Thankful

I have not joined in everyone's' days of November thanks, so I can just sum it up now.

Thankful for- (in no particular order)

1. my faith and Lord

2. Michael

3. supportive family and people in my life

4. my in-laws and that I married someone with a normal, loving, accepting family

5. my dog/child, Molly

6. having an income

7. my new NEPHEW! and God granting me the gift of being an aunt

8. the strength and inspiration my bestie, Marissa, shows me daily

9. Auburn

10. laughter and the people in my life who bring it to me

11. hair straighteners

12. America

13. my gigantic extended family

14. my grandmother and her sweet text messages (and that she knows how to text)

15. my friends

16. polite people

17. my fashion sense 

18. days off

19. food and that I have never been denied three (plus) meals each day of my life

20. my health

21. my sister, who also shows me endless strength and inspiration

22. my relationship with my parents. my dad and I have our own (bizarre) language and my mom is my best friend.

23. books, tv, music, internet and other means of escape

24. the luxury of travel

25. warm weather and sunny days

26. being Catholic. I am passionate about my faith and its history.

27.fond memories

28. modern day conveniences 

29. that my husband likes to drive everywhere, because I really hate to

30. cards (sending and receiving)

calling all twihards

I am a total Twihard and now ashamed to admit it. I love the books and the movies (the first book was my fav) and swoon over JPats on the big screen. In celebration of Breaking Dawn 1 coming out this week-

BAT sandy

Want to shake up the classic BLT? Last night I made a BAT, (turkey) Bacon Avocado Tomato sandwich, and it was delish! Avocado has so much more flavor than the flavorless lettuce, and the ultra crispy turkey bacon still gives you enough crunch. Tip: I also added some spicy mayo and jalapenos for that extra kick I always crave.

DIY with Wine

Pintrest makes me feel like I can actually be crafty. Something I have been wanting to do for a while is re-use wine bottles. I won't lie, I enjoy the occasional glass/bottle of wine and because I love wine SO much, I have been saving the old bottles to re-purpose them for home decor. Some cute ideas:

 [santa hats for the holidays]

 [let it snow. spray paint and epsom salt]

 [probably my fav. yarn wrapped]

[custom labels off etsy]

love lives here

I think house hunting makes me feel more domestic/inclined to decorate the home in which we currently occupy. I wanted a fun and calming quote to put in our house and got this off Zazzle. Best part? I designed it myself for $12! 

These three simple words remind me that while we may not own our own house right now or have the most glamorous things, our house has a lot of love :)

Shutterfly promo

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Photo Card

Handwritten Wishes Christmas

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View the entire collection of cards.

half of a year in

Yesterday marked six months we have been married! It has certainly been an adventure so far and it truly feels like the wedding was yesterday. 

We spent the weekend in Auburn celebrating a win with friends. 

 (love this)

 (June 11- adopted Molly)

 (attending a summer wedding in Auburn)

 

(summer hike in the mountains)

 (April 16- MARRIED!)

 (April-Now name changes and decorating our first place together)

Storing, not Boring.

I want our space to be functional while reflecting our personalities. Two ideas I love:

 Chalkboard with shelving and hooks. I would hang this piece in my front entry way. The hooks would be perfect for the dog leash, umbrella, etc. I like the vintage feel of a chalkboard for writing messages and leaving my personal favorite, love notes.

(This is from Urban Outfitters)

I love floor to ceiling bookshelves. This is a little more organized than I would prefer, but I imagine my house to have a giant bookshelf with books, vases, photos and trinkets. 

(I found this on Pintrest)

Check out this above post from Cupcakes and Cashmere on personalizing your storage space.

living and loving

When I was in school I always hated reading; probably because I was forced to read books I didn't care about. As an adult, the second I am done reading one book, I have three more I am dying to pickup. After reading a series of best sellers, I found this one by comedic writer Jenna McCarthy. 

Although I just started it last night, it revolves around Jenna's (and others) real life adventures as a wife and how many/most of our marital struggles are living together. Like having a roommate, you notice every single (irking) thing your spouse can do and traits that were once endearing when you were dating can often loose their charm.  

Do you stop loving this person? Never. Would you rather be alone? No (ok, sometimes, but not forever). As a newlywed, she hit the nail on the head for me, in her introduction with a remark about how you spend a year (your whole life) planning a wedding, honeymoon and how darn cute your babies will be, but you don't always think about "ever after," and "till death do us part." 

I feel grateful that Michael and I's religion required us to go through couples counseling prior to marriage, as once a week we were taken out of wedding planning and forced to deal with real-life marital situations. However, as we chose not to live together before hand, something I still stand by, that is often the biggest wake up call. 

