Storms

Yesterday's storms were crazy. I left work early yesterday so I could get home before the winds and rest of the storm arrived. I'm glad I left early...because when the storm was overhead, it was intense. 

~I think I've turned into my Grandfather. He was all about the weather and planning ahead and discussing yesterday's weather. When I was young I would be like, "Yeah Grandpa...it's the weather." You know? Weather happens every single day.  But now that I'm older and I have to drive in the "weather" I take it a lot more seriously. Funny how that works.

Our dog was okay with the storm yesterday. It didn't spook him. But Alister (the cat) was not happy about it. He usually sits in the window looking at whoever walks by and he was in the window when the storm "landed". The storm came pretty fast. 

I wanted to write a longer post with all kinds of pics...but it's late...so the fun will have to wait.

TTFN (ta ta for now)

~Kimberly

More Apartment Living

I realize that the photos of our apartment are pretty sparse here on the blog. One reason is that I haven't felt that the photos I've taken actually do the space justice. I have been relying on my smartphone as my impromptu camera, which does not do well in low light.  ~That's the excuse reason I'm using, anyway. So, to give a better idea about our apartment, I'm sharing pics of the model units, which are very nicely lit.

Source

More Photography

Not long after the yearbook publisher deadline, Jordan and I began dating. He continued to pursue photography for his degree as well as contributing to the college publications. I would go with him on photo shoots just to spend time with him. I also spent time in the darkroom watching him create. 

Jordan Behind the Lens

I rarely used a camera. That sort of changed on my first trip to Europe. I went alone and wanted to be sure to document the experience. 

I'm a Serious, Enthusiastic, Amateur Photographer

This is a pic of Jordan when we were at the Cherry Blossom Festival a couple of years ago. He taught me everything I know about photography. I would call myself a serious, enthusiastic, amateur photographer. But, Jordan? He's an artist. He's modest so he won't like that I wrote that. Jordan studied photography in college. He has a BFA in photography. 

Making My Apartment Home

There is not a day that goes by that I don't look around my apartment and say "I love this place." We've been in our place for a little over a year and have zero desire to consider leaving. We enjoyed the home we had before and I enjoy looking back at the photos of how we made that house our home. 

Hygge and Not Working

I've mentioned the few days where we hibernated at home and did our version of hygge. This included reading the novel, Not Working, by Lisa Owens. that I really enjoyed. It was a perfect book for that weekend. 

Here is the Amazon synopsis:

In the tradition of Helen Fielding’s Bridget Jones’s Diary and Allison Pearson’s, I Don’t Know How She Does, It comes a wise and laugh-out-loud debut novel that captures a young generation trying not to have it all, but to figure out what it all means.

Claire has just resigned from her job without a plan for her next move. As she struggles to explain herself to friends and family, she experiences the emotions and minutiae of day-to-day life as only someone without the distractions of a regular routine can—and discovers what happens when she seeks true purpose in life.

Just the weekend before I watched Bridge Jones Diary on Netflix. I hadn't seen the movie since it was in the theaters (oh so long ago) and I longed to see Bridget conquer. So, when I saw that Not Working is compared to Bridget Jones I was mad to read it. 

* Claire, the protagonist is English (from London). 

There is something about English and Irish writers and characters that I love from the first word. Claire's observations are sometimes so funny. She has a dry sort of way of telling you about the absurdity of situations.  I felt for Claire, I'm sure she was like "Really? They really said that?" Or, "This is happening?" 

I absolutely love Claire. She's my kind of girl. When she's "supposed" to be applying for jobs she gets completely sidetracked. She described her day below:

Who hasn't been there, am I right?

Claire also speaks Truth when she talked about Spin Class. 

This book was perfect for a PJ and socks day.

Cheers!

~Kimberly


I received an early copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

More Hygge Thoughts

So, the game didn't go the Panthers' way. I know that stung for the team and players. But like I said earlier, I don't think anyone was pulling against Peyton. 

I've still been thinking about Hygge. For years, I've enjoyed Hygge coziness without attributing a name. I don't want to imply that what I think of as a hygge experience is necessarily the hygge experience. And maybe that's part of it. Maybe hygge is different for everyone. 

Happy Super Bowl Sunday

It's a perfect weekend in the Montgomery household. Saturday was a sunny blue sky day with temperatures in the 60°s. It was perfect weather for going out and running errands. And, today is incredibly different. It's overcast and chilly. But, it is still the perfect day for a SUPER BOWL. I've been excited since the playoffs began. If you know me at all...you know I love football, most especially NFL. I've only become more obsessed over the years.

I was torn when the playoffs included Seattle against Carolina. Since living in Seattle, I'm a diehard fan of the Seahawks. I don't think that will ever go away. But, this year Carolina has played spectacularly. It is a pure joy to watch the team play with such a sense of fun. 

Of course, Peyton Manning is an icon. I don't think anyone could pull against him and his team. So, let me be clear. I am not pulling against Peyton. I am pulling for the Panthers.

Jordan just got back with our Super Bowl food. Our complex is having a Super Bowl party with food, but we want to watch the game in our own living room. That way if I get too excited and shout...(as is typical) I won't embarrass myself.

Jordan said that it was completely dead outside. No traffic and no one really insight, which makes sense because Super Bowl Sunday is sort of like a holiday. Restaurants are closing early and my yoga studio is not offering evening classes. 

So in just a couple of hours, we'll be eating pizza and wings and watching football. What could be better?

I hope you are enjoying your weekend.

~Kimberly

P.S. The groundhog did NOT see his shadow. 2016 is going to be a great year.