The Scotts and Vanderbilts

Some of my favorite wedding gifts were the ones that we didn't register for.  Random but so cute casserole dishes, home decor items and even trips.  One of my best friends from high school gave Colby and I two tickets to the Biltmore House.  

Oh my word.  She is a genius!!  Yesterday, Colby and I headed to Asheville for a quick visit to the Vanderbilt's humble abode.  We had some much fun exploring this little treasure in Asheville and we are so thankful for such a creative wedding gift.  This gift allowed for a really fun day date that turned into a night a hotel and shopping the following day.  Mary Grace, thank you so much for always thinking outside of the box!!

This morning, we woke up, grabbed a couple of bagels and then toured downtown Asheville despite the soggy morning it was.

.... and then we went here.  And Colby Scott bought his belated 25th birthday gift, a fly rod.

This proceeded to car ride home with a giddy, blonde boy.

And when we got home, we were greeted at the door with an Amazon package.  I received my first birthday gift (my birthday is tomorrow) from my parents!  Sintra Duets vinyl for my new record player I received from Colby for Christmas.  I am so stinkin' excited.

We are so thankful for a quick little getaway before we start the new year of work and school!  Thanks again, Mary Grace, for loving us so well and thinking of a perfect wedding gift!

Sue and Pandora

A couple of Sundays ago our sweet little neighbor, Sue, dropped by to share some of her freshly made pound cake.  She had just cut it hot and thought we could indulge in a southern classic.  We were blown away by her gesture and we are so thankful for a neighbor who has made us feel so welcomed in our new community.

As soon as Sue left, I became giddy at the idea of returning the cake tupperware.  I had to explain to my confused husband that my mama has preached southern hospitality since the day I got married.  Sue bringing her pound cake in a tupperware container meant I had to bake something in return!  My mama taught me that you never return tupperware back empty.  So chocolate cake here I come!

Before I even got out the eggs and oil, I habitually found my Pandora app on my phone and bluetoothed it to our Bose speaker.  I believe that Pandora is one of the greatest inventions on the planet earth.  I'm a music gal.  I love every type of music.  I am guaranteed to be the favorite child when it comes to music.  I absolutely love the oldies, 80's, classic rock, beach music, motown, and 90's country (any fellow Vince Gill groupies out there?).  My absolute favorite song is Bohemian Rhapsody from Queen.  A close second is My Girl by The Temptations.  My favorite artist is James Taylor.  My favorite bands include Mumford & Sons, The Goo Goo Dolls and Fleetwood Mac.  My go-to car solos include: How Will I Know (Whitney Houston) Higher Love (Steve Winwood).  And I am pro boy bands and one of the very few left who still loves Nickelback.  My musical tastes have no limits.  I legitimately love it all.  This is why I love Pandora.  It feeds my musical cravings and it allows me to explore new artists and songs.  

I have different Pandora stations for different activities, moods, and times of the day.  When I decided to make Sue a chocolate cake, I went for my cooking/baking station, which is always Frank Sinatra.  Its classic and lovely.  The way I want my food to taste and present.  Plus this station makes it so easy to dance from the pantry to the mixer to the oven to the kitchen island.  Fox trot, anyone?
 

When I need a little boost to get cleaning?  That's an easy one too: It's Raining Men Pandora station.  Nothing like a little Aretha and Diana to get that dust rag a dustin'!

When the sun seems to be making his way back towards the horizon, The Head and The Heart Pandora is guaranteed to be on.  I can thank my college friend, Rachel, for sharing this station with me years ago!

Need some good morning worship? Bethel station.  Love them old hymns like me?  Come Thou Fount station.  Times when you feel feminine like putting on your make up or painting your nails?  Noah Jones station or Amos Lee station.   Packing for the weekend?  Ben Rector station.  Want Colby's recommendation?  Van Morrison station.  Windows down music?  Some type of country music station.  Feeling nostalgic?  90's Pop or Nelly stations.  Need a station recommendation?  Contact me.. I'll find your fix.

