currently

{photo credit: me}

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!

currently

{photo credit: me}

hello and happy monday! hope everyone had a nice long holiday weekend. for whatever reason, my boss also gave us today off. i didn't complain one bit.

so i'm a tad late to the game with this one. anne and jenna hosted a "currently" link-up which went live on the second, but even though i'm late, i figured i'd join in anyways. i love sharing my currentlies with you all.

wishing // for a giant slice of chocolate cake to appear in front of me. wish big or go home.

celebrating // my boyfriend and i recently celebrated four months. i know it's not a big milestone anniversary or anything, but you have to start somewhere, right? he's been a huge addition to my life, and i am thankful for him every day.

wearing // my bathing suit. whether it's poolside or beachside, i've been enjoying some quality time in the sun and water. if you can't beat the humidity, play in it!

cooking // chicken salad. i forgot how easy and delicious this is. i made a big batch to take with us last weekend to the beach, and it was very simple to put together. it really just requires some chopping and stirring once the chicken breasts have been poached. i used this recipe. give it a try!

planning // an upcoming bestie weekend with my girls. my two college girlfriends, my roommate and i are meeting in my hometown of southern pines for some quality girl time. we try to get together fairly frequently to catch up and do some shopping and coffee/wine drinking. i love my girlfriends, and it is always so nice when we can make all our of schedules coordinate to hang out. i anticipate lots of giggling about boys.

what are you guys currently up to? happy monday!

currently

{photo credit: me}

linking up with jenna and anne today for a "currently" post!

cooking: i cooked up a storm this past weekend. my boyfriend was in colorado for several days, and i thought it would be nice to stock him up with a few meals upon his return. i made sesame garlic pork loin, classic potato salad, pasta salad, and shortbread chocolate chip macadamia nut cookies. he was not the only one who benefitted from this cooking frenzy.

watching: castle season four on netflix. i have no idea who even watches this show, and i am really behind in the series so i don't think i will ruin anything if i say THEY FINALLY KISSED. that's all.

planning: weekend trips. i don't have a big vacation on the horizon, so i am looking forward to planning some short weekend trips to the beach, my hometown, charleston, charlotte, etc. weekend trips are sometimes my favorite trips because the planning/travel time is usually pretty minimal and you can really focus on enjoying your time there.

reading: still working my way through the ghost at the table and just started evolving in monkey town. good reads so far! and since we're on the topic, i mentioned in this post my goal to read a minimum of one book a month this year. i am happy to report i am still on track! we're in june and halfway there. don't fail me now, good intentions.

wearing: this new maxi dress. it has pockets for my necessary items. lip gloss and chocolate. i am the happiest girl on the block.

head on over to the link-up to see what everyone else is "currently" up to!

everyday moments

{photo credit: me}

one awesome thing about this blog world is that you get to "meet" some really cool people. i met kiki through the etsy swap i did a few months ago, and she was sweet enough to ask me to guest post for her series "everyday moments". her blog is really cool and is filled with all sorts of fun posts and links and great words of encouragement. we have emailed back and forth a ton, and she is always so sweet in her responses. she actually takes the time to respond thoughtfully to emails i have sent her. that speaks volumes in this day and age of quick replies and one word answers.

head on over to see my guest post and take the time to browse around her blog. lots of fun things to read and see! thank you, kiki! so much fun getting to know you.

currently

{photo credit: me}

linking up with jenna and anne today for a fun "currently" post.

cooking : i've been making lots of non-lettuce salads lately. i mix up red peppers, avocados, chickpeas, black beans, water chestnuts, carrots, sun-dried tomatoes, sesame seeds, baked chicken and season it up with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and sesame oil. it is the best tasting salad around! super healthy but very filling and energizing.

reading : two books are currently on my night stand. in the grip of grace by max lucado and the ghost at the table by suzanne berne

wearing : jean shorts and button downs with my yellow strappy sandals. i am loving this easy combination. it's so comfortable and super cute to boot. can't beat it.

loving : this gorgeous spring weather! north carolina summers have a bad reputation for being muggy city, so i am trying to take advantage of the cool mornings and warm afternoons before the humidity hits us.

anticipating : beach trips this summer. i can't wait to play in the waves and set up my beach chair in the sand and catch some rays. my dad gave me his old surfboard a few months ago, so i really want to get that thing in the water and give it a go! i think i'll probably end up just getting pummeled by the waves, but i'm determined to catch at least one good ride.

head over to their link-ups here and here to see what other fellows bloggers are "currently" digging!

etsy swap 2014

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i recently participated in the etsy swap 2014 hosted by meg and amy and had a blast! the person i was assigned to "stalk" and shop for was the ever-cool jess from writing in red lipstick. based on the short bio i received about her and from reading up on her blog, i found out she lives in virginia and has a thing for bees and woodland creatures. oh yes, i could definitely work with this. i got to work scouring etsy for some choice gifts and it didn't take me long to find some items to send to miss jess. here is the little package i put together for her.

