weddings and such like that.

there's been a lot of talking about weddings lately.
surprise, surprise, right??
you know, since anna and i are in heather's [along with several other young women] this saturday.
i'm excited. :) she's going to be a beautiful bride, derek's going to be a handsome groom, us bridesmaids are going to be gorgeous [hahah], and it's going to be a wonderful time, and a really lovely, busy weekend.
tomorrow night [thursday] we host the bachelorette party, and i have a feeling it's going to be all sorts of awesome. with tons of laughing. i happen to like laughing.  and making people laugh.

Source: sweetestnest.blogspot.com via Beka on Pinterest

so with all this talk, my mind's been spinning.
what's traditional.
what isn't.
what's expected.
what isn't.
what is compulsory decisions.
what isn't.
what's important.
what isn't.
what's truly needed and wanted.
what isn't.
what blueprints do we throw out or make our own.
what things do we make new.
what do we care about.
why do we do what we do??

so far i haven't talked with many people who have dramatically different views opposing to mine, which have been shaped a lot over the past few months with heather [and my dear friend, pj] both planning weddings for march.
tonight i finally got around to researching wedding parties, because the more i talk about the people who spend hundreds to stand up behind the people saying vows and walking down the aisle, the more confused i've gotten.
tonight i finally stopped procrastinating and just talking about it.
hah.
so, without further delay, a link for random interesting tidbits of the history of the wedding party:
what is that wedding party for anyway?

Source: greenweddingshoes.com via Taylor on Pinterest

or a shorter version of some of the same information:
why bridesmaids and groomsmen?

Source: oncewed.com via A K on Pinterest

as she trimmed my hair this sunday, miss joann and i talked wedding stuff --[she had her sister stand up with her, only a few close family and a couple friends, and no big fancy dinner; just a white dress, not a marketed-as-wedding-boutique white dress that cost hundreds. it was meaningful for them, and what she preferred.], that was fascinating and down-to-earth to say the least.

[to say that i was intrigued by this blog i randomly happened upon is only the half of it. click here to read a fascinating blog: 2000 dollar wedding.]
wedding industrial complex. i find that tag in the blog really interesting.

Source: weheartit.com via Courtney on Pinterest

as for the ring part of things, i love the different older customs and "with this ring" stuff found here. [yeah, a wiki link. don't hate.]

i mean, even though i'm partial even more nowadays to the idea of a smaller, eclectic, sweet, more intimate and simple wedding, what it really comes down to is what is right for you. it's your flippin' wedding and you and your honey should decide --if you're the type that want it to be show-like and glitzy, or cut down to the main purpose of it: a beautiful ceremony and gathering to celebrate the beginning of your lives together in this union.
that's what it comes down to.
what is important to you.
and what do you want the people [large or small numbers alike] to remember it as...
decide what you really want, and carry that out, no matter what you think others may be looking for traditionally or expecting of you. it's your beautiful day, and it's only one day. just the start. so don't make it too stressful leading up to it, because it's over before you know it. lol.

hahaha...so that's the deep wisdom i've come to realize in while observing and being immersed in tons of details everyone else is going through right now.
i'll be sure to write a follow up post someday in the future to say how easy or tough it was to carry out a simple dream of it. for that one day.

~~~

what's your experience been with weddings?
how was yours? were you excited/pleased with it? was it stressful or small or huge or casual?
do you dream/plan for yours someday, if you haven't been to that place in life yet?

four year olds.

danny and crystal; not siblings...their parents are kinda together. ish. 

nor really. kinda. that's how we've got them both today while their parents work. lol.

encouraging 4 year olds to share is fun......
me: "no whining about it....we're gonna share and be happy!"
danny: "is that like Happy Feet?"
me: um. "yeah. Happy Feet shares. and he's happy."
danny: "no, Happy Feet doesn't share." he gives me a look like he knows everything.
me: "oh yes he does."

sometimes i'm washing dishes, music is going, and the children are running in and out of the kitchen simply because we don't have the tv on with anything that interests them so they're running off energy with little hands grasping slices of granny smith apples and they're smiling, and they tell me something as i turn my head, and i didn't hear it all but i say something anyways: be careful.

anne and gil music video.

sidenote: i adore this version of the song.
gray sidenote: only thing i would say is better than a movie scene...because as that awesome song by the avett brothers goes, with a twinkle in their eyes, they're just saying their lines. and so we can't be in love like the movies. [lyrics here] . . . not to get technical or anything. ;)

all dressed up with no where to go...

we were going to go swing dancing. anna, ben and i.
i was going to try wearing comfy jeans to it for the first time since we started going in july.
and this shirt, i just got for my birthday last week from anna and rach.

my make up was all did, i put glue in my hair, and i was all dressed up....
and weather got an idea to interrupt our plans.
so we're not going. thank you, snow.
and now i'm back to pajamas, working on heather's wedding reception/dinner/dancing music playlists.
lots of 40's-50's music. :)
and i do believe, sometime tonight, we might get around to watching midnight in paris. looks good.
what a night....

link love.

i love this idea:
love each other deeply: a valentine's banner.


docs to women: pay no attention to ricki lake's home birth.

an excerpt from "epilogue", the book talked about by joanna in this post over at a cup of jo.

dana, from newlywed's diaries, shared this photo first. it's too good.

linear: never was, never will be.
by kathy escobar, --i'm ever so grateful, because she was linked to/mentioned by sarah at emerging mummy . . . and i do believe she's writing another top-favorite-on-the-list blog.


a lesson from dolores: a meaningful life.
another priceless post by vintch.


this is NOT a food blog! but . . .
by jamie, the very worst missionary.
ohmyword, that looks strangely amazing. but a lot of work. :P


tali and jordan: kiss the groom engagement photoshoot.
her photography just stuns me.

this weekend. :)

friday night:

10:30ish pm he got here.

i am ridiculous. and he's blurry.

you gotta love it when you can be your weirdo self with someone and they love you for it, not just in spite of it. :)

