how cute is…

Marie?!

I love a group of old family photos so when Marie inquired about framing a grouping of her old family photos we were so excited to see how it turned out.   I love that she chose theses adorable frames with a pop of color to bring life to the images.  And we love an odd man out (4th unmatched frame) just to change things up a bit :)

frames!

Check our updated shop!  We added more frames for you lovely customers – happy shopping!

and happy new year from me!

{It should come as no surprise to any regular readers that my happy new year post comes weeks after Kristen's}


2011 was a good year.

I learned a lot about relationships last year. I learned to value the good ones. I learned to not worry about the rest of them.

I've long struggled with the 'what do you do' part of being an adult. For the greater part of the past decade I've done a little bit of a lot of things - never knowing which was really my... job. Interior design leapt ahead in 2011 cementing its place as my real job. It's nice to have one answer.

After a few silly foot injuires sidelined any sort of exercise for me in 2010, getting back into running and yoga last year was huge for me. I've always done both but temporarily losing the ability to do either made me realize their importance - and it's far beyond physical fitness alone.

I became more comfortable in the kitchen last year - cooking in the new house is far more enticing! - and I had a revelation: if you love good food, you should eat it. all the time. One night at a wonderful dinner, I was raving about how I wished I could eat "like this" all the time. One of my dinner mates flatly said 'well, then you should.' And so I do. try to. most of the time... There are not a lot of great restaurants in town, so finally putting into practice the theory I've long had about being better at preparing for myself the meals I love most has finally started to become a reality.


A lot of progress was made at our house in the past year (and beyond). And though it is still so far from finished, it is starting to feel a lot more like home and a lot less like a project.

entertaining re-entered my life in 2011. All parts of the move sent me into an entertaining hiatus. By late last year, I just couldn't stand it anymore. I remembered that all you have to do is keep champagne in the refrigerator - and I do that anyway (and if a little more effort is involved, there's always my sweet neighbor, Melissa (remember?))!

faith is something that is always important to me, but not always present. For some reason, I let it fall away - often. After struggling with some decisions - for a very long time - it occurred to me recently that I haven't even considered praying over them - for shame! As soon as I did, all of the anxiety went away - like that! I still don't have all the answers to every burning question inside of me, but knowing that all things aren't up to me anyway ended up being the answer I'd been looking for all along.

One last - and certainly not least - part of 2011 that was particularly stellar: travel. I really like to go. anywhere, any time. I always have. Last year, beyond the standard trips I can take in a car, my sister and I spent two weeks in Spain. It was incredible. Every single part. Even the parts that didn't seems so incredible while they were happening.


on that note, i think i just came up with my resolutions for 2012:

eat {better}
work {hard}
live {freer}
host {frequently}
pray {without ceasing}
go {everywhere}
move {daily}
love {completely}

(did not mean for this to sound like a favorite book. but the girl did have a point)

2011: the second half…

(plus a few days into 2012) captured via cell phone.  Isn’t it convenient and frustrating at the same time that a lot of our lives are captured by cell phone cameras and are rarely organized to fit in or order with our “regular” pictures?  I downloaded 700 pictures from the second half of the year that were capture on my cell phone and here the highlights are, as organized as they will get!

birthdays

uncle matt

our friend, Molly

 

our friend, Jamie

 

our friend, Brandi

 

babies

Bates

this is one of my nephews, i am not sure which!

Susan

 

mills sitting on all her babies, they are all named Daisy

 

my sweet (new!) nephew – Jack, my younger sister Kathryn’s 1st!

 

Kathryn & Jack

 

mills and her real babies (frances & luke)

the 3

at the beach

at the zoo

 

 

at s&j

 

at my mother-in-laws store

 

at Nanny’s creek

 

at Su Su’s

 

back porch

 

halloween!

 

stewart & james

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 food & drink

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hope you have a fabulous January and are staying well.  Cheers to last year and the new year just beginning!

New West Elm

Have you seen the latest West Elm catalog? It's endlessly inspiring. 

The iconic parsons desk has been updated with a hand wrapped antiqued metal, new mid-century pieces are spot on and their answer to Beni Ourain rugs isn't half bad.

What's more is their clever partnership with 20 x 200 and inclusion of beloved bloggers featuring with their own we products - genius!



Not to mention, countless pages feature etsy art.

 The whole thing is a treasure trove and they have a blog: Front & Main - love!

image source