 | Currently // January CELEBRATING three years of marriage with an afternoon at IKEA and date night at The Cheesecake Factory. I was sick on our actual anniversary (super romantic, I know), but our day in Charlotte more than made up for it :) As cliché as it sounds, it's crazy to think that we've been married for three years – it's gone by SO quickly! My sister once joked that Zach is the best thing that has happened to me since contacts, but I think he might just be the best thing that has happened to me, period. CHEERING the Carolina Panthers on in the NFC Championship game this weekend. I'm liking these "cats vs. birds" match-ups, because (spoiler) I have a cat and I know exactly how that ends. Meow. ENJOYING the 52 Lists Project, a journal by Moorea Seal (photo above). I love everything about it: the once-weekly writing prompts (unlike those every-day-for-five-years journals... that level of commitment stresses me out!) and the beautiful design + layout. Five stars, definitely recommend. HANGING all the things! I'm not sure what it is about January – the idea of a fresh start, the emptiness of the house once all the Christmas decorations are put away (so sad!), or some combination of both – but I'm totally into redecorating our living space this month. New artwork, new shelves, new plants, a giant new mirror – it's fun to watch a few home decor purchases completely transform a room. LOOKING forward to 2016, even though it brings a lot of uncertainty (although really, what year doesn't?) We have lots of life changes on the horizon with Zach's career, but also a trip to New York City to look forward to in March! Plus, we're hoping 2016 will be the year we maybe make our largest grown-up purchase yet, so fingers crossed for successful adulting these next twelve months. PLAYING this song on repeat – perhaps the most underrated song by the Black Eyed Peas, honestly. It's rather appropriate on MLK Day (One tribe, one time, one planet, one race / it's all one blood, don't care about your face / color of your eye or the tone of your skin...) and equally fitting for this year's presidential race (I don't need no leader that's gonna force feed a / concept that make me think I need to / fear my brother and fear my sister...). And that's all I'll say about that ;) SMELLING all the candles! (Or should it be COLLECTING all the candles?) Zach's favorite go-to gift to receive is a bag of dark roast coffee beans (and Christmas did not disappoint, as we currently have a large enough stash to open a mini-Starbucks), but me? Give me something I can light on fire that also smells good, and I'll love you forever :) My number one is currently Autumn Sky from Bath & Body Works (which smells more like the best men's cologne of your life than anything autumn-related), but close favorites are Grey Moss from Pottery Barn and Espresso from Anthropologie. Mmmm. SNAPCHATTING more than all other social media combined, go figure. I post a photo on Facebook or Instagram occasionally (you know, to let the world know that I'm still alive, still not pregnant, and still not running a marathon); I tweet when I'm feeling sassy and sarcastic (so more frequently, for sure); and I pin basically never (is that still a thing)? Find me on Snapchat (@simplybeffie) for somewhat-more-consistent updates :) |
Showing posts with label currently. Show all posts
Showing posts with label currently. Show all posts
Currently // January
Currently // November
 | CURRENTLY // NOVEMBER • 11.30.15 Sneaking in here with just a few hours to spare, because goodness, November was filled with lots of good things & I want to remember them all. ADVENTURING throughout the state. Fall 2015 will forevermore be known as the season of all the day trips! From the Carolina BalloonFest in Statesville to the Renaissance Festival in Huntersville, from the mountains outside of Brevard to the Panthers game in Charlotte – Zach and I have spent the past few months driving and exploring and making the most of the time we get to be together. CELEBRATING my grandparents' 60th wedding anniversary. They got engaged on their 6th date and were married less than three months later because, well, when you know, you know :) They are – hands down – the cutest couple I have ever been around. You should've seen my Papa sneakily trying to get my Maw-Maw under the mistletoe last Christmas! CRYING (no shame) while watching The Peanuts Movie in theaters on opening weekend. Y'all, I've been a fan of Charlie Brown and the gang my whole life, so I had some pretty high expectations. The whole movie – the script, the score, the animation – was beyond perfect. Five stars, definitely recommend. FEELING extra grateful for a family who loves so well. FINISHING up our Christmas cards, which is always one of my favorite little projects to kick off the season. Snail mail is my love language, and I can't wait to send & receive bundles of it all month long! GETTING ready to cheer my youngest sister on at her first 5K race this weekend. Corrie has dealt with more than her fair share of health issues for over two years now, but she's currently abscess-free and the doctors seem to think she won't have any further complications. We're cautiously optimistic, but also so proud of her for working to reach this goal. What a milestone! LOVING the chance to go on an overnight trip to the plant where the magazine I work for is printed (as well magazines and catalogs for so many other major companies: Us Weekly, Kohl's, Samaritan's Purse, etc.). The pre-press, the printing, the binding – it's the. most. fascinating. process. I have such a deep appreciation for everything that goes into turning a pretty little digital file into a real-life product. STUFFING my face with so many tasty goodies ('tis the season), but also feeling super proud of myself & Zach for participating in a 1000 Calorie Workout Challenge on Thanksgiving morning. Two hours of hot yoga for me + two hours of circuit training for him = extra room for pumpkin cheesecake bars, thank you :) |
Currently // September
