Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Favorite Things for Fall

 
1. Leaves candle by Bath and Body Works.
After sniffing my way to many headaches in many candle stores, this is my favorite for this year. The first sniff will bring immediate thoughts of crisp Autum nights!
 

2. Michael Kors flats in Luggage.
These are the most comfortable flats I have ever tried on. I normally don't wear flats but these were too comfortable to pass up and I have worn them almost every day since buying them.
 
  
3. Essie nailpolish in Carry On.
A perfect plum that is a deep purple without looking like black.

 

 
4. Sof'ella Pumpkin Spice Bread Mix from World Market.
Just found this easy bread mix for pumpkin bread and muffins. I tried the muffins and they were delicious. So easy to make and very moist and flavorful.


 
 
5. The Circle Makers by Mark Batterson.
This time of year always makes me crave a cozy blanket and a good book. For cozy blankets, I recommend Pottery Barn. For a good read, this is a great one. Very motivating and encouraging!

 
 
 
Enjoy!
-Gemma

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Touches of Fall

 
Happy first day of Fall everyone! Welcome to the land of cozy sweaters, pumpkins, and yummy candles. It would be an understatement to tell you that I LOVE this season. I love the crisp air that starts to settle in and replace the long, slow days of summer.
 
Fall decor has slowly been trickling into our apartment these past few weeks. I am learning the philosophy of only buying what you absolutely love so I am taking it slow with the decorating. Here is my progress so far...
 
 
I have been struggling to find a wreath that I love, but I did find this adorable little sign that hangs just under our apartment number sign. I am in love.

 
 
Entryway with a wreath I made last year.

 
 
This give thanks sign is one of my favorites and it was a DIY. Just take a good black sharpie, cut out a piece of burlap, write whatever you like on it, and frame it. The pumpkin was also semi-DIY. I bought the white pumpkin and drew little gold polka dots on it. I love crafts that only require 1 or 2 steps!

 
 
I love this cozy basket to hold our blankets and pillows.


 
I may or may not be guilty of having 3 different candle scents burning at one time in our tiny apartment.



A little dining room update with this new mirror. There is an identical one at Pottery Barn for 3 times the price that I have loved for years. I found this guy at Home Goods not too long ago and was so excited!

 
 
 
Just a little more evidence of my love of gold polka-dots. It's gotten a little bit out of hand lately...


 
Seasonal decorating has got to be one of my favorite things. My husband recently mentioned that he does not understand how every season has to have a new door mat. I kindly explained to him that it's very similar to how each season has a new sport to watch. Sometimes you've just got to put it in terms that a man can understand ladies.

I'm off to sip on a Pumpkin Spice Latte!
-Gemma
 

Monday, September 16, 2013

Beachin' it

 
He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul.
Psalm 23:2-3
 
 
 
I am always struck at how the first sight of the ocean brings me immediate peace. I get caught up in our busy schedule and my To-Do List and I forgot to just sit and soak in this life. I am amazed at the vastness of God. How does a God who manages something so big as this universe also able to care about the most minute details of my life? His glory was on display all week long and I was content to sit and be witness to it.

 
Our week in pictures...
 
I did A LOT of reading.. beach time is always my time to read the books I had been too busy to read before. I cherish it.
 

 
 
Austin fished..
 

 
 
We played cards..
 
 
 
 We went on dates...
 
 
 
 
We ate a lot of good food..
 

 
 
 
  
 The best part.. we simply relaxed!
 
 
 
We also got to spend a lot of time with Austin's best friend Matt and his wife Kate while in Pensacola. Kate and I bonded over the fact that one can only listen to talk of sports and guns so long before completely zoning out. I'm glad Austin has friends who he can share these passions with. I try... I try really hard. But sometimes the draw to pinterest is just too strong!
 
 

It was a beautiful week and the perfect end to a wonderful summer. Now I can officially kick off my fall decorating... and if a Christmas song just happens to come on Pandora while decorating I won't turn it off. Don't judge. We all have our weaknesses.
Pictures coming soon!
 
-Gemma

 

 

Monday, July 29, 2013

Vacationing

"Love the things that the person you love loves"
 
I am not known for my love of sports so it has taken some soul searching for me to love Baseball. One of the best pieces of advice about marriage was one we got from Austin's parents. They said to love the things that the person you love loves. Those words have stuck with me these last few months. In the moments I would rather watch House Hunters or go to Starbucks (predictable I know)... I remember those words and put my husband's wants and desires ahead of my own. I'm not always succesful in this. Marriage is a continual journey in allowing Christ to flush out the selfishness in us. In the process you can find me practicing my swing with a wooden spoon and a pair of rolled up socks. You got to start somewhere right?
 
When Austin and I first started dating, we put together a Life List. The list was full of things we wanted to accomplish separately and together throughout our lives. One of the top things on Austin's list was to visit every MLB stadium in the United States. We decided to start that goal for his Birthday trip this year. This past weekend we visited Washington D.C. to see the Nationals play. Then from there we drove to Baltimore to see the Orioles game. I had never been to D.C. and loved every minute of it. We crammed every major monument and museum into our short 1 1/2 days in Washington D.C.
 
 
 
Washington DC: 
 
 
 
The Capitol
 
 
 
 
 
The Museum of Natural Science (amazing!)
 
 
 
The Air and Space Museum
 
 
 
The United States Botanical Gardens
 
 
 
The Washington Monument
 
 
 
 
 
The Lincoln Memorial
While walking around town I got a text from my mom saying she heard about the green paint. Thinking this was another error of our beloved AutoCorrect on the Iphone.. I texted back "What are you talking about mother dear?" Little did I know that someone had come the previous night and vandalized the Lincoln Memorial with green glitter paint. It was roped off when we got to it and you could still see the green paint on the bottom of the statue.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The White House
 
 
 
 
 
 
Nationals Stadium!
It was a perfect night
 
 
Yes, Austin wore his Braves jersey to a Nationals Game...
 
 
 
 
2nd row!
 
 
 
The Shake Shack!
I ate here in NYC and have been craving this burger since last fall when I was in New York. To my delight, DC had a Shake Shack as well. This was a happy moment for me.
 

 




Baltimore:

Orioles Stadium



I went to the game with the intention of cheering on the Orioles. When we got there, an adorable little family with 3 precious little blonde children sat in front of us. Each of them were proudly wearing their Boston Red Sox fan apparel. I was sold. I switched teams and cheered the Reds on to victory. Whether Austin says so or not, it was totally a valid reason to jump ships.
 





 
The Baltimore Harbor
 



One last stop before the drive home.. worth it!
 


 

 
It was an incredible vacation together. Now to plan the next trip!
 
-Gemma

Monday, July 15, 2013

Home Sweet Apartment

Decorating is one of my favorite hobbies and decorating our apartment has been so fun. It is still a work in progress but I am loving the process!

Entryway:



 
 
 
 
Living Room:









Guest bedroom: A work in progress





Kitchen/Eating Area: Still looking for the perfect mirror to put above the kitchen table!















The Bathroom: Thank You Jesus for double sinks!



 
 
 

The Master Bedroom: My favorite room!





Being a newlywed means living on a budget and not buying everything I see at the brand new Home Goods that is only 5 minutes from our apartment (sigh)! It has taught me to re-use old treasures and love the clearance rack. This place is starting to finally feel like home!

 
-Gemma