Honeymooning.

Kiddddinnnggg.

Just vacationing.

But man. I tell you what. Every trip feels like a honeymoon when you got a stud like this holding your hand through it.

We just got home from California! It was a little spur of the moment. I mean, we've been talking about going for a while, but we weren't exactly sure when we would exactly until Levi finished up some work for the weekend and said "Let's just go!" and we dropped everything but our pants and ran. We went to Huntington - where he lived for a couple months back in the lame before-me-days. I had him show me where he lived, and where he went when he needed time to himself, where he surfed [or "tried" says he], where he hung out, where he got his groceries. You know that Rascal Flatts song, Take Me There? It was in my head all weekend long. Learning about him is one of my favorite things in the world. The fact that I'm the girl he chooses to share every part of his life with is still so unreal to me. Getting to grow a little closer, share a little more, getting to put another few little pieces into the puzzle that make up him, sigh. It was a pretty perfect weekend.

  

Our spot on the beach. Safe distance from Creeper at tower #16 [whose boyfriend looked none to pleased at his man's wandering eyes] and just enough space between us and the kite surfer at  #20 that we could watch him fly...but still turn around and make out without being completely inappropriate.

 Seriously.

Could you have kept your hands off of him?

French toast for dinner.

Today when we got home from running some errands, this little guy was hanging out front waiting to greet us. We named him Bartholemew of course [After the last toad that we had come visit, who was named after the toad before that, who was named after who-knows-what.]. The poor little guy had a little bit of a gimpy leg so we held him for an extra long time [because I'm sure that made him feel better]. As soon as I jumped out of the truck shouting "Barth!" Levi started talking about reasons we could probably keep him. That boy has a heart of gold I tell you. A heart. Of. Gold.

Are we dreaming in black and white?

I haven't felt very good for a few days and I'm not yet back to my photo-happy self so today I think I'll just write a little bit. I think I'll just write a little about my life. About the things Levi and I talk about. About the song I'm listening to right now. About living YOUR life. And maybe a little about faith.

I feel like so many people in this world dream in black and white. I did. For a really long time. I still do at times, to be honest. Do you know what I mean by black and white? I mean I feel like a lot of people go their whole lives planning vacations around the weather. I feel like a lot of people throw away every one of the goody trays they get at Christmas. I feel like a lot of people say they "love the beach" but they've never swam in the ocean. [I am so to blame!] I mean when we think about our lives are we just watching the hours go by or are we living in every minute?

[ANECDOTE ALERT]

I was at my grandma's today for a "girls lunch" with my sister and cousin and aunt - all of us that live in the area. Anyway. My grandma had a friend selling chocolate in bulk and we all went around the table signing up for our 5 lbs. of mini chips or kisses or m&m's. It was fun but as I was walking out the door, I changed my mind. I crossed off my order, said, "You know, I think it's probably better if I have to go to the store when I want chocolate chip cookies - makes me think a little longer about it!" and I left. Now that I'm home, and have been of course, taking it easy, I'm wondering...Why? Why not let yourself make cookies when you want em?

There are times when Levi or I will be just a little distracted with something in our lives. Whether it's work, whether it's family, whether it's whatever. Usually we tell each other. Usually with a "BABBBEEE! I NEED SOME 'TENTION!" [Tention=Attention in our household.]. It almost always ends in a tickle fight, or a cuddle fest, or a night out, or something where we can just be together. Where we can remind each other to appreciate the fact that we get to be together. Just to be together. I am SO grateful for this! I am so glad he's there to remind me that life is good, if I ever forget and I'm so glad he's willing to be reminded as well.

I think that's the secret. For me, personally, I believe it's vital - yes, VITAL - to each and every one of us to be surrounded by people in our lives who will give us that reminder. There has to be those people around us that make us want to enjoy the moment. That make us WANT to live every one of those minutes. At least for me, that makes all the difference.

Let's make our lives what we want them to be, yeah? Let's make cookies every time we crave them and soak up the time we get on this earth. Personally, Levi is what fills MY dreams with color. From the first moment I got to share with him. He brightens every shade. He helps me make those minutes count. Every one of them. I love him just for that.

In the rain.

It's raining today. Yes, actually RAINING. Not only that, but it's been raining. For like the last three days. It's been incredible. I'm actually sitting on our porch right now. Sitting on the porch, blogging, pretending I'm not in Arizona. Weather like this makes me oh, so reminiscent. More on that later. Without further ado. Style blog number double oh eight. Right hurr.

Not my most "mature" outfit to date, but it was a lot of fun to wear! Plus the boy liked it. And we pretty much just go with whatever the boy says.

Top and tights are from F21 and the skirt and the shoes were both thrifted.

These clouds make me think Seattle. Driving down the five, sitting in the middle seat, cuddling up to the boy that I'm getting to know so well. Talking about sights we want to see, pictures we want to take, reasons we're falling in love. Laying in the grass under blankets, still so much electricity running between us. We're talking about all the excuses we can to postpone not being together. All the ways we could make "us" really work. We hold hands. We giggle. We ask people to take our pictures. We flirt. These cloudy days will forever be my favorite. They will always remind me of what started it all. The beginning. Our beginning. It was a cloudy day just like this one, when my life changed for the better.

