What a weekend!

This weekend was bitter-sweet. We got our visas, had the best going away party, drank ourselves silly, had a bad hangover, found out that Mr. Sunshine's big brother, M got engaged to N and then heard about the passing away of Mr. Sunshine's aunt, N-mhave.

Congratulations, M and N  - you guys are so cute together! We are really happy for the two of you!

We will miss N-Mhave. She was a beautiful, strong and kind woman, and we have the most amazing memories of time spent with her.

We have the bestest friends!

On Saturday, our dear friends N and D threw us a going away party at one of Houston's best restaurants - Branch Water Tavern. Most of our closest friends were there, and there was so much love around us. N gave the funniest speech about why we shouldn't move to Norway and there were some tears, but we had the loveliest time. We are so blessed to have such wonderful, inspiring, generous, kind and smart friends and we will miss them all. We also know that we have built everlasting friendships in Houston and that no matter where we will be in the future, we will still be friends, and they will continue to bring sunshine in our lives. Thank you everyone, we love you!

XOXOXO

Ms. and Mr. Sunshine

Biking

I came across this quote by a John Howard (not sure if it's the bicyclist or the Australian PM, though I would think it would be the cyclist) while ago, and it made me giggle - "The bicycle is a curious vehicle. Its passenger is its engine". Mr. Sunshine and I bought shiny new bikes a few months ago with plans to bike around town (as much as it is possible in a concrete city like Houston). We took them out once and then when we got news about Mr. Sunshine's jobs, the poor bikes were the first things we put for sale. So much so for our grand plans. Hopefully, we'll be able to bike around in Stavanger, though I am not too keen on biking when it snows or rains. We shall have to see. Until then, I can always dream about the perfect yellow bike, with a black and white polka dotted bell that I have always wanted :-)


Here are some of my favorite bike related things:

Row one, from left to right:
Image1: Yellow bike from CB2. It is so cheery! I wish they had one for women too.
Image2: Handmade bike shelf by Etsy seller UrbanCityBikeShelves

Image3: Bike bell from Etsy seller dringdring

Row two, from left to right:
Image1: Water bottle from Modcloth

Image2: Yellow bike basket from Petra Cycles

Image 3: Write a bike by Juri Zaech. Someone needs to start manufacturing these, NOW!

Row one, from left to right:
Image 1: Tandem bike print by Etsy Seller thedreamygiraffe
Image 2: Bike type print by Etsy seller annasee

Row two, from left to right:
Image 1: Bike print by Blanca Gomez from Poster Cabaret. Also by Blanca Gomez, this pretty print
Image 2: Recycle print by Etsy seller ilovedoodle

Row one, from left to right:

Image 1: Bike booties (So cute!) by Etsy seller GrowingUpWild

Image 2: Bicycle messenger bag by Etsy seller happyfamily

Image 3: Bike brooch by Howkapow

Row two, from left to right

Image 1: Color wheel tee from Threadless, designed by Ross Zietz   

Image 2: Bicycle socks by fredflare.com

Image 3: Bike onesie by sweetpeanut from Poppy Clementine

Row one, from left to right:
Image 1: Cyclepedia: A Century of Iconic Bicycle Design by Michael Embacher and Paul Smith
Image 2: Retro bike notecards by Inkspotworkshop. Found via papercrave

Image 3: Bike print paper by Paper Source

Row two, from left to right:
Image 1: Bike journal by Etsy seller alittlelark
Image 2: Bike Snob by Christopher Koelle
Image 3: Paper bike model from uponafold. They have the best paper products!


Have a sunshiny weekend!


XOXOXO


Ms. Sunshine

The Sunshine Household this Week

This week we are:

Reading: A Storm of Swords, the third book in the A Song of Fire and Ice series by George RR Martin  [Ms. Sunshine]

Watching (TV Series): Breaking Bad

Watching (Movies): Bridesmaid, Paul

Eating: Fried Chicken from Church's Chicken 

Drinking: Louis Jadot Beaujolais, Red

Listening: NPR

Shopping: Etsy

Stavanger!

This is where we are moving in about two weeks!

Why are you leaving the US?

A lot of our family, and a few of our friends have asked us this question when we broke the news to them. Not everyone understands why a young, immigrant couple that has almost everything going for them - a good job for Mr. Sunshine that he enjoys, green cards in the near future, a pretty apartment and the ability to buy a decently nice home, prospects of a good job for me, lots of wonderful friends around us - would want to up and move to a completely new continent, country and city where they know no one, and where everyone pays about 40 % of their income as taxes. We also do not speak the language. To be fair, all our family and friends have our best interest at heart - they love us, and want the best for us. And right now, the best things for us is to move.

We love Houston and we love living in the US. Both of us separately came here as students with the intention of making a better life for ourselves and living the American dream. We met, fell in love, moved to different parts of the country, Mr. Sunshine finished his doctorate and moved to Houston, we got married, and I moved to Houston last year, and over the years we realized that while the dream is still there, it has just changed in content a little bit. We have both learned so much about ourselves, about our unique Indian cultures, about the world and humanity during our time in the US. We have made wonderful, warm, smart, inspiring friends from all over the world, and have learned to appreciate and understand cultures, customs, foods, thoughts and views that are unlike ours. We have incorporated some of these in our daily lives, and thrown out some archaic ones we brought from our home country. And on the way we have realized that we want to know more about the world, that we want to meet different people and experience their food, their culture, their customs, and their way of life. This, we believe is eventually going to help us become the people, the couple, and the family we want to be.

Norway is going be a stepping stone for us for adventures in Europe and the rest of the world. We hope to make a new home in Stavanger, meet new, interesting and inspiring people and make lasting friendships like we have made in the US and in Houston.

Have a sunshiny day!

XOXOXO

Ms. Sunshine

These are some of my favorite things on the web right now. Each of them will make such lovely gifts for friends and loved ones!

                                                       

First row, left to right:

Image 1: Not all those who wander are lost luggage tag by Etsy seller OfTheFountain

Image 2: I want to have adventures with you print by Etsy seller n2design

Images 3 and 4: I would like to travel somewhere tote bag by Shinzi Katoh

Second row, left to right:

Image 1: A ship is safe in harbor print by Etsy seller littlethingsstudio

Image 2: Wherever the wind blows print by Etsy seller ilovedoodle

Image 3: Where you were print by Etsy seller spreadthelove

Image 4: The best routes print by Etsy seller TheWordShop