One Glad Morning

where have I been?

2012-01-23T20:59:00.000-05:00

Dear sweet readers,
It's been a really long time since I've posted anything. Like a REALLY long time. Don't worry though, I working on starting an entire new blog and having posts ready when it goes live. I will have more info soon... just know that I'm not totally neglecting the blog world.
Love,
Allison

updates

2011-12-30T13:46:00.000-05:00

- Christmas eve I woke up feeling fine and within about 3 hours I was sick and in bed.

- Despite being super sick, I had a very nice first married Christmas with Ray. We spent the morning at my parent's house, the afternoon at his and Christmas evening at his grandparent's house. Highlights: showing Ray's parents how to use a Roku, my sister gifting my dad a spear she got in Kenya, Aunt Paula's buffalo chicken dip.

- A few super awesome gifts we received: cannon rebel t3i, projector screen (finally, now we can watch movies!), new shoes, new make-up, lots of native american earrings, various guitar/recording things, etc.

- I've spent the last few days trying to recover and was finally able to go back to work yesterday. So much nyquil. So much vitamin C. So much soup.

- New Years Eve fancy date night! Last year Ray and I attended a sweet little New Years party at a friend's house, but prior to the party we went to our favorite restaurant and had a fancy dinner date, something we don't do very often. I'm definitely looking forward to it!

How was your Christmas? What are you planning for New Years?

Christmas Eve!

2011-12-24T14:56:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas eve! Remember a few weeks ago when I posted about my missing tree? Well, Ray surprised me with a trip to pick up a live tree! It's been really nice to walk into the living room and have that fresh pine smell greet you. Tomorrow will be a really full day for us so we're trying to take it easy and rest today. What are you doing on this Christmas eve?

Georgia Aquarium

2011-12-20T09:53:00.013-05:00

Yesterday, Ray and I woke up before the sun to drive to Atlanta to visit the Georgia Aquarium! It was a late birthday gift as his was on Wednesday. Several years ago Ray had a huge salt water aquarium in his tiny little apartment. He would literally sit and stare at it for an hour like it was a tv... so I knew he would love going to the real thing. We saw thousands of fish (including the guitar fish), penguins, whales, and I think we even spotted a Jaguar Shark.

We had lunch at The Vortex in Five Points and if you're over 18, like hamburgers and aren't easily offended, I definitely recommend it. We also walked over to a little record shop where we unfortunately found nothing we desperately needed. Have I mentioned Ray has a record collection of literally hundreds and hundreds of records? It's kind of ridiculous. We spent the rest of the day taking our time driving home, drinking coffee, watching the pretty pink sky (ok, that was just me) and doing some last minute Christmas shopping. It was such a great day.

Favorite Blogs of 2011

2011-12-14T10:59:00.000-05:00

As you probably know, reading blogs is one of my favorite things to do. I was introduced to the blog world around 2007 (late, I know) and have never looked back.

10 of my Favorite blogs from 2011

Cakies
The Daybook
Dear Friend
The friendly Fox
Hi-Fi Weddings
Inside a Black Apple
Rockstar Diaries
Skunkboy Creatures
Vanilla and Lace
The Very Worst Missionary

I'm always looking for a new favorite blog. Please share your favorites from this year!

weird-o

2011-12-14T08:21:00.000-05:00

Things that happened last night:

- I held a 3 hour old baby.
- Someone told us that their favorite character on Parks and Rec is Ann. ANN, the most boring person on the entire show. My mind was blown.
- I had buffalo chicken strips for dinner. This may not seem weird or exciting, but I was a major buffalo sauce hater for the better part of my life. Like up until 1 month ago.

sad tree

2011-12-08T11:38:00.001-05:00

Several years ago I bought a beautiful white pre-lit Christmas tree at a sale after Christmas. I loved it. It was the first Christmas tree that was my own. Last winter I was living with 2 other girls in a very brownish blah house, but the tree made it wonderful and festive. Somehow, in the midst of me moving or my previous roommates moving, the tree went missing. Or maybe it was stolen. We have no idea. I'm not really sure how one loses track of a 6 foot Christmas tree... but I managed to do it. Being part of a young newly married couple who bought a house in the last year, it's hard for me to justify spending $70+ on a tree that will be around $30 AFTER the holidays. I know we could purchase a live tree, but is it silly to do that and then turn around and buy an artificial tree for the upcoming year? I don't even know. Isn't that the saddest Christmas tree story you've ever heard?

neglectful

2011-12-01T11:38:00.000-05:00

Dear friends/readers/bots,
I know this blog has been somewhat neglected recently and for that I am sorry. I could blame part of this on the packing, preparing and actual leaving of the county... but that was last month. I could also blame this on busy work days and only wanting to be lazy at night. I could also blame my neglectfulness on sickness and holidays. But whatever the reason for my absence, I'm here now.
Here's a little phone photo update.

Happy first day of December!

Angels

2011-11-22T14:43:00.001-05:00

This weekend I watched 2 of my all-time favorite movies. The first being The Trouble with Angels. I can't even begin to tell you the number of times I watched this during my childhood. This 1966 comedy follows the antics of two teenagers in an all girls Catholic boarding school. The movie is full of pranks and girly mischief including sneaking into the sisters' bedrooms, smoking cigars, shopping for bras, pulling fire alarms, etc... an obvious choice for me. Also, did I mention it stars Hayley Mills?

The second movie I watched this weekend was the sequel, Where Angels Go Trouble Follows. This one follows two other girls as the school takes a road trip (field trip?) to California for a peace rally. Along the way they encounter numerous bus issues, cowboys, indians and lots of boys!

I love these movies SO much! I mean, who can resist nuns in the 60's?

back!

2011-11-17T15:15:00.000-05:00

We're back from Guatemala! The trip was indescribable and frankly, as much as I like flushing toilet paper and eating American food, I wish we were still there. We worked with a ministry called DeepStream which is focused on spreading the love of Jesus and improving the lives of the citizens of Magdalena and Buena Vista, Guatemala. Deepstream builds homes, delivers food, tends to the poor and sick and recently started a Boy's Academy. It was a wonderful trip and after I process it all I will be sharing more about it.

new favorites!

2011-11-08T15:29:00.004-05:00

Aren't they the cutest? I actually have this same pair in red and light blue, but these are soft souled which I really love.

yard sale

2011-11-05T15:56:00.002-04:00

Here are a few of the things you missed out on by not coming to our yard sale this morning:

A POD tshirt circa 2002

And this beautiful clock that Ray's grandmother gave me for Christmas last year.

Aren't you sad you missed out? ;)

Things on my mind:

2011-11-02T16:01:00.000-04:00

This work day has been pretty terrible, so to try and stay positive I'm letting my mind wander to other things. Here are a few:

We're having a yard sale on Saturday. I hate hosting yard sales but I also hate junk taking up space in our house. So, if you live in north Florida please come buy all of our junk... I mean treasures. =)

Guatemala. We're leaving in a week. I'm slightly horrific at packing and now I get to pack for 2.

Thanksgiving. Ray's family has a gigantic Thanksgiving celebration every year. Last year was incredibly overwhelming with so many people I had never met before. Sometimes I'm shy and I get awkward when lots of people are talking to me. Or not talking to me. Anyway, this year is round two and I'm less shy because I know everyone's name. Also, I want to bring a delicious side dish so I can trick everyone into thinking I'm domestic. Suggestions?

