Farewell Ponytail

Do you ever find yourself wanting a haircut? I mean really wanting a haircut. Pining, perhaps. I'd been considering cutting my hair for some time but apparently Monday was the day. I refused to return to the apartment with my ponytail. After numerous phone calls and a "worst case" appointment set for later in the week, I found a salon by campus that was ready and willing to accept a walk-in on a Monday.

The stylist was cheery and creative. I gave her free reign to cut as she'd like- I suppose that was a bit impulsive but I didn't know what I want more specifically than a haircut. For the record, since I graduated college my hair has been down my back.

Before then it looked like this:

I made it 3 years without cutting it all off which is pretty much amazing. I kept some of the length since Peter prefers it, but I did go above the shoulders. Apparently, I am now sporting an angled bob; I kind of love it.

Adventuring: The Gulch and 21 South

Leslie and I adventured around Nashville this afternoon. We wandered through the Gulch and 21 South, got popsicles {again}, and enjoyed the generosity of a local gardener.

Door bells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles.

These are a few of my favorite things:

My Franklin Covey planner I suppose I'm fond of all planners and things planning related. This planner happens to be pretty and refillable and that's why I've made it mine.

YoLo The self-serve frozen yogurt trend is just making it's way to Memphis. Of the new shops, YoLo is the best. Delicious. Fresh. Local. What more could you want?

philosophy | field of flowers lotion The fragrance is divine. Before the Acura and I went our separate ways, I went into Sephora for Flowerbomb and happened to sample this lotion. I managed to leave the store without making an impulse purchase. But, when I got to my car the battery was dead. You better believe I went right back into the mall to get this lotion while I waited for a tow. I love it!

Just A Thought

First day outfits are always the hardest to choose. I started my new job today. And I wore this.

It's Go Time

This week has been quite busy. I've not yet found the best time to blog- but I'm working on it. I've settled into my new apartment, familiarized myself with the Peabody and Nashville Public Libraries, and wrestled our wireless router into submission. Friday was Orientation which did nothing but reaffirm my decision to attend school. I feel like I've false started a bunch of time and I'm finally running the race.

Shameless Friend Promotion

I don't typically promote friend's blogs more than linking them below; but, today is an exception. Dearest L. has started a blog! She's crazy talented and deserves some attention. Check out the fabulousness that is Stella Annabelle.

Reality Check

My classes start a week from Wednesday! Over the weekend, I moved to Nashville then came back to Memphis. I will be heading back to Nashville tomorrow. While I'm in Memphis, it is errands, errands, errands. Already today, I have been to the vet, the dry cleaner, Goodwill, and still have a laundry list of things today. I have just a few pictures from the move.

My empty closet in Memphis.

The truck I drove to Nashville then successfully unloaded solo.

After moving in, I went out to dinner with my new roommates

Leslie {left} and Peyton {right}.

Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.

When Peter and I started dating he had a buzz cut. I wasn't crazy about it but it was cheap and easy. A few years in, I convinced him to grow his hair out. However, we are returning to the cheap and easy hair cut. Last night, with little hesitation, I buzzed Peter's head.

His hair was so long, maybe Edward Cullen long, and that is just too much.
The buzz is back.

Moving is Messy

{I'm just keeping it honest, people.}

Since I don't have a job, I taking my sweet time packing. A little here, a little there, a big mess everywhere! I am moving Friday. Not next Friday or a couple Fridays from now but this Friday. I have less than a week. In preparing for this move, no part of the house safe. I leave a path of destruction wherever I go.

This happened to my closet about a week ago and I have not even started packing clothes.
I've been leaving piles all over the house.
I'm not sure what to say about our bathroom. It's bad. And you can't tell from the picture, but our toilet is actually in two separate pieces {that's not related to the move, Peter is fixing the plumbing}.
Through it all, Gunther and Lily are my helpers or more my encouragers.
Gunther likes to support me from his box.
Lily prefers the couch. With a pillow. She is very fancy.
I think they are both afraid to move from their safe places for fear they'll be buried alive or boxed and taken to Nashville.

