Violaceous

30 Days of Happiness, Day 30: My Ring

My wedding ring makes me happy when I look down at it. Not just because I love it, but because of all that it represents!

 

The engagement ring is antique platinum with a dark sapphire and teeny diamonds. The wedding band was new and is platinum too. I love them both.

Here's our silly engagement story:

We had lived together for a few years before we decided to get engaged. We decided together that we wanted to be married, and that we would pick out the engagement ring together - we're a modern couple. We took a day trip to Portland to pick out the ring. I'm not really sure why we had to go all the way to Portland, but it was fun! I ended up finding the perfect ring (I really wanted an antique sapphire ring) at Gilt and it fit perfectly! I wouldn't even need it resized.

After we bought it, Dustin put it in his pocket and wouldn't let me have it. We went and got pizza for lunch - still wouldn't let me have it. I knew it was in his pocket, and wanted to wear it! I was expecting to pick it out, put it on and we would be engaged. That would be that, I thought. Well, he wanted to officially propose. After lunch he drove up to the Pittock Mansion. We have fond memories of the Pittock Mansion. Long story, but it involved a really, really crappy car overheating and us being stuck there (after it closed) for 4 hours. The view from there is amazing, we couldn't have asked for a better place to be stuck.

Anyways, he didn't realize that it would be so busy there that day! There were people everywhere. What I did NOT want was someone listening to Dustin proposing and heaven forbid, clapping!!! My worst nightmare. We kept wandering around trying to find a good spot and he was having to get his speech out in bits because someone would walk by and I'd make him stop! Seriously, every time we thought we were alone and he opened his mouth someone would walk by and smile at us. So embarassing. It went on like that for a while (it's kind of a blur) and somehow I ended up taking the ring from him and jamming it on my own finger because I was so flustered. I remember mumbling a lot and sort of crashing my face into his shoulder to hide a couple times. Ugh. We smiled all the way back to the car and then safe in the car I started crying. It had to be the most awkward proposal ever. Dustin was so sweet and I was about ready to die from embarrassment! Looking back on it, it makes me laugh. It did not go the way he had planned at all! And if there's anything Dustin wants, it's for something to go the way he had pictured it in his mind. Poor guy. He still makes fun of me for jamming my own engagement ring on. I am mortified about that.

The important thing is that it's on and we're married. It was our fifth anniversary in September. My ring makes me happy, our marriage makes me happy, our life together makes me happy.

 

And even though it took a terribly awkward proposal to get to this point, I wouldn't change a thing about it.

30 Days of Happiness, Day 29: Just Two Words

SUPER LUCY!!!

 

30 Days of Happiness, Day 28: Lucy's Nature Table

I just love putting Lucy's seasonal nature tables together for her, and love looking at them during each season. Even during my less favorite seasons, they help me to appreciate the beauty. They're almost a little shrine of sorts to what's going on outside. She's plays with everything on it, too! She understands the concept now and will bring in things from outside to place on it.

 

This is her autumn nature table that we have up right now. There are a few things that stay on the table all year, but we switch most of it out at the beginning of every season. I love that she enjoys playing with these things so much. Yesterday she was "playing" her gourds like a musical instrument. Why not?!

 

This is a close-up of some of the things in her little felted bowl. 

If you have a small child or toddler, this is so fun to do for them! Here's her winter nature table from last year, and here's a website with some more info about what a nature table is.

30 Days of Happiness, Day 27: Picking Perfect Pumpkins

What's October without a trip to the local pumpkin patch? Yesterday Dustin, Lucy and I went here to pick our perfect pumpkins.

It's hard when there are so many to choose from!

 

This field had such a pretty view of Smith Rock. The photo doesn't do it justice.

Lucy loved all the freedom to explore around the property. A very small girl in a big, big world.

 

After lots of exploring, and lots of time spent turning pumpkins over and carrying various ones around - success! We each found our pumpkin. Somehow 5 tiny ones jumped into the wagon too, don't know how that happened. 

 

And one of those fun green/blue ones came home with us too! Along with 3 tiny white ones. Let's see...that's a total of 12 pumpkins!! It's hard to resist when you have all these to choose from.

 

My big pumpkin with my little pumpkin - love these 2 so much!

 

Now we have a house full of them!

