Sick Day.

I hadn't been really, properly good and sick in a couple of years now, so I knew I was in for it. A couple of colds here and there, some irritating body aches, but nothing incredible. Wednesday afternoon I woke up (after working a night the night before) with a scratchy throat, and by 9:00 that evening it had hit me nearly full force. I slept that night in the way that only someone with a fever can sleep: deeply obilvious to the world and yet absolutely devoid of rest or comfort. And then all of the next day. Around 5pm I awoke freezing, despite my layers of clothing and blankets, and needed, needed a hot bath.

I lay in the bath, still covered in goosebumps. I rested my head against the side of the tub. I very nearly fell asleep again right there, but some measure of common sense told me I would probably drown. Get out of the bath. Dress myself. God, I'm freezing again. Man, bathing is exhausting!

So, back to bed until Friday morning. Actually, noon on friday, at which point the fever mercifully went away and I was able to leave my bed in favour of the couch, to watch crappy TV and read Harry Potter. Kyle force-fed me chicken broth, Tylenol, and orange juice at regular intervals despite the fact that I winced and moaned after every swallow. He is a chivalrous fellow.

Today, I feel almost myself. I tried to go into work, but was deemed too pale by a coworker and let off the hook. I still can't eat much (I suspect Strep Throat as the culprit of my illness), but I'm beginning to feel human again.

Now, because I am shallow and have a short attention span and dislike blog posts without photos in them, I leave you with something pretty.

Turquoise tent ring @ Old Gold Boutique, via Eat Drink Chic.

coffee + little shows of love.

We are mostly unpacked in the new house! Today, for the first time since our big move, I was able to make my own coffee. I can't think of anything better than coffee from a french press (Sorry, Tim Horton's. My love lies elsewhere).

I made it, and the opened the fridge, hoping against hope that Kyle might have picked some cream up from the grocery store, but knowing how unlikely that was since he hates the stuff himself. And lo and behold, there it was!

I picked a good man, I tell ya.

Married.

Our wedding was this weekend. It was wonderful, fabulous, exhilirating.

The whole wedding was outdoors, and we got poured on nearly the whole time. And it didn't matter a bit.
I'm beyond excited to see our wedding photos, but our photobooth pictures have been posted and they are hilarious. So, some photobooth favourites:

(my papa)

Cute, that husband of mine, isn't he? We used the E.E. Cummings quote in our vows:

"I carry your heart with me, I carry it in my heart."

more, later.

All growed up.

The other day, we made a furniture purchase that makes me feel like a bona fide grownup:

We bought a bed. Not a new mattress, but an actual, peice-of-furniture bed.

We purchased a memory foam mattress a about 2 years ago now, and it is an absolute dream to sleep on. But we have had it on an old, squeaky, unsupportive boxspring the entire time, and it absolutely detracts from the comfort of the mattress. thus, one side (my side) of the bed is a teensy weensy bit elevated.

That probably wouldn't bother most people, but I am a total insomniac. My body will accept any excuse to make sleeping more difficult for me. Thus, I toss and turn despite the luxurious mattress, and it was time to go and buy a slatted bed frame to preserve my (and Kyle's) sanity.

Being one half of a couple brings certain compromises. We were on a budget, firstly. But secondly, and most importantly, Kyle and I have completely different styles.

I am a minimalist at heart, though my curating skills are poor. Scandanavian style: White space, lots of light, warm wood tones, eclectic touches. Kyle likes...

Well, I'm not really sure what Kyle likes. Urban loft circa 2004 might describe it best, though some of the things he pointed out at the stores we went to were wayyy out of left feild.

Thus, we were at an impass. At the end of shopping day one, we left the store completely frustrated with each other.

Eventually, though, we ended up with something like this:

I know, right? neither urban loft (apart from the dark wood) nor scandanavian simple. But you know what? I kind of love it. I sat on the bed, laid down on it even. It felt solid and maybe even a bed we could keep for years, to transition from this rental to the next, into the home we will one day be able to afford. It felt like the sort of peice of furniture we could snuggle up with our hypothetical children in on sunday mornings.

Yes, it was kind of a compromise for us both, but a buy which we could both see potential in, and both liked. Which is definitely better than one of us getting what we want and the other one losing.

Besides, paired with the right nightstands, bedding, and wall decor, I'm sure I can still have elements of the simple style I dream of, right?

Check it out, y'all!

Hoo, boy. Where have I been?
Friday's party was a smashing success, and definitely a night to remember. I was in charge of decorations among other things, and I didn't get a chance to take many photos! But other people did, and I am working on getting some decoration pictures to show off, because I was pretty darned proud of myself.

HOWEVER, this is not a post about decorations. Oh, no.
I am going to show you guys our engagement photos! Or, at least, a sneak peek.

This gorgeous little courtyard garden is hidden away right in the middle of downtown, sandwiched behind some boutiques and an Italian restaurant.

The graffitied wall is a two-second walk from that gorgeous courtyard.

Adorable, non? We are so pleased with them, we had a fabulous time, and to top it all off, these photographers are new in town and giving us an absolute steal of a deal on their services as they build a reputation here. I wasn't quite sure how I would feel about them, since I often gravitate towards very light, feminine, sun-washed pictures, and downtown on a cloudy evening didn't seem quite like me. However, Kyle was very excited about this idea, and I'm glad I went along with it! The darker photos seem kind of exotic and mysterious, and, given that the wedding photos will be taken in full daylight (hopefully sunlight) and have a much airier, nature-y feel, this seems like a nice contrast.

*Side note: It's not so apparent in these few particular photos, but I am slightly concerned about the number of chins I seem to have in photographs lately. Time to hit the gym.

photos by Orange Passion Photography

Makes me smile too much to keep to myself.

Last night, Kyle said the following in his sleep:

K: The man! with the medicine truck!
A: Huh?
K: The man! who had the truck, who gave me medicine for my back!
A: Ummm. Who the F gave you medicine out of a truck?
K: (Increasingly angry at my stupidity) I don't know how to make this any clearer to you. It was the man, with the truck. and there was that other one, who was having sex with Rob.
A: We don't know anybody named Rob.
K: ugh, nevermind!

I should point out that Kyle is, in fact, taking medicine for his back (a [probably] torn rotator cuff, serious business. We won't talk about the distress I feel about being helpless to fix it for him. I am a nurse, a fixer). He hates the pain meds because they make him feel stoned all the time and he's been getting strange and vivid dreams. By the way, the medicine was NOT obtained from any sort of man with a medicine truck. He got it from this weird place called the hospital.

Honey, if you read this, I love you. You and your medicine truck. And I'm sorry for telling the internet about the things you say while you're sleeping.