgiving at the lake this year w/ my little family.
i fully plan on stuffing myself with turkey & mashed potatoes.
i suggest you do the same.

on black friday we'll be shopping for a new mattress.
not exactly what i envisioned shopping for on black friday.
{especially since target doesn't sell mattresses}
but it's a necessity as my mom is gifting us a new {king} bedset for christmas.
happy thanksgiving indeed!

photo via jamie, the talented nyc photographer, of from me to you.
see more of her adorable pumpkin patch photos here

happy campers & friday pow-wows

ever since i was all of 6 years old, i spent time at a little day camp each summer.
some years it was one week others nine weeks of the summer.
i started out as a camper. i loved each one of my counselors.
i progressed to a counselor in training & then to a counselor.

camp taught camping skills, nature education & Native American lore.
each day, campers worked together to
create & set up their campsite and build & start a fire to cook their lunch.
afterwords they played in creeks, slid down mudslides & sang camp songs.
all while learning & enjoying a little bit of nature.

to counselors, camp provided days in the sun & an excuse to get muddy.
pigs in a blanket, tinfoil stew, cheese toasties cooked over a fire for lunch.
the undevoted admiration of 15 kids, each week & pow wow fridays.
fellow campers over the years turned friends turned co-workers
to hang out with during the day and party with at night.
a chance to sing, laugh, skip, play tag, act a fool & breathe in the fresh air
all while wearing jeans and t-shirts. every single day of the summer.
also known to a college student as the perfect summer job.

the picture above reminded me of those such days.
those summers spent as a counselor were, hands down, the best.
on the eve of thanksgiving, first shared between Native Americans & pilgrims,
i wanted to reflect back on the simple things abbout camp i was thankful for.

jeans. warmth of a campfire. tee pees. the ability to run & play outside.
perfect summer jobs. nature. friends. feathered headdresses. sunshine.
camp songs. traditions. laughter. wooded trails. a paycheck.
happy campers & friday pow-wows.

to this day, i'm still thankful for those things & those days.
how could i not be?

photo via the design crush blog

looking good

someday, i will have children.
at some point, for whatever reason,
they might have difficulty believing that i was ever hip/cool/young.
i don't know why, but it might happen.
hear me now, children, at one time {from the ages of 19-26}
i did, infact, live it up.
one of my favorite memories from this summer involved a keith urban concert.
a hot summer night & floor seats at the show from the indiana state fair?!
it just doesn't get any better than that.
chris weaseled his way out of going with me so i took my best friend.
we "car bared" before the concert & sang along, recklessly, to every song.
and we looked good doing it.


tuesday keith urban's new cd went on sale. naturally i rushed to target to get it.
this morning i blared it in my car on my way to work. & i sang along.
with reckless abandon.
for the record, i looked good doing it.
{especially within the safety of tinted windows.}

remember that, kids, when i'm 46 & you just can't bare to imagine
that i was once a hot little one rocking out in my twenty-somethings.

photo of keith urban taken by me at the concert.
for some reason i couldn't hold the camera steady. or get it in focus.
i blame it on the car bar.

more shoes

i have a confession to make.
my husband has more shoes than i do. & that, my friends, is a problem.
it literally pains me to spend money. especially on shoes.
{except for spending money at target, i have no problem doing that.}
now, there are worse problems to have, but this is kind of an embarrassing one.


i have three pairs of standard heels for work {black, brown & tan}.
sperrys for the fall & knock-off uggs from target in the winter.
flip flops for the summer {but those don't really count as shoes}.
cowboy boots for the occasional country concert or trip to nashville
& about 5 pairs of fun heels for nights out on the town.
that's it.

i would love a cute collection of flats like the ones above.
but i can never seem to find the right ones for the right price at the right time.
further, i can never justify the patterned/fun shoes as being practical.
like i said, there are worse problems to have.
i just wish that it was chris that had this problem instead of me.

lucky duck wine

i blame it on my maid of honor & the 4.5 years that i lived with her.
i like my glass of wine {or two} at night while relaxing & unwinding.
when it's warm outside, it's white zin. when it's chilly its cabernet or shiraz.

