Our (Gingerbread) House

This house - which we bought at Trader Joe's in kit form, and planned to bring to the trial team party - was unfortunately too unstable to transport so we were forced to keep it (and eat it!)... 

And it got me thinking about all the different ways that a person's house becomes a home.  Sometimes, this is accomplished through infusing the space with personal touches (painting the walls, hanging lots of pictures, and decorating) and sometimes by virtue of simply living in a place long enough.  Over the last seven + years, I've lived in two dormitory rooms (a triple and a double), in a house with five other girls, in a studio apartment on my own, in my own house with a roommate in Helena, Arkansas, in a two-bedroom apartment with a roommate, and here, in a pretty tiny one-bedroom apartment, with Todd.

Most of the places I've lived have felt more like spaces I happen to be inhabiting at the moment.  I walk around, make meals, sleep, and leave, and throughout the experience, my attitude to the surroundings is neutral and fairly indifferent.  I never really had an impulse to really make a place my own - even the house that I bought - or at least an impulse that lasted longer than putting up a pretty shower curtain, and hanging a few picture frames.  I never really took on a cooking experiment more challenging than noodles, or learned how to properly vacuum and dust.  The places were more like temporary stopping grounds in which to change, eat, and rest before heading back out into the world again.  I never felt completely at home.

With this apartment, it's different, and I think it's in large part because of the fact that this is the first place that I've ever shared with someone outside of the roommate context.  Although a couple's decision to live together can bring up all sorts of issues with family members, luckily, ours didn't.  And gradually I realized, as Todd built bookcases,  and installed a key shelf and I arranged paintings and photos, as we chose sheets and comforters, towels, kitchen supplies, and a nice TV, that this was not just another place to live; this is our home, and we are building it together.  The thing that makes it a home is the love for each other that encourages both of us to care for and enjoy this place.  Lately, when I'm baking a loaf of bread, or at night, when the candles are softly glowing and the Christmas tree fills the room with its wintery scent, I don't feel as if I'm just spending time in the apartment until it's time to "go home" to Mom or Dad on a visit.  

This is home in which we love and share with one another, and I come back to it every evening with a light spirit and happy heart.  

Ivy-Covered Letters

So in my quest to be crafty (in small, easy ways) for our wedding, one of the first ideas I had was hanging three initials: E, T, and R, on the door to the Pavilion or on an easel at the entrance to the Rose Garden.  It was an idea I'd seen in several Martha Stewart Weddings and on the Knot.  Some weddings featured letters covered with flowers, others with leaves, others just exposed wood.  The letters were hung by twine, ribbon, yarn, and other materials from doors, easels, and arches.

With many ideas in mind, I went to several craft stores to find supplies.

First, I bought several yards of 3/4 " light blue and dark blue satin ribbon, to use to hang the letters.

Next, I found three white wooden letters, about 1 foot high each, at Beverly's.  I chose these over the cardboard ones at Paper Source and the unpainted, more rounded wooden letters at Jo-Ann's.

I also picked up several long vines of faux English garden ivy.  The leaves were easy to snip off and apply to the letters using my industrial strength hot glue gun.

I placed and glued the leaves from the bottom up, creating a layered, natural effect, and using small dots of glue to minimize the gauzy white strands created by it.

Et voila!  We'll hang the E and the T on either side of the R, which will be raised about a half foot above them.  I'll attach the light blue ribbon, in thoroughly secured bows and lengths, to the E and T, and use the  contrasting dark blue ribbon to hang the R.
Completing this project is just another reminder that Todd's surname will also become my own in less than eight months - I can't wait! :-)

Our invitations are here!

If you want to be surprised when the invitations come in the mail, look no further!

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Here's what I saw when I opened the box from InkyLivie, a custom wedding invitation designer on Etsy:

Beautiful textured invitations with two layers of cardstock backing, one light blue and one navy blue.  The writing is in light blue, surrounded by the artist's own drawings of flowers and a butterfly.  The invitation envelopes are cream and the reply card envelopes are raspberry.
Here's the original listing I fell in love with on Etsy:

Although the invitations cost a little more than I'd expected to spend, I think the result is definitely worth the expense.  They feel heavy and luxurious, but also summery, which is perfect for our summer garden wedding.  All in all, I'm very pleased, and cannot wait for Ann to calligraph the envelopes and send them out.

Next up, which stamps to use? 

Rancho 3

Heading home on the twists and turns of Highway 1:

First glimpses of trimming - an ornament Chrissie and Matt gifted us from Disney World!
The stage-coach ornament Mom bought for me at the Wells Fargo museum last spring in San Francisco:
Our beautiful little tree, all decked out, and with presents!

Rancho 2

Todd enjoying a post-sawing marshmallow:

Phew!  The tree has been felled:
Pre-felling, our Quick Silver fir:
View of the hillside behind the field:

Rancho Siempre Verde =

Ranch Evergreen!

Home of many acres of Christmas trees, with over fifteen species:

High-flying swings hanging from almost every Eucalyptus:

A roaring campfire with unlimited marshmallows to roast on long sticks thoughtfully placed on the stumps:
And wreath-making (with a little snarkiness thrown in):
Up next: our search for the perfect tree

Second Fitting

Fits like a glove!  Now, I'm gonna need to work on those tan lines...

From the back - it's partially bustled.  Leila's going to do a part-English, part-French bustle because there are so many layers of satin...
On the mannequin:
You can see the bustling a little better in this view, although the mannequin's bigger than me so the top won't close!
Am itching for another opportunity to wear it! Todd's mom and mine both plan to visit us in the spring, which will be an ideal chance to head over to Persepolis and twirl around in it some more :-)

The Weekend of Accomplishments

Todd and I managed to get about a million things done this weekend, starting with his company's holiday party on Friday night (bonus: meeting the President of the Giants!).

Behold:

- attended second cousin Rhea's birthday party (she's two!)

- second wedding dress fitting

- wonderful Chestnut and Union Christmas browsing extravaganza (not so much with the buying, but did find Todd a lovely little present at an antiques shop owned by a quite crazy British woman!)

- moved most wedding registry gifts from the huge corner of the living room that they previously occupied to the storage room in our garage

- traveled to Rancho Siempre Verde, an AWESOME Christmas tree farm in Pescadero, where we chopped down our own tree (Todd's first!)

- situated the tree, put multitudes of presents under her, strung her with twinkling rainbow lights and trimmed her boughs with ornaments - including the one purchased last weekend by Todd's lovely mom from the USC bookstore --> our tree is officiously a Trojan!

- got the car washed {it needed it}

- went grocery shopping

- had a great linner (or dunch, if you prefer) at Joe's, a restaurant straight out the fifties, where I ordered rigatoni al pesto, got penne al pesto, and was told that at Joe's, penne is called rigatoni. Obviously. We loved it. Todd's entree came with the Best Steak Fries Ever. and that's saying something. I didn't even put ketchup on them! {Yes, I stole a few...}

- took care of our bills, so we'd start the week not having to worry about it :-)

All in all, am going to sleep tonight in the knowledge that as soon as my evidence exam is over on Tuesday, there will be a little time for relaxation and reflection before my last final, in family law on the 17th, and heading to Vashon Island, Seattle for the holidays...

For now, here's a snapshot of me at the second fitting, which was on Saturday afternoon:

More to come!  Hope everyone's having a good holiday season so far! :-)