thankful

{photo credit: me}

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

the best weekend

{photo credit: dan}

here i am posting about last weekend when it's almost time for this weekend. i can't keep up! this past weekend hit the spot. like really and truly. it was just so wonderful. when you cram family, friends, birthday gifts, and bacon wrapped dates into the span of four days, only good things can happen.

{photo credit: me}

on thursday, my birthday evening, i invited my family over for dinner. i was inspired to host a dinner after reading bread and wine, and my birthday seemed as good a time as any. for pre-dinner snack i made bacon wrapped dates stuffed with goat cheese. THESE. these were everything. i think we could have dined on these alone all night and been happy. i served white chix chili for main meal and for dessert, vanilla ice cream with fresh strawberries drizzled with dark chocolate balsamic vinegar. hey, tastebuds. you've never had it so good.

{photo credit: dan}

on friday evening, my two best college girlfriends, sarah and chelsea, came into town. sarah is married with two sweet kids, and it had been over two years since she had visited me in raleigh/durham. it was surreal that we were all three hanging out together in my apartment. i kept grabbing them both and pulling them in for group hugs. they tolerated it. we spent the majority of the evening eating food, drinking wine, and gabbing like schoolgirls. i also introduced them to the hilarity that is impractical jokers. we laughed until our bellies hurt.

{photo credit: me}

the rest of the weekend was filled with coffee and pastries at guglhupf, shopping, wine and snacks by the pool, nana taco for birthday party dinner, fullsteam brewery with great friends for celebratory birthday beers, and beasley's chicken and honey for sunday morning brunch. after my besties left, i went for a run to fend off the inevitable wave of sadness that was to soon wash over me. and also to burn off the thousands upon thousands of calories we consumed over the course of three days.

{photo credit: me}

basically, all i want to do is rewind time and go back to last friday so we can do it all over again. thank you to everyone who made my birthday weekend so special! (you guys are definitely on the list.)

golden birthday

{photo credit: amy}

today is my younger brother riley's golden birthday. 20 years on the 20th. (cute kid in the middle.) yesterday, my family drove to his college town to celebrate with him. we treated him to mexican food, chocolate cupcakes and a huge cartoon balloon bouquet.

he's a trip, this one is. he is one of the funniest people i know. i don't even know how he comes up with the things that he says. i try really hard to be funny and i'm not in the slightest, but riley will make a comment off the cuff and have me rolling. i need to take lessons. maybe they offer a class in this somewhere. "how to be hilarious 101". see what i mean? that wasn't even funny. good lord.

happy birthday, riles! love you much.

happy to the birthday

{photo credit: me}

i interrupt my regularly scheduled postings to bring you this.

today is my mom's birthday and she deserves her own post. she is the most genuine person i know, and i love her for all that she is and all that she inspires me to be. she loves her husband, her kids, and her friends fiercely. she's always happy, always silly, always creative. if she weren't my mom, she'd probably be my competition. she's just good at everything.

i love you, mom. have the most wonderful of birthdays!

the books of christmas

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hope everyone had a wonderful christmas! i've been home since tuesday and pretty much all i've been doing is getting fed by my dynamic duo parents. they're both good cooks which is bad news for me since i hardly meet a food i don't like. dale bakes bread for breakfast. he hands the baton off to my mom who puts out a spread for lunch. they work in tandem for dinner creating bbq pork and parmesan noodles. i thought i escaped the freshman 15 in college, but it turns out it just shows up later in life and goes by a slightly different name. the christmas 20. 

christmas morning was really wonderful spending time with the regulars-the parents and two brothers-and, this year, the lovely addition of my older brother's girlfriend. she put up with us and joined in on the shenanigans and made us the most potent and delicious bourbon balls. hashtag keeper.

i got a lot of fun pressies including a mini pie baker. did not know that existed in the world, but it's got me up late at night thinking of all of the different pies i want to try. in my half-sleepy state, things like dill and caramel sound good together when, in reality, they are not. i need to concoct recipes when i am awake and have at least two cups of coffee in my body/brain.

one of my favorite gifts this year was a big pile of books. my mom is a huge reader, and i try to follow in her footsteps. she has books lying around all over our house. sometimes i find them stashed under couch cushions because she runs out of room and has nowhere else to put them.

there are three in particular i am really excited to start, and i want to tell you about them! for the next three posts, i'm going to brief each book and explain why i'm excited to dig in. i started this out as one post, but the words just kept coming and the post was getting way too long. i mean, i appreciate a succinct post as much as (i assume) the next person does. so, stay tuned and maybe you'll discover a new book or author that you'd like to further investigate.

