Poetry & Words

Look at the stars, look how they shine for you

Three years ago today, I walked down a grassy aisle in Grandma C’s backyard to Norah Jones’ Come Away with Me.

walking down the aisle with daddy - outdoor Norcal wedding

I want to walk with you
On a cloudy day
In fields where the yellow grass grows knee-high
So won’t you try to come

Come away with me and we’ll kiss
On a mountaintop
Come away with me
And I’ll never stop loving you

And I want to wake up with the rain
Falling on a tin roof
While I’m safe there in your arms
So all I ask is for you
To come away with me

And so we were married in the mountains of NorCal, with the grass beneath our feet, the towering California trees overhead, and our family and friends all around us.

NorCal wedding outdoors

We had these verses from Isaiah 41 read during the ceremony. Non-traditional, yes, but oh, so beautiful.

I the Lord will answer them;
I the God of Israel will not forsake them.
I will open rivers on the bare heights,
and fountains in the midst of the valleys.
I will make the wilderness a pool of water,
and the dry land springs of water.
I will put in the wilderness the cedar,
the acacia, the myrtle, and the olive.
I will set in the desert the cypress,
the plane and the pine together,
that they may see and know,
may consider and understand together,
that the hand of the LORD has done this,
the Holy One of Israel has created it.

NorCal outdoor wedding

A dear family friend and missionary to Japan officiated the ceremony.

NorCal outdoor wedding - classic urn and column with ivy and white flowers, lisianthus bridal bouquet

We walked back down the aisle to Coldplay’s Yellow.

Recessional  - Dried red milo berries on grass

Look at the stars,
Look how they shine for you,
And everything you do,
Yeah they were all yellow,

I came along
I wrote a song for you
And all the things you do
And it was called yellow

So then I took my turn
Oh all the things I’ve done …
D’you know you know I love you so
You know I love you so.

wedding party - bridesmaids and groomsmen in black

Josiah and Gina - Wedding Portrait with Lisianthus Bouquet

It was all kinds of perfect.


All images courtesy of B. Sarah Klein, who, along with her sister, is preparing to launch A Sea Apart: Two Sisters, Two Countries, Two Photos a Day.

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Inspiration, Monday's Pretty Things

Monday’s Pretty Things :: On a Tuesday

Bosnian Coffee in Sarajevo, via RamblinCat on DeviantArt
Bosnian Coffee in Sarajevo, via RamblinCat on DeviantArt

It’s only right that we top off the end of the the long three-day weekend with COFFFEEEEEE. That delicious caramel-colored coffee goes perfectly with the rustic-looking ceramics, don’t you think? I liked the photo even more when I read that it was taken in Sarajevo!

Fog Linen striped towel via Old Faithful on {frolic!}
Fog Linen via Old Faithful on {frolic!}

I love the classic look of this striped towel. Although this one uses Japanese fabric, it’s modeled after the Turkish linen towels which were first hand-loomed near the Aegean and Black Seas centuries ago.

Autumn 2011 Women House and Home - Farrin Stripe Chemise Tunic
Farrin Stripe Chemise via Toast UK

This striped tunic featured in Toast UK’s newest Autumn 2011 Women’s catalogue was definitely inspired by Turkish linens!

Pink Toile - Etienne - Amilie - Harlequin Wallpaper
Pink toile wallpaper via decorsupplies.co.uk

I don’t usually go too crazy for pink, but this pink twist on toile really caught my eye. Or maybe it’s just the super-clean, clutter-free space that’s appealing to me ;-)

Red Ombre Ruffle Pillow made from Upcycled Sweaters via thatfunkybotique on etsy
Red Ombre Ruffle Pillow via That Funky Boutique on Etsy

I’d just love to cuddle up here amongst all those knit pillows with that cup of Sarajevan coffee.

white cable knit throw via mi casa
Cable Knit Throw via Mi Casa Revista as seen on Inspirations Deco

I’m a huge fan of cable knit, especially when it’s done in off-white and earthy tones. Check out the rest of the photos from this pretty Spanish house — there are more cable knit throws and pillows throughout the home.

Cable Knit via Closet Visit
Cable Knit via Closet Visit

Alright, one last dose of cable knit for good measure. If Autumn has arrived where you live, you can use this to keep warm. Me, I’ll just keep dreaming while the AC is humming away…

You might also like to read Monday’s Pretty Things from previous weeks

Poetry & Words

of cedarwood, acorns, and being 30 weeks

it smells sweetly of cedarwood inside these walls, cedarwood intermingled with the invigorating scents of eucalyptus and tea tree oil. such is the unintended result of a having discovered a few jumpy fleas on the little dog. it was doggie spa, last night, with freshly laundered dog beds and toys and blankets, and a long soapy doggie scrubdown in the tub. he’s a pile of fluffiness today, a little walking diffuser of cedarwood oil.

outside, there are various engine rumbles and engine stalls, alternating between a sputtering and a roar without any sort of pattern or rythmn. little dog reacts with a muffled cross between a bark and a sigh. the oak trees stubbornly cling to their leaves, hesitant to drop even one aged and crumbling leaf. the acorns, on the other hand, eagerly leap down, one after another, until the patio rings with their staccato descent to freedom.

the sample ballot lies open beside me.Β  tiny little ovals ask for my yes or no, and i get lost in the pros and cons.

inside my womb, our little girl stretches and turns and kicks. she pushes up against my hand resting across my stomach, as if to say hello.Β  i smile. it’s hard to believe it has already been 30 weeks.Β  only 10 weeks to go.

i can’t wait to meet you, little girl!!

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