on being a morning person.

there's a certain vulnerability that's only felt early in the morning. and i don't like it. 

it's like no matter what, i feel like there's no way i can accomplish the things i want to accomplish (usually these 'things' include getting out of bed & getting dressed in order to get to work on time).

if i write early in the morning - like i've been trying to do lately - the whole time i'm writing, it feels inadequate. it is only when i re-read it later in the day, that i realize, hey, this is what i was trying to say... this actually makes sense. 

but, early in the morning, before that requisite cup of coffee... before even 100 paces have been walked... there's a little cloud, taking up residence right above my head, no matter the weather outside. 

will i ever be a morning person? as of now, all signs point to no.

photo: iphone

starbucks sunday: currents.

today, justin & i got in the car & trekked over to goldsboro, a little town about twenty-two miles west of kinston. why the trip? starbucks, of course! you may not know this, but kinston has no starbucks. as far as i've seen yet, kinston has no coffee shop to speak of, either. this very fact is how i've gone for over two weeks without my confection-laden coffee drinks. imagine my joy as we finally pulled through the drive thru of my used-to-be-weekly haunt.

as we pulled away - me with my tall nonfat caramel macchiato & cinnamon swirl coffee cake, justin with his tall peppermint mocha frappuccino & cinnamon swirl coffee cake - i knew that it was time for a 'currents' post here on my starbucks sunday feature.

currently...

reading timeline, by michael crichton. i hope to finish it this week. i'm so glad i finally listened to my dad & picked this book up. it's thrilling, exciting, educational, & just a fun read. afterwards, i'm reading the white castle of louisiana, by m.r. ailenroc. white castle is a book by one of the daughters of the man who built the plantation home where we're getting married. and after that book, it's harry potter re-read time!

writing via ink & paper methods, then transferring it to this blog. i find that i am a lot more creative with a pen in my hand, rather than a keyboard at my fingertips.

listening to john mayer radio on pandora - post coming regarding that later this week.

thinking that i am falling in love with greenville, the town approximately twenty-seven miles north of us. we have been there three times since i moved here two weeks ago.

smelling the most delicious-smelling soap i've come across in quite a while. it's called black currant vanilla, & it's from the bath & body works aromatherapy line. oh, & justin picked it out!

wishing for an extremely productive week. if you know me, you know that i absolutely detest waking up very early in the morning - and well, my job is eight to five now, & i have to get there right on the dot. and while this is difficult for me, i also take pride in the fact that i am getting things done so early in the morning, & the truth is that i love that feeling of productivity. the problem lies in getting there.

hoping we never have another bee incident, like we did yesterday. there was a huge swarm of bees right outside our back door & kitchen window. it may just brighten your day to know that justin & i were creeping around outside our house, armed with cans of bug spray, taking on what seemed to be a hives-full-worth of honey bees. when we called the landlady, she told us that they would fly away when the queen left. well, as it was, we couldn't just wait for the queen to tire of our neighborhood, as about twenty of her subjects were taking up residence inside our home. she also told us not to try to kill them - that it would just stir them up. we did not heed this advice, and two cans of industrial strength bug spray later, we were mopping up the inside of our doorway, boiling the kitchen sink, & discarding bug bodies in an effort to sweep up the aftermath. you can only imagine how thrilled i was that poison ended up being sprayed all over the kitchen - i just really hope we don't die from it.

wearing pajamas. we took lazy to the next level this weekend. seriously.

loving being in the same place as justin. and our apartment. it's homey & cozy. and also loving that our friend ben called me yesterday, simply to thank me for sending him a thank you note. that's sweet.

wanting our friends & loved ones to come visit us - i miss all of them terribly.

needing hangers. apparently i have a multitude of clothing. well... we already knew that, actually.

photo: iphone; taken by justin

happy birthday, kniddy booshka!

photo 1: iphone - photo 2: vintage sowell - photo 3: iphone

friday's fancies #23: in celebration of kniddy's st. patty's day birthday.

my sister was born on st. patrick's day.

and she has red hair.

if i were in jackson this weekend & had the pleasure of attending the st. patty's day parade with her, this
is what my festive outfit would look like. sure, it's a little fancy for parade attire, but as i like to say,
better dressed up than down...

