...a wet dog...

if sampson could do one thing every day for the rest of his little life, he would swim.

scratch that. he would swim after & retrieve tennis balls. all day.

lakes, rivers, ponds, swimming pools...anywhere.

sampson waaiiiting to go in the lake this past summer

wouldn't it be lovely to be so content? to be so happy doing such a lighthearted task.
i think about that often.
doing something i love and being in the moment.
taking in the unabashed joy that sampson would have during the 438th jump in the water to get that ball.
it's time to focus on more of that.

also, sampson wants to know if it's spring/summer yet. please?

...back in 2013 - washington dc....

in 2012 my mom & i ventured to nyc over mother's day weekend.
we had a blast {although our feet, legs & backs needed months to recuperate}.

this year it was off to somewhere new. the requirements were:
1) a fun city 2) somewhere my mom could travel by train overnight and get to easily
believe it or not i had never been to washington dc and had always wanted to go.
i knew it was a cool city, had plenty of sights to see and satisfied requirements 1 &2.
so, off we went.

picture from an exhibit from the smithsonian american art museum

we took the typical bus tour where we saw the monuments and memorials at night.
the frankin d. roosevelt was our favorite monument. the korean war memorial was breathtaking.
arlington cemetary was so vast and the tomb of the unknown was sad and beautiful at the same time.

we perused the smithsonian museums & stopped by the white house.
we wandered around williamsburg & georgetown & found the perfect space to enjoy a few cupcakes.

the trip was a success, unless you count my mom throwing her back out on the ride home.
the memories that we made from this touristy trip are ones i hold dear.
already looking forward to 2014's trip back to nyc!

...well hello there...

that's my little sampson looking out of his window & waiting for me to come home. 

look at that face!

i feel like this blog has been waiting for me to come "home" for over a year now.
i've missed this little space & it's time to spend some time back here.
so, hello again!

...back in 2012 - nyc...

back in may of 2012 my mom & i took our first "big" mother/daughter trip together.
it was over mother's day weekend & we went to a city that we both have fond memories of.
the big apple. the concrete jungle. the city that never sleeps. new york city!

my mom & dad honeymooned there together in 1983 & we visited as a family in 1996.
i've since been there for work, but it was fun to explore the city with my mom!

we met up at penn station and stayed in the heart of midtown.

we took a trip on a double decker {above} around town
& over the brooklyn bridge where we saw the NYC skyline lit up at night {below}.

we toured the central park conservatory & the central park zoo. lounged in bryant park.
vowed to come back and shop in greenwich village. ate cupcakes from magnolia bakery.
shared drinks overlooking broadway at night. saw the 911 memorial & walked the highline {below}.
went to the moma & took in the jersey boys broadway show {mom's fave part of the trip}.

our trip to NYC together is one that we will always remember. so many memories.
i am so lucky to have the opportunity to go on a trip like this & spend time with my mom.

this coming may we will embark on our second annual mother daughter trip. our destination?
washington d.c.!

...happenings...

it's been a while since i've visited this corner of the internet.

no excuses, really. just a feeling that we've been busy but not sure with what.

but i do know that i missed it. 

i have a feeling that we should start slow. and with something that's current.

last weekend we:

found a fantastic cocktail at bonefish grill & went to bed before 10:30 on friday.

had our typical dunkin donuts coffee on saturday & sunday mornings.

slept in. worked around the house.

celebrated a friend's 29th birthday & a butler basketball win on saturday.

& we took sampson to lowe's for his first ever visit on sunday.

he loved it. obviously.

this weekend's plans are on par.

being in bed early, celebrating a friend's birthday & shopping around town.

to be honest, low key weekends like that tend to be some of my favorites.

...happy halloween & happy anniversary...

seven years ago today chris & i started dating.
two years later he proposed.

so, i'm sure you understand why i'm so fond of halloween.
it's a lucky little day for me.

i love you chris.
happy anniversary! xoxo

photo from our trip to napa this past summer.

sampson turns one

my baby bear turned one this past may.
one. tear.
he only wanted two things for his birthday:
a bow tie and a frost paw treat.
so, got him both {not pictured: frosty paw}. 

sampson is the best dog. 

totally a momma's boy but prefers to snuggle with his dad at night. 

that being said, sleeps in the bed with us. 

will do anything for green beans or turkey. 

loves to play with anything that squeaks. 

loves swimming. going on walks & sitting on our new patio couch. 

can find any black sock within a 10 foot radius. 

still has the puppy cray cray in him. but we love it. 

i love you boo boo. happy belated birthday!