 | CURRENTLY // SEPTEMBER • 09.18.15 DESIGNING all the things! The past few months have been filled with more freelance projects than normal: invitations, résumés, business cards, brochures, and Christmas cards (yes – 'tis the season). I might not be able to save the world, but I can stop a few people from creating their own marketing materials using clipart and Papyrus, which is basically the same thing. EATING Cookout because today is National Cheeseburger Day and our office does not miss an occasion to have a catered meal. Or a potluck meal. Or a "this-is-being-featured-in-next-month's-issue-so-here's-all-the-leftover-food-from-the-photoshoot" meal. Y'all, the freshman 15 has nothing on the Our State 20 ;) FEELING ridiculously undeserving of the selfless love Zach shows me every day. As I mentioned, Z started his full-time job a few weeks ago, which means our days of him being at home and helping our lives run smoothly are over. However, I'm still waking up every morning to a cup of coffee on my nightstand and a packed lunch in the kitchen with a little note, despite the fact that he's out the door by 5:30 a.m. GETTING excited about our first NFL game this weekend. Because if you make my coffee in the morning, I'll buy you tickets to watch your two man-crushes (Luke Kuechly + J. J. Watt) play against each other. Seems fair ;) LOVING my job a ridiculous amount. I feel like I gush over this all the time, but y'all, getting to play a role in this brand, this magazine – it's the coolest. The story of how I ended up here is, well, nothing short of sweet serendipity... and I couldn't be happier. PLANNING to attend some of the 240th anniversary events at the church where I grew up. A really great article about the church was featured on the front page of the Winston-Salem Journal this week. Although Zach and I made the decision to attend a different church when we moved to the area last summer, my "home church" will always have a special place in my heart and I'm looking forward to the homecoming celebration this weekend! ROCKING the photobooth with Zach during last weekend's Bookmarks Festival (see photo above). I'll be honest: we went for the food trucks and new gallery exhibit at Sawtooth, not really for the books and authors, but we had a great time nonetheless. TRYING to figure out how I feel about my bangs. They've had a good little run for the last two and a half years, but I think I'm ready to start growing them out. Maybe? Until I'm ready to commit, they're in the super awkward too-long-to-hang-in-my-face-but-not-long-enough-to-be-tucked-behind-my-ear phase, so, there's that. Happy weekend, friends. Cheers! |
Currently // June
 | CURRENTLY // JUNE • 06.18.15 It's been a few months since a "currently" post (or any post, for that matter), so here's a snapshot of my life at the moment. CELEBRATING one year at my job, as well as back-to-back promotions in the last two months! I love this magazine, this company, this brand – y'all, I genuinely look forward to coming to work every day and getting to do what I do :) CHECKING things off our summer bucket list :) Last summer was a little crazy with the whole commuting-160-miles-every-day thing, not to mention moving across the state in the middle of July and Zach's two-week cross-country road trip, so we're taking advantage of more time for regular summer adventures together. CHEERING Zach on as he works so hard to pursue his dreams. The past month has been filled with some seemingly impossible obstacles, but we've made it to the other side (whew!) and are so close to making his dreams a reality. CRUSHING so hard on this newest trailer for The Peanuts Movie. You'll know where to find me come November 6. Speaking of movies... LOOKING forward to having everyone on my mom's side of the family over (Florida cousins included!) this weekend to take advantage of our apartment's 21-seat home theater. We've got it booked for the entire weekend, so some Netflix marathons may or may not be occurring as well... PLAYING with the newest member of our family: Schmidt "Schmidtty the Kitty" Jones :) We rescued a six-month-old kitten from the SPCA this spring and he's legit the coolest. Schmidt demands lots of attention (like me), is quite fond of napping (like Zach), and we recently discovered that he's a coffee aficionado (like both of us, although we're trying to be more careful about where we set down our coffee mugs, oops). REMINISCING on summer camp and summer love and summer adventures, as is typical for this time of year. It's hard to believe it's been seven summers since I first developed a crush on another counselor while working in the mountains of Virginia. Spoiler: he liked me back ;) WANTING to really establish a sense of community and find a solid group of like-minded(ish) people to spend time with. I feel like a lot of people our age are: (a) still a few years off from getting married and enjoy hanging out with all their other non-married friends, or (b) already have a couple of toddler-aged children and enjoy hanging out with all their parent friends. Zach and I are awkwardly between the two stages (and have zero plans to join the second group any time soon). Surely we can't be the only ones, right? Any thoughts? -- ps: All currently posts can be found here. |
Currently // March
 | CURRENTLY // MARCH • 03.27.15 Sneaking in a currently post before March is over... -- APPRECIATING everyone who worked so hard to make me feel loved a couple of weekends ago when I filled in (at the last minute) on the leadership team at a Christian retreat at Camp Bethel. I'll definitely be sharing more in a future post! ENJOYING the extra daylight. I love sleep (possibly more than the average human), but I'd gladly give up an hour every weekend if it meant more sunlight in the evenings. I recently came across the quote "daylight is my love language" and, well, what more needs to be said? Amen. FEELING extra happy after getting to have dinner last night with one of my dearest friends from college who went a little out of her way to make a stop in Winston-Salem while passing through the state. GAWKING over this reusable notebook. Sure, I can wrap my mind around a notebook being smart enough to back up handwritten pages on the Cloud (although, really?), but being able to stick a notebook in the microwave for 30 seconds and watch the ink on all 100 pages disappear? I can't even. PLANNING to break out the acrylics this weekend for the first time in quite a while. Look out, world. SEEING my name in print on the newsstands at Barnes & Noble for the first time :) I've seen the magazine that I work for on newsstands at multiple other locations across the state (Target, grocery stores, drug stores, etc.), but Barnes & Noble holds a special place in my heart, and I recently realized that I was eight issues into this publication and had yet to track down a copy at my favorite bookstore. Pretty sure my teenage bucket list is now complete. TAPPING into my inner nerd with some Sporcle quizzes lately (countries of the world, anyone?), but Zach and I both got into this HIMYM + Friends character quiz. I'll be there for wait-for-it you... VISITING my youngest sister in Boone. Zach was out of town as an advisor at a youth conference last weekend, so my mom, my other sister, and I enjoyed a girls' day in the North Carolina mountains. WATCHING all the basketball! Cheer extra for my Blue Devils tonight, okay? ;) -- ps: All currently posts can be found here. |
Currently // February
EATING an inappropriate amount of cheesecake recently, but that's what the month of February is for, no?
ENJOYING this season of life. I feel like the last few years have been one giant transition after another (graduating college, getting married, starting a new job, moving to a new city, etc.), so this new phase of, well, nothing new is a breath of fresh air. Or perhaps it's only the eye of a hurricane. Either way, I'm enjoying life with nothing on the horizon for the foreseeable future.
FREEZING. That's it. Just freezing.
