Meals, Moments, Reviews, & Remembering in January

The past few months I've started writing a monthly recap post inspired by the one Lisa writes. I've been thinking about changing it up lately, but for now, here are the highlights of January 2013.

Meals
With my project 365, I've been posting a lot more daily meals than normal. But even so, what I wanted to talk about hasn't been on the blog before.

Duck Confit, Pear, Jarlsberg, & Gruyere SandwichEach week we have a food truck visit us at work and they recently started a gourmet build your own grilled cheese option. In addition to the one above, I've also tried a brie and pear sandwich. I'm definitely loving these options and I'm hoping to come up with a few more creative options in the weeks to come.

Moments
This past month, I started my 101 in 1001 list as well as a project 365. Hopefully I can continue to complete both throughout the year.

Review
In January, I reviewed 3 books and 6 movies. (Not many books, but a lot of that is because most of my reading this month has been for books tours, which means I'll have quite a few more reviews than normal next month.)
Flesh by Khanh Ha
The Girl Who Played with Fire by Steig Larsson
All That I Am by Anna Funder
Les Miserables
Django Unchained
This is 40
Silver Linings Playbook
The Last Stand
Movie 43
Out of them all, my favorite would have to be Les Miserables. (Which I've actually seen in theaters a second time since I wrote that post.)

Remembering
Three years ago in January the boy and I bought a house, and I posted this home tour. It is definitely fun to go back and see what our house looked like sans furniture, and before we made any changes to it.

What are the meals, moments, reviews, and remembering you experienced this January?

Before The Shoah

All That I Am by Anna Funder
I'm still a little undecided about how I feel about this book. The majority of the time while reading it I felt one way, but once I finished I felt almost the complete opposite. In a way it does feel a little like work getting through this, but I think by the end it's worth it.

I've read a lot of fiction that takes place during the Holocaust, so I thought I knew what I was getting into with this. But I was surprised as to how much was unfamiliar to me. Yes, the main characters are Jewish, but the main story takes place before the years we normally think of as the Holocaust, and they are instead persecuted for their political views. I always knew their were political prisoners in concentrations camps, but never really gave them much thought. One thing I had never really considered was that even after these people escaped Germany, if they tried to speak out against what was going on there, they were putting their lives in danger.

Given who the characters of this book are, there is a lot of politics within its pages. A lot of the book felt "word-y" to me and I would easily loose attention while reading parts. I found myself daydreaming quite a bit about things unrelated to the book, and wound up having to reread the same passage several times just to make sense of it all. It was also confusing because it switched between different time periods and character voices, to the point where a lot of times I couldn't really be sure when a certain scene was supposed to take place.

But as distracted as I felt through a lot of the book, when I got closer to the end it was the exact opposite. The book ended in a way I never would have expected, but given that the majority of the story is based on fact, it's what had to happen.

I walked away from this book enjoying it. But I can't forget how much I struggled through a lot of it. And do feel grateful to have been given a chance to read this, and for more knowledgeable about what it may have been like for political activists in Germany before WWII. In a way it's hard for me to say read this book because you'll love it, but I can at least say read this book because you'll probably get a lot out of it.

3.5/5

Disclosure: I was provided this book through TLC Book Tours. All opinions expressed are my own.

From Miss to Mrs: Making it Official

Until now, the majority of my recap posts have been on the photos. And while they are pretty and fun to look at they aren't really the point of the day. Finally, here is where we get into the real meat of the wedding day, when we gathered in the dinning room to sign marriage license and ketubah.

