dipping my toes into something new...

Love the simplicity & beauty of that statement.

It seems only fitting that since it's August I should be gearing up to learn new things. It's a season of life that I embarked on for 18 years & that seems habitual enough that it should stick for good, I think. 

I must admit, however, that since graduating college two years ago, this is the first August that I feel that way. Perhaps my mind + body + soul was going through that break-up period that you often hear about: it takes half the time you were committed to something before you can truly be over it. Well, I was in college for a grueling 4 years, and while they were the best years of school I ever had, by the time I graduated (as most feel I think) I was stretched pretty thin, had my planned-to-a-T future all stomped on, and left with a diploma & a giant hovering question mark regarding what to do from there (except to me it felt like an interrobang <-- There's your typography lesson of the day, folks. You're welcome).

It was just one of those times in life called "growing" and grow up, I certainly did. I got married to a pretty awesome guy. I moved away from the only place I've ever called home. I left all my friends & family half a day's drive away. And I started to figure out what this new season of life holds, and so far it is has blessed me greatly. 

I have learned that it's okay to not know what the future holds & that things change. That the idealistic dreams I cultivated at 18 aren't necessarily what I really want at 24. That the support of a loving spouse is all I really need to feel like I can do anything. That stress can really color a situation into one of fear & doubt. That taking the time to exercise & eat real food is better suited to my longevity than filling it with things that have no worth. That sometimes my type-A perfectionist personality is my biggest enemy. That happiness & success is measured in something other than namesake & dollar signs. That faith is always something you can cling to when you're not sure what's even going on.These past two years have taught me to be content with who I am & to really think outside the box. 

My entire life I've been cursed with good handwriting (I say cursed because once people found out I had it, I usually became the scribe of all group projects, note taking, & presentation boards), but that curse has evolved over the course of life into something that I love. So lately that curse/gift has led me to learn calligraphy, play with fonts & techniques, draw all sorts of things requested by friends... and eventually to start a business!

I'm in the final stages of getting it ready, but basically I'm just an open book as far as pen & ink designs & calligraphy go. So far I've done some custom shower invitations, wedding monograms & paper items, personalized stationery, & even dabbled in architectural drawings. And I've loved doing it all! Hopefully in the next few weeks I'll have nailed down the final details (finish a website/etsy, packaging materials, finding a trustworthy printer (the thorn in my side), etc.), but I'll let you know when it's finally done! Also for any artistic types out there, say a little prayer for me as I learn from scratch the inner workings of Illustrator (consider it my fall schedule).

So here's to new beginnings and an excuse to buy more pens, paper, & ink!

and then it was august...?

I secretly love to read aloud books to captive audiences, such as the whole Mickey Mouse family. Nowadays I can be found reading only to my husband (because otherwise it's embarrassing?), and usually it's Harry Potter.

Yikes. How did that happen?

As if it wasn't already apparent from both this summer & last, I tend to get a little flighty during the summer months & put off blogging as though it were the summer reading list of my childhood. Which is a little weird because I've always been an ultra nerd who LOVES reading (even all the way back to when I was little, as evidenced above), but without fail in middle & high school I procrastinated on my required reading until about 3 weeks before the start of school. And then the drudgery was unavoidable & I usually hated every book I read during that time (AP US History's Founding Fathers still comes to mind). 

And to make things slightly funny to all people older & wiser than my years (as all growing up does), during my absence these past few months husmate & I have been reading like bookworm fiends! In fact, we joined the local library & are now proud library card carriers. So I guess we've hit the stage where we actually want to learn new things? Just the other week, I was telling JB how I could never understand growing up why my dad would waste his free time reading such boring non-fiction/technical books when he could read captivating fiction stories... but now I know. Sorry, Dad ;)

Anyway I get flighty during the summer, but I'm back by popular demand! And scout's honor I'll be around a lot more. In fact, I'll see you next week- same time, same place?

