5 Things

Five things, real quick.

1. I don't understand why, at an age of prime baby-making ability (I'm 21), I'm not married. To a hot person who works outside and has a farmer's tan and substantial muscles. ????? Why, God, why? Didn't You create women to get married and have babies?

2. I just want some bacon. I haven't had any in 4 months. Healthy food is for the birds. (The baby's dad has a weak heart and therefore has to eat really, really healthy so there's only healthy food in the house). (I'm a live-in nanny, btw, not a baby-mama). Thankfully, I'll be visiting home for two weeks where I'll have a world of carbs, pork fat, and fried things at my finger tips. Ahhh... Carolina on my mind.

3. I can't decide whether or not to go to UNT in the fall. Lord, answer!

4. Texas is beautiful in the springtime!

5. I locked myself out of the house yesterday and tried to break in with a bobby pin, a teeny tiny wrench, and several Youtube tutorials. I was unsuccessful so sat by the pool for two hours. Thankfully I was already in my baiting suit. ✓

Long time, no see

I haven't posted in over 3 months! I am a horrible blogger... 

I'm thinking about doing an update on what I've been doing the past 3 months, but that's kinda a daunting task seeing as how that's a lot of time to catch up on. I feel like once I get that over with I'll be able to start blogging with a clear conscience again, though. 

We'll see...

1st week in texas

i've been in texas a week now and it's already proving itself to be a life-changing experience. even though it's hard to be away from home, i'm glad i stepped out of my comfort zone and am challenging myself. i think i'll be able to look back on this time and see that it made me a better person. you just don't grow when you stay sheltered and cooped up with all things familiar and easy and i'm glad i'm realizing that. 

anyway, i came out here not knowing anyone except for two middle-aged people and a baby. i still haven't met anyone that i see myself becoming great friends with, but i've been introduced to some really great people. i just don't know how to meet people on my own and find friends. i went to a super bowl party tonight for a singles' group from a church i visited but i didn't really connect with anyone and don't really have a desire to go back to that church haha. they all seemed like people who don't know how to enjoy a beer and say a cuss word or two when they're mad. you know what i mean? i really like people who are real and, while they love God and try to live lives that honor Him, still show their human side and leave their faults on the table. that kinda sounds like i'm talking about people who use God's grace as a license to sin, but that's not what i mean, i just don't know how else to explain it. these people just seemed too perfect. haha, i mean, good for them. that's great, but i guess i just can't really identify with that.

anyone moved to a town where you didn't know anyone? how did you meet people?

here's a little re-cap of my 1st week here...

this was at lake grapevine. mrs. g took me here and we strolled around the lake. it was really peaceful.

random selfie... basking in the warm texan sun.

cool story: the baby had her newborn photos done on monday and the photographer happened to be near my age and offered to hang out! we went walking around this place. not sure what it was... it was next to a dump and had random trails and this cabin on it haha. it was nice to hang out with a person my age. even though, again, she's not someone i see myself becoming bffs with, she was really sweet and i enjoyed her company.

an armadillo! it was jumping. terrifying. 

there was a pretty river there.

riding solo, as usual. this is what i do when i have nothing else to do: turn off my gps, get lost for a few hours, listen to country music, turn gps back on, go home. 

stumbled upon the texas motor speedway during one of my drives. hey, hey. 

found this awesome trail! it's near my favorite little western town and is out in the middle of some beautiful texas country! i went running here.

cactus! 

pretty views on my run. 

that's all for now. hopefully i'll have some adventure to share soon!

xoxo

i'm still here!

i'm a terrible blogger!!! waaaaa!

i've been busy. moving is quite an event. i haven't forgotten about my little old blog though and if there's one, just oneeee person who reads my blog, just you know that i'm going to update specifically for you. i'll let you know what i've been up to my first week in dallas, as soon as that week is over! 

love you, world. 

life

i'm moving from my beloved south carolina to DALLAS, TX in exactly one week and two days. i have never lived in another city, much less another state, ever. i've always been a stone's throw away from my parents and siblings. this is huge for me, people. i accepted a job as a nanny for some friends and their adorable daughter who is only a week old. she's precious and i couldn't be more excited or honored!

life is so unexpected. i never would have guessed that i'd wind up living in texas, especially as a nanny, of all things... i always saw myself doing art in europe when i was in highschool. i've always had a knack for the artistic side of things and have always been obsessed with europe, too. then when i decided to go to college after all, i started thinking about law school or a government job because, during a major identity crisis, i randomly majored in political science. i quickly realized that i was too much of a free-spirit to restrict myself to a desk job so left school and am now basically a gypsy... haha. 

that's the great thing about life though, i guess. you just kind of have to roll with the punches and laugh at yourself. 

it'll be interesting to see where i end up/what i'll be doing in a year from now. i want to start a business, travel, get married, and have a huge garden. not in that order and not this year, but there's my bucket list. ;)  

i started this post as a phone pic catch-up and ended up telling you my life story...wow. haha.

meet puppy the spitz

hi. i'm a fluffy ball of love and the newest addition to the family. i don't have a name yet but you can call me 'puppy'. 

i'm really, really tiny and cute. 

i love to cuddle when it's cold out.

and exploring is my favorite activity...

besides chewing on things, of course.

oh, and eating too!

and when i'm done eating i get very sleepy...

in a nutshell, i'm just altogether the cutest thing you've seen.

nye pictures

well, this is embarrassing. i'm terrible at documenting my life via pictures - i always forget to take them! i took all of 5 pictures at my nye party and only 2 of them weren't blurry haha. i guess i have an excuse because i was busy running around playing hostess. i barely even remember the night because i was getting firewood, setting food out, opening bottles, handing out champagne glasses, etc etc etc and barely sat down. not a huge fan of hosting parties so i'm not sure why i do it. i'd rather just go somewhere and let someone else do the work haha.

