dear joe... love, rosie

hello again, blog.

2011-12-21T15:49:00.000-08:00

ok wow, i can't believe so much time has passed since my last post...and even more so, how quickly the time has flown by since little james was born! i just put together a photo book of the past 4+ months as a christmas gift for my parents and i couldn't help tearing up as i went through the pictures of my jamesy wamesy as a teeny tiny newborn. it's so exciting to see him grow and learn, to get more smiles and funny noises from him, to get to know more of his personality and try to match different traits to either joe or me. but i can't help but feel it's all happening so quickly.

before i blink and he turns into a teenager, here's a quick recap of the life & times of JZP via screen shots from the photo book (is that ghetto? haha). enjoy!

from bump to baby

2011-08-08T11:38:00.000-07:00

our little bundle of joy, james zachary pyo, came into the world on july 27 at 2:13 a.m., weighing 7 pounds 8 ounces and measuring 20 inches long.

it started tuesday around 3 a.m. james was running a couple days fashionably late and just about ready for his grand entrance. with the contractions getting more consistent through the morning, we decided to make the call and head over to the hospital around 10 a.m. at 11 a.m. i was dilated only 2-3 cm, by noon 5 cm, and so it continued until about 10 p.m. when we got to 10 cm. by then i felt like i was connected to a million things, from the iv pumping fluid to me, another one pumping pitocin, to the catheter pumping fluid to the baby and the catheter pumping fluid out of my bladder, to the epidural in my back, to an oxygen mask on my face, the blood pressure thing on my arm and probably a few others i can't remember. not my best look, i'm sure.

around midnight, when james was low enough, the nurse told me we were ready to push. to be honest, i wasn't very good at it and they kept telling me i was only pushing with my face so it was getting all red and squished with no action down below. after about an hour and half of that, they could finally see james' sweet little head poking through, at which point they called my doctor to come and do the rest of the delivery. so after about another 25 minutes of waiting, i pushed a couple more times and out came baby james! along the way i had to vomit a couple times and i got a 100.3 fever, but by 2:13 a.m. none of that seemed to matter because our baby boy was perched on my chest and i was in love!

i came in not knowing what to expect, and though it's definitely been mixed in with moments of cluelessness and emotional drainage, i can't help feeling the experience is more amazing and he is more precious than what i could've imagined. can't wait to see how james' journey continues to unfold, from bump to baby to...

letters to baby

2011-07-22T09:42:00.000-07:00

can't believe how quickly the past 39+ weeks have passed by with this little baby growing inside of me. i haven't really blogged too much about it all, but i have been trying to write about it through letters to baby james.

hopefully one day he'll read it (since he's a boy, i'm thinking it might not be until he's married and his wife reads it to him) and get to see his first ultrasound, the sweets mommy craved carrying him, how daddy painted his room and also read about the the names we almost named him, all the questions i had, and the anxieties i faced (and still face) about his health, labor, parenting...and how through all of these things we could only hope in Christ.

dear baby james...see you soon! i can't wait!!! love, mom

robot baby shower for cathie

2011-07-19T09:18:00.000-07:00

in continuation from my last post, here are some pictures from the robot-themed baby shower we had for cathie and her dear baby oliver back in may. can't believe the little guy is already a month old!

it's been neat to have so many friends around me forging the way through pregnancy, labor & delivery, and the first crazy weeks/months of parenthood. i'm still not sure quite what to expect and for sure i don't feel mommish yet, but i'm encouraged to see how through the difficulties and unknowns sure to be mixed in with all the joys, there will be oh so much grace!

39 weeks, 1 day. let's get this show on the road!

party time!

