December!

Happy December!  I can't believe the holiday season is almost here.  Is it just me or were we just wearing shorts and going to the beach?!

To get into the spirit, Andy and I went and got a teeny tiny Christmas tree last weekend.  This evening we're celebrating December's arrival by sitting by our beautiful little tree, watching a movie, and drinking Shipyard Prelude.

Next week is my last week of classes (!!!!!) and then I'll be going into full Christmas mode.  I'll be sure to share some cute holiday ideas here!

P.S. See of Love turns 1 this month!

Giving Thanks

With Thanksgiving around the corner, we are feeling thankful for lots of people, places, and things.

Via HGTV

We are thankful for:

Loving family, including new addition Sally,

New friends and old friends from the East Coast to the West Coast (Hi Marie!) and beyond (Hi Chlo!),

Our charming, intelligent, loving boyfriends who brighten every day,

Our jobs/schools that allow us to grow and contribute to the world,

And finally, we are so incredibly thankful for all of our lovely readers :) You make us very happy and we are thankful for you every day.

What are you thankful for? We hope you have a family- and food-filled Thanksgiving. xo

Since I've been gone...

Oh dear...it's been a while since I've stopped by here.  Now that it's almost November (gasp!), I decided I need to make my way back into the blogosphere.  First and foremost, let me fill you in on where I've been...

October started off with a bang; or, rather, a midnight drive down to Cape Cod when we got the call that my sister was in labor.  Here's my beautiful (one-month-old!) niece, Sally, here to wish you a Happy Halloween!  Pretty spooky, huh?!

The rest of October went by in a blur: midterm stress, birthday celebrations for a certain tall/dark/handsome someone, a THREE (!!!!) year anniversary celebration, and finally, a visit with Liz!

When Liz arrived in Portland last weekend, it was the first time we had seen each other in almost a year and a half!  That's just unacceptable, if you ask me.  We had the most relaxing weekend involving long walks around town, yummy food, tall glasses of wine, and outlet shopping.  There was even a guest appearance from our most loyal reader.

Lizzo, let's never go that long without seeing each other again!

The Final Countdown

As I mentioned a few months ago, I'm going to be an aunt.   Very soon, in fact - my sister is due TODAY!  As you might expect, things have been a little baby-crazy around here.  It's been especially fun picking up cute toys and imagining a little baby playing with them in just a few weeks!  Here are a few things we've gotten for the littlest member of the family.

Meet Marvin the Lion, the baby's first stuffed animal. (I bought this a week after I found out my sister was pregnant!)

via jellycat.com 

The cutest book of baby haikus:

via haikutwobytwo.com

A DIY mobile (inspired by this one):

via land of nod

A home-sewn blanket:

What are your favorite gifts for new babies?

Hot hot heat

Hello there!  Can you believe it's July already?  It is finally starting to feel like summer in Maine and it has been hot, hot, hot this week!  While I've been chowing down on popsicles and watermelon and holing up with my textbooks, Liz has been in HONDURAS!  I'm sure she'll share some pictures when she gets home, but for now I'll share some pics of what I've been up to.  Andy got me an iPod touch for my birthday and I've been going a little nuts with some of the camera apps. :)

Since we last spoke, I've been...

...playing dress up with Fishy... 

...taking walks on Mackworth Island...

...admiring the hydrangeas...

...taking foggy ferry rides...

...exploring the Hamptons...

...watching thunder storms roll over Portland...

...surviving school with iced coffee and watermelon.

Happy Birthday, Anna!!

So many birthdays in the month of June. But this one is extra special. So make sure you wish our Anna a happy happy 23rd birthday!!. We love youuuu!!!!! You are the best co-blogger I've ever had :) Wishing that I could make you this. Sending you so many Xs and Os.

Three Cheers for the Birthday Girl!!

To my dear Ali,

HAPPY, happy 23rd birthday!! I've loved ya since the very beginning, you know. I wish at times like these that we were still in the same city so that we could go out and celebrate. Enjoy your birthday weekend.

Love you!!

Ali on the left, me on the right (circa 1990)

Ali on the right, me on the left (circa 2007)

It's Royal Wedding Time!

It's almost here!  The Royal Wedding, that is (and my sister's birthday...go wish her a happy birthday here tomorrow!).  I haven't been paying much attention to all the wedding fuss, but over the past couple days I have been kind of nerding out about it. 

via the daily mirror

Although neither Liz nor I are getting up at the crack of dawn to watch it unfold live, we do know many people who are throwing Royal Wedding brunches at 5am tomorrow!  If we were to have one, here's what we'd provide for our guests:

Coffee.  And tea, to be more British.  But at that hour...coffee.

Scones, crumpets, biscuits.  These are yummy!

Chic birdcage veils for the ladies (like the one seen here)...

...and dapper bow ties for the men (if any came).

And finally, royal wedding sick bags for those who can't wait for the media frenzy to end!

The Bunny is Coming!

OK, I know I might sound like a total dork for saying this, but I LOVE Easter.  My family isn't religious in the slightest, so for us, Easter is primarily a reason to be together and celebrate family, good food, and (hopefully) warming weather.  It's also a plus that the Easter Bunny never fails to show up after all these years, even though my sister and I are now graduated, certifiable "adults."

via good housekeeping

Every Easter, we celebrate with a big brunch.  The meal always has to include the innards from the blown eggs we dyed the day before, so this year I have plans for a frittata, a dish I have ignored until discovering that it is the perfect vessel for leftovers.  Here's a basic recipe.  Note that pretty much any veggies, cheese, and/or meat combination imaginable can be used here.  My most recent frittata had onions, mushrooms, shredded beef from some leftover stew, and ricotta.  Delicious!

HOPPY Easter!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Or, as Andy would say, Happy St. Patrick Dempsey Day!  (Now that's a holiday I can endorse.)  Here's his photoshopped rendition:

I think I'll celebrate by drinking a yummy beer and watching Grey's Anatomy. :)

Valentines

How nice would this color look...

(Via Sephora.com)

...with your new shoes?

(Via JCrew.com)

I actually like these shoes best in the cobblestone color, and Anna likes them in black, but red seems more appropriate this time of year :)

And a Happy New Year!

To all our readers,

We hope that your 2011 is even more wonderful than your 2010. May the new year bring lots of exciting experiences, meaningful relationships, delicious food, and fun travels! And may you always be healthy and happy! (It's corny, but we mean it!)

HAPPY 2011! Go out and celebrate!

Liz & Anna