I hope all of you had a wonderful summer & for all you teachers/students out there, many well wishes on the start of the school year!

life lately, mostly according to my iphone

^^Missing this little nugget, despite her perfect record for scratching up my legs every time she sees me. Interpretation: I'm her favorite. Also, it's remarkable that she sat still for this picture.^^

^^He burns, & it turns to tan. I burn & return to porcelain. And so it goes. Good thing I love him lots ;)^^

^^I managed to get two holes-in-one, but neither were on the gimme on the 18th hole... Because I'm awesome like that.^^

^^I have a serious love affair going on with Old Town. Don't worry, my husband knows & has the same problem.^^

^^While wandering the streets one day I stumbled across this little beauty of Washington's. As if he didn't have enough land at Mt. Vernon... This townhouse was used as an office & a receiving house for his belated guests.^^

^^For those of you who don't follow me on instagram, I'm starting up a little stationery & paper goods business, & this was the night we bought a computer for it! Obviously I'm beyond giddy in this take but manage to compose myself for the next. More details to come soon ;)^^

^^Random fact #57: Trader Joe's has the prettiest flowers I've ever seen at a grocery store. And I hate to say it, but I think the tulip has a tight race against the peony for my favorite flower these days. I mean seriously, look at how gorgeous they are! Please note the mint julep cup that's finally claiming a purpose in my life. Might mean an excuse to buy fresh flowers for my desk on the reg... fingers crossed.^^

Hope everyone has a wonderful (and safe) Fourth of July!

random musings from old town & hometown

+ I think I'm officially becoming acquainted with the local life. Case in point: while watching an episode of West Wing {second episode, second season} the other night, I recognized the diner where the scene was filmed. It's a neighborhood diner in Old Town that has since been changed from a BBQ joint to Greek, but that's not the point. The point is that I know. Gosh the embarrassing amount of pride I felt was on the level of gooby news you hear about hometown progress, and I haven't even lived here for a year. Now that I've admitted how nerdy & dramatic I can be, let's change the subject.

+ After introducing our guys to the wonder of Despicable Me this past weekend, I think Emily & I have made the case to see its sequel in theaters when it comes out this week. It's been awhile since I've heard 4 adults belly laugh as hard as we all did watching that animated movie. All I'm saying is as long as Agnes & her obsession with fluffy unicorns is still in the script, I'm golden. And just to spread the fun facts around, anybody else think it was hilarious to see "Bank of Evil, Formerly Lehman Brothers" over the door? Gets me every time, but probably because Lehman Brothers was founded in my lovely river city, Montgomery, AL.

+ Speaking of Montgomery, my recent brief stint in that fair city was nothing short of wonderful. Mainly because it tickles me pink that downtown has become so cool! Cool enough that we felt compelled to support the hometown team & buy two Biscuits t-shirts for ourselves & a Biscuits hat for a friend at the Biscuit Basket in Riverwalk Stadium. Sadly the one we bought wasn't a real biscuit hat {picture a cheesehead in the form of a biscuit}. #hometownpride

+ And why might you ask did I disappear for over a week after I said that I was coming back? We hit up Seagrove Beach with my former roomies {my parents} for a week. And it was awesome, other than the sunburned shins I managed to get as well as a frisbee induced skinned knee {clumsy Kat strikes again}. If I get my act together around here, I'll post some pictures of our adventures. Did I mention I reclaimed my honor at goofy golf... by almost 20 strokes? Boom. Roasted. Sorry husmate.

+ Finally, I'm in the market for any and all interesting documentaries to watch on Netflix. Every now & then I have this overwhelming itch to watch something incredibly involved & academic & possibly propaganda-esque that can quell my thirst for fixing all the world's problems. Lately I've watched documentaries on Arlington Cemetery & the Honor Guard of the Unknown Tomb {their jobs are intense, I kid you not}, the growing social divide between the wealthy 1% & the rest of us & what power politically they wield {this documentary has forced me to add Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged to my reading list just to be better informed of their argument}, & dramatic food movies that cause me to actually eat better & buy what seems like 80% or more of my grocery list from the perimeters of the grocery store rather than the maze of the middle aisles {for you foodies out there, a wonderful (& short) book to read is Michael Pollan's Food Rules: An Eater's Manual. Seriously, so good. Next on my list is his In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto}. So hey, any fellow nerds or people passionate about something that have some good documentaries up their sleeves, please give me suggestions to watch for my late night viewings! 

