OK, Beyonce, just stop it right now because I just can't even...

I'm I've watched Lemonade 5 times now and I just...

I mean, I...

I...

I love it. I love it all so much. 

I'm speechless.

So there.

Here's a few of my favorite parts

Boom!

Hiding in the Tall Grass

Busting up Errythang in her Yellow Dress

In the Tub

Girl Power

Not Sorry with Serena Williams

Pigtails for Days and Dancing on a Bus

"I'm Just Too Much For You"

Redemption

Heart Eyes Emoji

Ah, Bey...

I'm Coming For You, Bey

The Charlotte Observer headline read "Beyonce turns storm-interrupted show into something beautiful".
I'm sure she did, Charlotte Observer, I'm sure she did. #lemonade #slay

If you don't know that I LOVE LOVE LOVE Beyonce, then you don't truly know me. It was all I could do to not say "F-it" to our newly established budget and purchase a last minute ticket to the show in Raleigh last night. Instead, I will have to wait until June 7th, when I got to New York and see her with my trinity sisters, which will be well worth the wait. Carrie, Bekah, and I will be in Formation for damn sure,

All the makings of a perfect weekend

Coffee, husband, Sabahs, tiny Morroccan table

To Care or Not to Care?

Caring about sports is a hard thing. It's an emotional roller coaster, really. Why would anyone put themselves through that?

Well, there is something about feeling a sense of community in rooting for one's team. Pride (and joy) in the representation of something that goes beyond just a game with a ball.  This year's UNC men's basketball team made me feel that more than any other sports team in my life. Go Heels! You might not have won this one, but you will always be winners to me.

On to the next one...

Blogger gon' blog

Ok, so I didn't blog for about 4 months and yikes! the anxiety of returning to the blog has been more than I can bear. So, here goes...I'm coming back!

In honor of my Heels who play tonight for the NCAA championship. 

A Husband

You guys, Jason is back in NC!

Hooray!

Here we are having an awesome belated anniversary dinner at Lantern:

And here we are getting our couch on:

Life is good.

Communication

The only way I see my husband these days.

My jokes aren't as funny via Facetime.

I'd like to think this is what Jay-Z and Beyonce do when B is on tour.

So, yeah, it's pretty much like I'm Beyonce.

Bekah!

June 13th is a very special day because it is the day that my very special sister, Bekah was born. 

She is kind, compassionate, selfless, afraid of flying, hilarious, and a damn good writer. She's the oldest sister. The sister of reason and right. She is the successful sister. The sister who knows exactly what she wants, works hard every day for it, and gets it. What an inspiration!

I'm so lucky I get to call her my sister. 

Happy Birthday, Beeeeekah!

A grid for the woman who taught me about grids. Grids!

10 years together

Today is mine and Jason's 10 year anniversary of being together. It's pretty crazy to think:

1) We've been together for 10 years!

2) 10 years has passed since that?!?

3) How did 10 years already go by?!?

4) Are we old?!?

In any case, despite the wonder at the passing of time and our desire to stay forever young, I can't imagine any 10 year span without my Jason.

I love you.

And to show it I made a grid with 10 frames, one for each year. Just think how tiny the pictures will be when we reach 20 years, 30, 40, 50...can one even fit that many pictures in a grid?!?

Sunsets on the Coast

When it's 70 degrees and sunny in Oregon in January, and the coast is only an hour away you must go. You must drop everything, leash up the dogs, fill a growler with your favorite beer, and drive. 

Drive the hour, walk down the beach, set up your camping chairs and watch the sunset over the Pacific Ocean. 

Fetch:

Beer and sun:

Edie, having a moment:

Edie, romping:

Edie, thinking about life:

Sunset yoga:

Beer selfies:

Dog selfies:

Sunset:

This dog

Sometimes she gets in our bed

And sometimes she let us cuddle her

A Reel Musical Treat

Jason and I cover Mason Jennings' Memphis Tennessee on ukulele

6th Anniversary

November 8 marks 6 years married to this guy. Raise a glass (preferably one of our original wedding pint glasses if you were lucky enough to get one) and make a toast to love!

My girl

If it's wrong to love an animal this much, then I don't want to be right. 

"Love Pizza" the recipe

In case you want to try to make your own love pizza, here's the recipe for the dough. This is top secret. Please do not tell the Internet.

"Love Pizza"

We've been making what we call "Love Pizza" for quite a long time. We originally acquired our dough recipe from Brooke and Ryan at Cup a Joe in Hillsborough and have been riffing off it ever since 2009. "Love Pizza" takes many forms including pesto, spinach, olives, Mexican, pepperoni, and veggies. It's not about what you put on it, but the love you put in it. And the more love, the better it tastes. 

Last night we did a new take on an old favorite and incorporated chicken apple sausage, pesto, spinach, and mozzerella. It was damn good. I suggest you all try it. Making homemade pizza is way easier than you might think and much cheaper than going out or ordering in. All you need is flour, salt, yeast, your favorite toppings, and love of course!

Ukulele Goddess

Jason and I are learning to play the ukulele. I find it much easier than playing the guitar, which I briefly started playing when I was 9 and then again at age 20. Both times resulted in my quitting because my fingers were too small. The ukulele is way more manageable. Additionally, it is cute and slightly hip, which supplies the "cool factor".

Learning how to do something new with a loved one is very gratifying. We play. We sing. We drink beer.  It's a great indoor activity for the rainy, Oregon winer ahead.

Coming Back

After a very long hiatus and a very crazy summer, I am attempting to get my blog up and running again. I've actually had some inspirational thoughts and experiences that some might consider "blog-worthy", but feared the return to blogging because it had been so long (113 days to be precise).  But enough with the fear, here I go!

There's no possible way to recount the events of the past three and a half months without writing a novella. So to spare you and myself, I will say this:

-Emotionally and spiritually trying
-Moving and more moving
-360s and 180s
-Leaving jobs, taking new jobs, leaving new jobs, finding other jobs, leaving those
-Reflections on self, love, trust, faith, ego, homes, friendship, and happiness
-Deep thought about true meaning of Santosha (contentment)
-Growth

“We do not grow absolutely, chronologically. We grow sometimes in one dimension, and not in another; unevenly. We grow partially. We are relative. We are mature in one realm, childish in another. The past, present, and future mingle and pull us backward, forward, or fix us in the present. We are made up of layers, cells, constellations.” -Anais Nin 

9 year date-aversary! (yesterday)

A 9 box grid to represent 9 years of love and fun. And this isn't even the half of it!

It's hard to believe I've been in cahoots with this guy for 9 whole years (since 2005). June 2nd marks the day of our first "date". We were supposed to take Edie to the dog park. It rained, so we got some beers, confessed each other our love, and we've been ride or die ever since.  Next year, we'll get to drink what I think will be an amazing bottle of wine that was wedding-gifted to us. It was meant to be aged to perfection by the time we hit our 10 year anniversary of being together.  So much has happened, we've done a million things, and here's to doing a million more!

This bottle has been with us since we got married. It made it to OR and now must make it back to NC so we can drink it next June 2nd! 2015, baby.

Year in Review Part 3

Ah, the summer! My favorite time of year.

Our summer was marked by much freedom, friends visiting, camping trips, The Hood the Coast Relay Race, another trip to NC, floating, drinking wine, my awesome birthday, and all around general warmth and goodness. Like I said, my favorite time of year!