2010 Newsletter

Dear Family and Friends,

This was a big year for us! In the first week of January, we put everything we owned into a little trailer and drove across the country to Massachusetts. It was a scary trip because we didn’t have jobs lined up or a place to live, and we were driving in the middle of a snow storm, but once we arrived in Boston things started working out for us and we have loved our new home.

Michael quickly got a job in the editorial department at a company in Waltham called UpToDate, which publishes bedside medical information for physicians. He loves what he does and the people he works with.

Daniel has been working on projects to start his career in fine art. He taught a class with the Pine Street Inn art program, which reaches out to men and women who have lost their homes. Some of the class art was displayed during the South End open studios, and Daniel has also had work on display in other shows around Massachusetts.  He has also been working on a book.

On June 27, 2010, we were married in Sandwich, MA. We had a small, intimate ceremony in a garden at the Dan’l Webster Inn, and we were happy to celebrate with our families and close friends. After the wedding we spent a week honeymooning in Cape Cod.

This fall Daniel was accepted for a residency at the Vermont Studio Center in Johnson, VT. He spent four weeks in seclusion and was able to create more than 100 new works of art. He is applying for graduate school with his new portfolio and will start working on his master’s degree next year.

Most recently we moved in to a new apartment in West Newton. It is much closer to Michael’s work, which we both appreciate. We are feeling at home in Newton and look forward to the coming year.

Best Wishes on the New Year to all of you! Love,

Michael and Daniel

www.alwaysholdinghands.blogspot.com

You Have Stolen My Heart!

Always Holding Hands

Our photos are up! Michael Wiltbank, our photographer, did a phenomenal job at capturing our special day. He is a fashion photographer, and I can see that influence in the shots he took of the wedding party at the beach and boardwalk. I love it!

You can view or purchase his photos at http://clients.jmichaelwiltbank.com. Just type in your email address to get access and then you can browse the different folders as a slide-show! Be sure to look at each category! If you like them, become a fan of his work on facebook.

Reception Playlist

We had some requests to post our playlists from the reception. We had a lot of fun picking out this music! You can easily listen to any of these songs on Grooveshark - http://listen.grooveshark.com/#

Cocktail hour:
Slide - Goo Goo Dolls
Big City Dreams - Never Shout Never
Boston - Augustana
I Still Ain't Over You - Augustana
The Saltwater Room - Owl City
The Bird and The Worm - Owl City
Folding Chair - Regina Spektor
Many the Miles - Sara Bareilles
You and I Both - Jason Mraz
Come on Get Higher - Matt Nathanson
The Luckiest - Ben Folds
I'll Be (acoustic) - Edwin McCain
Follow Through - Gavin Degraw
As Lovers Go - Dashboard Confessional

Dinner Music
I've Got The World on a String - Michael Buble
L.O.V.E. - Nat King Cole
Summer Wind - Michael Buble
Hell No - Sondre Lerche
I Want to Hold You Hand - T.V. Carpio
Everything - Michael Buble
A Wink and a Smile - Harry Connick Jr.
Have You Ever Been in Love - Celine Dion
Come Fly With Me - Michael Buble
Lento - Julieta Vanegas
I'm Yours - Jason Mraz
In Praise of the Vulnerable Man - Alanis Morissette
Fireflies - Owl City
Us - Regina Spektor
Better Together (Hawaiian Version) - Jack Johnson
All My Loving - Across the Universe Soundtrack
My Hands Are Shaking - Sondre Lerche
The Heart of Life - John Mayer
Dream a Little Dream - Michael Buble
Dreams be Dreams - Jack Johnson
Realize - Colbie Caillat
Say - John Mayer
Strawberry Avalanche - Owl City

Dancing Music
Oh, It is Love - Hellogoodbye
Sweet Pea - Amos Lee
Baby, It's Fact - Hellogoodbye
Shake It - Metro Station
If My Heart Was a House - Owl City
Modern Nature - Sondre Lerche
The Way I Am - Ingrid Michaelson
Hey, Soul Sister - Train
Lucky - Jason Mraz
Stop this Train - John Mayer
Save the Last Dance for Me - Michael Buble
Let's Do It (Let's Fall In Love) - Alanis Morissette
Love Bug - Jonas Brothers
How Sweet It Is - Michael Buble
So Much Love - The Rocket Summer
You and Me - Lifehouse
Mon Essentiel - Le Roi Soleil
Here In Your Arms - Hellogoodbye
Sweet and Low (acoustic) - Augustana
No Stopping Us - Jason Mraz
Put Your Head On My Shoulder - Michael Buble
Stolen - Dashboard Confessional (this was also the song that Brian played on viola at the ceremony)

We are pleased to annouce ...

Click to enlarge.

One Week!

