A 1940's Valentine

So a bit late in my recap, but better late than never right?  The boy and I had a lovely Valentine's Day at home last week, but in an effort to make it unique, we celebrated the night with a 1940's theme...

We got dressed up in 40's garb, listened to jazz records from the era, and ate re-heated chicken pot pie.  The boy gave me a $5 bouquet of tulips and he remarked at how they were expensive (as this was the 1940's after all.)

We stayed away from our many computer screens, iphones and television shows for the night and just enjoyed some quiet time together.  It was perfect.  

We did also exchange gifts, though they weren't really in the theme of the night - I have the boy some new threads and he gave me a fancy-shmancy electric toothbrush.  Not that romantic, but certainly needed.

I really do like any excuse to tell the boy how much I love him; and as cheesy as it is, Valentine's Day remains one of my favorite holidays!  

Measuring out Lots of Love

This week has been a bit manic for me, with work and just life stuff, but I still want to take the time to celebrate Valentine's Day with the boy.  So I am making an effort to slow down and pay attention to all the love I have around me (which, for the record, is a LOT.)

When the boy and I were first dating, and we came upon our first Valentine's together, he was reluctant to acknowledge the holiday.  He rightfully noted that it's a fake holiday, created by marketers with the goal of selling chocolates and flowers.  He explained to me that he shouldn't have an obligated day on which to tell me that he loves me, because that cheapens the sentiment.  It feels forced, pretentious and silly. 

He explained all this to me with such eloquence in his swoon-worthy British accent, and yet, I didn't budge.  I simply explained to him that, as pretentious as it may be, I like Valentine's Day and I want some damn flowers!  ;) 

We definitely don't need an excuse to tell one another how we feel...But it's still nice to do it!  

Hearts on my Sleeve...Or Sweater Vest, Whatever

I'm a total sucker for Valentine's Day and all things hearts and flowers.  And if I have an excuse to wear a heart-printed sweater vest....Well, I take it.  

 

Vest: Forever 21 | Jeans: Anthropologie | Shoes: Chuck Taylors | Jacket: Old Navy | Bag: Jigsaw London |  Shades: Urban Outfitters

The boy and I are planning on staying in on Valentine's Day and avoiding the crowds, though we may go out and see the new Die Hard movie...Very romantic, huh?  Do you have any plans for V-day? 

4 Years Today

Four years ago today, I made a promise to my best friend.  I told the boy that I would love, honor and cherish him till death do us part.  I can hardly believe it's already been four years; so much has changed, and yet so much is still the same.  

One thing that remains the same is the fact that I am still totally nuts about him.  Head over heels in love with him (and I am sure he's annoyed and blushing that I just shared that with the blogisphere, but I don't care!)  He continues to inspire me, to care for me and encourage me.  He continues to give me butterflies in my stomach when he looks at me.  I know that I am completely blessed to have him in my life.  And I wish him a very happy anniversary! 

Taken on our Honeymoon in Carmel by the Sea

Ducks Do It...

I had read somewhere that ducks mate for life.  It's my understanding that quite a few species of birds do this and I find that interesting.  What is it that makes certain animals loyal in this way?  Are they "in love" as we humans are, or is it just something more basic and instinctual?  I know scientists will say it's instincts and genetics and probably all comes down to survival, but being the Disney-fied Dreamer that I am, I like to think it's all to do with romance.  I was convinced that ducks have soul mates and they are forever loyal to one another (sigh).  

Until a recent trip to the park changed all that.

The boy and I were having a picnic at the Will Rogers park in Beverly Hills when we saw a pair of ducks, one male and one female, fly in to bath in the park fountain.  It was then that I brought up the fact that ducks stay together forever and that this pair was certainly a married couple in love.  

The boy laughed at me and was just saying how ridiculous my idea was when another pair of ducks (again a boy and a girl) tried to swoop down into the fountain.  Suddenly the first male duck took off.  He chased the new couple off, quacking and making all kinds of noise.  The new couple flew fast and high out of sight with the belligerent  duck close on their tails. 

His mate, the lady duck, stayed calm and remained in the fountain.  She was clearly awaiting her mate's return and she demonstrated a demeanor of confidence.  She knew that he'd come back. 

10 minutes passed, then another 10.  Still no sign of the male duck.  His lady began to swim around the fountain a bit more nervously, darting back and forth, looking around and giving out annoyed quacks every so often.  

Another 10 minutes and the quacks had become desperate now.  Where the hell was her mate?  

"He left her for that other bird," the boy said nonchalantly.  But that couldn't be.  "They mate for LIFE!"  I cried.  But yet, here she was, abandoned.  I couldn't believe it.

