My Life In Pictures...

Tullah Belle / dive bar / sleeping buddies / Brady's band makes the cover / black and white / decorating a friend's tree / sandalwood obsessed / Sr. Sol's is the shit

Y'all, all I've done since we returned to Athens (and, ok, maybe a good while before that too...ay yi yi!) have been the following:  eat, take photos of the dogs, sleep, work x 100, eat some more, avoid emails, condition my hair with coconut oil (oh hell YEAH!), enter in a few items for various blog giveaways, pin bakery item ideas, make a few crafty things for the blog, make 'to do' lists and then ignore them, clean out my closet and help friends with their holiday decorating.  Well, maybe I've got a bit more going on than I thought...hmmm...it doesn't feel like it...I feel sluggish and a bit blah...probably because of my poor eating choices of late.  Bummer!

Have you ever tried to cut back on sugar?  Well, I did and I was doing pretty okay job until this bakery gig started.  Now I'm back to a daily ginger ale soda and a sweet (I was told to try as many cakes, cookies and/or pies that I could so that I could learn what they're supposed to taste like), and neither of those are good on a regular basis.  I've been eliminating the sweet stuff the last few days and it's rough going.  If anyone has any suggestions on how to deal with sugar cravings and/or headaches then I'm all ears.    

In order to try to occupy my mind more and to keep from thinking about sugar, I'm continuing the photo challenge into December and maybe beyond...but I did get a bit of a late start this go 'round due to travels and tribulations.  La, I'm getting caught up quickly and I'd love it if you would request to follow me on Instagram via @grits_and_moxie...

Here are a few other things that I've got going on...

I think I've mentioned this before but Benedict Cumberbatch is the bad guy in the new Star Trek and he is going to rock that shit!  The new teaser trailer is out!

Holiday gift giving guides for feminists are a bit lacking so I'm going to create my own (and maybe post on the blog if you're interested?) and will include books, charities, etc.  To start you off, I highly recommend buttons and prints from grimmricksen and zine/button/pin/etc goodies from Modern Girl Blitz.  Please, please, please feel free to share your recommendations...

If you are on a strict budget this holiday season then I encourage you to give the best gifts of all...that of kindness, compassion and the support of a charity that creates positive change.  My personal suggestions include anti-bullying campaigns, GLBTQ advocacy and, of course, animal welfare organizations. Here's an example of how your donations and time can truly help.  Better get some tissues...

I'm obsessed with using pinecones for decorations and I keep bringing tons in the house and then the kitties destroy them.  *sad face*  

Adam is going to be here for NYE and day so I want to cook up a mess of food that follows tradition but is a bit quirkier than expected.  I found this lovely vegan New Year's Day menu slideshow for inspiration...

This list of the top 10 places to visit in 2013 is really whetting my appetite for traveling adventures.  The San Juan Islands look amazing and seeing the Northern Lights are on my 100 Before 40.  I can go to there?

Well, I'm off to see if I can actually make a dent in my 'to do' list before work tonight.  *fingers crossed*  If not, then it's soup time and catching up on Downton Abbey.  Decisions, decisions...

Hope you all have a wonderful Thursday!

Meet And Greet...

I'm a lucky gal...I've got some of the world's best sponsors/friends/supporters here at Grits And Moxie!  And here they are to share a bit about themselves as well as what they love about the holidays...

Be sure to stop by their blogs and shops, and don't forget to take advantage of some of the specials they've offered exclusively to G&M readers!

blog

Hello.  My name is Andréanne, I'm 20-something and from Canada.  I like my cats, drinking coffee in a cute mug, crocheted blankets and pickles dipped in sour cream.  HMP is my place to share many photos, easy recipes, crafts tutorial and a bit of everything I enjoy.

What's one thing you just can't live without during the holiday season?  My Christmas tree, definitely. I am addicted to all the little treasures I received (later that I also bought), since I was a kid.  I have so many and every ornament has its own history.

blog / shop / facebook / twitter

Hi my name is Chantal. I'm a poodle loving, hair dye enthusiast.  I run my own etsy shop and blog called "PonyChops" where I sell hand painted shoes, Russian Dolls and lots of other fun jazz.

What's one thing you just can't live without during the holiday season?  My oven!!  To me the holidays are all about baking and filling the house with the smell of spices and yummy things.

blog / shop

I'm an North Carolina designer, and author of a lifestyle blog where I write about what I create and the small adventures I have everyday!

