Soo, I convinced Jon that we needed to go with a white tree this year (which i’ve been dreaming about since seeing this Rachel’s white tree and adorable handmade Chrismas decor). I mentioned it on Twitter, because I am on a strict budget this year, and Annie came through!!! She found one for me at Wal-mart for only $35!! Say what you want, that was MUCH better than Target’s $199 white tree. I immediately ran out and bought it!!! And… its already up, as shown in the picture above:) I also picked up some Santa straws – because drinking out of a Santa straw makes everything taste better!

This week I’m super excited – doing some more training at Anthro, which I am pumped about, and also, getting together with Kristin to start planning out some fun Christmas crafting!! I’m thinking about some of the things below… any other ideas for things I can make??

{click pictures for links}

currently – busy designing new items especially for the craft fair this weekend – i think my life is being consumed with that and dreaming up all the ways i am going to start decorating for the Holidays!! miss you, little blog, i promise i will pay more attention to you next week.

xoxo.

This week, I will be crafting up a storm for “Christmas In The Country,” a craft fair I am participating in this weekend with a friend in Dickson. If you don’t have any plans, you should come out!! Its only a $1 admission, and is all day Saturday, then Sunday afternoon. This is my very first craft fair ever, and I am SO excited.

This weekend, I had to work on Halloween (which involved the rent-a-cop, who, may the world know, I thought was a fake. Especially when he told me to be on the lookout for Raggedy Ann and Andy. But then I realized, after laughing at him, that he was for real. haa.). So, I went trick or treating on Friday down on the square in Murfreesboro with this angel (this picture was taken when she realized we were letting her eat candy).

I mean, it doesn’t get any cuter than that, right??

Hope you all had a safe and wonderful weekend – we enjoyed some amazing weather here in Nashville, and I will hopefully be posting some photos from our annual fall photoshoot that my sister and I make everyone participate in because of this incredible maple tree my parents have in their yard that turns the most amazing shades of yellow, red and orange. Right now its in the yellow stage, so i’m hoping to get even more photos as it continues to change.

Ok. On to crafting and watching Mad Men!

Three years ago today I married the man of my dreams. The man I had prayed for, dreamed about, cried over, loved passionately. Our wedding was a perfect day, filled with loving family and incredible friends witnessing the joining of our lives together forever. It was magical.

Below are some of my favorite photos/moments. Enjoy:)

dear husband. thank you for 3 amazing years, and the many more to come. you are my life.

This week has been crazy – I need to be careful next time I pray that God would bring new opportunities into my life, because He has. ! I have worked 2 shifts at Anthropologie, babysat, and get to watch my sweet little niece {pictured above} all day tomorrow. On top of my normal housewifey duties, its been a lot to take on after not having anything for the last almost three months.

I absolutely love working retail. There is something therapeutic to me about being around all those gorgeous fabrics, colors and design. The store alone is enough to keep me artistically inspired for a very long time. Love it. {the shoes above are from there. i am obsessed with them.}

this weekend, we have a halloween party at one of jon’s coworker’s house – still trying to think up costume ideas – i don’t want to buy anything, so i’m debating pulling out one of my 50’s day dresses, and going as a 50’s housewife. not too creative, but easy, and i won’t have to spend any money. which is always a plus. what are you guys dressing up as for halloween?

sorry for the picture quality – these were taken with the iPhone. and for the choppy nature of this post.

xoxo!

This blog is my new current obsession. Jon and I have often dreamt and discussed selling everything, packing the rest of our belongings into an RV and hitting the road. These two newlyweds are living our dream. In their own words, 2009 is their year for wandering:

“We’re spending the year on a spiritual quest, a re-prioritization of life priorities, and really digging into what it looks like to invest in a marriage.”

I mean really?? Does it get any better than this? I only hope that Jon and I are able to do this one day.

Hope you all had a lovely weekend!

I am sosososo excited because on Tuesday, I start working part-time at Anthropologie! !! !!!!!!!!!!!!!

I really don’t think I can put into words how excited I am to be working again, and working somewhere that I absolutely adore, even part-time. I have been literally jumping up and down all day long. !

Thank you, dear blog readers, for all your thoughts and prayers and amazing-ness through the job hunt. Its not over yet, but this gives me something to do while waiting for the perfect job to happen. You just don’t know how much every encouragement and prayer, no matter how small, has meant to me. You guys are incredible, and I’m blessed to have friends and readers like you.

Now… to figure out how not to want to spend my entire paycheck every week at Anthro!!!

this fall, i love you more than i ever have before. i love all your ruffly, pleated, soft goodness. maybe you should hire me so i can afford to buy your clothes. you know you want me to wear them. we would be so happy together.

xoxo,
rachel

Currently:

1) laying in bed, listening to husband sleeping next to me, while catching up on some much needed Google Reader time. I feel like I’ve been neglecting my blogs!

2) shop update coming tomorrow or wednesday! yay! a couple of new headbands are below – I will be posting these, as well as a few new designs for fall. cannot wait! had a fabulous party tonight at my sister’s house – thanks to everyone who showed up!

3) I have had my windows open for well over a week now. there is absolutely nothing better than falling asleep with a cool breeze blowing across my face.

4) dreaming about my future. what will it involve? thoughts have been scattered, but always come back to a bakery/coffeehouse/vintage store all in one. cannot wait for this to begin.

5) worrying less about finances and focusing more on spending time with those I love and doing things I love. it helps. it really does.

6) being patient and learning to wait on God’s timing for things. we all know His timing is rarely ever our timing. its a hard lessong to learn, but i am doing my best.

xoxo.

i’m so sorry i’ve been so absent the last few weeks. i’ve felt very un-inspired of late, and have even been a little down in the dumps when it comes to the perfect job hunt, so i took it out on you. i didn’t post on you. i stayed away for fear i would post a poor pitiful me blog post. but then fall came. it got cold outside, and as i was driving through nashville the other day, i saw the first signs of the leaves changing. and it made me so very happy. i just had to come back and let you know! fall is my absolute favorite time of year – there is nothing better than tights, and scarves, and cider, and homemade hot cocoa, and snuggling under the covers, and all those other fun things that the cold weather allows that the horrible hot summer did not.

xoxo,
rachel

ps. i promise i will start visiting you more often dear little blog. i hate that i neglected you for so long.

{image via ffffound!}