a few things.

old postcards in a castle street antique shop

Well, today has been a day mainly consisting of antiquing. We started out with lunch at Atlanta Bread, which is a place I've grown to really adore over the past couple of years here in Wilmington. After a quick lap around the Mayfaire Town Center, we trekked over to The Ivy Cottage, which is - hands down - our favorite antique shop in town. The selection, the reasonable pricing, the complimentary coffee... add in that it was raining & thundering as we explored, & you have a little glimpse into my perfect kind of day. Then, it was on to Castle Street, where we browsed a shop we had never been in before. Now we've come home for a little breather before we head out for dinner this evening. All in all, a lovely day.

I just wanted to pop in on this gloomy, rainy Friday afternoon to share a few things with all of you. 

- I've been obsessed with crochet lately, & I'm currently working on a single-crochet scarf made out of "Fort Worth Blue" yarn. I may look up a pattern next & try my hand at that. Or, I may just make a double-crochet scarf.

- After reading about Heather Wardell's morning routine, I've decided to incorporate Morning Pages into my daily routine. I think it will be an excellent stress-relieving exercise.

- I've been drinking out of my elephant mug from Kelsey a lot lately. It makes me happy. What have I been drinking out of it? Creme brûlée coffee, black, with one Stevia in the Raw.

- Today, my schedule of classes for my first semester of Occupational Therapy School was finalized. I am BEYOND excited, & I can't wait until school starts! I'll be writing more about this soon.

- Similarly, our move to Greenville is coming up soon, which I also plan to write about. We are hiring movers for the first time ever, which definitely takes some of the stress out of the equation.

- Two years ago, my sister was in Paris, studying abroad with Millsaps College. She wrote a journal while there, & it's available to read here. That is what is on the docket for me this afternoon.

What are you up to today? What's on your mind? Tell me in the comments! Tomorrow's post will include my thoughts on blogging every day in June. See you then, & happy weekend!

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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!

weekender.

Well, I have to say: this has been a really great week. Despite not getting everything crossed off my to-do list just yet, I've been humming along at a nice clip. I've just been happy. I've felt like I could take on the world. I've reverted back into my blogging rhythm of the glory days. I'm excited to share & I'm excited to be inspired by what others share. And once this post is up, I'll be headed out to conquer my to-do list for the day, which I know will make me feel amazing. So, here's to Friday productivity. 

This weekend has been dubbed "relaxation weekend" for us here at the C Residence. We plan to do some laundry, watch some movies, vacuum the floors, & hit some golf balls. I'm certain that you could also go ahead & throw in some breakfasts out as well, because that is always on the docket around these parts. Since we will have visitors from this coming Tuesday, until after the Fourth of July, we need to take this time to be lazy & get our abode in tip-top shape. We are greatly looking forward to having our guests, & this weekend is the perfect time to prepare!

beach reading:

- Kristin, over at Challenge Accepted, shared Regina's How to Launch a Blog on a Budget, which I found very enlightening, since I'm currently working on ramping up my blogging efforts.

- As you may have noticed, I've started working with affiliate links, & I found Regina's 10 Non-icky Ways to Make Money Blogging equally enlightening.

- I adore posts about others' daily routines & schedules, & I really enjoyed this one from The College Prepster, & this one even moreso.

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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!

beach reading.

It's been too long since we've been to the beach around here. If I recall, we were supposed to be redoubling our efforts to get down there [or over there?] a lot this season... well, let's just say that Mother Nature had a different plan. It has been SO rainy here these last few weeks. And let's be honest - the beach & the rain don't really mix [Editor's Note: Unless, that is, you're in a beach-front condo with a balcony... in which case, I welcome a little beach rain with open arms. There's nothing quite like watching a storm come in over the water, with a cup of coffee or tea & a good book in hand... But I suppose that's another story for another day]. Perhaps we'll pop over to the beach this weekend? I'm sure that amidst cleaning the house [We have a visitor coming on Monday!], we will need a bit of a break. It sure would be nice to lie on the beach & read for a while. We'll see.

In the mean time, here is some beach reading I think you should peruse this weekend...

