louisville vs kentucky... civil war in the bluegrass state

{photo source}

Kentucky... a state that bets on horses, loves their bourbon, and worships basketball.

And in case you've been living under a rock recently... something spectacular is about to take place tomorrow in the bluegrass state... Tomorrow the no.4 seated University of Louisville Cardinals will take on the no.1 seated Kentucky Wildcats to fight for a spot in the National Championship game.

This state has literally turned upside down with intense competitive fever. People.are.crazy.here.

The rivalry between UofL and UK in basketball can be equated to Alabama and Auburn in football. Basketball reigns in the bluegrass state, football season seems to be a mere warm-up. I'll never forget the moment I realized that we now lived in basketball country... Lance and I were at dinner (basketball season was just starting up), and we overheard the conversation from the table behind us... "Man, I'm so glad football season is finally over... now we can watch some real sports. Did you see the UofL game today??" Lance and I stared at one another in utter shock. Where were we??

The bluegrass state. Basketball country.

So... where will we be tomorrow for tip off at 6:09pm? We'll be wearing red and cheering on the Cardinals. That's right... we have fully adopted our home city and all that comes with it... we'll be rooting for the University of Louisville completely and fully.

Well, at least until football season...

thankful thursday {link up}

{Link up your own Thankful Thursday post below...}

This Thursday I am thankful for...

1) Leftovers. {photo source} Nothing beats a fridge full of really yummy leftovers... and after my family left last week... boy, did we have a fridge full of leftovers. Half a sandwich from one restaurant... a rack of ribs from another... leftover rosemary potatoes and greek chicken from our home-cooked family dinner... and enough hummus to feed a small country. We are finally nearing the end... with only a few potatoes and a little bit of hummus to show for our once-jam-packed-fridge. But we haven't had to cook or go out hardly at all this week... and that is something to certainly be thankful for.

2) Chicken wire. I know, I know... say what??? No... we do not own chickens... yet, anyways. But we did just use chicken wire to line the top of the entire fence in our backyard. You see... Little Cat has recently learned how to escape. Previously, we were able to just let Little Cat in and out of the backyard as we pleased, because he would pretty much just stay in the yard... that is, until he finally discovered a few weeks ago that he can climb fences... which meant I was trespassing into my neighbors' yard in the middle of the night to retrieve him... no good. But yay for chicken wire! No more midnight-cat-escapes.

3) A weekend with my husband. This will be the first weekend in a while that Lance and I will have some quality time together... and I am oh-so looking forward to it. Hoping for a low-key weekend with a date night on Friday and a lazy Saturday. I fly to Atlanta on Sunday for a full week at the office, then straight to Florida for a wedding... so I'm planning to soak up every second with the hubby this weekend:)

I always love reading all of the Thankful Thursday link-ups each week... some make me laugh, some make me nod in agreement, and some just warm my heart. I loved Jennifer Dawn's post over at Jennifer Dawn McLucas... while many of us are thankful for warmer weather and sunshine... she was thankful for snow... yes, snow... and the awe and wonder that accompanies it. It was a beautifully written post, with equally pretty photos.

What are you thankful for this week? Grab the Thankful Thursday button from the right sidebar and link up your own post below. Be sure to visit the other Thankful Thursday participants and share the love!!

Also linking up with:

Kate Says Stuff

The Fontenot Four

First Day of My Life

Brown Eyed Belle

A Punk, a Pumpkin & a Peanut

dear diary :: more thoughts on baby-making & waiting

Dear Diary,

It's been almost six months since my last "dear diary" entry on baby-making... and if I'm really honest, I've been delaying this post for a while now. Part of me thought that maybe if I waited long enough to write a follow-up post that I'd eventually have different news to share.

But I don't.

The past few months have included a smattering of doctors appointments... blood work... fertility tests... pee sticks... and more doctor appointments. I've been in my fair share of waiting rooms lately. And every time I'm in the waiting room, I think of the irony of that word... "waiting," and it's meaning in my life lately.

I typically make sure I have a book or a magazine when I'm chilling in the waiting room... anything I can pretend to read while I wait... And it's behind the safety of my book, I secretly glance around at the other dozen women sitting in the waiting room... the majority of them very, very pregnant. Some of them reading the latest Pregnancy magazine... others marking their calendars with their next ultrasound appointment.

It was sometime around this point that I felt alone. Like perhaps I was the only one in that waiting room... or maybe I'm the only one waiting at all??

Okay, okay... I know that's not true... and perhaps a tad overdramatic. I know there are other women on this journey... lots of other women on this journey. Some much, much further along in this process. And many of them with very painful, heartbreaking stories.

But the truth is, sometimes the waiting gets lonely.

We have another doctor's appointment mid-April... and I'll sit in that waiting room once more... probably pretending to read the same book that I pretended to read last month.

And I will wait.

And I will hope.

Because there is hope in the waiting... And while, yes, I sincerely hope to be a mother one day... that is not where my true Hope is. My identity is not found in motherhood... it is found in Christ... something I daily struggle to remember, but am so grateful that He is gentle to remind me.

Love,

Julia

top 10 :: things to do when your family visits louisville

My entire family was in town last weekend (well... actually Wednesday through Sunday)... my sister and her husband drove up from Birmingham and my parents flew in from Houston. We had an absolute blast. I thought since they were here for 5 whole days, that we would have all the time in the world... but we managed to fill every second of their visit... good food, cool tours, long walks, a little shopping... we even managed to sneak in a movie... if only we had another 5 days.

Regardless... here are the top 10 things to do when your family visits Louisville...