~~~

saturday night:

scrabble and bananagrams with the fam.

everyone was getting tired around 9pm, so i used a few letters sitting around justin's pile to add to his vine of words.
like changing win to winery immediately. i did not add the s to that. it needs an apostrophe. ;)

~~~

sunday:

we. were. tired.
i brewed coffee sunday morning around 7:30-8, and painted a canvas for a gift at a bridal shower that mom was going to.

4pm-ish. strangely enough, everyone was either outside, or napping. or, as anna was: at the theater with girlfriends watching The Vow.
so i made use of my long arms and here we have it. lol.

i don't know; still trying to decide... ;) but i kinda like him.

davidcito hugged us. he wanted to be in all the pictures rach took.
sunset light. goodness gracious.

at least the little guy was smiling for this one. hah. the next was crazy. :)

rach has a knack for catching some awesome sun flare.

who's up for some dancing in the middle of a small town road?
us.
gotta love it when the younger photographer sister gets her boss on.
go dance.
right there.
yeah.
in the road.
now dip her.
can you dip her?

why, yes.
:)
and that was the near-ending to my weekend.

i miss august 4 2011.

 

i really miss this. 

sarah and justin's little peanut isn't so tiny anymore. he's almost 7 months. with a head full of hair and the cutest sunday morning smiles ever. 

august. 6 months ago.
wow.

december 3.

december 10.
2 months ago.

february 19. today. awwww. man oh man.

both young children and old people have a lot of time on their hands. That's probably why they get along so well.

[jonathan carroll]

in everything.

i love this.
the post featuring it, found here.

p.s. sorry this is no real post...busy weekend ahead, and just got finished writing names on paper for table placements at heather's wedding coming up in 15 days here...
have a lovely weekend! ♥

super-super-super sweet.

Pearl and the Beard - Prodigal Daughter from Family Records on Vimeo.


ack. it's not everyday you come across a gorgeously filmed video such as this.
i love gregarious peach's photography.

the eve of my 21st birthday.

the best and simplest parts of love, i believe. patient. kind.
and my hand was holding a mug of coffee, by the way. you can't see it though. :P
i wrote this on my arm.
for the heck of it, and because pastor was talking about marriage and selfishness/selflessness today in honor of valentines day. [speaking of which, here's a post of 5 lessons learned after 18 years of marriage.]
we had dinner.
i grabbed the yarn a lady from church hand-dyed and gave me a year or more ago, plus an I-9 sized crochet hook and the pattern i printed off the other day in hopes of making a hat with nothing at all wrong with it.
i haven't crocheted in the longest time.
actually, since october.
yeah. that post. with the mohawk. thingy. going on.
[speaking of old posts --or oldish posts-- i miss that shade of dark red/purple....darnit....so gosh darn fun....]

we'd been talking about it while recalling different chick flicks with cousin david, so i found a walk to remember on the dvd shelf and put that in.
i was the first one to sit down, and everyone else slowly came and nestled wherever they could on the couch, the chairs, etcetera. it never happens that way. i hardly ever watch movies anymore.
i got to about round 5, and the increase in stitches was wonky, so i gave up and pulled most of it out before i wound it around, around, around and mom helped me get the knotted stuff free and able to be wound.
that movie is sad.
mi dispiace, i don't have many brilliant thoughts tonight; i'm even having a hard time catching typos and wrong words that shouldn't be where they're ending up . . . i guess going to bed at 1am how many nights in a row and waking at 6:40 on a gorgeous sunday morning will do that to ya . . . kind of . . . yeah.

i love carter hulsey's music.
my other favorite song by him [maybe if it rains] . . . << this link is actually a really really good cover.

oh. and a few highlights of saturday:

1. lyddie, posing cuteness.
2. me, trying to pose in the freezing outdoors.
3. rach, her 35mm, and . . . yeah.
4. heath, kelly, anna, steph, shannon, and me, at heather's bridal shower. :) only 20-something more days till the wedding . . . of course she's counting down. ;)

a happy thought.
caramel breve, extra shot.

. . . and even though the sky is better seen with your own eyes . . .
ben borrowed my camera with a tripod and took this:

since it's only 11:06pm and i like to be adventurous, i'm going to stay up till my birthday hour. 12:20am.
yeah. plus, someone amazing has to wake up at 1 anyways to work overtime hours, so i'll get to hear his voice and basically the first happy-birthday of my day . . . :)
the thought makes me smile.
so.
to stay awake [did i mention i'm slightly crashing? no? well....] now, i'm going to either edit and update the peoples page, or go upstairs and journal some horribly pointless, jumbled up sap trying to talk about another year even though the actual day doesn't actually matter; it's all the days between that make you feel it.

