sunday

good sunday.

a hot cup of jasmine tea.

and the ny times modern love column.

blissful. and one of my favorite ways to start the day.

swim

i have a sickness. i keep buying j.crew swimwear like that's all i'm going to wear in mexico.





so pretty. and i'll vouch for the way they fit. with j.crew it doesn't matter that i'm flat on top and curvier on bottom. eep!

shoulder

so, i LOVE this top:



i want. i need. i have to have her.

capella

we got it!

our wedding ceremony will be here.

and i am SO ecstatic about it.

[happy]

earll

the bf made an offer to rent a home in scottsdale.

and we got it!

so...as if i didn't have enough to do, we are also moving.

here:



built in the sixties. remodeled with a modern aesthetic. three bedroom. three bath. pool + spa. what's not to love about it?

i hope we get to move in real soon.

turkey

i bought this last night:



deliciousness!

on another note, the bf picked up groceries the other night. i was nervous because i like certain foods and certain brands. i told him we needed zucchini, squash, tomatoes, special k, and...healthy choice frozen entrees (i've started to bring these to work and find that they work really well, even if nutritionally and tastefully unsatisfying. i like pizza, butternut squash ravioli, and the new asian-style steamers they make. but the bf, well, he picked out honey ginger chicken, marsala penne, and turkey medallions. turkey medallions? who buys those frozen food-style?

i laughed.

and brought it to work for lunch on tuesday. as luck would have it, i went out to lunch that day. on wednesday, i went to the lunch room freezer to pull out the turkey medallions.

and you will never guess.

it was gone! nowhere to be found. someone had stolen my healthy choice turkey medallions. and ate it for lunch.

i almost cried i laughed so hard.

5

today i was ranting and raving as i left work...

drove 10 minutes to this place.

my friend s was waiting with open arms and a glass of wine. sigh.

a sip of tempranillo later, i was feeling much more relaxed.

after bruschetta with mascarpone, figs, proscuitto, and tomato jam, i was certainly there.

good girl chat night. i need those more often.

rent

so we're looking at homes to rent in scottsdale/phoenix.

sigh. what a nightmare.

we've been looking and looking - mostly sporadically. in spurts. we'll get really excited about a property and something will happen. and we will miss the opportunity. we found one magical place that had everything we ever wanted: pool, garage, modern. we made an offer. no go. why? because the owners wanted to see if it would sell before committing to a lease option. then why give that as an option in the first place?!

then we found another place that fit the bill. not exactly but close enough. it was all white. it was built in the seventies. we're talking lucite handles in the kitchen seventies. but still, we made an offer ($150 less than the asking price per month). the owners countered. with what? the asking price. wtf?

last thursday i found something in a great location. it has a pool. no garage. built in the sixties but 90% remodeled. i sent an email inquiry, and we haven't heard back yet. are there any real estate agents who want to work in this town? we're crossing our fingers on this one though. third time's the charm, right?

right?! oh dear lord let's hope so.

elum

sorry to be so wedding-focused but i ordered our invitations today!

i am SO happy about that.

another thing checked off our list!

in the shop today, we picked out the suite, colors, and language. i am absolutely giddy about what we chose. you see, i'm a paper freak. like, freak. i'm the girl that could spend hours just feeling paper. touching letterpress. choosing colors. matching envelopes. sigh. so lovely.

anyway, it's all set. we still have to nail down details (oh, like resort and time) but i'm not worried.

white letterpressed invitations with black ink. the hot pink? a super slim ribbon to tie it all together. like, wow.

and the stamps?

i'm considering:




a little andy warhol. a little bit fun. and a lot of personality. it's too much!

cinderella

is it just me or are these the most beautiful shoes?

for our wedding?



black. white. pink. my dream wedding colors. i'm working hard to make that come true. i just want to make sure that the shoe will work and not be obnoxious. i'm worried the hot pink is too, well, hot. it's a $300 gamble i don't know if i'm willing to make.

kate spade. drool.

regency

i walked into target tonight to pick up my allergy medication (see previous post).

while waiting for my rx to fill, i strolled the aisles.

i usually turn down the trend section and glimpse, but this time:









hollywood regency at target? adore.

ent

my nose.

has been killing me lately. i don't know if it's the change in season or wind blowing or what.

but my nose just keeps running. running. running.

i can't sleep. i can't stay still. i can't breathe. i am super uncomfortable.

and yet. i'm not sick. just delicious allergies striking again.

i am a lifelong sufferer of allergies. all kinds. pollen. pet dander. dust. mold. all the things that are super difficult to control. i have purchased air purifiers. humidifiers. allergen-blocking pillow cases. mattress covers.

i take nasonex in the morning. astelin at night.

argh. stupid nose.

valleyho

sorry so long since i last wrote.

i've been caught up with life. but we all know that's not a good excuse.

this past weekend some friends from chicago came for an impromptu visit.

i love having people over. i think i will love having people over more when we move into a house.

when the boys went to play golf on saturday, the girls got to go here:



bliss. if i could offer any advice for wedding planning, it would be to schedule spa visits. at least monthly.

sigh.

dinnerware

so i really like this whole idea of registering:




i know the two dinnerware sets above are similar - i'm just having a hard time deciding. the portmeirion set can only be found in the uk, but the eva zeisel is expensive. what to do..what to do...

the bf is no help. surprise. :)

2010

happy new year!

i am so ready to put 2009 away.

i think 2010 will be a very good year.

good thoughts. good cheers. good love.