Thanksgiving Come Early

This year, our Thanksgiving started a few days early. And by "thanksgiving," I don't mean the turkey, dressing, or the pumpkin pie. I mean it literally. We gave thanks this weekend for some really great friends and family in our lives. Friends and family who spent 8+ hours of their Saturday helping us paint our new home.

Robin Anne and mom drove in from Augusta. Sue and Dave came for their second work day on Claremont Street. Kelly, Gavin, Lindsay, Jessi, Jessica, and Shep all showed up and went to work. It's amazing how much more fun work is when you're doing it with some of your favorite people. We had the iPod going, Lindsay made some amazing pizzas for lunch, and mom and Sue made sure to keep us full with snacks and drinks along the way. (Since painting isn't really their thing, they both spent the day cleaning AND lining all of our kitchen and pantry cabinets!)

And the result was a freshly painted home where each room has a piece of our friends in it.

Jamie getting things started with some putty

Mom cleaning the kitchen

Jennifer and the kids were in town, so they came by to see.

Hadley helping paint :)

Although we're a long ways off, it sure was fun to have the

backyard filled with kids playing

Kelly and RA in the blue room

Jess, Jessi, and Linds in the Master

Dave was the master edge/trimmer!

Tackling the upper window!

And then the sink started leaking.

Minor diversion from the paint party

Jessi and I in the laundry room

love of my life :) wondering what we've

gotten ourselves into

hanging out on the front porch as

we celebrate a long, productive day!

Turns out we completed almost every room! Dave, Sue, Jamie, and I went back yesterday to finish most everything up. Closets and bathrooms are the only things left, and I'll have photos of it all soon! Today we get new doors, siding completed...and I'm working on the carpet. Anyone got any suggestions of carpet installers that are relatively affordable? 7 days (minus the four days we'll be in Augusta) til we've got to be out of our condo!

OCD much?

Lists are an important part of my life. Growing up, I was probably one of the most unorganized people. Until college. Partly because I was now responsible for managing my own time and partly because my small living space served as living room, kitchen, bedroom, etc. That was when I realized my great need for lists. This is what has to get done today. This week. Etc. And this realization came with my great need for significant "places" to put things. Electronics go in a basket on a shelf in our TV stand. Hair products go under the sink. Hats go in a bin on a shelf above our closet. Nice dresses go on the left side of the closet. Casual dresses go in the armoire. Jeans go in the bottom drawer of the dresser. You get the picture. Things must go back to their "places;" otherwise they get misplaced. No list/"place" = a forgotten lunch date, a missing pair of pants, an incomplete work assignment, an unnoticed birthday of a friend, etc.

It wasn't until recently that I have again been reminded of the necessity of these tools in my life. It's just the way it is. Without them, there comes this overwhelmed version of myself. Lists and "Places" keep order and sanity in my life, and I am a much happier person when this is the case. Even the husband, who once poked fun of my lists, is recognizing that they are important for our household!

It was with his encouragement that I created this crazy spreadsheet for our house (if you click on it, it'll give you a larger version so you can see just how crazy detailed it gets!). There's so much to do, and we need a plan. What we need versus what can wait a few months until we're settled. What has to be done before we move in. What we currently have for the house. How much money we have left in gift cards so that we can get the things we need. There's so much to do, and this allows me to see it in big picture. And check things off (which is my favorite!).

If this is the list for just the basics of our house, can you imagine what my binder was like for the months of wedding planning? Huge and crazy! But it got me through.

Ah - now I can breathe a little sigh of relief as we attempt to check some things off the list!

you can put this on my Christmas list

This year, with the new house and all, I'm really having to differentiate on what classifies as a need and what falls into the want category.

This definitely falls into the want pile, but a girl can dream right (and did I mention that I have a birthday that comes up right after Christmas)? It's a Nespresso Citiz Automatic Espresso Machine. This thing is pretty small in size, but it makes quality espresso and the milk frother is close to barista quality. While the price is slightly higher than I'd like, it's a great price for an espresso machine. Linds and Gavin got one for their wedding, and I've been envious ever since my first latte at their house.

As I've mentioned before, my drink choice changes daily. However, this little machine (and the purchase of some extras - i.e. syrup flavors) will allow me to make whatever I'm feeling like having. For way less than the price at a coffee shop. And you can have a latte any time you come over too!!

Of course, in all actuality, this goes behind the new doors, carpet, paint, siding, cleaning, vacuum, decor, etc. that we need for the house. Oh well - I'm content snuggling up with a Starbucks cup in my hand...cause afterall, we have a home! And there's always next year :)

success!!

Thanks to everyone who came out last night! The event was a HUGE success - exactly how much so, I'll have to wait to tell you when we get the final numbers in from Lindsay and Gavin. However, I do know that the goal we set was pretty high, and that we exceeded that goal!! There are going to many kids who are going to be blessed as a result of the fun times that we were blessed with last night. Dawn came and even won one of the raffles! Earrings by Jen Boaz. Oh, and my stud of a husband did a great job introducing the founders of LUO. I'm so glad he's back! I'll post more pictures later, but wanted to share the good news! They'll be more of these in the future, so if you didn't make it out, you don't want to miss out on the fun next time!

