vacation time

Hello from the mountains! I'm out in Tennessee happily enjoying a long vacation. My bosses were generous enough to give me a week and a half off to come out. I've been living it up - visited with my mom, sourced new inventory, bought some new books and clothing, and drank too much beer (oops). I've got a nice week coming up of nothing but baseball, relaxation, and reading.

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local haunts: a trip to Maymont // RVA

Wednesday, my best friend and I took the little guys to Maymont and had a total blast. Maymont is a great park in Richmond, Virginia, that's open to the public and has so much to look at and enjoy. Gorgeous grounds, a Nature Center, an area where you can pet animals and feed goats, a beautiful Japanese garden with waterfall, and an equally pretty historic mansion where you can take tours.

We started off the day with a picnic complete with fruits, veggies, sandwiches, and snacks. After getting our bellies full, we walked into the Nature Center and checked all the fish, turtles, and other critters. There were even alligators! After checking out all the local water creatures, we cut the boys loose outside and headed to the farm area.



The boys got along really well and ran their little hearts out. I swear he's not that far away, the photos just make it seem that way! Haha. Maymont has really upgraded their farm area and it was really nice to walk through. There were three adorable little baby goats that we couldn't stop squealing over.



We all fed the goats and had a lot of fun checking out all the different animals. The tongue on this one!







We made our way through the wildlife, complete with owls, hawks, vultures, and eagles, to the Japanese Garden, which is absolutely stunning. They have massive koi and you can walk on stones to cross the pond. There's bamboo trails and fountains and the kids had a blast climbing on the rocks.



These are my gifts from the little guy. He is so sweet. I kept the flowers, and when he walked up to me with a handful of gumballs and said "these are for you", I told him I'd take a photo and he could find a special spot for them.

After trudging back to the car tired as could be, we headed home and both boys conked out. We definitely plan on making a few more trips this summer!

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live music: space koi

Friday night my friend convinced me to go see a show, so we mosied on down to Benny's for a few beers and some food while we waited for Space Koi to come on across the street at Legume. I have to say, I'm not a live music kind of gal, but I had a lot of fun and really enjoyed the music. Space Koi is an awesome mix of bluegrass and reggae!

We've decided that this summer we're going to see more live music and get outside more. The temperature took a dive so we haven't made it out much, but we've already seen a bit of one show so we're off to a good start!

Do you have any summer plans?


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things that have made me happy lately

As I've mentioned before, I'm generally a pessimist. However, I've been trying to have a better outlook on life and it's been working for me! Here's a neat little list of things that have made me happy lately.

• Meeting up with friends. A little bit ago in January I met up with Jess and we did some thrifting and had an amazing dinner at Not Your Average Joe's. That's the delicious veggie spaghetti squash bolognese I had above!
• Vegan breakfast. My coworker and I stopped at Kickshaw's for breakfast a bit ago and I had potato hash, sour cream, cheddar Daiya, egg, and portobello bacon. All vegan and all delicious!
• Preparing listings for eBay. Most folks loathe the whole photo/listing process, but for some reason I find it therapeutic. Who knows why. I love laying out pieces for photos so they can find new homes!
• New beginnings. I won't go into detail, but things have really been looking up for me around here. Smitten kitten.

Hope all is well! ♥

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2017 goals

I'm not generally a New Year resolution type of gal and this post is pretty late, but Jess and I were talking and I thought I'd put together some goals for the year. It never hurts to work toward something, right?

• Try new things. I can get pretty deep into my routines, so I'm hoping to branch out and try doing things I've never done before.
• Build on my reselling business. I had a fairly successful year on eBay and Etsy as a hobby, but I hope to build on that and turn it into a full-time second income. I've started sourcing and have been pretty fruitful thus far! Cataloging and organizing inventory is next.
• Develop a yoga routine. One of the biggest things I miss doing is going to yoga. I didn't have a lot of time to go in 2016, but I definitely want to get back into the habit of going. While this may contradict my "get out of my routine" goal, I think this is a healthy thing to work toward.
• Use my planner. I finally found a weekly planner that I love and I really want to start using it on a regular basis. I need everything all in one place, and it's a pain to input everything into Google Calendar, as the only device I use is my phone, so I don't need the syncing. I'm highly visual, so hopefully keeping it all in one place will help me be more organized.
• Work on my anxiety. I've developed some pretty severe anxiety over the last few years and I've not been making the best choices that have helped me deal with it. I hope to establish some new habits and help manage my anxious thoughts.

What are you planning for the fresh year?