The Trip

With major change on the rapidly-approaching horizon, Peter and I decided to take a vacation. We spent eight relaxed days in Cape Canaveral while our family in Georgia watched the pups. With the pool right at our backdoor and the beach twenty steps away, we spent lots of time in the water. My fair skin handles the Florida sun just fine as long as I'm cautious and covered in 50+ SPF. I spent lots of time under the umbrella reading {Dry: A Memoir by Augusten Burroughs; Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas; Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout}. Cape Canaveral is somewhat preserved and not overly touristy. There were few people on the beach and we practically had the pool to ourselves everyday. We bought a waterproof camera which was sort of fun. It was a bit of a throwback since I'm so used to digital. We tried to take some underwater pictures- they didn't work out so well. In between our time at the beach and pool, we saw a couple of movies, ventured around the Space Coast, and spent a day in Orlando. Some of our more noteworthy vacation events are highlighted below.

Da Kine Deigos

Da Kine Deigo's is a humble burrito stand with outdoor seating and a beach vibe located a bit South of Patrick Air Force Base in Satellite Beach. They make insane burritos. My "mini-b," on the right, was big; Peter's "regular" was a gargantuan. Both were absolutely delicious and unbelievably fresh.

Anniversary #2

For our anniversary we continued a tradition that we unintentionally began on our wedding night: pizza and ice cream. Our wedding was at eleven o'clock in the morning with a luncheon reception followed by a casual after party at a local tavern. By the time we had settled into our hotel downtown, it was late and we were famished. We walked around Fells Point looking for a place with quick service and ended up at a by-the-slice pizza place. It was perfect! On the walk back to the hotel we popped into Pitango Gelato because I'm a sucker for gelato and theirs is perfect. {Truly it is! In another life, I would open a Pitango Gelato right in Cooper-Young which would grow into the most popular dessert shop in Midtown.} In keeping with our pizza and ice cream tradition, we looked for a local pizzeria. We found a gem! Papa Vito's, a few blocks from the condo, was just right. After dinner, with no Pitango Gelato in sight, we headed to Cold Stone. Our pizza and ice cream tradition may not be fancy but it's us.

Day at Disney

We headed East to Orlando to spend a day at Disney. Last year, we went to Typhoon Lagoon, so this year we opted to try Blizzard Beach. The water parks are pretty insignificant on the property map but we're very fond of them. No one has a cleaner or more efficient water park than Disney! Blizzard Beach boasts the world's second tallest and fastest free fall slide, Summit Plummet. We rode every slide and floated the lazy river. Both of us enjoyed Blizzard Beach but prefer Typhoon Lagoon. After five hours at Blizzard Beach, I needed to get out of the sun. We headed to Downtown Disney where we perused the shops and enjoyed some good old fashion people watching. It's amazing/startling how much Disney merchandise there is. It is also amazing/startling how many little girls get $50-250 princess makeovers at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. I cannot imagine what about covering a little girl in makeup, glitter, and hairspray then giving them a tiara and princess dress to walk around in sounds like a good idea. It's hot! It's Florida! Of course the walking Christmas ornament is going to have a meltdown, if I was wearing all of that I'd have meltdown- but I digress.
Peter and I spent some serious time in the LEGO Imagination Center then shopped around to find a gift for our soon to arrive niece or nephew. After it cooled down, we headed to Fantasia Gardens Mini-Golf where we played the Fairway Course- the hardest miniature golf course either of us has ever played! It was basically a shrunken regular golf course that required more skill than your average putt-putt course. It took us ninety minutes to play the 18 holes. By the time we finished our round, we were quite hungry so we headed back to Downtown Disney for dinner.

Atlanta

As our vacation came to close, we decided to head out Friday night rather than Saturday morning so that we could spend a full day in Atlanta. We had errands to run and people to see and we didn't want to feel rushed.

On Sunday, right before we left, we got lunch at Tap with our dear friends S. & G. Lunch was delicious. I got a black bean burger with spicy cumber salad which was as good as you'd find at a veg-only restaurant. Really we could have eaten anywhere so long as we got to see our friends.

S. and I met the second day of our freshman year at Clemson and were instant friends! Perhaps its because we're both from the Mid-Atlantic or because we both lived in Sanders or maybe we're friends because we didn't know anyone else and were both hungry for free pizza, irregardless. We became and have stayed friends. {The picture below was taken circa 2004} It's always so so nice to see her, and G., of course, when we go to Atlanta; but, it often feels rushed with our efforts to maximize our time as we split it between friends, family, and errands. With my upcoming move, I will only be four hours from Atlanta so weekend trips will be much easier. Our lunch was a nice way to close out a great vacation. Now it's time for me to get down to business cleaning, organizing, and packing for the move that is only TEN days away!

We're Back

After a wonderful 10 day vacation, Peter and I are back in Memphis.
Details coming soon.