That time I sent my husband off to college...

Today is the day. A day that, honestly, I didn't think I'd ever see. Alex leaves today to begin his career as a college golf coach/MBA student.

It's weird. Packing him up to go live in another state, in an apartment, with - gasp - a roommate?? Definitely not a scenario I had in mind when we got married. But it's temporary. It's a step in the right direction, not only for him but for us.

His bags are packed!

And honey, I know you're reading this - I will stop giving you a hard time about the fact that you'll have a meal plan and a roomie, promise. Although I personally believe the meal plan of "wifey's home cooking" and your current roommate of Yours Truly are pretty hard to beat. I guess I'm just jealous that you're trading me in for a little bit.

I digress.

It's a tough day. I'm a little bummed, of course. But in the grand scheme of things, this is nothing. I don't know how military spouses do the time and space apart. Kudos to them.

I am trying to keep my eye on the prize, which, of course, is Alex's future in coaching. This is just the first step. He will be one heck of a coach, mentor and motivator. I know this is what he was meant to do.

Good luck, sweetheart! You will knock them dead! 

This morning, before Alex headed out. Love you, honey!

Friday's Letters

Short weeks are the bomb.com, am I right? It feels like the weekend was just here - but you won't hear me complain about that!

We are planning to head to my in-laws' for the weekend to celebrate the FIL's birthday and go to a family reunion on Sunday afternoon. That is, if this weird wintry weather doesn't prevent us from driving there today! The forecast for this afternoon is 80% chance of freezing rain with temps below freezing - yikes! Sounds like ideal driving conditions...or not...

When we get back on Sunday, we are going to be packing machines. We've got to get the hubby ready for Georgia, and me for Vegas!

Have a great weekend - and stay safe and warm if you are in this crazy winter storm's path! 

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Friday's Letters! 

Dear Vegas: I am so excited to meet you, finally! And I'm pretty excited I can enjoy you on the company's dime, too! Dear job: I heart you. Seriously. And not just because of Vegas. Dear carpet: I am so glad we got you cleaned this week. It's amazing how yucky you got in not even 2 years of normal, average, everyday life! Dear baby Avery: I miss you and your sweet little face. You are growing up so fast. The next time I see you (in March), you will be such a big girl! It breaks my heart that I can't see you all the time and watch you grow. Dear wardrobe: I didn't realize how boring you were until I began packing for Vegas. How old am I?? Dear Penny & Ellie: have fun at grandma and grandpa's this week! We'll see you next Friday. Please behave...Dear Husband: I can't even think about Monday. I am so sad that we will be living apart for a while, but excited about the future. It will be worth it, I know. Even though I'll see you often, I will miss you madly. 

 

How I met my husband

I have been promising this post for a long time and I finally got around to it! I am so excited to share the story of how Alex and I met. I hope you enjoy reading how our love began.

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The first time I laid eyes on my husband, I was looking through the peephole of my front door.

I knew he was coming, and I was waiting for him to arrive. So I was staring out the peephole trying to catch a glimpse as soon as he got there.

The first picture we ever took together! NYE 2007-2008

Let me back up.

In the fall of 2007, I returned to UF for grad school. I had graduated in December 2006, and moved to Chicago for a few months to work in between. When I got back on campus, I literally felt like the oldest person there. Being a grad student, I quickly found, was NOT like being an undergrad. And all the boys suddenly seemed so young and...immature.

Meanwhile, Alex was living the golfer's life up in South Carolina. He had been playing professionally for 2 years and had moved back to his small-ish hometown. He also traveled all the time, driving all over the Southeast for tournaments, making it hard for him to meet people.

Basically, we both wanted to meet someone but the pickings were slim in our current situations. So we both joined eHarmony and were "matched" with one another on October 31, 2007.

After communicating online for a few weeks through the eHarmony system, Alex called me for the first time the day after Thanksgiving. The first time I heard his voice, I got chill bumps. It was so sexy. The first word I ever heard him say? Kristin. Thinking about it still makes me melt.

