"the Newport experience"

So our night away was simply charmed.
Perfect.
Fabulous.
Romantic.
Restful.
Fun.
Pretty much everything we ever could have hoped for in one short night. Some photos...

Here is Dave in the room we got upgraded to...pretty much four times the size of our original room. WITH an ocean view. What a little blessing :)

The Narragansett Bridge, umm, out our window...

Per the concierges suggestion of where to find delicious food, we headed down to Bannister's Wharf to eat at the Clark Cook House. And we sat next to the fireplace, so that pretty much made my night.

Ambiance? Check.

Perhaps some of the best salmon I've ever had. The crab cakes were good, too, although I still think I make a meaner crab cake at home for, like, an eighth of the price. Just sayin.

Later on we stopped in at The Pelham for a drink and to hear the Kulprits cover some sweet 90's music.

Thames Street on one of those warmish, breezy, rainy, beautiful nights. You know those nights??

And last stop was this room at OceanCliff, in the very same spot we said our vows five years ago. I have to say that this time it was somehow more meaningful after five years of a life spent together. Plus, Davey said all kinds of romantic, heartfelt, and complimentary things to me. C'monn, you can't go wrong with romance, people.

And I leave you with some shots around the hotel.

I kinda wish this mirror was here when I got married. It's stinking beautiful!

All in all, a great night away, a great husband, and seriously- a great life. And a very special shout out to my sister for holding down the fort with her kids AND my kids. For almost 24 hours. Like whoa.

So everyone: renew your vows. Every year. Do it.

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11.14.04

11.14.04.

Was that really FIVE years ago?!
Here are some wedding pictures to commemorate the best move ever made by yours truly, next to investing in that black pair of theory pants. just kidding. Here is a selection of my very favorites :)
(And thanks for all the anniversary wishes, guys. BEST anniversary EVER. i'll be sharing some photos of our Newport experience on Monday, so be sure to check in!)



me and my neices, Caley and Madey

Narragansett Bay. The view from OceanCliff.

I had my tailor bustle the back of this dress more, because I simply ADORE bustling. It wasn't widely vaialble 5 years ago at my price point, but now it's everywhere. Of course. It's alright-10 years, I'll get married again (renew my vows, people.), and maybe I'll be able to find a Monique Lhuillier knock off so I can have all that lace I always wanted! :)

Me and Lee and Ams

Windy was an understatement :)

me and my dad

we do...glady

me and sister

Happy 5th to one amazing husband.

a little friday lovvveee

Since I'd yell them from a rooftop anyway, why not share? Here's a sneak peek of my vows, sans anything inappropriate, of course :)

DBS,
The thing about loving you is that its just. too. easy. I knew 5 years ago that I loved you, and that I’d love you more every day. It was obvious. But looking back over these past five years, I feel like God must really love me a lot to have given me a husband as amazing as you. Truly. And I wonder if He is playing some kind of joke on me sometimes, the way you seem to read my mind and anticipate my needs. Being married to you is far more spectacular than what I could have ever anticipated. Being married to you makes me smile even just thinking about it. I love your ideas, and I love your mind, I love your “immersions.” I love your athleticism, I love your devotion, I love how capable you are. I love your tree eyes and your smile and your laugh. I love how well we fit and how well we complement each other. You bring a lot of joy to my life.

Being with you means anything is possible, and there is nothing that can’t be done. There is no situation, no circumstances that I ever feel nervous or worried about…as long as I have you (and Jesus). And when I am overwhelmed, you help me, and when I feel sad, you tickle me, and when I’m mad, you talk with me and when I’m glad, you laugh with me. And when I am ridiculous…well, you laugh AT me. You know what to do, you know when to do it, and you know how to do it.

These past five years have been so crazy, so amazing, so wonderful, so joy-filled, so revolutionary, so…typical us. I literally can’t wait to see what 5 more years will bring to us, but I have a feeling that if they look anything like the first 5, they’ll be awesome. I cant wait to do anything and everything with
you. I especially can’t wait until your hair is salt and peppered and I convince you to wear loafers and aviators. In time…

You’ve given me many gifts over five years: love, commitment, security, happiness, confidence, wisdom, contentment, and a personal favorite- two healthy, beautiful, bright, and delightful children. Thank you for helping me to raise them to be respectful, loving, patient, kind, and good. Thank you for never thinking it it’s my job to raise them, but for always being hands on, all in, and involved. Thank you for supporting me, for helping me, for protecting me, for laughing at my jokes, for liking me more than anyone else in the whole world, for snuggling me, for understanding me, and for knowing how to dismantle my quiet anger. It is a wonderful thing to be known by you.

