Saturday, May 31, 2014

welcome home!

Right now I'm sitting in my newly built (still unstained) breakfast nook while my husband is painting "gentle rain" gray onto our walls.

It's the weekend. We have imagine dragons turned up loudly. I have a homemade mocha sitting next to me in my "everyday white" teacup.

There are pink peonies in a vase where I can readily see them from nearly anywhere in the house. They're so pretty I'm tempted to match their shade to a paint color & designate an accent wall.

I'm wearing jean shorts & one of ben's t-shirts because my summer clothes are still boxed up. I'm comfortable, but definitely not trendy. We'll work on that one later, though.

So this house! It's ours. And we love it. Uneven floors & all.

We're slowly transforming it from a refurbished structure into a home...a home that best represents us & our life together. The home we talked & argued & pinned about. The home we believed God would provide so graciously.

We've named it the rothwell square as its dimensions are that of a perfect square! Yeah, we're really creative.

First thing we did when we moved in was set up our coffee station. This included the: grinder, brewer/pot, keurig, k-cup drawer, & "today's roast" container. This was an important step toward our happiness & civility.

Next I had my mom come over & help me organize my kitchen (she's had 27 years of kitchens so she is a pro). Then I made baked goods. Which I've never been good at. But my new kitchen is so lovely that I couldn't help myself! We even bought a stand mixer -- on a whim. And ben keeps begging for muffins, scones, cookies, breads, & poundcake.

It got dark before we knew it & we suddenly realized how hungry we were. We couldn't tear ourselves away so we ordered chinese take-out. Without chairs, we sat cross-legged on the floor. Between slurping lo-mein noodles and piling fried rice onto chopsticks, we dreamt of everything this place would become. While our voices echoed across the hardwood floors.

It's been fun to settle in & inconspicuously figure out how to be a homeowner. Which has meant doing trivial things like researching the most affordable trash company, bribing my brother to mow our lawn with chick-fil-a combos, spending hours poking around home depot, & hosting the plumber with strawberry lemonade while he makes our toilets flush.

The story of our rothwell square is in the beginning stages, but we are are confident it will always be one of faithful love that conquers whatever threatens to come against it. We'll fill it up with reckless laughter, local produce, good people, God-given grace, vintage everything, favorite photos, natural lighting, & eventually....mini rothwells!

It's just our little place. And I want to be here all the time. Just my heart & his.



Monday, May 26, 2014

wedding music!

I've had a lot of people ask me about the songs on our love songs CD favor, which I've recently pulled out & started listening to once again. It's making me happy & full of so much peace.

I've listed the tracks & artists below (with links! so you can check them out). These are songs that have defined specific moments of our relationship, songs that move us, make us love each other more fiercely, and even remind us of ourselves.

Enjoy!

1. Soldier - Gavin Degraw
a fun groove that proclaims how a man protects & provides for his girl
2. On a Night Like This - Dave Barnes
I've loved this song since high school & it has never gotten old
3. Mary's Song - Taylor Swift
the song that most perfectly describes the rothwell romance: I was seven & he was nine...
4. Carry You Home - Nashville Skyline
perfect for the cold winter months - I played it so much after I got engaged on Christmas Eve
"in december, I remember, we smiled for awhile"
5. Elements - Moses Mayfield
the first song ben ever sang to me
6. Turning Page - Sleeping at Last
night driving & ben wearing a boyish grin while explaining he's found a song that he knows I'll love forever
"I surrender who I've been for who you are; nothing makes me stronger than your fragile heart"
7. I Believe in You - Tyler Hilton
we like this one better as a duet, so...we make that change ourselves
"baby, that's all I need, someone like you burning through me" 
8. The Lucky One - Jess Penner
love the innocence in her voice & the magic in her word painting
9. True Like Your Name - Steve Moakler
we fell in love with his entire album & played it repeatedly after seeing him live while on a road trip
"stay beside me, let me be your thrill"
10. Hazy - Rosi Golan feat. William Fitzsimmons
simplicity, purity, security
"without you, things go hazy"
11. Only Hope - Switchfoot
my heart & soul is in this song
12. Slow Your Breath Down - Future of Forestry
a reminder to let go, trust, & be confident in your love
"you're not alone, you're now a part of me"
13. Nothing Left to Lose - Needtobreathe
I knew that marriage wouldn't be a fairytale, but everyday - with the strength of Jesus Christ - we have the opportunity to honor one another
"in your hand you hold the pen, what's your answer for the end?"
14. Ulysses - Josh Garrels
this song was done live in our ceremony by my dearest friends - it's so close to us & so significant to the way we came to be together
15. The Sun and The Moon - Mae
"and when you say forever, can't you see: you've already captured me"


HONORABLE MENTIONS:

On Top of The World - Matthew Perryman Jones
our processional 
(ben & I decided on this song while star gazing on my family's trampoline)

Since You Said I Do - Dave Barnes
our recessional 
(I wanted to capture the fun we have together - this does it!)

Your Love is Strong - Jon Foreman
ceremony
(a reminder that GOD'S love is what binds us together where NO ONE can separate!)

Anne's Theme - Hagood Hardy
our vows
(from my most favorite, ever romantic, and always cherished book & movie: Anne of Green Gables)

Song for My Bride (working title) - Ben Rothwell
ceremony
(he penned & performed this for me - as a complete surprise)

Until You (acoustic version) - Dave Barnes
our first dance 
(knew from the first moment I heard this "remix" that this would be in my wedding...THE MOST lovely piano)

Already Home - Ha-Ash feat. Brandi Carlisle
father/daughter dance
(I cried a lot listening to this...)

Never Grow Up - Taylor Swift
mother/son dance 
(ben's choice - it adequately described his childhood & fittingly, his siblings performed it)


HUGE thanks to the beautiful people who performed music during our wedding:

Craig Sullivan
Catherine DuVal
Brianna Morrow
Mary Smoot
Adam Rothwell
McKenzie Morrow



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