thankful

by
No comments yet

At about 4:30am Saturday morning, we woke up because of a HUGE crash outside.  Caleb scrambled out and discovered on his way that we were out of power. When we made it outside to see what the noise had been, we saw two pine trees had fallen over in the backyard. They clipped the shed and did a little damage, but missed the house by inches. We are so, so fortunate, and thankful that the Lord made those trees just a few inches shorter!


It was scary, and we never quite got back to sleep. We went to breakfast with some friends since our power was out and we couldn't cook, and then Caleb went out to the fire department and ended up running emergency dispatch all day. We spent the night with friends who had power so that we would't freeze.

We're so thankful for friends who don't even think twice about taking us in, letting us crash with them, and even make us a yummy breakfast in the morning. It sucks that we're having to fix the shed soon after moving in (yay homeowner's insurance), but it was nowhere near as bad as it could be.

All in all, a stressful weekend, but we have a lot to be grateful for. 


Thankfully a majority of the snow and ice had melted off this weekend, but we're supposed to get another bout tonight. It was pretty for the first few days, but I'm tired of it! Snow isn't nearly as fun when you don't get off work for it.  It's just a nuisance.

Our power is back, so we're warm and safe! Hope all you other snowbound friends are the same! 


farmer's market

by
No comments yet

Last weekend we went to visit our parents, and mom and I went to the farmer's market to do some plant shopping.  I have since confirmed that greenhouses are some of my favorite places.



I have also decided that when we have a house I want a hibiscus tree.



I almost bought this globe, and now I'm kind of upset that I didn't.



If you're in the North Alabama area you should stop by Reed's! They have great prices on herbs, flowers, and succulents, and even some starter veggie plants.

traveling essentials

by
1 Comment




Packing can be a pain, especially for long trips, and especially for plane rides.  Between trying to stuff enough clothes for a week or more into a suitcase and making sure that all your gear fits airline regulations, packing can take the fun out of preparing for a trip - and for me, at least, anticipation and preparation is half the fun!

Here's what I stowed in my carry on that helped me through the week and a half we were gone - plus, they all fit plane regulations!


1. Journal.  I try to journal regularly, but truth be told I'm not so great at it when I'm home.  Something about being away makes me think more about my surroundings and how I'm feeling, so I write more.  I got this pretty leather one at Hobby Lobby.

2. Not Your Mother's Dry Shampoo. I'm a huge proponent of not washing your hair as much as possible, and dry shampoo definitely helps.  This little guy is exactly 3oz, so it's perfect for the plane and for your bag. Make sure you have it in your carry on or personal item, because aerosols can't be in checked baggage.

3. Rollerball perfume.  Easier to pack because it comes in smaller bottles than traditional sprays.  Also, I don't feel like I'm being annoying when I apply rollerball perfume because it doesn't get in the air and cause allergy breakdowns.

4. Sunglasses. A adventuring must.  I carry at least 3 pairs.  Mostly because I lose them (which is also the reason why I've never bought a pair over 20 bucks), but also because when you're somewhere where you'll have to wear them every day it's nice to have options.  I got these cool cat-eye ones at a place called Rockin' Rudy's in Montana and they're my favorite right now.


5. Jelly Bellies. Best in-flight snack, also good for if your flights don't leave you much time for meals and your sugar gets low.

6. Burt's Bees grapefruit lip balm.  My lips always get dry when I'm traveling, and this lip balm is probably the best tasting I've ever had.  It's clear too, which means that Caleb doesn't suffer through chapped lips because he's afraid that my chapstick is too girly.

7. Burt's Bees Grapefruit Face Wipes.  I have sensitive skin, but these guys got the job done while I was away.  They aren't liquid so they don't have to conform to the 3oz rule, and they smell fantastic, and they don't dry your skin out even though they keep it clean and clear.  I kind of love them.  And yes I am aware that I have a grapefruit theme. Get 'em here on sale!

8. Pocketbacs.  I'm not a germophobe by any means, but it's nice to know that I have fab smelling germ-fighters ready for whatever germs I may meet during my travels.  I have at least 3 of these floating around in my bag.

9. backpack.  I recently got this backpack from ASOS and I may never go back.  It's cute and really convenient to have my hands free.

instagram // pinterest


a day in Franklin

by
3 Comments


I had a big girl interview (!) in Franklin on Tuesday, and since neither Caleb nor I had spent much time there before, he took the day off and we made a day out of it.
We LOVE this place.  And if the Lord decides that this is where we need to be... well, I don't think either of us will complain.



We spent most of our time downtown.  I wanted so badly to go to this theatre (they were playing White Christmas!), but sadly we didn't have time.  We're gonna make a special trip back up just to go to the threatre soon!

