february | remember

february

today being the Last Day of Feb
meaning
we’re right on the cusp
of Spring
or
something nothing like it
it being much more bearable one day,
the next being pretty effing awful

i find myself deadline crocheting,
again
i also doodle in my notebook
listing things to pack for
our upcoming trip
things to buy for/during
our upcoming trip
one of which is potentially
a NEW LENS
which could be death
of me and my nikon friends
who i keep pestering for their opinions
but they’re all the same
and i haven’t won the lottery yet
so i can’t buy all of them
only one
gawd, the decisions!

flowers

felt … omg, the excitement as we countdown till we leave
watcheda movie, with friends, that made me simultaneously laugh & cry inside. i also spent a good portion of the drive home ranting about parents and family and divorce and how fucked up people in general are
drove … for miles. to southern va and i am reminded again of how beautiful the blue ride mountains are
commenced … a juice/smoothy type thing. let’s just say that i adore chewing & leave it at that
swooned … over this book, that is making me love pride&prejudice all over again, despite what twain says about austen

cauliflower rice with roasted tofu & pomegranate relish

a few pinterest and internet discoveries:
||i’d wear this dress everyday
||thinking about this pretty cake for a dear friend’s baby shower this summer
||blueberry season cannot get here fast enough
||i need to make this, and i will, once i get over my crush for her dandan noodles
||i may have gotten teary-eyed over this
||just this
||seriously considering going even shorter!

gifts

photo captions:
||the view of muddy gut creek. don’t let the name fool you
||dried flowers, early morn. dear spring: just get here already
||an adaption of this recipe. we’ve made this thrice, once with cilantro instead of mint, another time with paprika instead of chili, yet another time with millet, all times were fabulous. now that pomegranate season is over, i’m wracking my brain for what other relish i can make…
||pickled mango: what am i supposed to do with it? i received it from my foodie penpal this month. he actually sent me a box of random condiments and spices and goodness and that jar of pickled mango has my utmost interest right now, though i don’t rightly know what to do with it. thoughts?

crochet | minecraft creeper hats

Crocheted Creeper Hats

this weather
gawd
this weather!
does anyone else have this problem:
(or is it just me)
(it’s probably just me)
the inability to defrost the car windows
i’ve owned two
vehicles in my life
and i’m the worst at
messing with the various
knobs & buttons
which i think is a
good time to request
a lexus
with ass warmers
cus then waiting for
the windows to defog
would be more bearable

anyway
this weather
it’s cold & dreary
it’s sunny & mild
then,
there’s talk of blizzards
and polar vortexes
it’s usually around this time
of year i get fanatical
about taking vitamins
forcing hot broth on poor dw
making him wear socks to bed
(his feet get sooooo cold)
but for all my cautiousness
poor dw is sick
and i’m doing what i can
to get him back to health,
while dodging the illness myself

Crocheted Creeper Hats

now if i could just get him
to wear a scarf
and hat consistently…
we are a one-car household
i drop him off at
the edge of town in the mornings
and he walks the rest of the way
we have a designated place
to meet at the end of the day
sometimes
he’s left standing around
waiting for my slow driving ass
it’s cold son!
unlike him,
our nephews wear hats
and for xmas this year
i crocheted
Creeper hats for them
i asked for their best
Thug Look
and this is what i got
they’re so flippin adorable
we’re like a really small
Gang

Crocheted Creeper Hats

i used this pattern as a guide.

photos used with permission from Jonas Wilson

november | remember

november

know that feeling
where you have to much to do
the to-do list is long,
you’re not crossing things out,
instead you keep adding
and what you end up doing is
taking a 3 hour nap?

felt … the crunch of leaves underfoot. autumn is on her way out, leaving behind a fading trail of yellows, reds and oranges
smelled … paint. we’re working on a craft project that i am excited to share with you, eventually
touched … yarn. i’ve been busy busy crocheting my fingers off
heard … a reading. do not go gentle into that good night!
saw … an overturned vehicle on the way to work this week. be careful out there people, get there in one piece, the turkey will hold till you arrive

wedding cake - NC

a few pinterest & internet discoveries:
|| organization is not my forte but if i could just get my shit together, i’d make this
|| you guys. tutu + sweater tights? mind exploded
|| this pumpkin soup + coconut panna cotta: yes please
|| this rosemary laced buttercream piques my interest
|| i am so in love with this vintage campaign desk
|| my high school, in thailand, aerial view
|| last, if you’re not already tired of hearing about our wedding, our photographer posted a few more pix

wedding cake - KY

photo captions:
on a very quick trip to NC to visit the bff and this guy, she made a tiny replica of our wedding cake, this time sans the dairy doom. it’s now safe in our freezer
then a few weeks later we visited with dw’s family in Louisville and i made the same cake for the family gathering, this is the recipe that i always use for for sure results. picture taken by my brother in law Jonas Wilson, used with permission, but with my edit
finally, pulled pork tacos. so good. recipe: 2 lb pork shoulder + 1 bottle ginger ale + salt & pepper + 1 onion sliced + a few cloves of garlic in crockpot for 12 hours on low = sweet tender pork. thanks erin w.

