the sunday currently, volume 101 | back in business!

dinner last night at Mai Thai II

It is with absolute elation that I sit here typing these words to let you know that The Sunday Currently is back in business here on siddathornton. But, what about this, you may be asking. And this? Well, let me tell you a little story...

One afternoon - Wednesday afternoon, to be exact - I was reading through some of siddathornton's archives, getting all misty-eyed and nostalgic, when I had a thought. And then, as I walked TBear along our neighborhood road, I had more thoughts. I've been putting off starting up my new blog for reasons undetermined, and I just started feeling that pull back to this space. And, even though I'll be busy once school starts back up again at the end of August, surely I would have time for The Sunday Currently each Sunday? 

I am so grateful that, while I was away, Kristin kept the Sunday tradition going, and then graciously passed the torch back to me recently. It makes me so happy that others are excited about cataloguing moments that otherwise may go un-remembered. Because, really, that's what The Sunday Currently is all about, and the thing that I was missing so much in my life for these last few months.

Next week, I will have some announcements that involve a few minor changes to The Sunday Currently, but for now, I just want to revel in all the glory of doing these posts again.

So, on this travel Sunday, I am currently...

reading Go Set a Watchman, by Harper Lee. Many thanks to my friend, Jessica, for letting me borrow it.
writing in my Moleskine journal while traveling, as well. I am hoping to join the ranks of those with Travelers Notebooks soon, so I wanted to get the feel of Moleskines. I do not plan to buy an official Travelers Notebook, but rather one that fits Moleskine, Field Notes, and other various inserts.
listening to the incessant whoosh of our hotel room air conditioner. Justin is still sleeping. As I tap out this post, it is 6:51 a.m. in Charlotte. We don't fly out to Jackson until later today, but for whatever reason, I was up with the sun. I'm not complaining!
thinking that yesterday's shopping trip at Concord Mills was certainly a joy! I've always enjoyed the shopping trips with my family at its Texas counterpart, Grapevine Mills, and this trip definitely followed suit. I picked up some comfy cozy jeans and a "Wyoming-esque" scarf at Forever21, as well as a couple of "leggings tanks" from Gap. We also had some pretzel nuggets at Auntie Anne's, so really, what could have gone better?
smelling nothing at all recently. I've basically been sick since summer semester let out a little over a week ago. I don't understand why I get sick after every semester... but maybe it's stress-induced?
wishing we were already in Wyoming! I cannot wait to get to our home for the week and relax. Plus, as I tend to be a bit of an anxious traveler, the time spent waiting for our flight time to arrive always makes me nervous and unsettled. I am so excited to visit a state that I've never been to before, though, and it's very exciting to me that that is happening today.
hoping we have smooth, safe travels today. I'm looking forward to my cozy travel outfit, as well as a soothing, relaxing playlist.
wearing my standard hotel room pajamas: long sleeved t-shirt, long pajama pants, and fuzzy socks.
loving that we are officially on vacation, as of yesterday! I know that Justin is happy to have some relaxation time, and I am too!
wanting some hot coffee or tea. I think we are going to go get in a quick workout downstairs soon, then we will probably grab some breakfast.
needing to remember to relax this week. All last week, I was running around like a crazy person, trying to get our house in order, trying to do this, trying to do that. I need to remember what vacation is all about this week and really unwind so that I can come back to Fall Semester full-force.
feeling a little bit better this morning. I have had a cough and some congestion for about a week now, but luckily yesterday I picked up some medication and I'm already feeling on the mend. I need to make sure to stay hydrated today, though. I haven't been doing as well with that lately, and it always makes me feel better.
clicking nothing at the moment... any blog suggestions? Send 'em my way!

What are you up to today? Link up and share below!

Hope you all have a happy Sunday! Next time we chat, I'll be coming to you from beautiful Wyoming.

a mid-summer currently.

summer semester is over - let freedom ring

Today I am experiencing a huge pull to write again (and the logistics of my new blog have yet to be sorted out), and I thought I would scrawl out a quick little currently post. As some of you may know, I used to host a link-up called The Sunday Currently, where I shared what was going on in my life each week. Rather than try to write a from-scratch post today, I thought I would revert back to this old familiar favorite of mine. 

So, on this mid-summer day, I am currently...

READING nothing at this exact moment. If you would have asked me a couple of days ago, I would have told you all about the study guides I was reading in preparation for my final exams, but as it happens, those are now complete, and I am in this weird limbo land where I have nothing to do. I plan to start reading Go Set A Watchman, by Harper Lee, which my classmate Jessica has loaned out to me. I greatly enjoyed To Kill A Mockingbird, so I am looking forward to this new sampling of Lee's work.

WRITING is something that I need in my life. I have said this many times before, but it is ringing especially true this morning (or, well, afternoon). I find that every time I experience a major life event, I am pulled back to this space, and that is how I know that I a meant to continue blogging. 

LISTENING to the whir and clink of our ceiling fan, the stirrings of Tahoe every once in a while as she naps, as well as Justin as we discuss bill-paying and finances. Standard Saturday business around here.