what was your favorite christmas memory from this year? your favorite gift given and received?

the day before

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merry christmas eve. i am sitting in bed drinking coffee and having some time with Jesus, and it hits the spot. later today, after i pack my car with way too much stuff for a just few days at home, i'll be driving down to the land of the pines. i'm excited to go somewhere where i know i will be greeted with squeals from my mom, a huge smile and hearty hello from my stepdad, and a surprisingly big hug from my much-cooler-than-i little brother. 

we will catch up over coffee (or wine depending on the time of day i arrive). we will drive around town with my stepdad dressed up as santa and shout "merry christmas!" to anyone and everyone we see. we will get dressed for christmas eve service at my parents' church and light candles and sing beautiful songs. we will come home and eat irish stew and be allowed to open one present only. we will lay out our stockings on the couch. and even though i am 28, i will definitely have a hard time falling asleep tonight. 

hope each of you has a very merry and joyful day today. even if you are still scurrying around making last minute purchases and preparations, take some moments to breathe and relax and focus on the joys of the season. friends, family, love, giving and receiving. take it all in. 

on a related note, my good friend chelsea is an amazing writer and has recently published an article about this beautiful season we are in. take a few minutes and read; it's really wonderful. 

gather together and let's celebrate

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this past weekend was full. it was busy and fun and exhausting in all the best ways. when sunday evening came, my bones were weary and my head welcomed the pillow.

i spent a good portion of friday in the hospital with very close friends as their brother/son/husband/grandson had major surgery. we spent the day in reception taking turns getting coffee and reading books and making small talk. as the day turned to evening we heard word from the surgeon that all was well and the procedure was a success. we cheered and clapped and held hands in a big lopsided circle and thanked God for His goodness. 

the rest of the weekend was spent dancing the night away in downtown raleigh to celebrate a friend's recent engagement, ordering bloody marys, lobster and crab spring rolls, and bison sushi at cowfish for my older brother's birthday, and gathering together with 20 other ladies at a bridal shower for my wonderful co-worker who is getting married in less than a month. 

this weekend felt like one big celebration. we celebrated the answered prayers of a successful surgery, we celebrated the upcoming weddings of two brides and grooms, we celebrated the turning of another year older and wiser. 

sunday night as i was falling into bed, i was reminded of all the people who i am happy and honored to know. friendships that i never thought i would treasure as much as i do. families that aren't blood relation but treat me as such. girlfriends that have been my support system throughout the years. so many different relationships and dynamics and all so important.

i'll tell you what, falling asleep thinking about the people who you love makes for one deep and restful and peaceful slumber.

wilmington weekend

{photo credit: me}

sometimes you go away for a beach weekend and you don't go to the beach even once.
this is one of those times. 

{photo credit: me, mom}

a few weekends ago, my family and i packed up our cars and spent the a few days and nights in beautiful wilmington. we don't usually take week-long vacations but from time to time my parents will rent a little house in the mountains or at the beach for a weekend getaway.

{photo credit: me, mom}

we spent our time relaxing, shopping, exploring city streets, eating good food, riding go-karts, playing mini golf, coffee shopping, book storing, and having nightly cocktail hour on the back patio of our little cottage.

because we were busy doing all of the activities above, going to the beach totally and completely escaped us. i did see it, though. i saw the beach. a nice, quick glimpse of it as we navigated a busy street in wrightsville to get to my favorite boutique, hallelu. shopping or the beach? don't make me choose. except i did choose. shopping.

{photo credit: me, mom}

my younger brother (younger but taller and stronger) and i had some good, quality bonding time. with him being away at school for most of the year and me living and working in durham/chapel hill, we don't get a lot of time to hang. it was fun to have a few days to kick it together. he's cooler than i am but for some strange reason he likes to hang out with me. whatever, i don't ask questions.

it's nice to have a few days away from real life every once in a while. and it's even better when your lodging, food, and activities are paid for by your sweet and wonderful parents. i'm hoping to butter them up and coax them into taking us to disney. {any and all tips on buttering up your parents welcome.}

letter from mom

hi, sweetheart.

just wanted to share some precious time with you today. 

when your heart is a bit heavy, mine is, too. 

life is a kaleidoscope of emotions, many crossing thru even in the course of a day. 

hold on the the absolute truth that He loves you 

and is always wonderfully working in your life and heart. 

seasons are necessary. 

dale and i love you and are always here. 

you are a champion, honey. so delightful and utterly awesome. 

xxxoooxx, mumsy


moms know just what to say don't they?

christmas recap

{photo credit: me}

what a wonderful holiday it was (and still is)! i have been having such a lovely time home with my family. i don't go back to work until january 2nd, so i have been having a long, extended holiday vacation. no complaints here.