An early picture - we had been dating about a month

We talked for a little while - maybe 20 or 30 minutes - but it was clear that we had something special. So we talked a few days later...for hours on end. And we've spoken every day since then.

After a few weeks of talking about everything under the sun, we decided we wanted to meet. Alex offered to drive from SC to Gainesville, FL to take me out. I said okay.

Now, here is my lecture: if you ever consider online dating, please be careful. My mom and friends knew all about him and knew he was coming to meet me. I consider myself a pretty good Googler, so I was pretty sure that he was who he said he was (it helped that there were so many pictures and articles about professional golf that supported his claims). All his pictures/stories/info matched what I found on multiple sources (basically, he either was who he said he was OR he was impersonating this guy named Alex from SC). So just do your homework and be smart.

Anyway, back to the peephole: I knew he was near - he had called to tell me he was about 30 minutes away. My bestie Lesley was at my condo helping me pick out a date outfit up until about 20 minutes before he got there. I pretty much had her on speed dial in case the person who got out of the car did not match the person in the pictures! (Safety first!). And, duh, I wouldn't have opened my door.

And then his black Acura TL (which was what he'd told me that he drove - see, I was being careful!) pulled in and parked. I watched carefully, full of nerves and hope and excitement, as my future husband stepped out of the car. Definitely the same guy as in the pictures. Which meant he had been telling me the truth, just as I'd suspected (and really, really hoped). Whew!

He was wearing a striped Ralph Lauren button-down and khaki pants. His hair was styled and kinda spiky. He was sooooooo cute. He looked like a golfer. He was also about to knock on my door.

Knock knock. I took a deep breath and opened the door.

We said hello and without even thinking twice, I threw my arms around him and hugged him. I felt like I had known him forever, and seeing him in the flesh was a final piece of the puzzle.

Penny was barking and doing her normal "Hey who are you/Hey pick me up" routine. We made some small talk and I sat down in the living room. Penny was on my lap immediately, being protective but sweet. Alex bent down to pet her and I think Penny loved him instantly.

We went to a local tapas and martini place for dinner. I drove, since I was the one who lived there and knew where we were going. We had a great time at dinner. It felt so natural. And definitely did not feel like a first date. I don't remember there being a single awkward moment.

We went back to my condo and watched one of my favorite movies, What Women Want (Mel Gibson circa 2000). Somewhere near the end, we had our first kiss. And that was really the final, FINAL piece of the puzzle: we had chemistry.

We had been dating about 2 months here (Penny and I are a package deal!)

Since it might have been a little awkward staying under the same roof with a person we just met and I didn't want him to have to get a hotel room since he had already made a 6-hour drive for me, the plan was for him to stay at my condo, and for me to stay with Lesley and Lindsey. So that's what we did!

He stayed the rest of the weekend and met my friends. He was a natural fit in our group, another great sign. I showed him around Gainesville and campus, and we just genuinely enjoyed being with each other. By the time he left on Sunday, we had decided to exclusively date. And I was already falling in love.

So there you have, in a nutshell (or a very long blog post), how I met my husband. 

I like to tell people that we were introduced online, but we met in Gainesville. Because that is the truth. Did I ever think I would be introduced to my husband by a dating website? (Did I ever think I would join a dating website??). Heck no. But the thing is, God can use any method to bring two people together. And I sure am glad he brought Alex and I together.

This week's theme: PACK

I have so much on my mind this week that it's been tough to sleep at night. We have a lot going on in the next few weeks. We just got back on Monday afternoon from a long weekend in Alabama with some dear family friends. The guys hunted twice a day and the ladies just hung out. While it was a really fun weekend, I couldn't help but think of all the things we needed to be doing at home.

This week is flying - which in some ways I'm thankful for, but I feel so behind. We're going out of town again Friday-Sunday to Alex's hometown to celebrate my Father-in-Law's birthday and go to a family reunion. Sometime between now and Friday morning when I leave for work, I need to pack for the weekend.