i've been stocking up on the darker reds for the last few months.
my new favorite is the "lucky duck" bottle i found the other weekend.
i haven't uncorked it yet, i just love the label. that's the reason why i bought it.
a cute duck with a little winter hat & some skis?!? sold & sold.
and with a name like lucky duck it's like the bottle was made just for me!
because, you know, i consider myself one little lucky duck.

i have other favorites {mostly based off of how much i like the label/name}
like cupcake, mad housewife, happy camper, 3 blind moose & his fault.
but this lucky duck fully intends to enjoy a little lucky duck wine this weekend.
so from one lucky duck to another, cheers & happy weekend!

hello november

in the blink of an eye, summer turned to fall & fall lasted for five seconds.
3 weeks might be a better approximation, but it felt like five seconds.
& here we are. november.
the good news?
mashed potatoes + time with family + black friday shopping =
thanksgiving in just 21 days.

photo via bippity boppity boo.

halloween. football. beer.

these days halloween is just an excuse to hang out with friends.
we used to dress up for the occasion. not this year.
{p.s. husband's best costume is a toss-up between a nerd & a 90's pe teacher}
this year we, somehow, had no plans for halloween weekend.
so we went up to Indy and lounged around w/ friends Friday & Saturday.
we watched the college football games @ the bars on saturday.
in normal clothes & before the witching hours began & costumes came out.
fact: we were home & asleep before most people went out to the bars.
not necessarily something i'm proud of at the age of 26,
but there are worse things in life than missing out on the halloween bar scene.

we headed home to cincinnati bright & early on sunday {halloween itself}.
i put together 15 little bags of candy in hopes of at least a few trick-or-treaters.
we had one. our next door neighbor.
our subdivision just isn't cut out for trick or treaters {20 spreadout houses}.
but that's alright with us. we had the perfect sunday anyway.
halloween, football & beer.

photo via bippity boppity boo.

trick or treat

i have always loved halloween.
it was the candy & the costumes when i was little.
college was all about the fun to be had at parties & the bars.
in 2005 it was celebrating our anniversary & 1st halloween together.
october 31, 2007 chris proposed.
now it's just an excuse to get together with friends.
it's always been a little more about the treat & not so much about the trick.
last year, elizabeth messina put the treat vs. the trick in perspective.
"here’s the thing, life is full of things that can scare you.
& growing up is wrought with bumps & twists.
so for us…its sweets, pumpkins with hearts & cute costumes."

that's my kind of halloween.
photo via elizabeth messina.

pumpkin patch & other fall activities

the other weekend we went to a pumpkin patch.
because, you know, having a pumpkin on our porch in fall is mandatory.
see the results of the fall makeover we gave our porch right here.

it's already late {late} october & fall seems to be slipping thru my fingers.
like decorating our front porch there are other mandatory fall activities
that i gladly partake in at this time of year.

carving said pumpkins.
lighting carmel apple, pumpkin and/or spiced cider candles.
admiring the red, yellow and orange leaves that appear on the trees.
giddily incorporating hooded sweatshirts back into my wardrobe.
watching football saturday & sunday.
sprinkling the house with halloween & fall decor {from target, naturally}.
breathing in the fresh air & soaking in the crisp breeze.
purchasing candy for little trick or treaters.
browsing the halloween aisle at target.
relaxing around the firepit at night with a glass of wine.
making the switch from white zin to cabernet or shiraz.
taking in a haunted house. or three.
painting my nails a deep shade of burgundy.
rediscovering my love for scarves & wearing one everyday.

dear fall,
stay a little longer.
i still have a few things to accomplish before winter gets here.
& plus, i like you way more than winter. who doesn't? xo, jl

our fall front porch

this year we finally got around to sprucing up the outside of our house.
in the spring we hauled out three bushes that were complete eye sores
& put in three knockout roses, lavender, coreopsis & purple loosestrife.
some of which might or might not have made it through the summer.

however, that's neither here nor there, because fall is here!
chris & i went a little crazy one weekend and told our porch to thank us later.

cornstalks, orange & white pumpkins, hay & an abundance of mums.
not to mention a cayenne orange welcome mat.
perfection.

each star in the sky

they say that before you get engaged there are a few things you must do.
1. drop hints on what the perfect engagement ring looks like.
2. start planning your wedding.
3. take a vacation/trip together.

ok so 1 & 2 are just things that i did before i was engaged.
i totally recommend each.
but "experts" only recommend #3, taking a vacay together.
so chris and i, in the spring of 2007 took a little vacay to nyc together.

