Marching In

If you don’t hate me for that terrible title, I demand that you begin.

In other news…it’s MARCH!!! Which means spring is just days away now, MINUTES really. Mere minutes.

Things are going to change on the blog a little. And by change I mean, well, I’ll probably write on it. And not go weeks without posting. That kind of change. My focus is shifting, for sure. This month I am writing a paper, and a conference abstract, and a grant proposal, and a dissertation prospectus. We’re finally completely moved from one apartment to the other, so I can finally start snapping some real pictures of our new place to share here! I’m even doing a little bit of acting right now, just for fun. It’s going to be a crazy March.

But the warmer weather (crossed fingers) comes all my hope and energy and I’m really looking forward to the coming month.

What is March bringing for you?

love, elizabeth

I Used to Blog Here

Oh, hey…I don’t know if you remember me. Hi, I’m Elizabeth. I used to blog here. I apparently don’t do that anymore. I could tell you it’s cause we haven’t had internet in our house for two weeks or I’m working on my dissertation kinda sorta or cause moving has sucked out all of my life force but I won’t. Because the truth is…I am a feckless, faithless blogger and now properly ashamed.

 

Source: scavengers101.blogspot.com via Chloe on Pinterest

love, elizabeth

Something Sweet

I hope you all had a lovely Valentine’s Day! Kyle and I spent most of the day doing taxes, paperwork, and unpacking but honestly, I can’t imagine a nicer day.

I did happen to catch this wonderful animated short. It’s up for an Academy Award this year and I thought you might enjoy it. It’s only about five and a half minutes but it brought a smile to my face.

love, elizabeth

The Valentine

Instead of Christmas cards, Kyle and I decided to send out Valentines to everyone this year. And because we majored in theatre and I like to be silly, we did a little film noir-style photo shoot. I had so much looking up old movie posters to imitate. Here are a few of my favorite shots.

 

We chose the second one to mail out to our family and friends.

I hope we can make this a new February tradition. It was really fun to put together.

Whether you’re single, attached, or anything in between, Happy Valentine’s Day! We love you!

elizabeth and kyle

Moving. Yeah.

This is just a quick post to let our faithful readers know that we survived the worst of it! The truck has been loaded, unloaded, and returned safely to the…liquor store (???) from whence it came. We’ve shoved all the boxes into the guest room where they could probably sit unopened forever. Except that somewhere in there is my coffee pot and I need that. Pronto.

Of the three of us, Madigan definitely had the hardest day though. Moving must be so confusing for dogs. She was a wreck the whole time.
Many pictures to come – I’m a nester and I can’t wait to nest with all of you via the internet. That sounded weirder than I intended.
Also…check back tomorrow for our Valentine’s Day photo shoot! It was a bright spot for me in the middle of all this mess.
almost home, always home,
elizabeth

almost home, always home

Someday we’ll laugh about this. I wish today was that day. Yesterday we signed our lease. Yesterday we moved the first boxes into our new apartment. Yesterday I remembered why we have always said that love is an adventure.

This apartment might end up being a big mistake. It took ten hours to get our keys. And when we finally did, there were real problems with the place. The refrigerator light is burned out. We need a new smoke detector. The bedroom doors haven’t been put back on their hinges and so does the hardware in the bathtub. The linen closet is missing a door handle. The window blinds haven’t been hung. The water is still shut off. Oh, and I may or may not have seen MICE TURDS under the kitchen sink. At 8:30 last night, things were feeling a little bleak. We were scrubbing the kitchen cabinets when we both suddenly stopped and looked at each other. It was one of those looks that said a million things. Things like, I love you. I’m scared. I love you. Why did we sign that lease? I love you. I’m so tired. I love you. What are we doing? I love you. Your butt looks great in those jeans (okay, maybe only I was thinking that). Maybe the thing that look mostly said was, You’re home. Not here or in the other place but with me. You’re home.

I had been feeling the anxiety bubbling up inside of me all day but somehow that look made everything seem a little softer, a little easier, just for a few moments.

Then we took pictures because who wouldn’t want to remember a night like that?

More moving updates and pictures to come!

almost home, always home,

elizabeth

Love Don’t Have to Cost a Thing

If the explosion of hot pink stuffed animals and heart-shaped candy hasn’t tipped you off, Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Every year, I find myself drawn magnet-style to the Valentine aisle in the grocery store. It’s like a disease. I’m basically a marketer’s dream. Just tell me that something (read: anything) is Valentine-themed and I’m your girl. “Buy your Valentine a Honda.” Okay! “This February, fall in love with our new line of humidifiers.” Sold.   If Grease Monkey started advertising “The Sweethearts Oil Change”, I’d be there right now. I don’t like feeling tricked by Valentine’s Day marketing, though, and I’m always on the look-out for free(ish) ways to be romantic. Here’s a few of my favorites this year:

1. Tyler Knott Gregson who writes poems like this one. I feel like if there was a hipster poet boyfriend catalogue somewhere, Tyler Knott Gregson might be one of the prototypes you could order. His tumblr is at the top of my to-read list pretty much any day of the week. Basically, I don’t want to know anything about him or who he is or what his life is like.  I just want him to continue writing poems every day. I feel like Tyler Knott Gregson understands that being in love is wonderful and difficult and painful and important. And I am very, very happy for the person he writes all of these beautiful words for because every single one of them must feel like a Valentine.

Source: Uploaded by user via Maya on Pinterest

 

2. Valentine’s Day at White Castle. If you’re “lucky” enough to live in this part of the country, you can make a reservation for a candlelit dinner at White Castle. You heard me. Kyle and I did this a couple years ago and we had a romantic, greasy dinner for about $10.

3. Cute DIYs on Pinterest like this one

 

Source: modernpartyideas.com via Lisa on Pinterest

 

4. Love letters. Love letters don’t cost anything but the paper you write them on and thanks to the World Wide Web, love letters have gotten even cooler. This site has archived great love letters in history or you can check out Civil War love letters here. Read found love letters here or anonymous love letters at The Love Letter Collection. You can send a love letters to a stranger through The World Needs More Letters or request one for someone you know who might need one this year. Write one to someone you love. Write one to yourself. Write on on your blog. Just write one!

What free(ish) Valentine’s celebrations do you have? Any suggestions?

love, elizabeth