THE WEEKEND OF GIVING THANKS AND DOING NOTHING.

This was our first holiday as a married couple! I think it went perfectly.

Thanksgiving morning was slow and lazy, then we made our way over to Cracker Barrel for a 8.00 thanksgiving feast with our dear friends Brady and Emilie. We were really surprised at the amount of people who had the same idea... I guess not cooking on thanksgiving day sounds equally appealing to a lot of people. I know I enjoyed it.

for all you boys out there, this is what you look like when you play video games.

 

After lunch we went back to our place for the making of oreo balls, and the eating of pumpkin pie. When we got bored with being lazy we took a drive up Paris Mountain for the view (i think we might have interrupted a couples alone time in their car), and we went over to Target to join in the shopping craziness just for fun. I bought some wrapping paper. I know. Hardcore.

Black friday was another slow morning with pancakes for breakfast, christmas shopping, and movie going with our faithful buddies, Em and Brady.
Emilie and I definitely went and saw Twilight, and I'm not ashamed of it. Going before 5 is the best time to go to the theater, watching Edward Cullen, Bella Swan, and Jacob Black was that much more enjoyable with the old ladies and Em to keep me company. (best movie of the saga, by the way). 

Look at those two crazy kids, and that crazy cat .

We went and got our tree saturday :)

Oh I can't even explain how much I love christmas trees. I get very attached to them. I'll always remember our first little christmas tree from the Lowes. So many memories are attached to every tree I've had over all the years I remember, and I know some of the best memories will latch onto this one.

Arlo loves the tree too. At first he kinda hated it...and was in awe of it. Now they're best buds. He sits in it, chews on it, shares its water, lays under it, and uses it as his prime hiding spot, just waiting for our legs to walk past so he can pounce. Yup. Best friends. 

Sunday was the laziest day yet.
we.did.nothing.
I wasn't feeling the best, so we stayed in, watched movies, I watched Cory play video games, made some homemade decorations, and taco chili for dinner. 


We both REALLY needed that 4 day weekend. And now I am in mourning for it. Ahhhhhh school is so much easier than working. I'm telling ya kids, enjoy your school days.

Is it Christmas yet?

No just kidding. The days leading up to Christmas are even better then the actual day in my opinion.


I'm just gonna leave you with this super cute picture of Arlo contemplating life.

 

Happy week guys.

What the weekends are like.

 

I love the weekends.


I love it when Cory is home and I get him all to myself for 2 whole daysssssss :). I love that he helps me with the dishes, our movie nights, our shopping excursions to the grocery store, cooking together, hanging out with new and old friends, church on sunday, and our adventures in discovering the new town and state that we live in.

(which include some of the...interesting people who live in it. The other day there was man belting out hymns in front of the Game Stop. Yes I was in that store. I hope its obvious we weren't there for me. There's another man that I always see by the McDonalds, he's in there all the time with his sketch pad drawing people. He has a very long beard, cowboy boots, and a cowboy hat. I think his name might be Earl. At least he looks like an Earl.)

Anyways.

Yesterday we went on a walk in a State Park that's minutes away. I was pleasantly surprised by how much it felt like autumn today. Down here it mostly still feels like summer, which is very odd for me. I'm looking forward to seeing more of the mountains and the country, so far we haven't left the city too much. We're hoping to go camping at least one night before it gets too cold.

I'm sorry to report that I am very disappointed at the shopping down here.... no H&M or Forever21. Not one in the whole state. There's no reason to go to the mall. The mall is dead to me. This girl can't afford to shop anywhere else. Unfortunately the thrifting is not that good down here either. This is a big blow.

But at least gas is cheaper.

Well happy monday everybody, I'm going to clean the apartment (again) struggle to make something for dinner (again), and email hundreds of people about a nanny position. (somebody has to want me eventually right?)

Apartment: Living Room

A ton of people have been asking me to see pictures of the apartment, so here it is! The living is the only room that's completely done. More art will be added to the walls as time goes on.

We've found several mysterious bugs.When I find one I usually trap it, and then tell Cory where it is when we comes home from work. The south grows bugs big. A couple saturdays ago I worked for an older lady and one of my tasks was to kill all her spiders on her back porch...but thats a story for another time.
Sometimes the neighbors surround sound comes through the front door. Every morning I can hear the guy upstairs pee. And ever so often the kitchen wall vibrates. I dont want to speculate on that one.

1. An antique box that I stole from my mom.

2. The usual clutter that stays on the coffee table. 

3. Thanks for the box Emily :)

4. Some little nick-nacks (Mom Jones, that orange bird was actually a gift for you. We took it out of the car to give to you...but then you put it in a packing box. 

