folly beach bach

Hello and happy Monday! I'm back from a quick trip to Folly Beach for Katie's bachelorette! I posted a few snaps below.

Sara and I planned the bachelorette party together as co-maids of honor. We had so much fun creating favors together and wanted to leave the weekend largely unplanned. We spent most of the time on the beach or by the pool, which was great for me - especially as I was still recovering from being sick.

{Flamingo floats to hold our tumblers up in the pool!}

{Bachelorette party survival kits for each girl. We stocked them with koozies, Pirate's Booty, La Croix, sunglasses, Burt's Bees chapstick, Emergen-C (lots of girls in a small space!), Aloe, Advil & a mini bottle}

We also attempted to remake this cute bridal party mugshot collage. Sans a professional photographer, ours didn't turn out quite the same. :) But, for your viewing pleasure,

I hope your weekend was wonderful!

july around here

Happy Thursday, friends! 

I had this post all ready to go this week, then I came down with the stomach flu. Ick! It reminded me of a little blogging truth that's important to remember: people always post the good stuff, so it's really important not to compare your real life to someone's blog life. If I were to post what my Tuesday around 1 p.m. looked like, it would not be pretty.

But, alas, here's the post I wanted to share with you before I spent my week on the bathroom tile :)

//

Normally, I hoard my summer weekends. Meaning, I try to leave them as unscheduled as possible, so the warm, long days turn into warm, long weeks. I yearn for July days that are full of what should we do today? and where should we go next?

But this year has been different. July has been packed, with travel every weekend. Although it has made the month fly by, I'm so grateful for the time with dear friends, in sweet cities. Here's what we've been up to around these parts:

We had a Fourth of July cookout with our Atlanta framily.

And a lake trip to south Georgia with dear friends.

Chris and I snuck in a date night, where we saw a movie. Yes, a movie! It was our second movie ever. We saw Inside Out and loved, loved it. If only every movie could be that good! We took an elevator selfie to document the unusual occurrence.

We went to Raleigh for a wedding. Chris was in the wedding, so I spent the day exploring that sweet city town on foot. I grabbed an iced coffee from Brew Coffee Bar, which was g.o.o.d. I'm thinking Raleigh may be my next city guide.

{Speaking of which, thank you to everyone who has pinned my Nashville City Guide. That has gotten a lot more action than I ever expected!}

Chris and I went to Birmingham for the inaugural Sloss Festival. We loved Lord Huron and First Aid Kit! Also! Loved Steel City Pops. Holy vanilla! All of their flavors are gluten free, which I quite liked.

{Turns out Octane Birmingham is just as good as Octane Atlanta}

When we got back into town, we had the pure joy of meeting our friends' new baby, Davis. I couldn't be happier to see Katie & Austen become parents.

And that's July!

I'm supposed to leave for Charleston for a bachelorette party today, but with being sick am going to hopefully be up for it tomorrow. So now, back to the couch :) I hope your week has been swell!

first weekend of summer in ATL

One of my all-time favorite holidays each year is the first day of summer. Nothing says happy to me like the longest day of the year. This past week I've been celebrating with as much time as possible in that sweet Georgia sun. With that sweet man-made sunscreen :) Here's what I've been up to:

Free King of Pops yoga on the BeltLine (every Tuesday - 7 p.m.!) with Melly.

{Melly got this sweet Atlanta on the Rise mug from Foster ATL}

Slow mornings with good convo&coffee on my brothers' deck before the sun gets too hot. 

King of Pops in honor of our Pops on Father's Day! No better way for a Biber to celebrate someone they love than with dessert. It's our love language.

A pool day (with more sunscreen) to celebrate our sweet friend Megan's birthday.

And two (yes, two!) trips to the new Victory in Inman Park. Mile High Club and Tea Bird gluten free sandwiches for this girl! So good. And so happy. Welcome back to the neighborhood, Victory! We're so glad you're here.

And now it is officially my favorite season of the year! Happy Monday!

let life overflow

When I was a senior in college, a lot of girls in my sorority lived out of the house - meaning they got their own apartments. I remember, at the time, I wanted to live in the house, but kept thinking about how I was really ready to cook for myself and decorate my own place.

