what a week away

Happy 2013! We spent the last half-week up at the Hawk's cabin. The first full day was spent together as our little family of four before the rest of the gang joined us. It was the first time I've felt like I've had a vacation since our honeymoon. We lounged, lazed, and laughed the days away. I didn't realize until last night that I tend to get a little anxious about all the things I want to tackle the next day---and up north, I didn't give anything a though but let's make sure we go sledding or let's definitely make cookies before nodding off to sleep.

Here's a little recap of our time. Grocery shopping, snow play, decorating Nana's birthday cake, touching the Moose, reading, playing, and trying out a new headlamp...

Have a lovely afternoon!

icj,
~j

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come home from a vacay and remain relaxed

 You know what it's like: you come home from a trip with suitcases and bags galore and three days later, there are still things left to unpack. You spend that transition time stepping over open cases, returning again and again to the same place to retrieve the items you know belong elsewhere.

Hawk, Callan and I joined our friends, the Conners (with their 12-week-old daughter!), for a four-day-weekend up north. It was lovely. And coming home was just as pleasant. I judge the quality of an experience by how contented I am to let it end. Then I know I got everything I could out of the experience. 

It was the same for me in college. I've never been one to reminisce about the good ole days as if the past could ever be better than the present, and I'm convinced it is because I lived those experiences to their fill. Like how a delicious dessert leaves you satisfied rather than craving more when you just can't pack any more goodness into that potbelly.

Ah, I digress. Back to unpacking.

This is the first time we've returned from a trip, even a single overnighter, and felt settled, with the peacefulness of the experience still lingering in the air. I'm pretty sure the difference is three-fold:

• We spent the day before departure cleaning the house and packing. We knew we wanted to come home to a clutter-free environment, clean sheets, clean clothes, clean counters, cleared floors.
• We planned to return home hours before Callan's bedtime. Here in the great state of Wisconsin there was an inch of ice over every road on our 4 hour trip. We saw dozens of cars in the ditch and multiple accidents. But arriving home 90 minutes late still didn't disrupt our rhythm because we'd planned ahead.
• We swapped playtime with Callan so that we could each unpack all our items before his bedtime. 

So get this people: We were completely unpacked in 45 minutes. This includes all of Callan's items (which are a-plenty), my suitcase, Hawk's suitcase, snow gear, toys, food items (3 grocery bags full), baby monitors, etc. Everything was back in its place or down the laundry shoot in under an hour. It was amazing and so freeing, and we weren't even at a rush!

This is going to be our way of doing things from now on. Peace can be addicting, I tell ya.

So what is your vacation ritual? I'm very curious!

Happy Monday, friends.

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tent heaven

My parents took us camping constantly as kids. best. thing. ever. I can't say enough about how influential and positive those trips were for me. I have only incredible memories of our family and adventures, and none of it involved a plane, a hotel, a babysitter/au pair, $$$, new clothes, tickets. I can't wait to take our kids camping. Thanks to the Bruces and Shelly, we received a tent for our wedding. I almost bought a camping stove for $15 (but Hawk said no), and we can always cook with aluminum in the fire. I've actually never camped using a stove, so what I don't know I can't miss.

I am not eager for Ace to be even a day older than he is, but I am eager to give him and his future bros and sisses experiences like this:

Source: elissabraun.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

sleep update :: Last night was better. Mom Hawk gave me an afternoon to catch up on work, shower, clean the house a bit, and I did. I needed it. Let's just say I was somewhat of a wreck. Ace didn't nap for her, just like he didn't for me, so he was pretty tired when he came back. But having that afternoon to recoup helped me stay very calm and lose the tension and stress as I put him to bed. Hawk settled him back down when he woke two hours later, and he didn't wake to nurse until almost 6 hours after he first fell asleep! HIP HIP HOORAY!!!

And thank you for all the encouraging words coming our way---especially the comments. WE LOVE COMMENTS on the blog! Seriously, I cannot stress this enough. This blog is the ONE thing I do with any creativity--the one thing I get for pure fun and leisure at this busy time in our lives, and it gives me so much joy to correspond with y'all in any way.

