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I snapped these photos of our living room last weekend, before our friends came over. We receive so much natural light, even on overcast days. I've decided that one can never have too many windows.

The sun is shining bright this Saturday, warming the wood floors and doing good for our souls.  We are staying home. Fresh coffee, music, laundry, and maybe some homemade dinner... weekends are well worth the wait.

Sugar cookie bakin'

Since we are not traveling home for the holidays this year, it is crucial that we have a stockpile of homemade Christmas cookies in our apartment! On Sunday afternoon, Josh and I embarked on our first-ever sugar cookie adventure.

It was my first time rolling out this dough (this trick worked beautifully), and we had fun cutting out the shapes!  

We used the recipe that my mom makes every year, the one that always turns out buttery-soft with a hint of almond. Even though I forgot to buy cream of tartar (whoops!), they still look and taste like the Christmas cookies I remember.

What is your favorite Christmas cookie?

Back to my roots

My childhood best friend got married this weekend! I flew home to North Carolina and had the honor of standing up as one of her bridesmaids. I can't wait to share the official photographs later on! Her wedding was gorgeous, and the reception was so much fun!

I stayed with my family for the weekend, sleeping in a twin bed in my old bedroom. I'm not going to lie... it felt a little surreal! Despite the busyness of the rehearsal and the wedding day, I was able to sing at my home church on Sunday and spend a quiet afternoon with my parents and younger siblings. It was fun, it was restful, and it was restorative.

I was able to revisit who I was and who I am. I spent the majority of my adolescence attending that church and school, growing up in that house, living amongst those faces. Although Josh and I spent the first few years of our dating relationship in North Carolina, that season now feels distant. Chicago is an entirely different world. I love it here and I thrive here, but I cannot sever my identity from the places I have been, the places where my spiritual mind was developed, my heart stolen, enduring friendships made. North Carolina holds my affections in an irreplaceable way.

I have to admit, though... at the end of the weekend, when I looked out the airplane window and beheld the Chicago skyline glittering in the sun, my heart leapt and I smiled. I was almost home.

It's home

Good morning, friends.  Did any of you want to stay in bed when the alarm went off?  You better believe it.  Josh and I hardly ever get up at the first alarm.  We wake up just enough to silence the vibrating cell phones and we hold each other for awhile.  Marriage is nice.

I haven't done much to decorate our bedroom yet.  There's something about the simplicity that I like, that I haven't wanted to change, despite having had 10 months of marriage to do so.  The linens are white and clean.  The space is unpretentious.  The empty, white walls allow the morning light to soften the room all the better.

One of these days I'll spruce it up, probably after obsessively perusing Pinterest for inspiration.  But for now, I like it the way it is.  It's home.

In the kitchen

Our kitchen is small, but oh-so-large in character.  Where else can you find mint green, enamel cabinets with glass handles?  I'm trying to spend more time in here, slowly but surely expanding my horizons by experimenting with these new, not-too-hard recipes:

1. scrambled eggs with fresh ricotta and chives
2. crock pot sante fe chicken
3. turkey stuffed bell peppers
4. easy parmesan chicken
5. baked shells with sausage, spinach, and ricotta cheese
   

(That is an old ice box... for real!)  Have you had any Pinterest success stories recently?

Home

Our apartment building is very old.

Every so often, I step onto our back stairwell to admire the exposed brick and the chipping paint, all aged to perfection by years of harsh, Chicagoan weather.

We won't live here forever, but I'll always remember this place fondly, our first little home in Chicagoland as husband and wife.

Blogging to remember.

Have you ever wandered back to your older blog entries?  I read the text and gaze at the photographs, and I remember.  This virtual journal is protecting my otherwise undistinguished memories from slipping away.  That quiet weekend, that sweet storefront, that afternoon coffee with a friend.  Without words, I am prone to forget.  Without photography, those unsung moments begin to lose their color.

A forgotten snow day.

An amazing cup of coffee.

 

Memories of home (and my first ever blog post... yikes!).

Blossoming love for this city.

What do you blog to remember?

I like these.

hot chocolate during 40° weather

patterned accent pillows from World Market

the textures of our eighty-year-old apartment building

What do you like today, friends?

everyday scenes of...

a bouquet: lovely and fading

a cold remedy: black tea with lemon and cayenne pepper

a newfound love: golden cherry tomatoes

a new read: inspired by all the buzz in the blogosphere

Sibs

Despite that we constantly argued over silly things...

Despite how often we took turns embarrassing each other in public...

I miss the good ol' days.

Home Sweet Home

We have been married nearly two months, and our little apartment has come a long way!

Our innovative "dresser."

Our retro-looking bathroom.

A sunny view.

Our living room/dining room/office.  Still a few pictures resting in the corner, waiting for a home!

A souvenir from our honeymoon in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

We are very blessed.

Green (and I'm back!)

Blogger still refuses to upload my photos, but I eventually had success with Photobucket.  Here is the post which is long overdue!

As you may remember, I went home to North Carolina for eight days.  In the midst of the doctor's appointments, wedding planning, and church events, my family celebrated a birthday!  My sister, Grace, was born on St. Patrick's Day, and this year, she turned nineteen.

 Ain't she purdy?  Grace has always enjoyed wearing green accessories on her birthday, and each year, she never fails to request a mocha chocolate chip cheesecake.  Some things are too perfect to change.

Though my sister and I fought during the growing-up years, we have now become close friends.  We enjoy shopping, giggling, eating cookies, being silly, and watching nerdy TV shows.  And here's a fun fact: her bestest, best friend is the younger sister of Josh, my fiance!

I miss you, Grace!

Snow Day

It snowed in coastal North Carolina today!

The afternoon has been quiet and restful.  Naps, laundry, eating leftovers, packing, and intense Wii playing.

My sisters built this cute snowman named Fritz.  His eyes are now oozing green dye, but I snapped a photo before he started deteriorating.

My family had planned to spend this evening with my fiance and his family, but the icy roads have eliminated that possibility.  Tonight we are eating [awesome] leftovers and watching TV instead.   "Ruined" plans are disappointing, but a quiet evening is a welcome end to a busy week.

This week has flown past, and I return to Chicago tomorrow!  This has been a blessed time with family, and I will miss them very much.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day have been fantastic.  The candlelight service was beautiful, and my family enjoyed a late dinner at a local Mexican restaurant!  We came home, watched Merry Christmas, Mr. Bean on YouTube, and laid out cookies for Santa.

Today has been delightful.  We had three (yes, three) rounds of gift-opening in our house today, the first beginning at 7:00 am.  I was surprised by a stocking from Josh (he snuck it to my parents yesterday) filled with chocolates and a sweet letter. 

Josh and I received a few gifts for our upcoming life together!  A blender, a crock pot, a few utensils, and even Apples to Apples!  My sister even gave me an apron.

It has been a blessed day spent with family.  Time passes too fast!