2 years of marriage

August 5th marked 2 years in for Stefan and me!

How the time has flown.
And how things have changed!

Since a one-and-a-half-week old doesn't allow for fancy, extravagant dinners out, we decided to do a fancy, extravagant dinner in.  

When we were still dating and Stefan was living in Geneva, we spent many-a-weekend in the Burgundy - tasting wine and enjoying delectable French cuisine.  One of our most favorite memories was a snowy November afternoon where we decided to do a 5-course tasting lunch at Aloxe-Corton.  We dined on fresh Pate, mixed winter greens with hazelnuts, melt-in-your-mouth Boeuf Bourguignon, creamy Potatoes Au Gratin with Gruyere, Apple Tart Tatin, and a to-die-for cheese course to top it all off.  The 10+ wine pairings were just as luscious as the cuisine and we went home with multiple bottles.

For our anniversary this year, I decided to recreate the meal.  
(Since if you didn't know already, August in San Francisco = November in France.)

While I skipped the Pate and opted just for some strawberries with fresh whipped cream for dessert, we did dine on Boeuf Bourguignon, Potatoes Au Gratin, and a yummy salad.  I must say it was top-notch.
(Although I do admit it's hard to go wrong with tender beef, lots of red wine, and - of course - copious amounts of butter and cheese.)

We also cracked open one of the bottles we purchased on that snowy Saturday, which was just as scrumptious as we remembered.

It felt even more lovely and special than dinner out.  

Especially with a little someone sleeping in her bassinet beside the table.

xoxo

KK

A 1-year anniversary “surprise”

Because we weren’t able to be together for our 1-year wedding anniversary, we agreed we’d celebrate it at some point during our little getaway in Italy.  Mr. Fischer (being the killer husband that he is) offered to plan our special day.

Stefan and I had our very first date at A16 – a fabulously simple Italian restaurant (with to-die-for pizzas and a book for a wine list) in San Francisco. 

from here

The restaurant is named after a very famous highway in Campania wine country that leads to the region’s best vineyards and therefore specializes in Campania wines.  A16 is one of the only few spots in the US where you can find all of Campania’s best wine labels (many of which we had tried on our various dates there since that faithful first one) under one roof.

It just so happened that Positano is a meer hour and a half away from the real A16, so Stefan figured we had no choice to go.  And since wine has always played a special role in our relationship (we got married on a vineyard and our entire wedding ceremony was about how marriage is like making wine), we figured a day of wine-tasting fit the bill for the big 1 year.

(Much better than personalized stationary in my book.)

While the whole thing was supposed to be a surprise, Stefan knows me oh-so-very-well and therefore knows I (like so many of the Krieg clan) need to know what the “plan” is.  
For example:
For my mom’s 50^th birthday, my dad gave her a romantic trip to Hawaii.  But he didn’t just tell her about the trip, he presented her with an entire booklet outlining every single thing they would do (where they’d play golf, what they’d eat, when they’d work out) down to the minute: “A Plan with Activities” as my dad titled it.  She absolutely loved it. 

Stefan took a cue from my father and did the same for me.  A few weeks before this day, he “surprised” me with a booklet outlining exactly what we’d do on this special, celebratory day: which wineries we’d visit (along with the history behind each one), where we’d eat dinner (with sample menus might be), and where we would spend the night (along with pictures of the spot): a surprise that I knew all about –  I was in heaven.

To get us out there, he rented a classic, red Fiat convertible which we picked up first thing in the morning and drove along the scenic Amalfi Coast.

While gorgeous, the curves on this road made California's Highway 1 look like a cake walk.  That combined with insanely narrow streets, huge buses with no regard for what else might be on the road, jaw-dropping cliffs the entire way, and crazy Italian drivers without fear of death made for one hell of an exciting drive.

After a good hour and a half of excitement, however, we had arrived at our first locale: Montevetrano.

This stop was so good, it requires its own post.  Tune back in soon.

xoxo
KK

1 year in

I know I've been out of touch for awhile, but today felt worthy of reappearance.

Because today marks one whole year of marriage for Stefan and me.

I couldn't be happier to be married to this wonderfully silly, insanely smart, and astoundingly talented Swiss guy.
The only thing that makes me sad about this day is that we're not together (not even on the same continent) and won't be for another 17 days.

Why, you ask?

Because I happen to be Switzerland (living with Stefan's family in his childhood home) taking intensive German lessons and trying to soak up every ounce of Swiss culture I can.  
(I really should have written you in German, but I decided to be nice.)