HAVING serious Sherlock withdrawals. Zach and I decided to give the BBC series a try, and, oh my word, it's insanely smart and well-written. We caught up on the show this winter (there are only nine episodes currently, but each episode is an hour and a half), and I'm not sure how we're supposed to wait an entire year for the fourth series.
HOPING to catch up on some overdue blog posts... you know, eventually. I have lots of photos to share from Zach's college graduation and the Valentine's Day luncheon we helped host (so much fun!), plus some updates on Corrie's recent hospital trips.
LOOKING forward to spending a weekend at the camp where Zach and I met. It's been three years (?!) since I've spent an entire weekend up there, but I'm excited to go back next month.
LOVING the fact that my mom has a smart phone now. Group messages, emojis, animated gifs, and screenshots galore :)
RECOVERING from the Duke/UNC basketball game on Wednesday night (and feeling a little sad that I missed my first victory bonfire since becoming a Blue Devil, but I was definitely there in spirit). Always the most stressful two nights of the year, but oh so good ;)
SCHEMING up 1,001 home decor projects. If only I could make them all happen as easily as I can dream them up :) Here's to hoping!
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ps: All currently posts can be found here.
Currently // January
DRINKING coffee in bed every morning. If you're going to get married, I highly recommend marrying someone who a) loves making coffee and b) wakes up a lot earlier than you do. Marrying someone who packs your lunch every day and starts your car in the morning to get it warm before you leave for work doesn't hurt ;)
ENJOYING lazy weekends. Living in Winston-Salem for these past six months has meant significantly less weekend time spent traveling across the state... and much more weekend time for sleeping in, dreaming up creative projects, and enjoying the art of doing nothing. Well, the art of doing less, at least. It's been much needed and much appreciated!
KEEPING my fingers crossed for some snow this winter. I mean, if it's gonna be cold, it might as well snow. Otherwise, can we fast forward to the 70-degree temps, please?
LAUGHING so hard over this. I'm not sure what the rest of you forward around the office, but this was the winner of the week over here. Speaking of offices...
LOOKING forward to my very first ever fancy office steak dinner tonight. (What??) Cheers to a successful start in 2015 :)
PLANNING to write a brief Corrie update soon, since a lot has happened this fall + winter. While the doctors still think she's on the right path to recovering from multiple abdominal surgeries due to ulcerative colitis, there have been quite a few bumps in the road these past few months.
TRYING to prepare myself for the Parenthood series finale this week. Are there enough Kleenexes in the world, because I will most certainly be crying all the tears.
VISITING a few local animal shelters in the beginning stages of Operation-Let's-Get-A-Kitty-This-Year. I make no promises that it won't turn into Operation-Let's-Get-Twenty-Kitties-This-Year.
WATCHING my first ever reality TV show... and it's a doozy, y'all :) I saw a preview online for Married at First Sight and decided to watch the first few minutes of episode #1 just to see how ridiculous it was... and then proceeded to watch the entire first season in a weekend. The spin-off series (Married at First Sight: The First Year) aired this month, thank goodness, because I'm way too emotionally invested in these couples to turn back now.
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ps: All currently posts can be found here.
Currently // December
ADDRESSING all of our Christmas cards tonight & dropping them in the mail tomorrow :) Print shops typically throw in a handful of extras (you know, just in case), but I ordered 100 Christmas cards and received 186. Um, what? EVERYBODY gets a Christmas card this year!
CELEBRATING Zach's degree in criminal justice (pending his final exam tomorrow, ha)! Zach graduated over the weekend and I'm just so, so proud of him. I'm sure I'll share more photos and thoughts on this in the next couple of weeks, but here's a sneak peek.
DOING a happy dance because we just paid off Zach's car... in two years... on a single-income, art-major salary! My parents worked incredibly hard to ensure that I started my adult life with zero debt, so I was especially motivated to get back to that after I married Zach & his monthly car payments :) I'm sure we'll get to experience the joys of a mortgage in the next year or so, but this not-owing-anybody-anything phase of grown-up life is pretty nice.
FEELING ridiculously sappy this time of year. Although this is our second Christmas as a married couple, it feels like our first... and it's beyond magical. Last year, we were 100+ miles away from all of our friends and family; we didn't even get a Christmas tree since we knew we'd be spending our December (a) traveling, or (b) being alone in our little apartment. (So sad!) This year, however, we're getting to spend much more time surrounded by loved ones and familiar traditions. My 100% real live & taller-than-twelve-inches Christmas tree is fully decorated, and my heart is full.
FEELING (again – so many feels) very fortunate to work at a company where I not only love the work that I do and the people that I work with, but feel extremely appreciated as an employee. Christmas bonuses and catered Christmas parties at four diamond hotels aside, I'm a billion times happier since changing jobs this past spring... definitely the biggest blessing of 2014.
MAKING lots of Christmas gifts, as per usual. There's just a little over a week to go until Christmas, yet my "to-make" list is growing by the day. What can I say – my creative mind is most inspired when I've got a thousand projects to be completed under a very tight deadline (aka: how I passed college).
REMINISCING on Decembers past. Three years ago, I was finishing up exams as Zach was coming home from Afghanistan; two years ago, I was getting ready to become a bride; last year, everything was falling apart; and this year, it's finally falling back together :) It's always so crazy to see how much changes from year to year.
THINKING very seriously about starting a family. And by starting a family, I obviously mean adopting a cat. Or three. (Ha!) Adding some feline friends to our lives sounds like an excellent New Year's resolution for 2015! Meow ;)
Currently // November
ENJOYING all the peppermint-flavored things. I don't do pumpkin, but the Red Cups are here and my taste buds can finally partake in the holiday festivities. Bless it.
FALLING madly in love with the colors of the leaves this time of year. Have they always been this gorgeous? I think they're a little more spectacular this time around, no?
KEEPING up with Corrie's never-ending hospital saga. It's been over two months since I last posted an update, but that certainly doesn't mean things are back to normal. Corrie ended up in the emergency room on my birthday last month and has been back in town for follow-up scans / appointments / procedures every weekend since then. We gave up on updating the world because it literally. never. ends., so if you are wondering if things are still happening, *SPOILER* they are. Cor had her 11th (?!) drain inserted this month, so now we're back to waiting. Fingers crossed.
