Happy weekend!

Friends, what are you up to this weekend? We arrived yesterday in Houston and have already been super-busy driving around to look at townhouses, buying up everything Target sells, (window) shopping for furniture, and hitting up our favorite restaurants. This weekend promises more of the same. Tonight I'm taking CM to Hearsay for the first time. We'll sit at the bar drinking cocktails and snacking on small plates. And talking about how CRAZY it is to be back in Houston!

A few links for your weekend:

Today at Crate & Barrel I especially loved this couch and this bed. What do you think?

We bought a Tempurpedic mattress today—I could not be more excited, except that we don't have a bed or a house to put it in yet! Thankfully, we got to take home these fantastic pillows in the meantime. They actually feel cold to the touch! Bliss indeed.

I'm loving this new treasure trove of recipes. Those peaches look amazing, don't they?

Ladies, do you subscribe to the Shopafrolic daily emails? You should. Trust me.

This is what I'll be having for cocktail hour tonight. SO delicious.


Here's a silly picture from our wedding reception that I love. More to come very soon...

Hope your weekend is filled with blue skies, lazy mornings, and some good old-fashioned economy stimulating. xoxo LMB

Becca & Craig • May 27, 2006

 

On what date did you get married?

May 27, 2006

What do you remember most from your wedding?

It was our happiest day to date. The entire day couldn't have been more perfect—the ceremony, the party, and especially the people. We were overwhelmed by the love and support that surrounded us and were so grateful for everyone who traveled from all corners of the country to be with us. It was amazing to have so many people from so many different parts of our lives gather together in one place. 

Specific memories— We both remember the first time we saw each other that day. Becca remembers the desserts at the reception. Craig remembers the music at the ceremony. Becca remembers how hot it was standing in an unairconditioned church in Philadelphia—Craig doesn't recall this as vividly. Craig remembers Becca falling while dancing the "Cotton Eye Joe"—consequently, she limped her way through the honeymoon. Becca remembers the ice cream cones that were served to cleanse the palate between dinner courses. Craig remembers how hard it was to collect all of the family in one place to take pictures. We both remember our first dance. Craig remembers how happy Becca and her father were during their dance. We both remember the toasts with great fondness. More than anything, we both remember feeling very lucky, grateful, and humbled by the day's events that have continued to provide happy memories.

What's your advice for building a happy and fulfilling marriage?

Communicate. Share as many dinners together as possible. Find out who does which chores better and stick to that plan. When in doubt, try to laugh. Learn from other happily married couples. When one member of the team is down, it's the other's turn to rally.

Anything you know now that you wish you had known when you got married?

Hm m m m m . . . . . . . we can't imagine having all “the answers” without learning things along the way together. To discover these unknowns together is one of the greatest parts of being married. I don't think either of us would want it any other way. 

 
  

Elisha & Thomas • February 13, 2000

On what day were you married?

February 13, 2000 

What do you remember most from your wedding?

We got married in Central Park. It was stunningly beautiful, very cold and outrageous.

What is your advice for a happy and fulfilling marriage?

This is a very hard question to answer!  That being said, here are a few things that have served us well: Learn how to communicate with each other; remember what's important and matters to you both, individually and as a couple...it tempers the daily grind and can help provide perspective and focus; nurture the relationship and each other; laugh together, often!; build happiness; and work to love, respect, and take care of each other every day.


Anything you know now that you wish you had known when you got married?
This one stumped us both, which I suppose could be taken to mean that there's nothing anyone can tell a person that might properly inform them about marriage beforehand. ;)

 

Alison & Keir • October 27, 2001

While we're away on honeymoon (and moving back to Texas), I've scheduled a series of posts about happy marriages I know, the ones that inspire me and give me hope. You can read them all here.

On what date did you get married?
October 27, 2001


What do you remember most from your wedding? 
Keir: Apart from how beautiful Alison was, I remember being surprised at how nervous I was right as the ceremony began! After how many hundreds of live performances on stage, I was really nervous all of sudden!

