little snapshots.

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{1 + 2} Flowers from our complex's garden. 

{3} His little white paws. 

{4} New stickers for my sweet students. 

{5} The loveliest thank you card I ever did see. 

{6} One of my favorite books from childhood (I'm using it to teach a lesson on the character traits independent, appreciative, and wise).

{7} A sweet little piece of artwork with an even sweeter story. (Jeffrey and I were at Starbucks probably over a month ago when a darling little girl (about 3 or 4 years old) walked up to us and gave us a zarf. We were touched that she was so outgoing and thought we deserved a little gift from her. About 10 minutes later, she walked back out to us and handed us this little drawing. We were floored! It was the sweetest, loveliest thing and we thought her artwork was beyond wonderful. We've been meaning to do something with it and this weekend Jeffrey made a little frame for it and hung it in our house. Don't you just love that?!)

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Thanks for such a positive response on my last post. This weekend ended up being such a lovely one and it surely reaffirmed my love for Jeffrey. Don't you love when that happens? Sometimes I could just be stopped in my tracks with my astounding love for that guy. (How many times can I say love in one post? Love.)

We got chicken Souvlaki, fries, and Coke for lunch on Saturday and it was delicious. We took it to our new favorite local dog park and let Woody roam around for awhile. We finally got him to play fetch with us and watching him run around is an absolute blast. He hops around like a little deer and it's the cutest thing we've ever witnessed. We made chicken tacos for dinner and Jeffrey ran out to buy us some ice cream (this has been fulfilling my craving) and watched a couple episodes of Friends. It's our latest TV show addiction and we're having so much fun watching it from the very beginning!

Yesterday I wrote some more thank you notes (I don't know why this round is taking me so long!), made a quick trip to the mall, and did some cleaning of the apartment. Oh, how I despise cleaning, but I loooove walking into a tidy home. One of my favorite things, I do believe. I hope you had a wonderful weekend, full of only the best. Tell me, what did you do? xo, R.



P.S. Would anyone be interested in a post about some of the really cool goodies we've been picking up for Woody? Every time we get a new treat, I think it's surely the most amazing dog thing ever! I'd love to share, but I'm not sure if anyone else would find it interesting. Please let me know. :)

little snapshots.

1 :: I should make a confession. I have always wanted to like hummus, but I never really have. Something about the after taste is a giant problem for me. But I picked this hummus up at Trader Joe's and it is delicious. Everything I've ever thought that hummus should be is in this package. The texture, the flavor, the consistency: it's all wonderful.

2 :: You should just know that I will never stop posting pictures of this little wonder.

3 :: Every woman (and man, for that matter) should read this gem of a book. Such refreshing, candid, well spoken, rejuvenating, honest advice. Please, please read it.

4 :: We looove this stuff in our household. It is juice from the heavens. Yum.

5 :: Flowers in the house is one of life's simple pleasures. I'm certain they are a mood booster.

6 :: I'm going to be one of those people that talks about cool stuff for dogs, so just stick with me. Woody loves his elk antler (we purchased ours at our local pet store). It's not dangerous for him to chew (because it breaks off in tiny, tiny pieces), it's good for his teeth, and it occupies his attention for long periods of time. The antlers are taken after they fall off the elk and then fashioned into different sizes (they even have some for small dogs).

7 :: Christmas shoes from J. Already looking lived in, which is something I'm really starting to love. :)

I hope you all had a beautiful, relaxing weekend. Mine was! I already feel this little funk wearing away. It is a good feeling. xo, R.

little snapshots.

{1} All snuggled up.

{2 & 3} Weekend treats.

{4} Christmas present (I don't have to grow up all the way!).

{5} I enjoy photographing this sweet little specimen. :)

Today is a Wednesday, which it means it's hump day, which means that I'm happy! Wednesdays are one of my favorite days because I feel like I'm just about ready to take my victory lap. The crowd's cheering me on and I'm like, "Woooo! Friday's so close I can taste it!" This is how everyone feels about Wednesdays, right? Life around the house has been lazy over the last couple of weeks. Jeffrey and I have been finishing the evening watching by this show(which I've been loving) and eating ice cream.

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PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: If you are a fan of key lime pie, then you should go to your local grocery store immediately and hope that they have Ben & Jerry's Key Lime Pie ice cream because when you eat the first spoonful it will be like you are touching the face of an angel.

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Evenings like these make me so appreciative of the little things. We aren't really doing anything that special, but it all adds up to something pretty big. xo, R.

little snapshots.

 

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{1} Our Thanksgiving set up; {2} Do you ever get sick of pictures of this little guy? (I don't.); {3} A pomegranate from our backyard tree; {4} Thanksgiving flower arrangement; {5} Our back porch; {6} Wedding craft in process; {7} Prep for shortbread cookies

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Dear Friends, I hope you had a lovely, lovely holiday. Mine was simple and relaxing — two of my very favorite things. Now that Thanksgiving is over, it is appropriate to start the celebration of Christmas...so, happy holiday season, my sweet readers! There is something so special about the holiday season. I know there's no need to explain it because everyone feels it. It's like an extra warmness in the heart! I hope you have a wonderful week full of cheer and love. xoxoxo, R.

little snapshots.

[- 1 -] Mr. Rogers book made by my sister and a friend + a postcard from my mom.

[- 2 -]  Giant pine cone by our entryway.