5. I seriously love this chair. It has great lines, really comfy, and my mother-in law picked it up for only 40 bucks. I picked out the fabric and she and I recovered the cushions. (it was mostly her) Ottoman, 5 bucks. We recovered that too. 

8. My antlers :). My Uncle found these while he was hunting. Cory does not understand my love for antlers.

9. I love my couch. I found it while I was out thrifting with Mom Jones. I saw it, and knew it was the one. No one else was convinced, but I knew it would look awesome. Besides, it was only 55 bucks. I found the pillows at Ikea. The coffee table was another thrift store find. As was the rug. 

10. The lamp was another grab from home, and I picked up the side table at a garage sale.

11. Cory made me the long picture for Valentines day last year, the small embroidery hoop was from my mom, I used some old lace to make the second embroidery hoop, and the drawing is one of mine that I did in highschool. 

So theres our place. I love everything that we brought into it. The kitchen sink and stove I wouldn't have chosen but...ah well. Luckily Cory doesn't mind the kind of burnt food that that oven produces. It doesn't really regulate temperature. At all.

A month later...

In one month I've gotten married, went to the Jamaica for our honeymoon, moved thousands of miles, and went grocery shopping for the first time! (Big deal for me)

Hello being a grown up!

We have a tiny apartment, one car, a stove that kind of works, and sometime the kitchen wall mysteriously vibrates.

I'm in a coffee shop that is in the process of closing for the night, so thats all I have time for. Someday when we have wi-fi... someday.

Uh...I'm getting married next week.

I'm back with my hunny :).
Spent a fun week in PA meeting some great people, enjoying being with Cory again, and making preparations for our future little home! We officially have a couch. And its awesome. I told Core that no one is allowed to eat anything that is dangerous to the fabric on my couch. I bought pillows for my couch too. They're aweseome.

And that is all I have time to say. We're going full speed ahead in the least days before the wedding, honeymoon, and moving toooooooo.... well I dont think I'm gonna say just yet. ;)

As seen by Gus.

In a month I'm getting married! And in 11 days I get to see my guy!

1,2,3, and 4: Me, and two of my best friends spent the day downtown and explored some of the coolest antique shops.

5: Its been SO hot (duh. everyone knows that) I think I've been drinking way more than eating. Its just too hot to eat. I live on iced tea and water. 

6: Same as above... the fourth of July was 110 degrees. 

7 and 8: Whatever. A blah day. And M picked me a flower. But it was the neighbors flower...

9: My obsession with glass bottles continues.

10 and 11: Car ride to my Baba's house, and the picture that has been in her front hallway for as long as I can remember. There are certain things that should never change much; grandparent's houses should be one of them.

13: Family breakfast. HUGE portions, lots of coffee, and we got to sit by the jukebox. Guess who got to pick the tunes that serenaded the whole restaurant all morning? I hope everyone liked 70's rock. 

14 and 15: My (first) wedding shower was this past weekend! It was gorgeous and a lot of fun. Afterwards me and my maids went out for coffee. 

My last day of work was last week, I have about 2 weeks till I go down to PA for a week to see Cory! So I plan on getting A LOT done between now and then. Today I (half) finished a wedding craft project, and sent out the last payment for the photographer. Go me. 

After the week in PA, Corsizzle and I will drive back up here, to finish all the wedding stuff and then get hitched!!!! :) 

instagram: shaynicsj

 

berry bushes.

Last weekend the neighbors invited us to pick some of their raspberries and blackberries (I snagged a couple strawberries too). They had already picked several gallons, and there definitely more then just several gallons left on all those bushes. They said we would be doing them a favor. I thought that that this was going to be the best "favor" I've done for someone in awhile.

The neighbor showed us around his beloved garden, telling us about every plant, and the work that went into it. I just kept thinking.. this is what I always pictured the garden to look like from The Secret Garden. The neighbor has been retired for awhile now, and this is how he decides to spend his time. Being outside, caring for his plants, always improving on what is already lovely. He seems pretty content to me, and I think thats cool.

I can't believe its already July. Time is flying! But its going slowly too... The day that things are going to change forever is coming closer and closer, I don't think its sunk in yet.

If you think of Cory and I you could still pray for us please. Things are still very much undecided. We're taking a huge blind jump of faith together. Some days I feel like we're just jumping into a really big hole, but other days I'm very confident that we'll land on something wonderful.

Happy new month people!