August.

August is coming to an end ... can you believe that? The beginning of fall is just around the corner, Christmas is less than four months away, and before we know it we'll be talking about the start of 2013. Yikes! I'm not quite ready for that ;) August, though busy, was a really great month.

My happiest moment from August.

Looking back on August...

we spent a week visiting family + friends in Blacksburg

the internet went out for a whole week after a crazy storm

my birthday was on the 24th + I made a list of 22 things to do while I'm 22

Thomas posted on my birthday :)

Looking ahead to September...

are you attending Blog Brunch on Saturday?

I'm going to finally finish some knitting projects

Thomas should receive his final security clearance (which means we can go ahead with the housing search!)

My cousin is getting married!

What was the best part of your month?

August Sponsors

Hi there!

Today I'm letting these lovely ladies take over Case Study in hopes that you'll go check them out + support their cute blogs with a kind comment and maybe a new follow. Enjoy!

Blog // Twitter // Facebook

I'm Torrie, a 20-something residing in rural Alberta, Canada where I'm married to the guy of my dreams, have one cat that I love more than I should and expecting my first baby in the fall. I blog at Free Spirit Reigns where I like to document things I find inspiration from. I try to keep things real and find humor in every day life. I hope you'll stop by!

My favorites :: Friday Faves // DIY // If you really knew me 

Blog // Twitter // Instagram

I'm Janneke (YAH-nuh-kuh), a 24 year old photographer from Cincinnati, OH. A wife-to-be and new home owner, I am trying to figure out life one step at a time. A Snapshot Life is my place to share my photography, love & and the pretty things in life.

My favorites :: Home Inspiration // The 3 I Love

Go say hi + tell 'em I sent ya!
Interested in sponsoring or swapping ads in September? Email me! stclair.eliza@gmail.com

care packages

So it goes something like this...when you're feeling a little down, do something nice for someone else, right? Lately I've been feeling a little sad + moody and while nothing else seemed to be improving my mood, I thought I'd give the do-unto-others thing a try.

I strolled slowly through the aisles at Target picking out little treats for my two girlfriends who are both going back to school this month. Hannah for her senior year, Emily for her first year as a high school English teacher. I'll find things that will make them think of me, I thought. We've been friends for three years + this is the first time I won't be with them to go through the back-to-school season. Bummer.

Before I knew it my basket was filled (please tell me I'm not the only person who leaves Target with 544,009 bags?) and these little care packages were put together and ready to be walked to the post office. I wrote them each a letter, hoping that I sounded a little more "I'm so happy for you!" and a little less "I'm so sad I'm not there to meet you for lunch on campus..." 

...because really, I am so happy for them. So, so happy! But not going back-to-school this semester is making me a little sad, and I'm really just not exactly sure why. 

{taken January, 2011 at Em's birthday party}

I'm not the only one who's feeling this way, right??

And whoever it was that said giving + loving on your girlfriends was the way to true happiness ... they weren't totally wrong :)

I love my brother :: reason #989573

Have you ever had hoddeok before? If you haven't, you are missing out, my friends! These little devils are ahhmazzzing. But probably not so amazing for you ;) Making them, quite obviously, the perfect birthday meal.

We spent the later part of the afternoon at my brother's house last Friday, laughing + catching up with him + the family while he prepared the best ever batch of hoddeok this birthday girl had ever tasted.


If you haven't tried hoddeok before, imagine them to taste something like a sweet pancake, filled with brown sugar + nuts, or apples, or even cheese + scallions if you prefer, folded together...

...fried to warm, crunchy perfection and eaten while almost too hot to touch. With a glass of milk.

And no one will judge if you eat so many that you put yourself in a little food-coma. It happens to the best of us.

Thank you guys for a yummy birthday dinner :)

Weekend Recap :: my birthday!

Last Friday I turned 22. Thank you all for your birthday wishes :) I was overwhelmed with all the tweets, comments, posts, texts, and phone calls! Thursday morning Thomas I left for a little overnight vacation to celebrate {because I'm kind of obsessed with all things birthday}. He'd planned a day full of my favorite things - so allow me to overload you with pictures ;)

I hope you had a beautiful weekend! What have you been up to?

A very merry birthday

via

Hello everyone! Today is Eliza's 22nd birthday, marking the third of her birthdays that I've had the pleasure of celebrating with her. As you may have already guessed, this isn't Eliza posting; I'm quite sure she's never spoken (or typed!) in the third person before. ;)

This is her husband, Thomas, but she's also referred to me as "boy" and T. Since this is my first time posting something on this blog, Eliza asked me to come up with something sweet and special for her birthday, as I've whisked her away for day+overnight birthday celebration out of town and so she's unable to be here herself. Here goes!

