Now and Then

Things I know now that I wish I had known then..

Remember those letters that you wrote in 6th grade to your 18th year old self... or the well-documented dreams that my mother kept so tediously in my baby book... about my favorite foods, my favorite toys, what I wanted to be when I grew up {maybe I should check that list} and the my favorite toy each year?  Well, I would imagine that this blog post is a substitute to a letter written to my 5/8/11/14/19 year old self about the things I know now, that I wish I would have known then.

+Learn how to sew, so you don't have to spend hundreds of dollars on alterations. {especially those 27 bridesmaids dresses}
+Say yes when your aunt asks you to help her can those veggies... organic is cool again.
+Pay attention to your grandmother when she tries to tell you about that home-remedy that gets wine out of your shirt.
+Really learn those keys on the piano - not just how to play yankee doodle.
+Watch your mom when she's making her homemade potato salad... because her recipe written on the card is nothing like what goes into the bowl.
+Appreciate the hours spent on the porch shelling pecans with your grandma. Life gets to fast.
+Remember the gigantic lemon tree at paw-paw's? Should have asked him what he does with all those lemons... the fruit is multiplying.
+Gardening is tedious. Yes, every day they need water, sun, weeding and picking.
+The Clean Plate Club is only open to those under the age of 10. You would be better off now if you didn't clean your plate.
+Fighting with your siblings will only make you closer. It gets much harder to fight when you live 12 hours away. Soak it up. You'll miss then being in the room next door - even if they keep  you up all night with their loud music.
+The skittles will catch up to you. I promise!

Maybe I'll keep this list for my future kiddos... and maybe they'll do a little more listening than I did.

When was the last time you came across one of those life lessons and kicked yourself for not paying attention back in the day?  Please do share.

Happy Wednesday!

xo, trace

Fall Shoes

1. / 2. / 3. / 4. / 5.

I am loving all the fall trends in shoes right now, so I thought I would share my favorites today.  I really need to re-stock my entire fall collection,  from tenni-pumps to riding boots, so I needed some inspiration to get started.  I love the look of the suede nude pumps - and the fun variety you could get out of the leopard flats.

What trends are you loving for fall?

xo, trace

Five on Friday

TGIF!!  What a busy week it's been - which has also made it FLY by!  YAY! I'm linking up with the girls today for my 5 on Friday.  

{one} Wine Festival this weekend!

Our local wine {and now beer} festival is this weekend - and it's always a big time for Lex. Not to mention that some of our besties are coming to play...  I can't wait to catch up! 

{two} This adorable orange pillow from TJMaxx.

He fits perfectly with the fall decor in the house! He was also a steal at $14.99. Love me some Max finds!

{three} This workout from SHAPE.

I am 100% guilty of {a} picking up a magazine at the gym and flipping through it while on the treadmill, {b} finding this AMAZING workout {ha}, and {c} doing it once and never doing it again. Well, this week - I did a and b - but did the workout twice... which pretty much cancels out c, right? ha!  We'll see if it sticks.  So, far I  feel like I actually got a good workout in - but maybe that's because I haven't lifted a weight in months. Pick up this month's SHAPE to get the workout. 

{four} Fun Soaps

Picked up this guy from the Farmers Market last weekend from a sweet lady that makes them at home. Love the lemon scent.

{five} Living Debt FREE!!

OK, this is a big one - on my 30bfor30 list and something I wouldn't normally talk about on the blog - but I'm just so excited that I can't hide it!! Earlier this week, I made the last payment on my fun after college; I HAVE to go visit my brother in Key West; I have a new boyfriend - that lives 7 hours away; 10, no 15 of my very best friends and two brothers got married... bette parties, bridesmaid dresses, showers, gifts, hotels, traveling; moving 4 times; welcoming 8 nieces and nephews into the world; working for my sorority credit card - which makes me credit card debt free.  Well, sorta  - I guess once you get married and own two homes you're never really debt free, but that's good debt, right? Anyhoots - the hubs and I are celebrating at Blue Lab after work with some live music and cold brews.

Cheers to Friday! I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend! Stay dry down there Gulf Coast.

xo, trace

Fall Decorating & Weekend Fun

Is it Monday already? How is it that the weekends fly by so quickly? We spent the weekend soaking up the warm rays and visiting with great friends! Friday for date night, J and I scoped out some live music in town... Blue Lab first for a brew and then Sweet Treats for more live tunes and bevs.

