My Perfect Coke.

Often we hear how these days its all about instant gratification.  We want things how we want them, when we want them, and generally we want them now.  A few months ago I read an amazing book by Gretchen Rubin called The Happiness Project.  In her book she discussed a topic that really resonated with me.  The premise is that this moment... this moment right here, right now is important.  Is there always a need to put things off?  Isn't it important to live in the present?  The example the author used was that she had received a beautiful stationary set as a gift from her sister.  Years went by and she never used the set of stationary because she was always waiting for the perfect opportunity to use this paper, as she did not want to waste it.  But what good was this paper doing being stashed away in a desk drawer for no one to enjoy?

Several months after finishing this book, I am still thinking about this example.  

A couple weekends ago I went to the Coke museum and before leaving every visitor was given a bottle of Coke to take home.  I love Coke.  LOVE.  I brought my bottle of Coke home and put it in the refrigerator thinking I should wait for a special day to enjoy my special Coke.  For the next week I would open the refrigerator and longingly look at the bottle.  I wanted to drink it, but felt like the day or the moment wasn't good enough.  Surely I should wait because the bottle of Coke would be better enjoyed some other time.  You would have thought I had an expensive bottle of champagne the way I was coveting that Coke!

How often are we waiting for this magical moment?  This mystical illusive moment that might never come?

Finally, I came home after work one day and it dawned on me.  Why was this moment not the perfect moment to enjoy my prized bottle?  Sometimes those perfect moments are right there.  Waiting to be made.  

Had I waited I would have missed out on sitting in my quiet, newly decorated living room... sun streaming in the window... alone with my thoughts... ice cold Coke on a crisp and beautiful Fall afternoon.  

I think that sometimes it is so easy to think about tomorrow that we overlook right now.  It was the perfect moment indeed. 

Hello!

Just a quick "Hello."  Taking a few moments to take care of myself tonight.  Blogging and an Octoberfest.  Aaaah... perfect after work activity.

Happy Thursday!

Adventures of a Social Worker: Part I

Caleb continuously asks me why I don't write more about my job as a social worker.  Mostly its because the world of blogging is my main escape from the stress of my job.  I love that I can come here and write about Pinterest and decorations and food without the reality that everyday at 8:00 AM I go to work and try to solve the world's problems.  Okay, okay... maybe it isn't that bad, but it is pretty stressful when you have people relying on you to help them get food or their medications or for help keeping their electric on.

All that being said, my job is part of who I am.  Its what stresses me out, how I spend the majority of my waking hours, and most days its my passion.  Sooooo I have decided that its time to talk about it.

Today I am going to start off pretty light.  I'm going to introduce you to my cubicle.  

Yes, my cubicle.  Notice that most of these pictures have a greenish yellow quality.  That would be because there are no windows, and in fact, no natural light where my cubicle is located.  I am just the lowly social worker.  No office.  No window.  Just my cubicle to call home.

I did sass it up with a picture of me and the hubby.  Believe me, I have thought many a times about how I could use various Pinterest projects to make this space real cute, but I haven't gotten the nerve.  Yet.

My only other piece of decor is this printout from my boss.  I recently had quite the run-in with a buggy situation so she thought this was funny.  Funny, but true.  Oh so true.

My day starts and ends in my cubicle.  My main source of life-support is coffee.  Before becoming a social worker I didn't drink caffeine.  That was back when I was young and stupid.  Caffeine is my friend, my lifeline, how I survive.  Okay... I'm being dramatic again...

But seriously, I have gotten quite creative at making custom office coffee blends.  This one consists of 1/2 packet of Swiss Miss mixed with a full cup of coffee.  Should I Pinterest that recipe?

This next picture I am quite proud of.  At this newest social work job I have my own tape dispenser.  Pish posh you might be saying.  In the land of social work resources are scarce.  I feel quite important that I have a tape dispenser AND a stapler {all my own} at this job.

So there you have it.  My cubicle.  Exciting right?

Taking Care.

