Celebrating Our Wedding Anniversary

Yesterday was my wedding anniversary. Gman and I celebrated three years of wedded bliss by re-creating our first date. Seven years ago we went on a picnic and had gouda and tomato paninis with little fruit tarts for dessert. We got a 4 euro bottle of wine from a bodega and sat in the grass behind Les Invalids on a beautiful summer day in Paris. We sat there for hours and hours getting to know each other for the first time. Later, Gman proposed to me in the same spot. Amazing how a little patch of grass (pictured above) can be filled with so much meaning.

So last night we made a picnic on the living room floor. We lit candles and laid out a picnic blanket, then made gouda and tomato paninis. For the wine, we opened a bottle we purchased when we were in Bordeaux a few years ago, a 2005 St Emilion (I'll give full notes another time). The taste of the wine brought us right back to France and our memories flooded back. We sat on the floor for hours reminiscing until finally the wine was gone and it was time for bed.

I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate then remembering all of the wonderful moments we've shared so far and I can't wait for what the future holds.

PS - last year's wedding post.

Art to Inspiration: ...now imagine all the strange birdsong as thick as the forest

Lara, Harwood, ...now imagine all the strange birdsong as thick as the forest, 2009

I have this fantasy of going to India. It started with a love of Bollywood movies and Indian food, then Wes Anderson's Darjeeling Limited added fuel to my fire. Not to mention I have a few friends living there who say nothing but good things. August's Art to Inspiration featuring Lara Harwood's watercolor ...now imagine all the strange birdsong as thick as the forest furthered this fantasy. Her playful, melodic line and serene color palate take me to this place in my mind where I can smell the dust and curry in the air. I am shopping for golden trinkets, fabrics, and furniture, exploring religious monuments, temples, and baths, and completely indulging myself in all the gastronomic splendors available. I drink tea in the afternoon and take some time to relax at a luxury hotel with Gman.

But then reality strikes, it's very hot in India (and I've heard deodorant isn't the norm...). There is heartbreaking poverty and some political unrest. Old traditions are vying for relevancy in contemporary markets and the food safety standards aren't quite what I'm used to.  ...now imagine all the strange birdsong as thick as the forest becomes a poetic escape from reality, from the fantasy even. Here, a figure is floating alone, listening quietly to the blanket of noise and music from the flora and fauna of the jungle, which is just out of reach. A relaxing moment, quickly and methodically captured in watercolor, goes by for hours and a second all at once. It changes my fantasy, this is the India I want to experience.


If you would like to participate in Art to Inspiration, click here to read more and sign up.

And just in case you missed it, July's Art to Inspiration.

Wardrobe: The White Maje Dress

Some of you asked me about the white dress from my rainy tryst in Paris. Not only do I wear it on a regular basis (and did on Saturday) but as Katie and I walked around the West Village we saw that Maje is opening an American location there! Let's just say I'll be visiting again in the Fall...



Wardrobe: Paris in July

Dress, Bra, Briefs, Bag, Wedges, Bangles, Sunglasses, Belt

Inspired by my romantic evening in the white Maje dress, I'm loving this long sheer white button up. It's completely modern and on trend without being trendy and there's nothing more Parisian than that! Have the confidence to wear bright, sporty lingerie for a bit of indirect allure. A skinny leopard print belt and juicy red leather tote are a must in any wardrobe. The glittery wedges point to the sparkling Eiffel Tower and you can't have a modern Parisian ensemble without a touch of YSL (sunglasses).

Now go practice your French shopping vocabulary!

Destination: Paris, France

 

This is an excerpt from my journal when I went to Paris for the first time in 2006. Paris ignited my heart and opened my mind. It was the first time in my life I was truly honest with myself. I learned what it meant to live in the moment. That to have passion in every moment is not exhausting nor does it mean you have to act like a sappy ass who is perfect and happy 100% of the time. Being passionate means you might step on someone's toes once in a while. You might lay on the floor crying because you burned dinner or dropped a wine glass after a stressful day at the office. You might take longer to enjoy each moment too as you sit and absorb your senses and surroundings. Take a deep breath, taste the air. Pay attention to the details.

I'm also in love with Paris because it is where I started a passionate romance with Gman.

