Christmas bliss.

This past weekend, my friend Lia and I took a quick trip to Charlotte to go to the Southern Christmas show with my parents. It's a tradition in my family to go to the Christmas show every year and once I found out how much Lia loves Christmas, I knew she needed to experience the Christmas bliss. 

It's super crowded and packed with vendors, food and decorations so its a little too crazy to photograph. Typically, I hate those kind of settings but it doesn't even matter for this. It is WONDERFUL. It always puts me in the Christmas spirit and gets me excited to decorate the house.

One of my favorite parts  of the show is a food vendor that has been coming for as long as I can remember. They serve apple and cherry pastries that are delicious!  You can smell them, along with the spiced pecans/almonds, as you're walking into the building. And did I mention there are FOUR buildings stuffed with Christmas items, crafts, food and more? 

It was so fun to share our tradition with a friend & I am already looking forward to next year! 

I can't rush through Thanksgiving too much though, as it is one of my favorite holidays. We're spending it with my mom's whole side of the family. As always, it will be complete chaos and such a blast! Looking forward to leaving in just a few days.

beautiful leaves at my parents' house

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! Here are a few pictures to enjoy from the good ol' days. 

My memories from Halloween have always been sweet. All the excitement throughout the school day, then we would rush home eat an early dinner & dress up. Our neighborhood was full of children & our best friends lived down the street (see pic below). All the families would meet and we would hit the streets together. It seemed like hours of trick-or-treating, but I know that it was probably more like one hour. After we'd filled our buckets, we head back to our house to start the trade. Y'all, the trade was serious business. I, being the weirdo that I am, don't like chocolate and never have so usually the trade would begin with me sorting all my candy into two piles- chocolate and other sugary treats. Sadly, a lot of people gave out chocolate so my brother really lucked out in this trade. Also, Adam, being three years older than me, I'm sure was wiser and could convince me that that ONE piece he had was really worth TWO of my pieces. At the end of the night, though, we always felt like we had gotten the better trade & were pleased with the loot. The only other thing I remember about Halloween is that we had way too much candy and inevitably when Christmas rolled around we still had quite a selection. As I got older, I learned that Halloween candy makes for great gingerbread house decorations and that its smart to save some for that project.

Oh Halloween, you've always been a blast! Its such a fun day filled with imagination, homemade costumes and sugar-highs. I look forward to the day that we can dress our kids up and share in the memories of trick-or-treating.

Another week begins...

Another week begins and I don't know about you, but we were struggling this morning. Snoozing the alarm, then turning it off, only to wake up an hour later to realize I'd never gotten up. Woops. Oh Mondays, you come so quickly.

We had such a fun weekend and really didn't want it to come to an end. Trying hard to not wish away the week, but so looking forward to another full weekend with Will!

Here's what our weekend looked like:

A {very short} morning run. Its been a long time since I've been consistent with my running, hoping to change that.

A bit of alone time with some hot tea.

Hanging with friends by a fire; complete with hobo packs for dinner & s'mores for dessert. 

And a little camping action at Carolina Beach State Park with friends. We had so much fun! Definitely going to plan some more trips.

"Camping"

Six years ago, I had no idea that the friendships I was making would last for years to come. In fact, most of us would say that when we met, we weren't sure that we would even become friends. Oh, but we have. And despite life changes and miles of distance, our friendships continue to grow.

Two weekends ago, I had the opportunity to go camping with my college roommates. There's quite a crew of us, since a combination of seven of us lived in a house for two years. I always look forward to reunions with these girls; I leave feeling incredibly blessed, full of joy and sore from laughing too much. Also, it is a guarantee that when this group gets together there will be LOTS of hilarious and absolutely, ridiculous stories.

We headed to Pilot Mountain, NC where the forecast was 100% chance of rain for the day/night (devotion, right?!). We spent the day setting up camp, hiking and canoeing in the rain. It was such a blast and things were going smoothly; we were even bragging about how quickly we put the tent up.

Lets just say that very quickly plans changed due to a monsoon. We ended up packing up camp and heading out in search of a hotel. While stopping for gas down the road from camp, we saw a sign that said CABIN and a phone number, so (naturally) we called & hallelujah it was open and available for the night. I know what you're thinking, thats pretty sketchy, because, well, I thought that too. But, it turns out that this was the best thing EVER. A two bedroom cabin with a HOT shower (necessary at this point as I was drenched and freezing), as well as a kitchen and living room. 

We spent the rest of the evening curled up in the living room with piles of blankets and way too many sweets. We celebrated birthdays that had passed, shared stories and reminisced for hours about college and all the wonderful memories we have shared together. It was by far the best camping trip I've ever been on (maybe it was the hot shower or cozy bed) and we're already planning our next trip. This time we'll hope for better weather, but secretly pray for rain so we'll find our way to Danby cottage again.