Yesterday Caleb was out of town.  I love spending time with my husband, but I also value the occasional opportunity to spend time alone.  I'm sure all you moms out there are vigorously shaking your heads in agreement.  Even though we don't yet have any little ones it is easy for me to see the value in having time without interruption to organize my thoughts.

I love jumping in the car, rolling down the windows, and blasting a good song.  Those are some of my most treasured Perfect moments.  

So today I hopped in my car, played some Billy Joel, and drove to a new bakery that I had never visited.  I ordered a coffee and a sandwich and chose a window right in the sun.  Then I caught up on some letter writing {in case you have forgotten... letter writing involves real paper, a real pen, an envelope, and that medieval think called a stamp :)}.

I don't think we take enough time out of the week to take care of ourselves.  Whether its working full time, worrying about getting blog posts written, being a social worker {like me!}, or finding enough time to devote to our families, I think its important to realize that if we get stressed out everyone can tell.  Its like that example they give on the airplane... you have to put on your own oxygen mask first before you help your neighbor.  If you pass out then you can't help them.  If we aren't recharging our own batteries how will we be there for our client's/families/etc.   

This trip was so relaxing and so productive.  It left me feeling recharged and ready to take on the world {well, at least ready to go home and get some housework done}!  I have so many friends that are embarrassed to go places on their own.  Sitting in a restaurant or a movie theatre by myself is a real treat!  It makes me feel like taking care of myself is important.  And it is.

What do you do to take care of yourself?

A Quick Hello!

As promised I am checking in before my trip to the East Coast for my dear friend's wedding.

Its just a quick "Hello" because I have so much to do!!

BUT, I'm guest posting today over at The Chronicles of Chaos about my Top Three Decorating Rules!  Head on over and get a peak of my Fall decor and while you are there check out Mia's fabulous blog!

Today's my Friday!  Woooohooooo!!!!

I Can Hardly Wait for Martha's!

Usually on Wednesday I link up for Oh, How Pinteresting, but I am way too excited to post about Pinterest because:

I leave for Martha's Vineyard in less than two days!!!  I can hardly focus I am so excited!  Just a few more days and I will be here:

Source

I can't wait to celebrate with my friends Lauren and Derek on their wedding day.  Stay tuned for posts about the details of my trip!

I'll be back briefly tomorrow if I can reign in my excitement enough to sit behind the computer.  Happy Wednesday!!!

Perfect Moments.

This post has been on my mind for a few weeks now.  I'm just now getting around to writing it because I have been trying to figure out how I can express my thoughts in words that make sense.  This post is about perfect moments.

The best example that I can think to describe was last week.

Thursday, Caleb and I went to a wine class with one of his co-workers.  I was dying to take pictures because the setting was so beautiful.  We were in a small room with floor to ceiling windows on all sides.  The table was set with white linens and pristine crystal glasses.  We sat at long tables with twenty people all gathered and sharing a common passion.  Wine.

The instructor of the class opened all the windows to allow the breeze of the first perfect Fall day to wisp around the room ever so lightly.  The restaurant was riverfront and the sun was setting on the water.  The light was golden and rays of sun streamed into the room, playing off of the wine glasses filled with varying shades of red wines.  The scent in the room was that of fresh baked bread, aged grapes, wood, and the very first scents of Fall.  Clean.  Crisp.  Clear.

Glasses were clinking.  People were softly laughing.  Caleb was smiling.

Most participants in the class were taking notes on paper supplied by the instructor.  Scribbling reminders of the hints of smoke and fruit, brick color, or scent.  Anything that would remind them of the wines that they tasted during the class.  I quickly lost interest in the note taking.  I was entranced by the atmosphere.  The sun.  The linens.  The scent.  The sounds.  It was a perfect moment.  My first instinct was to capture the moment on film, but I dared not tarnish it by searching for my camera.

The moment was fleeting as most perfect moments tend to be so.  Some outside noise distracted me or the man across from me started talking about his son's liquor store.  It was gone, but not forgotten.

There are so many of these perfect little moments in this life.  The question is will you recognize them?  Will you appreciate them?

Sun beams bursting through the trees at the Cloudland Canyon waterfall.

Clear water, green moss, waterfall, a hike with my Love.