{photo credit: me and motha}

on christmas eve, as part of a fairly new tradition put into place a few years back, my stepdad donned his santa costume, and off we went on a holiday drive. santa delivered chocolates to the hard workers at chick-fil-a (where my little brother was working. haaaaa), visited one of our shopping plazas in town to wave at every passerby and shout merry christmas, and even made a personal stop at the home of one of our family friends. i think i should be embarrassed by this whole shenanigan, but i think it's the greatest thing ever. the looks on peoples' faces as they see santa driving a trailblazer makes my heart crazy happy. my stepdad is such a good sport about it, and really gives it his all when he yells ho ho ho out the window.

{photo credit: me}

that evening, my family and i went to candlelight service at church and then home to eat traditional irish stew for dinner. i don't know why we eat irish stew. we've been doing it for as long as i can remember, and i just go with it because it's delicious. after dinner, my brother and i went on a late night hot cocoa run. the only place we could find that was still open late on christmas eve was our local mcdonald's. i kind of hated myself for going there, but it turns out they know how to do hot cocoa riiight.

{photo credit: me and motha}

on christmas morning, our living room always looks like santa's gift bag exploded upon arrival. our tree is buried under a mountain of things. it's quite a sight. we always open stockings first where we are usually guaranteed to find a toothbrush and an orange. this year i found a toothbrush, an orange, and a potato. a red skinned potato. nice.

{photo credit: me}

we took breaks in between presents to eat coffee cake, hashbrown casserole, and refill our coffee mugs, but then we were right back in the game. santa likes to get creative with his presents. for every good gift we receive (like a gift we actually asked for), he likes to throw in three or four wild cards. for example, i got a gift card to anthropologie (!!) and then proceeded to open a jar of pickles, a ceramic rubber ducky planter, and a bottle of lotion that smelled like a grandma.

{photo credit: me}

we went over to my dad's house later in the afternoon to open gifts and eat more junk food. it was glorious! my dad makes the best fruitcake and fudge of anyone i know. he showered us with gifts and then gave us eggnog and lots of food. in turn, he received a replica of the christmas story leg lamp.

christmas 2012 was a yet another wonderful holiday with loved ones. i'm trying not to be depressed that it's over. how many more days until we get to do it again?

how was your christmas?? tell me, tell me. 

christmas day

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happy christmas! having a great day with my family. both of my brothers are in town, and i am loving the fun and laughter they always bring. 

i pray that the love of Christ surrounds you and yours on this wonderful day.

the aftermath

{photo credit: me}

the turkey has been demolished, the cranberry sauce is only a few berries left, the mashed potatoes have seen their shining moment come and go, and now my jeans don't want to zip up. what's wrong with you, jeans? i consume 4,000 calories in one day, and you can't manage to work with my new, enlarged waistline? useless.

{photo credit: me and dad}

thanksgiving was a pretty wonderful day for the ostoj clan. i spent time with all of my favorite people (james bond included-go skyfall, go skyfall, go), oohed and ached over my dad's new harley, watched the bad lip synching during the macy's parade, drank lots of black coffee, helped decorate the family christmas tree that was literally put up before all of the thanksgiving dinner dishes were clean and dry, and just enjoyed being safe and warm and cozy at home.

{photo credit: me}

now that thanksgiving is over, it is socially acceptable to listen to christmas music and quote lines from elf, and that excites me. but let's be real. i do these things throughout the year (and so do you?). the next 30 days are some of my most favorite days of the year what with all the cookie baking and christmas parties and general goodwill and cheer. 

but first and foremost, for me christmas celebrates the birth of my Savior. i don't think i can ever give enough thanks for that. i tend to gloss over the details of God's ultimate gift to us and say my thanks without thinking about what a sacrifice it truly was, but i am truly grateful. 

here's to the start of a very merry christmas season and for remembering the meaning behind it all.

thankful does it

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i have so much to be thankful for. my heart runs over.

today, i am thankful for my family. my brothers are home and already there is noise and mess in every room in the house. 

i am thankful for the Lord's providence. He is my guide through life's winding road. He reminds me of His love when i doubt His presence. 

i am thankful for the macy's thanksgiving day parade. it might be my favorite thanksgiving tradition. well, second only to homemade cranberry sauce. 

i am thankful for my amazing, supportive, lifeline friends. my roommate amy, my good college friends chelsea and sarah, my yankee friend liz, my Bible study leader tierney, my sweet and bubbly friend katie, my hilarious friend lori. i love you all. 

i am thankful for gorgeous weather. it's supposed to be 62 today. hello perfect day.

i'm thankful for new creative opportunities.

i'm thankful for my five senses. that certain tasting sense will be especially handy today.

i'm thankful for jimmy fallon. right now, he is singing "we will rock you" with his band on a sweet float in the macy's day parade. 

i hope you can count your blessings today. 

thankful. 

mum's visit day two!

