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It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Actually so jealous of this picture. Dirty secret time:
I have a huge crush on these wide-plank wood floors.
*drools like Homer*

Go ahead and sing along. Yes, the corny Johnny Mathis version. Don’t scoff or sneer, it really is a wonderful time of the year. For me, this is the time of the year when, for whatever reason, the most good gets done around Casa de Dellecese.

Last year, we were fast approaching our first holiday season in our very own house. I’m not sure why, but we got on a painting kick — first, the dining room; then, the living room. The dining room took place at the time of year when the pace of activities REALLY picks up — ie I wasn’t a huge fan of getting the job done, but Dave encouraged me that it needed to be done, sooner rather than later. So, using a couple of evenings in the middle of a hectic week, I rolled a more muted red over a *POW* of purple paint — much more rich and less in-your-face. Unfortunately, I was so miserable, I failed to put a 3rd coat on. It’s not THAT noticeable, but to me…of course, it is. Still gotta get on that one. Nothing’s ever quite *perfect*.

The following weekend, we rolled up our sleeves to lighten up our living room. It had been a deep brownish taupe; a good color, but just too dark for a living room. So, while we picked up the new red tone for the dining room, we grabbed a lighter taupe for the living room, and a back-up sandy color swatch as a back-up option.

This just happened to occur during the first weekend that it snowed, so there we were with the room torn apart, newspaper (always reusing, even before we were aware we were doing it, hee hee) everywhere, and Christmas music blaring from our local “Christ-Mix” radio channel (no, not necessarily Christian; the “i” is short). I’ve gotta tell ya that the feeling of FINALLY giving in to the Christmas hype every year definitely helps when you’re undertaking a labor-intensive DIY project. The experience brought Dave and I together more (it was one of the first projects we actually did TOGETHER, even though we’d been in the house for a good 6 months) and also taught me a valuable lesson: If you’re the better painter, odds are you’ll get stuck doing a majority of the painting. Dave’s incredibly talented at many, many things in this life; I’m envious of him for a lot of wonderful traits and characteristics. However, painting is one that he does not excel at. He can roll, for the most part, but who was the one at the top of the ladder when it was past bedtime, brush in hand? That’d be me. Whose partner-in-crime was holding a bright flashlight (lots of shadows!!!) saying what a great job she was doing? That’d be Dave. We’re good like that, though.

I LOVE the color of our living room. It’s a modern tan, yet “fits” with the age of the house. It made Christmas decorating a lot more fun.

Oh, and one final DIY project I performed before some holiday relaxation: a bit of a makeover surprise. My ever-sweet, -willing besties, Mary (my sis) and Beth (best friend for yyyyyears) came over the morning of Christmas Eve (while Dave worked — a shortened day, so we had to haul hiney) to help me empty, paint, and redecorate our tiny front “sun room.” It’s a room we were never able to use — here are the “before” and “after” shots. Man, was he shocked when he got home to see a new seating area, storage areas, etc. Oh, and the color was the other paint chip that we had picked as a possibility for the living room — which Dave preferred.

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Sorry, no “cluttered, full o’ crap” “before” shot. I’d already moved it all out.

The antique rocking chair from my grandpa’s house.
Means so much to have it.

Any home improvement projects going on around your place this time of year? I know several of our good friends are going through the process of purchasing homes — eek! Good luck to you all! Us, we just put in a new front door (SO MUCH SAFER!!! I’ll be posting about it soon) and are making plans of projects around the house when the white stuff finally starts to stick – dependent, of course, on the newlywed/Christmas budget. 😉 Don’t want anyone thinking that I’m not realistic or that we’re not normal. Money is not endless. Home improvement project plans, apparently, are. Planning, however, is free.

Sidenote: Wedding Bling

So, while I try to avoid theknot.com like high fructose corn syrup these days (since the wedding is minus 30+ days since happening — ie I’m already hitched and forever done with those stress-inducing web sites!), a link on my Facebook news feed caught my eye today: What Your Engagement Ring Says About You.

You should know that I ADORE my engagement ring, and love that my “forever bling” all goes together so well. The ring Dave gave to me is all the more important because it came from his grandmother — his mother presented him a couple of “choices” that she had inherited after her mother’s death, and he knew immediately that this one (after retrofitted with a new white gold band to match the setting) was THE one. It’s simple with delicate filigree detailing and clearly vintage-yet-somehow-still-modern. So, I figured it’d be neat to see if what they had to say is true.

Okay. If you were to get a look of me at this very moment, you’d know that the “Your style” isn’t 100% accurate. While I’m pretty traditional (kind of), I am not always utterly put together. Sure, I try, but not TOO hard. Currently, I’m adorned with my after-school uniform: sweatpants, T-shirt (my favorite “Feel Me, I’m Organic” organic cotton tee) and my ever-present green VERMONT on heather gray sweatshirt. Coziness! Who says newlyweds have to be all sexy ‘n stuff? Pish posh. I’ve always been one to buck some traditional ways — which is another reason I question the “Your style” verdict.

However, I’d say that the relationship and wedding descriptions are spot-on. Dave IS my best friend (not that I don’t have others). How could you marry someone who you didn’t trust talking about, heck, weird health issues or awkward financial situations with? Or giggling like Peter Griffin when one of us quacks (okay, when I quack) or shout “Approved!” at Target (or Lowe’s…or Christmas Tree Shop…or….). Hmm, come to think of it, he’s usually the one laughing at me. And I like it. 😉 But when he comes out with something unexpectedly hysterical, I give props and laugh until my belly hurts. It works.

