"So, what's your sign?"

Some guys use pick up lines to try and get a date, but all this little guy has to do is flash his cute little pout face and the ladies just fawn all over him.

"Be mine or I'll cry."...works everytime!

Happy Valentine's Day from my family to yours.

xoxo

My Dad and Valentine's Day

For as long as I can remember, my Dad has gotten me a Valentine. Every year, on February 14th I knew that a card and little treat from him would be waiting for me on the kitchen counter before I went to school. And when I went away to college, each year without fail a special card would arrive in the mail for me. All of those awkward preteen years, when I wasn't always sure if any boys liked me, or later, in college, when I was between boyfriends or had a year when I felt more down than usual, I knew that I count on something from my wonderful father to cheer me up. Thank for making me feel loved Dad, yesterday and today. You have always been such a great father and on Valentine's Day I always-always think of you. It's the little things like this that really taught me how to be a parent, and I can't wait to do the same thing for Henry. I love you!

a little more Valentine's...

 {via}

Last February I did a fun series that showcased a handful of my "real life" friends and their beautiful love stories.  I've gained a lot of new readers in the past year, so if you haven't checked these out yet, you definitely should! Enjoy, and have a beautiful day. xoxo

Emily and Zack

Erin and Jeff 

Lauren and Abe

Rachel and Jeff

Emily and Jesse

Happy Valentine's Day...to me?

 {image via weheartit}

Before Hank, I spent many Valentine's Days being annoyed at all of the couples holding hands, being cute, and rubbing it in my face that I didn't have that special someone, to spend this special day with. Now, I like all things love and mushiness, but somewhere inside of me is still that girl who is irritated by the huge stuffed teddy bears and gigantic heart-shaped boxes of candy. My perfect Valentine's date? Getting takeout burritos and watching a funny movie. Luckily Hank is romantic in the same way I am, and there will never be any "When a Man Loves a Woman" playing in our home. But it makes me think back to my Valentine's Days before I found the great love of my life. Although I was like I mentioned, annoyed from time to time, I often tried to make Valentine's Day a day about love...but the love I have for MYSELF. So hey you, single or not...let's show ourselves some love today. Pamper yourself, treat yourself to a truffle...'cause guess what? YOU DESERVE IT!

With that said, here's a list of 7 ways to love yourself now, and to have the happiest Valentine's Day ever. If you still have the need to call someone your Valentine, I'm your girl too! ;)

1) Get your ipod and find your most favorite, happy song. Dance like no one's watching for the entire thing. Shake your booty, jump around, be silly.

2) Look in the mirror and repeat the following to yourself 5x, making every word count: "Dang girl, you fine." You'll either believe it, or you'll laugh. Both are good. :)

3) If it's not too cold, take yourself out on a bike ride. Work it going up hill, and then coast gloriously home on the down.

4) Call up the fanciest restaurant in town and order yourself a dinner in. Light some candles and really just enjoy that delicious food without anyone else there to take away from the experience. Savor it and really focus on all of the amazing tastes you are experiencing.

5) Get out that super pink or red nail polish and give yourself a totally gaudy Valentine's pedicure. Or better yet, go to the nail salon (it'll be empty) and treat yourself to a nice mani-pedi. Foot massage? Okay!

6) Go to the store and buy the cutest, sexiest lingerie, and wear it just for you. Prance around the house, feel beautiful, and enjoy it because "dang girl, you fine." (see above)

7) Write yourself a love letter. Sounds weird, but it's such a great exercise to list all of the reasons your love yourself. And if you find this tough to do, take it as a sign that you need to work more on this. You are so lovable, and if you don't see it, I'm sure many other people do!

I promise you, Valentine's Day can be fun if you kind of flip the focus. It doesn't have to be about the sappy stuff we see all over the place. And I know, easy coming from a happily married old sap, but I consider Madeline and Henry my Valentines too, as well as a bunch of my girlfriends all over the place. Love comes in different forms, and no one says that we can't be our own! 

So, happy Valentine's Day to you...and me too!

Happy Valentine's Day/Music Monday

Good morning everyone! I hope you had a wonderful, wonderful weekend and are ready for a great week! Today also happens to be good old Valentine's Day, so in the spirit of the day of love, I've put together a not-so-traditional playlist for all of you. Enjoy, and let me know which song is your favorite!

*I have a bunch of Valentine's posts coming up over the next 24 hours, so check back throughout the day! xo

Love is...

"Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. That is just being "in love" which any of us can convince ourselves we are. Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident. Your mother and I had it, we had roots that grew towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossoms had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two."

-St. Augustine, from the movie Captain Corelli's Mandolin

Tattoos I Love: Sweethearts for My Sweetheart

So what does an inkblogger get his sweetheart on Valentine's Day?

Why, a love-themed tattoo, of course.

Lucky me, the good folks over at Thicker than Water Tattoo had a Cupid special, $14 tattoos on February 14.


A lot like the Dare Devil Tattoo Friday the 13th Special (one of which is documented here), the lucky tattoo recipient can choose from an assortment of day-themed flash.


Here's what my lovely bride Melanie had to choose from:


When we got to the shop, Melanie signed in #53, and they were averaging a dozen or so per hour, so we knew we had a little bit of a wait.

I specifically selected Shon Lindauer, since he did such an awesome job with my tiger tattoo.

It was nice that Melanie got to meet Shon and the piece she selected was one that he had drawn up.

He tattooed her in the middle of the back and took just about fifteen minutes:


She was very happy with the end result:


When we left around 3:45, the waiting list was over a hundred, so they looked like they had a long night ahead of them.

Thanks to Shon and the staff at Thicker Than Water for another great tattoo experience!

Valentine's Day!

I love this holiday, not just because I'm in love, but because I feel so blessed to have so many people in my life that are parts of my heart. Hank is obviously my number one squeeze, but I have a deep love for so many of my friends, and on days like today I really love to think about them and send them little happy thoughts out into the universe. Can you feel them? I just sent one to you!

Hank and I are pretty mushy-gushy silly every day (although only in private, we are not a PDA kinda couple at all), so Valentine's Day is kind of just another day, but I really, really love any excuse to get all dolled up and go out to dinner! In the spirit of today, I thought I would link you over to "our story," so if you'd like to read how we met, click here to head over to that post.

Tonight was really fun evening. Hank got off work around 5pm, and we took some silly photos and headed over to Taj Mahal for a lovely dinner date. We love Indian food, and Taj is our favorite Indian place in town. We arrived around 6pm and were seated right away. We had a great time enjoying a slow, leisurely dinner and delicious food. Afterward we came home and got into pjs, I whipped up a quick batch of brownies, and we've been lounging around being comfy and cozy. Unfortunately Hank has to go to bed soon, because he works in the morning...but I have off tomorrow! I'm not too sure how I want to spend my day. I'm thinking maybe some antique browsing? I still need to go see Dear John too, so perhaps I can persuade one of my girlfriends to see it with me.

What did you do for Valentine's Day? Did you go to dinner or cook something at home? Did you spent it with a loved one or with good friends? Or, did you treat yourself to a quiet night at home? Whatever you did, I hope you had a great time. :)

Have a beautiful evening, I'll sign off tonight with photos...

Valentine's outfit-
dress: Nanette Lepore
necklace: Anthropologie
shoes: Target



Hank actually let me take an "outfit" photo of him! hahahah. He is too cute, and doesn't like this one bit. He also had just gotten off work, so don't mind the semi-crinkled shirt. ;)

shirt: Penguin
belt: Ben Sherman
pants: H&M
shoes: Vans







The last "LOOK AT MY NEW TATTOO" photo you'll see...this week ;) haha. juust kidding.


Valentine's manicure- OPI's "You Don't Know Jacques!" Matte color






heading to dinner!






Okay, how cute is this!? Hank actually made me this foldout card...the writing is on the other side. There's a lot of cute detail to it and it just about melted my heart.


Here's the card I got for him...from Allmighty.com! :)


One of my Valentine's presents from Hank- "a rose that never dies"


#6 in my collection! :)

Emily and Zack

The next couple I am featuring are the wonderful Barnas. I met Emily through my closest girlfriends (one tie would be that her hubby is the brother of my bff Shirley's boyfriend Nate), and from the moment I met her I was instantly drawn to her. She's one of those special people who make you feel oh-so-very comfortable from the get go, and her energy is simply radiant. We have a wonderful friend connection, and lately I've had the chance to get to know her a lot better. Emily is inspiring in many ways- she will be a role model to me when I become a mother, she is an amazingly hard worker who somehow balances her fabulous career with her family, and overall she is really just a stellar human being, as funny as that sounds. When I met her husband Zack I adored him immediately as well- I think their relationship is so inspiring...and I'm sure you'll agree! Read on...



