windy city bound

Tomorrow morning Ryan and I head out towards Chicago for a much needed vacation, and then it's on to Indiana to attend the wedding of two of our all-time favorite people: Martin & Mollie. We haven't taken a whole week off since our honeymoon 2 years ago! Wowza. I'm so looking forward to this time together, and to finish it off with a wedding so full of love and hopefulness only makes it better. I originally planned on scheduling out posts for the week, but to be honest I just never got around to. So this little old blog is going to be on vacation too, from now until October 7th.

I'll be back to share our adventures of course, don't you worry, but in the meantime I just want to be totally present with my love. We celebrate two years on 10/1 so you can always look through our wedding madness if you miss us. big kiss, bekuh


photo above by MKM Photography

first summer date night

Summer is officially here, and if the calendar hadn't told me the soaring temperatures would have. It was hot, hot, hot in Philadelphia this weekend and Ryan and I used it as an excuse to keep the oven turned off, and go out as much as possible. We decided to hit up our neighborhood wood-oven pizza place, Bufad, yesterday evening and I remembered the camera for once. It was a delightful treat, and so convenient with our apartment being a mere 2 blocks away.

We're big pizza eaters, and I love trying out specialty or gourmet varieties. Though, I'll never turn down a New York style slice of cheese, ever. We decided on the Marinara pizza with anchovies (don't hate), and the seasonal asparagus pizza with egg. I've decided if a pizza comes with a fried egg on top, it can never be bad. The yoke adds a whole other layer of awesome sauce.

One of the many quirks of Philadelphia is that a lot of restaurants are BYOB. We're still learning to check on this before heading out, and actually remembered this time around. Lucky for us Bufad's brother bar, Prohibition Tap Room is right next door and we bought a delicious sour to go with our meal. Pizza and beer are a no fail combination in my opinion. What did you do this weekend? big kiss, bekuh

my music man

Ryan turns 25 today, he is now a quarter of a century old. I remember 25 feeling a little weird, like the end of youthfulness or some drama. I hope he doesn't feel like that. My hope for this birthday weekend is that Ryan will play guitar, we'll listen to lots of good music, and eat good food, and drink some of the best beer we can afford. I know today is kind of hard on him as we haven't met many people in Philadelphia yet, and we're far from home, but we have some grand slam plans for this evening and we'll make it special anyway.

Even though there are no pedals, cords, microphones, or instruments to open I want him to know he is loved beyond measure. Something really special occurred this week, and I feel like it deserves mention. For the first time in a long time we spent an evening creating side by side, he on his guitar, and me on canvas. It felt liberating, and special. Though we didn't speak there was no denying a connection between our processes. We're both so protective of our individual creations that this small step towards sharing in the process was a pretty big deal. That evening was a gift, one I see us revisiting more frequently in this year. 

For Ryan's 25 year I see a lot of new experiences, and discovery. His creative spirit cannot be denied. He is my music man, and I love him. Happy birthday handsome. big kiss, bekuh

My Love, My Ballast

One of my favorite love stories of all time is the story of John and Abigail Adams. Not because their story is overly romantic, or wonderful; but because through years of separation, near financial ruin, and personal devastation their love stood strong until the end. They never wandered or doubted their devotion to one another. John once called Abigail his ballast, a term I had to look up at the time, but now know by heart:

Bal·last  /ˈbaləst/ verb
Gives stability to a ship by putting a heavy substance in its bilge, helping guide the ship safely.

Ryan is my ballast. He is the the person who stabilizes me, and makes me stronger in times of doubt. Without his love I would not have dared to dream as big as I do today. Ryan my love, through all our trials and tribulations I will strive to love you with an unending devotion and care. I promise. love, bekuh

24 hours in Philadelphia

This past weekend Ryan and I went up to Philadelphia to look at apartments. It was super important to me that we find somewhere ASAP in order to get applications completed, and plans in motion before the middle of this month. With my start date being March 4th, there's no time to lose. I spent hours pouring over apartments and trying to contact people, but in the end we only had a couple of meetings to show for my efforts. The trip was a whirlwind filled with intense emotions, and quick discussion making. It was also filled with good food, and delicious drinks as these photos showcase.In the end we decided on a tee-tiny studio loft in Northern Chinatown to call home. It's got all the amenities we were looking for like hardwood floors, big windows, a dishwasher, and laundry on site. That order isn't actually the order of importance, the dishwasher was the most important feature to us; as not having one currently has put Ryan and I at odds many a times. I'm looking forward to a year of blissful peace, and love thanks to that machine. On top of all the wonderful amenities we'll have it's only a short walk to Reading Terminal Market, and the train I need to take for work. We filled out our applications last night, and I'm sending them on their way today in hopes of getting approved soon. Wish us luck! big kiss, bekuh

PS- These photos were from the Nodding Head Brewery in Philadelphia. The beer I tried was delicious!

