Friday, December 30, 2011

If you didn't come to party...

don't bother knockin' on my door.

sometimes no one can say it quite like prince.

it's hard to believe that 2011 is coming to a close (wasn't will smith just singing Will2k?) but what a year it's been. as another dec. 31 approaches, i once again reflect on the past twelve months and i feel so overcome with love, luck and happiness. most importantly, i'm happy to say that i made good on most all of this year's resolutions which means to me, i've made myself a little more good as well. :)

to recap:
our little home is littered with photos of us committing to a lifetime of wedding bliss on our favorite NC beach; e + i explored the food and culture in san francisco and on two islands of hawaii and vieques, puerto rico; i've experimented more with my closet full of gems and am finally re-incorporating my heels and color into my wardrobe over my cardi + jeans; i volunteered for both habitat for humanity and a local cat rescue organization and whether at the beginning or the end of the day, i got enough "me" time to help me gather my thoughts/feelings for or from the day, which totally recharged my energy. from that though, i DID learn that i just loved to take that energy and use it up on friends + family, because i have the kind that are totally worth it. the road rage...well...five out of six ain't bad!

e + i will be compiling our list of resolutions + the year's highlights like we do every year, tomorrow over wine + yummies. and we're sure to pop bottles, throw some confetti and mumble the lyrics to auld lang syne when that NYC ball drops at midnight. above all, i couldn't be more excited to write down things that i hope to make happen in 2012. among some of the many adventures, there will be paris! e will start his new job! and...this gal will welcome the big 3-0! as all others, it'll be a year of new beginnings, growth, change and surely, surprises!

cheers + happy new year to you!
xox

Monday, December 5, 2011

christmas, christmas time is here.

and i'm SO excited! it's been a whirlwind of a month. while the number of holiday parties we attended actually went down, we seemed to stay just as busy and celebrate the season just as hard (like there's any other way we'd do it...). kicking off the whole fiasco the day after thanksgiving, we picked out (and cut down) our very own tree. with a fir this beautiful we HAD to have a party to show it off...so we hosted the old fashioned tree trimming kind and acquired a solid number of amazing ornaments from our friends while we rocked it around the christmas tree. over the next couple of weeks our group celebrated three birthdays and one amazing wedding. and now, on a late dec. 22, we're packed and ready to head to NC to wrap up this holiday season with our families and a bang.

when i moved to MA, for the first couple of years i felt that my christmas didn't officially start until i touched down in carolina. but now i find the moment the wheels hit that NC pavement, the culmination of all the holiday fun that actually begins well before plane tickets are even bought. and i think to myself how this place i live in and these people i'm surrounded by, have truly become a home. my how far we've come.

this weekend i plan to cruise around the sleepy streets of southern pines and take in as many lights as possible. i also plan to ingest an absurd amount of eggnog, red velvet cake, sparkling cookies and champagne, and sing mariah carey one too many times (i maaaay have already done that one...) all the while collecting long, snug hugs from my family and friends. and i suggest you do the same.

happy holidays!
xox

Friday, December 2, 2011

december days are here again.

if you know me, you know this is my favorite time of year. i like spring and summer but i.love.fall.

from september 21 through december 21 you can find me floating. my feet tend to sink back down to the ground after christmas and certainly after new years, but for four glorious months I am flying high.

while I’ve been slow recording my fantastic fall excursions including apple picking in 80 degrees, a trip to upstate with the usual suspects, pumpkin carving and one delicious thanksgiving…i can honestly say it’s because I’ve been unable to catch my breath, much less type out some details, due to the high speed at which life has been passing.

here’s a quick run-down of some highlights:

  • 2 grand weeks of hiking, dolphins, turtles, volcanoes and general pure paradise in hawaii
  • 3 years, 2 summer internships and 6 rounds of final exams later, e graduated from harvard law, magna cum laude, might I add
  • we swapped gifts and memories on our 2nd anniversary then flew down to NC the next morning to spend a week on the very beach where we tied the knot
  • we witnessed 6 friends commit to a lifetime of wedded bliss, and celebrated with 2 that agreed to head down that path as well.
  • we lounged away fridays + saturdays at the cape, north shore or someone’s backyard
  • we welcomed irene with one helluva hurricane party
  • and i…i prepared for my fourth new england fall

oh mah gawd it’s been a ride. and that’s just a few months. there’s more to come by way of tree-trimming parties, another wedding celebration and of course, a few birthdays! so dare I say, in hopes that it’s a form of a promise that will keep me writing, i’ll keep you posted.

xox,

kbf

Friday, July 22, 2011

hawaii.


how i miss thee.

