The Big News

The Big News

2015–this year’s going to be a big one. It will bring change and challenge, questions and joy. I mean it. As much as I haven’t quite figured out all of this year’s goals, I know it will be a big one in our lives. We’ll be coming up on five years of marriage and will have been in North Carolina longer than Iowa in our married life. Change is inevitable in our jobs, as it is with our friendships and families.

Were you expecting something else? Oh, yeah.

It seems like half the people I know are buying houses or having babies. It makes sense, I suppose. It’s the “next step” and I am so, SO excited for all of them. They will all be wonderful parents and homeowners, families and neighbors. I really mean it, too. We’re fortunate to be friends with some amazing people, and I am thrilled for their next steps and adventures.

Our news?Us | Moving Peaces

Well, we love each other a lot. So, we decided it was finally time.

We’re going to…

South America | Moving Peaces

ARGENTINA!

We’ve been wanting to take a trip outside the country for awhile now and have been saving all of our pennies (read: all money from birthdays & Christmases, tax refunds and freelance gigs) for years. So, we finally bought the tickets, and we will be visiting this beautiful country for two weeks this spring!

At first you might say, “Aren’t you looking for a job?” and then question, “Is this really the best timing?”

You are not alone. I had all of these questions and more. But then we thought about a few key things and decided this was the best timing. Things have not all gone according to my plan this past year, but that’s not to say that it hasn’t brought some incredible opportunities along the way. We have been wanting to take a trip to explore the world a little, just the two of us, since we got married. There was always been something else keeping us, whether it was time or money or other logistics (oh I don’t know, like moving halfway across the country).

When you don’t have a job, you suddenly find yourself with a lot more time. As far as money, well, that’s something we’ve been saving for this specific purpose for years now. This last year without a full-time job has been tough and we’ve had to make certain financial sacrifices. But thankfully, we have been debt-free for a few years now and try to maintain a very frugal lifestyle. It’s a bit of a risk because of course we’re hoping that I have a job soon, but one thing I’ve realized this past year is that we don’t know what’s next. When the hubby asked for the time and it was approved, we decided to just jump at the chance and hope for the best with whatever else is to come this year.

Okay, so why two weeks in Argentina?

Why not? Alright, I know that’s not the answer you were looking for. To some, this seems like a lavish trip and to others in might seem like a small vacation, no big deal. Sure, I wish we could go for a month or more, but the reality is this is still more time than most people get to take all at once. I was able to study abroad twice when I was in college and knew then that it was not something everyone got to do or an opportunity that would present itself again. I feel similarly about this. Of course there are people who travel all over the world and have these awesome experiences, but to us, this is a big deal. This is something we’ve been dreaming about for a while. We see it as an opportunity to explore a different culture, see some different scenery and really invest in our marriage through a unique experience.

As to the location itself, we’ve heard a lot of good things and think it looks like a beautiful part of the world to see. It gives us a chance to brush up on some of that high school Spanish, see an epic waterfall and explore a continent neither of us have ever been to. We’re still figuring out what else might be in store during our time there but are also open to just finding out a bit while we get there.

That said, we’d love to hear any tips or suggestions should you know the area! We’re really excited about this, and I look forward to sharing about it more with you!

 

 

Nifty Thrifty: Comfy Casual

Nifty Thrifty: Comfy Casual

While some bloggers put together outfit posts, I put together thrifted outfit posts. Thrifting is not only a way to be creative and find something interesting, but also a very practical way to build a wardrobe. It’s both a hobby and even a lifestyle in a way as you stretch your dollar farther and reconsider the value and use of an item.

Thrifted Outfit | Moving Peaces

Believe it or not, you can put together a full outfit that was purchased secondhand. Today’s thrifted pieces are my shirt, jeans and purse. Each came from a different place during a different season of the year. It takes time to build a thrifted wardrobe so you’ve got to be patient as you sift through hundreds of items to find that gem you’ve been waiting for.

Nifty Thrifty Casual Clothes | Moving Peaces

I first found these jeans on our most recent trip to Oregon. Some cities get the best thrifting luck and Portland is one of those cities so we make sure to set aside time for our favorite thrift stores. I grabbed a pile of my favorites to try on, but just so happened to need a pair of jeans to try on some shirts (Note: when thrifting, try to not wear dresses that day so it’s easier to try different pieces). I broke my own rule that day which meant I needed to try on jeans as well as a shirt.

Joe's Jeans Thrift Find | Moving Peaces

I loved the way they fit. The ripped knee is my least favorite part about it because it’s harder to dress them up, but I knew this kind of fit wasn’t easy to come by. So, I walked away with a pair of Joe’s Jeans for $20. I was thrilled! If only they all cost that much, because let me tell you, designer jeans at that price are a rare find.

