2009 June Archive at careykirk.com

Monthly Archive for June, 2009

I’m 27 and still rambly.

Published

on June 30, 2009

. 1 Comment

I should have gone to bed two hours ago. Yes that would have been 6:30 pm, but I am tired. Instead I am laying on the bed thinking about all the things I need to do. Restless. Also, instead of being a good blogger and uploading pictures from my wonderful vacation I’m catching up on other blogs. Bad!

My birthday was Monday. Nathan made me cry because he loves me so much. Or maybe I cried because I love him so much. It was a lovely day, and I am now beginning a new 9 year cycle. 27 is the age I will be when I get married (in 95 days)! Too preoccupied to learn about what 9 year cycles mean. Also I need to start my official (and personal) Get Healthy campaign! Whew!

This is entirely random. I understand. But.
I found this image, and a part of me wishes I could live in a place like that.

via Sixx Design

We gotta get this craft room set up. Soon.

summer has arrived!

Published

Carey

on June 22, 2009

in Uncategorized

. 0 Comments

Tomorrow I leave for my trip to California. Very excited. I just talked to AJ and he will be at the airport at 9:15 am Cali time to get me. Do you know what that means?! I have to be at my airport at like 3:30 am! Oh my goodness! I always do this to myself. But flying early is cheap.

It’s going to be a fantastic trip.

Today I spent a perfect summer day in Chicago, though. Woke up in time to make Nathan breakfast before he left for work - watermelon and blueberries in a bowl, and some mama’s bacon on biscuits. Yum. When this bacon runs out it’s going to be a sad day. Then I spent an hour putting in my second garden bed for my tomatoes, squash and cucumbers. I had to weed all the morning glories out, then lay down plastic, cut holes in the plastic, and then filled the bed with 3 parts soil 2 parts cow manure. Now that’s a nice smell at 10 am!

Stephen came over in the afternoon and we went to North Ave beach for a while. The water and sand were so clean!! It finally felt like summer. We stopped by Whole Foods on the way back as a new flagship store just opened. I picked up some goodies for dinner for Nathan and me.

The other night we had people over and bbq again. Jalepeno burgers and corn on the grill…sooo good. We didn’t get the coals going until late so we got to use our lights! The back was so pretty all lit up and the sound of people laughing and singing.

my thumb is turning a shade of green

Published

Carey

on June 20, 2009

in Uncategorized

. 0 Comments

The garden is doing really well. I think we will have turnips by the time I get back from California, and my zinnias I just planted last week are already coming up. Today Nathan and I headed to Home Depot for flowers, seeds, and tomatoes for our second raised bed. Oh, and soil!

I’m off to do some planting in this hot summer weather! yes!

My marigolds I potted a few weeks ago. I just love how marigolds smell after you deadhead them.

Weekly recap: it’s summer!

Published

Carey

on June 19, 2009

in Uncategorized

. 1 Comment

It’s official. Summer has finally hit Chicago. Thunderstorms, humidity, rain, and heat. I am a wet, sticky mess who once had a new shiny straight hair cut.

This week has been good, long, productive, and exhausting. I found two things I desperately needed: an obgyn I like a lot, and a hair stylist!! What more could a girl ask for?

No, really though it’s been a long week which every year it is…only to be followed by one of the best weeks of the year - my California trip to visit AJ and Shea, Lahontan, and my BIRTHDAY. Yes I love birthdays. I like to celebrate them all week (even if it’s only me doing it). I fly out Tuesday to Sacramento, and then Thursday morning we drive to Lake Lahontan (right outside of Reno) to camp in the desert until Sunday.

I really want to have a birthday party (on July 4th), but the house is a bit of a mess, in a good way. Nathan changed the whole house around. It will be nice when it’s done but it’s been a week. Basically our dining room and living room switched, and then our bedroom and the office switched. It feels like we just moved which is kind of fun. I’m gone for a whole week like I mentioned so we have a lot to do not including that it is June 19th and we have a lot of wedding stuff to do (invitations!!).

Anyways, it’s cooled off now and I’m heading upstairs to keep Nathan and Igor company as Igor makes us :chicken fingers.”

watch your garden grow

Published

Carey

on June 16, 2009

in Wedding

. 0 Comments

Both Nathan and I grew up with parents and grandparents who gardened. It didn’t necessarily sustain us, but we watched as our families enjoyed the relaxing thoughts, motions, and successes of playing in the dirt and watching something grow. Because of this we naturally began to garden as soon as we moved in together. After moving to Chicago 3 years ago I never found much of an opportunity for it (and missed terribly the garden beds in my old house in St. Louis full of ripe old elephant ears and hostas).