Christmas decorations. I either want a tacky silver tree or a live tree. I haven't had a live tree since I was about 5. I want lights on the outside of our house. I want to make our stockings out of left-over wedding burlap and vintage sheet fabric.

I would like to go to Disney World. Or Harry Potter world. Or a museum.

How is it only 4:00?! Ugh.

Halloween costume!

2011-11-01T16:55:00.001-04:00

As most of you know, I've been rather enthralled with Parks and Recreation lately. A few weeks ago I saw a post by Lauren and knew I needed to be a Pawnee Goddess for Halloween.

Because I'm pretty terrible at sewing, my mom actually made the vest.

I made all the patches out of poster board. I painted them and hot glued safety pins to the back.

This is a tragic iphone picture, but it was one of the only ones taken at the party that shows the entire vest. Also, I realized today that I totally forgot to put on the bandanna!

Here we are being silly. Ray dressed as our pastor which probably isn't funny to anyone except us. Hahaha.

Hope everyone had a great Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

2011-11-01T09:19:00.000-04:00

I sure hope everyone had a great Halloween! I woke up with a migraine yesterday but ended up feeling pretty well by last night. Our house isn't exactly in a neighborhood so we ended up only having 4 trick-or-treaters. They were all really sweet. Ray and I are looking forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas!

spooky

2011-10-27T10:50:00.001-04:00

I'm in love with these vintage Halloween images. All are from my pinterest.

10 things I love about... fall!

2011-10-26T12:25:00.000-04:00

Fall is my absolute favorite season. Here are some of the reasons why:

1. my birthday! I'll be the big 2-6 this Saturday.
2. halloween! Halloween is obviously one of my favorite holidays. I love dressing up! You can see some of my previous costumes here and here.
3. fall colors. dark green, cranberry, mustard.
4. fall flavors. apples, cinnamon, nutmeg.
5. cooler weather. I live in Florida where we have summer about 8 months out of the year. The fall breeze is much appreciated.
6. sweaters and cardigans.
7. tights and leggings... mostly because they keep me warm AND I never have to worry about a dress being innapropriate or too shorts.
8. Micanopy Fall Festival! It's this Saturday!
9. moccasins all day everyday.
10. 2011 fall playlist... which I will talk more about soon.

What are your reasons for loving fall?

10 things I love about... Ray!

2011-10-20T21:25:00.001-04:00

"10 things I love about..." is going to be a new on-going feature on my blog. I'll pick a thing/person/place/etc and tell you 10 reasons why I love it. Simple huh? I decided to start with Ray because he's my favorite thing and I love him the most.

10 things I love about Ray
1. He rubs my back when I'm cranky and have a headache.
2. He dresses like a cowboy.
3. He's the leader of our tiny family and he makes good decisions.
4. He listens to me even when I talk about the same silly things over and over. Like needing a haircut or nail polish or camp stories.
5. He has the prettiest eyes a boy could ever have.
6. He cooks and cleans all the time. Like way more than I do.
7. He gets me. Even when I'm weird.
8. He introduces me to new things all the time. I mean I never would have watched Walking Dead without him. =)
9. He encourages me in all aspects. Spiritually, creatively, mentally, etc.
10. He loves me even when I'm a big old jerk. He puts me before himself and I usually don't deserve it.

Bonus - About 6 hours after I originally wrote this I was dying with a migraine. He stopping in the middle of a recording session to get me caffeine from one restaurant and a sandwich from another because he know's they're my favorite.

Music Monday: Ryan Adams

2011-10-17T23:06:00.000-04:00

I love Ryan Adams. I've talked about this before... but for a whole year (maybe a year and a half) I only had one cd in my car and it was Heartbreaker by Ryan Adams. He's such a soulful song writer.

New Obsession Thursday

2011-10-13T11:49:00.000-04:00

Well, this weekend I kind of became obsessed with Parks and Rec. Season 1 was a little rough, but once I got past those first 6 episodes I loved it!

My fave characters and why:

Ron Swanson - mustache, meat, high hair, libertarian, breakfast. He's ridiculous and I feel like he absolutely exists in real life.

April - I mostly like her because she hates working and she wears fun clothes. I also really like her eyeliner circa 2006.

Tom - He's a male version of Kelley from The Office (and you guys know I love the office).

Amen

2011-10-05T10:49:00.002-04:00

Yesterday Jenna and I were emailing about life in our various cities, friends, sketchyness, prayer, love and Harry Potter World. Somewhere tucked into that email she said this:

"I know however that this is ministry and you don't get to pick what kind of people you love and live life with always, and I need to become ok with that. I actually need to flourish in these times because that's when the Lord will be glorified most in what is happening in my life."

Amen.

September Letters

2011-09-30T19:14:00.000-04:00

Dear creative friends,
What should I be for Halloween? What should Ray be? We need help! We don't want anything too typical (no pirates/fairy/slutty thing) and we don't want to spend $2348782 on costumes.

Dear sister Brie,
I know you read this blog. GET A PINTEREST!!
ps- friends, feel free to encourage her. =)

Dear heating pad,
I love you. A lot. Stay with me.

Dear my hair,
Please work with me. I just want gigantic Dolly Parton hair. Or 1960s huge volume. Or at least some body. Is that too much to ask?

Dear Pumpkin Spice beverages,
You're the drink of the season but I just don't get you. I don't know what the fuss is about. I mean, you aren't terrible but also not great. Maybe I'm missing something. Maybe I'll get back to you.

Dear weather,
Please please get cold! Or at least cool. I want to eat soup and wear tights.

Dear September,
See ya later, alligator!

Guatemala Update

2011-09-28T10:42:00.003-04:00

We're going to Guatemala in November. And somehow it's paid for up to this point. And somehow my boss let me take a week off work. And for some reason God decided to let us go. It doesn't make sense to me, but I'm really excited about it.

I think this trip is going to be more than just a trip. What does that mean? I have no idea. All I know is that the other day I read the book of James. James got me through the summer of '09. I read it almost everyday. It kept me going. Anyway, I read it the other day while I was bored at work and I remembered Guatemala. And then I prayed for Guatemala. And then for my husband. And then for our tiny 2 person family. And then for our future.

I don't know what the future holds and sometimes that is really scary to me. And by "sometimes" I mean mostly all the time. I mean, what happens when God takes away your job? Or forces you to stop being so selfish? Or asks you to moved away from the small town you love and grew up in? Or has you give up your dreams of living in a mid-century-modern house and having the best vintage apron collection there ever was? Or wants you to adopt a baby from Africa when you have extremely racist family members? Or transplants you to a country where it's always hot? I don't really know. All I know is when you're loving Jesus things will be hard... but they will also be good.

Allison's fall lineup

2011-09-27T01:07:00.001-04:00

I'm currently watching 3 shows.

1. Pan Am. I watched the pilot Sunday night and thought it was pretty good. I mostly just loved all the hair-dos. You know I can't resist a 1960s flip. I think I want to see a few more episodes before I make a final judgement though.

2. Carnivale. I've been wanting to start watching Carnivale for several years now (remember my circus/freak show obsession?) but just started it. It's way creepier than I thought it would be. I can't deal with that bearded lady.

3. The Office season 8. The season opener was WAY better than what I was expecting. I like how Pam went from being one of the only normal people to a crazy. I also like how James Spader was the mean guy in Pretty and Pink.