I did write this post before the wedding, about the history of ketubot and ones we were considering ordering from Ketubah.com. For a brief explanation, a ketubah is the Jewish wedding contract, and historical what Jews used to legally become married within their religion.
I had the boy sign first since the groom was listed first on the actual marriage license. Unfortunately the bride signs first on the ketubah, and that's where the boy signed. I remember feeling proud of myself that I didn't completely freak out about it. And now every time I look at our ketubah (it's hanging in our bedroom), I can't help but smile a little.
Thankfully he managed to sign the wedding license correctly, since that was the one that was legally binding.
The I proceeded to sign as the "groom." I'm pretty sure that's what all the smiles on our bridal party in the background are about.
I have no idea what the boy is saying as I signed our license, but at least my grandmother found it amusing.
Then we had our two witness sign, the best man (above) and my MOH (below). Traditionally the witness signing the ketubah are supposed to be Jewish men, not related to the bridal couple. But since the boy isn't Jewish, and since our rabbi didn't say a word about it, we didn't give it a second through. And in general, it's really only really orthodox couples that stick to those rules.
As our rabbi started to sign my dad asked her if we were officially married. "No," she said, "Although in the Jewish religion it was official as soon as he put a ring on her finger."
Once she finished signing she continued, "But now, it's official." To which the boy responded, "Now I guess that means we can go home, right?" Here I am below, attempting to keep the boy in his seat. After all, I'm pretty sure if we left that minute we'd have a lot of upset guests to deal with.
This is probably the main reason why most couples wait until after the ceremony to sign their license. Although by signing it first, we made sure we didn't forget to do it. And traditionally the ketubah is signed either before or during the ceremony.

If you're already married, when do you sign your marriage license? And what type of mistakes have you made when signing something, similar to the one made by the "bride"?

All photos in this post courtesy of Sabree Hill Photography.
Miss a Recap Post?
From Miss to Mrs: The Calm Before the Storm
From Miss to Mrs: There's a Hurricane Coming?
From Miss to Mrs: Here Comes Isaac
From Miss to Mrs: Weathering the Cane
From Miss to Mrs: After the Storm
From Miss to Mrs: Trials and Tribulations
From Miss to Mrs: The Last Errands
From Miss to Mrs: A Night on the Town
From Miss to Mrs: The Hangover
From Miss to Mrs: Rehearsing in the Heat
From Miss to Mrs: The Last Single Supper
From Miss to Mrs: Gifting the Girls
From Miss to Mrs: The Last Single Night
From Miss to Mrs: Oh What a Beautiful Morning
From Miss to Mrs: Getting Prettified
From Miss to Mrs: Prepping the Plantation
From Miss to Mrs: Turtle Time
From Miss to Mrs: The Photographer Has Arrived
From Miss to Mrs: Becoming the Bride
From Miss to Mrs: Dress Details
From Miss to Mrs: Ou Est le Groom?
From Miss to Mrs: A Bridge-y First Look
From Miss to Mrs: Couple Time
From Miss to Mrs: Just the Two of Us
From Miss to Mrs: Grouping the Girls
From Miss to Mrs: Ain't No Party Like a Bridal Party
From Miss to Mrs: Fun with Family

Monday Movie Review

Movie 43
From the previews this looked hilarious. And considering how many celebrities were in this I figured it would have to be good. Except that really wasn't the case.

Now, I do think I would have enjoyed this more if I had a better idea what to expect, since the previews didn't do a very good job. The movie felt like an episode of Robot Chicken, except with short films instead of little clips and with famous actors instead of dolls. I was expecting an actual movie, but instead this is really a collection of short films each directed by a different famous director.

My favorite out of all the shorts (as in the one I disliked the least), was Middleschool Date which was directed by Elizabeth Banks. It started Chloë Grace Moretz and Christopher Mintz-Plasse and is about a girl getting her period for the first time on a date. (That basically gives you the gist of the entire movie, since each short seems to be focused on bathroom humor.)

I'm not normally a huge fan of this type of comedy, but even so, I don't think this is one to waste your money on. There are so many other films in the theaters right now that would be a much better choice than this. And given how few people were in the theater with us, thankfully most people are staying away from this.

