the elephant and the pirate: March 2013

weekend recap

this weekend we celebrated mothering sunday, otherwise known as mother's day in the states. its like so much of my experience in england - familiar, but slightly different. while everyone in the states lost an hour of sleep, dutiful sons and daughters scooped up flowers and spent time with their Mum's, or mum-in-laws, whatever the case maybe here in the UK.

at church there was a special mothering service which featured a sweet presentation by the rainbows (or daisies as we americanos call them) and brownies singing 'don't forget to tell your mummy you love her'. they were bursting with cuteness. to honor those maternal figures in our lives everyone was given a heart shaped sticky note to write their names down. we then placed them on larger hearts placed by the altar.

i have been very fortunate for the amazing women who have helped me along my journey with everything from offering guidance, being patient, sharing their time and experience, to more instrumental assistance. i have been cared for by women who were not my mother, but made me safe, and protected, as if i were their own. whether they were family members, friends, family of friends, co-workers, or bosses - i am forever thankful that they were placed in my life when they were. i would not i am overflowing with love and respect for mommas everywhere. i will be so proud to join the club. until then i'll enjoy being a crazy canine momma.

on another note. one of my intentions this year is to improve my photography skills. i am seriously embarrassed to admit this but in the vein of 'keeping it real' - i still have no idea how to work my new nikon (and by new i mean 6 months old). there are a plethora of online resources I'll never get through. in spite of my ineptness, and/or laziness, i really enjoy taking pictures. practice counts for something, right? maybe not, as evidenced by the quality of some of the pictures below. so... i'm signing-up for a photography class, and am very excited to get better!

saturday was misty all day. i don't like driving in it, but i like the dramatic effect it creates.

we gave Mary a #1 Mum sash and she wore it proudly!

my brother-in-law, Christopher - how cute is he?

i know, i know. but i love the effect of my mum-in-law as an apparition.

X

day tripping: stowe gardens, buckinghamshire

this weekend we took advantage of the gorgeous weather, loaded the dogs in the car and hit the road. no meredith road trip is complete without a pit stop for coffee - in my case a skinny mocha latte with an extra shot of espresso (precious - i know!)

stowe gardens is part of the national trust, and is a product of the 18th century. it offers an expansive as well as impressive landscape with dog friendly walking paths. the property also features a main house as well as other secondary buildings, including a temple, and features classic roman architecture.

unfortunately i left my nikon at home - i'm still kicking myself! thank goodness for iPhones - first mine, and then
barry's, when my phone battery, as per usual, died. speaking of photos, here are some:

decorating days: diy anniversary project

i have been scouring pinterest for decorating ideas in anticipation of moving. now that the boxes are all unpacked and we are slowly getting settled, i can get started on some of my diy projects. in honor of our 1 year wedding anniversary i decided to start in the bedroom. where all of the magic happens of course. inspired by this pin:

Source: tumblr.com via Briana on Pinterest

i made my heart smaller and used instagram prints from here. i first created a heart shaped template, and laid them out first and then used double sided taped to stick the photos to the template. although the result is pretty sweet, i'm tempted to enlarge it with another row, what do you think?

Source: tumblr.com via Briana on Pinterest

one year baby!

it was the best of times and it was the worst, er difficult of times. on the one hand it was like a dream - travelling here, there, and everywhere. not to mention moving to another country. and sharing every step with my husband. it feels so normal now to refer to barry as my husband. in spite of how hard it can be at times - like grrrrrrr - i love being mrs. meredith. i feel like i am coming into my own, including my new role as a wife. like kids, our spouses do not come with instruction manuals - although that would be nice. instead the first year of marriage can be equated to a trial by fire. having said that, i'm awfully glad i didn't marry sooner, like in my 20's. i seriously shutter at the thought of what a rubbish wife i would have made then. thank goodness i've had time to grow up (a little!), and for the few frogs (ahem!)i had to practice with until my prince came along. and although i can't say i was prepared for what was in store, i was ready.

some highlights from our first year of marriage starting with it the the most special of them all, our wedding....