August: the best of my days

August was absolutely full of fun, fun, fun at our house.
We spent a lot of time with friends and family,
and a lot of time soaking in the rest of summer.

These are the days...

1. Delicious Mac N' Cheese Recipe
2. Catching up on Sleep/Rest
3. Mani/Pedi... mmm
4. A Happy Half Birthday text from the Twinner
5. Hanging out with the family
6. Spending time with Kristin on her wedding day
7. Laying in a hammock by the pool
8. A 4-hr triple date after lunch with a good friend
9. Dinner and Dessert with the McGoverns after meeting miss Elle
10. Spending a relaxing night at home
11. The SYTYCD Finale
12. A Double Date BBQ and a game of Marbles with J + C
13. A Triple Date BBQ followed by good conversation
14. Sunshine and a new book
15. Double-dating with Lys + Joe
16. Watching Kristin's Wedding video footage
17. Girls Night In: Movie Night
18. Crafting + Getting Jeremiah a new bike
19. Date Night in Little Italy with the Hubs
20. Playing Cards with the Lowells at my parents' house
21. Good company and good conversation with the Kookers
22. Dinner & Drinks with the Schanakers
23. A good phone conversation with my friend Alyse
24. Chatting with my Sister on the drive down to Burger Lounge
25. A Gorgeous Sunset at Village Pizza
26. A Lazy Day of my Favorite Things
27. Bikes + Beach
28. A Nighttime bike ride on the bay with D + E
29. A Delicious Dinner at Il Fornaio
30. Sunset Frizbee with the Fam at Bayview
31. Getting started on another one of my goals for 2011

September brings many lovelies
like the QC Softball Tournament,
Crafts, Crockpot Recipes, and Fall Candles.
And of course...
a trip to the Big Apple!

Archive:
July
June
May
April
March
February
January

Dirty Diana {does Vegas}

A tour down the Strip from our weekend in Vegas last month
You know, Diana style

Happy {belated} Birthday, Jay!

A certain special someone had another birthday earlier this month
and I've been a real slacker about honoring her on this here blog.


A couple weeks ago,
Jordanna and I got together with our boys
to celebrate her Quarter-of-a-Century Birthday!

We went out for yogurt,
and exchanged a simple gift

but more importantly,
we shared in honest conversation.

It was the kind of conversation
that was strangely life-giving.

The kind that makes you feel more human.

And the kind that makes you insanely thankful
for friends like the McGoverns.

Happy belated Birthday, Jay!!

We love you!
and are honored to be your close friends
and to have gotten the chance to celebrate with you.

Twenty-Sixxx

Remember last year when we celebrated my parents anniversary?

Well, it's that time of the summer again.


This year, it's number twenty-six.
And we're celebrating with a nice little staycation.


Mahj + Pahj
Thank you for modeling such a beautiful marriage to us,
and for encouraging us and challenging us.
I don't think I ever expected to have so much stinkin fun
spending time with our parents.
You're some of our greatest friends.
and we love you!
Congratulations!!

Summer Weekend Highlights

A couple clearance finds at Old Navy
Date Night
The beautiful city sites
Italian Waiters
More Gelato than we paid for
Marley and Me
10 hours of sleep
A great time of study
Bike rides to the Farmers Market
Fresh squeezed lemonade
Grown Ups (though I still haven't watched the end)
Reading in the swimming pool
Seeing good friends
Karl Strauss burgers with the Lowell's
Caramel apples
a spontaneous visit to my parents'
girls beat boys at Islander
An encouraging sermon at church
changed oil and rotated tires
an awesome Discovery Channel special on Seal Team 6
more reading in the swimming pool
familiar names and faces in the neighborhood
Intern Class
Dinner and great discussion with the Kookers
finishing Firefly Lane (tissues needed!)
Cuddling. love it.

What were the highlights of your weekend?

Girls Night In: Movie Night

This month,
Girls Night was low-key and relaxing.

We just ordered a pizza
and cuddled up to watch How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.


It's one of my favorite movies of all time.
So quotable!

A Farmer's Market kind of Saturday

This is what happens when you get new bikes + a new camera.

You must play with both at the same time.

Izza Vase

Izze Sparkling Juice is one of my faves.
But after drinking some this week,
I realized the little bottles are just too cute to throw away.

So I spray painted them white
added a simple embellishment or two from my craft room
And filled the vase with a couple Fall-like flowers
I think it looks just lovely on our side table
and will look even better
with a pumpkin or two next to it in October. :)

Date Night, not the movie

We don't necessarily do them every week
and they're not extravagant celebrations,
but once or twice a month we plan a night to go out.

Last night, Jeremiah and I went down to Little Italy.
And boy, every time I'm down in the city, I feel like a giddy little girl.
The sites, the sounds, and the atmosphere
are not only nostalgic for me, but they just feel like home.
Needless to say, I was happy.

We didn't get down there until just after sunset,
but we walked along the bay for a bit
and enjoyed the salty ocean breeze.
Then we headed up to Little Italy
for dinner at Buon Appetito.We got a charming little table on the street
and enjoyed delicious food and some interesting people watching.
Because the tables are all so close together,
we didn't get to dive into much conversation.
But the conversations with the waiter were enough.
The way Italian rolled off his tongue
had me swooning and drooling.
I've decided that I will totally starting saying
"buon appetito" when I serve Italian dishes for dinner, too.
It adds a special something.
After dinner, we walked down the streetand got gelato at Z's.
We only ordered a small scoop,
but ended up with heaping bowls
thanks to another darling Italian waiter.
For August, it was a bit chilly as we walked back to our car.
And once we got home
and snuggled up to Marley & Me,
we both realized we were far more tired than we thought.
So we hit the hay early.

Our evening was simple.
and it was real.

Which made it special.

Mr. and Mrs. Chris Schuessler

Earlier this month,
my sister-in-law married the man of her dreams.

I actually didn't take a whole lot of pictures,
but here are a couple highlights.

Here she is getting ready for her rehearsal.. and actually rehearsingOn the day of her wedding,
we got to spend the day together
getting her hair and make up done, sipping Starbucks,
and having a sisterly chat or two. They chose to wait until the aisle to see each other for the first time.
From the looks of it, I'd say he was quite pleased with his bride.And it'd wouldn't be a McLeod party
without a killer reception.The Escort TableTable SettingsCenterpiecesDaddy and I standing in the corner
crying during the Father-Daughter danceGroup Dance #classicA picture with the brideLys & JoeMy hubsAnd... the Photo Booth.
Can't forget the Photo Booth.Congratulations, Chris and Kristin.
We had such a fun time celebrating with you guys
and being witness to the love you have for each other.


We love you.