2011-07-14T13:09:00.000-07:00

this year has been out of control with so many of my good friends having babies and turning the big 3-0. for awhile it felt like a shower or party every weekend, sometimes hopping from one to the next all in the same day!

it's been fun to help plan some of them and i suppose all the running around that was involved is being balanced out by this bed rest stint i'm going through now. here are some pics from miriam's 30th back in april that i finally got uploaded to my computer...

for better or for worse

2011-06-27T21:16:00.000-07:00

two years, a combined 50+ pounds, and a few waiting-to-be-loosened screws ago, i got this guy to marry me. and while he's been busy discovering all the worst sides of me, to me he just gets better and better as i get to see more of his patience, grace, humility and love.

dear joe...you are the BEST! love, rosie

the last month

2011-06-25T11:04:00.000-07:00

so, we are just about one month away from the arrival of el niño!

my gut says he's going to be early, but i may very well be wrong and just wishing it so i wouldn't have to see my gut keep growing with each extra day.

here are a some things i'm hoping to do before then:
- find my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe
- eat at some new and old LA eateries (suggestions?)
- get back into the etsy world
- host a dinner pahh-tee or two
- do a photo session for someone
- learn how to use a sewing machine
- go to a dodger game

i had written the above thursday night as a draft, but oh what a difference a day makes! friday morning, i went in for my 3rd trimester ultrasound where they found my amniotic fluids were measuring lower than normal. at first they rushed me to labor and delivery to make sure my water hadn't broken [insert panic here], and then did a bunch of tests to monitor the baby. in the end they told me i didn't have to deliver the baby after all (whew!), but have to be on almost bed rest and go back twice a week until i do deliver to do all the tests and make sure baby's ok.

i know, being told to just rest might sound like a welcomed order, but not if you are crazy like me. it's probably a combo of my control freakedness and being in nesting mode that's put me in this high-productivity cooking, organizing, shopping/returning, cleaning (this one not aaas much, hehe) mode. like this morning, i woke up and felt determined i needed to juuust sort! the! laundry! so i started, joe told me to stop, i said okokok, and then secretly finished sorting it in super speed silence. sigh. this will be a good thing for me, to just let go and remember it's God who holds all things together. and He's taking care of our dear baby in my womb until it is the perfect time for him to come and meet us.

and thankfully i have joe to constantly remind me to take it easy AND make me banana chocolate chip pancakes on a saturday morning :)

ta-da!

2011-06-16T22:37:00.000-07:00

after much time spent considering whether i should start blogging again and trying to muster up some motivation, i've finally made it back. can't believe that since my last post, the mrs. pyo club is preggers, preggers and re-preggers!

here are a few things that have kept me occupied outside the blog-world:
- going on a cruise. joe and i decided to try something neither of us had ever done and packed our bags, loosened our belts and hopped on a boat. not sure if we would do it again, but highlights included the 24-hour pizza parlor, geekily reading twilight by the pool, watching joe play in the ping pong tournament, and that arcade game where you put in quarters to push the other quarters to spill out so you can put them right back into the machine over and over again (how is this game even fun?!).

- eating diligently for two. after getting through the first trimester nausea, my appetite has returned with an unstoppable vengeance. some days i do a double-take at what i think is a kirstie alley sighting (she's looking great, by the way!), only to realize it’s my own reflection. and other days there's no double-take needed; i just look at myself and see eddie murphy in the nutty professor. straight up. doc even told me to take it easy and i realized i can tell her it's from the cruise for only so long.

- scouring craigslist for treasures. lately i’ve been checking craigslist non-stop for furniture and baby items. sometimes i go a little overboard, like the time i bought two different used pottery barn cribs and had to re-sell one on craigslist (for a minor profit). or the time i realized one of the sellers was a blogger i follow and admire, and acted like a total stalker-fan when i went to go buy the item. it’s all so much fun, until i am faced with joe’s voice of reason, accompanied by his stink eye.

