life update: ot school & moving to greenville.

Well, here we are, at 3:40 p.m. on a Monday, & I am finally sitting down to write about a couple of things that I've been wanting to & meaning to write about since MARCH here in this space. Let's skip the small talk & get to it.

I AM GOING TO OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY SCHOOL THIS FALL.

And in conjunction with the statement above, comes another.

JUSTIN & I ARE MOVING TO GREENVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA, ON JULY 28.

Obviously, because that is where I will be attending school.

I haven't been especially forthcoming here on my blog concerning either of these bits of news, mainly because Justin has been working here in the Wilmington area, & for professional reasons, I needed to keep our plans private until arrangements could be made & notices could be given. However, with this being Justin's last week of work at his current job, I thought this was the perfect time to become fully transparent about our future plans!

Let's start at the beginning, shall we?

Back around the end of 2012 & the beginning of 2013, I was really struggling in which direction to take my professional life. I had been job searching in Wilmington for a few months, & the search was turning up dry, to put it nicely. I was in crisis mode. I even considered opening my own business. I considered law school. I wrote this post. Lots of tears were shed, & many dreams felt unattainable. 

Justin was at my side for all of this struggle. He got behind my ideas, even when they changed daily, & he supported me no matter what. Having a stronghold in those rough seas was a God-send. I'll never be able to thank him adequately for putting up with my hemming & hawing & wondering aloud & crying. 

And it was him who just said it one day. We were sitting in one of the hospital corridors during one of his lunch breaks. We were talking about what I should do with my life. You know, just regular small talk. 

"Why don't you just go back to school?" he asked. "Why don't you just do it?"

This wasn't the first time those words had been uttered by him. Nor was it the first time I had thought of it. Nor would this have been the first time I went back to school. I had done the same thing, in 2010, my sights set on Physician Assistant school. Life got in the way that time, I thought to myself. But maybe, this time, things would be different.

Things certainly felt different this time around, when I heard those words. It felt like this was it. 

And it was.

In May, I started taking prerequisites so that I could apply to Occupational Therapy schools around North Carolina. And in June, I wrote this post. And through all the time that I was enrolled at Cape Fear Community College, I shared bits & pieces of my school journey here, especially about my conquering of the beast that was Statistics. From June to December, I talked about tests, midterms, finals, papers, & classes. I even think I mentioned things about applying to schools. But I never said it aloud: I never said, "I am doing everything I can to get into Occupational Therapy school."

But that's what I was doing. Rising early to study for anatomy tests. Staying late to work on Statistics homework in the Math Lab. Spending my free time shadowing at various OT practices around town. 

In December, I submitted applications to three schools. Two in North Carolina, & one in South Carolina. And in the end, by March of this year, I was accepted to two out of those three, one school in North Carolina & one school in South Carolina, which is a fact that brings me extreme pride & joy. I am proud of myself, & I am so very happy that all the hours & hard work that I put in, paid off. Because there were times when I wondered to myself, & other times when I wondered aloud to Justin, "Will all of this be worth it?" [Keep in mind these thoughts usually occurred as I sat in front of Statistics homework with tears streaming down my face. Ha. I can laugh about it now.]

As you may have gathered, I chose the school in North Carolina. And on the twenty-eighth day of this seventh month of two thousand fourteen, we are packing our bags & hitting the road to Greenville, which is a town about two & a half hours northeast of here. We are leaving Wilmington, forever. And as I've mentioned in my last few posts, I am getting pretty wrapped up in nostalgia & sentimentality over the whole thing. I am going to miss this place. We are going to miss this place.

In fact, we may even look into purchasing a place here one day, so we will always have a place to stay, so we will come visit often. We are cherishing our last few weeks in this city. Because although they've been a bit of a struggle at times, they were our struggle. And we have gotten through this together. 

And now, it's time for us to tackle a new adventure together. Justin will be starting a new job in August, & I will be starting Graduate School. And we will work & study & live life to our fullest together in this new journey. And we are excited.