I am excited to read through this novel that promises to shed a comedic light on living with the man you love... till death do you part.

FALLing in love

Picture collage of many reasons I love FALL.

 (I made a mini pumpkin tree! Assorted fresh floral and these cute miniature pumpkin trees I found.)

(Lots of new fallen leaves, twigs and acorns for Molly to explore.)

 (Scarecrow couple I found! Put these little guys in front of the house.)

(Molly gets to wear her AU bandanna on game days.)

i'm dreaming of a white....kitchen

Michael and I have slowly started looking at houses, and as we do like most shoppers, I am drawn to the kitchen. I think white has made a huge comeback in the kitchen and while dark granite and cabinets were once considered the way to go, white adds a rich, elegant, light, country feel to me. Took some pictures off Pintrest.

 

I think the punches of color in the upholstery showcase personality

 I love, love, love exposed brick!

My dream white kitchen will also have an island.

Don't settle

I think Steve Jobs said and did some of the most inspirational and visionary things I will see in my lifetime. Beyond his professional life, his personal life and how he led it with such privacy and dignity are moving. This is an excerpt from his commencement speech at Stanford in 2005. 

"Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle."

This hits home all too much, certainly with most people my age.We are the age of technology and innovation, but mixed with recession and a struggling economy. It is hard not to settle when you have to pay the bills. I have not seen in my (short) professional lifetime a hiring boom or surplus of jobs. But, as Jobs said "if you haven't found it yet, keep looking."

more Steve Jobs quotes

be a professional. a quick write/right up.

I cannot stand when 50 year old corporate types make third grade grammar mistakes. If everyone would take a minute to brush up on a few rules, they and their respective organizations would greatly benefit. Here is how I feel, if you cannot spell, speak and write correctly, why would I buy anything from you or trust anything you're saying? Correction: I stop reading after the second grammar splice.

CopyBlogger wrote this post, "Five Grammatical Errors that Make You Look DUMB," and I couldn't agree more. Number one is my biggest peeve. Sheesh people, if you would take a minute to just think about the contraction it would make sense and you would never get it wrong again.

1. Your vs. You’re

This one drives me insane, and it’s become extremely common among bloggers. All it takes to avoid this error is to take a second and think about what you’re trying to say.

“Your” is a possessive pronoun, as in “your car” or “your blog.” “You’re” is a contraction for “you are,” as in “you’re screwing up your writing by using your when you really mean you are.”

Read the rest of the post for the other top five.

2. Its vs. It's

3.There vs. Their

4. Affect vs. Effect

5. The dangling participle

USA!

Watching the footage of 9.11 yesterday and attending the anniversary mass at my church certainly caused a few tears.

As sad as it was to watch the devastation and horrendous acts of terrorism, it was even more moving to watch the heroes jump into action and fight for our country. Seeing people come together for strangers and in a moment of panic and confusion, choose protecting a stranger over themselves brings tears to my eyes and chills to my body.

USA! USA!

Fall Fashion

Beyond football and the break from 100 degree heat, I love fall for its fashion. Boots, skinny jeans, cardigans and tunics are my favorite items. Since my closet is already stock full of said items, I just need to do a little updating to diversify the wardrobe.

Cathy Jean is hands down my favorite boot store for something stylish and long lasting. I have several boots, flat and small heeled, riding and buckled, black and brown, but they all come to my mid-calf or ankle. This year I am going to get a casual short boot like so-

 

Another item that I love for its ability to go from work to play is a tunic.Check out this shiny one from Zara. (the picture makes it look more glittery, but it is just a shimmered thread).

For work it would look great tucked with a pencil skirt or trousers and for evening you could go un-tucked with skinnies, a belt or jewelry.

SEC- it stands for SouthEASTERN Conference

With rumors circulating for weeks on Texas A&M joining the SEC, it looks as though an invitation was extended and here they come. Now, I am not bothered by having another team, competitor, etc. I am bothered because unlike other conferences, ours is truly about location and tradition. We are certainly competitive, but we have something in common (for the most part, sorry UF, everyone knows Florida isn't really the South) with our Southeastern ways, that other regions and schools just can't understand. College football isn't a sport, it's a lifestyle. Texas A&M, please stay west of the Mississippi and leave the SEC to the region who has perfected tradition and beauty.

happ(y)enings

I came back Sunday evening from a relaxing weekend with my mom and sister at the beach and my good mood rolled into the rest of the week!

You may have seen my Facebook updates but our pup, Molly, graduated from her training classes (6 weeks of teaching her to sit, stay, come, stop jumping, etc.). Typical to her normal nature, she was the class clown and trouble maker, despite these things I think she was actually the best at learning to do tricks! She is incredibly food and attention driven, so training her with the treats and extra loving works like a charm.

