Having friends visit for the past few days was so wonderful! Cassie and I have been so excited to have some time to hang out in person (more than just our wedding weekends) and I'm so glad that her sweet husband made it happen for her birthday gift! It is such a cool thing to meet someone and instantly click but also have fun all weekend with our husbands. I guess when you are busy making memories you forget to pull out the camera as much as you'd like, but the memories we did create make me so happy!

We started the day on Thursday with breakfast at Tandem and then went up to Caesars Head State Park and the fog was so beautiful! The higher we went up the mountain, the thicker the fog became. We really didn't have much of a view but it was a lot of fun to find the little cave above and walk around for a bit. 

Then we drove to Looking Glass Falls for a beautiful waterfall that we knew we'd be able to see with the fog. I really can't believe I haven't been here before because it is so beautiful. 

The rest of the day was spent in Asheville for lunch and Brevard for a brewery and live music, but more on that a little later this week! Of course we had to take our guests to see downtown Greenville and I'm so thankful that the rain held off for most of Friday so we could enjoy it. Besides a little bit of mist off and on, we were good to go for a lot of walking downtown. 

There was a lot of eating and laughing during the three days we had to spend together. It was so wonderful to have our sweet friends in town and show them around all of our favorite places, and even find some new places with them. I can't wait for the next time we are all together, whenever that may be! 

7 Things You [Maybe] Didn't Know About Me // One Lovely Blog Award

I was nominated by my sweet friend, Cassie from Sage the Blog for the

One lovely blog award! Thanks for the love!!!

Here are seven things about me that you might not know....

1//  I really love celebrity gossip, and I really wish I didn't. 

E!News is one of my favorite shows.

2//  I get really hyper before going to sleep for some strange reason?

Peter really doesn't understand it.

3// I'm not a huge fan of breakfast, I hardly ever want it.

4// I love to entertain because service is one of my top two love languages.

5// but my first love language is gifts, not expensive gifts - 

just little cards or even a cup of tea without asking for it.

6// speaking of cards, I could spend hours in a card shop looking through every single card.

7// I completely ignored my husband when I met him for the first time, it wasn't until our second meeting that he caught my attention.

rules:

--You must display the award logo at the top of your post

--You must thank the person who nominated you and leave a link to their blog in your post

--You must add these set of rules to your post so that your nominees will know what to do

--You must add 7 facts about yourself into the post

--You must nominate 7 other blogs and leave links to each of them in your post

--You must let the people you have nominated know that they have been nominated

--You must follow the person back who nominated you on Bloglovin’ and GFC (if you have one)

nominations:

Bailey Jean // BRAVE LOVE

Amber // UNDER THE OKLAHOMA SKY

Lauren // LOVE LOLA

Wendi // WENDI NUNNERY

Bethany // LOVE BURTS

Kiki //IN ITS TIME

Christina // CAROLINA CHARM

Holiday Gift Ideas + Paypal Cash // a giveaway {CLOSED}

Welcome to Cassie and Karissa's 2014 Holiday Gift Guide! Finding unique, thoughtful gifts during the Holiday season can be hard.  That's why we teamed up with some amazing small business owners to share a few beautiful gifts for each person in your life! We're even giving away $200 Paypal Cash so that that one lucky person can go on a little Christmas shopping spree. We encourage you to partake in the giveaway and to use the coupon codes below to get some amazing pieces! Happy Holidays!

For Her

Awl Snap. Awl Snap's leather goods are founded and forged in the wonderful city of Richmond, VA.  Boasting ridiculously soft leathers in rich earth tones, each Awl Snap product is created with attention to functionality, durability, and a slight nod to the quirkiness in all of us.

Receive 15% off with the code GIFTGUIDE14

Gertie & Baxter. Gertie & Baxter is a women's accessories line, hand crafted in downtown Los Angeles. Our line focuses on American girl style, specializing in headbands, scarves, boot socks and other accessories to keep you cute!

Receive 15% off with the code GIFTGUIDE14

The Posh Daisy. The {posh} Daisy started  when I couldn't find that perfect hand stamped piece of jewelry that I had been looking for. I decided why not make my own? After that I was hooked.

My mom and I opened up our Etsy shop in 2011 and the rest is history. We love owning this little business together; we get to talk and laugh and create! Nothing better than that. Our collection is boho, shabby chic, and classic. Something for everyone, personalized, and one of a kind jewelry. 