Mailbox Monday (21)

I'm back again linking up for Mailbox Monday, hosted by Lori's Reading Corner for the month of January!
Purchased
I recently bought a few children books as a baby shower gift, and while shopping purchased these two for myself. I had a pretty good idea what I wanted before shopping in the first place. Since I already have so many books waiting to be read, I didn't need more impulse buys. These two are both ones I've been wanting to read for a while (and hopefully I can fit them into my reading schedule sooner rather than later!).
Bringing Up Bebe by Pamela Druckerman
No I'm not pregnant, and nor do I plan on being for a while. But this one had so much hype when it was first released that it piqued my interest. Plus it's focused on French parenting, and I definitely have a soft spot for France.

Dreams of Joy by Lisa See
I've been wanting to read this one ever since it was released. I really enjoyed Shanghai Girls, so finding the sequel in hardcover and bargain priced is an amazing deal for me.

Borrowed
Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks
I borrowed this one from a coworker. (It's been making the rounds in my department.) I may not be able to convince the boy to see this with me, but this way I'll at least have read the book.

For Review from TLC Books Tours
The Long Way Home by Mariah Stewart
A few weeks ago all the other Chesapeake Diaries books had their own Mailbox Monday post, but this is the one I'll definitely be reviewing. (Although I would like the read and reviews the others at some point.) Definitely looks like a cute story.

The Promise of Stardust by Priscille Sibley
I'm really excited to read this one, which is about a husband who discovers his wife is pregnant while she is brain dead and on life support. I can't even imagine having to deal with that decision, and am definitely interested to read his decision, and all the consequences it has on him.

What did you find in your mailbox this week

Project 365: Days 19 through 24

Here's one more week where I remembered to take a photo each day!
January 19, 2013 - 19/365: Watermelon, Cake Batter, Pineapple/Mango, & King Cake Frozen Yougart at Nom Nom
January 20, 2013 - 20/365: Miserably Losing at Agricola
January 21, 2013 - 21/365: Watching the Longest Onscreen Kiss on The Bachelor
January 22, 2013 - 22/365: Spinach & Artichoke Quiche at Barnes & Nobles
January 23, 2013 - 23/365: Slices of Kiwi Before Bed
January 24, 2013 - 24/365: Cinnamon King Cake

I'm linking this post up with Random-osity & Kleinworth & Co. for Project 52!

From Miss to Mrs: Fun with Family

After taking photos with the bridal party, we continued taking formal portraits with family. My goal was to take as many photos before the ceremony as possible, that way everyone could enjoy as much of the reception afterwards as possible.

Both of our familiesWe started with photos of both of our immediate families. And since I was always curious about color coordinated family portraits, I never really told anyone what I wanted them to wear. From our invitations (and likely blog posts) my MIL and my grandmothers knew our colors and it all coordinated.

With the boy's familyIf you're planning a wedding, I don't think you need to act "bridzilla" and demand everyone wear a specific color or color theme. Your relatives may surprise you. Although if you don't feel you can trust your current or future family to pick out their own clothes, you might be dealing with another issue.

With the boy's parentsA few weeks before the wedding I met with out photographer and gave her a lists of photos I wanted. One that list were things like Bride & Father, Bride & Groom with Bride's Father, Groom with Parents, Bride & Groom with Parents, Groom with Sister, Bride with Brother, etc... Except the day of the wedding we didn't get everyone single option listed.

With my dad & brotherLooking back, do I regret not having every single option? Not really. All the people I wanted photos of, I have. I just may not have every single combination possible. And in the big scheme of things, does it really matter? Just what will you be using all those photos for anyways?

With my grandmothersI'm in no way trying to say this was the fault of my photographers. Out of everyone they were the ones saying, "You didn't take every combination you wanted. Are you sure you want to finish?" But it was so hot outside (after all this was Louisiana in the middle of the summer), and I knew we got the important ones.