But for now, in the stillness that is the rest of our time here in Wilmington, we are going to soak in every last little joy from this place that we can. We will eat at our favorite restaurants, go to our favorite shops, I will run at my park as much as humanly possible. And when we drive away on July 28, we will do so knowing that a road will always connect us back to this place in our hearts. All we have to do is get in the car, watch the beautiful Carolina country scenery for a couple of hours & some change, & then we'll be back here, ready for more Dixie Grill, or Sawmill, or Hugh MacRae Park.

Here's to the future.

the sunday currently, volume 95.

good morning from the sunday currently's headquarters,

where coffee is poured & blog posts are written

Let's be real here, for a minute: I woke up with contacts in, makeup from yesterday still on, & teeth un-brushed. And no, it wasn't because I was out all night partying, or any other viable excuse such as that. I fell asleep on the couch last night around approximately 9:30 p.m. - which, by the way, is WAY before my bed time - while Justin watched movies. I don't even remember getting into bed. For some reason, I was completely conked out.

Maybe it was yesterday's 6 a.m. rise time [insert self-satisfied grin here]. Maybe it was the fact that I stayed busy yesterday [shopping]. Maybe it was the fact that I walked almost five miles for exercise. 

I don't really know what it was, but I do know one thing: waking up with makeup on your face, contacts in your eyes, & unbrushed teeth is the ultimate example of not doing it right. In fact, it is awful. Bed time routine, I love you. Night time shower, I love you. Makeup wipes, I love you. Tooth brush, I love you. Let's get back together tonight, shall we?

We shall.

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

R E A D I N G  a total of four books right now: all the ones that I've mentioned in weeks past, as well as a new one, which is Winter's Tale, by Mark Helprin. Um, hey self: could you please-&-thank-you actually finish a book? We are set to move to Greenville [eee!] on July 28, & that means books are going to have to be returned to the library here in Wilmington. I mean, you do the math. Things are either going to get read or they're going to return to the library un-read. And we just cannot have that.

W R I T I N G  Morning Pages is my own, personal, free therapy. I've taken to calling them Daily Pages in my journal, though, because they are not always written in the morning. And I am fine with that. As long as they are written, that's all that matters. If you love writing, but sometimes struggle with journaling, I highly suggest the Morning Pages technique. 

L I S T E N I N G  to the whir of the fan, to the click of the keyboard, to the intermittent whoosh of cars going by outside my window, to me sipping & slurping my coffee [which I only do when alone - to do so in company would be rude, of course]. After yesterday's 6 a.m. rise time, I pushed my alarm back to 8 a.m. for this morning. Even still, I was the first one out of bed, & since rising, I have managed to shuffle to the coffee pot, read my daily Bible passages, & begin writing this post, all while Justin is still fast asleep in bed. Upon the completion of this post, I'll go wake him up & request an outing downtown, perhaps with Dixie Grill on the agenda.    

T H I N K I N G  that my main objectives this week are to write blog posts, work out, & pack up our house. Yes, the time has already come to start packing up our house. I need to write a blog post about our move. Also, about how I got into Occupational Therapy school back in March. Also, about how sentimental I've grown in the last few weeks, thinking of our leaving Wilmington. There is a lot to write. And that's not even the tip of the iceberg. There is so much I want to share, & there is so much I feel like I need to share. And those two objective are almost completely lining up, which, to me, is the perfect recipe for happiness in blogging. I'm almost there. And I'll keep trying until they are perfectly aligned.

S M E L L I N G  like Sunflowers, by Elizabeth Arden, for the past couple of days. I couldn't really think of a more perfect Summer perfume. And, as I've mentioned in past posts, this was my signature scent from seventh grade & on through high school. Of course, Burberry Brit swooped in & stole the show in college, but that has, in recent years, become to me a definitive Autumn/Winter scent. I did, however, stop to sniff it in Dillard's yesterday, & I can't wait until the days turn colder & shorter & I can bring it out of hiding. 