{photo credit: me}

{photo credit: me}

{photo credit: me}

when i got the fox brooch in the mail, i wanted to keep him for myself! how cute is his face? i was stunned by the intricate detail of the stitching. i thought the cookie cutter would be a cute idea since jess hails from virginia, and i also included some chocolate bars because a gift isn't truly complete without a little sweet. hope you liked everything, jess!

the lovely kiki from in its time had my name, and i can't say enough good things about this fun package! she really did her research and got all of my favorite things. peanut butter, the cutest hand-stamped spoon, hexagon stud earrings that i have honestly been eyeing for a long time, and my favorite candy bar. thank you, kiki! you are so sweet and thoughtful to put all of this together!

{photo credit: me}

{photo credit: me}

had a blast both giving and receiving some great etsy finds. thank you again for hosting this swap, meg and amy. looking forward to next year! head on over to the link-up and check out what the other bloggers gave and received! you can also search #etsyswap2014 on instagram. etsy love forever.

great christmas exchange 2013

{photo credit: me}

this year i participated in a fun blogger gift exchange hosted by oak & oats and elah tree called the great christmas exchange. the basic gist was that you submitted your name for participation and got someone's name in return for whom you would put together a christmas package of goodies. presents and new friends? oh boy!

i had a great time shopping for jamie who blogs over here. each participant was asked to list a few things they liked so whoever got their name would have an idea of what to get them. based on the bio i received about miss jamie, i found out she liked michaels art store, the color green, books of any kind, stationery, and craft supplies. armed and dangerous with this information, i went about putting a fun package together for her.

when wrapping gifts, i usually throw things into a bag with a piece of tissue paper and call it a day. that's hard enough, people! but this year i was totally gung-ho about using festive paper and actually wrapping my presents. maybe because i knew pictures of my gifts would be broadcast on the internet and i needed to up my game? unfortunately, because of my unprecedented enthusiasm, i ended up wrapping most of jamie's gifts before i took pictures of her items. doh. i did manage to snap a shot of the green caroline g. necklace and the pair of hand-studded mittens i made for her but the rest will remain a mystery. (until jamie links up!)

{photo credit: me}

{photo credit: me}

the package i received from shannon was just as fun! (you can follow her on instagram here: @sk_griffith). i tried to show some restraint when her box showed up on our doorstep. i brought it inside and set it on my kitchen counter. i would wait until christmas to open it. i gave it a nice, solid pat. christmas eve at least. i picked it up and gave it a little rattle. down again on the counter. silence for five seconds while i wrestled the angel and devil on my shoulder. then off to the junk drawer for the sharpest pair of scissors i could find to cut the packing tape and pry it open.

inside i found these goodies!

{photo credit: me}

{photo credit: me}

{photo credit: me}

• a hand-crotched infinity cowl scarf. are you seeing this? it's beautiful! the colors are wonderfully complimentary, and it's warrrrmmm. warm will come in handy today as the high is supposed to be 27. 
• a leather bound journal and sharpie pens. fine point pens are the only way. (how did she know?)
• one of my favorite go-to brands for chapstick, eos. they rival burt's bees. 
• a delicious smelling candle and candle holder. my roommate and i have a small collection of candles on our stovetop. i keep them burning until the wicks are little black ashes floating in pools of hot wax. now that i've typed that out, this sounds like an incredibly dangerous thing to have on your stove.
• gigantic diamond ornaments. they also double as pretend engagement rings. i definitely do not have a picture of me doing that. 

such great treasures! thank you shannon for your thoughtfulness. and thank you to samantha of elah tree and beth of oak & oats for hosting such a fun gift exchange. i am linking up with them here and here! if you want to see even more pictures, search for #greatchristmas2013 on instagram. there are a lot of festive photos to peruse, but they will probably make you wish christmas was still here so be careful. there is no instagram lifeguard on duty. browse at your own risk.

{photo credit: me}