- moving. we recently moved into a new apartment and all-in-all i love our new place - the neighborhood, the garage, our new washer and dryer, the plentiful windows. but, as i’ve been trying to convince my ever-so-practical husband, it could use a little extra help, like painting over the peach walls and maybe some decorative accents here and there. for example, the super cute hand-knit doll i found on sale at anthropologie for the nursery...that obviously doubles as an oddly-shaped back-support cushion for nursing...no? argh, i can feel joe’s stink eye just writing about it!

well, this retro-retro-retro-active blogging could go on forever so i'll leave it at that and save more updates, photos and my list of things to do before the arrival of el niño for next time...thanks for reading! :)

sisters via misters

2010-08-20T12:54:00.001-07:00

last weekend i had the pleasure of journeying to the hot hot heat valley for the bridal shower of my future sis-in-law. her besties put together such a cute backyard garden party and my deep sadness over forgetting my camera was quickly appeased with yummies from porto's bakery, homemade desserts and the fun photo booth with props galore.

i'm so excited for their upcoming wedding (always love a good excuse to browse through wedding websites again) and to be gaining a sweet and most hilarious new sister. here i am with bride-to-be connie and our other sis-in-law susie. joe's brothers got excellent taste, ay?

california love, part 2

2010-08-01T00:33:00.000-07:00

i couldn't have asked for a better 1[.07] year anniversary celebration than the mini-vacay up to the monterey bay we took last weekend. we persevered through some nasty la traffic and enjoyed the long and scenic route up the central coast where we were wow-ed at each turn by the ocean, mountains, huge trees, sheep?! -- such a far cry from life as we know it in orange county.

turns out one of the biggest motorcycle events in the world, ever (or something like that) was happening the same weekend but luckily it didn't keep us from enjoying our stay at the charming normandy inn (found via sfgirlbybay) and everything else on our jam-packed itinerary.

road trip to do's:
1. hike the north shore trail at point lobos state natural reserve

2. find pretty fishies at monterey bay aquarium

3. eat yummy fishies at old fisherman's wharf

4. get a fat slab of prime rib at clint eastwood's mission ranch restaurant

5. stop by to say hello to clint's sheep

6. play peekaboo at pfeiffer big sur state park

7. dig into delicious dishes at big sur bakery and restaurant

8. take a gazillion pictures with new camera

9. spend quality time with the dearest husband and thank him for being my america's next top model for half of the gazillion pictures

whew, is it just me, or does anyone else feel like they need a vacation after a vacation? traveling is fun but i could totally go for a veg day right about now to just watch tv and eat chocolate chip cookies, yummm...

{eye} try : strawberry brown butter bettys

2010-07-21T12:04:00.001-07:00

i'd been eagerly waiting to try this recipe for strawberry brown butter bettys found at smitten kitchen, but never had a loaf of white bread around the house. enter coupon for free loaf of white bread from the local target and wah-lah, happy birthday husband!

we celebrated sunday night with a low-key dinner for two at home featuring flavorful braised short ribs and miyuk gook, the traditional korean birthday soup, followed by these bettys topped with softly whipped cream. the good part was that it was a quiet and intimate evening. the bad part was that if one person gets caught up taking pictures, the other person ends up lighting his own birthday candles...haha, oops!

take me out to the ballgame

2010-07-14T10:22:00.000-07:00

one of my favorite things about this time of year is baseball season. there's just something so warm & fuzzy and at the same time thrilling about watching your team rally through a game on a cool summer night. i used to hope it would be what marriage is like, and in some ways i still think it is...

everybody won't always come out and play to your expectations, your heart will sink every time someone makes a silly fielding error, we may end up with the worst record in our division, and sometimes it'll be hard to stick it out through all 9 innings. but even when they're down 7-2 in the bottom of the 8th, you still get out of your seat and do the wave whole-heartedly for your team. and every now and then they'll deliver one of those goosebump-rendering homeruns as a sweet reminder of how much you love this game.

my boss recently gave us tickets to the classic dodgers vs yankees game. they were nicer seats than we've ever payed for ourselves, but i have to admit, i kind of missed our rowdier friends over in the left and right field pavilions. can't wait to go again!

i've recently been introduced to and browsing around flickr thanks to poppytalk's summer colours week and here a few faves from fellow fans.

[ 1 ][ 2 ][ 3 ][ 4 ]

(good job NL on winning the all star game last night! and good save joe, when we got to the boba shop after the game and it was closed, taking me to vons instead for some ice-cold sugarful refreshments aka orange crush soda!)

look what i found!

