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. :)