THINKING that life is short, but sweet. I found out last night that a dear family pet has passed away, and though I am extremely sad over it, I know that she had a wonderful, full life. I will always miss her, and I am profoundly sad that she will not be there to greet me when I go home to Shreveport in August.

SMELLING like Cactus Verde lately, which is a perfume that I picked up in Anthropologie when we  visited Charleston in May. I love it.

WISHING I had gotten up early this morning, but I had a late night with friends, which is always worth it.

HOPING for a productive rest of the day, rest of the weekend, and entire next week! Soon, we jet off to Wyoming for a much-needed vacation, and I can't wait. And then, it's off to Shreveport.

WEARING scarves like it's my job. I think the summer scarf is an oft-forgotten and underestimated comfort.

LOVING my life and all of the people and animals in it. I take nothing for granted. I feel very, very lucky and blessed to be living this life. I am content, I am overjoyed. I am thankful.

WANTING something good for lunch. I wonder what we will end up feasting on? An afternoon pot of coffee wouldn't be too bad, either.

NEEDING a long, hot shower. I find that they are restorative and good for the soul. I need that today. Perhaps after my afternoon run and long walk with Tahoe?

FEELING nostalgic, emotional, sad, happy, and relieved all at the same time. 

CLICKING Lush's website a lot lately, filling my cart with wonderful bath goodies I hope to someday purchase, as well as Teavana's site, for the same - albeit tea-related - purposes. 

What are you doing? I know we haven't spoken in quite some time, but I would love to hear from you. I hope you all have a wonderful, safe, relaxing, productive weekend. 

hello out there.

Blogs are funny things, aren't they? 

Remember when I told you in January that siddathornton was being revamped, and that I would see you in a month? Well, obviously, as it is now April twenty-first, I did not see you in a month, and siddathornton was not revamped. 

Recently, I read a post by Betsy about blogging. In one of the opening paragraphs she talks about how she considered not coming back to her blog, about how it was strange that she felt blasé about possibly not returning to the space... how she didn't feel the need to blog anymore.

I have been feeling all of those things, especially with grad school (and everything that comes along with it) on my plate. Suddenly, I had all of these assignments, all of these new friends, and all of these things to do, none of which took into consideration my house that desperately needs cleaning. Suddenly, my life was very full and I wanted for and needed nothing. My life was full, and blogging was the thing I chose to prune in that time of fullness. 

In her post, Betsy talks about how she doesn't feel the need to catalogue her life through her blog in a "diary-like" way anymore, and I have to agree. I don't feel the need to blog in that way anymore, and with school and friends at school being such a big part of my life now, I don't want to document their lives without their permission. 

But I do still want to blog. 

When I decided this, I knew I had to make a decision: would I continue blogging under siddathornton, or would I close the book on this chapter of my life and move on to something different? I have some of the best, most fulfilling memories from this space. I have met and collaborated and shared creativity with many wonderful people, using this space as a medium, and it felt weird to think of starting new somewhere else. In a way, it felt like abandoning all of those experiences and memories. 

But, I have felt - on many occasions over the past year or so - that it was time to move on.

So, what does all of this mean? Well, this means that this is one of my last posts here on siddathornton. It means that a new blog is coming soon. It means that I have no intention to quit blogging now, or ever, really. It means that I want to keep sharing, though the type of sharing I plan to do over on my new blog may be a little different. Or, perhaps it won't. That remains to be determined. 

Until then, I hope that all of you that have frequented this space will continue blogging. I hope that you will continue sharing beautiful photos and beautiful words. I hope that you will continue sharing your stories, in whatever way you see fit and in whatever way makes you feel comfortable and creative. Blogging is such a wonderful thing. It really is.

I will see you all soon.

announcement: siddathornton is being revamped.

As the blog post title suggests, I am in the throes of re-designing and re-vamping siddathornton. I'm hoping to have all the changes made within about a month's time frame, and I'm excited to resume normal posting after it is all complete. To everyone who reads here, thank you for sticking with me through the radio silence of the last few months, as well as the half-hearted attempts at pop-ins. I'm dedicated to this little space, and I will more than likely have plenty of time to share here during the course of the spring semester that I have just started. Thank you again, and I hope you're looking forward to a new and improved siddathornton just as much as I am!

around here lately.

Hello. Happy two thousand fifteen! It's been quite a while since my last around here lately post, so I thought I would share some images from the last month or so with you all today. It's been a whirlwind holiday season, and I feel nostalgic poring over these particular images. Enjoy!

my family, arriving in raleigh for christmas at RDU

festive decorations in downtown greenville

the road from smithfield to new bern

shopping in raleigh

breakfast at big ed's city market restaurant in raleigh

roaming duke's campus

lounging at the starbucks in chapel hill

our christmas tree stays up until the new year

two thousand fifteen: the year of lipstick and bangs

christmas at the ontario house

drinks at bird cafe in sundance square in fort worth with justin, jesse, & brian

slumber party with austen jane and jordan in frisco

january's book: a moveable feast, by ernest hemingway

a west shreveport sunset

remembering justin's grandma with this north monroe sunset

we started friends from the beginning

lunch at dawg house in ruston with justin's mom

the obligatory travel strawberry cream tea latte while on layover at ATL

Today marks the beginning of spring semester, and with that new beginning, I will also be launching into my new years resolutions/goals for the year. I hope to share them soon! What are your resolutions and goals for this year?

photos via my instagram

photo diary | home

sharing a bit about home over on sidda snaps today - go here to read 

review | joy to the world, by scott hahn.

