Advice from my Sister-in-law...

I called my brother this morning... With the time difference, it was lunchtime on the farm. Everyone was inside and clamoring for food and drinks, juice and sippy cups, and and and... But I got to have a great conversation with my brother. We spoke for almost thirty minutes before he passed the phone off to my sister-in-law.

And this is what I took away from the conversation, even though as Mommy to four and one on the way, she has only a few minutes to spare as she is powering through the lunchtime rush...

1.) When I asked when the exhaustion would end... She laughed and said in about 18 or 20 years... she said to just push through as best as I can and get things done.

2.) When I told her about not being able to handle the smell of meat... she said I was just going to have to get over it at some point, since with the next one I would still have to cook the meals and feed them anyway.

And we talked about other practical things like little kids and spilling on floors and cleaning hard wood versus pergo or tile... And so I have lots of food for thought about putting reclaimed wood in the kitchen and entryway... Might give more consideration to the tile that will be in the bathrooms after all...

You know the woman truly is incredible when she can juggle four little ones, feed a hungry farmer, and still impart great wisdom and needed advice in under five minutes. Seriously, she is the best and I am very, VERY, lucky to have her in my life... (Even when it is only five minutes at a time...)



Note: That is my youngest niece *helping* in the kitchen... (Yet another example of how awesome my sister-in-law is...)

Color me Happy...

Okay... I know that we are moving to Pleasantville... But it cracks me up to no end to see that our house could have come right off the set of Swingtown...

Seriously...1951 meets 1975 and toss in a bunch of 200 year old oak trees and you have our house.

Yesterday we signed our lives away... Well... the next thirty years of our lives... And I have never been happier to be connected to another person. And by such a beautiful house that we will be able to make into our very first HOME together. Yup. THRILLING!!!!

The afternoon was spent washing walls at the apartment with breaks spent buried in mountains of paint chips. It is difficult to pick which way to go. Soft and spa-like, bold and graphic, or bright and colorful. The only thing that I am sure of, is that when I am done, it will look like it is ready to be gracing the pages of House Beautiful.

And so that you all can see just how close our new house does look like Swingtown, I am including this quickie clip from the behind the scenes of the show. Enjoy!

Hmmm...

Your Inner Color is Green

Your Personality: You are a high acheiver who is very competitive. You're bound to reach your goals, no matter how lofty. You in Love: Picky with high standards, it's hard to find your match. You need someone as driven as you are! Your Career: You need a high profile, challenging career to satisfy you. Consider finance, sales, or running your own company.

What's Your Inner Color?

How did you rate?

76 As a 1930s wife, I am Very Superior Take the test!

My sister-in-law got 100%... Of course. But she is super-woman...

(Though, I laughed when I read the question about placing cold feet on husband... Who doesn't do that? I am sure that is where I got mostly marked down... That, and I do not yet have children I can fairly solve squabbles for...)

They even have the test for husbands...

So...

How did you score?

Just Married!

Dear Friends;

The Boyfriend and I tied the knot!

We were married in San Francisco on June 12th. At 12pm. It was truly an auspicious day!

We did not plan what we were going to wear. (The day before I tried on most of what I brought up here with me, and nothing thrilled me. Having left 40' of clothes hanging in my closet down south, I was a little bummed, but not overly so.) We figured that we would go casual with flip flops and Hawaiian shirts...

The night before the *big day* I dreamed in black and white. I had on a classic black sheath dress that always makes me think of Breakfast at Tiffany's, The Boyfriend had on a traditional black suit and tie. It was a wonderful dream. It was filled with romance and adventure and I felt as if Bogart and Bacall were going to step into it at any moment. When I woke up, I was so convinced that this was the dress I was going to wear that I leaped out of bed and wiggled into it. (And that is how The Boyfriend woke up...) And being the good sport that he is, he donned his black suit, crisp white dress shirt and added a white silk tie. He looked exactly how I had dreamed. (And so did I. I felt so beautiful and timeless. A pair of black patent leather pumps and a faux tiger striped swing coat and my Nona's gold bracelet were the finishing touches.) We looked as if we really were in an old black and white movie from the 50's...