With my paternal grandmother

With my maternal grandmotherThe plantation was open for tours the day of our wedding, which meant up till now we hadn't been inside the actual home. But as we wrapped up family photos, we were finally able to head inside to cool off.
And of course to take a few more couple photos at the bottom of the staircase.
I loved the idea of these photos, especially since I think this staircase is awesome. (I even posted a photo of it here, the first time I visited Houmas House.) I just think it's so amazing that someone was able to build such a perfect spiral staircase in the 1800s.
But even though I love the idea of these, I can admit they do look a little awkward. Although I think at this point in the day we were a little photo-ed out.
What are your thoughts on color-coordinated family photos? And if you're married (or are getting married) what colors did (or will) you tell you family members to wear, if anything?

All photos in this post courtesy of Sabree Hill Photography.
Miss a Recap Post?
From Miss to Mrs: The Calm Before the Storm
From Miss to Mrs: There's a Hurricane Coming?
From Miss to Mrs: Here Comes Isaac
From Miss to Mrs: Weathering the Cane
From Miss to Mrs: After the Storm
From Miss to Mrs: Trials and Tribulations
From Miss to Mrs: The Last Errands
From Miss to Mrs: A Night on the Town
From Miss to Mrs: The Hangover
From Miss to Mrs: Rehearsing in the Heat
From Miss to Mrs: The Last Single Supper
From Miss to Mrs: Gifting the Girls
From Miss to Mrs: The Last Single Night
From Miss to Mrs: Oh What a Beautiful Morning
From Miss to Mrs: Getting Prettified
From Miss to Mrs: Prepping the Plantation
From Miss to Mrs: Turtle Time
From Miss to Mrs: The Photographer Has Arrived
From Miss to Mrs: Becoming the Bride
From Miss to Mrs: Dress Details
From Miss to Mrs: Ou Est le Groom?
From Miss to Mrs: A Bridge-y First Look
From Miss to Mrs: Couple Time
From Miss to Mrs: Just the Two of Us
From Miss to Mrs: Grouping the Girls
From Miss to Mrs: Ain't No Party Like a Bridal Party

Liebster Love

A few weeks ago Heather presented me with Libester Award. A lot of you have probably seen this before, but just in case here's how it's supposed to work, with my responses to follow.
**The Rules:**
1. You must post 11 random things about yourself.
2. Answer the questions that the nominator set for you.
3. Create 11 questions for the people you nominate.
4. Choose 11 blogs you love (with less than 200 followers) and link them in your post.
5. No tag back (but please leave me a comment on this post with the URL to your Liebster post so I can learn more about you)!

11 Random Things
1. I used to love feta with vinegar as a snack. I've since grown up and now enjoy feta with both olive oil and vinegar as a snack.

2. Growing up I slept with a cabbage patch doll named Bernard. Bernard was a girl.

3. I may still be a tiny bit bitter that I was never a model in an American Girl fashion show.

4. I broke both my arms at the same time at Knott's Berry Farm at a friend's birthday party. (I'm pretty sure I've used this as a random thing before, but as random things go, this is pretty up there for me.)

5. I'm not a huge fan of broccoli, but don't mind it roasted in the oven.

6. I read Les Miserables for the first (and only) time in 9th grade.

7. I've never read anything by Jane Austin. (Which is a shame, because I'm sure when I finally do I'll love it.)

8. The last CD I bought was the Smash soundtrack. (And I'm pretty sure the next one I will buy will be the Nashville soundtrack.)

9. I used to want to be a history major in college, until I realize the amount of papers I'd have to write.

10. I used to have blonde hair when I was little.

11. Some of the names of my youth soccer teams were Top Gun, Pink Lemonade, Pink Panthers, Teal Tigers, Red Hot Chile Peppers, and No Fear.

11 Questions
1. Do you play any musical instruments? If not, what do you wish you could play?
I played the flute in middle school. Although given the chance now, I'm not sure I could play a single note.

