awesome texts.

1. A poignant observation from the wonderful Caitlin 

(we were casually discussing cute forest mammals):

2. This one is from Caroline. I enjoy reading the sign 

as it was without the additions. Ah, the south:

3. For this one, I highjacked my mom's phone and was messaging Lee as if I 

was our mom. His final insult/closing remark made me laugh so hard:

. . .

throwback thursdays / my poetry slam.

This is my first go with Throwback Thursdays, a new thing I'd like to try out as a way to share old photos and stories with all you lovely people. Let's give it a whirl and see if it's fun.

In the months leading up to our wedding, I lived in a house with 9 outrageously fun females. Among these people were Caroline, Lauren, Alison, Margaret, and Madi who you can get to know in other posts (click their name!). Our place was in Chapel Hill on McCauley St. and you could literally hear the antics in that house from a 3 block distance. Even though the shenanigans would sometimes wake you up, it was big fun. 

One evening a few weeks before our wedding, I returned home to the wonderful surprise of a poetry-reading night being held in my honor, hosted by aforementioned ultra-cool roommates. Our house was decorated beautifully, everybody looked fabulous, and there was a whole spread of desserts and goodies in the kitchen with flowers and sweet cards from the girls too (inside one, a gift card for a massage - SCORE).

After having me change into something more poetry-reading-esque, the recitations began! Everyone had a selection, some chosen from favorite poets and others handwritten just for the night. Whether sweet and sincere or comedic and outright ridiculous, they all loved on me well and my face hurt from smiling by the end of the night. If there was one thing McCauley excelled at, it was throwing amazing themed-parties. Isn't this a great idea for a shower? It stands as one of my favorite wedding season memories.

How gorgeous are all these people? It still makes me feel so loved to remember that night - it was so much fun. McCauley women, thank you for sending me off to marriage-land with so much creativity and fun. I love you still.

(Madi - not pictured, still loved)

(Photos by Margaret Rich, thx bb)

. . .

lauren + joseph.

My friends Lauren and Joseph were married this past weekend on a plantation settled in the hills of the North Carolina / Virginia border. The venue (Willow Oaks Plantation) was gorgeous and the whole event had a relaxed and fun spirit of joy, much like Lauren and Joseph themselves. They are really great people.

I enjoyed myself immensely - close friends, an amazing feast for dinner, wild dancing, plus I was happily barefoot for 85% of the evening. It was such a fun time! But most of all, I loved the part where they said yes to each other. Where they became each other's family for always. That's really the most awesome part after all.

. . .

(Thank you Margaret Rich for sharing photos and your evening with me)

home sights.

Living away has undoubtedly heightened my appreciation for the little things that make the south feel like home. I made a quick trip to North Carolina this weekend for a friend's wedding and was so taken with the details around me. These snapshots might have crossed my field of vision a year ago without much notice. Now, they all kind of seem frame worthy to me. Isn't perspective a funny thing?

. . .