jackson snapshot: mother's day.

oh, we definitely got the glasses memo

Living far from home [1,020 miles, to be exact] is hard sometimes. I'm sure any who have trekked out of their hometown for any prolonged period of time can relate: you miss birthdays, weddings, baby showers... the list goes on. That's why Mother's Day this year was so special: I got to spend it with my mother. 

The day after Kara's graduation, we rose early & scooted over to her house, because for her, it was moving day. We carried boxes & mattresses downstairs, we fanned ourselves in the Mississippi heat & humidity, & sadly, not one photo was taken. Not even when we presented mom with her Mother's Day gift from Justin & me: a Japanese Maple for the yard back home at The Ontario House.

Luckily, though, we did think to snap a quick photo when we chowed down at Broad Street [our second visit of the trip - it's yummy] for Mother's Day lunch. Shortly after we ate, it was off to the airport & back to Wilmington, but the memories of this weekend stayed with me for long after.

Want to see more from Graduation Weekend?

the journey there

friday day time

baccalaureate

graduation

fondren & happy hour

Today wraps coverage of our weekend in Jackson, Mississippi for Kara's graduation. I hope you enjoyed coming along. Next week, we will be revisiting Kara's trip to Wilmington, which came right after graduation weekend! She flew out the day after Mother's Day & spent a week with us. I'm looking forward to sharing our adventures here.

jackson snapshot: fondren & happy hour.

a rainy glimpse of fondren

video footage can be found here

After Kara's graduation, the guys headed out to do guy things, & the girls headed over to Fondren for a spot of shopping. We had grand plans to walk around to all the shops, but a sudden & torrential downpour cut those plans in half. We did, however, get to stop in to some lovely little boutiques, most of them boasting the best smelling hand lotion on the planet. We were going to stop in for a little afternoon sweets fix at Campbells, but they were closing up shop just as we were heading over. 

That's ok, though, because that led us to partake of the afternoon happy hour in the Cabot's lobby. And we ended up feasting on the leftover cake from this event. 

I've been trying to figure out how to put in words the experience of this stormy afternoon, but I find myself stuck. I can usually express my feelings through writing pretty well, but every once in  a while, a moment's words will evade me. I guess I'll just say that the comfort of sitting in the rustic lodge's lobby, with the dim, warm light filtering & reflecting off of the greenish-gray clouds of an afternoon storm in the Mississippi spring-time goes unmatched. Wine was poured, cake was eaten, words were said. I don't really know where else to go looking for the kind of coziness that comes from just being, in the presence of beloved family.

The boys were able to join up with us & catch the tail-end of the happy hour, as well as steal a bite or two of the demolished cake. We sat for as long as we could, talking, laughing, & sharing. 

And moments like that, that I can never get back, live fresh in my memory. I hold them close to my heart, because something about them glows. 

Want to see more from Graduation Weekend?

the journey there

friday day time

baccalaureate

graduation

jackson snapshot: graduation.

Last week, we got to re-experience the joy that was Baccalaureate. Now, we're moving onward & upward to GRADUATION! Graduation was held bright & early on Saturday morning, at Christ United Methodist Church, which is quite a beautiful venue.

the crowd building before the graduation service started.

of course we had to take some selfies.

and here's a goofy one for you. you're welcome.

of course this is a bit pixellated, but i had to get a candid!

i love both of these photos very much.

post-graduation photos

we did a campus walk-through, as well as class re-enactment, as well.

Want to see more from Graduation Weekend?

the journey there

friday day time

baccalaureate

Next Wednesday, I'll be sharing one of my very favorite parts of graduation weekend - a post-graduation trip to Fondren with my mom & Kara, as well as a happy hour well-spent in the lodge of the Cabot. I'm looking forward to sharing that.

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Want to join me in blogging every day in June? The more the merrier. I even made a button to celebrate the occasion. Feel free to use it in your blog sidebar or in the body of your posts. Let's encourage one another to get back to our blogging roots. Happy blogging!

jackson snapshot: baccalaureate.

Last Wednesday, I offered you a little peek into a Friday that Justin & I spent in Jackson with Kara. Why were we in Jackson, you ask? Well, it was Kara's graduation weekend, of course! If you'd like to be caught up to speed on the events of Friday day time, which of course included scary panda cupcakes & traipsing through a monsoon, then by all means, see its corresponding post. Because now, we're soldiering on to one of the weekend's main events: Baccalaureate.

mom & i sat next to each other - we misbehaved, as usual.

doesn't justin's bag match his outfit perfectly?

me with my parents.

us with the graduate.

i really, really love this photo of us.

dinner at babalu - one of my favorites in jackson.

candids at the dinner table.

kara's celebration with cake in the lobby of the cabot.

looking at this cake is making my mouth water - it was beyond delicious.

after our little party in the hotel lobby, 

everyone else went to bed while i traipsed 

out to fenian's with kara, for a night of dancing & live music.

