love lists: november.

1. my engagement ring.

2. working out as much as possible.

3. reading pride & prejudice at every free moment.

4. my revlon colorburst lip butter in raspberry pie.

5. my new hair routine.

6. thinking about north carolina.

7. wedding planning - & finally setting a date!

8. staying up way too late to watch gossip girl.

9. remembering my carolina summer.

10. wearing my hair in top knots.

photo: from my carolina summer, taken with point & shoot

thanksgiving snapshot.

this thanksgiving holiday was one that i am already missing terribly on this tuesday-after-the-fact. i spent time with family & friends - watching the holiday & just friends on repeat the entirety of those four lovely days, watching my favorite thanksgiving episode of gilmore girls, walking to the park with my dad & sister, girls' night out of shopping & dinner... it can all be found here, in my little photo montage. 

the only thing missing from this equation of holiday festivities was my sweet fiance. it just wasn't the same without justin, & i missed hanging out with his family & playing cards games - one of my favorites of their holiday traditions, even if i'm not very good at it. but that just gives me even more reason to anticipate the next big holiday on the horizon, when we'll finally be together again... christmas!

photos: iphone, point & shoot, photobooth.

another night.

there's a fire in the hearth.
and in passing,
i feel its warmth.

and i am reminded of
the warmth around our table.
i smile.

our meal is inundated
with laughter
and concern
and congratulations
and every other
good thing
you can imagine.

and again
i am reminded
of how lucky
i've come to be.

then, we drive.
we're in a maze,
but it's all okay.

because there are seat warmers
and christmas lights
and the peering through of windows
to gaze at chandeliers
and dream up new beginnings.

but above all
there is laughter.

the kind that makes your heart light.

the kind you only share with friends.

on a tuesday night
in november.

friday's fancies #11: black friday, fire-side.

friday's fancies #11: black friday, fire-side. by siddathornton featuring long sleeve sweaters

this week's theme for friday's fancies over on {long distance loving} is black friday. truth be told, i don't really do black friday shopping. it has never really appealed to me: hour-long waits to get into stores, hour-long waits to try on the not-so-heavily-discounted items i may have had to fight to claim... you get the picture. i did go black friday shopping once at polo in dallas, & that was actually nice. maybe next year i'll give it another go. but this year...

if i had my way, this year's black friday would be spent with a fire in the fire place, in front of a movie marathon (preferably including the holiday), with justin. since he is in north carolina, this idea will have to stay hypothetical. but if that is what i were doing today, i would want to wear this precious phillip lim reindeer merino wool-blend sweater. i think it's the perfect amount of festive & cozy, which is perfect, since the christmas season officially begins today. for the past few weeks, i've been transfixed by black denim skinny jeans... there's only one problem: i don't currently own any. i plan to change that soon, but for now i'll just pretend these paige black verdugo ultra skinny jeans belong to me. along with the disposal of my 3-year-old uggs in a recent closet purge, comes the yearning for a new pair. these bailey button bombers would do the trick. 

merry christmas season!

link-up: friday's fancies at {long distance loving}

thank you.

in the spirit of thanksgiving (yesterday), i thought it would be fitting
to send out a few thank you notes, to recipients
who are often forgotten in the hustle and bustle of life...

dear diet coke,

thank you for being fizzy, bubbly deliciousness.
for tasting better than full sugar coke.
for being zero calories.
for making me feel like you are a treat.

dear boots,

thank you for inspiring the killers to write a song about you.
for snuggling up around my legs & working well with tights & socks to keep them warm.
for being cute.

dear bed,

thank you for offering a kind of comfort that cannot be matched.
for providing the perfect place for watching movies.
for being fluffy.
for being the perfect balance of warm and cool.

dear fuzzy slippers,

thank you for being so much more than something i wear on my feet.
thank you for being a safe haven.
a signal that the day is done & i'm safely at home, free to do everything i want. or nothing at all.

dear smell of coffee,

thank you for helping me burn the midnight oil.
for making me think i can do anything.
for giving me that rush of confidence. of drive. of creativity.
thank you for energizing me.
for making starbucks feel like home away from home.

photos: i am in starbucks with kara & these were taken with photobooth

november's accountability session.

i really haven't given this list enough attention in the past month.

my december resolution is to check off at least three items.

even in the midst of all the holiday stress cheer, i can do this!

