4th of July Weekend

How was your 4th of July weekend? Ours was fantastic. I loved that the holiday fell on a weekend this year! The weather was unbelievably gorgeous and unusually not humid, so we got to spend most of it outside and I have to say I loved it. I can't remember a 4th of July with such amazing weather!

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.

2013 in Review

This was a year of...

Weddings

Blythe + Joe

Charlotte + Andrew

Christmas 2013 Recap

This Christmas we traveled A LOT, and when it's all said and done I can say it was worth it to see everyone we wanted to see, but I don't know that we'd do a repeat of it in future years. Christmas as an adult is hard. Especially if you are married and you're trying to find time to celebrate with both sides of the family. You get one day off (or 2 if you're lucky) to celebrate the best holiday of the year, and with family members located in different states it's just not possible to see everyone on Christmas Day.

'Tis the Season + Free Printable

Despite the tasks we still need to complete in our house to make it functional year round, Christmas is upon us and the house must be decorated. "'Tis the season!" they say. There are lots of things that still need to be organized, half-emptied boxes lying around, and some blank walls here and there. But Christmas comes but once a year, so this week we got our decorations out and set up our tree! I have to admit, I really love having all of my Christmas decorations out, even if it seems a bit more cluttered in some areas. It's always fun to try new things with my Christmas decorations and play around with where to set things up. Of course it's all new in our new house, so that has been fun too!

July 4th at the beach

This past weekend was wonderful. Although we had to work on Friday, we made the best of it and took a day trip to the beach at Topsail Island with friends for the 4th of July. It only took a couple hours to get there and it was totally worth it! We brought coolers full of drinks and snacks, set up cornhole and our beach chairs, and parked it on the beach for a solid 5 hours. We had so much fun! After several days of rain, the weather was perfect - it was comfortable sitting on the beach but hot enough to still want to get in the water. A seafood restaurant on the sound called our names for dinner before getting on the road to drive home. We did not see fireworks as we were driving while they were happening, but going to the beach on the 4th of July is something I could get used to. It just felt right. Work on Friday went by really fast, and then it was the weekend again! We got to relax, go to dinner together, grill out at home, watch Indentity Theft at our friends' house, and get things done at home like laundry, vacuuming, and a fun project that I will share soon. While I didn't exactly have a long weekend, it sure felt like one. I'm just really glad it's summer and I wish this season lasted longer!

2013

Twenty-thirteen, I'm not so sure what to make of you yet. I don't really know what my goals for you are, but I'm taking the month of January to figure them out (although we all know I'll still be doing that come December). I guess that's mainly because things are good. I feel settled, I feel like I'm where I'm supposed to be, and I feel like my life is full. I don't know if I necessarily want to make any changes, but I believe there's always room for growth and new opportunity. New experiences. I'm really looking forward to this year. I think I sort of felt the same way at the close of last year, and it's great to see that I've accomplished my goal of staying in the same company for one whole year! It feels good to have some longevity and history somewhere. I will say that at the end of this year I feel more grown up. I'm not sure why, but I just feel more comfortable being an adult. Maybe it has to do with the fact that I'm almost 25? Yikes, that feels really weird.

I also did pretty well on my resolutions this year. Not perfect, but pretty good. And that just feels nice. We paid off all of my student loans - hooray! I would say roughly 50% of the year I tried two new recipes a week, although I didn't do so well experimenting with new veggies and ethnic foods as I had hoped. And I worked on having patience with my husband, which is still a work in progress (obvi).

Poll: have you ever successfully completed all of your New Year's resolutions? I don't think I have ever finished all of mine.

On New Year's Day we had friends over for a brunch to welcome 2013, and we all decided that it needs to become a New Year's tradition. That's one of my resolutions this year: make some intentional family traditions with Michael. I'm excited about this one. My one faux pas - I forgot to take pictures of the food or the people! Guess I was having too much fun!

I'm also excited to learn how to use this. I've sewed before, but not with my own machine and I don't really know how to set up all the thread, bobbins, etc. I'm ready for some new pillows and curtains to come!

This is random, but remember our living room? We took down our tree and started brainstorming different arrangements to make it feel more open. Here's our latest. We kind of love it! Although it does kind of make me crave a larger area rug to fill the space more. I'll chew on that one for a bit before making any decisions.

Happy New Year! May your 2013 days be bright.

+

P.S. The calendar above is a gift from my mother-in-law. She is an amazing artist and every year she puts together a calendar showcasing her paintings and gives it out to friends and family. I just love it!

Merry Christmas!

I realize that Christmas day has technically passed already, but in my mind it's still Christmas season! We had a lovely long weekend visiting with my in-laws. Lots of good food, good conversation, and a few little kids running through the house. It was the first time we had done Christmas morning together at Michael's parents' house, so it was really special for me to be a part of their traditions and celebrate with them. We also went to a Christmas caroling party, complete with a full band and a woman who played the piano and the accordion at the same time!

