Can we really have it all?

I am over-committed.

I definitely DON'T mean this in the, 'I'm sporting the jacket with the buckles, my roommate has invisible friends' kind of way. It's more the 'Oh! Of course I can help you by baking a dozen cookies even though I have three other events this weekend to attend/help/host' way.

It starts innocently enough - weekly bible study? - sure, it's just one day...and then, choir? - why not, again, it's only one day and before you know it, you have something scheduled every day of the week. And it's not like the commitments themselves are bad - being in community and of service is great for both intra- and inter-personal relationships. But doing all of this has come at an expense, and one I'm not sure I realize I've been paying for quite some time now.

Two examples of where this has hit really hard in the last few weeks are time with my husband and time with myself. In the case of my husband we have very opposite work schedules, so our time is limited, and I do treasure it. But what I didn't realize was that when I do get to spend time with him, I'm often burnt out from a full week of activities, work, and interactions, so I feel like I can never give him 100%...and that's not fair to him, me or our relationship! Yikes!

And with regard to time with myself, introspection is great, but what I really mean here, is doing things that feed me, personally; things such as reading, creative/artistic pursuits, painting, etc. I haven't even tried painting in so long, in part because I have a phobia of the white page, but also because I never allow myself a large enough chunk of the day where my mind is still functional to even TRY to put something down. What personal time I do have, anymore, is spent watching DVDs or early episodes of Gossip Girl because I'm just to wiped to do anything else. Not good.

So, are there enough hours in the day to do it all? Maybe. But not for me.

I keep thinking about the idea of 'having (doing) it all' and what that means in my life.

I've realized lately that perhaps that perhaps you CAN have it all, but then, you have to MANAGE it all too; and I don't know if I'm very good at managing it all...I feel more like I'm just fighting/managing chaos!

So it's time to take a step back. I haven't developed a plan of attack, but my weekly schedule needs to go on a diet. Carry less weight. Work more efficiently. Be healthy.

I know that like any good diet it's a balance of saying no AND yes to things in moderation, but where that balance is, I've not quite decided. All I know is that things need to change.

**Photo courtesy of parentsconnect.com

Nesting...

This weekend Matt and I were able to grab some time and visit Potterybarn and Restoration Hardware. First of all, who doesn't love the Restoration Hardware aesthetic? Okay, I know some might not, but it's definitely our cup of tea...but the prices? Seriously? I get paying for quality, but there's a line, and I think RH is flirting with it.

Back to our shopping trip. We were looking for some things to spruce up our place and here are some of the things we walked away with:

Twelve Days of Christmas Ornament Set
(Photo courtesy of Potterybarn.com)

Matt had the brilliant idea of buying some Christmas things that are unique to us and our new traditions, and so we chose the Twelve Days of Christmas Ornament Set. They are beautiful glass ornaments with vintage pictures and small silver tags with corresponding numbers. We got really excited about thinking of future Christmases, pulling these out and remembering back to this time when we were first starting out.

Pottery Barn Crown Molding Ledge
(Photo courtesy of Potterybarn.com)

We saw these ledges on our trip and bought them post-excursion in espresso because they didn't have them at the store. We are really excited to add more decor to the bedroom. We've been focusing a lot of our attention on the living room, and now it's time to give the bedroom our full and undivided nesting attention!


Restoration Hardware Wentworth Bedding
(Photo courtesy of RestorationHardware.com)
Okay, we didn't ACTUALLY buy this on the day, but we did see it in person, which was enough to change our minds from the duvet cover we were going to buy at Crate and Barrel. We both love the crest, and the material is wonderfully soft. And I love that we can change it up seasonally by just adding colored pillows and a throw.

Vintage French Linen Pillows
(Photo courtesy of RestorationHardware.com)

Love these! We bought the crest pillow (on the right) and the lumbar pillow - and they're even better in person!

They add a certain 'je ne sais quoi' to our living room...hahaha!

Engagment Photos! *Flashback*

What a weekend! Our church had their annual Christmas Show this weekend (of which I was a part of, being in the choir an' all) and it was fantastic! Rousing! Enegetic! Colorful! Cute (kids choir singing "Christmas Time is Here")! But I think now I need a couple days to recouperate!
So, while my mind takes a little holiday today, I thought I might post some of our engagement photos, taken by a our amazing friend, Susan Hughes of King Happy Photography, over the summer. Matt and I came up with the concept for the shoot on a whim one day while we were driving to Sonoma. Both of us having a love of history, literature and film, we wanted to do something fun for our engagement session that really represented all of those things (quite ambitious) and so we decided to do a modern twist on some of the couples that have inspired our own 'love story'.
Below you'll find our takes on Peter Pan and Wendy, Arwen and Aragorn, and Snow White and Prince Charming.
I hope you enjoy them!

Peter Pan & Wendy

Arwen & Aragorn, Lord of the Rings

Snow White & Prince Charming

The Complexity of Being a Woman...

A Brief Thought...

(Images courtesy of Google images)

Having been married for a little over a month, I feel there is not much I can expound on with any semblance of authority, however one thing that I have been reflecting on a lot lately is my role, as wife, in this marriage; and what does that mean to me/ in my life?

I think what I 'struggle' with is this idea that I want to be Martha Stewart AND Lara Croft, and whether they are mutually exclusive or whether the essence of both exist can within one woman.

I want to be able to cook a meal from scratch and refinish and armoire as skillfully as wielding a sidearm while participating in an excavation in Egypt. It's how they manifest themselves in me that I am trying to understand - and knowing that despite their seemingly opposite characteristics, (I don't know that Lara Croft would ever take the time to craft a meal or that Martha would willing lacerate her arm to lure a shark) I would like to think that at some point I could find a balance that would marry the two. I think what marriage has done is pushed me to come to awareness of some of the archetypes and expectations that I have of both my role, and a woman's role in marriage - what that looks like given my strengths and weaknesses, desires, aspirations, etc. and how I can embrace those in both the life I have now and the goals I have for my future.

It has become an interesting point of introspection for me and I love that I am looking more deeply about the things that make up a woman and the many aspects of our personality, talents and skills that we can embrace on a daily basis.

We are fascinating creations, aren't we?!? :)

Christmas Lists: My Favorite Christmas Movies

There are some moments that I love, because they catch me off guard and just elicit this immediate response of joy...and one of those is when my husband gets REALLY excited about something and it's like, for a moment, his ten year old self returns; I can't truly describe it but at that moment, it's like my heart just bursts (joyfully, of course), and yesterday morning had one of those moments. He and I were talking about the day and he realized it was the first of December to which he looked at me in all earnestness and delight and said "It's Christmas month!" I just about died. So, in honor of his exclaimation, I bring you the first of many Christmas lists...

My Favorite Christmas Movies

A recent addition to the list, and if I'm honest, not a movie reserved just for Christmas...but it's in heavy rotation this time of year :)

I cry. Every time. (And I've seen it like, a million times...)

Someday I hope to have a red dress, like Judy, and a daughter like Margaret O'Brien's character ;)


My sisters and I love to watch this movie together :)

I love, love, love this movie...and I hope to someday be celebrating all our Christmases back East!

So...what are your Christmas must-sees? I'm alwas looking for new Christmas favorites! :)