overdue update

My dear readers,
Sorry to be so elusive. Much has happened since my last post and I will try to post multiple times this week to fill you in on all of it.

A little teaser:
-new job
-New York
-new dress

Lots of newness as you can see.

Right now, as we work on getting our save the dates out, we are working on our website. We want it to be a one-stop place where guests can look to find travel tips, routes, suggested hotels, links to registries, photos, read our love story and so on. Where to start? Francis, the sweetheart that he is created a blog under our names. I'm wondering if it is easier to do one of the wedding websites. Does anyone have experience or a strong opinion of one or the other? I like how the wedding websites are already categorized into different sections and we simply fill in information. I like how the blog leaves more room for creativity on our part and the domain is simpler.

Decisions, decisions.

H

{photo: hilaryclair}

to china and back

though the title of this post may lead you to believe i live quite the exciting life, jet setting across the globe in a weekend's time, i am really referring to dinnerware.

francis and i were so very excited to register. we heard it was stressful and not as fun as you'd expect, but we had high hopes and optimistic naivete. as we imagined, it was fun. we chose pots, knives, a coffee machine, silverware, salad spinners, a blender, and all other anticipated appliances. we left with daydreams of our someday kitchen.

deciding on the small details, the tablecloths, the color of our towels, and china proved to be more difficult. without knowing where we'll be living after we are married or what it will look like for that matter, makes it a challenge to decide on things we plan to use for a very long time.

we debated not even getting china and opting instead for nice, everyday dishes. at the end of the day, we decided there is no other time in life to get really nice dishes. no one gets excited to buy you a salad plate when you turn 25, so we registered for both.

this is our current favorite, they are so classic with a splash of polka dot fun. i imagine serving fancy dinners on them and also pizza, because i'm a firm believer in using the fancy china whenever our little heart's desire.

though it causes a bit of anxiety at times, i can't wait to see everything come together in the little nest we are slowly designing for ourselves.

{photos: anthropologie, anthropologie, kate spade}

resizing makes the heart grow fonder

a couple days into donning my new ring, the shock had worn off enough for me to realize it was a tad too big.

we took it in and sure enough, they resized me a half size smaller. 

good news: my ring was going to fit perfectly afterwards

bad news: it was going to take two weeks

i weighed the options and even nonsensically considered keeping it a bit too big, so i wouldn't have to part with my newfound sparkle, but sense took over and we shipped it off.

a week in and an engagement party later, i was missing it more than ever. i explained to francis how it made me sad that i had been longer without it than with it. he said he understood and had a surprise. 

we headed to target to find a ridiculous, plastic replacement ring, but the sparkly, pink butterfly we found was a bit too absurd. francis to the rescue took us to the grocery store. i was confused, but hopeful and moments later, had my very own twist-tie ring. 

to all others, it looked rather ridiculous, but to me, it was perfectly romantic.

oh francis, making my dreams come true. (sorry for the shadowed photo.)

don't worry, the sparkle is back where it belongs, intended never to leave again.

{photo: hilaryclair}

lovely whirlwind

oh goodness. i have nearly abandoned this blog with the madness of life lately.

let's rewind to three weeks ago---chicago.

i had an inkling that this was going to be the weekend i added a sparkly ring to my jewelry menagerie. perhaps it had something to do with me telling francis i always dreamed of a december proposal in a downtown city with all the sparkling lights in the sky, or the fact that a day in downtown chicago was how we spent our first day as an "official" couple. be what it may, i was hopeful.

after spending a lovely, lackadaisical day meandering around the streets of the city we love so much, we headed to dinner atop the John Hancock. with a 360 degree view of the sparkling skyline, we sipped wine, stared incredulously out the window, dined on deliciousness including but not limited to scallops, risotto, and kimchi slaw. we planned to split a cupcake for dessert (previously purchased from our absolute favorite cupcake shop, sprinkles).

at dinner, daringly confident that a proposal of any sort wasn't in the works, i admitted my inkling to francis. he looked me straight in the eye and said he was sorry for letting me down.

after dinner, we stepped out to this view... i absolutely love chicago.

francis suggested taking a walk through a park draped in Christmas lights and splitting our cupcakes. with a stomach full of risotto, i declined and suggested we head home instead. after a bit of persistence, i obliged and we walked through the park to a bench where we sat and talked a bit about our day. 

francis handed me the cupcake box and nonchalantly said, "which one should we split?" i opened the box, expecting to choose between vanilla peppermint or red velvet, but was caught off guard by a ribbon-wrapped box. 

i stared at the box, silent, in shock, soaking it in, feeling silly for having brought it up at dinner and handled the situation as any classy girl would.... i said, "what? what? what? what? what?" enough times to leave my voice hoarse. francis untied the box and dropped to one knee. i continued with the "what?" interrupted only by, "obviously yes!" and that was that, we were engaged. 

we called our parents and headed to a tea shop. i asked francis long ago to keep a very detailed journal (be it on paper or in his head) of all the details leading up to the engagement -- asking my parents, choosing the ring, telling his parents, how he decided when to do it, if he was nervous -- so he shared all the minute details over a latte (on the house, our first engagement present, thanks to the sweet boys at argo tea). 

we spent the evening reliving the details with my mom and aunt, sipping bubbly in celebration, and distractedly staring at my lovely forever ring.

i still can't quite believe it. i am absolutely smitten with the sparkle, romance, but more than anything else, having francis forever.

the celebrations continued into the weekend with more family, champagne, and retellings of the proposal story. before we headed home, my mom, aunt, francis, and i went to breakfast at m.henrietta---scrumptious!

a lovely, surprising weekend that was everything i ever hoped it would be, but also nothing i expected, in the best way possible.

and the whirlwind continues....

ps. as soon as i upload the photos from my camera, i'll upload one of francis on bended knee. stay tuned, lovelies. xo

{photos: hilaryclair}