4th of July + Weekend Fun

Hi lovelies! So I'm recapping this past weekend plus some 4th of July fun today. Got to be honest, after a three day week I'm not really looking forward to the full five days of work this week. Can we not ease our way back in to a full week? I know, boo hoo, right?

So the 4th was fun, we started the day out at the flying field, which was fun but hot as hades.

By the time we left there I was SO ready to be out of the sun!

Next was lunch at a friend's house, I made the dessert (obvs), these cookies and also banana pudding: 

Then we went to the beach to watch fireworks, our tradition for the 4th! We were out there early which left lots of time to chill on the beach and enjoy the shade and the ocean breeze. Why don't we go to the beach more?? 

This weekend involved hanging out with these cuties on Friday night: 

Enjoying my garden: 

And then a lot of this: 

It was my first weekend in a while without a cake job, so I thoroughly enjoyed the relaxation time! What about you? How was your weekend? 

Dear...

Dear Bath and Body Works,
Stop sending me all the emails with the deals and the coupons and...just stop. My wallet can't take it and my husband is starting to give me side eye with the piles of Wallflowers and hand soaps. ENOUGH.





Dear Summer,
I like you, I mean you're not my favorite season or anything, but you're cool because of my birthday and longer days. But can we stop with all the rain now? It's getting a little ridiculous.








































Dear football,
I miss you. There is nothing good to watch on Saturdays and Sundays. Please come back.




Dear carbs,
We need to talk. You're really great and all, and it's been fun. But I think we need to break up. You pretend to be my best friend and we have so much fun together. Then suddenly I realize my pants don't fit and I feel like crap. It's not me, it's you.

Dear decaf coffee,
I used to enjoy you just for the flavor, but now I'm getting old and I need the caffeine to function at work. Or maybe I've built up too high of a tolerance to caffeine and it doesn't effect me the same as it used to. Either way decaf, you're kiiinda useless now.




Dear life,
Could you ease up a little? I don't need it to be smooth sailing all the time, but a little break here and there would be great, mmkay? Thanks.

Remember Me?

So that was a really long blogging break. I'm not even sure how to start other than to jump right back in. So hi! How's things?



I guess I'll jump in with a few things I've been up to since my last post (over a year ago, yikes):

• Went on a somewhat impromptu trip to Savannah and SO want to go again

• Adopted a bird (Like, an Amazon parrot, he's huge) 

• Started a new job in a new industry (partially why I fell off the face of the blogging earth, it kind of consumed my life for a while) 

• Working on completing a certification for said job

• Celebrated 10 years married to this guy

• Actually developed a slightly greener thumb and am totally obsessed with gardening now (grandma alert) 

• Thoroughly enjoying that my in-laws live a few minutes away from us now and we see them all the time (I have the best in-laws ever, BTW) 

• Discovered I love off-roading with Adam and our fellow Jeep friends (who knew?) 

• Met some awesome new work friends (they are seriously the best, we even hang out on the weekends and don't get sick of each other!) 

• Fallen more in love with coffee (obviously) 

• Got back into cakes again and loving the creative outlet + side hustle cash

• Hung out with the cutest kids ever (AKA my nieces and nephews) when my SILs were in town

I guess that about sums it up. What have you been up to?? 

Confessions on a Thursday

Because I do what I want.

Oooo, it's only been a month since I last posted this time! Progress!

Confessions are always good, right? Right.

* I am addicted to true crime shows. ADDICTED, I tell you. I feel like it's a problem, but I can't stop. I just started watching "Making a Murderer" a couple of weeks ago (yes, I am that behind the times). I'm about halfway through, I think, and my mind is officially blown.

* I found this pin on Pinterest and immediately starting plotting how to reorganize my pantry. I mean look at it. IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL.

Source

* Pet Peeve: When people can do nothing but complain about how awful the place they live is. I mean, you know you can move, right?? If you hate it that much why do you live there?? Mysteries of the universe.

* I bought a bunch of new plants in March and I've already killed one and another one is looking questionable. But the rest are alive! So that's something, right?? I have the WORST black thumb. Ever.

