Yesterday was tough. Really tough. I spent the day in the hospital, pretty unexpectedly (I had about two days notice plus a few less than great bloodwork results).  I’m okay now, I promise.  A bit defeated, maybe a bit more shaken than before, but I’m used to this. I’ve had a surgery and at least one major procedure every year of the first three years of my marriage.  I’m actually bizarrely chipper once I’m in the hospital – this time, post piña colada on IV drip, I waved like a prom queen and said goodbye to every staff member on the floor.  I’m so unbelievably grateful for my family and husband.  Everyone in my family has gone above and beyond; even my sister read me Harry Potter last night … (Which, by the way, I have never read!  I’m a weirdo.)  I could not do this without them.

And I know sometimes love seems tough, but it’s so worth it. I love my husband in a way that almost hurts. We’ve been together more than a decade, we met and began dating as kids, but to this day, I miss him when he’s gone (and we’re barely apart, so I’m talking the hours before he’s home from work.) Yesterday he had to run to the lab to finish last minute details for his thesis, because in addition to moving into a new apartment on Tuesday, surgery on Wednesday, recovery today, attempts at unpacking our new apartment, packing for Europe, and getting all of my own posts and legal work done before next Wednesday when we get on a plane headed for a trip I won to London, the day we get back hubby starts rotations so his PhD work has to be done before our trip.  To say this week has been crazy is an understatement.

Ahhh, yes, to the point: last night, hubby shows up to my parents house, where I basically spent my afternoon post-hospital buried in blankets, with six bags of frozen yogurt and toppings.  I could have burst with excitement, pride, and so much love.  (I really really really like frozen yogurt … in a big way.)

I guess what I’m trying to say is, I know things get tough, and crazy scary sometimes, but it’s the people around you that back you up, make you tougher, make you smile, and feed you endless frozen yogurt.

Last night my husband looked at me and said, “I’m glad I get to be the man behind your blog.” I melted right there on the sofa and was reminded for the ten millionth time why I love him so much. He also insisted that the amount of time it takes me to instagram food leaves him starving most nights and that he still doesn’t get Facebook.  Check out Mike’s interview over on Victoria’s blog today, as he talks the roller-coaster-ride that is blogging, social media, and other nerdy science stuff.  (And P.S., there’s also a fun little surprise announcement in Victoria’s post … told you I had big things in store. #thebbar)

You can also check out my Oh, So Glam Q&A where I’m sharing all things glamour on the Glam site (i.e., “Glamour is a great pair of heels and red lipstick. It’s two parts confidence, one part great accessories.“), and I’m talking about my favorite {edgy} flats on Sam’s blog in her adorable series, Fashionistas in Flats.

Hubby and I have found ourselves in the thick of what we like to call “workaholics syndrome”.  I touched on this here, but I’m curious to know what you all do to combat laptop-glued-to-lap-itis.  The story goes a little something like this:  Hubby is an eternal Md/PhD student (a.k.a., school is the norm for many many … many years) and I am a lawyer/blogger.  The “/” is important because let’s face it, they’re both pretty time-consuming endeavors.  Hubby also works until 8:30/9:00pm every night, and once his rotations start, his hours will get worse.  I blog after work, which means I’m up blogging far too late.

As the new year rolls around, I’m reflecting on things I’m proud of, things I can change, things I can improve upon.  Hubby and I have one of those awww-inducing relationships.  We’ve been together on more fingers than I can count and I still beam/gush/squeak when I talk about him.  But I worry sometimes that the work does get to be too much, even when we don’t think that it does.  You know, like when we’re arguing over his double-dipping (because I swear once you’re married you argue about the most trivial things, and then laugh about it later), you throw in a gut-wrenching, “Yeah, well when was the last time you planned a romantic dinner for me?”  Where the heck did that come from?  I blame my hormones.  And I always regret those knee-jerk comments, but I know that I wouldn’t have thrown that at him unless it held some glimmer of truth.

So truth is, I don’t like that we work so much. I don’t like that he hardly gets enough sleep, let alone time to plan an Anniversary dinner for me.  This is in no way to blame him, trust me, I’m guilty too (says the girl who sits with her laptop on her lap … in bed … well, past 1am.)

I guess my question is, how do you make the time for each other?  How do you shut off that computer?  How do you balance work, play, love, family?  And is that even realistic?  Work is what I busted my tush for during all those years in law school, blogging is an utter passion, and hubby, he’s everything.  How do you make it all fit?

Image here

On the heels of our two-year wedding anniversary (it was yesterday!), I thought I’d talk “date night” … and fashion, of course.

I love date night. I know it’s nerdy, especially because the hubs and I have been together for eternity (or at least since high school), but there’s something about date night that gets me all giddy inside. I love getting all dressed up, I love that the hubby remembers to wear cologne (sometimes), I love trying new restaurants and drinking a little too much wine and holding hands. I also love breaking in a new pair of shoes that clearly were never going to work in a law office. #truth

1. A great light-weight handbag.  I am loving structured purses with great texture and color for the Fall.
2. A bold statement necklace.
3. I tend to stick to my tried and true favorite tanks and shirts, adding layers as it gets colder.
4. A tough-girl jacket {I’ve been crushing hard on the menswear-inspired coats this season.}  The leather sleeves are an added bonus.
5. The matte lipstick crayon from NARS is heaven.  I love a bold red lip – especially on date night – and matte lipstick tends to be pretty error proof … put it in kids’ crayola crayon form and I’m in heaven.
6. I’m actually on the hunt for classic black pumps.  For all the leopard print and studs, I’ve managed to overlook buying a classic black pair of pumps.  Any suggestions?
7. Sequins.  They’re a must on date night.
8. I’ve also been pretty obsessed with layering rings lately – the more, the merrier, and at least one on every finger.  Madewell has some gorgeous, and affordable, stacking ring options that I’ve completely fallen for.  The trickiest part is figuring out the sizes of all of your other fingers (i.e., everything but the ring finger.)  I’ve basically just started ordering one-size-up as I go along the fingers; so: my ring finger is a size 5, I order a size 6 for the middle finger, and a 7 for the index finger.  If the rings are ever too big on one finger, I just move them up and over.  I also love wearing rings on my thumb – and my thumb is generally the same size as my index finger.

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Last weekend I managed to surprise the hubby and took him to Maine for an early 30th birthday!  Let me tell you, pulling off a secret trip was no easy task.  But it was so worth it:  the look on his face when he realized what I was up to was priceless.  He obviously figured out pretty quickly that we were going to Maine.  The plane sort of gave it away.  What he didn’t know was that instead of staying at my family’s vacation home, we were headed to the resort where we got married two years ago.  The kind of resort where they sort your fruit, pack you a thermos of coffee with cookies (for later), teach yoga by the lake, and have bath tubs the size of small swimming pools.

Here’s how it all went down:

When we got into the rental car at Portland Airport, I sprung this on him …

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Dear week, you went by in the blink of an eye … thanks, I think.

Dear NYFW and LuckyFABB, you are so freaking close I could scream.  I can’t believe I am finally going!

Dear dream bag, you would look so pretty on my arm at NYFW.  I shall will you to arrive at my doorstep.

Dear closet, please sort yourself into the outfits most appropriate for NYFW and pack yourselves accordingly.  Preferably in one suitcase.  My husband insists my trying to lug two suitcases around is not practical … even if one is simply a “back-up” … for my shoes.

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