[- 3 -] Fall pumpkin trio. :)

[- 4 -] Shhh! Break and bake.

[- 5 -] Everyone could use a little pep talk in the morning (taped to our bathroom mirror).

[- 6 -] Cup tree.

[- 7 -] Match striker, by Josh Stover Ceramics.

This weekend was made up of some of my favorite things. There was no agenda, which always leaves me feeling so relaxed and rested. On Saturday, I slept in and spent the rest of the morning finishing a final assignment. Then, Jeffrey and I spent the afternoon cleaning the house. Later that evening, we went to an art show my sister was in and ended the night with frozen yogurt. Yesterday we slept in and spent the morning at Starbucks, planning our honeymoon. We went grocery shopping, read magazines at Barnes & Noble, ate lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant, and spent the afternoon around the house.

Weekends like these are so simple and quiet, but absolutely wonderful. It always makes me feel so thankful for the smallest things. On top of that, I have a short school week and can't wait to head home for Thanksgiving. What did you do this weekend? xo, R.

P.S. Other little snapshots posts.

little snapshots.

This weekend my parents visited, which meant Target runs, lunch at Satchel's, lazy mornings on the Starbucks patio, breakfast for dinner, and lots of wonderful chit chat. My mom kept remarking that visiting our little apartment was like a mini vacation and I have to agree that our cozy little abode is quite lovely and the perfect place to come home to after a long day. 
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{1} A beautiful new begonia I picked up to join our front porch floral family.
{2} A small collection of pillows Jeffrey has made for me over the years.
{3} Marble-Rye bread for this week's sandwiches.
{4} Vanilla Chai hand soap that smells like concentrated fall (and matches our pink bathroom tiles quite well).
{5} Fall colored bouquet.
{6} Jack-O-Lantern erasers for my sweet students.

I hope you all had a marvelous weekend. I'd love to hear about it. xo, R.

little snapshots.

1. Mother's Day hummingbird feeder.
2. Our sweet little chrysanthemum is in full bloom!
3. Mother's Day cupcakes.
4. Please, please make lemon curd and then spread it on any food item that you believe it would taste remotely good on.
5. Mother's Day card-making remnants.
6. I can't. Just way too cute. And recently nicknamed Emperor of Cuteness.
7. Tibetan Prayer Flags.

Hello, friends! Look, I exist! I know I dropped off the face of the blogosphere for quite some time. I can hardly believe it, but I am a college graduate, folks! ...And it feels quite weird. As Jeffrey and I drove back into our college town after some time spent at home (I am here taking summer classes for the start of my Master's program), I felt like I didn't go to my university anymore, which sounds silly, but felt extremely odd. I didn't really expect to feel much different since I was going straight from undergraduate to graduate work, but I did feel a bit out of place.

Transitional periods are so weird, aren't they? Almost like you're floating above a pool of water and just waiting to be dropped into it with no warning whatsoever. And I've mentioned before that I am wildly sentimental, so this period of time has made me feel hypersensitive to everything. Just after graduation, Jeffrey and I headed home for the short summer break I was given and it was nice to regroup and spend time in my house, where I feel deeply rooted and safe.

For the first time in my life, I've realized how fleeting time really is. Four years of college slipped through my fingers and I can't believe it's been such a long time since I moved into my tiny dorm room with a roommate I did not know, hardly aware of what college would give to me. Sometimes people say that they wish they could stop time, which was a desire I never really understood. Until now. It's shocking to me how fast these four years flew.

Anyway, enough of that talk. The weather in Florida has been absolutely lovely. Some people really don't like Florida summers because it's sunny one minute and then raining the next, but there's nothing I love more than an afternoon rainstorm, so I'm soaking it all up. xo, R.

little snapshots.

1. York Peppermint Patties + reading material.
2. Pancake batter.
3. Banana pancakes and OJ.
4. Recent favorites (Pacifica body butter, Burt's Bees toner).
5. Sweet salt and pepper shakers from Jeffrey's Aunt.
6. My bike. :)

Weekend happenings: Bike ride (with a stop at Krispy Kreme), two art openings, Mochi with a lovely friend, banana pancakes on Sunday morning, outdoor lunch (fried egg sandwiches) with Jeffrey, and open windows.

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As I sat down to write this post, I wasn't quite sure what I'd actually end up writing about. I have been blogging at this space for just over three years now. Lately I've been thinking about what I want from this space, why I come here, why I write here, why I share here. Sometimes the blogging community can make me feel small and a little silly. Sometimes it seems more like a competition than anything. That's not why I started this blog.

I started this blog because I felt sad and lonely during my first few months of college. Once I found my footing, I kept this space to remember snippets of my life. You see, I want to tether myself to all the special memories I've made and I can find those memories here. The process of writing them down ingrains them into my mind and allows them to nestle there as constant reminders of the beauty of my life.

Sometimes it's quite easy for me to remain true to my purpose and write about the things I find enjoyable. Other times I find myself wondering why I even write here at all (without being too specific, sometimes I feel like I'm talking — or writing — to myself). I don't like when that happens. I've taken a hiatus before and it's been valuable. It's helped me to remind myself that I blog for me and only me. So, with that sentiment in mind, I think the blog will be quiet this week. As always, thank you for your continued support in reading this blog and in sharing the joy of finding simplicities and serendipities in every part of life. Have a lovely week, friends. xo, R.