3 things...

A while back, a fellow-blogger and friend tagged me in a "3 Things" post, and I am just now getting around to this fun little questionnaire...

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Three names I go by:
1) Julia
2) Jules

3) Judy (don't ask on this one, it's my brother-in-law's fault)

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Three places I have been:

1) Almaty, Kazahkstan

2) Christchurch, New Zealand

3) Waldkraiburg, Germany

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Three favorite drinks:

1) Dr. Pepper (I'll take a cold one of these right now, please)

2) Cream Soda

3) mmmm... and a little bit of Riesling

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Three jobs I have had:

1) Office manager for UBuildIt (which came in pretty handy when we built our own home :)

2) Wal-Mart Deli girl... yep, you heard me right. I wore a hair net and everything. I was awesome at slicing up turkey and ham. This was a summer job in Panama City Beach when I was there with my campus ministry.

3) Abercrombie & Fitch... for 4 days, then I quit. It was awful.

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Three TV shows I watch:

1) Glee

2) How I Met Your Mother

3) LOST (I don't know what I'm going to do now that this show is over)

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Three places I would like to visit:

1) London, England

2) Seattle, Washington

3) Johannesburg, South Africa

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Three favorite retro TV shows:

1) Saved by the Bell

2) Full House

3) Felicity (this isn't really retro... but I loved this show in college)

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Three places I have lived:

1) Houston, TX

2) Troy, AL

3) Clarkesville, GA

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Three things I am looking forward to:

1) Dave Matthews Band concert next week

2) seminary life in Louisville, KY

3) family Alaskan Cruise next summer

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Three people I am tagging:

1) Amy over at Welcome to Summerville

2) Molly over at The Rigoloso's

3) Liz over at The Colville Clan

and anyone else who feels like joining in the fun!

one of the last weekends...

As our time here in Georgia starts to come to an end, I find myself wanting to "do this" one last time and "go there" one more time... You know, jam-pack as many memories into my last month as humanly possible. This weekend was a good start. It was filled with sites (and traffic) from the city, to some of my favorite people from Habersham.

Friday night I went out for sushi with a really close Habersham girlfriend, who will also be making a major move shortly. We caught up over salmon and tenkas rolls... then decided to drive even further into the city so I could experience one of her very own Atlanta favorites, Cafe Intermezzo. This was my first time, and it did not disappoint. Any place that specializes in desserts and fun cocktails, holds a special place in my heart. It was amazing... they had two huge refrigerated cases stuffed FULL with desserts of every kind. Cheesecakes, tarts, fruit cakes, chocolates, pies, custards, and everything in between.

It was absolutely fabulous. If you live in the Atlanta area, I strongly recommend a visit to Cafe Intermezzo.

Then on Saturday, I was able to do two things that Atlanta is known best for...

Traffic...

... and the Atlanta Braves.

My company hosted a night out at Turner Field for all of it's employees on Saturday evening. So Lance and I left Habersham at 4:00pm so we could make it to the ballpark at 5:30. Well... at 6:45, we finally stepped foot into Turner Field. Nothing like good ol' Atlanta traffic. We did have a good time watching the Bravos though. Sadly, they didn't pull out a 'W' against the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday night, and ended up tying the series 2-2. But still, there is just something about the atmosphere of actually being at the ballpark... the hot dogs, the peanuts, the cotton candy, the 7th Inning Stretch... you just can't beat it.

Sunday didn't disappoint either. We had a great cookout with our sunday school class out at "the cabin." It was the perfect definition of summertime. The smell of burgers and hotdogs on the grill, the sound of kids playing in the water, the feel of a summer breeze right before an afternoon rain shower... It was a good time with some very cherished friends. We have been so blessed to be a part of this group over the past few years.

We also were invited to eat dinner at our old house. Last year we sold our house to one of the nicest couples ever. We have been lucky enough to keep in touch with them, and they wanted to have us over for dinner before we moved to Louisville.

