{dear friend}

Ahh, the beloved snow day. It finally came and it was glorious. I got the call just as I was waking up, which made it all the more sweet. I spent the day between the indoors and the outdoors– walking the dog, drinking coffee, taking the dog out again, listening to music, shoveling our sidewalk, laying on the couch, shoveling our driveway, drinking more coffee, bring the dog out again. All the while snapping some scenes with my 35mm/1.8 lens. It had been so long since I brought my trusty old camera out and it made me realize I need to start enjoying it more (and practicing more too). These photos are just how I want to remember this day. Bright and beautiful.

one// My Grey’s Anatomy obsession has picked up exactly where it left off 3+ years ago. I am deep in the midst of season ten and find myself loving the characters just the same as always. When I was in grad school I watched a span of 7 seasons in approximately 3 months– a true marathon if there ever was one, and then one day, I just stopped. I blame a few things for this pause in my dedication to one of the greatest shows on television. First, one of my favorite characters up and died on me ! (no real surprise there of course, my favorite characters always die), but also, I caught up in real time, and waiting one week to watch another episode is NO way to watch a show if you ask me. I had to wait good and long for the ability to truly binge watch, but I waited the wait and it was all worth it for this streak I have going on currently. I wonder who will have the next untimely death? Don’t tell me! I want my tears to come as I watch and not a minute too soon.

two // February vacation is in 1 week! Thank the sweet Lord. This time of year is honestly my favorite for teaching {we are so in the thick of it!} but nothing is better than vacation. Simply nothing! I am still deciding what to do with the front end of my week, but the tail end I’ll be in Vermont skiing and lounging and loving the mountain life. Wheee!

three // Do you know about The Crafter’s Box? Zan gifted it to me for Christmas and it is so amazing. Basically once a month you receive a box in the mail with all the supplies and instructions for making the most awesome craft. The first month was a Rya Weaving from my favorite Maryanne Moodie and this month it’s hanging planters + air plants from Emily Reinhardt of The Object Enthusiast! Both serious artists I admire, both crafts I am so excited about. If you want to sign up I believe there are still a few openings for February. If not get on the list for March! I am so excited to see what the new craft will be.

four // I have loved the blog elephantine for a number of years now. I love the easy way of it and it always makes me so happy to see a post pop up in my reader. Rachel has an online shop Mignon which is the most wonderful collection of items I have ever seen. I have been adding things to my cart for awhile now and I think it’s finally time to pay up and receive some happy mail. Go check it out! You will love it too.

five// That puppy. ♥ I seriously cannot get enough of her. She loves to hop up on all the chairs and couches and push the pillows off to make room for herself. This is one of my favorite photos yet.

1 year since we were engaged, 7 months married and just about 5 months with this little snuggle unit. A good run in the books so far and only getting better. Since the excitement of last summer I feel like we’ve really spent a good amount of time just relaxing at home together and soaking it all in. Having a puppy makes for a more homebody life, too. The slow life feels like a good life right now so I’ll take it. :)

Here is a little update from January, 2016…

This is a close-up of the painting we bought in Positano on our honeymoon. It is the one piece of artwork we purchased on our trip (the only souvenir at all we purchased on our trip actually!) and for many months it just sat tucked away in the closet. A shame, I know but hanging artwork has proved to be hard for me and apparently going to the frame shop is too. I think I also just wanted to find the perfect place for it, you know?

Last week we rearranged our bedroom and the wall space suddenly presented itself perfectly. So it’s currently at the frame shop and will be hanging above our bed soon! ♥

Did I mention having a puppy is hard work? Up until a few weeks ago we could not trust Pennylane in this room {more specifically on this rug} for fear she would pee on it. THE WORST! I tried to follow all the rules perfectly for housebreaking a pet and STILL the sweet thing continued to fail me. We had baby gates up for months! Fingers crossed we’re past it, but for awhile there I didn’t know if we would ever see the light!

A fun night out at the ICA a few Thursdays ago. I loved the Black Mountain Collage exhibit about a liberal arts school in North Carolina dedicated to the study of art and art education, focusing on community and creativity. The exhibit is now closed, unfortunately (as is the school), but I enjoyed seeing the many artifacts and reading about the philosophy of teaching and learning there. It sounded to me like a pretty idyllic place!

Afterwards, we went to Row34 and it was delicious. I went with the hot buttered lobster roll and Zan got the whole grilled black sea bass. We shared Brussels sprouts and corn bread and had a great time in a great atmosphere. Still dreaming of the maple butter cornbread. It was wonderful.

Last weekend, Meg came over and spent the night which is always so much fun for me. I miss our years of living together! We watched to movie About Time which is pretty much my favorite movie of all time. Do you know it? It has a really great cast and the best message! I am always smiling so hard at the end, I just can’t help myself.

Walking walking, always walking. And I don’t really mind it one bit. I look forward to the early morning walks around our neighborhood each day. Zan and I usually try to go together, which is nice because sometimes the weeks can get busy and it’s guaranteed spent time together. They wake me up and I always feel good about getting a little exercise in too. Some days Zan doesn’t need leave for work until an hour or more after I do. On those days I get to sleep in a little I don’t really mind those mornings either. :)

Speaking of framing and hanging up art, this gallery wall took me almost two years to put together. But I did it and I am IN LOVE WITH IT! I cannot even contain my happiness. After rearranging our room I just decided I was ready to tackle it one day, using command strips which eased my fear of knocking so many holes in the wall. I have been collecting this art work for so long it’s nice to finally get to enjoy it!

And another view of our newly arranged bedroom. It feels so right. For our rehearsal dinner last June, Zan’s aunts blew up our Save the Date on to a foam board for part of the decor. I got a simple frame from ikea (where pretty much all of my frames are from!) and it is one of my favorite peices in our entire home. Such happy memories from such an exciting amazing time.

Here we are enjoying a sunny Saturday at Cat Rock Park, a new (to us) dog trail park that has a reputation for being the “Disney World for Dogs”. There are tons of paths and open space and even a pond for swimming. At this point we still keep PL on her leash (we don’t want to lose her!) while we walk there but I hope some day we can let her run free.

New pillows in a favorite room in our house. (They are all my favorite.)

Here she is again, at Cat Rock. What a little love muffin. Can you even handle it? I can never! We are so lucky she’s ours. I say it every day.

Finding my winter groove and I’ve done a lot of reflecting and cleaning and organizing and just being. Quiet and cozy, the way January is meant to be. ♥