Who run the world? GIRLS

Babe vibes all around, let me tell ya.

Got to hit the capitol city with two of my favorite women. They continue to inspire and challenge me to laugh longer and live life fuller. In a 36 hour reunion we managed to catch up on 12 months of gossip, share how/why we got on each others nerves, create a master plan as future business partners, and play ultimate tourists. If you are in or around D.C. any time soon our suggestions would include the Smithsonian museums, National Cathedral, Teaism, and the Torpedo Factory. (Those were just the better stops along the way, but next trip will be a longer one for sure.)

 Thanks for looking both ways before I cross the street and mastering the metro. You are two of the truest ♡

bebe times...

Also, I miss this one...

moving in mind...

Summer came and went so much quicker than anticipated, but all for the best. The moments and memories have been nothing short of beautiful. My heart is full. Anticipating the return to school is an interesting in-between season, but my hopes and prayers for the year to come are bold and expectant. God has continued to show up and prove that His plans will always exceed my own desires, and thankfully so.

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

{ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 }

give it to God, and go to sleep

Regardless of the length or destination of a trip away from home, the first things I was to see when I return are my bed and my big dog. After the craziness that the last two weeks traveling consisted of, I was ever so grateful for them both. Taking time to find rest in sweet alone time with Jesus and my puppy.

New things I was able to return to:

• this etsy print
• this beautiful album
• my new favorite shirt I forgot to pack...

propagate // wk 8...

Hello, progress! Even while I was away these little babies decided to start looking' like their momma.  Little pictures of little planters to come.

bebe time...

Any of my close friends would tell you I'm not a kid person. At all. (Pyscho/bad parents are entirely to blame.) But they really just aren't my thing... Any way, I somehow need up being volunteered to watch a newborn cousin while my aunt's maternity leave was up and before daycare begun. I was not exactly thrilled, but this little guy has stolen my heart.

Love ya, bud.

Summer nights...

My last overnight at home for two weeks was started with a long dog walk and listening to this on repeat. No complaints at all.

I'm a big girl now

Fun fact: I am super sensitive to smells. I don't know why exactly, but they can get to me like nothing else. An unfortunate (and slightly odd) result of that is the challenge of wearing a scent myself... I typically wear a light body spray or scented lotion to avoid anything too strong or overpowering. Today I decided to take a leap of faith and purchase a philosophy spray fragrance.

A perfect travel size (2 oz.) and lovely combination of lily, black raspberry, and vanilla!

be still...

Since this summer has seriously picked up the pace, our down time has been mostly limited to catching bits of the world cup (Deutschland über alles!) and car rides. We decided to take a day to get away from our errands and daily craziness to rent some kayaks out at Lake Wateree. It was a much needed R&R from the summer shenanigans.

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; 

I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

{ psalm 46 : 10 }

 The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.

{ exodus 14 : 14 }

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#nature

"guilty" is a misnomer...

I was thinking about this today and here's how I feel about "guilty pleasures" - not all that guilty. Like, not at all! I enjoy indulging in these things and am not ashamed of them. This morning examples include....

Frozen yogurt after an hour at the gym. 

I feel no need to "make up for a cheat day" or entirely counterproductive.

Investing in a pair of ugly shoes. 

They may not be a fashion statement, but my feet have never been happier.

________________________

LIFE IS SHORT STOP FEELING GUILTY FOR ENJOYING IT THANKS

she gets me...

Got the sweetest of care packages today...

 I adore you, Nat. Your friendship blesses me beyond words, and I miss your refreshing presence in my life. We will have a serious QSG date as soon as we hit chucktown. Don't fall in love with Cali, the east coast needs you back asap.

textbook treasures...

Trying (and miserably failing) to sell my books from last semester was making me feel discouraged and slightly defeated ...until I found a take out menu full of baby's breath in my statistics book. Thankful for little reminders of His beautiful creation.

brew-ti-ful...

Real talk: I could spend all my money on coffee. Americanos, lattes, hot, cold - I don't even care. I love all the coffee! (Something I get from the mother...)  With the high temperatures and wanting to take my coffee to go, iced and cold brew have been pretty regular in consumption. After doing a little research (read: Pinterest), I decided to give cold brew coffee a try. Being too impatient to make hot coffee and let it chill to drink iced, I assumed this would be much easier. WRONG. The biggest component to this process was patience, and it is so worth it.

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Now, here is the simplest recipe you will find on the internet:

COLD BREW CONCENTRATE

1.  Grind 1 1/3 cups of whole coffee beans.

2.  Place in a sealable glass container with 3 cups of cold water. (A one pint mason jar is perfect!)

3. Seal and let sit at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours - the longer the better.

4. Strain through cheesecloth to separate concentrate from grounds.

5. Dilute with water in a 1:1 ratio.

6. Serve over ice and enjoy!

(Best kept refrigerated and is great for two weeks. 

But it won't be around that long... trust me.) 

HLCO

FRIENDS. This has been the best mail day ever. (And if we are honest for a moment, I'm not all that particular about the mail I receive...) Either way, I also happen to think that hand lettering/calligraphy/typography/other forms of aesthetically beautiful words are a great thing.  And today, I received my order Hand Lettering Co. (You can find the shop, blog, and free downloads here.) They are a wonderful company devoted to lettered design and sharing Scripture. Check them out, you will not be disappointed.

#ss

and while there are still 2 minutes left in the day, how about that Sunday selfie...

FSC + FLW =

I believe there has been a slight trend forming in the day dates B and I have... Of course there are all the coffee stops (once three times in one day... yikes!), but now college tours. I know, the lamest. But it has proven to be a quite interesting and fun venture.

The last stop was Florida Southern College. The campus has the largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture in the world. Cool stuff my friends, check it out...

The chapels were my very favorite. Absolutely stunning and air-conditioned. 

happy 4th...

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream. And 'Murica, duh.

Hope everyone had a safe and fun weekend. It was a bittersweet one over here, but freedom isn't free...

State Capital vibes...

Living in a town with an Air Force base is most often a recipe for boredom. I'm serious... They are typically built where there is a lot of empty space and not enough people to complain about the noise. Any way, Sumter has proven to be full of lovely people and all the swans. Unfortunately, we have to drive the 40 miles to Columbia if we want to do any serious shopping or dining.

While B was planning on coming up, I made some to-do lists of things so we wouldn't run out of ideas or find ourselves bored. Here is what proved to be the best of them:




1.  Visit Swan Lake

2.  Find the best iced coffee

{aka Immaculate Consumption}

3.  Visit the University of South Carolina

{the "horseshoe" was stunning}

4.  Mural hunting

{I am a huge sucker for all things street art...}

5. Visit the State House

...and just to get the full effect of your SC trip, make sure to take time for a Fancy Milkshake.