Oh Tuesdays, at least you aren’t Mondays.

Instagram credit: exploringedinburgh

Hubby’s running to the market to get some movie snacks- it’s a Batman kind of night. 🦇🍿👩‍❤️‍👨

Wow! It’s been a minute. Haven’t been on in 6 months, since before I got married. Oh… I did get married! It’s been a crazy experience, although- not quite as earth shattering and life altering as I anticipated. As if once we said “I do” we’d be physically connected like those freaky little horses on avatar and the blue people. We aren’t… *necessarily* up each other’s asses (per se). But, he is my best friend and I am obsessed with him. Yeah, you could say we’re still in the honeymoon phase. Had a few arguments… but that’s to be human, right? We don’t get in knock down drag outs anyways if that’s what you’re wondering. And at the end of it, we always come to a peaceful close. A partner. My partner. 💗

We added another fur baby to the mix, she’s a heeler- mini Aussie mix. She follows me around like my shadow, and sits with me most of the day in the office. A most devoted coworker. Although… she often sleeps on the job.

The garden is still going, this is the best it’s looked since we’ve lived here- this being our third growing season. Some flowers I planted when we moved in are mature enough to bloom this year- some will be another year or so. But I’ve learned gardens take years to be established. And require patience… it’s so satisfying. Dreaming of what it will all be like, and then to begin to see results… my oh my. That’s my kind of exhilarating. Have plenty of plants for the pollinators going- a small butterfly garden with native wildflowers and milkweed. And have been experimenting with veggies… so far we are growing (almost entirely from seed): potatoes, onions, beans, tomatoes, corn and strawberries. It’s been so fun trying to come up with “space saving” ways to garden. We have a decent sized yard- but I want to leave most of it for the puppies to enjoy.

We’ve talked about starting a family, maybe in the next few years- God willing. I have so many plans in my head for a nursery. So many ideas, so many hopes and dreams. I’ve always wanted to be a mother. I’ve often been afraid at the prospect- but I suppose everyone is, aren’t they? I’ve resolved to start reading some parenting books, wouldn’t hurt I suppose. If we don’t have one of our own, we’ll adopt. So many babies need a loving family. But, we will cross that bridge when we get there. 🙂 New beginnings are so fun. And today I have been contemplating all of the good in my life, feeling so inexplicably blessed.

I hope anyone who stopped by my little blog feels blessed today too. 💗

“See what happens? When you finally allow yourself to dream ✨”

-Sweet Magnolias

Happy September 1st 🍃

You know you’re dealing with a toxic person when you have completely reasonable boundaries in place and that just infuriates them. When they push back on those boundaries DON’T question your boundaries, question THAT person. There is nothing wrong with not accepting anything less than respect for yourself and your life. That is the bare minimum. If a person, no matter who they are, can’t do that: then you owe them nothing.

You all may not believe this, but I was never the girl who dreamed about her wedding, not that there’s anything wrong with it. I just didn’t, I thought of all the places I’d like to go. The things I’d like to do. When I was a kid I was obsessed with the mummy. I used to want to be a “linguistic anthropologist” so I could go on digs and decipher ancient texts. Gosh, what a nerdy kid haha. I dreamed of going to Scotland, and Morocco and wherever other place I could get to. I dreamed of having a college education and a career- oddly enough for a kid. My Grandma used to tell me over and over, “Go to college before you have kids, it’s so much harder for women.” Of course it especially was in her day. She made sure to tell me cautionary tales of the women who came before me, the mistakes they’d made. I’ve definitely made my fair share… but Lord I couldn’t imagine being married to one: being forced to STAY married to one. Shit, times have changed. Much so for the better I’d say… I was allowed to make my mistakes… without having to pay such a steep price for them.

And I did go on to get a college degree… and start a career. I may not be a doctor or a lawyer… but I can support myself. I was allowed to wait until I was a fully grown woman and find myself before I had to be concerned with finding some man. And the man I chose, the man who chose me… is a wonderful man. Yes, he is steeped in this old world southern hospitality (he was just raised that way!), but he’s also been kissed my sweet modernity. He loves that I’m my own person, he encourages my goals and ambitions. And we’ve even come to start making some goals together- a team in every sense of the word.

My one advice for any single woman who DOES want to get married one day… for God’s sakes live with them first!! Take your time and live with them a year or two, it will either make you a stronger couple or it will save you from a WORLD of hurt.

And then there’s the matter of this dress… this dress that once symbolized purity, and chastity. This dress I so carefully chose… and steal away to try on every chance I get to stare at longingly in the mirror. This dress I fantasize about walking down the isle to my future husband in. This isn’t going to be a moment my father gives me to a man. This is going to be a moment where I wear the pretty white dress as a WOMAN, a whole complete woman all on my own. Who will walk myself down the isle and give myself to the man I love. This will not be an act of bartering, or an act of survival and necessity…

This will be an act of love. An act of freedom. And these are the things I am choosing to be grateful for today.

All I really want is a girls trip to Paris

Spent the afternoon reading on our back porch. We’ve put so much thought and effort into our small garden this year. There was nothing here when we moved in, now everything is in full bloom. In it’s full glory. It’ll all be gone soon, died off or safely tucked away for the winter. The second two pictures are our porch spider. I let him live there because I have way less flies in the house this year with him right by the back door. 😂

That’s just life though, isn’t it? Waning and waxing with the seasons, alongside them. One with them. We are very much apart of nature, the more we embrace that the happier we are as people I think.

I haven’t been much for reading lately, and I don’t even know what this book is about yet. But it’s sort of therapeutic for me tonight. The stress of corporate America is making me want to regress. To my roots- to nature. To reading a simple book, on my tiny porch, in my little garden. It’s important to dial back sometimes, relish in the little things and recharge. How will you recharge this evening?

I feel like I’ve been sort of stuck in a rut at work lately… send help :c

This is my “coffee corner.” The place I start my days 🥰

Instagram credit: thenovelacademy

Life is good great and wonderful. But those moments you get to sit back and envision yourself on vacation are the best. My happy place on a Friday afternoon- on the very cusp of the weekend!

Photo by Azad Balabanian