W I S H I N G  for balance this week. The battle inside my head has been real lately: Lauren, you need to do this. Lauren, no, actually, you need to do that more. Lauren, why aren't you waking up at the crack of dawn? Lauren, let yourself rest - you're about to start grad school & then you won't have the chance to really rest. Lauren, why haven't you started packing up the house yet? Lauren, why aren't you reading your books? Lauren... It's time to find a balance within all of these thoughts. And, you know, when I was typing it all out just now, I was beginning to think that an expertly-crafted, perfectly-prioritized to-do list would probably be the answer to this chaos. I'll work on that this afternoon & get back to you. Is it weird that I'm kind of excited about this busy week ahead? Because I am.

H O P I N G  Justin has a wonderful last week of work at his current place of employment. That's right, folks, Justin is about to be finished with his second job since graduating from PA school! I am so proud of everything he has learned, of the skills he has developed, & his professional accomplishments. We are attending a farewell dinner in our honor on Tuesday evening at one of our very favorite Wilmington restaurants, which I am exceedingly excited about! Here's to celebrating the past, while also looking forward into the hope & excitement & progress that the future holds! [I told you I was feeling sentimental].

W E A R I N G  polka-dotted shoes in the near future, because yesterday, Justin bought me the CUTEST shoes from a boutique at the Mayfaire Town Center. One pair are cream-colored canvas oxfords with red polka dots, & the others are flat, navy sandals with white polka-dots & a bow. They make me happy, & I can't wait to wear both of them.

L O V I N G  my BRAND NEW FILOFAX! Y'all, I can barely contain my excitement. Back when I was applying to Occupational Therapy schools in December, Justin told me that if I got in, he would buy me a Filofax, which is something I've been pining after for quite some time now. I am so excited to share with you that I am now the proud owner of a Raspberry A5 Finsbury! An unboxing & first look post will be up on Tuesday! I am happy to say that I was able to purchase it from a local Wilmington business, Occasions...Just Write, downtown at The Cotton Exchange. Though I'm bubbling with excitement to start using my Filofax, I will be waiting until January 2015 to officially begin using it. Until then, I will continue using my 2014 Organization Suite, which I'm happy to announce that I will be posting about next Tuesday [finally]. In the interim, I will also be ordering new calendar inserts for my Filofax, as well as working on the organizational system thereof. Can you tell I'm excited? Because I'm excited. 

W A N T I N G  another cup of coffee. Luckily, I brewed up a big pot this morning. What am I brewing right now, you ask? Well, at the moment, it is the Allegro Organic Breakfast Blend. I have to say, it is not my ultimate favorite, but it is getting the job done. Once I've finished this bag, I think I'll be returning to the less-refined, though exceedingly more delicious Folgers Gourmet Selections Creme Brulee. 

N E E D I N G  to do quite a lot of things this week, as you may have gathered from "wishing." I may share my packing organization/to-do lists, if that is something any of you would be interested in. This week's Tuesday post, as I mentioned, will be an unboxing & first look at my Filofax, & I had planned for next week's Tuesday post to feature my 2014 Organizational Suite. I could probably find a spot to fit in my packing post, though. We will see. 

F E E L I N G  empowered, content, & caffeinated. And that's a good feeling, I'll tell you. Especially since the last however-many weeks, I've answered this question with "tired." I'm not doing that this week, because it's time to focus on the positive & get moving!
C L I C K I N G  this video on how to tie a bow tie. That's right, folks, Justin has broken in the realm of bow ties, as we have begun supplementing his wardrobe for his upcoming job. The dress in his new office is more formal, so we have been scooping up some new shirts & ties. I'm so excited that he's branching out into bow ties - they are my favorite!

this week's posts:

love lists: june 2014

jackson snapshot: mother's day 

july things

I do hope that you will pardon my diversion from my Summer Posting Schedule in the last week. After blogging every day in June, I needed some time to regain my footing & acclimate myself to a new blogging rhythm. Look for a post every weekday in this coming week. 

Well, I guess now it's time to go wake Justin up & hopefully head somewhere for a delicious breakfast. I hope you all have a wonderful Sunday, & an equally wonderful start to the coming week!

What are you doing? Link up & share below!

love lists: june 2014.

