happy halloween

Happy Halloween y'all! Taylor and I are going to tag along with some friends as they take their little ones trick-or-treating and then I'm hoping to warm up with an apple cider or pumpkin spice latte.

I have some great memories of being a kid in New Jersey and trick or treating in the best neighborhoods in my hometown. Sometimes I really miss the thrill of dressing up and frantically running from house to house to get the most candy until my hands were frozen. My favorite costume was probably being a hippie in first grade...what was your favorite Halloween costume or memory?

// Photo via Pinterest //

thrifty & crafty

My younger sister came into town on Saturday and since Chief was sick, we stayed home for the afternoon and worked on a few Pinterest-inspired projects. Lauren made a painting for a friend and I worked on a nautical project for my dining room table:

I washed out cans from this recipe and hot glued all-purpose rope from Walmart. It will look more complete once there are flowers in it, but I think they came out pretty cute! I've already given one away and have a few more to spare in case I need a last minute gift.

I also used some left over scrap wood to create a personalize sign for my sweetie. I cut out our initials with blue painters tape, covered the entire board with white acrylic paint and then removed the tape. I think it would nice above a door frame in the guest room.

I am hoping to post finished product pictures soon! What projects are you working on these days?

one year

Yesterday was the one year mark for Young Love in Normaltown! I can't believe I have been working at  this little blog for a year now and I'm very grateful for those of you who stop by and read about my Normaltown life :)

It's crazy to think about where I was a year ago - babysitting and still an intern where I now work. God has a wonderful sense of humor and a much better plan than I ever will. What would you like to see on the blog in this next year? Questions, comments, concerns? I'd love to hear :)

xoxo

// photo from La Receta de la Felicidad via TasteSpotting //

have a cool weekend

Friday is finally here y'all! What do you have in store for your weekend? My mom and sister, Lauren, are coming to Athens tomorrow and I can't wait to catch up over lunch! Lauren is staying over so we are going to work on the highly anticipated kitchen make over.

On the to do list: paint walls, install shelves, install curtains for the back door, dye curtains (ombre style?) for the laundry area and clean out all the crap that has been piling up on my precious counter space. Needless to say, I am putting Lauren to work :) We are also hoping to work on Pinterest projects while watching the UGA vs UF game.

Hope your weekend is super cool.

You had me at gingham and ikat

Would love to use this clutch to hold my makeup

Inspired by Blaire's fall ensemble

Georgia wedding planning

A sneak peek at Candice & Morgan's big day

// Photo via breath Him in & breath Him out //

gifted

Even though my birthday was last week, I have still felt showered with love by friends and their thoughtful gifts! Candice got me these retro earrings (while on her honeymoon!) and I am digging the mint color.

Kristen gave me a soft infinity scarf that I haven't taken off since Tuesday and Jenna gave me a precious mug that will be my color palette inspiration for the kitchen re-do (more on that later).

I still haven't planned an official birthday outing with friends, but I'm thinking of hosting a harvest dinner at the end of the month. Is it kosher to plan your own birthday party? :)

xoxo

life talk

Yesterday I had lunch with a long time friend and the conversation started with the age old question, "How are you doing?" There are times when I wish that question did not exist, and then there are times when I'm so grateful some asks (and really want to know).

chopped

Well it's official, I chopped a good 6 inches of hair off last week and I feel pretty darn free. I love that it takes me 20 minutes tops (as opposed to the usual 40) to straighten my hair and the fact that my messy buns are the size of a clementine (as opposed to a grapefruit :)

I can remember many a dramatic haircut that ended in tears and regret and I'm happy to say no regrets so far! Except when I realized I couldn't pull off being Merida for Halloween anymore...

wedding wednesday

Every wedding tells a story, don't you think? I can't wait to share details from Candice's wedding weekend - it was absolutely perfect. And it comes with a great love story.

xoxo

// Photo via bloom //

twenty four

Yesterday was my 24th birthday and I'm not sure how I feel about it. Don't get me wrong, I love my birthday and I love that it takes place in October, but turning 24 just feels weird! Like who-am-I-what-am-I-doing-with-my-life weird. Instead of rambling on about my almost mid-life crisis, I will decide to be optimistic that this 24th year of life might be the most exciting yet :)

// I love a good squirrel card via Red Cap Cards //

have a happy weekend

The wedding weekend is finally here! It feels like yesterday I was helping plan an engagement party and now the happy couple are getting married! Today we will experience Athens Food Tours for Candice's bridal lunchen and then tonight's bachelorette festivities include dinner here, karaoke here, drinks here, and dancing here.

Tomorrow morning is the honeymoon shower brunch at my house and then the bridal party will head to Milledgeville for rehearsal and dinner. Sunday the love birds are gettin' hitched and I can't wait to share stories and pictures next week. Happy weekend y'all!

Glitzy outfit for bachelorette festivities :)

Sweetest treats of fall - triple chocolate praline tart and red velvet brownies

Alexandra has a new blog!

