Way Down Yonder on the Chattahoochee

This past weekend was one of the best I've had all year.

My mom, my sister, two of my cousins and I rented out an Airbnb for the weekend to get away from it all.

The house was all windows with a huge kitchen, high cielings, and an expansive patio out back leading to a dock right on the water. It wasn't unlike the Cullens' house in the "Twilight" series, the first film of which we indulged in on Saturday night while eating enormous slices of local-made pizza, delicious mozerella sticks, and garlic-laden French fries. 

Other trip highlights: Country music jams in the car; spontaneous ice cream (I got a blueberry cheesecake flavor with cheesecake bits!!); late night talks about some of our most embarassing moments; banding together to kill a large bug that had snuck into the house; and making friends with a small yellow cat that found its way onto the front porch.

One of my goals as 2024 winds down and 2025 (how?!) begins is to spend some time reviving this blog.

I miss it. I miss how creative and joyful I feel when I pay attention to it. I haven't had a lot of great things to write about lately, but this trip was a bright spot, and I wanted to share it. I hope to get back into the swing of blogging more often, even if it's just for me. I even unearthed my Canon Rebel a few days ago. More to come - soon, hopefully!

Do you have any fun plans for the rest of the year, especially as the holidays approach?

Let's go girls,

Tiny Joys: July 2023

Today I am introducing a new segment on the blog: Tiny Joys!

Tiny Joys are just what they sound like: little things that have sparked joy or a smile for me recently that, when life gets tough, can really make a difference in my day. Like pizza. 🍕

Tiny Joys: July 2023 Edition

Women supporting women: A great start to the weekend looks like putting together an alternative outfit just to go to the coffee shop and receiving a compliment from a very sweet customer. It was basically this.

Lavender lattes: The reason I was in the coffee shop in the first place was to get an iced lavender latte. This has been my beverage of choice at the moment and I'm sad I didn't discover it sooner.

"Fast Car": I'm probably VERY late to the party on this one, and I normally don't listen to country music, but this weekend I can't get "Fast Car" out of my head. The popular version right now is the cover by Luke Combs (very good) but it's the original by Tracy Chapman that is even more raw and authentic. It's heartbreaking but beautiful. Give it a listen!

"Adult Drama" by Natalie Beach: If you're a contented little introvert like me, there is nothing better than picking up a long-awaited held item at the library. This week, it's "Adult Drama" by Natalie Beach. I'm obsessed with essays, memoirs and funny/insightful non-fiction collections, so I've been devouring this book this week. 

Writing: This week I was assigned four new articles to write at work and in a joyous burst of inspiration, I wrote and wrote and wrote nonstop until I had the first piece done within a few hours. After a season of grief, I feel like my creativity is finally starting to surface again, and it was one of those moments where I felt so elated to be able to write for a living. 

And now, for the...

• I bought ridiculous bat-themed creepers/stompy boots because why not?

• Looking forward to watching "Asteroid City" with my mom later this week.

• This song blew my mind.

• I recently subscribed to the Downtime newsletter and it's always a fun read. 

What about you? What are your tiny joys this July?

I had a feeling I could be someone,

A Hard Reset

Campus view, pre-pandemic.

On Sunday, my cousin Daisy drove up to the foot of my driveway with books to share. She tossed them onto the lawn, sprayed them down with an industrial-sized can of Lysol, we laughed, then she drove off, and was gone. Thus summing up the most Social Interaction I've had outside of my immediate household in Literal Weeks.

Some days, I'm really negative, and it can be kind of hard to see the good in this situation. But, in a way, this quarantine time has served as something of a hard reset. It's forcing me to evaluate what I actually want in life.

Before everything changed, I was burning myself out. In February, I was eagerly awaiting a time where I could rest, recharge, be alone for a little while, and work on my book. Then boom! Worldwide pandemic. Tons of time to be alone. Tons of time to write. 

So I'm trying to view everything through the lens of opportunity.

My sister channeling Lloyd Dobler a couple of months ago.