The Secret's Out

Well now that I've officially accepted the position, I guess it's time to share the big news with you guys. In a little over a month Ryan and I will be living, and working in Philadelphia! Last week I had my final interview for a Community Coordinator position (read social media) at BHLDN, and on Monday they made an offer. It still feels really surreal typing all of this right now. I've wanted to work for URBN pretty much my entire life, and on March 4th my dreams are coming true. A special thanks to Maddie for her sweet recommendation of me for this position.

We're still working out all the details; like where we'll live, whether we'll be selling my car, if Ryan and Nellie will move up immediately or shortly after I do, how we're going to move everything, et al. It's a lot to take in, but in the end it will be so worth it. We've been thinking about making the move to a major city for sometime, and now we're actually doing it. Our lives are going to look so different this time next year, in the best possible way.

We're pulling an all-nighter to drive up and look at apartments tomorrow, so keep us in your thoughts. This will also be Ryan's first visit to Philadelphia so I'm hoping he likes it. I know he will, but it's still a big deal. My biggest concerns right now are finding an apartment, and selling off most of our furniture before the move. 4 weeks will fly by!

You might be seeing a little less of me in these parts for a couple of weeks, unless I get super motivated to schedule a ton of posts. Don't hate me. Downsizing by Half just got for real, for real. Ha! big kiss, bekuh

48 Hours of Sweet Dreams

I'm missing that handsome mug of my husband's right now. I'm on a quick trip out of town, and I can't stop thinking about him. I'll be home late tonight, and you better believe I'll be kissing that face. It's Friday which means two days of relaxing with him, and 48 hours of sweet dreams. I can't wait. big kiss, bekuh

Milkshakes and Married Dates

I find myself needing dates with Ryan more than ever. Not to beat a dead horse or anything (as we just finished the 12 dates of Christmas) but this is something that I really want to talk about. In my mixed up head I just assumed that married people didn't need to get all dressed up for one another, or set time aside for couple-y stuff on a weekly basis. Dates were, you know, for people dating. Boy was I wrong! 

I think it's more important than ever for us to slip away, and enjoy a little one-on-one time. We don't have crazy obligations (like kids) keeping us from one another, but when you live with someone every day, and you have bills to pay, the magic can kind of fade if you're not paying attention. Even if it's just a late night stroll, taking that extra time to make each other feel special is a necessity. Milkshakes are good too, you can never go wrong with milkshakes.

Now that our date marathon is over I don't want to slip back into old routines, and disregard each others' need for attention, and affection. Humans thrive off of touch and interaction; that's why communication is so important in a relationship. We've had a rough couple of months financially, and it would be easy for us to say we just can't afford dates, but I refuse to use that as an excuse anymore. Putting a price tag on creating memories with your love should be against the law.
 So you're being warned now...there may be a lot more date photos, like these, on the blog in the future. It helps that Ryan is so handsome and charming. I really won the jackpot with this guy, and he's a peach for letting me take his photo all the time. We're lucky ducky in love. Do you have any cheap (or free) date ideas for us? big kiss, bekuh

2013, Already an Old Friend

New Years Eve was a night of laughter, friendship, and reunion as we gathered with friends to herald in a new day, and a new calendar year. Today has felt like all the last, but with a renewed sense of hope. My hope is that the rest of the year will feel like the first. Sweet. big kiss, bekuh

The 12 Dates of Christmas: The Recap

follow me @bekuhdoo

Merry Christmas Eve everyone! We have lots of family gatherings in the next couple of days but I wanted to share a recap of the 12 dates of Christmas, which we finished just in the knick of time. It's been such a fun month carving out special time to spend with Ryan, and really getting the chance to enjoy each other during this hectic season. I didn't want to lug around the camera to every outing, so I just snapped a single picture and posted it to instagram at the start of each date instead. These are all twelve dates in order...