Gasp! I have not shared a Favorites post with y'all since MARCH. How have I fallen this far behind? How have I let this go on for so long? Favorites posts are some of my very favorites to read [as well as some of my favorite YouTube videos to watch], so I'm excited to bring back this feature today. Read on to see what I've been loving in the sixth month of two thousand fourteen.

1. My Journal Composition Book. I know I've mentioned this nearly one million times, & I still haven't posted about my 2014 Organizational Suite [would you believe me if I told you it was coming soon?], but this little notebook comes everywhere with me. It holds my thoughts, my to-do lists, my blog post drafts... you name it, & it is in this book. I've recently mentioned that I've begun the practice of Morning Pages, & though sometimes they turn into Daily Pages [done later in the day], I can already feel a marked difference. They are like my therapy. I can't even tell you how good it feels to just sit down & brain dump onto three pages. And I never realized how much I had to say until I just sat down with a pen in my hand. Stock up on the classic black & white variety here . I certainly plan to.

2. My Blog Planner. I recently picked up a 17-month planner, which starts in July of this year & ends in December of 2015. It's the little polka-dotted spiral bound book you see in the photo. When I post my 2014 Organizational Suite [I know - I can't stop talking about it. Put it up already!] series, I will have a link to it for all of you, in case you're interested. It's really cute, & it's really helping me to organize my blogging schedule.

3. Carmex Lip Balm. I still have to credit Diane in my re-awakening with this product. I currently have two, one which lives in my makeup bag & is the sixth step in my daily makeup routine, & one which lives in my purse for near-constant daily application. I can't get enough of this stuff. I love the smell & taste of it.

4. e.l.f. Powder Brush. I had this brush in my collection for a long time before I really started using it. It's marketed as a powder brush, but it is a dense, flat top brush that I love using with liquid foundation. In fact, I've been using it constantly, with the foundation I'm about to talk to you about below.

5. Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 Foundation. I mix the shades 805 & 825 for my Summer color. I put one pump of each on the back of my hand, mix them together with the brush I just discussed above, stipple it all over my face, then buff it in to blended perfection. I absolutely adore this foundation. It is a full-coverage, flawless-finish, matte foundation, & its staying power is perfect for sticky, muggy, sunny Summer.

6. Vaseline Intensive Care Essential Healing Lotion. After finishing off my last tube of the Bath & Body Works Triple Moisture Body Cream in Honey Sweetheart, I knew I was looking for a basic lotion with intense moisturizing properties. This Vaseline selection is perfect for me right now. It has a light scent, it soaks into the skin like a dream, & it moisturizes like nobody's business. I bought a triple pack from Sam's, & the fact that I'm all stocked up brings me great joy.

7. Urban Decay Naked Palette. To say that this palette has been well-loved by me is an understatement. Just check the photos below for evidence. Pretty soon I'm going to have to buy a new one, since my favorite shades are disappearing fast. I plan to take a break from this baby for the month of July & put some of my other palettes to work, but I know I'll miss this one.

8. Bath & Body Works American Boardwalk Candle. I finally figured out why I love this candle so much: it smells exactly like one of my very favorite teas, which is Bigelow's Vanilla Caramel. Even if you haven't sampled that tea, you're still in for a rich, delicious treat with this candle. Truth be told, it could be an Autumn scent if it wanted to be; however, I like to think that I'll always associate it with this very Summer.

Not Pictured:

9. One Tree Hill. I know I haven't done a favorites post since March, but if I had, this show would probably have been on every single one of them. As I've mentioned in previous posts, this show is filmed in Wilmington, & our ooh-ing & ahh-ing over recognizing landmarks is a bittersweet way for us to wrap up our time in this city.

10. Coffee. Like, the kind you make in a pot. Is any further explanation necessary?

11. Drinking lots of water. I've been drinking between 82 & 110 ounces per day, & I feel wonderful.

What did you love in June? And what are you loving now? Have you written a Favorites post lately? I'd love to know - tell me in the comments!

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.

july things.

another july goal? continue photographing these crepe myrtles.

Let's be honest with one another here: I have been watching Pretty Little Liars all day. After a Saturday night of practically no sleep, I guess I'm still recovering today. That's ok though, because tomorrow is a new day. And today, though this post is going up late, I am going to share some goals for the month of July. But before I do that, let's review the outcome of my goals from June.