Want to see more from Graduation Weekend?

the journey there

friday day time

Next week will feature the big kahuna event of the weekend: GRADUATION!

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Want to join me in blogging every day in June? The more the merrier. I even made a button to celebrate the occasion. Feel free to use it in your blog sidebar or in the body of your posts. Let's encourage one another to get back to our blogging roots. Happy blogging!

jackson snapshot: friday day time.

As I mentioned in last Wednesday's post, I wanted to document the revelry that was Kara's graduation weekend in Jackson, Mississippi. Today I'll be sharing the goings-on of Friday day time, which as you will see, was quite eventful in itself. As we were gearing up for the Baccalaureate event that evening, as well as my parents' arrive from Shreveport, there was a festive twinge in the air, & I can still feel that very feeling today, as I am typing this out. 

Want to see more from Graduation Weekend?

the journey there

We woke up to a rainy Jackson Friday. Kara came & retrieved us from the Cabot, & we started the day off with a little brunch/lunch at Broad Street, followed by a quick perusal at Lemuria Books. A trip to Whole Foods happened, because what's a day without treats from their bakery section? It is important to note that this was the day I tried my first - EVER - macaron. [I know. How had I made it that far in life without tasting one?]. I got the coffee flavor, & it certainly packed a delicious punch. Sadly, our Whole Foods doesn't carry this delicacy [or perhaps it is a happy thing?]. 

After the joy that is Whole Foods, we were given a proper tour of Kara's more-than-precious house, a historic home right on North State Street. I had every intention of pulling out the DSLR & taking some detail shots, but alas, it never happened. We played music & nosed around the house while Kara got ready for graduation practice, during which we attempted to buy her a book about Jackson/Millsaps from Lemuria. They had NO books on Jackson OR Millsaps. How is that even possible? The jury is still out on that question.

We trekked out to Lowe's after practice to pick up a Mother's Day gift for my mom - a Japanese Maple. I had previously gifted her another of these trees, but as they are one of her favorite's, I thought her yard could do with an addition. She loved it, by the way. And I hope it will always remind her of Kara's graduation weekend that we spent together.

You may have noticed those ridiculous "selfies" at the end of the photo collage. I'd say sorry, but I'm not. Because when good eyebrow days happen, selfies happen. There's just nothing else to say on the matter.

Join me back here next week for a look at Baccalaureate, a Millsaps Graduation tradition. 

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Want to join me in blogging every day in June? The more the merrier. I even made a button to celebrate the occasion. Feel free to use it in your blog sidebar or in the body of your posts. Let's encourage one another to get back to our blogging roots. Happy blogging!

jackson snapshot: the journey there.

As you may have gathered from this post, my sister, Kara, graduated college a few weekends ago. Justin & I were lucky enough to make the trip west to be a part of all the festivities, & I wanted to share the memories here so that I can treasure them even more. I've decided to split the posts up by event, so there will be six total, when all is said & done. Without further ado, I give you: the journey there.

Please note: For some reason, I toted our DSLR along for the trip to Jackson, but didn't take a single photo with it. Thus, all the coverage from this event will include photos taken on an iPhone.

We journeyed to Jackson on a Thursday evening, so that Justin could get in a full day at work beforehand. We stopped over in Atlanta, which, weirdly enough, has become one of my favorite airports. There is a restaurant there, called Cafe Intermezzo, which has become a little travel landmark of sorts for Justin & me. It has become a part of our travel routine, when we find ourselves in Atlanta, to stop in, have a light dinner, then share a piece of cheesecake & a pot of tea. It has truthfully become such a travel comfort to me, & it is one I look forward to eagerly.

a little internet surfing at the dinner table - justin & i call this "reading our people"

After a short & smooth flight from Atlanta to Jackson, we were given a grand greeting by Kara, welcoming committee in tow. As we were arriving in the midst of graduation festivities, events were happening all over Millsaps campus, & Kara recruited a few of her friends to accompany her on the trek out to the airport. It was so nice [and dare I say, completely entertaining] to have such a warm, inviting welcome to my sister's college town. It was definitely an indication of all the fun that was to come that weekend!

We stayed at the rustic, cozy Cabot Lodge for the weekend, & I couldn't have been happier with that choice. The Cabot is right on the edge of Millsaps' campus, so we felt like we were right in the thick of things the whole time, which you will be able to see in subsequent posts.

I'll be popping in next Wednesday with the next installment of our Jackson travel series, which will recap the events of a Friday morning spent with the graduate herself!