2. What is your favorite holiday to celebrate?
Passover has always been my favorite.

3. What was the best gift you received this year?
With the wedding we received a lot of amazing gifts, including one I've been meaning to blog out. But one of my most used gifts has to be the purse the boy gave me for the holidays

4. What is the last book you read and loved?
There's a few that I've read lately and really enjoyed, but the last one that I really loved would have to be The Perks of Being a Wallflower

5. What would be your ultimate travel destination?
My top 3 are Greece, Australia, and Egypt.

6.What forms of social media are you active on?
Twitter, Pinterest, Goodreads, and Flickr

7. What DIY or craft project are you most proud of this year?
Definitely our wedding invitations.

8. What are your top three can't-miss TV shows?
I have a lot of obsessions, but some of my favorites are The Bachelor, Grey's Anatomy, and Teen Mom 2.

9. Any celebrity crushes?
If you've been here for while it shouldn't be too much of a surprise, but Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys.

10. If you could go on any game show, which one would you choose?
Does The Amazing Race count as a game show? If so, that would be it.

11. Why do you blog?
I wrote about this in a recent Sunday Social post, but I love being able to keep a record of my life and having the ability to refer back to it

And yes, I realize I may be cheating by not linking to anyone else. But give me a shout in the comments and I'll be sure to link to you and send an award your way!

From Miss to Mrs: Ain't No Party Like a Bridal Party

After taking photos of just the girls we let the boys in for a few frames.
I didn't talk about what the boys were wearing before the ceremony because I let that be completely the boy's decision. And honestly I wasn't sure how it would come together. All he told the groomsmen, was to wear a black suit with a white shirt and black tie. I could be wrong, but I believe almost everyone used it as an opportunity to go out and buy a new suit, and one that they would likely wear again. And even though they all choose their suits on their own, they do match, and if I didn't know better would have no idea they weren't the exact same.
The pocket squares were all sewn (as well as embroidered with their initials) by my mother-in-law. My sister-in-law ordered extra fabric that matched the bridesmaid dresses to make a sash for her daughter, the flower girl, which was then used for the pocket squares as well. And the boy found a light purple fabric to match the light purple of his shirt. (I know it doesn't really look purple, but I promise it was. And depending on which photo you're looking at it's more noticeable.)
I also wasn't so sure of the pocket square placement. I guess I'm just used to seeing the standard triangle, that the tiny bit of fabric showing looked odd to me. But after the wedding we saw Skyfall and I realized that was how James Bond wears his pocket square. So if it's good enough for Bond, it's good enough for my groom.
I really love everyone's arrangement in these photos. I just wish that you had been able to see everyone a little clearer. But given how much trouble it was placing everyone, I can at least look back and understand. For you to understand what I'm talking about, think about walking on heels on grass. Now imagine what the grass would feel like less than a week after a hurricane. And factor in the fact that there were all types of tree roots as well. I was still in my sandals from our first look so it wasn't a huge issue for me, but my girls were definitely suffering.
Our photographer did ask if the we wanted to have the boy take individual shots with each groomsmen like I did with my bridesmaids. I think we both said no at the the same time. If the boy could have, he would have said no to every picture possible. And knowing the boy didn't really care about these photos, I wasn't going to force him to take individual photos that he'd never actually look it.
But he did at least agree to take photos with all of the guys.
Finally, not to forget the smallest members of the party, we also took photos with our niece and nephew, the flower girl and ring bearer.
Now we didn't do a ton of different locations for our photos, and we didn't do a ton of different combinations (aka me with the groomsmen, him with the bridesmaids, entire bridal party with flower girl and ring bearer). But since it was so hot outside I felt bad making everyone suffer for these pictures. And while I may not have a ton of different options to choose from I love the ones we have, and do you really need more than one good picture of the bride and groom with the bridal party?