Receive 25% off with the code GIFTGUIDE14 

Fedeli Jewelry.  Fedeli jewelry was born out of a love for a necklace that belonged to my mother; the necklace is delicate, gold, and sits at just the right spot on my neck. I wanted to begin creating things that had an essence of my mother in them - beautiful, dainty, and captivating.
Receive 20% off with the code GIFTGUIDE14

For Him

Kith & Kin. Kith&Kin is a family of makers. It's been in our blood for generations. Our grandparents made our toys and quilts, our moms made our pajamas, and we fell asleep in beds our dads made. When we met, we fell in love and felt at home...and kept the making alive. We even made four kids! Now we make everything together.   We invite you to be apart of our family with our high quality, handmade pieces.

Receive 20% off all bags with the code GIFTGUIDE14

For Home

Stamp Nouveau. In this internet filled world, finding a hand addressed card or letter in your mailbox is a special treasure! Our designer stamps are the perfect way to add your personal touch to all your outgoing treasures. This world needs more love letters!

Receive 15% off with the code GIFTGUIDE14

Cey Events and Design. CEY Events and Design was born out of a love for burlap, lace, and anything gold.  I love creating chic, affordable, and pops of glamour for any space. Items featured are burlap and gold pillows, state design pillows, gold foil prints, sequin hangers, and repurposed mettalic items.

Receive 25% off orders of $30 or more with the code GIFTGUIDE14

FreeFolding. Freefolding is my studio brand of contemporary functional ceramic home-ware. I'm a one woman show; creating, making, and designing each piece single handedly. I love making vessels out of clay sheets. I investigate its options to be folded, closed and create a container. THe new ways to unravel traditional forms and to play with them are the force that attracts and motivates me forward. Though decliate and so fine-looking, my ceramic is amazingly practical, and can be used anywhere in the kitchen, being oven, microwave, and dishwasher proof.
Receive 20% off with the code GIFTGUIDE14

A Little Bit of Me. A Little Bit specializes in big bright blooms, custom illustrations, and #spreadjoyandhappymail cards to spread joy through snail mail!
Receive 20% off with the code GIFTGUIDE14

Modern Memo. Modern Memo creates original, handmade greeting cards with the use of modern calligraphy and heat embossing. The unique use of heat embossing gives the pattern a raised and textured look while also adding a sheen and vivid color. These cards are perfect for any occasion!

Receive 20% with the code GIFTGUIDE2014

For Kids

Babysprouts & Company. Babysprouts & Company is a small-town handmade business specializing in baby accessories (teethers, pacifier clips) and apparel (leggings, harem pants).  We are a new company with a BIG dream! Our shop contains high-quality products with modern prints.

Receive 25% off with the code GIFTGUIDE14

Now for the free money! Thanks to these beautiful ladies we have $200 PayPal Cash to giveaway. Be sure to check them out to gain lots of entries!

Winning entry will be verified. Winner must have a valid PayPal account for money to be transferred.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Behind the Scenes.

First things first – Thanks to my sweet friend, Cassie, for nominating me for this behind the scenes tour! I love the friendship that we have created over the past couple of years. It's so great to have someone who understands this crazy blog land so we can bounce ideas off of each other. I'm so glad that we met each other and have become such wonderful friends!!

Read Cassie's Post Here!

^^ this is where all of my blogging goes down! 
In the comfy corner of our couch with my fuzzy blanket :)

What am I working on...?

Right now I am preparing for the holiday season ahead of me. I love this season because I can share so many fun DIY projects and recipes with all of you. We love to entertain in our home, so I always get super excited around this time of year with parties and events, and I love to share those here! I'm also looking forward to testing the waters in the fashion posts this winter. Since I have not been posting fashion themed posts that long, I'm excited to show off all of my favorite winter accessories in the coming months. 

How does my work differ from others from its genre...?

I like to think that I have a fusion of many different kind of themes here to keep you guessing, but at the heart of everything I write, I hope that you see His presence there. Even if I don't talk about the Lord in every single post, I know that the push in my heart to keep typing comes from Him. I truly believe that this little world I have created is a gift from the Father and I can only pray that I glorify Him in everything I say and do here. He is the main focus for me, in everything I do. 

Why do I write/create what I do...?

When I first started blogging in 2010 (seriously, it has been that long?!?), I honestly did it because everyone was doing it. I loved to read other blogs and I thought it would be a great way to document my life and an excuse to write something to look back on one day. Now that I have been doing it for five years I have realized what a huge passion this really is for me. I love sharing all of the many gifts that the Lord has given me and I still look forward to looking back on all of these stories one day. Most of all I like to push myself to be a glass half full kind of person. I know that we all have problems and bad days, trust me- I do have them, but I always strive to make this place happy. I named my blog Living on Cloud Nine for a reason, I want to find joy in all that I have around me. In the people, the food, the travels and all those little things too, like recipes, fashion and making our house a home. 

