pink straws.

The Perfect Smoothie

1 1/2 cups orange juice
3/4 frozen banana

1 cup raspberries

1/2 cup blueberries

Blend well. Pour into pretty goblets and drink with a pink bendy straw.

Best when shared with your best friend.

my little photography studio

Today was my marathon product photography shoot.

So I decided to turn this closet into a little photography studio. 

It turned out pretty fabulous.

And now I have 400+ beautiful product photos to edit.

 

chasing buses.

It was a plan. Timmy and I were going to stalk every bus in Madison until we found the one or two buses featuring my Care Net advertisment. We were going to make a date night out of it. Chasing buses, camera in hand.

And then. Then we found out that my bus advertisement is going to be on one hundred buses.

I didn't even know there were one hundred buses in Madison.

Is it completely unprofessional to admit that I am giddy with delight?

magical syrup.

Dear Dr. S,

I typically don't like visiting doctors. But I like you.

Because after eating 47 cough drops in three days, after suffering from an unfortunate allergic reaction to DayQuil that left me itchy itchy all over, and after spending two nights in complete coughing misery, I walked into your office looking like death itself. Minus makeup, minus sleep, and in my comfiest pajamas. Coughing. Coughing. Coughing.

You listened to my poor lungs and you listened to my poor husband. And they both did a very good job of telling you how very sick and pathetic I was.

And then you gave me the most magical cough syrup.

I typically don't like medicine. (Especially medicine that pretends to taste like cherries.) But I am in love with my magical cough syrup.

Because my magical syrup made all coughing disappear. In fact, it made everything disappear. Last night I slept in a state of pure happy nothing-ness for nine beautiful hours.

And today, I feel better. Thank you very much.

Sincerely,

Becki

eight months happy.

 

For our 8 month anniversary,
we went to Abuelo's to celebrate.
And ate one basket of chips and three bowls of salsa.

Each.

It's a good thing calories don't count on date nights…

a brief history of me.

For the first 10 years of my life, I was known as Rebecca. And then I somehow turned into Becky, with a "y". I was Becky for about a year. But there weren't many creative possibilities for a name ending in "y", and so I decided to become Beckie with an "ie". This seemed rather glamorous to me at the time, and I was Beckie for a good two years.

Then, in a very dramatic 13 year old moment, I suddenly realized that Beckie with an "ie" looked very awkward. And so I quickly dropped the "e" and became Becki with an "i" - dotted with a heart. It was totally me.

And at that point, nobody had any idea how to spell my name.

But, while the spelling of my name changed, my favorite color remained the same. Pink. (I had a brief period in middle school where I only pretended to prefer lavender - because the boys had, due to my pink infatuation, started calling me Pepto Bismal.)

It's never really been much of a question to anyone. Would Becky/ie/i prefer purple or pink? Pink. What color did Becky/ie/i paint her room? Pink. Pink purses, pink shoes, pink coats. Pink pens and pink sunglasses. Pink birthday cakes, pink toothbrushes. Pink sapphire engagement ring. For as far back as I can remember, everyone has always known that my favorite color is pink. It's kind of an immediate knowledge.

And with pink comes happy. (Sorry all you pink-haters, but the studies have proven it to be true.) I have always loved being happy and making other people happy. (Timmy makes me happy.)

So I have become known for Becki with an "i" dotted with a heart, pink, and happy thoughts. Which is where the name happilyBecki came from.

Where is all of this going?

I'm changing the official color of happilyBecki. To a delightful teal blue. I'm actually really excited about teal blue.

My favorite color is still pink. I just don't want my logo to look like Valentine's day.

Any thoughts on teal blue?

i caught a smile in your eyes.

Reason #1049 Why I Love Timmy:

Because he jumps on hotel beds with me. 

P.S.

Do you like my new logo? :)

in this pink studio…

In this pink studio, there is a desk. 

 

And on that desk, there are many projects.

 And among those projects, there are little circle tins whose lids are windows.

 

And in those circle tins, there are little magnets.

And on those magnets, there are designs to match all the different cards and calendars that are stacked in the corner of that desk.

  And in that studio, sitting at that desk, 

surrounded by many projects, making those magnets,  

there is a girl. And she is smiling. 

(Mainly because of the cute boy 
who sits in the blue chair next to the pink desk.)

meet me in St. Louis

My Valentine's weekend with Timmy was endlessly magical.

So romantic in all the best ways.

So special that descriptions fall short

and it's beauty can only be truly related in the softest of whispers.

I don't know how to whisper online. So here are pictures:

 

  

  

  

(And the real reason for our romantic destination
was this darling girl.

