love always, hannah

so thankful for so many wonderful friends, relationships, opportunities, and experiences. updates to come. i’m a very lucky lady.

My last post has brought in a wave of support and encouragement, and whenever I become cynical about the internet community, it’s nice to have the reminder that people use this medium to extend grace to one another. 

I’m off for another busy day, but tomorrow I’m hoping to offer some of the words of wisdom that have been shared with me in my times of uncertainty. It’s funny how life is so full of ebb and flow- one moment I’m stressed about money, and suddenly we find out we’re getting an unexpected refund check from the government. I feel somewhat useless at work, and suddenly patrons of the restaurant seem to be all the more enthralled with what I do. My workouts and yoga sessions have been so productive and centering, and I’m so thankful for a body that sustains through my crazy days and beyond. 

Still no good pictures of the haircut. It’s already grown out so much in 3 weeks, it’s crazy. 

Lee passed his motorcycle exam with the highest score in the class. I’m so proud that he’s found a passion in riding. 

I’m acutely aware this week how much I enjoy laughter and making people laugh. It must be one of my love languages. 

love. 

Life has been crazy. I’ve decided that it’s always going to be that way, thus it’s no longer even worth mentioning, but every time I sit down to write, I’m overwhelmed by how much has happened since my last post, and that of course leads me to question why so much time has passed between entries, then I remember how busy I/we have been, and then I start every post with a deep breath and the admittance that I haven’t written in so long because I’ve been so busy. Run-on sentence on purpose. 

So, after all the busy talk, here we are. Reaching the end of Lent, the eternal season it seems, I’m at an intersection of life. I attending an exceptionally moving service with the Church of the Common Ground on Palm Sunday, and it’s been at the forefront of my mind since. I feel a stirring to really dedicate myself to the needs of others, but I’m bound by my financial responsibilities to my family and my (seemingly insurmountable) student loans. I’m ready for a change, but I can’t see how that is currently feasible. For the moment, I’m trusting that I’m still influencing people for the better in my current occupation, and I’m offering my volunteer services wherever I can. I’m just ready to engage, I’m ready to be changed, I’m ready to make a difference, and I feel like that part of me is slowly falling away in favor of cynicism and emotional exhaustion. I’ve always been a passionate person, and I’m so ready to renew my dedicate to causes that inspire and rejuvenate me. 

In related news, Lee and I have been very focused on how we’re treating our bodies- physically and emotionally. We’ve been much more attentive to what and how we’re eating, and I’ve been going back to the gym in a healthy and encouraging way. I’m so proud of the progress we’re making, and it’s nice to have a partner for encouragement and support. Plus, we have significantly cut back our drinking for Lent, and it’s amazing how much of a difference that can make. 

I feel like this season has really laid the ground work for some big life changes, and I’m eager to see where we go from here. Lee is almost done with his second year of grad school, and although the summer schedule continues to fill up, I’m looking forward to more time spent enjoying our first year of marriage. It will be 6 months on the 15th, and I’m really not sure where the time as gone. Alas, the busyness. It’s so sneaky with my time… Plus, we’re trying to be better at managing our money, what little we have, and we’d really like to start making serious strides toward mapping out our future. It’s scary and exciting, but I’m so thankful for such a wonderful partner. 

We did manage to steal away to Asheville, North Carolina for a few days last month, and it was great to spend time with some of Lee’s friends from college. We were inspired to start brewing our own beer, which I think will be a really fun project for the summer, and we got to take home a few bottles of a Pilsner made by our friend, Jacob. 

I’ve become strangely addicted to the Frozen Yogurt craze that hit Atlanta about a year ago, but it’s just so darn good, I can’t resist. 

We’ve also discussed our excitement over the impending “festival season” that begins this month, and I’m even stoked about outdoor markets. And lots of summer dresses. 

I’ve done a small bit of vintage shopping recently, and in addition to some awesome home decor, I splurged and bought a pair of vintage german above-ankle boots for myself, and an amazing Levis jean jacket for Lee; the jacket was perfectly worn in, and just big enough to wear over a sweatshirt in the winter or by itself during the summer. Stay tuned for many pictures of us wearing our new finds. 