Love that the galleries come together for an art walk and live music the first Friday of every month. It's a nice change o' pace for small town Lex. We squeezed into the bar at Bistro for an amazing dinner amongst the parents weekend crowd. 

Butternut Squash for me and Catfish over cheese grits for J. Such great food!

Saturday was Wine Festival! M&M came to play and soak up the day with us. Check out some cute pics on her blog today.  So much fun hanging out with you guys - as always!

Sunday J and I finished up the fall decorating, so I could share with you all on my blog.  

Happy Fall Y'all!! 

Jesse surprised me with mums and pumpkins from Herman's on Saturday and Sunday we completed our decorating with my favorite fall candles. Thanks Wally World for your fabulous candles.

Hope everyone had a fabulous weekend. The rain moved through this morning and it's GORGEOUS out today. Ready for a run after work already... 

xo, trace 

Thankful on Thursday

Tis the season to be thankful... and thanks to Liz, I was inspired today to write share what I have been thankful for this week.

+ Great friends to spend a long Tuesday night with... gabbing away, eating Ruby's salad bar and just catching up on life. So thankful that we have other fun couples in town that stir our spontaneity.

+ A friend and mentor {of sorts} that believes in me enough to push me to learn new skills. I'm doing some contract work of sorts on the side and it is really opened my eyes to a whole skill set I never knew existed.  Thanks D, for believing in me enough to ask me to help out!

+ Lunch with my husband. Just about every day we spend our lunch hour together - mostly at home, catching up, doing chores, prepping for dinner - or even out with friends or just the two of us. I forget that most {if not all of my friends} don't have this luxury, that I sometimes take for granted.

+ My Neices & Nephews. Their pictures, cards and funny stories keep me energized after a long days work, or a month or so without seeing them.

+ Apple Cake. J's mom sent us home with an amazing apple cake from Barber's Orchard in NC. It's so delicious! We opened it for dessert last night and had a slice for breakfast today too. Just getting me more excited for more fall sweets and treats ahead.

What are you thankful for this Thursday?

xo, trace

Old Navy Finds!

Happy Wednesday!! I love Wednesday morning's in Lexington, especially when my first meeting of the day is out of the office. I started my day with a meeting at the local Bakery about our Centennial cake {I feel like I am planning a wedding all over again}, stopped by the Farmers' Market for some fresh veggies, and made a stop in the post office to check on some fall mailings.  A pretty productive morning - all while getting to enjoy the beautiful fall weather! Love it.

Last week, I had a coupon for Old Navy and decided to take a peak at what they had these days... It's hit or miss, but I found a few staples and a few fun items too to add to the closet too.  All for under $100.

Jersey pencil skirt - $19 - Cap sleeve dress - $15 - Black skinny jeans - $19

Tan flats - $22 - Cotton prep sweater - $19

It's also SUPER CASH time, where you spend $25 and get $10. Ends 10/16

Nice staples for the fall wardrobe. Have you picked up any Old Navy finds lately? What'd ya get?

Happy Wednesday!

xo, trace

Happy Fall Y'all!

Today, I first want to mention how thankful I am that September is over - I really hate to wish time away - but I am ready for the craziness of back to school to be over and for work to slow down {at least a bit}. I am also ready for pumpkins - haystacks - apple cider - and gorgeous fall days too!

I have our fall check-list ready to go, and I'm ready to get started. 

Click here to download an editable list.

We have plans for a visit to the pumpkin patch and to pick apples on the books, tickets for Southern Ground are purchased, and S'mores might just be on the weekend line-up... along with Wine Fest and a visit from The Hollomons! 

I also wanted to wish my big brother a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY today he is 35!! 

Love you Clint!! You're such a wonderful father & husband and a pretty awesome landscaper too! Thanks for always being such a good guy - and a great big brother. 

On a final note - I wanted to share a fun website for fall craft ideas - especially for the kids. 

As I have mentioned before, my mom is a first grade teacher and for as long as I can remember - we always have fun fall crafts around the house. I think it would also be fun to package the materials and send them with instructions to the kiddos - maybe that will be my happy for the month. I'll let you know which one I pick. 

Happy crafting!

xo, trace