What's your take on these shows?

music monday: David Bazan

2011-09-26T02:50:00.000-04:00

David Bazan is one of those people I've liked for years and years (hello, pedro the lion) but he's always kind of been in background. Recently, Ray and I have been listening to him a lot. He just has such extremely sad/thought provoking/beautiful lyrics. His songs give me a burdened heart.

scary movie fest

2011-09-20T15:31:00.001-04:00

Growing up, I never watched scary movies. Until I was about 14 Jurassic Park was the most frightening movie I had ever seen. And while a T-Rex running at you is in fact terrifying, I felt like I was missing something. Sometime in 9th grade my friend, Lauren, convinced me to watch Scream, her fave movie (hahaha). Since then, I've continued to be brave (sort of) and tackle a few other movies of the not-so-sweet and pleasant genre.

A few I've seen that scared me but I liked them:
The Omen (original)
Texas Chainsaw Massacre (original)
Halloween (original)
Freaks
Carnival of Souls -actually, maybe I didn't like this one. It was really creepy.
Psycho
Rear Window

A few I've seen that were kinda dumb and/or not scary:
Amityville Horror (original and re-release)
the new Friday the 13ths
the new Halloweens
Saw -ugh, I only saw the first one and I hated it so much.

Anyway, it's finally starting to feel like fall, which means it's almost Halloween time, which means I need to watch some scary movies. Give me all of your suggestions!

we love bargains

2011-09-18T18:59:00.000-04:00

The other day we found this table at a yard sale for $5. There isn't anything super special about it,I just really like it. We found a never before used juicer for $5 at the same yard sale. We also recently found a vintage kitchen cart for about $7. The cart needs some love and paint, but I think it'll be a really cute addition to our kitchen. I have a love/hate relationship with yard sales. I feel like generally I only ever see baby clothes, strollers and nicknacks. But, once in a while I find something really awesome.

songs I've listened to in the last 24 hours

2011-09-15T21:41:00.004-04:00

I like music, but I'm super guilty of getting in music ruts. I only listened to the Ryan Adams' Heartbreaker album in my car for over a year. A YEAR. I mean, it's an incredible album, but a year is a long time. Ok, it might have been a year and a half. Then the next year I only listened to a Bob Dylan greatest hits album. So, in an effort to change it up I've been listening a variety of jams. It also helps that my husband has been obsessed with spotify lately. And apparently rap... so...

Songs I've listened to in the last 24 hours:
Gangsta's Paradise - Coolio
Amish Paradise - Weird Al
F*ck You - Cee Lo Green (whoa, I thought this blog was family friendly... apparently not.)
Clint Eastwood - Gorillaz
What We Lose in the Fire - Mynabirds
Hate to Say I Told You So - The Hives
That's Not My Name - The Ting Tings
All these Things I've Done - The Killers
Take On Me - MXPX version (10th grade time travel)
various songs played on the pan flute that massage therapists love to play
random clips from various rappers and some of my husbands musician friends

Who am I?

wedding video!

2011-09-09T09:46:00.000-04:00

I got married in April. It was perfect. My super talented friend Nathan made this video for us. I can't even explain in words how much I love it. There are some really beautiful shots of family, friends, big brown, dancing, decor, etc. I hope you enjoy it!

Allison and Ray's Wedding from Nathan Willis on Vimeo.
This is my favorite thing right now.

game of thrones and hair

2011-09-06T16:40:00.000-04:00

Recently, my husband convinced me to start watching the HBO series Game of Thrones. At first, I didn't think I would be into it because I'm not always a fan of fantasy. However, I'm a a huge fan of almost any show HBO throws together. Their attention to detail is almost ridiculous. Well, I gave it a shot and loved it. It feels like a slightly dirtier more grown up fairy tale. I love it!

Mostly what I want to talk about though is the hair styles. They are (mostly) so fun! Lots of braids and half ponytails for both genders.

"Fantasy mean about a braid." - Ray

Also, lots of beard tails. What do you think? Love the show? Hate the show? Like the braids?

recording

2011-09-04T17:46:00.030-04:00

I don't know if I've mentioned this on here yet, but we have an at-home recording studio in our house. Big Brown Record Town. Appropriate name, huh? The room looks so good and I plan on posting better pictures of it in the near future. Anyway, today The Flamigos are recording. It's been pretty fun... and loud.

Ray set the drums up in one of our extra bedrooms upstairs. Ladies, please ignore Brett's shirtlessness.

football shmootball

2011-09-03T20:54:00.000-04:00

Well, football season has started! As you may have guessed I'm not a super huge fan of football, but it's definitely my sport of choice from the spectator perspective (except for maybe gymnastics). Anyway, football season is a pretty big deal here in the south so I thought I would honor it with this post!

Here are some really neat football and team-like pictures I found on Florida Memory. They are all from my home town, Lake City, Fl.

Florida Agriculture College football team in 1901

Columbia College football team 1914

Columbia cheerleader from early 1900s

And I put in the baseball picture for good measure. Columbia High School baseball team in 1915.

Aren't they fun?!

Big Brown

2011-08-31T13:54:00.002-04:00

As some of you may remember, Ray and I bought our first house back in January. We affectionately refer to it as "Big Brown". Big Brown is our dream house, but it's definitely a fixer-upper. I'm hoping to post a small photo tour soon. We've been adding furniture as we go, which means a mix of my stuff, his stuff, thrift store finds and pieces given to us. We aren't going for anything super thematic (other than our Life Aquatic bathroom and Royal Tenenbaums Dinning Room) but we definitely want a house that reflects our style and taste.

Here are some inspiration photos I got from Pinterest recently:

I really like the idea of framed vintage handkerchiefs.

We have a couple of extra bedrooms upstairs with slanted ceilings that I would really like to paint. Also, is this not the most amazing light fixture?

Cute huh? We want a house that's comfortable and inviting with fun colors and a retro feel. We love mid-century modern furniture, unique lamps and lots of art.

This weekend I...

2011-08-30T16:45:00.001-04:00

This weekend (and by weekend I mean Thursday-Monday) I...

- Broke a cleansing fast. Ooops. I mean, I thought I was going to die... so...
- Went to work in Tallahassee with Ray.
- Drove around Tallahassee for hours and hours just looking for a place to eat.
- Went to work in Orange Park with Ray. He has a lot of stores and I like being his pretend assistant.
- Finished watching Deadwood... which only took about 8 months.
- Ate dinner at our new favorite mexican restaurant.
- Painted 2 1/2 new paintings.
- Went to church.
- Watched 3 episodes of Game of Thrones.
- Possibly got a mild case of food poisoning...

Today I:
- Didn't end up going to work (even though I got dresses and did my makeup and hair) because of said food poisoning. Uhhh.

letters

2011-08-27T14:24:00.000-04:00

Dear Hurricane Irene,
Why didn't you bring me any rain? People in Florida embrace small hurricanes (and definitely hurricane parties). Others, say in New York, are scared of you. Don't be so rude.

Dear Five Guys,
You were delicious... but you completely ruined me. Completely.

Dear Cowboys and Aliens,
Well, I finally saw you. And while you didn't really have a plot, I really did like seeing cowboys and aliens in the same movie. And I did like that silent boy from Little Miss Sunshine was crazy as hell.

Dear Hobby Lobby,
Thank you for your awesome sales on paint!

Dear Jenna,
Happy almost birthday!

Love,
Allison

Music Monday: Mewithoutyou

2011-08-22T13:14:00.001-04:00

Friday night Ray, Brie, our friend Cale and I drove to Orlando to see one of my favorite bands, mewithoutyou. It had probably been about 4 years since I had seen them live, so as you can imagine I was really excited. We had a really great time... even though the car wouldn't start at one point and we all almost died of starvation.