we stayed at hudson hotel & marveled over its library & private park.
we breezed thru central park and the museum of natural science & history.
we took in times square @ 5am on our way to see rascal flatts on GMA.
we saw the statute of liberty, ellis island and ground zero.
& overlooked the city of lights from the empire state building.
&, naturally, we scarfed down nyc hot dogs, bagels and slice of pizza.
along with $14 cocktails and an outstanding dinner at tavern on the green.

i still can't put my finger on my favorite memory from that trip.
perhaps it was taking in the rascal flatts concert 5 feet from the stage.
or dinner at tavern on the green under lanterns dripping from the trees.
but there was lots and lots of hand holding on that trip.
& that's what i remember the most. & that's what i loved the most.

most importantly, our relationship survived the trip.
which meant we had surpassed our last relationship hurdle.
& getting engaged was soon to come.
i was ready when we were under the twinkling lights @ tavern on the green.
but, as you'll see, he had something else in mind.

two years

two years ago today, i woke up on the morning of our wedding.
friends & family gathered in indianapolis.
hair & make-up was done with assistance of champagne.
dresses & tuxes were donned along with lots of smiles & laughter.

we had our fist look at 10:45am. it was surreal.
we sat by ourselves for a few precious moments,
sipping champagne, admiring eachother & what would soon transpire.
a ambush of photos with our {gorgeous} wedding party followed.

we savored a few more short moments together before heading to the church.
our guests were seated & one by one my bridesmaids walked up the aisle.
my adorable nephews ushered my neices/flowergirls up the aisle before me.
& at 1:38pm i walked up the long aisle to marry my best friend.

the ceremony was short but sweet.
sprinkled with meaning and filled with love & support. and a few tears too.
more importantly, we were pronounced husband & wife.
by the way, the kiss was perfect. just like we had practiced.
more pictures followed.

our bridal party held an epic {vip only} pre-reception party in our suite.
the reception began & we were introduced as mr. & mrs.
a gorgeous cake was cut. & a slice shoved in my face.
we swayed to our first dance song, by rascal flatts, from the concert we met at.
there were touching toasts & hugs all around.
&, lest we not forget, men drinking beer out of centerpiece vases.
the reception was quite a blur. as a matter of fact, so was the entire day.
but it too, was epic. i don't think we stopped smiling.

so here i sit. two years later. still lucky in love. and still smiling.

the lyrics from our first dance were just as true then as they are today.
in your eyes i see forever. makes me wish my life never knew the day before you.
now you're here & everything's changing. suddenly life means so much.
i can't wait to wake up tomorrow & find out this promise is true...
i will never have to go back to the day before you. - rascal flatts.

i love you, c. xoxo, j.
photo via: nicole green

on turning 26

we were in hilton head on vacay the day i turned 26.
the day before, i took a little stroll along the beach,
by myself, with a drink in hand.

on that walk, i thought a lot about being 25.
on what i had done & not done during the year.
on how, when i was younger, i always thought of 25 as being old.
& now, i was standing on the brink of being 26 & even older.
it was kind of a depressing walk, really.

so i returned to our umbrella, picked up another beer & tried again.

this time i thought about how lucky i have gotten over the past 25 years.

i suppose it all started with having great parents.
i spent summers as a child at the lake, camps & reading under tall shady trees.
i had the most amazing college experience. hands down.
i still have the best sorority sisters one could ask for.
i met my husband, randomly, at a concert at the ripe age of 21.
& never looked back.
we tied the knot shortly after i was 24 & bought a house later that year.

how did i get so lucky, all before the age of 25?
sure, there were dark times & there always will be.
but i still count myself pretty lucky.

as my walk was winding down {i.e. i was almost done with my beer}
i stopped & looked down at my feet snuggled in the sand.
& i realized again just how good i had & have it.
so how do i get so lucky in my next 25 years?

i took in the moment, smiled & saved that question for another day.
& to commemorate my last day of being 25,
i pulled the next beer from the cooler & partook in a little "cheers" to my life.
what a perfect way to, shall we say, put an end to an era & sail into the sunset.

photo via from me to you: summers end in southampton

the end of summer

labor day always marks the unofficial end of summer.
while i do appreciate the end of swim suit season,
i do find it hard to part with the warm weather & golden glow of the summer.

