I really can’t imagine a better wedding favour than our little army of piccolos. This is such a good idea. My mom called a liqour store and got a bulk discount on 70. Then, I ordered some custom tags on Etsy. It was the first time I ever saw people come back for their favours. Plus, we grabbed all the leftovers for our hotel room that night!

Onwards…Saturday night we took a long, winding ride through the British Properties and sat atop Vancouver to celebrate Jen’s birthday at Fraiche.  Here she is pictured at our wedding (ha! sneaky me!). Jen is in the royal blue dress, and her lovely husband, Matt, is to her right.

Unrelated…This cottage-house is for sale in Deep Cove for $599,000. I cannot buy it, but you or someone you know really should. It’s a dream. It smelled good. There is ocean right out your front window (not to skip over the pub, which is even closer). Yes, you should buy it and then befriend me.  Or, better yet, I will befriend you, with champagne – any day you like! I will never again buy property without carefully considering the view out of each window. I think what you see out of the windows of your home is part of your home. In the future, it will be my deal breaker.

Back to the wedding. I just love this photo. I do. I wish I were half as sultry in real life. Thank you Tobyn Ross. You take a mean still shot.

Jen

Well, this is it. My last blog post as Miss Hargreaves. 

Today, Bill, the Facility Manager at work (not to mention, the loveliest Scott you’ll ever meet – perhaps, even, a gift from my Nanny) – brought me a very offical nametag reading “Jennifer Wilson.”

Yes, I am beginning to feel like someone new.

I’ve written and erased about a hundred sentences trying to capture the sum of experience for this medium. But those thoughts will stay in the journal beside my bed. Instead, I’m taking Frost’s sage advice. 

See the door on my little atelier?

It says, Ferme. 

And if you’re lost enough to find yourself

By now, pull in your ladder road behind you

And put a sign up CLOSED to all but me.

Then make yourself at home.   

Here are your waters and your watering place.

Drink and be whole again beyond confusion.

Hasta Luego,

Jen

And I can post a sickening number of headshots if I want to. And I do. We were looking through old photos last night (sipping on a tidy, piccolo of Henkell) and we found so many pictures of us that we haven’t seen in ages. Do other people like to sit at the kitchen table and watch flickr slideshows of their trips? Is that normal?

Oh Paris! I am busty in this shot! Thanks for the lift, Ash!

And, of course, my other true love. My eternal sidekick, Whiskey, who perfectly balances me in more ways than I can say. As excited as I am for Mexico, I already miss her. She loves her new dad.

And finally, my favourite shot from the summer:

Who doesn’t love a man who can appreciate a nice baguette?

Jen xo

I would love to write something not related to the next 5 sleeps.

But I can’t.

I’ve got one thing on my mind.

He’s tying his tie in the hallway mirror.

Jen

xoxo

PS: Photos of postcards contained in The Little Box of I Love You, currently for sale at Chapters for $15.95 and now, our guest book.

This morning, the leaf mobile found a friend. I’ll show it to you in a second. First, you should know, I’m listening to this song and drinking Nespresso on the floor in front of the fireplace. Whiskey and I are wondering if the rain will lighten up long enough to go for a walk before work. Ash is gone to Orlando. Well, not quite. He’s at the airport. Probably holding an Americano and an Economist. Ash loves the airport. It’s his place. Travel overwhelms him with a sense of stillness that daily life does not. He sleeps with a fierceness on holidays that I love. Except, this is a work trip and he doesn’t seem that happy about going. Last night, I came home and found him reading the newspaper, waiting to surprise me with this:

A care package. Are you crying because you’re happy? he asked. Yes, because sometimes a busy heart can find its calm in the care of someone who loves it. Someone who would stroll through the aisles of Meinhardt and pick all the things you love off the shelves and make the sales lady wait to wrap it until they got back with this: can you see it? It’s right there in the heart of it all…

Veuve Cliquout. And what you don’t see (because milk doesn’t take a very pretty picture) – the litre of Island Farms in the fridge for my coffee this morning and the note on the counter that tells me the next time he gets on a plane it will be to Mexico as my husband. Sigh. I feel it all. Now back to the leaf mobile:

I borrowed the now-crusty leaf mobile to show you our Rehearsal Dinner invites. Every Jot and Title did the handy-work of creating two silhouette tags (she even included the string), customized with our rehearsal and dinner information on the back. Wouldn’t this make a great wedding invite too? And they were seriously inexpensive. I loved them so much, we did a photo-shoot, as I often and oddly do with my mail these days:

What is love but a messy string between two people and the resolve to tie a million knots to keep it strong?