We also really like the opening band, The Drowning Men. Listen! Listen!
;

wedding weekend

2011-08-17T13:36:00.000-04:00

This past weekend Ray and I drove to Wake Forest, North Carolina to see one of my sweet friend, Whitney, get married. She was a beautiful bride and it was a wonderful (but really long) trip.

I did a little embroidering on the way.

We stopped at South of the Border... it was an experience.

While in NC, we had the most delicious lattes and waffles at Jubala. If you are ever, for any reason, in the Raleigh/Wake Forest area you must stop at Jubabla.

Sunday we watched one of my favorite people in the entire world get married. She was such a beautiful bride!

The Help

2011-08-16T17:57:00.000-04:00

Last night Ray and I saw The Help and we both really liked it. We were in a theater with about 84 church ladies, which made the movie even more enjoyable/strange. Church ladies love to laugh at jokes that aren't funny and they love to woop and hollar at men with their shirt's off. Anyway, the movie was sweet with a pretty good soundtrack if you disregard the terrible song during the credits.

One of my favorite things about the book/movie is that it takes place in Jackson, MS. I have a soft spot in my heart for Mississippi, especially Jackson. I spent 2 summers working camp in Jackson, and even though it's hot, humid and I sometimes I can't even understand the accents, I still really love it.

Another thing I really loved was the impeccable decor. I love almost all 1960's mid-century modern furnishings and decor.
Go see it! You'll like it! Embrace the church ladies that will inevitably be watching it with you.

hello, goodbye

2011-08-11T20:20:00.069-04:00

Despite having to sit in a dimly-lit office while listening to terrible "mood music" involving a pan flute and possibly a wolf howl, I've had a pretty good day. Things have been rather quiet and uneventful around here.

Monday, I mention on my twitter that we hit the pyrex jackpot. And that we got it all for $3.7!. Crazy huh!? Can we also talk about how it's in one of our favorite patterns!! Sadly we were only able to find 3 cups and saucer sets. We got a bunch more but the mosquitoes were starting to bite and my lame phone camera stopped working so no photo right now.

This afternoon I walked around our downtown lake. It was hot and I was gross and sweaty. And I had a red face- which I hate SO much. You just can't take someone with a red face seriously. Anyway, here are some downtown ducks. I love them, especially when they're babies.

Here is a blurry picture of Big Brown at sunset. I love my house. I wish I loved cleaning it.

August letters

2011-08-09T09:44:00.000-04:00

Dear Florida,
I know you're the sunshine state. I know you're known for your beaches and hot weather... but I'm dying here. Sweat stains aren't cute. It's time to calm down.

Dear work,
Please be nice to me. I only have 4 more days until our vacation... which is actually just a trip to NC for a friend's wedding but I'm pretending it's a vacation!

Dear True Blood,
Your last episode had so much weird whisper bedroom talk... but I still really liked it. And I'm really excited about next week's episode.Also, I'm enjoying Bill not being such a sappy-sap!

Dear mystery phone hidden somewhere in the office,
Where are you!? Why are you going off all the time!? Who is your owner!? Get outta here!

Dear Jenna and Nick,
Yay for starting a new life chapter! Nashville has no idea what's coming!

reason 364836 why I love my husband

2011-08-04T19:20:00.002-04:00

My husband is really sweet. Sometimes he makes iced coffee for me in the middle of the night so I can have it in the morning (even though I forgot it this am).

awkward and awesome weekend

2011-07-31T21:34:00.004-04:00

AWKWARD:
-Going to a wedding shower at your childhood church and ladies assuming your a heathen because you now attend a different church.
-Old lady asking me if I'm scared all the time because I live in the ghetto. What do you even say to that? No?
-Realizing people think Lake City has a ghetto.
-Creeper patient insinuating his back hurts from all the "wild times" he's had with his girlfriends (yes, with an "s") lately.
-Cinnamon ham.

AWESOME:
-Husband got a hair cut. What a hunk. Excuse the sandwich.
-Mochi Saturday afternoon. Embrace the toppings.
-Captain America Saturday evening. It was actually really good. Anything Tommy Lee Jones is in I will love because I love him SO much in A Coal Minor's Daughter.
-Hanging out at the Mother-in-law's hamburger birthday party which included our favorite cousins and coca-cola cake.

street art

2011-07-26T14:59:00.001-04:00

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I FINALLY watched Exit Through the Gift Shop last week. I thought it was pretty interesting getting to see a side of the art world I've never experienced. So, as you can imagine all I want to do is look at pretty street art. Here are some I've found on pinterest recently.

music monday: Dawes

2011-07-26T00:30:00.000-04:00

Dawes. I just heard about these guys recently. I like 'em.

Imposter big-hair Matt Thiessen singing harmony is my favorite.

We're going to Guatemala!

2011-07-25T18:16:00.003-04:00

Ray and I are going to Guatemala in November with our church! We are incredibly excited about this opportunity. We will be traveling to Buena Vista, Guatemala to minister to the physical, as well as the spiritual needs of the people in the village. We will be working with an organization called DeepStream Guatemala. As some of you may remember, I had to the opportunity to go on a mission trip last year to Macedonia. It was extremely life changing as I'm sure this trip will be. My sister, Brie, went on a similar trip to Guatemala last summer and worked with the same missionaries we will be working with. She actually took the photos I posted above.

It's our responsibility to raise the funds for this mission trip. I sincerely believe that God
has called us to be part of this and we know he will supply the resources needed. We have to raise about $800 each ($1,600 total), which will pay for our flights, meals and lodging. If you are interested in making a donation, you can donate through paypal by sending funds to Ray at jimmyrayhancock[@]gmail.com (or just click on the "Donate" button below) or contact either of us through facebook, email or twitter. Even a donation of $10 would help.

Thank you in advance for partnering with us on this. Thank you for helping us live out a gospel-centered life. If you are unable to contribute financially, we ask for your prayers. Pray for us and our team as we prepare for this mission trip. Pray for the people we will be ministering to. I will be sharing more about the trip as we get closer to November. Be on the look out!

Meet me in Georgia

2011-07-21T11:33:00.003-04:00

I haven't blogged in a hot minute and I don't even know why.
Here's a little update for you:

Ray and I went to Savannah last weekend. We mostly went because he had work to do in the Savannah store, but it also fell on our 3 monthaversary! We spent Friday night, ate seafood and looked at pretty houses. While we love where we live, it's also nice to get away for a bit.

Sunday, we went to church, had cheap Wendy's lunch with friends, and ended up going bowling in the evening. If you've ever met me you know I'm TERRIBLE at bowling. Like the worst bowler ever. Like I made 35 points in one game.

Monday, Brie, Ray and I went to Valdosta (2 Georgia trips in one weekend... I know, we love Georgia) to see Harry Potter! It was great. Also, Brie was able to smuggle in 3 milkshakes in her purse.And she tried to wear the sorting hat.

All in all, it was pretty good weekend.

Today

2011-07-15T09:07:00.000-04:00

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work within you.
2 Corinthians 4:8-12

Amen.

more wedding details

2011-07-09T15:00:00.000-04:00

bridesmaid dresses

bunting made by my mom out of vintage sheets

bridesmaid shoes

wedding details

2011-07-09T13:42:00.002-04:00

It's been a little while since I've posted any wedding pictures and I wanted to share with you some of my favorite details.

All of our center pieces were made by us and some very sweet friends. We made fabric flowers out of various material and vintage sheets. We attached the flowers to sticks and put them in vintage glass bottles.