Hello, blog. It's been a while. I will soon be posting more regularly, but, in the interim, here's a short snippet of a review on a book I have recently read.

-----

Not long ago, I stumbled upon a blog post about Blogging For Books. Naturally, I was intrigued.

My first book selection is Joy to the World, by Scott Hahn. I chose this book back in October, because, with the Christmas season quickly approaching,  I wanted a book that really got me into the Christmas spirit, while also taking on the role of educating me a little bit more in the scripture surrounding this time of year.

I couldn't have been more pleased with this book in that regard. I often have turned away from books about Christianity, not having interest in reading them. I am so glad that I read this book, as I feel that is has opened doors for me to enjoy a genre that I have been overlooking.

In all, I was pleased with this book and would recommend it to anyone looking for more knowledge surrounding the birth story of Jesus, a renewal of the Christmas Spirit, and an unexpectedly exciting read.

Have you read Joy to the World? What did you think?

PS - I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review.

a pre-thanksgiving pop-in.

It's really a bit mind-boggling, how busy I've found myself in this first semester of OT school. It's been a wild ride, and I wouldn't trade it for anything (despite my somewhat-constant grumbling as of late - stress'll do that to ya). 

I'm sitting here in my dining room. Tahoe is asleep on the first landing of the stairs, and the blustery rain is continuing its incessant beating outside. The ham was picked up earlier today, and I have an 18-item to-do list immediately to my left, none of which includes school tasks. Our first Thanksgiving guest arrives later this evening. 

It's our first Thanksgiving to host with non-family members in attendance - though we will, thankfully, have one family member in attendance! - & to say that I'm thrilled is an understatement. I love the holidays. I love food. I love friends. I love having people over. But I'm a little bit nervous, too. Cooking for these friends that have so quickly become family is a bit intimidating. I'm not known for my cooking skills, but I'm going to put my best foot forward. And, of course, Justin will be contributing his mad kitchen skills. I just can't wait to make holiday memories with these wonderful, hilarious, sweet, awesome people.

I'm rambling, I know. But it's the only way I know how to talk/write right now. 

I just miss this space. I miss sharing. I miss blogging. 

I plan to take photos tomorrow, which will hopefully be shared in this space in a timely manner. I have plans brewing on the horizon for this blog, and it's my great hope that they come to fruition.

There's so much school work to be done, but I think a couple of days off will do my body and mind some good.

So, I guess that's all for right now. Except for the fact that I'm wearing - and rocking, if I do say so myself - red lipstick today. And later, I'm getting bangs. But I guess those are very small things in relation to everything else. So, I will leave you on that note.

Happy Thanksgiving!

four on friday.

a morning walk on the first of november
a gloomy drive on the way to
late breakfast at a hole-in-the-wall
large chunks of time spent on top of the world-
or, at least, the top floor of the library

this is the stuff of our days lately
this, and dinner on the couch
and food network viewing
and just normal, busy things

good morning, november.

I woke up today, and, somehow, it was the eleventh month of 2014, I was an occupational therapy student, and my house was a mess. For a moment, I felt bad about that. You know, the house-being-a-mess part. I also felt bad about the fact that I didn't really make time to work out in October. Or time to blog. Or time to read. Or crochet - something I love doing around this time of year. I also felt a little bit bad about my bare nails - I've been wanting to paint them red for a while now. Because, while red is always a good idea, it's an even better one in the fall.

I felt bad about these things.

And then, I thought, hello November.

It's a brand new month. A month in which we can make ourselves whoever we want to be.

Here's who I want to be in November:

- a person who is busy, but smiling
- a person who makes time to sit down at the kitchen table with coffee & oatmeal every morning, to have a proper breakfast
- a person who reads - even if it is the tiniest little bit - for pleasure every single day
- a person who crochets while watching television or a movie
- a person who doesn't get ragged-feeling when they have a lot to do; rather, a person who simply makes the list and gets it done, however much time it may take

Those are the things that I decided this morning, bright and early at 11:15, while I sat here with my blue laptop and waited for my pecan pie coffee to brew.

And I feel good about it all.

Happy November!

two years married.

Today, Justin & I have been married for two years. This past Friday, we jetted off to to Florida for the LSU-Florida game, one of Justin's favorites to attend. We stayed in Jacksonville & commuted in to Gainesville. We had a wonderful trip! This weekend, plans are still in the works, but I believe we are going to stay in Wilmington, on the water. As we walked out of lunch at The Scullery in downtown Greenville today, the church bells were playing, and we talked about how it feels like we got married a really long time ago. Maybe that's because we've been together for so long. Maybe that's because a lot has happened in our lives between the years of 2012 and 2014. Either way, all I know is that I hope there are many, many more years in store for us. Here's to many, many more anniversaries!