ENGAGED!

Sunday evening, Derek asked me to marry him and I said YES! He had the whole thing planned for weeks. Weeks!? I couldn't believe his creativity, thoughtfulness, and shear element of surprise. He done me good, real good…. Would you like to hear how!?

A week ago Derek told me that we were going to this little event at the Zoo. I assumed it was the Columbus Zoo Lights event, but he also mentioned his friend works with some of the animals and we would get to pet a few of the small ones. The weather was terrible, so windy and rainy, so they closed zoo lights early. He told me not to worry, we can still see the baby animals! Of course I was on board. So a couple of friends (Courtney, Kyle, & Joey) came with us. So the evening proceeds... we're all gawking over an adorable and friendly little penguin when his friend who works at the zoo, Shannon, says let me grab this african fox - you'll love it! She hands me this cuddly little fox and I spy the note... "Jackie, will you marry me?" OMG. WHAT?!?! Actually, I said "ARE YOU SERIOUS?!" as if he would pull an awful prank like that! We were lucky enough to have his friend Jake video the entire thing; notice he was speechless and so was I! I said yes, of course!! 

The next part of our story still warms my heart… This kid got my family there to share the love as we celebrated with dinner and champagne toasts at his sister's house! I mean, c'mon. {Pinch me now} So many tears, so much love, and soooo much excitement for our future! 

These are all pictures from Derek's sister, Grace! Head on over to {her blog} to see more of her awesome photos!

  

{my family}

{derek's family}

{the friends} 

{he's a keeper}

 Oh, did I mention the ring? Dang. All I have to say is he knows me, he knows my style, and he really hit a home run with his ring choice!

{it has a touch of rose gold… perfection!}

Tricks & treats

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

One of my favorite holidays :) Tonight I plan on watching all things scary, eating lots of candy, and crossing my fingers for little trick-or-treators in my neighborhood!

On the topic of costumes... This is pretty awesome! 

http://elitedaily.com/news/world/girls-want-monsters-sluts-halloween-video/

Last year's Halloween in the office was Pantone color chips, 

this year... WIGS! Simple, yet highly entertaining!

The Franklin Conservatory

I had a fancy little date at the conservatory last week to see this fantastic light exhibit by Bruce Munro. Derek and I knew about it from our last visit to the Franklin Conservatory and I immediately put it on my to-do list. For my columbus friends, this is a must see! That field of light... it's so peaceful to sit and watch the slow pulse of the color-changing lights!

Read more about it { here }.

{ i love this place }

{ Light Shower }

{ Beacon }

{ Field of Light }

{ maybe we should get more pictures together... ha }

Fancy Friends

I had the pleasure of chatting with this lovely gal last week. She is about to embark on a serious mission. Laura was accepted into the Peace Corps earlier this year and shipped off to Costa Rica in July. It is now time for her to go to her site assignment location where the real business starts! Much less internet time and staying in-touch with her for the rest of us, but it sounds like it will be an amazing 2 years! 

I should probably start planning my trip now... who's with me?! 

Safe travels on your wonderful journey little miss Getzy :)

Follow her adventure { HERE } !!!

Fab

I came across this neat piece fun the other day and wanted to share! 

{ It's from FAB.com }

Rule the World

{ HOW TO GET FLAT ABS, HAVE GREAT SEX, AND RULE THE WORLD IN 8 EASY STEPS }

1. Stop believing your bullshit.

2. Be happy now.

3. Look at the stars.

4. Let people in.

5. Stop with the crazy making.

6. Learn to apologize.7. Practice gratitude.

8. Be kind.

A friend shared this article with me this morning. It's a must read folks... go check it out!

The Skimm

I've recently started getting my daily news dose from The Skimm. Like their website says, The Skimm is a "daily newsletter that simplifies the headlines for the educated professional who knows enough to know she needs more." I like it because it simplifies and condenses the info. I don't ever sit and read the news paper and I rarely watch the news, so this helps me to feel informed & up-to-date! Check it out : http://www.theskimm.com

Lately...

Happy Friday! I can't believe how quickly the summer flew by. Fall and football is about to be in full swing and I've been able to see Derek's coaching skills in action - Go wildcats! Although I don't know much about the game of football (yes, I'll to admit that), I thoroughly enjoy the company of friends and family and the beautiful fall colors that accompany football season! Bring on the boots, sweaters, & hot beverages :)

 A few things as of late... I made a trip to Michigan with Derek & his family Labor Day Weekend. Next I made a much needed Cedar Point trip with friends & co-workers. Then adding to my travels and fun, I have a friend's wedding this weekend. Yay! I will certainly enjoy celebrating an adorable pair of newlyweds with my friends! There will be lots of wonderful people I haven't seen in awhile.

