Paper Goods.

I'm going to let you in on a little secret.  I'm obsessed with paper goods!  I've always loved stationary but following our wedding, I'm officially over the edge.  I mean getting to choose coordinating announcements, shower invitations, shower thank you notes, wedding invitations, place cards, menus, and wedding thank you notes was seriously one of the most fun parts of planning!  If I could decide on a style for personalized stationary, I'd have reams of it!  Anyway, that's not even the secret.  The secret is Verrier.  

Last year around this time I was in New York City for work and I found this delightful stall at a pop-up shop at the Chelsea Market.  Ashleigh and her mom/partner Jude were so sweet, and when we got to talking it turns out Ashleigh is originally from Mill Valley, born in San Francisco - like me!  Well, as soon as I told her we were set to get married in Mill Valley, we were fast friends.  She's a fashion designer but also makes the.most.amazing prints and cards.  I bought several pieces that day and I've been buying a steady stream of thank you notes from her website since.  She really has a card for all purposes.  I may or may not have purchased birthday cards for all of my girlfriends that I've saved to send throughout the year...

I la-la-la-LOVE this set of thank you notes.  I've given my first set out and I've seen more than one card face cut out and framed around my office.  How's that for double-duty?  Anyway, if you're crazy for paper goods like me, check out her shop online or in NYC!

Am I the only one who's crazy for paper?

Birthday, Part I.

This past weekend the hubby took me to Sonoma to celebrate the big 3 - 0.  Originally, we were going to go to Napa and eat at the Culinary Institute (which is actually in St. Helena), but after my husband made the reservation they called to say they'd be closed for spring break - boo!  So we decided to try something slightly new and go to Sonoma instead of the much hyped Napa.  And it was great!!  My birthday fell on Easter Sunday so I'm not sure if that made it quieter or busier but it was perfect.  

First we went to Cornerstone, which was a little development with tasting rooms, restaurants, and shops.  Next, we went to a smaller family estate, where they offered to take us on a tour of their caves when the hubby mentioned it was my birthday!

Our hotel was fab!  We stayed at The Lodge, which was a stone's throw from the charming downtown.  The customer service was great and the rate was good considering the resort atmosphere.  We stopped mid-day to eat lunch on the pool deck.  Delightful!  After lunch we went did more tasting in another little town called Glen Ellen.  

We had dinner at The Girl and the Fig, which was great.  We had some great cocktails, some mediocre rose (shhh!), and some YUMMY salad and asparagus appetizer.  We were pretty full from eating.all.day, so we opted not to get dessert.  Later we ordered room service from the hotel restaurant. This was just so so, but there is always something so luxurious about ordering room service!  

I was on the hunt for a winery that makes champagne, so the next day we stopped at a chateau with a gorgeous view, where I had just about the best breakfast I've ever had!  Yes, please!

And this is one of the things I love most about my husband - the laughter never ends.  We were laughing about almonds.  Yep.

Next weekend I'm going to LA with my girlfriends and I can't wait!  And between then and now, I'll have my head buried in books.

Meme.

I've been buried in school work this past week but trying to keep my spirits up with a few laughs! This might be my all time favorite internet meme.

I just love the little guy's conviction.  I laugh every time I think of it.  And of course, I'd like to think of myself as someone who keeps it exceptionally real.  I suppose my girlfriends can attest to that - or not!

P.S.  If anyone would like to know about the misplacement of minority math students in ninth grade geometry or residential segregation and its association to crime, you know where to find me!

Sunday Shopping.

I was thinking it might be fun to do a weekly meal planning series.  To kick it off, I'll tell you how we plan our weekly meals and what's most important to us in planning.

First, we HAVE to get our groceries over the weekend.  If that doesn't happen, the rest of our week is a total mess. Second, I plan a specific dinner menu for each night.  Mostly I'll only plan five nights worth to allow for anything that might come up.  The hubby sometimes forgets to tell me about business dinners, guys' night out, etc.  I also like to be able to switch the meals around within the week to accommodate other changes that crop up - like I just don't feel like fish tacos tonight!

