rules to live by.

{pinned} 

do you have personal guidelines?

i read an interview of melody godfred, a writing consultant, on the blog i want her job.

a great read, by the way.

{and, um, how awesome does "writing consultant" sound for a gig?}

one of the questions is, "do you have rules you live by?" melody's answer is basically, "heck yes!" and she goes on to list them out.

i particularly love #1: "don't wait until you know who you are to make things."

that speaks to me a lot at this point in my life.

i need to type up my list and use it as inspiration to keep on keepin on.

currently craving: bangs.

{all photos from pinterest. last one i know though is miss. syd over at the daybook.}

people: this is urgent. i think i want bangs again.

a combination of end of one year, beginning of another, plus the crazy rain/wind we've been having lately has clearly caused me to lose my mind.

i don't look good in bangs.

actually no one does, unless you're a model/famous blogger.

which, in that case, way to go, you, rock those bangs.

ohio.

i'm home, i'm home!

no offense to my partner in the backseat, but 10+ hours one way made me a little stir crazy.

a look through the bridge at foggy cincinnati, homeland of many of my best friends. and delish skyline dip, which will be one of the first things i eat if/when i cross back into meat eating.

my hometown.

my sister! my favorite part of ohio.

buehler's holds SO many childhood memories. everytime i go home, a maple creamstick is on the must-have list. there's something about a small-town grocery store that gets me every time.

my bff tricia. who moments after this photo was taken asked me to be her maid of honor. i cried, she bought her dress, i got to say, "are you saying yes to this dress?", and i cried some more. so honored and excited!

and the best of the truly awful family photos we attempted to take. a horrified cat, blinkers, non-smilers (side eye at you, dad), dog sniffing, mom hiding.



awkward family photos: what the holidays are all about.

sister.

happy birthday to the only person who will go out with me at the crack of dawn on black friday to get some ridiculous trinket i just have.to.have.

the big twotwo. happy birthday mj!

happy thanksgiving!

{via gus & lula.}

it's here, it's here. the actual day of thanks.

it's been very fun for me to write out nine things that i am grateful for. today, we wrap it up:

10. blogging. as i mentioned in my 100th post, it's opened me up, brought me closer to people i already love, connected me with strangers and given me an outlet that i didn't know i needed.

now i'm off to eat some stuffing! happy thanksgiving bloggies - i hope you all are surrounded by the people you're thankful for.

from my iphone.

from l to r:

essie's bobbing for baubles in the bottle.

essie's bobbing for baubles on my white rug.

lunch box note.

first freeze.

new postcards via jess lc.

someone texts too much.

i'm in ohio! last night was a monsoon, but today's line up is worth going out in it: time with the sister, wedding {!!} dress shopping with the home bff and eating dinner at my fav restaurant in the world.

only one day until thanksgiving, bloggies!

currently craving: a veg thanksgiving.

{via vegetarian times, which i have a subscription to!}

 {via one of my fav food blogs, peas and thank you.}

{via daily garnish, another great blog.}

so, this will be my first thanksgiving as a vegetarian. last year, i gave up meat in october and up until the day before the big holiday. i was commuting up with my parents to ohio and we stopped for dinner at quiznos. {which, sidebar, i think has all but gone defunct.} i was so excited to eat a sandwich with meat and ordered my usual turkey sammy. upon eating, i felt totally fine, but couldn't shake the "meh" feeling. like, maybe i hadn't missed meat that much after all. and that's the first time i thought that i could maybe do the veg thing for real.

so, here we go. i think i'll miss the turkey, but it's worth it to me.

day of thanks.

{via pinterest.}

it's time for our third round of "day of thanks"!

today, i'm thankful for:

7. my boyfriend. dang. i never thought i'd be one of those girls, but sometimes love just happens.

8. mi familia. the older you get the more you like them. i'm grateful for every chance i have to get to like them even more.

9. that feeling that the next best thing is right around the corner. seems like everything falls into place when you have your attitude on positive all the time. {as long as the world doesn't end in 2012. not that i'm totally worried about that or anything.}

what are you thankful for? i'd love to know!

flashback friday: let's pretend we did that.

remember that time i wrote a nashville bucket list?

remember that summer i accomplished nothing on that list?

okay, i actually DID go to the frist. but, besides that, nada.

so, let's fbf waaaay back to 09 and pretend like we hiked this summer!

muddy mud. i think this was shortly after we got back from china, so the area was still recovering from all that rain {and the subsequent flooding} that happened that may.

flora.

prickly flora.

us. self-photographing.

not much has changed since way back then.

better luck next summer for all those goals.

xoxox happy weekend!

day of thanks.

{via pinterest.}

and we're back with another day of thanks!

{first one is right over here.}

i'd like to give a thankful shout out to:

4. friends that have continued to be my friend when we're separated by major distance - vegas, west virginia, ohio and east nashville, just to name a few.

5. having my car paid off. #bam.

6. nearly hitting a year without meat. {and the support that it's taken from family, friends, a boyfriend who cooks, my work bff, servers at restaurants, etc.}

doesn't giving thanks just make you feel good inside? happy day bloggies!

paid off.

this beautiful {really old} car is mine. ALL MINE. it's officially paid off. after less than three years.

pretty proud of myself, if i do say so... myself.

#soadultrightnow

currently craving: babies. #justkidding

people, i am on a SERIOUS pinterest kick. i'm talking every day pinning my life away. and you know what pins keep popping up on my feed? BABIES. cute ones even. that baby in the turkey hat? i die.

mom, don't worry, no babies in my future any time soon.

however, is there something in the blog water OR what??

day of thanks.

