Sound the Alarm

Lately I have been dreaming in babies. 

We are not "trying" to get pregnant, but sometimes I seem to have babies on the brain. Husband, don't read any further. ; ) My obsession lately has been all things fireman related...since my hubby is a fireman. Duh. I just can't help but think of all the adorable fireman related clothing, toys, items, photoshoots, etc. 

There is just something about picturing my strong fireman husband with a sweet precious baby. #swoon

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Okay okay, that last one is just a little joke. Some people take things WAY too far. : ) 

Did I just devote a whole entire post to fireman related baby pictures?

Why yes, yes I did. 

I'm sorry. #notreally

Love, love. 

PS: Still love me please. : ) I wasn't obsessed like this until I married a fireman. I blame him. 

Chi Curls

Husband is finally back home and this little wifey couldn't be happier. : )

Oh, y'all didn't know that he was gone? That's right...I couldn't tell y'all in case someone decided to come and kill me while I was home alone. Hey, it happens...just watch Criminal Minds. #itwillchangeyourlife

Yesterday I was playing around on Pinterest and looking up hair tutorials. Luckily, I stumbled onto this pin:

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I fell in love...both with the hairstyle and the waves. I saw that the picture came from a blog, so I knew that I had to check it out. The blogger, Abby, is absolutely adorable!! She did a 30 day challenge, but instead of clothes, she did it with hairstyles! So basically, she wore her hair different for 30 days. And of course blogged about it! : ) 

She has a video tutorial on how to curl hair with a chi flat iron. I have been DYING to find a way to easily curl my thick and frizzy hair. That whole "sleep in a french braid and wake up with perfect curls" does not work for me. At all. 

It was actually pretty easy, although it definitely took some getting used to. I loved the perfectly wavy curls and plan to do it every single day for the rest of my life. #wheniactuallygetdressedthatis

Those pictures were at the end of the day and the curls held ALL day long. Major success for my hair. 

Do y'all have any great (easy) ways to curl your hair?

Love, love!

Down Da Bayou - part III (and final)

It's the last part of my weekend trip. I'm sure y'all are ready for it to be over. (Except you, Melis!)

Nothing like taking a weekend trip to keep your blog alive for the week. : )

There is an old slave camp called Laurel Valley right next to where we stayed. After turning down a gravel road, we traveled about a mile back between sugar cane fields and eventually came to the slave quarters. 

It was heartbreaking, intriguing, and astonishing all at once. 

Did I mention that we went the night before at midnight?! Talk about your imagination coming alive. I knew that I shouldn't have watched that Criminal Minds episode the night before. 

I'm glad that God was a refuge for these people, even during such a horrible time. 

Makes me realize how much I'm blessed. Thank you, Jesus. 

Thibodaux is filled with sugar cane fields. My friend desperately wanted us to taste the sugar inside one, as she kept telling us stories about remembering how sweet and sugary the cane was when she used to do it. So we took the opportunity to stop and "taste the sugar." I hope this isn't illegal. : )

This one was broken and loose. Promise. 

The problem that we ran in to: the sugar cane wasn't ready yet...it was SO bitter. #neverdoingthatagain

To get that bitter taste out of our mouths, we decided to find some good Cajun cooking that night.

We didn't even end up eating here...I just liked the sign. : )

My meal: fried shrimp and boiled potatoes = divine. 

Shan and Melissa's meals: seafood gumbo = scrumptious! I barely caught a picture before they ate it all!

This was hanging outside the restaurant...I thought it was SO typically Cajun and perfect to share. I kinda wonder if some of y'all will even be able to read it. Haha. : ) Let me know. 

We really had the most wonderful trip and it was so nice to spend so much time together since life keeps us so busy these days. I love those girls (and their families/babies) with all of my being. 

As I was driving home, I was feeling so blessed and so grateful for the friendships that I have...and I looked up and saw this. It truly looked like Jesus was shining through...it literally took my breath away. 

The pictures do not do it justice. 

And when I came home, husband had left a sweet surprise for me. : )

The card said: "I can't keep my paws off you." Love that husband of mine. 

Thanks for hanging in there for THREE posts about ONE weekend. Y'all are THE best!!

(part one here, part two here)

Love, love!!

These Three Things - long distance loving

There is one super fashionable lady guest posting over here today for "These Three Things." It's {av} from {long distance loving}!! I am so excited to have the Friday's Fancies genius here sharing with us. Not only is {av} a fashionista, she is down to earth and openly shares her heart and soul on her blog. Plus, she had a pretty stunning wedding that makes me swoon! Read on for her "three things," y'all won't be disappointed! : )

Happy Thursday, pretty ladies! My name is {av} and I'm the blogger behind {long distance loving}.

 I am beyond thrilled that Megan asked me to join in her "these three things" series! Here are my three:

1) Georgetown

When I stepped foot on campus as a freshman, I knew I was somewhere special. Everyone around me came from different corners of the world--and I loved it. The community I came to grow and love forever changed the way I look at life. I met some of my dearest friends in my four years at Georgetown and I even met my husband, {cv}. Georgetown helps to define me because it helped me become the person I always dreamed I could be. Happily, my reflections from senior year still ring true: 

I will most certainly carry Georgetown with me into every facet of my future.

