Hatch Show Print

While showing Jonny, the british family member, around Nashville the other day, we made a stop at Hatch Show Print. I have admired their prints for years, but this was my first time to actually see how and where they are made.

I love the look of their prints, but it was neat to see all the careful work that goes into making each one.

This company has been in business since 1879, so they hold an important place in the history of Music City, USA.

Of course, I wanted to buy everything in the store, but I just settled for one. We especially liked this one, even though I did not purchase it, because Jonny made this Tennessee joke about Ali when he first visited Nashville to meet the family. His jokes are still that corny, but we love him anyway.

This is just another reason that I am proud to be a Nashvillian.

xoxo

Hustle and Bustle

I love Christmas season, but the busyness of it all almost does me in every year. I thought it would be different this year since I am living here in Nashville...but with the hustle and bustle of exams and work, siblings arriving and airport trips, shopping and errands, time with friends near and far, hosting and attending holiday parties, and throwing in babysitting and a quick out of town wedding...it has been a busy, busy December.

I am happy to finally have the calm, quiet (er) chance to celebrate the birth of Christ...the real reason for all the commotion this season. 

....and friends that are here to visit, friends that are here for good, and friends that are here just by a Skype session...

 ...and show my siblings all my new favorite nashville hotspots...

...and getting to celebrate Mary Cam's wedding in Montgomery...

...and the countless phone calls, shopping trips, and Aunt Bea errands that come along with having a full Carroll house this holiday season...

I am thankful for all of the busy, crazy times this Christmas season and all the wonderful people that are around to enjoy them with.

xoxo

Virtual Secret Santa

It is a common topic of conversation among my friends about how surprisingly hard the first few years out of college are...from new cities, to figuring out a job you enjoy, to dating and paying your own bills...it is safe to say the past year and half have been challenging for all of my friends. My lovely group of girl friends from Wake has done a good job of keeping up via e-mail, group texts, phone calls, and visits whenever possible. We were spread all across the world last year...but as of September we are all back in America. Just scattered from LA to DC and Seattle to Chapel Hill...and about everywhere in between.

Since we have the standing tradition of exchanging christmas presents via Secret Santa, we did a virtual exchange this year. Emily organized an the secret santas, set the price limit, and gave us a deadline to mail it by December 9th, then the requirement that you e-mailed a selfie upon receiving your gift. It was so fun both buying and receiving the gifts, but I also loved opening my e-mail to new selfies as each person received their gift! It wasn't quite as good as gathering in someone's apartment to exchange gifts like we did in college, but the virtual secret santa was very fun! Here are the selfies we have so far...

I am so thankful for these friends, near and far, and this festive little holiday exchange that brightened this christmas season even more :)

xoxo

Birthdays and Weddings

I love Camp DeSoto for countless reasons...one of them being the wonderful friendships that have blossomed on that sweet mountain top. This week, there are big reasons to celebrate my two best friends from Camp, Mary Cam and Camille.

 Mary Cam, Camille, and I have been best friends for more than a decade, since Mary Cam and I started camping in 2002. Today, Camille turns 24 and on Saturday, Mary Cam is tying the knot!

 

These are pictures of us through the years...from campers, to staff members, to visits, to nights out in Fort Payne, to many christmases in July, to canoeing with Mary Cam in the middle, to sneaking into the POB and countless Sundays in our whites...these two girls are wonderful, hilarious friends and I am fortunate to be able to celebrate with both of them this week!

 

xoxo

A Festive Weekend

This weekend was so christmasey and fun! I felt like everything I did was holiday related and fun!  And being done with school for the semester helps spread that Christmas cheer.

Friday night, I went to Dave Barnes' Christmas Show at War Memorial. Not only is he an incredibly talented musician, but he is hilarious so the whole show was lively and entertaining.

After the show, we stopped by Bess and Mary Margaret's tacky Christmas party for some more fun.

Saturday, the day was filled by volunteering in the morning and prepping for our party in the afternoon. Preparations included finalizing (and in this case, stretching a little boys t-shirt) our tacky outfits.

And our actual party, #grutchristmas, was a major success. It was complete with christmas cocktails, lots of friends, a fake fire with stockings, and plenty of photobooth action.

  

And on Sunday, my parents and I went to see Nashville's performance of the Nutcracker, compliments of John and Winston. The costumes were incredible and I love watching ballet.

And, fortunately for us, since the props and costumes are still lingering around the house, we still have some christmas cheer popping up, even this morning!

I hope your weekend was cheery and festive also!

xoxo