simple things.

"she did not need much. wanted very little. a kind word, sincerity, fresh air, clean water, a garden, kisses, books to read, sheltering arms, a cozy bed, and to love and be loved in return."

-starra neely blade

wise instructions.

be kind.

work hard.

stay humble.

smile often.

stay loyal.

keep honest.

travel when possible.

never stop

learning.

be thankful

always.

and love.

the weekend report.

i'm just jumping over two super important weeks straight into present. we've got some catching up to do, and i promise to go back there soon.

in the meantime, today marked the start of fall. it was a chilly, breezy day with a few showers. i got in a walk in the park with brett & lu, a walk in the woods with jen & the pups, and a short bike ride with brett this evening. i wrote a handful of thank you notes, did some laundry, and made delicious and easy peanut noodles.

yesterday i fit in a workout, a walk with jen & the pups, a farmers market trip with mom, a bike ride with brett, and a bunch of cooking. we had jenna & alex over last night for an adult-only dinner hurrah- what could be our last one for quite some time. today marked jenna's due date and we are are all eagerly awaiting baby b's arrival. we scheduled our dinner party early in the week but i waited to shop until early yesterday morning when i was quite certain our plans wouldn't be imposed on by the impending arrival. i made a favorite recipe, lemon pasta, and lemon garlic salmon. jenna brought a terrific salad. i rounded things out with a new twist on a delightful dessert. 

while i spend a lot of time with jenna, and brett spends even more time with alex, it's relatively rare that all four of us hang out, and even more rare that it's intentional, lengthy, and at the dinner table. i savored every moment of it, knowing that our traditional routines and focus are about to get shaken up in the most exciting and daunting way possible.

oh, hello.

friends: if you are reading this then you are awesome. i really left you all out to dry this past month, and i'm sorry. i promise i'll be coming back to visit you and catch up really soon. the past few weeks have been a beautiful whirlwind and b & i are still radiating with joy from our wedding on september 7. it was a perfect and special celebration surrounded by our dearest community. i can't wait to share some photos and memories.

in the meantime, i've almost made it through my first week back in the office and am looking forward to the weekend!

"be the one who nurtures and builds. be the one who has an understanding and a forgiving heart. one who looks for the best in people, leave people better than you found them." 

-marvin j. ashton

lord huron.

next time.

by joyce sutphen

i'll know the names of all the birds

and flowers, and not only that, i'll

tell you the name of the piano player

i'm hearing right now on the kitchen

radio, but i won't be in the kitchen,

i'll be walking down a street in 

new york or london, about

to enter a coffee shop where people

are reading or working on their

laptops. they'll look up and smile.

next time i won't waste my heart

on anger; i won't care about

being right. i'll be willing to be

wrong about everything and to

concentrate on giving myself away.

next time, i'll rush up to people i love,

look into their eyes, and kiss them, quick.

i'll give everyone a poem i didn't write,

one specially chosen for that person.

they'll hold it up and see a new

world. we'll sing the morning in,

and i will keep in touch with friends, 

writing long letters when i wake from

a dream where they appear on the

orient express. "meet me in istanbul,"

i'll say, and they will. 

life these days.

friends,
do you remember me? i've really been weak to you lately, and i apologize. i promise i'll be back soon.

i'm filling my days with a lot of chaos at work, every last summery activity i can squeeze in, and a whole lot of wedding prep.

work: chaos.

summer: this past weekend included a full day of sailing with my parents and jenna, the prior weekend included a hike up stowe pinnacle, a sweet afternoon at joe's pond, and a little baby-mama scavenger hunt around town. i've been eating ice cream, fresh garden produce, and whatever else i can get my paws on. brett and i have had sunday evening picnic & swim dates the past two weeks.

wedding: 280 feet of decorations have been constructed by me, jenna & my mom. we've picked up my dress, met with our photographers, finalized every last delicious detail of the menu, ordered flowers, exchanged nine hundred and two emails per week on subjects ranging from napkin colors to necklaces to candles.  i'm madly in love with all of our vendors and the magic that they will help us to create. almost every day next week someone i love will land in vermont. how incredible is that? we are so excited to see most of our favorite people in the world, and are sad about those who can't join us for one reason or another. i am mostly calm, slightly overwhelmed, and absolutely excited!

monday night:
yummy salad enjoyed on the porch, a stroll beneath a giant moon, and a small dish of chocolate-pb swirl creemee.
yes.

saturday gratitude.

gratitude for best friends, particularly those who send handmade mix cds full of fun summer songs in the mail. and for those who call from the appalachian trail with tales of adventure and love. for sweet babes growing fast, and one coming soon. for fresh salads from the garden and tomato plants carrying heavy loads. for impromptu grilling sessions with friends and for b trying out a tv series with me. for hot coffee and fresh croissants. for new max weights at the gym, and shivasana at the end of yoga practice. for sweet sails with my parents and for refreshing dips in lake champlain. for lu's constant snuggles and the cuteness overload of her first slumber party. for checking tasks off the wedding list and for building anticipation for our big day. for good sales and teamwork. xoxo

live.

"someone told me to always

live for the little things

in life.

live for 5 am sunrises and 5pm sunsets

where you'll see colours in the sky that 

don't usually belong.

live for road trips and bike rides

with music in your ears and

the wind in your hair.

live for days when you're surrounded

by your favorite people who make you realize

that the world is not a 

cold, harsh place.

live for the little things because

they will make you realize that

this is what life is about,

this is what it means to be alive."

-a.y.

august morning.

there was a hint of fall in the air this morning. enjoyed with a soft new flannel, hot coffee in hand, while walking in the woods with lu. mmm.

tasty things.

a few yummy recipes we have enjoyed lately:

fluffy pancakes.

lemon arugula pizza.

a variation on this kale salad.

our sungold tomatoes have started kicking, and we have about 50 defiant tomatoes about to come in (amazing). ideas for awesome tomato recipes (aside from caprese everything)?

happiness.

"that is happiness; to be dissolved into something complete and great."

-willa cather

sometimes overlooked blessings.

"i have found that, rather than dwelling on the negative, if we will take a step back and  consider the blessings in our lives, including seemingly small, sometimes overlooked blessings, we can find greater happiness."

-thomas s. monson

wednesday.

the good:
this pizza for dinner. i added a little tomato from the garden and some fresh basil mixed in with the arugula. amazing.

the bad:
one of those days where just about everything makes me cry. even the stupid things.

remember.

remember in life: to live simply, and love fiercely.

august.

"august arrives, hot and breathless and full of all the things you held on to too tightly. and all of the places that defined summer begin to melt together, the sand that got stuck in your hair and the bug bites you picked at too much, and the taste of every sunset that slipped through the open car window. somehow each summer is its own lifetime, we love and eat, and the sun will come back, without fail."
-unknown

the head & the heart.

new music from the head & the heart = yes. check it out here!

after seeing my post about the lack of concerts in my summer, one of my dear friends emailed me to invite me to be her date to a show of the head & the heart this fall. i am pumped!

august 3.

happiest of birthday to you, dad! love you lots.