the story of us.

engagement !

Zan and I have been together for almost 9 years. 9 years is a long long time, but somehow for us, the timing’s been just right. We met in college my senior year, his junior, a few months after I’d broken up with my college boyfriend. I was in that sweet spot in time, where I’d just started to get over the boy, and was really having the time of my life with my friends. That senior-year, out-every-night, singing-and-dancing-all-the-time-with-your-girls kind of fun. The dreamiest senior spring I could ever imagine. The good old days and then some.

Zan liked me straightaway, and I thought he was kind and good looking, but the timing at that point just wasn’t right for me. We went on a date, we hung out a few times on weekends, but I did not want a boyfriend, simple as that — my heart was just not in it.

I graduated, came to Boston, and for awhile that was that.

engagement !

Two of my closest friends from college were one year younger than I, so the next spring I took a trip back to school to visit them. We danced and sang and clinked our cans like most college seniors and newly graduated people do and then one night while I was there I ran into Zan downtown at the bar. Did I remember him? Oh yes, I remembered him. And suddenly, instantly, just like that, he was someone I was excited to see.

But the real question is, did he remember me?

{Oh, he definitely remembered me.}

engagement !

The lucky part of this story besides meeting each other again, is that Zan is from Boston, and I was living in Boston. A place I wasn’t originally from, but a place I really wanted to be.

Lucky me, lucky us.

As soon as he graduated and moved back home we started hanging out all the time. Nights and weekends and so much of the in between.

The rest is kind of history. It’s a lot of years, so there are a lot of memories. We’ve traveled together and spent summers together, we know each others families and each others friends. We fit together in the best way we know how and being each others person has just always made sense.

engagement !

A lot of the time, especially in more recent years, there’s been the never ending question:

“ARE YOU GOING TO GET MARRIED?”

Dear Lord, if I never hear that question again, then getting married is reason enough. {KIDDING!} I was never anxious, but other people got me feeling that way at times. It only ever bugged me because other people were thinking it, saying it, asking it. My close friends were always gracious—God bless them until the end, but last summer there was one week I got that question from different people almost every single day. {I know the intentions are all well and good, but it’s a fairly annoying question to those of you out there wondering.}

I knew Zan was it for me, and worrying was something I just didn’t have in me to do. “You do you” I always say. And I’ll do me and we’ll do us.

Plus, Zan is my person. Always has been. Always will be.

engagement !

On New Year’s Eve we decided to throw our usual small get-together. For the past few years we’ve ditched the whole “going out” idea and truly embraced the “staying in”. We take a drive into Boston and walk the city for First Night. We make lots of food. We drink lots of drinks. We celebrate another year.

This year’s NYE went down just like always. We went to Wegmans during the day to get all the food and we cleaned the house like mad. Then, as we got ready to go out in the cold I said to Zan, “We can stay in if you want.” to which he replied, “Oh, no, I want to drive in to the city.”

Well, okay sure! I thought. Let’s do it.

I honestly didn’t think twice about anything, not even when we were crossing the bridge in the Public Garden and Zan turned around and said he wanted to go take a walk down by the Swan Pond {“Oh there’s nothing down there,” I said}. So when he got down on one knee and asked me to be his forever my heart stopped for a good minute {and went to heaven I’m pretty sure} before I could take a breath and say YES. {also, I asked “Is this real??” a total of TWO times before I un-blacked out and came to. :) }

engagement !

We walked the city hand in hand after that. Talking about everything and how it all came to be. We told our families and they cheered, we stopped by my sister’s and she cried, and the party we had at our house that night was filled with the most joyous people on earth. HAPPY 2015, we all cheered! The happiest New Year yet.

And so we’re here starting the next chapter in our adventure — we’re getting married and planning a wedding and it’s really truly the most fun ever.

Just like it always has been, just like I knew it would be. 

lately / currently / taking stock

january, lately{Our kitchen on a sunny Monday afternoon.}

//

Life lately has been a whirlwind of good. I really want to get back into documenting the memories on this blog because looking back on the past is one of my favorite things to do. I’m thankful for all the writing I’ve done here and for all the photos I’ve shared— such an easy, happy way to be able to return to the best of times. I want to remember that as I move through 2015. In an effort to “get back into it”, here’s a little update on the best of life lately…

//

M A K I N G: Invitations for our wedding. We’ve decided to go the handmade route and I am designing them while my wonderfully talented Aunt will illustrate and hand letter them. I’m going with a floral theme and I’m so happy to gather people we love to help make the day all come together.

