Androgonous

This past Saturday the weather was crisp and cool and so perfectly sunny that it called for breakfast on a patio in the city. And after a week of dresses, tights, and dress pants, all I wanted was a cozy sweater and worn-in jeans. A perfect outfit for a Saturday outing (and buying a new car!).

Old Navy sweater H&M blouse, Madwell jeans, Steve Madden bag, vintage loafers, MK watch, vintage bangles, Target hat

{Yay! New car!}

xoxo

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Gratitudes

One of the things that I struggle with at times is the ability to remain positive in the face of negativity. Unfortunately, it's easy to be pulled down into someone else's negative outlook and complaints and lose sight of the abundant blessings in my life. In an effort to combat the negativity, I've started keeping a gratitude journal. Each day I write down one thing I am thankful for, from french roast coffee to my amazing husband. I also record one moment from the day that touched me, moved me, or simply one that I want to remember. And after just a few weeks of this new practice, I find myself choosing joy and happiness over the sometimes {fleeting} dismal nature of my circumstances. 

  {recent gratitudes: amazing friends, the most incredible husband, experiencing God's glory through nature, camping adventures with husband, the mystery of love}

Don't let your circumstances define your attitude

Here's to gratitude and living thankful, loving lives.
xoxo

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Saturday Date

This past Saturday husband and I spent the morning in Decatur, one of our favorite Atlanta neighborhoods. We ate at Rise-n-Dine in Emory Village, a vintage-inspired diner with a heart for quality food and delicious recipes. The restaurant features organic, fair-trade knock your socks off fantastic coffee, which pairs perfectly with a Spanish omelet, stone ground grits with quinoa and sage, or scrambled free-range eggs and homemade chicken sausage. We also sampled the homemade apple butter, which was sweet and spicy and the perfect compliment to the rich, bitter coffee.

One of my favorite things about Rise-n-Dine is the decor. Mason jars and glass bottles are filled with billy buttons and mums, tables are lined with vintage linens, Santas and garlands are displayed on cake stands and flour scales, and mismatched frameless mirrors line the walls. If I owned a restaurant, it would look a lot like this.

After our bellies were full we took Max the Mini Cooper on his last jaunt and headed to the Subaru dealership... where I bought a new Impreza Sport! (I needed a new car, lots of miles, things breaking, needed something family-friendly with more room.... etc.)

Yay!

xoxo

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O' Christmas Tree

This past Saturday husband and I started a new tradition for our little family. We spent the afternoon at a local tree farm picking out our perfect Christmas tree. The past three years we have used a hand-me-down artificial tree, but with this being our first Christmas in our new {to us} home, we wanted it to be special. We also want to start traditions now that we can continue when there are little ones in the picture. 

The farm was so lovely! Trees, small and large, were arranged in perfect rows. There were old farm buildings, tractors and even old gasoline pumps on the property, and everyone was so friendly. It is a 'cut your own' farm, and husband almost ended up helping a lady and her young sons cut their tree down. While he was loading the tree into the truck, I went foraging for the cypress branches laying on the ground*.

It was a fun little adventure. This guys is going to make a great Christmas tree!

Happy Christmas!

xoxo

*I have big plans for these branches.... boxwood + cypress wreathes, filler for our clear glass ball ornaments, and displayed in a good old-fashioned vase

Paleo Favorites: Gremolata & Mushroom Stew

I made this gremolata and mushroom beef stew last week while I was feeling under the weather. It was hearty and comforting and paired wonderfully with a side of gluten-free wild rice. {Unfortunately, despite its tastiness, it didn't cure my cold.}

I followed this recipe from one of my favorite paleo sites, Health-Bent. I used a 2lb grass-fed roast, so I cut down on some of the measurements:

3 garlic cloves

3/4 of a small onion 

2 carrots, peeled & diced

1 celery stalk, diced

8 ounces of mushrooms, roughly sliced

1 cup organic vegetable stock

1 small can of organic fire-roasted diced tomatoes

a little less than 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

1 small orange, sliced

2 small rosemary sprigs + more for garnish

I cooked the stew in the oven for about 1&1/2 hours, and it was slightly overdone, so I would recommend about an hour in the oven.

Happy {paleo} eating.

xoxo

Life

October and November were somewhat tumultuous over here. Between growing career pressures and husband being out of town, it was honestly a little overwhelming. For two months we only saw each other on weekends, during which we tried to pack in home improvement projects, trail runs with Sambo, downtime on the porch, meals with our families, and all the little things that need to be done around a household. Let's just say that I'm glad December is here. 

Here's a peak at what the last couple months looked like around our house.... 

 

We hired professionals to paint our vaulted-ceiling living and dining room, rearranged furniture and created a meaningful collage on the wall, hung garland for hosting Thanksgiving, and snuck in a little fun at the a Georgia v. Georgia Tech game. I had to work the day after Thanksgiving, and since we weren't busy, we put up a Christmas tree and decorated the store. That same day Sambo sneakily ate the stuffing out of his bed, and curled up by the fire with a full belly. Guess what he's getting for Christmas?

xoxo

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Signs of Fall

 Changing leaves viewed from the front porch {coffee in hand} and miniature pumpkins on the dinner table

My favorite fall candle making the house smell divine, colorful leaves from the bushes outside, and a Thanksgiving-themed BHG

How are you embracing the cooler days, changing leaves and upcoming holiday season?

xoxo

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Weekends Around Here...

