a true north carolina experience

 

I am nearing the move date (6 days...days!). The house is on the market.  Most of the packing is done for now.  And this is the last of my weekends here in Winston Salem. 

Because this is our last weekend here, we made plans, had an amazing going away party Friday (more on that later), went biking, and said some goodbyes already.  Seth insisted that we fit one particular activity into our agenda this weekend, one that I had to experience before leaving, the Bowman Gray races.

For those of you not from Winston, Bowman Gray is the oldest sanctioned NASCAR racetrack still running.  It is 1/4 mile track that 20+ cars fly around at 100 mph.  I grew up hating any motorized vehicles (other than cars with seat belts and air bags), and never watched NASCAR.  Because of that, I guess I don't get the sport, and even as I talk to people here who love it, I just can't get into it.  

However, it all changed for me last night! Of course the roar of 20 cars driving past, vibrating your entire chest, is exciting, and the chunks of rubber flying from the track to your hair is also amazing, but it was totally the crowd that suckered me right in.  NASCAR tends to attract some interesting people, a whole lot of bud light, and a constant cloud of cigarette smoke.  The profanities, the middle fingers, the thick southern draws- Seth was right, it was something I had to experience for myself.  Just amazing.  

And while I did a hefty amount of people watching, I did learn a bit about racing in general and my respect for the sport has increased.

 This is a picture of the chain race. As you can see, the above cars are chained together- the front car has the engine/gas, and that back car has the breaks- you can just imagine the entertainment there!  The cars are all from the local junk yard, so in lieu of the blog's purpose, I cheered for these drivers extra hard!

 

**North Carolina, you have been amazing to us, 

and I'm so glad to experienced something so integral to who you are**

a small home with a few changes

Today I got a call from the photographer of our realty company.  He called at 11:45 AM as I was in the middle of one of the projects on my to-do list, asking if he could come take pictures to list our house to officially put it on the market. 

  "Sure!"

"Great, I'll be there in about 30 minutes."

Click. 

Gasp.

Well, let's just say, I would have won the gold if there was a category in the Olympics called "staging your home in a flash".

I have much to say about this little house- the good, the bad, the ugly- but, for now, here is a little peak at the before and afters.  We are so happy with the progress our little house has made!

A few more of my favorite things from around the house (cue the Sound of Music soundtrack)...

Sigh. I'm going to miss this place.

it's a statement necklace shirt

My days have recently been filled with packing boxes, painting walls, catching up with friends, and let's not forget the full-time job! (Moving states and trying to sell a house is a ball!)

I started this most recent project several weeks ago, but I thought I'd take some time today to post the result, especially because the shirt has become a favorite for summer evenings out-and-about, paired with skinny jeans.

I found this necklace for $1 at a secondhand store in Ohio (see that shopping experience here).  I wasn't sure what would come of it, but then, I happened to find this sweet racerback tank at Target for $8, and it's all history from there.

After a few hours of stitching..... 

 **yay for weekends!**

august goals

We have some BIG news in our little family- something that I have been dreaming about for a few years, that is finally happening (no, not a baby yet).  Seth and I have decided after months of planning, talking, praying, and dreaming, that it is finally time for us to move back to our home state of PA!!!

I accepted a position at a small hospital last week and we are making our grand move in about a month, give or take a few days. 

Since officially accepting the job offer last week, telling my boss here, and getting some specifics on the calendar, my mind is racing with the "what-ifs", both good and bad, and the fears that come with such a major life decision.  And honestly, I can barely wrap my head around the idea still, let alone write anything that makes much sense.

So, what I want to do tonight, besides enjoying a quiet empty house to myself, is write a few goals for the next month, my one remaining month in Winston, and my last four weeks at my job.  

1.  Be present- take one day at a time and don't continually think about what I have to do next. (I bought a planner so I could make sure to keep all my ducks in a row).

2.  I can't express the emotion I feel when I imagine leaving the people here. Relationships and community here are the greatest gift we have had and I don't want to waste my last month being stressed and not present in my relationships. I want to savor every morsel of time spent with these amazing friends.