Ray made leather medals for everyone in the wedding party.

Fabric bouquets

Painted signs

5th of July

2011-07-05T11:05:00.000-04:00

Ok, I should have posted this yesterday... but I was too busy posting pictures of myself dressed as the Liberty Bell. Anyway, I love this video and rendition of the Star Spangled Banner. I also love Sufjan Stevens. My husband hates him. Booooo. Enjoy.

party like it's 1776

2011-07-04T16:14:00.001-04:00

Happy 4th of July!

One time I dressed up as the Liberty Bell while my friends dressed up as a stamp, firecracker and Miss America. I miss those girls.

summer evenings

2011-07-03T18:53:00.002-04:00

I hope everyone is enjoying their holiday weekend. We sure are.

what's in my bag?

2011-06-28T08:28:00.000-04:00

1. old fake retro wallet

2. 18 gift cards to Lowes/Home Depot. I know, it's pretty out of control.

3. delish gum that sadly looses its flavor in about 12 miutes

4. cortizone cream because a few weeks ago I had about 80 (for real) mosquito bites.

5. lemon hand sanitizer

6. various lip products

7. red and blue nail polish

8. various head ache medicine

9. pens and checkbook

10. pin up girl compact

11. keys

12. sunglasses

Remember when I had access to an awesome camera (not just crappy phone cameras) and was able to make this, this, this, this and this?

summer days

2011-06-27T13:20:00.003-04:00

The last few days via my sub-par camera phone.

Ray making Big Brown look presentable.

I made this sign for our wedding and decided we needed to keep it up.

The Suwannee River is so sad and low right now. Ray actually grew up on this river. Also, for all of you living outside of Florida, this river was the inspiration for our state song Old Folks at Home.

A peek into our record room + all of our beautiful wedding center pieces. We aren't really sure what to do with them now. Any ideas?

Glorious dinner at home. PTL.

the little things

2011-06-23T08:39:00.003-04:00

Home made iced coffee (in a normal hot coffee cup) is saving my life right now. Among paper work, angry patients, moody co-workers, schedule changes and 237462387 phone calls the iced coffee (made by my sweet husband)helps remind me that it's going to be okay. Coffee soothes me... and then later makes me jittery. We'll see how I feel this afternoon. =)

What keeps you sane during crazy days at work?

Things I love about summer.

2011-06-22T15:54:00.002-04:00

Things I love about summer:

- late late nights
- 4th of July by the lake
- floating down the river
- picking fruit
- summer blockbusters
- sunglasses
- sun on my skin
- freckles
- fuge camp
- rereading the Summer Hill Secrets books (since 6th grade)
- rereading the Harry Potter books
- flea market Saturdays
- cook outs
- swimming
- watermelon
- summer storms
- lazy Saturdays
- fireworks
- the thought of fall coming next

most ridiculous man award...

2011-06-21T18:32:00.000-04:00

My husband has spent the last 10 minutes laughing out loud at this picture he made... of himself.

Sexy, huh? ;)

This weekend:

2011-06-14T10:37:00.000-04:00

This weekend I:
- ate chipotle (thank goodness)
- got bored in guitar center
- went to a GIANT thrift store and bought 2 vintage scarves that I plan on wearing in my hair.
- had a phone date with Jenna and was also photo featured in her latest blog.
- made lemon blueberry cookies
- went to a blueberry birthday party
- watched several episodes of V.
- went to church
- floated down the river.
- had a meatloaf overdose and almost died. I'm not even kidding.
- didn't go to work on Monday (PTL!)
- slept in
- ate from (at?) a food truck
- laid in bed and watched tv with my husband.

All in all, it was a pretty great weekend.

wedding guest book

2011-06-13T23:26:00.000-04:00

Our photo guest book turned out pretty great. Here are a few fun ones:

My heart:

2011-06-11T11:16:00.003-04:00

Let me start off by saying I REALLY love where I am right now, as far as life goes. And as much as I miss things, I would still rather be here, in bed, drinking a smoothie, next to my husband who is snoring. =) This is my second summer not working at a Fuge Camp. While I know I'm right where I'm supposed to be, my heart still aches a little for camp.

I miss my camp friends. They are exactly what you needs after a 15 hour day of hot crazyness.

I miss my students. At one point, I was them. I went to camp as a student and my life and view of ministry/evangelism/world vision was changed.

I miss my site babies. I miss sitting outside for hours in 100 degree weather playing parachute games, coloring with chalk, and telling them about Jesus. I miss seeing my campers burdened for site kids. I miss seeing my site kids run up to our vans as we pull up, knowing that despite what's going on at home, we will love them.

Hey cute kitchen!

2011-06-09T14:14:00.003-04:00

Can you tell we love pyrex? And that my husband loves spider man? And that maybe we don't do dishes every night?

What's in...

2011-06-08T13:59:00.000-04:00

Cottage Girl posted something similar to this earlier today. I decided to follow suit.

What's in...

My fridge: 239483 sodas the bands didn't drink this weekend.
My freezer: 4 bags of frozen hand picked peaches and 3 bags of blueberries.
My car's CD player: Sadly, it doesn't work. But 97.1 is a pretty good oldies station.
My night stand: makeup bag, Holy Bible, Breakfast at Tiffany's, earplugs, random jewelry.
My purse: Geeze... SO MUCH JUNK. Wallet, checkbook, pens, gum, chapstick, etc.
My DVD player: we finished Walking Dead, so we'll probably start watching Deadwood again.
My head: So many things. More to come on this front.
My heart: Again, so so many things. My church, my friends, my town, weird/broken relationships.

A few things:

2011-06-07T08:53:00.003-04:00

Last week we picked peaches, blueberries, nectarines and plums. Hello summer!

This past weekend my church hosted the extreme tour. At one point during Saturday evening I think there may have been 50 people in my house. Here are some of them in my front yard.

Some of my favorite boys, The Flamigos had a concert.

I found this way over priced (and kind of beat up) Enid Collins purse at a local antique shop.

Wanna know some good news?! Next week I start working only 4 days a week... which is probably the best news of my life. 3 day weekend every weekend? Yes please.

The men

2011-06-06T22:17:00.001-04:00

Darren

Darien

Justin

Luke

The maids

2011-06-03T18:38:00.001-04:00

Brie

Patricia

Joy

Whitney

Jenna

I love these girls so so much. All of them have had a different significant impact on my life. I can't fully express how thankful I am to have them.

All photos taken by Kelly Ann Jones at Augustine Grace Photography.

long (bloody) weekend

2011-05-31T10:28:00.002-04:00

Happy post memorial day weekend! Normally I would want to go to the River or springs on a three day weekend... but on memorial day you can't fit another tube down the river and the springs are packed. Ray and I mostly stayed in bed and watched tv all weekend. LAZY! Friday we had taco/movie night with our friends Adam and Sarah, stayed up all night watching the last 4 or 5 episodes of True Blood season 3, got doughnuts at 6am and then finally went to sleep around 7. We're wild. We slept most of Saturday then did a little grocery shopping and cleaning. Sunday, we went to church, had sandwich palooza for lunch, watched several episodes of Walking Dead (which is actually really good), Ray mowed the yard and I cleaned (sort of). True Blood and Walking Dead = weird dreams for Allison.

Long weekends are our favorite. The only picture I have of the weekend is of sandwich palooza. Enjoy!