And, as for the wedding. Hee hee. Yeah. That whole “takes a lot of planning to make things look this effortless” is SOOOOO painfully true. And, yet, we never really “lost it” in the midst of planning. I think I just got pretty introverted and kept a lot of the stresses in, rather than turning into the infamous bridal monster. It got to the point where, if it wasn’t already thought of in my planning, it just didn’t matter. And, after the fact, I heard so much positive feedback that the day was so personal with clearly well-considered touches that it was palpable — wahoo! Totally what we were going for — that and a laid-back FUN time. So, it was pretty unfussy and relaxed…but still completely romantic. Hard not to with a satin wedding dress, Rolls Royce, calla lilies, a birdcage veil, a setting like Beardslee, and one’s very own Prince Charming-meets-Jimmy Stewart-meets-Cary Grant-meets-every-nice-person-I’ve-ever-met. *sigh* What a great day.

Add some filigree around the diamonds and you’ve pretty much got my band.
Perfectly suited for the engagement ring.
There’s no ring in cyberspace similar enough to my engagement ring.
Seriously, an original. Aaaaand I can’t get a good enough picture of it. Sorry!

Inside the Honeymoon: Final Edition

“So…what’d you do?” “Did you do anything fun?” “How was it?” I assume when people ask these questions about our honeymoon, they’re actually, genuinely wondering about our escapades while there. (I usually have a pretty dirty mind, but when it comes to Dave and I, we don’t divulge a s-i-n-g-l-e thing; we’re pure as the driven snow…which never made much sense to me — once you drive on snow, it’s not so pure anymore, is it? Great, now I’ll have to look up the origin of that saying.)

It sounds pretty bad, what with my only being *gulp* 28, and it only being about a month post-honeymoon, but I’m starting to forget what we did! It seems like SO long ago!! Life has a way of sneaking up on you and stealing precious memories and moments. So, what you’ll see is what I can recall. 🙂

A lot about our wedding bucked convention, and I LOVE that. When people said something wouldn’t work, I tried not to let it get me down. Sure, my thoughts were running until I just decided to relax and have fun… “Will they really USE the Flip cam?” “Will the pie cut as well as a cake?” “Will the vintage car show up at the right time?” “Will we actually have time to eat and enjoy our food — seriously?” and, most importantly in MY worrisome mind, “Will the ‘father/daughter dance’ alternative work??” And, of course, it all worked just fine. Better than fine.

One thing that EVERYONE was 100% correct about, though? We. Were. Exhausted. Nevermind the champagne and other…*ahem*…”libations” we thoroughly enjoyed with our awesome friends. That night, I had to run to my mom’s house to pick up lots of the “oops, I forgot several important toiletries…and my toothbrush and brush…” items, which I didn’t expect to have to do, and by the time I got home it seemed like bedtime. Regardless, we stayed up opening presents, crying, reading cards, crying, jotting down who gave what, being touched to more tears…get the point? Oh, and throw in a heavy dose of spoiling Beardslee, who knew something was up — and that we were overflowing with guilt about leaving him for more than a day. Granted, we had my mom and sis, who are Class “A” spoilers, watching over him, but it was a bit step for us.

So, it took a little while to leave on Sunday, but we weren’t in a hurry. (Heck, we were early and had to wait for our room, after all.) Here we are saying ‘bye to the kid…

Face nudges. Daddy’s feeling SOOOOO guilty for leaving.

…and Mommy giving some loving. Doesn’t he have a
suspicious look? “Tell me why you have your coat on.”

We finally left, after packing and grabbing some snacks, and had a VERY fun trip to Vermont. We decided to take the scenic route after a suggestion from my parents, driving through the back roads of Central New York all the way there. It was a perfectly gorgeous day and we gained a huge appreciation for some of the small towns in the area — we didn’t realize how historic and, at the same time, modern some of the small cities and towns are. Definitely worth a day trip or two!

When we reached Middlebury, Dave noticed he was having phone problems. Soooo…

“Hi, Verizon. I’m on my honeymoon, and…”

After discovering that our room wasn’t yet ready, we went for a walk around Middlebury. While there was a lot about the town to admire, we loved the cafe and, especially, their community theater — which had recently ended a special showing of Christopher Lloyd in “Death of a Salesman”. Of course, we sneaked in and stole tons of pictures of their recently-renovated building — gorgeous and classy, just what we’d like for ILTC.

The next day, we aimed our Sportage in the direction of Burlington (ie north). Along the way, we stopped in at the Middlebury Co-Op, which you can read more about here, and the famous Magic Hat Brewery. Of course, you’ve gotta taste what the locals have to offer.

After a day of LOTS of shopping and walking, we headed “home” to Middlebury. The city was hard to describe. I liked it, of course; lots of green initiatives and Vermont Fresh Network eateries from which to choose…but I can’t put my finger on a decisive description of the place itself. Perhaps I’d need to visit more than what we saw, like down by the lake.