lights in the fig tree + my man and me with my cousin and his girlfriend, who drove down from atlanta to celebrate with us. love them! i also love taking pictures with them because they make my 5 feet and 8 inches look short.

hope everyone's year has gotten off on the right foot. 
lots of love! xoxo

a clean slate

new years eve! i truly love it. i'd even have to say i love it better than thanksgiving and christmas, which i know is weird and makes some people want to slap me, but it's true. i like it better because there are no commitments, no rushing from one grandma's house to the next, no anxious scrambling to buy last-minute gifts, no long car rides... just some laid-back explosions of champagne and colorful gun powder.  not to mention the thought that an entirely fresh new year with a clean slate lies ahead, which is just the most exciting dang thing ever. each year is so different from the last and it's fun to think of all the things that are waiting to be discovered, all the people who are waiting to be loved, all the places that are waiting to be explored, and all the......chocolate that's waiting to be eaten? yes! 

i'm having a bonfire tonight with my close friends. we had planned to get all bedazzled and hit the town but when plans fell through, the next best thing was a good old-fashined bonfire and some beer. i hope i remember to take pictures, which i'll post here tomorrow. 

happy new years, everyone! 

les miserable and my monk

i went to the theater and saw les miserable this evening and it was fantastic. 

i was such a skeptic before seeing it. i thought the singing would be cheesy, that anne hathaway would get on my nerves, and that i'd get bored. on the contrary, the singing was heart-meltingly beautiful, anne hathaway truly out-did herself, and i drank in every word. 

victor hugo's deep message of grace, redemption, and mercy was beautifully portrayed in a way i couldn't have imagined hollywood was capable of. 

it made me itch to go back to france, as well, and reminded me of the beautiful images that are around every corner, waiting to be discovered. one of those images i was able to capture on camera and will never forget. we went to mont saint michel and walked all the way to the top where the monastery is located. standing at a holy place looking out over miles and miles of sand, water, and rocks, it touches your soul. i'll always remember watching a somber yet peaceful-looking monk walk out from the shadow of an arch to the stone wall that over-looked the endless land and sky. some people make you feel like a better person just from being in their presence and he was one of those people. i wondered what his story was. i wondered why he chose a life of such seclusion and dedication. he didn't make eye contact with anyone and he didn't say a word. just looked out over the water for several minutes, expressionless. someone who had been there 9 times already said that it was the first time she'd ever seen a monk make an appearance. i was so thankful i had been there to witness it.

i take comfort in the fact that, amidst a world full of fiscal cliffs, school shootings, and break-ups, there are moments full of purity and grace that point to Something greater. 

~

je ne regrette rien

my heart is singing the post break-up blues and its instruments of choice are a tattered, cover-less copy of jane eyre and a one-cup coffee maker. 

thanks, z, for 7 months of happinness, love, and one too many arguments. 

~

the Lord remains faithful. 

getting fit

i should never have asked z to make a work-out plan for me. i haven't worked out in about a month and i'm sad to say a workout that i once would have thought was easy just kicked my butt.

day number one:

50 x 3 jumping jacks

45 x 2 sit ups

30 sec x 4 arm outs 

1/4 mile sprint

i'm dead. thanks, soldier boy. x

current obsession

 paris during christmas-time.

bah! so beautiful.

ps- i'm not in paris. just there vicariously through google image searches.

etsy finds

 i ended up on etsy via pinterest this afternoon and spent way too much time browsing around. there sure are some creative people out there who make some pretty cool stuff. i'd say i'm more traditional when it comes to decorating, but i also like to mix in a few modern, eclectic pieces to add a little playfulness and interest. 

i love...

these gold wall clouds: here

these wall clocks:

here

and here

this industrial cage lamp:

and this reclaimed wood table/bench:

my 21st bithday

well, yesterday i turned 21.

i decided that the best way to spend my 21st would be in the mountains hiking at my favorite place, balsam knob. i feel like i've talked about the mountains way too much on here already, so i swear i'll try to come up with some new content after this post haha.

 anyway, luckily, my two best friends happened to be off work so we took off for the whole day and it was perfect! couldn't have asked for a better day. 

we drove to brevard, which is a cute little mountain town, and ate the most delicious breakfast i've ever put in my mouth. i'll be dreaming about those biscuits and sausage gravy for a long time.

we then headed over to a bi-lo so i could purchase some booze. more so just to say i could/did than to drink. i was so scared. i was literally biting my nails and looking over my shoulder as i walked over to the checkout lady. i fully expected her to look at me, laugh and call the cops. i walked away unscathed, however, with a big grin on my face. i think this is the first birthday where i've actually felt older, because of that single incident. haha... 

the rest of the day consisted of getting turned around several times, aggressive bear warnings, some hiking, lunching and lounging by a waterfall, attempting to build a fire then running out of matches, lots of laughter, driving through some intense fog, shopping, dining, card playing, coffee drinking, and more laugher. 

i'm laughing now thinking about how on the night of my 21st birthday i sat on my bed and played cards (we're obsessed with this game called 'oh hell'...don't judge) until 2am instead of going out and getting trashed, as most do. it's just not my thing. i did, however, enjoy a few stella artoises, which i've come to find is a prime, prime beverage. 

some pictures from the day...

we're determined to hike this one day! 

nothing like chilling your beer in a cold mountain river haha

 oh, and i came home to the sweetest, loveliest surprise from my far-away love: a flower cake that i adore!!! he's the sweetest. :)