2010-07-12T10:36:00.000-07:00

after searching near and far, passing on several $80 and even $25 versions at various flea markets, i finally found a wire jar/bottle carrier for $6 at the local salvation army, score!

and in case you were wondering, the above photo was taken from another new acquisition...our canon rebel t1i digital camera! we had considered and put off getting a dslr a little while ago, but joe pleasantly surprised me by suggesting we get it for our anniverary as a way to remember our first year as we capture the many more years to come. i'm guessing he was also getting sick of me sending him to pick up the rolls of film i was getting developed hehe, but either way, score! :)

happy cool hooray!

2010-07-01T12:31:00.001-07:00

i love when you're sorting through the mail - your bills, the multiple macy's ads, the oil change coupons, someone else's bills that came to the wrong address - and you spot something pretty and personal that you open and finish reading even before you make it back to your front door.

i used to send snail mail, just because, more often but sadly i've gotten so lazy in the age of text messages and emails. goal #13: send more snail mail. goal #12: don't be lazy.

here are some postcards for summer to get me started. it's funny, i don't have summer break and we don't have any big vacations planned, but i'm still so super stoked it's summer!

you can catch them over at the etsy shop.

it doesn't have to be this hard:

snippets of summer

2010-06-30T09:10:00.000-07:00

yumminess at the czech missions bake sale fundraiser and an afternoon stop at the fabric store on my mission to find the perfect piece for a new table runner. tried to convince myself to go with the fun pom-pommy one, but left empty-handed to write my 5-page essay first. does anybody have any linenspiration to share?

happy 1st day of year two!

2010-06-28T12:08:00.001-07:00

one year ago today i was on a plane to maui because one year ago yesterday joe and i put on some fancy clothes, strung up some lights, said our "i do's," and became husband and wife!

photo by bonnie tsang

with any major celebrations put on hold, we started our day with a sweet breakfast at cream pan japanese bakery before church, spent all day surrounded by dear friends, and ended the night in prayer thanking god for each other and our first wonderful year together.

[insert photos sitting on undeveloped rolls of film, torturing me with their probable blurriness and possible awesomeness]

year one // top five
- having belly-aching laughs and catching, when i can bear to open my eyes, joe laughing just as heartily next to me. love that split second of realization of how happy we are together.
- seeing my real, unfiltered, ugly self previously seen by only my immediate family exposed and hearing joe tell me he still loves me, even more than before. what in the world?!
- waking up at 10am on a wedding-less, shower-less, sports-less saturday and enjoying breakfast in our pajamas with faces fat from plentiful sleep.
- joe carefully saving any dessert that he gets at work, whether it be a slice of birthday cake, a box of crackerjacks, or once even an entire tray of cupcakes, to bring home to me as a surprise treat.
- being amazed at how after years of hoping, wondering, letting go, waiting, i made it to the right team and got the best teammate who i can run alongside and root for (unless he is beating me in settlers or monopoly).

dear joe...ILYSM! love, rosie

summer lovin'

2010-06-24T12:24:00.001-07:00

dear summer,

welcome back! we have been enjoying your 8pm sunsets and cleared out traffic by the schools in the morning. hope this year you'll bring some exciting baseball games, ice cream sandwiches, watermelons with spoons and no bowls, whiffle ball on driveways, lazy days at the beach and lots of bbqs with our favorite friends. if i could make one request, please don't let the weddings without air conditioning fall on the hottest days ever. people seem to remember the suffering more than any of the pretty stuff.

love,
rosie

ps - here's a pic from your first day back

world's best dad

2010-06-20T22:00:00.000-07:00

whether he's lecturing about finance in the university hall or singing happy birthday in a small family dinner setting, he does it in earnest, every time with 100% genuine gusto. even when he's going through the toughest trial and i know his heart is breaking, no...broken, he tells me with unwavering faith "life sucks. but god is good." he has a passion for sharing the gospel and taking the free blood pressure tests at walmart. he loves people. he treasures my mom. he's the world's best dad.