A perfect Southern Indiana wedding.  Cool breezes, friends,
locally brewed beers, dancing.

Cool green grass, Caleb's arms, wearing cowboy boots, feeling pretty.

Sometimes the simple things are the best things.

I would love to hear about one of your perfect moments...

Birthday Weekend Recap.

Over the weekend I celebrated my 27th birthday!  I'm always telling Caleb that I don't really feel like an adult, but this birthday it really hit me that I am all grown up {well mostly!}.  I've been married and out of school for several years now, we own a house, and our friends are starting to have babies.

Even though I'm a grown-up, I don't think you are ever too old to celebrate!  After all, celebration is what makes life fun!

For my birthday weekend my sister and mother-in-law came down to Chattanooga to help celebrate and we took a mini road trip to Chickamauga to try out a new little cafe that I heard about called Chocolate Therapy Cafe.

We dined on chicken salad, pimento cheese, and fruit before moving on to the main course.  Dessert.

Just looking at these pictures makes me drool a little bit.  We chose to get a platter with a little bit of everything.  Creatively, the platter is called "Family Therapy."  So cute.

The chocolate cobbler was my favorite.  It was like the best molten lava chocolate explosion experience that you could possibly imagine.  I thoroughly enjoyed it!

On the way back we listened to some good tunes, enjoyed the sunny day, and stopped at a roadside farm stand.  

They had pumpkins!!!

Then on Sunday {my actual birthday} Caleb and I went to Cloudland Canyon.  It was beautiful.  More on that later!

What did you do this weekend?

I'm linking up again with Sami's Shenanigans for Weekend Update!

In Between the Busy.

I'm sitting outside right now.  And I'm a little bit cold.

After the summer that we have had this is a pretty profound statement.  Along with the rest of the South, I was excited to look at the weather report and welcome cooler temperatures for the weekend.  Speaking of weekends... its become this crazy habit that Caleb and I squeeze in every little bit activity possible between Friday evening and Sunday evening.  This is one of the first times that I have sat down with nothing to do but relax.

Friday we had our very first dinner guests {aside from family when they helped us move in}.  Caleb grilled his famous chicken on the grill and I took the opportunity it make some recipes I found on Pinterest that I had been dying to try.  I made:

Hasselback Potatoes
Recipe and picture via Seasaltwithfood

They were delish, but I kinda skimped on the butter.  Lesson learned.

Roasted Okra

Recipe via All Recipes

And this recipe is double yum.  When I told my friend that I was going to roast the okra she was worried that it would turn out slimy, but if you roast it long enough its perfect.  It has a little bit of a crisp and is perfectly salty.  Definitely is keeper.

         

Snickers Salad.  So good!

Recipe via One Good Thing.

Since I was using the oven for both of my sides and I needed something relatively quick, this was perfection.  It was a hit and I'll definitely be making it again.  The best part is that you only need a few ingredients.

Image from Indulgy.com

Saturday I was invited to brunch with some ladies that are married to Caleb's co-workers, we went on a bus trip to Jacksonville State for the UTC football game {lets not even talk about that... UGH!}, and then concluded our weekend activities by meeting up to watch the Colts/Bears game this afternoon and buying a new sofa and love seat.  Phew!  Busy Busy!

In between all that craziness, Caleb and I found time to enjoy the pretty weather out on our deck.  There aren't many things better than Sunday brunch and relaxing with a good book.

What did you do this weekend?

P.S.  If you haven't already, check out Operation Beautiful over at Shane's blog Whispering Sweet Nothings!  Its all about learning to appreciate the simple things about yourself.  She will be featuring each woman who enters.  Love it!

I also linked up with Sami's Shenanigans Weekend Update!

The Best Day

I've been thinking that I haven't written a sappy heartfelt post in a while so its about time.  I've been in a little bit of a blogging slump as I have had a pretty tough week.  Tough as in if there was an award for the most difficult week ever, I would definitely medal.  So I think that makes it the perfect time to write this post.

Besides, I've eaten all the grilled cheese sandwiches that my jeans will allow.  Time to use a different coping skill.