Hello Thrifted | Moving Peaces

The next find was this top at a local GCF in October. When everything is organized by color, sometimes it’s easiest to just go for a print that stands out. This one grabbed my attention, but at first I questioned the fit. I’m glad I went for it because this has turned out to be one of my favorite shirts.

Thrifted Top | Moving Peaces

Originally from ZARA, I snagged this for $3.39. It’s casual yet seems a little more fun and something I could wear for a variety of occasions.

Thrifted Outfit of the Day | Moving Peaces

Finally, let’s talk about this purse I picked up from Plato’s Closet a few weeks ago. Most of my bags tend to be a crossbody style, and I loved how this had plenty of pockets but was small enough to to carry for long periods of time.

Thrifted Purse | Moving Peaces

Originally St. John’s Bay, I paused for awhile to consider the $16 price tag. Consignment can make you feel like you are getting a good deal, but it’s always worth questioning if you are ready to spend that much on an item, thrifted or not. Ultimately, I decided it was a good price for a bag that I would inevitably get a lot of use out of.

Happy Thrifter | Moving Peaces

In the end, you’ve got to take risks when you thrift, but you also have to continuously check yourself to make sure you are enhancing your wardrobe, not just adding another item to it.

What about you? Found anything fun while thrifting lately?

 
Special thanks to my sister, Clara, for taking these photos on such a cold and windy day.
Linking up:  Let it shine , Visible Monday , Street Style Sunday , Watch What I’m Wearing ,  Sophisticated Style ,  Style to Inspire, How I fall
Thursday Three

Thursday Three

Hello to the Thursday Three! It’s been a good week of lots of fun things. I’ll just go ahead and tell you that this will be a photo heavy post, but I’m alright with it. We’ve been showing off Raleigh to my youngest sister for the week, which is a great excuse to visit all of our favorite places in the area. All I can say is, YUM FUN.

1. You are never too old to try something new. Right before my sister arrived we decided to cash in one a Christmas gift card toward a local Art Bar. I’m much more of the writing type…I see things I like in art but when I go to replicate it…well, it doesn’t always go as planned. That said, we spent six plus hours painting away until our canvases looked like something we meant to make. Can you tell what it is?

Painting at the Art Bar | Moving Peaces

Painting in Progress | Moving PeacesPaint Date | Moving Peaces

Painting | Moving PeacesPurple Hippo | Moving PeacesGlowing Cherry | Moving PeacesRooster Painting | Moving PeacesThis was the bonus 6″ x 8″ canvas the hubby painted while I finished up my masterpiece. It fits right in with the rest of our kitchen!

2. Christmas is still here in this household. Because both sisters were going to be in town this week and shipping is a total pain, we just decided to leave the tree and decorations up. At this point, it almost seems easier to keep it going year-round. Alas, we have a real tree and cannot make it last much longer. But who doesn’t love those twinkly lights on the tree?

3. There’s not enough time in a week to see all of our favorite places in Raleigh. I made a master list of all the things we’d go do and see and eat while my sister was here and we’ve only hit about half of them so far and sadly, she leaves tomorrow. Recently, I found a list of places to check out in Raleigh and they really did include all of our favorites in case you are wondering what there is to do around here. I wouldn’t call Raleigh a tourist-y place, but we sure do like living here. It’s been really fun showing yet another family member all the reasons why we love it.

YAY | Moving Peaces

Southern Food | Moving Peaces

Art Museum | Moving PeacesSister Selfie | Moving Peaces

Lilly's Pizza | Moving Peaces

 

 

Stuck in the Montage

Stuck in the Montage

 

Living the Montage | Moving Peaces

Do you dream about doing something epic? Especially this time of year when people are going wild with goals and dreams? There’s the pipe dream or acceptance speech that you picture happening one day. Whatever it is, it’s amazing and you’ll be leaps and bounds from where you are now.

Some days though, the success is merely in making it through the day. There’s no award passed out or a congratulatory grin flashed your way. You get to go to sleep and do it all over again. All the little details and duties add up each day, and suddenly you’re out of time to do that epic thing or even have time to think about it.

In the movies they have a clever way of showing someone trudging through life. There’s a theme song and clips upon clips showing the main character go through the practicing and preparing. They pace through the hallway or run up and down the stairs–trying and failing–albeit showing small signs of improvement. Finally, the moment comes and it all amounts to something. Cue end credits.