So, after getting a good feel for Middlebury and Burlington, it was time to head down south and, alas, back home. But, along the way we had plenty of time to stop to look at antiques and check out other local shops. Here’s some of the fun we had…

The traditional “Antiquing in VT” uniform…
who knows whose head that was on!
…eeeewwwwww.

As Mom would say, I’m “in my glory.”

First person to leave a message as to the TRUE reason
I NEEDED a picture of this wins a prize. 🙂
Anyone? Anyone?

My guy can read!
Practicing his anchorman skills.

aka HEAVEN ON EARTH!!!
You MUST visit here! The couple is awesome.
Their stuff is incredible. It’s home.

One reason we loved Branford Antiques? This baby…
now residing in our dining room (sans Victrola speakers).

So, this ends our tour of Vermont. We love going, so I presume we’ll have many future trips here…and Massachusetts…and Maine…and Philadelphia…and, of course, NYC…and Toronto…and Europe…and….

Side note: As pure as the driven snow

Meaning Entirely pure.

Origin

‘Driven snow’ is snow that has blown into drifts and is untrodded and clean. Examples of the precise text ‘as pure as [the] driven snow’ aren’t found in print until around the start of the 19th century; nevetheless, we have to thank Shakespeare for this popular simile. The complete phrase ‘as pure as the driven snow’ doesn’t appear in Shakespeare’s writing, but it almost does, and he used snow as a symbol for purity and whiteness in several plays. In The Winter’s Tale, 1611:

Autolycus: Lawn as white as driven snow.

In Macbeth, 1605:

Malcolm: Black Macbeth will seem as pure as snow.

Of course, the tradition of brides wearing white in many cultures stems from the association between the colour and purity. This was referred to as early as the 1400s, as in John Lydgate’s poetry for example, circa 1435:

Alle cladde in white, in tokne off clennesse, Lyche pure virgynes.

An alternative derivation of this simile has been proposed, which originates from an altogether different source. Mediaeval tanners used animal faeces in the leather tanning process – specifically dogs’ droppings, to which they gave the incongruous name ‘pure’. Some have speculated that pure referred to the white form of the said stools that used to be more commonly seen and that ‘as pure as the driven snow’ comes from that association. It doesn’t; the ‘pure’ name came from the purification of the raw leather caused by the enzymes present in the excrement and has nothing to do the ‘as pure as driven snow’.

(Obtained from The Phrase Finder, http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/as-pure-as-the-driven-snow.html)

Marching Band and Giving Thanks

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The leaves have mostly fallen to meet a cold ground. The air is crisp, and from the moment that the scent of chimney fires reached my nose a month or so back, I knew it was the time of year to start giving thanks. In Upstate New York, this season can hit you in late summer, or flip flop between the occasional flurry and 60-degree days before finally settling in for a short burst of true autumnal behavior. I wouldn’t give up having four seasons for anything, but somehow autumn is my favorite — along with my husband’s. Why else would we get married in October, when I could’ve easily planned for a summertime event? It just didn’t feel right or true to who we are.

When I was younger, this season meant that our constitutions (honed and developed so keenly during the summer months to endure sweaty, faint-inducing hours practicing the strength behind perfect posture, playing and holding an instrument perfectly, rolling one’s feet, breathing at the perfect moments, and reaching a hundred pre-determined positions on the field) turned to being able to do all of the above in dark, muddy, beyond “chilly” conditions — and often in uncomfortable wool uniforms. Field band marching was more challenging to me even than running the mile each year — a huge pain in my butt, given my asthmatic fits. Yet, I loved it, and everyone in the band loved it, or else they wouldn’t have been there, putting up with the long night practices, screaming adults, and giving up beloved teenage Saturdays to accompany the football team at home and compete with other bands hours away until late in the evening. More than all the pain, yelling, laughter and incredible music (both on the field and on the bus), I remember and cherish the silence behind Fisher Elementary School.

Once we took the field and, later, when the final instrument silenced, there was a lot of waiting. Waiting for the director to give the drum major the signal to start. Waiting to punish us for a poor practice night. Waiting to teach us that sometimes, in life, you need patience more than you do talent. Waiting before finally sending us either to perform yet another run-through or, with a huge sigh of relief, home for the night. While waiting, it was inevitable that our eyes would glance upward to the stars. I’m grateful for the patience we learned, but also for the magnificent view, much like a globe of black construction paper and twinkling dots, that the field presented us. Crisp, perfect nights where all you could hear was the breathing of your band mates, who, of course, were viewing the same perfect scene. It was a gift that we never expected when signing up to be a part of the Mohawk Marching Mohicans or, in my case, being thrust by family duty and honor to it (I don’t remember ever putting my name on a list). And I’m still grateful for it. I’m not sure that anyone we encounter who wasn’t a part of those very special, select years of marching can ever really appreciate it. I know that it will be a shared secret that we hold; looking up at a picture-perfect, clear, star-riddled night only to smile slyly. The silent feeling that overcame the band as we watched a rare falling star noiselessly scrape across the darkness; no “ooo”s or “aaah”s, just knowing.

And, so, at this crisp, crunchy time of year, I am grateful for many things. Those old memories that, no matter what new memories arise, will always be a cherished gift in my heart. For the new memories of adulthood which constantly surprise me as “not what I expected” out of adulthood — and loving that they’re so very much better than those I imagined. Sure, I never met Peter Tork, but if I hadn’t been arm-in-arm with Dave at just the right moment, I wouldn’t have bumped into Paul McCartney (not that we’re comparing here!). I haven’t a single instrument in my house now, although I WILL, soon, someday, and I’m grateful that my future children will have an opportunity to widen their horizons with the integration of musical sensibility into their lives.

