luke 2:14

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happy friday! read through luke 2 this morning about the birth of Jesus. such a special time of year to remember the love we were given. happy christmas season!

december mix

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hieeeeee! it's december, and everything is awesome. especially this mix i have come up with. not all of the songs are christmas tunes, but all of them are good. happy christmas season. if you celebrate the birth of Christ, make sure you spend some time focusing on that during this busy season. i find myself rushing around here and there and missing out on a chance to rejoice in this good news. happy christmas season and happy listening! (for another great christmas playlist, head over to the hippie memoirs. emma has curated an excellent mix of festive tunes!)

december mix

sing we now of christ : michael w. smith

the christmas song : sleeping at last

tiger striped sky : roo panes

every night : jon and roy

the happiest christmas : michael w. smith

place for us : milky ekko

you know me : air traffic controller

someday at christmas : jack johnson

last christmas : taylor swift

mexico : the staves

joy to the world : casting crowns

my latest DIY pins

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i like to pin pictures of crafts because it's easier than actually doing them...

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my boyfriend accompanied me to the craft store over the weekend and saw a quote on the wall that said "stop pinning and start creating" written in very whimsical font. (i think there were even starbursts surrounding it.) he thought that was particularly hilarious, and you know what? it's true. stop pinning. start creating. i'm telling that more to myself than to you. and here are a few starbursts to really get you going. ******

thankful

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dan and i had a lovely thanksgiving at home with my family. we got home around noon where hot lunch was waiting for us. we held hands in the kitchen and took turns offering up our thanks and our prayers and then we ate. turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, corn casserole, cranberry sauce, creamed onions (my mom and i are the only ones who like them), green beans, sparkling cider. we ate until we could eat no more. and then we got seconds.

after lunch, my mom and i took to kitchen duty, and the manly men were sent to the garage to fetch the tree, assemble it, and string it with lights. they hauled it into the living room, and we put on some christmas tunes and decorated away. the rest of the afternoon was spent playing games, eating pie and ice cream, opening a few early christmas presents, and taking a walk around the neighborhood to walk off a few of the turkey calories.

feeling very fat and happy in the days following. i have much to be thankful for. hope you had a great holiday with your friends and family as well!

enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. psalm 100:4

currently

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feeling: cold! the weather is dropping and my car was all frosty this morning. i don't mind. in fact, i wouldn't mind taking some of the snow off buffalo's hands. i think they have a few feet to spare.

baking: chocolate zucchini muffins. but before you go and think i'm some sort of baker extraordinaire, just let me tell you how they turned out by using some really descriptive adjectives: hard. flat. paperweighty. door stoppery. my boyfriend somehow managed to force down two for breakfast one morning this week. how he did that i do not know. he must have been desperate.

thinking about: the season that is upon us. this is my favorite time of year but this season already seems busier than normal. i tend to get caught up in the activities of the holiday season and miss the whole point of why i celebrate. i am trying to slow down and take time to focus on the importance of it all.

listening to: well, of course 1989. that's a given. but last weekend i was given an ep from a local band called bird and beast. they played at the maker's market and were super fun to listen to. afterwards, one of the band members came up to me and handed me one of their cd's. i am digging it! check them out on bandcamp!

reading: i need some suggestions! i am slowly making my way through grace for the good girl, and it is really good, but i always like to be reading a fiction book as well. throw some ideas at me!

what's on your currently list?

maker's market recap

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it's been one week since i did the maker's market. where does the time go?! seriously. i planned on typing up this post early last week and here it is seven days later. eh, better late than never.

the event was a huge success in my eyes. no, we did not have a huge turnout (because of the weather), i did not make thousands of dollars, nor did not sell out of inventory, but boy was it a good time! i don't think it could have been a better "starter market" for me. it gave me the chance to get out there and set up my display and meet some very nice and talented artists. i told them it was my first time doing a market, and they were all excited for me. one of my customers turned out to be a local artist who used to make beautiful glazed ceramic beads for sale at ornamentea. she's kind of a celebrity in the local art scene, and she was very kind and encouraging of my art and even bought a few things. i played it cool, but on the inside I WAS DOING THIS!!! 

during the slow times of the market, i had a chance to hang with the other artist vendors and talk shop. they had some good information for me and even gave me a heads up about another local pop-up market. two of my favorite booths were tierra sol and uncaged artistry. seana from tierra sol makes beautiful, unique terrariums and becky from uncaged artistry makes arm knitted scarves in all kinds of rad colors. both girls were super cool and easy to hang with. thank you ladies for welcoming me in!

i loved the event so much that i am doing it again next saturday! we are having a "rain date re-do" because the weather last saturday did not play nice. hoping for sunny skies this time around! if you are in the raleigh area, come by cameron village and do a little holiday shopping.  

