discovery weekend

Since moving to Atlanta, I've become slightly obsessed with knowing the city. Exploring it on foot - discovering new gems - knowing the vibe of each area. I'm ashamed to admit that if you asked me for recommendations on Indianapolis, Chicago or even Bloomington, I would run out for all three combined much faster than I would for Atlanta.

I'm not sure why this is, but I think part of it has to do with the fact that when I moved here, it was just mine - no one from my family, nor had any of my close friends ever tapped into it. So I needed to make sure I learned it, so that when they visited, they, too would realize they needed to move to this wonderful place.

I've yet to convert anyone, but I've gained a solid list of activities to show for it.

This weekend, I stumbled upon two new places that I'm now wondering how I lived without.

Melissa and Katie and I have this small obsession with being locals somewhere - those girls that are always there just loving life and happy together. Katie and I decided it might stem from a desire to make Atlanta more like our home towns - for someone to know me in the way they do in Zionsville - how I take my coffee or that I like my margarita without salt.
Melissa and I now live about ten steps from N. Highland and you're going to be hard-pressed to get us to do anything anywhere else. Seriously. We will.become.those.girls. 
Friday, we discovered Blind Willie's. If you haven't been and have any sort of appreciation for blues music, an excellent atmosphere, or old men asking you to dance, you must add it to your bucket list.
Saturday, I co-hosted a shower for Katie (photos to come) at Dr. Bombay's Underwater Tea Room. We had to have it at a restaurant, because, while planning it, I became somewhat homeless and didn't know where I'd be living come February (the rats had more power than even they knew).
Katie's sister, Ann Marie, found the venue. I have a tendency to be a little controlling when it comes to event planning (I made an project plan), and because Ann Marie had found the place, I wanted to let her take the lead on this portion of the shower. It took almost every bone in my body to keep me from "swinging by" or "checking up" on the place. But I really wanted to restrain myself to prove I didn't have to control everything.
The day before the shower, I talked to Ann Marie after she'd gone by to check in, and she wanted to warn me that it was "a little gritty".
I obviously panicked.
However, I was pleasantly surprised come shower time. The venue, although a little gritty, is adorable. It's quaint and warm, the food was wonderful and the shower was so happy. I would definitely host another event there, or just go enjoy afternoon coffee in Candler Park. I strongly recommend it.
So there you go - a weekend of discovering. Can't wait to share more shower pics! I hope you had a good weekend and maybe did a little exploring yourself!

fuh. ri. day. [yaay!]

Oh Friday! Your are my Fri[en]day.

I have been waiting for you this week, and I am glad you are here.

You know when a week is busy, how it just flies?

And then it's the weirdest thing ever when a week is busy and somehow just doesn't fly? And you're zipping all around thinking it's Thursday and you realize it's Tuesday?

It's like a parallel universe where time is very tricky.

Anyway. Those are Friday brain thoughts.

We're here!

I think the week might have seemed long because I'm so excited for this weekend. We're celebrating Katie and Austen with a much-awaited bridal shower.


Can't wait to shower this girl with so much love. She deserves lots and lots of it. The best kind of it, too.
I hope you have something happy planned for your weekend!

first image via

family matters.

"Money matters, but less than we think and not in the way that we think. Family is important. So are friends. Envy is toxic. So is excessive thinking. Beaches are optional. Trust is not. Neither is gratitude."
--
 
 
 
I'm with you, Eric. Except on the beach thing. Not even close to optional.
 
On the friends and family thing? Yes. Most certainly true.
 
Happy Thursday guyss. :)

::reality check::

About a year and a half ago a few of my friends had an intervention because I was too busy. Not joking. They told me they were worried I was wearing myself out and needed to cut back.

My initial reaction to this was something like this:
They don't think I can do all of this? They don't think I can handle it? They'll see.

And then:
Am I not handling it? Am I not pulling everything off perfectly? I need to do all of this better then. Move faster, sleep less.

Then, finally, I landed somewhere closer to reality and realized they were right, at which point I put myself on a strict schedule of spending at least one night per week at home. Coming home from work and just being there - no new workout classes, no dates, no meetings, no dinners.

It was insanely hard at first, but eventually became my rhythm. And by this summer, I was actually keeping more than one night open each week - I had really, positively made a habit change. In fact, I went on somewhat of a quest to unglorify busy, where I even learned that busy does not equal self worth.


But, old habits really do die hard.

And I write to you today as one overbooked, underslept, caffeinated girl.

I fell off the wagon.

A few nights ago I was talking to Allie, as I was rushing home at 7:30 to be picked up for a date at 8. She said, "are you excited for your date?"

At which point I burst into her tears. Not your normal reaction to a date.

I'm running on five nights in a row of five hours of sleep. I am so behind on phone calls to my friends it gives me anxiety. I haven't had an unplanned night in two weeks - and have something every single night this week, not to mention a wedding shower to throw Saturday, a flight to Vegas Sunday and a flight to DC next week.

And the sickest part of all? I not only did this to myself, but I also kind of love it.

Argh!

An addiction to busyness is no joke, my friends.

So. I need a plan.

Always need a plan. [AKA: the problem]

Starting today - and from Vegas to DC and back to Atlanta - things stay the same. There's no way out.

But then, upon my return to Atlanta, I slow down. The last 10 days of February are being dedicated to what February should be dedicated to: full hibernation.

Just kidding. I'm not going to pack snacks and disappear for 10 days.

I am, however, going to force myself to leave two weeknights each of those weeks open. That's right. four out of 10 days. 40 percent. Almost half.


It's a plan. And I hope that with it I can finally call a few friends back and give them the focused conversations they deserve. Heck, I might even eat dinner at home and get to bed early.

With it, I hope I can get back to feeling like I'm doing the things I love and care about well, as opposed to doing the things I'm committed to at a mediocre level.

Lots of hope for this time ahead :)

I'll keep you posted on how it goes, of course.

PS: It can't go without saying that I'm super duperly excited about said events/parties/trips/opportunities and so grateful to be included. :)