{photo credit: me}

my mom and i started day two off with a trip to guglhupf for some delicious coffee and morning carbs. this place is amazing. they have a restaurant where you can get great lunch and breakfast entrees, expresso beverages, and desserts, but they also have a bakery where you can get all kinds of hot and fresh baked goods.

{photo credit: me and mum}

the weather was gorgeous, so we sat outside on the patio and enjoyed our breakfast in the warm morning sun. ah, morning coffee. nothing better.

{photo credit: me}

after our tummies were fat and happy, it was off to explore. we stopped at a few cute shops along main street in carrboro including this and that gift gallery and vespertine. these places always have a lot of cute little gifts, perfect for stocking stuffers. the rest of the afternoon was spent sampling foods at southern season, thrifting, perusing the shelves at trader joes, and a wine tasting at 3cups.

{photo credit: mum}

our last stop was pumpkin shopping! we took pictures with mr. jack-o-lantern and picked out some pumpkins for my porch. such a fun two-day-date with my momma! there's nothing like time spent with her.

{photo credit: me}

after my mom left, i found she had hidden little presents around my apartment. only a mom can get away with giving a toothbrush as a gift. 

momma, thank you for coming to visit me and for all the fun we had! i love you to infinity and beyond. 

mum's visit day one!

{photo credit: me}

my mom and i got to spend two fun-filled days together last week. it was so nice to have some time with her to myself. we like a lot of the same things (coffee shops, thrift stores, used book stores, wine), so we pretty much agreed on all of our activities. there was only one major meltdown during the entire weekend when my mom found out that my roommate and i don't have cable. i poured her another glass of wine, and she was just fine. 

{photo credit: me}

she came up on friday and we meet in raleigh at one of my favorite coffee shops, the third place, for some morning fuel and banana bread. we spent a few minutes catching up and taking pictures of ourselves with our coffee cups. 

{photo credit: me}

after our java, we wandered around the five points area and stopped at a couple shops along the way including nofo @ the pig and a cute writer's studio/bookshop loft we found on the main street. the address for the bookshop is a half address. (2008 1/2 fairview road) half addresses are the cutest thing on the planet next to puppies who have not grown into their oversized paws.

{photo credit: me}

my mom has heard me talk about ornamentea incessantly, so we stopped there for some jewelry supplies and free chocolate and coffee. there was a class going on in the back and people working on projects at the craft table in the front of the store. lots of creative juices flowing. just how i like it. next up was some time for thrifting! there is a great goodwill in downtown raleigh on hargett street (go there if you are ever in raleigh), so off we went. my very patient mother waited while i tried on 35 articles of clothing and then decided only two of those worked. she even bought the two things for me. she's a saint, i tell ya. a saint. 

{photo credit: me}

by this point it was late in the afternoon and we hadn't stopped for food since our morning banana bread. we both love the hot bar/salad bar at whole foods and there is one conveniently located right on the way back to my apartment. we like to grab a to-go box and load it up with all kinds of sides and salad toppings. the more flavors, the better! 

the rest of the day/evening was spent relaxing at my apartment, happy hour by the pool, pizza and gelato in our pajamas, and a redbox on the couch. what a good, full day. stay tuned for day two where we basically do the same things as day one.

  

hometown recap

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the beginning of a new week is hard. there's the dreaded monday, waking up to an alarm set hours before anyone should actually have to get out of bed, putting on real clothes, etc. starting a new week is really difficult when you've just had a really great weekend. 

as i mentioned i my previous post, i spent the weekend in southern pines with my family and two of my girlfriends. we had a blast. i told you guys i was going to document our trip, but, alas, i left my camera in my desk at work and didn't feel like driving back to get it before heading home. i've pieced together some images from the world wide web and some instagram pics that chelsea took. i promise will make good on my promise, though. promise. 

on friday evening, i drove straight to my dad's new place. he lives within walking distance of downtown so we took a nice evening stroll down to the wine cellar for happy hour. it was such a nice night and we sat on the outdoor patio and talked for a while. we decided that since it was time for dinner and since we were already downtown, we might as well make an evening of it and dine out. 