Another 10 minutes went by and the sky was starting to get darker.  We needed to go home, but the male duck still wasn't back.  As we gathered our picnic supplies and started for home, I looked back to see the lady duck still in the fountain.   Gliding back and forth and quacking.  My heart went out to her and her worry over her lost love!  Could my theory on the love-habits of ducks really be so wrong? 

As we neared our apartment I felt my sympathy for the duck begin to lessen.  "I am sure the boy duck came back by now and they are together at their nest." I said.  

And the my boy looked at me and said, "Yeah, I'm sure they are." 

In case you're wondering, I did some research after this dramatic event and found that mallard ducks do often mate several times with the same partner and that the males will often stay around after their chicks have hatched.  But this isn't always the case.  Some take off shortly after mating,  some females will ignore the males after mating causing them to simply have to move on.  So it actually varies from duck to duck, some are loyal and some aren't.  Kind of like humans!  ; )

Fashion Friday: Valentine's and Strawberries Dress

This is the outfit I wore to work on Valentine's Day.  I was originally going to wear something pink, but my strawberry Vera print dress from Anthropologie won me over in the end.  Paired with a red sweater (Target), red pumps (H&M) and one of my heart hair clips, I couldn't help but feel romantic!  

I was trying to make a heart with my hands, but instead I look like I'm doing the Leena Lamont dance move

Just as planned we stayed in on Valentine's Day and watched movies.  The boy also made me a lovely dinner.  He made me a pizza.  It was shaped like a heart....

Oh yeah, I heart him so much!!!!

Happy Friday!

Some Enchanted Evening

Happy Valentine's Day Friends!  As I've said before, this is one of my favorite holidays.  Not only do I love pink and red and doilies and paper hearts and roses and chocolate (all of which are abundant on Valentine's Day) but I also love having an excuse to stay in and watch a romantic movie with the boy.

With all the craziness that surrounds Valentine's Day, we much prefer to skip a crowded restaurant and spend a quiet evening at home. Which basically means the boy will cook something delicious and we'll snuggle up on the couch to watch some romantic classic film.

When we first started dating, the boy and I bonded over the fact that we're both movie geeks and love classic films.  So in honor of that, here are a few of my favorite classic movie choices for Valentine's Day...(Warning: Major spoilers to follow!)

Roman Holiday - This film is just so sweetly romantic! Especially the last scene, when you just know Gregory Peck just wants to take Audrey Hepburn in his arms and give her a big smakeroo!  But he can't because she happens to be a princess and you know that, through their silent desire , they know it's probably the last time they'll see one another.  (Sigh.)  Also Audrey just looks gorgeous from start to finish! 

Sunrise - This film has been highly acclaimed as a masterpiece and a feat of it's time with the special effects used and the compelling cinematography, but beyond that, it's also an extremely romantic and dramatic story.  Perfectly composed from the acting, to the effects, to the story telling, I feel like this film is easily the most romantic thing ever put on celluloid.  It really shows the caliber of a truly great silent film.....And there's a pig that gets drunk, bonus! 

Ball of Fire - Barbara Stanwyck is just about the coolest chic ever in this rendition of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.  In this version, the seven dwarfs are actually 7 professors writing a new encyclopedia and shenanigans ensue when a love blooms over a lesson in slang and some mobster hijinks.  I laugh all the way through this film from start to finish and Gary Cooper couldn't be more hopelessly adorable!  It's a film you're sure to enjoy and you may walk away with several choice slang phrases like, hoi toi toi and scram, scrim, scraw! 

It Happened One Night - A Capra classic, this film wrote the book on what a romantic comedy should be.  Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert find themselves as unlikely travel buddies on a bus trip to New York.  While they fight like cats and dogs every step of the way, a love eventually blossoms between them that even the walls of Jericho can't keep out. Oh and Clark Gable, let me join Judy in saying that you made me love you!  He's pretty dashing. 

An American in Paris - Yes, it's a musical starring Gene Kelly, and all the music is by Gershwin, and there is a complete ballet in it, and it's set in a technicolor version of Paris...So do I even need to go on?  While it may not be traditionally thought of a a romance film, just trust me on this one, it is.  I personally think that the scene where Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron dance by the Seine to "Our Love is Here to Stay" almost exclusively without touching, is one of the most romantic moments captured on film.  It perfectly communicates their young, tenuous, and uncertain love affair all through music and dance.  It's brilliant.  Also, Leslie Caron wears just about every color pointe shoe possible - Delightful!

Gidget - Ok, it may be completely hokey and cheesy, but if you're looking for something that captures 1960's wholesome adolescent love at it's best, look no further.  Plus it's the perfect film to make you feel like your 1960's summer is just around the corner!  It certainly makes me want to wax down my surfboard and hit the swells!  What makes this film most charming is the way Sandra Dee tries to figure out a way to get her Moondoggie (James Darren - quite the looker in his day) to see her as more than a surfing pal - it's just adorable.  It's a super fun film to watch.  Plus it features a few choice songs and Gidget's swimsuits are totally cute! 

