Snowstorm 2008

Before John and I left Seattle, we spent one last Christmas in our apartment.

The two weeks prior to Christmas, it was snowing like crazy! I worked in Customer Service at an online bead retailer at the time, and getting to work was a) not happening, and b) a three-hour commute (for a 20 minute drive) when it did happen that one time. So John and I spent a lot of time hanging out in our neighborhood, sledding down the steep side street with neighbors and drinking cheap champagne because the wine selection in our three local convenience stores was quickly depleted.

The above two pictures were taken on the morning of the first day it snowed. The reason Seattle comes to a standstill when it snows is because, well, it never really snows in Seattle. The city's built on seven hills and since the weather is usually very mild, there's no need to have a ton of plows on hand. So when it snows like this, the city goes crazy trying to figure out what roads to clear and how to make the mass transit system function. For example, there is a bus stop right behind this newspaper dispenser, yet we didn't see a bus in our neighborhood for 10 days - they just couldn't get up the hill!

XOXO

Making the decision

John and I had a hard time making that final decision to move from Seattle to New York. Ninety-five percent of our close friends, and all of my immediate family, live in the Greater Puget Sound area.

Plus, our apartment, located in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, was so awesome. Yeah, it was a studio, but it worked for us, and you have to admire that view!

Ultimately, we decided to move to New York so John could work as a steamfitter, giving him the sort of pay increase that we could use to start a little nest egg for ourselves - to own a house, to start saving for when we have some kids, etc etc. As John calls it, "a means to a beginning." Unfortunately, we figured out that we'd most likely never be as financially stable as we'd like if we stayed in Seattle, so it was that logic that won out.

Breaking to news to my family and all our friends was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do... of course everyone supported us in our decision, but there was a lot of general sadness. I hated every minute of having to tell everyone we loved in Seattle that we would be leaving, but it had to be done.

We told everyone in the fall, and our move date was set for the end of February, so we had many "lasts:" Last time going to the Cinerama, last Sassy Girls' Dinner, last New Year's party, last day of work, last, last, last. We made every second count, though, and on February 21st, 2009, we had our final going away party at Sun Liquor, our favorite bar in all of Seattle, where the bartenders know us and love us, the drinks are strong, and everyone is welcome.

And on February 27th, we had either packed up, thrown out, or given away all of our belongings and said goodbye to our sweet little apartment for the last time. We got into the Wonder Van and started our trip across the country.

XOXO

Hello out there

Hi there! I'm Jenny, and my husband, John, and I have been married for just over a year. The above picture was taken on August 29th, 2008, just before we said our vows. In the past year, we have experienced so much... getting married, deciding to move from Seattle, Washington to Long Island, New York, John being a house husband, a crazy Christmas snowstorm in Seattle that made the city come to a screeching halt, leaving my job, packing to move, driving from Seattle to New York, going on our honeymoon, living with John's parents while we looked for a place, changing plans from renting in Brooklyn to owning a house on Long Island, going through renovations on said house (it's still not done), feeling less creative than ever because we live in John's old bedroom, celebrating our birthdays (John's 30th and my 29th), buying a new car, and celebrating our first wedding anniversary in Manhattan.

As you can see, we've had a pretty eventful year! This blog is really just for snits and giggles, and so for posterity I will backpedal in many of my first posts to write about some of the events listed above. In this blog, I'll write about anything encompassing our lives: John's music, my jewelry business and other crafty endeavors, our house renovation, our families and friends (to some extent... I'm not getting too personal and airing any dirty laundry!), and anything else that catches my fancy.

So, welcome to our little corner of the world. Make yourself comfortable.

XOXO