Oh the Places You Will Go

The city of Huntsville, Alabama is located in a pretty sweet spot for being able to take day trips. Chattanooga, Nashville and Birmingham are all within a respective two hour radius. This is awesome.

So, last week I was a camp counselor for Jr. high kids in Chattanooga and got to talking one afternoon with one of my fellow counselors about Chattanooga and my lack of exploration in the downtown area she decided that I simply must come back the next week with her and explore. We hopped in the car on Monday and brought along another friend who was looking for an antique table. She had a specific store in mind and so we made that our first destination. The Knitting Mill was quite fabulous. The range of different antiques they had to offer was quite impressive.

They had pretty flowers. In pretty vases. To make you smile.

Here I was in the middle of an antique mall. Dreaming...dreaming of my future kitchen and how future me will make my future kids cookies and cream milk shakes using this antique hand spun malt milk shake mixer. There will probably be a night I don't feel like cooking in my future life. What is for dinner my future children might ask. The answer will be hand spun malt milk shakes, of course. It will be glorious. 

Things go better with [diet] Coke!

Vintage greeting cards are really worth the money. Some are made with fabric. I totally see why Hallmark could charge $3.99 for a card made with fabric. I do not see why their non-fabric, totally corny greeting cards can still cost me more than a venti ice coffee with Carmel, soy milk and a splash of love from starbucks. No sense, I tell you. No sense.

Did I ever tell you about my girl scout days? They were really special. It is then that I learned how to bake brownies and start a fire. Basic life skills.

Treasure chest. Literally. So much bling was in the place. Vintage bling. Vintage, which makes it slightly cooler than regular bling because it is probably safe to bet that at least a couple grandma's have worn it. Who doesn't love their grandma? Yeah, that's what I'm saying.

Getting to explore a town I've never been to is really one of my life's greatest adventures. The people who are unique to that town and how that town has helped make them unique. The local flavors, the coffee, the history. I love it.

We walked around downtown Chattanooga for a while. We stopped in Clumpies and probably gained a pound just from the intoxicating smell of fresh waffle cones being made. We stopped in Coolidge Park  and watched the little kids play in the fountain and ride the carousel. The landscape of the park was absolutely beautiful and seemed like the perfect place for a picnic. Next time in Chattanooga: a meal at Good Dog is a must as well as a little dessert from this divine bakery.

Life. It is quite good.

swept away.

Dear friends of mine got married last weekend. Their ceremony was outdoors under an oak tree. The bride was stunning and the groom looked swell. Come thou Fount was sung and the gospel within marriage was painted beautifully. As the ceremony finished up, we walked across the property to the reception location. Man, these two really know how to throw a party. Their reception was the jam. Food, delicious. Decorations, lovely. People, awesome. Dancing, stellar. Seriously, a great time was had by all.

It had been about a month since I had see these awesome gals. I've missed them. A lot. They've become much more like sisters than friends and so not seeing them for a month kinda feels more like forever.

The wedding was outside. In the middle of June. In Florida. It was beautiful but steamy. But fear not, this bride and groom thought ahead. They knew the conditions and provided guests with fans, citrus water and miniature ice packs. It was nice of them. I am almost positive that the lady in the green dress would have passed out or left had it not been for her large straw fan.

This girl and her chunky necklace made a beautiful bridesmaid. She will probably be getting offers to be a bridesmaid for people she doesn't even know. Part time job? Yes.

The food and beverages were quite tasty. Pretty girl was a big fan of the corn nuggets. Can't blame her. They were really good.

It was so great to be able to be a part of their special day. Love was everywhere and it was really sweet.



Funny the Way It Is

Since the last time I was here, I  did something crazy. Something crazy and cool. I did something that always sounded good in theory but never thought I would actually do. Life is crazy though and sometimes it surprises you. It's like when the time finally comes to make a big grown up decision you begin to realize you are in fact a little more grown up. Funny the way God works that out. So here's what I did: I moved to another state and have been busy. Really busy. One of these days I will get around to writing about the move and my observations on North Alabama but for now, forgive me for my absence and just think with me.

Think about about something you really want to do. It doesn't have to be something you want to do right now or it could be something you want to do right this second. It doesn't have to be well thought out or it could be planned with precise detail. It could be totally unrealistic or totally realistic. There aren't really any rules here.

I've always wanted to see the Grand Canyon.

I want to go on a well thought out road trip to the GC with a few good friends, an atlas and music that makes you want to roll down the windows. I would pack a lot of chex mix, dark chocolate m&m's and water. Why the water? This is a road trip. I'm not in a hurry. Who knows what adventures might lie in a search for a clean restroom. The possibilities are endless my friends. This is completely for fun - I don't need to escape from anything or find myself, I just want to make unplanned stops along the way to our destination, appreciating the beauty of places I've never been.