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november mix

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november has arrived! we are getting into the good season, y'all. the cold months, the leaves falling, the mornings wrapped in your warmest blankets. as i write this, i am bundled up in my neon pink bathrobe with bedhead to match. i look very attractive.

yesterday was my first craft market, and i can't wait to tell you guys about it. it was so much fun, and even though the weather took a turn for the bitter cold and windy, we still had some shoppers and had fun hanging out. will recap soon!

in the meantime, won't you enjoy some november tunes?

november mix

honey i'll try : emile miller

byegone : volcano choir

wild heart : bleachers

thinking out loud : ed sheeran

bleeding out : the lone bellow

wake me : bleachers

blue stockings : sea wolf

lights : phantogram

your head and your heart : the saint johns

angel in blue jeans : train

maker's market

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i know you guys have been waiting with baited breath to find out what the exciting news is that i mentioned a couple of posts ago. right?! (say yes!)

i am super excited to announce that i am participating in my first craft market this weekend! cue the balloons falling down all around. i have been wanting to have a table at a craft fair for a few years now. if you remember, i even applied to this one and this one and got rejected. from both. double whammy.

i didn't look into having a booth elsewhere for a long time after that. it wasn't that i felt super discouraged about not getting in, but i guess i didn't find what i thought would be a good "starter market" for me. (come to find out, both of these markets are highly competitive, and now the thought of me applying with my little picmonkey collage photos makes me laugh.)

fast forward to the recent months. i attended one of sola's pop-up artist markets with my boyfriend during the summer. i was super inspired by the handmade items that i saw and the artists that i met, and i especially loved the table that kristin from bird and beau had set up. she had such a pretty display and her jewelry is just beautiful. i left this market feeling creatively charged and even more interested in being involved in the art market scene. i started thinking about my art and where i wanted to go with it. what was the next level? i didn't know exactly what that looked like, but i knew that participating in some kind of arts and crafts fair/market should definitely be part of my process.

and then about a week before my trip to california, i noticed that kristin of bird and beau was hosting her first art market in raleigh! i made it a point to schedule my day around that single event so i could check it out and officially introduce myself to kristin. she was super nice and friendly, and i told her i was interested in being involved in the next market she hosted. (go me! make things happen!) she told me they would definitely be having another event and to keep my eyes open on her instagram for details. oh, i will keep my eyes on your instagram. i WILL.

so, all that to say i am joining the art market ranks as of this saturday! i have been prepping my table with display props, working on building my jewelry stock, stamping business cards, collecting tissue paper for wrapping, and trying not to get too nervous about the big day. my trusty roommate will be by my side to help me put items in bags and smile at people, but mostly to add and subtract numbers. i seem to not be able to do correct math when in front of people. performance anxiety, i guess.

i have no expectations for the big day except to have fun and learn what i can. i think that will be a success in and of itself. i promise to take pictures and tell you alllll about it when it's over! wish me luck!

california recap

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we are home from california! what a great, busy, fun trip we had. we packed a lot of activities and adventures into our week long stay. i think we were in a different city almost every day! we stayed in san jose with friends of his but spent time in pacific grove, monterey, carmel, santa cruz, and san francisco. san jose is in close proximity to some really cool cities which is why we were able to take so many day trips.

i think my favorite day was our afternoon/evening in san francisco. we played disc golf in golden gate park, ate street style tacos at tacolicious, went climbing at planet granite with friends of his, ate more mexican food for dinner and walked to chile pies for homemade pie milkshakes. when your day involves eating mexican food for two of your three meals, you win. drop your mic and leave the stage.

dan lived in the san jose area for a year after college and made some really great, solid friends during his time there. it was really nice to meet all of the guys i've heard so many stories about and see him interact with them. even though it's been several years since his time out there, the main group of guys still keeps in regular contact which is really neat. it's hard to find those kinds of friends.

all in all, our trip was really great, and my heart really does belong out west i do believe. if in a month from now i announce i'm moving closer to the pacific, don't be surprised.

