september captured.

hannah georgas: the deep end.

setting my itunes to random is my favourite way of rediscovering an old favourite.

her name is hannah georgas, and she is the tits. she's also canadian. 
we danced our first dance to this song by her at our wedding.

happy fuckin' friday!

fall life roundup.

fall seems to be settling into it's place a little quicker than usual, and i'm not the only one noticing. 

some of my favourite daily reads have been posting away the loveliest, comfiest images, ideas and fall notions. enjoy.

she captures fall beautifully: by the noisy plume.

one sheepish girl has me dreaming of crochet leaves as my first fall project.

who am i kiding? i'll take french onion soup year round. this recipe by cupcakes & cashmere looks dynamite.

classic fall home decor ideas by wild and wily ways of a brunette bombshell & katie's pencil box.

an unusually perfect colour combo by the dainty squid.

i hope these images spark your craving to create. be inspired.

but is shit really any different?

 {image by nataschia wielink}

a few days ago i read this post by chelsea on her very pretty blog 'lovely indeed', and i have been thinking about it ever since. the post specifically caught my attention, as i too have been asked (as most newly-ish weds probably have) the very same question: '"does it feel different being married?".  her response is similar to mine, which is refreshing to know, as i feel like the answer i give is fragmented and not a complete thought, so to have someone feel the same way makes me feel good about myself.

yes. of course it's different. and i have no one real answer why.

to say it's completely unlike it was before and totally new would be a lie, because it's not. in fact, if it was, i would be worried, because i liked the way things were before we said 'i do', and wouldn't want that to change by much. it's a subtle, feel-it-in-your-gut difference, and that is enough for me. i'm his wife: the word alone is the obvious change (and i honestly can't hear him call me that without getting all flaky and girly and a shit eating grin across my face).

and as unromantic as the legality of marriage is, i do feel like it adds another level of commitment to our relationship -- it makes things feel more permanent, more set in stone, more official. it's not like either of us could get up and walk out of each other's lives for good and without looking back, we are bound to one another, and would have to work to end things -- and that shit's kinda heavy right? not to say we would ever stay together if we weren't happy, that wasn't an option before we were married, and it never will be. and of course that's not to say that couples who choose not to get married, don't have strong, committed, official relationships built on the same kind of values we believe in -- to each his own is beautiful.

but maybe the thing that is most different, is the way we ourselves changed the day we got married. that day it stopped being just me, and it became us. i promised him i would be there for him for the rest of my life. i promised to take care of him, to be his confidant, to be whatever he needed me to be. and i promised that in front of every person in my life that i love, cherish and respect. it wasn't muttered under my breath or breezed over, i declared that shit, and proudly too! and i meant every word of it. even more now than i did that day. 

we are tied to one another. 

we are committed to each other in every way we could be.

spiritually, legally, emotionally, and with all my heart i trust, permanently.

i guess my best answer when asked "does it feel different being married?" is a little bit of yes and no.

it's the same thing, but totally different.

fall equinox.

{image via}

today marks the very first day of fall, and i am finally willing to let summer slip away, and welcome autumn with open arms.

i'm ready for its heartiness.

ready for baked apple pie candles and warm wool socks.

ready for hikes in the leaves.

ready for it's freshness.

ready for dark red nails and blankets on the couch.

yeah. i guess i'm ready for that.

ciao summer.

life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.

--f. scott fitzgerald, the great gatsby

ps-if you live in niagara, the 'fall handmade market' is happening this weekend.
i was able to go with a few girly friends last night, and snagged some good stuff. the market is being held at 13th street winery, 
so if something doesn't tickle your fancy to buy, you can always get shit faced.

because it's beautiful.

{image via}

universal words.

i'm not sure why, but i have been gravitating (pun intended) towards quotes involving the stars, 
planets and the universe in general lately -- there's something infinitely (pun intended) romantic about them.