Right now, all I’ve got to show is the movie montage, and it’s not even half finished. I keep working on fixing my mistakes, finding who I am, appreciating what I have, realizing my strengths and weaknesses, building better relationships and searching for my moment. That great big shining moment at the end of it all when it comes together and somehow makes sense. The tedium and the frustration of going through it all again and again is far less lighthearted without the song and the sped up highlight reel.

I look around and think how badly I want to check all of those things off my list, forever. Wouldn’t it be nice to say you’ve mastered all of your mistakes or finally formed perfect working relationships with everyone you know? Maybe you can say that, but I certainly can’t. Each day seems to bring both lost battles and small victories.

You know what? Sometimes I want the montage to be over already. Get me to the good part. But what I’ve been realizing lately is a need to appreciate the montage. It might be as close as we ever get to the “big moment” in this life. This wonderful thing called life is a nonstop montage of all the things we have to work through. It might not even be until the end that we get to look back and see all of the triumphs within it. We get to constantly grow and learn and do things, despite the hardships it might bring. Wouldn’t you rather have a life that is progressing instead of a stagnant life after that one big moment has passed?

So maybe living out the montage isn’t so terrible after all. (Having a theme song couldn’t hurt though…)

Thursday Three

Thursday Three

Oh hello, 2015. Welcome to this year’s first Thursday Three. Took a little Christmas break, which meant less blogging, working, applying for jobs and all those every day things that take up the time. Instead, we spent some time with family and lost track of the days. I keep thinking it’s Saturday for sure at this point but apparently we haven’t arrived there just yet.

1. Christmas was here. We still have a tiny tree lit up and the leftover ham in the fridge to prove it. We got to Skype with tons of family, see some family in person and spend time with a few friends.

2. It’s good to live in a warmer state in the winter. I’m sorry, that maybe sounds a little too in-your-face for all of you colder states. But I am just so grateful for warmth and sunshine this time of year. Went on a nice long walk around a lake today and it wasn’t even frozen.

3. New Year’s Eve is always a scramble to do something interesting. It’s as if every year we forget that we want to do something awesome and epic on NYE until five hours beforehand. In high school I finally figured it out–plan on watching movies by yourself and if you get invited to do something else, consider it a bonus. We got to watch the famous Acorn Drop in downtown Raleigh this year with a few good friends. I’d call that a great bonus.

NYE with Friends |Moving Peaces

NYE 2014 | Moving Peaces

What If…

What If…

What If | Moving Peaces

What if this is your “what if”?

I often think back to decisions I made in the past. The way I handled relationships with people. Jobs I did or didn’t take. My response to a crisis or to a triumph. Then I often ask that question–“what if?” What if I had said it this way or done it that way? I spend way too much time thinking and dwelling on mere moments as if something else will happen if turn it over in my mind again and again. Hollywood loves this sort of stuff –back to the future, travel through time–whatever it is to explore these types of fantasies.

But what if your “what if” moment is right now? What if this is your opportunity for adventure, forgiveness, honesty, kindness, risk and faith? I’m not saying to live every moment as if it were your last, that would mean we’d overindulge ourselves and take nothing else into consideration. What I mean is, what if right now is that opportunity, that mere moment you’ve been waiting for? So you have it, here it is, this is your chance. Now what are you going to do with it?

Think for a moment–this, this is your life right now as you breathe in and out. This is what it’s “supposed to” look like (it’s not perfection and perhaps it’s even downright wrong…but this is what it is right now, so stop getting caught up in the “supposed to”). Maybe we had plans for something else, but whatever is happening right now is actually what it is. This is the moment to respond to, not a time in the past that is long gone or an idealized future that may never come.

Your “what if” moment is here.

Christmas is Here

Christmas is Here

There is a season for everything. A season for laughter and a season for tears. A season for thankfulness and a season for sharing. I’m glad we have different seasons throughout the year, because each brings its share of sweet and bittersweet moments. Whether your Christmas season brings joy or peace, restlessness or the flu, I hope you know it’s just a season that is sure to bring a mix of everything. We cherish the good and address the bad as well as we can. Christmas is here and so is this season in life, whatever that may be for you.

While this season has been unexpected and sometimes busy for me, I’m glad we’re here. I’ll keep this short and sweet, because we all have a million little things to do this week in order to spend quality time with friends and family and some time relaxing, resting and rejoicing. We always look forward to putting together our Christmas card and a Christmas song to share at the end of the year. Here’s wishing you a wonderful Christmas, New Year and winter season.

