With Gratitude

Over the last week, I've been trying to set up this blog. I don't claim to be any kind of designer, but learning about it has felt like a worthwhile endeavor (and has given me a new appreciation for the work Kirk does).

I've discovered some wonderfully talented people on the web who are willing to give away their designs for free. The librarian in me can't bear the thought of not giving credit where credit is due, so here you go:

Designs by Rozie...beautiful papers

Papier {Pieces}...wonderful embellishments

The Cutest Blog on the Block...great advice on how to create a background and header

The Royal typewriter, I'd like to add, is all mine. A $5 find at Value Village and all the That Girl vibes you can stand.

Jealous?

On Broadway

Last night, Kirk and I spent some time looking over old photos. We came across a few of his (teeny-tiny, itty-bitty) apartment on Broadway back in Arlington, Mass. He lived there during the first 3 1/2 years of our relationship, while I traveled from Cambridge to Medford to Pittsburgh. It was there that we learned about each other...and fell in love.

The apartment itself wasn't much. I suppose you'd call it an attic studio, but it might not even deserve that name. There was enough room for a small sofa, a smaller refrigerator, and an even smaller stove. Except for the very center, you couldn't stand up straight. By anyone's standards, it wasn't an ideal living space:

How far we've come... Now we're in a three bedroom home with a garage that itself is bigger than that apartment. And yet: there was something so comfortable - and comforting - about being in such a small place. It forced creativity and flexibility and intimacy. Perhaps Kirk and I can thank it for the relationship we've developed over the years?

I won't lie, though. I'm grateful for a dishwasher...and a shower I can stand in.