picture time!

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I was getting some pictures made to celebrate my college graduation! 

Well the pictures happened and we had oh so much fun!

The challenge was cute graduation pictures that didn't look too cutesy for a 30 year old!

And I think we have a success!!!

I'm really excited with how they turned out.

And I'm working really hard on not being overly critical of myself.

Instead, I'm practicing what I preach, and loving me!

All of me.

Curves and all!!!

So, I wanted to share a few of my faves with you....

 

 

 

 Officially less than two weeks until it's official! Holla!!!!!

exciting new things.

there's something about my upcoming graduation (24 days to be exact) that has sparked a need for lots of new things in my life, and i couldn't be more excited about them.

remember a few posts back i told you about my new project, Curvy Moi. well i'm happy to say the website is all built, and now it's just waiting for my content. i am absolutely ecstatic about this little project, that has so much potential to be something bigger. we've got posts planned for months and ideas out the wazoo.
i seriously walk around with a spiral notebook where i keep jotting down ideas. To refresh your memory, Curvy Moi is going to be a happy little place on the interweb for curvy girls. Too often, us curvy girls leave stores and websites a little frustrated and discouraged. we're creating a place for refreshment, encouragement and fashion for the curvy girl.

once i get that up and running, there is going to be a serious overhaul on the old blog here. it's getting a major facelift and content update. my absence here hasn't been for nothing - it's been a time of dreaming and determining how i can have the most impact. God and i have been doing a lot of talking lately, and it seems as if some of my dreams that have been hidden in the deepest part of my heart are getting a little light shed on them. i'm not quite ready to divulge everything just yet, but i do know, very clearly, that God wants me to be an advocate of hope. now, exactly what that looks like, i'm not sure. but i'm excited even for just the glimmers of direction.

i'm really working with God these days to tap into my dreams. for far too long, i've thought of dreams as just, well, dreams. but recently i have realized that sometimes God places those dreams in our hearts for a reason. so...i'm praying for dreams. for the courage to follow them. for the heart to embrace them. and for a spirit that's willing to dream them.

and most importantly, the beach vacay has been booked for may.
graduation on saturday, then the beach on sunday. yes, yes, i do believe that panned out very well.

annnnnd lastly, my newest nephew Gunnar is making his grand entrance into the world today!!!! i'm eagerly awaiting the call that he is officially here!

now have yourself a happy wednesday!

9 whole years.

today, hubby and i are celebrating 9 whole years of wedded bliss!

9 years. that just seems so grown up.

i guess we're are 100% no longer newlyweds!

this 9 year ride has definitely been full of ups and downs, struggles, heartache, happiness and love.

but that's what marriage is all about right?

standing beside one another through it ALL.

we struggled with issues in our first two years of marriage that many people never face.

and we survived....together.

i'm pretty sure in the back of people's minds, they thought we'd never make it.

we dated 2 months, got engaged, and married 5 months later.

to do the math, we knew each other 7 whole months before jumping into marriage.

and it was the best leap of faith i've ever made!

we've traveled so many places together...and somehow miraculously cheap!

we've truly done life with one another.

and for that i am so grateful.

i'm so thankful that our marriage started out with Jesus in the middle and that's where He still remains.

i'm thankful that this husband of mine loves me equally at my best and my worst.

i'm thankful that when we finally do have children, that chris and i will have a solid foundation and that we really got to experience time with each other before kids.

i'm thankful for our story. how it started, how it progressed, and how it will end in the future.

i'm thankful for how God has used us, and for the plans He has to use us even more.

 

i'm thankful that nothing has been handed to us and that we have worked hard for everything we have.

we know how to hustle lol.

i simply love "us".

we are as perfect of match for one another as one could possibly be.

that God....hmpfh - He sure knows what He's a doin.

and i'm so glad that He does. 

i'm blessed beyond measure by the love in my marriage.

happy anniversary babe.

i loveth you.

living in the apple valley

one thing we learned once we moved to north carolina was that our town was one of the big apple capitals.

seriously, every road has an orchard and i have been strangely obsessed with them.

i've been waiting and waiting for the orchards to open for business, as i've been monitoring apple growth and knew it must be coming soon lol!

well that and the fact that the apple festival is next weekend, so they had to be ready for that right?!

so in a random decision we decided to drive by a few today.

and they were open!!!

this is seriously the first saturday in months that it hasn't rained.

we went to a couple orchards,  but grandad's was our fave.

it was simply beautiful

aww look...chris is wearing red to match the apples!

i don't know why i'm so intrigued by the apples.

really, it makes me sound a little cray cray.

so we roamed around, took some touristy pictures and then sampled the goods!

chris got an apple dumpling and an apple fritter.

i'm not a fan of cooked fruit, so i opted with the apple cider slushy.

oh my gracious, it was so incredibly delish!

i could have one every day!

just look at that view!

oh yes and apparently corn is a big deal too.

apples and corn.

corn and apples.

could it get any better?

i mentioned last week that hubs got a new job working for earth fare.