JUNE RESOLUTIONS

1. Continue focusing on managing stress in healthy ways. I'm happy to say that this has gone really well. Multiple times, when I was feeling stressed or anxious, I was able to realize that my shoulders were tensed. I let go of the tension, & the stressed feeling was eased. I felt a lot better in the month of June, & I hope that I can continue maintaining my health, both mentally & physically.

2. Blog every single day. I did it! I am so proud of myself, & I'm happy with how the results inspired me.

3. Rise early - 6:15 to be exact - maybe not every single day, but most days. Now this, I did not do, unfortunately. It has been difficult getting onto a certain schedule, but as you will see in my July Resolutions, I plan to keep trying. Hopefully next month, I'll be able to give you some good news - that I'm consistently rising early.

4. Work out every single day. I didn't do this, either. And more & more, I am realizing that you don't have to work out every single day to be healthy. In fact, sometimes working out too much can cause stress & injury. 

5. Get back into my reading schedule, for both the Bible & library books. I am happy to report that I am caught back up with my Bible reading plan. Falling behind on that was really upsetting to me, & it was something important that I needed to fix. However, I still need to get back into a good reading rhythm with library/other books. I miss reading! And in fact, my hold notice recently came through for Winter's Tale. I watched this movie with Justin & his mom a couple of weeks ago, & it really touched me. I think I'll put my reading of Emma on hold for a little while & dive into this particular story.

JULY RESOLUTIONS

1. Wake up at 6:15 a.m. every day from July 8 - July 31. Since I'm penning this edition of my monthly goals on the seventh, & I haven't been waking up at 6:15 so far this month [in fact, today I rose at the early hour of... 11:30], I am going to have to make the goal for the rest of the month. In addition to rising early, I also plan to make a to-do list each day & accomplish each of the things on that list. I know - isn't that the goal every day, really? Well, I am really focusing on it this month, let's say.

2. Move to Greenville. This is happening toward the end of the month, & I am really excited! Well, I'm both really excited & really sad. Excited, because I love our new place & I'm excited to start school, & sad because of the closing of our Wilmington chapter. It's hard to appreciate a time in your life while it's going on. I wrote a little bit about this here. Maybe I'll write some more about it in the future.

3. Continue eating healthy foods, drinking water, & taking care of myself. As I've mentioned multiple times in this space, on June 1, I embarked on some healthy living changes. At the end of this month, I'll be sharing more about that here on my blog. For now I'll say that things are going well, & I couldn't be happier about taking better care of myself.

4. Read three books. As you saw in my fifth resolution from June, I've been working to get more on par with my reading schedule. Reading three books this month will more than make up for my reading laziness as of late. And I know I'll feel a lot better if I'm reading more.

5. Write Morning Pages - & even more than that - every day from July 8 - July 31. I'm excited to start building a new morning routine, & I think this will be a great component to work in. And when you haven't been ink-&-paper writing for a while [like I haven't], you start feeling like you're missing something. Or, at least I do. And I'm ready to have that part of my life back in order.

Here's to a brand new month, even though it's already the seventh. It's never too late to make goals for the month & strive to achieve them. I'm ready to make July the best month of 2014 yet. What are your goals for the rest of this month?

Want to see my other things? They're all here.

the sunday currently, volume 94.

here we are, on the beach

Greetings from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina! We are wrapping up a little family visit with some ocean-front quality time. The photo you see above is from last night, when we went for a sunset walk - the kind where the ocean felt like bath water on our toes & the sky was pink & then orange & then navy & then black. Today, after we make a couple of deposits at the airport, we'll be headed back to Wilmington for a day of lying on the couch & watching One Tree Hill. Oh, & maybe some laundry, too. And definitely some Chipotle for dinner. Because, Chipotle Sunday. Obviously. 

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

R E A D I N G  has been put on hold recently. So much LIFE has been happening. We've had visitors since the last week of June, & I've been trying to give my undivided attention, to be really present. It has been wonderful.