pulled pork taco

meanwhile: hello december!

october | remember

October Sky

it’s full on scarf and cowl season
of course i lament my beginner knitting skills
and i daydream about playing with yarn
but sit me down with a hook
and i’m itching to get up to knead dough
that’s how it goes, you know?

witnessed …. at a college job fair the interaction between a potential employer and girl dressed in full on assassin ninja garb, complete with black gloves. i could be wrong, she may have been auditioning for a gwen stefani music video.
touched …. a gypsy who read my palms and told me basically everything a buddhist monk once told me when i was kid.
shook my head at …. this. i despair.
participated …. in the most obnoxious FB status war ever, all in part due to judgement and just plain stubbornness
remained …. enamored with this man, though slightly disappointed that some of his mysterious aura has faded
reenacted …. this video. because dw & i like to dance fight to club music

October Sky

a few pinterest discoveries:
|| i desire just one more tattoo
|| mayhap a snowstorm hits us this winter, and we can create something like this
|| i’ve made this twice already, and it’s amazing, one day i might blog about it
|| finished this book and again, i am in complete awe of this man
|| in the meantime, i’m digging into this book

October Sky

photo captions:
an old school vw bus. it makes me think of woodstock, especially out in the field that we were at. minus the mud & pot
october sky in north carolina
a late day in our home, the light, oh the light

October Sky

wedding | redamancy day

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redamancy – (red-uh-muhn–see) (n) the act of loving the one who loves you,
a love returned in full

3+ weeks ago
my beloved & i stood in
front of our loves
and committed to One Love

it was a warm september day
approximately 961 days after we first met
after 271 days of planning
and i was sweating like a whore in church

it went exactly like i thought it would:
a blur
but in today’s post i will slow it down
include our top priorities,
what we had to have
what we were willing to let go of
and everything in between

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we chose this venue because of their responsible relationship with food and local sustainability, but also noteworthy: their impeccable service and attention to detail. it is one of dw’s all time favorite restaurants and i have always loved this area of the city.

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initially, we were going to have my best friend Kelcy bake our cake but due to some new MD laws, we had to use their in-house pastry chef who created this very simple cake. it is dairy doom laden, but she was kind enough to make a small dairy free treat on the side.

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our guestbook is now hanging in our living room. if you’re interested in having one done for your event, you can reach out to me & i’ll put you in touch with Stephanie A.

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i purchased our bouquets, boutonnieres & flowers from a booth at our farmer’s market. i’m part of a local food group on google and she posted something about her new flower garden and well, i loved her inclusion of herbs. i was sold & i never even met her. our correspondence was all via text and email. on day of, núria’s husband picked up the flowers for me.

brideswenches

núria read a poem by hafiz, translated by daniel ladinsky:
our union is like this:
you feel cold, so i reach for a blanket to cover our shivering feet
a hunger comes into your body, so i run to my garden and start digging potatoes
you asked for a few words of comfort and guidance, and i quickly kneel by your side offering you a whole book as a gift
you ache with loneliness one night so much you weep, and i say here is a rope, tie it around me, i will be your companion for life

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we practically whispered our vows. and i have an ugly cry face which is why i’m not sharing it. just being real here.

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dw purchased my engagement ring from a local jewelry store in the city. i was out of town, at last year’s mixed con and 2 months later, on new year’s day, at 2am, he proposed. PS. i like the color red and the two rubies on the side are a tribute to that fondness.

photos courtesy of luke eshleman & used with permission

vendors:
reception venue: woodberry kitchen | ceremony location: clipper mill | photography: luke eshleman | bridal gown: bhldn (purchased 6 days prior!) | bridal shoes: bcbg (super old) | groom’s suit & shoes: jos. a. banks | bridewench gowns: bhldn & etsy | hair: tricho studio | make up: mac studio | rings: samuelson’s | florals: the hillen homestead | bride & bridwench necklaces: elephantine