Honey - I want you to know how special you are and how lucky the world is to have had you in it for 22 wonderful years. You aren't just an inspiration to me, but I think I speak for all of your readers (yes, all of you guys!) when I say that you inspire them too. I'd like to ask everyone reading to post a comment wishing this great girl a very merry day!

Happy birthday, Eliza - I love you.

~T

plans for a new year :)

...the end of the year, pt II

Yesterday I walked you through our little life this past year - and I'm back today to round out the year!

February ::
- I kept nannying
- I made dinner almost every night

March ::
- we vacationed in Nashville + celebrated our 2nd date-iversary

April ::
- I went to the OBX {again}
- we moved out of our Blacksburg apartment + in with T's parents while he finished his last week of school

May ::
- Thomas graduated!!!
- we moved in with my sister while waiting for T's security clearance to process...

June + July ::
- more of the wonderful same :)

And now it's August again, and it's time to go into 22 with energy + happiness + a clear mind. :)

the end of the year.

At the end of this week, I'm turning 22 :) I can't wait! My birthday is like my New Years - it comes at the end of summer, the beginning of fall, and marks a huge shift every year. I think the thing I love the most is that my birthday always falls on or around the start of school. New pencils, jeans + layers, crunchy leaves, meeting new people...I'm sad to not be going back to school this year! There are definitely grad school plans in the works, though. More on that later.

Even though I'm excited to be looking forward to this next year, looking back at 21 I've realized it was quite the year!

{Warning :: This post is totally for my amusement + heavy on the pictures!!}

August ::

- celebrated my 21st with my then fiance + two best friends

- started an educational psychology graduate program at Virginia Tech

September ::

- started blogging!

- quit a terrible + draining job

October ::

- we got married!

November ::

- went to the Outer Banks in NC

- celebrated our first married Thanksgiving

December ::

- grieved the loss of a family member

- celebrated our first married Christmas

January ::

- started two nannying jobs

- decided not to continue the graduate program at VT

...part two on the blog tomorrow ;) If you're still reading, thank you! I know this tour of 2011 is probably only fascinating to me, but it's so neat to look back at what has changed in just one quick year. 

What's your favorite thing about your birthday?

happy monday, to you!

original image

Think of it as your personal mission for the day ;)

xoxo!

Real Life // VII

One rainy morning // A lazy breakfast date with mom // Sweet shot of my dad + littlest niece, Molly // Happy 6th Birthday to my littlest sister, Zelie!

 Sweet Leaf peach iced tea - my drink of choice this summer! //15 months later + it's {bumper sticker} official // Major planning session // Our beautiful dining room table

 Brown rice cakes with avocado + homemade chicken salad // Keilbasa with green beans + potstickers. My two {current} favorite dinners!

I'm taking a quick break from Friday's Fancies today to share a few Instagrams from the past week. If you'd like to follow along, you can search @eliza_stclair!

thirteen letters.

Just a little reminder for your Thursday :)

pinspiration (+ two pinners you should be following)

perfect tones for fall

how to make bows!

nautical + bows! does it get any better?

oh my goodness! how cute is this? makes me want to really get working on my knitting ;)

1 // 2 // 3 // 4

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Follow Kate if you're interested in blogging // design // fonts :)

Follow Anna if you're on the lookout for amazing home inspiration!

Product Review :: Firmoo prescription sunglasses!

I've been wearing glasses for what seems like forever. Without them, I'm kind of blind as a bat ;) That being said, I've never owned a pair of prescription sunglasses before. Having to wear glasses to be out of bed means that up until this summer I've missed out on that adorable "I'm just throwing on my sunglasses and looking effortlessly cool" look. No more! When Firmoo reached out to me + asked if I would be interested in reviewing a pair of glasses for them I was ecstatic. A  pair of free glasses?? Yes, please!

{via}

I chose these cuties and couldn't be any happier. That little bow?? Oh my goodness!! I'm totally in love. I've been so impressed by the quality + durability that I just can't wait to pick up another pair. I'm thinking the next ones might be geek chic? ;) My prescription processed perfectly + the glasses are amazingly sturdy (an important quality when you're as clumsy as I am!). Firmoo has glasses + sunglasses (which can be prescription or not) and they'll even send you your first pair for free. How neat is that?

So scoot yourself right over and pick out a pair of Firmoo prescription eyeglasses! Like I said, your first pair is free (except for shipping, which is fairly inexpensive) and the customer service is amazing.

Let me know if you end up ordering! I'd love to see which pair you decide on :) My sister picked up a few pairs and she's in love!