Happy Weekend

I can't tell you how good this Friday feels. After working 13 days straight I am considering today a "weekend" as best I can by wrapping up work early so I can tidy up the house and eventually unwind. T and I are going to 5 & 10 tonight for the first time- and we've lived in Athens for almost 7 years! I hope everyone has a bright & fun weekend :)

Oscar predictions! But truly I just care about snacking and laughing at anything Ellen says.

A candid talk about faith

Funky flats

A cute tote for a bride-to-be

Design*Sponge features 24 hours in Athens! Woo hoo!

// Image via Patterson Maker //

J.Crewing

Is it Spring yet? Today's temperatures are in the 40's in Georgia and somehow over the weekend it will hit 7?! At this rate I will be packing up my winter clothes in June, but maybe that won't be the case... To cope with winter blues I'm starting to gather my Spring wish list for some upcoming events!

P.S. They get it right every dang time. Oh, and this jumpsuit is what dreams are made of.

// Image sources:  J.Crew Factory  //

A Mini Spa at Home

One of the things I love most about staying away at a fancy hotel (trips are in our very near future) is the simple fact that the bathroom is guaranteed to be nicer than ours at home; bigger tub, double sinks and luxury shampoos. After reading this article it seems like an at-home spa is not that hard to achieve if you get creative, invest a little money, and use natural elements.

// Image via Free People Blog //

Coveting Ikea

I've had an Ikea gift card burning a hole in my wallet since Christmas and I'm excited to finally head to Atlanta this week [for meetings]- which gives me the best excuse to make a trip to Ikealand! Here are a few items I plan to pick up for the house:

Our living room is in some desperate need of curtains. Ever since we got a new couch (light tan sectional -score from Craigslist!) I've been needing to bring some darker hues into the room as our walls are light too. I would love to use industrial piping for the curtain rods instead of something traditional and more expensive too and I plan to round out the dark tones on the couch through accent pillows and this throw blanket.

I am slowly making progress in our dining room by hanging art (pictures coming soon) and keeping a steady flow of flowers on the table. My plan is to swap out the light for something more fun like the pendant lamp above!

Another slow process has been the transformation of our guestroom/office/dog shelter. Just kidding about the dog shelter...but seriously with two crates it's beginning to feel like one. In my dream world we would have a mud room to designate for the crates, but that is just not the case and if I want the room to function beyond storing the dogs, it's time to move the guest bed out (no one stays there besides my sisters) and put our work desks in here. The room will need more storage and this simple shelf should do the trick.

I'm hoping to make my gift card money go as far as possible so I will have to save bigger purchases (like this and this) for another time :)

P.S. Can you tell I'm obsessed with neutrals and terrified of color?!

Currently Following: Royal Marigold

In between working on wedding timelines and reception layouts this week, I had to take some mental breaks to keep my sanity! One of my new favorite blogs to visit is Royal Marigold.

Sarah has a great eye for photography and shares beautiful DIY projects. One that I definitely want to try soon is the dip dyed cloth napkins she created for her wedding - which I actually need to create for a client of my own!

Among other things, Sarah shares small snip its of daily life, her lovely home and gorgeously styled tables. Be sure to check out her darling blog!

// All images from Royal Marigold //

DIY Valentine's Cards

It's been a while since I pulled out my art supplies and got crafty so this snow storm couldn't have come at a more perfect time for me to do some things I claim to "never have time for." After seeing this idea, I improvised with an empty matchbox on hand and pulled out some washi tape as an accent. I used to make Taylor cards all the time when we were dating and eventually settled into the rut of simply purchasing cards at the store once we got married. I'm really looking forward to giving Taylor this homemade card tomorrow!

With my box of supplies already out I decided to make a couple more cards for friends using the bee paper punch from this invitation. Do you have a preference for the cards you give or receice? I prefer for the hubby to purchase a card because bless his heart he does not have the artsy gene :)

In the Name of Love

To brighten up this dreary and snowy day, I thought I would share two ideas for sending love to those you hold dear. If you're not into going the DIY route, I recommend buying Southern Weddings' set of Valentine post cards available in their shop! Each set comes with 10 pretty postcards, all with a sweet Southern saying on the front. Mine went in the mail on Monday and I'm hoping they reach their destinations in time, despite the crazy weather.