this summer was, as usual, a complete blur.
it was filled with trips to the lake on the holidays & plenty of cookouts.
a bachelorette party in Chi & being the moh at my best friends destin wedding.
then seeing keith urban up close in concert w/ said best friend @ the state fair.
chris played lots and lots of golf. not as much as he would have liked. obviously.
i was busy with my little calligraphy shop
we took little mini vacays to florida {see wedding, above} & hilton head.
and made sure to soak up the sun....and the alcohol.
we were even able to spend a couple weekends at home. which was different.

oh, & chris started a twitter account. which he never updates.

in not so exciting news this summer {read, doing grown-up things}
we bought a couch & breakfast nook table. $$$$
hung a bird feeder in our backyard & spent $$$ on flowers for landscaping.
celebrated my 26th birthday on vacay with a divine steak dinner {& drinks}.
sold my yellow 2001 jeep wrangler {first & only car} & bought a '11 sonata.

these days the sun starts to set on my way home from work everyday.
& there seem to be fewer & fewer fireflies out at night.
& i'm getting the urge to trade in white zin for cabernet.
all sure signs of the end of summer.

dear summer, thanks for warm weather & golden glow. hurry back.
but not before i get to experience a long & glorious autumn.
& short winter, preferably. xo, j.

photo via it's mary ruffle via inspired by love

happiness is...

...when the weather is warm enough to linger on the patio at dusk.
and so, for the next month, i will be a happy {lingering} camper. with wine.
via it's pretty good

this is your life

my mom read my last post on being free
and told me that she laughed at it.
with our dentist while she was getting her teeth cleaned.
thanks mom.

i still believe in being free. because life is short.
it's time for me to live my dream. i just have to figure out what that is.

via holstee and make do and send

on being free

lately i've been thinking a lot about being free.
free from the corporate gauntlet.
free from the landscape of the midwest & the months of january - march.
free from the fear of not living everyday to its fullest.
free from the fear of getting old.
free from the need to budget instead of freely spending.
free from the negativity of the world.
but you don't really choose your life & you can't really just get up and fly away.
it would, however, be nice to jet off in a vespa for a few days.
to a new & uncharted territory.

to see napa valley in the fall.
to enjoy some really good wine & stay at a bed and breakfast.
to soak up the evening sun in a perfectly put together outfit with my husband
while enjoying even more wine. and a good book. sans a laptop or blackberry.
is that too much to ask?

if being free is not to have wings, but to have two wheels -
where would you go?

vespa via its mary ruffle via timzou

cheeky on the beach

chris captured this picture of me on a recent trip to destin, florida.

we were eating dinner at a seafood restaurant {w/ frosty beverages}.

and overlooking the sand volleyball courts and the beach.

it's funny to think how different life would be on the beach vs. in the city.

strands of wispy hair and little to no makeup are welcome on the beach.

so are bright colors, flip flops and frosty beverages garnished with umbrellas.

i might as well call the city the suburbs as that's where we're living now.

it requires looooong commutes into the city to work in a corporate office.

where white button-ups are all too often paired with grey or black pants.

and the only suitable beverage available is coffee.

which often is the only reason that i make it thru the day.

the grass is always greener, isn't it?

july 16th, 2010

chris & i went to hilton head earlier this summer.
our trip just happened to fall over my birthday.
we went out that night. with our friends to the harbour.
i wore my favorite coral dress.
and we had the most delicious steak dinner
with a round of champagne and chocolate cake to top it off.
it wasn't ice cream cake, but it was just as good i suppose.
after dinner we wandered around the marina.
we stopped when we heard a musician singing journey
and other oldies but goodies.
so we grabbed a couple of coronas, with limes, and sang along.
it was a happy happy birthday.

i'll eat you up i love you so

a quote from the film 'where the wild things are'.
it sums up my feelings towards chris to a t.
please don't go large print as seen on the design crush blog.

dawgs

march madness took on a special meaning this past year.
my butler bulldogs went all the way.
in april chris & i {& almost all of our friends} went to the final 4 &
the national championship game {THE national championship game}
to cheer on our dawgs.
i think that chris & i each bought 3 new butler shirts/apparel for the occasion.
there was pregaming. for both games.