{picture: sampson on his 1st birthday}

mother's day in NYC

mother's day was quickly approaching.
i was trying to talk my mom into a 4 day trip to NYC to celebrate.
with a little nudging {& the fact that i had already booked our hotel} she agreed to go.

& what a blast we had.

bryant park {free yoga!? you new yorkers are so lucky!}
times square & a night bus tour
central park, the central park zoo & the central park conservatory.
the 9/11 memorial & rockefeller plaza.
jersey boys  {my mom's favorite part of the trip}.
chelsea market & the highline {my favorite part of the trip}.

tiny shops. the subway. the hustle & bustle.
outdoor dining complete with people watching.
pictures together.
glasses of wine & bakery cupcakes.
adventure.
celebrating my mom.

it was a great weekend.
happy mother's day mom!
thanks for making the trip. it was worth it.

{photo: my mom and i on the highline}

i may be back, but summer is gone

hello old friend!
it's been so long since i've stopped by.
the summer is already such a distant and hazy memory.
i have lots of it to post here so that i don't forget anymore that i already have.

a trip to NYC in may with my mom.
sampson's first birthday!
trips to the lake over long summer weekends.
lots of calligraphy orders.
concerts.
a fantastic california vacation.
my 28th birthday.
our new patio.
baby showers for friends.

it was a great summer that went by oh-so-quickly.
i have to admit, i'm not quite ready for fall.
i need a few more boat rides with a cold margarita in hand.
a couple more chances to wear my brightly colored clothes.
a few more opportunities to wear wedges and flip-flops.
another day with those warm rays of sun adding to my tan.

for now, and for the next few posts, let's pretend summer isn't already over.
please and thank you.

{photo: in huntington beach, cali on my 28th birthday. quite the perfect view.}

2x3

i spent an hour or so the other night cleaning out our junk drawer. 

it had gotten to be a disaster. a 2x3 disaster. 

chargers, batteries, pens, rubber bands, take out menus & other usual suspects. 

along with golf tees, sunscreen tubes, cameras and medication for our puppy. 

something had to be done. the drawer would barely close.

so, i buckled down. 

i took everything out & sorted through the randomness. 

some things were trashed, some stored elsewhere {where they should have been}

& some put back in the drawer itself. 

at the end of the hour, an organized masterpiece. 

i was happy while cleaning out that drawer. 

seeing the bottom of the drawer & the rubber bands in one place 

made me sigh with contentment. 

i never would have thought i would have gotten so much satisfaction 

from cleaning out a junk drawer. 

more of this needs to happen in my daily life. 

more cleaning, more decluttering, more sorting & more organizing. 

not necessarily in large chunks. no. 2x3 sections will do just fine. 

photo via

knock knock

oh hi there. it's been a while.

tonight the husband is out of town & its raining outside.
so, naturally, i'm curled up on the sofa with a glass of wine & the pup has a bone.

i'm trying to really think back on what i did during the month of march.
it all seems like such a distant memory, perhaps since may is almost here.
i know i ate a lot of frozen yogurt. with gummy bears. that i know.
i actually didn't drink that much wine. which shocked even myself.
we went on a lot of walks with our puppy soaking up the warm march weather.
we saw the hunger games movie & spent almost every weekend with friends.
i've golfed (aka driven the cart) w/ chris a few times & even hit a few balls.

april brought more of the same.
lots of friends. lots of laughs. less wine. more golf. lots of walks with the pup.
it'll be capped off with a day trip to keeneland & finally seeing eric church in concert.
may brings a trip to nashville with my girlfriends & a trip to NYC with my mom.
all within the first 13 days.

it's interesting how fast the months have come and gone this year.
a new month knocks at the front door & slips out the back before i can blink.
i suppose that's a good thing. i suppose its what happens when one is happy.
not that i wasn't necessarily happy before. but now, for some reason, i can feel it.

perhaps its the louder knocking.
but i'd like to think of it as my willingness to hear the knocking.
having known that i've taken the current month for all its worth
& am ready to see what the next brings.