That I have the husband I never knew or expected would be so good and kind and supportive, I believe I will be forever thankful and wonder to myself, “Did my dad have a hand in this?” I always thought that he never left me anything, and was quite sour about it. But, at those moments where a budget is taunting me down with no sign of ending its choke-hold on our finances, or when, in the future, I’m staring down the barrel of unknown sadness or hardship, I’ll know that I was offered a lifelong gift that, with little doubt, was sent my way to treat me just as he’d have liked, and somehow the bad amends itself and my husband is still there to give me a “Thank God we’re through it” hug. Or, when I’m humbled by being asked to participate in a meaningful project that Dave, with unwavering faith and assurance in my ability, offers. I thank my father for Dave, and I thank his family and countless friends for making him as understanding and wonderful as he is.

We may not have everything we want; hardwood floors? Gutters? A new dining set? Tons of cashola? Happiness for every single friend and family member? No. Yet, I don’t remember a Thanksgiving that I’ve felt luckier, and I foresee a holiday season that rivals the joy that we felt 10/9/10. And, for that, I am utterly grateful.

Inside the Honeymoon, Part II: Nummies

And we’re back for Part Deux of our honeymoon adventures — what we ATE. While I don’t remember every little thing we indulged in, food-wise, I know that we were SO very impressed by the freshness of the food available in Vermont, even (or should I say “particularly”) in restaurants. Here I assumed that I would just eat to excess without a care to the organic or local factor of its ingredients; don’t we always do that during a vacation or holiday? Well, weren’t we surprised to find that we essentially had an easy locavore challenge during our honeymoon!
The reason that it was so simple to find locally-grown foods while practically eating out the entire time was because of Vermont’s Fresh Network. This organization’s goal is to connect chefs with local farmers to not only stimulate the economy but provide fresh, local food for residents. What a great idea, right?! We came back home and thought, “Why can’t we do that?!” Well, instead of sitting on our butts complaining, we’re actually thinking about what we can do to make our own. 😀

Anyhoo, so from the moment we walked into our hotel, we noticed the VFN logo (yep, our inn’s restaurant was local, too! It was green, after all) — and started keeping an eye out at other restaurant store fronts for the same logo. From Burlington to Bennington, it was there, that 4″x4″ sticker logo. I love that thing.

Our first meal in VT was actually eaten while we were waiting for our room to be ready.

And, did I mention, outdoors? It was a little chilly, but it was a perfect New England autumn day — why else would we have honeymooned in VT?! We grabbed our lunch at a cafe named The Hungry Mind (which reminded Dave of his old haunt, “The Thirsty Mind”, in Mass.), where they provided a side salad with every sandwich or panini. We grabbed all-natural beverages and a bag of (also all-natural) chips. Delish and perfect after searching high-and-low for anything that was open and didn’t cost an arm and a leg.

What else did we find in Middlebury? Well, incredible gourmet food at Middlebury Inn, our hotel (also locally-sourced). Oh, and my favorite “CAN WE MOVE HERE?!” point of interest? The Middlebury Natural Foods Co-Op!!! It was like going to a traditional grocery store — only everything’s either all-natural, local, or organic — sometimes all of the above! While we didn’t eat here, we did enjoy visiting it (and buying some cheap organic soap). Here’s Dave, not realizing he’s in the shot…hee hee…and a vast array of local veggies!

Look at the SIZE of this place!!

Organic cat products, anyone?

Mmmm. Salad bar. Why CAN’T we live there?! (And by “there” I mean IN the co-op! ;-D)

Can we say “lunch every single day if I lived here”?

Me, loving it. Dave was incredibly supportive and even forced a picture in front of the place. 🙂 Lucky lady!

So, both breakfasts were all at the Inn, as were two of the three dinners. Our first lunch was from the Hungry Mind (eaten in the park). Our second, in Burlington, was at New Moon. This was my side salad (I still wonder if they got the order wrong) and panini…

This place was terribly awesome. The food was all prepared/served from an “in the round” center island, and you could have them make any salad or sandwich imaginable. They also had soup and other things, but all in all it was just delicious and, again, another VFN participant. AWESOME!

By the time we left Middlebury to travel home, I don’t recall that we stopped to eat along the way. I almost think that we noshed on the snacks that my best friend (and maid of honor) Beth have given us — we don’t have a Trader Joe’s, and, knowing our propensity for organic/all natural goodies, she gave us a huge basket of snacks, several of which we brought along with us. We finally stopped in Troy (after a long day o’ shoppin’ along the way out of VT) for our final “honeymoon meal” at Brown’s Brewery. It was DELICIOUS and, while I’m not sure if the food was local or not, the brewery itself is about self-sustainability, the 3 Rs, and their own Clean Water Act (there’s a particular brew you can purchase which provides funds toward preserving a local reservoir…which I thought was purdy darn cool.

So, for the most part, our honeymoon food was not only ecologically friendly, but delicious! We couldn’t be happier that we chose Vermont as the site of our honeymoon. Next up? What we did to keep busy traveling around VT.