THANKFUL

Its been quite a while since I've posted, but I'll start back with a thankful post. Lots of things to be thankful for in the last month (as always)!

For one wonderful year of marriage & a man who loves me more than I deserve. And, for a relaxing getaway to Chapel Hill to celebrate!

For friends who come & stay at the Cooper B&B, we loved it!

For this little lady, her huge heart & all her sass. Love her dearly! 

For homemade chicken tortilla soup on a rainy day

For finished bulletin boards & my far-from-perfectionist-attitude

For having people in my life where goodbyes are hard

For a partner when lesson planning

For girls' weekends & time with my Mama

For old recipes and a lot of butter

And that I have the best date to weddings forever.

Gratitude.

Oh you know, just went MIA for a few weeks. But I'm backkk.

So my favorite season is upon us & I couldn't be happier. There are so many things to be thankful for- here are just a few things that I'm thankful for over the past few weeks or so.

For American flags & film jobs in Wilmington.

For sleeping kittens who cuddle up beside you

For friendships that endure life changes & miles of distance

For market lights on the porch & warm summer nights with friends

For visits with friends and time to slow down & catch up

For surprises on my pillow from my sweet husband.

Sun-dried Tomato & Egg Casserole

Brunch has become by far my favorite meal these days. I can't lie that I find myself day dreaming about lazy weekend mornings that begin with brunch. Theres not much better than good food, friends and a mimosa!

On Easter, we hosted a brunch for a few friends. It was sort of a last minute decision, but it turned out to be a classy occasion. I pulled out a cookbook we got as a wedding present & began searching through for something hearty and scrumptious. I came across a sausage & egg casserole with sun-dried tomatoes. Since we were having a few vegetarian friends over, I altered the recipe a bit. It was a huge hit &  my only regret is that I didn't take any pictures of the finished product. 

Now don't think that I just left out the sausage completely. Oh no, that would just be wrong. Instead of putting it in the casserole, I decided to cook the sausages and finish them off with a cider-honey glaze. Not to call the vegetarians out, but it smelled so good that they too "had" to try a bite! [recipe to come later]

Sun-dried tomato & egg casserole

1/2 c. onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 c. sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 c. mushrooms, chopped
4 T. parsley, chopped

5 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
1 c. half and half
1 c. whipping cream
2 c. grated mozzarella cheese
1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 375. Butter a 9 x 13 casserole dish (can use a smaller dish if you'd like a thicker casserole). Sauté onions and garlic. Add sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms and 2 T. parsley after 2-3 min. Spread this mixture on the bottom of the casserole dish.

Combine eggs, half & half, cream, salt & 1 1/2 c. cheese. Pour mixture into casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese and parsley. Bake until golden brown. To test, insert a knife & if it comes out clean, its ready. It took about 30 min in my oven. 

Pair it with some glazed sausage, apricot croissants, fruit salad & mixed greens & thats what I would call a good brunch! 

A community home.

I promise this is my last post about the house for a while (ok, maybe I can't make such promises, but I'll try). I have just been day dreaming of all the good times we've already had in this house. Friends gathered around a fire in the backyard, delicious food on the grill, and most importanty, lots and lots of laughter.

When I begin thinking of the upcoming year in this house, all I can do is smile. Its not really the house itself that brings us so much happiness, but rather all that it provides. I am pumped to have a space where friends can gather, a guest room to offer up to anyone that needs a place to stay (or just wants to come visit us), a kitchen to cook & bake & share good food with others, a garden in the a backyard that will produce veggies and herbs & a space that we consider "everyone's."

Will and I from the beginning decided that wherever we lived it would be a space for everyone. We would share it with friends & family & offer it up to whoever needed a place. My heart is so full knowing that we can bring people together in this home. I am looking forward to picnics and cookouts, bike rides around the neighborhood and friends gathered around the dining table.

Home sweet home

We're officially all moved in to our new place! We have already fallen in love with this house & are so enjoying having a yard. It is wonderful to have a lazy morning drinking tea on the porch and enjoying the first signs of spring.

View from the front stoop: 

Saturday was the big move day & honestly it went smoothly (I had anticipated the worst!). All I can say is that we are blessed with friends that are willing to give up their Saturdays and haul large boxes and furniture for us. Those guys had the apartment emptied in about thirty minutes. I did find that all the prep work I did the week or so leading up to the move helped a ton. It is crucial to have everything ready to go and labeled well.

Sunday we had a few friends  over to show them the new place & to have a fire (of course). I have a feeling that we will be out by this fire pit every weekend. Will loved having a fire & I loved the s'mores. I can imagine some good memories will be made in this home.

