Restless

{Because sometimes a song perfectly embodies the ache of the human heart}

I am the sea on a moonless night, calling, falling, slipping tides
I am the leaky, dripping pipes, the endless aching drops of light
I am the raindrop falling down,
Always longing for the deeper ground
I am the broken, breaking seas, even my blood finds ways to bleed

Even the rivers ways to run , even the rain to reach the sun
Even my thirsty streams, even in my dreams

I am restless, I am restless
I am restless, looking for you
I am restless, I run like the ocean to find your shore
I’m looking for you

I am the one that you left behind,  I am the thorn stuck in your side
I am the bored and clouded eyes looking for the well that won’t run dry

Running hard for the other side , the world that I’ve always been denied
Running hard for the infinite with the tears of the saints and hypocrites 

Oh blood of black and white and gray
Death and life and night and day
One by one by one, we let our rivers run

I am restless, I am restless
I am restless, looking for you
I am restless, I run like the ocean to find your shore
I’m looking for you
........
I’ll be waiting, anticipating
All that I aim for, what I was made for
With every heartbeat all of my blood bleeds
Running inside me, looking for you
Looking for you

~ Restless, Switchfoot

 {image}

Neither Hair nor There

Looking back at some of the recent outfit posts, I've realized that I don't really love my hair. Unfortunately, this isn't a new concept for me. There are days {and outfits} when my natural curls seem perfect, but most days I prefer my flat iron, and I regularly dream of having perfect messy waves. Then, on the complete opposite end of the spectrum, part of me wants to just chop all my hair off a la Emma Watson. So while I'm wrestling with the decision {and my often unruly mane}, here are some of my current hair inspirations.

{see them all here}

xoxo

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Melancholy

Things have been tough in our house lately, and the past few days have been filled with heavy hearts and the closeness of family. In all honesty, I spent the majority of the weekend in an over-sized tee, jeans, and a cardigan, but when dressier attire became a necessity, this ensemble certainly matched my melancholy demeanor.

F21 top & skirt, vintage belt & earring, Dolce Vita for Target wedges

xoxo

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Breakfast for Dinner: Paleo Granola Pancackes

Sometimes you just need a meal that takes you back to childhood. For me, that meal is breakfast for dinner. I remember going to my grandmother's house as a child and having pancackes, bacon, and "coffee" {mine was a watered down version of milk with the tiniest bit of decaf coffee added}. A few nights ago, after a terribly exhausting day, breakfast for dinner was exactly what we needed, and since wheat and grain products are no longer part of our diet, I did a bit of improvising. {I adapted the recipe from this book and added 1/2 cup each of gluten-free oats, cranberries, and walnuts.} The result was incredibly satisfying. Full of flavor and hearty enough for an evening meal, these pancakes are definitely here to stay.

xoxo

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Red Head Red Hot

While I generally avoid the combination of red and black {outside of game day that is}, I recently made an exception with this outfit. These red pants were too perfect a companion for black cage sandals, and so I broke my own rule. I balanced out the edge of the pants and sandals with a Chanel-esque blazer that was perfect for the sometimes overbearing AC indoors.

Target tank & heels, H&M trousers, UO blazer, Vintage belt, F21 necklace

Added bonus: I already have an appropriate outfit for football season.

xoxo

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Long Weekend

This Labor Day weekend husband and I spent some much needed time in the north Georgia mountains with some of our favorite friends. We revisited the Nantahala River for a bit of kayaking, grilled burgers on the cabin porch, ate breakfast at a local country store, and laughed and talked with friends. Sunday evening was spent at a pizza-making contest {our pizza won}, followed by homemade peach ice cream and painting on the porch while listening to the rain. On Monday we celebrated two years of marriage with a low-key but delicious homemade dinner, cuban sangria, and chocolate peanut butter almond-flour cupcakes.