 

my engagement ring.

in the blur of excitement that was the week after my engagement, my friend & coworker, lindsey, was kind enough to take some lovely photos of my beautiful new piece of jewelry. lindsey is quite talented (as you can see), & i am in love with these shots. a huge thank you to lindsey for sharing her talent with me.

in the months leading up to our engagement, justin asked me to compile some images of rings that i like. i dreamed big, choosing designs from tacori, my favorite. i was already over the moon when justin proposed, but to top it all off, there, before my eyes, was my absolute favorite of them all. i couldn't have asked for more. thank you, justin, for spoiling me absolutely rotten. i still can't believe this ring belongs to me, & i get to wear it every single day. i'm still constantly staring at it - & i still wake up smiling about it. i don't think i'll ever get used to it.

photos: c/o lindsey hudson

miscellany monday #7: holiday feelings.

currently...

reading pride & prejudice, still. must finish this week. then, it's on to my lovely winter book list, which will be posted at the beginning of december.

writing exciting emails, post-it lists, blog posts for this week, love letters in my head.

listening to the beginnings of my christmas/winter compilation. i love mix tapes & i have some really exciting new music.

thinking about thanksgiving & christmas gifts.

smelling the familiar smell of my office - so happy to be back in here with lindsey after two weeks up in the front office.

wishing for some creative inspiration & the drive to put it all in motion.

hoping for safe travels for all over the holidays.

wearing my mom's scarf. my great-aunt's necklace. a new makeup look that i'm in love with.

loving the holiday feeling. that i've started gossip girl over from the beginning & all of it is on netflix. all that i have to look forward to in the coming year. all of the projects i have on my plate. that it's a three-day week & thanksgiving is about to happen. that i'm visiting my wedding venue on saturday. that i'm seeing a long lost best friend at said wedding venue. all-day text message sessions with justin. i love a lot right now.

wanting to get a lot done this week, especially in the way of working out. and in the way of gift-making. and writing. lofty goals.

needing to pray. while praying in church yesterday, a great peace descended over me. giving everything over to god is something in which i  take great solace. very much-needed during this exhilirating & somewhat stressful time of year.

link-up: miscellany monday on lowercase letters

starbucks sunday: weekend snapshot.

cheers to a relaxing weekend! 

what am i cheers-ing with, you ask? well, i'll tell you: a tall gingerbread latte. and yes, you read that right: no 'nonfat' for this girl - i wanted my latte creamy & delicious - albeit fattening - today. 

i blame my recent calorie-counting spree for this wild incident of diet neglect. i'm still playing around with my wedding diet & exercise plan - i haven't yet found the perfect combination of the two, but i am hoping to make some strides with that this week.

enough about diets - anymore talk & i may be forced to visit krispy kreme after church...

friday. after this week of extreme ups & downs, i was pleased to fill my evening with a buttercups pumpkin spice cupcake, as well as a second-night-in-a-row viewing of breaking dawn part 1, this time with the long-lost & beloved anna claire.

saturday. the relaxation continued, as my mom & i visited les boutiques de noel & picked up some treats & gifts. as manheim trilled in the background, we inhaled scents of sugar-coated roasted almonds & fresh fudge. nothing gets me in the christmas spirit quite as much as shopping - and visions of huge tulle christmas wreaths doesn't hurt, either. the afternoon saw me napping for many more hours than i should have. a much-overdue conversation with justin wrapped up the evening, leaving me happy. 

sunday. the day of rest definitely lived up to its reputation, with a sleep-in until 10:30 a.m. then, it was off to pick up some so graciously gifted couches (which i adore). after a bit of cosmetics shopping & a starbucks sunday celebration with my mom, i am brought to this moment, sitting in front of my laptop in the dining room, thinking of all this week will have in store. 

it's time for some new beginnings, some healthy behavior, & some joy in simple, productive days.

and now, it's off to church.

blanks #1.

usually i like to keep posts down to one per day around here.

but, when i realized i had yet to participate in 'fill in the blank friday' over at the little things we do,

i knew it was time to whip out a second post for this lovely friday.  

1. a nervous habit I have is picking all the polish off my fingernails. i really know how to ruin a manicure.

2. something that makes me sad is the way people treat one another. let's all be sweet to each other. 

3. today I am thankful for showers. and i can't wait to take one after work. i went to the midnight showing of breaking dawn part 1 last night, & i didn't wake up in time to shower this morning. i know i'm going to feel so much better after it.

4. my favorite room in my house is the dining room. it is recently remodeled, & the walls are a cool, serene, gray color. it is so peaceful in that room - i love to take my laptop in there, sit at the table, & write.

5. i can't stand being told what to do. that makes me sound like a child, but it's true.

6. if I had an extra $100 to spend on whatever I wanted today I would buy boots, skinny jeans, & makeup. yes, magically, all of that will only cost $100.

