With my 8-5 job during the week I'm constantly surprised by the end of the month. It just goes by so quickly. There are reports needed at the end of the month, files being moved, meetings, plans for future meetings... all kinds of things that happen at the end of every month. Yet every single month I am confused at how we got here so quickly. Just like in my personal life, the days just slide by way too quickly. I can't believe tomorrow is August. I can't believe that the next month is September. It completely baffles me that we will celebrate our ONE YEAR so soon. How does time escape us so fast??

The month of June was a good one. I am happy with the events that filled our mid summer days and I'm looking forward to the fun times in August! Let's start with those goals from July...

July Goals
1// REST - I'm glad to say that I did a lot of resting in July. We were defintiely busy but I made a point to take a step back and a few deep breaths to clear my mind.
2// keep up with the style posts - I am happy to say that these fun posts are here to stay! I love them and it is a fun addition to this space even though this week is lacking a style post. I have been feeling a little sick this week so I did not have the energy to get dressed up and take photos. However, next week I will be sharing two days of style posts!!
3// enjoy 4th of July with a day off of work - the 4th of July was such a fun day, even if we weren't sure what we would be doing until Thursday night. Last minute plans are the best sometimes.
4// sushi date to celebrate our 6 Year Dating Anniversary - done & it was delicious as always. I also shared THIS POST about six years of dating!
5// work on our budget - we have been working on this a lot more this month and I love that we are on the same page with money and where we should spend it.
6// finish decorating my quiet time corner - not finished but the process is underway. Hoping to complete everything in August!
7// hang the living room curtains - those pretty little curtains are finished and we will be hanging them this weekend! So excited to share them with you soon!!!


and on to the next month....

August Goals

1// finish my 100 Days of Happy - I'm honestly sad to see this come to an end. It has been so much fun to share a little happy from every day on Instagram and here on the blog.

2// plan our monthly event for our Community Group - I can't wait to plan a fun night at our house for the group and their families.

3// enjoy a week away in Charleston with the Eliya Family - a full week away in a beachfront house is exactly what this lady needs. YESSSS!! I might even try to enjoy the sand!

4// restart my chronological bible study - I'm so excited to start this study with Cassie and anyone else who wants to join us today!! It is going to be wonderful, I know it!

5// host my first giveaway - pretty excited about the fun giveaway I have planned!!

Happy almost August to all of you!!
I hope the month ahead is full of sunshine and a lot of happiness :)

100 Days of Happy // pt.9

only week left to go, I can't believe it.....

my happies for days 81-90.

81// delicious gelato

82// spicy shrimp and grits

83// a case for my vitamins

84// chalk board creations

85// hot tea and crocheting in my PJs

86// homegrown watermelon 

87// curtain making, finally 

88// making my lips happy 

89// delicious dinner thanks to my Mom

90// freshly painted red nails

pt.1 // pt.2 // pt.3 // pt.4 // pt.5 // pt.6 // pt.7 // pt.8

In The Word // August Study Plan

Last week I spoke about plans and after a lot more planning, talking, organizing, & praying with Cassie we came up with this exciting study!!!

Design by Cassie...but not me, the other Cassie ;) 

I sent Cassie a text a couple weeks ago that said, "How do you feel about doing a read the bible in a year study together? Just to keep each other accountable???".... her response, "I would love that!!". And that is how this little study was born. 

We are so excited to do this together and share it with all of you! We will post the plan for the month ahead on the last Tuesday of every month. We will also highlight the study from the past month and share what we learned, study notes that helped us and anything else that the Lord has shared with us through this study. Each month will have each day's reading listed and also have a memory verse for the month.

I'm so excited to learn about His word and make it a priority every day. We hope that you will join us and also keep us accountable! We are all in this together, right? So let's learn together and grow closer through Him. Don't have a blog of your own...? That's fine too, still do this study with us and you can always share what you have learned by leaving comments below each month. This is definitely not a "Bloggers Unite" kind of thing, it is a "Sisters (and brothers too, you can join us!) Unite" kind of thing. Our goal is to stay In The Word so that we can have a light for our path ahead. {Psalm 119:105} Grab your bible and open it up, dive in and turn that light on with us. 