Friday Inspiration

Check out these New York now & then images! It's cool to see how much of old New York has been preserved. One of my favorites it's the Madison Square Park one; it seems like there are more trees now, which only makes the park that much more beautiful!

{http://www.nyc-grid.com}

Have a fantastic Holiday weekend!

Weekend Recap

This weekend was the Summerfest concert, with headliners: Cold War Kids and Matt & Kim. It was a lot of fun and the weather was perfect for being in the sun all day! As far as Sunday's activities; Derek and I rode the Olentangy River bike trail and stumbled upon the Park of Roses (which I've been wanting to visit all summer)! So beautiful... such a wide array of colors! I'm sure it's even more beautiful at the start of summer!

{ Derek & Joey }

{ J Roddy Walston and The Business }

{ Park of Roses - Clintonville }

Love Languages

My friend, Alyssa, recently told me about the 5 different type of languages pertaining to love! I was immediately interested in which aspect I was, and of course what Derek would be. The five aspects are; touch, time, affirmation, gifts, and actions. Not too surprised that Derek and I scored similarly. Our strongest love language is time, or quality time;

In the vernacular of Quality Time, nothing says, “I love you,” like full, undivided attention. Being there for this type of person is critical, but really being there—with the TV off, fork and knife down, and all chores and tasks on standby—makes your significant other feel truly special and loved. Distractions, postponed dates, or the failure to listen can be especially hurtful.*

This means giving someone your undivided attention. I don’t mean sitting on the couch watching television together. What I mean is taking a walk, just the two of you, or going out to eat and looking at each other while talking. Time is a strong communicator of love. The love language of quality time has many dialects. One of the most common is that of quality conversation – two individuals sharing their thoughts and feelings. A relationship calls for sympathetic listening with a view to understanding the other person’s desires. We must be willing to give advice, but only when it’s requested and never in a condescending manner. 

Time spent together means the most to both of us? Easy compromise. My next highest score was touch, and his was affirmation (or words of kindness & love). The artist and the English teacher. Shocker!! Haha! In other words, he enjoys hearing how much I care for him, or how great his butt looks on any given day ;) - while I enjoy hugs and kisses galore!

I encourage you to take the quiz online [here]. And no, you don't have to be in a relationship to take it. It will help you understand your language with your friends as well! So instead of sending a card with kind words, maybe they actually need a little visit to feel comforted, appreciated, loved (whatever it is they communicate that is lacking). There is also [this] explanation of the love languages and little notes about how to meet your significant others' (or friends) needs.

Weekend recap

This past weekend was filled with sun, reading, and adventure! I spent Saturday by the pool reading a new book that reminds me of my summer in Italy. The book is titled Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter, and I want to share my very favorite line thus far; "Then she smiled, and in that instant, if such a thing were possible, Pasquale fell in love, and he would remain in love for the rest of his life-not so much with the woman, whom he didn't even know, but with the moment." I think that is so eloquently said.

{teal toes & coral nails... I can't believe summer is almost over}

Sunday... was much more of an adventure... Derek & I went skydiving!! It was SOO exhilarating! The free-fall portion was freezing and I could barely catch my breath, but the gliding along after the parachute deployed, was warm, quiet, and serene! Such a rush!

Marblehead

This past weekend Derek and I planned a fun little getaway to a small Marblehead community, Lakeside. We booked through AirBnB (ever heard of it?), it was cheaper than a hotel and super convenient! We brought our bikes, some wine, and spent lots of time on the beach!

It was fantastic :)

{Lake Erie, not the most beautiful, but I can dig it}

{had to improvise because we forgot chairs... clever fella!}

SPAIN ((Part 3))

{La Sagrada Familia... WOW}

{Gaudi designed the interior to be reminiscent of a forrest -
tall trees, branching out to meet one another...

...do you see it!?}

{hands down, one of my favorite tourist stops - inspiring & calming}

{stumbled upon a hotel with an amazing view & lavish garden}

{Erin loved this knobby tree and crazy roots}

{awesome graffiti never gets old}

{where I almost got successfully pick-pocketed! yikes.}

{banana & Nutella crepe - largest one ever!!}

Ahhh Spain. I miss your beautiful views and bustling streets... 'Til next time!