newlywed phase interrupted.

Todd and I had a serious house fire this weekend. We've been overwhelmed (in a good way) by all of the support from friends and family — it's helped make this time a bit easier.

Luckily, we were at home and awake when it started — had we been gone or asleep, we probably would have lost everything. Apparently the fire started with the hot water heater. We're not exactly sure what got it going. It spread across three rooms in the back of the house — those rooms are almost completely destroyed. The kitchen was also seriously damaged from the smoke, heat, and water. Luckily, our living room, dining room, and bedrooms suffered nothing more than smoke damage. We lost a lot in the fire, including a lot of our wedding gifts and our beloved bikes, but luckily no real necessities. We stupidly did not have renter's insurance.

We moved out of the house the next day with the help of an amazing group of friends. Within a matter of hours everything was out of the house and packed into Todd's brother's garage. We're currently staying at Daniel's house and trying to figure out where to move next. We're still hoping to be approved for one of the Cottages, now more than ever.

Now, will everyone please go check their smoke detectors? Thanks.

l.a. confidential

We ended our honeymoon in Los Angeles, which would have been a big let-down had we not been warned by everyone who heard we were headed there. But we went anyway, and we enjoyed seeking out the sprawling city's best spots.

L.A. Top 5:
1. Watching the sunset from the Griffith Park Observatory, even though we had to walk a mile to get there.
2. Lunch, ice cream, and vintage shopping at the homey L.A. Farmers Market.
3. Caramel Chicken at Rock Sugar.
4. Cruising along Mulholland Drive above the city.
5. Cute, non-chain boutiques and hipster watching in Silver Lake.

the last puzzle piece.

We finally got our photographer's wedding pictures in last night. There are some amazing shots, and I just want to keep looking through them over and over, reliving the night. I can't wait to share them with everyone, but until then, here's your teaser.

{That's me with my special lady friends from college.}

magical big sur.

The main reason we chose California for our honeymoon was the drive along the Pacific Coast Highway. While hours in the car seemed a bit daunting, the views did not disappoint. Some of the best memories of our trip are of slowly driving along the winding roads, having our minds blown at every turn.

 

Big Sur road trip Top 5:.

1. Starting out with breakfast and strolling in charming, cottage-filled Carmel-by-the-Sea.

2. The changing landscape along Route 1, from rolling hills to stunning cliffs to artichoke fields.

3. Picnic-ing at Phieffer Beach, an intimate cove located at the end of a windy, one-lane gravel road.

4. Randomly discovering a colony of sea elephants near San Simeon as the sun set. 

5. Spending too much on a hotel overlooking the cliffs at Pismo Beach.

The next day, we were to head to L.A., but I would have been just as happy turning around and driving back up the coast.

(the other) city by the bay.

 

Five favorite things in San Francisco: 

1. Glimpses of the Golden Gate Bridge from the city's many peaks and valleys. 

2. Cute shops, free chocolates, and sunny views of the bay from Ghiradelli Square.

3. Dim sum feasts in Chinatown. Cheap enough to try one of everything.

4. Sea lions.

5. Farmers market at the Ferry Building.

purr.

 

All I want for Christmas is a baby leopard. 

{via J. Crew}

on to the next obsession.

The house hunt is back on. We've currently got our hearts set on the Cottages at Longborough, a new townhouse development in Wagener Terrace targeted at first-time home buyers. They were extremely sought-after when they first opened up bidding in 2009. Todd was approved to buy one, but lost his job soon afterward. We've gazed at them wistfully every time we walked by, until we learned that there are still a few units available. The application is in. Fingers are crossed.

the other side.

Well kids, we made it to the other side. Outside of a few hiccups (car break-in, hair disaster, freezing temperatures, near-crippling anxiety), we had ourselves the best day of our lives. I feel like I could write a book about everything I learned in the wedding planning process. I think I'll at least write an essay called something like, "Why weddings are dumb ... but you should have one anyway."

final countdown.

Oh, Whiskey Kittens, I have not forgotten you. I've merely been prepping for my looming wedding, which is now a matter of days away. I haven't been particularly stressed, but it has been consuming pretty much all of my spare thoughts.

There's lots to ponder. The confluence of so many family and friends from my life and his. The year of planning and all of the ways it could go wrong. How I'll be able to keep myself from bawling my eyes out over happiness and nervousness. Whether it's possible to lose 10 pounds in 4 days. Last-minute projects to make the day extra-special.

There's so much to think about, yet for now, I'm calm.

I'm excited for everyone to get here to share the day with us. I'm excited to see everything come together. I can't wait to marry the man that I love. I can't wait to jet off to California for a week. And as tough as it'll be to return to real life after all the fun, I'm looking forward to normal life again, where I'm not defined by this one-day event.