A couple of other key elements for us are potential for leftovers and level of effort/time.  I used to cook 80% of the time but being in graduate school - particularly these last two semesters - has totally turned our night-time routine up-side-down!  Thank goodness for the hubby.  He's now on deck to cook the two nights I'm in school, and the reality is he winds up cooking the two nights in between, too, because I'm either exhausted or still doing reading/homework throughout the week.  So, given the current situation I try to plan at least one meal that will have enough leftovers for another night's dinner.  Alternatively, I try to think about what would make for good lunches.  And because I'm still doing the planning and shopping, I try to think about recipes that won't be too complicated or time consuming if he has to step in unexpectedly.  A quick note here - the hubby is a fantastic cook!  I mean, everything he makes is seriously good!  But you know how after years of doing it your own way, you tend to write yourself notes in shorthand, or you forget to document a change or shortcut from a recipe you've been making for forever?  The devil is in the details, and those darn details have started more than a few fights!

Finally, this is probably obvious, but it took some serious effort on my part to get it down.  I carefully check to see what we have left from the week prior so that we minimize anything in our fridge going bad.  This also helps me sequence the menus.  Call me crazy, but I also like to check the week's weather forecast.  At this very moment we happen to be having a downpour and lasagna sounds so comforting!  But the weather has been crazy, and what if it's 75 degrees on Monday night and lasagna winds up being way too heavy?  Details I tell you!

Anyway, on to this week's menu:

Sunday: Lasanga (I couldn't resist!)

I use my mom's recipe, which is traditional Sicilian style.  The hubby says there's too much cheese and not enough meat, but I've been eating it and making it this way my whole life.  I know the recipe by heart now but one of these days I'll write it up and post it.

Monday: Crab cakes and edamame

I love Trader Joe's Maryland style crab cakes.  Delish!  I like to serve it with edamame on the side - aso from TJ's.

Tuesday: Southwestern Quinoa

We love this recipe!  This is one of my go-to blogs for healthy recipes.  When we can find it (did you know the world is currently suffering from a shortage?!), I throw in shrimp.  Another shout-out to TJ's - we love their Red Argentinian uncooked, deveined shrimp.  This recipe makes for great weekday lunches, too! 

Wendesday: Tuna Melts

Yum!  The hubby likes to make open faced tuna melts.  We use sourdough bread (gluten-cheat!) and extra sharp cheddar cheese.

Thursday: Leftovers

Usually I plan leftovers more carefully, but I'll be dining alone Thursday evening, so I'll either eat leftover lasagna or leftover Southwestern Quinoa.

Friday and Saturday, as usual, we'll wing it!  What are some of your favorite weeknight dinners?

Wedding Fail.

A friend of mine is getting married tomorrow and I sent her quick note today with the same sage advice I received from many, many people before my own wedding.  If you've had a wedding, then I'm sure you've heard some variation of this advice: soak it in, be present, enjoy the moment, it goes so fast!  This got me thinking about some of the less than perfect details about my wedding and how I dealt with them - or rather, didn't deal with them, but just let them go!  

After scouring countless wedding websites throughout the planning process, I knew there were a couple of things we'd do to manage the day of.  First, I decided to create a "call anybody but the bride" list.  Essentially, you create a list with all of your vendors and their contact information so that you can hand it off to a trusted family member or bridesmaid.  I added arrival times for each vendor so that my designees would know when something was off schedule without me telling them.  I gave the list out at the rehearsal, letting everyone know who had them.  Most importantly, I made abundantly clear that if there was any kind of problem (no matter how small) I did not want to know.  Everyone laughed when I said that but they knew I meant it!

The other thing we did that I am so, so grateful for was ask one of our dearest friends to be the MC.  We debated about this because we had a DJ and we knew he could probably play this role as well, but having someone so close to us run the show left me feeling like there was not a thing to worry about.  Looking at the photos now, I always chuckle at this one of me waiting to cut the cake.  The cake cutting was at 8:30pm on the timeline and the clock above the cake table is at precisely 8:30pm!

As much as you prepare, the biggest challenge is making yourself let go on the big day. Things will go wrong and you've just got to commit to yourself to be present and enjoy no matter what.  Here are a few things that didn't go quite right and how I dealt with them...

Bubble gum linens

At the last minute I decided to switch my linens from ivory to pale pink after seeing the most beautiful and romantic photos of someone else's outdoor wedding.  I didn't get to see the linens or a swatch beforehand, so I was eager for them to arrive the day of.  Unfortunately, the truck with the linens was stuck in terrible traffic and as the hours ticked away, still no linens. I was so glad my MOH had the vendor list because she stayed on top of tracking the truck. When the linens finally arrived I was just finishing hair and makeup and it was time to get dressed for photos.  As soon as I saw them I knew something was wrong.  They were pink but not pale pink!  I wanted light, airy and romantic but I got bubble gum!  This is probably my only post-wedding gripe, but in the moment I just had to let it go.  I never even said anything to the caterer - what good would it have done?

