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Today is my birthday! As of 8:07 pm, I will be twenty-six years old. Twenty-six whole years of living in this crazy world. In some ways, every year feels older. In other ways, every year feels the same. One thing that's changed is I don't get super excited about my birthday anymore. Is that just me, or is that adulthood? This is not to say that I don't enjoy the festivities. I love going out to eat with Michael to celebrate (we're headed to The Cheesecake Factory tonight!) and I totally wouldn't mind if someone threw me an awesome party.

Snow!

A couple of weeks ago we got a snow day. We never get snow here in NC! It started in the evening - tiny flakes slowly fell from the sky and covered our neighborhood. I know I said before how I'm not a huge fan of snow, but when you don't have to go out in it, it actually feels pretty special. I love how cozy it makes everything seem. It creates a hush among the otherwise busy streets, and everything just looks so peaceful.

Dining room updates

The day I photographed the first floor, we actually made some changes in the dining room so it's been looking a little different from what I originally showed you. For Christmas my parents got me these Pottery Barn shelves, and I am in love with how they add some character to the room! I love being able to display my wine glasses instead of having them hidden in cabinets, and displaying them here also gives me more cabinet space in the kitchen. It's a win win all around. We also turned the table, which gives us some extra walking space from the living room to the back door. I think the room looks better without everything lined up down the middle. It's not so straightforward, and has a little bit more dynamic to it. What do you think?

Organization tip: Holiday cards

I am a forgetful person, but for those who know me, a lot of the time I probably seem like I have it all together. The reason is because I set myself up for things so that when I do forget (because I know I will) I have a backup plan. If I need to run an errand or call someone on my way home from work, I put a reminder in my phone for the time I know I'll be leaving. I write myself notes and lists and leave them in conspicuous areas so as not to forget important things. If I have to bring something with me when I'm leaving the house, I'll put it right next to my purse so I won't forget it when I walk out the door. I find when I don't have things prepped, I waste time and money, and I don't like that.

One thing I've started doing recently is having birthday, wedding, and baby cards at the ready.