the poor pup is so confused…

♥ ♥ ♥

6 days until the bar madness is over!

i could eat them all day. . .

& listen all night. . .

i’m clinging to the little things that tend to cheer me up

as i sit here

studying

studying

studying.

oh, & thankgoodness for hot tea too.

♥ ♥ ♥

i especially liked the dialogue about the beauty that is in a woman’s *choice* to change or not change her name. no longer is it true that women in our country are required/expected/forced to change their last name to their husband’s.

this comment especially struck a chord:

I settled this by deciding I wasn’t going to “change” my name. The word “change” just seemed so weird to me. I wasn’t changing who I was fundamentally so why would I change my name? What I was doing was adding to who I am. I was taking the person I’d developed over the course of my lifetime and who I’d come from through my family and adding wife/lover/my own family to it.  So rather than “change” my name, I decided I would add to my name. And as I was adding my husband to who I am, I added his name to mine. I added, not changed.

& so that’s what I will do – add Smith to (not change) my name. the beauty in this is that it will be my own, personally-decided choice, showing respect for both my current family and the new family i will be joining.

xoxo

Anna Corinne Camp Smith, (Esq.)  ♥

bright copper kettles & warm woolen mittens

brown paper packages tied up with strings

these are a few of my favorite things…

when the dog bites

when the bee stings

when i’m feeling sad

i simply remember my favorite things

and then i don’t feel so bad!

on the eve of my second-to-last final of law school (ever!), i can’t seem to get this song out of my head.  it’s such a bittersweet feeling to almost be done with law school, while also realizing that two+ months of studying for the bar lay right around the corner.

WHEN THE DOG BITES, WHEN I’M FEELING SAD, i simply remember my favorite things, & then i don’t feel so bad. ♥

no matter how tiring & lonely studying can be, i am thankful for it all.  i am thankful that i get to go to law school, lucky that my fiance & family support it.  grateful that i’m finishing (because i couldn’t have gotten through intact without a lot of prayers).  & i will be eternally glad that i pushed myself to get this j.d. – i have wanted to practice as a lawyer for a long time, and that dream is becoming a reality.

xoxo

[photo credit: project wedding]

i love vintage wedding decor, and most traditions are sweet and meaningful, but this is ridiculous…

tradition: according to ancient roman ritual, the bride is expected to stand on the left at a marriage ceremony with the groom on the right. this was so the man could then use his right-handed sword to protect her because everyone expected the bride to be too weak and completely incapable of protecting herself.

meaning: to me, this tradition is a little insulting. to most, it’s just plain meaningless (just one of those things you do without thinking because your grandmother said you had to).

if law school has taught me anything, it’s to be skeptical & not to trust that what’s always been done or is expected by others is best.  i identified the issue, discovered the rule, applied my own thinking and analysis, and to conclude…

i think i’ll stand on the right, thank you!

it brightened my day, hope it brightens yours too!

xoxo

xoxo

we used this recipe (we knew it would be good when we saw that it called for a bottle of beer!)  … we only made half of the recipe (still had a ton of leftovers), left out the ground beef, & added sauteed corn, chili pepper flakes, fresh (not canned tomatoes), & black beans.

soul food to the rescue. yum!

[photo credit: elle jae photography]

last week, robby & i had engagement photos taken all around san francisco. it was a lot of fun … we had such a great time capturing some of our favorite places in our current home, san francisco – the most beautiful city.

we kissed in the park (alta plaza & golden gate, to be exact), rode our bikes a bit, lounged in the grass on a quilt my mom made for my dad when they were in college, strolled along the beach, & walked down fillmore (perusing books & poking our heads into our favorite chocolate shop, bittersweet) … all while our photographer snapped a few sweet shots along the way.

i cannot speak highly enough of elle jae photography. they did an incredible job, and james was a blast to work with!

to view a slideshow the photographer made of some of the highlights, turn up the volume & click here.

but when i take the time to plan out meals, they often turn out a lot healthier & much more satisfying.  here are a few quick & easy recipes robby &/or i have tried over the last few weeks that i think you’ll love too!

• potato hash with fennel: bon appetit recipe
• linguini with asparagus, pine nuts, & parmesan: real simple recipe
• couscous salad with roasted vegetables: martha stewart recipe
• buttermilk pancakes: martha stewart recipe
• sun-dried tomato & artichoke dip: martha stewart recipe
• fast, fake-baked ziti: rachel ray’s recipe
• warm orzo salad: whole foods recipe

[most of these recipes also make for great leftovers!]