Inside the Honeymoon, Part I: Accommodations

So, we’re back and, for the most part, FINISHED with all the wedding festivities. The day of the wedding and those following it were some of the greatest memories we’ll ever have. But, I’m ready for some normalcy to return. I just can’t get as motivated as I’d like to, for example, work on house projects or blog entries. Perhaps it’s the newlywed slump…or maybe it’s the fact that I don’t know what to do with myself now that I’m not planning the wedding! It’ll pass (especially with the holidays and an end to the renovation at work coming up) — I was excited that I just happened to get the urge to share with you some of our honeymoon fun!

With that said, I figured I’d start by telling you about where we stayed. We had originally booked a bed-and-breakfast and found out that the room that we’d fallen in love with was no longer available. We accepted that for awhile, but as the plans of our VT trip started coming together, we realized that we also wanted to be relatively “centrally” located (we traveled along the western side of the state, up and down, but you know what I mean). So, we picked the aptly-named Middlebury, VT to make our 3-day home.

I chose Middlebury Inn for several reasons. A) It was centrally-located. B) It’s HISTORIC! Boy, is it!! C) It’s GREEN. D) They had a nice room available for our time at a reasonable price (although it was still a splurge by our standards).

We discovered several “pluses” to add to the list after we arrived, although we did run into an issue. When we arrived, admittedly early, we were told to leave and return at a certain time. Okay, so we schlepped our bags back out to the car, walked around town, grabbed something to eat, and returned at the allotted time…at which point we discovered that they still didn’t have the room ready AND there were no apologies. So, we partook in “Afternoon Tea” (on the veranda, nonetheless!) to wait for another 30 minutes. It was kind of ridiculous that they had a good handful of people working the front desk but zero hospitality or kindness.

Enjoying some tea and a gorgeous autumn day in VT

But, that didn’t get us upset. Once we walked into the Porter Mansion and our suite, any annoyance in our bodies melted away. It was incredibly roomy and the entire inn (which is actually three buildings) was green-certified in its energy practices. Also, the tavern (which was more like a nice restaurant) was part of Vermont’s Fresh Network, which connects chefs with local food sources (farms) to give patrons the best, freshest possible meals. Gotta be frank: we ate organic/local practically the whole time!

Dave, already enjoying the comfy couch and learning about the area.

This was the same floor I had once considered
buying from Lowe’s…vintage!

Yet, with all this modernity, the history of the place was palpable. The inn opened for business in 1827, and the decor of everything felt historic but not “old” or worn. Everyday, we ate in a separate dining area for breakfast and I couldn’t stop looking at the wallpaper. Granted, I’m not usually a wallpaper person, but when it’s high-end and GORGEOUS, you just have to appreciate it.

Also on the National Registry of
Historic Places (just like the theater!).

We had two dinners (we stayed two evenings, left on the third day) at Morgan’s Tavern (which I LOVED the name of — my niece’s name is Morgan). The first evening, we had our “big meal”, which was gourmet and awesome, and we decided to go there for a more “pub” experience the next night. IN-CRE-DIBLE! Oh, and that breakfast? Best thing we ate the entire trip! BEST. WAFFLES. EVER. (ie I had to buy myself a waffle maker the WEEKEND after. Must discover their secret.)

Dave, enjoying his breakfast, trying
his best to be a good husband
while I snap pics.

Looking pretty pale and sleepy…but SO excited for this meal!

So, all in all, our experience at Middlebury Inn was awesome. The food service was impeccable (which I noted in our survey at the end of our stay — wishing that the rest of the staff at the inn could take lessons), the ambiance of the inn was elegant yet warm, and it provided the perfect geographic center-point for our trip.

Stay tuned to hear more about our actual honeymoon activities, meals, and other “favorites”.

*If you know us, you know we’re not a “sexy couple.” So, sorry if you saw the title of the post and are disappointed that I discussed where we stayed and what we did, and nothing more. 😀 Pervs.*

Holy Herbage!

I’ve been feeling guilty about my garden lately. I shouldn’t. It was meant to be an enjoyable project to help us eat “locally” (how much more local can you GET?!) and a little cheaper. We learned a lot about gardening this year — like what products go gang-busters in our well-lit little yard and what we actually WANT to grow. I’m excited to plant FEWER tomatoes on their own, in planters, next year. In case you didn’t know, I’m NOT a tomato person, so we’ve been giving lots away. The space that we used as a garden this year will inevitably house more herbs and veggies that we’ll actually eat and use (and possibly more space and plantings for different seasonal items), while a separate crate for potatoes will *hopefully* avoid the blight, proving my true Irish heritage. 😉

So, why all the guilt? The frost. I knew it had hit, and I diligently turned my eyes away from the garden, presuming all we had lovingly planted and plucked to be dead — and how sad is that to see wilted plants? But, to my surprise, when I finally bit the bullet and flip-flopped back to the leaf-ridden garden box, what did I see? HOLY PARSLEY AND ROSEMARY, BATMAN!

*OUR* herbs in a huge pot. The house is permeated with the smell.

(Anyone got some sage or thyme on hand? We could sing some Simon and Garfunkel. BTW, those are on the docket for next year’s garden.)

I’ve got an idea for the rosemary right now, aside from freezing some and handing a bit over to some deserving folks…but you’ll have to wait to see what my rosemary plan is.

