A few weeks ago, Dave asked me to check out a plant on the side of our house to see if I knew what it was. I headed around by the power box and literally shrieked out loud when I saw the leaves of the plant in this most unassuming, almost hidden, spot…it was a HUGE peony! Ever since, I’ve been checking on it almost daily, watching the progress as the buds grew, hints of color peeked out, and then, finally, a few of the buds began bursting into full bloom. They’re the same peonies that I carried in my wedding bouquet, so this overflowing plant feels like the most perfect anniversary gift from God. I’ve always said that the scent of peonies takes me right back to my wedding day, especially considering that one of my most vivid memories from the day was getting into the vintage car that was taking us from our ceremony to our reception. My dress filled up most of the backseat, tulle tumbling over Dave’s lap as he squeezed in beside me, and the small space quickly filled with the heady scents from both my bouquet and my perfume. We drove with the windows cracked to let the spring breeze in, and we just grinned ourselves silly and marveled over the wedding bands on one another’s fingers. That sweet day was five years ago tomorrow, and although our celebration will be simple, I’m just grateful to spend it with the guy who has made these past five years such a dream come true. And I’m grateful that there will be peonies :)
On to a few favorites from this last week of April!
1. Half-Baked Harvest has been my go-to source of recipes over the last few months. I’ve mentioned before that we’re LOVING her latest cookbook, but recently, I’ve also started perusing her blog archives more thoroughly. This week, we tried her sheet pan chicken shawarma and it was a huge hit. Dave said he loved it at least four times during our meal!
2. Since loungewear is still the name of the game, here’s my latest favorite find: a soft blue, daisy-embroidered sweatshirt from Lou & Grey. I really hope they restock more sizes! It’s also available in a t-shirt version.
3. Even though I’m a longtime follower and fan of Coffee + Crumbs, I don’t read the essays on their blog every day. I’m so glad I randomly swiped up on Instagram to read this one by Sonya Spillman though…I literally had tears streaming down my face as I read it. I highly recommend that any mamas struggling with parenting during the current season (all of us?) gift themselves a few moments to take in her beautiful, moving words!
4. Azelie has been much more of a spit-upper than Charlie was as a baby, so we have burp cloths in practically every room of the house right now. The best, by far, is this one by Little Unicorn (one of my all-time favorite baby brands). The cotton muslin is super soft and absorbent, and the size and shape make it perfect for throwing over your shoulder. Lots more prints/colors here!
5. I added this headband to my Anthropologie cart when I ordered our door knocker so I could get free shipping. While we don’t love the knocker in person, the headband is a winner! It feels like a fresh, spring alternative to the velvet headbands I lived in all winter.
Now here’s my question for you this week! If you’re married, what’s your one MOST vivid wedding day memory? And if you’re not, what do you remember best from your favorite wedding you’ve ever attended? I can’t wait to hear!
Happy almost fifth anniversary, y’all!! I’ve had this same question in a draft blog post for, oh, two years (I still have your answer saved!), but I clearly never got around to finishing it! We just celebrated our third anniversary, and we always watch our film, look through photos, and reminisce on our wedding day while celebrating our anniversary.
Hand’s down, one of the most vivid moments of my life was holding hands around a door and praying before our ceremony. Just thinking about it makes me tear up and simultaneously beam all over again! It was such an instant flood of emotions… pure joy, sheer excitement, a touch of nerves, an overwhelming sense of peace, and a totally surreal “pinch me” moment, all in one. It was powerful and filled with love, and I know we both felt God’s presence so clearly. Ah, and as I type this, our first dance song just came on my playlist! Memories. It was the most special single day… but the joy we’ve felt since then has far surpassed that!
I love that last line you wrote, Stephanie! What a perfect way to sum up a truly wonderful wedding followed by the joy of marriage. I remember your prayer photos perfectly and am not surprised that memory is so vivid–it looked like such a beautiful one! :)
We’ve been loving The Lazy Genius’ Chicken Shawarma! We usually eat it with rice, but now I’m thinking we should try it with sweet potatoes. :)
We just got married in October so lots of things about the day still feel vivid. A moment I don’t think I’ll ever forget is singing Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing with our friends and family. I knew the moment would make me emotional (even singing it at church while we were engaged/wedding planning would make me tear up, ha!), and half way through the song, I was fighting back tears. My husband’s best man passed a tissue over to me which made the moment even sweeter. Happy Anniversary!
Awww, what a sweet moment! I walked down the aisle to Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing, so that one gets me teary-eyed too! :)
Happiest anniversary, friend! What an amazing find those peonies are! Some of my most vivid memories are from our portrait session before our ceremony, at my dream home, and again when we took photos during cocktail hour. I also have more of a “sense memory” of walking down the aisle – it was a bit of an emotional blur, but I remember the emotional blur clearly, if that makes sense! :)
Thank you!! I had forgotten about your dream house portraits and am now smiling remembering them and how beautiful they are :) I know what you mean–I feel like a lot of our ceremony was an emotional blur!
Happy Anniversary! I attended a wedding a few years back where the bride and groom both came down the aisle with their respective parents at the beginning. The pastor then asked each set of parents “Do you give the couple your blessing and promise to do everything in your power to support their marriage?” I liked how it honored and included both families.
That sounds so special!
So happy you have peonies! I didn’t even know they grew in NC!
When Ian and I got in the car after the ceremony, we took naps haha. Opening up the dance floor with a two step to one of our favorite songs was the moment I felt we were really celebrating so many things leading up to the wedding and the ceremony itself. It was the big we did it moment!
That dance was the sweetest!!