lucas oil stadium came alive with chants of "bu!"
there was lots of nail biting.
there was a night full of celebration after advancing to the championship.
there was even more nail biting.
there was desperation. hope. more nail biting.
the realization that the bulldogs could be national champions.
the excitement was palpable. & i will never forget it.

and then, in the final seconds. we couldn't make the last shot.
there was an incredible sense of loss. literally. shock was present too.
to be so close to the national championship &
lose it in such a heartbreaking way....
was devastating.

we still cheered for our bulldogs that night. for their incredible season.
and we went out to the bars to celebrate the end of the incredible season.
naturally.

and we're ready for next year. go dawgs.

when the sun sets

as a child growing up on lake wawasee,
i always looked forward to the fourth of july fireworks.

i always brought my fireworks notepad.
before the fireworks started i would make a list of all of the possible colors.
during the fireworks i kept a tally of how many times each color appeared.
{it seems i was destined to be an accountant, doesn't it?}

in case you were wondering, red and blue were always the most popular.
and the "weeping willow" fireworks have and will always be my favorite.
there is always a furry of excitement & anticipation for the fireworks
as the sun begins to set on the lake.
after the fireworks, as the sky returns to it's dark blue hue,
there's a sense of sadness in the air. that summer is half over.

we start to look forward to labor day & sending summer off with a bang.
and then to memorial day to welcome summer with open arms.
and then, once again, to the fourth of july. waiting for the sun to set.
so the fireworks can glow.

i'm alive & i'm free

there's no other way to see the 4th of july fireworks at the lake...
than being in a boat on the lake yourself. with friends. & some cold beverages.

we had a spectacular fourth of july. and it wasn't just because of the fireworks.
we went to the frog tavern & the sandbar, channel tubed, ate too much,
applied sunscreen liberally, played skip-bo, wakeboarded, laughed too much,
watched a corsica attempt to trailer a pontoon out of the water at 1:30 am,
& rode a jet-ski from the 1980's. not to mention my mom was the perfect host.

i'd say we celebrated america's birthday quite perfectly.
"i'm alive & i'm free. who wouldn't want to be me?" - keith urban

ahoy, chicago!

in may 2008 we went to chicago for my bachelorette party.
in may 2010 we returned for debbie's.
nautical attire was preferred.
the bachelorette wore a captain's hat. we passed around the white sailor hat.
we ate at bubba gumps & took pictures on the anchor at navy pier.
we sang karaoke {madonna's "like a virgin," naturally} & visited a few bars.
we ended the night at mcdonalds at 2am. just like the good old days.

ahoy, chicago! thanks for the memories.

ice up that old igloo

the weekend is here little ones.
and per the advice of brad paisley we're going to
grab our swimming trunks, ice up that old igloo and drive until the map turns blue.
because all you need this time of year is a pair of shades and an ice cold beer
and a place to sit somewhere near the water.
it should be fabulous as chris and i & 4 of our friends are making the trip up to the lake.

86 degrees and sunny all weekend? yes, please.

i see lots of boating, sunning and cans of beer in our future. {just being honest}

and if we're really adventurous, we'll hit up the frog tavern. the people watching can't be beat.

whatever you're doing this weekend i hope that it at least includes enjoying a few rays of sun.

photo by nicole green the summer of 2008.

july 1

can someone tell me why and how it's already july 1st?
for some reason, the july 4th weekend always marked the beginning of the end of summer.
perhaps because august always brought the rush of back to school shopping {which i loved}
and then, before you knew it, school was back in session.

so the july 4th weekend has always necessitated an extra dash of tequila in our margaritas.
an extra boat ride around the lake, even if the sun has already gone down.
one last dive off the end of the pier.
and hoping that the fireworks show over the lake lasts just a little longer.

so here it goes. tomorrow starts a 4 day 4th of july weekend for me.
and i intend to make every second of it last as long as i can.
because if this is the beginning of the end of the summer, i'm going to milk it as long as i can.

p.s. speaking of july...my birthday is coming up. july 16th, if you wanted to know.

photo by nicole green. taken the summer of 2008 at lake wawasee.

mailbox goodness

we bought a house 410 days ago.
naturally i felt the need to subscribe to a home decor magazine from that point on.
i subscribed to house beautiful. i received this issue on 01.05.10.
i still haven't read it. i just haven't had the time.

