my husband and i got married in april 2011 and went on our honeymoon to maui in november 2011. i'm so excited to finally be sharing the photo book i put together. i designed and printed the book through blurb, and the style is standard landscape.

i had previously shared some photos from this trip here and here but if you're anything like me, seeing the photos all laid out in a book is much more thrilling :)

it's a long one, my friends, so i'm breaking it up into two posts. without further adieu, lets begin:

the last time i compiled a list like this it was still spring. we weren't yet dashing indoors to avoid the heat. we weren't rushing out the door at 7:30am to go to the park before the temperatures ramped up. we weren't thinking about how to entertain ourselves indoors all day. i wasn't showering twice a day; once in the morning and once before bed, to wash the days stickiness off of my skin.

spring is gone, and summer is in full swing. this morning i'm thinking about the here and now.


things that inspire me.
sunsets
the written word
honesty


my proudest accomplishments.
graduating college
moving to another country for love
my son


things that disappoint me.
selfishness
writers block
missed opportunities to nap
broken sleep
forgotten birthdays
mistrust
people who lack ambition


movies i will never tire of.
the holiday
wedding crashers
crazy stupid love


how i love spending my days.
reading
spending time with my family
paper crafting
drinking coffee
writing in my journal


things currently on my nightstand.
my journal
a mason jar filled with iced coffee
two books
bobby pins
phone charger



things i wish i could forget.
heartbreak
friends disappointing you
missed opportunities

embarrassingly enough:
i'm noticing more and more
that i'm having imaginary conversations in my head.
mostly, i'm speaking to people i wish i knew
people i wish were in my life.
the truth is: its lonely here in vegas
i'm lonely here in vegas
its been three plus years without my friends
the girls who know me best, who have seen me at my worst
who know me, and whom i know in return.
moving so far away from friends and family was never in the cards
at least not until i fell in love.

summer is officially here
the days are hot and long and sticky already.
i try not to stop long enough to really think about what it all means
another year away from them all.

one of my closest friends got engaged today
and from thousands of miles away
i felt like i had missed out.
(i always feel like i'm missing out).
and always
always
struggling to keep a smile on my face
long after
the magic
has gone.

xo,
rdg

june spread number two, otherwise known as the week of my thirtieth birthday, and one of my favorite spreads to date.

"i'm going to go and take a shower"
is never just about taking a shower.

it's getting undressed and tossing your dirty clothes into the hamper,
which is full, so you start a load of darks
and discover that you forgot about the white load in the dryer last night.
you toss that load onto the bed and hop into the shower.
between blowdrying your hair and straightening it,
you begin to fold the laundry on the bed, half dressed might i add
because it's (basically) summer and using the blowdryer
has turned your bathroom into a sauna.

once done folding you return to finish doing your hair
and slap on some under eye concealer and a coat of mascara
to hide how tired you really are
(oh and take another sip of your second coffee of the day).

back in your room the folded laundry is begging to be put away
and so far so good, there's no screaming coming from downstairs
where your husband is watching your toddler,
so you keep on.

while putting away the laundry you're almost guaranteed to:
find other items that need to be returned to their rightful places,
dust bunnies to be vacuumed up
a mirror splattered with toothpaste to be wiped down
socks to be matched up with their mates
(and don't forget, a now cold coffee to finish)

by now the washer has finished it cycle,
so you toss the load into the dryer and shut the laundry room door
because the sound of jean zippers and buttons hitting the metal basin
is enough to drive you batty.

you take a deep breath and laugh softly because
nearly fifty five minutes have gone by, and
if you're anything like me,
a shower is never just a shower.

xo,
rdg

if you ask me flat out I will always say

we arrived home from california late last night, unpacking the car slowly and with weight behind every step.

we were back home, our vacation was over.

i haven't yet found the words to do this weekend justice.

i'm hoping that they come to me soon.

xo,
rdg

( photo credit )

the perfect shade of nail polish for summer.

offering everyone a drink when you get up to get one for yourself.

saying please and thank you.

random acts of kindness.

sincerity and compassion.

a hot cup of coffee first thing in the morning.

a beautiful sunset.

getting out of your home town, beach bound.

freshly changed bed sheets.

surprise coffee delivered from a friend or loved one.

cleaning up after yourself in the kitchen.

holding doors open for the elderly.

a good book.

blue skies.

toothy grins.

i'm busy enjoying my best friend and her family being in town, so in lieu of my usual project life spread post, there's this :)

it's been over five months since i first wrote about my 2014 project life approach, and i thought it might be a good idea to go over a few things since i did in fact make some changes with putting together my albums this year.