My dear sweet friends and followers, I have FINALLY moved on and created a new blog. Please check it out and say hello! I'm just so so excited to be blogging again!

Click here for my new fancy blog!

I'm still here!

Dear sweet friends and readers,
Are any of you still out there? I just wanted to give you an update because, as you are fully aware, I've been MIA for far too long. I'm still alive and well. There isn't a real reason for my absense. No tragedy or sickness or anything. I've just been working a lot on a new blog ideas with new features and nice pictures and maybe even a real layout. Wild, huh? I'm really hoping to have a my new blog up and running by the end of the month because I have lots of exciting things to share with you! You know, things like what I've been doing for the last 4 months, my new job, new additions to big brown, and pictures of my husband because I think he's sooo cute.

How does that sound? Let me know if you're still out there!!

-A

where have I been?

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

- 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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

 

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!

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

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:

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.