Today I Love

Today I love that when I asked Levi the other day if he was okay with me never straightening my hair again, he looked at me blank and responded with an "Of course!" as if it was silly that I even asked. I love that that boy takes me as I am - frizzy unstyled hair and all. I love that the other day I froze some cookie dough in little balls so that I could pull them out and eat them whenever my little heart started craving, and I love that every time I do so now, Levi calls it a "Cookie Party" and absolutely INSISTS that I formally invite him to it. [I won't even go into the pitifully pained expression on his face the first time I didn't. I tried to explain that it wasn't really a party, and that if it had been he of course would have been number one on the guest list...but "how on earth could I have thought for even a second that it wasn't a party if there were cookies AND me involved"?? Lesson learned.] I love that while we're painting cabinets, he calls it a game and races constantly to catch up with me. I love how FUN that boy makes my life. I love surrounding myself with people who make me laugh. People I don't have to think around, if that makes sense. Do you know what I mean? It's just nice when you can let go with someone. When you can just be. No pressure. It's rewarding.

Want to know what else I love?

 

Isn't there something so magical about new boxes of crayons? It's like a blank canvas for me. Or opening a fresh tube of paint. Or sharpening a dull pencil. I'm a sucker for fresh starts I suppose. It's just so...you know. 

Inspiring.

PS: Blue green has been my favorite for as long as I can remember. Blue green, then Scarlet. What's yours?

Here's what I sweated in today.

YES. I am still trying to force Fall. Only today, instead of long sleeves with shorts - it's a tank top with a scarf. I'm a confused little child.

I also ventured into the world of jeans today. I am so excited for cooler weather.

Do you want a side-dish-story this morning? 

Every day, after Levi wakes up, he yawns a couple times. Then he spends several minutes stretching. Then goes to the bathroom. Then he wanders back out scratching his messy hair [and looking a little lost]. Once he gets his barrings again, he turns the light on to the very lowest setting. He hasn't picked up his glasses yet, so he kneels back down on the bed and puts his face about an inch away from mine to see if my eyes are still closed, whether they are or not, he always whispers:

"Are you still sleeping?"

I absolutely love this.

Today I Love

Hi friends! If you don't yet know what "The Flop" is. Let me explain. Occasionally, Boy has a few really really busy days at work. When this happens, he usually ends up working well into the evening, and eventually, through all of the night. We end up going for a week or so sleeping all day and living all night. When this happens? We call it, The Flop. The lack of natural light makes it uber difficult to blog so I do so apologize for my absence. Should be getting back on track after today!

Today I love the fabulous kitchen we are THIS close to being done with! I know it's all I've talked about for the last few days but we are getting CLOSE and I did some thrifting [and some not-thrifting] today and started gathering the lovelies that I want to incorporate onto counters and centering the table and all that amazing stuff and I'm falling in LOVE. I love love love the fabrics I found to use as wall art, curtains, placemats and so forth. Do you want a peek?

Don't you just love them? I just love them. I mean really, I am IN. LOVE. With the colors. With the patterns. I didn't even mind waiting in line at Joannes for 30 minutes plus in loo of the fabulous Labor Day sales.

I also love getting to visit my sister and her family and I love playing "pretend" with my niece and nephew. "Auntamalie! Auntamalie! Pretend you're the mommy pony and we're the baby ponies! 'Mommyyyy, can we go to the park??'" My response: "Of course we can go to the park! As soon as you  make your beds."

Silence.

"Auntamalie. Let's pretend you're the mommy pony and you let us go to the park without making our beds first."

My bad! I love that in those cute little minds of theirs they make their "pretend life" exactly what they want it to be.

Mostly though, I love coming home to a sleeping boy and having him lift his drowsy head when I come in the door. Without his glasses on he can't see five inches out but I still get a, "Hey Hot Stuff!"

Oh how I love him for that.

If I could have.

If I could have invited you over for some raspberry lime iced tea while the sun set, I would have told you how completely inspired I am for this weekend. I would have told you about the last three nights of [no] sleep I've had and how my mind will just not stop reeling about all the crazy ideas I'm gathering for our newly re-finished kitchen. I would tell you about the vintage motifs I want to bring in to break up some of the geometric lines. I would have told you about how badly I want to go shopping for some mellow floral patterns to pair together for curtains and wall art and everything else. I would have shown you the blank canvas' that belonged to my grandpa before he died and tell you how excited I am to paint them and incorporate something so meaningful into the room.

I would have told you how busy I've been for the last three days and how bummed out it makes me when I don't have time to take pictures and blog about everything going on. I would have told you that I couldn't wait to spend the next three days at home, with my camera around my neck, and the boy right next to me squeezing my hand whenever I need a lil' energy boost. 

Then I would probably have closed my eyes for a second and fell into a daydream about him. I would have laughed and tried to explain to you how adorable his little boy face is when he wants to ask me to make shoyu chicken again even though I've already made it for him five times in the last two weeks. I would have told you about how needed he makes me feel. I would have told you about how much I love the way he loves me. I would have told you about last night. About how he took me to a birthday party for one of his old school friends yesterday and about how he held my hand, and kept me with him and made sure to introduce me to every person we came to. I would have most definitely mentioned how sweet he is to act so proud of me and my photography and how special he makes me feel when he brags about it to his people. I would have definitely told you how much I love that boy. [IF I was feeling super comfortable, I may have even told you how lately we've discovered that commercial breaks go a lot faster if you make out all through them - but really only if I got super comfortable.]

After that, I would have asked you if you wanted to come inside for some cookies and milk and I'd pull out the chocolate chip cookie dough I made and froze yesterday and while they were cooking I would have thanked you endlessly for listening to me and chatting with me and giving me a chance to clear my mind before I jumped in to my [endlessly long] to do list for the next few days.

Then of course, I would have asked about you. I wonder what you would have told me. Hope you have had a lovely Saturday friends. Thanks for the date.