memorial day weekend in the redhouse

It’s been a tradition of ours that on every Memorial Day Weekend we go up to the Delaware River with the rest of the fly-fishing trout bums. This time, Karl booked a house he found on VRBO in Hancock, New York with our good friends!

In our fly-fishing adventures Karl has taken me to some pretty dingy places, so I must admit I had low expectations for this house. Luckily, I was quite impressed with our living arrangements for the weekend. It was definitely an upgrade from the KOA campground. The best part of the house was the rugs, as you can see from the many pictures of my feet in this post. I really wanted to take one home with me. You can tell this was designed to be the perfect retreat for a fisherman’s wife.

We didn’t have the best weather up in Hancock, so much of our time was spent inside relaxing, reading and drinking. I was so thankful I had Katie there with me. Only a fellow fisherman’s wife, knows what it is like to be a fisherman’s wife…always waiting for the boys to get off the river.

Katie and I went exploring in some nearby towns while the boys drifted in the river. We went into some cute thrift stores and I scored some vintage blue ball jars. Now I think I have enough for our wedding.

I finally finished The One and Only Ivan. I just love that gorilla.

Of course the best weather we had all weekend was the day we had to go home. Karl and I went down to the river to scout fishing spots, but we never actually fished. We decided to hit the road and avoid the traffic. Soon enough, I’ll get in the water. Best of all, the weekend gave me a glimpse into summer life. No classes. No papers to write. Just living and counting down to our wedding day. eeek!

Until next time, Red House! Hope you had a relaxing Memorial Day Weekend!

first weaving project

About a month ago, I posted a sneak peak of my first weaving project and I’m happy to say that I finally finished it. Considering it’s the size of a coaster, it’s not so much of an accomplishment, but nevertheless, it’s done. Whenever I get an idea in my head I usually need to act on it immediately and this first weaving project was no different. I had seen many woven rugs floating around blog-land, like Rachel’s of Smile & Wave and Elise Blaha Cripe…and I knew this would be a craft that I would love to tackle. With the help of my crafty husband-to-be, we created this ridiculously looking, but functional DIY loom. We used paint sticks, painters tape (since that’s all that we had on hand) and rulers. I knew that whatever I made would be rather small, but I didn’t care. I watched a few videos and read some information online to help get me started. If you’re just getting started with weaving, I highly recommend this video by Archie Brennan. Aside from being informative, they are just fun to watch (ok, it may get a little boring). But, it’s amazing what people can do with a loom!

Since the warps were only looped around the painters stick they were not stationary. This resulted in some very wonky ends.

The results? The perfect sized coaster for a cup of coffee!

Since I enjoyed weaving so much, Karl ended up ordering me a Beka kiddie loom. What a keeper! I’m excited to make something a little more substantial than a coaster! And, it will be a great project to start while I watch the new season of Arrested Development!

Stand, Columbia

Cue the Pomp and Circumstance.

Congrats to my fellow Teachers College Graduates!

DIY engagement pictures

It wasn’t long after Karl proposed that I was already planning our engagement pictures. I had a vision of us standing in the middle of the river in ‘regular’ clothing, as opposed to those ~~stylish~~ unflattering waders–perfect for my fly-fishing husband-to-be. At that point we didn’t know who our wedding photographer would be and I was so eager to send out our save-the-dates, I just couldn’t wait. We had planned to go fly-fishing on the Delaware River (close to where we got engaged) one day last August and I knew it would be the perfect time to snap a few (or maybe 500) pictures. With the help of a friend’s heavy-duty tri-pod, my dad’s camera, a remote and some vintage accessories we were able to get some good shots. I remember buying that catch card from one of my favorite stores in Chicago secretly thinking it would be perfect for our wedding. Karl borrowed the vintage fly-fishing basket from his shop and we grabbed the vintage throw from my mom’s stash. We picked some wildflowers and we were all set for our photo-shoot.
Overall, I was really happy with our pictures. We got some strange looks from other fly-fisherman and kayakers–which is probably because they couldn’t believe we were wading in the freezing cold water. It was definitely not easy focusing the shot before running back over slippery river rocks (that’s why so many of our pictures are not framed perfectly). But, we got just enough shots for our save-the-dates, which was our ultimate goal. It’s funny to think that these were all taken in the same day because the lighting changes so frequently on the river and in the mountains. I think that’s what I love best about our pictures. *Luckily, we have hired a professional for the wedding.

choose 2013: an update

My family thinks I’m not good at making decisions. After hearing the banter at every dinner table and family function, I somehow started to believe it. I guess that’s part of the reason why I thought my one little word for 2013 should be choose. But the truth is, I know what I want. (Ok, ok…maybe sometimes I don’t). I get it. I see where they’re coming from. I know it might take me a little longer than most to pick out an outfit or a type of font that I like, but I just blame that on wanting things to look good, not that I’m indecisive.

The reality is, I have a hard time not thinking about all the consequences of my decisions. Karl calls it being neurotic. I call it being hyperaware. I weigh all my options, think of how my decision would affect so-and-so and sadly, I tend to put myself last, just because I may feel badly about something. It’s not because I think I don’t deserve to make decisions for myself. I just have always been the kind of person who puts others first. Sounds great, if you’re on the receiving end. But when you’re constantly putting others in front of your own needs, it’s exhausting. Especially when it affects your relationships. When I was little, my mom would always yell at me for saying “I’m sorry” too much. I would apologize for everything, whether it was my fault or not. And you know what? I still do that.

So, it’s now four months into the year with my one little word choose running through my mind and I’m slowly realizing what this word should mean to me. It’s not about making decisions. I can make them just fine. It’s about owning my decisions and thinking about what I want.

I don’t know if it’s the impending wedding, approaching the big 3-0 or if this one little word really is magical, but things are starting to feel different for me. So as I welcome the month of May, I am prepared to welcome whatever changes and decisions I will have to tackle. Thanks, choose. You’ve been good to me.

*Pictures of our wedding invites in production and ready to be mailed! Notice the addition of George after they were brought to the post office. It’s okay President Washington, I forgive you.