Also... go look at my last 2 posts! Wedding pictures!

more wedding pictures

2011-05-30T13:14:00.000-04:00

I thought maybe I would do a little more explaining of the pictures on this post. We knew we wanted our pictures to reflect the style of the wedding so rather than it looking like vogue shoot, we wanted the pictures to be casual, fun and sweet.

Here we are on our balcony. The reception took place in our back yard, so it was only natural for us to have photos taken at our house.

This building is about a block from our house and it's one of our favorites.

My ladies wore tea dresses made out of a 1950's pattern with different floral vintage fabrics.

Handsome men.

All of our bouquets were made out of fabric flowers. Shout out to Ms. Vicki who made them all!

One of our best friend's dad made our wedding pound cakes. They were so delicious! You can also see some of the center pieces we made using vintage glass bottles, sticks found in the yard and fabric flowers.

I hope you like them! More to come!

Just a couple of wedding pictures...

2011-05-28T13:26:00.000-04:00

Are they awesome! Thank you Augustine Grace Photography. More to come!

Allison Hancock. Legit.

2011-05-23T15:01:00.004-04:00

Last week I finally got a new drivers license. New name AND new address. The new address part was kind of a pain because I didn't have any of the right kind of mail they required. Boo. All I had was letter from Jenna and a graduation invitation. Thankfully, the lady thought I was sweet and let me change it anyway! Also, I really like my new picture, but honestly anything is better than my old one from age 16 (think center part and frosty lipstick).
Allison Hancock. Legit.

Happy Weekend

2011-05-13T15:34:00.000-04:00

Dear weekends,
You are one of my favorite things. Let's be good to each other.
Love, Allison

love list

2011-05-11T13:14:00.000-04:00

- This photo of me and Ray taken last weekend.
- Vintage aprons. My collection is getting pretty impressive. Have I mentioned that's what I gave my bridesmaids/usherette/wedding singer as gifts? I searched for the perfect vintage apron to match each girls personality. I sure hope they loved them.
- foodgawker.com
- "The Help" by Kathryn Stockott
- When Megan brings sweet little Abram to the office.
- When my husband hangs pictures, washes dishes and then buys me hydrocortizone in the middle of the night because I've been taken over by mosquito bites.
- Home made iced coffee in the fridge ready for me in the morning.

Saturday recap

2011-05-10T12:08:00.001-04:00

Saturday, Ray and I decided to have an adventure day ending in St. Augustine for our friend (and wedding photographer!) Kelly Ann. First, we hit up the local farmers market, which was a little sad but maybe just needs more vendors. Along the way we stopped at several thrift/antique stores but only found a few mid-century glasses and a collection of vintage Charlie Brown encyclopedias. We had lunch at Angel's Diner, Florida's oldest diner. One of the things they're known for is this drink called the pusalow which is chocolate milk with vanilla syrup over crushed ice. So simple, so good. Also, giant hamburgers and hand-battered onion rings.

After lunch we came across the Cabbage and Potato Festival. Obviously we had to stop, but the only cool thing we saw was cabbage bowling.

We made it to St. Augustine where I promptly left my phone in a pawn shop while we were looking at instruments. Really, I just got distracted by a flute. By the time we realized what happen the shop had closed. I was sad... like really sad. Good for me, I have a husband who will tell me to get over it because really, it's just a phone.

We made it to Kelly and Luke's and had the best time. They live in the country surrounded by potato fields and you can see every star at night. I love it.

Yesterday, we went back to St. Augustine to pick up my phone... and since we were in town we ate at my favorite restaurant and got ice cream.

All in all, a pretty good weekend.

Goals

2011-05-05T10:45:00.003-04:00

1. Eat more weird food aka stop being so picky. I tried crab ravioli on my honeymoon and now it's one of my favorite things. Also, pork debris.

2. Actually fold laundry and put it away. I think getting rid of a few of my 2384723847 t-shirts would help me in achieving this goal.

3. Figure out how to set the coffee maker so I can have fresh delish coffee in the mornings without having to get up early and make it.

4. Plan weekly menus and shop accordingly. It worked yesterday... we'll see how the rest of the week goes.

5. Actually finish reading a book. I love to read, but I'm really bad at getting bored or busy and never finishing. Or just starting a new one. I'm currently reading "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett and I'm loving it.

letters

2011-05-04T12:18:00.002-04:00

Dear Saturday yard sale,
You were incredible and brought back my faith in yard sales. Thanks for the cute mugs for Brie (as seen above!), vintage aprons, vintage cloth napkins and handmade pot holders. I clearly have the same taste as a 70 year old woman...

Dear NOLA,
I miss you so much. I especially miss not being at work, hanging out with my husband and hurricanes from Olivier's. Honeymoons are such a good thing.

Dear new kitchenaid mixer,
I LOVE you so much. Now I can continue my domestic goddess quest.

Dear heating pad,
I'm so so glad I found you. You save my life.

Dear everyone,
May the 4th be with you.

Dear husband (because I know you read all of these but never ever comment),
I love you.

my kitchen just got a little happier...

2011-04-29T23:11:00.000-04:00

Well, guess what came in the mail today...

Yay!! A kitchenaid mixer! In pistachio! For the past few years I've been without a kitchenaid, or more like I wasn't living at home anymore so I couldn't borrow my mom's. I definitely need this to further my quest in becoming a domestic goddess. A big THANK YOU to the people that gave us gift certificates to Bed, Bath and Beyond!

I need to bake. Or at least mix.

10 things

2011-04-28T12:15:00.002-04:00

10 things list, inspired by this post by cottage girl. You know how much I love a list...

1. We're back and I'm officially living in Big Brown. I love living with Ray and I love our house. #realwordlbigbrown

2. Last night I met a tiny week old babe named Abe. Well, actually named Abram. He was so sweet and made silly faces. I've reached the age when friends have started having babies... it's kind of weird, but really sweet.

3. I found a vintage catherine holm green lotus tea kettle for $1 (yes, $1!!) Monday at a thrift store. It's my first catherine holm find. Hopefully not my last.

4. Tuesday evening wasn't great... but then Ray and I decided to look over guest book photos from our wedding and it made everything better. The mixture of sweet and hilarious photos were wonderful. I will be sharing some here soon. Our good friends Jonny and Leanne took charge of our digital guestbook and did such an amazing job!

5. While on our honeymoon, Ray and I stopped in the teeny town of Milton, Fl at an antique store called the Copper 'Possum. We found a vintage chalkboard (which I've wanted for about a year) for super cheap. It now lives in our kitchen.

6. I need to figure out a new way to store and display my jewels. I have a LOT of jewelry. Anyone have a good DIY solution? Not a jewelry tree.

7. In the next few months I will be getting my first tattoo! I'm not sure if I want to get it in the summer because I will have to stay out of the river and springs for 6 weeks... and that will make me really sad. And hot. It's going to be super cute and fun though. I can't wait to show you!

8. Ray and I will be DIYing our Thank You cards. We have some pretty cute ideas so far.

9. I miss New Orleans food. And drinks.

10. I'm glad I've started blogging again.

wedding photos

2011-04-25T01:45:00.001-04:00

One of our groomsmen, Eb, took these. I cannot begin to tell you how much I love them! Also, please note that these are all film pictures.

Us in front of our house.

The boys.

I love these girls!

Brothers.

My sweet grandparents.

Two of my favorites, Jenna and Joy.
Attention Adriene! Please notice your mama in the background.

Faux brother, Louch.

Married!

