Time Flies When You're in Love...

When you're planning your wedding the anticipation is hard to imagine. Some days the wedding can't come soon enough, and some days you think "wait, I have one more project!" When the sun sets and the party comes to a close, you find yourself happily married. You giggle when you say "my husband" or he introduces you as "his wife" (that still hasn't gotten old). After all the planning you now get to start the "rest of your lives!"





Two years ago today, September 8, 2007, I married the love of my life and my best friend. And every day I fall more in love with him. I am filled with excitement and joy for all of you planning your wedding and newlyweds. I feel like I have what most people spend their lives looking for -- a partner for life and everything that comes with it. Here's to us Mr. Onion!



Thanks to Mrs. Ant for taking this photo yesterday and inviting us to a great Labor Day BBQ!

First comes loves, then comes marriage...

No, no -- I'm not pregnant (although I'm thrilled with all the baby bees around here). In November of 2007 (just two months after we got married) I posted about searching for our first home. I was sure I didn't want to live anywhere but Manhattan, just like I was sure I wanted lace on my wedding dress. Things don't always work out how you first envisioned them...they usually end up even better! We bought our first apartment in Brooklyn and my wedding dress had no lace in sight!



We made an offer at the end of last summer and closed in mid-October, 2008 which was a year after we first starting seriously looking. We learned so much in that year about the real estate market in NYC, it's huge potential swings (Wall Street went nuts about the time we closed), what we wanted and the joy of building a home together (even if it's only 768 square feet)! We have spent the last year "nesting" and saving up to renovate our kitchen (it's a pre-war building), which we hope to be ready to do about this time next year.

Here's a quick look inside.

Living room/entry as it was when we found the apartment:


Painting in progress and railings removed:


All painted, windows from Vermont Salvage installed and curtains up:


With a lot of hard work:



You realize...you're never "done." But after seven months we finally felt ready enough to have a house warming party.







It felt like the next big step in our lives and we're proud to have made an investment in our future and our life now.

Did you own an apartment or house before you got married? Is it something you plan to do together after your wedding? I'm sure this is on a lot of your minds as the real estate market has dipped in the last year and perhaps this made it possible for you to consider buying. I'd love to hear about your search, purchase and renovation / decorating of your new place.