Hunter Wellies // Early Birthday Fun.

Today has been such a fun day! I woke up this morning to my Dad calling to see if I wanted to go out for breakfast and since I'm a hungry angry bear in the mornings, of course I said yes. After breakfast we headed to the mall to do some birthday shopping. I got a super cute new pair of leggings from Victoria's Secret (I got a pair for Christmas and loved them so much I wanted another color). We then headed to Von Maur and that's where I finally got a pair of these lovelies...

Leggings: Victoria's Secret // Boots & Socks: Hunter

Their boot socks are half off so we had to grab those too, I just can't get enough of these boots! To top it off I was chanting "snow, snow, snow!" all morning because it looked gloomy outside and I just love it when there's snow falling. I checked the weather on the way to the mall to see only sunny days in our forecast, but as soon as we left the mall I saw it, "SNOW!"...I frantically put on my new boots and socks and loved every minute.

So fun. A great way to start the birthday festivities this week. Now I just wish Dave was here to snuggle up with since it's freezing out. Soon enough...



Morning snow // From where I stand...

From where I stand...

...there is a light dusting of snow on the ground,

and I couldn't love it more.

...I'm so happy to be spending quality time with my family,

but I miss my husband tremendously.

...I am bursting at the seams to shoot some photo sessions!
Winston-Salem/Charlotte area, I hope you're as excited as I am.

...the fact that Friday is February blows my mind.

Advertising // Sponsor in February!

February happens to be one of my favorite months. My Birthday, followed by Dave's Birthday (3 days later!), and of course Valentine's Day all insure that it will be a month of fun and special date nights. What's not to love?

I know I'd love to have you all sponsor in February! If you're interested, you can get all the information and sign up here. Getting to help promote you all is one of my favorite things about this space of mine. I just adore finding cute little handmade shops, inspiring blogs, and various other awesome businesses.

Speaking of awesome businesses, if you're in Wichita, Hair Connection Salon and Spa is now stocked up on lots of heart pretties (like the one above) and other lovely jewelry/purses/accessories. Make sure to stop by before they're all gone!

Yellow Beanie // Missy's Stitch and Sew.

I received this lovely warm winter hat in the mail from Missy's Stitch and Sew just in time for the cold weather. It was perfect for our trip to Knoxville, since it was cold and rainy the whole time we stayed there. This hat helped me stay warm and cozy, especially when I was sick and wanted to be all bundled up.

Speaking of being sick, don't mind the fact that I'm turned away from the camera in every shot below, we took these in Kentucky when I was still recovering from the terrible head cold/sinus portion of the illness and I thought my face was going to explode. I didn't really want my picture taken that day, but this winter day was just too lovely not to try...

Hat: c/o Missy's Stitch and Sew // Flannel: Target (last season)

Safe Haven.

My Mom and I saw the commercial for Safe Haven the other day and she asked if I'd read the book, and then quickly insisted that I read it while I'm here. So, welcome to my latest obsession. She handed me her copy of the book Wednesday night before I went to bed and I'm over halfway through now. I can't put it down!

I always find Nicholas Sparks' books to be easy to get into and this one is no different. I was in the mood for a sweet book like this that picked up quickly and Safe Haven is delivering. Now, excuse me, while I dive back in...

Anyone else read this, or reading it before the movie comes out?

The most important things...

"The most important things- are not things." ...a favorite quote we found copied down in my Grandma's notebook. I think it's very much the legacy she left behind as well. Grandma loved the people in her life most of all, and she loved them well. It's something we should all aspire to...

I'm so blessed to be able to spend this time with my family, our hope is in Heaven and the comfort of knowing that someday we will all be back together. Also, to everyone who wrote on my Grandma's guest book and donated in her honor to the library, my family is so very thankful. If there is anyone else that would like the information, let me know.

One last stop!

...the end is in sight! At least until we have to go back to Tennessee with a trailer to get all of our things, but hey, let's not get too particular. We're currently en route to Greensboro, North Carolina to find our new place to call home. Wish us luck as we check out all the places we've been eyeing on Craigslist that they're as cozy as they look online. We're ready to have a space of our own again after a month of bouncing from place to place. 

If any of you are in the Greensboro/Charlotte area and are interested in some pretty pictures, email me! I'm doing a special deal for the first few people in our new area and you'll want to get in on this. 

Where I've been...

If you're wondering what things look like over here, this picture sums it up nicely. It's been rainy since we arrived in Tennessee and continued in Kentucky. I hear it's going to be this way in North Carolina until Friday. Enter sarcastic yay here. I love this spot though, passenger seat on the road with my love. Home, it really is with him...

Scenes from Kentucky...

We are now back in Tennessee once again to rearrange our things and decide what we need for the next week or so while we stay with a friend in North Carolina and start the search for a place of our own. I'm back to being without the internet for a few days, but I'll still be posting when I can. I just adore getting your comments and love on my phone as we make our way out East! I can't express enough how thankful Dave and I are for all of your support as we embark on this new journey...

Dave's vTrue headphones c/o Velodyne

Life is in Boxes...

I don't think there are any songs out there that could describe our lives better right now than this one. It's always been a favorite, but this Katie Herzig song is us right now...hands down. Everything we can access of our things can fit in the back of our car, the rest is in boxes at my in-laws until we get to North Carolina and find a place. But we're ok with that, we're happy...

...on this second Friday of 2013 I hope you all can say the same.

Eating Healthy on a Budget.

One thing I've decided to do with this space in the new year is to write a series about something I'm very passionate about: eating healthy. I believe it's good to know what we're putting in our bodies and to make sure we're getting all the nutrients we need. I also believe that we can cure/prevent future illnesses by eating food that provides what we might be lacking otherwise.