When my friends and I were recently back in Bloomington for a bachelorette party, I told them that if I could, I'd tell all those juniors that are making the same decision: live in senior year. You have your whole life to live on your own. This is the last chance you'll have to live with so many of your friends. Enjoy the day parties and dancing on the sundeck in the afternoon. Soak up every late night chat with froyo and blaring music while getting ready together. Enjoy communal meals and showers and the constant togetherness that inevitably fades away when you no longer live with your best friends and have minimal commitments.

As I said it, I realized this advice - this attitude of enjoy-the-now - is just as applicable to my life today, too. In our 20s, it's so easy to want what the people around us have. As I watch my friends move in with boys, move to new cities, have babies or have the incredible joy of living near their families, it's easy to feel overcome by the wanting. It's easy to let it taint the right now.

But right now is really sweet. Are there hard days? Yes. Do I sometimes feel jealous of my friends who are on different tracks than me? Of course. It's natural. But, the older I get, the more I understand that we have to make a choice at some point between overflowing and emptiness. Are we going to decide that what we have is enough - that life is overflowing - and get as much joy out of it as possible? Or are we going to always look at it as though it is not enough - that is is empty?

It got me thinking about life right now and that I really want to remember this phase. I want to soak it in so that in a few years I don't forget how great it is. Because life today is sweet. The days are long and warm and the nights are restful and balmy. Evenings are marked by walks with Chris or frisbee with my brothers. We grill out a lot and can't get enough guacamole. Life is full but not too busy.

I'm not planning a wedding or moving or making any big changes. And sometimes, I may want to rush into those things. The truth is, life right now is sort of in between a lot of different phases. But, if I let it be, it is overflowing. I want to choose to see that and allow myself to rest in its peacefulness.

Someday when things begin to change, I know I'll look back on this phase and remember it as a happy one. It's simpler and has narrowed in a lot of ways. But it's good. It feels like a warm sunny day when the breeze blows across your face. It's sweet and tender and reminds me that right now, I really like doing life with the people around me.

Muffy's Sweet 60th

I thrive off of routine - off sameness and checklists and a consistent rhythm. It keeps me calm and gives me a perceived (though often false) sense of control. But sometimes? All I need is to break free from my routine. To stop checking things off and to just be. To let go of control and to give up the grind. 

And that's exactly what last week looked like for my family.

My dad planned a 60th birthday trip for my mom, so all of my siblings + their babies headed down to Rosemary Beach to celebrate her.

I was fortunate enough that the trip fell between my old and new jobs, so I was able to completely unplug and focus on this beautiful family of mine.

Our days consisted of coffee by the pool in the morning, followed by family runs, poolside workouts, Nuke 'Em, ocean swims, bocce ball and, of course, afternoon iced coffee. We talked, we read, we laughed, we ate a lot.

  

Our nights consisted of dinners grilled by my dad, relaxation and early, early bedtimes. 

Ever since we were little, my parents talked about creating a bunk bed room for us to sleep in together, because we always wound up in one another's rooms growing up anyway. This house made our dreams come true, with two bunk rooms - one for the adults and one for the kiddos.

Every night when our 9:30 bedtime rolled around (not kidding), it was so fun to cruise up to the same room. 

We were lucky enough to celebrate both my mom's, as well as Duke and Ryan's birthdays while we were there.

We wanted to shower my mom with extra love on her 60th and, as part of it, we brought Chinese lanterns. We thought we could each make a wish for her year ahead as we let them go. 

But, even the best laid plans can go awry. And ours did just that.  

As soon as the first set of lanterns took flight, they bee-lined for the trees surrounding the pool. One lantern made it into the abyss, while the others got caught in the height of the branches. Instead of saying wishes for her year, we were hosing the trees down while praying we didn't light the entire community ablaze. 

Duke and I hosed the trees down, while Ryan climbed up in one and shook a lantern out.

I wish we could have sent off well wishes for my mom, but the memory of us all scrambling and getting ready to stop, drop and roll is a way better memory.