put down the ready-made pancake batter & nobody gets hurt

Could there be a better way to start off a weekend than making pancakes? I don't really think so, but then I again I'm the type that frowns on ready-made batter you can buy at the grocery store. My quips are that:

1) making your own is one of the least involved recipes anyway {take it from me, I'm a simple recipe kinda gal} 

2) I don't know what all those ingredients are on the label & after watching all these food documentaries I'm getting a little paranoid

3) you can't lick the batter out of the bowl if it comes in an aerosol can, & pancake batter ranks right on up there with cookie dough & poppy seed cake batter on favorites to dip your finger into ;)

4) it's hard to have the right chocolate chip to batter ratio when it comes straight out of a can to the griddle, & let's face it: chocolate chips are the best part of the deal

In summation: pancakes are worth the time to make by hand. Plain & simple. The go-to in my family has always been the recipe from Joy of Cooking {easily the most referenced cookbook in our clan}. So for all you who tend to grab a can of ready-made at the store, try this recipe next time you get a hankering & tell me it doesn't taste better than the mystery mix you usually buy. 

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Yield: about sixteen 4" pancakes

Whisk together in a large bowl:

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

3 T. sugar

1 3/4 t. baking powder

1 t. salt

Combine in another bowl:

1 1/2 c. milk

3 T. butter, melted

2 eggs

{optional: 1/2 t. vanilla extract, I never use this}

Create a little crater in your dry ingredients. Mix the liquid ingredients quickly into the dry ingredients, but don't overbeat it. Lumps are expected. 

Now the best part:

Add the chocolate chips {the quantity is totally up to you}! We tend to add almost a 1/4 of a bag of Nestle Toll House semi-sweet chocolate mini chips & about 25+ Ghirardelli 60% Cacao bittersweet chocolate baking chips.

Once your griddle/pan is warm enough {leaning towards low or medium-low heat for us}, scoop the batter out using a 1/4 measuring cup, making sure to stir the mix every time you scoop to prevent the chocolate from settling to the bottom & creating less than optimal chocolate to batter ratio pancakes {the horror!}. I'm assuming you know how to cook pancakes, but just in case, the time to flip them is when the edges begin to dry out & bubbles have started to rise & break on the surface {2-3 minutes}. 

Oh and if you're one of those well-disciplined types, these pancakes freeze really well for a week or so & make for the best microwaved breakfast since chocolate chip Eggos came out in elementary school {another food I'm not sure of what it's made of, but I made it this far so I think I'm in the clear}. 

So there you have it. For most, a pretty redundant recipe, but for you slackers out there {you know who you are}, a simple way to make your Saturday mornings that much sweeter. Hope everyone had a great weekend!

alphabet gummies + strawberries: the perfect popsicle

So call me naive, but all my life I've been under the impression that popsicles were too messy, too involved, too everything to make the effort to create your own. Ha. That's just silly. But the effort to make ice cream? That's another story. But I digress...

While perusing the bulk candy aisle at Wegman's, I made a pact that by golly, I was going to make popsicles so that I could have an excuse to buy the super fun alphabet gummies! Husmate laughed at me, & this is what transpired: simplistic yumminess.

We're talking 4 ingredients, plus the gummies {if you have a sweet tooth like me}.  So the mystical number 5! That's it, & if it's summertime, there's a darn good chance that you already have the core four: strawberries, water, sugar, & a lime. Lucky for me, I picked up my popsicle molds on a whim for cheap at IKEA, but if you don't have molds, just use little paper cups.

1 cup mashed strawberries

1/2 cup water

3-4 tablespoons sugar

juice from 1/2 a lime
fun gummy bears, letters, fish, etc. {optional, but yummy}

Add the first four ingredients together, put gummies in your molds, pour the mixture over that, & freeze.

A few notes: I used 3 tablespoons, banking on the gummies adding a sweeter taste. 

