Footwear.

The warm weather we've been having has resurrected my 'sexy army' (as inscribed on the shoe) Rocket Dog flats from their winter solstice. The soles are paper thin and falling off, and I've lost most of the Rocket Dog label on the back - I found one of the O's in my car today and now all that's left is the "R-O" in Rocket. But I'm wearing them down to the last step because of their sentimental value; they were a favorite purchase from London's Camden Market....and a special reminder of my year in England.

Speaking of shoes, for a while now I've been wanting moccasins. They seem like the kind of thing you can wear anywhere at anytime. So I indulged and ordered a pair the other day online. Although, looking at them now, I may have buyer's remorse...

Happy St. Patricks Day!

So I don't really get the whole hoopla surrounding St. Patricks Day.....

Whatever St. Patrick did somehow translates to......getting drunk on green beer? Hmmmm.  St. Patrick's day parades always make me think of that scene in The Fugitive where Harrison Ford grabs a green hat from a garbage can to try and blend in with a crowd which always leads me to think "How very convenient for him..."

Anyways, Tim and I find ourselves celebrating this holiday with my parents by eating baked potatoes (its the best vegetarian replacement to corned beef I could think of) and watching Darby O'Gill and the Little People, arguably one of the greatest leprechaun movies of all time.

Here we see Darby getting King Bryan drunk so that he can kidnap him and hold him prisoner until he makes his three wishes. Classic. 

Just Married.

In the past 16 days we....

Road tripped it up to Niagara Falls w/ our British BFFs!

Tied the knot!

Went on our honeymoon in Amish country....

Where we ate and bought a lot of cheese!

Moved into our cozy apt. in Lakewood.

Our Photographers

I am very excited about our wedding photographers: my aunt Marie and my very good friend Emily.  They both have an eye for beautiful shots and I am so excited to see the stunning work they'll produce! 

Here is a great picture of Tim that Emily took a week or so ago. Gorgeous!

January, February and Beyond.

The month of our wedding is here! The big celebration is a mere 24 days away.  3 weeks! And there is still so much to do! I'm just getting over a terrible stomach virus that both my mom and my sister had - so hopefully all illnesses are now out of the way for February 28.

We still need rings, Tim's suit, lots of songs for our playlists. BUT we did accomplish other pressing things like.... booking our honeymoon and getting my dress alterations. 

Last month we also celebrated my 25th birthday as well as our one year anniversary. Very exciting. Here is a picture from the day's festivities (with Reese doing the wave? and Tim sporting the look of the Amish):

We've also got a good head start on setting up the apartment before the big move-in day, and have even planned a trip to IKEA with some friends this weekend to pick up a few odds and ends :) 

Today is a HUGE day for Tim and I - Ray LaMontagne, the apple of my musical eye, is finally coming to Cleveland and thanks to Tim's new found love for NPR, we got in on the presale and have awesome seats to his show in April!!!! I can't even begin to describe how thrilled I am!! If you haven't heard this guy, you're missing out. 'Empty' is by far our favorite song.

Woo! We're even dancing to one of his songs for our 'first dance' as a married couple :)

lauren.

Hair.

As some of you may or may not know, a (strangely) significant thing leading up to the wedding has been the growing out of my bangs and whether Tim will trim his ever growing beard. 

Truth be told, Tim loves his beard (I like it too, but I also like the close-shaven look) and would let it grow into a full blown Civil-war looking thing if allowed. Here's what it currently looks like:

I on the other do not love being without my bangs (and I can't wait to get them back!) but I vowed not to cut them until after the wedding. Tim would love it if I let them grow forever, but ..... mmm not sure about that. Here is a picture of me and my beloved bangs in all their glory:

Our First (Real) Shower.

Yesterday we spent a wonderful afternoon with the women on Tim's mom's side of the family.  

I love those ladies! They are so fun! I was so touched last month when I was invited to their annual cards night, and they all made me feel so welcomed and comfortable and a part of the family. So it was lovely to see them all again, and to grow in my anticipation of getting to know everyone better in the years to come. I was also glad to have some of our close friends there, as well as my mom and oldest sister. I was especially excited that Tim's sister Katie made the trip down - in very cold driving conditions nonetheless - from college to be there.  

While Tim spent most of his time upstairs (no guys allowed) he did come down when it was time to open gifts (as well as when it was time to eat :D ) which was a lot of fun. It was very exciting to see all the various things people had picked out from our registry to bless our home with. We can't wait to decorate and use all of our lovely things! 

I feel like there aren't enough ways to say thank you. Being at the receiving end of such endless giving is .... well, its a humbling experience. We are continually blessed and beyond grateful for the outpouring of love and generosity from those around us in support of our marriage. Thanks and appreciation especially goes to Tim's Aunt Kim and Aunt Pam who hosted the shower, and to both of our mothers who have given of themselves in the most incredible way to make our wedding day a special one.

Only 40 days left until its official!

Can't wait,

lauren.