POLLING everyone on their default spelling of Zac/Zach/Zack. As in, if you met someone named Zac/Zach/Zack, how would you assume their name was spelled until you found out otherwise?
PREPPING myself to revert back to a middle school fangirl the day after Thanksgiving. Relient K is coming to Charlotte as part of their MMHMM 10th Anniversary Tour and, y'all, I'm an inappropriate amount of excited. You best believe my 8th grade self got that CD when it came out ten years ago... and you best believe I bought tickets the minute they went on sale this summer. No shame.
TRYING new things... like Bikram Yoga. Not gonna lie: I will forever be a step aerobics girl, but it's fun to do something completely different. Also, you'll never find me complaining about being in a 105°F room when it's 30°F outside. (Winston-Salem friends, Camel City Yoga has an introductory special of 10 consecutive days for $20. Also, I have a few free guest passes if anyone is interested!)
WINNING all the free concert tickets! The magazine I work for gets insanely sweet tickets to events at the Greensboro Coliseum (complete with VIP parking, premium seats, access to the Schiffman's Diamond Club, etc.), and I've been fortunate enough to snag a few this month! Weekend before last, Zach and I got to see Daughtry in concert, and the next night, we brought my aunt and cousin along to the Thrive Tour with Casting Crowns, Sidewalk Prophets, & Mandisa. We're also going to see Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood this Saturday. I love my job, period... but these free perks are a definite bonus!
WORKING on so many fun little projects :) We had a big party for my Papa's 80th birthday last weekend, so I got to design the invitations and make all sorts of paper decorations (banners & folded paper circles galore). I'm currently wrapping up Zach's graduation announcements (less than four weeks – woo!) which also means that I'm having too much fun with résumé layout design. It's my favorite... next to Christmas card designs! I'll be honest: I start casually working on Christmas cards in August, but now I have to get serious and narrow down my five billion options. Ahh!
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Seriously, how is it already nearing the end of November?! What are you up to these days, friend?
Currently // October
APPROACHING a quarter of a century at rapid speeds (my birthday is on Thursday)! It's a big one, but I think twenty-five and I are going to get along just fine. I'm married to the man that I love, surrounded by the people I love, living in the city I love, working at a job I love – I mean, life is pretty great for this soon-to-be 25-year-old :)
CELEBRATING my 25th birthday by raising money for Heifer International, a nonprofit that is working to end hunger and poverty by empowering people in their communities – bringing hope, dignity, and self-reliance to families around the world. I'd love if you would consider join me in celebrating the big TWO-FIVE by donating 25 quarters (see what I did there?). I'll even do the math for you – it comes out to $6.25 :) I'm SO grateful to those of you who have made a contribution!
COUNTING down the days until Zach's graduation: less than two months to go! Zach has worked so hard these past two years on his criminal justice degree, and we're both looking forward to what comes next.
DREADING (that's a rather strong word, but it's also rather accurate) the end of Daylight Saving Time and the start of five straight months of the sun setting before I get off work. (insert face screaming in horror emoji – preferably cat version – here)
ENJOYING fall (and sunlight, while it lasts) times a billion. The leaves are ridiculously beautiful right now, my apartment spells like apples & cinnamon, and I'm planning to get my pumpkin carving on this weekend. High five to the states with all four seasons – it's the best!
FEELING incredibly appreciative that this October is so much different than last October.
LOVING our apartment and the DIY projects we currently have in the works. Our place in Winston is 50% larger than our place in Cary, so we're taking our time choosing (and occasionally building) pieces that we love to fill the space... and doing lots of cartwheels in the meantime :)
PLANNING to share a bunch more photos soon. Zach and I went to Hanging Rock State Park earlier this month (pictured above) and spent the day hiking + exploring waterfalls. We also took a little detour to Priddy's General Store in Danbury. Five stars, definitely recommend.
REMINDING you that last month, I said that Friends should be the next show to join Gilmore Girls on Netflix... and now it is. Bam. Thank you, Netflix, for ensuring that 25 is a spectacular year :)
REMINISCING on the 100,000 miles worth of adventures I've had in my little baby SUV. (It just hit the 100,000 mile mark last week). That car got me through two years of high school, four years of college, and over two years (so far) post grad, including four summers of summer camp staff and four and a half years of long distance dating. It's the car I picked up Zach in when he flew home from Afghanistan and the car we drove away in after our wedding. It doesn't seem to be slowing down any time soon, so I suppose I'll see how many life milestones I can check off on my way to the 200,000 mile mark :)
Currently // September
CHEERING for my beloved Blue Devils. Zach and I went to Durham this past weekend for the game v. Kansas and thoroughly enjoyed the 41-3 win... and the most successful start to a Duke football season since I was four years old ;)
DOING a very, very happy dance in honor of Gilmore Girls coming to Netflix next month!
ENJOYING spontaneously meeting up with my parents and grandparents and sister for ice cream in the middle of the week, simply because we live five miles apart now. And, because, ice cream.
EXPERIENCING the world of IKEA for the first time. Are you allowed to be a twentysomething without ever stepping foot into the endless abyss of modern Swedish furniture? Zach and I weren't sure, so we ventured down to Charlotte weekend before last just for the joy! We not only ended up with our dear little plant friend (pictured above), but a few other things for our new apartment that I hope to show on here sometime this fall. Who doesn't love a good home tour? :)
GETTING over the worst end-of-summer cold in the history of ever. I had the sore-throat-that-turns-into-neverending-congestion combo for ten straight, and right as I was getting better, Zach came down with it. He's finally on the upswing now, but it's been not-so-pleasant around here these past few weeks.
LOVING the chance to wear leggings and comfy long-sleeved shirts. I've been around long enough to know that I can't put the shorts away just yet, but fall is tiptoeing into North Carolina... and it feels good :)
PLANNING lots of exciting weekend adventures this fall. I'm stoked for day trips to the mountains as the leaves are changing!