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volcano choir : byegone

can't get enough of this song/music video lately. happy friday y'all! what are your weekend plans? i am driving home to the pines for a few hours this afternoon to see my family and take care of an errand in town, and tonight, my roommate and i are hanging out with the lovely chelsea and one of her good friends from charlotte. GIRL PARTAY. hope you all had a great week!

guest posting : the hippie memoirs

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oh, heeeeeey. i am back from cali-for-ni-A! we had a really great trip, but it's obvious to me that i am still out of sync with my sleep schedule. i've been waking up with less than 10 minutes to get ready and out the door for work since monday. dat's no good.

i am planning a vacation recap post for the near future, but until i can collect my thoughts and pictures, my beautiful friend emma is featuring me on her blog the hippie memoirs. emma and i have been collaborating together here and there for the past year, and she is my favorite gal to work with! she's talented and creative, and her blog just had a spectacular makeover. she is doing a new monthly feature called meet the muses where she will introduce a new blogger every month to her readers. i'm excited to be involved! head over to read a few fun facts about me and check out the rest of her amazing blog.

but wait. before you go. how are you guys? i've been out of the loop, and while i did have a lovely vacation without my computer for a week, i am excited to be back. more posts are coming soon including some exciting news i have to share! hint: i'm not engaged, pregnant, moving, or getting a new car. (but what else is there??)

i'm going back home to the west coast

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just a quick note to say goodbye before i leave for vacation! i'm heading to the west coast for the next week. i promise to litter my instagram feed with palm tree/beach/california sunsets. don't you worry. bonus points goes out to anyone who can name that song in the post title. i might even bring you back a seashell.

guest posting : blooming branch

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i am guest posting on my friend chelsea's blog today. she is participating in a 31 day writing challenge where you pick a topic and blog about it on the daily for a whole month. you can read more about it in this post. i am so impressed with what she has written so far and am excited and flattered that she asked me to join her! head on over and see what i had to say about being a twenty-something. if that doesn't entice you, you will also see a picture of me that chelsea referred to as the "sunshine spider". there it is. you're clicking now.

october mix

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hellooooo, october! you are the stuff of dreams. i have always loved this time of year. the drop in temps, the falling of leaves, crisp morning air, drinking hot beverages and not sweating like i do when i drink them in the summer. fall is everything good.

fall is especially perfect for aimless afternoon driving. get in yer car and cruise, baby. and what october drive would be complete without a rockstar playlist to accompany it? have no fear. the october playlist is here. it includes a one direction song. i never ever saw that coming in a hundred million years.

october mix

each year : ra ra riot

you : gold panda

in nothing : sea wolf

lost at sea : the great american canyon band

joy of nothing : foy vance

steal my girl : one direction

at home : crystal fighters

feels like we only go backwards : tame impala

ante up*** : ages and ages

cardiac arrest : bad suns


happy fall to you and yours.

internet gems. part eight.

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every type of comment you will find on any food blog post

how to make life better. a video.

this card is how i feel most of the time around my boyfriend.

simple craft: dipped pencils

i'm making chicken stew for a date with my roommate tonight. the blogger lady raves about it for 10 sentences at the beginning of the post. let's see if i can make it without screwing it up.

i've only browsed through her last three posts, but i think i may have found my latest blogger crush.

this girl's tumblr. i don't really understand how tumblr works. is it more like a blog? is it more like a pinterest? don't know. but meg does it well.

every single link in kiki's bits and pieces post. (i stole one or two for this list!)

currently

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smelling: the scents of fall! fall is my absolute favorite season (even before it was #cool). i've been stepping out into some crisp mornings and breathing in the wonderful, fresh air. the scent is invigorating and inspiring. i always feel my best self in the fall. i feel the most creative and inspired and happy when the leaves and temperature begin to drop.

loving: i can't say fall again, can i? i'm saying it.

planning: a trip to california! my boyf is standing up in a wedding for one of his buddies in two weeks, and i get to tag along as his date and adventure buddy. we will be going back to the area where i was born-monterey/carmel/pacific grove. i don't have many expectations for the trip except to hang with my sweet man and hit up a few choice coffee shops. i am down for whatever else we do! we have talked about driving the 17 mile drive through pebble beach and pacific grove, doing some hiking, hanging with some of his friends and family, and exploring the beach area, etc. bring it on, california.

baking: i have not been baking at all! i've been so busy with life that i haven't been spending much time measuring out the sugar and flour. however, dan and i just ate the best peanut butter ganache brownie last week, and i have it in my head that i want to recreate it. it's next on my to-bake list.

celebrating: a few weeks ago, my roommate joined club 29! bout time. we celebrated with pizza at our favorite place in durham with some of our good girlfriends and then drove to charlotte to spend the weekend with our friend chelsea. we had a great time and amy rang in year 29 with such grace.

linking up here and here. go see what all the fuss is about!

mountain weekend

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over the labor day holiday, my roommate and i met up with our friend megan for a weekend in the mountains. megan lives in a sweet little house in morganton which is not a far drive from the blue ridge parkway. we spent friday night at her house and then spent saturday hiking, floating down the new river in big blue tubes, and camping out at a campsite in blowing rock. we had a such a great time. girlfriends cannot be replaced or substituted. they are my lifeblood.

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