Raise a Glass to the Memories

Life is so so sweet with this Nashville family of mine. One of the scariest things about moving to a new city as a twenty-something is that fear of making new friends. Lucky for me, I've made more than friends, I've made a family [I can't believe how cheesy that sounds but it's the truth!] - and here's a glimpse at just a few of them!  

This past weekend, in addition to proving that "Yes you can rewear a bridesmaid dress," we all got together for The Pieces of Hope benefit for Autism awareness and it made me realize just how truly beautiful these guys and gals are inside and out. Just look at them all!! :)

Community Supported Agriculture

"Clean eating" is a term on the rise. It seems I can't go more than a day any more without hearing about someone's new trials or adventures in clean eating. It's so exciting and I'm trying to keep up! I first heard the term from the wonderfully energetic and wise girls behind the Tone It Up lifestyle page, Karena and Katrina. It's a community group of women set to inspire and motivate each other to live happy and healthy lives. Strict diet plans can be overwhelming and difficult to follow, causing so many people to cheat while they're on them. But TIU is a lifestyle change and K&K provide the community of ladies with healthy [and YUMMY] meals - using the clean eating method - as well as a fitness calendar they update on a monthly basis.

Now, I'm no health guru, but I do try my best to follow a more or less clean eating plan. One way I think this could be more fun is by joining a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), and lucky for me there are so many great ones to choose from in Nashville!  I've always been tickled by the idea of one day owning a farm of my own because I'm 100% for buying fresh food locally. CSA's are just that! It's a way for consumers to buy local and seasonal food directly from a farmer. If you're part of a CSA, share your thoughts with me!

Something About a Doily

I've been thinking about doilies lately. More than anything because it reminds me of my grandma and I miss her. She was always working on a new one - even though she had a box full of unused and unfinished ones in her craft closet. "You can never have too much of the things you love." From time to time she'd pick up an old one and start where she left off, always sure to pull me aside and show me the details that had already been handcrafted. I loved how beautiful each detail was and how not one was ever the same. Somehow she would manage to wrangle me aside and sometimes we would look at it for thirty minutes, or more, admiring the work that was put into it. Even though it could take her months to finish one [hey, I get it, that's how crafting works], by the time it all came together each one was more beautiful than the last. 

This might not have been the metaphor she was trying to teach me, but I've learned to focus on the details and take life slowly and not for granted. In this fast moving world we live in, it's easy to lose focus and miss the details. With social media and technology soaking up so much of our time, it's good to just sit back and...make a doily.