[our 1st painting by Craig Griffin]

[detail]

[best door mat]

[Stella & Dot outfit of the week:: Green Skinnies (Old Navy) // Navy Sweater (Old Navy) // Bianca Tassel Necklace // Leopard Scarf (retired) // Renegade Bracelet // Avalon Hoops]
[NYE celebrations]

[new year, new paint]

[starting off with tradition]

Aaah…. the holidays have come and gone, and I’m pretty excited for a quiet January. Along with NYE last week, we have had some fun and exciting things going on around here. Our house is being painted (we went with the darkest sample color, if you’re wondering), but they can’t complete it because the temps have dropped too low and it’s been raining. So we have a half-painted house for now. It’s a good look. I also had my first photo session of 2014, and it was my first newborn session, too! I’ll have a sneak peek up on my MHP website this week, so please have to check it out! To top off the week, Craig’s been out in Pasadena, CA to cheer on Auburn in the National Championship game, which is tonight. I hope they come back with a win!

Here’s to staying warm this week, wherever you are! Unless you’re at the beach — then I don’t want to hear about it. Happy Monday!

Well, another Christmas has come and gone — and what a wonderful one it was! So many things to be thankful for, and so many people in our lives with whom to share this special time of year. We spent the past several days with my parents, who came up from Florida, and then headed up to Tennessee to spend the rest of the week with Craig’s family. It’s so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the holidays and get stressed by the travel and everything else, but I know we are quite fortunate to be able to see both of our families at Christmas every year. Here’s a little recap of our past week.

For the past 3 years, we’ve hosted Christmas dinner at our house with my family and our SIL’s parents. We just love them.  My dad fried a turkey, and the rest of us made popovers, casseroles, and homemade ice cream (and brownies) — such a delicious meal, and something I think we all look forward to each year.

Another tradition that we have been invited to take part in the past few years also involves eating and family – such a good combination. Our SIL’s parents host a huge dinner every Christmas Eve, and it’s a P.F. Chang’s feast!  We spent the night eating, drinking, visiting with Lauren’s family, making new friends, and playing games. This year, the game of choice was “heads up!” — a charades-type game played through an iPhone app. By the end of the night, everyone who wasn’t playing had to move to a different room because we were causing such a commotion screaming and acting out words. If you’re looking for a fun party game, I recommend it.

By the time Christmas morning rolled around, I am pretty sure we’d all eaten our weight in various foods, but my sweet brother cooked us a delicious breakfast before we opened gifts. This year was the first Christmas in their new home, so it was fun to add their house into the rotation for the festivities.

The rest of the holiday week was spent in Nashville with Craig’s family and friends. We ate a lot more, got to cuddle with FOUR family/friend babies, and gave and received more fun gifts. It was a whirlwind week, but such a good one spent with our favorite people. God is great.

How cute is this guy? 

Another year down, and another one to look forward to. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, and may your new year be filled with love, laughter, good health, and many adventures!

[Christmas countdown!]

[Stella & Dot outfit of the week:: black Express top // GAP skinny jeans // Toms wedges –  I am OBSESSED with these shoes // Phoenix Pendant // gold bracelet stack]

[backdoor winter sunsets]

[Monday Night Brewing — winter bucket list item checked off]

[date night @ Antico – best traditional pizza in the city]

[donate to the World Wildlife Fund and get this adorable umbrella]

Well I don’t know about y’all, but I’m really over all this rain in Atlanta. Good thing I got that cute WWF umbrella just in time! I just love animals, and after talking to a coworker who works with them, I found a couple places to donate to — World Wildlife Fund, and a local favorite, Zoo Atlanta. You should check em out!

My parents have been here for a few days, so we’ve slowly been eating our way around the city (as usual), and I will have a few new restaurant reviews to share soon! I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas spent with loved ones. We’ll be celebrating with my family here, as well as Craig’s family in Nashville, so I’ll return to the blog next week!