halloween threads.

Happy Halloween!

This is us today:

Just so we're clear, I really like Halloween.

Dressing up in costumes is something I've loved since I was a little kid and Halloween was a time when everyone else wanted to dress up too. I love how it brings out creativity and playfulness in people plus there's tons of candy involved. It's a win all around. I hope everyone has a little fun today! 

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P.S. Finn's pants are my favorite. They, along with those skeleton socks, glow in the dark. He won lots of credit to this awesome pants store last year and chose the "Boo!-Yas"  to surprise to me. I love them.

the anniversary trip.

We're going away to Lake Tahoe this weekend to celebrate our second anniversary. I can't wait! When we got married, we decided that we'd try to take a trip every year for our anniversary, even if it's little.

For last year's anniversary, we biked the Virginia Creeper Trail in Damascus, Virginia. It's one of our favorite trips we've ever taken. We stayed in an old bed and breakfast on the river and had the best time biking down the trail. It's 34 miles long and slightly downhill the whole way. We stopped at different pastures and bridges to explore and ate hotdogs for lunch at a stand along the way. Although the changing leaves make October the most popular month to go, the trail didn't feel too overcrowded. It was all cinematically beautiful. We had such a nice time.

And as real life often goes, there are some funny mishaps to share too:

1) We went to see a play on our non-biking day and it was terrible. 

2) On day 2 I went down the creaky stairs to the kitchen in the middle of the night and there was a man in there. In the dark. That's like a female-imagination-worst-nightmare come true. Turns out it was the owner's hooligan grandson who stops in to take food. Still, it scared me so bad.

3) When we took the shuttle to the top of the mountain to bike, I decided we should sit in the back of the van because "it would be more swervy and fun". I then got super carsick and almost threw up. When we finally got out of the van, I had to lay in the grass for half an hour before we could start biking. Finn loves this story.

I'm really looking forward to this year's trip. Neither of us have been to Lake Tahoe and don't know what to expect. It will all be a surprise! I'm mainly excited to spend a whole weekend with Finn, ride in a car, eat s'mores, and see lots of trees. Everything else will be extra goodness.

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P.S. - This was during my Katniss stage, which explains the second picture down.

when the giants won.

Last night the SF Giants won the World Series! They managed to totally sweep the Detroit Tigers, winning 4 games in a row. Go Giants! Finn and I were sitting on the steps of a cathedral at the top of Nob Hill when the game ended and could hear the whole city celebrating. Cabbies honking their horns, people fist pumping and cheering on the street, and within a few minutes fireworks were going off.

This is where we were sitting:

And this was our view:

As you can tell, the fog was super dense so we couldn't actually see any fireworks. We still had fun listening to all the ruckus. Even when we went to bed a few hours later, people were still celebrating outside. One of my favorite parts of this whole Giants craze is that the entire city is decked out in black and orange. I am just pretending everyone is super excited for Halloween.

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this week.

( A little mix of photos from my week )

1. Found this little elephant finger puppet mixed in with my craft stuff. What a cutie!
2. I really want to buy these handsome man boots for Finn.

3. Twinkle lights are up.
4. And pumpkins are out. Everything feels cozy.
5. This pretty jar was a gift from Nicole. Finn & I began using it to collect small and funny memories we might otherwise forget. For example "today our drunken neighbor was stuck in the elevator and was yelling "let me out, let me out". And when his wife let him out, he told her she had a big mouth". Some are funny, some are nice, and we'll read them at New Years. I like to watch it fill up.
6. Anniversary sweetness from our friend Fe. There were two cupcakes but, well, you know.
7. We are a mirror writing family.
8. Best of all, my husband is home.

Have a great weekend everybody! 

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throwback thursday: the famous float.

This is the fourth installment of Throwback Thursdays, a new thing I'm trying out as a way to share old photos and stories I love. Here are the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd posts if you haven't been reading along.

In the summer of 2008 some friends and I took a trip to Wilmington, NC for a beach weekend. Upon arriving, we realized we were without beach toys so Nick and Nate went to the store to pick something up. 

They returned with this:

And it was so awesome that we were featured in the local newspaper!

The article was entitled "Records remain intact, but sweltering heat sticks around".

