home sweet home, at last

Remember the mold house? Of course you do...

When we didn't get our "dream house" BW and I were devastated. So thanks to all of you who offered to "light the yard on fire", "fill the lawn with old toilets", and of course "release a rabid raccoon into the crawl space." Your outpouring of vandalism love made us realize how wonderful our friends are (as if we didn't already know.) The good news is, you can put away the lighter fluid, ditch the toilets and call animal control, your "help" won't be necessary. Because.....

WE GOT THE HOUSE!!!

That's right. The initial offer fell through. We placed an offer. Which turned in to multiple offers, a.k.a. a bidding war. Which as far as I'm convinced is one of the most terrifying/stressful things that exists in this world. I mean come on, bidding war. Is it really necessary to call it that? The stress led me to start pulling out chunks of hair creating a small bald spot on the left side of my head (I'm only sort-of kidding.) The worst part is, I was LESS stressed than BW. He was a wreck. We submitted an offer and waited. And waited. And waited. Then we got the call.. it's ours! The best wedding gift we could have received. We close next month, post-honeymoon. I cannot wait to share pictures!

Disclaimer: no landscape, toilets or raccoons were harmed as a result of this post.

giving tree

Although the holidays have come and gone, I thought I would share this idea for an easy DIY hostess gift that can really be given during any time of the year. I whipped these up as a hostess gift for a wedding shower we had in early December, but like mentioned, who wouldn't want to receive no matter the time of year? I used a rosemary tree, but during the warmer months you could swap rosemary for basil or another herb.

{ what you'll need }

• 1 potted herb


• burlap


• ribbon


• gift tags


• upholstery "t" pins


• scissors

If your plant is wrapped in paper, use your scissors to trim the paper to the top of the pot. I did not want to remove it completely, because I did not want any moisture to soak through to the burlap.

Cut a square of burlap large enough to wrap around the pot.

Wrap burlap around pot and push the upholstery pins in to the soil to secure the burlap. This is crucial to make the burlap look pretty! Without the pins it just ended up looking like a big wadded mess.

Secure with a ribbon and personalized tag and voila! What I love most about this gift is it's something the receiver can use - it looks perfect sitting on a windowsill and they can pinch off a little bit and toss in to their cooking. You could even include a delicious recipe using the herb.

spring reading list

During school, the required reading was one of the things I dreaded the most. Which is a shame because I absolutely love to read. Since my high school days are LONG gone, I can read whatever I choose. A perk of being a "grown up." Here are a few of my recent faves which come highly recommended.

THE HELP by KATHRYN STOCKETT: Usually all it takes is a lot of hype about a book to make me NOT want to read it. But I'm glad that didn't stop me from reading The Help. It's a quick, feel-good read. It made me cry. It made me smile. It made me want to share with every reader I know. Seriously, do yourself a favor and read this book. I STILL have not seen the movie...

CATCHING FIRE by SUZANNE COLLINS: Another big hype, book-to-movie. BW and I started the first book of the series, The Hunger Games, on tape during a road trip and I was hooked. I whipped through the first book in no time at all and I had to wait until I had some uninterrupted beach time this past summer to dive into the other two. While I love the books, I have one major problem... I don't love the main character, Katniss. I'm I the only one? That's my only complaint and it didn't stop me from reading the books. It won't stop me from seeing the movie. I love Jennifer Lawrence, so hopefully she'll change my mind about Katniss.

MOCKINGJAY by SUZANNE COLLINS: Book numero tres in The Hunger Games series. Check. (Full disclosure: it wasn't until months after finishing the second book that I finished the third. Wedding planning took over reading time.)

MEDIUM RAW by ANTHONY BOURDAIN: This was a Christmas gift (last year) from BW and I'm a little embarrassed that it took me so long to actually finish it. I absolutely love Anthony Bourdain. Sure he can be a little crude, but that's waht I love about him. And I'm sure we would be fast friends. Maybe it's our shared hatred of Rachael Ray (my heart breaks a little every time I hear her say "EVOO" or "sammie".) His wit, sarcasm and passion for food is evident with the turn of every page.

BOSSYPANTS by TINA FEY: I love Tina Fey/want to be bff with Tina Fey. My real-life bff gave me this audiobook. And yes, I probably terrified other drivers while laughing hysterically in my car. By myself. If you've ever almost peed your pants while watching 30 Rock or ACTUALLY peed your pants while watching 30 Rock  (this has never happened to me. I'm just saying...) or even if you just appreciate good, dry humor, Tina's your gal.

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO by STIEG LARSSON: Another book to movie. Are you seeing the trend? I'm currently reading this one right now. Borrowed from a co-worker (whose sweet father had given to her complete with a post-it note that read "Read this one first." Gotta' love dads.) It sat on my beside table for months and since I told BW I would not see the movie until I'd read the book, I had to jump to it. Very dark, but oh-so-good!

naan of your business

I've posted about my love for the Target brand Archer Farms before (here) and now they have a new product to love. Naan. Homemade pizza is a staple in our house. Usually we buy the fresh dough from Trader Joe's, but this product makes homemade pizza even easier. Naan is an Indian bread. The Archer Farms naan comes two to a pack and it's the perfect pre-made pizza crust.

pretty paper

You remember Sam, right?! I've mentioned her here and here. Anyway, we work together. Her desk is just right across the room. We laugh work really hard all day. I've come to rely on her heavily before making major decisions i.e. whether or not she condones using your lunch break to get a spray tan (She does. Fully.) and whether or not I should order another pair of shoes off Gilt (I should.) and of course whether or not we need snacks from the fourth floor vending machine (We do.) But one of the biggest perks of being Sam's friend (besides all of the things I've mentioned already) is that she's a fab graphic designer. I mean, the girl is good.

It has been an absolute blessing to have her help my with my save the dates, wedding invites, programs and other countless wedding must-haves. I don't really remember if I asked or if she offered, but that's beyond the point, water under the bridge, yadda yadda. Side note: if she did offer, there might have been a time or two she regretted offering! Either way, I could not have been more thrilled with everything she designed. So, here is just a peek at her lovely invites and save the dates.

To read Sam's blog, click here. Also, if you happen to be looking for a designer...she comes HIGHLY recommended!