 

19 Juillet

I just shared a fantastic night with Gman. We went for a walk down the Champs Elysee. When we started walking, we thought that it looked as if it might rain, but decided to take a chance as it was so lovely outside. I was wearing a white cotton dress that I purchased (in French!) at my favorite Parisian shop, Maje. Gman said that men and women were turning their heads to look at me. I felt confident and sexy as we walked along sharing stories and ice cream cones, arms around each other as if we could not walk close enough.

As we approached the bridge leading to Les Invalides the sky finally opened up. It started pouring rain and our brisk walk turned into a jog, hand in hand. Normally I would have been upset because my hair and dress were wet but we were laughing too hard for me to notice.

As we ran along lightening cracked the sky and lit up the gardens and  stone walls we passed. Car lights and street lights lead our way back to his apartment. As we ran past Les Invalides, we paused to see the Eiffel Tower sparkling as it does at the top of each hour. It was a good excuse to steal a kiss in the rain. As a resistant hopeless romantic (I'm an art historian, duh!) it was only a moment for my dreams, a scene out of a movie or painting that I thought would never happen in real life.

When we finally arrived at the apartment, we changed out of our soaking wet clothes and shared some treats and wine with his roommate. The laughter and lightheartedness continued late into the night.

I asked Gman later how he can live so passionately as I had not yet discovered how to. He said, if I don't live passionately then what's the point?

Letters



via Crush Cul de Sac

How lovely is this stationary with map envelope liners? It would be fun to bring these on a trip and write home to your loved ones using local stamps. I wish I knew where to buy these but they look easy enough to make on your own too.

I've always valued the fading art of letter writing. It's fun to write postcards to friends while on vacation. Thank you notes are a must. And when I was in grade school I would write notebooks ("passbooks") of notes with my girlfriends.

Each week Gman's grandmother writes us a postcard. Writing a note is a quick, thoughtful way to remind us that she is thinking about us. It's more personal to hold the piece of paper, with her handwriting on it, in my hand than to read a brief email. Email (Facebook, twitter...) is a considerably faster way to communicate, but perhaps we should not always be in such a rush. Not all communication is urgent. Plus who doesn't like to get a letter in the mail once in a while?

When my grandparents were dating my grandfather would write love letters to my grandmother even though they were only living on opposite sides of Atlanta. After a short period of dating, he finally asked her to marry him one night when they were out with their friends. They were riding in the back seat of their friend's car and he whispered to her. It was the last story he told me and I'm always surprised he didn't share it before. Perhaps it was only the beginning of a lifetime of romantic moments with his beloved. I'll always treasure it...

Pizza, red wine, burlesque, nature, and... more food

It's Monday again, let's take some time to bask in our memories of the weekend, shall we?

As you already know it was G-man and my wedding anniversary! As you may also know, the traditional one year wedding anniversary gift is paper. We (I) already have an abundance of stationary and pens, so we decided to get creative. G-man is quite the outdoors man. He's a thrill seeker who used to jump out of airplanes for fun. He's a badass who can survive in nature with a pocket knife and a compass. I, on the other hand, like shopping and walking in cities. I like perusing pastry shops and looking at paintings and architecture. So we take turns and end up experiencing many new things. Although I will not jump out of an airplane.

 

This weekend we ate amazing food, starting with a homemade pizza, and drank too much wine! Friday night we went to see Trixie Little and the Evil Hate Monkey, one of our favorite burlesque duos (his gift to me, the paper tickets).

Then on Saturday, it was nice to relax together as we hiked through Harper's Ferry (The gift was trees, get it!? Paper is made from trees...) and had a leisurely picnic lunch while overlooking the historic town and surrounding mountains. The air was clean and crisp and the sun warmed our skin. Then G-man taught me to climb rocks!

 

 

Driving through the country was so romantic too. Looking out the window at the rolling pastures, farm houses, and tiny towns, I felt like I was in The Great Gatsby taking a Sunday drive.

Do you ever have moments like that?

Romantic Weekend



Photo taken by one of my fabulous bridesmaids!

I can not believe it has already been a year since I married such a handsome man! Thank you, my dear, for being my rock and teaching me not to take myself so seriously.

Cheers to year one!


We plan on doing all of our favorite things this weekend (details on Monday!). Do you have any travel plans this weekend?

xoxo

Shoe Love

With so much to celebrate this week and weekend it was hard to decide which shoe to love this Friday! I mean, when is it ever easy to decide? I wore these darlings to our rehersal dinner last year so I thought it would be fitting to wear them this weekend for our one year anniversary.