I suppose that’s about it. This week is jam-packed with Holy Week activities, a birthday celebration on Saturday night, 6am sunrise service, the baptism of a great friend (Heather!!!) on Easter, and Lee’s first participation in a baby baptism. Plus work and school. And eventually those dishes that keep staring at me…. 

Oh! And I got a haircut about 2 weeks ago!! It’s pretty major, and I did 4 donations for locks of love! Picture in the next post; after-gym hair is probably not how my stylist would like me to publicize my new ‘do.  

Love to all, and peace in this last week of Lent. 

hannah 

Today, Lee and I slept in and had “Pizza Monday.” Pizza Monday- where we order pizza. on monday. ‘Twas glorious. 

After Lee took off for a few meetings, I went for the ultimate rejuvenation- a trip to the thrift store! One of our local spots offers a 50% discount every Monday, making me one happy lady. I had some absolute FINDS today, and I’ll hopefully post some pictures of my spoils tomorrow. Nothing inspires me more than a trip to the thrift store. Last Chance Thrift, my destination today, does not have any selection to speak of when it comes to hats or sunglasses, or most accessories now that I think about it, but you can get your fill of vintage skirts, dresses, and- as Rachel calls them- “old lady blouses”. My personal favorite. The blouse reigns supreme in my household. Or at least it’s second to Lee’s impressive collection of very similar flannel shirts… 

After that, I came home ready to clean! I did the dishes while listening to the Bob Dylan station on pandora, and then Lee and I decided to take advantage of a beautiful day off by going to the park! We drove Opie a few blocks down to Freedom Park and after futile attempts to comvince him he needed to stay on his leash, we let him roam free. He was ecstatic, and I have the pictures to prove it. Lee and I brought books, but we spent most of our time calling Opie closer to the blanket or laughing at his adventure-pug-ness. He’s currently passed out on my leg, which leads me to believe he really enjoyed his outside time.  

After the wind became too much for my fingers, we headed to Kroger to pick up some simple dinner supplies, and I made spaghetti using canned tomato sauce made by our friends from Asheville! Lee and I took a trip last year to help some friends start a small farm, and we have a few jars as the fruits, literally, of our labors. 

I am constantly amazed by this beautiful life. We are so, so blessed. I hope to never forget these small moments. 

xo

With today being my first day off in a week, we decided to sleep in and eat leftover chinese for breakfast. By Chinese, I mean I ate white rice with liquid aminos on it. 

Mondays are usually my lazy days, often peppered with trips to half-off Monday at my favorite thrift store. Yes, the entire store is half-off. It’s amazing. Today, however, Lee and I have been marathoning Sons of Anarchy (our most recent Netflix addiction. If you’re not into the rougher side of life, I’d avoid it, but we love it. Exceptional acting, great plot, really solid.) and planning for our special date later this evening. While Lee runs off to a meeting, I’m looking at menus around Atlanta and trying to decided where to dine tonight. I’m thinking Sotto Sotto or Soba in East Atlanta, but I’m not committed yet. Is it bad that my favorite dates are the ones where we bring dessert home and watch a movie while drink Port? 

evidence. 

Since I took a break from the blog, here are a few highlights of the past few months- a whirlwind tour, if you will. 

(Me in front of our friend’s booth. CHECK OUT The Peregrine Consortium [their interview with Scoutmob] or their Etsy site for all things cute and made with love. Their artistic voice is perfect for 2012- modern with a retro vibe. They’re awesome.) 

In November, we attended one of our favorite Atlanta festivals- Cabbagetown’s Chomp ‘n Stomp! It’s a chili cook-off and bluegrass festival with a great artist market and great food trucks! We had our first experience with Chicken and Waffles!! 

delicious.

I, once again, managed to wear the same purple hat and corduroy jacket I’ve been wearing since 2007. Classic.  