* I started Insanity a few weeks ago and it's simultaneously the hardest and most awesome workout I have ever done. I thought T25 was intense. I was wrong. So very wrong.

That's all she wrote today. Peace y'all.

Um, so...hi.

Well. It's been a hot minute, huh? I know I just kind of fell of the face of the earth there for a bit, save for the occasional dog picture on Instagram.

Even now I'm not really sure what to say. I don't have some really dramatic or even understandable reason for it, other than just burn out? I guess? I didn't even really mean to stop blogging. I never made a conscious decision to stop, really. I just kept putting it off until it got to where it was almost weird to think of coming to this space and writing.

And then it had been like two months and it just felt awkward.

I haven't been coming to your blogs and commenting either, and for that I am sorry. I do miss you all!

I think I sometimes just hit a wall when it comes to being "connected". I mean to a degree I love it and it's so much fun to share what's going on in my (admittedly pretty boring) life and read all about what's going on in other's (much more exciting) lives, but then I come to a point where I just want to crawl in my little introverted hole and hide for a while.

This is the most accurate depiction of an introvert. Ever. 

Sometimes a while is like a week and other times it's like 4 months apparently.

I guess that's about all for now. I honestly don't know that I can promise that I'll be here consistently again. I don't want to put any pressure on myself to show up. I still love blogging, but it's not a requirement for me, so I'm trying to give myself some grace and space to figure out how involved in this I want to be. We'll see how it goes! In the meantime, what's going on with all y'all?? (Assuming anyone is still reading this...)

P.S. Along the same lines, I read this post from The Daily Tay about this article, and this side of blogging is something I don't think I could ever do. I mean, part of me goes wow that is awesome that she is so successful and has such influence but the other part of me reads the description of what this girl does to maintain it all and I just get really, really tired.

Fall To-Do List

Well, well October. You snuck up on me. I'm super excited for all the Fall-ness, even if it does still feel like a sauna outside. I've already been doing some Fall things but there are some more things I would love to do. Here's my list: 

1. Watch all of the Fall movies in this post. 

2. Go to the fair. 

3. Go to a corn maze. 

4. Carve a pumpkin. 

5. Watch ALL the football. 

6. Make a new recipe using pumpkin and one using apples. 

7. Go on vacation in the mountains (cheating a little because this is already planned). 

8. Buy the plaid flannel shirt and booties from Target I have been pining for. 

9. Read a new mystery book. 

10. Take full advantage of the awesome weather by going on a run outside at least once a week.  

What's on your list of must-dos for Fall? 

Confessions

* I'm kind of in love with my phone

This is not my phone because my phone is my camera and how am I supposed to take a picture of my camera with my camera? Other than digging out the DSLR, which I was too lazy for last night. But mine is pretty and has an adorable clear case with white polka dots, so use your imagination. 

It's pretty and takes amazing pictures and has a HUGE screen and I love it all. #obsessed

* I gave myself the cutest manicure with the colors in this post last week and then I proceeded to ruin it by cleaning the house getting ready for the party. This is why we can't have nice things. #I'mhopeless

I don't know why this pug had a princess hat, but you have to admit it's pretty awesome.

* I identify with this article on a deeply personal level. The only thing I would add is "you have collected several articles of clothing that pass as work clothes but are basically pajamas" #maxiskirt #palazzopants

* I decided to decorate for Fall before the party after all and I think I have a slight obsession with mismatched but coordinating placemats. I can't stop. #targetFTW

* We have a vacation coming up soon and I am SO excited I can barely stand it. I feel like I've basically already checked out. It is SO very needed. #mountainshereicome

* When I'm watching a show based in the UK and they are discussing someone's weight I have to google "How many pounds is a stone." Every. time.

* I have GOT to stop spending money on clothes I don't need, but dang it Target has the most perfect flannel shirts and booties right now and I WANT. #ihaveaproblem

* I bought Pumpkin Spice M&M's yesterday. That's all, that's the whole confession. #junkfood

What's up with y'all today? Anything to confess?