- Allyssa shared some tips for saving money at Target - because we all know that place is a trap. You walk in for one thing, you walk out with fifty things. May as well save a buck or two, right?

- Know what makes me happy? Chocolate chip cookies. That's why I was pretty thrilled to stumble across Aunt Peaches' post in which she shares Tessa's post on how to achieve your favorite type of chocolate chip cookies. Personally, my favorites are the more flour, baking powder, & dough chilled 24 hours varieties. What are yours?

- I love routine. I love daily rituals. I love reading about it & watching vlogs featuring it. And hopefully soon I'll start writing about it. Kind of like in this post that Victoria shared on Nicole's blog. 

Need more to read while you lounge in the sand?

beach reading, first edition

beach reading, second edition

photo: wrightsville beach in march

weekender.

Y'all, I slept ultra-late this morning. For my classes this past semester, I was rising bright & early around 6:15 each morning. Today, I slept until 11:00. That's quite a stark contrast, wouldn't you say? I've already had my hot chocolate & greek yogurt for breakfast, & now it's lunch time. Just like yesterday, today will be comprised of cleaning around the house, watching YouTube videos, writing... & I think I"ll go have a nice, long run at my park.

It's been a while since I've had a Friday's Fancies post, so I'm brining one your way today. The theme is shorts, which I love, & since we may have a night out ahead of us, I thought I'd put together a little going out look. It's been ultra hot & humid in Wilmington lately, so minimal clothing is a must. If you know me, you'll know gold glitter is kind of a must these days, as well as pearls & coral lips.

clutch | earrings | blouse | lip gloss | shorts | shoes

this look also bears in mind the parameters i've set for myself for my wardrobe reconstruction, 
which i still haven't yet blogged about. that is coming very, very soon.

In other news, I was lucky to stumble upon some YouTube channels that I'm REALLY excited about. They are all run by the same girl, & they encompass beauty & fashion, organization, & house-wife-ish stuff. Here they are:

The Busy Bee Buzz

Organized Like Jen

My Housewife Life

I don't know what it is about Jen, but I just love her! She is inspiring me to get my home ultra organized, & I'm pretty excited about it. I cannot stop watching her videos - luckily, there are a lot of them, & I have some catching up to do! And - bonus - she has a blog, too.

this week's posts:

weekender + a song, a book, a quote, a look

i've decided...

the sunday currently

savannah snapshot: flags + flowers 

a birthday month overhaul

Happy weekend, folks! Let's make the most of these summer nights. 

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

weekender + a song, a book, a quote, a look.

wanting to be back here today. can you really blame me?

Well, folks, it's really been one of those weeks. Truth be told, it's been more than one of those weeks, & I'm just ready for the upswing. For a while, I was really enjoying my psychology classes, but lately they've just been depressing. Sometimes, Psychology likes to try to take life, put it in a neat little box, & explain it. It tries to divide life up into neat little categories & explain to you exactly when, where, & how the things in your life will happen. I don't like to think like that. I've written previously about how thoughts of the passage of time sometimes makes me an anxious nutcase. In order to cope with these feelings of time-is-fleeting anxiety, I choose to view life as one big, solid block of time. Not separated by years or months or milestones... just one big chunk of time & space in which to collect memories & moments & love. And I don't like it when a book tries to tell me otherwise. Maybe I'll write more about this another day. Maybe not.

For the present, how about we focus on some light-hearted, lovely things? Whilst perusing {dear friend} lately, I saw that Anna had participated in a link-up in which you share your current favorite song, book, quote, & look. How could I say no? You're right, I couldn't. 

song | Cruel, by St. Vincent

book | Rise and Shine, by Anna Quindlen

quote | From In Praise of Shadows, by Jun'ichiro Tanizaki

look | Pineapple T-shirt

share your SBQL list with everyone via jenna, here

I've said this in other recent posts, but lately, I have been sucking at both reading & writing. However, two things around the Internet have caught my eye recently: Erstwhile dear introduced me to oh life, which I think may help me finally achieve my goal of beginning a one-sentence-per-day journal. 