Friday, May 6, 2011

love story.

In some ways, I've been thinking of how I'd write this post ever since we arrived. My thoughts have morphed from: "Homeward Bound" with a story of how after three years we were (finally) returning to our southern roots, to: "Maybe a Chance for More," followed by how I was beginning to envision my future in this new home, only to have now arrived at a full-on "Never Leaving New England."

Among the many gates in Harvard Square leading onto campus, there is one through which I choose to consistently pass when hoping to dodge the chaos and cut straight to home. Inscribed above the opening it reads, “Enter to Grow in Wisdom.” Every.single.time. I pass through that gate, I smile a bit and feel a sense of pride. I didn’t go to Harvard undergrad and certainly will not be graduating from the Law School, but I absolutely grew in wisdom. And not just wisdom: I grew in love.

I’ve been wondering if I’d ever be able to truly recount the memories I’ve made over the last three years and the people I’ve met. And if I did remember all of those things – good + bad – could I do any of it justice when writing it down? And here goes my attempt, to follow in Erich Segal’s footsteps and tell a (much) shorter, but similarly sweet story of love set in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

It started with just the two of us. Leaving our homes and others we loved for a future solely ours. We were nervous - about everything. While at times we were certain law school (specifically 1L) at Harvard would be the worst and ultimately the end of life as we knew it, it turns out that it was actually the best. While E worked hard to make deadlines, meet people and earn the grades, we somehow found an insane amount of time to spend together. Breaks of all kinds: lunch, fall, winter (times 2) and spring; early afternoons off on a Friday for trips to the Cape or weekend getaways with friends; fun outings to attend on school nights; time to host parties ourselves – it’s actually kind of crazy to look back on it all now. Our love, trust and support grew quickly and immensely in this unique environment, and it couldn’t have been more fitting for our year of engagement and our first years of marriage. I’ll forever - forever - remember how we were in this time.

Then the love grew within myself. I learned my way around Cambridge and Boston. Checked out new spots around town I’d read about for food, drinks or atmosphere. Ate, drank and shopped by myself. Found a new job and made contacts. Pursued plans and eventually, friendships with interesting people I met. Planned our wedding. Picked up some law school lingo. Worked on my long-distance relationships. Grew accustomed to the cold. Re-worked my wardrobe (shoes + all). Learned to let go, and mean it. And, I wrote. I wrote about it all, recording my humble southern view of everything. With this came a confidence. I was slowly becoming the woman I had envisioned being for many years.

It continued with my surroundings. If you’ve read previous entries, you’ll see there’s not much I don’t like about this place. Growing up Southern, I never really knew a true spring or fall, and they’re simple beautiful. I’ve even come to like winter. There’s a quiet that comes along with the cold and I find a calm in it. We’re close to the Cape, apple orchards, ski resorts and New York City, all of which we take advantage. Boston is a vibrant city that isn’t overwhelming and Cambridge offers the feel of a small laid-back town that fits our lifestyle most days + nights. This place was different than where I’d come from, and I can’t explain the excitement that eventually filled me after the initial sadness of saying goodbye wore off.

But perhaps what I was least prepared for was how quickly my love soon spread to others. Over bottles of wine, holiday parties + various themed get-togethers (prom party anyone?), scorpion bowls, LOST recaps, spring break planning, impromptu karaoke performances, cookouts, small talk at formals and happy hours of various organizations, I developed a handful of friends. And they quickly became my weekly staples for fun, gossip and general girl catch-up. And while we won’t be left alone (far from it, as we have a solid group of amazing friends not of the law school crowd) the streets of our immediate neighborhood are sure to feel like somewhat of a ghost town after these friends disperse down the coast and across the country over the next few weeks. I find myself at a loss, and with an even longer list of long-distance upkeep than I had when I first arrived.