Let's do this!! Join us for a Chronological Study and soak in His word with us! 
For those of you who are bloggers, you can link your recap from this study here at the end of every month, or you can link anything that you have learned like all of our previous weeks with the In The Word Link-up. Just link up and share your heart, that's our motto! 

 

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Doubles.

When I used to envision marriage back in the day, I imagined double dates every weekend, parties all the time, weekend trips, and Sunday strolls downtown, all that fun stuff. All of the fun stuff happens but definitely not every weekend! Life is busy and full for us as a married couple but it is also busy and full for all of our friends so finding a night to squeeze in a double date is a big deal. Something worth getting a little dressed up for, spraying some new perfume, adding a little more eyeliner, curling those hairs and taking excited car pictures on the way downtown. Yes, double dates are for all of those things. And trying new restaurants downtown, that is a must for a long overdue double. So, on Saturday night, the husband and I were excited to have a double with Katie and Cody at Universal Joint and it did not disappoint!

Tasty food and great atmosphere! I'm looking forward to more date nights on a cool Fall night in the next few months!!

We had such a wonderful night with these two, even if we only have a super grainy photo thanks to the dark phone photo to show for it!

Healthy.

I had a completely different plan for today’s blog post but once I saw this link up with Amber & Juliette I knew I had to hop on it. Health… such a crazy thing to try and accomplish, isn't it?

I always try and honor the Lord with my words here so I thought it would be best to start off with a verse that changed my life. I remember sitting in a room full of women at my church listening about our bodies. How God made us in His image. How He created us to be beautiful and desired, how we need to honor Him with that beauty. How my health is for His kingdom, not for my selfish need to be skinny or pretty. It was like all of the dots lined up for me in that moment. My body is His first, not mine or my husband’s, but His. What I choose to do with it reflects who I am through Him. That is a big deal.

So what do I do with that?
Do I try my best to stay active and eat well? Yes. Do I try my best to eat organic and take my vitamins? Yes. Do I want to take care of my body so I can have healthy children with my husband one day? Yes.

I want all of those things, and all of those desires are placed in my heart by the One who made me. I pray that I honor Him with every decision I make. I am His, and He is mine.

But being healthy isn't just about my physical appearance. It is also about my heart. A healthy heart gives and takes just like our bodies do, having good days and bad days, but in the end it is also His. All His. Anything that we take in our heart can be fixed by His goodness and grace. I find that so reassuring!

So yes, I try my best to always think about my health, body and heart, but not because of me. Because of my Savior. I want to be able to give Him my best because He gave up everything for me. He puts this breath in my lungs and pushes my body and soul. That is everything to me because He is everything to me.

I have loved reading all of the posts about health from this link up. It is inspiring to read the words from all these women and know that we can be kind to ourselves.

Stripes and Spots.



I've always wanted to be bold enough to rock the mixed patterns and prints trend but I usually chicken out, but for some reason I had a brave moment this week and actually wore this entire outfit to work. A rainy Monday morning needed some sass, so I went with it. I've worn all of these pieecs before but never have I thrown them all together into one outfit. Okay, let's be honest... I've worn this exact outfit many times, just not with these shoes. But life is short, wear the shoes. That is going to be my new moto. Also wear green nail polish because it is pretty. And like I said, life is short!  

shirt: Old Navy, pants: Express, shoes: Bakers

earrings: Old Navy, necklace: Hamrick's,

bracelets: Banana Republic & mom's hand-me-down

nails: Revlon, Posh , lips: Maybelline Whisper, Pin Up Peach

Liking up with Living in Color Style & Stylin in St. Louis

for the weekly trend, prints and patterns.

Thanks ladies!!

Corner Inspiration.

After a hours of searching Pinterest and coming up with some ideas I finally know what I want my quiet time corner to look like. I even have some plans that I thought of on my own and didn't see on the big world of Pinterest, so that's fun! Over this weekend I am going to work my little booty off to get some things finished around the house and I can't wait to share them all with you next week. Thankfully, I'm just in time to complete those goals I made for the month of July!

Here are some of the images that sparked my imagination for that space that I love so much....