Alison: What I remember most about our wedding day was the car ride from the church to the reception. It was just us, and a precious few minutes where we just sort of basked in the magnitude of what had just happened. That and the dramatic reading of "Love is patient, love is kind" by actor/singer friend Erik Lautier. It was....highly contrasting. Oh, and the Widor Toccata to end the service. I still tear up when I hear it.


What’s your advice for building a happy and fulfilling marriage?
Keir: It's cliché to say, but open lines of communication are extremely important. I also think it's really important for each person to maintain some facet of life that is individual and independent. We are very much a team, but we each still do a few things that are our own, and I think that is good for both of us' mental health and well being.

Alison: A few things come to mind, some are quite cliché, but ring true to me.
1. Treat "love" as a verb.
2. Be kind.
3. That whole bit about not falling asleep angry is a load of horsesh*t. Sometimes you just need to call it a night, sleep on it, and chances are it won't seem so bad the next day.
4. Accept that you will change and your partner will change. Life will take you in all sorts of directions you don't expect, and that's okay as long as you keep your relationship to each other front and center.

Anything you know now that you wish you had known when you got married?
Keir: I wish I had been more aware of the way external stresses, particularly work, can make married life challenging sometimes. I guess I thought work is work, and home is home, but they really do affect one another.

Alison: That relationship dynamics adjust to keep things in balance. As in, both partners can't be: freaking out, depressed, wildly happy, whatever extreme emotion you want, at the same time. The other partner will naturally somewhat counterbalance the extreme. It is important to not take this personally or as a sign of trouble. It is a survival mechanism to help you weather the rough patches of life while still attending to everyday business. Just remember to stay connected, supportive, and loving during the tough times—it will all even out in the end.

Happy Weekend!

Hello, dear readers! Are you still here? We got home last night from our honeymoon, and despite it being the most relaxing vacation on record, we're exhausted! It's almost noon, and we're still lounging in bed with our extremely happy cat, catching up on emails and all things internet. Tonight we're going to a Harry Potter double feature (NOT dubbed in German)! I can't wait to fill you in on the details of our wedding, which actually DID turn out to be the happiest day of my life so far, and our fabulous Italian honeymoon. However, I think it's going to have to wait. We leave Europe in exactly FIVE days, and there's so much to be done before we go! I hope you've been enjoying the happy marriage posts, because I have more coming next week.


In the meantime, some links:

While we were in Tuscany, I got inspired to read some Frances Mayes. I'd read Under the Tuscan Sun a long time ago, so this time I started with Bella Tuscany: The Sweet Life in Italy, and now I'm completely hooked! I absolutely adored Every Day in Tuscany: Seasons of an Italian Life (written 20 years after buying the house!), and now I've bought A Year in the World: Journeys of A Passionate Traveller, and I'm trying to ration it out so it lasts. She's such a beautiful and evocative writer. Read her books, and you'll feel like YOU just got home from a honeymoon in Tuscany

Somehow, after 10 days in Italy, we STILL haven't had enough pasta. I'm not sure I could ever get tired of Italian food.  This may not be authentically Italian, but I want some tonight.

The latest series on A Cup of Jo, on juggling work and motherhood, makes for some fascinating and inspiring reading.

These look like the perfect cocktail hour snack. I think I would pair it with a Negroni, while feeling nostalgic for pecorino al forno con miele in the Piazza del Popolo in Montalcino. Sigh.

I've unsubscribed from all the wedding blogs, and feel like replacing them with some design and nesting blogs. Any suggestions of good ones?


We were overjoyed to find a package from Pink Pixel with our wedding photos in the mailbox when we got home last night. I'm looking forward to sharing all my favorites with you, but for now...

Hope your weekend is filled with laughter, reminiscing, and empty to-do lists. xoxo LMB