to my valentine

my handsome guy! i love being your mrs. .... happy valentine's day to my best friend, my happy maker, my heart, my husband, & my forever valentine!

xoxo!

a new favorite: {restaurant}

last week we finally were able to celebrate shawn's birthday.  you see, his birthday falls on december 31st, so we always try to celebrate it a few days in advance.  this year, however, i was so sicksicksick the day we originally planned to do dinner.  so we rescheduled.  then HE got sicksicksick.... make a long story short, we just finally got around to having that birthday dinner last week.

i wanted to surprise shawn and take him to a restaurant that we had never tried before. i checked out philly magazine's top 50 restaurants and went from there.  i'm border line obsessed with reading reviews (for everything and anything!) as well as menus.  so it took me a little while to pinpoint the right place. but i did finally decide on philly's oyster house.  we first tried oysters during our staycation after the honeymoon, and we loved them! we were able to make it during their happy hour, where they have select oysters for $1!

i have to say that their decor was so exactly my taste: picture white exposed brick walls and subway tiles, with gray accents and vintage oysters plates scattered on the walls to add some extra color and fun.  these photos are directly from their site:

source

we were able to sit right at the oyster bar section where the oysters were shucked right in front of us.  it was very different from anywhere we have been before.

now, on to the food!  we, of course, started with oysters.  shawn had their lobster roll (amazing!) and i had the striped bass with kale and butternut squash.  the food is just amazing... i want to go back already!

after wards we walked along the city streets and popped into a little hole-in-the-wall bar for one last drink before heading home... and i realized that sometimes tuesday night dates are my favorite!

xxoo!

a love letter

shawn,

i can hardly believe that in 4 short days i will become your wife and you will become my husband! my skin has goosebumps just typing that. over six years together, and it's hard for me to remember when you weren't by my side. i feel blessed, lucky, and grateful that you will be my husband for the rest of our lives. you are smart, strong, kind, gentle, affectionate, thoughtful, and so much more. everything i could ever want, all wrapped up together! i am so excited to walk down the aisle, with you waiting at the end of it. and i can't wait to see what the future holds for us.

"i'm giving you all my love..." 9.14.12

xoxo

1 MONTH!

i get butterflies just typing that...one month! life is good. life is really, really good lately.  and i can't wait to marry my best friend in just ONE MONTH!

Signed, sealed...almost delivered

on saturday night, shawn and i decided to have a small little celebration for our 2 month countdown. it was hot out, but not too hot for a little walk around town.  we had no plan, we just walked & we ended up in a little hole in the wall (which is actually my favorite kind of bar) & we just talked.  it is easily one of my favorite nights.  we drank beer and sat and talked about anything and everything.  it was carefree, easy, and just fun! i hope our whole lives are like that!

i decided that shawn & i should play questions. and so it went: what are you most excited about for the wedding day? are you nervous? are you excited to wear a wedding band? how should we kiss for our 1st kiss? do you want our first baby to be a boy or a girl? if they were going to make a movie about you, who would you want to play you? ...more importantly, who would play me? haha....

and, then, sunday morning my invitations creator dropped off the prettiest little wedding invitations i ever did see!

so, my monday (& some of tuesday) was spent applying stamps, assembling, sealing, labeling, and applying more stamps!  is it weird that i lovedddddd putting together the invitations? shallow hal was the only thing on tv & i think i watched the whole movie while assembling these little packages.

they are out in USPS land somewhere & it excites me to no end that some may be arriving by tomorrow!

speaking of tomorrow.... a first fitting is on the agenda, followed by bachelorette outfit shopping.  if that isn't just the perfect little day for a bride to be, i don't know what is!

xo,

5 MONTHS!

seriously, time is flying by! this month we :