3.  Plan 1 day off with no packing and no plans- just to spend it how I spent life before we were planning such a huge life changing experience (i.e. putz around the house in my pajamas til noon, doing something crafty while catching up on my latest Netflix show, take the dogs to the park, etc.)

4. Continue making reading a priority.  One of my goals this year is to read 1 book/month for fun.  I am in book #7 in the 8th month, which is ok, because I think I may have a good habit going here!

5. Seth.  My marriage.  In times like these it is so easy to be business only. "Hey, did you call so-and-so?", "Did that bill get paid?", "Should we really pack this?", etc.  This "business mode" is what Seth and I drown in and before we know it a week goes by and we haven't had any creative, thought-provoking conversation or connection.  In a transition like this, we are going to NEED one another and each others support. With that said, I'd like to make a point to do something everyday that is giving to our marriage, however small it may be.  

6.  Lastly, I believe that we are moving to a place that we have been called to.  Something in my gut is saying that this is right and there is a peace within me when I listen to that voice.  So, my goal is remember that over this next month when my anxiety runs off the charts, I want to remember to listen to this inner voice that is telling me this is right.  I believe God is that voice, and I will choose to listen. 

Well, that may be waaaaay too ambitious, but hopefully this list will be a good list to come back to in those times when I need a little grounding.

And if anyone has any words of encouragement or advice about moving inter-state, I would be more than happy to hear it.  

 

 

inspiration via blog love

Tonight I am typing with paint-streaked fingers. I just finished painting 2 porches and 2 interior doors today. Blah- if I never see another paint brush again, I'll live.  But alas,  few more projects to go, so I will paint on!

With that said, I am done for today, sipping on a glass of wine (life is tough) and reading online, gathering more ideas for the house, etc.

I came across a blogger who, with her creative blogging friends, has a weekly invitation to anyone to post their creative project of the week.  What a GREAT idea- a place for people to share what projects they are doing creatively and inspire one another.

Here's the link to the blog: City Farmhouse. 

Note: I added a project to the list, but I'm afraid I'm waaaay out of my league with these other creative folks- so many great ideas floating out there! 

hair and thoughts on hair

A few months ago, I posted about embracing my flaws and learning to love the natural, including gray hair in my 20's.  However, recently, I had to dye my hair back to something natural looking because my old highlights were growing out and not looking at all like the ombre look I was hoping for while growing them out. See below- my face is clearly living in the gloom of having ugly hair.

So, I dyed my hair to a color as close to my natural brown as possible (Garnier nutrisse "6: natural brown") to get rid of that horrid "oh my gosh, look at her roots" look. The boxed color was actually quite magical at reviving some health and smoothness into my otherwise frizzy, unruly hair.

But, truth be told, I miss my blonde highlights.  My gray hairs seem to be more present and wiry than ever (because they are as I get older), and my hair and skin just seem more flat and boring. The reason I chose to stop getting highlights was because of the cost- once you start getting highlights, you are somewhat required to keep it up or it will end up looking like the hair in picture 1 above.  I also wasn't sure I wanted to spend that kind of money on myself every couple of months. 

Perhaps I am justifying my recent desire to go back to highlights, but there is something about feeling good with the way you look.  We are all entitled to express ourselves and present ourselves to the world in a way that shows who we are and that we feel good in the skin (and hair!) we are in. 

Take away point: Embrace what you've got, aaaaand embrace making yourself feel and look the best you can.

**happy monday**

one shirt, three ways

I recently saw a leather trimmed shirt and loved the idea of adding a little leather (or a fake, cheaper version called vinyl) to a simple tee.  So, after a trip to Joann Fabric (love that store), I came up with a little pocket, with red thread (I guess I like red accents? seeing a theme in my homemade creations).  

You can't really see the shirt in this picture, but I wore it out last night for a few drinks with good great friends! 

 

  With the extra t-shirt material, I ended up braiding a few strips around an old gold-turned-bronzed bangle.  

 And, due to a new found love of bleaching stuff to make it look cooler (thanks, Emily!), I turned one sleeve of this old grey shirt into a cool headband. 

**have a great weekend**