If you feel ambitious enough to go the DIY route, take a cue from Pinterest and make a witty card! I'll share my DIY card later today :)

xo

Lovey Dovey

I will gladly take Valentine's day (heck, week) as an opportunity to wear all things pink and red and some of the best accessories can be on your lips and nails. Here are some beauty products sure to make the day colorful and festive:

Our Growing Family

Besides other monumental life changes going on in our house, we decided to keep things interesting by making an addition to our family. Meet Kola! We adopted her over a week ago through the Oconee Regional Humane Society and have fully enjoyed her presence in our home and in our hearts. The foster family originally thought she was lab-border collie mix, but the more I stare at her, and look up pictures, I'm starting to believe she's a lab-Australian shepherd mix! She's has a LOT of personality, doesn't let Chief play too rough and she is cuddle ball of fur. I'm in love.

I hope you have a fun weekend in store! We're going to ESP's Big Hearts Pageant tomorrow night and can't wait to see Liz perform :)

xo

P.S. Kola is really getting the hang of this crate-training thing, can't you tell?!

Currently Following: The Curtis Casa

It's no secret that I love to share a recent blog discovery and this week I have to declare my current obsession with The Curtis Casa! Somewhere on the inter-webs of social media I stumbled upon Whitney Curtis' instagram and then checked out her blog. I love her aesthetic and simple snapshots of life and industry inspiration.

She has some charming DIY's (see below) that I really want to try, shares Etsy finds, and home tours! What's not to love?

She also writes for Home Depot's The Apron Blog so be sure to check out her work there as well!

// All photos courtesy of The Curtis Casa //

Wedding Wednesday: Engagement Session

Last Friday I shared a post on Chancey Charm's blog with engagement photos from one of my sweet client's! Can't wait for this couples'  special day and I certainly hope you enjoy all the photos by Chris Isham!

Simple Choices

Last Friday I briefly referenced Lara Casey's PowerSheets and how the minimal investment has already had some profound effects on my productivity and vision for the next 6 5 months as a whole. While filling out the prep sheets, I listed what "didn't work" and what "did work" in the last year and one of the main items that overwhelmingly didn't work for me in 2013 was my constant attachment to my iPhone.

It's embarrassing to admit, but I checked my favorite apps incessantly and wasted so much precious time just scrolling and looking for distractions. Which of course led to me not giving my full attention to things that matter most! In this new year I made 2 small choices to change this quickly...

1. Leaving my phone in the kitchen to charge before bed.
Anyone else out there use checking their phone as a way to help you fall asleep?! Raising my hand here. I think I fall asleep with more peace of mind now that my phone isn't sitting on my bed side table. Come morning, I'm not wasting time checking Twitter for updates, but can simply focus on getting ready and just grab my phone from the kitchen before leaving for work!

2. Deleting the Facebook app from my phone.
What started as a decision for a personal fast from Facebook for 3 weeks has grown into a long-term choice to not have the app on my phone. I'm not one to update my status everyday, but I did check for updates and to "stalk" when I was bored. Now I seem to use my time much more efficiently if I briefly check in on my laptop as opposed to my phone.

My next goal will be to delete Pinterest from my phone (!!!!) as it's been my new resort for distraction. Now don't get me wrong - I love Pinterest and it plays a vital role in my work for clients, but I use my time with more self control when I'm on my laptop instead of scrolling through on my phone. Perhaps it's not a coincidence that I broke the screen on my phone recently too (divine intervention)?

So far these simple choices have really worked for me and I think there are even more little decisions I can make to improve my day. What simple choices have you made that leave you feeling free and empowered? I'd love to hear!

P.S. You can see my "Making Things Happen in 2014" board here if you'd like.

// Top image via Riches for Rags //

Normal-Towners for Two More Years!

Perhaps the biggest update to my life within that past couple blog-less months has been that God has answered a long-awaited prayer for T's next step in his career and I would love to fill you in.

We spent the last 2 years focusing and investing towards him attending PA school. He went back and took pre-requistite classes at night while working full time. He worked for a year in the ER as a tech to gain more experience and add hours to his application. He shadowed PA's, retook the GRE, rewrote his essay and applied to schools all along the east coast. To say I wanted him to enjoy the fruits of his labor would be a complete understatement.