Lately.

I'm sitting here writing this post with the flu. (pity me) To be honest I'm feeling on the up and up with just a touch of wonky sickness. I look like a gem.... one of Phil's T-shirts, flowery pajamas with an embarrassing hole in just the wrong place, a robe PG "acquired" from the Marriott complete with maroon "m" insignia, beautiful 80's teel socks with mud stain on the heel, and a gross nappy bun on my head to top it off. ATTRACTIVE. I'm thinking once I clean up the hurricane I'm wearing I'll be feeling 90% better and ready for work (welcome to real life) but for now I'm enjoying the last moments of vegetation in blogland... 

This past week was a really spiffy one spent with friends, including the most special best friend who came this weekend. The visit marked the second to last weekend adventure before we're finally settled in the same place. That is something we both look forward to... A LOT. 

HERE ARE THE HIGHLIGHTS:

1. Collie came to visit! Colin, one of my bestie voice majors, came to the bay to visit his brother. He drove out to Danville for the "grand suburban tour" that took us around town and up the gorgeous Mount Diablo which looked perfectly green and alive with spring rain. 

2. St. Patrick's day/Choral adventure. Lizz, Col, and I met up in Berkeley to watch a fabulous Chanticleer concert featuring new works (Lizzie works for the choir). After soaking up the beautiful music in the awesomely live venue we headed to a fusion-y tapas place also in Berk. We laughed and reminisced about CMU times while I quickly fell in love with the best shirley temple I have EVER encountered (they're my favorite) with sugary black cherries and a kick of mint leaf flavor. Nothing beats sugar and carbonation.

At the chanti concert

3. High school reunion. Friday night I sped to the airport to get my sweetheart, always the best. We spent the night meeting up with a very new and special little man... Dani and Paul's new baby Max! I can't believe how fast time goes by. It seems like just yesterday we were all thinking about proms and football games and girl's camp and making it to seminary on time (I was never very successful at that one). Now it's brides and babies. Time flies!

hahahahahahahha. Did you know I love babies?! I wasn't sure...

With Dani's handsome Max.

We're not in high school anymore!

So amazing to see where life has taken us.

These two saw me through many an awkward stage :)

4. Pals. Saturday Phil met Lizz and Colin and I got a chance to hang out with one of PG's best buds Emily from Athenian again. I have to say I think we both have excellent taste in friends. It's so fun to hear "phil stories" and watch PG meet my buddies too. We brunched and strolled around berkeley and chatted by a toasty warm fire. I look forward to many more friend intros in the future for both of us. Wedding anyone?!

On Telegraph with the love.

5. Tradition! Saturday night Phil and I went to see his mom's production of Fiddler on the Roof (Danville Children's Musical Theater). I was QUITE impressed with the show which was beautiful and also must gloat for a minute to say that I'm inheriting a very talented niece and nephew out of this whole marriage deal. Phil's nephew Max was the lead and he was really wonderful. His little sister Claire played one of his daughters and was also fantabulous. Read more about their awesome performance here. Thank the heavens I'm marrying into such a show loving family.

6. View from the front row. Another highlight of the show night was sitting with Phil and his new girlfriend Beatrice. Paige's beloved blondie Bea picked this night to fall absolutely in love with Uncle Phil and cuddled him through the whole show. I was chopped liver, and he was a natural. I think my heart grew three sizes seeing them together.

7. Sunday. Phil and I spent our Sunday together. He looked adorable in a sweater vest..there's just something about sweater vests....and spending special days with special people. After church we enjoyed family lunch at my house followed by family dinner at lenore's. We are well fed and well loved. Then off to the airport.

Here's my inner tick tock clock:

8 days till I visit my love in Provo!

after that about 20 days till he comes home for summer.

aaaaaand 94 days until the sweet bliss that is the weddin'! (not that I'm counting)

Happy St. Patty's from my family to yours!

Not actually my family... as far as I know :)

Hope everyone enjoys this festive day brought to you by a group of people once very unwelcome in our beautiful country. I guess they just kept having huge families and moved on up in life because now everyone seems to be Irish! I've always been proud of that chunk of my heritage and the spirit of the people and the culture. If I were a boy I would have been named in fact "Patrick Shea O'Connor." I'm glad I'm a girl instead so I can be Aubrey Alise O'Greenan (JOKE. I am not smooshing our names together or hyphenating, lest we sound like a pub.)

O'Connor Family Motto: "From God every help."

Getting Crafty.

(bootycamp update: my body hurts VERY much, progress!)

Lately I've been getting back in touch with my crafty side. With wedding planning in full swing I've been immersed in all things decoration. Perhaps this has tapped into a part of my brain I haven't used much since the glitter and glue days of elementary school. Here's a project I just finished for PG and my future humble abode.

Here's the before. I rescued this little table from a street curb in Berkeley. It was out in the weather nestled between shopping carts trash and other junk-age.  The paint was peeling off like sunburned skin (ewe such an image!), the wood was covered in muck and dust. I really liked the shape and thought I'd have a go at it!

Now the after! Painted (really light blue, can't really tell in the picture) with a stained top and an adorable knob on the false drawer front.

What I learned: Sanding can be fun! I love the little paint swatchy papers at Home Depot (as my mom says Home Dumpo) and (rest in peace) Yardbirds. Putting a little bit of yourself into making something beautiful is oh so very satisfying.

Bridal Beauties Booty Boot Camp

I've got a little less than 4 months until the big day! It's time for Bridal Boot Camp...that's right....BOOT CAMP.

In college I had the luxury of getting my butt kicked at least three hours a week in dance. Pair that with the gym and I was unstoppable. Let me just say personal motivation is not my strong suit in the feel-the-burn department.... without a teacher yelling at you to hold that leg higher, that muscle tighter, it's easy to let it all slide. So now it's time for some booty bootin'.

Tara is the task-master and we started today. We're crunching, jogging, stretching (I'm panting) and it feels GLORIOUS! ... OK .... so at first the only thought running through my head was "it's been a while it's been a while" and the only feeling was akin to puking...but now I feel fab! Let the boot campin' begin! 

HOME.

I decided to take my camera on a walk this week. 

The sun and breeze were out in all of their spring force.

I know everyone has a special spot in their heart for their hometown.

I'm starting to think my old town is 

very close to Heaven.