How does your writing/creative process work...?

I am a big fan of organization and I love to be prepared weeks in advance. I use a monthly calendar to schedule posts and then I dig deeper each week to set what I will be writing and make sure everything is executed well. I also love to read many blogs to inspire and trigger new ideas for future posts. I try my best to do most of my writing on the weekends so I can schedule everything for the week ahead and enjoy my week nights with Peter at home. 

^^ Heart & Arrow makes my new favorite blogging tool.

So that is a little behind the scenes of my Cloud Nine!

I have loved this series so much and I really enjoy reading and learning about other blogs, as well.

Where to go next....?

You may remember Amber from a few weeks ago when I was on vacation in Boston. She did a Fashion guest post here and I loved it! I knew I wanted to know more about her blogging style and hear more about her plans with a new blog. I'm excited to see the changes ahead for her!

Kiki has quickly become one of my favorite bloggers and I'm a big fan of her blog project, The Circle. She always has gorgeous photos and wonderful writing! I can't wait to learn more about her process with blogging and how she makes such authentic material and creates great ideas.

--------------------

Thanks to the ladies that are taking part in their own Behind the Scenes post a week from today! Make sure you all put them on your calendar to check them out :) 

& of course, thanks again to Cassie for the nomination! 

Money Well Spent.

I am so excited to share this fun little purchase with all of you! The lovely lady behind Our Yellow Door mentioned a few weeks back that she was making and selling the beautiful braided hex nut wrap bracelets above to help raise money for her trip to The Influence Conference. Since I dream of attending that wonderful conference one day, I felt a huge desire to help Rachel with her journey. The bracelet is only $8 WITH Shipping, what a steal, right? If you are interested in purchasing a bracelet of your own be sure to check out all the information HERE and place your order! 

shirt: Forever 21, jeans: Loft, shoes: Journeys,

sunglasses: kate spade (similar), necklace: stella & dot, bracelet: Our Yellow Door

lips: Revlon Lip Butter, Tutti Frutti, nails: essie, The Perfect Cover Up

Thanks for the beautiful piece of jewelry, Rachel!

I can't wait to hear about your amazing trip, 

I'm praying for God to protect your travels and open your heart during your time there!! 

Hope you have a blast!

My Friend Cassie.

It's not every day that you meet someone that shares your first and middle name, especially when it is not a common name. It is even more crazy when you share a nickname like Cassie. Throw in the bizarre way that we met (thank you very much, Instagram!!!) and you have two women that probably would have never met that became two of the best friends.

The first time I met Cassie in person was on my wedding day at the wedding reception. I was so excited to finally meet the girl that flew all the way to Greenville, SC for less than 24 hours. That is a big deal. So there I sat, eating my salad when I feel a tap on the shoulder. I turned around and saw her face and I couldn't get out of my seat fast enough. It was such an amazing feeling to hug someone for the first time but already know you love them like a sister. I still can't describe the unique type of happiness I felt during that moment.

The photo above is the only picture we have together. We talk pretty much every single day and when I notice that I haven't talked to her I instantly want to grab my phone and text her. She's one of the funniest, sweetest, genuine women I've ever met. Her love for the Lord shines through that bright smile and makes one of the warmest souls I've ever known. I'm so thankful that He brought our lives together. We were just two Cassie Lee's living life but now that we know each other, I know that He will do something with this friendship. Something for His glory that we couldn't do alone.

Cassie, get ready for the best day of your life. I hope it is even more than you could possibly imagine because you deserve every bit of it. I'm so happy that I get to be there to witness everything! And hug your neck of course. And definitely take some more photos together because this one photo thing is just not working for me. I can't wait to see you!!!

I'm also doing a little guest post over on Cassie's blog so go check it out!

Liebster Awards!

The word "Liebster" is German for the word "sweetheart" or "dearest. This originated from a German blogger and is for up-and-coming bloggers with less than 3,000 followers. Basically it is NOT an award that is given by judges and a panel of experts on the subject of blogging, rather it is an award from blogging peers who consider you worth giving an award to for your blogger personality. It is now for bloggers with less than 200 followers who have potential. The main point and why to get excited about it, is that it is an award to share love and build community with other bloggers.

The sweetest IG friend around, Cassie, nominated me for this awesome award. I'm so happy she wanted to share some love with me! 

After being acknowledged, you should...