1) Take your family Christmas card picture... with baseball hall-of-famers in the background.

2) Eat really, really good food.

3) Take crazy pictures with crazy hats.

4) Hit home runs with Babe Ruth.

5) Go see a movie... complete with popcorn and candy. (we saw The Hunger Games... soooo good)

6) Go for a walk... and take a little break at Lynn's Paradise Cafe.

7) Hang out with your cousin... who also lives in Louisville:)

8) Enjoy some Grater's ice cream... a definite must.

9) Get some quality mother/daughter hangout time.

10) Enjoy a good family meal.

What do you do when your family comes to town? Anything special?

Linking up with Angie at Many Little Blessings.

crazy weekend

Things are crazy over here in the city of Louisville... having a blast with my family... full review coming soon... promise.

thankful thursday {link up}

{Link up your own Thankful Thursday post below...}

Sorry for my delay this morning... but I have a very good excuse... I'm super busy hanging out with my family:) So... this Thursday I am thankful for...

1) FAMILY VISITS!! Woop, woop!! My parents are here!!

2) FAMILY VISITS!! Yep, Jenna & Chris are here too!!

3) FAMILY VISITS!! We will be busy, busy... exploring Louisville... eating good food... making memories... you know, all that stuff. (oh, and sharing one bathroom too)

What are you thankful for this week? Grab the Thankful Thursday button from the right sidebar and link up your own post below. Be sure to visit the other Thankful Thursday participants and share the love!!

Also linking up with:

Kate Says Stuff

The Fontenot Four

First Day of My Life

repurposing secondhand treasures {and a quick tutorial}

I had a few vintage finds that I picked up over the last month or so... and I've slowly been giving them new life around the house. There's just something about repurposing old for new... making something functional again... a small treasure that was used generations ago... and making it work for your present day life.

Here is what I started with... a few goodies from 2 separate vintage shopping trips (trip 1, trip 2). A small brass bud vase, a pair of tiny victorian-esque pictures, a neat woven basket, an apothecary jar, and a sweet little mirror....

So far everything but those little victorian ladies have found a new home... The apothecary jar got a little makeover (quick tutorial at the bottom of this post) and is now the proud holder of cotton balls in the bathroom...

The small little brass vase got a coat of white paint (but needs one more, I think) and is doing it's job well. And the little gold mirror is close by... both also in the bathroom. I love the bohemian feel of that mirror.

And do you remember that awesome wooden cash drawer I found at an antique fair over a year ago?!? (see item #6 from this post) Well, it's found a lovely new spot in the bathroom too!!

And finally, the cool woven basket is tucked nicely under our bookshelf. It's lovingly holding our favorite photo albums and scrapbooks...

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Want a quick tutorial on that apothecary jar makeover?? It takes all of 5 minutes...

I loved the apothecary jar as is... but I wanted to add a bit of whimsy to it. And since it cost me all of $2.50, I didn't feel too bad experimenting with it.

So I found a cool pack of rub-on number designs I had in my scrapbook stash. This set is by 7 Gypsies. After carefully examining my choices, I knew I wanted to go with either the "15" or "No 12" on my apothecary jar.

I decided to go with the "No 12" design. I made an executive decision on the placement and used a popsicle stick to rub the design in place.

And tah-dah! There you have it... easy-peasy!

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I have lots of fun visitors arriving today... lots of exciting stuff planned over the next 5 days... maybe even some antique shopping... can't wait!

Happy Wednesday!!

top 10 :: ways to welcome spring

Happy Spring!! I have been enjoying the warmer weather... the blooming flowers... the chirping birds... loving absolutely every bit of it. And since today is the first official day of Spring, I thought this week's top 10 list should reflect all things spring-ey (yes, that's totally a word). So, here you have it... my top 10 ways to welcome spring...

1) Easter egg tree. {source}

2) Moss welcome wreath. {source}

3) Breezy tops & sandals. {source}

4) Country picnics. {source}

5) Orange dream. {source}

6) TOMS ballet flats. {source}

7) Perfect window views. {source}

8) Simple, sparkly rings. {source}

9) Spring avocado salad. {source}

10) Mason jar lanterns. {source}

Happy Spring!! How are you welcoming in the new season??

Linking up with Angie at Many Little Blessings.

letter a day

I have a sweet friend that will be going on her very first international mission trip in a few weeks. She is absolutely ecstatic... but a little unsure of what to expect too. She will be in Ethiopia for 11 days... I'll be filling up 11 cards and letters to give her before she leaves... full of quotes, scripture and my own words of encouragement.

The plan is that my friend has an envelope to open each day of her trip... starting at the airport and ending on that last plane ride home. All in hopes that she will be greatly encouraged and will remember to make each day count...

I had a very dear friend do something similar for me once a few years ago. I traveled overseas to Kazakhstan by myself... and those sweet notes of encouragement did wonders for me. I looked forward to reading them each day and they made any homesickness I was feeling vanish in an instant. I hope these will do the same.

PS... how awesome are my vintage number stamps?!? These are the stamps I bought during my visit to Franklin, TN last month... aren't they awesome!?!

kitchen pantry revamp

In yesterday's Thankful Thursday post, I briefly mentioned our recent pantry organization project. This was a big deal people. A huge undertaking...

We went from this...

to this...

The beautiful Jessamie over at Bird & Branch Redesign was kind enough to feature my entire pantry organization project over on her blog yesterday... so if you're interested in any of the pantry details head over here to see the entire post. If you've never visited Jessamie's blog before, be sure to head over there with a fresh cup of coffee... you won't want to leave.

That's all friends... HAPPY FRIDAY!!