on the 12th day of christmas

12 Days of Christmas, 12 Days of Gratitude starts now.

The past 12 years have been very kind to me. I've...

• Gotten my drivers license 
• Had my first kiss
• Graduated high school 
• Rocked out at some kickass concerts
• Learned a lot from a few bad relationships
• Made it through college with a little help from my fabulous friends
• Traveled to 2 new continents
• Made my way through 3 jobs at 3 great companies
• Married the love of my life

A lot can happen in 12 years. In 1999, I was your average 15-year old, unsure and awkward. Although I'll never fully accept the title of "grown-up," I really do enjoy being 27. So thankful for the life I have today, and all the people who have helped me get to this point.

top 40

Difficult to pick favorites with so many lovely photos to choose from, but here are 40 of the top shots. Thanks to Ali Harper for her photography skills — and of course, huge thanks to our family and friends for being such a wonderful, warm, loving and lively crowd!

You'll have to forgive the formatting here, since none of the photos want to line-up. For the full library, venture on over here.

november so soon?

Earlier today I about had a meltdown in the middle of Pottery Barn when I found out half the things we'd put on our wedding registry were no longer available, including the plates that we already own half a set of.

I could feel myself turning red and I was swearing like a sailor, barely under my breath. Ryan had every reason to walk away and let me throw a temper tantrum on my own. But he didn't. He stayed, and he let me vent, and he talked me out of making several bad decisions like:

• Buying other plates I didn't like just to get it over with, or
• Knocking over all the displays in the store

After my "Italian temper" (his words) fizzled out, we detoured to Cheesecake Factory for snacks and a beer, so that the trip wouldn't be a complete bust.

Did I overreact? Yes. Do I feel a bit silly about it now? Yes. Am I lucky to have a guy that understands me better than I understand myself sometimes? Truly.
So instead of writing an angry email to Pottery Barn, I decided to make a list of everything that made me smile this weekend. Cheers to changing leaves — and attitudes.

Friday night downtown dinner date
chilly but sunny Fall weather
sleeping in
Dunkin Donuts
a full refrigerator
take-out pizza
college football
cuddling on the couch
good red wine
Georgia winning
South Carolina losing
a clean house
and a husband who helps clean it