Longing for a Pup of my own…

I have been talking about wanting a puppy for years now. But this break has just about done me in…after watching Winston over Christmas and then my main babysitting family welcomed "Poppy" into their family on Christmas morning.

Melt my heart.

 

And the three sweet boys were so gentle playing with the precious pup.

Unfortunately I currently have neither the time, the finances, nor the patience for a puppy. So i'll just have to love on this sweet little one.

xoxo

Merry, Merry

It has been a quiet, lovely holiday here at the Carroll house. Delicious food, opening presents, and lots of low-key hanging out.

I hope yours has been refreshing and celebratory, as well!

xoxo

My Kind of Relaxing Night...

Today was the first day in ages that I have had the luxury of sleeping in. No responsibilities. No morning plans. It was glorious. And the cold, stormy day has lent itself to a fully relaxed, lazy, Christmas break kind of day. 

And as an added bonus, I have sweet Winston pup by my side for all of it!

It feels like I haven't had this kind of free time in ages, but it was just two short years ago that my life was full of alone time and freedom. While the chapter in Germany is a fun memory, it seems so distant in the busyness of my life these days. I have to pause and remember how the unlimited free time came with its own set of struggles. But I am thankful for the time to rest.

Hope your holidays are relaxing, too.

xoxo

Bounce Birthday Bash

For Camille's 25th birthday (and upon my recommendation from this hilarious experience), we rented out Sky High, the trampoline park here in town. And it was a hilarious, wonderful party!

We crafted the photo frame in honor of T.Swift, and we bounced around with a bunch of friends. It really was the perfect birthday festivity.

And the birthday girl herself was jumping in these killer pink sparkle leggings.

Cheers to 25, dear friend!

xoxo

Advent

I have been loving this advent season, from in hearing the message of Jesus' birth each week at church, through reading this lovely devotional that my friend Ellie recommended, and my daily advent calendar.

As cliche as it sounds, it is always nice to be reminded of the real reason for excitement and joy this season.

Happy advent. A savior has come!

xoxo

Ziesta Room

If you know me at all, you know how much I love naps. It is a bad day when I can't squeeze in at least a thirty minute nap. My friends know that if they call me and get no answer in the afternoon, chances are pretty high that I am napping and they will have to wait until I wake up. And in college, naturally, naps were my jam. I would plan them into my day each and every day.

…which is why I am a little angry that the library did not instal this awesome "nap room" until after I graduated. Come on, Wake Forest!!

But seriously, it is hilarious that the ZSR library is now equipped with a "ZieSta Room". Maybe it is a good thing it did not exist during my time at Wake or I might have literally lived in the library.

Cheers to naps!

xoxo

Leipers Fork

The country town, Leipers Fork, that lies about thirty minutes south of Nashville has become pretty famous in the recent years. And after spending my Saturday afternoon out there, I can tell why. It is an idyllic small town that makes you feel like you have stepped back to a simpler, calmer time.

My friend Claire works at The David Arms gallery in Leipers Fork, so she was the excuse for making the trek out there.

 

The studio was beautiful and I love David's artwork, but my favorite part was the open fire and marshmallows for their customers to roast!

Exploring the other shops and restaurants in the quintessential little town was a treat. I highly recommend spending a leisurely afternoon out there, enjoying the cute stores and beautiful open fields.

xoxo

The Boulevard Bolt

One of my favorite days of the year is Thanksgiving Day. And, yes, I enjoy the turkey and stuffing and pies. I enjoy taking a moment to be thankful. But I really love running The Boulevard Bolt. (And that is saying something for me, because usually I would not use the word "love" within 3 sentences of the word "run"). I love this race. I love the feeling of burning off the Thanksgiving meal before even consuming it. I love running into so many old friends. I love the family time. I love running down one of the prettiest streets in Nashville. But, most of all, I love the costumes.

It all started the year Jonny joined the family back in 2010. We had been participating in The Bolt for years, but when we finally had a British family member, we decided to make him the Mayflower and all dress up accordingly.

And the rest is history. This year, Peter (the fastest family member) was a turkey and the rest of us were silverware chasing him!

We all geared up bright and early (and I have to give a shootout to Loin, an integral family member in this event every year!)…pinning costumes and taping on silverware as we scurried out the door.

And we hurried off to The Boulevard just in time for the race.

 

 And here we are, all alive and well, after running a full 5 miles!

And don't get me wrong, we were all incredibly sore in the following days, but the fun run was worth it for sure!

I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving as well.

xoxo

Husk

My sister is in town this week, which is fun for a plethora of reasons. But one is that she always wants to try all the new Nashville hotspots when she is here. Last night, we were leaving Pinewood Social with some time to kill before our respective dinner plans. Spur of the moment, we decided to grab a drink and try a few appetizers at Husk.

Neither of us had been before, but it is a place I had been wanting to try. The drinks were tasty and the apps were unique, but the atmosphere of the resturaunt in a historic old home was what really made the experience.

Plus it is a rare treat to get to sit and talk with Ali face to face, so I was soaking it up!

I highly recommend trying Husk for a special treat!

xoxo

Trampoline Park

So this is a bit delayed, but we went to a Trampoline Park when I was in DC two weekends ago. And IT.WAS.AMAZING.

For starters, it was the best workout I've had in years (which isn't saying thaaat much). But it worked every muscle in our bodies, especially our stomachs from the non-stop laughter that ensued. 

Kate has a really fun group of work friends that organized the activity, and they kindly let Katy and I tag along for the fun.

Basically, it was a massive warehouse with trampolines and foam pits everywhere. There was even a trampoline dodgeball court, which is where we spent the majority of our two hours. Kate is extremely competitive, which is hilarious because of her usually calm, sweet demeanor. But she was a champ on the dodgeball court, taking out almost all of us every round, as well as most of the poor little kids that braved playing with us.

 

All that to say, I highly recommend a trip to a trampoline park near you. Be prepared for a few days of soreness, but it is worth it 100 times over. I have already researched the one in Nashville and I can't wait to take a group of friends!

xoxo