color, color, color. this was february 6. ^^
no one has to tell me that this is a tired, and very-very-very random post.
i figured it'd just be good to post some life stuff and write a bit.
sigh.

here, you can find last year's birthday-day post. fun, fun.

when we seek to discover the best in others,
we somehow bring out the best in ourselves.
[william arthur ward]

swing fever. b&w.

i found the first post's video by utter chance. 

but now i've been on a roll, clicking in the sidebar on black and white film clips and modern lindy hop competitions. wow.za.

it's flippin' amazing.

dead people.

[tuesday, february 7]
"ya know, beka, this dude on the 10 dollar bill is pretty good looking."

"hmmm. let me see what you're talking about."
i break away from stirring potato slices in sizzling butter.
glance at the greenback lyddie holds out to me.
lol.
"ah! yes. i remember thinking that guy was pretty attractive myself."
she smiles. examines it again.

 "hmmm. and lincoln wasn't that bad either. but there was that one dude--some of those dollar bill faces are sick. ugh. so ugly."
example of an unattractive president:

this is how cultured odd we are. my 11 year old sister. talking about how attractive dead presidents are or aren't.
i laughed as i shook some cayenne-salt on the potatoes.
"i can't believe we're talking about dead people."
"psh, it's not that weird."

ahh, goodness. i love siblings.

dance. :)

ohmygoodnessgracious. 

*happy sigh*

i don't do lindy hop, but gosh. i'd be open to learning it someday. on another note, i love how they dressed vintage. and i love the song. and her dress.

also, if i never get 1/10th as good and creative as this someday in my lifetime, i have high hopes for [at least one of] my children someday. 

one of them needs to pick up this timeless obsession. :)

happy.

i have 601 published posts and 22 drafts. i haven't been posting at a normal or decent record lately. just a few facts for you.

makes me happy posts.
pretty darn inspiring.
especially considering the facts that i'm looking forward to so many things, learning to rest in trusting God and His timing and just who He is, but i've started to let little things slip away.
so. with no further delay . . .

things that have made me ridiculously happy this week:

the smile my younger sister/s gives me when we share a sibling moment telling each other 'you're weird'.

and the laughing that comes afterwards.

the morning's hot shower. that feeling of a new day starting. clean.

the freshly-cleaned off kitchen counter. my ocd tendencies satisfied.

the loud, obnoxious hum of the coffee grinder in my hands. anticipation and enjoyment of my obsession. :)

attempting to accomplish how many push ups while the coffee brews. exercise, keeping in shape, who's heard of it? psh....not me.....

the sound of someone's really tired voice on the phone at the end of a long day... and the good-natured argument over when exactly he should go to sleep because he's so exhausted, or if he should stay up like he wants to/wishes.
the laughing that comes when either person wins the argument.

how about you? what has been making you ridiculously happy this week?

a poem on a tuesday.

it's february 1st, and i haven't posted for . . . oh, has it been a week?
yeah. something like that.
one of my favorite authors, bonnie grove, shared this on her facebook this morning.
you know, since they now allow you to post more than 500 characters. hah.

anyways, the last time i --er, someone named lyddie [my littlest sister]-- used my camera, there was this cutie in the nursery. he was a sweetheart. for every smile you gave him, he gave you one right back. easiest going little one in the nursery at church that day.

. . . the sunset on january 30th.

. . . the sunset on january 31st.
you can now read this lovely poem, and i'm going to go finish watching tangled [only for the second time in my life, crazy, i know? what with a little sister who does the smolder all the time. lol] with lyddie . . . have a fabulous wednesday :)

Happiness 
by Raymond Carver

So early it's still almost dark out.
I'm near the window with coffee,
and the usual early morning stuff
that passes for thought.

When I see the boy and his friend
walking up the road
to deliver the newspaper.

They wear caps and sweaters,
and one boy has a bag over his shoulder.
They are so happy
they aren't saying anything, these boys.

I think if they could, they would take
each other's arm.
It's early in the morning,
and they are doing this thing together.

They come on, slowly.
The sky is taking on light,
though the moon still hangs pale over the water.

Such beauty that for a minute
death and ambition, even love,
doesn't enter into this.

Happiness. It comes on
unexpectedly. And goes beyond, really,
any early morning talk about it.