2011-04-21T00:46:00.000-04:00

This past Saturday I got married. MARRIED. To my best friend and favorite person in the world. I don't even know how to begin to describe last weekend. Or the last week. Or really the last 6 months. I absolutely can't wait to share our wedding photos on here!! I've only seen 8... and they're the best wedding pictures I've ever seen. Seriously.

Ray and I are currently honeymooning in New Orleans, but when I get home I'm going to start blogging about the entire process. Things are much calmer now, so regular blogging will commence.

Being married is so magical.

photography and Adele

2011-04-11T12:34:00.001-04:00

Ray and I didn't spend a ton of time trying to find a wedding photographer. We knew the style and quality we were going for and knew that our friend Kelly would be the perfect choice! She's wonderfully creative and takes incredible photos. Go look at her blog and swoon over the amazing photos and then watch this video of her singing Someone Like You by Adele. Kelly is such a multi-talented lady and I'm so excited she's going to be part of our wedding!

sweetest wedding video I've ever seen

2011-04-11T08:23:00.001-04:00

As you're probably all aware, I have wedding fever. My sweet friend Kathryn recently tied the knot. I can't get enough of her wedding video. It's perfect in so many ways.

The Aughtry Wedding from Dust of the Ground Media on Vimeo.

wedding peeks

2011-04-01T16:28:00.000-04:00

current obsession : gold and cuss words

2011-03-31T14:32:00.001-04:00

Lately, Ray and I have been going through the Deadwood series. Deadwood, aka gold and cuss words. And South Dakota. And murder. And prostitution. It might be the crudest show I've ever watched (besides East Bound and Down...ew), but I've really started to enjoy it. It's a western drama set in the 1870s during the gold rush. I'm a big fan of most HBO series because, while they can be excessively crude, I feel like they are far more researched and realistic. The series is based off a real place with real people and events! I love it.

Speaking of western, our rehearsal dinner theme is Spaghetti Western. Spaghetti, because we're having Italian food. Western, because it's fun and all the groomsmen wear boots everyday anyway. I'm pretty excited about it...

fabric flower palooza

2011-03-31T10:32:00.003-04:00

Just some wedding prep pictures. All of our flowers will be handmade out of different floral fabric. Thanks to some great friends, we were able to sew up about 150 last night! I know these pictures are absolutely horrible (hey cell phone camera hey)... but you get the idea.

what's on my mind

2011-03-25T11:00:00.001-04:00

Last year at this time I was preparing for my trip to Macedonia. And while I have so many wonderful and amazing things going on right now, I still feel incredibly burdened for the Roma and people of Macedonia. I don't really have anything profound to say this morning, just that Macedonia is on my mind. If you ever have an opportunity to go and work with the Roma I would highly suggest you going.

Also, Remember how my soon to be husband made this Macedonia show flyer for me?

peanut butter banana bread

2011-03-22T14:18:00.001-04:00

The other day Ray and I decided to go grocery shopping. Crazy, I know. And this time we actually bought things we needed... not just popcorn and grape juice. We purchased a bunch of bananas that started to get freckly in about 35 minutes. What was I to do? How was I to proceed? Make banana bread, duh. Then I remembered I had peanut butter chips and I knew it would be a match made in heaven.
I kind of used a recipe... but I mostly just made this up. I couldn't cream the butter and sugar because we don't have a mixer, but if you want to get us one we are currently registered at bed bath and beyond =). So anyway, I had to figure out about how much melted butter I could use instead.

Here's what I used:

3 1/2ish ripe bananas, mashed kind of chunky
1 1/2 c flour
1 egg
1ish c sugar (actually there was a little less than a cup... because I ran out)
1/4 c melted butter
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
about a 1/3 a bag of peanut butter chips (I just poured in what I had left)

All I did was mash those bananas and then mix all the ingredients together. It was kind of dry so I splashed in some milk. I set the oven at 325 and let it bake for an hour. Delicious.

I know I posted a picture of this on facebook and twitter and now I'm blogging about it. I know it's overkill. I'm just really excited to be able to bake in a cute kitchen with my cute fiance.

creepsters

2011-03-21T10:05:00.002-04:00

We saw this saturday while antiquing. Clearly, I had to share.

summer lovin

2011-03-16T15:35:00.001-04:00

I really love daylight saving time. I like when the sun isn't blinding me at 7am. I like when the sun is still shinning at 7:30pm. It just gives you more time to go for walks, swim in the springs, have a cook out, or in our case (Ray's case) sand paint off a 100 year old door. Ha!

I may have said this before, but I'm really excited about this summer. When I was a kid I would always say I didn't like summer because I didn't like to sweat, which is still incredibly true. However, I actually did really like summer... and still do!

Summer fun I'm looking forward to:
- swimming in the local springs. If you don't live in the Flo or if you've never experienced swimming in a spring, you should really REALLY look into it.
- floating down the river
- cook outs!
- our Wes Anderson Party! Ahhh! I'm really excited about this!
- 4th of July and watching the downtown fireworks from our house
- fort walton/mobile to see Jenna at camp
- watermelon
- flea market/trift/antique days
- sitting on the porch drinking sweet tea with my husband
- painting! We have a studio/office upstairs and Ray got me an easel (actually he found it on the side of the road... but hey, it works)

say my name

2011-03-15T14:25:00.001-04:00

My good friends Daniel and Megan (remember when they got married) are about to have a baby any day now. Or any hour now. Super super soon. Exciting, huh?! All of this has got me thinking about baby names. Now, they have cute names picked out, but we all know those crazy parents that don't. I'm not a parent, so I haven't experience the crazy pressure of naming a child. I'm sure it has to be daunting, but I'm not sure if that's enough of an excuse to just give up and name your child whatever comes to mind. I just don't know what happens in a parents brain when they start thinking of names like Blade or Esmeralda, you know?

I just don't think I can name any future children of mine something like that. However, I also don't think I can name them Ashley (although, I know many great Ashleys), Stephanie, Makala, Justin, Taylor, Josh, etc. either. They're just too common. It's no fun sitting in a classroom with 3 other Allisons.

I also can't deal with southwestern names like Star, Cheyenne, Montana, Sierra, etc.

So, in my attempt to shy away from being a total negative Nancy, I've been trying to think of names I actually do like. These are the only ones I could come up with in the 3 minutes I set aside to think about it:

Alice, Clementine, Dolly, Annabelle, Drew (because it's my middle name and I love it)

Hmm... maybe I should think on this a little harder. What are some names you like/dislike?

monday letters

2011-03-14T10:03:00.001-04:00

Dear new job,
Thanks for not being crazy as hell. Also, thank you for letting me listen to pandora. And for telling me that I'm doing a good job.

Dear Ms. Vikki, Whitney, Elizabeth and Jenna,
Thank you for offering to help me make wedding flowers. I'm taking you all up on it! You're saving my life.

Dear Tifton and Valdosta,
Thank you for being part of my weekend. Sometimes I just need to be in Georgia.

Dear Bruster's,
Thank you for the best peanut butter milkshake of my life.

Dear weekend,
I liked you. Let's do it again real soon.

Dear springtime,
While I do not love your pollen, I do love your flowers. And daylight savings.

Dear local printing company,
If you ruin my invitations I will punch you in the throat.

Dear newly painted living room,
You are perfect.

Dear Ray Hancock,
I love you.

LOVE, Allison

wedding technology

2011-03-09T15:19:00.001-05:00

I have wonderful exciting news...
We FINALLY have a wedding website!