After Christmas we headed home to welcome my family for a couple nights at our place! We didn't technically "host Christmas" but it was fun to have all of them come stay with us, now that we have a place big enough to fit everyone (my brother was on the couch, but I don't think he minded too much). We still opened presents, my mom gave us stockings, and we had our traditional sausage strata and cinnamon rolls for breakfast, so it felt Christmasy enough. We also fit a Les Mis showing and some Cheesecake Factory in there, which were some extra Christmas gifts in themselves!

It's been a wonderful Christmas and I'm starting to get sad it's almost over. But we've still got a big bright new year ahead of us! That's something to be excited about. Am I right? I hope you're still enjoying a wonderful Christmas with your loved ones!

Gift ideas: For her

Presenting: the Women's edition of Christmas gift ideas. We've all got moms and sisters to buy for too. And if you don't, it's always fun to look through things to buy with money and giftcards you get for Christmas (*crossing my fingers*). I've pretty much fallen in love with Etsy over the last few months, as evidenced in the collage below. Almost all of these are on my own Christmas wish list, so I hope you enjoy! Bonus: everything is under $50!
What's on your Christmas wish list this year?

one: L.L.Bean slippers

two: Young House Love book

three: J.Crew striped shirt

four: Petitor gold necklace

five: InvitationBox personalized address stamp

six: LZNartStudio bouquet print

seven: OohBabyInfinity scarf

eight: 1Canoe2 desk calendar

nine: Elisabeth Ashlie earrings

Gift ideas: For him

Let's be honest: guys are hard to buy for. Most men don't love little accessories in every color or bakeware or candles or giftcards to Loft. They do, however, like technology. And while they may not admit this, they kind of need clothes for living, and they like it when you pick them out. So here are my favorite guy picks this Christmas (some of these have been requested by my guy, so they are credible). What will you be getting your favorite guy this year?

one: J.Crew boxers

two: Ron Swanson print (Parks & Rec anyone?)

three: J.Crew Factory comfy sweatshirt

four: Framed picture of you for his desk

five: Nike+ GPS watch

six: Target dress socks

seven: J.Crew Factory plaid shirt

eight: iPhone alarm clock

nine: V-MODA noise-isolating surround sound headphones

Christmas is here.

You guys, it's all sorts of Christmas up in here! We actually got our tree last Friday night, but we've been so busy that we didn't really have time to finish decorating until tonight. But we finally did, and it's glorious. I've never had a fireplace right next to the Christmas tree, and let me tell you, it's so cozy! I just love all the twinkly lights and red and green and sparkles. I feel ready to tackle this weekend. Tomorrow my Christmas cards are going in the mail and in the evening we'll be attending a Christmas party. Then Saturday we're going to the Nutcracker! I kind of bought the tickets on a whim for a show at NC State. Hopefully it's good! There will also be some Christmas shopping and baking mixed in there. Doesn't this season just make you feel so wonderful? It took a while for me to really feel like it was here, but it's kind of contagious, you know?

Hope you all have a magical Christmas weekend!

Linking up with

Ten June's link party:

Christmas Ornament Exchange

When Christina & Rachel announced they were hosting a blogger ornament swap back in October, I jumped on it! I love Christmas ornaments and I love getting to know other bloggers. I got paired with Amy from Dreaming, Wishing, Doing and it has been so fun getting to know her! She is the first person I've ever met from New Zealand, and she has an amazing story about her lifestyle change that she's been undergoing this past year. She is so positive and honest, and has a love for life that is contagious! Amy is also secretly an incredible decorator - just check out her Christmas decorations, some of which she made! I knew she would send me something adorable, and she delivered...

These little critters are both icons of New Zealand so I will always remember who gave them to me. I'm so excited to get them up on my tree!

A huge THANK YOU to Amy for sending a little Christmas gift to someone she's never met before - it's been so much fun to meet you and get to know you through this crazy little world of blogging!

 

Thanskgiving

Is anyone else completely wiped from the holiday weekend? This week has been a little rough getting back into the swing of things after our long weekend. We spent Thanksgiving with Michael's family and had such a fun time! We packed in a lot of activity, and a lot of eating. Thursday, instead of doing the usual Thanksgiving traditions, Michael's parents took us hiking to Crowders Mountain. It felt so great to be in the mountains again! Down here in the South the leaves are still falling, so it was a gorgeous hike and we had such a relaxing day taking it easy. While the rest of the family was celebrating with in-laws, the four of us ate our Thanksgiving dinner at McCormick and Schmick's, which was quite delicious and took zero time in the kitchen. It was the most relaxing Thanksgiving ever.

Friday was our day with the whole family, so that's when the big meal commenced! There was turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, cornbread casserole, and Michael's famous mashed potatoes. And when our full bellies allowed us, we topped it off with apple pie, Tarheel pie, and pumpkin cheesecake. All of it was amazing!