We ate at an Irish pub (of course) called McCrary's.  It was pretty delicious, and not all that expensive.  I got bangers and mash (because it was the most Irish sounding thing on the menu) and Caleb got Corn Beef and Cabbage.  Sounds gross, but it was actually pretty good.



Probably my favorite part of the trip was the discovery of the cutest store ever.  It's called Philanthropy, and not only does it look like a better Anthropologie, it gives back to charity with every purchase.  At leat 10% of every in-store purchase is given to charity, and 100% of every purchase made on their website goes back.  It was a really cool place and I plan on shopping there often!



If you have any last-minute Christmas shopping to do, look around their website!  They have some gorgeous stuff and you'll be helping someone out with your purchase :)

All in all, we love Franklin.  If you're in the Nashville area, go look around!



ghost tour

by
1 Comment

Last weekend, Caleb and I went on a ghost tour of the historic district of Huntsville. We had been before, but the tour is divided into different districts, so we got to have a different tour than we had before.


We don't really believe in ghosts, but being creeped out is always fun.  Caleb is a big history buff, so he appreciates the actual stories that go along with the "hauntings."  I just appreciate feeling like I'm on Ghost Hunters.
The guide was dressed up as a scary undertaker, adding another layer of creep to the proceedings.


The tour started at 6, so it was still daylight outside, making things more funny than scary.  Once it got dark, though, things got much creepier.  I'm fairly certain I saw a ghostly shape in the window of an abandoned house... but, as Caleb informed me, it was probably just a reflection in the glass.



If there's a ghost tour close to you, I highly recommend you take it! It's tons of creepy fun and you'll learn a lot about your city :)




up in the mountains

by
4 Comments

Monday and Tuesday were my fall break, so we went on a trip to Gatlinburg, Tennessee with our church.  We stayed in a cabin with an incredible view, hiked (I'm still sore, it was pretty intense), and drank lots of coffee on the porch. It was a great couple days of worship and fellowship.





This was our view. It was amazing.  The mornings were the best; there would be a ton of fog in the valley (The "smokey" mountains, get it?) and the sun would rise over the mountains and burn it all off. It was beautiful.




The best part about the trip was definitely the fellowship and the worship.  Being surrounded by so much natural beauty is quite the reminder of how great God is and how blessed we are.









This was Chimney Tops.  The hike was 2 miles in and two out, and at least a mile and a half of it was steep uphill.  I'm still sore, and there were a few times I wanted to give up, but I'm so glad I didn't.  You felt like you were sitting on top of the world; the summit was this huge rock face on top of the mountain that looked over the valley.  It was incredible

follow along! bloglovin // instagram // pinterest



mini vacation in the Smokies

by
No comments yet

Our wedding is in 2 weeks, guys!
I'm so excited but also kind of stressed out - when you're planning a wedding, you can only do so much up front. Things like the decorations and the legal side of things can only be taken care of in the few days before, and waiting on them can be crazy-making.
We have a friend who works at Dollywood in the Smokey Mountains, and she gets free tickets every month. Because she is a saint, she gave Caleb and I a couple so that we could get away and relax for a day!
If you've never been to the Smokies, you're missing out. The scenery is gorgeous and there are lots of fun, tourist-trappy things to do.  Some people don't like that, but I think its fun :)
Just a taste of the views:


Beautiful, right?
Dollywood is an amusement park that Dolly Parton (one of my favorite people) founded, and its super cute and rustic, just like the rest of the Smokies.  Caleb is a huge bluegrass aficionado, so it was right up his alley.



This is what the whole park is like.  I really love it.
We had a great time rising roller coasters (both of us LOVE them) and checking out all the cool things that the craftsmen were selling. There was a glass blower, a blacksmith, and a gemstone shop with really reasonably priced rough gemstones.  I love the look of rough amethyst to make jewelry, so I bought some here.  Look for a post on how I wire wrap them to make necklaces later this week :)



I look super swampy in all of these pictures, but hey, it was like 90 degrees. No judging.

We rode a train around the park and up into the mountains, which was really cool, except that it was a legit steam-powered engine and I got soot in my bra. That was fun.
After about 4 and a half hours in the park, we were pretty beat and pretty hungry. Since amusement park food is so expensive, we decided to call it a day and eat in one of the restaurants in Pigeon Forge.
The one we picked was called J.T. Hannah's and it was delicious.


It was also really cute on the inside, and the drinks were served in huge mason jars.  Also, the BBQ sauce was FANTASTIC.









It was a really nice break from work and all the crazy of the past few weeks, and I loved being able to get away with Caleb for a while :)