Date 1: Picking out our tree
Date 2: Starbucks lattes for two
Date 3: Flea Market Diving
Date 4: A brunch with all the fixings
Dare 5: Rigging up the lights with a cocktail in hand
Date 6: A walk in a Winter Wonderland to look at all the neighbor's lights.
Date 7: Ice cream date for two
Date 8: Christmas cookie baking
Date 9: Shopping for all our friends and family
Date 10: A Christmas movie marathon
Date 11: Grocery store samples date
Date 12: Squash soup made by Ryan for a sick me

I can't believe the 12 dates of Christmas are over! It makes me even more appreciative of my husband looking back over these memories, and thinking how sweet he is to indulge me on such things. big kiss, bekuh

The 12 Dates of Christmas: We're Half Way There!

Ryan and I are on a roll with these Christmas dates guys! It's so much fun being really purposeful with our time, and getting to really make some amazing memories together along the way. We're half way through the 12 dates, and I'm going to really hate it when they're done. I think the most valuable lesson we're learning from this experience is that dates don't have to be expensive, or involve dressing up. Most of our dates are outings we go on regularly, it's just we're making them more about together time, and elevating them into something special. It's pretty awesome.

For date two we went to Starbucks and sipped lattes slowly. Date three involved flea market diving. Date four was a special brunch, on date five we hung our Christmas lights with cocktails in hand, and date six we walked around our neighborhood checking out all the lights. I'm snapping pics along the way and posting them to twitter and instagram (both @bekuhdoo) if you'd like to follow along. I'll be doing a full roundup after all twelve dates on the blog too! Today just a couple of images from dates three, five, and six.

With only 11 days to go until Christmas, Ryan and I will be making a lot more memories very soon. I'm thinking tonight might be a date night. Are any on you doing anything special with your honey this holiday season? big kiss, bekuh

One Magic Day

Does anybody remember October? I know, I know it was forever ago; but Ryan and I did something really cool way back then, and today I want to share it with you. For our first anniversary we decided to get professional photos taken of the two of us. It was a no brainer that we chose a local photographer, Kent Moore, to do the shooting. You see Ryan and I got engaged and married in a pretty short (4 months) time frame, meaning there was no time for engagement photos, something I kind of regretted after the big day. We love our wedding photos, but I wanted more than just pictures of us on that day to showcase in our home. We traipsed all over Roanoke for the shoot, and I'm thrilled with the way the photos turned out! It certainly was a magic day.

The weather couldn't have been more agreeable, and the lighting was perfect. The sun set behind us; making the photos feel so warm, and intimate. Kent 

did a great job guiding us to the right locations, and really capturing the feel we were looking for without me having to say a word. Knowing our 

photographer really helped Ryan and I relax a little, and just enjoy the process.We ordered about a bazillion prints for our families, and quite a few for ourselves too. I was especially fond of the vintage feeling photos (as if you couldn't tell). I will treasure these photos forever. 

If you're in the Roanoke region, and you're looking for a photographer, I highly recommend Kent's work. He is really reasonably priced, professional, and gets things done in a super timely manner. As a bonus to my readers Kent is offering 20% off your package price, just mention Secondhand Sundays when you contact him to set-up your shoot. Expires January 31, 2013 

On a totally separate note, I have to mention that my skirt is from Dalena Vintage, one of my favorite online vintage shops! I won a gift card to her site awhile back, and I've been dying to wear this skirt in a post. I chose to pair it with a vintage inspired blouse, but it came with a matching top so you can wear it as a dress too, swoon. She has the best eye for pretty vintage pieces

. Which photo was your favorite? Ryan and I are looking to blow one of them up as an engineering print (similar to this) and I'd love your input! big kiss, bekuh

Note: We did not receive any compensation, or any special discounts for this post. Everything I have said comes directly from my heart and how I truly feel about the companies mentioned in this post. 

Pretty Peaks and Birthday Wishes

For my birthday this year I really wanted to get outside and enjoy the cooler weather. Many of you know that in my past job I didn't really get to experience Fall in all it's fullness, and that this year is extra sweet for me because I do. We decided to do one of the more challenging hikes in the area, with the most breathtaking views, and take two of our good friends with us. McAfee's knob is a really popular southern Appalachia spot for hikers and as you can see the view makes it totally worth it. We ate lunch on top of the mountain, talked a lot with friends, and then headed back down with clean lungs and jelly legs. I have no words for how perfect the weather was, Nellie was, and how happy it made me to look out over this vast valley and feel content being me. It was a perfect birthday.

Thank you to everyone who commented with well wishes on this birthday, it means so much to me that you care. I have a feeling this year is going to be the best one yet! big kiss, bekuh