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As I have gotten older I have noticed that my type A personality traits have become much more apparent in my daily life. I've always enjoyed making plans, writing lists and organizing my days, but I have realized over the past few years that it's more than just something I enjoy. Planning and listing is a way to calm myself and steel myself toward productivity, especially when I am overwhelmed. My mind works in rational, scientific ways. I work through problems in a logical order, from an issue at work to finding that lost bobby pin in my car. My closet is organized by color {ROY G BIV, anyone?} and within each color, it is organized by sleeve length. I also recently broke out some geometry when K an I were mapping out our soon-to-be-built patio. {He laughed, but my C=2(pi)r determined  the length of one side of the walkway, so it worked. Just saying.} Everything in my life has a place. Add in a profession that demands perfection, and you've got some serious type A tendencies.

While I truly believe that these traits enhance my professional attributes and serve to maintain my sanity as I juggle my daily life, I also believe that we all need time to disconnect. To toss out the lists, to not make plans. To find yourself curled up and napping on the couch with your pup at 3:00 on a Saturday afternoon. I also find serenity in the outdoors, especially camping trips like this one. And while there is quite a bit of list-making, planning & organizing involved, once we reach our destination, all bets are off. Often we have a vague idea of a hike we want to take or make tentative plans to watch the sunrise, but for the most part our days are free. No schedules, no phones, no computers. Just us and the trees, the river, the sky. I need this time to balance the scientific nature of my brain, to tap into my creative side, to ground me.

And now it's your turn.  What are your type A tendencies? 

And what are your tricks to make sure you don't go overboard?

xoxo

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Real Food. Real Life. Real Workouts.

I often get questions about maintaining a paleo lifestyle on a regular basis. It's one thing to complete thirty days of clean eating, but how does that hold up after your cleanse is through? For me it was all about small changes and a slow transition, but that's another story for another day.

Today I wanted to share with you a new tumblr site which I will update with my daily meals and workout schedule. While I tend to repeat meals during the week, I hope it will help you come up with new meal ideas and also challenge you to think about what you eat in relation to when you workout and what type of workout you complete. {ie, I wouldn't recommend having a green smoothie for breakfast after completing a difficult WOD or doing sprints. Your body needs protein and even a little starch after work like that.}

Here's to finding ways to make your lifestyle paleo because I honestly believe it can work for everyone.

xoxo

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Pre-Babe Bucket List*

via

Talk of little babes has been constant in my circle over the last six months. One of my sweetest friends had her second little girl in November, just after the new Year two of my closest girlfriends found out that they are expecting {and only a few weeks apart!}, and many other ladies I know are adding to their families as well. 

All this talk of babes has husband and I thinking about what we want to accomplish or experience before we take that step ourselves. And while you can't always plan these things {as was the case in the majority of my friends' pregnancies}, it's nice to have goals. At least it is for me. {Hello, type A}. And as excited as I am about the prospect of littles, here are a few things that I'd like to experience before we bring them into our lives.

~ have one big adenture trip with husband

~ complete a sprint triathlon

~ finish our backyard and build a patio

~ go on a mission trip to Haiti

~ run a half marathon

~ take sambo to the beach

 

What would you put on your pre-babe bucket list?

xoxo

 

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*This is NOT an announcement, just so we are clear. :)

Sensing Happiness

family room inspiration

Ever have one of those weeks that just flies by because you are so swamped? One where when you finally make it inside at the end of the day, all you have time for is a quick dinner before you fall into bed? When even though you had fun things planned for your blog you only actually get in one post?

Yeah.... This week was like that.

I'll spare you the details as I'm sure they are interesting only to about two of my readers {hi mom and sister}. Instead I leave you with these few small things that filled my otherwise hectic week with happiness.

listening  love this song by wild cub. we may have had a couple dance parties to it already.

smelling  this delicious homemade citrus cleaner which pairs perfectly with one of my favorite kitchen candles

seeing  re-reading an old favorite that always gives perspective

tasting  a new favorite recipe - turkey basil artichoke meatballs. pairs perfectly with sauteed kale and is whole30 approved.

touching  damp earth and green plants - we are finally planting our summer vegetable garden this weekend {in between rain showers!}.

happy weekend!
xoxo

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{P}inspirations

Some of my more recent inspiration images...

{for my home}

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{for myself}

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{to eat}

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{just because}

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xoxo

all can be found here

Long Weekend Escape {Standing Indian Campground}

Sometimes I just need to get away from it all - work, social media, the million things that need to be done around the house, home improvement projects, all of it. I need to recharge, to spend time with my best friend, to enjoy creation and connect with the Creator.

That's what we did this past weekend. It wasn't fancy or even that well planned, but it was perfect. Strong coffee in the cold morning air, a day hike to the top of Albert Mountain and an old fire tower, wading through the streams that meet the Nantahala river, telling stories and making plans by the campfire, snuggling down with husband and our pup under mounds of covers and sleeping soundly. 

xoxo

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A Surprise Sixty

 A few photos from my father's surprise sixtieth birthday party we threw a couple weekends ago. It was a low-key celebration filled with old family photos, all his favorite foods {including the peanut butter chocolate cupcakes from my wedding}, lots of friends and family, and plenty of laughter. It was so much fun to try and surprise that guy. We actually had it pulled off until he pulled into the driveway!

{^^blueberry bushes from me and my sister with sweet notes from my nephews^^}

 {^^suprise! and the year I dressed up as my father for Halloween^^}

I'm a lucky gal to have such a great dad.

xoxo

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2013: Finding Contentment

Contentment (n.): a quiet, inward disposition that freely submits and delights in its communion with the Almighty Father, the strengthening one

Lately it seems that deep inward contentment in my life is an elusive and intangible thing. I feel it lacking my in daily life, bringing the weight of guilt and shame for my inner discontentment. I am truly so blessed, but I often let my circumstances define my attitude and let negativity steal my joy. And while gratitude journals are a wonderful outlet, I believe that true contentment comes from something much deeper.

