paper snowflakes

Ben and I are still debating whether or not to go through the effort of getting a tree, but I figured I should at least put up a little seasonal decor. Despite the ridiculously high temperatures here in Chicago (70* today, what??) I decided to re-connect with my childhood and cut out some paper snowflakes. They turned out really cute!

I followed these instructions to make 6-point stars, and used plain computer printer paper. Tracing paper would work great because it's thinner and so it would be easier to cut more delicate designs.

 (fold a square of paper diagonally twice)

 (the tricky part...fold the small triangle in thirds)

(snip the top points off) 

The trick to avoid ending up with 3rd grade-style snowflakes is to make sure you cut at least half the paper out, leaving the pattern as thin as possible. Here's what I ended up with--the folded snowflake is pictured above the unfolded version.

I'm sure you could Google some really cool designs too. 

I taped the snowflakes to some dental floss (fishing line would be even better) and hung them in our window where I already had twinkle lights that we used for our wedding.

Cozy finished product!

October 6, 2012

I will remember every detail of that chilly, overcast October day. 

Waking up from excitement at 6 am in the hotel room I was sharing with my best friend and looking out at the sunrise over the Mississippi, thinking that this was a beautiful day to get married.

Popping champagne in the salon with all my bridesmaids while blasting the Cyndi Lauper Pandora station. 

Picking up lunch at Panera in street clothes and a veil.

Putting on makeup in the hotel and getting a peek out the door of my dad wearing his fathers' suit and top hat with the guys in the hall. That's the moment I knew this was for real.

How exhausted I felt from not being able to sleep the week before.

Meeting Ben under the arches for our first look, and finally releasing all the anxiety and tension and replacing them with calm and excitement and love. 

Standing outside the chapel doors with my bridesmaids and parents right before the ceremony, and my mom telling me that this was exactly how she'd wished I would look on my wedding day.

Stepping into the golden light of the chapel with my dad, and feeling surrounded and overwhelmed by love and joy.

Freaking out when Ben started saying his vows, because he started crying and then I started crying and I didn't know how I'd get through mine. 

(I ended up starting great, until we both started church-giggling at how surreal it all was.)

The reception was just how I wanted it: relaxed, fun, intimate, like a dinner party with all my favorite people in which I just so happened to be wearing an ivory ballgown.

My little sisters delivered a toast full of cheesy childhood stories and songs.

My bustle ripped out during a Dutch party dance and I didn't even care.

Ben and I danced to Green Eyes by Coldplay.

I accomplished my reception priority: getting to eat my own wedding cake.

The day didn't fly by like everyone said it would. It actually unfolded in perfect time (after an intense and hectic morning) and when the party was over I was ready to leave with my new husband and begin the rest of our lives.

  

Our amazing photographer Christy has posted our wedding photos on her blog so this is an excited announcement to go check them out if you are into weddings :)

These photos of us under the arches at Augustana are my favorite, in part because Ben showed them to his (Southside Chicago) students and they said I looked like Tinkerbell.

book review: Juliet

 

I just finished reading Juliet by Anne Fortier. It took me about a third of the way through to actually get into the book, but ended up being pretty exciting and entertaining in a Dan Brown-meets-Shakespeare in Love kind of way. 

The story goes back and forth between the present day and 1340 Italy, and traces the story of the "original" Romeo and Juliet.  Julie Jacobs aka Giulietta Tolomei is a modern 25 year old who follows her past to Siena, Italy to finish her late mother's quest of finding out her true ancestry. It turns out she is indeed descended from the original Giulietta Tolomei who inspired Shakespeare's story, and frequent flashbacks to the past reveal the original tale of the star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet.

The plots in both time periods involve feuding families, murder, love, legendary treasure, and lots of shocking twists and turns. Honestly, the modern story was pretty cheesy and hard to buy, but the historical bits were very colorful and entertaining. As we all know, the story of the original Juliet ends in tragedy, but Julie Jacobs' story ends with an Indiana Jones-style trek  through the bowels of Middle Age cathedrals and catecombs in search of Romeo and Juliet's hidden grave. 

Worth a read, mainly for the entertaining historical fiction.