1. Acknowledge the blog that nominated you in a post.

2. Answer the 11 questions the nominating blogger created.

3. Tell 11 facts about yourself.

4. List 5 to 11 bloggers with less than 200 followers that you believe deserve some recognition.

5. Post 11 questions for them to answer.

6. Notify all the bloggers selected that they have been nominated and ask them to pass it on. 

So, I started this post acknowledging Cassie so on to number two. All the questions from Cassie...... here we go. 

1. What motivates you to blog?

The happiness I feel when I take the time to read my posts from a few years ago. It's so wonderful to see the growth in my own life and my relationships through my writing here. 

2. How did you get your first name?

Well... Cassie and I have almost the same exact story which is still hilarious to me. My Mom and Dad liked Cassandra (my actual first name)  but then my Dad heard Cassie on a Soap Opera so the decided to call me Cassie. 

3. What do you think about the phrase, "Let go and let God." What significance does this statement hold for you?

I believe that God has a hand in everything in our lives but I also believe that He gives us a free will to make our own decisions. There will always be times when we need to come to Him and listen for His will which is important but I also think that in the little decisions from every day when you have that gut instinct that is God pointing us in the right direction. If He is the owner of your heart then He will push your heart to follow Him. 
In my life this way of thinking is very significant because of my relationship with Peter. I know we both knew when we were dating that we needed to end our relationship but niether one of us wanted to do it. Once we finally took that step and broke up we had that time to follow God and then realized that we were ready to work on our relationship again after nine months. The second time around was completely different because we had a new perspective and we knew what we truly wanted.

4. What is your opinion on reality television?

Depends on what kind of show... the talent reality television can be good and I can usually be sucked into it but the only "real life" reality television show that I can actually sit through and enjoy is Married to Jonas. I think they are such a sweet couple and I like them more than I probably should. 

5. Public school or homeschooling (even if you are not a mom), and why?

Peter and I both went to public school and enjoyed it but we have been toying with the idea of homeschooling ever since we started talking about our future together. I know several wonderful families that homeschool and their kids seem so grounded and family oriented which is extremely important to me. I also know a lot of the families at our church homeschool and they have a great community there for it. I know we will figure out what will work best for our family when we have one but right now I like the idea of homeschooling. 

6. Today, the church is sometimes portrayed negatively. What do you think we, as Christians, can do to change that portrayal?

Love like Jesus. The song by Bethany Dillon, You Are On Our Side always reminds me of the way Jesus loves and how I should also love... 

"You sit at the table with the wounded and the poor. You laugh and share stories with the thief and the whore." 

In this world that is so full of sin and anger we Christians should be the light and love shining through the darkness. Instead I think we come off as the judgmental and harsh Christians to most of the world that do not believe as we do. We need to reach out to the lost with love and patience like Jesus does with us every single day. We are all sinners and no one is better than the other. 

7. Can we pray for you? About what specifically?

Making more time for prayer. That is my biggest set back with my relationship with the Lord. I make time for church, worship, bible studies and fellowship but I find it hard to just sit and talk with Him without any distractions. My mind wanders and I get lost instead of simply sitting at His feet. 

8. If you had unlimited funds, what is the FIRST thing you would buy?

Remodel my kitchen with all new appliances and make it look like a Food Network kitchen!!

9. What is your favorite Christian charity? Why?

I think the Freedom Campaign from Passion 2013 is such a wonderful cause. There is so much darkness in this world and what they are doing to try and end it is something amazing! 

10. What is clinical psychology? (This one is for my own entertainment, many people have misconceptions about what it is and I am going to fix that in a future post!)

I have no idea... please tell me, Cassie. ;) 

11. If you were to have five minutes with God, what would you tell Him?

If I could even open my mouth and stop crying to tell him anything at all I would probably just continue to thank Him for all the grace and love He has given me. His love is like no other love and I know I would be overwhelmed with thankfulness if I had five minutes with Him. 

Now on to 11 facts about me... 

I did something like this back in February of 2012 so I guess now would be a good time to do eleven new ones.... 

1. I absolutely LOVE my church and the community that I am starting to create there. The teaching is amazing and I am so thankful for it. 

2. Jumping in rain puddles is one of my most favorite things to do. Peter now points them out when we are walking downtown and he will stand back and let me have my fun and then we will continue our walk after the puddle splashing is complete. 

3. I have this awesome dream of living off of our huge garden in our future back yard. Peter has totally brain washed me but I love it! It's just so exciting to know that the food on our table will come from our hard work and dedication to a healthier life style and that is so exciting. 

4. If you read my list of 11 things from 2012 you will know that number four from then didn't last after all... I am no longer a red head. I do miss it almost every day but I need healthier hair and for that to happen I have to stop coloring it. 