Temperatures that weekend were  around 107ºF (42ºC for my Belgian readers) and we resultantly spent a ton of time in the ocean."The worm" made it so much fun! Floating over the waves became a challenging game of balancing on top, which was much harder than it sounds. We are all enthusiastic competitors. Thank you Nick for picking out such an awesome float. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't all be so famous right now. 

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surprise dessert.

Finn was in NYC for work this week so as a little surprise, I had some fancy cheesecake sent up to his hotel room the night of our anniversary. I coordinated with his co-worker/our friend Johnny to get their room number, sneakily called the front desk, picked out his favorite dessert from the menu, and had them write a note too. I wanted to surprise and bless him and felt pretty good about my idea. The hotel they were staying in was pretty nice too, so I envisioned the cheesecake arriving to his room looking something like this: 

I imagined a service cart, a fancy tray, or even just a plate.  Maybe the note 

would be written on some hotel stationery. Not too big of a stretch, right?

Well folks, this was the reality of its presentation:

A crumpled brown paper bag with the cheesecake in a tin to-go box, WHICH was on its side inside the bag so everything was looking pretty rough. And my note? Receipt paper taped to the outside. Crookedly no less!

Being the visual person I am, I wanted to know how they had delivered it and when he texted me a picture, I laughed so hard. We both did. The contrast between what I'd envisioned and what was in front of him was comical. And although it didn't go exactly as I had imagined, he still liked the gesture (and the cheesecake!) nonetheless. And best of all, he was surprised. It was so fun hearing a knock on the door, then him saying "who is it?...who?...oh, one second...hi...thank you!..what is this...?". I was smiling so big into the phone. And to be honest, I think I like this memory more for the fact it went awry. It will be more fun to remember.

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happy anniversary robin & matthew!

Today marks 3 years of marriage for my sister and her husband. And yes, that means I got married on their 1 year anniversary weekend (typical little sister move). Their wedding was incredibly beautiful and took place in a clearing of the woods in the late afternoon. Everyone sat on church pews and hay bales under the giant turning oaks and the sunlight filtered through the leaves perfectly. Since it was tucked away in the woods, the whole ceremony had an exciting feeling, like it was a little secret. It was such a fun day.

I love them for each other. In addition to having the ability to easily propel each other into a hilarious state of silliness, they are each two of the most caring, thoughtful, and serving individuals I know. I look up to them both for their intentionality in life and marriage. They are wise souls and I often fantasize about the day we live within driving distance and can take a walk in the woods or stay up late talking in the kitchen. Those will be rich times. Happy anniversary lovebirds, enjoy your day!

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i am thankful for this marriage.

It was two years ago today that I married my dear husband. We stood in my parents' back yard on a most gorgeous fall day and at 4:30, with a small gathering of our closest family and friends looking on, we promised to stand by each other for the rest of our years. I feel such thankfulness to have been gifted such a wonderful man as my companion and these first two years have been deeply good. Seriously, I love it.  

Finn is in NYC this week for work and although we won't get to spend today together, we have fun plans to celebrate with a weekend away when he returns home. I can't wait! Let it be known that I love my life and I really love that man. Here's to years and years more of sharing life and belonging to each other. It's the best.

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REALLY exciting news.

YOU GUYS. I am getting a new sister! My brother is engaged!! To be MARRIED. 

On Friday morning, Lee showed up on Hannah's doorstep and stole her away for a surprise trip to the mountains. One particular hike led to a beautiful overlook where Lee got down on one knee and asked her to be his wife. She said yes and we are all very excited about it. The amount of thought and planning Lee put into the proposal and the whole weekend was amazing. He considered Hannah in every detail and had lots of little surprises planned, even after he proposed. It was fun to watch him prepare everything with such care. He's come a long way since pulling the heads off our barbies.

Hannah, who will also be a Physical Therapist come May, first came into Lee's life at an intramural soccer game a few years ago. Hannah is dirty good at soccer and Lee, well, has many other strengths we'll say. One night they had a game and even though they were on the same team, rambunctious Lee knocked Hannah down, hurt her ankle, helped her up, then apologized profusely. Thankfully, she was able to move past a less-than-ideal first impression (love can strike anywhere!) and they started seeing lots of each other. I remember the first time I met and hugged Hannah, I loved her right away. She was so warm and genuine, so easy to be around. And clearly very fond of Lee, which I really liked.