(that's a graduation cap on her.... dying it is so cute).

 

What else is new? Last night I played (goofed around) with some of my co-workers on the tennis courts and I think I am actually going to commit to learning how to play. Michael loves tennis and has been trying to get me to pick it up for years. I guess there are really only positives to this- extra time with my honey learning something he loves, playing with friends who like to play, exercise (much needed!), and cute tennis clothes and accessories. Win/Win. 

And FOOTBALL starts this weekend. Gah, there is nothing I love more. The first 20 pages of Southern Living were even devoted to SEC football. The rivalries, traditions and die-hard excitement. There will surely be more to come on this!

you know you're a redneck if...

I really actually hate redneck things. BUT, there are certain adventures I just love for the sheer ability to let go, wear what you want, people watch and not be judged (ok I am judging and mocking). If you live in Georgia do you?...

Shoot the hooch?

One of my favorite activities is hitting the Chattahoochee River in a tube packed full of beer with friends. The people you will see and stories you tell are worth that whopping $10. 

Hit the Laser Show

This is Atlanta's diversity at its finest. Seriously. I remember one summer we brought my grandmother from Boston just so she could see everyone spread out on the lawn eating KFC and drinking beer watching lasers and country music flash across this Confederate mountain.   

Summer is coming to an end, grab a tube or lawn blanket ASAP!

time.

Remember when you were a kid and always in a rush to grow up? Now I just want everything to slow down. The older I get the faster time flies and I hate it. I was perusing through Facebook the other day and realized a few things. 1) I don't really know anyone who goes to Auburn anymore. So, when I go back for football games it will to be visit all my alumni friends, which is cool and I knew would happen eventually, but I guess time just snuck up on me. 2) For the people who just started college, when they graduate I will be 30. 30 is one of those ages you just assume you'll have everything done by and just have yourself figured out. Well, I still have some work to do, so, I'm not so sure.

Age is another thing you re-prioritize when you get older. I used to think I knew the exact age I wanted to do everything. Get married (ok, check), have kids, have the perfect career, travel, buy a house, etc. I've started realizing I need to stop putting deadlines on things and for now find the perfect balance between ambition, happiness and reality. I will (hopefully) find my dream job and live in a dream house. But, for now I need to prioritize what is most important and tackle that. I'm going to keep getting older and life will keep passing by faster and faster. But, unless I stop and take the time to enjoy the life I am living, what is the point?

take a break from the kitchen

I know I have been slacking on the blog, I'm busy, ok!

We've established I'm not super domestic and would really rather dine out any night of the week. I love everything about eating out. I love the service, people watching, talking to waiters, learning about new foods, trying the new foods, I just love it. 

Here are some places you should try.

Village Burger, Dunwoody

They claim to have one of the best burgers in Atlanta.... and O M G. This place was packed with locals and totally delivered on its promise. Michael had an original, I got avocado on mine and we split a gigantic order of seasoned fries. Seriously, it was fantastic and such a quaint little dive. I highly recommend for burger, fries, milkshake and beer lovers.

Pricci, Buckhead

Buckhead Life Restaurant Group rarely gets it wrong for me, and yet I had not tried this famous Italian landmark in Atlanta. We dined there last weekend and the service and apps was by far the most standout (oh and the "glass" of wine that was more like 2.5 glasses). We had the fried calamari and zucchini which was fantatico! and then of course that amazing marinara with goat or feta (someone tell me, what is it?) sauce for bread. Both of our meals were great, lobster and crab ravioli and a seafood risotto, but to me that amazing zucchini and the garlic aioli sauce stood out in my mind all night. Oh, they also retweeted me upon my visit, which for those know me, I really love retweets :)

(THE BREAD!)

home goods.

Right before we married we moved into a town home style condo in the Perimeter area. It has tons of space which is nice for all of the new registry items we acquired. Since it was our first place together we pretty much just combined spaces, so we don't necessarily have the most adult/matching furniture, but it works and has made great strides. I find it difficult to decorate the place fully since we rent it and I have no idea how long we will be here... but a few great finds have made it feel more like home! I try to focus on accent pieces and not going crazy buying big budget items... Rome wasn't built in a day after all.

With the addition of china and entertaining pieces, we looked forever for something fun to store things in. Not wanting to invest in a china cabinet (because we don't have a dining room and/or dining table) we finally found this cute hutch that could be used for almost anything and brightens up the space a lot. I think a lot of things can make you feel at home, but fresh flowers, antique furniture and bright decorative pieces do the trick for me (our everyday dining is bright green!).

what you should be watching.