Because we miss her pretty laugh,
and she is our littlest, sweetest love.)

packed suitcases

My tummy hurts when I'm tired. My eyes feel droopy, and I get a little cranky.

Today I am tired.

This week has been a long, busy one. So busy that I couldn't really justify my usual 9:30 bedtime. I don't like being tired. 

Timmy and I have a sunrise alarm clock. Every morning the "sun" starts rising in our room at 5:30, and we are gently awakened to the gradual light. I usually wake up happy - but this week I have woken up completely out of sorts.

And my first immediate thoughts are centered around what I need to get done. Normally I wake up thinking about breakfast (which is partly why I always wake up happy - I love breakfast). But waking up to a "list of things to do" the size of forever is not a happy wake up.

I feel like I really do have a list the size of forever. If I try rewriting it, in hopes it will end up shorter, it is inevitable that I will find another thing to add to it. I need to stop rewriting my lists.

But I love lists. I'll share with you my favorite list:

Great Things I have Accomplished this Week:

**Successfully created a similar home made version of the Chipotle burrito.

**Convinced Timmy that we need to have a weekly "business dinner" at Chipotle. (We love Chipotle.)

**Found time to work out three times on my new exercise equipment.

**Did the laundry. (Rather, directed Timmy to do the laundry...)

**Celebrated 2 years at my job.

**Finished and mailed Valentines to all my favorite girls. (pictured above)

**Visited our potential retail space and began mapping out our store layout.

**Created notecards, promotional folders, and a bus advertisment for my freelance job with Care Net. (And I am admittedly excited to see my design cruising around on Madison's buses!!)

**Worked endlessly on my Etsy shop designs, packaging, branding, etc. (This is the real culprit of my busy-ness!) Launch date is March 1!!

**Packed a suitcase.

And now Timmy and I are leaving on a romantic weekend adventure. (That's what the packed suitcase is for.) It will involve a lot of driving, relaxing, snuggling, and smooching.

Happy Valentine's Day!

little snowflake

On days it snows, Timmy drives me to work.
And if the sidewalks up to my building aren't shoveled yet,
he gives me a piggy back ride to the door.

When I tell him this makes me feel like a princess he only says,
"You are one."  

Despite my charming prince chauffeur,
I am looking forward to spring. 
(I hung this in our window.
Do you suppose the snowflakes will get the hint?)

flowery tacks.

 

  

  

Flower thumb tacks. So easy, so magcial.

Materials Needed: Silk flowers, thumb tacks, hot glue gun

Directions: Glue silk flowers to thumb tacks.

Who needs picture frames?

my business owner

I really love being a part of Timmy's dreams.

wishing.

 

  

I've always, always wanted a treadmill. And Timmy was actually listening to me the 101 zillion times I said in a wishing sort of voice, "Oh, wouldn't it be sooo nice to have a treadmill in our basement...?" 

I really love that Timmy listens to my wishings.  

*big, happy, i'm-in-love-with-timmy smile*

P.S. See Laura? We have a messy, messy basement too. :)

watching me twirl.

For the first time in my life, I know how to dance. (Timmy, supposedly, already knew how to do the little known dance called the "jump rope", which he demonstrated for the studio on our first night of class...)

Our dance instructor, Joshua, claims to be absolutely amazed at our quick progress. I'm fairly certain he says this to all the couples. But still...

As Joshua was teaching us the basic salsa steps, he paused to comment on how well Tim and I work together as a couple. He went on to say that our success was mainly due to the fact that Tim is an excellent leader, and I'm a fabulous follower. And the quickest way to ruin a dance is to have either A) a weak leader, or B) a grudging follower.

He quickly followed this up by saying that the entire purpose of the man leading is not to control. But to gently guide the dance, to protect the couple from running into things (such as chairs or walls or people), and to showcase the beautiful steps of the woman. (Guys don't get to twirl.)

And so it is with marriage.

I'm one happily paired dancer. How I love my sweet husband who follows the Lord, leads me with humility, cherishes my heart, and loves to watch me twirl.

let me count the waves…

(Waves are a little more unending than ways, I think.)

(about a month into marriage)

Timmy: I really just want to make out with you right now.

Me: I don't think I know how to make out...

Timmy: Yes you do. It's just like when we kiss three times. With our tongues touching.

And so our version of "making out" was defined.

Every morning before we leave for work, Timmy pulls me close, nuzzles my ear, and asks me for a "triple".

(We're married, you know. So it's ok for us to make out.)

Happy Love Month!

this + this = these