1 // 2 // 3 // 4

In The Word // Proverbs 19:21

For the past several weeks I've been feeling a little dry on my In The Word writing. Dry in a sense that I haven’t been watering my heart with His word like I should. It is a blessing to have this time every week to write about His goodness and His love because if I were completely honest, the only time that I have been digging deeper during my weeks is in preparation for the weekly post. So yes, it is a blessing… but I should be digging deeper every day.

I’m going to go ahead and speak for Cassie and say that she has also been struggling recently. We have some exciting things planned for August which makes my heart feel so happy. I know that the water is coming. I can feel the dry and achy parts of my heart that thirst for His word and I can’t wait to feed that part of my self. I can’t wait to give that part over to Him.

The anticipation is everything. 
The excitement to spend more time at His feet. 
The hope to bring Him more glory every day.

But, I can't help but think that these plans we are working on aren't our plans at all. They are His! He has moved our hearts and pulled us to this place together so we can create something new and wonderful. So we can worship Him more. That is such a beautiful feeling!! We know that His plans will prevail, we are just thankful to be a part of His plans. Plans to make His name known.

As we are working on the exciting changes coming soon I ask that you pray for us. Pray that we will keep His word our first priority. Pray that we draw closer to Him during this time. Pray that we open our hearts to hear His will during this time. Pray that we honor His plans.

Share with us what He is doing in your heart!
We love to hear from you!!
 

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100 Days of Happy // pt.8

Not much longer to go....

my happies from days 71-80.

71// flowers in a can from a friend

72// sangria on a girls night

73// fresh coffee from my hubby

74// watching Germany win

75// heart shaped earrings to match my eye glasses

76// our pretty Honeymoon book from Shutterfly

77// sushi date with my guy for our 6 year dating anniversary

78// hotel searching for our Boston trip

79// rainy fridays, second day curls & polka dot shirts

80// crocheting on a rainy saturday

pt.1 // pt.2 // pt.3 // pt.4 // pt.5 // pt.6 // pt.7

Sipping in Kansas City.

Several weeks ago when we were in Kansas City for Cassie to become a wife we ventured out to Bridgers Bottle Shop and I completely loved it. I had one of those, love at first sight, kind of moments when I walked in. It had that laid back feeling, the food smelled amazing, and there were fridges lining the corner of the restaurant right when you walk in. It was like a grocery store that only sells beer which instantly made my heart happy. Then my heart skipped a beat when I realized there was one specific fridge that solely held sour beers. When we went to the register to ask how the restaurant worked and how to purchase the beers, I learned that I apparently I ran towards the fridge with a huge smile on my face. The guy at the register said something like, "I could tell you both had never been here and I was going to come help but I didn't want to interrupt when I saw your excitement for the sour section.". Talk about awkward moment. What can I say... I love my sours. We searched through the options after he explained that you can purchase the bottles at two different costs, a price to drink it there, and then a price to take it home. Such a neat concept! In the end I went with a sour that they had on draft since it was almost perfection with the first taste. 

my sour and my sweet ;)

Beer // St. Louis Gueuze

Notes // golden amber color.
light bodied, refreshing.
tart sour, with a hint of funkiness
and a pinch of salt.
no head retention.
apple cider vinegar notes.
much more tart than sweet.

Ratings, out of 10 

Sour // 8

Drinkability // 8

Peter's overall // 7

Cassie's overall // 9
{obviously, I loved it a lot more than Peter!}

Mmm, mmm, mmmm! Good to the last drop!!

& if you missed it, see our full trip to Missouri HERE.

When Life Gives You Tomatoes.

For two garden growing people that don’t really enjoy fresh tomatoes, we always have a TON of ripe tomatoes and not much use for them. Over the 4th of July weekend I made a big bowl of bruschetta for an appetizer and had a small bowl leftover. I then had one of those light bulb moments when I thought, “hey! I’m going to bake chicken with the left over bruschetta since that husband and I both enjoy COOKED tomatoes!!”, and it was such a wonderful idea. Peter said that it reminded him of chicken that tasted like pizza, only healthier. It was one of the first times in a looooong time that I didn't run to pinterest to check on a recipe and I'm so glad I didn't. I just went with my gut and made up my own recipe and of course I have to share it with all of you!! So, if you want to eat chicken that tastes like a pizza (seriously, who doesn't want that?!?) then this is what you need to do....

