Wanting to Know you Wens.

risqué 

Suggestive of sexual impropriety; bordering on the indelicate.

i love this photo called free by tam gutlich on etsy. it inspired today's question...

what's the craziest thing you've ever done?

did you get a tattoo on 6th street in Austin when you turned 18? give your bra to robbie williams during his concert (still one of my best nights ever. ever!)? take a shot of tequila with your journalism professor after a day of competitions, discussing a rooftop incident with a perfect stranger? left your dream job for your dream guy thousands of miles away from home?

these are all crazy things i've done but perhaps the craziest was the summer in college when i went topless on the beaches of italy (italy is a chapter in risque all on it's own).

you can't be shy because it's your turn! 

{don't leave me hanging with all these grand examples i just gave ha}

joys.

"Is solace anywhere more comforting than in the arms of a sister?"

-Alice Walker

i love that my nieces marina & sophia will know the joys of being a sister. It's so darling to see the way they carry each other. When they were visiting this past Christmas, sophia must have woken up from a bad dream because she woke up crying and the first place she wanted to run to was in Marina's arms. Marina hugged her and soothed her hair.



at 26, i still have the same reaction, and although my twinkie is hundreds of miles away-- the sound of her voice is nearly as good a comfort as her hug.



(photography by meegan weaver; a sweet girl i took a photography class with in high school and just knew she would make a career of it)

Postal Service.

so much of this week's mail actually came in today. I can't think of any better day to have happy mail than on a monday!

incoming:

^remember the Tom Hanks postcard i sent in a postcrossing? Tom Hanks is Janette in Germany's favorite actor. I had already sent her a different postcrossing originally, only to find a fun Tom Hanks one afterwards. i decided since i still had her address to surprise her with Tom in her mailbox. Today she surprised me with a ROBBIE WILLIAMS one she made from a concert picture she took in Dresden. I might have screamed OUT LOUD!

^this is was a sweet hello from my VA girlfriend Danielle. Don't you love the photographs? thinking of you Danielle. xo

^another surprise parcel today! Awhile back Cynthia wrote about being excited about reading "french milk." I told her after hearing her talk about it, i couldn't wait to read it. I was shocked by her kindness to send me her copy, hoping i'll enjoy it as much as she did. Cynthia you made my Monday! thank-you neighbor!!! you're such a sweetheart.

^from Megan : fun letter & vintage goodness! she sent along old photographs that i loved! including one that could be used as a postcard. love, love love!

^Passion's letters never fail to make me smile. She's included kinder sweets (THE BEST chocolate!!! - makes me think of when we lived in Germany and how much we loved kinder eggs) for me and Max to share (i love how the candies say "Maxi") & an awesome cd i'm actually listening to at the mo! Passion is hosting a "new friend" swap btw! details here.

^my first ever letter from the most beautiful mail giver, Bianca. Seriously, even Max said her handwriting looks like a font! & i love how she always decorates her envelopes (if only i had her penmanship and artistic skill). I was pretty darn excited for her letter! she sent along some postal goodies (including mailing labels i somehow forgot to snap).

^bianca, this was my favorite postcard x

^remember the strung pottery necklace i could not get enough of?! Holli Kristina sent the gem along with sea glass & shell from her travels & lovely tea! Holli, the necklace is so much prettier in person- if that's possible! i wore it to work today & got so many compliments. So one-of-a-kind! x

^from fabulous erin (her letters always make me feel like i'm sitting at a tea shop with her) / Carrie sent me a postcard from TEXAS while she was in my beloved state! (this one is of the Grassy Knoll & if you remember your history it's also where JFK was assassinated) Carrie OF COURSE i love that you thought of me while you were in Dallas, the city i LOVE. i need to send my "micaela adores carrie" package soon-- i know! I have it all ready, i just need to package them up. SOON! / letter from Cait (i love the paw print on the back of her envelope that says "High Paw Maverick!" cute. / beautiful postcard from postcrossing member living in the Czech Republic.

