not feeling ready for bathing suit season. [photo + text from emma]

gpoyw | way down in the hole edition

gpoyw | missing the beach/my tan/warm weather edition

this was taken last august, during our family vacation to edisto beach + botany bay — by far one of the most amazing beaches i’ve visited.

as i look outside and see gloomy skies, it really makes me miss the dog days of summer & all the goodness it brings … then realize just how far away it is.

gpoyw | you’re so vain edition

[in my defense] this was taken the same day i ran the color run,

after i had showered scrubbed up & felt fresh to death.

gpoyw | the time i danced my ass off in a wall of beads edition

circa 2009, dressed as jane fonda.

fake eyelashes caught in said beads,

and sweat on my brow.

as my friend chad says — i was going thru it!

gpoyw | mine & rhyan’s sleeping positions were nearly the same edition

and at this moment, i really wish i were curled up on a lawn chair.

in the sun, with a cold beverage, and a good book.

gpoyw | i wasn’t very good at sharing edition

to be completely fair, it was my birthday.

i had just opened the most amazing gift: strawberry shortcake sunglasses.

and i was not [under any circumstance] letting my baby brother have them!

gpoyw | missing this girl edition

i seriously think i’m going through withdrawals.

i spent most weekends this spring/summer in wilmington with her & emma,

and i dunno — i guess i got used to seeing them all the time.

i haven’t been down there since my birthday in july, she’s been super busy with work/school & things have been crazy here as well.

it’s so tough being 2 hours away from someone you love so dearly.

rhyan & i are going to see her and em next weekend,

and goodness knows it can’t come soon enough!

gpoyw | photo shoot on the beach edition

taken at the botany bay plantation while on family vacation,

i still can’t get over how absolutely gorgeous it was.

if you’ve ever in the area, you have to visit —

and take silly pictures with your sisters + nieces,

because why not!

in christ alone [i stand]

gpoyw | when i dip, you dip, we dip [!] edition

in all seriousness, the two of us love some chips & dip.

this photo came across facebook yesterday,

and i couldn’t help but laugh.

as if the look on my face doesn’t show it,

there are few things better than freshly made salsa & heluva good dip!

gpoyw | here’s lookin’ at a [very] long weekend edition

leaving work in approximately thirty minutes,

and it can’t come soon enough.

celebrating a good friends upcoming wedding at the beach,

which means plenty of girl time & plenty of drinks.

i’ve packed an entire week of work into two and a half days,

so i feel i’ve more than earned some time off.

here’s to an awesome time with some awesome ladies i adore!

gpoyw | this is exactly how i feel about my birthday tomorrow edition

maybe it’s because i’m turning 31 & will officially ‘be in my thirties’,

maybe it’s because the older you get the less you care about your birthday,

or maybe it’s just that i haven’t really thought much about it …

but for whatever reason i’m just not excited about my birthday this year.

maybe i just need a big homemade chocolate cake in front of me!

gpoyw | from the archives edition

i just ran across this photo, taken back in 2008 on our way to pick up some friends down the street for an all day beach music festival.

while i like how fun & fancy free i appear his photo, i do not like the fact that i lost this beloved [aka most favorite] sweatshirt/hoodie that day …

i still have the sads about it.

gpoyw | gettin’ rained on at andrew bird edition

my baby brother was in town from michigan for a few days, so he went to the show with my dad & bobbi, my good friend jennifer & myself.

the evening included a relaxing picnic, the soulful sounds of miss mavis staples, huddling under a tarp, wet asses, incredible tunes by the oh-so-talented andrew bird … and wearing jo’s newly acquired ray-bans from greece at night.

we were all so impressed with his show, he graced us with his presence for more than two hours. a truly fantastic night — complete with family & friends, music & good eats, oh and some pesky rain!