REDESIGNING the blog... just a little :) I love updating this space as my style and tastes evolve, so I've freshened everything up recently. (If you're viewing this post in a blog reader or email, you may need to click over to the blog to see.)
TRYING new restaurants, like Hops Burger Bar in Greensboro. I don't feel obligated to test out every restaurant and dish we feature in the magazine (or else I'd weigh a billion and a half pounds), but I couldn't resist a burger called the "North Carolinian." Applewood bacon, fried green tomato, pimento cheese... how adorably Southern is that? Y'all, I'm so head over heels for the Old North State.
WATCHING episode after episode of Friends, which needs to be the next show to join Gilmore Girls on Netflix. Clearly.
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Cheers, September! Xo.
Currently // August
BRAGGING on my youngest sister, Corrie, who moved to Boone to begin her freshman year of college over the weekend, a milestone that is infinitely sweeter after the year my family has been through!
Exactly one year ago, Corrie was diagnosed with severe ulcerative colitis and wasn't able to start college as planned. Since then, she's spent ~100 days in the hospital, had three surgeries, lost two organs, had a billion complications from surgeries (including some recently that landed her back in the hospital from July 31 – August 9), and essentially put her life on hold for a year. She's still not 100% medically cleared, but she's determined to push through this semester at Appalachian State... and she has the whole world rooting for her :)
CONFUSING myself constantly about what month it is due to my job in the magazine industry. Our September issues arrive at the office in less than 24 hours, we ship the October issue to the printer in a week, and I'm already beginning to prep files for the November issue... but it's only August! I know cries of "this year is going by so quickly!" and "how is summer already over?!" are super common, but I'm more like, "oh, whew – fall hasn't even really started, yet!" and "wait – I haven't missed so-and-so's birthday in September?!"
FEELING a tad bit sentimental (and old), because exactly ten years ago TODAY, I began my freshman year of high school and met some of the dearest people in the world. To the girl who relentlessly stalked me through the hallways, the guy who was late to the first day of biology, the girl who eerily looked like my twin across the room in English, and everyone in between: my life is better for knowing you and I've loved growing up alongside you over the past decade. (Decade? Decade!) Xo!
GETTING excited whenever someone tells me they've seen my name in the most recent issue of the magazine I work for ;) I've worked in design and production for a couple of magazines through the years, but this is the first time I get to be on the racks of every Target, Barnes & Noble, grocery store, drug store, etc. across the entire state! The publication is so well-loved by its nearly 900,000 readers, and I'm so honored to be a part of it.
LOOKING forward to what's to come in this little space. I've been writing and sharing snapshots of my life on this blog for over four years (!!!), and while things have been a little quieter than normal over here this summer, I'm not planning to go anywhere. I've spent an awkward amount of time with this blog over the years, and it makes me smile to know that you enjoy reading along.
LOVING this map of the introvert's heart that has been making its way around the interwebs this week. Self-checkout lanes and online ordering? Magazines and daydreams? I'm quite certain this is the most accurate map I've ever seen ;)
REMINDING myself that it took a while (like, a year) to get really settled into our old apartment, so I shouldn't be concerned that our new (larger) space isn't 100% put together yet. Slowly, but surely, Zach and I are putting dreams into plans and putting plans into action – lots of DIY projects on the horizon.
WISHING everyone a wonderful school year, including Zach, who started his fourth and final semester (yay!) of his criminal justice degree today, and my sister Katherine, who will be kicking off her first ever school year as not-a-student, but an elementary school resource teacher! To all those who are learning or teaching, may you be inspired and inspire others to do good in this world :) Cheers!
Currently // July
OH MY WORD, Y'ALL... July 2014 has been one for the books! This has undoubtedly been one of the busiest seasons of my life, but it's been oh-so-good :) Here's a peek at what I've been up to during my nearly month-long social media absence:
CELEBRATING my grandparents' 50th anniversary! Yay, love!
CHOPPING off all of my hair! I donated 12 inches last week... the fifth time I've been able to donate my hair (twice in high school, twice in college, and now). I like having long hair, but I certainly don't like the hassle of taking care of it. Short hair photos coming soon :)
EATING from the salad bar at Whole Foods on a regular basis. Fingers crossed that it helps balance out the cookie dough and Captain Crunch cereal that I also eat on a regular basis.
ENJOYING a much shorter commute to work these days. I've gained back almost eight hours of my week! It's a good thing I still have to pull this new apartment together; otherwise, I'm not sure what I'd do with all of this free time ;)
FEELING incredibly grateful that Corrie's third and final surgery was successful earlier this month. She's still recovering, but she's also looking forward to beginning college in three short weeks (cue all the tears)! Thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who checked in to see how things were going, sent cards, and loved on my sister this month... and the past year, really.
LOVING the fact that I can go to my grandparents' house on a Thursday evening for a bowl of homemade peach ice cream or to my other grandparents' house on a Wednesday evening for fresh cucumbers and green beans (20 pints worth!) from their garden. Y'all, I only live five miles away now and can do things like this!
MISSING my morning-coffee maker, my lunch packer, my laundry helper, and my goodnight kisser. Zach has spent the last two weeks as an advisor on a youth trip, so I've been holding down the fort in our new place and keeping everyone up-to-date with his travels here. He comes home late tomorrow night and I can't wait to hear more about his adventures from Chicago, Mount Rushmore, Colorado State University, the Gateway Arch, and beyond!
SAYING goodbye to Raleigh/Cary and hello to Winston-Salem! We loaded everything we own into a moving truck a couple of weeks ago and, with the help of family and friends (it takes a village, y'all), headed ~100 miles west. We're officially back in the 336 :)
UNPACKING box after box and making this space feel like home. Our new place is significantly larger than our old apartment, so I'm enjoying dreaming up all the possibilities!
USING a lot of exclamation points, apparently! So much excitement and so many changes during the last month – I'm looking forward to getting settled, getting my husband home, and getting started on this new adventure in our lives!