& for dessert, the best homemade sugar cookies i’ve ever had: martha stewart’s ideal sugar cookie recipe

happy cooking [&  baking]!!

xoxo

many of you have probably seen this already, but we now have a personalized domain name!  really excited about this -

robertlovesanna.com

xoxo

i made him homemade buttermilk pancakes. he had bananas and pecans on his & i had dark chocolate chips, pecans, and peanut butter on mine. (it’s all about the toppings, we say.) we had granola with yogurt & fruit. we drank mimosas & good coffee. i ate entirely too much! we both wanted a nap after breakfast, but we pressed on…

[don't be fooled by his face, he LOVED the card!]

we next headed over to the sf museum of modern art (the MOMA) to peruse some new exhibits & stop by our favorite pieces in the permanent collection – fascinating photography of california and san francisco’s past, monet, renoir, matisse, etc.

we had lunch at the MOMA (delicious), and then we headed upstairs to explore the new rooftop garden. we’d heard blue bottle coffee (some of the best coffee in all of sf & the world, in our opinion!) was being served on the roof, & we couldn’t wait to check it out. we shared a perfect latte (in a heath ceramics mug) in the sculpture garden, complete with a foam heart!  we sat on a bench in the sun for awhile because it had turned into a clear, sunshiney day (a nice break from all the gloomy, rain-filled days we’ve had).

next, i had a nap scheduled into the day’s activities because it was robby’s birthday (& we all know how he likes naps)… he was happy about this surprise!

after naps, we headed to the “top of the mark” (a bar on the top floor of the mark hopkins hotel) for cocktails.  robby had a merlot, & i tried what they called a “dirty olivia” – a dirty gin martini.  the drinks were fabulous, & it was a beautifully clear night.  we had a table by the window, & it was fun pointing out the buildings where we work & go to school, our apartments, our favorite neighborhoods, & the bridges!

after cocktails, we went to dinner at saffron grill in robby’s old neighborhood on divisadero.  it was a fun, hole-in-the-wall type of family-run place.  adorable & homey.  the food was delicious.  robby loved that i fit some indian food into his day. (it’s his absolute favorite!)

after dinner, we headed back to my apartment for cheesecake, topped with fruit (& complete with a candle – you never get too old to make a wish!) & hot tea.

it was a wonderful, relaxing day to celebrate robby’s 28th year of life.  it was literally  good to the last drop.

i’m just so glad he was born!

♥

Anna and Robert’s families were at the Camp’s home to make gingerbread houses. The room was overflowing with gumdrops, sprinkles, icing, candy canes, & coconut snow.  The fire was roaring and Christmas music was playing.

Everyone ate dinner together & opened gifts near the Christmas tree, while admiring their gingerbread handiwork.  After dinner, the tradition was carried on to take pictures with funny holiday-themed hats.

It was a perfectly sweet night.

As the families were parting ways, Robert and Anna sat on the antique loveseat in the entry, saying their goodbyes.  Anna remembers saying that she wishes Robert never had to leave.

As everyone was gathered near the door, Robert stood up.  He said he had a few words to say.  Anna was confused and wondered if Robert had a few too many glasses of wine with dinner…

Robert spoke about his admiration and respect for both of their families, how grateful he was that we were all friends, how thankful he is for Anna, & how very lucky he feels to be with her.  Robert remembers saying that Anna is his hero.

Anna started to wonder what was going on.  She still had no idea what was about to happen.

Robert then pulled something out of his pocket and knelt on one knee.  Anna’s eyes welled up with tears (& the moms were tearing up too) as Robert looked at her with excitement & hope to ask her to be his wife.  Robert held a beautiful, sparkling ring and said, “Will you marry me, Anna?”

Anna was still in shock and remembers saying, “Are you serious? Are you SERIOUS?!”   In her heart, she knew Robert was serious.  She’s known they would get married for a long time, but she couldn’t believe it was happening at this perfectly sweet moment with both of their families standing with them.

Anna said “Yes!”  Both families rushed at them with hugs and congratulations, & champagne toasts followed at the Smith’s home.

♥

Happy New Year to you!!  May 2010 bring lots of blessings your way.

xoxo

[photo credit: design*sponge]

& wouldn’t it be a cinch to put together yourself? i think i might make this a holiday project… it would be so easy to customize the project with whatever frame fits your taste & whichever ribbon colors match your decor.  i think i would be happy if mine turned out just like the one in the picture.  it’s so bright and cheery!

so what do you think? … cute or tacky?

xoxo