kitchen reverie

2010-06-16T10:38:00.000-07:00

when i first saw jen johner's kitchen on apartment therapy, i totally did a double take. it was like the imaginary kitchen i have filed away in the back of my mind coming to life in the form of jpgs i can now keep saved in [virtually] real folders!

love the colors, love the simple details, the chalkboard, the light pouring through the window.

as fun as it is to dream, there are many things that make me cherish the here and now [insert luther vandross lyrics here (sorry i'm in a cheesy music funk this week)]. top five reasons why i'm lovin the fabulous apartment life...
1. the far mailbox calls for nice evening strolls with best roomie
2. close proximity with neighbors gives world cup and lakers games a nice stadium effect
3. easy access to tennis court, pool, fitness center we will surely take advantage of "one of these days"
4. provides the much-needed reminder of how temporary the material things in life are and to be thankful for all we do have that is in abundance and way more than we deserve
5. and my fave, less square footage = less cleaning :)

taking it back to the old school

2010-06-15T12:16:00.001-07:00

after ordering my re-sealing kit from ebay weeks ago...

after searching store after store to find denatured alcohol for cleaning...

after spending hours at night to carefully replace the disintegrating foam in the body...

after finding out the battery chamber is busted and the camera will only function and focus manually by eyeing it...

after googling all that i could for a crash course in aperture, shutter speed and ISO...

after stopping by three rite-aids (resisting the call of three thrifty ice cream cones) and a costco to find a good and cheap place that can process film...

these photos from my first roll of film had me waving my hands in the air and shaking my deriere to some tag team music in full effect - whoomp there it is! (in my mind (mostly.)) i'm not sure how much more i can hang with the process before getting a DSLR, but here are a few photos shot on my nikon FM 35mm camera from the also much-anticipated rose bowl flea market this past sunday.

vintage houseware in pretty colors

loving sailboats for the summer [insert salt n pepa rap here]

also loving future sis-in-law connie and the radio flyer wagon we found for the upcoming wedding

ps - father's day cards are finally up on etsy!

goal #11: don't get featured on regretsy

2010-06-10T11:44:00.001-07:00

did you know there is a site dedicated to all those weird things you stumble across amidst all the heart-worthy delights on etsy? i hate to be critical of someone else's work, but i'll admit there have been some postings that really make me scratch my head in wonder. so when i came across this site via remarks from sparks, i had myself a nice little chuckle.

it's refreshing to be reminded not to take all of life so seriously - especially the things i'm given by grace to just enjoy! so my new goal is to simply enjoy what i do, without feeling pressure to wow the world, without becoming puffed up with pride at my accomplishments, to just create something some lovely person might be inspired to pick up...without any regretsy.

here's some postage to send you to the shop! (now i just have to figure out how to get this thing up there /`).

ps - father's day cards are done and needing to be photographed...hopefully will have them up by tomorrow!

bunting for baby elias

2010-06-07T21:03:00.000-07:00

somehow joe's and my weekend schedule often ends up including a babysitting gig for the people we love. but no complaints from me - i think i may have more fun than the kids, especially when we get to bust out the crayolas for some arts and crafts time. i love watching them scribble scrabble their hearts away as they put their all into making something so sincere and sweet. here's the sign i made with the girlies we babysat this weekend to welcome home their new baby brother.

as cute as they are with all the ridiculous and funny things they say and do, i secretly think the cutest is joe, who goes all out playing games with them, telling them silly stories, and trying really hard to explain to them why they shouldn't eat too much candy. can't wait to have our own little bunch some day, lord-willing! :)

some scribble scrabble of my own for the new baby boy...

