Live Love Laugh

It’s been long overdue, but I can finally share a photo of the actual gift I got my Significant Other for our one year wedding anniversary.

You may remember how I made a word cloud outlining our first year of marriage, or how I stuck about forty “I love…” post-it notes on a cupboard door in the shape of a heart. To stick with the traditional paper gifts, I bought a large frame, selected some photos of us from the past year, and printed them on photo paper… which I could only do after we received the new printer nozzle tingy because the old one wasn’t working… but it all worked out in the end.

[Note: I’ll apologize in advance for  both the quality of the photo and the angle at which it was taken – it was late in the afternoon, and the corridor doesn’t get much light, so I had to use the flash on my cell phone. Better pic to follow soon!]

I know some of you may think the ‘Live Love Laugh’ thing is a bit cheesy and overused, yet I suppose it epitomizes what one can do and hope for to have a happy life. Nobody ever said life was going to be easy (cue more clichés!) All we can do is live as best we can, love and care for others (and ourselves!) and try to look on the lighter side of things, as well… Besides, my Significant Other and I laugh at ourselves a lot because we’re so silly, and that makes the frame’s sentiments even more fitting…

…that, and the fact that Smudgy doesn’t look overly impressed in the photo directly underneath the word ‘Laugh’, making me want to have a small chuckle even more 😉

Okay, enough with the seriousness and pseudo-lecturing and back to my madcap, obsessive-compulsive, cat-loving and slightly pessimistic self *mumble mumble*

Have a tremendously terrific Tuesday, everyone!

Smudgy the cat loves… (Part 2)

Good morning, dearest blog readers!

It’s nice and cold here in South Africa, and with the weather being what it is, I thought it’d be the perfect opportunity to do the second instalment in the Smudgy the cat loves… ‘series’… which, I know, is long overdue.

So, what else does my feline fur-baby love? Cuddling!

Smudgy isn’t really what you would call an affectionate cat. I know that she loves me, as much as a cat can be said to love a human, but many (if not most) times she casts this into serious doubt. She prefers being outdoors, doesn’t like being held for too long, won’t sit in your lap when you want her to, claws or bites me at random, and only seems happy to see me when I get home in the afternoons because her food  bowl is ‘empty’. Still, we have our own little rituals, and I think when it comes to the dreary weather that personifies winter, she’s far more likely to act like a loving little thing.

That said, I will admit that she’s very intuitive. When I have to take home work in the evenings, she always comes to sit with me (or, rather, on my work). She seems to know when I need a bit of companionship, or a cuddle, and I am more than happy to oblige!

She was nowhere to be found when I was in bed with a migraine on Friday, but I won’t hold that against her 😉

Here are some photos of Smudgy indulging in some cuddling with me. Nothing says happiness like a warm kitty in your lap/by your side/stealing your pillow…

Snuggling into the crook of my arm while I read

Stretching on the couch

Holding onto my arm to snugly secure herself

Many times I think Smudgy prefers my Significant Other…

Taking a quick catnap – aren’t we adorable?

Stealing my pillow pre-cuddle – and I let her keep it! She sure gets away with a lot

More interested in cozying up next to me than watching Mythbusters

Taking a nap on my behalf after an aqua aerobics class. Just the thought of exercise makes Smudgy tired… not to mention all that water!

Cutest lap-cat EVER 🙂 Best way to stay warm on a cold night when a heating pad and mug of tea just won’t cut it.

Taking over my side of the bed last night. A cuddle session was inevitable. This is definitely one of my favourite photos of us.

A day (and year) to remember

Happy Monday, blog readers!

Even if it’s not a happy one for you, at least it’s happy for me, because a year ago today (in approximately half an hour’s time, if you want to get technical), this happened:

That’s right – I got married.

There were a lot of things that weren’t perfect (with weddings, are they ever?) Naming but only a few: the sidepath of my hair was on the wrong side; the flowers weren’t 100% what I expected; it was an incredibly windy day; and I was 20 minutes late! I know the bride is allowed to be late, but I’m a punctual person, and I don’t really do late. I just comfort myself in the fact that I was actually ready to go, and that the other people in the bridal party were still busy doing their hair/make-up and having their pictures taken… 😉

It’s been a great year filled with love, laughter, happiness and all the other things that couples go through (it’s not always sparkly nyancat rainbows and the like, after all). And yes, I’m thankful. It’s wonderful being married to someone I can be silly with, who genuinely wants to know how my day’s been, who won’t let me get out of the car until we’ve shared a kiss, who playfully teases me when I cry during movies or tv shows (believe me, I can cry at the smallest thing!), who “tolerates” my cooking… and who hasn’t murdered the cat yet because he secretely loves her.

We spent the weekend in a guest house just outside Robertson and had a lovely time. We dined at Mo & Rose and had the most amazing food ever!! I might share some photos of our dining experience with you tomorrow. Tonight we’re going to Balducci’s, and I’m really looking forward to trying their cuisine… I’ll probably just have to find something more appealing to wear than my current attire: black jeans & a green jersey.

Although I have yet to complete the gift I bought my Significant Other, I had a little ‘side project’ I was working on, and after he dropped me off at work this morning, he went home to discover this against one of the cupboards in our study:

That’s right: 40 post-it love notes! I started each one with “I love” and took it from there. It’s the thought that counts after all, right? Plus it’s not like I could list everything I love and appreciate about him – the cupboard would have become pretty full, and I might have ended up sounding clichéd. At least I knew that a few of these would ellicit some chuckles – and being able to laugh & reminisce is something wonderful to me.

Thank you for an amazing year, Sweetheart – here’s to many more! I love you ❤