7. the last person I hung out with was my future in-laws, when we went to see the movie last night.

happy weekend!

on weekend anticipation.

the doors finally open out into the real world.

you're crunching down the gravel path, & you know you're free.

the key clicks into the ignition, the engine roars to life, & the car lurches forward.

toward home, toward comfort, toward that quiet kind of productivity

with whom only early saturday & sunday mornings are acquainted.

the first five, those called work, always have an unfailing ability

to take that steady confidence - that easy assurance - and remind it of its sure & certain place.

but the promise of the last two, those called weekend,  is enough.

like a parent, ever-equipped with unconditional love,  

the weekend greets you with open arms.

clickings of keyboard, rustlings of paper - silenced.

you sigh. you breathe. you think.

you relax.

(image: tumblr)

my experience: no heat curls, round two.

a couple of weeks ago, i tried out a popular technique for no heat curls & achieved what i would call satisfactory results (which means i thought it was cool, easy, different, & i liked it - but wasn't obsessed). i was pleased with the shape & dimension of the curls produced, but the frizz situation left a bit to be desired. i thought i would try to remedy this problem, by wrapping up my straightened, de-frizzed locks for the night.

here's what i woke up to:

as you can see, my hair is straight.

in fact, it looks exactly like it did right before i wrapped it up. the only difference - and it was not a huge one - was that my hair had a bit more lift at the roots. 

all-in-all, i definitely think my hair needs to be in its natural, curly/wavy state before i wrap it up, in order to achieve the desired results. as for the frizz factor, i'll just have to combat that on a case-by-case basis, with smoothing creams, leave-in conditioner, & other such products.

(photos: photobooth)

miscellany monday #6: currently.

currently...

reading pride & prejudice. i haven't read it since high school, & i'm falling in love with it all over again. it feels different this time, though... kind of like when you watch a childhood movie as an adult, & you discover things you never noticed before. yes, i'm loving this process too. this selection is for our november book club meeting, which i will be hosting & need to start planning - i'm excited!

writing letters. and everything besides what i am supposed to be writing. i really need to work on my grad school application. that is a big goal for this week.

thinking about all the upcoming events i have to look forward to... friend dinner, breaking dawn with the future in-laws, and finally seeing my long lost love, anna claire. also, upcoming road trips: jackson this weekend & white castle/baton rouge next weekend!

 
smelling coffee, christmas in the form of scentsy, & my birthday perfume, benefit's my place or yours gina. needless to say, all delicious smells.

wishing for things unsaid.

hoping that justin's first day of work (today) goes well. and to get all of my workouts in this week, as well as to finish a christmas project.

wearing my engagement ring, because it finally returned from getting sized, on friday. i haven't been able to stop looking at it. i love it. and my new eggplant sweater, which i am also wearing today. also, new eye shadow (a dupe for the too faced natural eye palette). and a revlon lip butter in raspberry pie.

loving all of the people in my life.

wanting sushi.

needing to relax. i believe the source of a lot of my problems right now is stress... & that should be completely avoidable & manageable... but unfortunately i do NOT handle stress well.

starbucks sunday: fuzzy slippers.

today i...

went to early church.

had french toast with powdered sugar at another broken egg.

shopped with my mom & dad (& scored some major deals).

bought the fuzzy slippers pictured above at the newly-opened charming charlie.

celebrated starbucks sunday with a tall skinny peppermint mocha.

ran two miles.

wrote a letter.

sat at the dining room table with my dad - he's doing paperwork. i'm transcribing/blogging.

was thankful for all of my blessings. 

friday's fancies #10: golden week.

friday's fancies #10: golden week. by siddathornton featuring flared leg jeans

it's a very golden friday's fancies week over at {long distance loving}. that's right, {av} has been dreaming up outfits & allowing fellow fashions lovers to link up on her page for 50 weeks. 

in honor of the golden theme, i chose this stella mccartney sequined embellished silk tank top. it's so fun & would be perfect for a night out - maybe even new years. the gold bow earrings are sweet - i think i want to look for some like this to add to my own collection. i chose flare jeans partly because i love them & partly because i wanted to switch things up with my look & not just choose the old reliable skinnies like i usually do. the black mary janes carry on with the sweet vibe of this outfit & also provide some height, as most pants are usually long on me. i also chose to include my favorite gold eye shadow: urban decay half baked. i'm particularly excited about the final two items, the mulberry grape margaret clutch & the m missoni wool blend coat. i chose these items partly because i love them & partly because it's LSU's homecoming weekend - geaux tigers!

wishing everyone a happy, safe, & cozy weekend.