~ meet the kids ~

I am very happy to introduce two special baby boys to you all: Franklin and Theodore.  AKA Frankie and Teddy.  AKA our new kittens.

Okay, let me tell you the story of these babies.  My mom has been wanting kittens (specifically two orange brothers) for a long time now.  After our older cats passing away through the years, our family needed some youth - losing the cats that you grew up with is a very hard thing to go through.  I like to think that my boy Jack would have loved these kids.

After a lot of thought my sister Emmy and I decided to get my mom a kitten (or two) for a mother's day and late birthday present.  We went to the animal shelter but they were COMPLETELY OUT of kittens - a rare but wonderful feat during kitten season.  Next we looked at the Humane Society and a few other places but none of the kittens felt right.  So we went back to the shelter where we saw a sign for six kittens (four girls, two boys) and their super young mother who were being fostered.

     

After meeting them once we know the boys were perfect!  After her birthday and mother's day came and went, and after the boys were neutered and formally adopted, we surprised her with her new babies!  It all went perfectly!  We made her close eyes while we opened their carrier and held them out for her to see.  I should have recorded the reaction!

They're both curled up in my lap right now, had a bath this morning, and have already claimed the grey blanket on my bed as theirs.  I guess you could say they're adjusting well...

Welcome to the family, boys!  Get ready to be the most photographed kitties in the world.

~ little things ~

Whenever things get really busy, I rely on the little things to get me through it all.  Trying new recipes, singing around a campfire, trips to the beach, photoshoots, and long walks.  Things like that keep me a little more sane and my emergency chocolate stash a little more full!

01. canoeing at the Rez

02. Friday's outfit

{Gap shirt, Old Navy skirt, Target flats}

03. The view from the passenger seat

04. Chinese food dinner date

05. Singing around a campfire until after midnight 

06. Homemade tofu bahn mi (recipe coming soon!)

07. Reading Salinger on the beach

08. Red lips and a Florida headscarf

xoxo,

Eliza

~ mint condition ~

Today we took a little trip to Thomasville for a good meal.  Literally.  We drove 45 minutes to eat butter beans, mashed potatoes, green beans, creamed corn, fried chicken (well I didn't eat that), and cinnamon buns.  And it was worth it!

Also, because I was too excited to eat, I forgot to take a picture.  I did take one of my empty plate, but somehow I don't think anyone wants to see that....

{Gap shorts, Gap sandals, F21 top}

If you ever go to Thomasville, make sure you go to The Bookshelf.  It's amazing!

This day trip had everything I needed: massive amounts of food, good books, and good company.  I want to do it again!

xoxo,

Eliza

~ mother's day ~

Today is a day to celebrate our mothers: the strong women who impact our lives in innumerable ways.

 

Happy Mother's Day to my beautiful mother.  You have the strength of a million and a kindness that compares to no one.  I know that the "I don't know how you do it" phrase is overused, but it's true!  I honestly don't know how you do it.  

Actually, I take that back.  I DO know how you do it.  You are strong, smart, logical, empathetic, and you are brave.  That's how you do it all.  With passion and a mind boggling combination of power and grace.  The lessons you have taught me could fill all the books in the Library of Congress with no room to spare!  

You've been through tough times, but recovery is one of your strong points.  You have an amazing ability to overcome and I'm so proud of you!

Thank you for letting me share today, and every day with you.  To celebrate Mother's Day, we went to the Sweet Pea Cafe after I got off work.  Then we went shopping and finished the day reading by the pool.  A perfect day!

So Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there.  And to my sweet grandmother - thank you for raising such an awesome mommy!

Mommy, thank you for putting up with so much over the years.  You rock.

xoxo,

Eliza

~ life's a beach ~

Going to the beach never gets old, but sometimes you need to shake things up a bit and go to a different beach!  That's what we did yesterday as a pre-mother's day escape from everyday life...

{Bald Point}

When I've been in the sun for more than twenty minutes, the freckles start popping up.  But every year they show up in a different place - a sure sign of summer!

             

{my new favorite photography book}

{my gorgeous mama}

{driftwood + shadow}

{doing my best bathing beauty pose!}

I hope everyone has had a sunny weekend.  Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!

xoxo,

Eliza

~ coming of age ~

I've always loved the scene in Bye Bye Birdie when Kim sheds her innocence and puts on her big girl sweater.  Watching it as a ten year old, it made me long for the days when I could go to parties and wear lipstick.  You know, a ten year old's idea of "grown up" things.

Now I'm going through a coming of age, similar to Kim's.  I'm eighteen.  An official highschool graduate with one year of college under my belt.  I have a job, I own a business, I can legally vote, and I can schedule my own doctor appointments.  In other words, I'm an adult.  (insert Psycho theme song here).

I'm not so sure how I feel about this.  I'm at the age that I used to see and think "psh...that's YEARS away.  I'll have it all figured out by then!"  Well here I am, and trust me when I say how wrong my ten year old self was.

Maybe I have a few things figured out, but the vast majority is still a dizzying array of options, which I feel very fortunate to have.  But there's no denying the fact that it's scary.  And there's no denying the fact that I feel old - I don't think I'll ever get used to being called "ma'am."

As my wise mama said to me, "You never get used to how old you are.  That never changes."  Amidst a constantly changing world, finally I've found something that never will.  And for this new adult, that makes things a little less scary.

xoxo,
Eliza

~ derby day ~

Happy Derby Day!  Or as I like to call it "Super Awesome Hat Day."  Because I woke up at 6am and I'm currently lounging on the couch in pajamas (which sounds way more glamorous than it really is), let's do a throwback to National Hat Day - four of my favorites!

What are you wearing on Derby Day?  

Hopefully next year I'll be as coordinated as they are!

xoxo,

Eliza