I really love television. In fact, I consider it one of my hobbies and am not at all ashamed to admit it. There are the obvious shows I love- Gossip Girl, Glee, True Blood, Bachelor, Vampire Diaries... and every show to ever hit MTV, Bravo or HGTV (my favorites- Teen Mom, every Real Housewife, Property Virgins).Ok, I have a problem.

But, here are some shows that I am obsessed with that are on in the summer and not getting as much attention as all of these other popular ones. So, if you want to beat the heat and order some seasons or get them on demand, I highly recommend!

Pretty Little Liars. This is up there with Gossip Girl and Vampire Diaries for me as one of the best shows ever. It is like a modern day murder mystery, full of scandal, suspense, love and drama.

Food Network Star: Just started watching it this season, but it is in its 7th. The hosts are reason enough to watch: Giada and Bobby Flay. I love cooking shows (Top Chef is my fav), but this is a new spin on it, they also have to be good at TV hosting! I am hooked. 

Giuliana and Bill: I've never met anyone who watches this. But, clearly people do, because it is in its fourth season. The reality show follows the unbelievably precious E! host (who I have a strange girl crush on)and her entrepreneur/apprentice star hubby and their adventures in marriage and struggles to conceive.

FILA

When you've lived in the same city your whole life there are so many things you don't do or take advantage of. Here is a list of upcoming things I want to do or plan on doing and haven't (and let me know if you want to go!)

• High Museum wine tasting. They actually have these sporadically and I have never been! How worldly to look at art while sipping wine. Must go!
• A fun day at Piedmont Park. They have this cool Beer Garden, plus the Tree Top tour, dog park, festivals and oh, so much more. (I've been to Piedmont, but need to do more!)
• Atlanta Bike Tour ok, I really want to start biking around in general, but I have always thought this would be a new, fun way to see the city and hear some history. Check it out!
• World of Coke I went one time on a field trip when I was a tiny kid and that was at the "old Coke Factory." Yes, the new one is not even new anymore and I have never seen it! I guess when you live here it isn't that big of a deal? (side note- I don't like soda, but this just seems so cool and full of fun facts!)

 

Rounding out the list is a ton of restaurants I know I still need to try. 

 
JCT Kitchen, Broken Egg, Pricci, Collonade, Woodfire Grill...   the list goes on. 

Party!

Saturday was my mom's big 5-0. What is crazy is she thinks she is old! She has children ages 23-27 and is only 50, most of my friends have parents much older. My mom does so much still. She is in grad school, works as a full time nurse and manager, full time wife and mom (and therefore counselor) and is probably one of the most domestic people I know! Lots of working moms can't say this. She is honestly one of the best cooks I know and still manages to have dinner on the table each night with all she has going on. Not sure I want to be doing all of this at age 50, but I certainly admire her more than anyone!

Saturday we had a little gathering for mom at our condo and my sister and I cooked all day while Michael (thankfully... best husband ever!) cleaned. In true Murray style, we had a fiesta with Mexican themed food and drinks. I tried all new recipes and they all turned out tasty (which is shocking, since I did not get my mother's domestic genes) of dips and tacos... then took the easy way out and ordered GiGi's cupcakes. Pictures to come at some point when my camera cord is functioning.

Sunday was BRITNEY SPEARS and it was definitely everything I hoped for. I was long due for a girls night and a good concert. Colleen, Whitney and I hung out at a rooftop bar nearby which was very fun before heading to the show. I've been listening to Britney Spears since I was 13 and she did not disappoint her audience of thousands of 20-30 year old women and gay men dancing and singing to more than a decade of fun music.

oh, the places we go

I've just been so busy there has been no time to post! Two weekends ago we spent the long July 4th weekend in Hilton Head with some friends... and lots of dogs! The beach was certainly what I needed as a stress reliever; and Michael was a big sport roughing the weekend with a house full of chicks. Check out me and the pup on her first beach vaca.

Molly loved the sand, she would dig and dig... so cute. The beach was also just what she needed! After spending some time with much more calm and trained dogs, she has been so good. We leave her out during the days now and she is chewing and potty free. She also seems much more acclimated to our lifestyle and has chilled out a lot. Success!

Last weekend we spent some time with Michael's parents at their cabin home in Big Canoe (a mountain development area in northern Georgia). Again, Molly loved that. as did we. No cell reception = no problems. I am not one for the wilderness, but it was fun hiking and spending time with people I love. Molly climbed this waterfall all the way to the top (and back down) with us. We swear she is part cat, part monkey.