The rest of the weekend we played with our niece and nephews, celebrated birthdays, and soaked up our time with family. I'm so thankful for long holiday weekends! Especially Thanksgiving, because when it's over it's CHRISTMAS SEASON!

Grasshopper Pie

When I emailed my grandma to get this recipe (yes, she has a laptop computer - she's so with it), she told me that the original recipe calls for crushing Oreos to make a pie crust, but that was "much too much work - just buy a chocolate pie crust" (as if this recipe needs to be simplified even more). Not to argue with Grandma, I bought an Oreo pie crust and whipped up this pie in about 10 minutes. The hardest part was finding a place in my freezer that was level! This pie is minty and chocolatey - one delicious combination.

Grandma also mentioned that she's making two of these pies for a couple of "St. Pat's parties" with her friends, and she even has a green hat ready to wear. I would love to be half as social and fashionable as her when I'm 81!

Happy St. Patricks' Day!!

Grasshopper Pie

2 tbsp. Creme de Menthe Liqueur, or 1/4 cup Creme de Menthe syrup*
7 oz. marshmallow cream
8 oz. whipped cream/Cool Whip, thawed
chocolate pie crust

Mix Creme de Menthe and marshmallow cream well (the liqueur I bought was green, add food coloring if you'd like it to be more green). Mix in the Cool Whip. Pour into the chocolate pie crust and freeze firm. Warm at room temperature 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

*I could not find the syrup at Harris Teeter. I had to go to the ABC store to buy the liqueur. I read online that you can maybe find the syrup at World Market or a specialty grocery store that sells a lot of gourmet coffee syrups.

13 Ounces or Less

Have you ever heard of mailing something unwrapped? I certainly haven't. Until the other day. I stumbled across a blog called GiversLog, and AmberLee loves to send unusually shaped mail to her family and friends. And it works! As long as it weighs 13 ounces or less and has enough stamps, the Post Office will gladly mail a package that is not really packaged. I was seriously blown away when I saw all the things she's mailed!

Let's take a look at what I'm talking about.

A bottle of art supplies.



A hilarious clown costume in a clear box



A giant bouncy ball!



A sand bucket and shovel.

Easter eggs.



A ribbon stick. Doesn't every little girl want one of these?

The possibilities are endless! She is so creative - I can't believe all the things that weigh less than 13 ounces. How fun would it be to get a package like this in the mail? I think I'm going to have to try this soon on the kiddies in my family! What would you mail?

Handmade Valentines

I don't normally make Valentines, but this year I just had the urge to craft some up! I made some simple notecards out of white cardstock and scrapbook paper. I was so happy with the way they turned out!

 What you need to make your own Valentines:

8.5x11" sheets of cardstock paper

scrapbook paper, different patterns of pinks and reds

paper cutter

scissors

double-sided adhesive stickers

Directions:

Cut cardstock paper in half using paper cutter. Fold each half in half to make two cards. Cut a square of scrapbook paper slightly smaller than the card to be the background. Stick on the card with the adhesive stickers. Cut out hearts in different sizes and then stick on background in a random pattern. Repeat for as many cards as you need.

I just played around with the scrapbook paper until I found matches that I liked. As you can tell, I liked the big heart and little heart design the best! You could fold the paper in half to cut out perfect hearts, but I liked how mine turned out asymmetrical. It had a more whimsical feel that matched the scrapbook paper!

These things make sticking paper together so easy!

I really could not live without my paper cutter. I am the worst at cutting straight lines! 

And the finished result...

Did you handmake anything for Valentine's Day this year? Do you hand out Valentines to friends, family, or coworkers?

Christmas Again

Whew, these past two weeks were a whirlwind! I feel like I have been away from home for a long time... probably because I have!! This year really felt like "Christmas break." We were up in Virginia for Christmas (more on that here), and came home for a quick bit so I could work Thursday & Friday. Then we hit the road again for Charlotte to do our second Christmas with my husband's family. It was so fun! Here are some of the highlights...

Bowling with the family in Uptown Charlotte. I bowled my first Turkey ever!! I was pretty proud. Michael did really well too... but in the end I beat him by 1 point :) The whole family was saying we need to join a bowling league! Ha!

Opening Christmas gifts. As always it is so much fun to see your family open your gifts you got them! I think we did pretty well this year - everyone seemed excited about their gifts. One big hit was these cute homemade coasters I made for the ladies. Mine turned out really cute but I didn't make time to take photos before wrapping them. I'm thinking I'll make some again in the future though, so if I do I'll post pictures of those!

via The Cottage Home

Watching the fireworks over in between the buildings of the Charlotte skyline. They weren't as big as we thought they would be, but it was so fun sitting on the roof of our Prius parked on top of a parking garage, bringing in 2012 together.

Playing with these adorable kiddos! They are all so sweet and fun. Just looking at this photo makes me miss them like crazy!

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas & New Year's celebration!