• booked the honeymoon
• purchased my wedding day jewels
• booked the rehearsal dinner venue
• purchased some wedding party gifts

 xo,

7 MONTHS!

not only was yesterday valentine's day, but it was also the 7 month mark in the countdown to our WEDDING DAY! eeeeeeeks!! i've mentioned before that we usually do not make a big fuss over valentine's day. just a special meal and some good wine, linger a little longer in the hug, snuggle a little closer...you know, the little things. but this year is slightly different.  this is our first and last valentine's day as a an engaged couple. and to me (to us) this made valentine's day 2012 slightly more special :)

so it was quite a lovely surprise when i arrived home verrrry late from work to see a beautiful vase of red & raspberry tulips along with a little love note.  something that i was not expecting. something that was so beautifully written.  i will keep that letter forever.  and probably feel butterflies every time i read it.

it's the little things like this that make me realize & appreciate the meaning of love.  i will always remember what our priest told us at our pre-cana class back in october - it is no coincidence that you are sitting next to the person you are next to. what is happening, is meant to be happening. this is something so much bigger than you can ever imagine. you are your partner's life project, his/her key to heaven.  it is your life's job to get your partner into heaven.

this sentiment has stayed with me in my heart and in my mind. i love feeling like this once in a lifetime love, best friend, soul mate, forever kind of love is so much bigger than us.

when something special happens to us, we turn to each other and say, "always remember." ...
i will always remember...
...the second i knew shawn was about to get down on one knee & ask me to be his wife.
...our giggles & happiness during our engagement photo session.
...the closeness we felt after our pre-cana class.
...picking out our wedding bands & the feeling i got when i saw a wedding band on his hand for the 1st time! ....

i will always remember the giddiness of coming home to beautiful flowers & the loveliest of love letters... and knowing i'll always have a valentine...

xo,

i'm dreaming of...

a secret romantic getaway. let's pack our bags & leave our phones at home. sneak away to somewhere quiet, and sweet, and unsuspecting.  wouldn't it be nice to curl up together with a favorite book and some hot coffee. don't worry about the time, the only place you need to be is where you are.

later on, we'll pop some champagne and get all dressed up for each other. we'll walk the streets of this cute little town and pop in and out of any and everywhere. after our adventure, we'll hold hands and laugh on our walk home. i can't think of anything better...then to be here, to be with you. my whole heart & my whole life, right by my side.

xo,

birthday recap & christmas right around the corner..

i find that the holidays are the craziest time of the year along with the best time of the year.  my birthday is on the 19th, which to me, is the perfect way to start off the christmas celebrations! and the best way to round out the celebrations? with shawn's birthday on new year's! yes, that's a lot of celebrating in a very short period of time, but i know of no other way to do it so i absolutely love it!

with my birthday being on this past monday, shawn & i decided to have a little celebration, just the two of us, on saturday.  we started the day off with a little bit of shopping around town.  it was the perfect way to get into the spirit. we walked along main street, in and out of the little boutiques...which were perfectly adorned for the holidays. i love seeing strings of lights and holiday wreaths all around.  i found some perfect gifts for my brother & mom, as well as the perfect stocking stuffer for shawn. thankfully, he was outside on a phone call when i made that purchase! after our afternoon stroll, we headed home to wrap up some gifts & relax for a little bit before readying and heading out for the evening.

one thing we both love is a good bottle of champagne.  lately, we have decided that champagne doesn't need to be saved for special occasions, but rather enjoyed for all occasions that you want to make special! so we sipped on some bubbly while we got ready.

then we headed out to partake in...BOWLING! if you can believe it, in the 5 and a half years we have been together, we have NEVER gone bowling together!

after our game that went by way too quick, and shawn beat me so pathetically, we headed to the bar upstairs and enjoyed a drink or 2! then we played air hockey, where shawn may or may not have pathetically beaten me again ;)

it was the most fun!

on monday, we met with my mom & brother for some amazing sushi.
mom brought  my favorite wine: cupcake savignon blanc & a new one that i have been wanting to try: cupcake red velvet. which was perfect in every way!

 my brother's creatively wrapped gift (above) & its contents (below!!!)

 yes, all of that was consumed..

all in all, it was one fabulous birthday & i can't think of a better way to start my year!

*****

christmas eve is tomorrow,  i can hardly believe it! today will be filled with wrapping & baking. the rest of the weekend? family, friends, food, laughs, love & a few presents :) i can't wait!

merry christmas to all!

xo,