I can't lie and say that I'm not eager for regular life and its calming normalcy to return once more. But, I will say that I'm grateful. I'm grateful for health. I'm grateful for the hours I have now to work on my novel each day. I'm grateful for the cookie dough in my freezer, my morning cup of coffee, the sun shining outside, and the 20 episodes of The Vampire Diaries that I may or may not have binge-watched with my sister this weekend.

Because one day, Lord willing, the world will go back to normal. We won't have this strange time forever. I want to be able to say that I used this time, this reset that we've all been given, and created something beautiful out of it.

I did a thing and posted again on my 25 Project blog, if you want to check that out. I really love that this time is giving me a chance to plug into projects that I've ignored or put off for sometime. That I'm able to take a sort of pause from the hectic pace of normal life and see what God is trying to tell me. It's been tough, but someday, this time will be over. This too shall pass.

Smol List of Current Favorites

This article | Novel writing | Hazelnut coffee | This song | Candles

Treat yourself with kindness and remember to get a short walk around the block.

Probably writing or flailing about,

E

Thanksgiving Day 2018

I wake up before dawn.

Somehow my body knows that this is what I want, to be awake before anything exciting happens. I always do this on holidays - on Christmas, my birthday. It's something about the thrill of it being a special day. I want to see the sun.

This Thanksgiving is no exception.

I wake before six, and already it is chilly, I can tell even when I'm still bundled in blankets. I get up, pull on a hoodie, run downstairs and out the door and down the block until four miles have gone by. The sky is soft with a smattering of clouds and Tom Odell is playing in my ear buds.

These are the things for which I am most thankful.

When my prayers turn to gratitude, I don't often thank the Lord for the big, grand things (though sometimes I do). Instead, I thank Him for sunrises, and cups of coffee with the morning paper, for my record collection and the smell of gingerbread body wash, and my daily bowl of oatmeal. For books.

Today is a sort of unusual Thanksgiving in that it is just my immediate family and I (mother, father, sister) gathering to share turkey instead of our whole extended family.

I won't see Lily or Edward or Curren or Kate or any of my little cousins, and I won't see my brother and his family out in Texas. It's been a rare day of lazing about as my family prepares food and we watch the parade and furtive bites of pie are nibbled.

I imagine Thanksgivings in the future when my sister and I and our husbands will meet up in cream-colored knit sweaters and cozy socks (COZY SOCKS!) for cups of coffee and pumpkin pie and an old John Hughes movie by the fireplace. This is my fantasy world, the future, but for now, I will be grateful. And eat all the pie!

What about you?

What has your Thanksgiving been like? Do you have any fun family traditions? What kinds of pie have you eaten today (I've had apple, pumpkin and chocolate mousse).

How to Just Flat Out Love Your Life

Hello, my people!

I gotta admit: I've been in sort of a negative slump lately. And let me tell ya, there's nothing like being in a bad mood to zap your creativity, thankfulness and energy. BUT OH NO MY PEOPLE, NOT TODAY. Because we are right around the corner from Thanksgiving (how?!) and the blogging community is buzzing with thanks and our lives are too rich to waste. 

For so long I've been comparing my talents, my style, my body, and EVERYTHING ELSE to other people. And it's been getting me down.
But you know what helps me just love life? Being grateful.

Life is not picture perfect or exciting all of the time, and neither am I, but it's always beautiful. Honestly, a huge shout out to the Lord for keeping me sane even when I refuse to give thanks. Without Him, I've got nothing.

Flat Out Loving Life Right Now Because:

Every morning I wake up and I can see and breathe and run. I am healthy and alive.

I bought this absolutely ridiculous candle that smells just like hot chocolate and it's giving me serious Christmas vibes. Please go smell it in real life and tell me you love it just as much as I do. Yes, I am devoting a whole point on my list to a candle. THIS IS A BIG DEAL FOR ME OK

I love my job! It's wonderful to get to write articles and design marketing campaigns on the daily. I am so thankful to do something creative each day at work, and I love my co-workers.

My family. Always, always grateful for these goobers.

What about you?

You didn't think I was going to leave you guys off the list, did you? NO SIR. I am grateful for every single person who reads and comments and stumbles upon this blog. Y'all brighten my day all the time!! What do you love about your life? Has anyone started listening to Christmas music yet? Just me? ♥