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the mountains called and i answered

I just got back from a fabulous weekend in Tennessee visiting my mom. We had a little pre-holiday visit and did so much Christmas shopping! It was nice to get away for a couple days and seeing your mom always helps. :)

Since she lives six hours away, it can really take it's toll on both her and I when we don't see each other often. Between work, dogs, and general responsibilities, I don't see her nearly as often as I'd like. We're really close, so this weekend was just about us hanging out and catching up.

And that's exactly what we did! We ate tons of food, did bunches of shopping, and talked about all kinds of stuff. It was so nice. I had such a great weekend that I hard took any pictures, but I did capture this Smoky Mountain sunrise once morning. ♥

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eating vegan locally: Kickshaw's Kitchen

Besides the ever-present fries, tofu or salad options, there are surprisingly few true vegan options locally. There's a few restaurants in the downtown area that serve vegetarian and vegan food, but I don't eat out a lot downtown. However, yesterday before work I stopped by Kickshaw's Kitchen and grabbed a little platter for breakfast. They just recently opened their kitchen part in a cute little spot connected to their market.

I ordered the potato hash with Daiya cheese, vegan sour cream, and vegan bacon. This was my first foray into vegan bacon as I'm not a bacon fan in general, but it was good! And you can't beat $7 for a freshly cooked breakfast.

If you're in the area and fiending for some breakfast food, stop by!


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happy mail

My mom and I swap packages a couple times a year and it's always fun to get something in the mail, especially when you aren't expecting it. This is the happy mail I came home to Friday!



A few of my favorite things! Books, accessories, beauty products, and candy corn!

I haven't gotten on the Kay Scarpetta boat yet, but I've read a few excerpts and it seems pretty interesting, so I'm excited to start Depraved Heart by Patricia Cornwell (use my link and get 15% off!).

There's this great little boutique in Tennessee that we love visiting, and my mom picked me up an adorable knit beanie there! It'll get a lot of use this winter. How cute is the little Vols decal? I've wanted one ever since the boutique posted them on their Instagram. I'm so excited to put this baby on my car!

The candy corn? I'm a nut for those things.



Along with the hotel sticky notes (love free stationary!), my mom and stepdad just got back from a trip to Lake Tahoe, and she picked me up some beauty products! A total surprise, but boy am I looking forward to trying them! Both products are Lather & Fizz's Tahoe Blue line, after the blue of the lake.

I'll be seeing her soon, but I'm preparing my package to take to her. ♥


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life lately

Happy Election Day, America! I voted, did you?



In other news, my boss got some new geckos and they're really sweet. Look at this little guy! They're so soft. This one hung out on my shoulder for a bit while I stocked at work.



I've gotten more into baths lately, so I've been using up some bath bombs. Here's one from Ladyburg. So if you have any recs, send them my way!



I've been getting lots of wear out of my new leggings! Here's the print Royal Ruby. They just released faux fur lined and fleece lined prints, so I can't wait to get some shopping done!



The past week has been pretty weird, as I've had a bout with a nasty sinus/allergy headache, then what appeared to be a virus that kept me out of work yesterday. Sigh. I didn't even get any blogging done yesterday while I was home in bed.

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a fall morning in Bowling Green

Wednesday, I spent the morning in Bowling Green after an appointment. It was such a pretty day! It hadn't quite gotten hot and the leaves were changing.







I had a delicious breakfast at K Jo's Sweet Caroline, then took a little walk to check out the leaves and older buildings before coffee at The Mix House's new location. I've posted about their drinks on Instagram from their trailer location across the county. Their brick and mortar location is so nice!



Bowling Green is all of one block, pretty much, so there's a limited amount to see. Since I was there so early, the little shops hadn't even opened yet.





It was a nice little morning out to enjoy the beginning of fall. Where have you been lately?


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a lazy day downtown

Yesterday, after I ran some errands on my day off, I decided to head downtown. I work down there, but very rarely get to actually stroll around. I stopped and had lunch at the Virginia Deli, which is one of my favorite spots. The weather was absolutely gorgeous and the streets weren't really busy, so I sat outside and enjoyed the day.





Earlier that morning, my grandpa changed the oil in my car for me, so I stopped by Sugar Shack and picked up a couple sprinkle donuts for him and my grandma. My grandma grew up downtown, so as I was telling her where Sugar Shack was, she told me their building is right across from what used to be the service station my great grandpa ran! I love learning family history.