Since there is so much that goes into how we decide which foods to purchase, I've decided it's probably best to make this an ongoing series. If you all are interested in that, of course. Dave and I don't have the money to go to a place like Whole Foods and buy whatever we want and know it's going to be pretty healthy. Our grocery buying is pretty strategic, that way we get to eat the foods we need without it costing us a fortune.

To start off the series I want to give you a few of my favorite tips, a few of these I'll be expanding on as the series continues...

*Don't be afraid to shop around: this is definitely one I'll expand on, but as far as stretching your dollar and still getting great food, this is a big one!

*Stock up. There are some things that can last awhile (unlike those fresh fruits and veggies), while still being healthy for you. Make sure you always have plenty of them on hand in case of a pinch. These tend to be pretty cheap too, especially if you stock up while they're on sale.
                                 -frozen fruits/veggies: in this case frozen is better than canned
                                 -beans: dry, canned, it doesn't matter
                                 -soup: check the ingredients! (low sodium and few ingredients are best)
                                 -brown rice

*Drink more water! Although this tip doesn't deal with eating healthy on a budget, it will help you spend less on food because you won't be as hungry. This is my favorite tip for those trying to get started with weight loss or just eating healthy in general. Even if you already try to drink water throughout the day, you probably need more...trust me, it works.

Ok, that's all for today! Let me know what you all think about this series and any questions or specific topics you'd like me to cover. Pretty please let me know your interest (or not) in this series because it will help me determine how often to add a new post about it.

WW // Dave on WVLT News.

I wanted to share my pictures from Dave's interview on WVLT channel 8 in Knoxville on here, we always have such a great time every opportunity he's had to be on their show. I have so many pictures from all of Dave's shows, interviews, etc so far on this trip that I'm going to upload all of them to my facebook page for you guys to check the rest of them out. You'll find pictures from Hard Rock Cafe Gatlinburg, WDVX Blue Plate Special, Vienna Coffee House, and 106.1 The River...

Linking up with Because Shanna Said So, The Paper Mama, Project Alicia, Live and Love Outloud, and Naptimemomtog...

Let's chat about coffee for a second...

My new setup. And no, I'm not Jewish, my husband is a theology major.

So, I know some people have this idea that once you start drinking coffee it's like some terrible addiction and you just can't survive until you get your next fix. And for some people, it is.

I don't get much done until I have a cup in the morning, but let's get one thing straight, I have never been a morning person. I didn't start out as a bright, chipper bird who popped out of bed at the first site of sunshine ready to begin my day. Oh no. I've always been the grumbling bear that others avoid eye contact with, just in case.

In my eyes, coffee hasn't ruined me, it's saved my mornings. I am so much more productive and start my days off much earlier than ever before. Sometimes as I sit and sip I wonder how I got through my days before coffee. I don't know...

Next stop...

Well we've arrived at the next stop on our big move/trip of 2012/2013! We're now staying with a friend in Kentucky and today Dave set up my computer for the first time since we left Austin. I am one happy girl.

Also, our new "home" for the next week or two has internet. (Insert enthusiastic cheer complete with kicks here.) Today I've been working on catching up with all the emails/tweets/comments/etc...this may take a few days. I promise I haven't forgotten about you all though, and I hope you haven't forgotten about me either, I kinda like you.

And thank you all so much for all the sweet get well wishes, I'm still not back to 100%, but I'm feeling SO much better. After almost 2 1/2 weeks of feeling like death, I'll take it. What about you all? What's new in your world?

Dear New Year...

Dear New Year,
I'm so happy you're here! I have so many dreams and plans, I just can't wait to see what you have in store for us.

Dear flu,
You can stop kicking my butt any day now. I would really like to get caught up with life, but you're making that very difficult for me!

Dear readers,
You all are the best and I am so thankful for every sweet comment from you. I love sharing my thoughts and creations with you, but most of all I love cheering you all on as you dare to dream. Thank you for sharing your lives with me and allowing me to be part of the process and encourage you.

Dear North Carolina,
We are coming for you VERY soon! Are you ready?

Dear Husband,
Thank you for taking such good care of me the past few weeks! I'm so excited for our new adventures.

Love,

Mal

Current Goals...

Happy New Year!!!

So, for those of you who were with me last year (anyone?), you might remember that I don't do New Years resolutions, but I do try to constantly have goals (big and small) that I'm working on throughout the year. I am happy to report that I kicked butt at last years goals, those I posted and those I didn't, and I thought it would be fun to post another look into what I'm working on now...

Can you tell I had way too much fun taking pictures on our road trip?

*Get organized! Part of this has to do with the fact that everything I own is stashed in my in-laws garage and/or in the bedroom we're staying in (yikes), but there's nothing I can do about all of that until we get settled in a new place. The kind of organization I'm really talking about though is on a bigger scale, I need to get on a schedule and have time in place for each of my jobs. Between this blog, my shop, Storenvy duties, and my new photography business I desperately need this structure.

*To work on my personal style a bit more and be more creative with my outfits. This is something this site and doing outfit posts has really helped me with (thank you Pinterest!) and I'm excited to continue the process of getting better in this area.

*Not letting the little things stress me. This one is something I've always struggled with, but just like not being so shy and things of that nature, I know that with a little practice and focus I can change my ways with this one too.

*Get to 1,000 followers! My goal right now has been to make this site better than ever and I plan to continue that in the New Year. I feel like I've been dangling at almost 700 GFC followers for awhile now and I want to get over that hump. I know I can't do this without you all, so I humbly ask that if you like what you see/read, would you pretty please share? I am not one that minds if you pin pictures, recipes, etc so feel free to share any way you'd like.

What are you working on?