And then, we have book recs upon book recs from whatever, gatsby. I've linked her summer reading list, but also check out her light reading section for more. 

I've also been spending a lot of time on Goodreads recently.

this week's posts:

weekender

the sunday currently

savannah snapshot: signs around town

Now, let's bow our heads & pray for a restorative weekend. 

weekender.

remembering savannah today as i put together a few snapshot series posts

Well folks, I'm coming to you from the other side of one test & two presentations this week - & a week of barely sleeping (unless you count the two naps I took from 2:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on consecutive days). When you've been removed from school for a while, I think you forget how much time & effort goes into things. I'm definitely being reminded in this summer mini session. 

In the time outside of school that I haven't been sleeping, I've been watching both The Office & New Girl. I love both of them. We are almost done with all eight of the seasons of The Office, & I have a strong feeling that when we do finish them, I'll start them right back over from the beginning. And Zooey Deschanel is my fashion icon. I just love her. [And this New Girl scene had me laughing out loud.]

beach reading:

- I loved reading Tiana's blogging perspective in this post. '...I never want this to be a space that fosters imitation. I want it to be raw, authentic, and at times even a little gritty. Beauty is everywhere. It's in everything.' That is largely what I'd like my blog to be like, & I just love the way she put it into words. And those London photos? Beautiful.

- Oh my goodness. Joy posted a recipe [and some tantalizing photos] of a lasagna grilled cheese recently. Though I doubt my attempt would turn out as well as hers, I may have to try my hand at it soon.

- I love this little peek at what Bekuh packed for her trip to L.A. It gave me a little inspiration for my Wardrobe Reconstruction series, coming soon.

- I'm a Fall Girl all the way, but this post from Megan Gilger reminded me of the simple joy of summertime. 

this week's posts:

weekender

the sunday currently

product round-up \ summer 2013

Happiest of weekends to you all! 

weekender.

It's late Friday morning, I'm getting ready to put together my to-do list for the day, & the rain is steady falling right outside our living room window. The warm yellowish glow of the lone lamp exudes light from my desk. And I can't tell you what a welcome respite today is, after walking around miserable - for no reason - this week.

Today's outfit board falls in tandem with this week's Friday's Fancies theme - tanked - even though the weather outside suggests fleece-lined hoodies & yoga pants as proper attire.

tank | shorts | cardigan | loafers | pearls | satchel | watch

read about this saying's origin here

Though I haven't really been myself this week, I've still managed to collect some inspiration from around the internet to share in this space today. Blogging really opens up a little door in life - one filled with flowers & golden sunlight & warm cozy reading nooks - that can be accessed any time, any day, anywhere. And I can't adequately express what a comfort & haven it provides for me each week.

beach reading:
- Allyssa shared her favorite Chrome Extensions, & now I'm itching to try them out.
- Betsy referenced her review of Navel Gazing in one of her posts recently, & now I want to read this book.
- Nadine shared her Lazy Girl's Guide to Beauty, & now that sunscreen is on my shopping list.

It's been a week where, even though I've wanted to,  I haven't been writing. Like, anywhere. Last night, as we watched The Office, I sat down with my ink-&-paper journal & just willed myself to write something down - anything. And when I finally did, it felt good. I really, truly, am a writer at heart, & the craziness inside my head only seems to line up & make sense when it turns into the written word. 

This lack of writing has manifested itself in my blogging habits, also. I currently have about fifteen post ideas that I really want to will into fruition right now, but it just hasn't happened for me yet. Perhaps today I will sit down at my keyboard & turn some of these ideas into actualities. But, here is what I did manage to tap out over the course of this week...

this week's posts:
happy birthday, mom!
the sunday currently
things i like

When I think about this weekend, I think about early rising, lengthy brunches equipped with too many cups of coffee, little projects around the newly-cleaned house, & writing. Just, writing. 

beach reading.

