A little bit of work and a lot of love.

Today {& all days} I'm feeling very lucky and in love.

Two years' worth of that love and I'm just so happy.
xoxo, natty ♥

Love.

Lots and lots of love, all around.

Good week to you all!
xoxo, natty ♥

Quite a day!

Though it's late for dinner right now {it's European!}, I'm anxiously awaiting some spinach/Oaxacan cheese {procured on yesterday's sojourn} enchiladas from the oven. I'm also drying off a bit because I got stuck in this :

...we don't get downpours like this in San Jose. Nor do we walk or take the bus very often.

Lessons learned.

After mass this morning I puttered around our neighborhood and ran a few errands until it was time to take the bus downtown. I had wanted to stop at the main library to look up a few tomes before going to wait in line for Sleep Walk With Me. 

I knew there would be a line because one of the producers would be answering questions from the audience after the show. Not just any producer, I suppose, since it was Ira Glass. 

If you're not familiar with This American Life {the NPR radio show} then his name won't ring a bell and you might not be too interested but I certainly was!

I had never seen a picture of him {or the real-life-him} before the show {I try not to look up what radio personalities actually look like, it ruins the mystique for me} so I was pretty rapt not only because of what he had to say {interesting!} but mostly by my reconciling his looks with the voice I've known for several years now {and several hundred miles since it's the radio show I listen to the most as I log my miles}.

In other news, Mikey and his brother are in Philadelphia {how weird for us west-coasters that this is now a day trip!} to see a Pearl Jam concert so it's just Guinness and I enjoying enchiladas and the rain {from inside}. As an aside, I crumbled some of this

on top of these puppies. Is there anything more delicious that a thick slice of this cheese at the bottom of a mug of Colombian hot chocolate? No, I didn't think so.

Oh. Another thing. Today is our official 365 day wedding anniversary {it was a leap year!}. Tomorrow is our real anniversary {date/HEART-wise}. 

I'm so excited and happy and all sorts of good things. I love this man SO MUCH. I'll be back with our paper gift reveal and other ruminations soon enough I'm sure.
Love to you all.
xoxo, natty ♥

Cuteness.

Well, we're out and about in our fair country. I'll maybe break a rule of mine and do a double post with an actual update later this afternoon or evening but to make things easy on myself I'm also publishing this post ahead of time. From the past! To the future! Oooooooh!
Okay, moving on. I love to laugh. I love, love, love it. I've talked before about Awkward Family Photos and whoever is in charge over there totally shares my own sense of humor. Last week a very cute video was posted and since Mikey and I are in our first year of marriage {way to go us!} I'm sharing this - just click on the link.

AwkwardFamilyPhotos.com

72 years; woah! Happy Tuesday to you!
xoxo, natty ♥

♥

I love you so much sweetie; happy Valentine's Day!

xoxo, natty ♥

Advent; Day 2.

I don't often condone table pictures and even less so when there's food involved. Tonight's picture, though, hold meaning. 
On this second day of my Advent, I want to show a symbol of something that is very near and dear to my heart {& it's not Sauvignon Blanc...ha!}. 

I'm a very lucky girl in many respects and the one I celebrate today is the ability to reflect and share. I know that I feel the most grounded when I'm aware and present but, unfortunately, busy days and not enough hours to get things done don't always support a pensive lifestyle. Something I can manage is a meal out with my hubby. Even if it's a quick dinner at a fast restaurant on a Thursday night, the 30 minutes or so when we're sitting at a table and sifting through the events of the past day, days or week are rejuvenating to me. There's not a screen taking our attention, I'm not multi-tasking and trying to get my lunch ready for the next day while grading quizzes in between it all; we're just sitting with each other.
Tonight we did just so and I am grateful. It's getting dark around 4:30-5 ish and even though the light is short there is still plenty that's keeping us busy so this time together is very valuable to me.
What small things during your week help to ground you? What helps to give you a bit of perspective? I know that Mike always has an insight that I haven't thought of or a different point of view to present to a situation and I am much the better for this expanded perspective. Or at the very least he has to be supportive of me and my opinion; ha!
I hope that your week has drawn to a close in a nice way and that the weekend brings a bit of relaxation.
Oh...one more thing.
A certain couple we know from college who regaled us with their presence at our wedding and very merrily helped us to celebrate, just this evening, have begun to think about their very own nuptials; congratulations you two...we are so *^%$#@! {that stands for acutely, btw} happy for you!
xoxo, natty ♥

Community.

