Emma is 1!

I can’t believe this little girl is already one year old!  I’m so glad I got to stop by her birthday party and love on this ridiculously cute birthday girl.  

Our 6th Annual Christmas Party

This is one of our favorite annual traditions!  This was our 6^th year hosting the party and it was our favorite we've had so far.  We had great turnout and everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves.  We have really incredible friends and it brings a lot of joy to my heart to see all of our friend groups mingling.  I was also super excited that my best friend Alyssa could be there this year!  One of the most fun items I made was a throwback cocktail made from Surge that I ordered off Amazon, it was a very festive shade of green and brought back so many memories of middle school.  

Blair & Jenna’s Wedding

We were so honored to be part of their big day. We’ve known Blair since high school and fell in love with Jenna as soon as we met her.  Their wedding was at the Roswell Historic Cottage.  It’s a beautiful space with some modern elements (exposed brick walls and metal ceiling beams) and some classical elements (gorgeous crystal chandeliers and beautiful gold chairs).  They did a ton of DIY projects so everything matched their personalities and sense of style perfectly.  It also gave us lots of excuses for girls’ nights to work on crafts.  Blair made the altar that they got married under and brewed the beer for the reception.  It was such a beautiful ceremony and such a fun reception!  This is one picture of the happy (and super photogenic) couple and one of the bridal party pictures from their crazy talented photographer Tim Harman; I can’t wait to see the rest once he gets done editing.  

9 years

I wrote this within a few months of the accident and it came to mind as today marks nine years since we lost Mike.  I pray for everyone who loved him that we all be comforted today, that we remember the wonderful memories, and that we remember to live with purpose since no one is guaranteed tomorrow.  I have seen such tremendous growth and healing in all of us over the past few years and continue to have my heart warmed that as we heal we continue to cherish our memories of him.  Gone from here but never forgotten, we are all after all just passing through.  

Confusion on their faces,

I wouldn’t say it’s hard to see,

Straight through this glass heart,

Shattered into tiny pieces,

Like the windows the night we lost you

On your way up to heaven,

What did you look down and see,

A world full of hate, or people filled with need

My heart is bent and broken,

Once it seemed so strong,

Shaken and twisted from that night,

Scattered amongst the wreckage,

Is the reality that this life can be short

On your way up to heaven,

What’d you look down and see,

A world full of tragedy, or life’s destiny

I hold my loved one’s a little closer today,

Loss makes us feel crazy things,

Never again will I take a single day for granted,

Never again will my life be the same

On your way up to heaven,

You’re on your way up to heaven

And I hope you look down and see

How many lives you touched

How many lives you’ve changed

And that your time here wasn’t in vain

Roomations – Part 3: Let there be (diffused) light

The room updates begin!  Phase 1: We now have curtains and some new plants in our living room.  I love having softer diffused light during the day time and more privacy at night.  We had a slight hiccup with the size of the curtain rod but after some frustration we figured out a great workaround.  Aren't they pretty!  

Roomations – Part 2: Final Rendering and Shopping List

We received our final rendering and shopping list based on our mood board selection and survey feedback.  I think the final mock-up looks great!  I do plan to pick and choose which items to implement.  For example the rug, curtains, plants, and gallery wall are major home runs for me and we plan to work to make these updates over the next two months.  We’ll also be doing a major overhaul of the styling for our bookshelves including moving some of our books to storage to clean up the space.  We’ll be taking down the leaning bookshelf since early in the time we owned the house we got water on one of the shelves and it has some rust damage.  This will allow us to move the couch off the wall a bit to help open up the space.  

The suggestions I didn't care for were painting the whole room gray; instead we’ll be repainting the accent wall from green to gray (using the paint color suggestion).  I did not like the suggestion to add curtains to cover the openings between our bedroom and living room; I like having the open and free flowing space so we’ll be leaving that as is.  

Let the redecorating begin!

Homecoming 2014

UGA Homecoming is a weekend I look forward to every year!  Being a UGA Georgette in the Redcoat Band was a truly incredible experience.  They became my family and some of my best memories from college are from gamedays, practices, the annual Florida trip, and trips for bowl games.  I attended my first college football game during my first year and first season on the dance line.  I fell in love with the excitement, school pride, and the game itself.  Once a year for Homecoming I get the chance to be a part of it again by performing with the alumni band for pregame.  I love getting to see old friends, be a part of morning practice, and above all getting to step onto the field in Sanford Stadium to perform again.  Each year during Battle Hymn I tear up just thinking about the magnitude of it all and out of deep appreciation for the traditions and memories that live on long after each student graduates.  Here are some of my favorite pictures from homecoming this year. Gooooo Dawgs!