If you're already married how many different locations do you shoot with your bridal party? Or instead, how would you describe your walking on grass in heels skills

All photos in this post courtesy of Sabree Hill Photography.
Miss a Recap Post?
From Miss to Mrs: The Calm Before the Storm
From Miss to Mrs: There's a Hurricane Coming?
From Miss to Mrs: Here Comes Isaac
From Miss to Mrs: Weathering the Cane
From Miss to Mrs: After the Storm
From Miss to Mrs: Trials and Tribulations
From Miss to Mrs: The Last Errands
From Miss to Mrs: A Night on the Town
From Miss to Mrs: The Hangover
From Miss to Mrs: Rehearsing in the Heat
From Miss to Mrs: The Last Single Supper
From Miss to Mrs: Gifting the Girls
From Miss to Mrs: The Last Single Night
From Miss to Mrs: Oh What a Beautiful Morning
From Miss to Mrs: Getting Prettified
From Miss to Mrs: Prepping the Plantation
From Miss to Mrs: Turtle Time
From Miss to Mrs: The Photographer Has Arrived
From Miss to Mrs: Becoming the Bride
From Miss to Mrs: Dress Details
From Miss to Mrs: Ou Est le Groom?
From Miss to Mrs: A Bridge-y First Look
From Miss to Mrs: Couple Time
From Miss to Mrs: Just the Two of Us
From Miss to Mrs: Grouping the Girls

Monday Movie Review

The Last Stand
Going into this movie you know exactly what to expect, but that isn't always a bad thing. I almost hate to admit it, but this movie was a lot of fun. I thought this was a perfect fit for Arnold at this point in his life, and it just seemed like he was really enjoying himself in it.

I really like Jaimie Alexander in it. She's an actress whose had small parts in a few movies, and till now was best known for Kyle XY. Basically you probably haven't seen her before, but neither had I till this. But I do think she's someone we'll probably be seeing a lot more of in the future.

I can't really tell you to run out and go see this movie. But if you're looking for a fun escape, whether now or several years from now when this is on tv, this one is an unexpectedly enjoyable choice.

Mailbox Monday (20)

I don't remember the last time I was able to link up 5 weeks in a row with Mailbox Monday, which is hosted by Lori's Reading Corner for January. I definitely am happy that I've been bringing a steady stream of books into our house the past few weeks, but on the other hand aren't really keeping up with it. Which really means my reading pile is slowly growing. Eventually though I'll be able to bring it down. But first...
From a Friend
The Good Woman by Jane Porter
A few weeks ago Amber won a book club party. I would have loved to be able to go, except given that I'm in Louisiana and she's in Iowa it isn't the easiest of a commute. Although Amber did have an extra copy of the book which she was kind enough to send along with a ton of free goodies. One of the things I loved the most was the recipe cards. And while I didn't think I knew of Jane Porter, seeing her other books in the promotional material made me realize I have seen them and have wanted to read her books before.

For Review from Virtual Author Book Tours
The Eighth Wonder by Kimberly S. Young
The one is supposed to be similar to The Bridges of Madison County if I remember correctly. From the looks of it, it'll be a fun read that I'll breeze through, but I guess we'll see if that's true!

What did you find in your mailbox this week? And how well are you able to keep up with your reading pile

Project 365 - Days 11 through 18

My goal is to take a photo every day throughout 2013. Once a week or so I'll be posting the most recent photos giving you a brief snapshot of my life.
January 11, 2013 - 11/365: Hibachi for Dinner
January 12, 2013 - 12/365: View from My Computer into the backyard
January 13, 2013 - 13/365: About the beat the boy for the first time playing Ticket to Ride
January 14, 2013 - 14/365: More rain on the drive home
January 15, 2013 - 15/365: Having a snack of Sweet Southern Heat BBQ chips
January 16, 2013 - 16/365: Finally Trying Starbucks' Vanilla Spice Latte (with a spinach and feta wrap)
January 17, 2013 - 17/165: Reading and grapefruit juice before bed
January 18, 2013 - 18/365: Amite River after days of rain

What has the weather been like for you the past week? Have you also been dealing with day after day of rain?

I'm linking this post up with Random-osity & Kleinworth & Co. for Project 52!