Part One // the bruschetta

tomatoes

extra virgin olive oil

balsamic vinegar

basil leaves

fresh mozzarella

1 clove of garlic, minced

sprinkle of Italian seasoning

 

1// slice as many tomatoes as your little heart desires into tiny pieces

2// chop 5-6 fresh basil leaves and add to the tomatoes

3// normally I use the minced garlic in a tube for recipes, one squirt was plenty. Otherwise, mince one clove of garlic and add to the bowl

4// slice as much mozzarella as you want, I typically eye about 1/2 the amount of tomatoes

5// add a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar

6// stir and refrigerate to combine all the flavors or eat fresh

 

Part Two // the chicken

left over bruschetta from an epic party (or fresh if just made)

chicken breasts

extra virgin olive oil

balsamic vinegar

salt & pepper

 

1// drizzle olive oil and balsamic to coat the bottom of a baking dish

2// place the chicken in the baking dish and add a dash of salt and pepper to each side

3// continue to flip and press the chicken in the balsami & oil mixture until it soaks in, normally for 2-3 minutes

4// pile on the bruschetta goodness

5// bake in over at 350 for 30 minutes

6// slice chicken to confirm it has fully cooked

7// enjoy the yummy, cheesy, juicy chicken

A Story About a Skirt.

For the past few months I've wanted to try out a skater skirt and  I was pleasantly surprised when I found this one at Forever 21 (where else can you find awesome buys like this skirt for less than $9, right?!?) and I knew this skirt had to be mine. After typing that sentence, I've realized that I have some kind of theme here whenever I speak of F21. See it - want it - need it - buy it. But, hey... it works and I'm not going to try to fix something that isn't broken. Especially when it doesn't break my wallet. It just makes sense all around, right? So anyways, this skirt. I love it! It is so comfortable and light weight, throw on a chambray button down, tuck that baby in + some jewels and cute flats and you're ready to go. This little ensemble will most definitely be in my suitcase for our beach trip in August!! Only 22 more days, but who's counting...?

shirt: Old Navy, skirt: Forever 21, sandals: Francesca's

earrings: Old Navy, necklace: boutique in Charleston

nails: Revlon, Plum Seduction, lips: Sally Hansen Lip Inflation, Temptress

Liking up with Living in Color Style & Stylin in St. Louis

for the weekly trend, chambray.

Thanks ladies!!

Six Years.

The picture below is the first photo that Peter and I ever had together. My mom found it a little while ago in her old emails. Of course I sent her a photo. I was smitten! 

This photo was before our first date, before the first kiss, before everything...

But today, Wednesday, July 16th, we celebrate a very important day! The sixteenth marks six years since the first date with the most wonderful man I’ve ever met. I remember vividly that night six years ago….

I was waiting patiently in the living room of the apartment where my mom and I lived. I had my favorite maxi dress on, lipstick was ready and I could smell my Victoria’s Secret body spray. I fiddled my fingers and checked my face in the mirror several times, while I waited as patiently as I could. This was the first time that Peter had ever picked up a girl for a date. I remember texting him and telling him what time to pick me up and he said; you don’t want to meet there? I replied with something like, no… if this is a date you can pick me up. I was bold and I was persistent but thankfully that worked for him. When I heard the knock on the door I felt my stomach drop because the most handsome (sexy) man that I’ve ever met was waiting on the other side of that door to take me out for sushi. When we arrived at the restaurant and the hostess walked us to our table I instantly wanted to turn my back to the entire room so I could focus on him and because I have an annoying habit of intense people watching. I didn’t want him to think I wasn’t interested. Apparently he had the same idea because he pulled out the chair that was facing the entire room for me, which of course meant I had to sit down. He pulled out the seat for me!! A sexy gentleman, that one. As we sat at the table and enjoyed our dinner and learned about each other I was pretty sure I hit the jackpot. He was funny and he made me laugh but not in that "this is a first date, so I have to laugh" kind of way. He made me really laugh which was so refreshing. And when he would laugh or grin and flash his dimples... man, I thought I would slide right off my chair and melt into a puddle of first date gooeyness. It was a good night.