Dip-dyed scarf DIY

Piggy book-ends

Super cute bow tie onesies

I love Anna's dining room inspiration

// Photo via Pinterest //

stubborn

This little illustration pretty much summed up my attitude about two weeks ago. I had been out of a work out schedule for months and I mentally could not get out of the slump...think: "the spirit is willing but the body is weak."

fall accents

The magenta replacement strap for my Timex weekender watch is an early birthday present paired with the season's hottest nail color :)

mid-length

Now that wedding season is almost over, I am in dire need of a good hair cut. I love growing out my hair and am lucky to have relatively healthy, fast-growing hair, but after a while it takes on what I like to call "the triangle effect."

My hair stylist Whitney at Salon dm3 is a master of taming my thick curly hair and I can't wait to schedule my appointment for a mid-length do with layers.

What hair style are you rocking this fall? When was the last time you had a drastic hair cut?

// 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 //

wedding wednesday

Candice's wedding attire calls for cowgirl boots and when I see bridesmaids looking this cute, I just know the boots will make for some great photos. I also can't get over their colorful sweaters!

How traditional or non-traditional are you when it comes to what your bridesmaids wear?

// 1 & 2 via bloom //

a yankee affair

On Sunday Taylor and I went to Candice & Morgan's jack & jill shower in Marietta and enjoyed some pre-wedding time with the bridal party and family. Morgan's mom, Lin, planned the shower based on Morgan's beloved baseball team: the New York Yankees.

In honor of playoffs (and the wedding week of course :), I thought I would share a few photos from the evening. Enjoy!

One of my favorite parts about weddings is savoring all the fun conversation with friends as we get older (i.e., busier) and building memories that I know we will always cherish.

The boys also played some Yankee trivia and I am proud to say that I am married to a Yankee trivia all-star. More importantly, I'm proud to be married to someone with such great friends.

xoxo

menu card DIY

Last Wednesday I posted inspiration for Erin's menu cards and here's the final product! I didn't have to purchase a thing - just collected some stones in the backyard, used left-over wire from my toolbox and wrote the pie names on card stock.

The rocks worked well with the fall tablescape, but I might try painting the rocks white next time. What simple DIYs are on your list this week?

autumn

This totally made me laugh out loud because every girl has their fall "to-do" list :)

// Photo via the rustic archives //

have a girly weekend

Happy Friday y'all! What do you have going on this weekend? Today I am helping with a wedding rehearsal here for work and then enjoying a much needed girls night with Candice, Jordan & Alexandra. Saturday will mostly consist of errands and finishing this project then going to Erin & Blake's reception!

I'm especially happy that the reception involves going back to Marietta and getting to see my family. I'm spoiled to live less than 2 hours from them, but when trips home are few and far between I savor every minute! I hope your weekend is extra girly & enjoy the link love :)

Awesome weekend bag

One of the most romantic weddings I've seen in a long time

Sydney's new design is simply refreshing

I couldn't agree more

A song for your weekend drives

How to wear a denim shirt

Crying from laughing so hard

Two new favorite tumblrs: bloom & the rustic archives

// Photo via mountainous love //

chai

Every fall I am reminded of one of life's sweetest gifts...chai lattes. I reserve these little luxuries for this time of year only (although an iced one in the summer is pretty killer) and since they usually cost around $4, I have been looking for a tasty recipe so I can make them at home too. This one will probably do just the trick.

// Photo via bloom //

wedding wednesday

Even though Erin & Blake were married in Austin over two weeks ago, they are having a reception for their Georgia family and friends this Saturday in Marietta. I'm making menu cards for the desserts and this rock place card from Once Wed is perfect.


Now I just need to pick up wire from Home Depot, collect some stones and print the cards using this font. Pictures to come :)

// Photo by Rylee Hitchner via Once Wed //

a shower on the hill

After some anticipation, I finally have pictures to share from Candice's bridal shower! It took place on a Sunday afternoon at The A&D House on The Hill and was filled with good food, good conversation and good jokes (at Candice's expense of course :)

over the weekend

This weekend was a nice rest from the non-stop plans of earlier this month and it was a small break in between weeks of wedding madness. I also feel like I got almost everything done on my to-do list.

Saturday morning started bright and early with a "delivery" for a PR tailgate and then errands around town (while avoiding the UGA home game traffic :). I was going to borrow a dress for Candice's wedding, but the temporary alterations were the price of a new dress itself- so I decided to do myself a favor and buy a dress here :)

When I got home I worked on a few crafts for Candice while she was in North Carolina. I couldn't help but take advantage of the wood stain and touched up a few projects for myself too.

Before watching the UGA vs. UT game with Carol Anne and her in-laws, we took part in some pre-game festivities...

I was trying to channel this look for Candice's wedding and I think Carol did a great job with this first attempt! The night concluded with a small birthday celebration for one of Taylor's best friends.

Sunday morning Taylor heading back into the E.R. for work and I went to church for the last week of our teaching rotation with 3rd & 4th graders. The kids made boxes for God to fill with thoughts, questions, prayers, etc. It was sweet to see how excited they got over it.

All in all, it was a great weekend. Is anyone else wondering how it is already October??