As parents, Mark and I have learned to be creative about our “dates.” Every other week we have a legitimate night-out to ourselves, but between those evenings, we squeeze whatever random moments we can. Fortunately, we’re both pretty simple people, both of us more often enjoying casual intimacy over fancy, crowded restaurants. So when my sister offered to take my kids to the movies on Saturday morning in exchange for watching her daughter (who would mostly be napping), I took the opportunity to create a little impromptu lunch date for us. I roasted cherry tomatoes and asparagus, pulled out a little brie, a baguette, and a bottle of wine (midday? gasp.).
Typically, I’d take a blanket outside, but since our weather has been cold and damp still, I opted for an indoor picnic instead. Using one of our throw blankets, I spread our small feast across our bedroom floor–the perfect casual, romantic lunch. It was brief compared to a typical evening date but such an ideal way to spend together and connect.
This Valentine’s Day will be particularly special for me and Mark since we’ll be closing on OUR NEW HOME. Crazy, right? It’s a cozy 1930’s craftsman needing a lot of attention and love, but we’re so grateful for this gift. The best Valentine’s Day gift really. We’ll be celebrating by having another indoor picnic (by candlelight) in our empty place, just the two of us. I’m pretty excited. What are your plans for this weekend? Remember, simple can be just as romantic (even if you pick up dinner).
Coyote Handle Board was gifted from Given Goods, a fair-trade business supporting artisans in developing countries. All thoughts and images are my own.
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I love this! what a fun idea .. and I spy a bottle of alamos :) congrats on the house. what an exciting adventure .
Thank you, Liz! It seems lately we’ve moved from one adventure to another. And I love Alamos. Have a great week. x
congratulations on your new home! wow, what a special start to the year!
amy
Thank you, Amy! Excited seems like such a plain word, but we are. I’ll be sure to share photos once we get a chance. x
Yay, new home! Can’t wait to see/hear about it!
Thank you, Kaylan. It’s such a gift and we’re looking forward to getting our hands dirty in yet another space.
So sweet, I love this idea. My husband and I make it out of the house together about once a month, but we could certainly benefit from some creative, quality time together. You also capture such beautiful photos of your picnic date, I’m jealous of the massive amounts of natural light in your home!
Thank you, Sarah. Since we’re on a tighter budget and both extremely busy, we’ve had to be creative to preserve “us.” I love it when something simple comes together and I’m looking forward to picnicking again this weekend in a slower manner. We’ve been living with my sister and brother-in-law the last ten months, and our bedroom here has huge windows that I know I’ll miss. But I’m always drawn toward natural light–a must for me in a home. I’m hoping our new home will have plenty of it. We’ll find out soon. x
i love this so much!
Thank you, Amanda! Sometimes the smallest, unexpected moments are my favorite ones.
Congratulations on your new home! That is so exciting.. my husband and I have started looking at houses (we’re planning on moving this summer) and I’ve been eyeing a few old craftsman homes as well. Your kind of date night sounds like our kind of date night! We’ll be staying in this weekend and eating dinner in a homemade fort in our living room.. keeping things low key.
A homemade fort? I love it! And thank you–we’re really thrilled about our new space (in spite of all the work it will need). Enjoy your week and your quiet Friday evening.
What??!!! New home??!!!! YAY! I am SO excited about this news!!!!! Pictures!
Yes! Thank you. I haven’t said anything because we hadn’t decided if we were going to move in or rent it. I’ll definitely post pictures, although I’m expecting it will be a very slow renovation process. We’re grateful just the same.
Congratulations on your new home! So excited for you!!! Can’t wait to read/watch how you fix it up and make it your own :)
Thank you, Kristen. I imagine it will be a slower renovation, doing only minor changes at first. Our goal is to save like crazy the next year to do some more substantial work next year. I’ll definitely post pictures of the process. x
Completely beautiful photos and what a lovely idea! The midday photos gave you such gorgeous light… much better than at night, right? And Italians drink wine at midday, so why not you two?! :-)
Haha–yes. I usually try to skip midday drinks because they make me so sleepy, but it really made the lunch so much more special. And yes, the midday light was perfect in our room, although Friday evening, we’ll definitely need candles. ;)
Congratulations, Bethany! And I love your dine in date night. What a beautiful reminder that it only takes each other (and a yummy meal) to make an evening special.
Thank you, Katie. It really doesn’t take much–a few intentional hours go a long way in our book. ;)
I LOVE this… such a good reminder to take advantage of little moments and that simple is beautiful and full of so much opportunity to enjoy the little moments! Thanks for sharing!:)
Thank you, Melissa. I’m so happy this inspired you–the little things really do matter. Have a wonderful week.
So lovely!
Thank you, Lindsay. x