An endless row of knots for you, Ash.

Mine heart is full.

Besides the normal Vancouver-variety showers, my personal forecast has seen a lot of love and good wishes raining down from family and friends lately. Good thing, too, because besides feeling exceptionally excited and positive, my body has been a ruckus of problems.  Luckily, I have found three things make me feel almost instantly better: platters of gourmet food set out at bridal events, wine and all the spirited company getting married draws.    

This weekend, my Aunt Karen and cousin Laura (who is a 15-year old beauty) hosted a family shower for me at their house.  I was so excited to see everyone that I didn’t get a chance to take photos (I am hoping they will be emailed soon! hint, hint!). I had such a great time. It’s an honour that anyone would want to throw a party for you and an even bigger honour that people would want to come. I am thinking of starting to throw parties in honour of other people. I have so many cooking tools these days, it feels only right to spread the wealth. Maybe after the wedding though…most things these last days are being delegated to the after-wedding calendar.

The painting above is from etsy-seller Michele Maule and can be found here. It reminds me that I have only 18 days left to find the perfect red shoes for my wedding dress.

Thanks again for the party, Karen and Laura! See you on the 22nd!

Known to her neighbours as a nice, quiet and unassuming girl who rarely sheds her conservative side, she was kidnapped Friday afternoon from work by a crazy woman and her three friends. Authorities have released the following mugshot:

Beware, these suspects are considered armed and dangerous.  

Jennifer was last seen in Whistler, held captive by the suspects pictured above, emerging from the Pan Pacific. Security cameras in the village caught footage of her looking something like this:

Needless to say, her family is in shock.

Today, a province-wide search commences for a blonde pirate, a salsa-dancing devil, what appears to be a boa-clad evil kitten and a turtlenecked woman going by the name of Whoreton.

All tips on this case will be fully exhausted by a committed search team lead by this man:

Her friends and family say there is little hope this Monday.

Over and Out,

Tamara Taggert

Throwing parties is a lot of pressure. I give you Exhibit A – the Bitchin’ Camero Bash. An event safely locked in my memory’s hall of fame, the concoction of Jaimie, Leanne and I’s temporary ruling of the world. I am glad there was a time in my life I felt indestructible enough to walk the streets with these two ladies inviting anyone who caught our fancy – stranger or friend – to the event of the year. The actual party matters little in reflection.

Somehow (ouzo), Greek Fest 2008 turned into a success. But no one will ever know how nervous I was. Will people show up? Will they have fun? Will they talk to each other? My past is spotted with various sized-feats of party-throwing panic, most of which have gone to prove I am best as a guest. As Ash and I began to grow into a couple, we started a very adult party tradition of hosting Christmas Eve breakfast. This party more than any other has the feeling of permanence, the longevity of family and predictable (but growing) guest lists. I give it three more years of trial and error until it is my favourite party yet.

Then, of course, there is the party of my life. Of our life. Thirty days from today…

But first, there’s Halloween:

Have you ever seen such a beautiful peacock? And check out that dinosaur and trout!

…night. The leaf mobile was dying. When Sarah came over, I had just finished making Mexican goulash suprise. Ash and I were on our second bottle of white wine. Wedding music planning was about to commence.

Sarah needed a costume for work (yes, that is her in the red dress, no matter what she tries to tell you). Then the wine gave into dancing. I love livingroom dance parties. There is no better way to explain than this humble offering of our Tuesday night:

Now I will vanish.

Jen

My mind wanders here.

Or more precisely, here.

Where’s Ash, you ask?

Oh, he’s just run down to refill our margaritas.

Hello, honeymoon. My name is Jen.

Please enjoy, but don’t come.

Photo via Desire to Inspire