/////

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Want to join me in blogging every day in June? The more the merrier. I even made a button to celebrate the occasion. Feel free to use it in your blog sidebar or in the body of your posts. Let's encourage one another to get back to our blogging roots. Happy blogging!

the sunday currently, volume 86.

i've been upping my motivation for early rising lately. this beautiful, 

early-morning sunshine was my reward for getting up at 6:15 on thursday.

Hello, everyone! And Happy Sunday! Today, Justin and I are coming off the high of a family-filled weekend. We flew into Jackson on Thursday evening, because my sister, Kara, graduated from Millsaps College on Saturday! I am so, so proud of her. And I am also so, so glad that Justin & I were both able to attend. It means the world to me that we got to see her get that diploma.

As for today, we are traveling back over to Wilmington. Then, Kara will be arriving to stay with us for a week, tomorrow! Yay! Let's keep this party going!

C U R R E N T L Y . . .

R E A D I N G  Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, still. And I owe y'all a recent reading post. I didn't really blog much at all last week, which makes me sad, but it's the truth.

W R I T I N G  a lot of blog posts in my head recently, on my daily walks. I need to put pen to paper, or, well, fingertips to keyboard, I should say, on those posts. Hopefully soon.

L I S T E N I N G  to my beloved air travel playlist, which is housed on one of my old iPhones, which I now call my iPod. It has the best travel tunes - light, inspiring, and comforting.

T H I N K I N G  that I can't believe my sister graduated from college this weekend! I'm so proud of her! And I'm not going to say we're old, because, well, we're not. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

S M E L L I N G  like Sunflowers, by Elizabeth Arden a lot recently. It's a perfume I like to pull out in the Spring and Summer months. I've also been wearing it since I was in 7th grade. It's a good one.

W I S H I N G  for safe, smooth travels for us today, back to Wilmington. And the same for Kara, as she is coming to visit us this week! 

H O P I N G  I keep my travel anxiety in check today. I get so worked up over traveling! I'm sure I'm excited to get back home, though.

W E A R I N G  a new outfit today, that I've been waiting to put into my rotation. It's cute and very comfortable.

L O V I N G  that I got to spend time with my family this weekend. And that I got to see my sister graduate college. And that my sister & I both got to be with my Mom on Mother's Day. And that Justin was able to come with me to Kara's graduation. And seeing my Dad, of course! In short, loving all the family time that happened this weekend.

W A N T I N G  to eat healthfully from this point forward. Actually, I mean "this point" as Thursday, when I am penning this post. I had a bit of a turning point last night, and I'm ready to really be aware of what I'm eating and how I'm treating my body. And now, just to keep up the exercise, as well! That is something I've been doing well with recently.

N E E D I N G  to get motivated to get the house in tip-top shape tomorrow. I already have a list of chores to conquer in preparation for Kara's visit.

F E E L I N G  happy and loved. 

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this week's posts:

the sunday currently, volume 85. | someone is graduating college.

Photo / Early Morning Sunshine / Instagram

What are you doing? Link up & share below.

someone is graduating college.

And just like that, we're off to Jackson.

And just like that, my little sister is graduating college.

By the time this post goes live, we will have landed in Jackson, and we will be reveling in all the graduating-from-college glory that this long weekend holds in store. I still remember the weekend - my birthday weekend - that we dropped Kara off at her dorm on Millsaps campus. I still remember taking a zillion pictures, and the way that Kara acted annoyed, but I knew she really was thankful that she had a crazy older sister, snapping photos here, snapping photos there, commemorating the moment. And next week, you'll get to see one of those photos, because during this graduation weekend, I plan to recreate my favorite photo from that move-in weekend. And then they'll be juxtaposed, and then there will be a blog post about it, and then I'll once again be stifling tears as I realize how very grown up my younger sibling is. 

This weekend is a weekend for pride and for tears and for happiness and for cheering.

And we will do that with all of our hearts.

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Happy Graduation Weekend, Kara!

Follow along here, or stalk #siddastravellog.

Photo / Us at Geoff's Wedding / Sowell Archives

friday's fancies #69: roadtrippin' to jackson.

top | earrings | sandals | scarf | pants | bag | watch

Today, Kara & I are heading east to Jackson to see our little Kelsey graduate! The Friday's Fancies theme for this week - Easy Weekend Wear - was the perfect buzz phrase to keep in mind while dreaming up a road trip look. They're all basics, just nice basics. If only budgets didn't exist.

this week's posts:
a southern bachelorette weekend
sidda just loves books
the sunday currently
what exactly it is that i do
the unmentionables
experience music
shreveport snapshot: a moment on the porch

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