While last year’s garden wasn’t much of a success (We did see tomatoes until September though!), we are continuing to learn. This year I’ve already seen radishes and lettuce from seed! While I was in New Hampshire I got to help Debbi and Heather plant some of their flower and veggie garden. It was so much fun playing outside all day in such a big piece of land (so big compared to what I see here)! We planted carrots and beets and marigolds and zinnias and gladiolas! Debbi had already gotten a head start on her flower garden. It’s just beautiful! She and Heather planted many of the flowers I like that should be available come wedding time! I can’t wait.

Those are a few that are already in bloom! Love Iris!
She’s got plenty of sunflowers to plant, too which of course are a favorite of mine.

And, finally Heather and I having fun!

tin can lanterns

Published

Carey

on June 14, 2009

in Wedding

. 2 Comments

My friend Aron showed me this picture of tin can lanterns not that long ago, and I fell in love.

While not the easiest thing in the world to do/make (I guess it’s more tedious than hard), I thought that they would be a wonderful addition to our wedding decor. My sister-in-law to be Heather began saving the larger formula cans that she used to feed baby Griffin for the project. She even made one herself to see how long it would take, and how it would turn out.

This is the one she made, and it is beautiful!

So while I was in NH last weekend I began the project a little more in depth. We weren’t really sure where the tin cans would even go until we got to the house. I would love them hanging, but all the trees they could hang from are far from the reception action. Heather came up with another idea of spacing them across the stone wall in front of the house at night time with candles in it. It would be a small glow but so pretty evenly spaced there. Perfect!

I then spray painted them all with a bronze-y rust color. I wanted to take 6 of them home so Nathan and I could make some, too. But I was only allowed to take 2 home. Heather says she will be able to make them all before the wedding, but if not I’m sure we can poke some holes the week of. With 15 people at the house, and a glass of wine it should be fun!

Another sidenote if you ever want to try these yourself. Heather ran into an issue with the can denting in as she poked the holes with an icepick. My father-in-law cut a piece of wood that would fit inside perfectly to act as a structure for the can on the inside. This helped, and the can shouldn’t dent any longer.

I’m back!

Published

Carey

on June 8, 2009

in Wedding

. 0 Comments

I’m back from wedding planning weekend in New Hampshire with my future sister and mother-in-law! It was so much fun, and I have so much to write about. First I must upload the photos, though. Pictures of the house are on their way!

124 days to go and we’re knocking things off the list!

Published

Carey

on June 1, 2009

in Wedding

. 3 Comments

I took the day off from work today as my cold progressed to a killer head/sinus ache all night, and my cough is worse. The dogs and a loud thunderstorm kept me up most of the morning (the dogs were scared), but it was nice to lounge in bed with Nathan a little longer than we are used to.

The windows are open right now, and for the past few days nothing but small puff like things have been floating around. Nathan’s allergies are terrible, as are Tuckers. He keeps rubbing his eyes, the poor thing. I need to see if they have anything for that at a pet store or if I would need to take him to the vet.

Hopefully after today I’m over the worst of my cold because I really need to be better by Thursday when I fly to New Hampshire. At least by then I shouldn’t be contagious, but I still want to have a lot of energy to do all the wedding stuff we have planned. Friday we are driving up to THE HOUSE

to check it out and take lots of photos from different angles. I don’t know if anyone is staying there at the moment or if it is gated (I don’t think it is), so it might be a little tricky getting too close, but I don’t mind trying. Then we are going to stop by some barn sales if there are any, and I would love to drive around the little town to see the blue school, the white church, and the covered bridge that are close by (these are all spots we might take some additional wedding photos at). We may even have a picnic if the weather is nice (just checked it’s supposed to be sunny and 75 degrees every day I’m there)!

The other night Nathan and I were able to knock a lot of things off our list.
We finalized the menu. Now he just needs to call his cousin Robbi! Robbi is a chef, and has access to a big grill if we need it. The house already has a grill, but two is always better than one I suppose. Nate and his mom both think Robbi wouldn’t mind grilling for us, which would be awesome since he is a master!

We decided on ceremony time - 2:15 pm!

We came up with the idea for our invites! I am so excited about them. Nathan and I were sitting on the couch, and he goes, “Do you want serious, or do you want …” and I said, “Fun, quirky, and US!”
So that’s what they are going to be. I can’t wait. The invites are more important to me than the cake!

I worked on the timeline of the ceremony today. Nathan and I had talked about it before, but now I just need us to go over it once more and then send it off to his dad!

And, we decided on the wedding favor! Whew. That was a tough one.

So as of today we have 124 days to go. I mean, it’s going to be here before we know it!