I've been watching my spending lately, so I didn't pick up a lot of things in my shopping, but I did stop by Ladyburg for a bath bomb, The Grove of Brite Blessings for a few stones, and then I stopped by Ulta (but that was an awesome point redemption deal and I ended up only paying $1.26 for the polish!).



Overall? A very unproductive, relaxing day. ♥


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a rainy saturday & leggings

Today was a pretty rainy Saturday. If you don't know by now, this does not upset me. I love rain. It made for a pretty slow work day, though.

Life has been busy lately. I've been working and helping prepare for the holidays at the store and we redid the Halloween windows.

I did become an affiliate for an interesting company, Legging Army. I started off with two pairs, Cheetalicious and Paisley Days. I have to say, I love these things. They're so soft! I pretty much never have to wear real pants again.




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new friends - frogs & toads

My workplace is truly amazing. Sure, it's retail, but we have some great products and regulars that come in. But this post isn't about that - it's about critters! My bosses have a fascinating menagerie. There are toads and a giant bullfrog and recently some babies came in. Frog and toad babies! Even if you're not a fan of the scaly and slimy, you'll have to admit these guys are adorable.



Growing up I preferred the furry pets - dogs, cats, hamsters. I didn't like bugs and I didn't like anything that hopped or slithered. I had respect for them, but I didn't want them to touch me. (And sometimes I still won't touch some of the creatures that I encounter...I'm looking at you, millipedes.)



These guys are so tiny - a couple are smaller than a dime. Check out those little speckles. They hop around and when they eat their tiny pink tongues are so fast you have to really focus to see them.



Look at this little guy! He's the prettiest green and when the light is right, his skin is translucent and you can see all his insides. It's really fascinating. He was active that day, so he was a bit tuckered out in this photo.

I'm excited to watch these guys grow up!

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what a great day

Last night, we redecorated the display windows at the store. We had a great time and it looks super spooky for Halloween. We're talking fake blood and a giant spider and some glass eyeballs in a vintage bed pan along with a generous helping of dry straw. Insert gleeful Halloween dance here.

Sounds great, huh? Well, it was until I woke up this morning with hay fever and a stye the size of Texas on my eye. I can't blame the stye on the straw, though. That's from not being more careful when I remove my eye makeup. Sigh. Honestly, I can't really even blame the straw for being sick because we should've been wearing masks since we weren't working outside with ventilation. It's my own fault, but I had never reacted to it before so I wasn't careful.

So I've been laid up in bed all day having a pity party like I always do when I'm sick and snuggling with my puppies and basically being a snotty, whiny mess. The hay fever makes me sneeze and that makes me cry out in pain because I have to squeeze my eye shut on the stye and I'm just not pleasant to be around right now.

The moral of this story? Always wear a mask if you're not accustomed to working with common allergens. Even if you've never been allergic to them before! Trust me on this one.

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september purge challenge - minimalist journey

As a Taurus, I'm materialistic. I like being surrounded by stuff, but it's gotten to be too much. I've accumulated way too many things and they need to go. My outlook on material items has changed, and I simply don't need all of these things. How do I plan to fix that?

A purge challenge!

This specific challenge doesn't have a formal name and I derived it from a challenge that a few fellow members of a minimalist group are participating in. They purge however many items the date states - September 1st, one item; September 15th, fifteen items. For me, though, I'm going to strive for at least a total of 450 items.

I'll be employing a few different ways of getting rid of things:

Selling
I almost always have a couple items up on eBay for sale, and I get rid of quite a few things that way. A lot of clothing goes to the consignment shop near where I work, and I utilize my local Facebook yard sale groups, too.

Donating
I'll be donating other items to two local thrift shops; one benefits veterans, and one benefits an animal sanctuary. There's a local Glory Outreach that I may take some clothing to as well.

Rehoming
Rehoming things is just that: if someone needs something that I have but don't need, there you go! We don't have curbs where I live, so sadly I can't just set things out for others to take.

At the end of the month, I'll make another post outlining the success of the challenge. Stay tuned! :)


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downtown shenanigans & an outfit

Thursday, I met up with Jess in Downtown Frederickburg and we had a delicious lunch and strolled around despite the depressing heat. Our first stop was Hyperion, where I tried their seasonal pomegranate iced black tea. So tasty. If you're in the area, definitely stop in for a drink.

I don't eat out a lot downtown even though I work down there. I normally grab takeout or delivery from certain places that are super close. It was nice to be able to sit down and eat somewhere new! We had an amazing lunch at Vivify. Of course I had falafel.