this weekend he worked on his first video project for the online specials.

he had filmed some at the office, but then he wanted to get some additional shots on our farm table at home.

of course i was giddy with excitement to get to play with pretty foods.

the special this week is on grapes, so the video was showcasing fun things to do with grapes besides eating them all by themselves.

grapes are fabulous in lemonade.

i made fresh squeezed lemonade just for this.

and grapes make a lovely addition to salads. ;)

and of course i had to put some flowers in the mix. 

none other than a hydrangea would do.

any excuse to have them in my house works for me!

give me a vase of hydrangeas and peonies = heaven. 

pure, absolute, heaven.

so then of course i had to find the perfect place to display my pretty flower. 

this was SO much fun.

i will be so sad now if every single video isn't here. haha.

maybe i missed my calling....

i could be lauren thomas - food stylist extraordinaire.

bahahaha.

we'll add that to my never ending list of life goals. ha!

my happy place.

if i had to pick one store that was my absolute happy place, it would be anthropologie.

i love absolutely everything in that store...well except the prices. some things are a bit difficult on the wallet, which is part of the reason it's my favorite place to window shop.

i love to just go in and look around, smell things, try different lotions, and play in the sale room!

i NEED all of these cups. like fo realz, i need them to survive my life!

and these oven mitts could also aid in my survival ;)

but equally as much as i love the products, i love the music.

so since i'm in an anthro mood today, i thought i'd share some of my favorite tunes from the anthropologie stores play list! and of course, because i'm so in "tune" with anthro, these songs were already in my regular listening rotation! see, i'm meant to love this place!

A Fine Frenzy - Almost Lover

Adele - Chasing Pavements (seriously, what's not to love about her?)

Amy Whinehouse - Tears Dry On Their Own

Lily Allen - Smile

Link up and share some of your favorite tunes!

music to my ears.

oh friends, it's been a while since i've told you about some awesome new music.
music makes me happy. like seriously, i cannot operate without it. i think if i were stranded on a desert island, i would have to seriously have my ipod or a radio...i guess it would need to be solar powered too. hmm.
i digress.
so music, good for my soul. i love a wide range of music from christian to country, alternative to hip hop. the only thing i don't like is hard rock or metal. no thank you.
so in a few weeks, Holli and I want to start inviting you to share your favorite music finds as well. it could be anything about music.
we'll have a linky on Tuesdays for "Tuesday Tunes". more info will be coming soon, but go ahead and start thinking of the songs you want to chat about!!!
i just bought 3 new albums and i'm loving them.
i have gotten out of the habit of buying the whole album because lately, i've only liked one or two songs.
i can say for sure that i love every single song on all three of these!
so let's get to it.....

Of Monsters and Men - My Head Is An Animal

Song you may know: Little Talks
My favorite song on the album: Mountain Sound
Sounds like: to me, it's an older sound, but i super love it.
By far one of the best albums I've purchased in a while. I seriously like every single song.

Phillip Phillips - The World from the Side of the Moon

Song you may know: Home
My favorite song on the album: Get Up Get Down
Sounds like: I have to describe it as a mix between Mumford and Sons and Dave Matthews.
I had heard he was on American Idol but I never saw any of his performances. I have to say this is the first "Idol" album I have purchased, but it's absolutely wonderful. By far one of my favorites in a while.

Mumford and Sons - Babel

Song you may know: I Will Wait
My favorite song on the album: I Will Wait
Sounds like: jam-band meets banjo meets cool
I love this band. Beware...some of the songs have a little profanity. But of course if you're a fan, you'd know that already. Especially since one of their hits, Lion Man, is loaded with the F-bomb. However, if you can look past that, it's great!

all three are perfect driving music, background music, chilling music...really whatever.
you would be doing your ears an injustice if you don't at least listen to a few snippets.

12.12.12. Linky Party!!!

did you know that today, 12.12.12 is the last time we'll ever have repetitive dates like that?
whoa.
mind blown.

well in honor of things such as this, i'm linking up with Three 31 blog for a 12.12.12 linky party!
wahoo!

it's all about the number twelve.

i feel like there should be a break for a sesame street commercial to say that this post is brought to you by the number 12.

i digress.

you know i love a list. 

in my book, lists = happiness. but some people can find them a bit boring.

so instead, i'm presenting you with my 12 favorite pictures that i've taken this year.

give you a little eye candy!

so these are my top 12....in no particular order

 little bro with little man cove. look at that baby smile!

my older brother and fam. love, love, love.

cuz holli and her honey at halloween. 

my honey at halloween.

 quite possible my favorite picture of jackson ever.

 my first time seeing my nephew jade play baseball.

honey and i outlet shopping at the beach.

my dad, sis in law and me heading to the pond to shoot a snake. this has texas written all over it!

me and my sweet nephew cove when he was born.

me, jade and jordi at lunch right after we moved to texas. one happy auntie!

my rotten dog wallace and his giant paws.

sibling love. makes my heart happy!

you should totes join in the fun with your top 12!