Life and pizza sharing

Oh, hey there.

It's time. Back by popular demand (a.k.a. Erin...) I've decided to start the blog back up! The blog was never really down, you see. I told myself I would take a hiatus from writing while I was wedding planning, but all the time I was logging blog posts in my memory. Now that we have all those shenanigans out of the way (and I mean that in that best, most lovingly, fun way) I can spend some time and energy actually writing them down.

So hang tight while I work through some creative changes - I still need to decide how to best focus my ideas. But, be on the look out for your old favorites including home renovations (oh yea, we did a few of those) and hometown tourism posts. Also coming your way... maybe some fun wedding planning articles such as... "How to handle a bride with anxiety!", and "Organized vs. Controlling - What's the difference and how to maintain relationships while you figure it out!", plus "Lists on lists on lists".

Before I begin, though, I wanted to take a step back and explain why and how the blog really got started...

I think in blog posts. In short stories really. My internal dialogue can always fit on one page before it shifts focus to something else. Sometimes it's an entire mental page of thoughts around wind and Einstein's conservation of energy theories, and sometimes its just an elaborate back story I have made up for the random dog that roams our neighborhood (a.k.a. The Deputy, we'll get to him later). Regardless, I spend a lot of time forming stories in my mind because that is what makes me happy. Tea, too. Tea and stories.

Well, a few years ago (circa blog birth) I lost my job. I had recently graduated with my Master's degree and was facing insurmountable monthly loan payments with no employment on my horizon. I even got fired from a temp job after 4 days. I'd like to think it was because I was so good at everything that I completed every task they had within that time and they didn't know what else to do with me. Let's go with that. Either way, things were bleak. I was way broke. And sad. I spent all day every day job hunting. Searching changed from a get-up, get dressed, sit at the table kind of thing to a wake-up, already on the couch, share a slice of pizza with my cat and wear the same clothes for 3 days kind of thing. Peachy.

It was actually James' suggestion to start the blog. He knows how much I love to write, and he knows how much I need to think. I was uber depressed. Like, can't even turn the lights on in the house depressed and if you know depression you know that point. He pushed me to start the blog to give me something to do, to give me a purpose, and to have a little creative outlet. Little by little it gave me something to look forward to.

Eventually I took a job in a call center for a website. I was convinced it was just to get me to the next best offer, but I realized almost immediately after starting I was in a good place. I'm still with the website and we are even bigger and cooler and I am even happier than I ever thought I could be with a job. Things work out. I look forward to coming in every day and I didn't even know that was a real thing people could feel about jobs.

So here I am, with a job that challenges me daily and sometimes even makes me be creative. Why am I starting the blog back up? I told myself I would. It is a place for me to write my memories down the way that they happen in my mind, and to share my life with my loved ones.

Thanks for checking in. Let it begin again.

"RING"ing in the Holidays!

We wanted to celebrate our engagement with all of our friends, but since we were so busy, we knew we couldn't see everyone we wanted to see individually: so we had a party! We were engaged in October, so by the time I had wrapped my mind around it, it was almost Christmas. 

We decided to have a Holiday engagement party. We had a super fun photo booth, drank holiday sangria out of little plastic ornaments, and told all of our favorite stories. It was the best ever.

The only picture we managed to take together the entire night.

This post will be short and sweet! We are SO glad we got to see all of our friends! You have no idea how much we appreciate you all making it to Louisville for the official kickoff to the wedding festivities! It was so great to see everyone in one place and we obviously had a great time. I would post a video of James' "how we met" speech but I am pretty sure he doesn't want that circulating the internet...  We know how hard it is for everyone to fit in some time for fun around the holidays and the fact that we were able to see our friends, from near and far, means the world to us. Over 4,400 miles were traveled (one way) by just our out-of-state friends for the occasion! You all are amazing and we are SO lucky to have such great people in our lives! Thanks for sticking with us for the past 8 years!

We love you all and CAN NOT WAIT until the next time!

Home for the holidays

This weekend we finally got around to disassembling our behemoth of a Christmas tree. If you saw the effort it took to get the thing back in the box you probably would have called the Christmas Tree authorities on me for abuse of an evergreen.  Since it was our first Christmas in the new house I went a little overboard with the faux greenery. On the railings, in the hallways, in the kitchen, dining room... everywhere. We're one year away from being those people with a tree in every room. I'm ok with it if you are.

I thought I would post some photos of our holiday decorations today to help make up for sad nakedness that is our living room now.

After Thanksgiving I put up our old tree. It was 6 foot tall and most of the lights do not work. When I plugged it in I died a little on the inside. I didn't want to spend the money on a taller tree... but after what I'm pretty sure is my closest brush with a craigslist kidnapper, I decided splurging was best for my safety.

We got a decent (I don't really know... I don't shop for large fake trees frequently) deal on a 7.5 foot spruce-ish looking tree.

James was even able to add his touch to our decor! I imagine little woodland creatures decorate their trees... deep in the secrecy of the forest... in a similar fashion. He also got a deer target for Christmas. Here it is "under the tree" where it sat, posed for the mail lady and everyone to see, for a week or so. Finally, after scaring everyone in (and out) of the house daily, she made her way to the basement. Seriously. You just cannot adjust to coming down your stairs every morning and seeing a deer in the living room.

Our old tree was able to find a home at the top of the stairs in a perfect little window nook. Which also looks empty and sad now, without it.

Even the fish got in the spirit! I already have big plans for next year... "Theme Trees"... it's happening.

A real Cranberry

Not only did we survive our first Thanksgiving in the new house, but our Home actually hosted. That's right. We cooked our first turkey (we being my mom and I), played games and ate until we had the meat sweats.

And everything was GOOD! And nothing caught on fire... close, but no actual flames.

Before both of our families arrived, I was able to snap a few photos of the house. I don't have any people pictures because, honestly, we were enjoying ourselves far too much to stop and take a photo.
The pictures are a stark reminder of what our Thanksgiving looked like last year... desolate, dusty, disgusting, dusty... very dusty.

It is when I see pictures side by side, like this, that I can really appreciate all of the hard work that James and I (and our friends and family) put forth for our home. It is because of all of the love, support and help from everyone that we have such a beautiful, perfect little place to call our own.
This is what I am thankful for!