And as typical bloggers do, we found a nice wall and snapped some outfit photos. This was more of a "I know it's going to be hot so try to find something cute but cool" outfit, but I think it worked out pretty well, haha.

skirt: similar // shoes: similar // tank: exact // bag: similar // sunglasses: similar

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an all black everything wishlist

I've always worn way too much black and grey. So why not an all black post to celebrate the upcoming season change?

Voluspa Apricot & Aprilia Candle // I've wanted a Voluspa candle since I worked at Francesca's waaaay back in the day.

American Needle Yankees Hat // It's time for another Yankees hat.

Tarte Tarteist Lash Paint // Mascara has always been my favorite beauty product. I've been eyeing this one for a while!

Kendra Scott Elton Bracelet in Black Druzy // Since getting my hands on a piece of Kendra, I love them! I think the Elton in all black would work nicely for fall.

Sbicca Chord Fold Over Bootie // I've gotten pretty obsessed with booties, but I don't have a black pair. These vegan suede foldovers are perfect.

LunatiCK Cosmetics High Definition Microfinish Pressed Powder // I still haven't picked up their pallette yet, but I'm working on it. I've been through a couple pressed powders that I wasn't happy with, so why not pick up one that looks cool and has great reviews?

How are you gearing up for fall?


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a #bloggerscene rooftop party at the embassy row hotel

Wednesday night, Jess from Writing in Red Lipstick and I hopped the metro and made our way to the Embassy Row Hotel in Washington D.C. for a rooftop cocktail party for area bloggers.

It was a great time! We started off the night with drinks and the PeachE Punch was A+. While I'm not a big mingler, there were some great ladies there that I was happy to have met! There was a great panel of bloggers for a Q&A, the view was gorgeous, and the atmosphere was perfect.



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on blogging & being a "blogger"

I consider myself a blogger. I don't make a living doing this, and I have a full time job that sometimes prevents me from writing blog posts. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love blogging and everything that entails. I love having something to blog about. My life isn't the most interesting, but maybe someone out there wants to read about it. Haha!

My main reason for blogging is my mother - she lives six hours from me, and though we talk on the phone every day, there's things I forget about or are best told with written words and pictures. Even a post with a recipe gives her insight into how I spend my time.

Other reasons I blog? It passes time. I enjoy getting feedback on posts. I can document my life, things I love, photos, and more to look back on at a later time. It makes me stop and think about things I do on a regular basis. I put more thought into the things I buy, because if something isn't good enough to recommend to someone, why would I spend money on it? Although I will say that I don't buy things for the sole purpose of writing a blog post about them. A large portion of my life goes un-blogged.

I've had this little piece of blog heaven since 2008 (or at least my domain that long), and before that I dabbled in Xanga and Livejournal. No worries, they've long been deleted. I've been around in the blogging world for a while. Since I was so rooted in hobby blogging and other things, my blog never really grew. Here I am eight years later with less than 250 followers. Still. And some days that bothers me and some days I couldn't care less. I was reading blogs when the big dog blogs were just wee little online spaces. And what's happened? Now they've morphed away from blogs and more toward online magazines. Now, though, I really enjoy reading blogs about "real" people and how they spend their time.

Other times, blogging can be a burden. If too much time goes by without a post, I get antsy and try to hurriedly make something happen. It's hard to blog on your "own time" when others are churning out blog posts five times a week. It gets stressful, even without a huge following. I sometimes find it hard to distinguish between whether I'm writing for the enjoyment of blogging or whether I'm trying to just please people.

Well after that verbal flood, I have to say that overall, blogging has been good to me. Sure, there are negatives, but I thoroughly enjoy the world of blogs.

Any recommendations? ♥

hatteras island trip 2016

A couple weeks ago my mom and stepdad headed down to Hatteras Island in the Outer Banks for a week and invited us to stay for a couple days.



They have a fabulous RV so we stayed with them at a really nice campground. THERE WERE DOGS EVERYWHERE. I petted a Newfoundland, a giant Schnauzer, a Westie, a Walker Hound, and so many more!

We had a lot of fun! I hadn't done any kind of tanning since a friend's wedding in 2013, so I lathered up the first day on the beach...and still got burnt the hell up. Thank goodness I have decent skin and it either peeled or soaked in fairly quickly.

Though we weren't there long, it was a relaxing time. I didn't have to wear makeup or brush my hair or anything. I can say I successfully did not care what I looked like on this trip. We ended our beach venture with a sunset walk on the beach and gathered seashells. ♥ ♥



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