City setting

We got married at the Outdoor Art Club in Mill Valley.  It's right downtown but you'd never know it was there if you didn't know it was there.  We looked long and hard for a venue and we just loved this space because it felt like an oasis in the middle of the hustle and bustle (albeit, small-town hustle and bustle).  Well, with a city setting comes the potential of city sounds.  Right as the ceremony started a fleet of ambulance/fire trucks went by with sirens blazing.  I think it rattled our officiant but we just had to laugh!

Lovebird down

Whoops!

When I was first looking for wedding inspiration and browsing around for cake toppers I found on Pinterest these adorable fabric love birds dressed in wedding attire.  Well my mother-in-law became a Pinterest sleuth and at Christmas I unwrapped the.most.beautiful handmade love birds.  I've since turned them into ornaments so that we get to admire them once a year.  They inspired a bird theme throughout the wedding and I couldn't wait to stick those birdies on the cake!  We used a sweetheart table at our reception and it happened to be set at one side of the room with the cake on the opposite end.  At some point during dinner I noticed the photographer taking photos of the cake and to my horror, I saw that there was only one bird!  I thought, "Doesn't he notice there's only one bird?!"  I knew there was no way I'd make it across the room in my dress so I told my husband and like a stealth he got across the room in time to retrieve the other bird.  Fortunately the photographer got photos with both!

All better!

Family drama

By far, the hardest thing to deal with on the big day was family drama.  It really paid off for me to be clear that I did not want to know about any issues, because it turned out there was plenty of drama and I didn't know a thing about it until after all was said and done!  What makes me sad is that my husband had to shoulder the burden and didn't have my support but he knew that it would pull my focus from all the positives that day, and I'm so glad he decided not to say anything. Now that doesn't mean I didn't notice some cold gusts coming my way but I had fortified myself and promised that no matter what I would choose to honor the love in the room and pay no mind to any negativity.  I'm so proud of myself for following through on that.

What went wrong on your wedding day and how did you stay in the moment?

Chopped.

I had heard of the post wedding chop, but I never thought I'd do it myself.  Well, a couple months following our wedding I did it - I chopped off my long locks!  Here's the before, the hairspiration, and the after.

Before

     

One of my very favorite photos of my dad and me <3

Hairspiration

After

Please excuse the closet selfie!

I've actually cut my hair even a bit shorter now, which I felt was more flattering.  I visted my hairstylest today and she asked me if I think I'll grow it long again.  I have to say, I'm not sure!  Actually, I'm sure I will, just not anytime soon.

Did you do a post wedding chop?

Cleanse.

Have you heard of the Dr. Oz 3 Day Detox Cleanse?  Well I've done it a few times - most recently this past weekend - and I'm a fan.    

The hubby and I did our first cleanse together after watching Fat Sick and Nearly Dead.  That one is a juice cleanse and we did it for five days.  The first time was great actually but each time after that was torture.  And by torture I mean by day three you're dreaming about the McDonalds french fries you haven't even eaten in 15 years!  I like the Dr. Oz cleanse because it doesn't strip out the fiber in the fruits and vegetables and frankly, three days is way easier than five!  Or seven, or 30...  

Unless you're planning to do a serious - I mean like 30 or 60 day - cleanse, it's not a good way to loose weight.  The first time we did the cleanse we both lost about 10 pounds, but I gained back half that as soon as we started eating regular food again.  A cleanse is a great way to reset your eating habits, or to jump start some other kind of health regimen.  I usually do them at the end of winter or if I've been particularly bad about eating gluten.  

We had a lot of the ingredients already (like the coconut oil, probiotic, and stevia) and there were a few things I just skipped (like the lavender and multivitamins) so I spent about $30 for all three days.  

Morning

I think the morning drink is my favorite.  It has bananas which I HATE but I use a half instead of a whole and it's not so bad.  If you squeeze a little extra lemon you can barely taste it.

Afternoon

You'll notice that I had to use a food processor for this one.  I have no idea how other people prepare it, but it is thick and there is a lot of it.  My poor immersion blender could barely stand up to the kale, cucumber and celery!

Evening

I also quite like the evening drink.  Who can turn down blueberries and mangos?