But the real kicker is that Alex is moving (or temporarily leaving or whatever we're calling it) on Monday, and I leave Tuesday morning for Vegas for work.

Pretty pumped that I get to use the "Vegas" stickers in my EC planner, y'all!

So let's see:
Out of town Friday - Sunday
+ Husband leaving for a few months on Monday morning
+ Wifey leaving for only 3 days (but it's Vegas! Thoughtful packing is required!) on Tuesday
= Stressed out Wifey. Husband, not so much. I wish I was more like him. 

Yeah, so...
we basically have today and tomorrow to get it all done.
Lord, be with us.

January Challenge Week 3 (Purge & Organize)

Well here we are, already near the end of the month! Wowzers. Week 3 of my January Challenge is over and we are continuing to gather lots of stuff to give away/sell, or stuff that was thrown away.

Here are some of the things I gathered during Week 3:

1. Clothing that I never wear
2. Some reusable plastic football cups (we have plenty of real cups)
3. A ton of old coupon inserts that needed to go in the recycling bin
4. A old pair of scissors that didn't really cut it (haha) anymore
5. More clothing, specifically items I no longer like...and I still haven't methodically gone through my closet and dresser
6. Purses, to list on eBay ASAP
7. A burned-out candle

In addition to just piling stuff in the guest room, we've made progress in getting rid of (like actually out of the house as opposed to in a pile) a ton of golf clubs over the last week. I took them to work and let all the guys I work with have a hay day and we made about $500 in the process. The rest is getting posted on Craigslist tonight! Success!

For the other half of the challenge - the Organizing part - I still need to organize the study and garage. However, since the hubby is not working this week in preparation for his big move and career change, he should be able to help with both of these tasks. Especially now that he no longer has the job that was the reason for the madness in the study!

If you are doing a January Challenge, I hope it's been successful so far!

Learning to have faith

This week has been full of emotion for the hubby and I. Ch-ch-changes are coming.

You might recall that Alex switched careers in September, going from playing golf professionally to the medical sales arena. While he was lucky to get a great medical sales job so quickly without any prior experience, it just wasn't for him. He enjoyed it at first, but in the last 2 months, he really hasn't been very happy and he has been missing golf like crazy.

When he decided to quit playing professionally late last summer, he looked for jobs in 2 different categories: medical/pharmaceutical sales and collegiate golf coaching. Obviously he found a job in the medical sales category. But he hasn't let go of the idea of coaching.

After 4 months in medical sales, he is now certain that coaching is all he wants to do. And I don't blame him - he will be SO good at it. And I know he will love it. But of course, those jobs are few and far between.

After applying for a few opportunities that sprung up at the end of the Fall semester (and not getting any of those jobs, mainly because he doesn't have prior coaching experience), he went another route. He has accepted a position at Mercer University in Macon, GA as a graduate assistant coach.

Alex's soon-to-be campus

Yes, a graduate assistant, meaning my husband will soon be a grad student. Wwwwhhhhhhhhat?

He will be assisting the golf team at Mercer in exchange for room & board and tuition toward his MBA. He put in his notice this week at the medical sales company.

I am not planning to move to Macon, as our hope is that this will be temporary. Plus, we own a home in Greenville and I have a great job here. Therefore, for now, we will be in a long-distance marriage  (about 3.5 hours from each other) and I will be supporting us with my salary.

We've done the long-distance thing: we dated long-distance for 3.5 years until we got married. And we've done the one-income thing. We will be fine.

It's a lot to take in and it's all happened at the speed of light. But I am confident that this is a good move for him and for us.

Sometimes you have to make sacrifices and take a huge leap of faith. Faith that God will provide. Faith that this is the right move. Faith that Alex will love coaching as much as he thinks he will. Faith that I won't be lonely with my husband living in another state. Faith that the experience he gains at Mercer will give him the edge he needs.