The entire week reminded me how good it feels to slow down and that the checklists aren't what give us worth. It reminded me that our relationships and the way we love and connect with one another are the most important thing. And it reminded me that the vacation life sure is the good life. :)

I hope you had a wonderful week!

{free coffee, free happies}

Something you should know about me is this: I'm a gift card hoarder. I never spend them because I obsess over buying the perfect thing. I'm a total prisoner to the plastic, which means I have about 50 in my purse (not an exaggeration). It's like the candle you never burn or the outfit you never wear because you love them so much.

For Lent I decided to give something away every day. Whether it's big or small need not matter - it could be a clothing item, essential oil, coffee mug or anything in between. I'm hoping that by giving away things - especially things I like - I will be less attached to my possessions and cultivate a posture of giving in my own life.

Last night, I decided to tackle my personal struggle and give away a gift card. I added $25 to an existing Starbucks card (making it just over $40 for 40 days of Lent) and posted it to Instagram this morning. I thought it would be fun for people to grab a coffee on their way into work.

It was the best morning watching the card be used and, just as it got to $0, someone reloaded it. Over and over again, people kept using it, then adding more. It was the gift card that never stopped giving and I was ecstatic all afternoon as it kept going and going.

It got me thinking about the way I look at my possessions. Sometimes I feel weighed down by them - I have so much stuff; do I really need it all? What the experiment taught me is that sometimes, having something to yourself can bring you joy. But most of the time, sharing it with others bring the joy back ten fold.

I don't know what is left on the card, but feel free to get yourself a coffee (you can scan it just like a gift card), add more to it, buy for a stranger or create your own way to share the love.

Happy Wednesday, my friends!

happiness this week

1. Still on a high from my trip to visit Allie in LA. We had the best time catching up and I loved seeing her new world. It's such a good feeling seeing your friends create and grow into new lives. And, it's lovely getting to visit them in warm, fun cities. 

While I was there, she let me wear her jumpsuit. And now I really want one for myself. :) Also, it felt wo.nd.er.ful to wear sandals!

2. Loving this mashup Allie sent me. After you listen, click on the "Your Lips Are Moving" one, too. It's just as good!

3. So pumped for this weekend. Melly and I are having a girls love brunch Saturday morning for our friends. 

4. Also so very excited for dinner with Chris Saturday night. I went rogue and requested no restaurant (I don't like fixed menus and I really don't love tiny food). I can't wait to find out what he has planned. 

5. Feeling a little nervous (but mostly happy) about getting my hair cut tomorrow. Right now, my plan is to cut a good bit off. But I almost always say that and then rarely make much of a change. I will keep you posted!

And just like that, it's Christmastime!

This holiday season has absolutely flown by and I really don't know how next week is Christmas! I went from zero to 60 in the last week - I'd done pretty much nothing Christmassy to doing a whole lot in a short time. And it was lovely :) 

Last week, I went to Garden Lights, Holiday Nights at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens (ATL Bucket List #25)  with coworkers. It was so much fun and absolutely got me in the holiday spirit. Something about a spiked hot chocolate and shiny lights will do that to you.

(I found some Indiana corn in the gardens)

Over the weekend, I wrapped all of my Christmas gifts and packed them up for my trip home next weekend. I love, love gift giving but really, strongly dislike wrapping them. I rush through it and don't like to measure and it just isn't my scene. Duke and Sam entertained me (or more accurately, I entertained them with my poor skills), while we listened to Christmas music. It made the whole experience much livelier. 

On Saturday night, Chris and I went with his mom to Murphy's for dinner and a gift exchange, then back to the gardens to see the lights again. Even the second time through, they did not disappoint. They were lovely. 

On Sunday, a few of my friends and I went to lunch at Mary Mac's Team Room and the Nutcracker at the Fox (Bucket list #70 and #109), which I hadn't seen since I was really young. I didn't know what to expect but was pleasantly surprised. The whole time I just kept thinking about how athletic they all are - those legs! Impressive. 

To wrap up the weekend, Melissa and I exchanged Christmas gifts. And, of course, drank hot chocolate. 

And now, here we are, just one week away from the merriest holiday of the year. 

I hope your holiday season has been full of cheer!