I've reached my photo storage limit on here, and rather than pay for an upgrade or delete my old photos, I've decided to preserve my old blog and start a new one. It's http://molly-bettie.blogspot.co.uk/
Thanks!
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Honeymoon Part 2: I-5 from LA to Wine Country
Richard and I in Amsterdam, en route to the train station & airport
To be honest, I'm not that keen on Amsterdam. I've already seen the Rijksmuseum and the Bloemenmarkt (Skagit Valley actually exports more tulips than Holland does!), and I'm not interested in the Red Light District or the 'coffee shops'. The people seem a bit too cool & efficient, and while I've known some lovely Dutch people in the UK, I think it's worth noting that they chose to be in the UK...
The next day, after a very long flight, we arrived in LA! I drove for the first time in 6 months--we rented a Ford Mustang convertible. It was lovely, even in LA traffic jams.
It doesn't take long to get out into the mountains, though
As you head north, it just gets drier and hotter
Ugh.
Richard loved this old Peterbilt--the turquoise color was pretty classic!
We stopped for burgers at In-N-Out, and switched drivers
Considering the fact he's never driven on the right side of the road, he doesn't look too nervous!
Love this picture...such an amazing car. It was such a smooth ride, and I've never had a car accelerate so easily--very dangerous!
Richard did very well driving in the States--I think being unfamiliar with our road system made him a much better, more cautious driver than I am!
We spotted so many other Mustangs on our trip! It was great--made us feel like we'd made the right choice by picking an American classic.
It was about 100 degrees at this point--we had to put the top up and use the AC!
This was basically it for the first day. Our hotel was in Los Banos, a town we chose based on the fact that it's about halfway between LA and Napa on I-5. It also had Target & Wal-Mart, so I was loving that!
Friday, September 21, 2012
Wedding Re-Cap (sans photos)
While we wait for our professional wedding photos (and for more friends to post them on Facebook!), I'll just write up a summary of the whole thing for posterity :)
From about three weeks out, it all started to feel more real. We had to prepare the flat, order the cake & food, buy the drinks, finish sewing the bunting (I started to regret that project, but it looked great on the day!), and chase up any missing RSVPs (we got a few disappointments in the final weeks, but on the day, it felt like the room was full and happy, and our guests didn't know there was anybody missing). We were also both busy wrapping things up at work--I had my first journal article to submit on 1 Sept, and Richard had a website to launch on 3 Sept! We both managed to do them, too :) It was a crazy, hectic time but we still managed to fit in a few fun things--we went to York designer outlet one weekend, and to Yorkshire Sculpture Park the day before my family arrived.
Going to the airport to meet my family felt so surreal! It was just amazing to finally have them here and to get to show them around the places that I've been telling them about for the past 4 years! It helps, too, that they're all Anglophiles and were thrilled to be in England. Their rental place was close to our flat, and just perfect for a big group--it was great having dinner over there, and getting ready with everybody on the morning of the wedding. I had a long list of things that I hoped we'd have a chance to do--Indian takeaway, fish & chips at a proper chippy, grocery shopping at Morrisons, pub meals, Kirkstall Abbey, Haworth, York, shopping downtown, etc.--and we were able to do pretty much everything. It was so much fun having them here, and I'm already looking forward to the next visit!
The day before the wedding, the chaos was reaching a fever pitch--Richard had to work a half day, Mallory and I had to sort out the stuff for Oakwell Hall, Richard's dad had to take our fridge to Oakwell Hall, I had to run to Waitrose to buy food for tapas night, Richard & I had to chase the florist who had been MIA for 3 weeks (the flowers ended up being gorgeous on the day, but there were massive communication problems and we didn't know what we were getting until it was delivered on the day of the wedding!), and we had a brief window of time in which to set up everything at Oakwell Hall. Decorating the barn at Oakwell Hall was really fun, though, and the tapas dinner was a great night. It was so crowded--our little flat had 16 people in it!--but it was really fun. It was also the only opportunity some of them had to see our new place, and after all of our work on the flat, I was keen to show it off. I'm sure my clustermates thought it was just like old times, when we'd fit 5 of us in my tiny dorm room to watch South Park every week!