friday's fancies #23: in celebration of kniddy's st. patty's day birthday. by siddathornton featuring long sleeve tops

the trek to kinston.

the morning after our engagement party, we woke to a breakfast of coffee, 

snickerdoodle cake, & living room conversation. it was moving day.

with visions of the previous night's fete fresh in my mind, as well as a series of teary-eyed goodbyes, i climbed into the passenger's seat of the 4runner & prepared myself for the 17-hour trip that lay before us.

highlights of the trip included five guys burgers, beautiful scenery, sentimental 

mix tape cds from years past, & a stay in our beloved greenville, south carolina.

and while the stretch on i85 between charlotte & raleigh was blustery & 

seemingly interminable, we finally pulled up at RDU to retrieve justin's tahoe.

a hop, skip, & rural jump later, we were pulling into kinston & having dinner at east coast wings.

if only my bags could unpack themselves... my belongings have exploded all over our apartment.

here's to new beginnings & the promise of adventure!

photos: iphone

a photo for your monday.

these are weekend smiles.

i hope they carry over into the week.

happy monday!

photo: photobooth

starbucks sunday: the stacks + award.

when i went to visit kara at millsaps in jackson, she pretty much gave me the grand tour. 

and this is where i'm walking when i call you every day, she'd say, pointing to a brick staircase set in greenery. i loved seeing all the places that come together to equal out into a typical day for her, but my favorite place on campus - by far - was the stacks. 

after ascending a rickety metal staircase, you are transported into a world where walls are made of books & there are lights - windows - at the end of every tunnel.

it's true - i do this every time i'm in the presence of a multitude of books - i try to fathom how many volumes - how many words - how very many letters are floating in the air around me. 

this admittedly eerie, though undoubtedly charming, little space left me with the desire to make another trip to jackson - its sole purpose being for me to sit in the stacks & take in as many of those volumes - words - letters, as possible.

--

on a non-book-related note, i am so honored to relate to you that i have been presented with the liebster blog award, twice over - many months ago via memory, & just last week via julia. thank you, girls, so much for such an honor & compliment. 

and now, in keeping with the receipt of this award, i will list ten of my favorite blogs to honor with this award. check them all out if you know what's good for you. you won't be sorry. 

1. melissa, from 53 blonde.

2. sam, from ashore.

3. laura, from a diary of little things and curiosities. 

4. laura, from buy now, blog later.

5. bethany, from rinse. repeat.

6. lindsey, from focused linz.

7. daci, from just dandy.

8. jenna, from leggings love.

9. alison, from {long distance loving}.

10. annie, from annie's musings.

much love to all!

photos: iphone

february, captured #5.

another better late than never post, these three photos wrap up my 

participation in the february photo-a-day challenge, hosted by fatmumslim.

day twenty-seven. a sip (or ten) of donut house coffee.

day twenty-eight. a few (admittedly obsolete) coins.

day twenty-nine. a very favorite (& comforting) coldplay song.

photos: iphone

a surprise engagement party.

on the evening before our move to kinston, almost our entire wedding party - along with almost all of our parents - came together to surprise us with an engagement party at one of our favorite restaurants, bistro byronz. 

two of my very best friends & bridesmaids - anna claire & jenny - had been coordinating this sweet event since christmas - time; meanwhile, all of our friends & loved ones had to keep it a secret. and that was no small feat, as my mom & another of my bridesmaids, laura, told me. since i knew we had our move coming up, i had been trying to get as much quality time with those close to me as possible - & all the while, they had been bursting at the seams with the excitement of a party!

our wedding party hails from all over louisiana, as well as east texas - shreveport, baton rouge, frisco, lacombe, summerfield, alexandria, fort worth, dallas, denton, monroe... & my sister trekked from her college campus in jackson, mississippi. many of these folks traveled only to stay the night for the party, & turn around to drive all the way back home the next day. justin & i are so grateful, & we feel so loved. we couldn't ask for better, more generous people in our lives.

not to mention, the decorations were absolutely perfect. 

our wedding colors are yellow, gray, & black, 

& anna claire busted out her skills to really showcase those hues - i was in love. still am. 

i don't think justin & i could ever say thank you enough. 

if the engagement party was any indication 

of how awesome our wedding weekend will be, 

i know it is something we'll never, ever forget. 

i only wish i had more pictures! i was so busy having fun that i didn't even take my cell phone out of my purse the entire time. many of our sweet friends, as well as our parents & family, are not pictured above, & i wish they were!

photos: iphone, courtesy of kara & anna claire

love lists: february.

as the saying goes,

better late than never...

here are ten things i was loving for the month of february:

1. gossip girl.

i still haven't gotten completely caught up, but i plan to tackle that responsibility soon.