Currently // June
GETTING ready for Corrie's third and FINAL surgery on Tuesday afternoon. We're only five days away, hallelujah! As always, I promise to keep everyone updated next week with a blog post or two – be sure to check back.
PINCHING myself approximately seventeen billion times a day at how great life is. The past year has been insanely rough, to say the least, but things are beginning to fall into place and I just couldn't be happier. Like, seriously... I could not be happier. I'm completely giddy with the work that I do, the people whom I love, and all the opportunities that are on the horizon.
PREPARING to send my man off on a two-week road trip. Zach has the chance to be an advisor at a National Youth Conference in Colorado, so he'll be road tripping across America, doing a lot of sight-seeing (Mount Rushmore, St. Louis Arch, Chicago Skydeck, etc.), hiking in the Rockies, and hanging out with virtually every elementary camper I ever had that somehow became old enough to go on a high school trip (what?!).
REMINISCING about the summer that Zach and I started dating. The month of June always brings a whirlwind of memories filled with hammocks and waterfalls and campfires and s'mores... and a super good-looking co-counselor ;) Plus, the 2014 calendar is identical to the 2008 calendar, so we've had a lot of fun remembering things like, "it's the very first Sunday of camp – exactly six years ago, we got Skittles together!" or "it's the Saturday between week 1 and week 2 of camp – exactly six years ago, you sneakily got my phone number!"
SIGNING a lease on a new apartment! It's true... this whole moving thing is really happening (finally)! The best part (besides being closer to family, of course)? We are moving from a 734-square-foot apartment to a 1100-square-foot apartment... and we'll be paying less per month! (The cost of living in Cary might be one of the more ridiculous things in life.) Our apartment complex is also brand new, so we'll be the first people to live in our unit. My youngest sister saw the apartment when we signed the lease last weekend and gave it her seal of approval, which means it must be nice. If you'd like to be one of the first people to see our new space, you could always help us unload the moving truck in a couple of weeks... ;)
SOAKING up as much summer as possible. I've always said that fall was my favorite season (which probably has a lot to do with the fact that my birthday is in October...), but summer has absolutely stolen my heart. I love sunshine, I love kayaking, I love being able to go for a walk around the lake at 8:00 p.m., and I love that everything feels like magic the second I step outdoors.
TRYING to decide if Zach leaving for two weeks just 36 hours after we move into our new place is the greatest idea or the worst idea ever. On one hand, I'll have two whole weeks to unpack and get the place looking perfect. On the other hand, I'll be buried alive under boxes while he's off on the trip of a lifetime.
WRITING this post on my new laptop! I finally gave in and replaced the MacBook Pro that got me through years of ten-page papers, graphic design projects, and Skype dates with a Marine in Afghanistan :) My old laptop has been on the brink of death for quite a while (the screen has been completely black for the past seven months, which, you know, caused some minor problems...). Needless to say, it was beyond time to put Eva MacMac (and me, really) out of her (our) misery. Also, it was actually cheaper to get an iMac AND a MacBook Air combined than get a new MacBook Pro... which is what I did! I now have an iMac for all my heavy-duty design projects and a MacBook Air for on-the-go convenience. You guys! I almost don't even want to use them... they just look so pretty! All the exclamation marks!
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I can't believe that when it's time to write the "Currently" post for July, I'll be in a new apartment in a new (old) city while settling into my new job with my not-so-new man ;) Y'all, tomorrow marks six years that we've been together! Summer 2008 was beyond legendary, but summer 2014 has quite a special place in my heart. Cheers!
Currently // May
EATING lots of frozen lemonade. Glory hallelujah, summer.
ENJOYING being outside as much as possible. There are so many lakes and trails around our apartment, and Zach and I love getting to explore thanks to longer + warmer days.
GETTING really caught up in series on Netflix that have already ended... like House. Zach and I just finished watching the series, actually, but it's bizarre to become emotionally invested in something that the rest of America was watching ten years ago. I needed to commiserate with people in real time: Will House and Cuddy become a couple? Can you believe Chase did that? Ahh, Thirteen! Kind of weird having all the feels when nobody else cares because they saw it back in the day.
LOOKING so insanely forward to one of my favorite ladies in the world getting married this weekend! I kind of jumped the gun by becoming a bride before ever being a bridesmaid, so I'm rather inexperienced with what's about to go down, but I couldn't be more excited + honored to be a part of Amy & Mav's big day :)
RECEIVING so many snapchats from my sisters who are at home together this summer. And SMILING every time I get to see just how well Corrie is doing after her surgery just a couple of weeks ago.
REMINDING myself that we're still in the month of May. I'm only four days into this new job, but already so immersed in getting July files prepped to go to the printer next week that I literally got upset last night because I thought I had missed something in June. Note to self: it's not July. It's not even June. It's. Only. May.
SAYING things like "management" and "organized" in the same sentence with regard to my new job, which is baffling to me. There are procedure manuals and policy manuals and job position manuals! My computer (which is a Mac, bless it) and email address were set up days before I even arrived! My office was clean! My boss showed up on my first day of work! My mother tells me this is actually quite normal, but I wouldn't know.
SPENDING a great deal of time in the car, but actually not minding it nearly as much as I thought I would. Zach and I will be moving to Winston-Salem this summer, but I'm commuting 80 miles (each way) in the meantime. I thought I'd be dreading it by day two, but it goes by rather quickly. Wanna know something crazy? It only takes me five minutes longer to drive 80 miles from my apartment to my job than my worst evening of driving 14 miles in Raleigh rush-hour traffic.
TWEETING at @simplybeffie :) It's a great way to keep up with me when I'm not popping in as frequently as I would like on the blog. Come follow along!
WANTING to share this with so many of my friends who have graduated in the past month :)
Currently // April
ANTICIPATING Easter (and the chance to visit family), my sister's college graduation, and my other sister's return to Chapel Hill for surgery... all within the next three weeks! I'll certainly be writing more about all of that soon; it's about to get crazy up in here.