After Allyssa posted her Summer Reading List, I knew I had to create one of my own. Above are my picks for throwing into your beach bag, picnic basket, or to arrange on your coffee table. Oh, &, you know, to read. 

one: J.K. Rowling, I love you. Still missing reading this book. It was that good.

two: Loved it, but not as much as The Kite Runner. An emotionally draining, poignant read.

three: Of course I'll have to round out the trio of Hosseini novels. I love his writing style. 

four: I read this book in a weekend. I still can't stop thinking about it. Loved its witty quirks. 

five: Looking forward to finally devouring this modern classic.

six: This will be my first Sedaris sampling. Pretty excited about it. 

seven: Just want to finish this. Been reading it for what feels like forever.

And from the blogosphere...

- Joelle has always inspired me with her bow-festooned up-dos, so of course I am loving her Sunday Bun Day posts. I mean, seriously, how cute? I've always been a fan of buns, but I really need to invest in a little bow collection.

- I loved this post from The Londoner on The Anti Diet. I'm always looking for fitness inspiration, & this one is a gold mine.

- One of my favorites photo blogs - Afternoons & Coffeespoons - recently posted a collection of photos from Charleston. Since Justin & I are headed there for our One Year Anniversary in October, I got excited as I pored over the images. I've only been to Charleston once so far, but my love affair with it already runs deep.

C H E E R S  T O  T H E  W E E K E N D .

weekender.

It's been the kind of week where I wake up & sleep-walk to the coffee pot. Yes, believe it or not, not every single week is like that for me. Weeks like this leave me wishing for long, lingering weekends in which I can wear outfits like those below, flitting around to antique shops & beaches & swimming pools, just being lovely. And while this week's Friday's Fancies theme revolves around wedding guest wear, I thought I'd share a lazy little summer outfit.

summer scarf | flip flops | shorts | top

The top is a pretty great value - thinking of ordering one in every color.

beach reading:

- Sometimes I need to read quotes like this one that Betsy meditated on, on Sunday.

- My style muse & namesake, Lauren, reminds us not to get caught up in the numbers.

- Julia's pattern mixing party has taken my summer wardrobe inspiration to new heights.

- Jessica lets us in on a few beauty bargains. 

this week's posts:

weekender

the sunday currently

recognizing nostalgia

around here lately

After a bit of a trying week for both of us, Justin & I are excited to hit the beaches of Wilmington this weekend. There aren't many other plans for the next couple of days, other than that. I have reading to do - both school- & leisure-related. The house will - God willing - be clean by this evening. Add in some crafting, & you've got an accurate look inside my life. Here's to sand, ocean-views, words on pages, & spools of yarn, waiting to be made into something.

weekender.

Happy Weekend! Justin & I don't have any big plans for the next couple of days, other than soaking up some sun on one of the local beaches. Not long ago, we made a promise to ourselves that we would take complete advantage of our proximity to the ocean every weekend of this summer. And that is exactly what we intend to do this weekend. For that reason, I was thrilled that this week's Friday's Fancies theme revolves around sunglasses. Can you tell I've got Mad Men on the brain? Those shades are screaming 1960s.

headband | swimsuit | sunglasses | sandals | coverup 

p.s. don't forget sunscreen!

beach reading:

- Allyssa's Branding Your Blog series has me inspired to polish my layout.
- Bethany is home & happy & shared a bit about the hardships she's faced. And it's inspiring.
- This isn't reading, but I have a new favorite beauty guru. Here she is.

this week's posts:

beach reading

thoughts on blog every day in may

the sunday currently

on being a student again

shreveport snapshot: around here lately

favorites as of late

When I think about goals for this weekend, I think of relaxation. And that, of course, leads me to think of the beach. I do, however, need to pick up A Thousand Splendid Suns from our library, to tote with me when I plop down in the sand & the surf. We have also GOT TO FIND a wreath hanger this weekend. I know, it sounds silly, but this task has proven futile for weeks now. And do I really need to say that I plan to watch as many episodes of Mad Men as I can? Also on the docket? Finalizing Father's Day gifts & planning our Sowell Family Trip to Destin!

beach reading.

- These weekend snaps from Natalie were the perfect way to start my week on that early Tuesday morning after the Memorial Day festivities. Now, when is my trip to London?

- Lauren is basically my fashion icon. And the shoes in this post are inspiring me in a big way.