Is anyone else as excited about autumn as I am? And not just because it’s my “marryin’ season”??

I’m Baaaack…and Married!

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So, I’ve been MIA for a little while. The wedding took SO much time — any extra moment was spent doing even time-wasting Googling about wedding stuff. And, while I felt ashamed that it was taking up so much time, in the end, I’m glad we did! The wedding itself was absolutely PERFECT. Not a traditional wedding shindig in the least (sure, we got married in a church and danced at the reception), but fun and simply wonderful. We couldn’t have asked for a better day, better friends and family to share it with, better vendors to help make it perfect. Seriously. Awesome. (Finishing up our final wedding blog post at Momentville.)

Dave and I took LOTS of pictures during our honeymoon — and not because we’re freakishly kinky. Nope, other than wanting to remember the awesome time we had, we took the pics specifically for YOU GUYS! Really, we’d find something else wonderfully neat and Dave would say, “Oh, let’s get this one for the blog.” Didn’t I find a perfect guy?

So, we’ll start posting soon. Instead, I thought I’d share something very meaningful to both the mister and myself. We took the last day of the honeymoon to decompress, and a part of our decompression was grabbing lunch at our regular spot, Donna’s Diner. While there, we started brainstorming all the ways we want to make our marriage successful, small to majorly important. So, as written on our napkin, we give to you our…

Declaration of a Happy Marriage (10/13/2010)
– When it’s time to have kids, take them into our lifestyle, not create a new lifestyle for them.Yes, we want kids. It’s probably the biggest goal we have. If we’re meant to have them, our life goal will be achieved. And, while we don’t necessarily have a very crazy lifestyle right now, we’d like to be able to maintain the parts of our life that make us “us” — theater work (less, but still active), travel (especially to NYC — if I’d been able to experience the city when I was young, I think that my philosophies on life would’ve been more realistic), making movies, etc. It may sound unrealistic, but we want to give them ALL the time they deserve but not forget that we exist, if that makes sense.
– Keep eating healthy. (And get healthier in other ways.) Our trip to Vermont helped solidify this, and even has us brainstorming about how we can change things for MORE than just the Dellecese household.
– Be happy for what we have, but no excuses not to dream. We never want to take what we have and where we are for granted. At the same token, we won’t stand in each other’s way — and we won’t use our “comfort” stop us from considering a different future.
– Get out of ruts. It happens to everyone. We get busy. We get tired. We have those nights that we get home from work and hardly talk to each other, too zoned-out to notice. When that happens, inevitably one of us will notice — and, in the words of Mike Holmes, make it right.
– Have more friends over. One way that we’ll get out of ruts is by changing up our routine. Also, the wedding made us that “Oh, them? Are they still alive?” couple. I’m DYING to break out my new fondue set…wine…games….
– Take the time for date nights. Still another way to get out of a rut. Pretty self-explanatory.
– Appreciate one another. This is an easy one to forget, especially when life takes over.
– When we fight, remember our vows. Everyone fights. It’s inevitable. If two people are going to spend sooooo much darn time together and have opinions on things and sometimes disagree, a fight will happen. It’s also easy to say things that we don’t mean. This is when the sincerity and honesty of our vows will help get us through…among other things. 😉
– Do/say something kind every day. We already do this, whether we do it on purpose or not. From Dave making my lunches to my making dinner, I feel loved by the way he shows it, and I feel that I show him how much I love him in actions as much as anything. However, sometimes I get insecure and wonder… “Does he still love me, heads-over-heels, or is he just busy with work, or…?” So, we’re making a point to SAY something kind everyday, too. I think this’ll be a household rule as the family gets bigger.
– Help with and/or support each other’s dreams and attempts at achieving them. Some dreams don’t pan out. You don’t want your one and only partner to be down on them from the very beginning. “Stand by your man” (or woman, as it were). Even those goals one of us might be apprehensive about, I find, helping a person out with it helps you understand it. Open-mindedness!

There’s room to add, although I’m not sure Dave will give us a chance to before he frames it. I’m sure there are about 100+ more things that should be on the list, but we’re new at this. We also know that these don’t work for everyone, but given the 2 1/2 or so years that we’ve been together (and 1 1/2 living together), it’s what works for us! 🙂

And for those of you dying for a few more pictures, here’s our INCREDIBLE photographer’s blog. She’s still got plenty of time before we’ll be bugging her for the final versions of all the rest of the photos, but it was awesome of her to share these samples with us.

Keep an eye out for our honeymoon posts! Thanks for following.

How to Be a Wife…

So, one week from today, I’ll officially be a Mrs. I’m hoping for smooth sailing and a fun time out of the day, as well as the marriage, but I know that won’t necessarily be the case. I’m realistic — generally. 😉 I know there are things in life we can’t control; boy, do I! Luckily, Dave and I have supportive parents who didn’t mind that we decided to move in together before getting married. Heck, my purdy darn conservative mom FOUND the house for us. Psht. Granted, she knew he was planning on asking me to get married, so y’know.

I’ve thought a lot about how our relationship might change, what will stay the same. Much of it will be a continuation of “already issues” while the things that we enjoy will remain a constant comfort. At the same time, I know that I’ll be working on overcoming lots of my own flaws (or at least keeping them in check) in order to combat some of our issues — and I’m sure that new and exciting fun will help keep things fresh. Our involvement with the theater (and hopefully future involvement in different areas) ensures that things are hardly, if ever, dull!