1) Names: Zack & Emily Barna (twitter: @zackbarna and @emilyb44)

2) Years together/years married: We have been together 8 years, and will have been married 5 years in April.

3) How you met: We met through a special friend named Megan who has been one of Zack’s best buddies since they were on swim team at a ripe five years of age. Megan and I became good friends in college, and the summer after graduation, Megan told me, “I have an old friend who is perfect for you, but his heart is on the mend. If you hurt him, I’ll kill you.” She introduced us at her birthday party, and a few months later after many dates and wild nights out, I told Megan, “I’m going to marry that old friend of yours; mark my words.” Less than two years later, we were engaged, and the next year, we got married! Now, we have a beautiful 8-month-old baby girl named Camryn Grace, who is absolutely the light of our lives.







4) What would you say are the top 5 important things in keeping a relationship/marriage strong? Is there anything special you do for your partner/vice versa? What would you say your "keys to success" are in a healthy/fun/loving/etc. relationship?

• When in doubt, talk it out. I’d have to say that communication is the key to keeping our relationship healthy. I figure, if you’re communicating openly, you have trust, honesty, understanding and a connection to each other. I’m not sure there’s such a thing as talking “too much” when it comes to a relationship.
• Never stop dating. After a few years of marriage, it’s so easy to let everyday stresses get in the way of romance, and to fall into the: “Go to work. Pay bills. Talk about said bills. Go to sleep.” routine. If you’re not careful, you turn into business partners instead of the partners in crime you were when you were first dating. But it’s so important to keep the chemistry alive! So we totally prioritize our quality time without the distractions of Blackberries and laptops and kids and friends and household chores. Just us, having a quiet dinner together so we can look each other in the eye and enjoy a deep conversation and just RECONNECT.
• There is an ‘I’ in Team. You may have seen Alana’s post about how Zack refers to us as “Team Us,” by which he means: what we face, we face together. And we absolutely are a team unit bonded by our love, and by mutual respect and shared values and ideals. But one of the reasons I believe we are so strong together is because we stand strong on our own. We each have our own outlets and hobbies (and opinions), and have stayed true to these things throughout our years of marriage. It’s so important not to sacrifice your identity on account of your relationship. Your uniqueness is what your partner fell in love with, after all!
• Live and love like there’s no tomorrow. Cliché, right? But it’s so true. When you’re thinking something good about your partner, SAY IT. Write it, email it, text it, Tweet it! Take time each day to tell them how much they mean to you. There are times where Zack will catch me totally off-guard with a compliment as simple as, “you are such a good mom.” And it gives me such a positive jolt, and makes my day.
• Be active together. This tip is less prolific than the others, but it is absolutely one of the keys to our happiness. We run, lift weights, do yoga, and otherwise work out together, and it is such a fun bond to share. The endorphins feel good, and that time together is just really special. And we figure it balances out the time that we spend drinking wine together. ;)

5) What is your favorite part about being married/engaged?

I love the fact that I get to share every aspect of my life with my biggest fan and my favorite person. I seriously feel like I am having a lifelong slumber party with my best friend… with benefits (hee hee).

6) Include anything your partner would like to add here about ideas/tips or favorite part about being married.

Zack says: I love being part of a kick-ass team.

Erin and Jeff

I am so happy to feature this next couple on my blog- Erin and Jeff Kolbe. Erin is one of my dear, dear friends and one of the women who I am closest to in my life. We met our freshman year of college when we lived in the same dorm, and fell in instant friend love! We ended up rushing the same sorority, and the rest is history. Like I wrote in Alana's feature, we've experienced many amazing nights out, girl's trips, sleepovers, parties and fun times, and we've been friends for just about a decade now (times flies!). I value Erin so much, and I am so happy that I love her fabulous husband Jeff just as much! Jeff and Hank are quite similar, so no wonder I adore him so much. The Kolbes are a couple that you just love to be around- they're always smiling, and always positive. So, with that said, I truly hope you enjoying reading about them!