On the actual day of the wedding, I felt great--all the stress was gone, and I was just excited to be getting married. There was also an element of my old SAT/AP attitude--when the exam day came, I just relaxed because it's too late to do any more prep! I woke up early and was keen to get going on everything--there were lots of people to get showered, dressed & made-up, and Kelly & Jason were busy sorting out Oakwell Hall with Richard in the morning, too. Kelly did a fantastic job on the cake, and it was great to be able to delegate that task & just trust her judgment! One of my favorite moments of getting ready was early in the morning when Mal and I were playing with the kids and Will brushed my hair, saying 'I'm going to make you look beautiful!' It was really fun to hang out with the girls, too--they even brought me my favorite Starbucks drink and breakfast. I also loved our photographer, Pam--she was such a help, keeping us on track and reminding us to eat. There was one moment when I was stressing out about the time and needing help to get into my dress, and she just told me to get changed into my dressing gown--it was great to have somebody tell me something constructive to do. She also gave my friends a ride to the church & reception--I don't know what we'd have done without Pam & her husband Brian!
The ceremony itself was perfect--we had great weather, there was a good turnout, and it was great to share it with everybody. Tony's address was great, too, and we felt honoured to be his last wedding at Bridge Church before his retirement. The reception was so much fun--it was such a weird experience to see all of these people from different stages/places in your life, all sitting chatting together in the same room. I remember just sitting back at the top table, drinking my prosecco and watching everybody interact. It was so fun, and I'm so glad they all got along with each other! We'd hoped they would when we made the seating plan up, of course, but it was even better than we'd thought it would be!
Overall, it couldn't have gone any better and we can't wait to see the pictures!
From about three weeks out, it all started to feel more real. We had to prepare the flat, order the cake & food, buy the drinks, finish sewing the bunting (I started to regret that project, but it looked great on the day!), and chase up any missing RSVPs (we got a few disappointments in the final weeks, but on the day, it felt like the room was full and happy, and our guests didn't know there was anybody missing). We were also both busy wrapping things up at work--I had my first journal article to submit on 1 Sept, and Richard had a website to launch on 3 Sept! We both managed to do them, too :) It was a crazy, hectic time but we still managed to fit in a few fun things--we went to York designer outlet one weekend, and to Yorkshire Sculpture Park the day before my family arrived.
Going to the airport to meet my family felt so surreal! It was just amazing to finally have them here and to get to show them around the places that I've been telling them about for the past 4 years! It helps, too, that they're all Anglophiles and were thrilled to be in England. Their rental place was close to our flat, and just perfect for a big group--it was great having dinner over there, and getting ready with everybody on the morning of the wedding. I had a long list of things that I hoped we'd have a chance to do--Indian takeaway, fish & chips at a proper chippy, grocery shopping at Morrisons, pub meals, Kirkstall Abbey, Haworth, York, shopping downtown, etc.--and we were able to do pretty much everything. It was so much fun having them here, and I'm already looking forward to the next visit!
The day before the wedding, the chaos was reaching a fever pitch--Richard had to work a half day, Mallory and I had to sort out the stuff for Oakwell Hall, Richard's dad had to take our fridge to Oakwell Hall, I had to run to Waitrose to buy food for tapas night, Richard & I had to chase the florist who had been MIA for 3 weeks (the flowers ended up being gorgeous on the day, but there were massive communication problems and we didn't know what we were getting until it was delivered on the day of the wedding!), and we had a brief window of time in which to set up everything at Oakwell Hall. Decorating the barn at Oakwell Hall was really fun, though, and the tapas dinner was a great night. It was so crowded--our little flat had 16 people in it!--but it was really fun. It was also the only opportunity some of them had to see our new place, and after all of our work on the flat, I was keen to show it off. I'm sure my clustermates thought it was just like old times, when we'd fit 5 of us in my tiny dorm room to watch South Park every week!
On the actual day of the wedding, I felt great--all the stress was gone, and I was just excited to be getting married. There was also an element of my old SAT/AP attitude--when the exam day came, I just relaxed because it's too late to do any more prep! I woke up early and was keen to get going on everything--there were lots of people to get showered, dressed & made-up, and Kelly & Jason were busy sorting out Oakwell Hall with Richard in the morning, too. Kelly did a fantastic job on the cake, and it was great to be able to delegate that task & just trust her judgment! One of my favorite moments of getting ready was early in the morning when Mal and I were playing with the kids and Will brushed my hair, saying 'I'm going to make you look beautiful!' It was really fun to hang out with the girls, too--they even brought me my favorite Starbucks drink and breakfast. I also loved our photographer, Pam--she was such a help, keeping us on track and reminding us to eat. There was one moment when I was stressing out about the time and needing help to get into my dress, and she just told me to get changed into my dressing gown--it was great to have somebody tell me something constructive to do. She also gave my friends a ride to the church & reception--I don't know what we'd have done without Pam & her husband Brian!