^my twinkie surprised me with a hand-made postcard of the iconic Bardot - LOVE YOU TWINKIE!!! you cute cute girl! / penelope cruz gorgeous covered letter from Faiza. Oh Faiza, SUCH a fantastic surprise!!! i'm already excited to write you back!!! look what this beauty sent me:

^gorgeous inspired vintage pill boxes (perfect for my tylenol / midol / and vitamins!), drop cards with the sweetest inspirations to give or to leave kindly for a stranger (i think i'll do some of that cos the thought of someone finding one just makes me smile). Faiza got them in the stationary swap and so kindly passed some on my way. I can't thank you enough! your partner Meghan (who i just adore) has wonderful taste! Faiza also sent along fun dip (instantly brings me back to my childhood). She sent some to my twinkie as well saying, perhaps we can enjoy "some candy" together across the miles. Faiza, means more to us than you'll ever know! we seriously just got off the phone gushing about your absolute kindness!!! THANK YOU WITH ALL MY HEART FAIZA!!! x

outgoing:

^reply to Erin (made out of a j.crew catalog) & some postcrossings.

^parcel to Tillie (who's also hosting a lovely swap btw!!! the hostest with the mostest indeed), postcards for postcrossing (including one to a fellow art lover of one of my favorite pieces), & little something for Lindsey in NY.

^my reply to Bianca.

Since i got the lot of my incoming mail today, my outgoing is pitiful in comparison. Though do know that i'm excited about sending out some replies! x

because is there anything better than happy mailboxes?!

who was your childhood hero?

i bet you didn't know that growing up i was in love with what was then, the WWF.

Yup, wrestling. My childhood hero was Bret "The Hitman" Hart. There was a time i would beg my parent's for the latest merchandise and mapped out a road trip from Texas to Calgary Alberta, Canada so I could meet Bret. Though my pappa never drove me thousands and thousands of miles to see him, he did give me countless birthday presents of the Hitman stand-up (life size cardboard cut out of Bret in my childhood room with lipstick marks on his cheeks) and figurines.

It's a part of my childhood-- up until he stopped wrestling some 12 years ago. It was a sad day for young me. The wrestler that ended his career? Shawn Michaels-- who just so happens to be my twin sister's favorite wrestler. A love for wrestling was something we share. Who knew that our favorite "heros" would be make the greatest rivalry?

Yesterday was Wrestlemania 26, a great irony: Bret Hart made his great comeback in the ring and Shawn Michaels says goodbye to the ring. For me and twinkie, it was a delight seeing our wrestlers together.

"Smiling in glorious defeat, a humbled and satisfied Michaels graciously embraces Hart’s gesture. Instantly, it becomes even more apparent that, for Bret, this night and this ring resurgence has been about repairing wounds, no matter how deep."

On The Grandest Stage of Them All, closure is accomplished for a murky, muddled past for The Hit Man. And while Hart is presently enjoying the emotions wrought by a moment so long in the making, there’s contentment in knowing that “The Best There Ever Will Be” still lies ahead."

my husband-to-be laughs at our "crazinesss." Yes, we know it's fake *smiles* but it's a part of our childhood. A part of our bond. A part of us.

^my beautiful twinkie marianne & her Shawn Michaels tumbler.

^me and my Bret Hart biography.

maybe i'll get to meet him after all? it would be a HUGE life list checked off.

Postal Service.

i've decided to do a bit of a mail time monday post like my "little seester" Belen does on her blog. (seriously, i love these posts of hers and i love happy mail).

incoming:

^Carrie & i have a shared love for van gogh, film, elvis, and D.C. She recently went on a trip that included a tour of the White House. This postcard is gorgeous.

^je taime card from erin {perfectly her, flowers & french? oui!} & cutest little notecard from Tiffany who lives in Texas- how did i not know that before?

^sweetest thank-you note from Chelsea for winning my giveaway {how sweet is she to thank me for that?} i loved your bird stationary! and the cute doodle on the inside envelope flap.

