Happy Mother's Day

Happy mother's day to the best mom in the world. 

I don't know what I would do without my mom, or who I would've become without her leading me through life. She always has been & continues to be my best friend, for which I am so incredibly grateful. My mom is the most caring, compassionate, selfless woman I have ever known, and I aspire to be more like her every day. I can't even find the words to say how much I love my momma, but I hope she knows without me having to say it. She has had a rough few years, with losing her dad & watching her mom struggle through Alzheimer's, but through it all she has never stopped caring for others. When she is down and hurt, she somehow seems to find her strength by working even harder and more devotedly to the people around her in need. I honestly don't know how she does it, but she keeps doing it with grace, kindness, and an incredible amount of strength. My mom truly is one of the greatest women, and I will continue to learn how to be a better person because of her. 

I love you so much momma. You are still my best friend, and you deserve all the happiness in the world, on Mother's Day & every other day of the year. 

Home Sweet Home

It's hard to believe we've only lived here a week, considering how much work we've already done to get settled in. I'm so happy with how our new house looks & feels. It is a very life-giving space... So many windows, grass all around us, friendly neighbors. Oh, it is so wonderful. I hope that all of our dearest friends & family can come spend time with us in our new home, but for those who are too far away, here's a peek at what it looks like:

So, we'll start at the front door. Here is the living room (my favorite room right now), just inside the front door:

Next, we'll move into the kitchen...

Past the kitchen, we have a laundry nook that leads to the backyard:

Back through the living room, we have a hallway that leads to a full bathroom, a tv room, and our office. First, the bathroom (with an awkward window into the laundry room. Haha):

Then, the office, which is not finished yet, so I'll just show you our awesome DIY wall bookshelf:

And then, the TV room:

From the TV room, there's a stairway up to the master suite!

On the right, the oddly-shaped bathroom:

And on the left, the oddly-shaped walk-in closet (which I love):

And of course, the master bedroom:

From the bedroom, we can step right out onto our balcony and down the stairs into the backyard:

And when we walk around from the backyard to the side of the lot, we'll soon have a big garden full of veggies!...

And back around to the front porch:

So, that's our lovely home! We hope you can come by sometime :-)

Coming Soon...

Well, we are pretty much moved in to our amazing new home. I love it so much, I can't even begin to describe. It is so relaxing to have space around us and visible grass on all 4 sides of us. The cats have been confused/scared/curious the past few days, but they seem to finally be figuring things out. They've found their favorite hiding places and cuddling spots. We've got most of our rooms set up, with the office being the big exception. We're waiting until the end of the month when we pass through Cincinnati to get a desk from Ikea. But, let me just tell you, that room is gonna be awesome. I have a whole drawer chest for yarn & knitting!... which I guess means I need to knit more, which is okay with me!

We've been cooking yummy dinners in our big kitchen, drinking tea on the porch together, and going for walks in the neighborhood. We've already had a late-night wine-drinking & life-sharing session with our favorite couple (Sarah & Lauren), and we've even had the whole Dryden family over! It definitely feels like home.

And, we're getting internet installed tonight! Which means that I'll be able to take some photos & upload them onto my blog. So, house photos are coming soon....

google maps photo

Thanks to all of our friends & family for the huge help & support during this exciting time (especially our parents, Sean, Ian, Steph, & the Price family). Hurray!

Wish List.

My 23rd birthday is swiftly approaching (June 1st!), and I've been daydreaming about my birthday wish list. Now, I genuinely don't need/expect presents on my birthday.... over the past couple of years especially, my family & friends have showered me with their time, energy, and gifts-- graduation, wedding, moving, etc. But even a girl who has everything she needs likes to think about some "wants" on her wish list, right? :-)

So, in no particular order, here is my Birthday Wish List:

An OCD cutting board:

This cookbook:

A Deva Curl blow-dryer

A new pair of skinny jeans:

Rufus Wainwright's new album on vinyl:

Tickets to see Rufus Wainwright in Louisville, KY in August!!!

A Manduka yoga mat (in Acai):

A LifeFactory glass water bottle: 

This Singer sewing machine: 

And, a big, beautiful, cuddly dog. :-)