more happiness. more friends. more laughter.
more family. more plans. more living.

celebrating

tomorrow night we're celebrating the 27th birthday of a friend of ours.

my husband's friend's fiancee. {got that?!}

we met in 2007 when my husband & his friend lived together.

she was {is} gorgeous & i was intimidated.

until about 3 years ago when we discovered our shared love for country music.

summer country concerts & trips to nashville {love!} followed.

as did "girl's night out" & dinner dates with the guys.

this past month she asked me to be a bridesmaid in their wedding.

she has become one of my close friends.

i always thought that my "close friends" would be the girls from my sorority/college.

those 9 girls mean the world to me.

i was fine {& blessed} with those 9 friends.

and now another has come along.

another girl & i made plans to celebrate her our friend's birthday.

dinner w/ 12 people, drinks at a bar & then hanging out at after.

my husband commented the other day, essentially,

that it's silly to want to get everyone together to celebrate a birthday @ our age.

{unless, of course, it's your 30th & your friends are surprising you in vegas}

i've thought that over for a bit. here are my thoughts:

there are too many scary & lonely times in life.

why not take the chance to celebrate when you can?

celebrate friendships. celebrate anything. celebrate the small things.

just celebrate. together.

so, tomorrow night i'm doing just that.

cheers to new{er} friends, good food, laughter, a night on the town

& a slice of birthday cake!

balloon bench via this pinterest pin from yatzer

...smile when it's raining...

in my last post(s) i mentioned the start of my own little happiness project.

3 new goals to focus on each month & every month thereafter.
starting with my attitude in january.
continuing with my marriage in february.

i can really see a change coming with my attitude.
& starting now I'm cutting out the unnecessary negatives too.
"it's so cold/hot outside!" "the internet is too slow."
"my margarita has too much salt on the rim."
i'm really wanting to say, think & project a positive attitude.
really excited about this & where its going.

february's goals for working on our marriage were itty bitty goals.
being present. using pleasant tones & expressions. giving proofs of love.

some are harder than others to do. all are so important.

i did really well with "being present"

by not turning on my computer @ home after work {to blog, read blogs, etc}.

by joining my husband for a round of golf on a saturday {brrr 40 degrees}.

& by doing the "little things" together {eating, errands, laundry}.

i'm actually really excited for the habits that i have set out for march.
centering around giving/goodwill/good cheer.

smile. give daily. be grateful.

i know for a fact that i don't smile enough.

this changes today.

i want to give give give.

my time, my attention, my love, my friendship, my knowledge, etc.

to my husband, dog, family, friends, community, strangers.

too many of us never take the time to give back,

even in the simplest way to the simplest cause or the smallest person.

this changes today.

i know this sounds cliche, but i have so much to be grateful for.

a husband that cooks, a dog that cuddles {sometimes}, a supportive family,

a quaint house, a boat to cruise on, no debt(!!!!), a supply of wine, a job,

a fantastic education, fun friends, a memorable childhood

& one heck of an amazing college experience.

"feeling gratitude & not expressing it

is like wrapping a present & not giving it." -w.a. ward

i'm ready to be grateful. to give. & to smile.

image via tonicoward

it's easy to be heavy, hard to be light

In my last post I mentioned the start of my own little happiness project.
3 new goals to focus on each month & every month thereafter.
starting with my attitude.

you see, i'd been in a funk {that i cannot describe} for quite a while.
i wanted to be a happier & i needed to make a change.
i needed to start with my attitude.
so i tried not to be negative, tried to be easy to please
& tried to breathe before reacting to a stressful situation.

it was not easy.
but i can feel a change coming.

i am more aware of my attitude & how it affects others.
i am more cautious to think before i speak.
i take more deep calming breaths.
i honestly feel lighter. happier.

a new month, february, brings three new goals in addition to the three above.
with a focus on our marriage.
be present. {put the iphone away & pay attention}
give a proofs of love. {show love & appreciation daily}
use pleasant tones & expressions. {no nagging, eye-rolling or face scrunching}
every marriage takes work. no matter how small the work may be.
xo,

photo as seen on design sponge

bring your own sunshine

oh hi there. happy 2012!
the past 6 months have literally flown by.
i suppose that's what happens when a 7 mo. old puppy is romping around your house.
but he makes me happy. so happy. so that's ok with me.