Happy Tuesday, friends.

icj,
~j

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i wish

I wish I was little bit taller,
I wish I was a baller
I wish I had a girl who looked good
I would call her
I wish I had a rabbit in a hat with a bat
and a '64 Impala


If you know the above, I applaud you. If you noticed that "Impala" just doesn't rhyme with "her," I applaud you with my feet.


So we have a few posts in the hopper:
Books to read when preparing for that whole labor & delivery thing
Nursery update
Pumpkin cookie recipe
Hawk's weekly letter
and something else I can't remember


But while I try to finish my job AND organize it in such a way that all my cover/substitutes can glide right in and take over if need be, I'm just not finishing those posts.


So I leave you with this. I wish I could take Hawk here:

found at mfamb

He's never been out of North America, and I would love to take him here. I did a little research and found that the castle is known as Eileen Donan castle, and you can book it here.

And if you go to MFAMB's post for today, you may squirm, but you may also laugh. Just a thought.

etsy friday tomorrow!!!

icj,

~j

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autumn audobon

Do you have a place you can get to within minutes and feel like you're away from it all? With everything we've been doing to prepare for Ace's official "arrival," with our work schedules and other events, we desperately needed an afternoon for our couple selves. Something where we weren't working on the house, weren't really spending a ton of money ($6 total), and could actually expend energy rather than take it in.


We have one a few special places within a 45 minute drive, but one very special place just up the road.

The Audobon. Only 2 miles up the road. A pretty road, with wealthy old houses to look at on the way. We wanted to get out before the baby "arrives," before the colors are lost, before the cold snap snaps us. And autumn is really one of the best times of the year, whether you're a summer or winter buff. I prefer the winter, and Hawk prefers the summer, so this is the one time of year we're both really happy.

Shot looking down into one of the small ravines.

A selfie. I seriously look best in selfies. I'm not saying I look great. Just that in every other photo? Not so much. So on a scale, these are my best. Maybe because I'm partially hidden:)

Small creek...

Very fun bridge down into a ravine and back up the other side.

Ohhh, yellow...

We found this over-turned tree. I was joking about how Sleepy Hollow it looks. My first pose was much more appropriate, but Hawk said I looked stupid. He was probably right. But it would have been funny. We want Ace to think we're funny. 

Love this! So many of the trees had a sort of shading effect, moving from bright yellow to deep oranges and reds near the branch tips.

Oh, it's like a couple of leaves. As in a "couple," like a dating relationship. (I'm a dork).

The Audobon main building is swell. We've been to a couple of weddings there, and I like how simple it is.

After a bit more walking, we encountered a very nice, though perhaps overly thorough kind stranger who encouraged us to hit the look-out tower. We found it pretty fast. So here's me endangering our unborn child checking out the view by climbing way too high and standing near a solid railing above the tree line.

Notice how the railing is much more suited for my safety than for those tall people out there:

Pretty shot overlooking Lake Michigan.

And last but not least, turkeys. That's right folks, all around the Audobn, there are wild turkeys. This happened to be in someone's lawn at the edge of the park. They're bigger than they look here!

Hope this finds you well!

icj,

~j

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paint it black

It's 1:35am. 


Ace is moving around with gusto, and my mind is racing--two things I'm sure are due to the caffeine I permitted myself around 5:00pm as an aid to an evening of work.


Stupid.


How I miss the days when my body depended on caffeine so much that it would never dare keep me awake at night for fear of being deprived in the morning. Someday, I will get you back. Along with beer, wine, and my cute jeans from the Buckle. Yes, the Buckle. Don't knock it. They tailor.


Hawk leaves for a business trip in the morning. Exciting and fun, but I'm going to miss him terribly. Yes, sappy. No, it's not just because we're newlyweds (I think....Does 17 months make us newlyweds? Answer, yes. If I'm still counting in months, then yes. Thank you for participating in this conversation with myself). It's (also) because we truly strive to be good to each other and to increase in love.


So, enough about 1:40am writing spells. Let's move on to design.


I came upon this blog post recently. I first knew about the highlighted home from another post many months ago, and when I saw this new post about the changes of a room depending on who is and why they are photographing. I thought you might enjoy it, too.