2. peonies.

directly related to number one. but it's true; i am now in love with them.

3. revlon lip butter in the shade berry smoothie.

when will i stop buying these things? probably never. this one is my favorite so far.

4. wet-n-wild's spring nail polish line.

at $1.99 a pop, & with a salon-style brush, how can i resist? i currently own four of the shades (wet cement, through the grapevine, on a trip, & i need a refresh-mint). but if i'm honest with myself, i know i'll soon have scooped all of them up. my favorites so far are wet cement & through the grapevine.

5. wearing earrings in my second piercing in each ear. 

does this make sense? i am wearing two earrings in each ear - pink sapphires my parents gave me for my birthday, & some smaller pearls. 

6. reading timeline, by michael crichton.

my dad has been suggesting this book for ages, & i decided it was time to give it a read. i'm on page 128, & it's starting to get really good.

7. taking part in the february photo-a-day challenge over on fat mum slim.

i loved it so much, i'm doing it again this month. i plan to post the photos in 10-day increments this time, instead of every monday, like i was doing for february. you can see my february posts here, here, here, & here (and there will be one more coming to wrap up february).

8. white roses.

justin was sweet enough to have flowers delivered to me on valentine's day this year. alongside my long-time favorite - orange roses - he chose white roses. he told me they signify new beginnings, of which we are currently experiencing a lot. i love it. thank you, justin!

9. if you have to cry, go outside, by kelly cutrone.

this was our selection for february's book club meeting. i loved her, & i can't wait to read her other book.

10. the purchase of my wedding dress.

no explanation necessary.

into watching vlogs? 

check out my corresponding february favorites video here, or simply click below to watch!

cute still frame, huh?

remembering february two thousand twelve.

i need to remember february two thousand twelve as a month when my wedding dress & the most beautiful valentine's day flowers ever - orange & white roses - sat in the same room together, reminding me about my future.

february two thousand twelve saw two nights spent in the car, driving toward nights out, singing fun. & young the giant, with my favorite shreveport people. my best friends.

i need to remember february fourteenth, two thousand twelve, as a day of trials, of a wedding dress purchase, and of a frenzied rush to the wrong theater. of an hour of therapy in a crowded lobby. walking into the vow feeling that yoga feeling - the feeling you either get after, well - yoga... or a heart-to-heart with a dear friend. you walk a little taller. you breathe a little deeper. you feel a little more yourself.

february two thousand twelve also saw me leave my job of two-and-a-half years - and the friends i had made & kept in those years - in preparation for a move to the east coast.

february was the month in two thousand twelve that saw the bittersweet move out of my parents' house.

february two thousand twelve was the month that happened eight months before our wedding.

the second month of two thousand twelve was the month i went to visit my sophomore-year-sister at millsaps. and we walked around campus, taking the most random pictures you can imagine. and i left knowing that it was one of those days i'd always remember - a little snapshot in my memory, reminding me of who we were at twenty-five & nineteen. 

and i'll never forget the long-overdue conversation i had during the car ride home. or the drive around ruston, with a sugar free red bull & a huge honey bun. getting lost in the cemetery. found on alabama.

i'll never forget that february two thousand twelve was the month i promised myself to cherish the tiniest moments of life. because you really don't get to re-live them. people say you only live once too often - it has begun to lose its meaning, which, in my opinion, is a tragedy. this little truth - more than any other - should be held in highest esteem.

why wouldn't we want to believe something that will make our lives inordinately more special?

as we plunge ahead at warp speed, with the present so soon becoming the past - the future so soon becoming the present - let us remember that this only happens once. really.

photos: iphone