a little love note.

 

i am an aunt to two nieces, a nephew, and another nephew on the way. lately, i've been so smitten with them, i feel like i'm wearing heart holographic glasses when i look at them.  

sometimes i want to eat your toes. instead, i eat the slobbery, soggy, mushed up food you offer to me, because you're a good sharer and i love you so. 

sometimes i watch how you crawl, and play, and talk, and am in awe of how smart you are already. and sometimes, i think about the fact that before you came along, i had no idea how much i would love being an aunt.

when you get bigger, i hope you'll come over to my house and i can teach you about yoga, and norway and child-friendly things like how to make the perfect espresso. and we'll practice cartwheels in the backyard, and watch inappropriate disney movies. 

mostly, i just hope that some day you'll know just how lucky you are to have the parents you have. they are awesome. (almost as awesome as you.)

love, 

aunt nina

p.s. your uncle simon will teach you about spreadsheets, quantum physics and driving fast. he's really good at all of those things.

(photo credit: krmmnn)


 

this and that.

on friday, i popped into one of my favorite vintage shops in davis square. as i was running my fingers along the stacks of old records and daydreaming about owning pieces of the dusty furniture, i spotted this sweet little car and truck. i'm still not sure if they were left behind by a busy toddler, or if they were for sale... but i love them. can't you just imagine the little hands that have made them go zoom zoom across the floor?

p.s. we are not big into valentine's day in our house, but in classic simon style, he arranged these gorgeous flowers on the dining room table for me to find. :) the scent of the lilies has now filled up the condo, and i am a happy girl. happy valentine's day!

the kindness of strangers.

i stumbled on this adorable note today, and just had to share it. :) if you weren't already in a good mood today, did this cheer you up? love it.

(photo credit: greer chicago)

i feel like i might burst.

i sat down to write a post yesterday, and i just kept writing, deleting... writing, deleting. i think i am too distracted to write anything coherent at this time. :)

the wedding festivities (sort of) start tomorrow... my best friend and parents are arriving! then other friends and family will quickly follow. it's all such a joyful whirlwind... i can hardly believe it.

sometimes i am so excited, i literally feel like jumping. so far, i've managed to avoid doing it in public.

now off to clean up the guest room, and pack pack pack!


(photo credit: im on tambourine)

a recent conversation.

the other day i lost my camera charger. i rummaged through every closet, opened every drawer, lifted up every pillow, and still couldn't find it. the grumpies ensued.

i was so irritated, in fact, i think simon was temporarily afraid of me. after i calmed down, we had the following chat...

me: are you sure you want to marry me?
simon: yup.
me: even though i am a pain in the butt sometimes?
simon: yup.
me: even though i lose stuff?
simon: yup.
me: even though i'll never ever be able to take pictures ever again? (dramatic, much?)
simon: yup.
me: just checking.

phew. :)

p.s. and in case you're wondering... i have since charged my camera with a friends' charger. double phew.

(photo credit: clumsy bird)

two years.

confession: cripes! simon and i forgot our anniversary. just... completely... forgot. our first date was over two years ago, and we just realized it yesterday.

i think it's because once we get married, we'll have a new anniversary. counting starts over when you wed, right? :)

either way, we laughed about it, and said a belated "happy anniversary!". simon, thanks for making me laugh for 730+ days straight. you're going to make the bestest husband.

(photo credit: catmil)

a sweet wedding idea.

the other day i heard about the following adorable, coffee-inspired alternative to a wedding guest book and swooned!

the bride and groom invite their wedding guests to write something on the inside of an individually wrapped sugar cube - a wish, a joke or a love note. then every time the newly weds have coffee or tea they can open up a sugar cube and read the message! how adorable is that?

can you tell i have weddings on the brain? :)

the best time of the day.

i stumbled on this lovely poem the other day and thought you might enjoy it as well.

cool summer nights.

windows open.

lamps burning.

fruit in the bowl.

and your head on my shoulder.

these the happiest moments in the day.

next to the early morning hours,

of course. and the time

just before lunch.

and the afternoon, and

early evening hours.

but i do love

these summer nights.

even more, i think,

than those other times.

the work finished for the day.

and no one who can reach us now.

or ever.

-a poem by raymond carver

(photo credit: beca c)

love in the afternoon.

i stumbled on this engagement shoot the other day and literally swooned. this couple is so sweet, and everything about the photographs just radiates happiness and peace.

enjoy...

their eskimo kisses are my favorite! to see more from this engagement shoot, visit here.

