8mm films

This afternoon the three of us (J, H + I) watched old 8mm films that belonged to J's grandpa in a dark room in the bowels of a local furniture store. It was such a nostalgic experience listening to the clicking of the projector as the film looped around the reels and seeing the grainy texture that only genuine film movies could provide.

Special thanks to E for making it happen!

I never met J's grandpa but I could tell that he was a really cool and amazing person through his films, the many vintage photos he took and J's stories. And the fact that J still calls him one of his best friends. ♥

It really was a dark room! You should see how spooky it is down there with the lights turned out! BOO!

Happy Day ♥

I always knew it would happen. This is just the beginning...

We're so happy for you! Congratulations!

Love always. xo

Grilled peaches

I've been feeling a bit reclusive and have been somewhat of a homebody lately but decided to venture out when a friend invited me to an intimate little barbeque in her backyard with another friend.

The menu was amazing:

homemade pizza with fresh basil pesto, figs, mushrooms and potatoes with kale-slaw

lamb marinated with garlic, lemon and basil plus pork ribs slathered with a tangy barbeque sauce

and grilled peaches and apricots for dessert.

(We also had some greek style chips that tasted like feta.)

There were also cute little carrots that joined us (straight from the garden, no less).

Aside from all the eating and grilling going on, we also had a lot of good laughs and as usual, great conversation. I always feel so comfortable and inspired when I meet up with these two. I was glad I went and am looking forward to our next get-together. (We talked about having a grilled fruits barbeque including fruits de mer.)

Thanks so much for the wonderful time, J + A. It's just what I needed. xo

Anniversary Love ♥

As I mentioned in a recent post, J and I celebrated our anniversary and he planned the most imaginative and amazing surprise ever in the form of a scavenger hunt around the city. It began with him showing up unexpectedly at work to pick me up and me entering the car to the following:

I'm a huge fan for these kind of adventures and was excited to see the envelope when I sat down. We decided to wait until H was with us to start the actual scavenger hunt so we quickly picked her up at daycare and I resisted tearing into the envelope. (Okay, so maybe I peeked...)

Once H was with us, we began the real adventure with the first clue:

I found myself here:

I needed a closer look:

And upon further inspection...I found it!

Another clue:

I needed some hints for this one but finally figured out the next location and ended up here:

If you've never been to Honest Ed's - it's a crazy maze of cheap goods and tacky (yet delightful) pictures and decorations:

We weaved through the different bins of bargain bras and cheap slippers, passed by racks of various bottles of spices and garden tools, and breezed by shelves of glass decanters and electronics until we finally found the next clue tucked away in some of the merchandise:

And it looked something like this:

A key! Oh, how I love keys and secret hiding places! If you can believe, I immediately guessed the next locale - the ol' bus depot. Look at what I found there:

J told H that this day was a "family anniversary" and not just between the two of us because it was the "day we started being a family". He wanted to be sure to include her in the scavenger hunt, as well as the whole celebration and chose a place that she had never been to and was excited to share with her. (I know, he's really the kindest and sweetest man ever.) Hence, the last clue.

When we got to the final destination there was a huge lineup and by this time, we were all starving so we decided to change things up a bit and try a different place. (We also had no desire to wait for an hour in the rain.) We ended up here:

Bodega was perfect as it was a little more intimate, a new adventure (in and of itself) and also very delicious. Here are some of the highlights:

Thank you so much to J for putting so much effort, thought and love into this event. It's very much the same way he approaches life with us on a daily basis. I feel so fortunate and grateful to have such a wonderful partner and lovely family. Sometimes (often) I wonder how I got so lucky.

So, Happy Family Anniversary to my two favorite people:

Love always and forever. ♥