I read something last week that I fell in love with.  I subscribe to daily e-mails from Gretchen Rubin, the author of The Happiness Project {you can check out her blog/website and sign up for your own e-mails here.} and each day you get an inspirational quote in your inbox.  My favorite from last week {or maybe ever} was this:

“Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.”

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

It made me think about my everyday expectations, perspectives, and that one self-defeating thought that we all have {especially on Mondays ;)} the thought that runs through your head when the day has barely begun.  You know what I'm talking about?  When you're brushing your teeth and looking in the mirror, dreading work or whatever mundane task that you have to accomplish and you think, "Today is really going to suck."  We've all done it.  We start thinking about all we have to accomplish at work, the crappy chores that have to be completed, and the responsibilities that we would rather not have.

But what if we could change that?  What if instead we made up our mind to be intentional and to run this quote through our head at the beginning of each day?  Would it make a difference?  Maybe it wouldn't literally be the best day, but maybe it would challenge us to recognize the simple things that make our everyday extraordinary.  And maybe then we would start to think that those things aren't really so mundane after all.

Maybe we would recognize that helping Mr. SoandSo get a power scooter was pretty phenomenal, and that the turkey sandwich we had for lunch was the best darn turkey sandwich we have ever packed in our lunch, or that the sky is exceptionally blue and the breeze that feels so crisp on our cheeks really does make this day feel like one of the best of the year.

And sometimes this is difficult and we need reminders not to focus all on the bad, but look for some of the good.   This week I have needed a lot of reminders about the simple things as sometimes there are just days that no matter how much you remember that darn quote it will not, in fact, be the best day in the year.

Simple things like how my cats are finally getting along.

And its time for Fall colored nail polish {and the pumpkin spice latte it back!!!).

Or how I got to see this little one last weekend

and spend time with his Mama.

Sometimes the simple things are the best things.  Lets not forget!

Ramblings from My Weekend.

Weekend of 1,000 projects has officially drawn to a close. {Well, it actually drew to a close two days ago..}  Don't let the title deceive you.  I did not actually complete 1,000 projects ;).  I did, however, clear the clutter out of our office/craft area, unpack the last of the boxes, paint a desk, and create several wall hangings based off of ideas that I saw on Pinterest.

I can't wait to show you what all I got done, but thats for another day.

These two are finally getting along.  Thank goodness!  I has been exhausting following them around, constantly redirecting them away from each other, and separating them at night and while I we went to work.  Poor Splinter didn't know what to do with Cinderella jumping all over him.

And this one came home on late late on Sunday.  Exhausted from his weekend with friends.  I missed him.

This was my first weekend alone in our new home.  I might have been a little scared of the basement... Shhhh!  It gave me time to reflect on how much our life changed over the summer.  Caleb got a job as a director, I switched from working with kids to working with older adults, we went from a loft apartment to a 3 bedroom house, and we moved 8 hours from the place we called home for the past two years. Although sometimes change is difficult, I believe that change is good.  I just know that the opportunities that we have here will be great.  It has already been great.

I'm thankful to be able to share our Tennessee life with you!  Sometimes the simple things are the best things.

I linked up with Sami's Shenanigans for this weekend update!

Happy Birthday Surprise Celebration!

Saturday we celebrated my Grandpa's 80th birthday with a surprise party.  If anyone deserves a great surprise party its my Grandpa!  My grandma, cousin Lindsey, and I have been scheming for months to make the day special.

I think we definitely pulled it off.  My Grandma, Aunt, and Uncle told him that they were taking him out to eat for his birthday.  When they drive close enough to see the crowd my Grandpa said, "Someone's having a big party down there!"  It took him a minute to realize that all of the people were his family and friends who had all come out to celebrate!

He got out of the car and was all smiles when we yelled "SURPRISE!"

We enjoyed a lunch of pulled pork, potato salad, slaw, baked beans, and green beans.  Mmmm!  And the weather was absolutely perfect.  

The celebration was complete with a cake with 80 candles.  

I love my family.  If there is one thing that we know how to do its celebrate.  And love each other.

Happy Birthday, Grandpa!!!  You're one of the most amazing men I know!