Don't be brave & try mashing the strawberries in the measuring cup with spoon like I did at first. It will fail miserably & cause your counter to turn a darling shade of rosy red. Just whip out the potato masher you were gifted or bought because mashed potatoes are totally your comfort food. It's much easier. Believe me.

That amount filled six little molds for me, but it could make more or less depending on what you're using.

& voila! Easy popsicles. Perfect way to cool down during these muggy, humid summer days, & quite tasty, too, if I do say so myself.

a week of surprises

^^ guess the frizz days of summer are here to stay, as well as wrinkled linen clothes ^^

^^ boys. it seems to be understood that they would both lean against this wall {right before the docent told them to step away from it haha} ^^ 

^^ goosebumps always when I see this wall. No, I'll never forget ^^

^^ kinda made us miss Dudy Noble even more when saw how small it was. That & the wooden benches? Thanks, but no thanks

^^ beautiful tulips from sweet friends ^^

Last week was one of those spontaneous types. Due to a change in schedule, a friend had to bump up his trip to DC to midweek, & thanks to the fighting spirit of our alma mater Monday night, our weekend plans were immediately spoken for once the Bulldogs clinched their regional win {& did I mention the rained out Nats game Thursday night & all-day air conditioner replacement Friday?}. So in the space of 24 hours our week outlook went from low-key to full of activity.

On Tuesday afternoon the Drew Napier our friend Drew rolled into town, & we spent a great night catching up while eating husmate's yummy homemade pizza & Trader Joe's cookies {I wasn't lying when I said those are all we eat now}. The next day we all took off to see the Pentagon 9/11 Memorial, whose footprint is simplistic & beautiful. One hundred and eighty-four people were killed that day at the Pentagon, & each has a bench dedicated in his memory. If they were inside the Pentagon that day, their name inscribed on the bench faces the building, & if they were onboard the plane, it faces the sky along the path that the plane was flying that day. Sometimes it's hard to imagine that a building whose very design is reinforcement & strength could be the site of something so tragic. Just another reminder that nothing in this life is ever certain.

Then we were off to the Newseum! This was after we were approached by someone on the metro who automatically assumed we were lost just because of our accents {Richard, wherever you are, thanks for looking out for others}. So for all of you who wonder if we have turned into yankees yet, no we haven't. Sigh of relief, right? Or is it just a matter of time...?

Anyways, the Newseum, a personal favorite of mine & a requirement if you're ever in DC, if you ask me. The downside: it costs money, compared to all the Smithsonians; the upside: six floors of the history of news. The highlights include the front pages of newspapers throughout history, the gallery of Pulitzer Prize photographs, & the tribute to 9/11. Of course, I'm a nerd so I suppose this was to be expected. Also, the food at the Newseum: delicious. Seriously one of the best salads I've had in awhile. Who knew that museums could serve yummy food?

After a great dinner at Founding Farmers {we had to... I mean Drew had never had it before} and a brief night's sleep on our couch, Drew was headed home. And next on the crazy train was supposed to be a Nats game for us, except it got rained out so that turned into a guiltless dinner of Papa John's pizza with our friends, Emily & Josh, who were our dates to the game ;). 

But no worries, fast forward to Saturday & we got in our needed dose of baseball at the UVA-MSU Super Regional in Charlottesville. Now I'm not going to lie, I thought that we would play hard but come up short. I know, I know... terrible fan. But hey! we pulled out a win that day {actually in many ways: MSU won the series, we dragged the devout Ole Miss fans known as Emily & Josh to watch a State game, & we grabbed Sonic on the way home} & everyone lived happily ever after. The end.

And as an epilogue, we enjoyed a lovely dinner Sunday night with our future lawyers/protectors/defenders of all things requiring legal needs, also known as the witty Forrest & lovely Julie, over {now that I think about it} homemade pizza. Call us Americans. Now I'm off to inhale any & all fruit in our refrigerator to offset the pizza thrice in one week.

P.S. Anyone else notice I used the word "thrice" twice in one week? I'm on its comeback campaign.