I listened to this podcast a few months ago and find myself continually returning to different portions, reminding myself and refocusing my heart on where true contentment comes from. Yes, I am blessed with an amazing husband, a job that provides for my family, incredible friends, and a million tiny worldly joys, but even more than that, the creator of the universe believes that I am precious. So precious that He would crush His Son with the weight of a world of sin, solely that I may be reunited with Him and commune with Him. And focusing on that fact... that brings be true, heartfelt down-to-the-soul contentment.

{link}

Some days are more of a struggle than others, my attitude is far from perfect, but I am growing. I pray daily for a restful mind and a peaceful heart, for a change in circumstances, but most importantly for a change in my heart. And praise the Lord that His grace renews daily {or hourly, as I often require}. I hope you will take a few minutes to listen to this podcast -- in your car, on your lunch break or just for a time of quiet reflection. I promise it will be worth it.

xoxo

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*I struggled with whether or not to publish this post, but in the spirit of transparency and complete honesty, I hope you find it beneficial.  God bless.

Praying for Boston

Monday was one of those days that will forever be burned into our memories. We will always remember where we were and what we were doing when we heard the news. For me it was at 7:30pm as husband and I finally sat down to dinner and turned on the television.

In times like this it is so difficult to find peace and understanding. Anger, confusion, hurt and heartbreak are tangible as we absorb this new reality. And yet, out of such deep, heart-wrenching pain we see the presence of love for one another.  It has always been there, manifest as a smile or someone holding a door. But now it is in the spotlight as we hear stories of strangers reaching out to one another. A man using his belt to stop another man's bleeding leg, race volunteers frantically helping people to safety, Americans around the country donating money to people they have never even met, and millions upon millions of prayers.

In the face of such a tragedy, I hope we can all focus on the prevailing spirit of love, lifting up our fellow citizens in prayer and supporting them through this time.

xoxo

{What I'm Wearing} Easy Like Sunday Morning

Lately I've been all about simple pieces, especially a white tee... paired with a long skirt, distressed denim, grey skinnies, neon shorts and a chambray. The list for me is endless.

Details: (old) Abercrombie denim jacket (new version,  similar), Loft tee, F21 skirt (similar), vintage belt & bangles, Gap aviators, Clarks wedges, Michael Kors bag (similar)

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Also, a note about these posts....

My style isn't fashion forward or groundbreaking, and I'm okay with that. I enjoy dressing up and often ogle over runway shows or fashion magazines, but in reality, cocktail dresses, gowns and even the most amazing, detailed peplum just don't fit into my daily life. I'm a simple gal, leading a simple life. I like pretty clothes, big jewels, and heels, and I like to share them with you.

xoxo

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This Young House: Building a Hairpin Leg Bench

Our master bedroom is one of the only rooms in our home that is close to being finished. Aside from large projects like exchanging our horrid green carpet for hardwood floors, painting the trim and upgrading our nightstands to something more our style, the room is just what we wanted -- a {headboard-less} low bed, industrial lighting, unique and meaningful artwork. One of the few remaining projects we had was to build a bench for the foot of our bed. We were originally looking for something at our local antique and thrift stores, but nothing was exactly what we wanted, so we decided to build the simplest version of our vision.

You will need:

1 - 12 inch x 5ft x 1&1/2in board*

a small can of stain or polyurethane**

4 - 17inch hairpin legs***

12 - 1&1/4 inch screws

Sand, stain and seal the wood to your desired color and let dry overnight. Assembling the legs is quite simple. Lightly attach two legs on opposite corners, then turn the bench over and place the remaining legs underneath to see if and where they are uneven. {This step requires a second pair of hands!} Use the supplied spacer on the leg that is uneven. Attach the remaining legs and secure tightly. Viola!

xoxo

Other considerations...

*Our bed is about 5feet wide so we chose to make the bench the same length. If you want something longer, use a longer length board

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**If making an outdoor bench, including one you may place on a deck or front porch, be sure to use indoor/outdoor or outdoor stain to protect against rain.

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***Obviously, the height of the legs will depend on how tall you need the bench to be. We wanted ours just slightly lower than our bed, so 17inch legs worked perfectly. 

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{What I'm Wearing} Blues

 DETAILS:
H&M blazer (similar) & neckalce (similar), Loft top, J. Crew pants (similar), Seychelles booties (similar here & here, but I like this open toe version as well), Michael Kors bag, H&M faux fur stole

Land of the Living

The past few weeks have been challenging, both personally and professionally. I feel as though I am being sifted, spiritually and emotionally. I suppose it's all a part of moving forward, and I know that seasons of self reflection and change make me a better person because they always have. When I look back on difficult times of my life, I can see the changes and the character flaws that prompted them. 

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And while I think this season is coming to a close, I don't believe it is over quite yet. There are changes yet to come, but I am trying my best to keep my heart and mind open. I am surrounding myself with encouraging friends, a steadfast husband, and a sweet {but stinky} pup and allowing time to disconnect -- time for trail runs, weekend coffee on the porch, and long phone calls to friends.

Have a happy weekend. It's good to be back.

xoxo

*This post is in the interest of full disclosure. It is so easy to look at the lives of others through the lens of the internet and assume that other women live such perfect lives. My life is wonderful because of so many things, but it is far from perfect.  

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Life Lens

Life lately has meant long days at work, busy weeks, lazy {but productive} weekends, small projects around the house, afternoon espresso, the last few fires of winter, puppy feet warmers, and delicious weekend brunch (made by husband).

 

xoxo

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