I can't believe we are just one week away! Yesterday Daniel and I spent the day in the cape meeting with our florist and our wedding planner finalizing plans. We can't wait to see everyone!!!

A lot of people have been asking us about our plans for Saturday, the day before the wedding. Yesterday we explored a few beaches, and we decided it would be great to invite anyone who'd like to see us on Saturday to join us in the evening to watch the sunset at Old Silver Beach in North Falmouth (about 25 minutes from Sandwich). This is a west-facing beach, so the sun sets over the water. We'll be getting there around 7:30, and the sun sets around 8:30. There are no parking fees at the beach after 5 pm. Of course, if the weather is bad we'll have a back up plan.

A sidenote: we went to Craigsville Beach on the south shore of the cape yesterday as well. This is one of the more popular cape beaches because the water is warm and there are steady waves. But the water is also kind of mucky full of broken shells, so if you're looking for clear water and no crowds, steer clear of this beach! There are also other warm water beaches.

See you all soon!

What to Wear

A few have asked about appropriate dress, so I thought it'd be good to update the blog. If you're wondering what to wear to the wedding, it is a formal event, so Sunday best is appropriate.

Since the dinner is in the evening and is indoors and the ceremony is in the morning in the garden, the dinner is slightly more formal than the ceremony. It would certainly be appropriate to wear the same outfit to both the ceremony and the reception (I think most are), but you don't have to. It would also be appropriate to have different day-time and evening formal looks. The grooms and groomsmen will be in tuxedos, but we do not expect our guests to wear tuxedos or extravagant dresses.

Go ahead and be creative--We don't want anyone stressing about a dress code. We just want you to feel comfortable and to have a good time.

Sunday Activity Ideas

Because our ceremony is in the morning and the reception is in the evening, there's about 6 hours of free time during the day. We're hoping everyone breaks up into smaller groups and finds things to do that they like. There are several options from beaches and wildlife preserves to shopping and art galleries. Here are a few ideas:

1. Walking Trails. If you want to walk around the Cape's beautiful scenery, I recommend looking at the Boardwalk Beach in Sandwich or Talbot's Point in East Sandwich. You could even rent a bicycle at ECO Tourz and ride around the town or the many bike trails. Sandy Neck Beach between Sandwich and Barnstable has nice trails through exotic looking dunes and is dog friendly. There are also gardens you can enjoy at the Sandwich Heritage Museum & Gardens nearby.

2. Swimming. If you want to swim, we recommend leaving Sandwich because the water in Sandwich is cold. Old Silver Beach in Falmouth is about 28 minutes away and has warm water, lifeguards, facilities, and concessions. Skaket Beach is about 38 minutes away in Orleans and is also warm and very shallow. You can walk out into the sea for a mile.

3. Historical Sites/Museums. There are several historical sites to visit like the Dexter Grist Mill and several restored houses. You may also want to visit the Sandwich Glass Museum or the Heritage Museum which both have local art and history. The Heritage Museum and Gardens has a functioning, antique carousel and a maze. If you have kids, they may like the Zooquarium in Yarmouth.

4. Shopping. If you want to bring home a souvenir or if you just like window shopping, you may want to try Lemon Tree Village in Brewster. It's about 30 minutes away and they have home decor stores, art and local craft shops, a pottery shop/studio, a specialty toy store, and an old fashioned sweet shop. There are also antique stores lining route 6A up and down the cape, and you can find a bunch of local art galleries in Falmouth.

5. Festivals. There is an art festival 20 minutes away in Barnstable called Art in the Village. There is also a dog festival in Falmouth called Hounds at Highfield from 11:30-4. There is a portuguese festival in Provincetown, but that is a good hour + away.

For more ideas, visit www.sandwichchamber.com and download the 2009 Sandwich guidebook. We hope you have a great time out here in the cape!

Spin Around in your Highest Heels

Someone asked me about wedding colors the other day. We want our photos to be timeless and versatile, and so we decided to use black, cream, and gray as our colors. Of course, that probably doesn't matter to you, but hey, now you know.

One of the nice things about our wedding is that we don't have a bride :) That means there are no bridesmaid dresses strategically designed to look bad on every body type so no one looks better than the bride. We want our groomsmaids and groomsmen to wear whatever dress they want to flatter their figures (just kidding, the groomsmen will wear tuxedos, not dresses--hehehe).

We're so excited for the wedding and can't wait to see you there!

And From the Ballroom Floor, We are in Celebration

Michael was able to visit Cape Cod last summer, around the same time we're getting married, which has given us an idea about what to expect. I thought I'd share some of his pictures so you could get a better picture in your head. It is very green that time of year. We're going to exchange our marriage vows in the garden. It's a small space, but it will be intimate and beautiful, surrounded by flowers. The ceremony will be in the morning at 10:30, and won't last too long.