(card set available on etsy).

crossroads fashion photo contest

2010-06-03T15:55:00.001-07:00

it started with brunch a couple saturdays ago at the now-closed omelette parlor followed by a trip to crossroads trading co. to sell a few articles of clothing that ended up paying for the meal (score!) where a certain photo contest poster caught our eye. the result? a scramble to goodwill and urban outfitters followed by our eleventh-hour fashion photo shoot at a nearby park.

we had a blast reliving some of our crazier days, reminiscent of way back in the day when we used to get super-judged for our secondhand styles (some would actually rummage through my closet for halloween costumes! haha). here are a couple of my favorites from our adventure...

happy birthday karean, my fearless friend! even if we don't win the big bucks, and even if we get too tired and old to follow the popular trends, you'll always be a winner in my book! (and if all else fails, we can always meet up at forever21).

ps - you can find us and give us five stars here!

hot off the letterpress

2010-06-02T14:53:00.001-07:00

there was a big hurrah last week with all the big season and series finales - [spoiler alert] nicole scherzinger was the best dancer, lee beat crystal, everybody died on lost, jack bauer became the new dark knight on the run...and over in my little world, the final class of introductory letterpress at irvine fine arts center came to a significantly less-dramatic end.

i found out about this class randomly through a gal who bought some of our wedding decorations from the weddingbee classifieds and after being wait-listed once, finally got to take the class along with ampersandity-cathie.

i didn't quite know what to expect but found it to be such a delight to be removed from the fast-paced, "ctrl-P" world of instant gratification for a few hours a week to become acquainted with gutenburg and the old-school art of letterpress.

our first project was a simple one-graphic/one-line card using movable metal type.

and the finale was our own set of business cards which we designed through illustrator and got converted to a polymer plate to be run through the letterpress machine.

the best part is now we have access to the letterpress studio to continue working on our own projects. i'm already looking forward to season two! :)

best lunch ever! cards

2010-05-27T17:09:00.001-07:00

what, it's thursday already?! it's been such a busy week that seems to have flown by without any notice, to which i have no complaints considering it leads into the long holiday weekend. woo hoo! this morning as i was leaving for work, joe called out to me not to forget to eat a real lunch. seems like a weird request at first, but it's because he knows too well on days i don't pack our lunches i will easily opt for my favorite kind of brown bag lunch...

the flavor of the moment at sprinkles happens to be salted caramel right now - so delicious (and dangerous)! goal #20: find a salted caramel cupcake recipe with slightly less sweet butteriness so yellow kitchenaid standing mixer will know it's loved for more than just its good looks.

but in the meantime, here are some yummy cards inspired by the cupcake with milk i wish i was eating right now.

have a sweet day!

farewell address to a dress

2010-05-20T08:49:00.000-07:00

dear wedding dress,

thank you for being such a perfect dress - simple and elegant in your beautiful silk organza, tulle and satin layers. i was really nervous about taking you apart to make crafts, but it ended up being such a fun experience and now everyone who was there can forever be a part of the sisterhood of the trashed wedding dress, like that movie with the jeans...sort of. so now commending you to my fondest memories, i bid you affectionate farewell!

love,
rosie

ps- here are some photos from our trash the dress crafty party.

the first cut // bags for your loot // supplies!

janice working on her apron

angie models her hairpin // a scrapalicious mess // my necklace

paper love

2010-05-19T09:26:00.000-07:00

i've been seeing lots of pretty posts and pics from the national stationery show in ny this week and imagining how awesome it would be to be there, surrounded by hundreds and hundreds of oh so beautiful paper stations. anywhere that dedicates square footage to a "pen pavilion" is a place i know i'd like to be.

maybe i'll get a chance to visit one of these days, but for now i'm filling up on secondhand admiration and cruising the web in search of the oodles of other paper people out there.

one that made me smile recently - the future mrs. darcy - creates wedding invitations inspired by famous fictional couples. love it!

pam + jim of the office

ginny weasley + harry potter

sloane peterson + ferris bueller

i hope there's one for anne shirley and gilbert blythe (swoon~) in the works!

which fictional couple is tops in your books?

