Welcome to everyone who found this post via Pinterest looking for my wine-inspired graduation gift! I hope you enjoy our little corner of Blog Land and stop to look around a few other pages, like our DIY Foam Cooler Ottoman, Ruler Growth Chart, our Kitchen Renovation, and my Free Printables!
Hi all, have you noticed my absence lately? Have you wondered where I was? Why I wasn’t blogging all about our newlywed life? The reason I wasn’t blogging about our newlywed life was because I was simply too busy being a newlywed wife!
Things have been hectic and wonderfully busy in our little corner of the world lately. We have housing developments and job developments all in the works. We’ve been to weddings and showers and parties and dinners out with friends.
My sister graduated from college with her doctorate of physical therapy and I made her a little wine-themed gift to celebrate.
Basically, the only thing necessary is to think of a few wine names that fit into a fun message. I know my sister enjoys drinking the “Relax” Riesling, and I thought it was fun to make a play on the name…as a special way to “relax” after graduation.
Then, while browsing in the wine aisle of our local grocery store, I had the idea to add the “Yellow Tail” and the “Cupcake” bottles as well to make a complete sentence. Then, I just used some scrapbook paper, marker, and tape to attach the words I needed to fill in the rest of the sentence.
You can use whatever wines/words you want. I’m sure there are a bunch of ideas out there…what would you spell out in wine?
We’ve also been trying to keep up on cleaning the apartment and stocking the fridge while hunting for bargains at local garage sales.
Heck, we even took home a free kitten from a flea market to live happily ever after with my parents on the farm last weekend. He’s a cute little tabby cat and he stands out from all the black and gray long-hairs my parents have at their farm!
And we’ve been cooking at home together more than we ever did before. These veggies and potatoes are Hubs’ new favorite. He can’t get enough! And I think they are pretty good, too. Add in pan-seared chicken and some grilled zucchini and yellow squash? Yep!
We were also healing. From our sunburns. Ouch. And ick. (We’re now both in the peeling stage. Ick!)
I guess the main thing we have been doing is settling in.
We’ve been married almost 11 months now and that means we’ve also been living in the city, together, for almost a year. (I can hardly believe that!) And with this, I am learning, comes the slow realization that this is home. This is our new normal. This is where we live.
I guess part of the reason I didn’t feel really “at home” in the city before now is because we just weren’t that busy. We weren’t really making a life for ourselves up here. It always felt as if we were visiting, or playing at living here.
All that’s changing though, and I find myself feeling both excited and sad about it at the same time.
I’m happy that we’re finally settling in. I’m sad that it means I’m settling in away from family and friends that are still so dear to me but that now live 2 or more hours away.
I know things change and can’t stay the same, but I’m finding myself both sad and sometimes homesick as well as overwhelmed with the joy I feel at being married to my best friend and amazed by the blessing it is to live together and make this life for ourselves.
So that’s what I’ve been doing–living and loving. What about you? What’s new with you? Any new developments, realizations, or adjustments in your neck of the woods?
First of all, love your graduation gift for your sister! That is so cute!
Also, this is too funny because I was just talking to a friend on the phone yesterday about exactly what you wrote about. How where we live now has slowly become ‘home’, and while every time we go up to PA to visit our families I still refer to that as ‘home’, I am always ready to come back to our little abode in VA. Not even a year of being married and I finally feel like we have a routine, we have friends here, we know our way around, and everything has somehow become the new normal. I get homesick sometimes too but there is so much to be excited about it doesn’t last for long!
Thanks! Glad you liked the gift idea! And I’m glad you understand the home aspect. It’s hard to adjust! Thanks for the support!
Well, to start, I have to say I love the kitten!! 🙂 Precious! And I’d love to have the recipe for your veggie, potato, chicken extravaganza! Yum!
I totally get the sad and excited feelings about living in a new place. It’s hard to leave behind friends/family that you love, but it’s great to experience a new place and start your life together. The good news is, you CAN go back. It won’t always been the same as you remember in your mind (in fact, it almost never is) but it’s still possible.
I love the kitten, too! I wish we could have kept him, but he seems at home on the farm. Thanks for the support about coming home and going home! We have to remember that moving forward is good, but it also helps to have that home to go back to.
And I’d love to share the recipe for the veggies. I’ll have to pay attention to what I use next time and post about it! (I’m not good with following recipes or writing them down!)
Ok, the wine bottle idea is genius. 🙂
Also, I totally relate to the sunburning. I have found that depending on how bad the burn was, putting aloe vera goop on it every day, twice a day minimizes the peeling.
And I also understand the homesickness. I live 14 hours away from my family, but it’s nice to know they are only a phone call away. 🙂
Thanks! And that’s a great point about the phone call being a good way to reconnect. And I’m lucky that we’re only a few hours away, so we can visit if we need or want to.
(Oh, and hopefully, the sunburn is close to being over. Good grief. It’s been awhile since I’ve been burned this much or this badly. I’ll work on it in the future, for sure!)
Hi All, I just got married in April to my best friend and love of my life. A few months before the wedding my boss gave me the option to move down to our Florida office (we were living in NYC). I jumped at the idea and was so excited- new hubby, new job, new state- how romantic! Well, I have been here for about 2 months now and I am so homesick. I am regretting moving us down here (hubby had to leave his job- so he is now looking for work). I am mad at myself because this is supposed to be the happiest time in our lives and instead we took on all this extra stress of him looking for work, me learning a whole new career, new state, etc.) I feel like I ruined our newlywed time. He feels bad when I cry for my family and friends and I dont want him to feel inadequate. I am very happy with him and look forward to our future together but I am just a ball of emotions. Happy and excited for this marriage but sad and mournful for our home state and loved ones. I don’t know what to do. Has anyone else had this experience? Any advice?
Aw! My heart hurts for you as you miss your family, but try to remember that your new husband IS your family now. Don’t get me wrong, I miss “my” family and friends sometimes, too, but I try to keep in mind that Hubs is who I married, and who I’m most committed to now. I know it’s a huge transition you’re going through so don’t be ashamed if there are tears and fears and even some fights. It’s stressful and hard to look for work (I’ve been the one looking for work as we moved to KC for Hubs’ job.) but I’m happy to wake up every morning with my love and know that we’re one day closer to figuring out this crazy life we have together. And don’t think of this hard time as being ruined newlywed time. It’s when we struggle that we grow the most. Think how much more you are learning to depend on each other. Be proud of the new experiences you are having together, all on your own as you explore a new part of the country. Be happy and excited to share those times with friends and family as memories down the road. I’m blessed by your honesty here, and hope you’ll stick around. Hubs and I struggle through lots of things! Every newlywed does! Just be honest with your husband and tell him that you know you’re emotional and that you aren’t unhappy, just confused. Try to figure out things that calm you down and help him help you through this time.
Thanks for replying.You have wonderful words of wisdom that speak to my heart! It is nice to know that others have been through this situation and to hear from the other side is very comforting. Thank you!
Of course! I pray for better days ahead for your heart and your spirit. Just try to enjoy this adventure with your hubs. Find fun thing to do together. Focus on making happy memories!