5. In exactly 4 months from today I will be getting married. Heck. Yes. 

6. After the wedding we are going to spend a week in Northern California for our Honeymoon and I'm so excited. We both have never been before so I am super pumped to make new memories in a new place with my new husband!! We are going to go to San Francisco, Wine Country, Yosemite and the Big Sur so any recommendations would be GREATLY appreciated!! 

7. If I could quit my job and do anything I want right now it would be a party planner. After the past year of my friends getting married and giving them showers and now planning my own wedding I absolutely love it. 

8. I am slightly obsessed with YouTube videos... most of the nights before I go to sleep I catch up on all the channels that I have subscribed to which are almost all makeup and hair videos. And Ellen, I love some Ellen! 

9. I hate the sand and because of this I pretty much hate the beach... it drives me crazy. If I'm at the beach I'd much rather be by the pool or in the ocean so I can wash the sand off of me. 

10. I completely have "Baby Fever"... its a serious problem. Even crying babies full of dirty diapers makes me think... "awww..... I want one." This kind of terrifies Peter. 

11. I ran out of facts so I asked Peter to share a random fact about myself and he said.... 

"ummmm, umm, ummmmmmmmmm, you.... you hate the sand but you love the ocean." seriously... he said that. I then shared my number nine fact with him and he laughed. 

He then said "You picked up Rock Band Drums very well." It's true... I did and it surprised him. One of my secret talents. 

I tried to find five blogs that I follow that have less than 200 followers but I really don't have that many. I guess I'm a fan of more followed blogs. Ooops. But I did have three beautiful women come to mind and here they are... 

Amber from Beauty in Humble Places

Sarah from My love, My life

& Francesca from The Happy One

And my questions are......

1. What is your favorite memory as a child? 

2. Your favorite quality about yourself? 

3. If you have a weekend to do whatever you want with no limit for money what would it be? 

4. What makes you tick? 

5. Describe your faith with God in one word and explain why you chose that word. 

6. Share your most favorite vacation and why? 

7. Your favorite finger nail polish?

8. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

9. What is your favorite Starbucks drink?

10. Community is so important, explain your favorite part of your Christian Community right now. 

Well, this took a while but it was a lot of fun!!! Hope you three ladies enjoy it and thanks again to Cassie for nominating me! xoxo

Preparation.

I know that I have shared some love for Instagram and the blogging world a few times now but my heart hit a new limit last night. My sweet friend from IG, Cassie (obviously she is awesome) Marshall, decided to start her own blog. You should check it out! I was so humbled by her kind words and amazed by the way she expressed her heart. We have always liked each others photos and commented back and forth a few times but I didn’t truly know her. Now that has changed.

I think that is one of the most beautiful parts of blogging, expressing your heart for all to see. I have learned so much about myself since I have started and I absolutely love looking back on all the memories I have kept over the years. Another beautiful part of the blog world is the network. Having the chance to “meet” other people that have the same passion. Women that are seeking God’s will and want to glorify him with every word they type. Thanks to Cassie and her new blog I have found another wonderful blog that I couldn’t stop reading last night.

Nicole from Bloom is so inspiring. I feel like I am right behind this woman… she just got married in March and all her posts come from a heart of transition from fiancé to wife and I can’t imagine reading anything more perfect for me right now. I know I still have some time but reading what she has written makes me more hopeful. More excited and more ready to become a wife and a true HELPER to my husband. While reading her blog last night I came across a bible study called A Ready Heart that she put together for the week before she said i do and I couldn’t wait to wake up this morning and start it myself.

I can’t wait to learn more about what the bible says a wife should be. Discovering what God intended a husband and wife to look like and praying for my future marriage to mirror that. I wanted to share this study today because I know there are a lot of engaged and newly married women that might read this. Any woman can do this study…. Single, engaged, married… whatever you are you are still His and we can learn what He intended for us to become.

As I’m going along with this study I will share my thoughts on Instagram and here as well, if you want to join along you can use #areadyheart to tag your pictures also. Nicole created this to prepare herself as a bride and I’m so thankful she did. Preparation is such a big part of my life right now with the wedding plans, finding a house, starting a life with Peter and the key to all this preparing is my heart.

Right now my heart is so full. I feel like I say that so often and I don’t want it to become repetitive and come across weakly but I really can’t explain it in any other way. I feel as if my chest could burst with thankfulness and happiness because of so many things. Because of grace and His love every single day. Because of these ladies that I have never met but have completely touched my life. Because of my future responsibility as a wife. Because I have this chance to share something truly amazing. My heart is full.