::weekend at home::

A funny thing happens south of the Mason Dixon. State lines in the Midwest begin to blur, and people ask you things like: where is Indiana? Is that next to Iowa? Are you far from Kansas? Are you Amish?

Not joking. All real questions I've received.

The hardest thing for people to understand, though, is the weather. No one ever believes me that the summers in Indiana are nearly as hot as they are in Georgia, and the winters are just a touch less brutal than those in Michigan. The best way I can explain the Indiana climate is that it has incredibly true seasons: hot summers, cold winters, balmy springs and crisp falls.

And this weekend was the perfect example of a crisp Indiana fall. I journeyed back home for a little visit, and although I was slightly shocked by the low temperatures when I stepped off the plane in my jorts, it was the perfect weather for our weekend activities. From dinners out, to spiced pumpkin frappes from Eagle Creek, a house warming party at Jor's beautiful new home, pumpkin picking and lots of walks around the neighborhood, it was just what I needed.

 

oh joy! oh juice!

Guys. Things are about to get reaalll wild around here. Courtney got me a juicer for my birthday and I'm primed to take it for its maiden voyage.

But, I need help! Does anyone have any amazing juicing recipes to share? You can email me with them - or tweet me, comment below, whatever works.

I have tried a few bad juices in my day, and made a few bad concoctions myself, so I'd greatly appreciate it if you could help a girl out. I'll be sure to send you a big, fat, juicy thank you. And maybe even share :)

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::enough::

It is a goal of mine to one day say that I'm a recovering perfectionist.

But right now, I'm still perfecting that.

Luckily, I'm not alone. A wholelotta people I know are held captive by perfectionism - most often by the idea that they, without making things perfect, are not enough.

Along with the unglorification of busyness, I have noticed there has been a shift toward honesty lately - almost an unglorification of perfectionism too. It might have been here, in the mid-20s, all along and I am just now arriving. Or maybe people are finally breaking free of their silos and are just more comfortable talking about the things in life that are hard.

I'm not really sure.

But either way, I recently stumbled upon Kate Elizabeth Conner via Sarah Tucker, and felt the need to share.

Just remember, you are enough - even when you're late or confused or homesick or have too high of expectations for life. You're enough, just doing what you're doing.

image and quote background image taen by ashley

oh happy day weekend

Something really scary happens when you graduate college.

Exponentially each year, the quantity of people that you tell your every.life.detail begins to decrease. Especially when you lived in a sorority. And everybody knew everybody's biz.

But the best part is that, with each passing year, you realize maybe not everyone in the world needs to know about this boy and that adventure, because the people still standing know the real stuff - the good, the bad, the exciting, the happy, the joyful. And they've been there holding your hand all along - even from thousands of miles away.

I'm fortunate enough to have quite a few of those people still standing, and this weekend, four of them surprised me by planning a trip to Atlanta for my birthday. As Maggie said multiple times throughout the weekend, "this feels so right."

And she was right. It really did.

Thank you all for visiting me in Atlanta! It meant the world to me!