sunday's bests

2010-05-17T12:38:00.001-07:00

sundays are always such a treat, with solid preaching at church (where i usually also score a nice donut) and refreshing times with friends. yesterday the latter took place at the long beach flea market where a whole gang of us went and scoured through the maze of booths in search of the items on our wish lists.

nautical clock and bottle carrier, unfortunately both out of my price range

another wire carrier, also out of my price range...i may need to start collecting clothes hangers and make this a DIY project haha...

what a relief to find this sign at one of my stops! and i did find myself a globe (goal #36) by day's end, as did cathie.

afterwards a few of us went over to the gym to watch our guys play ball. one by one everyone left and i was the last cheerleader in the bleachers, pooped and in major need of a pedicure (eek!), but happy :)

to market, to market

2010-05-14T13:03:00.001-07:00

super excited for the flea market with some of my fav friends this weekend! i'm one of those impossible shoppers who mentally formulates a pro/con list accompanied by 5-page essay before committing to a purchase, whether it be a new car or a napkin holder. sometimes it's good because i'm not impulsive but most of the time it's just annoying. i know.

so i thought it'd be helpful to think through a few things to look for in advance. here's my flea market shopping list...

milk jugs & glass bottles. usually love mason jars too but find at times the mouth is too wide for smaller flower arrangements. this photo display is a cool idea too.

wire jar/bottle carrier. love everything about this centerpiece!

accent chair for small desk in living room. something charming and colorful to replace the dingy burgundy spinning office chair sorely missing its matching college student somewhere.

here's hoping! have a great weekend!

1, 2, 3 cheese!

2010-05-13T16:41:00.001-07:00

we've been debating whether or not to invest in a dslr camera. i really am a creature of habit, so as much as i see how much better the quality of photos are, i hesitate to make the jump.

here are the players we currently have on hand...

1. blackberry bold 9700
stats: 3.2 megapixels
last at bat: photo-greeting to email mom
added value: it packs a decent punch for its small size.
and the yellow cover makes me happy.

2. canon powershot sd750
stats: 7.1 megapixels
last at bat: everything and anything
added value: super easy shmeezy to use

3. old school nikon camera
stats: no idea
last at bat: nsync concert 10 years ago to get a closer view of
justin timberlake (ok i'm a little embarrassed)
added value: my parents bought this the year i was born and
gave it to me when i left for college.

i don't know...i might just take upon the task of learning how to shoot with the nikon (more than its paparazzi zoom capabilities) for now. be sure to let me know if you have any photography tips, warnings, recommendations, stories, or jokes!

{eye} try : everyday container vase

2010-05-12T10:15:00.001-07:00

with so much fabulous stuff out there in the blog world, it's so easy for me to get intimidated or revert to pure stalker status. but i remember reading somewhere that "originality is overrated!" which totally inspires me to dig up all those saved jpgs and tutorials to try concocting my own versions, no matter how awkward or weird it may turn out.

this DIY project from design sponge caught my eye a couple months back and got me looking for my own everyday containers to use as vases. here's a sugarbowl from the thrift store that seems to fit the bill quite nicely...

ps - goal #36: find a vintage globe with an interesting history. (interesting history optional or can be made up, depending on how cool the globe looks).

goal #9: friday crossword puzzle

2010-05-07T13:50:00.001-07:00

one of my goals in life is to finish the la times friday crossword puzzle. i don't really know what #1-8 are, but #9 seems about right for now until i figure the rest out. also in there somewhere is to be a contestant on wheel of fortune, but i'll save that exciting topic for another day haha.

my thing for crossword puzzles started back in freshman year of college with the good ol' daily cal when it was the only thing that separated my forehead from the cold desk in those 8am bio classes where the prof had to dim the lights to use his projector. then a couple years later when i realized i wasn't going to grow up to be a doctor, i switched majors to mass communications where my credits were earned analyzing radiohead songs and writing about the political workings within "the godfather" - i even took a whole an entire class about the history and power of food in media! anyways, the courses changed, but my love for crosswords stuck and to this day i try to sneak in the la times' puzzle whenever i can at work. the feeling you get when you figure out the puzzle's theme and those other clever clues, especially at friday's difficulty level, is what i could imagine it feels like to finish a marathon. my version just goes better with cupcakes.

happy friday! do you have any goals for today?

lessons i learned from my mom

2010-05-05T14:53:00.000-07:00

1. never compromise, especially when looking for a parking spot. it's better to wait it out than walk from the other side of the lot.