(we actually made it to the top. this was just the middle for our photo-op break)

I have a very fun weekend ahead this weekend too! Friday, Michael and I are finally going to a Braves game together, Saturday is my mom's BIG birthday (shh, we won't say which one!) and Sunday I have tickets to the Britney Spears concert with my girlfriends.... just have to get through 32ish more hours of craziness as I continue to be beyond busy at work- which is generally a good thing, sometimes it just makes my head spin a tad.

Congrats to my friends Kelly and Brian who got engaged Saturday!

Auntie (goes shopping!)

We found out Marielle and Brian were pregnant in April, but today we found out... it's a BOY! Which will certainly fuel my shopping as blue is my absolute favorite color and monogramming initials and names is something I love to see done. Like me, my wonderful sister-in-law shares a passion for stimulating the economy, so I have no doubt he will be the most preciously swaddled baby on the block.

If you also love online shopping and things unique, you better spend all your time on Etsy like me. My two recent purchases-

Custom made artwork with our last name I found from this Etsy seller. She was super easy to work with and made this great piece for us to hang in our new home. All I had to do was get it framed!

Simple gold initial necklace I purchased from this Etsy Seller. It is a great everyday piece!

What will I buy next? Something BLUE! Thanks M and B this is just another reason for me to shop :) Your brother will be happy.

Tidbits

I just got back from a conference in Orlando and always return tired. It was a good time, more so fun, not very successful for my company... although I did come back obsessed with the Casey Anthony trial (thanks Jenn), so HLN will be on for good now.

I was SO excited to see little Molly when I got back and just dropped her off for her first grooming appointment and am off to meet Michael for dinner soon. Even when I only leave for a few days I miss my sweet, tiny family.

Before I left we celebrated my birthday. A weekend of fun with friends! Life has changed so much since getting married and I am loving it. After lots of time with friends on Thursday and Friday, Michael and I just chilled out Saturday by the pool then went to our favorite, hole in the wall sushi restaurant. Him and Molly gave me sweet presents and we watched the season that we're on of How I Met Your Mother (we started at the beginning and it is so fun! Anyone who doesn't watch should). It was a perfectly fun and simple day that we both needed.

This weekend we are off to Hilton Head to celebrate the Fourth. My friend, Colleen, has a house down there so a few of us are going to get away for the weekend. I can't wait to see sand and beach.

Birth week fun!

This week has been a little hectic. Michael and I have both been super stressed at work and I have not been feeling well. BUT, tomorrow is my birthday, so I am excited for fun with my friends! Tonight Marissa planned for my best girlfriends to get together to go to one of those painting classes! I haven't seen Marissa in forever and I'm excited to have a night of doing just girly things and having good girl talk.

Tomorrow I have the day off work to unfortunately have a doctor's appointment (I have been having these strange muscle/nerve pains in my side for a few weeks, ugh, but hoping it will be nothing) which is not ideal for my big day, BUT I will make the best of it! Hopefully, still get some pool time in and shopping. Then my sweet husband has gotten friends together for dinner and a night out in Virginia Highlands.

I love birthdays and always have! I am a little sad about turning 25, but nonetheless excited for a birthday. This time last year Michael proposed, so I have been sentimental all week, just thinking about how fast time has gone. Life has been good and busy as usual. Little Molly keeps things crazy... she is good, just very hyper and not as potty trained as we originally thought. She keeps us laughing constantly and loves to snuggle and play :) Here is a picture from last year's birthday when we got engaged. So much has changed since then (including my hair color, thank goodness). 24 was definitely a life changing year for me, and I am excited to see what God has planned next!  

(clearly I wasn't planning on getting engaged. hot pink, chipped nail polish didn't make for great ring photos that night)

big love

For those that know me I am very close to my family, especially my parents. My mom is my best friend in the whole world and I am still daddy's little girl. I adore everything about my parents' relationship and am so blessed to come from a family with parents what have been happily married for 29 years (their anniversary is tomorrow). 

We grew up with a very happy and fun childhood. Our house was always full of laughter, pets (dogs, fish, hamsters, lizards, cats, you name it, we had it), sports, dancing, faith and encouragement. My parents always made it a point to support each other in everything we did. My sister was into the arts and singing, myself played soccer and my brother played travel baseball. Even though our interests were different we always went together to support the other and their hobby. As a child I know I complained going from baseball field to field and sitting through endless choral performances, but as an adult I cherish these memories that the five of us spent together. 

As I begin my life as a wife, I appreciate my rearing even more and am continuously inspired by successful couples and families around me. Michael also comes from a home of parents married 30+ years, who I absolutely adore. I hope as we find our stride as husband and wife, someone looks at our relationship in 30 years with the respect and adoration we have for theirs.