30 Days of Happiness, Day 26: The Chicken Coop

I love taking a peek into the chicken coop to see what our ladies are up to. I don't know what it is about the chicken coop, but I think I could just stay in there all day! It seems so homey and comfortable. Worrying hens clucking in their nest boxes, the smell of wood chips, warmth from the light - I don't know! It seems like troubles go away when you're in there.

 

This is either Coco, Scarlett or Marie (they all look the same unless they're standing up), laying an egg. I just want to scoop them up and hug them when they are in the nest boxes, they look so sweet and mother-y.

 

The eggs are like little secrets, snuggled into the hay.

 

Dustin put rope lights up around the rafters, they look so pretty. They are actually practical, if chickens don't get so much light every day, they won't lay. The rope lights are on a timer and are safe to keep outdoors. I love the glow they make, especially on a gloomy day (we've had a lot of those lately).

I love our chicken home.

30 Days of Happiness, Day 25: Coffee and Milk

My morning staple. I love the way milk looks when you pour it into hot coffee, all swirly and cloudy.

 

Hot coffee with milk or cream is comfort, pure and simple. Especially on a rainy day.

30 Days of Happiness, Day 24: Making Dinner, When I Actually Wanted To

There's definitely a difference between wanting to make dinner and enjoying it, versus needing to make it because you feel guilty about eating out again. Tonight was happily the former. Lucy and I had a nice, relaxing day. She hasn't been feeling too great lately so I wanted to let her rest today. After her nap, we took a 45 minute walk (Lucy in the stroller) in the sunshine and came home and made dinner.

I made split pea soup from scratch, which was surprisingly easy! For some reason dried peas and beans intimidate me. It was delicious! I also fried bacon for the first time in a skillet, instead of the microwave. I know, I know. I was a strict vegetarian for 8 years so I'm a little behind on meat cooking skills. I was very proud of myself. It went in the soup, too. 

 

Yum!

To go with it, I made Nun's Puffs. I've made these once before but forgot how good they are!! They were like heaven in my mouth! And apparently I used the French choux paste method. Who knew!? Just a tip on these if you decide to make these - where it says to cook and stir until mixture forms a ball that doesn't separate, that takes a loooong time. There's a reason the cookbook said they have a 25 min. prep time. Mine puffed delightfully though, and turned out great.

 

I'm not always this snobby about my cooking, but I kicked butt in the kitchen tonight! And I enjoyed every minute. :)

Oh yeah, and kids like that Nun's Puffs are partly hollow in the middle.

 

Peek!

30 Days of Happiness, Day 23: Autumn Walks

This is my favorite time of year to take walks, the colors are so beautiful and there's pretty scenery everywhere!

 

It's even more fun to bring Roxie! She's a good dog, part corgi and part heeler. She's our buddy.

 

It's such a shame that the trees can't stay like this all year, isn't it.

 

But it's only for a short time, so we had better get out and enjoy them!

 

I love the berries and seed pods, too.

 

Crabapples are one of my favorite trees, they're gorgeous in the spring with all their pink blossoms and in the fall with their orange-y leaves and red berries.

I love taking autumn walks, what's your favorite part about fall?

30 Days of Happiness, Day 22: Sparkly, Shiny Things

I'm sort of like a magpie, if I see anything that is sparkly, shiny or glittery I'll be drawn to it!

 

Vintage costume jewelry is a huge favorite of mine, especially rhinestones.

 

I love when the metal is tarnished, too.

 

I've been lucky enough to be able to use these vintage French metal sequins in some of my sewing projects lately! They add just the right amount of sparkle.

I love how they look with just a little french knot holding them on.

 

I love all my vintage sequins. Looking at them is almost enough, but using them is so fun!

Some sparkly things just have to go on my inspiration board.

Sparkles and glitter always make me happy! How about you?

30 Days of Happiness, Day 21: The View from my Bedroom

This morning when I woke up, it seemed like all was right with the world.

 

How could it not be, with a tree in those colors greeting me in the morning? Every morning for the last week or so, that gorgeous tree has greeted me when I've opened the curtains. And the sky behind it? Perfect! A beautiful bright blue autumn sky.

It's 73 right now, and I have all of the windows in the house wide open. Fresh air, sunshine, autumn colors = happy.