In September I got married! I think I forgot to mention it here but if you’ve been following me on instagram (ohsoantsy) you probably saw a picture or 2. Last month we headed out on our 17 day honeymoon to France and Portugal with a layover in Iceland. I was a little nervous about being super tired but that exciting feeling of being in a new place ready to explore took over and we really enjoyed our 1 day in the city. We arrived pretty early in the morning and rented a car and drove in Keykjavik. Once we got a map and a little info we walked around and headed to the Hallgrimskirkja Church to get some views of the whole city. It was so beautiful up there and I was a little blown away. I remember looking out and saying to Walker, “We’re so lucky”.






After the church we headed over to the Kolaportid Market that’s open on Saturdays and Sundays and luckily we were there on a Sunday. I always love wandering around the local markets. We didn’t buy much since it was the beginning of the trip and we wanted to save room in our bags but we did purchase some incredibly tasty smoked salmon. It was cool to see the fermented shark we heard so much about but we did not try any-I know we were too chicken. Also near the market were the famous Icelandic hotdogs we kept reading about-Bæjarins. They were pretty tasty but we were also pretty hungry. Either way it was fun to try. By this time we were in need of a break. Our tiredness was beginning to catch up so we relaxed in a really cozy cafe with a couple of beers. It wasn’t sleep but it was the recharge we needed.

Once we decided we had seen as much of the city as we could we drove to an area near the water that looked as if it’s a natural heated pool during the summer. We saw it on the map and decided to explore. It wasn’t some big attraction but it was quiet and peaceful out there and these tend to be my favorite moments of a trip.

After a long flight, a super early morning, and a full day walking around sightseeing we were so ready to head to the Blue Lagoon and soak in some geothermal waters. It was a bit hectic checking in and getting changed-the locker rooms were full of people-but once we were in the water it was so worth it. I didn’t get any good pictures of us on the lagoon but it was kind of magical between the mist and rain, the ice blue color of the water, and of course being surrounded by such a beautiful landscape. To add to all that they had silica stations all around so you could slather it all over your face and make your skin look beautiful. For day one of the honeymoon it was pretty perfect.


After our lovely soak we checked into our Airbnb (located wonderfully close to the airport), did a quick grocery run so we could make dinner, tried one more time to see the northern lights when the sun went down, and finally went to sleep. Well Walker went to sleep anyhow. Despite being super tired it took me a bit longer. It must have been the combination of excitement, being in a new place, and most likely jet lag. I finally did drift off with thoughts of volcanoes and warm waters running through my head and of course all the French wine we’d soon be drinking.

Today my shop turns 4! Happy Anniversary OhSoANTSY! It’s sort of hard to believe it’s been that long already. Before I go on I just need to say THANK YOU! Your support and kind words and your love of what I do has kept me going and without you there would be no business. Thank you for sharing your stories and letting me be a small part of it. {Also there is a giveaway at the bottom of the post}

{Party in a box from Confetti Sunshine}

Now for a little story.

4 years ago on this very day I had a goal to open my shop before midnight because I wanted to share my birthday month with my new shop. I was sitting on my boyfriends couch in Austin (he’s now my fiancee and we live in Seattle) and I was going through the process of setting up my shop when I hit my first roadblock. The name I had so carefully chosen was taken! Ah! I can’t remember what that name was because I had to forget it promptly. I really wanted the name to be math related because my background is in math and even though I was starting a jewelry business I wanted to tie it all together. I finally settled on Integrative Creations (yikes). It was available and I hit the set up shop button at last! It was January 31st, 2011.

Since that night the items in the shop changed drastically and about 1 1/2 years later I changed the name to OhSoANTSY (phew!-perhaps a story for another time) and I also left my day job. And here we are 4 years later. And you know what?! I still have so much to learn and I can’t wait!

Cheers to 4 more years!

Now for a giveaway! Help me celebrate by entering to win a $75 shop credit to OhSoANTSY! What’s been on your list?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Over the weekend we had a chance to visit one of Walker’s coworker’s family house on one of the islands in the Sound. 5 of us went in total and we made the decision to stay just Friday night and leave later on Saturday. It would have been great to stay the whole weekend but there was lots to do before we head out tonight on our red eye to Michigan. I wasn’t even sure we should go for one night but the opportunity came along and we thought it would be silly to pass up. So I agreed and I’m glad I did.

^ The ferry ride over.
^Saw this little guy on a hike, his underbelly was bright orange!
^Walking and taking pictures in the woods.
^Remnants of a house.
^I found some clay and made a tiny cup.
^Taken by Walker. Rain drops turned red. I love how they look like jewels.