They are great together. Hannah brings out Lee's kindness, playfulness, and she makes him laugh often. They respect each other and are passionate about the same field of work. Their love for each other has been evident for a long time and they're honestly just an awesome match. It fills me with joy to see my brother and sister with partners so well suited for them and I am selfishly very excited that Hannah is the bonus sister I get. She is seriously great. 

Congratulations guys, I love you a whole bunch and I'm totally rickrolling your wedding.

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P.S. The pronunciation of Hannah's name rhymes with "nirvana". I just want everyone to know her name right because a name is important.

throwback thursday: state fair goat introduction.

This is the third installment of Throwback Thursdays, a new thing I'm trying out as a way to share old photos and stories. This week, I'm honoring the NC State Fair since it's that special time of year.

If you know me or read this blog, you may have learned that I hope to own a few goats down the line. Male pygmies are playful, affectionate, low maintenance, and generally hilarious. (If you are suspicious, watch this video and just try to not love that little guy. You won't be able to). My affection for goats originated at the North Carolina State Fair with a chance meeting one October night.

My friends and I were walking through the crowds, headed to the pig race (yeh, the state fair is the best) when I caught a glimpse of a woman with a baby sling. I naturally assumed she was carrying a baby so as we passed by, I glanced down to see her little one and did a double take. My eyes widened with joy. She had a baby goat in tow. I was immediately taken by its sweet face and floppy ears. We all petted him for a while.

This is the face of someone realizing they're totally in love: 

You see many interesting things at the state fair but this was one of my all time favorites. This will be the first time in 6 years that I'll have to miss the fair...you NC people go enjoy it for me and eat a fried Milky Way!

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6 months.

We've been here for 6 months (and 4 days, to be exact) and I must say, I like living here. We miss our home state often, especially this time of year when North Carolina is at its most gorgeous and the state fair is happening, but I'm thankful to say we're feeling way more settled here than we were 3 months ago. 

We have great friends like Davy and Fe & Al and Carly who we hang out with almost every week. I'm working often, feeling busy, and enjoying the awesome benefits of Lululemon, which have allowed me to try lots of new studios and classes all over town and feel more plugged into the city. This really is a great city. 

In my 3 month post, I listed a few goals we hoped to accomplish. Here's how everything sized up:

     Find a chaise lounge  Haven't yet found "the one". Craigslist buying requires patience.
     Hang up artwork  Turns out, our walls are plaster which complicates things...efforts to be continued.
✓ Not kill our basil  Our basil plant is now huge! Success! We cook with it often.
     Camp in Yosemite  A weird virus broke out in Yosemite so this trip is on hold until spring.
✓ Go sailing  It was a blast...see here & here!
✓ Visit home  Enjoyed my time so much. 
     Convince landlord to allow pygmy goats in the building He doesn't think this is funny.

Goals for the next 3 months: Get away for our anniversary, ride bikes in Tiburon, make friends at our church, have a happy Thanksgiving with our SF family, redesign finnfolk, celebrate our nephew's 1 year birthday, and I am publicly stating that I will be able to do a split in 3 months. No turning back now...

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race weekend.

The Nike Women's Marathon is happening in San Francisco this weekend. Out-of-towners have been arriving all week and Union Square is decked out for the race - it feels exciting! It's lululemon's busiest weekend of the year and we have several events lined up to celebrate the event. I've been working every day and will be working all weekend too, so things here on finnfolk will pick back up next week. See you then.

If you live in San Francisco, come visit us at Grant Avenue tonight for a Night in Neon. Even if you're not participating in the race, come out. There will be glowsticks, a DJ, wine, food, and a flipbook maker!

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french film tuesdays.

The Alliance Française screens a french film every Tuesday night in their mini theatre. Although the event is advertised as free, the "suggested donation" is $5 and everyone pays it. But $5 gets you popcorn, wine, and an awesome screening of an old classic.

New Wave films are the focus for October and last night we saw À bout de souffle by Jean-Luc Godard. 

 

(Jean Seberg is such a beauty.)

The movies start at 6:45 but the theatre is small and fills up quickly so arriving early is key. Also, all of the films have English subtitles. Here is where you can find out about the screenings. It's fun to go!