I am learning to lean on God and have faith.

January Challenge Week 2 (Purge & Organize)

Week 2 of my January Challenge is done and, WOW, are we ever collecting a lot of junk that needs to be sold or donated!

Here are some of the things I got rid of during Week 2:

1. Old magazines I've already read
2. Cosmetic bags (the ones that you get from Clinique Bonus Time, etc. - I mean how many do you need?)
3. 2 cookbooks I've never used
4. A basket that I used to keep my scrapbook stuff in, but don't anymore 
5. A few pieces of clothing 
6. Old bottles of paint, among other things, from my craft closet
7. SO MUCH STUFF from the golf room. SO much stuff.

In addition to conquering the golf room last weekend, I organized my craft closet too. Here is the Before/After:

It doesn't look too different, but trust me that it is so much better! I now know what I have and where everything is. I sorted through all my supplies and got rid of stuff I don't need (including a random old nightstand that was in the closet!). I feel much better now!

We're about half way done with the month, and I still need to organize the study and garage. I can do this!

Golf room domination

Well folks, the weekend was a success. You might recall that I told you on Friday about my big plans to dominate the room in our house that we call the Golf Room. The room where Alex keeps his golf equipment and where we have the treadmill and other workout necessities. The room that - bless my disorganized husband's heart - had become a total mess in which we could not find anything.

But this weekend, the clutter went down.

Take a look at the Before:

And the After!

Yep, it was a success. We went through everything - every bag, every box, every cubby. We grouped like items. We threw away 2 garbage bags full of trash. We created a huge "Sell/Give away" pile. And we currently have a ton of golf equipment listed on Craigslist. Boom.

Plus, we now how a clean, organized room where we can actually work on our fitness. Hooray!

Sidenote: You know you're old, married and boring when cleaning out a room is the highlight of your weekend ;)

Did you get any projects crossed off your list over the weekend?

Friday's Letters

Hey Friday, hey! So glad to see you again. This week was long for a lot of reasons. For heaven's sake, my husband turned 30 this week. Which is making me think about the fact that I will be 29 in September...and 30 next year...how did this happen?!

Anyway, the Hubs and I have BIG plans this weekend. We are going to tackle a project as part of our January Challenge: the Golf Room. I am calling this weekend "Total Golf Room Domination" time. The clutter in that room is going DOWN. I'm serious. And the organized freak in me is actually excited about it. I am salivating at the thought of taking everything out the room, sorting through it, organizing it, and putting it all back in an orderly fashion. Yum. I'll post Before and Afters!

If we finish the golf room by Saturday night (doubtful, but possible), we will move on to another area - either the Study or the Garage. We shall see.

So I bet y'all are reallllllly jealous of my super-fun and amazing weekend plans, right? ;)

Now onto Friday's Letters!

Dear Hubby: 30 looks good on you! Dear paycheck: I wish you wouldn't shrink, but we have the government to thank for that. Ridiculous. Dear medical bills: WHY? Seriously, sometimes I think health insurance is a complete croc. Dear Tory Burch flats: I love you! Thanks for being significantly cheaper on eBay so I could afford you! Dear weather: what is up with you? 70 degrees+ in January? Where is the flipping snow??? Dear PTO: I am so happy to see you re-set for the new year. Dear appetite: I wish you would chill. I think part of it is due to the steroids I have to take, but seriously, you are insane lately! Dear Lord: although I know it's a promise from You, it still amazes me how you faithfully provide. Thank you for your promises.

 

It's OK Thursday and other thoughts (The Bachelor)

Hello there, friends - it's Thursday, meaning tomorrow is Friday, meaning the weekend is just about in reach. This week has lasted AT LEAST 9 days already. I guess because it's my first full work week in almost a month? Bleh.

Anywho...

