Andrew and I have been spending some time in central Virginia this September. As our schedule would have it, we're actually spending every Monday night on a beautiful farm! The time together has been so special...and the gorgeous scenery around us has been relaxing and rejuvenating.

But, back to Monday nights.

You know what that means...

F O O T B A L L!

This farmhouse comes sans any sort of television, so Andrew had the great idea that we go find a television! It was the Redskins first game of the season. And we were eager to see RG3 back in action! We drove about a half hour into a neighboring town, and I experienced (for the very first time!) the wonder that is Glory Days Grill.

We ate. We cheered! And we had the grandest time switching our little speaker box back and forth between channels. Our waitress was darling, and completely attentive. 

We liked it so much we went back yesterday. And they remembered us!

I might have to reign in my Glory Days grin. 

Before & After.

We are in the middle of so many home improvement projects that I'm having trouble keeping them all straight! I am not the DIY type, but my patient husband has been slowly teaching me the ropes this summer. I think I'm learning! I'll get back to you on that.

Here's a recent project I completed (while Andrew installed flooring in our basement...more on that later!). We have a beautiful pair of built-in bookshelves in our family room. They were a cream color originally, and I got it in to my head to add some real color to them. I painted three coats of white around the trim to start (Sherwin-Williams, I love ya.). My sister-in-law helped me settle on Tidewater blue for our back color. Don't you love paint color names? Tidewater makes me think of coastal living and the ocean...

 After a couple coats of paint, a few precarious balancing poses, and a night for everything to dry...

the bookshelf was finished!

I'm just happy as a clam with the way they turned out. And I love all that extra space on the shelves...room for future additions to our newlywed library! :)

Engagement (Anniversary)!

August, where have you gone?! My head is spinning when I look at the calendar and see it's already September! 

August was full of family visits, home improvement projects, and Virginia road trips. And an engagement anniversary!! Andrew proposed on August 31, 2012. And he proposed a second time on September 1, 2012! Two proposals and two rings! Of course I said yes twice, too! :) You can read about that special night here. We celebrated with Andrew's siblings and parents that evening at midnight (my family is an early-to-bed group!). What a memorable evening...I still remember all the little details so clearly. 

Thanks to my sweet sister-in-law for these treasured photos!

Honeymoon florals.

My wonderful husband took me to the British Isles for our honeymoon! We explored England, Ireland, Scotland, and even spent a day in Normandy, France. I'm so glad we took as many photos as we did...they're helping me remember exactly what we saw on that whirlwind trip. :)

I love any kind of flower (carnations aside), and the British Isles were just blooming with every kind of floral imaginable. Here's a couple of my favorites:

florals by the sea // Guernsey Island, England

a beauty near the Blarney Castle // Cork, Ireland

urban beauty // Dublin, Ireland

Scottish blooms

Honeymooners in a sea of florals // Orkney Islands, Scotland

Beginnings.

Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me wanna buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address. On the other hand, this not knowing has its charms. 

-Joe Fox, You've Got Mail

I'm not in New York, and it's not quite fall...but I do love seasonal changes, don't you? There's something fresh and invigorating about the coolness of autumn after a long, hot summer. It feels like you can begin again. You even want to make new resolutions! 

I'm beginning to blog again after a lengthy hiatus. My sister and I shared a blog for years. It makes me smile when I reread posts about our adventures in New York and L.A. Sisters are the best. 

I'm beginning my life as a newlywed, too! Andrew and I were married on June 1st. We're coming up on three months of marriage! If I live to be 100 I'll always be grateful for this sweet summer we've had together. We've learned and grown and traveled and laughed. I feel incredibly proud and thankful to be Andrew's wife. 

I'm beginning my life in a new state! I grew up in Maryland and became a Virginian on June 1st. I'm having fun exploring our little town and discovering all the history of my adopted state.

And I'm a homeowner. Andrew and I are beginning the adventure of renovating and redecorating a wonderful townhouse here in Virginia. I think I married the original DIY guy, and I'm working double-time to keep pace with him. He is a machine.

I hope this space will be a place to record, remember and rejoice in the fullness of this season. A new season! I think it's going to be a fun one.

Mr. and Mrs. at last!

{photo courtesy of Katie Stoops Photography}