... start off with coffee on the porch and a scrumptious breakfast {scrambled eggs, chia muffins or paleo biscuits, fresh fruit, turkey bacon, etc.}

... usually include a mid-morning run and a few minutes on the porch swing

...as well as a house project or two, like building a farm tablet {details coming soon!}

 ... and end with a fierce game of scrabble by the fire.

xoxo

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Emerald Envy

Although crimson is the color du jour, my current go to for fall is a deep emerald green. Paired with denim, dress pants or simply on it's own, the saturated hue has certainly caught my attention. I have worn my peplum tank repeatedly -- with dark skinnies, a leopard print pencil skirt, and black flared dress pants -- and currently have my eye on a few other emerald selections as well. Here are some of my current favorites.

 

 Forever21 Longline Jacket

Topshop peplum tank

Topshop knit pointelle dress

Green Trillion Cuff 

Kate Spade Post Street Sonia

Madewell Ticketstub scarf 

Deco Forest Bib

xoxo

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A Quiet Celebration

On the 7th day of this month I turned thirty years old. I woke up buried in blankets on that cold Sunday morning with my pup snuggled at my feet and my sweet husband by my side. We made coffee and sat by the campfire. My family drove up for the afternoon and we grilled hotdogs and ate pumpkin mousse pie. My thoughtful parents gave me the most wonderful gift - a lamp they created out of my old symphony clarinet. There were plenty of hugs, kisses and puppy dog licks. Husband and I walked along the river and talked about life, love and friendship.

Something about starting a new decade has made me contemplative as of late. I've been thinking about who I am and who I want to be. About the legacy I want to leave and the people on whom I spend my time and energy. I feel myself changing, shifting my priorities and re-focusing on things I now value.

Here's to another decade - one filled with love. friendship, laughter, and health. To one that includes challenging myself and facing more things that scare me. It's going to be a great year.

xoxo

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Redefining Beauty

Admittedly, when I started Crossfit I was expecting to obtain 'model-thin' results. As I've grown and changed over the last year, my perception of beauty has begun to take on a different shape. This video exemplifies how beauty isn't just having a small waist or skinny thighs. Beauty is about working hard, building strength, and pushing yourself farther than you ever thought possible. 

There is beauty in strength.

video via Crossfit.com

Weekend Getaway

Last Friday husband and I took the opportunity of a three day weekend to spend some time in the mountains. October is by far our favorite time of year -- changing leaves, cool temperatures, both of our birthdays. So after debating the weather and our schedules, we decided that a few days in the woods would refresh our spirits. We packed up our truck and headed to North Carolina, to Standing Indian Campground.

  

While the weather didn't exactly cooperate, the weekend was a much needed escape from the business of our lives. Saturday was gorgeous, so we hiked to Picken's Nose - a quick in and out hike that afforded incredible views. We stopped at Mooney Falls on the way back to our campsite, and spent the remainder of the afternoon reading by the campfire. It rained overnight on Saturday night and stayed cool and wet for the remainder of our trip. Sunday my family came up for a small birthday celebration, complete with pumpkin mousse pie. Monday morning we attempted a sunrise hike, only to be met by a wall of fog. Nonetheless, it was still so peaceful to sit on the side of the mountain, bundled against the cold and share hot coffee with my one and only.

The scenery at Standing Indian is simply breathtaking. From the changing leaves to the grey skies and the mountaintop views. Standing Indian is by far one of my favorite campgrounds. There's something magical about the Nantahala National Forest that speaks to my soul. The natural beauty, the history. I'm not sure what it is, but we left Monday morning with refreshed souls and lighter hearts.

xoxo

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DIY Industrial Sconces

 

One of the things I am excited to share with you is the process of recreating our new-to-us home. Admittedly, the place is dated and a little too country for our liking, but it's nothing a few gallons of paint and some elbow grease can't fix. So, I've come up with a 'This Young House' series which will highlight some of the things we are doing {or having done when it's beyond our skill level}. Naturally, we have a laundry list of projects, large and small, but we've decided to start with the small ones and work on just a couple rooms at a time... but more on that later.

One of the first areas we decided to tackle was the master bedroom. We want the space to feel calm and almost cave-like while still seeming airy and welcoming. For us that means a neutral color palette, layers of linens on the bed, and a few meaningful, dramatic details.

As for lighting, we decided on sconces versus table lamps to save precious bedside real estate for books and water glasses. Most of the sconces we liked were on the pricier end, so we decided to recreate a version of these. The process was really quite simple once we figured out what supplies we needed. 

Supplies:
two steel brackets {not shown above}
two lamp sockets
two lamp cords
a pack of steel nipples {no snickering}
a back of hex nuts

Other master bedroom projects:
- WALL ART: I'm waiting for the autumn/winter collection of these decals. I want to place the decal on a piece of old wood stained the same color as our imaginary bench.

- PAINT: While we've already painted the walls what we thought was a silver grey, a darker slate grey will be going up in a few weeks.

- A BENCH: We are building a bench for the foot of the bed out of some leftover wood and hairpin legs.

- HARDWOODS: As I've mentioned before, the carpet in this room is heinous. Simply heinous, people.

- {FAUX} COWHIDE RUG: We're envisioning a unique, dramatic rug to place under the bed after our hardwoods make their appearance.

More home improvement projects are on the way. There are so many!
Happy Friday.
xoxo

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