Halloween Inspiration

Happy Fourth

via

Is It Spring Yet?

If flowers can teach themselves how to bloom after winter passes, so can you. 

— Noor Shirazie

flowers via
quote via 

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via Behance, Flickr, Cardboard Cities

Reflections on 2014

I should be getting ready for a NYE party right now, but Happy Endings is on and I'm in my PJ's and sucked into some of the 50+ open tabs on my desktop instead.

This year kind of felt like a stagnant one. I was looking back at some of the blog posts from this time last year (to see if I made any resolutions...) and realized most of what I wrote then are still relevant now. Have I really not changed at all in a year?

I'm still messy. I still oversleep. I still overspend. I'm still lazy. I still want to travel more. To keep in better touch with out-of-town friends. To make more time for in-town friends. I've got a handful of professional goals I don't feel like I've made any progress on this year. So yeah, that's great. I still pretty much have the same haircut and same clothes. The same boxes are still sitting in the corner of my bedroom and same walls are still empty.

But you know, some things have changed.

I've been working on "being present" with (IMHO) some success. I've become a pretty okay cook, thanks to Plated. I've kind of, sort of, taken up yoga. And I don't hate it. I've started to favor red wine to beer (so adult!). I have less "bad" days than I had a year ago, though they still pop up from time to time. I've grown up enough that I realize I'm not one the "kids" using Snapchat, and that's okay. I almost finished a book (reading it, not writing it). I've started to not hate tea (who cares if this happened in the last few days...). I've bought furniture and home decor and pots and pans and a lot of Christmas decorations. I took a kickass trip to Colorado... that pretty much drained my bank account, but I'm still glad I did it.

I almost bought a journal today to propel me in some sort of personal growth, but alas, I decided to save the $10 and put it back. I'm still sorting out what my resolutions for the year are, or if I even have any. But I guess I have a few more hours to procrastinate on that.

For now, I guess I need to shower.

A Few of My Favorite Holiday Decorations

Thanksgiving in North Carolina

It's almost Christmas, so it's a little bit late for me to be finally posting about my Thanksgiving trip to North Carolina. Alas... here it is.

The long weekend was mostly spent in the car. Driving to NC. Driving to Will's base. Driving to and from Will and Abby's house to our beachfront condo at Topsail Beach. Driving to Onslow Beach for family photos. Driving to Wilmington. Driving back to Topsail Beach. Driving back to St. Louis.

I don't love cars, and I was sick on the way home, so that sucked.

But beyond that, it was a wonderful weekend spent with family. Playing with my niece, Willa. Watching movies. Cooking Thanksgiving dinner. Visiting the USS North Carolina in Wilmington. Walks on the beach. Bowling, even. And all of the trumps a fever and car sickness.

One morning, I woke up early to go see the sunrise. I've been thinking about sunrises a lot lately. Someone said to me recently that "the best thing about sunsets is that there will be another one tomorrow." It occurred to me the this is the same for sunrises, but that I don't take advantage of it nearly enough. We've all seen a bazillion beautiful sunsets, but how many beautiful sunrises have you seen?

Well, now I can add another to my (short) list. I woke up, walked across the street to Topsail, and took in a lovely, albeit chilly, sunrise. I picked up a few seashells. I even saw dolphins. I kid you not. I have photo evidence. Cheesy as it sounds, it was all pretty magical.

Is It Thanksgiving Yet?

In less than two weeks, I'll be in North Carolina with my family for Thanksgiving and I just.can't.wait.

Not only because of the obvious – duh, it's a beach – but I love Thanksgiving, I love the holidays, and my little baby neice Willa has grown so much she's basically going to be walking, talking and going away for college by then.

It's The Freakin' Weekend Baby

I'm about to have me some fun.

Seriously though, something about this Memorial Day Weekend feels fresh, exciting, the start of something. I'm not even doing anything too crazy – just headed down to the lake with my parents and cousin – but after the polar vortex of a winter we had, this summer is much much needed.

Get Out

With this past weekend's 4 Hands Food Truck Fest and Broadway Oyster Bar Crawfish Boil, the official season of outdoor drinking events has begun. 

And I couldn't be more ecstatic. 

This Weather Though

Welcome, spring. I'm so happy to see you. 

Meet Willa Mae

So happy to introduce the world to my sweet niece, Willa Mae.

Named for Willa Cather ('My Antonia') and the month of May, the month both her parents were born and met. Weighing in at 5lbs 15.9oz, 19 inches long, and born at 5:02am on February 21, 2014.

I'm pretty much obsessed with her. Didn't think it would be so hard for me to put her down and leave the hospital / DC. I don't want to ever forget a moment of that weekend so that when she's grown, I can tell her all about how I found out she was born when we were just a few hours from DC. How we laughed that she was fussy just like our cat Max (didn't like the light in her eyes, didn't like when you laughed at her). How my parents starred at her sleeping like she was on display at a zoo. How everyone thought she was named after her Uncle Will / Grandpa Bill. How we thought all weekend about what she would call my parents, her grandparents. Would it be 'Papi'? After all, that's what the cats 'call' him.

I get to see her again in a few weeks, and again in May. After that maybe a bit this summer if she can get down to the lake for the very first time. Until then, looking forward to pictures, videos and Google Hangouts.

These Two

and baby makes three. 

Snowed In

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Twenty-Seven

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Winter Break, Basically

Basically, 'no pants Saturday' all day every day. 

Winter Break, Day 1

Woke up without an alarm today. Had coffee in my new Twitter-inspired mug while I watched the finale of Alpha House in bed on my iPad. Read the Amy Poehler/Tina Fey-edited EW while I watched The Getaway on Esquire, cuddled on the couch with Maverick.

Took a long shower. Blogged.

Met friends for Mexican food and beers. Reminisced. Gossiped. Vented.

Had a belated Christmas dinner and present unwrapping at home with my family, and then went to the movies to see Saving Mr. Banks.

Then it was home again for crafting, cleaning and blogging, apparently. And I didn't check my work email once.

All I Want for Christmas

Feelings today.

Penguins in Holiday-Wear

Because, why not. 

On the Road in Southwest Colorado

On our Labor Day visit to Southwest Colorado, we spent time in Durango and Cortez, and visited the Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest and Mesa Verde. Along the way there were stops at the Four Corners, Elephant Feet, the Little Colorado Gorge, badlands in New Mexico, breweries, diners and Lot-a-Burgers.

I hate being stuck in a car for hours, but looking back at the pictures makes me miss the open road.

Read more about our other stops: the Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest National Park, and Mesa Verde.