Either before the ceremony or right after it, we will take some pictures at the beach with the wedding party. Either way, I suspect it will be the place to be after the ceremony. It's a beautiful beach accessed by a long boardwalk that extends over a salt marsh. Michael's favorite Cape Cod Beach, Skaket Beach, is also only 40 minutes away.

This time is really yours to take a nap, find a restaurant in town, play a round of golf, or do whatever you'd like to do for a few hours. There's enough time to go to Boston or to Provincetown at the tip of the cape. We'll be posting ideas every so often on the blog, and we will probably make sure there are car pool groups going to the best places.

That evening at 6:30 we'll all meet back at the Dan'l Webster Inn. We've reserved the conservatory for a full course, sit-down dinner. You will have your choice of entrees:

Chicken Oscar - boneless breast, sautéed, topped with lobster, spinach and béarnaise sauce
or
Grilled Swordfish Tuscano - with olives, garlic, basil, artichoke hearts, and tomatoes

There will also be a vegetarian option, and the kitchen is very accommodating, so please let us know if you have dietary needs/requests.

Dinner will be part of a reception with music, cake, and lots of dancing! We are so excited, and we want everyone to have a good time.

We look forward to seeing you all in June!

Alive in Boston

We've started mailing out our invitations (thanks mom!) and the countdown is on! We're still 4 months away from the wedding, but we wanted to make sure that you have time to book flights and hotels in advance. We look forward to getting your RSVPs; we're planning a formal ceremony and a formal closed dinner and reception. We hope that you'll be able to come!

If you're visiting our blog for the first time, you can see links to hotels and bed & breakfasts in the area. Also, if you don't mind the drive, then Boston is only an hour away from Cape Cod for those who might prefer staying in the city.

In other news, I have a job! Next week I start work as an editorial assistant for UpToDate, an online medical database for physicians and patients. I'm am beyond excited about this! My goal was to find an editorial position by June, and I ended up getting one of the first jobs I applied for. It's been a huge relief for us as well; we moved out to Boston with enough money to survive for a couple months - maybe not the most prudent decision in the middle of a recession - but things have worked out and we are going to survive.

Daniel has been painting and writing like crazy this week. He's applied for several residencies in New England and is also looking for jurried shows to enter. He'll probably be working with the census in a few weeks as well.

If you have any questions for us about the wedding or need help/ideas in planning your trip to Cape Cod, please don't hesitate to ask! You can email me at mjbarber22@gmail.com or Daniel at daniel@dembree.com.

Accomodation Links

We took this picture at the beach just minutes away from the Dan'l Webster Inn where we will be married this coming June. Of course in June it will be much warmer than it was this particular morning.

The wedding will take place on Sunday, June 27th, at 10:30 in the morning. We are planning on a short, simple ceremony in the garden. A reception, complete with a dinner (your choice of Swordfish or Chicken Oscar), will follow at 6:30 in the evening.

We hope you'll make a vacation out of your trip to cape cod. If you are  still looking for a place to stay, there are lots of options. Of course you are welcome to stay at the Dan'l Webster Inn, ($199 and up/Night). There are other bed and breakfasts in the area, and a few hotels. Some of our friends have teamed up to rent a condo, which is also a great idea. Make sure you reserve it far enough in advance. Some condo's want you to reserve it for an entire week. More information at www.weneedavactaion.com.

Here is a list of Bed and Breakfasts that were recommended:

• Burbank's Windfall House ($120-$155)
• Cranberry Manor ($125-$145)
• Inn at Sandwich ($155-$175)
• Annabelle Bed and Breakfast ($165-$235)
• Ashley Manor ($175-$235)
• Beechwood Inn ($179-$209)
• The High Pointe Inn ($225) (they also have a 3 bedroom off-site rental property, 888-362-4441)
• Belfry Inn ($179-$315)

There are several hotels and motels in the area that are more affordable ($65-$100), such as Pine Grove Cottages, Country Acres, Sandwich Lodge, Earl of Sandwich Inn, and Shady Nook Inn. If you see any good deals, let us know so we can share!

I can't wait to see you all at the wedding! Expect formal invitations in the mail over the next few weeks.

Going Public

We have now announced our wedding to both of our families.

If you want to catch up with the blog, Michael writes about how we met here, and I write about how we got engaged here.

All Moved In!

We made it to Boston! We found an apartment in Malden right on the orange line (literally, the trains whiz by our window.) It is within our budget, though it is very old (charming!). The neighborhood makes me want to jump up and down, though. We are surrounded by the most beautiful New England houses you can imagine. I love this city so much!

Right now the apartment is looking kinda sparse. We spent the first several nights on the floor without electricity. We now can sleep off the floor, but we haven't invested much in furniture yet. Jobs have to come first. Let us know if you have any leads in the area!