So, how am I going to do this wife thing? Like I said, I’ve got some challenges ahead of me, but simultaneously I know that I’m ingrained with some pretty cool traits that helped Dave realize he wanted to marry me. (Just like Dave has traits that made me want to marry him — or else we wouldn’t be in this mess right now, lol!)

– We’re individuals. This was our first agreement as a couple; to maintain our own identities. It doesn’t mean that we don’t spend a lot of time together. It more means that we’re allowed to be ourselves (flaws and all, as long as they’re not hurtful or dangerous), which sometimes entails doing things separately. Let me just say that I can’t WAIT to get my piano! Oh, and he’s fine when I MUST MUST MUST watch one of my favorite cooking (odds are either Nigella or Ina) or design (odds are Sarah Richardson or Genevieve) shows. Clearly not an area that we share interest, but man is he forgiving…although, come to think of it, he’s never watched the Monkees with me.

– On the same token, we embrace our similarities. Some of our best quality time is spent watching great old movies. It seems like a small thing, but it’s one of the special similarities that make us work. We both read, and we pretty much read ANYthing, so we’re great at discussing the interesting points or what in the reading might affect our lives. Hell, we had a pretty great conversation tonight about the history of super heroes. Oh, and we met onstage, so we have a creative streak; unfortunately, I need to work on being critical without being OVERLY critical (I’m sure you know what that means!!!).

– We share the hard, little stuff. When he’s having a rough week, I mow the lawn or take out the garbage to take some of the stress off his shoulders. He scoops the cat pan and washes dishes way more often than I do. I generally cook a lot more than he does. They’re things that we don’t mind doing individually, but if we had to do it ALL alone, it would add resentment.

– I’m working on my patience. I know he must be working on his, too, because I’m not sure I could live with MYSELF if I had to. He worries far too much, but I try to rationalize and recognize WHY he worries. It all boils down to my own safety, and the safety of Beardslee. Those are his two priorities in the world, and it’s incredibly, importantly, wonderfully sweet — but sometimes it’s easy to look at small situations rather than the big picture and get frustrated. So, as a wife, I’ll be working on honing my patience level.

– We also embrace our future goals. For the most part, we enjoy doing home improvement jobs together. He’s learned so much from my stepfather, who ADORES teaching him what he knows, and I get to show off my “man skills” with power tools and dirty stuff without getting scoffed at. We truly enjoy discussing what our plans for the house are, and where our priorities lie. Of course, our other future goals include kids, and we discuss it quite a bit – but we don’t have a time frame. It’s good to know we’re on the same page on such a HUGE life change! …Oh, and I say “for the most part” because there are those times when Dave wants to, ohhhh, saaaayyyy, hang a chandelier on a Sunday afternoon, thinking it’ll take 30 minutes…while Meg knows full well that it’ll be more complicated than expected (aren’t all projects?!?!?!) and may last into the late evening. Yeah, it’s been known to happen.

– But that’s our only definitive goal. While we’re not necessarily yyyyooooooouuuuuunnnngg (my poor circulation and a daily reminder from 16-year-old girls are both far too blatant), we don’t want life to end upon marriage. At times, I feel “behind” — parenting was old hat to both of our sets of parents by the time they were our ages (Dave’s parents had both he and Dan; my parents had 3 out of 4 of their kids by this point) — but we’re also quite sure that we’re not 100% sure what our futures hold. We’re in agreement that life takes us in unexpected directions, and we have to be ready, prepared and supportive in case of such times. Life’s a journey, and marriage isn’t the end of it!

– Finally, I consider myself uber-lucky. Dave puts up with a lot from me. I may be the most wonderful person on Earth and all, but even I have some annoying and, at times, downright bitchy tendencies. (No, really, don’t we all? Man, I hope so.) And while Dave isn’t always all sunshine and rainbows, he deals with lots more from me than I do from him. So, when I get into one of my crappy modes, before too long I have to remind myself what life would be like without Dave in it. Then I have to make myself STOP thinking about that; just too hard. That generally smacks enough sense back into me to find the dude, hug him (if he’s nearby) and tell him how much I appreciate and love him. *sappy Full House audience “awwww”* That’s another wicked important thing to remember — if you THINK something positive, TELL them about it! You can never hear “I love you” too many times (um…unless doing it sarcastically, I suppose), but even the simple “I love the way you cook” or “Thank you for mowing the lawn, it looks awesome” comments mean a lot.

So, those are some of the things that will help this marriage succeed in the future. I know there will be tough times as well as wonderfully sweet, awesome times. I think we’ll be fine as long as we continue to enjoy watching a kitty do ninja kicks at invisible intruders throughout the living room together.

Post-Wedding Plans

Howdy, all! Things here at the McCoy-Dellecese household have obviously been pretty busy lately. The school year is well under way, the theater season has started…and, oh yeah, our wedding is ONE WEEK from this Saturday.