The highlight of my week (other than the hubby turning 30!) has definitely been the return of The Bachelor!! That is my #1 guilty pleasure. I know it's partly staged, partly insane, and partly ridiculous, but I love it. I used to read spoilers, but I stopped because it, well, spoiled the fun for me each week when I knew what was going to happen. It's too soon to tell who will go all the way (no pun intended) but some of my faves are AshLee (the professional organizer - um, can I have her job please?? And her perfectly organized closet? Heaven!), Lesley (the girl who works in DC and brought the football), wedding dress girl - not sure of her name (I know she was wasted and hello, she wore a wedding dress, but I think she could have a cute sense of humor), and possibly Desree (the girl who works in the bridal salon). So we shall see, ladies - it's a brand new season! What did you think of the premiere?

Moving on! It's OK...

• to still be enjoying the leftover ice cream cake from Alex's birthday. Maybe a little too much.
• to not want to cook because I haven't really had to cook in weeks due to the holidays. I need to get back in the swing of things. 
• that we got really excited when we realized all of our fave shows came back this week! (Either we don't get out much or we're just that lame). 
• that I've splurged lately on a lot of stuff for myself. New purse, online Lilly sale, etc. I had "Christmas money" but still, I feel guilty (see below).
• that we haven't really started saving for our Italy trip yet because unexpected, large expenses keep coming up (like my medical bills and the recent $700 tune-up/repair on Alex's car)
• to have the decorating bug and want to re-do every room in my house for no good reason. Dang you, PB Spring catalog and Pinterest!!
•  to feel slightly overwhelmed when I look at the calendar for the next couple of weeks and see all that is going on - but to also be excited about all the friends we're going to see!

Jan. Challenge Week 1 (Purge & Organize)

The first week of my January Challenge went pretty good. It was a tad sidetracked by the fact that I was trying to plan and prepare for a birthday party under the radar all week long, but all in all, it went well.

Here are the things I got rid of during Week 1:

1. Cleaned out the fridge and threw away lots of misc. food items
2. Last year's calendars. We had 3 or 4 around the house.
3. An old digital camera that was fried by lithium batteries a whopping 5 years ago and will never work again.
4. A Christmas candle holder that I haven't actually put out with the decorations in at least 2 years.
5. 2 aprons that, while simply adorable, are not personalized or monogrammed so I can give them away (we have at least 4 personalized aprons between the 2 of us. Not. Kidding.) And frankly, we don't need 6 aprons. 
6. A little plastic serving tray that is really cute, but tiny. I've never used it and I've had it for 4+ years.
7.  Old mascara from my makeup bag.

What am I doing with this stuff (that's not being thrown away)? I'm starting a pile that I will either donate at the end of the month, OR we will have a yard sale in the Spring. I'm not sure I want to have a yard sale because they're such pains in the butt, however, if we accumulate enough quality junk through this process, it might be worth our time. And we also have a few pieces of furniture that need to go.

The organizing of the 4 "problem areas" has not yet commenced (again, mainly due to the surprise party), but I'm hoping we can get down to business this weekend. The first thing that HAS to be organized is the dang Golf Room. Because the treadmill is in that room and I cannot currently get to the treadmill...(yeah, it's THAT BAD). Wish me luck as the Hubs and I tackle that project!

that one time I lied to my husband for weeks on end...{surprise!}

I've been a sneaky wife lately. Text messages set to private, running mystery errands after work, lying about what I was doing. But last night, it all paid off.

See, today is Alex's 30th Birthday, and I wanted to do something special for the milestone. So I threw him one awesome surprise party with a very manly theme: a beer tasting contest.

Saturday night, we were "going to dinner" (or so Alex thought) to celebrate his birthday a little early with his parents. Alex was out of the house almost all day playing golf with his dad, allowing me plenty of time to cook, clean and get everything set for the par-tay!

When he got home from the golf course, about 20 of his closest friends were waiting for him in our living room. He was shocked! SURPRISE!

The tasting contest: very serious business.  