W R I T I N G  has been an afterthought, too. And it's the writing that I've really missed the most. Thoughts have been bouncing around in my head, though, of course. And I hope to soon turn them into blog posts. Or perhaps diary entries. Or perhaps both.

L I S T E N I N G  to fireworks echoing off the ocean last night was a treat. Especially from our room on the sixteenth floor.  

T H I N K I N G  that things often turn out much better than you think they will. If only I could stop worrying. If only I could just relax & enjoy & savor. 

S M E L L I N G  perfumes at Banana Republic yielded a new obsession of mine: Rosewood . I must have it. I must. Hopefully soon.

W I S H I N G  I only needed about four hours of sleep per night. 

H O P I N G  for safe, smooth travels back to Wilmington today for us, as well as safe travels back to Shreveport today for our guests.

W E A R I N G  my new duds soon, I hope. I got two striped sleeveless blouses from Nautica, a striped dress from Banana Republic, & a pair of green flats. School clothes, but also clothes that can be worn anytime.

L O V I N G  family. And that my mom liked her birthday gift from us. And life.

W A N T I N G  the most relaxing day today.

N E E D I N G  to do laundry & to clean the house this week. 

F E E L I N G  very sleepy. Surprise, surprise. I'll have a different answer next week, I hope. 

this week's posts:

happy birthday, mom!

cozy thursday: july fourth frolicking 

jackson snapshot: fondren & happy hour

mornings: fluffy light & endless potential

posting schedule: summer 2014

the sunday currently, volume 93

What are you doing? Link up & share below!

happy birthday, mom!

Enjoy your weekend in Dallas!

I hope you have the best day ever.

cozy thursday: july fourth frolicking.

july fourth frolicking by siddathornton featuring Longchamp

We are in full hurricane mode over here in Wilmington. The rain is coming down in sheets, the clouds are of the scary, ominous quality, & my phone keeps beeping with tornado watches & warnings. Fingers crossed that Arthur calms down & we don't have to evacuate. The good news is, our guests arrived on time last night, & today we've enjoyed breakfast at Sawmill & a tour of the Battleship North Carolina. Justin will be off starting tomorrow, so if the weather lets up, we'll be enjoying fireworks downtown on the river.

With tomorrow being the Fourth of July, I knew I had to put together a look fit for fireworks. This red blouse from Choies really jumped out at me - I like the detailing around the neckline & the structured fit. Nothing reminds me more of the middle of summer than a nice, crisp pair of white pants - these from Brunello Cucinelli certainly fit the bill. Next we have probably my favorite part of this outfit - the shoes. These patriotic babies are from Kate Spade, & even though I love the red, white, & blue, I think these would also be cute in black. One day my dreams of owning a navy Longchamp will come true. They are just the perfect all-purpose tote, & they look clean & chic. I'm a big fan of studs, so these blue beauties would be perfect for the occasion.  With all the festive pieces of this outfit, I think a nude nail would play the perfect understated role - this Deborah Lippmann shade is exactly what I had in mind.

Just like in my last Cozy Thursday post, I will be linking up with Alison's Friday's Fancies post on {long distance loving}. We will be busy running around Wilmington & Myrtle Beach over the next couple of days, but I've scheduled some posts to go up in this space. Next week, I'll be getting back into my reading & commenting rhythm - I'm sorry for my quietness as of late. Look for responses to comments you've left me next week also. I'm looking forward to getting back to all of you!

What are you doing for the Fourth? What will you be wearing?

This post contains affiliate links, but all opinions & professions of love are genuinely my own. This is not a sponsored post.

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

mornings: fluffy light & endless potential.

mug & menu via yesterday's breakfast at dixie grill

It was an early-rising kind of morning over here at the C Residence. We dropped Justin's mom off at the airport around seven, & then we were able to go get coffee at Dunkin Donuts before Justin sailed off to work. Now, I have the whole day ahead of me. 

I think that's why mornings have become my favorite part of the day. There is just so much promise, so much potential, in the early hours of the day. The light feels fluffier somehow - it's as if the weight of the world hasn't yet been fully realized. It feels like anything is possible. 