{via pinterest.}

i've seen lots of people doing "25 days of thanksgiving" on twitter and facebook, and i wanted to document some of the things i'm thankful for this year, too.

1. having a job. i know so many that don't and it enables me to do so much. like:

2. all the traveling i've been able to do this year.

3. and animals. they make me so happy. i mean, dogs dressed as pilgrims?

happy first day of thanks, friends!

wish listed: heart me sweater

eeep! i love this sweater so much. added to my wish list. questionable if it's work appro, but reminds me of this one that's been making the internet rounds.

100.

{photo via confetti system}

today is my 100th post!

i started this blog because i felt like i wasn't doing anything tangible with my life outside of work.

i don't know if that makes sense to anyone but me, but on repeat has made me very happy over these last six months.

i'm glad to be here.

and i'm glad you're here, too.

q + a.

 

{from where else}

liz over at explore. dream. discover. posted an a to z questionnaire this weekend and, as you know, i like to get a little tmi at times. let's play!

A. Age – 25. i think this is the first time i've written that!
B. Bed size – queen. i take up the whole bed no matter the size - friends/snugglers/dogs, beware!
C. Chore that you hate – bathrooms. hair, hair everywhere.
D. Dogs – my favorite thing in the world.
E. Essential start to your day – hmm, typically lots of yawning, reading people.com and playing rebecca black's "friday".
F. Favorite color – grey.
G. Gold or silver – silver all the way.
H. Height – 5’10
I. Instruments you play – i can play "lean on me" on piano. i consider it a pretty impressive party trick. 
J. Job title – communications coordinator.
K. Kids – they sure seem cute, don't they?
L. Live – nashville.
M. Mother’s name – lori.
N. Nicknames – kate/katie/kb.
O. Overnight hospital stays – torn ankle ligament surgery in 8th grade. i rocked a green and white striped cast after.
P. Pet peeves – bossy mcbossersons {takes one to know one}, line cutters and impatient drivers.
Q. Quote from a movie – people, my favorite movie is "the mummy". like, not the original, the remake with brendan fraser. i'm not the type to quote movies. unless we're signing disney songs. then it would be "part of your world" from little mermaid. #bam
R. Right or left handed – right.
S. Siblings – one sister, emjay. 
T. Time it takes you to get ready – forevah. my hair takes 1 billion minutes to dry, then i straighten it, then i curl it. writing this out makes it seem insane. however, i only wash it a few times a week. writing that out makes me sound dirty.
U. Underwear – i love to buy it.
V. Vegetable you hate – brussel sprouts! which is such a common veg you hate answer, i know, but i actually had them for the first time this year and was so grossed out. they taste like dirt, yo.
W. What makes you run late – typically my hair. i could stand and re-do the curls all day long.
X. X-rays you’ve had – on the broken ankle referenced in letter o.
Y. Yummy food you make – i make killer grilled cheese. i also whip up the best mac i have personally ever eaten. and my funfetti cake is the bomb.com.
Z. Zoo animal – any and all. seriously. when it comes to me and animals my love knows no bounds.

so fun. everyone do this! and go!

a vicksburg wedding.

vicksburg is right on the mississippi river - in fact, we could see louisiana from our hotel.

{which was also a casino. called diamond jack's. it sounds as fancy as it was.}

it's a beautiful day for a wedding! 

look, it's b's bff! so cute. 

swan. made of flowers. at the bride's parent's {very, very nice} home. such a lovely reception. 

in the backyard reception. 

we threw lavender! AND she threw the bouquet.

{duh, i totally went for it. i COULD have ripped it out of another girl's hands, but she was a bridesmaid and i thought that was not very southern of me.}

blurry, but you can still make it out: that we-just-got-married-so-in-love bliss.

i love weddings! happy wedding wednesday friends!

currently craving: party time.

 asos.

 the always sexy, vicki secrets.

j.crew.

new year's: the last couple with b we have done it big. fancy dinner, nashville street party, kissing at midnight in the street when the guitar falls. this year we've made no plans and although i absolutely love the asos dress, i think i'll end up in an outfit more like pjs by midnight. 

are you a stay-in-and-watch-the-ball person or a go-out-and-party on new year's eve?

27.

do you celebrate monthly anniversaries?

i'm sure no one but me and sixth graders working to hit one month do. 

however, this past weekend was our 27th month as bf and gf.

{we're talking facebook official, people.}

we're really been together since that fateful cinco de mayo in 09.

but that's a story for another blog post.

but that's a story for our memories.

mississippi.

{print via poppy+pinecone.} 

we're headed to mississippi this weekend. vicksburg to be exact. which, from what i can tell on google isn't in the basin, but pretty far down there.

one of b's best friends from school is getting married. to a very sweet southern girl.

it'll be the first time i'll meet any of his friends and to say i'm nervous is putting it lightly.

wish me luck, y'all!

{i'm practicing my accent.}

see you sweet teas next week!

bella napoli.

so, have you seen the {kinda cheesy} bella napoli commercials on tv? i had, and it seriously made me want to try it out. THEN, i see them listed as the number 2 best pizza in the nashville scene's reader poll and i was sold.

my friend ben and i went for lunch a couple of weeks ago {when it was still sunny and warm - remember that?} and i've already taken b since then.

the polls weren't lying people. get there.