It was pretty simple, really: I mailed the invites with our Christmas cards. I asked everyone to bring a 6-pack of their fave obscure beer for a tasting contest. And I asked everyone to keep it a secret so we could surprise the birthday boy. And no one slipped! Amazing!

The tasting contest was TONS of fun: we had some pretty random beer in the mix! Everyone tasted the varieties using shot glasses (err, "tasting glasses," if you will) and wrote down their top 2 choices. The winner got a prize of a 6-pack and an iTunes gift card. Plus, there was tons of man food - lots of Alex's favorite things like Chick-Fil-A nuggets, BBQ sliders, and pigs in a blanket - to fill everyone up.

Beer, anyone?

A special shout out to all our friends and our parents for helping make the party so special and pull off the surprise. We even had friends come from Atlanta, Columbia and Charleston to celebrate with Alex and it meant so much to him (and to me!). The night was a huge success and I think we really surprised him! (And BOY am I glad I don't have to be sneaky anymore!! I really did not enjoy that part!)

With the surprised birthday boy!

Happy, happy birthday to my sweet, funny, silly, handsome, smart, affectionate, and adoring husband. I love you SO much and I can't wait to see what the next 30 years brings! Cheers!

Here are my first Friday's Letters in 2013! Here's to the first Friday of the year! And sorry for the influx of posts today: I guess I have a lot on my mind and a lot to say :)

Dear Alex: I cannot believe you are turning *30* on Monday! To me, you will always be the 24-year-old I fell in love with. I can't wait to spend the rest of your birthdays with you. Happy, happy, happy birthday, my love! Dear MIL and FIL: thank you for the IKEA gift card for Christmas!! I can't wait to get the matching chair to our sectional! Dear Christmas decorations: I have done my part by putting you into your storage boxes...now walk yourselves up to the attic, will ya? Dear Lilly Pulitzer New Year Cheer sale: thanks for coming right when I needed you - and when I had some Christmas money to spend. I heart you and your amazing customer service. Dear Besties: I know I just saw you last week but I miss you so much already. March is too far away!! Dear Valentine's Day stuff in stores: not gonna lie, I love you, even if it is January 4th. I really love V-Day. I'm trying to wait to purchase some conversation hearts for another few weeks but they are so tempting! Dear weekend: hellllllllllo, lover.

 

High Five for Friday!

TGIF, ladies!! Even though it was a short week, I am really happy to see Friday!

Here's my H54F!

1. Happy New Year! This was the 6th NYE I've spent with Alex :)
2. My new planner: the first work week with it was fab!
3. The living room without the Christmas tree and decorations. It feels so...clean.
4. My new Michael Kors purse. Yummy. 
5. Lunch with my former co-workers on Saturday - love these girls!

January challenge: purge & organize

If you missed my 2013 Monthly Challenge intro, see it here.

Challenge #1 of 12 for 2013: Get rid of stuff we don't need and organize the stuff we do.

I had a hard time deciding what I wanted my first Monthly Challenge of the year to be. I was torn between two:

1. Get rid of something every day
2. Organize something every day

So I combined the two!

This month, my challenge is to get rid of one thing every day AND to organize four main problem areas in our home:

1. The Study: mainly Alex's desk and helping him find a system that works, but also my desk and the bookshelves.
2. The Golf Room: where Alex keeps his golf and hunting gear, and where our treadmill and workout stuff lives.
3. My Craft Closet: a closet in one of the guest rooms where I keep my scrapbooking supplies and crafty goodness. It needs some help. 
4. The Garage: messy and has a lot of stuff that needs to GO.

Now let me clarify the "get rid of one thing everyday" part: this can mean I am throwing away something that needs to be thrown away (such as the dead potted plants in the garage I've been avoiding since Fall), or I'm selling it (such as the handbags that I plan to put on eBay or consign), or I'm donating it. In an effort to get rid of as much stuff as possible, I'm not going to "cheat" and count one potted plant for today and one for tomorrow, because really I'm only cheating myself if I do that.