Because, well, it is. And I am going to take all of that possibility, stick it in my bag, & go take on the day, the best way I know how. And for today, that means going for a long walk at the park, following up with a weights session in the gym, then working on my stretching routine. Add in some "desk work," & you've got a well-rounded Tuesday, in my book. 

It feels nice to begin a brand new month in this way. And I hope the rest follows suit.

posting schedule: summer 2014.

Well, folks, I did it! I blogged every single day in June, & it feels great! To read more about my thoughts on June Blogs, check out my post from Saturday. As I mentioned in that post, I felt like I needed to create & commit to a blogging schedule. And as you may have guessed from the graphic above, that is exactly what I did. For a more detailed look at this new blogging schedule, read on!

SUNDAY - As most of you know, Sunday is the day that I reserve for the weekly link-up that I host: The Sunday Currently. With the new blogging schedule, this day will remain the same: there will continue to be a new edition of The Sunday Currently every single Sunday, at 12 noon. Come link up if you'd care to share what you've had going on recently.

MONDAY - Monday will play host to two different genres of posts: those of a goal-oriented nature, or those of a personal nature. What kind of posts can you expect to see in the "Goals" category? The Nectar Collective's Weekly Wishes link up, an edition of my Things posts at the beginning of each month, or any other smattering of goal-related items. I've decided on an every-other-week frequency for my linking with the Weekly Wishes crew, because I felt a little bit rushed with only having one week's time for each set of three goals. I think having two weeks to accomplish those things will help to decrease my stress levels. Personal posts will be what they've always been: little snippets of life, thoughts, reflections, etc.  

TUESDAY - If you love posts about organization, Tuesday will be your favorite day around here. Thanks to the wonderful Organized Jen, I have, over the last year or so, reignited my love of organization, planning, & routines. Examples of past organization posts can be found here, & they serve as a good guideline of things to come. In addition, I will also be using Tuesday to post about any projects - knitting, crochet, or otherwise - that I have going on. 

WEDNESDAY - This is photo day! For quite a while, I have used Wednesdays to showcase my array of snapshot posts, which are often the product of either travel or of toting my DSLR around Wilmington, pretending to be a tourist. You'll also find around here lately posts in this slot, which is the way I share & recap my recent Instagram photos. Personal posts are also an option on this day, but I foresee this as housing mostly photo posts. I wanted to leave the option open to just pour my heart out on a random Wednesday, if needed, though. 

THURSDAY - On Thursdays around here, you can expect to find outfit boards, a la Cozy Thursday, beauty product boards like these past wish lists, &, well, any other kind of collage board you can think of. In addition, Thursdays will also house my empties posts, playlists, subsequent editions of recent reading, & more. I'm still dreaming up new series for this section, so be on the look out!  

FRIDAY - In addition to my Weekender posts, I've created a new genre of posts for this space: Improvement. This category encompasses the world of health & fitness, & I plan to share a lot more on those topics in the future. 

SATURDAY - No posts on Saturday around here. This is my re-charge day.

As you can see, this schedule dictates that I will be posting every day of the week other than Saturday. I am committing to that rhythm for the time being, but please know that this schedule may change in the future, as I will be starting Grad School in the Fall. If the schedule does change, however, I will post an updated one! 

You may also have noted that Personal appears on every single day, except for Sundays, which are for The Sunday Currently, & Saturday, which is my day off. Personal posts look a lot like this. Or this. Or this. I wanted to leave the option open for those posts on pretty much any day, because they are some of my very favorite posts to write, & also some of my very favorite types of posts to read on other peoples' blogs. 

So there you have it! That will be my blogging schedule for the foreseeable future. As I mentioned earlier, this schedule may change in the coming months, but I will post an update when that happens. I love the idea of having a more structured blogging routine, & I hope you do, too. This will also serve as a guide for any of you to know when the kind of content you're most interested in will be popping up around these parts. So you see, it's a win-win!

Do you have a posting schedule? What does it look like? Please share! And also note: I will soon be sharing my blog-writing & social media management schedules, if you're interested in seeing how I'm getting organized with scheduling posts & such. Those posts will be up on a Tuesday in the near future!

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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!