Holy crap! It’s so easy to liken it to doing a show. You prepare and plan and organize and even kinda practice (girls? Wedding shoes? Am I right?) and lose sleep thinking that you must be missing something. You want it to be fun for all your guests (audience?) and as the end is near, you finally realize that, wait, why are you doing this in the first place? Obviously, to get the “job done”, but WE have to have some fun, too. Some unavoidable mishaps are inevitable; just like live theater, wedding planning is impossible to control completely. But, boy, does it take over your thought process in the meantime.

So, that’s where I’ve been the last month! Things are coming together pretty nicely. Heck, we’ve got the license and rings, so we could just do it tonight if we wanted to…but, we’re SO looking forward to seeing our friends and family (many of whom are traveling quite a way to get here!) and giving them a bit of a party to get to know each other and celebrate, well, love!

But, what about AFTER the wedding? Dave and I are itching to get going on a project or two (or more) around the house. Here’s what we’ve got in mind?

#1: MAKING THE BASEMENT USABLE: You’ve seen my post about my basement inspiration as far as decor goes (if you haven’t, check it out here). First, however, we’ll obviously have to do some prep work. Any time you’re working in the basement (especially when you’re trying to make the space more livable through the use of furniture and decor), waterproofing is essential. So, we’ve got some cement walls to scrape, a few patches to fill and Drylok to apply.

We’re deciding to take my stepdad’s advice and only apply a foot or so of Drylok around the perimeter of the basement. Why? First, it’s cheaper. Second, the only areas that we’ve had moisture problems have been where the floor meets the wall. Oh, and we’re not just doing the wall; we’ll be coming down onto the floor 6-12″s, as well.

After Dryloking (which will inevitably be a project, since we’ll be applying a few thin layers), we’ll be painting the walls a creamy tan to modernize and brighten things up. The floors will be painted a light brown to coordinate and hide dirt.

We’d like to have these projects done before the snow flies. That way, any additional work down there can pretty easily be done on our schedule, regardless of weather. Don’t want to paint when the walls are freezing, but working on adding storage and decor can definitely be done in a cozy fashion.

In addition to working on the laundry area, additional living space, and hopefully a half bath, we’ve got extra room for some storage! In a 1920s house that is full of closets — TINY ones — extra storage is a must. We have a cut-out space on the far side of the house that is just begging for pantry shelving. Yay! My potatoes and onions can actually store, unspoiled! Plus, there’s an awkward area in the center of the whole shebang that seems useless — except for storage that we only need to access every once in awhile. (Y’know, Christmas decorations, tubs full o’ our childhood and adult memories.)

The space under the stairs also needs some work to make it a safe place for Beardslee to hang out — which he can’t WAIT for! He loves “discovering” the basement. Plus, we can finally move his potty space down there (right under the stairs) now that his cough has gotten better. Man, is this basement going to be a huge multi-tasker! How have we lived using it so unwisely so long? 😉

#2: MINI-BATHROOM RENO: We have one bathroom. We MAY be adding one (is it sick that I dream and wish about it?) half bath, like I said, in the basement. For now, one bathroom is all we have and, honestly, it’s all we need. Sure, it’s small. Compared to the bathroom that I left behind in my old apartment, where you could easily practice ballroom dancing, this one is awkwardly-shaped (the 3rd bedroom, aka office, closet juts into the room — and bedroom minus closet equals no more bedroom AND a lower home value…yeah, we ain’t movin’ nothin’) and just fits the toilet, sink, bathtub, and built-in storage.

Our goal? (Well, mine.) Three words: modernize, modernize, modernize! We’ll chip away the tiny tiles that cover the bottom half of the walls, cover with white bead-board (and finish with chair rail), paint the rest of the walls, add some new towel hangers, then turn my attention to the built-in and shower. The tub is a brown-ish color and, if I can get an eco-friendly heavy-duty cleanser, I’ll keep it. It’s in good shape and I’m a little lazy; tubs are frickin’ HARD to move! But, the surround was put in improperly. I’ll be consulting my stepdad for options (I’d LOVE to put subway tile just on the shower interior to add some more value and interest, but a new surround to replace the now-torn one would also work). Ah, and the floors need some consistency — I had considered tiling, but since we’re still trying to determine how long we’ll be here, I know that vinyl tiles may help achieve what I want easily and cheaply. Then, I’ll turn my attention to the currently-ugly built-in cabinetry. I’d like open storage, so I’ve just gotta continue brainstorming. Overall, I’d like to go for a spa-feel. Heard it before? 😉
#3: KITCHEN CABINETS: We have two cabinetry./counter areas in our kitchen. One is as old as the house and would be impossible to move — and we don’t need to, we just need to clean them up and give them a new countertop. The other…well, to put it bluntly, is a piece of crap. The previous owners put in a CHEAP press-board sink cabinet and let’s just say that I cry every time I open them. They had a leak issue with the faucet and didn’t bother to fix it. So, what were we left with? A rotted-through bottom. So, while we have some cleaning supplies in there, it reeks to open it and I can’t take advantage of the storage as I’d like. It just needs an update!!!! My loving future-husband (I’d say “hubby” but he hates that) has promised that, before too long, I’ll at least get new a new sink area. We’re also pretty much constantly pricing new appliances, although we’re lucky that these (as with the washer/dryer) were F-R-E-E!!!!

We’ve got lots of other must-do’s around the house (can you say “tree”?!), but for now, these are where our priorities lie. Anyone else out there have some fun to-do’s helping to distract you from other things — be it work…or wedding planning? 😉