"everything is different, now that i see you."

Ok, I promise I didn't mean to write back-to-back disney/pixar posts, but sometimes life is like a whimsical story. I'll admit that while sometimes it happens on accident, this time it happened on purpose. Last Sunday between services, Matthew, Kirshtin (one of my bridesmaids), and I watched Tangled together (Kirshtin's first time). Not to be a huge disney advocate, (honestly, I didn't like anything they put out for a couple of years) but you need to watch Tangled if you haven't seen it.

Here's the clip you need to watch to understand the coolest movie moment in a long time. It's ok if that doesn't touch your heart, it just means you don't have one. :)

I hope that during that video you were entranced by something other than Flynn Rider's charm. The first time I watched that I thought all sorts of "Man, I wish that was real", thoughts. I'm a smart enough cookie. If someone in the world can get one, I can get one. Here's where I bought my first floating lantern, and tonight we set it off. I wish so badly that I had video taped it.

I can't even describe to you how innocent it felt to let it float away. Matthew and I just stared and it and immediately made it a new "every awesome day of the year" tradition. It was so perfect, exactly how you imagine it should be.

p.s. i can't wait to set one off the day we find out we are having our first baby Nowak

money in a jar

Have you seen UP? You know, the cute disney/pixar movie that makes you laugh and cry? If you haven't then I want you to stop reading and go watch it... or at least watch this clip.

Are you crying? You should be. Well, when you finish crying, try to think back to the clip where they filled their adorable money jar with coins. Even though their jar never got them to Paradise Falls, it was the perfect way to try and it makes me smile everytime {plus, they have nesting dolls in the background that make me jealous of their decor}.

UP just happens to be the first movie Matthew and I ever saw together. Not on a date. Actually we were in a giganormous group of friends and acquaintances. Even though I saved him a seat {hoping}, he still didn't sit next to me. Oh well. We both really enjoyed the movie's unique storyline and playful characters. I saw the money jar and thought something along the lines of, "Yes, please."

Once we started dating we began to save our coins together, slowly outgrowing each container we found. Matthew's sister Chris is one of the managers of a CHKD in Norfolk, and we asked her to keep an eye out for a large glass jug that we could collect our change in. I remember being surprised by how fast she came across exactly what we were looking for.

I added the cork {nice touch, eh?} but all in all it's been perfect. You can't really tell in the picture, but the jar is probably two feet tall and it's about 2/5 full. Honestly, I want to get it full just to see how much it'll hold. I already can't lift it. If we move before we fill it, we'll be rolling it onto the moving truck. We've already vowed to {unlike Carl and Ellie} save it for something super special {like Matt's first trip out of the country, an awesome anniversary cruise, adopting a child, or a down payment on a house}. Who knows what it will really go toward, but I get giddy every time I drop coins into it just thinking about it!

matthew's 23rd birthday

I am married to a man who is 23. (p.s. there's a birthday poll up this week for everyone who feels participatory)

This post is about his birthday. It was last Friday, so both of us had work/school to keep us occupied until after 5. 6/8 of Matthew's immediate family was able to come for his birthday. We have a one bedroom house. It was like a happy little can of sardines. :) 

So his family was supposed to get in around 5 and I was afraid they would beat me home. Fortunately they didn't, so I got to make out with my husband a little without having to gross out his family {too honest?}. Dinner and the cake were both in the works when they arrived at our Home Sweet Home. 

After dinner and a round of carcassonne it was time for presents. Matthew received:

• Money {my favorite present to receive every year} 
• A yellow teapot {to be pictured in another post}
• Glow-in-the-dark shoelaces 
• Work gloves
• Warm socks
• A wooden tie {to be pictured in this post}
• A couple of CDs that Katie mixed {i've been really enjoying them}
• Some food from Annapolis 
• A book
• Some safety glasses
• A few handmade cards from friends
• A game {already mentioned in Bekah's birthday post} from my mom.

Quite a list, right? I think so too. :) Here's the promised wooden tie picture. It's awesome, don'tchathink? Me too.

It's basically like wearing a brown Jacob's ladder shaped like a tie around your neck. Love. 

After presents, it was cake time. Strawberry cake with Chocolate icing. Good choice, handsome. Instead of taking the easy way out and buying the "number candles" I lit 23 candles on his cake and basically freaked out that the apartment was going to burn down until he blew them out.

I didn't even ask him what he wished for, but he got them all on the first try. Attaman {like attaboy, only for adults?}.

The next day, once his sister got here from Nashville, we hit up a couple of thrift stores, my favorite vintique market, our amazing Indian restaurant {2nd weekend in a row}, the sun sphere, and a very closed market square. We picked up a couple little things here and there, but the most memorable experience we had started when Matthew spotted a model sailboat at the thrift store across the street. It was possibly a foot high with rigging and everything, and after some examining, we collectively agreed that it might actually float. We set off for the nearest river {which happened to be in a multi million dollar home sub-division}. So with our $1 thrift store find and very high hopes we placed the H.M.S. Bobby Socks into the river. 

It didn't float. Ever. We tried over and over, and every time it ended up on its side. Drat. Oh well. Matthew is planning to rig it up, and if it every truly has its maiden voyage then I will let you know. 

Here's the good news. This might be my favorite picture of Matthew ever. Matthew and the H.M.S. Bobby Socks.

That's a genuine, candid, happy, "I'm having an awesome birthday weekend with the coolest family ever" smile. It makes me happy.

rebekah's birthday

This weekend my mother and my kid sister came to visit us. My sister and my husband just happen to share a birthday {October 14th}. So since she was in town this weekend we decided to celebrate it early. On Friday night my mom went to a wedding while Matthew and I took care of Rebekah. We tossed around a couple of ideas before settling on Market Square.