BRAGGING about my NCAA bracket. Granted, I didn't come close to winning a billion dollars, but I did accomplish exactly what I set out to do: beat my husband ;)
CRAVING an entire basket full of Reese's peanut butter eggs. (The chocolate-to-peanut butter ratio is a million times better in the eggs than in the regular Reese's, amiright?)
ENJOYING these longer daylight hours! I absolutely love the sun and natural light and being able to spend time outside after work. Don't get me wrong: sleeping is one of my favorite pasttimes, but I'll gladly give up an hour (or even two) if it means more sunlight!
FINISHING up a lot of independent freelance projects: graduation announcements, posters, canvas designs, and even a family photo session :) My evenings have been quite busy over the past couple of weeks, so I'm looking forward to wrapping up some final edits and focusing on some other things (like blogging!) for a while.
LOVING the fact that Duke Women's Rowing is starting to get some attention! They recently opened a brand new, state-of-the-art boathouse and defeated a top-20 nationally-ranked team. (Read more in the Duke Chronicle.)
PLANNING to participate in the Triangle Take Steps for Crohn's and Colitis walk later this month. The money raised is donated to the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA), which is a non-profit organization whose mission is to cure Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, as well as improve the quality of life of individuals affected by these diseases... including my sisters.
REMINISCING about my trip to National Youth Conference (and trying to figure out how eight years have passed since I went). With Zach getting ready to attend this summer as an advisor, I'm having a blast recounting my own experiences. I'm also having a blast attempting to design an epic pillow.
THINKING about chopping all of my hair off (I've donated it four times in the past eight years). But for now, I'm still just thinking about it ;)
and...
WRAPPING my head around the fact that one of Zach's current school projects involves observing the effects of decomposition on a pig. As an art major, I've had my fair share of super bizarre projects, but this criminalistics class is something else.
Currently // March
ENJOYING the fact that my dearest friend from college (who lives/works in Richmond, VA) has spent the last two weeks working out of an office in Raleigh... which has meant multiple dinner dates and apartment visits!
HOPING to get a few little succulent plants for our apartment. My tiny bamboo plant isn't dead after almost a year (woo!), so it's clearly time to move onto the next stage of being responsible for living things.
LOOKING for some new meal ideas/recipes. Ideas, anyone?
LOVING (and TRYING to not be super jealous about) the fact that Zach gets to go to Colorado this summer! Every four years, the Church of the Brethren has a national youth conference on the campus of Colorado State University. Churches from the Virginia/North Carolina area join together and turn the event into a two-week bus trip with lots of sight-seeing stops along the way, including Chicago, Mt. Rushmore, the Badlands, & the St. Louis Arch. I had the opportunity to go on the trip nearly eight years ago as a high school student, so I'm stoked for Zach to have this experience as my church's youth advisor.
RECOVERING from our whirlwind trip to Virginia yesterday. I'm clearly not as young as I used to be when it comes to getting home close to 3:00 a.m. after a seven-hour/400-mile round-trip drive, but it was so worth it.
RESISTING the urge to buy every item of clothing with polka dots on it, but having a reeeaaally hard time.
SOAKING up the extra hour of daylight (and the fact that the Marine Corps is finally back to rolling sleeves after a two-year hiatus. Bless it!).
SULKING over the fact that Thelma's Chicken & Waffles in downtown Roanoke was out of chicken livers yesterday. I know it sounds gross, but oh my goodness, that's one of the greatest meals I've ever had in my life, and I made a pact with Zach last summer that we would eat there anytime we were in Roanoke/driving through Roanoke/remotely close to Roanoke. We had been looking forward to last night's dinner for eight months... and they were out!
TRYING to figure out what kind of cruel joke my weather app is playing on me by telling me it's supposed to be snowing in the morning. What is this?
WATCHING basketball, obviously. Is there anything else on TV this time of year?
Happy March, friend! :)
Currently // February
I know we're already a month and a half into the new year, but I'm still figuring out which blog series I want to keep around in 2014 and which ones I'm over. That being said, the "Friday Phone Dump" series is no more, simply because Instagram is my every day phone dump. I post there much more frequently than I do on this blog, so if you find yourself missing the snapshots of my day-to-day life, you can find me at @simplybeffie.
Something that will be sticking around, however, is the "Currently" series. I didn't do one last month and kind of missed it, so it's safe to say "Currently" will continue to pop up once a month during 2014. Here's a glimpse at what's been going on so far this year:
CHEERING on the Wolfpack at the Sweetheart Invitational Gymnastics Meet. For Valentine's Day, I watched a couple of my former teammates compete at the collegiate level, and although I was probably the only spectator who wasn't a family member or shrieking seven-year-old compulsory gymnast, I was equally in love with the entire evening. I may have even shrieked a few times myself.
DANCING around my apartment in my bridesmaid's dress for one of my best girl's weddings! (It just arrived this week!) My dear friend Amy is getting married in a few months and I couldn't possibly be more excited or honored to be a part of her big day.
ENJOYING the snow days we've been having! We don't get a ton of snow here in North Carolina, and most years, the wintry mix that we do get rarely accumulates to more than a couple of inches. However, we've had a couple of REAL snowfalls during the past few weeks, and I love it :)
LOOKING forward to the 70 degree temperatures that are supposed to pop up mid-week! I know I said I love the snow (and I do!), but I do NOT like being cold, so if the winter wonderland is over, I'd much rather it be warm and sunny.
OBSESSING over Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Oh my word, it's hilarious. I saw an interview with Terry Crews on The Ellen Show a few weeks ago (have you SEEN him dance?), and decided to give Brooklyn Nine-Nine a shot. Zach and I have already caught up on the entire first season and absolutely love it. So many of our favorite shows are coming to an end after this season (How I Met Your Mother & Psych), so we're glad to have found a new one that (should hopefully) stay around for a while.
SNACKING on goodies that my mom sent our way in a Valentine's Day package. I'm not sure how old I have to be before the themed holiday packages stop showing up at my door, but I'm thankful that 24 isn't the cutoff!