- I always get excited when I see that Laura has put up a new post. There is a simplicity in her writing that is endearing & enchanting. I love the writing workshop posts she has started, & I'm looking forward to participating soon. I loved this past week's workshop on detail.

- Allyssa's summer reading 2013 post has me jonesing to put together a warm-weather list of my own. You know, for beach reading.

weekender.

This weekend, my dear friend Jordan is driving from Dallas to visit me. I cannot wait to spend some time with her. Other items on the docket include wrapping up a story I'm writing for a local magazine, shopping with my mom, going to church, & just relaxing in general. My time in Shreveport so far has been extra sweet, & I'm really enjoying it.

Now, for a few little tidbits I've been perusing as of late, that I think you may just enjoy.

-- As you may have read here, I'm going to be blogging every day in May. Interested in the deets? Check out Jenni's post. She has come up with post prompts, & I think they will make for some very interesting reading around the blogosphere.

-- I really enjoyed Joelle's Get It Done post, & while I haven't checked out all the websites & apps she mentioned, I have plans to see what they're all about in the near future. I'm ever on the hunt for things to make me more productive, & her post was pure gold in that respect.

-- If you're ever in the Shreveport area, allow me to suggest you take a visit to Twine. Today was one of Justin's best friend's birthdays, & I took him over there for a little lunch date. The food was simple & yummy, & the atmosphere was cozy & delightful.

-- My mom recently introduced me to Essie's Angora Cardi nail polish, & I was finally able to paint a coat on my nails today. I absolutely LOVE the color. I feel like it would work in any season, & right now it's giving me a sophisticated, understated pop of purple for Spring. Plus, it seems to straddle membership in the muddy, grey-infused family, as well as the classic reds. Win-win.

-- New Beauty Guru Alert! This girl is by no means new on the scene, but she is new to me, & I'm really enjoying her videos. It appears that she has a lot of material on drug store beauty products, which I'm excited to watch this weekend.

this week's posts:
neon novice
the sunday currently
around here lately
blogging every day in may

Here's to a relaxing, fun-filled weekend! My blogging rhythm will return to normal on Sunday, with a weekly installment of The Sunday Currently. Be sure to come link up & tell us all what you're up to.

weekender.

this weekend, justin's sister & her husband are coming to visit wilimington. i can't wait to show them around, eat at some new restaurants, & just enjoy having company. i love when family visits!

here are some things i've taken interest in over the past few days - perhaps you'd like to peruse them, too?

-- i was doing a bit of google searching & came across this blog which offers up advice on how to DIY your blog design. i've been meaning to spruce things up around here lately, & i think i may have found the golden ticket right here. i can't wait to see where this takes me over the next couple of weeks.

-- in a similar vein, this blog seems to be an endless fountain of knowledge, advice, & guidance. not to mention, i'm just oddly drawn to read more about her life. i find her interesting & inspiring!

-- a friend told me about pottermore when it was first released, but only just recently have i really gotten into it. if you're a harry potter nerd like i am, you'll enjoy this. promise.

-- i love monogram necklaces, & i have been on a hunt for the perfect one since before justin & i got married in october. i still want one of those frilly, fancy gold ones, but i also want one of these, in tortoise. i think they are so unique & edgy. it was love at first sight. i learned of them here.

-- here is a gorgeous makeup look for a date night out. tanya burr is my favorite youtube beauty guru at the moment. i've been watching her videos non-stop since before christmas.

-- another of my favorite beauty gurus is currently showcasing her emily awards series. see the face edition here; see the eyes edition here. i consider emily an expert - she has the BEST beauty advice & recommendations.

-- i read a post about modern dating [or how couples are glued to their cell phones during dinner dates] here... & truthfully, it really opened my eyes to how disrespectful it is to retreat to your cell phone in the presence of someone else. i've pledged to myself to change this behavior.

all eyes on emerald | the sunday currently | battleship north carolina | love lists: december 

happy friday! here's to a fun weekend with the in-laws.
i hope i'll see you all back here on sunday for another edition of the sunday currently.

photo: walking through wilmington \ nikon