Speaking of Dawn, she's been busy prepping away for our annual office Feast. This year's theme is "modern pilgrim" and the set up is fabulous. About to head out now to start with hors d'oeuvres. Yummy! Pictures to come!

::COLLIDE::

Come out tonight!!

:where art meets africa to set children free from poverty:

It'll be fun night of eating (tapas!), sipping (sangria!), hanging out with good friends (we'll all be there), and learning more about LUO! I've got much more to say about our amazing friends, Gavin and Lindsay Tarquinio, and their non-profit, LUO, but the point of this post is short and sweet - come join us tonight at Eclipse de Luna (Perimeter location)! $10 in advance, and $15 at the door.

See you there!

h.o.m.e.

**While the beginning of this post is a little more sentimental, there is news to be told. So scroll down a bit if you haven't the time to read much :)

Several friends have posted this week on the topic of home, thanks to this post by someone who asked her fellow bloggers to write on the concept. Turns out two of my friends, both from different places in my journey, were a part of that group, which got me thinking. What is my concept of home?

From birth to the end of high school, I lived in the same home - 2237 Pickens Road, Augusta. Two parents, 4 kids, and at one point an aunt, uncle, and 3 cousins. It was a full, chaotic, house and I loved it that way. It was a refuge, a place I felt safe and loved. I thought I had my idea of home figured out...until I stepped out into college (which was not so easy...pulling up deeply set roots can be tough).

That's when I experienced a teeny tiny dorm room and some super silly times with Micah, a college house full of good friends in very different stages of life, a grad-school apartment on my own, and a post-college house filled with girls trying to figure out the real world. During this time, my heart was stretched. A little piece was left in every place that I had called home. Each was special and sentimental and home in it's own way.

Then I met the husband. And God taught me about narrowing my focus. Letting go a little bit of each of the places I had left. Though they still hold sentimental value, I'm able to give more where I am. Which from April on has been the cramped condo.

Ironically enough...today, home means this -

1915 Claremont Street. Yep, it's official. We are HOMEOWNERS!! After a year-long process, we have finally found and CLOSED on our in-the-city home. If you know Atlanta, it's in Underwood Hills, just off Defoors Rd (which is just down from where I-75 hits Howell Mill).

I'm sure the house on Claremont Street has many lessons on home yet to teach. Let's face it, it's probably where we'll have our first kid. It's where we'll continue to learn what it's like being a husband and a wife. It's where we'll have our first pet. And our first mortgage. Heck - we start ripping up carpet next week!

I guess, to sum up, I'd have to same home is different for everyone. I get that homey feeling in many places I go. My in-laws. My Augusta home. The Goldsmith home on Summerville. Homes belonging to friends. Really anywhere there is love (cliche, but true). And I pray over our home and the purpose it will serve to us, and to others.

I'll keep you posted on the home. There are many before pics to show (and afters should be coming soon!).

it's the little things

Flowers bring me such joy. To me, they symbolize life. They start as a seed, they grow and flourish, and eventually they die. They add pops of color to a drab room/day. And certain types have a such a sweet smell! They have so much beauty, and fresh flowers make any home a little more cozy and homey.

When I was younger, I had serious thoughts of getting a job in the flower delivery world. What better way to spend your day than by making all those people smile? Flowers have a way of bringing joy, providing comfort, and reminding us of life.

This weekend Jamie and I made a (not even) 24-hour trip home to Augusta to celebrate my dad's birthday and an engagement party for a high school friend. On Sunday, mom and I went out to her garden and snagged a few of these for me to take home to the ATL.

Hydrangeas are one of my favorite types of flowers. They were pretty much the flower of choice for my wedding - bridesmaids bouquets (pictured below), cake decor, centerpieces, etc. They are classically southern, and give such a full look to an arrangement. The best part - these that I just brought back will die...and they will still be beautiful as a dried bouquet!

Wine & Cheese

That picture pretty much sums up some of my favorite things.  Add in some good friends, and I am set!  At work, we've been known to have our fair share of wine and cheese parties.  Some have been large scale, some have been kept on the down low, and some have been lavish!  

Tonight, a group of co-workers (some old, some still here) are going to Ashley's condo for a wine and cheese party!  Dawn, and even Olive!, are making an appearance.  Looking forward to lots of catching up and laughing over some of the greatest bits of food and drink!  

Just because - here's a little excerpt from the article that I snagged that picture from.  

Wine and cheese work together like instruments in an orchestra: Each is enjoyable on its own, but together, they can create a symphony. Wine and cheese bring out the best in each other. The protein in cheese softens the tannins in wine, and the right combination can result in a harmonious medley of delicious flavors.

Mmmmmm.