When I said ‘I do’ five years ago, I had no idea what it would mean to spend a life with you. When I said I’d be your wife, I had no idea how easy loving you would be. When I made that commitment to you, I had no idea how happy I’d be to be with you alone forever. And when I told you forever, I had no idea how secure that promise would make me feel. I know that you will love me forever, even when I’m not loveable. And since these are vows, I ought to promise you some things, eh? I promise to love you more each day, and better each day. To be what you need; to be the woman next to you, supporting you, listening to you, encouraging you, and helping you. I promise to respect you, to grow alongside you, and I promise that I will be here forever, even if it gets harder. Because you are a man worth fighting for. After all, I did wait six years for you to look at me twice- I think I owe us both that. You, David, are my Deep Blue Sea- the man in my dreams and of my dreams. I love you and adore you an embarrassingly immeasurable amount. Forever.

MLS



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Neither hair nor there

You know what you do when you write a blog and it somehow accidentally disappears? Well, you get a little miffed. Then you wait 30 seconds, breathe deep, and you scrap the original blog and write a much better one (read: shorter one).

About hair. And cool things like that. Because it will make you feel better about writing for the 20 minutes you didn't have and having nothing to show for it ;)

So Shag was awesome, and I'd recommend Lisa to anyone who wants an edgy rockstar haircut. I was laughing at how suburban I looked in a salon full of tatoos and mohawks and awesome red cowboy boots. I loved it..except I felt, and looked, quite like a mom after a 10 hour workday. But who exactly was I hoping to look like? Haha, I WAS a mom after a 10 hour workday.

Silly.

You know what it is? Well, its probably a lot if things, but I blame it on that fashion degree of mine- it pulls at my sensibilities and says absurd things like "you'll totally wear those shoes...just buy them" and "why aren't you, umm, dressed yet?" and "don't you have anything...cuter?" And I yell "leave me aloneee, that was 10 years ago and I have small children who wipe their boogers on my leg and those...shoes...hurt...meeee!"

Hmph. So there, take THAT long tangent of a thought just to say that seriously, I don't need more social pressures and expectations. From one hour in a hair salon. Am I alright?! Just because the people at Shag have cool cowboy boots and sweet tats doesn't mean, well, anything. Except they clearly shop at far more interesting places than me :) Jesus wasn't worried if he had brand name sandles, a cutting edge look, or if he was trendy and fashionable. And I rest assured he is more pleased with me if I focus on important things...

Like having awesome hair.

(kidding)






And for the record, Dave had to take about 3679425788368032 of these before there was a shot or two that I deemed worthy to share with the world at large. I'd much rather be putting my kids pictures up here :)

a quick shag

tonight i'm swinging into southy for a quick haircut at shag salon. my beautiful cousin daina got her hair did there, and it looked fffabulous. as it should- shag salon has apparently been featured on E! and MTV, for pete's sake. my husband insists that for our anniversary (the 14th is practically here!) i go some place a little swanky to get my hair cut again. partially because he thinks hairdressers keep mussing my hair up. fair enough. it's quite uneven right now. and it's our 5 year, so i gotta look gooood.


if you recall, i was contemplating going dark (back in MARCH. don't rush into anything, michelle. and the cut i'm going for is somewhere between the victoria beckham and rhianna 'do's in that post), but i'm holding off for now. partially because i'm a wuss, and partially because everyone and their mom thinks i'm going awol for even considering it. any blondes out there go dark?? c'monn, a vote of confidence would be great. so the dark will wait...although low lights are likely on my horizon.

for my anniversary, you may also recall i wanted to go gown shopping. which i did, and do, but considering what it takes to get away from two children for one wholeeee night, and the details involved in having photographs taken and the logistical nightmare it becomes in my head? forget it, i'm opting for a quiet night away, just davey and i. no frills, no fuss. maybe dinner, maybe a movie, and the rest can wait. the dress, the photographs and all can come down the road when i don't have a my plate stacked ridiculously high on a precarious ledge on a windy day. i'm already planning a 10 year mini ceremony. more on that to come :)

we're still heading to oceancliff in newport and renewing our vows to each other, which was the most important thing to us. somewhere, on the cliff walk next to the ocean, or on the grounds at the hotel, or in bed at night, or over breakfast. doesn't matter. maybe you'll get a sneak peek of my vows, and as requested, some more wedding photos (andrea).

less fuss makes me happy. i'm relieved. to not have to think about anything except what i'm wearing to dinner is good for my heart.

hang on- what AM i wearing to dinner?