but now that we're a few days into 2012,
it's time for me to finally make good on my intentions in this post &
start my own happiness project.

for the month of january i'll be focusing on my attitude w/ these three goals:
1. positive words lead to a positive attitude. {stop being negative}
2. be easy to please at work & at home. {go with the flow}
3. breathe. {think twice before venting to others/facebook/twitter}

i've been tracking my progress so far. it's amazing what a little challenge can do.
i am much more aware of my attitude than ever before.
i can feel the change already. the shift towards the positive.
a brighter outlook. {more sunshine}
a lighter feeling.

photo via bippityboppityboo

december?!

i'm not exactly sure how it happened,
but i barely had a chance to celebrate fall this year!

we didn't carve pumpkins or decorate our front porch w/ hay bales.
we didn't go to a haunted house or see a scary movie.
unless you count hocus pocus.
we didn't decorate inside the house for fall either,
unless you count the four orange dish towels that i got out.

i did manage to celebrate fall in a few small ways.
by consuming my fair share of salted carmel mochas.
by taking in the turning leaves on morning & evening walks with the pup.
by attending the college homecoming football games of both of our alma maters.
by taking my cowboy boots out for a fall weekend in nashville w/ the girls.
by restocking & then consuming my supply of red wines.
by wearing skinny jeans & aldo boots every chance I could.
& by dressing up Sampson for halloween as a shark, for all of three minutes.

here's to hoping that i fully celebrate winter for all that it's worth!
peppermint mochas. hats & gloves. warm fireplace. cozy blankets.
twinkling lights. more red wine. baked goods. puppy's first romp in the snow.

photo is a print as seen on the raceytay etsy shop

homecoming

this weekend i'm headed home.
home to my alma mater.
home to the butler bulldogs.
home to my sorority house.
home to the place of some of my favorite memories.

cheers to a fantastic education.
cheers to the place where i met my best friends.
cheers to my old stompping grounds.
cheers to the nostalgia & the memories.
cheers to some of the best days of my life.
cheers to butler u.
image via kelseys wanderlust

excitement

sometimes i feel that i don't have too much to blog about.
life isn't that exciting around these parts these days.
wake up. walk dog. get ready. go to work.
work. work. eat lunch {read blogs}. work. work. go home.
eat dinner {prepared by husband}. walk dog. watch tv. go to bed.

but there was a time, back in the day, where life was a little more exciting.
day drinking, spring breaks, sorority socials & bar hopping in broadripple.
blind dates, break-ups, road trips & the hilarity {& innocence} of freshman year.
& other things that cannot and should not be mentioned.
most of which my mother, who reads this blog, doesn't & shouldn't know about.

but someday, i hope our kids ask me about those days.
& i might refuse to tell them until they are out of college, but i hope they ask.
because i was young & wild & free once, and i had a blast.

just don't ask about the motorcycle.

lucky september

september has come & gone in the blink of an eye.
it was filled with trips to the lake for labor day
& to nashville for a girls weekend in the finest honky tonks.

it was a month where sampson discovered his love for
hotdogs, the fall breeze & the stuffing inside any and all toys.
he perfected the act of stealing socks from the hamper.
he got yelled at by a neighbor for something he didn't do.
& he was upgraded to bigger water and food bowls
which, for me, was a sad milestone to mark.
most importantly, september 27th was our 3rd wedding anniversary.
we went out to a nice dinner, just the two of us.
i even tried the bang bang shrimp.
we've been talking a lot lately about what direction we're taking our lives.
personally, professionally & as a couple.
there's a few unknowns at the moment, but one thing is for sure.
we're looking together in the same direction.

tied the knot & lucky in love.
picture via mary ruffle (orig­i­nal source eliz­a­beth demos via design sponge)

out with my boots on

it's been a while since i've been to nashville.
there's something about that place that makes me feel alive {& young}.
maybe it's the neon lights.
maybe it's the plethora of cowboy boots tapping to live music.
maybe it's singing at the top of my lungs in a honky tonk with my girlfriends.
whatever it is, i have determined that it's good for the soul.

i'm going to miss out on sharing this fall weekend with the husband & the pup
but the bright lights on broadway are calling my name.
be back sunday. xoxo

image above by aron wright via design sponge.