D R I N K I N G: Throat coat tea. I started feeling under the weather last night and woke up feeling much of the same. Hopefully my 2+ hour nap today and the crazy amount of liquids I’ve been inhaling will help soon.

W A N T I N G: To keep my house clean and clutter-free. Right after New Years I went on a house purge {along with the rest of the world} and I’m really trying to stick to being organized consistently around here. A place for everything and everything in it’s place.

W A T C H I N G: Gilmore Girls. Still. I don’t watch a lot of TV {we completely got rid of cable when we moved}, but when I do happen to turn it on it’s straight to Netflix I go. Also, football, because it’s impossible not to this time of year. GO PATS!

R E A D I N G: I recently finished The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, which was what prompted my de-cluttering spree and I LOVED it. The basic lesson learned is that you must go through your home and hold each item in your hand. Does it spark joy? I love the simplicity of it all and highly recommend this book if you’re looking to tidy up your life. For Christmas I gifted Zan A Boat, a Whale & a Walrus which is written by the owner and chef of one of the restaurants we visited while in Seattle, and each night I read a little more of the stories and soak in all the gorgeous food photography. I’m hoping to go to a local pot luck book club featuring this cookbook next month, too! 

L I S T E N I N G  T O: Our wedding band just sent us a sample CD and this weekend I drove around to all my errands listening to it and loving it. For awhile I just kept putting Pachelbel’s Cannon in D on repeat and crying my eyes out. The good kind of tears. Oh my goodness. I just can’t wait.

E A T I N G: Whole foods. Since the beginning of January I officially pronounced myself on WHOLE WEDDING, which is my own little version of Whole 30 that I will keep until my wedding day. Any and all meals eaten at home or at school will be Whole 30 compliant with the exception of dinners out with friends and the promise of celebrating and raising toasts to all things happy and exciting AS WE SHOULD. :) So far, so good. :)

S M E L L I N G: Nothing!!! Still!!!! Doctors appointment in a few weeks. Will see what the deal is then! I do feel tons better in terms of sinus pressure headaches since my surgery, so there’s that. And I never take allergy medicine and never feel like I need to. So there’s that too! {I might have to take this section off in the future though. We shall seeee.}

W I S H I N G: Three day weekends could last forever.

E N J O Y I N G: Winter so far. You will find me hard pressed to EVER say that but this year is magic and I’m thankful for that.

H O P I N G: We can get all the planning done before summer! We’ve decided to get married on the sooner side {JUNE!} and I’m super happy about the decision, but am hoping we can keep the momentum going mostly because we have to!

N E E D I N G: More of this really great dry shampoo.

F O L L O W I N G: A favorite blog of mine, Practicing Simplicity. Jodi has started a new photography series that is simple and user-friendly. All things I need when it comes to the technical side of taking photos.

F E E L I N G: Completely and utterly content.

W E A R I N G: Lots of sweaters. And these completely awesome sherling boots. Every day without fail!

B O O K M A R K I N G: Lots of weddings on Pinterest. This one from Miss Moss is one of my all time favorites.

L O V I N G: This part of my life right now. Full of joy and excitement. What could be better than that?

//

Idea for this post came from my
friends Bridget and Whitney, plus,
I added a few words of my own. :)

{Also, I’m trying out Amazon
affiliate links for the first time,
just to see what will happen.}

the very best of 2014

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Oh, 2014! You were sweet.

I’ve spent the last few days collecting photos for this post — because this is a year I want to remember, a year I won’t soon forget. I’ve always been a LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST type and this year was no different. We saw the mountains, the cities, the sea. We traveled here and there. We saw friends and family. Visited old places and brand new. This year was GOOD.

In 2014 I picked the word “shine” to focus on throughout the year. I thought about that word constantly and how I wanted to live it. I want to feel the good in every day, I want to take a look around me— to appreciate and notice. I want to savor what I have and enjoy it.

Looking back, I can’t help but smile at how nice it all was (and just keeps getting better)…

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We skied in the White Mountains

My high school friends visited Boston

We traveled to Nantucket, Cape Cod, and Martha’s Vineyard

We flew to the West Coast

San Francisco

Big Sur

Seattle

A week full of MAGIC in my memory forever.

We moved! And it is so cozy and good.

Friends, friends, friends.

FAMILY and more friends.

On New Year’s Eve Zan got down on one knee in the Public Garden and asked me to marry him.

The happiest surprise and I said YES.

Oh yes, did this year ever shine.

xo

the making of a tablescape // a photo journal

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xoxo!