So there you have it!  Those are my classic Valentine films of choice.  Hope you all have a lovely V-day and let me know if you watch any of these films - I'd love to hear what you think!

Lots of Love,

Heather

Sonnets and Such

he's great at writing and reciting....you can tell I'm impressed!  Photo by Erin Hearts Court

When the boy and I were courtin', he would often dazzle me with his brilliance and adoration by writing sonnets for me, about me and just how great I am.  Needless to say, these sonnets pleased me very much.  But life after marriage seems to leave less time for sonnets and more time for squabbling over really important things like whether we should watch the Daily Show or the Colbert Report during dinner.  Oh the drama!  

But then, when the boy came home to find me watching Gossip Girl last night (yeah that's right, I am totally hooked on GG) he felt inspired for the first time in years to write a sonnet for me....Although, the subject matter is not what I'd call romantic, I still love his iambic pentametric skillzzz!  Here it is for your reading pleasure.  

I come home sometimes to the dulcet tones

Of Beautiful people muttering somethings,

Tramping Park Avenue talking to cellphones,

Oh, yes, Gossip Girl – Tis of thee I sing.

Why will these rich people not raise their voices?

They speak in these imaginary libraries,

Not that they could imagine such places,

Having only read each other’s diaries.

I picture them now picketing Wall Street,

Thinking that picketing’s just the new yellow,

If their assholes fell off, they wouldn’t miss a beat,

If they opened their minds, the earth it would swallow.

Twixt me and deez bitches, love lost: Zero.

Turning the TV off – XO XO.

First Trip to the Graham Canyon!

That's what the Rug Rats call the Grand Canyon, in case you didn't get my reference.  

And yes.  Just two weeks ago, I made my very first trip to the breath-taking canyon and well...I don't think there is anything I can write that will do it justice.  It was grand.  It was really deep (I was actually a bit afraid) and it was beautiful.  I feel so fortunate that I could be there with the boy and I feel so lucky that he drives me to places like that, forcing me to see the America I so often take for granted.  It was a special day.  

Paso Part Trois: Our Favorite Wineries

When the boy and I went to Paso Robles the day after our wedding, we didn't know anything about wine tasting and we didn't know what to expect or where to go.  We started out at a big winery on a huge, impersonal estate, where the wine wasn't that great and neither were the prices.  

We soon began to discover some of the smaller vineyards and tasting rooms, away from the beaten track and out further along the highway and we quickly realized that these were the places to hit.  We stumbled upon some of the friendliest winemakers, the most inviting tasting rooms and the best glasses of wine we ever tasted.  These wineries have since come to hold quite a bit of sentimentality for us and anytime we taste their wine we are instantly transported to those wonderful memories of our honeymoon.  

So when we made the trip back up to paso robles this past September with my parents we had to take them to two of our absolute favorite wineries from our honeymoon: Peachy Canyon and 4 Vines (which is now called Cypher.)  

Peachy Canyon is so cute and country chic.  They have a Viognier that is sheer heaven. (They also have a cat!)

Whereas the Cypher Winery boasts bottles with some major bite.  Their well known blend Anarchy is "a wine that will change the world," according to James May and their other offerings, with fun names like Heretic and Loco are just as fun and flavorful.  (They also have a dog!) We actually signed up for their wine club on the way out; what can I say?  We love Paso Robles wines!

A long weekend....

The boy and I just got back from an amazing road trip holiday and I have so much to share with you it's simply makes me giddy.  But I have so much to catch up on and so much to do that takes precedent (if you are waiting for an email from me, I apologize, I will get back to you I swear!)   But for now I just had to show you a snippet from the trip....As you can see, it was pretty Monumental!  

Details to come!  Just as soon as I unpack and clean up and answer emails and wash the dishes and finish my guest posts and...sigh....It's all in the works, I promise! 

Hello and nice to meet you!

Just wanted to post a quick note to all of you who have come over from Megan's blog. It's so nice to meet you and thanks for all the lovely comments! I love making new blog friends!

Bigfoot Lodge

 I have been wanting to go to the Bigfoot Lodge in Glendale for the longest time.  Right on Los Feliz Blvd, a hop skip and a jump from Griffith Park, this dark bar is made to look like a mountain hunting lodge, complete with Smokey the Bear and an animatronic mini-forest.

We stopped in for a drink and the joint did not disappoint!  Good atmosphere, great music, and a nice selection of drinks.  I had one of the house specialties, The Girl Scout Cookie.  It was very sweet and very strong...Tasted like a Thin Mint dipped in vodka!  I honestly could barely finish it, as I am not really used to such rich and sweet drinks but I appreciate the dedication to the forest-y theme! 

Overall, I'd like to go back and I also kind of want to decorate our apartment in a similar woodsy way...