we’re travelling up to the lake this weekend.
maybe i’ll read it during the 4 hour ride in the passenger seat.
chris teases me that i’m always on my blackberry during the drive.
actually he teases me about being on it all the time. i don't blame him.

it's hard to remember how we survived on long drives before smart phones.
when i was a kid i would play on my game boy until the batteries died.
then i’d delve into a good book. the boxcar children or babysitters club were always good ones.
or force my mom into playing “i spy an word starting with A {B, C, D, etc} on a billboard” game.
{confession: we played that game during the Christmas pilgrimage of 2008.}
and sometimes i would look out the window and just enjoy the scenery & the drive.

and i know that it's cheesy, but life does go by so fast. one minute it's game boys and cd players.
the next it's blackberrys, ipods and portable dvd players.
maybe it’s time to take my eyes off the blackberry and save the magazine for another day.
and just enjoy the drive again.

my daddy

two years ago today my dad passed away suddenly and quite tragically.
i miss him and think about him everyday.

he was the best advice giver.
i got my neat handwriting {calligraphy skills} from him.
i could always hear him smile over the phone when i called.
the best memories i have of him & i are from father/daughter camping trips.
he loved to-do lists and was an avid "laker."
he made the best margaritas. it's true. he got an award for them.
he was so proud of my success in sports & was always there to cheer me on.
he came to visit me at college every chance he had.
he was the best dad ever.
i suppose that it didn't hurt that he had the best daughter ever.

i promise this little blog will mostly be about the good and happy times.
but this day {june 29th} will always be a "bad day" in my calendar of life.
so will every father's day. it's all just too sad.
but sometimes you have to remember the bad days in life.
to realize how good you had it back in the day.

xo.

back to business as usual

this weekend was a different one for Chris and I. we had no plans.
saturday afternoon the two of us took our speedboat out on Caesar Creek.
we cruised around, had a few beers and anchored out in the sun while listening to the USA play for the world cup thru the static of our radio. i'm not a huge soccer fan, but i'll cheer for the USA whenever i can.

we chatted about friends, family and our life goals.
{mine, specifically, is how i can work 20 hours a week and make six figures. one day i will.}
the clouds came and it started to sprinkle. but it was a perfect afternoon all the same.
while we were on the boat we received a call that our new couch was in & ready for pick-up.
it has a chaise, so its perfect for cuddling. i would have jetted off to pick it up right then, but chris made me wait til Sunday.
it's fully assembled & we are in the process of breaking it in. rest assured, it's quite fantastic.

saturday night chris and i headed to hollywood casino, in hopes of winning big.
we didn't. so it's back to business as usual.

no classes on friday

i had just scheduled all of my classes for my junior year of college.
i finagled no classes on friday. none at all.
when i told my mom, she was legitimately concerned that i didn't have any friday classes.
because she thought i would be bored. ha.
i filled those friday's by sleeping in until noon {recovering from the night before}
and trips to the mall, naturally.
wouldn't it be nice to not have to work fridays?
life would be so much better with three day weekends.
now a days, at the ripe old age of 25,
my college girlfriends and i aren't going out on the town on thursday nights...
so i would have more time to appreciate & live life instead of sleeping it off.

happy friday!
image via its mary ruffle

interstate 74

for three years {2 years dating & 1 year engagment}
chris & i spent many hours and many miles on i-74.
i can't say that i miss that commute/drive from indy to see him in cincinnati and then back.
i don't even want to think how many times i made that trip or how much money i spent on gas.
but it was worth it for all of those years.

we still take that drive from cincinnati to indy to visit friends & my alma mater.
but we drive it together now. so i don't mind it as much.


the picture above is from 01.01.2010. tomorrow the high will be 90.
i can stand the winter frost for a few months. it's good for cuddling.
but i much prefer temperatures above 65 degrees.

and i very much prefer to be in the same city as chris. let's keep it that way.

tied the knot and lucky in love. lucky knot.

jessica lynn & christopher joseph.
tied the knot in 2008. and lucky in love.
lucky knot.

i started this little blog {not that i don't already have a few} to document as many little tidbits of our lives together as i can. i know all too well that memories fade too quickly and all too often the stories get left untold.

and i don't want that to happen to us.

so here's a little tidbit of our lives. together. in a lucky little knot.

xo.