I think that today is always a somber day, not just on a big number anniversary. I was 17 when the attacks happened and definitely didn't fully get it. I kind of still don't get it. What I can do, though, is be grateful. I think I talk a lot on here about what I love and the things in life that I am thankful for but I am also of the mindset that one cannot do this enough. This exercise of being aware of the positive in my life and the world at large helps me to do the things in life that aren't so fun {like waking up at 6 am for work} as well as to do the things I do love {eating}. If I were to focus on the bad things {whatever they may be, for there are many} or not on anything at all, I would just be kind of stuck; I wouldn't be able to do much at all.
This is a kind of convoluted stream of consciousness post for you here today, dear reader, but it's what's on my heart. I titled the post "Community" not in a reference to the TV show but in a reference to communities all around us. I truly believe that community and caring is the key to a well functioning society {amongst a few other things}. I am really lucky to have so much great community all around me {work, friends, family...} and Mike and I were blown away by the AMAZING outpouring of community at our wedding last weekend. Folks coming together and connecting = community; it warms my heart and makes me love people as a whole and believe in great and positive things happening.
Here's to community - local, familial, global, intergalactic, animalistic, culinary and all other groups of connection; may they be joined in peace.
xoxo, natty ♥

Recipe for a happy wife.

* my husband ♥
* some wine, preferably white
* dinner at El Burro {¡Carne Asada para mí!}
* coworker fun {off-campus}
* a hairy dog
* Friday
* the warm, hot wind tonight
* Halloween next month {!}


I apologize for the sappiness these days - but don't we all just love the way the weekend makes us feel?!


Good Days of Rest to you all!
xoxo, natty ♥

PS

PLEASE help me figure out that thing in yesterday's post...it's haunting me in a weird way; I need to know what it is to feel better!

What the heck is this creature?! Also, a name change!

I was walking on campus this afternoon and daintily side-stepped a stick. All of my actions are dainty. 
Anyway.
I looked at the stick again.
It wasn't a stick.

But I can't say what it is.

Can you? Please? It really freaked me out! Is it a praying mantis? Are they supposed to be this beige color? I thought they were green? An aged and thus bleached-out grasshopper mayhaps? I'm hoping the latter; in my opinion mantises belong in the same category as silverfish {& Carrot Top} - a part of nature, which I love, but dis-gust-ing nonetheless.
Also, you, dear reader, might notice a slightly new header. Yes indeedy, I am now, in fact, a Señora! I'd like to unroll a more autumnal  blog design come Fall. That happens around September 21st because I like to follow rules, like when the seasons really do switch over. I'm paranoid like that.
Happy almost-Friday y'all; it's gonna be my first married weekend!
xoxo, natty ♥

Wordless Wednesday™; you know you had a good an amazing the best time ever at your wedding when...

...and you kept on dancing ♥

xoxo, natty ♥

Marvelous Monday; photographic and married {♥} edition.

As I mentioned yesterday, I LOVED our wedding. I am still thinking about how much fun was had and how much love was everywhere throughout the whole day. I have a few pictures I've poached gotten from people that I want to put up soooooooo Marv. Monday turne photographic; plus, I feel as though y'all know exactly what it is I'm grateful for right now {family, friends and a husbanc!}.
Without further ado, several pictures {and a link} to represent what is making me so happy this day...

1.

2.

3.

4.

5. Engagement photos ♥


Soooooo much love and happiness right now.
xoxo, natty ♥

Amazing Most Wonderful Best Day.