I made us traditional breakfast, and we hopped into the car for the drive into the City.

I was very surprised to see City Hall. I had no idea that it was so beautiful! Or so gigantic! (The Boyfriend laughed and said that he thought that I had planned it, that he thought I knew that it was that cool... Really, I had no clue.) It is more beautiful than many of the Cathedrals that I have seen and is truly awe inspiring. What a great place to get married!






With plenty of time to spare, we found the room for marriages and marriage licenses. There were so many happy couples waiting for their turn to become legally bound. It was fantastic! From young to old, formally dressed in full wedding gowns to jeans and shorts, they were all there. (Some were very, very old, and some were very, very pregnant...) There was even a whole Asian family there with a *film crew* that took videos and snapped photos of every single second while the Bride and Groom looked as if they had been plucked off the top of a wedding cake and Papa held the bright pink purses with pride...

We applied for the license and then took a break to sit on the grand staircase and wait for noon when it would be our turn.


Two beautiful ladies were our witnesses. (They had happily answered my call for help, and I am so thankful that they did. It made the day so much more than I had thought... And having such wonderful women there really bolstered me in a way I had not imagined.) And our Judge was exactly as I had envisioned. He was elderly, as if he had sat on the bench long before we were both born, and had married countless couples over too many days to count. He wore the traditional black judge's robes, and had a great voice that carried well in the rotunda where we officially became husband and wife.


The ceremony was short and sweet. Quite to the point. No special vows, no rings exchanged, just the same *I do* that so many thousands have said before us. (It was rather reassuring... I mean, if you are going to do something traditional like get married in the first place, why not really go all the way with it...) We held hands, and I did not cry. Almost... But I held it together. And The Boyfriend looked so proud and happy. It was perfect. And then faster than a 90 second quickie, it was done. And we kissed twice because we are in California. Once for real and once for the camera. (Though happily all of the snapshots came out grainy and blurry. Which is what I had wanted. To be able to remember the day the way our hearts saw it.)




I gave my new Husband, my Beloved best friend, a small little box that contained 12 shiny new pennies in it as a wedding present. (You remember when we were little and the world had so much magic and wonder in it? When we used to toss pennies into fountains and wells so that our heart's desire, our wishes would come true? Somehow, this remarkable man has managed to grant every wish I have wished. So much so, that I have nothing left to wish for. So I gave him the rest of my wishes... I don't need them anymore. I have long been happy with myself, but now I am content. And while I know that we must each find our own contentment, and that pennies may only be pennies, there is still something that inspires the magic of life when I am with him.)


Afterwards, we stepped out of City Hall, our hands clasped and giggling like the whole world was ahead of us... (Because it was... It is... And I love that.)

We strolled down the street looking for a place to get a drink. (The weather was hot and sunny, and for the City, that is saying something...) I played in a fountain, but my Beloved would not take his shoes off to join me... And then we had iced tea and a white frosted, rainbow sprinkled donut! (What a great wedding cake! It was the best donut I have ever eaten, it was confectionery heaven.)


As we walked back to the car, we came to a flea market. Something in one of the stalls blinked out shiny and I had to go see... It was from the sparkle of rings... Winking and blinking in the light. We laughed and I tried one on... And it fits, we'll need to size it a little later, but it does not fall off, which never happens with my super skinny fingers...








And that is how I ended up with a ring that looks like it came from Harry Winston... On our wedding day... Where for the first time in my life, I planned nothing, expected nothing, stressed over nothing, worried about nothing, and came away with everything. And more.


Later on, after we had changed into shorts and flip flops, we went to our little Italian restaurant that we love so much, and had a lovely dinner and tiramisu... It was the perfect ending for the perfect day... (And the night I am keeping to myself. After all... Not everything gets Blogged...)