2. don't fear others' opinions when returning something you've changed your mind on. if you bring your husband, he will feel shame enough for both of you, as he tries to stand camouflaged by the nearest clothing rack.

3. when all else fails, use sunblock, drink lots of water and/or get a bob haircut.

ok really though, from her surprise themed dinners for the family and the little notes she would slip into my lunch, to her berenstain bears book collection and cross-stitching artwork, my mom has taught and inspired me more than any blog or magazine ever could. she's shown me the joy in making others feel special and filling her home with love - all with the strength that comes from understanding God's true love and not having wasted energy from walking from that really really far parking spot.

trash the dress

2010-04-18T23:19:00.000-07:00

after much deliberation, i have decided to *gulp* demolish my wedding dress! instead of letting it a) collect dust and wrinkles in our apartment, b) go unnoticed on a craigslist post, or c) get charged extra buckaroos to be put into a fancy box, i have invited my nearest dearests over for a craft party where they can each take a piece of it and use their skills to make something perty to take home and remember our wedding forever and ever!

i'll admit i am a bit anxious to do this. i don't know why but my recurring "worst case scenario" dream ends up with all of us dressed in fraulein maria's curtains.

but then i remember how crazy cool & talented my friends are and i'm more excited to be spending time with each of them and ooh-ing and aww-ing at all the lovely things they'll be sure to produce. stay tuned for pics!

california love

2010-04-09T16:06:00.000-07:00

first year of marriage has been like an accelerated crash course where we've been learning so many interesting things about each other and ourselves...like who amasses unimaginable piles of laundry (joe), who needs lots of random and non-random hugs (me), who is more patient (joe), who is most crazy (me), and who we should leave the jokes to (you decide).

i'm so thankful for joe who patiently endures through my craziness, as he keeps me laughing and gives me undeserved hugs (and laundry).

and definitely thankful for the times in between all the learning and growing together we've been able to get away and unwind. i think i'm one of the last of my friends stuck in the dark ages of photography, but here are my pointing-and-shooting efforts from our recent daytrip to san diego.

this is how much joe looooves to take one million pictures :)

home sweet home

2010-03-05T00:48:00.000-08:00

one of my favorite parts of being married is turning our small one-bedroom apartment into a home sweet home. i wish i could say it's been a glamorous process of searching through trendy home decor stores and obscure antique shops, but actually much of my fun has come from treasures acquired through the ever-accessible craigslist or refurbished from the clearance shelves at tjmaxx.

nevertheless, at the end of the day, joe reminds me it's each other and not the stuff that makes it a joy to come home. and as much as i love the fake lavendar in the aged tin vase perched atop a shelf in our living room, i agree that our little nest would be nothing but twigs (and bugs) without joe in it.

some twigs:

2010-02-23T23:59:00.000-08:00

dear friends & family,

love,
rosie
& joe

what's the big idea?

2009-12-29T21:50:00.000-08:00

this post comes to you today as the fruit of a funny friendship that began in 2003 that developed into a rollercoaster relationship a few years later that [not] soon enough resulted in the marriage union between me (rosie) and my husband, joe on june 27, 2009.

scattered through all these wonderful memories, and now secured in a faded black shoebox fighting for space in our small board game cabinet, is the collection of handmade cards and letters we exchanged along the way. and by exchanged, of course i mean sent by me to joe.

but not to steal all the thunder, it was by my sweet husband's encouragement that we decided to turn those scraps of paper and sentimental ideas into something substantial we can share with all the other joe's and rosie's out there. and so in our newly married bliss, we bring to you this, inspired from beginning to end by the love letters in our shoebox -

dear joe... love, rosie