You can read all about our ceremony, proposal, bridesmaids, etc.
Yay!!

alliray.com
ps - please know that that picture is from 2007. #old

job

2011-03-09T00:44:00.000-05:00

I've kind of been completely neglecting this blog recently. Lots of great and not so great stuff has been going on here in my world. And I guess, I just don't always know what I should let the entire world know. Or if this is even the right forum.

I quit my job last Monday. It was seriously stressing me out and just wasn't the right fit. I knew it was the right decision and had faith that God would provide. Five days later I got a job offer. Amazing huh?

current favorite thing

2011-03-03T02:42:00.000-05:00

This is one of my current favorite songs.
This may come as a shock to you, but I'm really bad at roller skating. I always get really sad when five year olds start flying past me... backwards.

home

2011-02-24T08:57:00.001-05:00

I've been feeling really displaced lately, like I don't have a home.

Big Brown is my house, Ray and I own it. However, I wont be living there until after the wedding. My current living situation is fine (love my roommates), but it doesn't feel like a place where I belong. It feels like a roommate, boy-crazy, sad-girl-movie-watching phase that I've already passed through. You know? I have stuff at big brown, my current house, my car, my parent's house, etc. I just want to be settled.

I know this feeling will go away after we're married and I actually live in Big Brown. Right now, it's just another thing that's stressing me out.

Sorry about this sad girl blog.

Wedding Inspiration

2011-02-15T16:20:00.000-05:00

As I said in the last post, I'm a little behind on all the planning. However, I have been able to find an abundant amount of inspiration online. Here are some of my favorites.

1. Hi-FiWeddings - For the indie, trendy, music loving bride.

2. Green Wedding Shoes - This is mostly just a blog of real weddings.

3. OnceWed - Perfection.

4. BHLDN - Thank you, Anthropologie.

5. East Side Bride - Sassy bridal advice.

And you're welcome.

allirayweddingextravaganza2011

2011-02-15T15:11:00.001-05:00

I don't think it's really a secret, but I'm kind of behind on all the wedding planning stuff. With the holidays, new job and new house I haven't had much time to get things together. Also, right now I just want to get married and I'm starting to not care about the little details. Like at all.

Some planning that IS completed:

1. Bridesmaid dresses. I'm obsessed with them. My maids will be wearing handmade 50's style tea dresses in different vintage floral fabrics. They are going to be so cute!

2. My dress. It's still being made, but I think it's going to be pretty good. Cute, casual and flirty. Perfect.

3. Our location. The location issue was seriously stressing me out. We had a beautiful outdoor location picked, but because of extenuating circumstances, Ray and I were both feeling uncomfortable about it. A few weeks ago our pastor told us about a church we might like. Neither of us were too excited about the church option, but when we went to look at it we realized it was perfect. It's old with tall windows and wooden pews and floors. We love it. Also, now we don't have to worry about rain.

4. Rings. We have custom handmade wedding bands and they couldn't be better.

list

2011-02-14T15:54:00.000-05:00

Lists are really important to me life. If I don't have a list nothing will ever get done. It needs to be something I can see and check off. Mental lists are a joke.

Some things I would like to do in the next year (or so):

1. Host the most incredible Wes Anderson party ever, including thematic food, music and entertainment.
2. Try to do my laundry on a weekly basis. Or at least bi-weekly. Or maybe just not have piles everywhere.
3. Find the perfect (or close to perfect) couch for our living room.
4. Decorate my cute house. "Decorate" is kind of a relative term. I have a friend with a completely "decorated" home, but really it looks more like a house filled with show rooms. No personality at all. I want to find/make things we love to fill our house... personality and color included.
5. Stop losing everything I own.

Jenna/Ginger

2011-02-08T15:32:00.000-05:00

This morning I got to chat with Jenna aka Ginger, and even though it was only for a few minutes it blessed my heart so much.

I have a lot of really great friends that bless my heart everyday, but Jenna is special. We get each other on a different level. We love and appreciate so many of the same things. We also abhor many of the same things (ie. paper party). We can go for months and months without seeing each other, but still be bff4e (you liked that abbreviation, didn't you).

Good things about Jenna:
1. She doesn't eat meat, but wont hate if you do.
2. She's crafty like a fox.
3. She will comfort you after riding the Tower of Terror.
4. She can make a horizontal head band look cute.

Jenna has been in Brazil since December, but will be returning in March. Woo hoo! She will also be making an appearance in the AlliRayWeddingExtravaganza2011 as one of my bridesmaids!! I'm the most excited about this.

Please take a few minutes to say a prayer for Jenna and her ministry for the remainder of her stay in Brazil. Also, go read her blog. You will love her.

Hey, I need your help!

2011-02-07T10:05:00.003-05:00

This isn't my dress, but isn't it cute?

Lately, Ray and I have been working on our house so much that I have kind of forgot that I have to plan a wedding. Like stat. The location we had picked out kind of fell through, but I think we may have found an even more perfect place for the ceremony. My maids all have their dresses (which are beautiful) and mine is currently being made. We've talked with one of our photographer friends and will be hammering out those details this coming weekend.

A few things I need help with:

1. What do I do about my hair? I hate weird wedding curly-q up dos. I don't want a long mosquito net veil. I don't think I would hate a cute short one... but birdcage veils are kind of weird too sometimes. Maybe a cute bow or flower? Maybe a cute vintage short veil that isn't a birdcage? I don't even know. I have a girl coming over the day of the wedding to do it... I just need some sort of ideas I guess.

2. Jewels? I love jewelry... but I'm having a hard time picking anything out because I'm still not sure what is going on with my head/hair. If I have a lot happening with hair earrings might be too much. You know what I mean? Maybe I should just go with a good necklace. Ideas?

3. Rain. We're planning on having our reception in the back yard of our house. We love the idea of it being outside... but what do we do if it rains? We don't want to get a tent. Maybe we just bank on half of our guest leaving and the rest of them can come inside? Idk. Just hope it doesn't rain? Leave for the honeymoon early?

Help!

celebrity boyfriend palooza

2011-01-31T23:08:00.000-05:00

Jessica and Trish tagged me in their latest posts about tv/movie celebrity boyfriend hotty-hots. Here are mine!

Paul Newman - obviously

Tommy Lee Jones - the younger years

Luke Wilson

Jaosn Schwatzman

Corey Matthews - The 12 year old in me is swooning.

Runners up - Joseph Gordon Levitt and Jack White (he counts because he has been in movies)
Who are your top 5 celebrity boyfriends?

letters

2011-01-31T08:51:00.001-05:00

Dear January 2011,
You were kind of long and you kind of stressed me out. I mean, I guess I can't hate you... you did bring me a house. But you also brought me lots of painting, cleaning and lifting of heavy things. Rude. Get outta my face!!

Dear Big Brown,
I love you... even when you're cold and loud. I love your old doorknobs and tall windows. I love your prime location and extra bedrooms. I love your Royal Tenenbaums dinning room and Life Aquatic Bathroom. Please be nice while we remove wallpaper.

Dear Laguna Vista Apartment 101,
You are gross and I never want to see you ever again. Boo. But thanks for the good memories.

Dear Christian radio station at work,
Ok, sometimes you're fun and nostalgic. I don't hate hearing an occasional audio adrenaline or toby mac tune. In fact, I usually like it. However, all the third day, mercy me, david crowder, natalie grant, etc. has to go. Ugly voice and shallow lyric Christian music should be banned.

Dear Mark Discoll,
See ya Saturday!

Dear new job opportunity,
PLEASE call me back. I need you. For real.

Dear coffee,
I don't need you. I promise...

Dear marriage,
Get here fast.

LOVE, Allison