I don't think words can really describe how much we loved this house. We built it ourselves and put so much of our heart and soul into it. Lance laid down the hardwood floors himself and I picked out everything from light fixtures to door knobs. It felt like our own little tree house, just tucked back in the woods.

We are so thankful that the new homeowners love this house as much as we did. They have done some beautiful things with the yard and have added their own special touch here and there. We are also so thankful that we were able to sell it when we did, and by nothing short of a miracle were even able to make a small profit on our sale (more on this story another day). It is because we sold this house a year ago, that we have the freedom to pack up and move to Louisville now.

After visiting the old house, I have a project idea brewing in my mind... something of a "home is where the heart is" type of project. See what Elise did here. More on this project in the coming weeks.

But overall, it was a wonderful weekend... filled with memorable moments with cherished friends and family.

thankful thursday

This Thursday I am thankful for:

1) My adorable twin nieces. They really might be the absolute cutest things on the planet. Really. This past week Lance and I visited his brother and sister-in-law in Mobile, and were able to play with little Jocelyn and Gabbie.

2) Awesome gas station food. Lance and I have spent a lot of time on the road the past few days... driving from the 'sham to Birmingham... from Birmingham to Mobile... and finally from Mobile back to Habersham. And while I'm not absolutely crazy about long road trips, I love road trip food... ie really-crappy-gas-station-junk-food... Little Debbies, Sunflower seeds, Cream Soda, and Fun Dips.

3) Super fun weddings. There is nothing like a fun wedding. Specifically one with lots of dancing. The wedding I photographed this past weekend had lots of dancing. I loved it!

congratulations mr. & mrs. strout!

Are they not the most beautiful couple ever?!?! Ben and Katie had an absolute gorgeous wedding and they were so much fun to photograph. Here is just a little sneak peek for the bride and groom before they leave for their honeymoon on Friday... more photos to come.

photographing my 2nd wedding!!!

I will be spending the weekend in beautiful Birmingham, Alabama with this adorable couple. Ben and Katie will be tying the knot tomorrow and they have given me the honor of capturing it all! I am absolutely thrilled to be photographing their special day!

Congratulations Ben & Katie!

progress...

Slowly but surely... box by box... room by room... it's all getting packed up. Now, I have to be honest... most of this progress is from when my sister visited a few weeks ago to help me start packing... but it's progress none-the-less.

It's funny to see how different Lance and I operate during times like this... my OCD has really kicked into high gear. You see, Lance looks around the house at all the boxes that are already packed up and says, "Julia, it's an entire month away!" While I, on the other hand, look at all the stuff that still needs to be packed in the boxes and say, "But Lance... it's only a month away!"

Somehow, I feel like seeing the boxes scattered around the house makes this transition all a little more real. I mean, I know I am moving to Louisville... but I don't think it's really sunk in yet. I'm not quite sure when it's really going to hit me either.

20 questions...

So, you know those awesome forwarded emails you get every once in a while... you know the ones... a list of pointless questions that will help you 'get to know your friends better'... the ones that crowd up your inbox and threaten you if you don't forward them on to at least 10 people... the ones that you really don't have time to read or answer...

I have a love/hate relationship with those emails. For whatever reason, I always feel strangely compelled to answer those pointless questionnaires... and I thoroughly enjoy reading the answers of my friends. Heck, I even enjoy reading the answers from people I don't even know... the ones that just happened to hit 'reply all.'

So... What do ya say? How about a round of 20 questions? If nothing else, just for the sake of being bored at work, or just needing a blog post idea. Feel free to copy and paste...

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1) If you could build a house anywhere, where would it be? On the beach somewhere... maybe Costa Rica.

2) What's your favorite article of clothing? This was established on this past Thursday's post... I have this adorable black skirt from Express, that I am practically obsessed with right now. An elastic waist band and pockets... what more could you ask for?

