You guys. I’ve seriously been wearing these shoes every other day since I bought them. So comfortable, the perfect heel height and great transition to fall.
TOMS Desert Wedge Bootie – $89
I’ve been wearing them with jeans, a tank, and my MK watch every other day.
My uncle recently sent a ton of photos from when my grandparents (my mom’s parents – Jeanne and Chuck) got married on August 1, 1940.
I love comparing photos of family members at the same age. I can see my mom in the grandmother and my brother in my grandfather.
I’ve mentioned we’ve had a lot of weddings this summer. Yesterday, when were driving home across the state, I was thinking about how in 100 years, our kid’s children will be looking at the photos trying to remember who is who and identify the relationships between the people who were attending.
xx
-h
Oh man, nothing quite like the return to work after an excellent vacation. Nathan and Erica’s wedding was a blast followed by a fun 24 hours in Boston. I’ll share a bit more in the coming weeks!
Here’s a pic of the gorgeeeous venue! Union Bluff on Short Sands Beach in York, Maine! You can see the chairs on the right set up where the ceremony was.
How do you get back to the grind after being on vacation?
xx
-h
Oh my gato! My brother is getting married this weekend! I can’t wait to get back east to help Nathan and Erica celebrate their big day. Nathan is just over 3 years older then me, which meant we lived in very different social circles when we were younger. The nice part about growing up, is that you learn that you actually have a lot of things in common with your siblings. The past week getting prepared for the wedding, I’ve felt sentimental.
Nathan and Erica met through work and shortly after they started dating, Nathan moved down to Park City, Utah. I was living in Salt Lake at the time and was thrilled to have him in Utah. We hung out a lot that winter and skied together a couple times a week.
I first met Erica when I flew home for Christmas but Nathan stayed in Park City because he had to work. Erica’s family is from back east so she spent the holiday with our family. She instantly fit in and truly made an effort to get to know everyone.
She came down to Park City to visit for NYE, and I third-wheeled my way through the evening with the two of them and through a couple more visits from her.
After the season ended, Nathan moved back to Seattle and we went back to our standard minimal communication. When Rory and I decided to move back to the area, we started spending a lot more time with N&E and I started to realize just how serious their relationship was. Erica is a born entertainer and has this ability to make sure everyone has a drink in their hand, that there is a table full of appetizers, and the whole house is so clean that you could literally eat off the floor. The first time I witnessed just how in sync Nathan and Erica were was when Rory and I were visiting them in Seattle. We had spent the evening and night before out and their roommate had just made a fantastic brunch. We were getting ready to head to the Mariner’s game and all three of them decided last minute to join us. I was semi-annoyed because I knew we would be late to meet our parents if they took too long to get ready. As Erica quickly changed upstairs, Nathan fully cleaned the kitchen including wiping all the counters and coffee table. He didn’t make a big deal of it and when I poked him a little, he just shrugged and said, “Erica likes things to be clean when we get home from somewhere.” I could tell he was happy.
A year and a half later, I was starting to suspect that Nathan was going to propose. One morning, I opened an email from him telling the fam that he was going to ask Erica that weekend in San Francisco. She said yes … obviously.
And here we are, now a year and a half after the proposal. Wedding week. The start of a marriage.
So, as Nathan’s younger, wiser sister, I offer a little advice –
“Marriage is about becoming a a team. You’re going to spend the rest of your life learning about each other, and every now and then, things blow up.”
People say don’t go to bed angry, but the truth is, it doesn’t matter if you go to bed angry, all that matters is that you are willing to do whatever it takes to make the marriage work. Sleep and time heal all. Be nice to each other. Be each other’s support. Surprise each other, even if it’s as simple as picking Nathan’s favorite beer up at the store, or leaving a cute note for Erica in her work bag. Listen. Choose to take the higher road. Make a home where you want to spend time. Be resourceful. Choose to be happy. And most of all, plan for the future.
I love you guys and can’t wait for this weekend! I’m not losing a brother, I’m gaining a sister!
xx
-h
Take me there. I can practically feel the humidity and smell the tropical greenery. Plus, I absolutely love that dress. (Image via Pinterest but no original source!)
A couple of links:
25 Kids Too Trendy For Their Own Good (I’ve actually seen S wear #13’s full outfit.)
Seven, Wild, and Free – a blog about a family of 7 living in a van. Oh, and the 8 year old and 10 year old run ultra marathons. Completely opposite of the link above. Haha!
Looking forward to a chill weekend before heading into 2 continuous weeks of bridesmaiding!
xx
h
This week’s farm share pickup from Terry’s Berries included: chard, lettuce, cucumbers, summer squash, baby roma tomatoes, a purple bell pepper, olives, peaches, apples, and an eggplant.
Every week the Terry’s Berries team sends an email with what’s happening on the farm, expected items, and a couple of recipes. The amount of squash rolling in is pretty incredible right now (my parent’s plant has gone rogue and is seriously over producing. She keeps joking about leaving the plants on her neighbor’s doorsteps and I legit can’t tell if she’s joking). My mom was really excited to try the ratatouille recipe from the newsletter. It looked different then what I pictured from the movie, but came out delicious! We used roasted chicken mozzarella ravioli from Costco for the pasta.
Ratatouille Bake
Adapted from Rolling Prairie Cookbook
3 tbsp olive oil
3 to 5 cloves
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups eggplant, diced
2 cups zucchini, or other summer squash, diced half inch or so
1 large bell pepper, diced
2-3 cups fresh tomatoes, chopped
2 tbsp parsley (we used dry)
2-4 tbsp chopped fresh basil
Salt and pepper to taste
8-10 oz package frozen filled tortellini or ravioli
4 ounces Mozzarella cheese, grated
Heat oil in heavy skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, onions, and eggplant and saute for several minutes, stirring constantly. Add zucchini, pepper, tomatoes, parsley, basil, salt and pepper. Stir well and cook over medium heat several minutes more. Reduce heat to simmer and allow to cook until vegetables are tender and flavors are well blended, about 30 minutes. While vegetable are simmering, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain well. Lightly oil a large casserole and line bottom with cooked pasta. Cover with hot ratatouille. Top with grated cheese. Broil until nicely brown on top. Serves 6.
Enjoy!
xx
-h
P.S. Learn about our farm share here.
Just thought you should know…
I took Monday afternoon off and went to Portland for a short getaway with R. I kept saying, “Yay, I’m so glad it’s Friday!” And then he would look at me and say, “It’s Monday, but nice try.”
Today feels like WednesdayMonday, which means that the week is already almost over. Yay, weekend!
xx
-h
SO ready for this weekend! This week has been one for the books. When in doubt, find the good in the bad, learn from the past and move on as quickly as you can.
Dream big – like really big – like $59 million home in Montana big.
One of my besties is in town from Utah and we have some serious wine drinking, laughing, and chit-chatting to do.
Plus R is off all weekend!
Be wonderful!
xx
-h
Blueberries are on point right now. I recently heard on the radio that growers are experiencing one of their best seasons yet, but that because the weather got hot very quickly, it will be short. We’ve been getting pints of … Continue reading
Over the weekend, our parents friend’s hosted a backyard concert featuring Jenn Grinels. Jenn’s an awesome songwriter, singer, and overall performer; she kept the crowd thoroughly entertained not only with her music but also with her witty story telling in … Continue reading
