These photos make me desperate to back on my honeymoon with Christian. Days floating on the waves and laying by the pool – with not a care in the world. Sigh, summer can’t come soon enough.

So while I enjoy a month of gaining back each one of the pounds I lost prior to the wedding (gingerbread cookies, cough, rum cake, cough), here are a few of my favorite things this month:

Big Bang Theory. I cannot get enough of Sheldon, there has never been a better played TV character. Swoon.

Bio Oil. Mix a few drops in with your lotion and voila moisturized skin.

Barefoot Contessa Chocolate Chip Cookies. Crispy, salty, chewy goodness.

Living Room Bootcamp. A solid workout without having to head to the gym. Particularly helpful on days like today when it’s 9 degrees outside. Brrr.

Dreyer’s Peppermint Ice Cream. Something about those crunchy little peppermint chunks gets me every time. Every Christmas my family would order a bucket of peppermint ice cream from the Schwan man, and each evening we would get a precious scoop of creamy goodness. Each bowl is chalk full of memories.

Twinkle Lights Everywhere. I love the way they can make even a simple tree or a boring staircase feel magical. I wish they could be around all year long.

*photo credit

What are your favorite things this time of year?

I’m getting married today. To the man that I love. To this man:

I get this feeling inside. This warm, overarching feeling. A feeling that tells me you’re right, that we’re right – wrapping and intertwining itself around me. My day is spent with sudden longings for you, remembrances of moments and an excitement that reaches my toes. You’re it for me. I love you and there are days when it’s so overwhelming I can’t even put it into words. I want you for forever, for eternity. I want to grow with you, know you deeper than I ever thought I would and love you more than we thought possible.

To the rest of my life? Yes, please! Hooray!

*Image by: All Things Homie

As you can imagine things have been hectic. Somedays I feel like a crazy person running around while other days I’m totally nonchalant as in “This wedding that’s quickly approaching? No, of course it doesn’t phase me”. I’d say you’d have a 50/50 chance on who will show up on any given day. We’re also house hunting because who doesn’t love a little added chaos? I know that I sure do. We actually wrote a contract and made an offer on one so keep your fingers crossed.

Charles doesn’t know what to make of the situation, though I’m pretty sure he’s excited to have a Father. Jacqui’s response when I told her about our engagement was “Oh good, Charles won’t be a bastard anymore”… so clearly it’s something that’s been heavily weighing on him.

I promise to give more updates soon… I’ve been so brief and there’s so much going on!

As a little kid I’d grab my seat in the plane and plaster my face against the window pausing only occasionally to order a soda or accept the peanuts my parents handed me. Looking out, over the miles and miles of earth I never could grasp how they got all those tiny little squares and the perfect circles of green to show up.

Years later, each time I land in  a window seat I find myself doing the same thing. Watching. Only now it’s not so much about the squares and the circles, it’s about where the small car is going, what the family that lives in that tiny white house is having for breakfast, what it’s like to be surrounded by nothing but open space. I’m curious about the people, the life, the rituals.

On a trip to Indiana a few weeks ago – shortly after 90% of the country had been pounded with an absurd amount of snow, I got the pleasure of seeing it from above, seeing the squares and circles coated in the pristine… hoping that the inhabitants were all at home, cozied in front of the fire sipping cocoa and snuggled in.

Have a glass of wine, get a smooch from your love, giggle with your girlfriends, eat Hershey’s kisses and most of all smile. Happy Valentine’s Day.

*Image by MissusDPaperie’s shop

Last night it dawned on me, in the midst of my “I hate winter and three-hour commutes” anxiety, that there is one true thing about winter that I adore. And, that my friends is cold water. You don’t have to let the sink run for 17 minutes before the water turns cool enough to drink, you don’t have to add ice to chill it down, you don’t have to keep a pitcher in the fridge to support your endless cold water addiction.

No, you simply turn the faucet and the glory of cold, cold water comes out. That is, clearly, what it’s all about.

*Image by JTHammond

“There is a legend about a bird which sings just once in its life, more sweetly than any other creature on the face of the earth. From the moment it leaves the nest it searches for a thorn tree, and does not rest until it has found one. Then, singing among the savage branches, it impales itself upon the longest, sharpest spine. And, dying, it rises above its own agony to out carol the lark and the nightingale. One superlative song, existence the price. But the whole world stills to listen, and God in His heaven smiles. For the best is only bought at the cost of great pain… Or so says the legend.”

— Colleen McCullough (The Thorn Birds)

The Christmas season came and went last year without it actually ever feeling like Christmas. I had a hard time “getting into the season”. Christmas is my very favorite holiday (well that and Thanksgiving), so I’m taking every precaution to make sure I find myself full of holiday cheer from the beginning. I decorated my office with peppermint twinkle lights, a mini tree, window clings and a festive candle. I hung stockings, wreaths, snowflakes… and decorated all the side tables in my house. I did this all yesterday. A full week and a half before Thanksgiving – the official date for when Christmas decorations become acceptable. I say screw it, who made up those silly guidelines anyways?

I’ve also bought tickets to not one, but two Christmas concerts… Christmas at the Ranch in early December and then Trans Siberian Orchestra a few days before the actual holiday. I also heard rumors of caroling. I can’t sing, but hey, whatever it takes – holiday music has to put me in the mood, right?

In addition to all of that, Christian and I adopted two Angel Tree Kids — giving is good for the soul and DEFINITELY in the Christmas spirit.

Now I’m left with presents. You have to figure that starting this early will give me plenty of time to come up with good ideas, really immerse myself in Christmas giving and build the excitement for the coming month. Right? Right?

I’ll keep you posted, but this is my plan of attack for now. If you can think of anything else I’m open to suggestions.

*Photo Credit: Makumbura

After a delicious burrito lunch and a stroll through Old Town we made our way over to New Belgium for a tour. If you’ve never taken the New Belgium tour it is something you MUST add to your to do list. I’ll give you a mini-sneak peak of the awesomeness:

You start your tour by the big red arrow and the girl in the yellow shirt that looks a little creepy:

They give you tons of beer samples — I had to pass mine off after a while:

Then tons of cool things all over the place, like the rings hanging from ceiling in brew house 2, a twisty slide, postcards you can send for free, and all kinds of wall art and sayings just to make you feel inspired:

We got a “private” tasting at the end:

Before heading over to the bar for our final sample:

It was great… and makes me miss Fort Collins even more! Try it out, I promise you won’t be disappointed!