Photo Fab

life is strange. we've had less going on lately in some ways, and yet every day seems so full of stuff, it's all i can do to just go back to bed.  things are changing in big ways, and while our path isn't yet defined, it's scary/exciting/amazing/petrifying to watch everything take shape.  when i have answers, i'll tell you all about it.  i just have to find them out, first!

here are some things i've been doing lately, in the meantime.

 i moved, and got a new view from a new front porch. isn't this a beautiful mansion? there's a museum inside. i need to go inside it soon.

 i pulled a little merch duty at a Christmas concert.  Smalltown Poets and Echoing Angels. they're awesome, and if you're in Georgia, South Carolina, or North Carolina, you need to go to a show.

 i bought my dogs a new bed and shadow decided to hog both of them. (she has since learned to share.)

we went to a petting zoo and bran made some new friends.

 this guy especially loved bran.

 we drove turn 4 on the charlotte motor speedway while looking at christmas lights. talk.about.fun.

 my little niece knows what's up and just wanted to see the ponies some more.

 we finally put up our christmas tree, and topped it as true Psych fans would.

 i gave my little hedgehog a home in the tree.

 my awesome friends amy and michael gave me a purple tree! (i saw one on a tv commercial and died on the spot. they made my christmas wishes come true.)

 we went to the Billy Graham Library for some Christmas fun. it was beautifully decorated and about 30 degrees warmer than last year. so it was a good experience.

how could i not adore this man? we went on a snuggly carriage ride to look at the lights. i love him.

hope you enjoyed my photo blast! and i hope you're having a fabulous Christmas season.

thank you very much

this is a month for giving thanks.  i am way behind the curve on the daily posting, so i'm going to clump a bunch together here, and you're going to read them all and like it. (kidding. you don't have to like it if you don't want to. just pretend you do.) =)

i am thankful for my husband. he is wonderful. i'm thankful that tomorrow it will have been 4 years since i walked into his coffee shop and asked him for a chai tea and to (finally) be my boyfriend. (he'd spent the better part of a month asking me to be his girlfriend and i kept saying no, not yet.) i'm thankful that he meant it when he said "for better or for worse", because we are definitely in the "for worse" part.  we're at least in the "for poorer" part. but everything is ok if we're together, and i'm thankful every day for how much he loves me, even when i'm ridiculous. which is a lot most of the time.

i am thankful for friends. good dear friends, who let us stay at their houses for way too long, feed us, let us vent, and give us wise advice.

i'm thankful for reconciliation. i have seen a lot of things come full circle and i truly and completely believe in redemption.

i'm thankful for my craft night ladies (Amy, Alison, Christa, Andrea), even when craft night turns into magazines at barnes & noble and cherry limeades at sonic. i'm thankful for their sweet spirits and their creativity, which always inspires me. i'm also thankful that i know everything that will happen to me when i give birth sometime in the future, and they better all be there. or else.

i'm thankful for my puppies, for snuggles and kisses and comic relief.

i'm thankful for the job i've had for the last year and a half. i have learned so much and worked under incredible leadership. if i could work with these people forever, i'd do it in a heartbeat.

i'm thankful we get to go see my family next week!

i'm thankful for a season in which i remember to be thankful on purpose.

and i'm thankful that you read this very long post.

Fall Days

north carolina has beautiful falls.  this year, the leaves decided to change colors later than normal, and they changed more quickly than normal, which i was not happy about.  however, we were able to get to the mountains and see some pretty colors, and enjoy the chilly (very cold) weather.

we picked up some Bojangles and ate at a park in the mountains.  it was lovely, and the people watching was fantastic.  there were several people digging around in what must have been ice cold water, and i'm not sure what they were looking for, but they found some.

all in all, i like hanging out with this guy. he's cute and fun, and we always have the best time.

3 Weeks...

...since my last post.  obviously, discipline is not a character trait i possess very strongly. i have 3 blog drafts with about 1 sentence each in them, waiting to be written. i wish i was one of those people who could decide they were going to get up in the morning, work out, have quiet time, have a productive day at work, not make the accountant mad, cook dinner, pay the bills, do laundry, have a perfectly clean and straight house, and still have time with friends and my husband, and have perfectly trained dogs, and look cute.  i am not that girl.  i fail at the first item... i hit the snooze button approximately 8 times a day.  it's seriously lame.  i always think... today, i'm going to do better. i'm going to do a, b, c, x, y, and z, and it's going to be great. and then i don't. and then i'm upset.  i know i need to start smaller.  one thing at a time... one habit at a time.  does anyone have any ideas on how to start small, or how to instill discipline in yourself? i'm 25, people. it's past time.

(i feel like i've read this very blog recently from someone else. i know someone has to understand where i'm coming from!

boo, technology

i have had about 4 cool things i've wanted to blog about in the last week-ish, but i am terrible about sitting down to actually do it!  and now i've forgotten them all.  i need to take notes for myself so i can remember what to write about.

i would also love to share some fun photos with you, but my phone decided yesterday that it wasn't going to work anymore.  i think it knows there is a new iphone coming soon, and i'll be replacing it.  poor little iPhone 3g.  i've had it for over 2.5 years.  isn't that long enough?  it has been for me.

sorry this is terribly dull!  i promise a better post soon, with photos!

goodness

it is officially fall!  i, for one, am SO excited.  i am very, very tired of being hot.  i like summer, but it was too much this year.  i think the winter is going to be extra cold this year (at least by North Carolina standards), so i'm going to enjoy all the fall that i can.  we've been celebrating fall's arrival in full force around here... including marshmallow treats of all kinds.  because what says "fall" more than s'mores?!?!

we started with this bottle of amazing:

add to hot chocolate or a mocha, and you have YUM.  i've had one every day for the last week.  it just makes me feel warm and cozy inside.

then, we added some to some homemade ice cream, courtesy of my friend Amy.  topped with a toasted marshmallow, perfection.

on a non-food-related note, i recently heard the best Christmas album you will soon be able to buy.  Smalltown Poets just finished their Christmas record, and it really is amazing.  (and i'm not just saying that because they're my bosses and i have to)   =)  this was my view while listening to the masters as soon as they arrived in the mail.  when i know exact release dates, i will pass them along.  you definitely are going to want this to make your season merry and bright.

that's all for this friday night!  i leave you with this little bit of sweetness.  my puppy fell asleep on my foot, and it was so cute, i had to sneak a picture.  she usually jumps up when she sees the camera pointed at her, but i managed to get one before she noticed.  isn't she precious?

lay it down

i heard a song today that i had forgotten i put on the particular mix cd i was listening to (no iphone input in this girl's car. it's all about cd's) ... it was such a happy surprise because i really like the lyrics, and they made me happy today.  the bridge says this:

love, hear the truth
i have joy to give you
i make everything new
trust me, so let it go
{i have far better plans
than this moment demands}
i'll take care of you,
one of my own


i love knowing that there are better plans than today... especially when days are like today, which was not generally a good day.  song lyrics are on my list of favorite things, and can put my whole day (or week, or life) in perspective.

maybe these lyrics can make you happy, too.

what are some of your favorite lyrics you've heard recently?