What's one thing you just can't live without during the holiday season?  The holidays for me are all about warmth and being cozy, so I can't live without my big orange blanket and hot chocolate!  Einstein, my cat, and I spend so many evenings curled up together watching a movie or reading! :D

Grand etsy store opening January 2013!  See teasers over at my blog!

blog

 

Hey I'm Faith, the blogger behind Trail GRRRL!  I'm a huge lover of the outdoors, believer in woman power, runner-in-training, novice crafter, and owner of two adorable rats.  Trail GRRRL is about all these things occurring in my ever-changing life up in rainy Washington. 

What's one thing you just can't live without during the holiday season?  Warm drinks in adorable mugs!  I can't live without tea, hot chocolate, or coffee during the winter--it's just so nice to snuggle up with a mug and a book by the fire.

blog / shop / facebook / twitter

I'm a twenty-something opinionated, feminist, crazy cat lady, bookworm, and all around nerd.  Wife of a fellow nerd and mom to a pretty awesome toddler that we named after a sci-fi character.  Some would say that I'm annoyingly inquisitive, a (wannabe) wino, artsy fartsy, an obsessive planner & list maker, Tetris master, and an olympic sleeper (if that were a sport, I'd be golden).  I make and sell a little bit of everything of the artsy variety: jewelry, chalkboards, kids toys, quilts, scarves, paintings, art prints, feminist propaganda -- you name it and I've probably made it at some point.

What's one thing you just can't live without during the holiday season?  Numerous viewings of "Christmas Vacation" and "Elf".  I probably watch those movies 3-5 times each during the month of December.  Oh, and the holidays wouldn't be complete without Johnny Mathis playing on repeat from the day after Halloween until after new Years.

10% off to all G&M readers through the end of the year!  Just use the code GRITS10 at checkout.

blog / pinterest / facebook / twitter

Hello!  I'm Jen, an artist and blogger from Tasmania!  Red Parka Diaries is a blog about illustration, design and living a creative, adventurous, sustainable, independent and remarkable life.  It's a place for me to share what drives me and my inspirations,  the work of other creative entrepreneurs all over the world, as well as the odd recipe, travel story, DIY and tips for living well.  It's a gorgeous little community of art + life lovers...I'd love to see you there!

What's one thing you just can't live without during the holiday season?  It may be a cliche but the only thing I can't live without during the holiday season is my family...however, Christmas without my grandmother's hard sauce would be a very sad affair!

blog / facebook / twitter

I write about daily life as a single mom of a toddler, my love of thrifting and vintage finds, crafting, creating, putting together fun outfits, and any other random things that strike my fancy.  I change my hair too often and have a hard time taking things seriously.

What's one thing you just can't live without during the holiday season?  This year I can't seem to live without chunky knits and leggings.  Oh and I can't forget my pumpkin spice coffee creamer!  It will be a sad day when that is taken off the shelves.

blog / shop / photo / twitter

Hey y'all! I'm Em from Tea Tree.  I'm a twenty-something vegetarian/tattoo collector/new college graduate/pet mama to two fluffies.  I run a small shop where I sell vintage wares and another one where I sell my photography.   I also blog about my adventures of living in the northwoods, my passions, my obsessions and more. I'd love if you stopped by and said hello!

What's one thing you just can't live without during the holiday season?  Oh my!  This time of year is my favorite because of all the sweets!  I have a major sweet tooth and go nuts baking and decorating cookies and eating sponge candy! 

shop / facebook / twitter

 

Librarian, art historian, wife and mother - reading, thrifting, and ukulele-ing my way through life.  Stranger Bird Vintage lets me indulge my love of fashion history and share the lovelies that won't fit in my own closet!

What's one thing you just can't live without during the holiday season?  The scent of spices in my house is essential to the holidays - whether it's cinnamon brooms, a batch of nutmeggy pumpkin bread, or a nice cuppa peppermint tea.
 

I would like to offer a discount code in my etsy shop for 15% off purchases made by December 31st using code GRITS15.  

I'd also like to thank Marilyn from Pulp Sushi and Jes from The Militant Baker for their special support!

Tummy Troubles And A New Road To Travel...

This weekend we took a trek to our old stomping grounds in Valdosta, GA and, well, honestly?...it was less fun that I'd hoped.  Sorry to start this post on a bummer note and we did enjoy visiting with our dear friends (we love you!) but there was a bit of food poisoning (poor Brady!...that was a horrible experience that I hope never ever ever ever happens again) and overall tiredness and the realization that Valdosta isn't our place anymore.  I know that I'll stay in touch with many folks down there forever and forever but I don't foresee another trip to that area in the near future.  Life changes.  People change.  Things change.  I've changed.  We've started down a different road and now Athens is now our home for the next year or so.