Make sense? Good. It's easy enough and to be honest, in this new year I'm itching to get started on all my organizing projects and to get rid of excess junk.

I'll post an update each week so you can hold me accountable - I'm serious, y'all! HOLD ME ACCOUNTABLE. All year, through all 12 challenges. I need you.

Now let the fun begin.

Here's to the first It's OK Thursday of the new year!


It's OK...

• that I've gained back a few pounds that I lost when I was sick around Thanksgiving. I have learned that being able to eat and not feel miserable trumps being a few pounds lighter.
• that I might have drowned my sorrows {from the horrible Gator loss last night that I shall not discuss} in the Lilly Pulitzer online sale this morning...
• that I want all of my Christmas decorations down and stored away NOW. I want my house back.
• to really want Tory Burch flats, but cannot justify $200 for...flats. Maybe eBay is the answer??
• that I have to go get bloodwork done AGAIN today. This is the 6th or 7th time (I've lost track) in the last 4 weeks. Let's all hope for a higher hemoglobin level!
• to be in love with my new Michael Kors purse that I bought with my Christmas money. 
• that it's already Thursday and a short work week, but I'm still craving Saturday morning.

2013: the year of the challenge

Heyyyyy, friends. Big news. I have decided that this year, I will be giving myself a challenge for each month and sharing the journey with you along the way. Just to keep it interesting. And to hold myself accountable.

I saw this idea on this blog - she did it in 2011 and I just love the idea.

Some ideas for monthly challenges:

• going Vegetarian or Gluten-free for a month
• wearing every item of clothing I own in one month
• another Essentials Only Month - or two! (Don't tell the hubs, he will not be too excited)
• purging items that we no longer need
• a new workout plan that I would commit to for 30 days
• not eating out for a month
  and so on.

BUT - I need your help. I would love to hear some ideas for a 30-day challenge, since I will need 12 challenges in all. Maybe I'll use your idea...or maybe not if it involves giving up sweets or running every day for a month :)

Ready - set - GO! 

January has already been decided: that challenge kick-off is coming very soon!

My life in a planner/my planner is my life

I love planners. And school supplies. And making lists.

So it's no wonder that I adore Erin Condren and her adorable organizational tools. Last year, I had an EC monthly planner/notebook, which I loved. It went everywhere with me. It was my life. And it was orange and blue (Go Gators!).

This year, I opted for the EC Life Planner after much debate. And I'm glad I did - I'm loving it so far! I went with a pink and navy scheme so it would match my current monogrammed iPhone cover. (OCD alert!)

For the last few days, I have been in nerd heaven filling in my new planner. Love. I also bought a new set of pens strictly to use in my planner (enter love of school supplies).

Just wanted to share my nerdiness with you so you can geek out along with me, if that's your style.

Last year's planner and this year's planner. I love them both.

Tabs...need I say more??

This is a great quote for the new year!

A new year, a blank planner, and pretty pens.

My First Blogiversary!

Today marks one year since my first blog post on this little place known as Young & Southern! AND this is also my 100th post! Big day! For old time's sake, you can read my very first post here.

I've said before that I started blogging as a New Year Resolution to keep a record of the little things in life, and celebrate the big things, too. I've always been a scrapbooker and a picture person, but journaling is something that I always seemed to slack on even though I love to write. Blogging was a natural choice to combine words and pictures and record-keeping.

I am so thankful for all my readers: I didn't set out to get any followers at all, since this blog was really just for me. But knowing that I have readers and followers makes writing and keeping up with this so much more fun! Your comments mean the world to me. Thank you for following along!

This year I have some fun plans for the blog that I think you'll enjoy. The idea is that every month will bring a new challenge for me. I have some ideas already - for instance, I know we will be doing another Essentials Only Month - but if you have any ideas, please share! After all, I will need 12 challenges in all. January's challenge is still TBD, but I have an idea. I'll share soon!

Thank you again for reading about our little life in Greenville, SC. It means more than you know!

xoxo!
Kristin