The truth of the matter is, in the beginning, the move I thought was sure to rock my lifeboat, did just that. But in ways I never could’ve imagined. I was forced to walk outside the lines that I’d drawn for myself. Forced to open up to types of people + places I’d never experienced. Forced to look at my relationship with E in ways that I hadn’t even thought to. And most of all, forced to see myself in a light that I’d never stepped into.

We came here to do one thing, and it is done. I’m excited for the new chapter on which we’re about to embark. We’ll be staying here another year while E completes his clerkship over in Boston. And I’ll continue to immerse myself in everything this area offers, knowing that one day, possibly in a year or two, we will be moving on yet again.

But thanks to the last three years, if there’s any wisdom that I have gained, it’s that the best part of life actually lies through the gates of the unexpected. And that, is the best southern perspective I could’ve ever received.

xx

Thursday, April 28, 2011

carolina girl.

when i'm feeling a little emotional or just need a good catharsis, sometimes the mere mention of Carolina can bring a tear to my eye. i love that state, and although i don't quite yearn for it like i used to when i first moved, the spot in my heart for it is still very much soft. super-soft.

the Old North State keeps attracting lovers and if you've ever been - even just passed through - then it's no big secret why. beautiful beaches, rolling hills, the great smoky mountains and tea almost as sweet as the accents are just a short list of things that make NC a top candidate not only for a vacation, but a permanent stop.

i don't know if it's in my cards to live in Carolina again, but regardless of that, it'll always be my home, as in where my heart is, and therefore, a bit of my soul too.

for you: a few lines from some of my favorites that praise the Tarheel Territory almost as much as i do.
And for North Carolina: know you are always in my mind.
---------
tennessee's a brother to my sister, carolina, where they're gonna bury me. i ain't ready to go, i'm never ready to go.
let it ride, let it ride easy down the road. let it ride, let it take away all of this darkness.
let it ride, let it rock me in the arms of strangers, angels, until it brings me home.
let it ride, let it roll, let it go.
ryan adams

woke up in another lifetime, it's a shame it's just not right now.
dreamin' of the coast of carolina, dreamin' of the way that you would smile.
telekinesis

i leave today, i'm packing light, a suitcase + toiletries. the rolling hills, the willow trees of carolina wait for me....all the way, the entire state, of carolina waits for me.
ben gibbard

oh my sweet carolina, may you one day carry me home.
ryan adams

and ain't it just like a friend of mine, to hit me from behind, i'm gone to carolina in my mind.
james taylor

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

slipping into spring.

today i have a little spring in my step. while it's not particularly sunny outside (ok...it's down-right grey) it's plenty warmer than our last few days and there's a fierce wind blowing. while i like to think it's sending away the last signs of winter, i also can't help but feel it stirring up something inside of me.

call it an impatience for the final push into warmer weather.
or maybe a little excitement for all the fun that's to come over the next few months.
or maybe, just maybe, it's a little nostalgia.

exactly one month from today, e will finish up with law school. and i am yet again asking a question i ask almost every post on this blog: where oh where has the time gone? as i sit and think about this (almost daily) i once again must remind myself that it feels like it's flown so fast because we've done such a great job at focusing on the now. with all the things to think about in the future...where will we go, how will we get there and what will we do when we arrive...isn't it just great to look back?

and to be honest, looking back on my two previous springs in new england is exactly what excites me to look forward. while i know in my mind that there will be many more shall we say, brisk, temps ahead, i know in my heart those days will be behind me before i can even blink.
so, despite this grey, drizzly, windy day, i choose to bask in its warmth.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

wading through winter

and when your strife strikes at your sleep,
remember spring swaps snow for leaves.
-mumford + sons

february may be the shortest month, but it sure does take forever to get through. waiting for march 1 right now feels like i'm six years old all over again waiting for santa clause to come.

this warmer weekend we've been promised is much needed. as the piles of snow begin to slow.ly. melt, the sidewalks + streets flood with water and my selection of suitable shoes is limited even more.

this being my third year up here, i'm well aware that the turn into spring is much further away than march 1. but a gal can dream for sure.