If only every weekend were a three-day weekend....

xoxo

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I Walk the Line

Two years ago today husband and I united our lives forever, and have enjoyed every single day since. A delicate mix of joy and sorrow, these past two years have been heart-breakingly wonderful. While I know that we have a long road ahead filled with uncertainties and hardships, I also know that we will face them side by side and nothing in this world change that.

xoxo

via

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Encased

{open spaces - domino}

One of my recent weekend projects has revolved around finding a home for our extensive (and growing) collection of books. I settled upon two identical white bookshelves framing our fireplace so as to have a built-in look. This coming weekend will be the real challenge, however, as I try to organize the shelves and create unique snapshots of our adventures and travels. The rooms below have key characteristics that I'm using as inspiration for our home.

{painted background - source unknown}

{color coded + jars}

{shades of grwy}

xoxo

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Pretty in Pink

It's that time of year again when we all begin looking forward to crisp fall days and the new wardrobe options that they promise. Unfortunately, the southern summer heat will make you sweat just thinking about tweed or sweaters. As much as I long to pull out my favorite fall pieces, I'm trying to make due with what recently seems like an uninspiring summer wardrobe. Luckily, this dress never fails to shine through. The watercolor print and silky fabric pair equally well with long fall sweaters and breezy summer layers.

UO dress, H&M top, Anthropologie necklace, vintage belt, gifted clutch, Dolce Vita for Target wedges, Revlon Vixen polish + glitter

What are you doing to combat the late summer blues?

xoxo

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Weekend Adventure No. 26: Kayaking the Nantahala River

Not too long ago I mentioned how I wanted to live life with a fearless attitude. Included in that transformation was beginning to do more things that scare me -- presenting my research to well-established and accomplished professionals, completing a medical mission trip outside of the states, taking more {calculated} risks and experiencing new things, just to name a few. Recently, I was able to get my feet wet {see what I did there?} with this new fearless attitude by maneuvering a kayak through class three rapids {with no prior paddling experience, mind you}... solo.

Husband and I spent last Saturday on the Nantahala River, and while I was more than a bit scared at times, it was well worth the anxiety. In fact, we have a return trip planned for Labor Day weekend!

Happy paddling.
xoxo

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Tequila Sunrise

Anna Sui for Target top, F21 skirt & earrings, Steve Madden platforms, vintage bracelet & clutch

xoxo

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Seaside

This past week husband and I spent some time with my family in Seaside, Florida, and after ten weeks of non-stop work, projects, and ten plus hour days, it was definitely a welcomed change of pace. A few days of sunshine, turquoise waves and lounging on the beach was good for my soul, and I wish desperately that I had another week to spend there.

Until next year,
xoxo

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Oceanfront

Although it's never ideal to have stormy weather on vacation, I often welcome one day of overcast skies during a beach trip. I love spending the day in local coffee shops reading magazines, trying out local cuisine, and meandering through book stores and record stores. And that's exactly what we did on vacation last week when we woke up to gray skies. Because really, rainy beach days are best spent wandering around seaside towns beside the one person you can always have fun with.

Crewcuts blouse, Target tank, bandeau & wedges, J. Crew shorts, UO & J.Crew jewelry, vintage rings & sunnies, Charming Charlie's bag

xoxo

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Lots of Little Blessings

When life seems to move quickly and our days become overbooked, it's easy to focus on all of the stress and business and lose sight of what's really important. This week marks the end of my second rotation (out of eight), and a mere eight months until I graduate pharmacy school. I've said before that my days are incredibly full and incredibly long, but I'm trying not to succumb to the tunnel-vision mentality. {You know, the one where you just plug along through the days just trying to survive until you reach your ultimate goal.} Here are more than five things that have been maintaining my sanity making me happy over the last couple weeks.

{Muesli bread recipe here}

What is currently making you happy?
xoxo

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Invested

One of the challenges I face during the summer is finding a way to consolidate my love of layering with the oppressive southern heat. And since isolating myself in air conditioned spaces and refusing to step foot outside isn't exactly an option, here are some of my current favorites for summer layering.

Clockwise from top left:

Crochet Waistcoat - Topshop

Red Scribble Spot Vest - Topshop

Vest of the Rest - Modcloth

Flak Trench Vest - J. Crew

My Vest Friend - Modcloth

Knitted Crochet Vest - Topshop

Gold Sequin Vest - Topshop

Metallic Sleeveless Jacket - YSL

Happy {summer} layering.

xoxo

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