Thankfulness

Wow, where has this year slipped away to! It seems like just yesterday, we were celebrating Christmas of 2013, and now here we are on the verge of this years holiday season. For me, it can be hard to take time to stop and truly be thankful for the little things around me. This year has been a roller coaster of events and celebrations that I wasn't completely prepared for. So, today I wanted to stop and just be thankful. 

With Thanksgiving just a week away, here are a few of my favorite photos from last years Thanksgiving celebration.

This picture may just look like an ordinary porch with a barn in the background, but let me tell you, It is so much more than that!! This porch is where I said "I Do!" and that barn is where we had our first dance, our first meal as husband and wife, and where we shared our special day with our family and friends!

Here is a little peak of what it looked like on our wedding day.

He is secretly reminiscing.... I hope :)

Oakley was only 5 months old here, he had jumped off the back of our couch and broke his little leg. It was so pitiful but he didn't care, he would act like nothing was there. 

And, this man! I am just thankful for everything about him, and for his life!

A Year of Thankfulness:

My dad is my best friend, next to KJR, and in August I almost lost my dad very unexpectedly. It was one of the craziest times of my life. I am thankful for his life today, and I am also very thankful for the way the Lord led me to handle everything. It was very out of character for me, however it was what my mom and my dad needed and I am very thankful for it. 

 KJR is just amazing, sappy I know... He has been there for me through all the ups and downs this year. He was so sweet and took tons of photos at my college graduation, and he selflessly gave of himself to help me and my family.

What are you thankful for? I encourage you to take a moment today and stop and just be thankful today. Let someone in your world know how much they mean to you today.

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Hostess Gifts

With Thanksgiving just over a week away, hostess gifts are in high demand! Here are a few of my favorite go-to hostess gifts for those lovely ladies and gentlemen on your list this season!

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9

I cannot get over how cute the C. Wonder puppy tray is. Can I host a party, and have someone get this for me? What are you favorite hostess gifts? I hope that y'all have a wonderful, safe and blessed Thanksgiving week! Take time and thank your family and friends this week!

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Coffee Table Books

I love a good coffee table book, and recently designers like Tory Burch and Kate Spade are coming out with their own books. Coffee table books can bring color to a space, and they are also beautiful to  look at. I decided to do a little research about the origins of the coffee table book, and it dates back to 1540! Wonder what their coffee table books were like back then?

This is my favorite book. For the guest book at our wedding, we had our engagement photos put into a book and let our wedding guests sign in. So, its a mix of our engagement and our wedding day. It is very special and a good way to preserve your engagement photos. Lets be honest, wedding pictures > engagement pictures, so this lets me keep and display our engagement photos.

Recently, I purchased the new book Tory Burch: In Color. It is a beautiful book inside and out. It tells the story of Tory's life, how she got her brand started, what her favorite colors are and why they mean so much to her. I really enjoyed reading it and looking though the beautiful photos.

An old, but good book is Blue and White Living. If you love Blue and White then this book is a must have to adorn your coffee table.

Rachel Ashwell // Lilly Pulitzer // Pretty Pastel Style // Southern Bouquets

The Kate Spade New York: places to go, people to see book is still on my wish list ( and my Christmas list). Maybe KJR will have it under the tree for me this year!

What are you favorite coffee table books? Do you like to mix and match the colors or do you keep all of the colors of the books all in the same family?

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Fall Weekend Getaway

I have been labeled an over-packer. KJR reminds me each time we take a trip, that we only have a limited amount of space in the car. So, one of my resolutions for this year's holiday travels is to pack lighter and take items that I can wear more than once.

I begin every trip by making a list of possible outfits that I want to take with me. I make lists for everything, and I always have my May Books notebook with me, so I can jot down notes whenever I need to. But, when I am packing for a weekend getaway I like to keep things simple and easy.

This bag from Vineyard Vines is the perfect size for a weekend trip. I also used to use it in college all the time for my books when I had long days of classes. They don't have the open top any more, but they do have one that zips that is very similar and cute!

Outfit 1: Colored Skinnies, a tee, and Sperrys

Outfit 2: Dark denim, green tee, tartan hat, and flats

These 2 outfits are the perfect mix and match combos for a relaxing and lazy fall weekend. 

I love to pair a cable knit with my PJs in the fall, it adds warmth and comfort.

After you pack your clothes, don't forget to load up your tote with goodies. I make sure that I always have a good magazine or two and some snacks

Tote // Sunglasses // Magazine

Once your all packed, just grab your bag and hit the road. Get out and enjoy the cooler weather and the beautiful colors of fall!

Did you see that LLBean has already has a lot of their bean boots on back order until February! However, Sperry has some very similar ones. I love these, I got them a few years ago and they have been so comfortable. They have this style and 2 higher top styles comparable to the LLBean 6in and 8in boots.

8in Style // 6in Style // Moc Style

And, speaking of Bean Boots, here are a few of my favorite fall essentials. I am a firm believer in quality not quantity. Investing in quality pieces will allow you to use them for years to come, and maybe even pass them down to your children or nieces.

I hope you can get out and take a weekend getaway. Where would you go? Where have you been?

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Dog House

Well when I was looking though my iPhone photos to share this week, I noticed that I had pretty much nothing but photos of my dogs. Yes, I am a crazy dog mom. These 2 are literally best friends, and it cracks me up sometimes to see the way these 2 snuggle and hang out together.

We took the pups on a Jeep ride and then on a mini hike. They loved it, Oakley kept trying to run off into the wood and in to the river.

He looks guilty here, doesn't he?

I can't say no to these faces, when they lay up on the couch and look at you its almost impossible. 

They never leave my side, never...even when I leave the room they are at the door waiting for me to come back out.

In non-dog related news, one of the trees in our front yard is finally loosing its leaves and I just had to go out an take a picture in all the leaves.

I hope that y'all are having a wonderful week so far! To those up north, I hope that you are staying warm in all the cold weather!

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Vetrans Day

Happy Veterans Day!! Thank you to all the men and women who has selflessly laid down their life for our country and our freedom.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart!

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What's In My Bag

I don't know about you, my at times my bag and its contents can be a lifesaver! I really don't know how men can survive with just their pockets.

I recently got a new Barrington Tote, for the fall and winter season. Thankfully it is the perfect size for all my needs and to carry all the junk that accumulates in the bottom after a week or so.

I love this mini blue and white Ralph Lauren bag, it is from a set of three. It was my grandmothers and she passed it down to me. It is prefect to throw in my bag to keep my little things like bobby pins and hair ties that can get lost in the bottom.

Hand sanitizer is a must this time of year, especially with all of the germs floating around. I love my little wallet, the wrist strap makes it easy to carry on its own if I don't need to take my whole bag. 

Sunnies are always a must! You have to keep your eyes protected regardless of the time of the year. I don't leave the house without at least one pair, sometimes even two.

May Books are amazing, I carry them with me wherever I go. The striped book is a budget journal, and the anchor book is just lined. The lined notebook is perfect for all of the ideas that pop into my head, my to-do lists and any other things I need to write down.  

This year they are doing Christmas cards! You can pick from all of their patterns. These are a few of my favorites. It is making me so hard to choose!

You can customize your greeting and add your beautiful family photo! Aren't these just the cutest?

 Tote // Wallet // Anchor May Books // Polka Dot May Books // Key Fob // Glasses

Here are a few of my other favorite bags!

LLBean Boat and Tote // Large Longchamp // GiGi Taylor Tote // Vineyard Vines Tote

What do you keep in your bag? Do you have any must haves that you can't live without?

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