Go Tell it on the Mountain Christmas Card

Merry Christmas and Go Tell it on the Mountain!
(Go to Gratton Christmas for more photos and a little bit of behind the scenes)

Countdown to Christmas: Music

Countdown to Christmas: Music

When you think about Christmas memories, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Is it the tree or the lights? Setting up the nativity or going to the Christmas Eve service? Eating a favorite holiday dessert or avoiding the eggnog?

For me, I think the music is what always comes to mind first. Of course, with each year you make new Christmas memories so there’s never only one thing that covers all of Christmas, but the music plays a big part for me and it always has. Thank goodness I married a musician.

Our second Christmas as a married couple, we started singing and playing “O Holy Night” on Christmas day when we found ourselves with plenty of time following the busy month leading up to Christmas. We actually created two versions and had a really good time, but suddenly it was the day after Christmas and there was not a strong desire to listen to Christmas music anymore. A year later though, we decided to get a head start on our Christmas song and a new family tradition was born. We released both the song from Christmas of 2011 and the song for the Christmas of 2012 at the same time, along with our Christmas card.

We now have a total of four Christmas songs completely arranged, performed and recorded by me and the hubby (let’s be honest, he does most of the heavy lifting when it comes to these). If you’re feeling in the mood, go ahead and take a listen! Let me know what you think!

Hint: This year our song directly relates to our card…so get excited! We’ll release the latest Christmas song with the card next week!

Thursday Three

Thursday Three

So many things yet nothing at all. How can it be? Here it is, another Thursday Three!

1. Sometimes the anticipation is the best part. This is a season where we are getting ready, celebrating through Advent and preparing for things we’re all looking forward to. There is a certain excitement in the time leading up to something, and we should cherish that. More to come, but for now, I’m happy to be in the planning and anticipation stage for a few different things.

2. Nostalgia and forgetfulness are at an all-time high this season. Oh, remember the porcelain tree my grandma had? Look, I have one just like it! Oh, it’s December 11th and all gifts/cards should be shipped in the next week. WHAT?!?!?!! I feel like I know it’s time for Christmas, but I’m just not ready still. Maybe I spend too much time hanging out in the anticipation stage and not enough in the preparation. Welcome to what Christmas looks like in our house.

Oh Christmas Tree | Moving Peaces

3. Blogging is more than just writing. Doing photography for money is more than just taking photos. Being a musician is more than simply playing music. Sometimes it’s easy to get wrapped up in the idea that it’s one and the same with any of these (and likely many other roles). At the core, there is a lot of writing involved with blogging (and so on), which is why it is important to love it and continue to improve the skill. That said, the past few weeks and months I’ve really been pouring into all of the other components that go into a blog, like tweaking the website and being active in the blogging community. Trying to figure out how best to grow my audience or interact with readers. It’s been a lot of work and not nearly as much writing as you would think. I’m enjoying learning more about all that goes into it though in hopes of becoming both a better blogger and a better writer.

Countdown to Christmas: Cards

Countdown to Christmas: Cards

I’ve not been very secretive about my love of Christmas cards. It’s a pretty well-known fact that I think Christmas cards are great. In fact, I keep the previous year’s cards packed away with our Christmas decorations so that I can enjoy them again. Last week I laid them all out and looked through each photo and note that we were sent, smiling the whole time.

Christmas Cards | Moving Peaces

So, while we’re reflecting on Christmas cards, I figured I would share a few of ours from years past. You saw our first Christmas already, but we’ve kept the tradition every year so far. It’s been an interesting progression to say the least.

Year Two – 2011

Awkward Family Photo with Fish | Moving Peaces

The year of the fish. Arthur, the beta fish, graced our card and stole our hearts. We decided to embrace this awkward family fish photo for all of its worth. Photo credit: Justin Salem Meyer, who is likely embarrassed to be associated with such a thing.

Year Three – 2012

Christmas Bikes | Moving Peaces tumblr_meur1kaZec1rmrn68o3_1280tumblr_meur1kaZec1rmrn68o5_1280

Oh yeah, remember that time we decorated the heck out of our bikes and then preceded to use them in lieu of a tree that year? Gather ’round, put your gifts under that decked out bike in the living room! Photo Credit: Us running back and forth from the camera on a tripod.

Year Four – 2013

Musical Christmas Card | Moving PeacesMusical Christmas Card | Moving PeacesThis was the year we went all over town wassailing. In case you were wondering, yes, we really did sing and play music throughout the entire photo shoot. What did you think it meant to wassail anyway? Photo credit: Cameron Lockey.

Year Five: I am SO excited to add this year’s card to the mix. It’s hard to believe it will be our fifth Christmas card already. I promise to share them soon!

Do you have any favorite Christmas cards that you sent or received? Any ideas for our next card?