Cupcakes!

So, we've finally set a date for the wedding and we're both pretty psyched that it's going to be an outdoor Autumn celebration!

Anyway, a few nights ago I stumbled onto the Crumbs and Doiles website and decided that I want our cupcakes to look like these:

5th Grade

This is what I've been up to this week:





I'm obsessed and I can't stop!

A Low Impact Wooden Home

Ok. This is pretty much my dream house.





Check out A Low Impact Woodland Home for details, videos, and pics of the process.

I wonder if I can convince Josh that we NEED to do this?

Wine, Wine, Wine

My boss JD and his wife Laurie live the kind of life I admire. They have a nice chunk of land out in the country where they raise chickens and have endless amounts of fruit trees and berry bushes. Over the past few weeks, they've been harvesting these fruits and have begun the process of making wine. My grandparents used to make their own wine, usually dandelion, apple jack, or some sort of wild grape or berry, but when my grandfather died last year, so did the wine production.

I've always wanted to learn the process so I could carry on the tradition. After expressing my interest to JD, he suggested I come out and help him for the night. After all, hands on is really the only way to learn how to do something right.

We cut up a giant tub of pears, processed them and filled up a garbage bag and froze it until it's ready to be used. We bottled 24 bottles of black raspberry wine, which is delicious and has the most pungent yet wonderful smell. I learned all about fermentation and aging, and I learned how to use a corker!

It was a really great experience and I'm hoping to go back in two weeks when they finally empty the carboy of blackberry wine.

My Beloved Flea Market

Yesterday I woke up early and headed out to my favorite flea market! This place is great because it's an old amusement park that's been converted into a thrifting dreamland. The old rollercoster is now tangled up with all sorts of plant life, and the arcade has become a knick-knack shop. All the rides I rode as a kid are still there, but their purposes have changed.

I didn't find much trip; just a record, a purple wandering jew, some pins for Jay, and a plant holder. However, I ended up having an interesting conversation with a complete stranger while eating the biggest and juiciest pulled pork sandwich I've ever had. She basically told me her entire life story in less than 15 minutes, and then proceeded to give me advice on life, love, marriage, and career.

You never know what you're going to find at this place, be it some sort of obscure piece of history or a lesson on life. This is what keeps me going back for more!