We still have plenty of unpacking and organizing to do, but it already feels so homey. Unfortunately, Revolution decided to film out of town this week so Will is away in Raleigh and won't be back until Saturday at the earliest. The positive to this is that I can (hopefully) get lots of unpacking and organizing done. I am just moving slowly from one room to the next. More updates to come!

Giving thanks

A few things I'm thankful for this week:

For sweet coworkers who bring hot tea on a cold, rainy day.

A table for eight filled with great friends & homemade pasta

For my wonderful dad who sends singing telegrams on Valentine's day to my mom.

Patton & all the joy he brings our family.

My best friend.

Just like every Monday, I'm reliving the moments from the weekend and missing my sweet husband. Mondays are always hard getting back into the swing of things for the week & adjusting to the long hours ahead of us. We're hoping for another "short" (less than 70 hr) week.

This weekend we had no plans and spent a lot of time just enjoying each other's company. We ate some good food & spent time with our wonderful friends, but mostly we just lounged around the apartment and tried to stay out of the rain.

Once again, I was reminded that I think we have something rare. Will is my husband and will be forever, but he is also my best friend.

We are both very laid-back and tend to have a more go-with-the-flow attitude towards life.  People always talk about getting annoyed with their spouse or friend if they spend too much time together, but honestly that rarely happens between us (maybe its because time together is often rare haha). We so enjoy each other's company and love just being together. Clearly, we don't spend all of our time together because that would be incredibly unhealthy, but we do enjoy our quality time. Never have I met a man (other than my dad) that is more loyal, loving and tender-hearted than this man of mine. I am so thankful to have him as my best friend; to share good days and bad days and everything in between with him.

The photo above is Will at one of our favorite places: La Tapatia. An authentic Mexican restaurant down the road from us. When we go we are literally the only English-speaking people in the place, but the food is incredible. Will always makes me say our blessing in Spanish and then usually our meals are filled with learning new Spanish vocabulary. So thankful that this man appreciates my love for the latino culture and all my other quirks.

Yikes, this was so sappy; Sorry, thats just what happens when I start talking about my family.

Post grad life.

Will & I were looking at Instagram & saw a post from a high school senior holding her UNC acceptance letter with #classof2017. We both looked at each other and yelled "2017?!?!" Post-grad life just got real, y'all. We had the realization that it has almost been two full years since we graduated from college. It feels like we blinked and it happened!

Its crazy that it has been two years since I lived with six of my best friends-sharing clothes, stories and so many laughs. I miss those days. Where themed parties and late night "study" sessions happened frequently, where McDonalds and coke icees were purchased probably too often and where something was always happening. Don't get me wrong, I love life right now & wouldn't trade it for anything, but oh some days, I miss Chapel Hill and all the people who made it wonderful. 

These days between work and life, its difficult to stay in touch with all of our school friends. Will and I were blessed with wonderful friends and we so want to continue those relationships. I know that its natural for people to flow in and out of your life, for relationships to change and friends to move on. How do you balance new friends with the old? There are so many people I love, yet there never seems to be enough time to catch up with everyone. I suppose this is an incredible problem to have. How blessed we truly are! I feel guilty for not knowing details about my friends lives and hate that I miss birthdays and promotions. Post-grad life is an interesting stage. For now, I will continue to be thankful for sweet friends and great technology. We will squeeze in as many phone calls and facetimes as we can and hope that our friends far away know that they are loved and missed dearly by us.

Hello, 2013!

So I've been really slack about posting. You know why? Will has been OFF!! Its seriously been the best thing ever and clearly I have chosen time with my favorite person over blogging.

We had a wonderful Christmas & a friend-filled New Years. Our first Christmas together was a blast & my favorite part was cooking and hosting for family and friends.

Here's a very brief recap via pictures:

we made a quick trip through chapel hill & visited all of our favorite spots, including Cafe Driade for coffee/tea

we cooked (and cleaned) our first turkey- it was successful!

hello yummy peanut-butter apple pie:

we had family and friends over for brunch:

even patty had a good Christmas:

cast iron skillets can give 2nd degree burns, as i learned on Christmas Eve

a visit to Charlotte to see my family & continue the poppers tradition (she's just the cutest):

reunited with sweet friends:

bowling with my family where my dad whipped out his old bowling team skills:

gingerbread tradition lives on again, cottage style this year :

will enjoyed time off & scaring me with this duck:

ringing in the new year with my love:

and lots of wonderful friends:

and Will continues his outdoor adventures:

We were blessed with a wonderful Christmas and so enjoyed quality time with all of the people we love the most. Looking forward to 2013 and all that it brings!