Alternate title being "I'm so happy I can't even contain it or stop smiling or even stop askin people if they're this happy too and if they had a good time and telling them that I'm so happy they came to our wedding." Yesterday was phenomenal. Exhausting, too, in a great way - quite a lot of work was done even up until the last hour; a HUMONGOUS thanks goes to our bridal party, family, friends and innocent bystanders. I really am SO FULL of love and happiness right now. My parents and family were amazing and my new family is incredible {though they're not that "new" to me, it's just official now}. It's anyone's guess as to when I'll manage some pictures seeing as how I took none myself but I am really looking forward to seeing them. What I can muster up right now, though, is that we, my HUSBAND {giggle giggle...aren't I too young to be able to say that?}and I, are SUPER grateful and appreciative of all the love and support our family and friends showered upon us these past days; I LOVE {again with the caps, I know...but I'm excited!} being loved. This is on my phone because the comp-you-tour got left back at he buzz-ouse {we're enjoying out of town family time at the hotel for two more night before reality welcomes us back with her cold and scaly grip} so the formatting might be blah; please pardonez mois. So much love! The only picture I have, actually, is of our cake! We didn't have a traditional one last night, we had little bite thingies. This morning, though, the wonderful bakery owner who whipped up a beautiful spread for our breakfast, gifted us tbis morning with a beauty. Princess Cake! He doesn't even know how much I love it! We might eat it but haven't decided yet since we could also freeze it to eat in a year. Again, I am SO happy right now. xoxo, natty ♥ PS I need to change my header...I'm a "señora" now!

Yikes!

I just missed posting on Friday by, like, 3 minutes! Well, if I were in Hawaii, it would be legitimate...oh well; I'm getting married!
xoxo, natty ♥

Bridal Shower.

Who knew that these things are so much fun?! A bit embarrassing, too,  when gifts of lingerie are involved ;). I had a wonderful shower hosted by a family friend and her daughters, friends of mine. A warning here, this post will be mostly gratuitous pictures!
I don't normally do cute things like take pictures of scenery and guests so I had my friend Kathy take some for me! These are mostly mine, from my camera, and I poached some from her too {sorry but many thanks Kathy!}.

  

The party was held in a lovely home with wonderful four-legged creatures everywhere; I was thrilled!

Kathy almost took this feline home.

We enjoyed yum-o snacks and very tasty iced tea.

Give me more of that tea!

We also played games! 
We started out with a wedding quiz type thing that I, sadly, failed. Everyone focused very hard on the questions, though, and some fun facts were learned; Liz Taylor has been married many times!

The best game, though, was "Don't Get Stuck With the Ginger Husband". It's like Hot Potato. The group sits in a circle and passes around a "Ginger Husband" whilest music plays in the back ground. In this case, Lady Gaga's "The Fame Monster". 
This guy was our "Ginger" of the day; a very obliging dude. 

I love the action shots because they remind me of how much everyone was laughing while the thing was passed around the circle. 

  

I've pointed out where Old Rusty was in the shots for your, dear reader, as a courtesy.

That little doll moved hands awfully quickly; no one wanted to get out {for fear the creature would haunt us at night a la Chuckie...?}!

  

     

  

The match came down to my aunt Peppy and my cousin Gretchen; Peppy won!

I enjoyed taking pictures with everyone who helped me to celebrate; this was a day I don't want to forget and since this is my virtual scrapbook, here it is =). 

My mama and me ♥.

My mama-in-law-to-be and me ♥.

  

Cousin Gretchen...runner up for Chuckie!

Aunt Roufia.

Auntie Jeanne!

I am so grateful for lovely friends and family. I also dearly missed those who couldn't make it to the fiesta; I was certainly thinking of you!

Tori and Brookie ☺.

MB and me!

Ms. Kathy!

Me and my step-mama!

Friend Jenny {who has great taste in make-up!} =)

I won't lie, opening gifts is always fun; we were certainly showered in love this day and are super thankful. If you know me, though, I can be kind of shy and wouldn't normally put up pictures of gifties but I want so badly to remember this day and all of the joy and fun leading up to our special day. Please don't mind the horsey faces that I'm apparently really good at making.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

Not my most flattering moment but my grammy gave me a lovely and warm blanket with my new initials on it...and I covet blankies - she knows me well ♥.

He makes an appearance again.

  

We greatly enjoyed one of the hounds, Sausage, during the unwrapping.

Sausage didn't seem to mind the attention either.

 I adore my first bouquet...and many ribbons were cut to make that thing ;) {thanks Brookie & Brit!}

  

More Sausage!

I loved everything I got; I kind of wished we had done one of those "couples" showers so that Mike could get in on all of this fun stuff, but he had his own situation {to be blogged about tomorrow or Thursday} that kept him busy.
At the end of it all, I got to cut my cake {delish red velvet}. 

 

We're not really having cake at the actual wedding so this was exciting for me, although I didn't have a cute face to smash it into!

What a great day; I love being loved!

Thank you so much to everyone there physically and in spirit; I love you all ♥!
xoxo, natty ♥