Cruise Inspiration

For as long as I can remember, I've wanted to go on a Mediterranean cruise.  In my mind, sleeping on a boat is next to paradise.  The gentle rocking, the continuous sound of water, the view of the deep blue, all-inclusive all- you-can-eat buffets, poolside lounging, and of course, the destinations!  Glamorous beaches, ancient locales, fine cuisine, warm breezes... my mind has romanticized it so!

While I had the good fortune (read: hard work and diligent savings + God's grace) to go to some Mediterranean countries about six years ago, I have never been on a cruise.

Then I met Hband.  His parents love to travel, especially to Italy.  He wanted us to go on a Mediterranean cruise for our honeymoon, but in January that's a terrible idea-- that's how the apostle Paul got shipwrecked.  Haha.  So his father decided to send us on a Mediterranean/Aegean cruise that they had done in the past, this June!  We'll begin in Venice, then cruise to Croatia, Turkey, Greece, and Italy, and then end in Rome.

I feel awkward telling people this exciting news.  On one hand, I'm very excited, as would anyone be when a dream comes true.  On the other hand, I don't want people thinking we're spoiled, or wealthy, or that the fine things in life are handed to us on a silver platter.  Truth be told, we're rather on the poor side, so a gift like this is then exceptionally special to us.  And this isn't just for funsies-- it's his parents' wedding gift to us, and our "official" honeymoon.

So excuse my awkwardness about this subject.  I'd like to talk your ear off about what I am going to wear and what we have planned for shore excursions... but I won't.  I'll just leave you with my cruise inspiration (thank you, Pinterest).

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xoxo, A

wedding snapshot edits... long overdue!

wedding snapshots: 

some favorites of the day

all photos taken by Cristiana Ware of Warehouse Studios, edited by me on Picnik (soon to close, *sniff*)... not that any needed editing.

xoxo, A

Grand Opening!

Welcome to the grand opening for my new blog!  It's really nothing fancy yet.  I'm just getting my feet wet in the whole page-design process.  For someone who has been posting her thoughts online since, oh, ten years or so, I still have a lot to learn!  For example: css and html?  Is that like wth and omg?  Becauase that's kind of how I feel when I mess around with them. 

I know what you're thinking.  You're thinking, "Amanda, really.  Why did you move?  Your old blog was perfectly fine!  In fact, you haven't even changed the name.  Was a complete do-over totally necessary?"

My answer is this: yes.  I didn't change the name because it's still the Irish Hag's Hut.  But you see, I have some goals.  One such goal is to become an expert blogger.  The purpose is not to meet Fame and Fortune, for I am positive I will never be introduced to those two elusive, cheeky rascals.  Instead, I know that I love writing, among other things (said other things will now be included in this blog!), and I believe God sometimes uses me to communicate truth.  So I want to become an expert for those reasons: because I like it and because I think it honors God.

And to become an expert, I am doing some learning.  Hence my long sabbatical from blogging, despite my ambitious New Year's resolution to post a picture every day.  Right.  I'm learning about the functions and makeup of blogs, but I'm also simply learning life, which is the stuff about which I write.  Plus, that stuff kind of takes up a lot of time, so I haven't had many moments to sit down and type away, unless you count emails to parents of my students and emails to my parents, asking for prayer.

But now, the smoke has begun to clear.  What emerges is a greenhorn wife and blogger, with lots on her plate and lots on her mind, but less than lots of time to write about it.  I'm newly married enough to remember singleness and the stress of engagement and the newlywed days (still enjoying!), but I'm simply married enough to now know the strains, joys, and oddities of marriage. 

It's my goal for this blog to be the kind of blog I like to read, and the kind of blog I think all women: young, old, single, married, widowed, mothers, childless, alien...? would enjoy.  That means this blog should never become a marriage blog, or a singleness blog, or a DIY blog, or a motherhood blog, but rather a wonderful mash-up of all of my favorite things that bring me joy, challenge me, and hopefully will do the same for you.

I hope you'll be patient with me in this new endeavor, and I hope you'll comment often about what you can relate to, and what you'd like to see on the blog.  Dialogue with me, if you will, because I hope this blog will not so much be about me, but US.

Please keep your hands and feet inside the car at all times, and hold on... the ride is just beginning!

And if I happen to get some new readers (oh I hope I hope!), my old blog was here... I hope you'll check out the archives!

xoxo, A