^a postcrossing from California. I loved this one! one of my favorites. The front's a picture of her Mom making a flower crown for a little tea party they had to celebrate the vernal equinox.

Outgoing:

^Cole posted this picture of a thank you card i sent to her. Such a sweet girl! you should check her blog out if you haven't because right now she's hosting a FABULOUS giveaway for her followers.

^letter to Tiffany & the record is for a CD swap she's hosting right now. {i love the thrill of finding new music that how perfect would this be?}

^Birthday parcel to Erin, letter to Belen (who's celeb crush is Jason Gordon Levitt), postcrossing, letter flying to Australia for Megan, and the Vincent postcard went to Carrie.

^what i wrote on the back of erin's birthday gift. {giggles} i hope you get it before the 5th of April! x

^i ordered these pretty chained wing earrings from etsy owner & kind friend Christin of CMEdesign because i have the same pair {thanks to her} and love them, and wanted to include these earrings for Cole's favorite things gift exchange. Christin sent them, along with earrings she made specially for me.

(i had to scan them because my camera skills couldn't capture their detail- and even a scan doesn't do them justice)

they're sea horses, keys, and the hearts are red jasper. She peeked in my favorites (cute girl!) & saw that i have a thing for all these things. The sea horses got me... i like them because they're my twin sister's favorite & so they remind me of her. It's so hard to be separated by miles that these earrings mean so much; that when i wear them i'll think of her. Christin didn't even know that-- which makes her gift truly extraordinary! Thank-you my dear friend. xo

It's Friday so that means answering some blanks.

another little eatery we've discovered in our new city is the Devils Backbone Brewing Company, out near the ski resort of Wintergreen. They have a jazz night every 1st & 3rd Wens. with retro cocktails and snazzy foods. I'm looking forward to their outdoor music festival in the summertime.

As a vegetarian, i delighted in their veggie burger (and may have eaten every last bit of it). The dark beer i ordered had some kind of coffee in it. It was interesting, but i was glad they served little pints of it.

Happy Friday lovies!!! a valentines weekend one. Since it's friday, how about another round of

1. I am hoping my Valentine's day this year includes, a lot of laughter and kisses from my fiance Max. Last year we ordered a pizza at home while sharing a bottle of wine, danced in our undies to crocodile rock in our living room and were in bed by midnight. It was simple and the perfect way to spend Valentines Day. This year is our first one as engaged people .

2. My biggest guilty pleasure is sleeping in til after noon on weekends after staying up late the night before with a glass of wine lost in a book or blogging .

3. I am most proud of leaving the only home I've known in my beloved Texas to be with my beloved thousands of miles away in Virginia .

4. If I could choose one outfit to live in it would be tights with a comfy shirt dress, heels (always heels) .

5. People are always amazing me. Something I love about blogging is connecting to those who would have otherwise been perfect strangers. I'm always amazed at the secrets people confess to me, an otherwise perfect stranger to them. I sincerely love this fact, that i can be one of those kinds of people; a kindred soul .

6. I would rather have loved and lost than to have never never been heartbroken .

7. I love my nieces & nephew more than anything in the world!

Have fun creating your own fill in the blanks and link up at Lauren's place, The Little Things We Do.

packing up my life...

to start my future. my new adventure, the next chapter in mine & darling friend's life.

it feels strange packing up our first house together. we loved this house. i bought this customized print to frame in our new house, to remember our beginning.

January 9th would have been our one year at Casa di M. i still have the card Max wrote me, when we signed our lease.

we were both so excited and yet very scared.
i'm feeling that same way right now, as i start to pack.

don't get me wrong, of course, i'm thrilled to be with my technical husband (remember how long away it all seemed when he left months ago?) but as i pack, it's slowly hitting me what a HUGE change this is.

