RECENTLY READ: WRITE IT DOWN, MAKE IT HAPPEN.

you guys, in case you didn't know, i'm sort of a hippie. not seattle-level hippie {we'll see if it's as bad as people say it is in just two weeks!}, but like an i-believe-in-the-power-of-the-secret kind of hippie.

plus, you already know that i love to write down my goals, so this book was basically calling my name. the point of the book is to teach you that if you focus on what you want, it's more likely to come true. the author demonstrates this with stories from people who wrote crazy-detailed descriptions of something they needed or desired - and then they got it.

but, my favorite part is a very random chapter in which the author revealed she lived in - where else? - seattle. she dedicates a whole chapter to the importance of water in the act of writing. "being near water - one of the four elements of life - is conducive to creativity," she said. "in seattle, we are blessed with gentle rains."

if you remember, one of the reasons i'm not overly zealous about heading to the pacific northwest is the gloomy weather. but, this book seriously opened my eyes about it. that chapter made me feel like it was the reason i was supposed to read the book, to know that being there could improve my writing, i could find a job i love more than the one i have here, that seattle could be where i am meant to be.

after rereading that, i'm pretty sure i might be a seattle-level hippie. maybe i'll fit right in after all. 

RECENTLY READ: BRINGING UP BEBE.

one of my goals for 2013 is to read five books. five books sounds like nothing, i know, but i get busy and lazy and then a whole year passes without me reading anything besides blogs and magazines.

but, i've already finished one and it's only week two! bringing up bebe was a bestseller last year that caused quite a bit of buzz in the parenting world. i am obviously many years from children, but i have so many friends {bloggers} with kids that i was curious to know this woman's tips on french parenting.

and, while i loved her child-related advice to be more strict, give them more independence and talk to them like adults, my favorite parts of the book were just about life in general. this quote came from one of the author's french friends:

if you aren't saying "amen", then you don't have enough dramatic friends. i think complaining is a badge of honor for a lot of people and i find myself doing it all the time.

plus, i really liked the parts where they talk about all the bread they eat.

two thumbs up for bringing up bebe - and for the weekend. have a happy one, friends!

cheekwood.

via my work, we got free tickets to go to our local garden/art/historical place, cheekwood! i have been there once before, but at night, for a mixer. it was 100 bajillion degrees on sunday, but it was worth it.

{their theme right now is trains. trains were running all over this little city.}

{you LOVE my shirt, right??! jcrew!}

{mansion the original family lived in. they made their money from coffee.}

{life lesson 54: you know you're going somewhere nice when they have their own fancy street signs.}

fan fair.

for the first time since i've lived in nashville, i will not be attending fan fair. cma fest is consistently a highlight of my summer, and i'm sad i'll be missing it, but i'll be in vegas with the bff!

a look back:

 {little babies! this was like our second week of dating.}

 {wendy!}

{wild}

and then 2010:

 {my seats were a LOT better}

 {shows on the riverfront}

{hannah + i}

spoiler alert: bridesmaids

i have not wanted to see a movie so badly since... beethoven? i'm not a movie person, but it. looked. so. funny.

it was more rom com than balls-to-the-walls grossout hilarious AND i cried. HOWEVER, my sporty friend vickie also cried.

overall, i'd recommend. but, watch out for the scenes as the credits are rolling. a story about a bear and a sandwich is a lot grosser than you'd imagine.