Goodbye, 2013

Alright, folks, it's time for a little year-end review! I'm copying everyone else and taking a look back through the months of 2013... I can honestly say that this year has been one of the most life-changing and incredible years for me, and I feel so blessed to have made it through in one piece!

Let's do this thing:

January

I bought my first official blog design from Marquis and it jumpstarted my blogging "career".

February

I celebrated my 23rd birthday.

March 

I started to get serious about wedding planning.

April 

I went on my very first "blate" with my loves, Kendahl & Whitney.

I went to a Taylor Swift concert.

May 

Andrew graduated from the University of Georgia.

I left my insurance job after a year with the company.

June 

We flew out to Austin and signed a lease on our apartment.

We attended my best friend's wedding.

We attended Andrew's brother's wedding.

July 

Nothing much happened this month... Just kidding ;)

I had my bachelorette party at New Smyrna Beach.

We had the most amazing wedding weekend imaginable (detailed posts to come... eventually)!
We had the most amazing honeymoon week imaginable.
We moved out to Austin with the help of Andrew's parents.

August

Andrew started his job at VMware.
We attended another of our best friends' wedding.
We added some feline members to our little family and they quickly became the loves of my life!

September 

I officially changed my name.
My parents & brother came to visit.

I started my first-ever part-time job at Ann Taylor LOFT.

October 

My sister came to visit and we went to the Austin City Limits music festival.

My one-year "blogiversary" occurred, and I celebrated by starting a brand new blog!

November 

We spent Thanksgiving week in Georgia with my family.
Andrew got promoted!

December

Andrew celebrated his 24th birthday.
I accepted a job offer (more details to come soon)!
We went to a John Mayer concert.
We spent a week in Florida celebrating Christmas with our families.

So, there you have it. A year's worth of memories, compiled into a single blog post. Who knew it was possible? Thanks for time-traveling with me today, and I hope you all have a safe & fun New Year's Eve!

I'm Late...

...in publicly wishing my husband a Happy Birthday, that is! ;)

Last Tuesday was Andrew's birthday, and since I've been the worst blogger ever I didn't even have time to post about it, so I'm going to spend a little time today celebrating him.

Here are 24 things I love about Mr. James (since it was his 24th birthday):

1. He was arguably the world's cutest baby.

2. He's 6'3" and I'm 5'7" so I never have to worry about being taller than him.

3. He loves the Lord.

4. He loves cats.

5. He is a wonderful cook (see photo proof here).

6. He is business-savvy.

7. He dresses well.

8. He makes me feel special.

9. He is great with kids.

10. He always takes care of me.

11. He is trustworthy in every way.

12. He is one of the most humble people you will ever meet.

13. He is constantly making me laugh.

14. He has introduced me to (aka: forced me to watch, but then I fell in love with) some of my favorite movies & tv shows.

15. He puts up with my crazy, obsessed Bachelor-watching rituals.

16. He knows basically everything about technology.

17. He doesn't hog the covers.

18. He always drives, even on long road trips.

19. He prays with me every night.

20. He supports me in all that I do.

21. He encourages/inspires me to be healthy.

22. He kills all the bugs in our apartment.

23. He is pretty darn handsome, if I do say so myself.

24. He is the love of my life.

...Thanks for letting me gush on my husband! I hope this gave you all a little insight into the man who puts up with the woman behind this blog.

Until next time!

A Concert & An Engagement

Sooo, last Friday night was a very happy night for this girl.

Not only did I get to see an absolutely incredible show by John Mayer, but one of my best friends (who just started a blog, btw!) got engaged to her long-time love!!!

It was almost too much joy for my little heart to handle :)

Here are some pictures to commemorate:

Honestly, if you ever have a chance to see John Mayer live, you should take it. He is one of the most talented guitarists out there, in my (and Andrew's) opinion! He is so funny and spontaneous and just really made it an awesome and special show for all of us in the audience. Basically, I'm obsessed.

Now let's see if I can figure out how to upload a video:

 

I think I did it! I couldn't send a clip long enough, but he was basically in the middle of a guitar solo and it rocked my socks off.

Anyways, I hope you guys are all having a wonderful week and thanks for stopping by!

Thanksgiving Recap!

My Thanksgiving week was wonderful. It was full of rest, good food, and laughs - all with my five favorite people on the planet! Here are some pictures that attempt to capture the weirdness that is my family (plus an obligatory picture of food):

In addition to spending three days in the Georgia countryside, I also got to go to a UGA football game. Andrew & I were so excited to watch our dawgs play in person... Especially when we ended up winning!

All in all, I have so much to be thankful for. It feels great to be back home in Austin, and there's nothing better than being reunited with my precious babies :) I'm looking forward to a (hopefully chilly) holiday season!