And I also want to paint our dining room black. Which I have never told Hawk. Because if I did, he would roll his eyes and say, "Really. Black. Hm." A short "hm," not one of those long "hmmmmm"s. With an eyebrow raise, a slight movement of the head, and an internal monologue similar to: "My wife is nuts. Thank God we have joint checking accounts, and I am very very good-looking."


And now it's 1:44. Ugh.


Enjoy the few photos I've placed here, and please do check out the original article on Habitually Chic--its so very interesting!

Happy Monday. You rock. Thank you especially to our new subscribers! Are you guys addicted to goolge.reader, too? I really thought few people read this blog and then, wham! I checked our subscriber list. Wow. Thank you!


1:51. Go to bed me.


icj,
~j

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the Thorp House Inn

Our first bed and breakfast. 

We know many a couple who have taken advantage of B&B's around the Midwest and East Coast, but this is the first time we had the opportunity to take advantage of one. And let me tell you, it was perfect. If you go to Fish Creek, go to the Thorp House Inn & Cottages for your stay.

Next to the Inn (the big white house above) sit a few cottages. Crisp, bright, happy.

We stayed in the Jesse Room, a beautiful gold, red, and white room with a green, open and attached tub room and two chairs by the gas fireplace.

(our photos are not as nice as theirs)

Here's the glorious jacuzzi tub. I couldn't take too much advantage of it being 12 weeks pregnant, but the bit I did was so soothing. Lavendar bath salts. 

As the current owners and new innkeepers tell us:

The Thorp House Inn and its cottages are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. In 1902, Freeman Thorp, nephew of Asa Thorp, founder of Fish Creek, began the building of the house. Tragedy struck on October 3, 1903, when the steamship Erie L. Hackley capsized in a sudden squall, claiming the life of Freeman and 10 others.

Fate necessitated that the widowed Jessie Thorp begin renting rooms to tourists. Later named Cedar Ridge, Breezy Hill, and The Heritage, the Thorp home continued to accommodate guests well into the 1960's.

In 1986, Christine and Sverre Falck-Pedersen purchased the Thorp House. After extensive restoration, they opened its doors to visitors once again, this time as a "bed and breakfast" inn. As a tribute to the Thorp women, the guest rooms bear their names.

Each morning, Sverre & Christine handmake English biscuits and jams, scramble and hard-boil eggs, and brew the best coffee to serve for breakfast at the single 10-seater kitchen table. All the guests gather together and enjoy conversation before heading out to explore the area.  We met a couple on their honeymoon from North Dakota, a couple from South Carolina, and another from Massachusetts. 

The library is full of quality classics. I began to read from Jane Eyre during our visit.

And on the way out of the Inn, you walk over these old bricks converted into a newer walkway.

On our way home, we stopped at a two of the County's art galleries. 

We found a few pieces we couldn't get enough of, and also, couldn't afford. (sigh). And couldn't take shots of. So I snapped one of these fabulous vases which were showcased away from watchful eyes.

We loved Maxwell's in Egg Harbor:

But the best thing about the drive home (because I HATE ending my time alone with Hawk...we just have too much fun together) was stopping along the way, namely at Made in Britain. Among all the other items straight from the British Isle, they have this table:

It houses everything from Butter Rum (my choice) to Tomato-Chili Chutney (Hawk's choice). You simply walk around and dip pretzels into each of the testing jars. No joke, we hovered around it for 30 minutes! Luckily, the owner loves when guests do this!

devote: Well, that's all we've got of our anniversary trip. I highly recommend that every couple take the time to make a similar trip---somewhere alone, somewhere relatively new, and somewhere simple. It's really all about time alone together. We were going to pass up the opportunity, but Mom Hawk insisted that we value the event and get away. I believe it would be easy as the years progress to limit social interactions to time with friends, family, and one's own children. Thankfully, we have great advice from family and a few close friends that the Number One Priority must always be each other. All other relationships are healthy if this relationship is healthy.

We couldn't agree more. We've found that loving each other best causes us to love others better. 

So here's a glass to good marriages who impart pertinent advice to those just starting out, like us!

icj,

~j

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