But there were good times to be had!  Food was eaten in abundance (by everyone except the hubby, of course), wine guzzled, stories exchanged and thrift shopping done.  And in the spirit of exploration, my friend Brandi and I took a long stroll around the old neighborhoods and downtown area (which may look very different in the future due to a bypass being built right next to the historic district...so yeah, there's that) and I got to snap some pictures of some neat/crazy/weird things that caught my eye.  These photos include some beautiful buildings and my friend's new vintage shop Vintage Frockstar.  And the weather was amazing...in the high 70's!  IN DECEMBER!

Hey, do you recognize the place in the last picture?  It's the J.T. Roberts House aka our wedding venue that burned down almost 2 years ago.  They've finished the outside restoration and the place looks just like it used to look - beautiful!  And it's the perfect example of how things can be different in a blink of an eye or look the same but you know that it isn't.  Yep, that's life!

So for now, and for a good while, I bid a fond farewell to Valdosta...and Brady has finally bid farewell to the side effects of his illness and is resting comfortably with a big heap o' doggies snuggled up with him.  Tomorrow it's back to work and back to the regularly schedule program of 'our crazy lives'!

Oh, and I'm still getting caught up on emails and posts but if you need to get in touch with me ASAP then please resend any information and I'll be back with you quickly...

My Life In Pictures...

thankful / black / waking up with major Adele hair / dirty kitty paws / an excellent giveaway / my view at work / more work / and more work in the bakery / weird mouth photo / happy faces at the Louis CK show / more work stuff - snickerdoodles! / in my cupboard / blue view

Sorry for disappearing on you for a few days but this week has been super busy.  Damn, I'm starting to feel like a broken record as of late - 'I'm busy' 'things are cuh-ray-zee' 'did I mention that I was busy' 'gah, things are so hectic!'  You get the drift...

Even if I let the blog mellow for a bit (but in my defense I did leave you with an awesome giveaway to enter, right?) I did have time to do things besides sling food, greet customers, ice cakes and make more granola than one person should ever have to look at it in their lifetime.  Shall I break it down for you?

Warning: This List Is Short.

Ahem.

Brady and I discovered that if you roll acorns (the same acorns that hit our tin roof every freakin' 5 seconds and sound like a gun going off) down our crazy steep driveway our kitties will chase them like crazy and even carry them around in their mouths like a dog with a toy.  Weirdos.

Jes over at The Militant Baker put me on her list of favorite blog reads!  Holy shit!  You have no idea how much it means to me.  Jes is one of my favorite, and most inspirational in real/honest/lovely/complex ways, bloggers out there...

I've got some new sponsors and I'm thrilled to have them aboard.  So, if you notice a new name/face/button then you should visit them ASAP.

After meeting the cutest kid in the world (really, this child stole my heart and I'm not big on kids) who communicated via ASL, I've begun my 100 Before 40 goal of learning 100 words.  I've got 5 memorized so far!

Brady played at the 40 Watt for the Holidaze show and it was unbelievably fun.  I drank a few whiskey dranks, listened to some new-to-me local artists and then sat on the couch backstage where Kurt Cobain had parked his rear years ago.

My friend Cater bought me tickets to see the Louis CK show here in Athens and I had to pinch myself numerous times to make sure that I was really there!  He's one of my favorites alongside Mitch Hedberg and Maria Bamford.  I laughed out loud so much my sides hurt...and I have a very weird laugh so I know everyone around me was probably less than thrilled.  Oh well!  Ha!  

And I made tentative plans with Cater for NYE involving blanket forts and fireworks and bonfires!  I have to spend some time with her before she hightails it to South America for some adventures and then disappears for 6 months on the Appalachian Trail...

Right now in a few minutes (my Nana's favorite saying) I'll be packing for a long awaited trip back to Valdosta, GA to see friends and eat the world's best nachos.  To say that I'm excited is an understatement...

So, yeah.  Good times were had and will continue to be had...

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

PS You can follow me on Instagram @grits_and_moxie
PPS I've deleted my Twitter account so you won't find me on there anymore.  La, I'm streamlining!
PPPS There are a few more free ad swaps available so send me an email if you might be interested!