3) What's the last CD that you bought? I haven't actually purchased a CD in quite some time... but I did recently download some new songs from a few bands I'm really liking right now... White Rabbits, Matt & Kim, and Muse.

4) Where's your favorite place to be? In a cozy little bookstore/coffee shop.

5) Where's your least favorite place to be? The dentist. No doubt.

6) What's your favorite place to be massaged? My back and shoulders. Mmmm, could really use one of those soon.

7) What time do you wake in the morning? 6:17am... after hitting the snooze button for over an hour. I love that snooze button.

8) What's your favorite kitchen appliance? Microwave.

9) If you could play any instrument, what would it be? I think I'm going to go with the guitar here. It was a toss up between the guitar and the piano, but the guitar is a little more transportable.

10) Favorite color? This really depends on the day. But lately, I've really been obsessing over yellow.

11) Which do you prefer, sports car or SUV? I'm going to go sports car here... preferably a little black convertible.

12) Favorite children's book? 'You Are Special' by Max Lucado. I love this book.

13) What is your favorite season? This is a tough one... I really love the fall and the spring. I love the transitional seasons... where you get that first cool breeze after too many hot, sweltering months... or that first flower blossom after too many cold, gloomy months.

14) What's your least favorite household chore? Folding clothes. I don't mind the actual laundry part so much... it's the whole folding and putting things away part.

15) If you could have one super power, what would it be? Be able to fly. Definitely.

16) If you have a tattoo, what is it? I have a dove on my left wrist that symbolizes the Holy Spirit. Then I just recently got some new ink on my right shoulder blade that says 'quaere verum,' which means 'seek the truth.'

17) What's your favorite day? Friday. They say "TGIF" for a reason.

18) Do you believe in afterlife? As in heaven?? And spending all of eternity with the Lord? Yes. No doubt. I also believe that the opposite is very true and real as well... not as much fun to talk about, but real none-the-less.

19) Which do you prefer, sushi or hamburger? Sushi... for sure.

20) What's in the trunk of your car? My gym bag (that has been unopened for over a month) and a blanket that stays in my car permanently, for any football games or unexpected picnics.

snow cone... success.

Success. I found my snow cone stand. I had to drive 30 miles, but it was totally worth it. I thought I remembered there being a snow cone place (Hawaiian Shaved Ice, to be exact) at the outlet mall nearby... and I was right. It was still there. And it was oh-so-delicious. I decided on strawberry... with cream of course. It was perfect.

And while I was at the outlets... Banana Republic just happened to be having a ridiculous 4th of July sale. Purely coincidental, I'm sure.

snow cone?? yes please.

I have been full out craving a snow cone for over two weeks now. I would kill for a snow cone stand right now. I simply don't understand why every corner doesn't have a snow cone stand operating in the summer time. It should be a law.

Back in my college days, I spent two summers in Panama City Beach, Florida. Now, they know the rules on snow cone living. They have snow cone stands everywhere... on the beach, in front of Wal-Mart, by the night clubs... everywhere. And they also understand the importance of 'cream' (aka, sweetened & condensed milk) in your snow cones. Cream is key. A snow cone stand is considered a failure if they do not offer cream.

So, friends... tomorrow I set out on a snow cone expedition. I will find a snow cone stand. If you already know of one in the area... please, do tell.

thankful thursday

This Thursday I am thankful for:

1) Holiday weekends. And this one couldn't come soon enough. We don't have any big plans for the 4th this year... unless you count packing boxes, and studying up on your new camera? However, I do plan on sleeping in... a lot.

2) Whole Foods Market. I totally cannot afford to shop here, but sometimes I eat lunch at their fabulous hot food bar. I also like to walk up and down the aisles, pretending that I enjoy eating super healthy, all-organic, extremely over-priced foods.

3) This skirt. It's from Express... and might be my new most-favorite-article-of-clothing. It's super girlie, with a little bit of poof... but I think it's the wide elastic waist band and pockets that really sold me. Super cute, right?