John Mayer poster

In five minutes on a weeknight, our house became a home.

Airstream trailer makeover

I currently manage TODAY.com's Home section and have been dreaming of featuring an Airstream trailer makeover for months. Finally, I came across the perfect one. A California couple purchased it in January and at the time, it was in dire condition. We're talking flat tires, broken windows, filled with trash and it even had "green slime."

[caption id="attachment_1349" align="aligncenter" width="833"] Credit: The Local Branch[/caption]

With one month and $3,000, the couple turned it around into a cozy home that they now live in full-time. You won't believe what it looks like today. See it here. 

Hitched

We did it!

On May 3, 2014 in New York City, Jared and I became husband and wife. And all I can say about that is: phew.

I had so much anxiety in the last few weeks of our engagement at the reality that I was going to be in a marriage again. And you know what?

There was nothing to worry about.

The moment I saw Jared on our wedding day, I felt such an overwhelming feeling of peace. We could not stop smiling at one another the entire morning, and as soon as we were pronounced husband and wife, I tangibly felt a huge weight lifted off of my shoulders. I had a moment with my mother after the wedding and all I could say was, “I feel so much lighter.” That battle of “Should I get married again? and “Is this really the right thing to do?” and even the tag that “I am divorced” was — poof — gone. It was the lightest I had felt in a long time. I am so grateful.

We are now two months in to this whole party and honestly, it has been so much easier than I expected. Jared assured me leading up to our wedding day that very little would change from dating to marriage, and aside from moving into his bachelor pad and a few other aspects of our relationship  (ahem), there hasn’t been that much of a difference. No surprises. No secrets. We just laugh a lot more now…. and make mango smoothies every night before we go to bed.

You guys, there was nothing to worry about.

The Week of Our Wedding

This post is more meant for my journal, but that little book is packed away in a box, so we're sending it out on the blogosphere for friends, strangers and potential employers to read. Hey everyone!

The last five months have been a complete whirlwind. Well, let's face it. The last three years have been a whirlwind, but ever since Jared put a ring on it, life seemed to slam on that gas pedal.

I sit here now typing in my Upper West Side apartment on the week of our wedding. On Thursday morning, the movers will come and move my things to Jared's apartment. I'll wave goodbye to my view of the most charming water tower you have ever seen, blow a kiss to Matt Damon's (former) building across the street and close the door to my little piece of Manhattan. I have lived here longer than I have lived anywhere in the last 10 years, and this little spot has been so special to me during the last two years. I started graduate school with this home. I worked late, late, late nights typing away in this room. I dressed up for dates, rode out a hurricane, collapsed on the bed after red-eye flights, finished graduate school, interviewed for jobs, accepted my position at NBC and so much more surrounded by these walls. This place is a piece of me and I ache to say goodbye.

Hours after moving, my momma will land, followed by the rest of our families, including my brother all the way from China and our dear friends from California to Mississippi. Jared and I will be family by the weeks' end. And that is just crazy to me sometimes.

One thing my first marriage taught me is that marriage is crazy. I walked away thinking I never, ever wanted to do that again. And those memories still tug at me. So why go for another round?

Because Jared is my best friend and I want a family with him. I see that. I want that. And God willing, that's an upcoming chapter in my life. Those tidbits are the sweet parts of doing this. I also know that the painful growing pains, they will in fact be growing pains. I am stepping into a lifetime of practicing choosing love and compassion in countless circumstances.

I don't think I feel as put together as I thought I would be at this point. I'm still figuring out how to take care of Amy and have a few walls remaining from round one. The engagement has been mostly fun, special and loving, but the last two weeks have been particularly difficult as anxieties set in. But I'm also marrying a guy who is as patient as they come. He has stood on the sidelines for two-plus years waiting to step up.

Marriage can be terrifying, but this week (and for weeks, months, decades to come), I am choosing to be brave. I am choosing love, compassion, courage, hope all wrapped up in that tall, sweet man of mine. 

Update on the insanity

Aside from my relationship status, a lot has changed in the last 30 days! So a quick run down on the insanity seems to be in order.

First of all, I am now a master of journalism! And I will only be addressed as such. Kidding, kidding. But I did finish my graduate program in mid-December and can (finally) check that dream off of my bucket list (yes, I have a bucket list and yes, getting a master's degree in journalism is on there). During the ceremony, I walked through the doors and immediately spotted my parents with Jared. It all felt so much more significant than a piece of paper and a new line on the resume. When I was living at my parent's house a few years ago, I would wake up early, say good morning to my dad as he read the news in his office and head to the basement, where my mom had set up a study area to cram for the GRE. Even when I was accepted and had moved to New York, she would listen to me vent and even sometimes cry from graduate school exhaustion. And Jared, oh Jared. At one point last winter the poor guy was giving me pep talks on an hourly basis. We both still talk about a night in March when he called me from the Wall Street subway stop to find I was having a breakdown, and the sweet man gave me some serious tough love. That guy won't let me get away with doubting myself. Graduate school was the hardest thing I have ever done. But I did it! With a lot of help, I did it.



And I have a job! Four days after walking across the stage to get my degree, I started working as an associate editor for TODAY.com. The job is better than anything I hoped for moving to New York, so I'm still pinching myself. Follow me on Twitter to see what I'm working on there.

And yes, I sing this song to myself daily as I walk to 30 Rock.

Cheese Wedding Cake

Jared and I have barely dipped our toes into planning our wedding...But I spotted this stroke of genius earlier today before work. A cheese wedding cake!



Would you do something like this? While I would go for this any day,  Jared and I are thinking of ordering our guests our favorite red velvet cheesecakes from here. During our first year in NYC, we would use any excuse to stop by and pick one up to share.

Hercules

We've been hit by Hercules over here! And he's beautiful. At least he is when I'm sitting at my window with a mug of tea in the middle of the night watching it fall. Commuting to work in an hour may be a little less beautiful, but nothing my boots and I can't handle.

Have a great first of weekend of 2014! Jared and I are headed to midtown tonight to watch the Orange Bowl (Buckeyes!). Tomorrow, lunch in Brooklyn with girlfriends and "Scandal." Lots and lots of "Scandal." Stay warm and safe out there!