(photos by wirken photography)

on top of the world.

whenever i feel the slightest bit discouraged about life, all i have to do is look at this picture of my parents.

it reminds me that as long as we have someone in your lives that make us radiate and laugh this much... everything else will work itself out.

happy monday, everyone!

p.s. i also love that my parents look so norwegian. i think i need one of those sweaters.

the things we do.

the other day simon and i were hanging out on two different levels of our condo. he was downstairs packing for a trip and i was upstairs on the couch, catching up on emails.

suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, i saw a crumpled up piece of paper come flying at me. simon was nowhere to be seen, but since i don't believe in ghosts, i knew he had somehow thrown it at me from below. (talented fella).

minutes later, another arrived. at first i thought: "why is simon throwing pieces of paper at me? in the words of stephanie tanner, how rude."

but then i realized that maybe he had written something on the notes. so, i opened them up. sure enough:

1. "hi, i'm downstairs. come hang out."

2. "there is another note, but i think it got stuck behind the couch."

i laughed, closed my laptop, and went downstairs to hang out. and this, my friends, is how we communicate in our 820 square feet condo. :)

please tell me you and your significant other do ridiculous things like this too? :)

(photo credit: robersonchristina)

hairstyle pillowcases.

simon and i have decided to skip valentine's day presents this year and just go out for a nice dinner. but if i were on the hunt for a cute valentine's day gift, i would definitely order a set of these hilarious pillowcases. aren't they awesome?

i keep imagining putting them in our guest room and seeing our friends' and family's reactions when they stay over. so fun.

i'm curious: do you usually get your loved one a valentine's day gift?

(pillows available from threeheart)

in sickness and in health (and trips to the store for more gatorade)

my dears... i have been sick all weekend and i must confess, this photo was one of the few things that cheered me up. isn't it just so sweet?

actually, simon cheered me up too, especially when he woke up this morning and squealed: "the golden globes are on tonight!"

he was teasing me. but we are watching it anyway because that's what being sick gets you --> control of the remote!

p.s. forgive the baby fever, but i have so many pregnant friends these days. is it just me?

(photo credit: elizabeth ann)

65 years of marriage.

these pictures by jose villa made me so happy, i think they are going to go straight on to my vision board.

simon, do you think after 65 years i'll be able to convince you to wear cowboy boots? yeah, i didn't think so. 

two thousand and ten.

i am really excited about 2010. it's the year i'll walk down the aisle, become mrs. simon, and also become a yoga teacher. huzzah!

but for now, simon and i are both sick; i burst into tears late last night because i felt so sorry for myself (and decided the best solution to all of my troubles was to take them out on simon who had just arrived from the airport); and last but not least, our condo is cluttered in reminders that christmas is over. wah.

it's a good thing we have lots of red wine and a steak dinner to look forward to later. :)

happy new year!

(photo credit: jordan blanchard)

our christmas in photos.

how was your christmas? (or if you don't celebrate, how was your weekend?)
i have missed you all and am happy to be back... although i am always bummed when christmas is over. sigh.

it's a good thing that 2010 is just around the corner! i love an excuse to celebrate.

committed.

today i picked up the latest oprah magazine and read an incredible excerpt from elizabeth gilbert's new book committed. i adored her previous book eat pray love, and so you can only imagine my excitement when i learned that her new book is all about love and marriage... it's as if the timing was intended for me. (ha!)
suffice to say, i can't wait to get my hands on the whole book, which is due out in january. here's one amazing review of it:

"told with gilbert’s trademark wit, intelligence and compassion, committed attempts to "turn on all the lights" when it comes to matrimony, frankly examining questions of compatibility, infatuation, fidelity, family tradition, social expectations, divorce risks and humbling responsibilities. gilbert's memoir is ultimately a clear-eyed celebration of love with all the complexity and consequence that real love, in the real world, actually entails."

are you as excited as i am?
update: i hate to admit this, but i was highly disappointed in this book. i thought it was self-indulgent and patronizing. boo. anyone else feel that way?

(photo credit: veselina)

engagement photos!

a few weeks ago, we met up with our wedding photographer, meredith, and took these pictures in a park near our home. it was so much fun.

meredith is not only sweet, but she's also super talented. we played around with a chalkboard a little and then just took advantage of the setting sun. (oh and in case you're wondering..."jeg elsker deg" is norwegian for "i love you".)

my favorite part about this whole experience was seeing how well meredith captured us as a couple, and how comfortable we felt with her. i can't wait for the big day...!

p.s. i was feeling a little shy telling you all this, but these pictures were also featured on ruffled! whoa.

p.p.s. i felt like i was wearing so much makeup, (in fact, i put on much more than i wear on a daily basis) and yet, i still look like i'm not wearing any... haha. is it just me, or does this happen to you too?

(all photos courtesy of and unlimited photography)

the rents.

today my darling parents arrive from norway! they are two of the most positive, energetic people you'll ever know. and they also love happy hour. this is why we get along so well.

this photograph was taken in 1974 right after they got married. i could stare at it all day. they look so happy, don't they?

more barn yumminess.

it's official. i am obsessed with rustic, barn weddings. this incredible one was photographed by tec petaja and i have to say, i love love love her hair... and i'm totally stealing the muslin bag idea.