a chinese date

1. Hot date

2. Mojito for me, whiskey sour for him                                     3. Flourless chocolate cake - OH.MY.YUM

4. Fortune cookies with stupid fortunes

Our Sunday date night at P.F. Changs...

Which, while typical, is still somehow delicious.

I had an event that afternoon in the 178 degree weather, so by the time I got home, I was cranky and hungry.

& let me tell you... I'm a real peach when I'm hungry. ;)

& then we came home & watched stand-up comedy from the 80's for hours.

Me & my Jared.

My Jared & I.

& it was really good.

It was good to just be.

& now he's sick,

so I'm going to make him some tea.

xo, kelsey

the weekend's end.

Oh, to be curled up in a ball like this little mutt.

Just looking at this picture makes me crave a rainy day nap.

I took this on Saturday after the dogs were given baths in preparation for the family's arrival.

I can't even tell you how many dog pictures there are on my phone now.

Turning into that person? Guuuuilttyyyyy.

Hopefully, this marks the end of the puppy pictures.

But I make NO promises.

Jared & I went on a date on Sunday night and spent aaaaall day together yesterday

(since Mondays are our day off)...

but have had to part ways again to return to our regular work schedules.

My best friend from high school is in town this week,

(who, coincidentally, introduced Jared & I, so we really like her!)

& we've planned a picnic date at the beach this evening while Jared works.

She's bringing her stinkin' adorable 2 yr. old son, Evan,

 & I have high hopes of snapping some pictures...

but he's not a huge fan of holding still, so we'll see ;)

At 2 years old, he's got a lot of world to see, & I totally understand.

Holding still is overrated.

xo, kelsey

post-it love notes

My man comes home today.

These are the post-its that he left all over the house the morning he left.

He makes me melty.

As of tonight, I'll have successfully completed my first week without him since we've been married.

Even if I'm defining success as "I at least didn't die & only had a meltdown once."

I've been camped out at my parents with the pups all week,

& I can't wait to get home. 

OUR home.

Stay cool everyone.

You pick which sort of cool that may be.

xo, kelsey

ellie

I HAVE a little shadow that goes in and out with me,
And what can be the use of him is more than I can see.
He is very, very like me from the heels up to the head;
And I see him jump before me, when I jump into my bed.
The funniest thing about him is the way he likes to grow—	5
Not at all like proper children, which is always very slow;
For he sometimes shoots up taller like an India-rubber ball,
And he sometimes gets so little that there’s none of him at all.
He hasn’t got a notion of how children ought to play,
And can only make a fool of me in every sort of way.	10
He stays so close beside me, he’s a coward you can see;
I’d think shame to stick to nursie as that shadow sticks to me!
One morning, very early, before the sun was up,
I rose and found the shining dew on every buttercup;
But my lazy little shadow, like an arrant sleepy-head,	15
Had stayed at home behind me and was fast asleep in bed.

              
                                                            -robert louis stevenson

My little shadow.
Never more than 5 ft. away.

xo, kelsey

meredith

LOOK AT THOSE EYES.

This one left town, too,

& I am counting down days until her silly self is back.

This is the most honest soul I have ever met,

& I'm missing her original "Meredith" style,

her laugh that is usually funnier than her jokes,

and the smile that goes along with them.

Come back, & we'll go get burritos, okay?

xo, kelsey

photo c/o graydon avenue photography

lissy

Can't even pretend that I'm not related to this sweet pea.
We're practically twins.

This little lady is currently out of town, 

& I'm missing her, the crazy things that she thinks up,

the delicious treats she is always baking,

& her curlycurlycurls.

xo, kelsey

Fredericksburg - Part III

We took the older two babies on a trip to Krispy Kreme in the Cabrio,

in what was their first ride in a convertible. (Read: VERY exciting)

They were quite thrilled with our car without a top - Less thrilled with the unavoidable wind.

But we all agreed that while you can have many favorite desserts...

Donuts are of the best.

[& because I'm still new at this photo blogging,

& maybe a little because we were having too much fun playing rather than photographing,

here ends the Fredericksburg posts.

However!

Part of our trip was a bridal/groomsie shoot with Korie,

& we had to reschedule.

Fredericksburg 2.0 will be here before we know it.]

xo, kelsey

Fredericksburg - Part II

We spent the 4th of July cooking.

That's right, we <3 America.

the ribs

 the cake

the fireworks

*Some photos totally stolen from Heather & Levi.

Fredericksburg - Part I

A nice thing about having so many siblings between the two of us

is that there is always someone to visit.

& in this case, there were 5 someones to visit.

We both took some time off & made a long weekend out of the 4th of July holiday,

spending a wonderful bit of time with Jared brother's family in their sweet, new home.

 Our Sunday drive

Buzzing along in our little VW,

listening to Young the Giant,

fingers crossed the whole ride in hopes of avoiding holiday traffic.

& we did, thank-you.

Roomies

Hangin' out with these two ladies for the week...
I'm currently being circled by 2 pairs of "we-deserve-a-walk" eyes.

Between them & the creatures living in the pool filter,

there shouldn't be a single dull moment.

xo, kelsey

Just Because Flowers

These are Just Because flowers.

Just Because flowers are nothing new.

Jared has always been "that guy"...

He's had flowers delivered at every place I've ever worked.

He's tucked flowers into my windshield wipers.

He's brought flowers to me on campus.
Birthdays, anniversaries, Tuesdays.

Yeah... that guy.

No, I know.

My man is sweet, and he's mineallmine.

These flowers were acquired on the drive home from our 4th of July weekend in Fredericksburg.

We were close to Williamsburg, humming along to Jamie Cullum,

watching a huge storm roll into Hampton Roads in front of us.

Jared tossed a bandana at me & tells me to put it on...

There's something he wants to show me.

So, with a smile on my lips & bewilderment in my eyes,

I put it on, of course.

I feel the car pull over.

I may have peeked.

But you would have, too.

There's my husband,

crossing the interstate to the median,

picking wildflowers.

He gets back into the car, where I *put back on &* take off my blindfold,

& hands me a bouquet of Queen Anne's Lace and lilac wildflowers,

& says,

"I figured that since I have something pretty to look at on the drive home,

you should, too."

I can't make this stuff up.

He's just that dreamy.

xo, kelsey

Lately

On the drive home from F-burg

Lately, we've been 

to the beach

to the brother&sister-in-law's new! home

to the pool

& to the beach again.

Mmmm, summer ;)

& I can't wait to tell you all about it.

Next week.

For now, I'm hanging out with my family before they leave town for a week,

& my aunt who is visiting from Missouri...

while Jared is making all you crazies frappu-whatevers and dolci-somethin's.

xo, kelsey

Taming of the Shrew

Photos from our annual picnic at the local community college's summer theatre production,

fondly titled "Shakespeare in the Grove."

It's always pretty rough, from the costumes to the acting,

but the food is always delicious, the weather is always beautiful,

& the date is always good loooookin'.

1. This boy loves his momma-in-law's chicken salad

2. Ciabatta + apricot chicken salad goodness

3. Hornsby for the boys & Pinot Grigio for the ladies

4. Light posts displaying 14 years of Shakespeare performances

5. "We're married this year!" (Thanks for playing photog, Merey!)