Thankfully the nights have only gotten better. I learned that I didn’t need to pursue a man, that I should be pursued instead. And I learned that my timing isn’t as important as God’s timing. A lot has changed in the past six years. There were a lot of dates, some no dating, even dates with others but I’m most thankful for who we have become through all those dates. Our heavenly Father has guided us to this point and I could not be happier with where we are. I still think Peter is the sexiest man alive and those dimples still make me want to melt, just in a different kind of puddle now... more of a, is this guy really my husband puddle, which is honestly so much better than those first date puddles. You may think it is strange to celebrate a dating anniversary but I like to think that even after you are husband and wife, dates are still important. Even more important, so I’m thankful that I get to date this guy forever and I’m completely fine with the fact that sushi will always be our favorite kind of date night.

& just for fun, here's the Almost Two Years post

and the Five years post

In The Word // Jeremiah 33:3

Lately I have been thinking a lot about passion. The feeling you have inside for something you know you NEED in your life. Something that is placed in your heart by the One who made you. For me, my passion is this space. The words I type, the time I spend, the photos I take, and the memories I share - every little bit of it. It is a huge passion for me. There are nights I can't sleep because I am thinking about a post I want to write and there are mornings I wake up and instantly think about something I have to share. I believe those things are placed in me by God Himself and I pray that I bring glory to Him in every word I type. 

I can't help but think of this quote by Fabienne Fredrickson....

The things you are passionate about are not random, they are your calling

I believe that is true. 

I'm not saying that I believe my calling is to be a world known blogger, but I do know that my calling is to share His name here. 

I pray that I always call to Him. I want my calling to always be in line with the Savior and share His love openly in return.

Sharing His love by the way I am a wife...

...a daughter and sister

...a friend

...a co-worker

...as a prepare to be a mother one day

...and the way I am a blogger

In all the areas of this life, I hope that one thing is true to all that see me; before I am anything listed above, I am HIS and He is mine. To glorify Him with every breath.

What has He placed on your heart, friends?

Please share with us!!

 

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What's In My Bag.

I've always wanted to share one of these posts and when I came across The Circle I finally had a reason to do it (other than the reason of always wanting to do it, of course). I love the idea behind this link up with Kiki!

One of my favorite parts of blogging is the community within it. I love nothing more than finding a new blog that I absolutely love and feeling as if I could be friends with the woman writing it. We have our own little world in this "blogosphere" and I really love that.

So, here we go.... what is in my bag?!?

1// my planner.

First and formost, my Erin Condren Life Planner, and that is exactly what it is. This little book contains my ENTIRE life and I'd lose my head if I didn't have it. Personal, Work, Blog, everything is listed within this book and I love it! It honestly doesn't fit in THIS purse but I always have it with me so I thought it only made sense to share it!

2// lips.

I always keep a stash of lip products in the inside pocket of my bag. Usually one in each shade so I always have something to pop on for a little color. Today this were in my bag...

3// glasses.

These are usually on my face so my case is normally empty in my bag. I love these glasses so much, one of the best buys I've ever made.

4// diva cup.

Okay, since most of you are ladies, (I assume men don't really read this blog, but if you do... Hi, thank you for doing so, and please skip on to number 6 now, k?) I'm going to share a little secret with you. This thing is awesome. Look it up, do your research, buy it, love it & never buy a tampon again! Yes, I know... it's crazy, and you are welcome!

5// prayer journal.

You never know when you might have something come up or a friend gives you a prayer request. I have started to track my prayers in this journal this month and I've loved the process so far.

6// wallet.

I'm a big fan of the hobo line and this wallet is a lifesaver and can also be used as a clutch if you don't need to carry your purse with you. It has a spot for everything you need and even has a special pocket for your phone which I love!

7// iPhone.

Seriously, what would I do without this thing?

And that's it... except for all the receipts/trash that I tossed out before taking the photos above. ;)

What is in your bag?!? Link up over HERE and share with The Circle!!