In December, as per my family tradition, we cut down our own Christmas tree! This is my family’s 16th (whoa!) year of choosing and cutting down our own tree, but this year was extra special because it was our first tree as husband and wife! Also, I think it was 70 degrees that day. And super sunny. Note the squinting. 

‘twas a wee tree. But a perfect tree. 

We also celebrated our 2 month anniversary with a walk to get vanilla malts (one of our favorite indulgences.) 

We also spent lots of evening at home, cooking dinner and drinking some of our favorite fall/winter beverages. 

This was a sweet potato hash that Lee sauteed in our brand new cast-iron skillet. It was absolutely delicious with J.K.Scrumpy’s Hard Cider. Run, don’t walk, to get it if you’ve never indulged. It’s perfect for cold weather… or warm weather… 

We also celebrated my sister Rachel’s 22nd birthday, and got a new vacuum! 

Mr. Pug was not happy about that last bit. But we did take lots of naps, and I think that made up for the vacuum. After all, naps are Mr. Pug’s favorite thing. After people food. 

That’s my family! 

We’re busy bees, but looking back through these pictures make me realize, once again, how lucky I am. We have such a great life, and we have so many plans ahead of us. I’m going to go study some wine (I’m currently looking into a level 1 sommelier certification) and hopefully decide on a special date location!

love.  

So, who are we? 

Hannah and Lee are a newly married couple living in Atlanta, Ga. 

This is us. Yep, that’s a mighty beard. 

This is us with our pug. A regal gentleman, indeed. 

Affectionately known as glamor pug. (yes, we do have photo shoots with the pug.)  His name is Opie. Or Mr. Pug. He answers to both.

We are both very involved with our church- check them out. A wonderful community of people like I have never known. 

Hannah has a background in Musical Theatre, while Lee spends his time in  Graduate Religious Studies (he’s currently a student at the Candler School of Theology.)  

We love to eat well, drink well, and love well. We love music and being creative and helping people. We also love living in Atlanta! It’s a great cultural hub, and we love living in such a diverse and ever-changing city. Hannah loves thrifted and second-hand goods, clothing included, and Lee spends most of his time in flannel. 

(On our way to get our marriage license. Very excited.) 

That’s us. At least, that scrapes the surface.

A new year, a new blog! 

… Not really a new blog, but a new perspective on the blog. I don’t really like the idea of resolutions for a new year, but I really like having goals. So, one of my goals is to jumpstart this ol’ blog and keep it going. My original blog concept was about getting married and everything involved with that process. Well, we checked “marriage” off of our to-do list, and now we’re 3 months into married life. Honestly, it’s pretty awesome, but it’s also pretty busy. So, in order to organize ourselves and to let people see how we’re doing , I pledge to maintain our life blog! Plus, I think years from now we will appreciate having our memories so easily accessible. Feel free to take a peek at our journey- we’re pretty swell:) 

Quick update! 

This are moving right along in pre-wedding world; I can’t believe we’re almost 2 months away!! Times flies, my friends, and I’ve been planning and not-planning (on purpose.) 

Not having ever thought about my own wedding before actually planning my wedding means that I inundated myself with images, blogs, advice, how-to’s, and pretty much anything I could get my hands on. Honestly, I was burning myself out. However, I’m in a great place now- I’ve seen a lot, I’ve thought a lot, and I’ve talked a LOT.  Me? Talking a lot? Never.

That being said, I’ve gathered from a lot of different sources, and I hope to make our wedding a fantastic celebration of us and our lifestyle!! 

Basic rundown:

Me: knee-length dress. SUPER CUTE!!! It’s 1960’s, authentic vintage, absolutely adorable. Lace overlay, empire waist- what more could a girl want?

Ladies: vintage late 50’s early 60’s dress- cocktail/ tea length of various types. Every one will be different to represent different personalities! 

Gentlemen folk (including Lee): Grey suits, braces (see: suspenders) and wingtip shoes. So classic, so handsome, I just can’t handle it.