If you live in Knoxville {or ever plan on visiting Knoxville} and you like eclectic shops, artsy people, and good food then Market Square is a must see. After a major parking spot ordeal, we wandered through the shops. Market Square is that perfect mix of people. Punks, dog walkers, businessmen, couples, families, and people protesting big government. If you love people watching {and I do} then it is perfect. After the shops {we bought one -awesome- thing, but I'll tell you about it on Matt's birthday}, our rumbly tummies had us heading to Tomato Head.

My favorite restaurant in Market Square is Cafe 4. It is the perfect place for an anniversary dinner. When I say perfect, I mean perfect and expensive. Not the place you take your 10 year old sister for her birthday. Tomato Head is equally delicious, way less expensive, and comfy casual. For three people it was a 45 minute wait {it's a popular place} so we hit up the Marble Slab for dessert before dinner.

The headband Rebekah is wearing is mine, but I have never gotten 400 compliments in one evening while wearing it, and I'm pretty sure she did. After ice cream we headed into Tomato Head and ordered our favorite sandwiches {called Oh Boys}. We enjoyed the food and each other's company.

We're cute right? Yeah, I think so too.

The next day, while mom took a nap, and we made cupcakes with Bekah for her birthday. Lemon cupcakes with cream cheese icing. We had a handful of kindred spirits over to eat them. There's something magically childish about cupcakes. All in all, my kind of weekend.

p.s. my new method of picture taking is instagram on my iphone, and i'm loving it. :)

picnic in the park

Last night I was feeling spontaneous. When Matt called me to tell me he was on his way home, I told him I thought we should dine picnic style. I packed our peanut butter and honey sandwiches, BBQ chips, Bible, blanket, water bottle, and Peter Pan book into our picnic basket and waited as patiently as a five year old child would.

I had a little surprise for Matthew. It is, after all, his birthday month. Matthew is not materialistic. He doesn't have a huge birthday wish list like me. I'm a girl. I'm predictable. I love purses, jewelry, shoes, home decor, and everything vintage. Matt is a boy. He likes... things he already has. Well, one such thing that he already had was a water bottle. It was his favorite. Brand: Nalgene. Size: 32 oz. Color: Opaque with a blue lid.

One day while Matthew was faithfully mowing along on his giant riding lawn mower, his water bottle abandoned him. He doesn't even know where it left him and when he looked for it, he couldn't find it. So I ordered one for his birthday. Yesterday, UPS delivered it.

I want you to know something about me. I am a horrible secret keeper. I just like people to be happy as soon as possible. Why wait for his birthday? So my surprise for Matthew was that I had his new water bottle in the picnic basket. I know, it's a small thing, but I knew he would be excited.

After his quick shower, we loaded up the accord. We headed to the park and found our spot.

It was one of those perfect autumn afternoons where the breeze kept me cool and my husband arms kept me warm. After we spread the blanket and ate the food, Matt leaned up to get a drink out of the basket. It was so cute when he saw the bottle. He got this adorable look on his face and then he kissed me. I like to be kissed. :) 

It was a small birthday present. It was a small surprise. But it made him happy, and that makes me happy.

orange and yellow

I adore fall. I won't give you every reason but I'll name a few.

• Cardigans are my kind of warm.
• I miss the smoke from chimneys all summer long.
• We get to leave the windows open at night.
• It's almost Christmas.
• The colors are breath-taking.

Today I had to go grocery shopping. It was mostly for the normal things: bread, butter, milk, chicken, and oatmeal. But today was a little bit abnormal. Today I brought home a pumpkin. Have I told you guys that I hate orange? I hate it. Tennessee is plastered with it. They have entire aisles in wal*mart that are only orange, and everyone has a couple orange hoodies to wear every week. I always thought it was too... neon. It wasn't happy but it wasn't sultry. It was just orange. Lately, it's been growing on me. Only in splashes, but still it's progress.

I feel a little bit like we have a new family member. I keep looking out the peephole onto our front porch just to check on him. No one has taken him yet, but I wouldn't be surprised. He's a good looking pumpkin. 

A couple of weeks back we got some mums {well, i got them, and Matt laughed at my excitement}. They were super cheap and they seemed to be smiling at me. I forgot to show you at the time so I will show you now. 

They're smiling at the pumpkin from across the porch, laughing together, and telling each other stories. Every time I walk out my front door they softly remind me that it's my favorite time of year.

our new date list

1. Go on a search for as many large climbing trees as you can find. Climb as high as you can in all of them and make photo evidence of said adventure.

2. Go to a major chain bookstore and leave notes in your favorite books for future readers.

3. Create photo evidence of an adventure that you didn't really have.

4. Build forts out of furniture and blankets and wage war with paper airplanes.

5. Go to the airport and purchase tickets for the soonest cheapest flight. Stay there for the weekend.

6. Write a short story together at your favorite coffee shop. Ask strangers to name your characters. 

7. Do a lame tourist thing together. Be not ashamed of it!

8. In the middle of the night, drive to the beach. Bring a picnic breakfast. Watch the sunrise.

9. Give a fake name at a restaurant. Giggle to yourselves.

10. Go around your city with sidewalk chalk. Be random. Make your marks.

11. With a camera and a pair of rainboots make a journal of a day in the life of an invisible man/woman.

12. Rent a movie you've never seen. Watch it on mute and insert your own dialogue.

We are going to do these things. And I will let you know as we get them done. :)