{images found here, here, here & here}

the lumineers: flowers in your hair.

the perfect weekend song.
ps-that redwood. mercy.

happy fuckin' friday!

30 by 30 progress: getting shit done & learning shit too.

a good amount of time has passed since i set out  to complete my 30 by 30 list, and i'm stoked to say i have crossed over a third of the items off that baby! writing with the intention to accomplish, as well as having it written out and documented, is the best way for me to achieve the things i chose as important. getting to cross off each item as i go, and have the photos and posts to look back on makes the process even more rewarding, apparently this is the way i get shit done, and i'm more than ok with that. if you are the same kind of person, i would encourage you to sit down and make your own list. it's incredible to see what a little creativity and a lot of dreamin' can do.

having the list in the back of my mind keeps me motivated and focused. it has also brought me closer to my family and friends, and has helped me to create some special memories -- it's moments like making sugo and meatballs in my nonna's kitchen with her, spending a day with my dad doing something that makes him happiest and taking advantage of a perfect summer day with a very good friend. even the simple things like getting out of my comfort zone and becoming more organized have changed me in some way. throughout the process of sharing the list (and myself) as an online journal/keepsake, i have learned more than i expected to: about myself, about growing up, but maybe most of all, about the perceptions of those who read along -- mostly good, occasionally bad, and sometimes somewhere in between. 

i have come to know that i am a head-in-the-clouds, happy in my own little world kind of girl. i don't assume the negative in most anything and am ignorant of it even when it's right in front of me. basically, unless someone is being blatantly mean, i probably wouldn't notice it. learning this of myself was kind of surprising -- it's me transitioning from my youth to adulthood and accepting that life is not always sunshine and lollipops shining out of everyone's asses. does this mean i am going to stop being the girl i am? not a fucking chance. but i am trying to develop a tougher skin, and am learning to become less emotional about things that aren't in my control -- things people say, the way someone feels, and the fact that i have no control over any of it. not everyone feels the way i do, and that's ok.

for the very few times things haven't been peachy, there are plenty of times they have been overwhelming warm. i have formed friendships with girls across the planet, from as far west as the canadian prairies, to the east coast of the united states over to africa and all the way to australia -- these are good people who share a common interest and the same love of documenting life and the beauty in it. they are people i never would have had the joy of knowing, had i not stepped into this world and put myself out there. that alone has been worth the journey.

but maybe most of all, i have come to appreciate the beauty of having a positive, creative outlet. a place and space outside my 9-5, where i can be me. where i can learn, be inspired, share and grow. where i can express my thoughts and feelings without having to worry about opinions or judgment -- and for the times when that is the case, choosing to learn from it and moving forward. this is the place i come to share my happy life, without feeling guilty for having that, where i get to celebrate that i am blessed to have what i do and am choosing to live it out the best way i can. regardless of how that's perceived.

this fall and winter i plan to cross off a few of the cozier items on the list: learn to crochet, make a photobook of our honeymoon, read the 'the great gatsby' and have my mom teach me her homemade chicken noodle soup recipe. oh, and not get pregnant. 
canadian winters can get reaaaal cold. 

my special little birthday girl.

"my sunshine doesn't come from the skies, it comes from the love in my dog's eyes."

today is a very exciting day in our home.

today is india's 5th birthday.

it's hard to believe just how much time has passed since we brought home our 2.2 pound tiniest tiny, and today i am so thankful to celebrate the 5 amazing years we have had this little ball of pure, unwavering joy. it's actually overwhelming to think of how much light she brings to my life -- the sweetest part of my day, she is my constant reminder to be caring, positive and kind. it's the way her tail wags so fast her whole bum shakes from side to side when you come home, or how she is just as happy to be cuddled in our laps taking a nap (while snoring like she's an 85 pound bulldog) as she is running through the leaves while we hike for hours.

a part of my selfish heart breaks that she is getting older right before my eyes, 

but to have her here with us now, a very special part of our everyday, means everything to me.