I will leave half my heart behind with my twinkie who i can't imagine being without. We've never been apart, and i've never been away from home. I am SO close to my family, especially twinkie. I worry more for her than me (i'm the older twin by 5 minutes so as the older seester i'm constantly worried about her).

i know people do this every day and i know a thousand miles won't change our bond, but it's heartbreaking to think i can't just hop in my car and drive a few streets down to her house.

i love you twinkie, and we will both be okay. i just know it. we will only be a plane ride away and always a daily phone call (or two, or ten). i love you!

oh it's going to be a tough last few days in my beloved texas....

but my beloved is waiting for me.

and so with even sad eyes and a heavy heart to leave behind all i've ever known, i'm reminded of this quote once shared by our dear Meg Fee:

"Pitiful is the person who is afraid of taking risks. Perhaps this person will never be disappointed or disillusioned; perhaps she won't suffer the way people do when they have a dream to follow. But when the person looks back--she will hear her heart."

-Paulo Coelho

(pic yvetteinufio etsy)

dear Max,

i can't stop smiling.

and it's because of you.

i have never been this happy.

YOU make me so happy.

sometimes i want to pinch myself because i don't know how i got so lucky.


i love our little chat dates.

i love seeing your smile.

i love how we still manage to dance in our undies... even though we're miles apart.

you can only be that silly when you're in love.
completely in love. like i am for you.

you are my favorite person ever.

you are everything good in my life.

i love you more +1,

chunga xo

ps. i told you that this would be the first painting

we'd hang up in our new home.

i can't wait... for the next chapter

in the "story of us."

3,455 miles of fun & love

what vacation bliss with the boy i love.
max took me on the roadtrip of a lifetime!
it would take a million words to tell you lovies how much i looooved each moment with my bf.
so instead, a few pics and my top 5 moments of each City?:

first stop: Atlanta, GA
1. Grandparent's house & seeing old family pictures like below [that's my sweet boy in his momma's lap]
2. Maxham Rd.- they seriously have a road!
3. GA Tech- seeing where my boy went as an undergrad
4. eating at Varsity
5. Sharing a pitcher of blue moon and pizza that reminded me of Italia at felinies

Lynchburg, VA
1. His family. I do believe my boy comes from a good one!
2. They were so sweet, trying to accomodate to my vegetarian ways- like taking me to the charming Farm Basket. I was in love.
3. Watching Max interact with his cute 3 yr old nephew (who's name is Caleb and thought my name was MiCaleb)
4. Monticello- how smart was our 3rd President!? i was blown away. *side story: we played with writing with a quill- below is Max's love letter to me. It says, "It [quill ink] stays forever. I hope you do too."
5. Max driving me out to the top of a hill to see the City lights. I couldn't stop smiling, i was so happy in that moment. Happiness, you had finally found me.



Washington D.C.
I could not contain my happiness to FINALLY see our Capital!

1. Hitting the tourist stops, but esp. the Vietnam Wall. My pappa is a vietnam veteran so I HAD to enscribe the name of my Pappa's best friend growing up. It was a sad moment.
2. Hanging out with my Nagita and meeting her friends (who were also in town from Texas for a conference)
3. VAN GOGH- we only had time to hit one Smithsonian, so I chose the Museum of Natural Art.
4. Nagita giving us a personal tour of her workplace, The Washington Post
5. Walking everywhere with my bf, who didn't mind taking a pic of tipsy me making out with Barack... on a wall


Memphis, TN
this was a surprise unplanned stop on our way home so bf could surprise me with...

1. GRACELAND!!!
2. Beale St.
3. Dancing to the blues with Max
4. Getting our charictures done
5. buying matching Gold Elvis sunglasses at Graceland

Dear Max,

Thank-you with ALL my heart for an amazing time.
Thank-you for sharing your wonderful family with me.
Thank-you for getting us everywhere safely and for letting me nap while you drove.
Thank-you for sharing your childhood bed with me. *wink
Thank-you for making me feel loved, and closer than ever to you.
I love you! and miss you already. (even though I will see you in a few hours when we both get off work)

love you mostly,
Chunga xo