We're about to move to our new apartment, and I can't help but fret about how drab it's going to look for a while. Until we become a double-income household, we won't be able to decorate our apartment in any decent manner. It's gonna look shabby (not even "shabby chic"). It doesn't help me feel any better that every day I ogle beautiful and fab home interiors on the internet. What is it about the mid-century look that appeals so much to people in my demographic group? I just can't get enough of this style *sigh.*

Anyway, I look forward to living in a completely fragrance-free space that's bright and walking distance of a commercial strip. And I'll also be able to walk to my new church. Yay.

My little tomato plant, which I got in June, has grown so much to my amazement! And the tomatoes are finally beginning to ripen. This was my first time growing cherry tomatoes, and I thought for sure I was gonna end up killing it. But that hasn't been the case, and I'm so proud of it!

This has been an awesome summer to grow tomatoes. We had so many hot sunny days. What a gorgeous summer it has been. Although the days continue to be warm and sunny, I can feel a slight hint of autumn chill in the air.

I love listening to podcasts. They have replaced TV shows. Here's a list I would recommend:

If you're into knitting:
:: Cast On
:: Stash & Burn

Others:
:: NPR: Planet Money (really good at explaining what the heck is going in the global economy)
:: Savage Love Podcast (audio version of Dan Savage, the sex columnist)
:: Stuff You Should Know (geeky-cool science show)
:: This American Life (interesting stories about people from every walk of life)

These podcasts are both informative and entertaining. All can be found on iTunes.

Things I learned about reupholstering a dining chair:

:: Make sure the foam is a little bigger than the seat.
:: Stapling down the corners of the fabric is frickin' hard.
:: If repainting the chair, don't skip the primer and make sure to sand between coats (argh, I never learn).

This was a super fun project to do, and I look forward to future reupholstery jobs.

I attended a wedding of a friend from my undergrad UBC days and got a blast from the past. I saw old friends whom I had not seen in ages. They were people I knew from the church I was going to nine years ago. I had mixed feelings about seeing them. On one hand I was glad to see them again and know where they're at now, but I was also sad that these people who were once good friends of mine are no longer in my life. All of them didn't know that I had come back to Vancouver and gotten married. I had not bothered to notify them because I had lost touch for so long. Even while at Regent I barely saw much of them, if at all.

Overall it felt awkward to see them again because I wasn't sure if I should make the effort to reconnect with them again. Do I suggest that we meet up soon and catch up? In the end, I decided to just leave it at "Hi" and "Bye." Frankly, there's really nothing we have in common that would reunite us and make us a regular part of one another's lives. The only thing we share now is a history, a brief period of our lives. We had some good times back then, but I doubt we could recreate them. We've all gone in our own direction.

Latest project is a nightstand on which I decoupaged some gift wrap paper.

And I've just embarked on my first reupholstery project! I need to go out and find some foam today to replace the one that's in the chair's seat. I'm very excited about doing this project.

The Dude and I will be moving out of the co-op house at the end of the month. Our new digs will be in Kerrisdale! The mecca for retired senior citizens in Vancouver!

We're sad to leave our awesome housemates, but we found that co-op living demands too much of our time. Our current house is very old, and an absentee landlord results in tenants doing much of the maintenance work. Also, we realized that being newlyweds requires us to put in a substantial portion of our energy and time into establishing our new marriage. Hence, we need to give ourselves the space and time to do that. Personally, I also discovered that living in a house is not my thing. I really do prefer small spaces because they're low maintenance. I rather be outside enjoying the city or exploring something new rather than working on my house. Accordingly, the Dude and I are in no hurry to buy a house any time soon.

I'll be spending a lot of time at www.apartmenttherapy.com as I fantasize about decorating our sweet, little apartment.

We're back from our honeymoon!

We went on a road trip that took us up to the Sunshine Coast, Vancouver Island, and Salt Spring Island. Yes, lots of ferry-ing around.

Memorable moments:

::Watching the lightning storm from Sechelt.

::My favorite ferry ride was hands down the one between Earl's Cove and Powell River. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous scenery.

::Visiting the Old Country Market in Coombs--famous for having goats on their roofs.

::The Dude fooling around with his seaweed "whip" on the beach while we were in Tofino.

::Canoeing in Clayoquot Sound.

::Chatting it up with Bruce of Bruce's Kitchen, owner of a small cafe in Salt Spring Island that specializes in using produce from local farms. We especially enjoyed the amazing orzo salad that had delectable slices of heirloom tomatoes.