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a sunday drive.

We rented a zipcar for 3 hours yesterday in the late afternoon for a much needed trip out of the city. We live in the middle of downtown and sometimes (typically after a few consecutive weeks of not leaving our area code) I am overwhelmed with a need to see some nature. I reached my breaking point yesterday so a drive to the coast was in order. We headed north on highway 1 with the windows down and talked the whole time. We saw and smelled the ocean and trees, all while the sun was going down. Even though the glare kind of gave me a bad headache, I was so happy. It reminds me of all John Muir said about nature. That guy was smart.

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sailing date / a video.

Last weekend we went on a date that was really great. It included arcade games at Musée Mécanique, donuts, visiting the sea lions, and sailing on the bay. I'm excited to share this little movie of our evening...

             Filmed using the 8mm app for the iPhone, edited on Final Cut Pro X

             Music: Instrumental rendition of Dangling Conversation by Paul Simon

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throwback thursday / lazy 5 ranch.

This is my second installment of Throwback Thursdays, a new thing I'm trying out as a way to share old photos and stories with all you lovely people. This week, I'm keeping it short...

The Lazy 5 Ranch is a "wilderness park" in NC where you can take a 3.5 mile horse-drawn wagon ride and feed lots of different animals along the way. I went there a few years ago with Caroline and my mom before I left for my study abroad term in Italy. There are two funny things to share from our excursion:

1) I met an animal called a highland cattle who had blonde curly hair just like me! And then an impressive picture was taken in which we made the same face.

2) Caroline got bitten by a water buffalo & had to get a tetanus shot.

 (Don't feel bad if you're amused or even laughing. Bizarre and unfortunate 

situations like this always seem to find Caroline and she laughs about it too!)

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holland drive.

We loved our apartment in Chapel Hill. It was a great place for us - quiet, tucked away in a patch of forest, and close in proximity to both friends and a great big pasture. Our back porch overlooked some woods, which were especially magnificent around this time last year. That apartment has been on our minds a good bit this week, but for reasons back-porch-view unrelated. 

Our recent nostalgia has been brought on by the unfortunate paring of this week's weather (blazing hot) and our 100 year-old building's AC situation, which is that there's no AC. So I truly do miss the porch and trees, but sometimes I just miss my old friends, dishwasher and central cooling. Those guys were the best. 

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super duper burgers.

  Super Duper Burger is a San Francisco burger place that we've come to love in the past few months.  

                                                             Why Super Duper is Great:

                                     - Natural beef from Niman Ranch        - Fresh & local ingredients

                                     - A long list of topping choices              - Classic and superb fries

                                     - Homemade pickles                                 - Totally compostable packaging

                                     - Great burger alternatives for the non-beef-loving population

                                     - Organic ice cream, milkshakes, or dip cones (my favorite) for dessert

One of their 5 locations is just a few blocks from Finn's office so we get to stop by pretty often. It's one place I like to take visitors because it's a restaurant that is only located in SF and it's just so delicious, especially after a few hours of walking around. If you love a good burger and get to visit SF anytime, go here!

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a sailing date.

We went sailing on the bay over the weekend and had a wonderful time. The excursion was a genius birthday gift from Caroline back in April and we've been saving it all these months. The next few weeks will be busy ones, so we decided to finally pull the trigger and schedule the sail, which was great fun! Our vessel was a 41 foot mono-hull sailboat (according to Finn) and we sailed around the bay for an hour and a half while the sun went down. The boat was small enough that a strong gust of wind would really lean us to the side, which made us slide around and laugh. My favorite detail was the experience of seeing the colors progress in the sky and how they changed the look of the water little by little. The whole evening was a treat.

It was a truly great date. One of our best, I'd say. Once we scheduled our sail, we decided to make a whole night of it and tacked on several other fun activities to the already awesome sailing. We played arcade games at Musée Mécanique beforehand, ate donuts from Trish's, watched the sea lions, stopped for sushi on the walk back, and watched a movie at home. If there were a competition for good dates, this one would certainly medal. Thank you Caroline for knowing me well and giving a great gift. We loved it.

Better documentation to come in the next week...

(Our excursion was with San Francisco Sailing Company. If you go, take gloves!) 

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