Monday, February 14, 2011

warm love.

valentine's day has always been a favorite of mine. i love pink. i love red. i love hearts. and, i'm a huge fan of love. love for anything really: the husby, the friends, mac+cheese, designer shoes, the cat - WHATever.

some people may argue that i use "love" too much, as i'm always loving one thing or another - OK, maybe it does go a little overboard when i go on + on about the little old man who lives next door... but i personally think that we don't use love enough.

a few days before this one, you can normally find me preparing some home-made valentine's for all my peeps. i glitter them up nice + pretty with some sweet messages + send them on down the coast or across the country to be opened - fingers crossed i'll make it on a fridge. but this year, i failed. between work, traveling and just getting caught up in my daily life in general, i didn't make those lovie dovie hellos. and i feel worse for it. i know that those things bring a smile to those who receive them. and the thoughts of those smiles make me all warm + fuzzy inside. and isn't that the best feeling of all? isn't that what this love thing's all about?

e + i have a rather nice, simple valentine's tradition. we exchange cards + make the same dinner. every year. when we first started, it was early in our relationship + i didn't want to make a big fuss about it all. plus, it was important to me to have not just this day stand out + be filled with love, but all the days in between. he couldn't have agreed more which is what has helped make us so fantastic these many years later.

whatever you do today, i hope you see some love. the warm, fuzzy kind. send it on out there too, cause it will always - in some way, shape or form - come back to you.

and for my ladies who normally get one of those sparkly beauts: this one's for you:
happy valentine's day!

Monday, January 3, 2011

beginning, again.

for the new years that e + i have been together, we've had this tradition on december 31. we'll write a list of all our highlights from the past year + then we'll write a list of our resolutions for the year to come. the highlights part is especially fun, as you'll be amazed at how many things you tend to remember once you get going (e.g. that really tasty meal you had at that road stand on the cape, or the ultra-long card game you played that one rainy day...) and you can imagine that over the years, it's been quite cool to look back on our memories and resolutions.

this year, over a bottle of wine + a croque madame, we noted that we've been very good about our resolutions of the past, which made us excited to create new ones for 2011. however, i couldn't help but notice as we tapped the pen to our thoughts, the list of resolutions this year was shorter than previous. and i thought, (while our highlights portion grew from page, to page, to page) do the number of ways we vow to better ourselves with each passing year decrease as, well...each year passes?

i seem to always write a slew of words that inspire me to get up, get out + get something immediately out of the brand new year's arrival. after all, it is a refreshing, clean slate that you can do anything with if you choose. my sister put it best when she said, "for the rest of the year, there is no 12:01 like this one." and i agree. it is an end + a beginning all at once and i find excitement in that fact.

last year i made a commitment to stop thinking by way of, "new year, new you," simply because i like myself just fine + therefore only wanted to change a few things. and not to toot my own horn but, i once again did an admirable job sticking to my resolutions (tooot, toooo!). so i'm at it again this year - new year, same me (with more minor improvements!).

on the list for 2011, i resolve to:
  • FINALLY get some wedding pictures up around the apt. it's been almost 2 years...
  • lose the road rage.
  • visit + experience (food, sights, sounds) at least three new cities.
  • give my daily uniform (skinny jeans, v-neck shirt + cardigan, with boots) a rest at least twice a week. (side note: this will be a toughie. i mean, really hard. if you know me, you're probably asking what on this green earth will i wear...i'll keep you updated).
  • slow down my schedule...just a teeny bit, to enjoy more "me" time.
  • volunteer. it's about time i put this resolution (and some hours on my free weekends) to good use.
  • be OK if one or none of these work. after all, in the first few days of a new year, how am i to know who i'll be, what i'll do, or where i'll go, for the next 11 months! ;)
happy new year to you + yours - cheers to making it the best one yet!