December 2014

Happy New Year!

I am so excited for 2015 and the surprises that it has in store.  December 2014 was a somewhat hectic month, hence my lack of posting.

I moved to South Carolina! I've been here since the beginning of December, and the constant sunshine and warm temperatures are awful.  Just terrible.

I am currently living in temporary housing in Greenville.  I am without my baking supplies and any decorating projects, and let me tell you - it's killing me.  But my pups are enjoying the 50 degree winter temperatures.

Christmastime in Greenville was wonderful.  Below are some pics of my first southern Christmas in ten years.

Falls Park on the Reedy is a park in downtown Greenville. It has an amazing waterfall and is just gorgeous in general.

Santa paws.

Downtown Greenville is a beautiful place, as you can see.

Ice skating!

Santa in a modern version of his sleigh.

The Hyatt had a wonderful Christmas tree display for the month of December in their two-story lobby.  It was free to view and there were dozens of Christmas trees decorated in various themes.

Unfortunately, my siblings weren't able to travel from Indiana to South Carolina at Christmas due to work schedules, so we haven't even exchanged presents yet. (Ack!)  Considering my love of all things Christmas, the prospect of sitting around in our temporary apartment on Christmas morning with no gifts was not the most appealing.

Our solution?

We went to the beach.

When I was younger, Christmas was always synonymous with cold temperatures and snow covering the ground.  I always said that I didn't know if I could spend Christmas in a warmer climate - it just wouldn't feel like Christmas.

Turns out becoming an adult can drastically change your outlook on these situations.

Our trip was so wonderful that we are talking about making a beach Christmas an annual tradition.  We stayed at Market Common in Myrtle Beach, which essentially consists of condo units over stores, restaurants and a movie theater.  And the best part? They let you bring any size/amount of dogs with you.  We sat out on the balcony in flip flops with our puppies and enjoyed Christmas dinner, and walked across the street to the movie theater that evening.

It was absolutely beautiful, and if nothing else, it reaffirmed my love for staying anywhere near palm trees.

Christmas Mouse! A store for all Christmas lovers.

Blue was in love with the balcony.

We had a neighbor dog.  Lexi wanted to meet him.

While Christmas 2014 was definitely unconventional, it was wonderful to spend the time with family and enjoy this beautiful weather.

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas, and a very Happy New Year!

Jordan

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O Christmas Tree

I love Christmas.

I start listening to Christmas music in August.  I buy any decoration that is properly covered in glitter.  I bought my first tree and started collecting ornaments when I was in high school.

For the past 8 years I've even had a Christmas-tree-decorating-tradition: Sean, one of my best friends, has come over to my house for almost a decade and helped me decorate my tree.  We have dinner and watch Christmas movies and hang all things sparkly from my tree.

He is also the only person that I know that can put the star on my tree.  It's way too heavy and takes roughly half an hour of maneuvering to get it to stay up there.  But it's made of solid glitter and I love it.  So every year Sean bitches and whines takes my direction and somehow manages to wedge that star on top of the tree.  It's why I keep him around.

Maybe slightly to the left.

But alas, this year my tree tradition has been broken.  I sold my house, packed up all of my things, and moved to South Carolina last week. I'm in temporary housing for a few weeks and while the weather is already a tremendous improvement, I am missing my Christmas tree.  It just doesn't feel like the most wonderful time of the year without the glow of lights in the evening.

So I will reminisce here about years of Christmas past.

When I bought my first house in 2011, I received the Christmas decorating gift of a mantle.  And I've had some fun with it over the past few years.

Also - if you need some (almost) free entertainment this holiday season - pick up some of these 3D Christmas glasses.  They turn each Christmas light into a different shape (I chose the reindeer version).

I'm also a huge fan of driving around looking at Christmas lights during the holiday season.  I am way too lazy to actually put lights on the outside of my house, so I really appreciate the effort that others go to to provide my entertainment.

My favorite - perfectly round tree.

And then there's also the time honored tradition of dressing my dogs in Christmas garb.

I believe her face says it all.

But I couldn't have my first Christmas in South Carolina be totally without cheer.  So to Target I went.  Meet my mini Christmas tree.

He may look kind of sad (he doesn't photograph well), but I already love him.

I plan on taking a Christmas tour of Greenville very soon, and I will post again about all the wonderful (and sparkly) things that I'm sure to find.

Happy Christmas season!

Jordan

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Happy Thanksgiving (and adios, Indiana!)

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times of year.  Not only does it kick off the holiday season with a ton of foods that are absolutely terrible for you (but taste oh-so-good!), it's the perfect time to reflect on the things that you are thankful for in your life.

And I have to admit that I am truly blessed.

I have two wonderful parents who have loved each other and me for the past 27 years unconditionally. My parents have provided an excellent foundation for my life and they are truly the reason that I have and can do all that I do.

I have two wonderful siblings, whose sense of humor cannot be matched.  My fur babies bring me such joy, and watching the community of people that are adopting homeless pets this holiday season just brings a warmth to my heart that cannot be expressed.  I also have a close group of friends that are really more like family.

The thing that I am most grateful for this year is a new opportunity that I have been presented with - the chance to leave Indiana and move to South Carolina.  All those wonderful relationships that I mentioned before - they have been really put to the test this year.  I have been an emotional wreck in making several huge life decisions, and my parents/siblings/friends have been by my side, lending a hand when I needed help prepping my house for sale, helping me move all of my things, and providing advice/comfort when I needed it the most.

I bought my first house in 2011, and over the past three years I have spent countless hours transforming it into my first home.  I completely revamped the kitchen (new countertops, backsplash, floors, sink, hardware and painting the cabinets) and no wall in the house was left unpainted.  I am actually really proud of how it turned out, even though I can't say that I am very sad about leaving it behind.

My good friend Jill Curtis helped me list and sell my house.  She is amazing and I highly recommend her if you are trying to buy/sell in Indianapolis.

Even though I have no idea what 2015 will bring, I am so excited about the unknown.  I've spent 2-3 weeks out of the year in South Carolina since I was born, and I can't tell you how thrilled I am to be making it my permanent residence.  I am temporarily moving to Greenville, where my parents have recently relocated, but my ultimate goal is to end up in Charleston.

If you've never been to Charleston - I highly recommend it.  We visited a few years ago and I was absolutely blown away with its beauty.

Wherever I end up, I have a wonderful support group that will be there for me, and that is what I am most thankful for this year.

I hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving and get to spend time with the people that you love.  Because, quite honestly, that's the most important thing.

Jordan

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