thanksgiving in july?

last week i had an awesome opportunity.

i got to style a thanksgiving photo shoot for a holiday catering guide.

what?

this was so incredibly fun.

like seriously, could you imagine doing this for your day job?

there was replating, adjusting, enhancing and of course....tasting! ;)

and boy was it tasty!

all i have to say is....

if you have an earth fare store near you, you should definitely let them help you with your thanksgiving dinner this year!

because all of this goodness will be available in their catering department.

and it was all simply delicious!

and of course, so much fun!

Fun days

so for the first time since leaving Georgia (a year ago this month), we had our first visitors!

it was a lovely 4th of july with some of our favorite people from back home.

i could kick myself because we didn't get a single picture of us. what? 

why would i be so dumb not to photograph this lovely time?!

oh well.

i don't know about you, but we have had nothing but rain for the last 6 days, and looks like the next 10 days will be rain filled as well. we almost cancelled the trip, but it was supposed to rain in georgia to, so we thought we'd rather spend a rainy day together with our friends than all alone.

thursday afternoon the crew rolled in. eric, bobbiejo, harrison (3yrs) and josie (7 mos). so basically all of us crammed into our apartment was like an awesome slumber party!

and yes, thursday was filled with rain. but we got out and played anyway. 

chris and i took them to main street and we went into several shops and had lunch.

it finally got to the point where bobbiejo and i took our shoes off and ran through the puddles pushing a stroller.

that's what memories are made of right?

but jesus wanted us to have fun, so we had most of the day friday rain free. holla.

we took them to downtown asheville and had a several hour long exploration party. chris and i had not yet explored asheville either, so much fun was had by all!

we took this pic at the start of the day and it is by far one of my all time favorite pictures of us!

after hours of walking and riding, we all came back to the house...just in time because the downpour started again. harrison loves chris, and the two of them sat down and watched cartoons.

melts my heart.

early saturday morning everyone got up and headed home. it was so good for my soul to have them come visit. i've missed them terribly. we went from weekly hangouts to only seeing them once this past year, so this time was much needed.

later, chris and i headed to see despicable me 2. loved it. we're such big kids. and of course we were the only adults with no kids, but who cares!
i also found out that my favorite mexican restaurant in ga opened a location in greenville. after watching the movie (there's a whole mexican restaurant thing in the movie) it was absolutely necessary to drive an hour to eat there! so we did!

it's been a fabulous few days filled with lots of fun.

and now i'm paying for it....trying to cram a week's worth of homework into one day.

but i have to say it's worth it.

how was your holiday weekend?

And so it begins.

it's a new year.
insert michael buble.
it's a new dawn.
it's a new day.
it's a new life.
and i'm feeling good.

you know i kind of like new years.
i hate that it's called new yearS.
its not plural...it is a new yeaR. i mean i guess it's really possessive like when saying new year's resolutions.
but when trying to say i like new years, it just sounds weird to say new year.
welcome to my head.
ok, so let me rephrase.

you know i kind of like starting a new year.
there, that's better.

it really is like a fresh start.
now granted, technically every day is a fresh start.
we can choose to make better choices on any day.
but something about a new year and everything starting over with you...it's a bit endearing.

every year i make resolutions/goals.
every year, i fail at a couple of them.
but nonetheless, it's good to set goals.
it at least gives your life some direction. something to work towards.
and this year is especially different because, well, 30 happens.
it seems like so long ago that i made my 30 before 30 list. and well now it's time to get moving!
there are lots of things that must be done before 30. really imperative.

do you do anything crazy before the end of a year?
typically i don't, but yesterday i ate all of the bad stuff in my pantry so it didn't go to "waste".
yeah that's real cute.

ok enough chatting...here's the list.

Less white. More green. (eat more green; see more green and less white walls).
Positivity > Negativity.
Move the body.
Embrace creativity.
Give God all of me.
Be adventurous.
Be the light.
Love hard.
Laugh.
Stick to the budget.
Be nicer to myself.
Be a nicer wifey.
Have fun.
Let go. Play more.
Make the most of each day.
Have less fear.
Follow through.
Be ready to enjoy 30.

what are your goals for the new year?

2012...review time.

My friend Nicole did a nifty lil year in review post which i thought was quite appropriate for new years eve. i shortened it a bit....you should join in the fun too!

What did you do in 2012 that you’d never done before?Moved to a new state. Stepped out of my comfort zone to meet some fellow bloggers.

Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?Some I kept. I definitely have a new list.

Did anyone close to you give birth?Yes! My baby brother had his first baby! And Chris' cousin Amanda had her baby. Oh and another one of my bff's had a baby. Whew!

Did anyone close to you die?Not this year, thank you Jesus.

What countries did you visit?Does Texas count?

Where did you go for vacation?

Gulf Shores, AL

What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012?workout motivation. oh do you mean a material thing? ok, a 24-70mm camera lens. happiness.

What date from 2012 will remain etched upon your memory?oh wow...how about July - December. We moved to Texas, I was here for the birth of my nephew, I got to spend the holidays with my siblings, and it snowed on Christmas!

What was the best thing you bought?
I finally got a pair of Sperry's. Yes!!!!

Where did most of your money go?
Bills. Paid off some debt. iPads and such.

What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Black Friday shopping.

Compared to this time last year, are you:

Happier or sadder?Happier.....I think.
Thinner or fatter?The same.
Richer or poorer?bahaha. this is funny. how about a little less poor than last year.

What do you wish you’d done more of?
taking pictures. i tend to get caught up in capturing other people's lives, but forget to capture my own.

What do you wish you’d done less of?
stressing. i tend to do that a lot.

What were your favorite TV programs?
Shahs of Sunset, Giuliana & Bill, Duck Dynasty, New Girl

What was the best book you read in 2012?50 Shades...all 3 of them.

What was your greatest musical discovery?The Avett Brothers

What was your favorite film of this year?Les Mis was pretty awesome. Also Pitch Perfect...cheesy as it may be. Oh but Skyfall was amazing as well as Argo. I suck at decision making.

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Turned 29. First birthday in Texas...went to Bin 303 with the hubs. Rather exciting.

Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Zoey Deschanel

What political issue stirred you the most?
The healthcare bill forcing companies to provide access to the morning after pill and then being fined if they refused it. Have you heard the Hobby Lobby issue?

Who did you miss?
lots of peeps. 

Wow.

What an absolutely crazy whirlwind of a holiday weekend! In a good way of course!

We moved into our new house saturday and I absolutely love it beyond words!
Out dog Wallace has no clue what to do in our big back yard. He literally sits in a chair outside and stares at the grass. It's hilarious!
This post is brought to you courtesy of my iPhone since we won't have Internet until sometime Monday. I will post a post worthy of reading at that time!
Until then, happy Monday and I hope you all had a wonderfully blelessed thanksgiving!