Even though Stefan and I aren't together, I'm eating copious amounts of our wedding cake's bottom tier cheese in our honor.  (That would be Appenzeller Extra, a strong Swiss mountain variety that is a fourth the price here as it is in the US.)

I'll be back with more news soon, but I have a German test tomorrow and I must study.

Bis bald!
KK

we're on style me pretty!

I'm excited to announce that our wedding is on Style Me Pretty today!

cheers to that!

Head on over there to check out all the details!

I'm currently in Williamstown with some of these folks:

(namely the funny guy on the right 

who is graduating from college this Sunday)

What are you up to this weekend?
Happy Friday!

xoxo
KK

six months down

Yesterday marked six months of marriage for Stefan and me.  Where did the time go?

A few wedding tid-bits to help kick off the next six:

Aren't they adorable?

A blurb in my (and my family's) high school magazine

 

My parent's holiday card front

(me and my dad dancing)

 holiday card inside

holiday card back

Sadly Stefan's in Australia for the week on business so I'm all by my lonesome.  

I've got lots of things to keep me busy (drinks + dinners out with friends, catching up on Downton/Nashville/Smash, getting my nails done, attempting to find a yoga studio, and celebrating the most adorable mom-to-be with a tea-party-themed baby shower this weekend) but I'm already counting down the minutes to when he gets back and we can celebrate our six-month milestone together.  (Because who doesn't need a bit more celebration in their life?)

What do you do when your other half is away?

xoxo

KK

post-wedding "engagement" shoot

I always hated the idea of an engagement photo shoot.  They just seemed so cheesy and posed and not at all like real life.  But when every single wedding photographer package came with one mixed in, we figured we'd give it a shot.  

Only problem was - in the few months before our wedding, we had next to no free time.  We had our bachelor and bachelorette parties (among those of our friends), then Stefan was switching jobs, then we had to be in Europe, and then Stefan's mom was visiting.  And somehow an engagement shoot didn't end up at the top of our pile of things to do.

So it wasn't until late October (months post nuptials) that we finally got around to cashing in.  And it wasn't until last week that our pics finally arrived.  

 

from the roof of our building

from the park right around the corner

(with the blanket I've had since my freshman year of college!)

just an ordinary neighborhood street

What do you think?  Too cheesy?

Are you pro or con engagement shoot?

xoxo

KK

 

All photos by the fabulous Cooper Carras

 

herbs

I knew I wanted to do something special to thank my fabulous co-hosts from last week's Reclaim Childhood event, but I was having the hardest time thinking of something good.  I love flowers, but they're dead before you know it.  And jewelry is so personal and with these girls having style to the max, I knew I couldn't nail it.  And with one lovely lady pregnant, a bottle of wine just wouldn't do.

So I did what they always tell you to do when you're giving a gift: think about what you would want.  For months, I've been yearning for a big box of herbs for my kitchen.  Not only would it brighten up the sometimes dreary white locale, it would help me season my lackluster dishes to perfection.

Because I was feeling all Martha-Stewart-y last week, I decided to pull a DIY.  And I had just the box(es) for the job.

Remember these wooden guys from our big day?
Despite attempting to send them home with EVERYONE, Stefan and I ended up with no less than 10.  And while friends of ours still have boxes-a-blooming, I've managed to kill almost all 10 of ours, leaving me with lots of pretty boxes hungry for greenery.

So I headed to the store, picked up organic potted herbs galore (rosemary, thyme, sage + basil) and then got busy in the garage.

I know, I know - you're totally jealous of my gardening area,

especially with that extra can of gasoline on the right there...

I was super pumped to see one girl post a pic of her morning eggs with fresh thyme from her new kitchen addition:

And I am definitely not complaining about the box I obviously had to make for our kitchen as well.

xoxo
KK

honeymoon finale

Did you have a nice long weekend?  We most certainly did - we took it easy: enjoying leisurely, sunny brunches out, long, wine-filled dinners at home, and lots (and I mean LOTS) of apartment organizing (which we so needed after dragging our feet unpacking from the big trip).  

Despite all the crazy stories from our honeymoon, we did have our fair share of luxury, relaxation, and decadence.   

Enjoying one of those many bottles of champagne in front of a roaring fire

(this picture was taken around 9pm - note the sun!)

Amazing food.

Even more amazing wine.

 

A heart-shaped sandwich fit for two lovebirds

(we still each got our own)

A New Years' Eve Patagonian Lamb Barbeque

A glacier trek finished with whiskey on the rocks

(ice of the glacier that is)

and some new friends of course

 

A wine-filled bike ride

Enjoying the splendors of Argentinean wine country at a winery,

and then at the vineyard-lined pool of our bodega

Thanks for tuning in!

xoxo

KK