Everyone else: Dressed in whatever makes them feel the most attractive and fantastic! I would love for everyone to consider it a vintage dress-up afternoon party, but we’ll see how far people take that. I’m thinking the cast of Mad Men goes on a fall picnic- casual, classic, fun, fabulous. 

Decor: Vintage/ rustic. Mason jar glasses, lace, antique bottles, lots of white and off-white flowers, and any other knick-knacks I decided to throw in at the last minute. Maybe white Christmas lights for fun. 

Food: BBQ goodness. Not too messy, but some Southern food done right. 

One word: PHOTOBOOTH.

Drinks: of course.

Dancing: ummm yes. And we’re planning such an epic playlist, we’re going to need 2 receptions to go through all of our genres.

Fun: Without. A. Doubt. If nothing else, people will have fun. 

So right now I’m using my day off to research hotel prices and bridesmaids dresses, and I’m eagerly anticipating my date with an oyster house tonight! That’s completely straightforward, by the way. We’re having seafood tonight. I’d love to have a fancy phone that let’s me upload pictures to the interwebz without self-destructing, but maybe later in life…

love! 

You know, it’s really difficult to make time to blog. I never kept a journal, so this sort of recap doesn’t even have a pre-internet comparison. I’m finding it really tough to juggle everything and then take time at the end of the day to write about everything that you’re juggling while you’re juggling it. It’s lots of juggling. I was never good at (actual) juggling. Go with my train of thought here… 

Thus, it’s been a while since I updated. I’ve been slacking on my juggling. But I’m back!! Updates! Our save-the-dates are in, they’re unbelievable, and I can’t wait to send them out!! I’ve included this blog on the S-T-D’s (laugh if you must) and I figured it would be pretty boring for new readers to be a month behind. So a quick game of catching up is in order. First, Lee and I are still pursuing getting married at our church- St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal of Atlanta. It’s a wonderful space with a kind and supportive parish, and we’re happy to be counted among the family there. We’re still set on October 15th, no worries, the date won’t be changing, God willing, and we’re thinking early afternoon service. We’re still shooting for a rustic, vintage, love-filled ceremony and reception. 

Other than that, I feel like everything else has been on notice. It’s subject to change at a moment’s notice. And often, it changes back. And back. You get the idea…

I must admit, my wedding dress is currently under my scrutiny. Not that I’ve seen the dress. Not that Shelley, the designer who has graciously offered to custom-make my dress, has even starting sketching. Not that I’ve purchased one and and deeply regret it. I was just so sure of what I wanted, and then I saw this blog. Go ahead. Click on the link, if you dare. Here’s a preview of the dress that’s leading me astray.

It’s utterly divine. It’s vintage, elegant, classic, cute- everything I want in a dress. 

But, it has sleeves. Long sleeves. Full sleeves, even. 

And that was not what I had in mind. 

In fact, Lee and I have had many conversations about what kind of a dress we want- what would be appropriate in a church, what would work for my body type, what would make me feel most beautiful. And, my tattoos play a big part in that discussion. 

I mean, there’s no getting around them. They’re a part of me. And that offends and perplexes people. And we thought about excluding them from our wedding… And then we said, “forget it.” We decided that we wanted to go “guns blazing” as it were. 

Thus, I am torn. And in writing this out, it seems rather trivial and silly to even talk about. But when you’re planning a huge party around a bunch of silly things that have snowballed into what we now know as a wedding, they all seem equally silly. Or serious. Whichever. So I’m in dress dilemma, but we’re still about 6 months out. 6 months on the 15th- lookout! Plenty of time for whatever might happen.  

I’m also compiling an EPIC playlist for the reception. Send me your suggestions- I’ve already gotten some fantastic songs from some fantastic people. 

Plus, we’re sending out correspondence this week!! I’m so excited! Thanks for being on the journey with me. 

Let’s look at pretty wedding-y things! Help me out if you can credit any of these lovely pictures!

I’m in love with where these pictures take me emotionally. I’m loving this planning period, and I’m excited for what’s to come! 

love.