A Tale with a Tip.

Here we are, alone at our table but inundated by the people and noise swirling around our sparse two-by-four island. Brett is pushing words against the stopwatch he has set to keep him on track. I think his paper is due today. The woman to my right is ten inches away, a mother I think, facing away from me but toward two of her friends. I'm sitting here with my eyes locked on one screen and then the other, and then diverting to the diverse string of people at the counter in front of me. Should I buy a drink? I should get working like Brett. 

The women next to us. Some or all three of them are mothers and I know this because their little ones are impossible to miss. Two of them are as of now in the back hallway, running from side to side and then flopping onto the floor. Now they're scooting around in the highchairs. Now all three of them are back there, as noisy and as wild as they've been all morning.

Earlier they were running the length of this Starbucks, front door to back door and back again. And after some time, one of the mothers finally got up to retrieve the purse that had been dragged out to the middle of the track in order to serve as a hurdle of sorts for the runners. Then another of the mothers stood up and headed towards the back door to retrieve the rambunctious offspring. With one held in her arms and the others by the hand, she began the arduous journey back to her seat at the table that was at this point on the far side of us. As she passed, she taught us a simple lesson in the form of a quiet question:


"Is this good birth control guys?"

From William's experience at Starbucks this morning. A funny and vivid scene. Thanks for sharing this moment so well, Will.

Betrothal Snapshots

Surprise! For you and for me! William and I were heading into the city on Saturday to meet with our fabulous photographer Scotland Huber to go over some wedding details, and I was surprised with an engagement photo session! Those sneaky boys.

Luckily I wasn't surprised the day of, or I would have been a bit irate. Hair all amiss, make-up undone, probably just rockin' some jeans and a T-shirt. Simply not suitable for something of this gravity. I wouldn't have been too thrilled. But luckily Will notified me two days prior so that I could plan what to wear! Thank heavens.

Check out Scot's blog! He was so quick at getting some up online and we love them. I'll also post more here when he gives us all of them! Let me know what you think :)

Speaking my language.

This was sent to me by a friend who knows me oh so well.

It's perfect.

Also, I got this book for Christmas and I can't wait to dive into it. I started skimming and it's hilarious, but I can't wait to hang on every word...

Here's a review that captures it well. 

Are there others besides my own flesh and blood (and really it's just Tony) who understand and value typefaces the way that I do?

Alas.

For Today.

I'm Italian, Scottish and English, but I simply can't pass this up.

Happy St. Patrick's Day, especially to all of those who are more Irish than I am. This one's for you.

on the move

In the past few weeks, I've been a bit frazzled. I hadn't been able to find:

- my brown leather Timberland gloves that mom-in-law got me for Christmas (I lived a horrible existence without them, but they've thankfully been found!)
- a book of checks when I knew I was supposed to have more left
- my hiking boots

This was distressing because I never lose things. I'm not a neat freak by any stretch (I always tend to be a bit clutter-y) but I can always put my finger right on whatever I'm looking for.

Confession: I'm a piler. If something doesn't have a spot, then it goes in the pile. Then the pile becomes that item's spot - problem solved.

So through my temporary rage, I ranted to Will about how I blame these dilemmas on my current living arrangement.

The fact that I live in a teensy apartment with three other girls,

and our storage area is a strange nook off of our kitchen that we have shoved all of our excess belongings in,

almost piled up to the ceiling,

blocking our third apartment entrance,

hidden behind a closet door that we removed - yeah, that's the culprit, indeed.

I'm am not a fan of these kinds of piles.

Since I was so scattered, Will emailed me a nice little summary of the things I want to get me all sorted out...

"Here's a compilation of your interspersions this morning:

1. move
2. purge your belongings
3. know right where everything is
4. change your ways
5. have a clean car."

He thinks I'm cute. Even if the trunk of my car houses things that I don't want to admit. I really do want to change my ways, honest. And the answer? An apartment with only two people in it and storage areas so that my dear Mable the Sable can experience true freedom from all of my crap. That's really why we're apartment hunting. It's all for Mable's sake.

So this evening, the man and I will continue on the quest by visiting three potential apartments in the fine town of Manchester By the Sea, found for us by my wonderful landlord/realtor! Not many landlords would also help you find a new place. Mine just rocks. Wish us luck!

c'est gris.

For a day like today, here's a collection of things in my favorite hue.

Lofty Ideas

I saw this on a fun design blog that I frequent and, it's the new hot thing in my book. If I'm not in a tree house, I'd love to do something like this. Stray from the norm and color your world in a different way...

1. Purple is a flawless kitchen color, in my opinion.

2. Black trim really makes the color pop.

3. Stripes for a kid's room is such a blast!

4. The aqua is so subtle and fresh.

5. Black ceiling with all white is so classy, especially with that decor.

Are you daring enough to try this? What do you think?

In Review

About a week ago, my dear brother and I ventured into the city on quite possibly the coldest evening this winter to see the wonder that is The Civil Wars. The biting cold wind on my neck and the near loss of my lips was worth it to hear even just one minute of their serenades in that tiny Red Room.

The opening act was just average, but with a killer mandolin player. As entertaining as he was, I was antsy and eager for them both to scoot so we could get on with it. In between sets, I saw John Paul White standing in the corner and I nearly bubbled over with excitement.

When the two emerged, John Paul was wearing a slate blue suit with a white striped shirt and a patterned tie, and Joy was wearing a short, black, velvet dress with a lace neckline and an aqua sash tied into a big bow behind her. Her hair was down and curled and she donned these deadly four-inch black heels with an ankle strap that I didn't even understand. She was crazy to stand up there in those bad boys for over an hour.

They opened with "20 Years" which was an unexpectedly slow start, but it picked up shortly thereafter when "Barton Hollow" was their third of fourth title. All of a sudden, Joy's monstrous heels made sense as she bashed the ground for effect on that syncopated downbeat. No bass drum? No problem. This song. changed. everything. The crowd suddenly felt electrically charged as those harmonies, so unrestrained but precise, rang through our ears and bounced off of those close walls. It was awe-inspiring and Tony and I just looked at each other laughing.

That happens sometimes. Peoples' jaw-dropping talent can leave you so struck that you laugh. Isn't that weird? It happens at John Mayer shows for us too - specifically when we witnessed the most out-of-this-world drum solo that we ever heard for over sixty measures.

Anyway, we laughed at John Paul and Joy's perfect musical union together and shook our heads in disbelief. The evening carried on in this fashion for over an hour until they finally closed with "Poison & Wine." Of course. It was organic and stunning, as we all expected, and the bowed to our clapping for minutes on end...

Only to return and play "Billie Jean" as an encore. So unforeseen and fabulous.

The show was this grand force to be reckoned with musically, but they were also hilarious as individuals. Their stage presence was almost too good. It made me a little uncomfortable to watch them interact the way that they did, knowing that they were both married to other people. It works wonders for their music but it makes me a tad concerned for their personal lives. But besides that, John Paul White was hysterical with this dry, careless sense of humor that he would slip in from time to time just to keep us on our toes, and Joy was always so quick to laugh.

Overall, The Civil Wars are the best duo since The Weepies for me, and the live experience only solidifies the threat they are to other American folk duos. Watch out everyone, these two are on the up and up and can't be stopped. If you ever get the opportunity, rearrange your life to see them.