1) Names:

Jeff and Erin Kolbe

2) Years together and years married:

7 years together this past December and married for 4 years on March 10, 2010

3) How you met:

We met in the 5th grade. We were great friends all through school even into high school. We use to talk on the phone late at night in Jr high and would always be writing notes to eachother during classes. Jeff use to walk me home from school in jr high as well. We went through periods of having crushes on eachother but they were never at the same time. During high school we started to drift because we had different interests and different friends. After graduation I went to college and he went off to the military. We went about 3 years with out talking and then randomly ran into eachother through a mutual childhood friend. He got my number from her and called me. We picked up right where we had left off. We were great friends for the first 6 months we were back in contact. He came home a couple times for leave (excused time away from the military) and we hung out. There was a little spark but we were both preoccupied dating other people and just catching up after such a long time. Then he came home Xmas of 2002 and had leave for 2 weeks. We spent most of those two weeks together and realized that this was developing into much more than friendship. When it came time for him to leave we both agreed that this was something truly special and wanted to see if we could make it work. Now looking back, it was the best decision we both have ever made.

4) What would you say are the top 5 important things in keeping a relationship/marriage strong? Is there anything special you do for your partner/vice versa? What would you say your "keys to success" are in a healthy/fun/loving/etc. relationship?

Top five things would be:

1. respecting and supporting each other's indiviuality.

2. remembering the the simple actions that are highly appreciated ex: asking how your day was, remembering a big day at work.

3. Communication is truly key even though it can be difficult.

4. Fighting fairly... couples will always have disagreements, which is totally healthy. What matters is how you handle the disagreements.

5. Making sure each week you have some sort of quality time to reconnect. ( These are all things we have learned and continue to improve on along the way)

One of our favorite things to do is to go get a coffee and go for a walk. A walk is perfect catch up/ reconnecting time, and you don't have the distractions of cell phones, the TV or computer. We both feel feel the key to success is making sure you have fun together and laugh often. Avoid getting stuck in the routine of daily life.

5) What is your favorite part about being married/engaged?

Erin- My favorite part is always having someone there to count on. You have a constant companion for every aspect of your life. Its amazing.

Jeff- My favorite part about being married is having someone who understands and knows me completely. I can be exactly who I am.

Alana and Chad

The next couple I am so happy to share with all of you is my dear friend Alana and her husband Chad. I just wrote about Alana, and had a great night out with her and Chad, and many friends, celebrating her birthday (you can read about that here). I've known Alana since college and have been in true friend-love with her ever since I've met her. We've been through so much together, been on so many trips together, experienced those crazy college years together, embarked on fabulous adventures, laughed together, cried together...and I've seen her and Chad's relationship unfold from the very beginning. And let me tell you, Chad is such a catch! He has the biggest heart, he's is the sweetest guy...and makes me laugh non-stop. This is truly a "real" couple- Alana is one of the most honest people I know, and I really enjoyed reading her top five things for a great relationship...and I hope you enjoy them too! So here's my darling Alana...

1) Names:

Chad & Alana (twitter: @alana44)

2) Years together/years married:

Five total years together, and a little over a year being married.

3) How you met:

I had just moved down to Phoenix and one of my best friends was celebrating her 23 birthday at Z Tejas in Tempe. Chad and a group of guys arrived just after us and it just happened that the only seat available at the table was next to me. I was instantly attracted to Chad. He was tall, had a great smile (dimples included) and what stood out the most was his booming voice and confidence—and if you know me, especially then, that was quite the opposite of me. There to also witness our first encounter were two of my friends, Shirley and Brenda. LONG story short, we instantly hit it off and have been together ever since.

4) What would you say are the top 5 important things in keeping a relationship/marriage strong?

Never stop courting each other: Once the honeymoon stage passes, it’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of life and not invest the effort needed towards a marriage. Chad and I make a point to make one night a week, “our night.” I love our nights together, even when it’s as simple as cooking dinner together.

Focus on the extraordinary: This past July, Chad had an opportunity to finally meet my grandma and grandpa for the first time in New York. Unfortunately, my grandpa was very ill and we knew this visit would be the last time we would see him. As we said our final goodbyes, my grandpa shared insight on life and his 65 years of marriage to my grandma. With tears in his eyes, he told Chad and I something that would stick with us forever, “your grandma and I may have had a very simple wedding, but we had an extraordinary marriage. Never stop loving each other and cherish each day together.” Sixty more years to look forward to.