The ceremony itself was perfect--we had great weather, there was a good turnout, and it was great to share it with everybody. Tony's address was great, too, and we felt honoured to be his last wedding at Bridge Church before his retirement. The reception was so much fun--it was such a weird experience to see all of these people from different stages/places in your life, all sitting chatting together in the same room. I remember just sitting back at the top table, drinking my prosecco and watching everybody interact. It was so fun, and I'm so glad they all got along with each other! We'd hoped they would when we made the seating plan up, of course, but it was even better than we'd thought it would be!
Overall, it couldn't have gone any better and we can't wait to see the pictures!
Honeymoon--Part One: Amsterdam
Getting ready to take-off at Leeds!
Delft souvenirs in Amsterdam
New Church Plaza
The wedding diet is officially over! Yay!
His and hers drinks at a classy little bar with Frank Sinatra posters on the walls (we avoided the 'coffee shop' areas!)--and then it was back to the airport for the night. Our flight to LAX didn't leave until 9:50am!
Friday, August 17, 2012
Wedding Countdown
3 weeks to go! We're getting down to the wire now--Cookie's ready to party!
The bunting is coming along nicely. I got most of it done during the Olympics--I only keep half an eye on the screen when it's an event that I'm not that into. When the swimming or diving came on, I put the sewing down, though!
My international wedding magazine collection--UK, France (deux!) and Germany (L to R). it's fascinating to see how similar they all are. Vintage tea cups and photo booths, bicycles and birdcages, irony and irreverence--they all speak the universal language of the hipster!
The accessories for the bridesmaids--I love these filigree earrings, and the leaf detail on the hair comb matches my tiara really well :)
Katie & Janette's shoes--they're both on the petite side, so they can get away with more dramatic shoes than I can. It's been tricky having the bridesmaids in 2 states and the bride overseas, but I'm so impressed by how they pulled this all off--we picked them out together via e-mail, then Janette found the only two remaining pairs in the country in a store near Katie, who then went to pick them up. Success!
My shoes--They're actually just a pair of Clarks that I bought a few months ago on sale. I didn't plan on wearing them for wedding shoes, but I really love them, and I hadn't worn them for anything else yet. The height is perfect, too--I wanted a heel, but didn't want to be taller than Richard and these are just right. When I struggled to find "wedding shoes" (white satin pumps) that were the same height as these, I gave up and decided to just go with what I already loved :) It's all about being comfortable & happy on the day--and besides, my dress covers them up!
I went to Starbucks yesterday to work on my journal article, and once again, the barista didn't understand me when I said my name. I even spelled it out, and this is what he wrote. This sort of thing happens far too often, and at a lot of different Starbucks locations, too! The best one I ever had was "Marlowe" at Manchester Piccadilly Rail Station's Starbucks. I've gotten "Marley" a lot, too...It's my accent--they say Mully, I say Mali. I need to come up with a Starbucks name...
And speaking of clothes, Richard's morning suit is pretty much like this one that Prince William is wearing (I don't have a picture from the fitting). His tie is plum and the waistcoat is ivory, and the jacket is black and the trousers are gray striped (traditional combo).
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Kitchen floor makeover
We've finally finished our last major DIY project--the kitchen flooring!
Before
After
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Tropical World and London 2012 Olympics
Last weekend we went to Roundhay Park, and when it started raining, we popped into Tropical World. I love the face on this bearded dragon!
When the rain stopped, we had an ice cream and walked around the gardens--lovely!
At home, we've been watching the Olympics pretty much every night. I'm rooting for Team USA and Michael Phelps, but I'm afraid Cookie has joined Richard in rooting for Team GB...
She's even considering training for Rio 2016...
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Golden Acre, the Chevin, and Bolton Abbey
I'd never seen a baby Canadian goose--so cute!
It really does smell just like Yardley's
Tea and cake on the terrace at Golden Acre Park on one of the few hot days we've had this summer
The view of Otley from the top of the Chevin
Bolton Abbey
They've put various Olympic-related things around the park at Bolton Abbey. Most of them were alright--a bike, a kayak, a balance beam, etc.--but this one was just creepy!
Barden Bridge at Bolton Abbey
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