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we walked a block away to ashten's and nabbed the last table in their "formal dining room". i felt very informal in my jorts and baseball tee. i thought they would at least place us behind a wall or a huge flower pot to shield me from the other diners, but we got a table right next to the front entrance. i made sure to use my napkin as a bib. 

on saturday, i went yard saling with my parents. i scored a few good finds, but the real treat was spending half the morning with my parents in the car. riding with my parents is a mix between an amusement park ride and a site seeing tour. the gps is shouting out directions, there's random braking, pointing, u-turns on one way streets, rolling stops. i sat quietly in the back seat drinking what i thought might be my last cup of coffee. 

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chelsea arrived around noon, and we hit the ground running. we stopped at a few places downtown including a resale shop, the ice cream parlour (for afternoon candy and fries), swank coffee shop, and the mockingbird then headed over to goodwill and scoured the racks for treasures. just as we were finished at gcf, amy texted and said she was in town! whoop. we met up with her at the wine cellar for moscato. 

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by the time our glasses were drained, it was nearing dinner time so we all headed back to my parent's house for ribs. my older brother kelsey was in town so we had a very full table. it was nice to have so many of my favorite people all in one room sharing a meal together. we kind of don't take things too seriously so there was lots of reaching across the table to reach the bread basket and laughing (at each other) between bites.

ames, chels, and i had plans to go see to rome with love at the sunrise theater downtown so off we went again. woody allen? annoying. but the movie was fairly enjoyable-ish. 

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on sunday we went to church, ate lunch together, took some awkward family photos with my college-bound brother, explored a bit more around town and then we all headed our separate ways. it was such a lovely weekend. the right amount of busyness and relaxation. all i know is that i want it to be friday again.

{photo credit: me}

i hope you all enjoyed your weekend! what did you kids get into?

hometown

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i'm heading home this weekend for a little r and r. i haven't been home in what feels like months, so i'm excited to see my family and visit all of my favorite spots including swank coffee. this will be the last weekend i see my little brother before he heads off to college. i'm getting a little sad just thinking about it. good thing my roommate amy and my friend chelsea will also be joining me tomorrow for some girl time!

i love my sweet hometown. i love going home for weekend visits. we moved to southern pines when i was nine, so i have basically grown up there. it holds such sweet memories for me. like when my brother surprised us at christmas and came home from being stationed in las vegas. or walking to my first real job at the local library only blocks from our house in downtown. there was learning to drive stick shift, my little's brother's first day of school, birthday party games in the backyard, my first one mile fun run, dates with my dad, sleepovers with my girlfriends, holiday parades. 

i think a lot of people can agree that there's something special about your hometown. there's a little pride that swells up in your heart. you become a little territorial. in your head you're thinking "whatever, joe schmoe. my hometown is way cooler than yours." unless your hometown is like chicago or san francisco in which case you win hands down. and, in which case, why haven't you invited me to visit?

hope you guys have a fun weekend wherever you are and whatever you do! my goal is to take pictures of my trip home and show you guys how cute southern pines is. i always take my camera with me and then it stays in my bag all weekend while i'm out frolicking around. i might have to resort to tying a string around my finger to help me remember. 

xoxo

p.s. on a rando sidenote, i just signed up the the color me rad race in october. i'm so excited i could go run a 5k right now, but i wouldn't have people throwing color on me so it's just not worth it. 

just the girls

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my mom comes to play today! she hasn't seen our new place since we moved in march. excited to show her our new digs and romp around town with her. i imagine we'll get coffee and go thrifting and find a bookstore or two. maybe hit up trader joe's and grab lunch somewhere yummy. oh, yes. it shall be delightful. 

happy friday! what are your weekend plans?

cap and gown

{photo credit: me}

this past weekend my little brother graduated from high school. i can't tell you how proud i am of him. but i will try. 

i am SO proud of him.

they told us not to cheer for our respective graduate, but i couldn't help but let out a little whoop! when they called his name. (they almost pronounced our last name right. half point.)

{photo credit: dale}

{photo credit: dale}

{photo credit: dad}

i got all weepy when i saw him in his cap and gown for the first time on the field. and then again when i watched him walk across the stage. and again when he spotted us waving to him from the stands. and then once more when i got to finally hug him. i'm actually feeling a little emotional writing this now. what the heck. i think if he reads this, he will think i'm a moron.

{photo credit: mom}

hanging with the graduate at cracker barrel. it's what we do. 

to all the grads of 2012, in the words of mindy kaling, i hope you didn't peak in high school. ok. congratulations!