snow day

Last night, as the snow started pouring and quickly accumulating on the ground, Jim and I were both giddy with excitement. Although we both grew up with snow. And I moved to Georgia with the hope that I wouldn't see it for a while. And he is from New Hampshire where they get two feet and don't bat an eye...

Yet, we were both still filled with child-like excitement at the prospect of four inches.   We watched the scrolling cancellations as if we were in elementary school, praying for our superintendent to have mercy.  We laughed as we saw things like: "City of Fairburn: Closed".  We stayed up late, just because it felt like a special night.

And although I'm pleased that it will be back up to nearly 50 degrees by the weekend, I'm pleasantly surprised by how much I'm enjoying this snowy day.  Now I just have to convince Jim to go sledding with me...

photo via cupcakes and cashmere

and he huffed and he puffed...

I began to understand how the Grinch must have felt last night as I took my tree down, five days before Christmas.  That corner of my apartment looks so sad now.

Though, when I return after Christmas, I'll be very happy I don't have to do it.

Fortunately, my apartment is not looking completely like Whoville, because Jim and I made gingerbread houses this weekend.

We listened to Christmas music, ate tons of candy (that was more me than him), and talked as we built two happy little neighboring gingerbread homes.  I highly recommend the activity.

You'll notice there is a lot of snow on my house...

Sadly, Jim's house fell right as he put on the final piece. I must admit, though that before it collapsed, it was definitely better than mine.  You can tell by the roof detail...

Beware, it's kind of a messy project. But well worth it...

what's Christmas without a tacky sweater?

Or, in our case, a button up, sweater vest, and strand of battery operated lights?

A very tacky Christmas, to you!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Even though it was in the sixties last week and I (literally) keep forgetting that it's December, it is officially Christmas in my apartment....

...because, I have my very first Christmas tree!

Jim and I went to the Home Depot last week to buy it. Things are looking extra festive around here.

The first tree we looked at was the perfect one...

 I also needed  a tree stand...

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All decorated...

And sparkly...

Katie sent me a little stocking to hang, too...

And Jordan suggested that since I won't stop blogging about Hunters, I should get the Rain Wellie ornament from Crate and Barrel to tide me over. It would look pretty cute on my tree...

...and eat it too

I realize I'm basically the last person on earth to get on board with cupcakes, but I consider the fact that I'm more of an ice cream girl to be my handicap.

Last week, after burning Jim's first birthday cake, and totally messing up the second frozen birthday cake (I know.), I decided it was time to give cakes a rest.  However, I still felt like I kind of owed him a decent birthday dessert, and thought I'd try my hand at cupcakes.

However, after I had the batter made and was ready to pour it into the cupcake tin, I realized I had made 24 cupcakes and only have one tin for six cupcakes.  I also only had enough time to make one batch...

So, I had to make a cake.  Again.

However, this time, I didn't mess it up.  It was a chocolate cake with peanut butter icing and although we were way too full for dessert last night, we ate it anyway. And it was very tasty.

However, the combination of a chocolate cake + peanut butter icing + me being in a hurry = decidedly the ugliest cake ever.  So, instead I'll leave you with this...

And, in case you're now having unbearable cravings for cake, I'll also leave you with this...

photos via cooking light and busy being fabulous

a honky tonk weekend

Well, my friends, another weekend has come and gone. And after enjoying a long Labor Day weekend, this one was far too short.

Jim and I capped off my birthday celebration with a weekend in Nashville. 

We packed the days full and tried to see the best of Nashville.  It included lunch at McDougal's (Jim's favorite), an attempt at tailgating at Vanderbilt, and lots of time spent Downtown (so Honky Tonk!).  We heard tons of live music in Nashville's finest bars and saw more cowboy boots than I ever thought one city could hold.

Although we were sad that Opryland was still closed from the floods, Jim found an amazing hotel for us instead.  It was incredibly luxurious and when we checked out of the room at 10.47 am, I was sad to give up the remaining (oh-so indulgent) hour.

And while we would have loved exploring the city that is Opryland, every minute was already maxed out. 

On Sunday when we were leaving, we both agreed that the weekend flew by, but we couldn't believe it had only been 24 hours. Needless to say, the busy weekend was anything but restful - and I couldn't be happier about it.

Bon voyage!

I deliberated purchasing luggage for far too many months. I had about six trips this fall that I really wanted new luggage for, but I just couldn't make the choice.

Finally, though, I picked a set. I'm going to Atlanta this weekend and I am so excited to use it. The exterior is chocolate brown, so I'm hoping I will be able to spot it on the belt.

My favorite part, though, is the interior. It's hot pink. Whenever I think about it, I feel like I'm in on a secret.

You like my chocolate brown luggage? Oh, if only you knew what it looks like inside...

On being domestic

"I think a housewife should take pains with her appearance even when she's cleaning the oven." Betty Draper

I'm really bad at ironing. To the point that the clothes I iron end up more wrinkled than when I began.

I know part of it is a lack of patience: I don't flatten it out perfectly, I don't use an ironing board because the floor seems to work, and I don't necessarily do the front and back.

I thought all my dreams had come true when Downy introduced their Wrinkle Releaser.

But no, the real dream happened when I met Jim. He's an ironing master. He even rivals my dad, which says a lot, as my dad has his own personal iron that he won't let anyone else use.

However, regardless of the fact that Jim (secretly) enjoys ironing my skirts for me, I know I have to make up for my lack of domesticity.

My most recent domestic fixation is the apron. This summer, my roommate always let me wear hers and I loved how it made me feel so feminine and pretty. I've since become slightly obsessed.

Aprons are basically the key to your domestic wardrobe. A little black dress is cute, but throw Anthro's 3-D Toile Full Apron over it and it's even better.

And if aprons are the center of your wardrobe, your products are like your accessories. Which is why I'm loving The Beach Days Fragrance Collection from The Good Home Company. The line comes with detergent, dish soap and, my favorites, vacuum beads and sheet spray.

Don't worry, if you don't like the smell of the ocean, they offer other scents, like Pure Grass and Lavender.

Having an appealing scent to spritz around the house is important. If your apron is your dress and your products are your jewelry, then the scent of the house must be your perfume. And when you have all that, I don't even see a reason to get all worked up over ironing.