THINKING about my Papa. My mom's dad spent a few days in the hospital last week with heart problems and was taken back to the hospital via ambulance this morning. He's back at home again, and the doctors are hoping that medication will fix the problem. I certainly hope that's the case; I am so over people that I love being in the hospital :(
WANTING to move to the Winston-Salem area (still, I know). Zach and I initially planned on living in Raleigh for the first five or so years of our marriage and then moving to Winston-Salem when we were ready to start having children. THEN we decided we'd move back after he finished his criminal justice degree (two years after our wedding). And now... now, we'd move tomorrow if we could. It's really hard being away from family, especially with everything that has gone on during the past six months. Unfortunately, jobs in Winston are harder to come by, so we're still in Raleigh in the meantime.
I said it back in the fall, but if anyone has a personal connection to a design/communications position in the Triad (not just "look, they're hiring designers"), we'd love you forever times a billion exclamation points!
Happy last few weeks of winter, friends :)
Currently // December
CELEBRATING the end of Zach's semester/the beginning of his Christmas break! Zach had five exams this week (yuck, I don't miss those at all), but he just finished his last one this afternoon and is now halfway done with his criminal justice degree! Exclamation points for everybody!
CUTTING out paper snowflakes. I needed something to occupy my weekend while Zach was
DECKING the halls, little by little. We've got twinkly lights around the crown molding in our living room (plus one leftover strand draped over our headboard), and that alone is enough to make it feel like Christmas magic up in here :) We've also got stockings, my Willow Tree nativity set, a Charlie Brown Christmas tree, and dozens of paper snowflakes strung together. It's a real simple newlywed Christmas, folks.
DRINKING cranberry ginger ale. My parents had some of this at their house over Thanksgiving weekend and now I'm hooked. Also drinking hot chocolate by the gallon, because it's COLD these days.
FIGURING out what to do with all the Christmas fabric I found in our Christmas storage bin. Apparently as I was shopping for grey/yellow fabric for our wedding last year, I threw in a bunch of Christmas-themed fabric as well. Not sure what I intended to do with it (it definitely wasn't for the wedding), but it clearly never happened and now I have lots of festive little patterns just dying to be made into something.
HIGH-FIVING myself for having more blog posts in the last month than in the two and a half months before that (granted, those were some crazy two and a half months... but still.) I genuinely love writing, and it feels good to visit this little space more frequently.
RUNNING a mile a day, say what? It's true. I still hadn't made up my mind on Thanksgiving if I was going to participate in the #mileaday challenge, but I went ahead and ran that afternoon (in between Thanksgiving lunch and Thanksgiving dinner, mind you. Terrible idea.) I did it again the next day, just in case, and by the following day, I figured this was becoming a thing and I might as well see it through. I managed to convince Zach to come along with me on Day 5... and every day since! Running with a Marine definitely has its perks; I've shaved nearly two minutes off my mile time since Zach started tagging along.
WATCHING I'll Be Home For Christmas as soon as I click "publish" on this blog post! There are a lot of mega-popular Christmas movies out there, so I sincerely doubt this 1998 classic with Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Jessica Biel is on anyone's top ten list... except mine :) Nonetheless, it's my favorite, because, well, Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Jessica Biel, obviously.
WRAPPING presents, per the above photo. I like to wrap everything with brown kraft paper so I can doodle my heart out with Sharpies :) I also have a ridiculous amount of yarn from the "I think I'll teach myself to crochet" phase that I (unsuccessfully) went through last fall, so it comes in handy for making "ribbon" and tying cute little bows.
Currently // November
BRAGGING on my smarty-smart husband who was the only member of his group to get a 100% on his recent crisis intervention project/presentation. Also bragging on myself, because Zach's teacher said that his group's Powerpoint was the only one completely free of grammatical errors... and guess who proofed that baby?
BRAINSTORMING all the blog posts! I know updates around here have been few and far between lately, but I have a lot of stories and ideas just dying to get out. I've actually made a list of content and outlined a rough schedule for the remainder of 2013, so get ready! I hope to send this blog-year out with a bang :)
CATCHING up on all of the new episodes of our favorite shows that aired while Corrie was in the hospital. Definitely not an easy feat, but hey - somebody's gotta do it.
CREATING all the things! (And apparently referencing Hyperbole and a Half way more than I realized). Seriously, though, I just wrapped up a cute coffee mug DIY that I can't wait to share next month, am almost finished with a huge creative "30 Days of Thankful" project that I will be sharing in a week, and am also attempting to cross "sew a quilt" off of my list of 2013 goals. I love creative bursts of inspiration.
EMBRACING the countless references that will inevitably be made during the next week to the time I was a pilgrim in our church's 1992 Thanksgiving pageant.
LAUGHING at this article that a former teammate shared with me entitled "29 Ways You Know You're An Ex-Gymnast." I really don't think about my past life as a gymnast that much, but I could relate to almost every single one of these, so it's apparently just part of who I am.
LOOKING forward to Thanksgiving and being able to spend time with both my side and Zach's side of the family. (This is our first Thanksgiving as a married couple, ah!) We certainly have a lot for which to be thankful this year!
OBSESSING over this commercial for GoldieBlox, a construction-themed board gamed marketed toward girls. Read more about it in Adweek's article entitled "3 Girls Smash Gender Roles to Smithereens in Toy Company's Glorious Debut Ad." Because who doesn't love smashing gender roles? Also, the contraption collaborator behind OK Go's music videos is the mastermind of the whole set-up, and who doesn't love OK Go's music videos? Worth a click, I promise.
THINKING about doing the #mileaday challenge (running one mile every day between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day.) Let's be real: I probably won't do anything more than think about it since I hate to run and I hate being cold. However, I do love a good challenge...
VOTING for said GoldieBlox commercial in Intuit's contest to pay for a small business ad to air during the Super Bowl. (That's worth $4 million, y'all!) Honestly, I'm all about the small business love, so visit www.smallbusinessbiggame.com to view all four of the finalists and choose your favorite. I think it's a really cool marketing approach on Intuit's behalf!
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