Life Lens

I am off work for the next few days {yay!!!} and will be taking some time to enjoy my family, friends and loved ones. Brunches, shopping dates, house projects, and lots of french press coffee are in my immediate future.
Wishing you a very merry New Year.

xoxo

*All images taken with VSCO camera or Instagram

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{What I'm Wearing} Elfish

Levi's chambray, F21 sweater, Anthropologie necklace, Loft corduroys & boots, vintage bracelets, Michael Kors watch, gifted Dior 'Rouge" lipstick

Something about the red pants and pointed boots made me feel a bit like an elf last week as I was running around doing last minute Christmas errands. So much so, that I figured a mug of spiced cider was the perfect companion to my present wrapping, dessert baking, and general merry making. It was a great weekend-before-Christmas weekend.

xoxo

FYI, as husband was taking these pictures he so sweetly informed me that he doesn't like this outfit. Bah humbug.

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Merry & Bright

Our Christmas season was so wonderful -- the closeness of family, amazingly delicious food, plenty of laughter, blessings all around. I am so thankful for every one of my siblings, their spouses and children, and all of my in-laws. My parents and grandmother are so special to me, and I can't imagine Christmas without them. As much as I tried to soak up every sweet moment, it passed all too quickly, especially in light of all of the anger and sadness this world has experienced of late.

 {My mom and I made an orange pomegranate punch with rosemary and ginger. So delicious! And so fun to see the guys drinking from the dainty vintage milk glass punch cups.}

Most of all this Christmas season, I am grateful for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who left His Father's throne in heaven to live as a man on this earth and to pay for my salvation with his very life.

Hope you had the merriest of Christmases.

xoxo

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Deck the Halls

Christmas decorating was special this year, since this is our first Christmas in our new {to us} house. It was fun to finally pull out the things I've been saving for the last few years -- vintage ornaments from my grandmother, garland and lights for the doorway -- and deck the halls of our new home for the first time.

We went to a local tree farm and cut our first real Christmas tree. I used a piece of burlap as a tree skirt, and we trimmed away with ornaments I've collected over the past few years. For the mantle, white candles and greenery are festive, yet simple. I filled milk glass vases of different sizes with cypress clippings for the Christmas Eve table.

Merry merry Christmas to you.

xoxo

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{What I'm Wearing} His & Hers

Madewell top, Banana Republic pants, Loft scarf, Steve Madden bag, Francesca's earrings, vintage bracelets

The boyfriend button down is one of my favorite weekend go-tos. Perfect with skinny jeans for a Saturday brunch, leggings and a movie by the fire, or dressed up with stilettos and an handsome date, these tops get a workout in my wardrobe. Last weekend I paired a hot pink version with my new favorite stilettos and black cigarettes for a dressy casual Sunday morning.

xoxo

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Christmas Card Outtakes

One of the highlights of last weekend was putting reindeer ears on Sambo and taking our family picutre. He hated it! For some reason, the ears put him in a weird place. He kept tucking his tail, flattening his ears, and lowering his head... all while looking up at us with his eyes. Poor little guy! Nonetheless, it made for a few good laughs.

Happy {early} Christmas.

xoxo

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Geeking Out

Five days a week I spend one hour commuting to and one hour commuting from work. Two full hours of my day where I can do nothing but listen to the radio or talk on my {new car} Bluetooth. And since my husband and I aren't big phone talkers, it leaves me with ample time every week to memorize lyrics to all the top 40 hits. Nothing against Taylor Swift, but it's not exactly how I'd like to spend my time.

Husband recommended these daily podcasts by Robb Wolf, author of The Paleo Solution, and I have really been enjoying them. The episodes focus on reader questions concerning everything from paleo diet details to maximizing exercise performance to specific health concerns. Robb explains the concepts behind the paleo diet from a very scientific perspective, providing evidence and details without being overly analytical. He has a background in biochemistry, and as a fellow scientist, I appreciate the basis for his arguments, his attention to research, and the evidence behind his recommendations. I've learned quite a lot over the past week, and it feels great to fill my time with something intellectually stimulating.

Check out Robb's website where you can search for topics, download podcasts and ask questions. And don't worry if you don't have a science background. Robb and Greg explain things in a way that anyone can understand, as evidenced by my non-sciencey husband who is just as addicted to the information as I am.

xoxo

{This post is not sponsored in any way by Robb Wolf or his company. I just love what he's doing and think it's time for the medical community to recognize the evident benefits of a paleo lifestyle.}

Friday Favorites

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This was one of those weeks that felt so much longer than necessary, even though it was filled with plenty of happy moments -- lunch with my sweet mama for her birthday, my Christmas cactus blooming, watching a meteor shower last night with husband --yet I am still very much ready for the weekend. Six o'clock isn't that far away, right?

The perfect cozy sweater

These podcasts (more about that next week)

How to make  coconut ghee

Glitter booties, why not?

Happy weekend

xoxo

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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