Pick your battles: Or as Chad would say, “always do what your wife tells you to do.” :) I am as guilty as anyone when it comes to nagging and NO man likes to be nagged—so I have found. There will always be things we disagree on, but the ability to come to a compromise is the true test of your character and relationship. Chad’s taught me that it’s okay to admit when I am wrong, which is still a work in progress. Life is way too short to let the small stuff get to you—save your energy for the things that truly matter.

“Team Us”: Chad and I have been blessed with many amazing friendships in our lives. One couple in particular, Zack and Emily Barna, have always been an inspiration on so many levels for the two of us. Early in our relationship, Zack gave a speech at mutual friends wedding and has ever since impacted our outlook on marriage, “My wife and I call ourselves, "Team Us.” "Team Us" is a democracy and as you build your life together, keep in mind that all decisions start with "Team Us" and there are no secrets within Team Us. Maintain that respect for one another and life’s little curve balls will not phase you.”

Have your own identity: It’s vital for couples to have their own identity in a relationship or marriage. You should each have your own friends, your own hobbies and likes and dislikes, in order to keep things interesting. Chad and I may share common values and similar views on life, but we also are very different when it comes to what makes us tick and have not once altered who we are. I think our differences and ability to be independent is what binds us together in the end. He lets me be “me” and loves me for who I am—and I do the same. Plus, independence is sexy.

5) What is your favorite part about being married/engaged?

The companionship and support.

Lauren and Abe

The second couple I'm featuring this week is my lovely sister Lauren, and her fiance Abe. I talk about Laur constantly on this blog, so there's no need for an introduction...but I would like to say how lucky I feel that Abe is going to be a part of our family forever. As readers of my blog you know that I am very family oriented, so it Hank and I always wondering what lucky man my sister would choose to spend her life with, and consequently, who we would be spending our lives with too! She couldn't have picked a better partner. Abe is truly kind-hearted and they make each other ecstatically happy. I'm so pleased to share their story with all of you! So without further adieu...



1) Names/blog name:

Abe and Lauren- www.monsterxlove.blogspot.com/

2) Years together:

Together for 2 years and engaged for a little over 1 month!

3) How you met:

Abe and I have known each other since middle school. We became very close friends in high school. We would go running together, partied together, and basically hung out every weekend. We were always just friends and I was usually dating someone else. I didn't know at the time, but Abe liked me back then. After high school Abe joined the Army and was deployed to Iraq for 18 months. I received a soccer scholarship to the University of Wyoming and I moved away the summer after high school was over. We lost contact for a little, but every once in awhile I would receive a random message from Abe. On Winter Break of my last semester of college I came home and ended up hanging out with some friends and Abe. We reconnected but I was already dating someone else. I couldn't stop thinking about him though, so I broke it off with my then current boyfriend and called Abe on my birthday. After that first phone call we would literally spend every second possible on the phone together since he was in Arizona and I was in Wyoming. He would wake up 2 hours earlier in the morning just so we could talk before I went to school. We both had never felt that way before and it was amazing. I would find myself smiling for no reason during the day and he would tell me the same thing would happen to him as well. Sometimes we would only get 2 hours of sleep because we would talk on the phone for so long. We also would take naps on the phone together-hahaha. We would also send each other long letters to each other through the mail. When I finally moved back it was just as great. We feel that we were made for each other.

4) What would you say are the top 5 important things in keeping a relationship/marriage strong? Is there anything special you do for your partner/vice versa? What would you say your "keys to success" are in a healthy/fun/loving/etc. relationship?

1. Communication
2. Choosing your battles wisely and being able to say you're wrong sometimes
3. Making time for each other
4. Being each other's best friend
5. Appreciating each other and letting them know how important they are to you every day- Abe is amazing at doing that.

I always try and have meals ready for Abe whenever I get home earlier then him. I leave little notes for him and pack him lunches. Abe makes me special dinners, will bring me home sweet treats and special surprises. He will leave me romantic notes on the fridge. He treats me like a princess and always lets me know how much I mean to him and how much he loves me.

Our keys to success are being able to always make each other smile and laugh, always being there for each other no matter what, and never letting anything or anyone get in between us.

5) What is your favorite part about being married/engaged?

Abe said his favorite part about being engaged to me is that he is happy that he has me for forever now and that I am all his for forever and ever. My favorite part of being engaged to Abe is knowing that I will get to spend the rest of my life with the man of my dreams. Abe also wanted to add that he loves knowing that he'll be able to "wake up next to my beautiful fiance/wife-to-be for the rest of my life." Aww.