2) Indiana

The first eighteen years of my life were spent in a small town in southern Indiana, where tractors held up traffic and the 4H fair was the highlight of my summer. When Megan asked me to think about things that define me, my mind immediately went to my childhood home. I will admit: my 18-year-old self would have balked at the idea that Indiana would one day be a part of that definition. Now that I've been gone for a few years, every trip home is a reminder that I couldn't be who I am today if I hadn't had the experiences I did growing up in Indiana. My closest friends, my church family, and, most importantly, my parents all helped me to realize who I was--and what I was capable of doing. 

3) "Home"

During the three years {cv} and I were long distance, I had a tough time defining where "home" was, that is, until we were finally living in the same place. "Home" is most certainly wherever {cv} and I are together. This helps to define me because the one definite in my future is that {cv} will always be by my side...and I'll be by his. We're not sure where we'll end up a few years down the line, but I have faith that God will help me weather it because He's given me such a stellar partner in {cv}. 

Those three places make up my three things! I've always loved geography, but little did I know that it would one day play into what's made me me ;) Many thanks again to Megan for having me! She is as sweet as they come and her posts are always so refreshing, which I absolutely appreciate in the midst of a crazy day. Have a great day--and be sure to stop by {long distance loving} to say hello! xoxo {av}

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{av}, I love that your three things are places - it's amazing how certain places (and the people there) can truly define who we are for life. It's so true what they say, "home is where the heart is." Yes, I just went there. : )

Thanks again for being here, {av}! Be sure to leave her some love!

Love, love!!

Down Da Bayou - part II

Dying to read more about my Cajun girls trip? I figured so. (Catch part one here!)

On Saturday, we woke up super early and after eating more tea ring headed into Baton Rouge to catch the end of the adventure race that my best friend's husband competed in. Let me just say that standing there amid hundreds of sweaty bodies, I have never been more happy that I hate to work out. Is that sad? I think it is, but that's okay...we were definitely the best smelling people there. : )

After the race, we headed to the mall and had a fabulous lunch at Izzo's Illegal Burrito, where you pick and choose the contents of your personal huge burrito. Note: Do not look up the nutrition facts. It's scary. 

It was Shan's choice...and we loved it. #shewins

The carousel in the food court of the mall. 

After some minor shopping, we felt that we had walked off our burrito calories and headed to Yogurtland for an afternoon snack. Yes, it's true...we like to eat more than shop. Yogurt is totally healthy though, so it's okay.

Our next stop was Perkins Rowe, which has TONS of fabulous shops and stores. We would have been in shopping heaven, if we had been able to afford anything. Let's just say we did a LOT of browsing. 

The whole point of this shopping stop was for one reason: to visit Anthropologie for the FIRST time and finally see what all the hype was about. I wasn't buying it. 

So of course the question everyone wants to know...did we love it?! Well, the clothes were classic and trendy, the nick nacks were unique and adorable, and the decorations were breathtaking. All in all, we hated it. Okay, I'm lying. We LOVED it. We oohed and ahhed over every single item, we breathed in the scent of every single candle, and we put our hands on every soft and fluffy fabric in the store. 

I totally get the hype now. #justwishicouldaffordit

Needless to say, we all walked out empty handed. If I ever win the lottery, I'll be back. 

Next up on our trip, a stop by the historic slave houses in Thibodaux. 

Come on back now, ya hear?

Love, love!!

Down Da Bayou - part I

This past weekend, I went on a girl's trip down to Thibodaux, LA. 

It's pretty close to as far south as you can go in Louisiana. It was my first time visiting and I was certainly not disappointed! The sugar cane fields, the accents, the spicy food, and the Southern homes were all divine. We stayed at one of my best friend's parents house and literally gained three pounds each from all that we ate. Her parents are impossible to describe without meeting them in person: they are Godly, open and giving, honest and hilarious, loud and energetic, and they love wholeheartedly. It's always a joy to spend time with them.

It felt like we were in college again...driving hours on the road, spilling deep and (not so dark) secrets, laughing until we cried, and coming up with silly inside jokes. It was perfection. 

We got there late Friday evening and toured the entire town, from the high schools to the library, the nursing homes to the fancy neighborhoods. We saw where my friend grew up, where she took dance, where she had a horrible wreck, and where she hung out with her then boyfriend, who is now her husband. It was so neat to see all the things that made her who she is today. And she's pretty amazing. : )

We had Rella (aka Cinderella) and were ready to start the trip!

We absolutely HAD to pose with the tiger that my friend's class donated.

#wewereforced #anditwasraining   Any sympathy?

Best friends. 

This was waiting for us when we arrived...pure heaven. 

Mrs. P was telling us about how she had "perfected" the icing on her dessert...she was SO excited. 

And we were SO excited for her! I promise this is literally a picture of her telling us how she prayed that God would show her how to perfect the icing. It was a riveting story. : ) This may seem weird, but if you knew her, you'd understand!

#pumpedaboutperfecticing

The perfectly iced tea ring and a peach crisp...which were both ALL gone by the time we left Sunday. 

We played with snails...to which Savannah says "eww yuck."

And spun umbrellas.

We sang hymns. 

And rode ponies. 

And we stuffed our bellies until they wanted to pop. 

It was good family centered fun. And like I said before, it was perfect. 

We ventured into Baton Rouge the next day...look for a post about that coming soon!

Love, love!!