Traf-gik

My backseat driver:


Traf-gik, also known as traffic, is no friend of mine. Elias is well aware of this, as well as many other unwritten rules of these Massachusett streets (can I make MA singular? It sure looks weird. I'm gonna go with it.) For example, he knows that if I swerve or beep my horn, it's because "people aren't driving safe." Or I I slow down at any point, it's because there's traf-gik. Elias has become the ultimate road observer and a back seat driver extraordinaire. For real- driving in this state through the lens of a three year old is hilarious, at the very least.

I tell you all this just so I can tell you a little story from last week that put me in stitches (is that the wrong expression if we're talking about cars?) It was after Piper's appointment in the city, and Elias, Piper, and I were driving in the car. Mostly, I was driving. I slowed down and Elias asked if there was traffic. I replied that there was not, and I had to "slam on my brakes" simply because the person in front of me had. He asked "Why did that that car slam on hims brakes?" to which I answered "Because the man in front of HIM slammed on HIS brakes." Making deductions, per his usual, he replied "Ohhh, so he had slam on himsss brakes. Ooohhh!"

And suddenly, his brain made yet another connection: "Mum, you hit traf-gik with Piper on your way home from Boston?" and I'm thinking, 'Dave must have told him that. Funny...' so tell him that Piper and I did in fact hit traffic, yes.

I can see the wheels turning in his cute little mind, and he cocks his head, squints his eyes (his thinking face), and asks "Are Piper's nipples okay?"

What?!?!

And then I realize, he's totally asking about her hips, and I'm dying equally over the hilarity of body part mix ups (hips...nipples...close enough, right?!) and the adorable concern he has for his little sister. And that's the stuff of life right there.

You must all have one of these stories! So tell, tell!

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Dining room dilemma

Okay, dilemma is an overstatement, but I am having some trouble finding this elusive paint color I've been envisioning for our dining room.

Rewind: I originally wanted a warm golden hue...but because I'm impatient, I picked a swatch, bought a gallon, brought it home, and what did I have?

School bus yellow. Slash orange. Slash bright neon heart attack.

Its been a year. I've made friends with it.

But then I saw this color in my This Old House magazine and my heart done fell into my sock:



It's just the right amount of orange and I knew it would work in my house because, heck, it reminded me of my dining room. Or at least what I aspire my dining room to be...

Begin: paint trial 1. I almost left with a gallon, and if it weren't for the Home Depot chick suggesting a color sample, I'd have been stuck with a color that I'm unsure of again. Here's my dilemma- I can't tell if I love it or not. The color on the left is literally school bus electric boogie oogie. Dont let the photo lure you into a false sense of prettiness. And the pumpkin pie action on the right, well, Iike better, but I'm not giddy and jumping, and good paint makes me do dances. Like, my yellow doors- if you drove by during any of the process, I was literally doing the cabbage patch. I'm sure ONE of you out there caught it.

And that's what I want! Pure, unrestrained dancing and glee.

What do you all think?

Here's a close up:


And the whole wall:


And down the alley:


Annnd the other side:



And turn around:


And my cute pictures of my kids my mom took. Couldn't resist ;)



I'm open to your thoughts. I have an inclination to go a shade darker for an even richer color. But I gotta act fast! My rollers are gonna dry out!

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Update

Didn't mean to leave you in the lurch ;) The doctors said Piper's hips are, and I quote, "perfect"!!

He said her feet are perfect and pointing straight ahead, her (hip) angles are 23 degrees (anything under 30 is normal), her range of motion is great and her leg lengths are too. He even marveled at how communicative and interactive she was for her age, as she chatted and smiled and flirted and blew them kisses as they left. That'ssss my girrrrllll ;)

So thank you Jesus and thank you to all of you who thought of Piper in your prayers. God is good!

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