2013: a look back

2013 was good to us.

here are some highlights (and one very sad lowlight) from the year.

Niles discovered why he does't grow a mustache. 

I added to my collection.

this happened. 

and this happened too. 

i lost my brother at the dear old age of 18 1/2.

this angel turned one. 

(and announced she is going to be a big sister)

we sent this lovely lady off into marital bliss...

to marry one of my best friends. 

I continued making sweet memories with my amazing family

we got season passes to Dollywood and had a BALLIN' good time!

We welcomed a new addition to our friend group.

I started my own business with the help of these lovely ladies.

I grew closer with friends...

and made memories that will last a lifetime.

Thanks for the memories, 2013.

What does 2014 bring? 

-my premier craft fair

-a trip to Europe with my husband

-indie rock baby #2

-arcade fire concert! 

-and much much more

Happy New Year, Lovely!

birthday love

hello lovely,
well birthday week is officially over.  i felt so much love this week from all of my family and friends. thanks to everyone for the well wishes. my husband was extra sweet and took great care to make sure my birthday was special. i had dinner with family,  a trip to the drive-in with friends, a day at Dollywood, and saw Monsters University! i have several things to look forward to this year: joining a new team at work, going to the beach with my family, celebrating two years with my husband, one last wedding for the year, my friends welcoming their first child, and the first ever Fly Free Festival put on by some other dear friends. looks like my late 20's won't be so bad.
xoxo,
alyssa renee

*Dollywood photos courtesy of my friend Maddy

Our Family Dog

It was August 1994. I was 7 years old. My sister was only 8 months old. My Dad came home from work while I was outside jumping rope in our front yard. His door swung open and a tiny black ball of fur hopped out. It was our dog. He'd brought him home without telling my mom. I was so excited. We sat on the front steps and thought of names for him. The Little Rascals remake had just come out that summer and we decided Rascal was the perfect name. He became a member of our family. He loved to ride in the car with his feet on the hump dump and the wind in his face. One time he was chewing on a bone and I went up behind him and he bit me on the nose. He used to run laps around our living room when guests would come over. One night he got skunked and had to spend the night outside. He'd look away when he was getting in trouble so he didn't get scolded. If I took him outside without a leash he would run halfway down the street chasing God knows what, but he never would do that for my dad. He loved to sleep in my bed under the covers. After I left home he would sleep in my sister's room and would wait outside her door in the hall for her to go to bed. His favorite place was my Grandma & Grandpa's house. We would put him in the car to head out there and he would get so excited once we turned to head into her neighborhood. He used to run back into the house when my mom would try to put him in the car to head home. His favorite thing was boat rides. He used to ride on top of the front bench on the pontoon boat. He loved it at Grandma's house. This Saturday he died there.  We buried him in her flower bed next to my Grandma's dog, Ginger. He was 18 years and 9 months old.

He was my brother. He was loved.

(through tears I laughed out loud when I saw this picture of our poor dog in these ridiculous USA pants)

You were a really great dog, Rascal. 

birthday wish list

TO ME!

well, not until june but i'm already getting excited.  i'm one of those people that keeps a wish list all year long. (gotta love the amazon wish list) i just love birthdays! what's not to love? a whole day devoted to feeling special? sign me up. i thought i'd share some items that  i'm swooning over. aren't they lovely? 

birthday, pinwheel, elements,  mail, kissed, moon, fascinator, bee

a moment in time

today is may 2nd 2013.

i am 9449 days old.

niles is 10104 days old.

the best thing to happen to me today was getting to conduct my first interview.

the worst thing that happened to him today was having his show get a 2nd rewrite.

i really like this dress because i think it is super mod.

he likes to wear dress socks at all times. 

we live in our first home together.

our mortgage is our only debt.

we are looking forward to our first screened in porch party saturday night.

i have a sunburn that is peeling on my feet and legs.

he is growing a dirty mustache and sideburns for his best friend's bachelor party in June.

we are happy.

it is supposed to rain this weekend. 

the future

happy 2013!

I feel like I'm in the future.
I have a robot vacum, I can video-chat from my phone, and my 70 year old
grandmother sends me text messages on the regular. 

The future I say!

I've set a few goals for myself this year:

1. Finish a book.

I always start books and I never finish them. This year is already off to a better start, the first day of the new year I laid by the pool all day long and read The Perks of Being a Wallflower from cover to cover. 

BOOM. Goal met. 

(or maybe I'll try to keep the streak going)

2. Work in the back yard.

My yard is un-manicured and pretty darn ugly. I'd like to fix that. I have a fire pit to finish, a screened in porch to paint and decorate, and a doghouse to purchase. 

3. Spend more time in the craft room.

I want to make that space feel more like my own. I have all my stuff in it, but I don't spend enough time in there. I have the space, I should be sewing! I want to work on a machine quilt. I've got embroidery down pretty well, let's see how quilting goes.

4. Make more time for the people I love the most.

I tend to stretch myself pretty thin. I have trouble saying that two letter word "no." 

You would think it would be easier to say than it is. 

This year I want to say no when I need to, so I can say yes when it counts. 

Sorry for the long gap in posts. I had some issue with space that I haven't figured out yet. But blogger seems to be working for me now so here I am

Good luck keeping up your goals this year!

**note the picture above is a little embroidery I made the husband for Christmas