Of course I change it up with every season, mood, new interest, current obsessions.  But for the most part, I definitely have my go-to's.   How about you?  I would love to hear your musical go-to's!!

Our Snow Day | Video

Earlier this week I spent hours cleaning off thousands and thousands of pictures off my computer.  In the process I came across a video that I made for Colby for Valentine's Day a couple of years ago.  It was a silly video with a several pictures and a lot of slow-motion video clips from years past.  Colby and I watched it on Wednesday of this week and we were reminded how much we love that video.  So I suggested that we make a video for our "snow day" the following day!  He agreed and I prayed specifically the next morning that Colby would show me grace as I kept a camera in his face for the rest of the day.  I AM NOT GOOD AT MAKING THESE, but it seemed like a fun project/challenge that documented our day in a different way than just still frames.  

Yesterday was a dream, ya'll.  We got up and read Bibles and books.  Colby did some work from home, while I lit candles, turned on Pandora and did some wifely duties.  Then we played in the snow and saw our nephews and fixed perfect winter lunches.  We built an Olympic snowman and built fires and indulged in fresh pumpkin bread and coffee.  Seriously, it was a dream.

So while Colby continued to stoke the fire, I threw this baby together last night...

Click to watch our snow day HERE.

PS.  Colby & I celebrated Valentine's Day last night considering we thought he was going on a hunting trip this weekend (which got postponed.. go figure!).  Colby bought us Country Mega Tickets for the rest of this year's celebrations and holidays (not including anniversary!)  -- #tightbudgetprobs #myhusbandisunbelievable. 

Valentine's Day is suppose to be about romance and telling people not just that you love them but WHY you love them.  So we ate supper in front of the fire place, put a little Boyz II Men Pandora on and we wrote on index cards that I made.  Each card had a different line on it.. for example, "I love it when you...", "I feel loved when you...", "You look best in...", ETC.  We both wrote on our set of cards and then exchanged.  SUPER CHEAP & effective I'd say.   Simple, nothing crazy.  Yes, we should say these things more often.  But sometimes a written note about what your husband loves about you or what you do for him is a super tangible reminder of why you should keep doing those things... BECAUSE HE LOVES IT.  I wrote the date on the back of the index cards and I hope that this is a tradition we continue to do for Valentine's Days to come!

Happy Valentine's Day!  Now go tell someone WHY you love them!!

The gospel according to John & Will

So I have been wanting to blog about several things as of late.  Like the perks of unemployment... and also the pits.  Like my makeshift Christmas decorations.  Like the book I am currently reading and have vowed to give as gifts from here on out.  Like life as of late.

But this weekend, John and Will came to spend a night with us.  So I'm gonna blog about that today.

 

I am always surprised about how the gospel in revealed to me when those boys are around.  I don't know why I am always surprised.  Their mother is woman of unbelievable faith and every lesson, punishment, conversation that she has with her boys is drenched in scripture.  When we said our bedtime prayers on Friday night, Will, the 8 year old, prayed so specifically - something I am trying to be more aware of in my own life.  John pulled out my chair for me, while thanking me for fixing him supper, at the dining room table a couple hours prior that that.  And that respectful gesture was the gospel revealed to a 23 year old from a 12 year old.

 On Saturday morning, Colby and I took the boys to a park near our new home.  It was freezing cold but the boys ate it up.  Colby and I love the outdoors but these boys like looove the outdoors.  They freaked out when they saw a little island of cedar knots and they could honestly look at a waterfall for hours.

We wandered off beaten paths and crossed bridges.  I snapped pictures, they skipped rocks.  It was incredible.  Yes, it was cold, but we were outdoors, in the heart of the world that man cannot compete with.  This is all God.  Trees and creeks and moss and dirt.  Cold winds and cracking tree limbs.  Cedar knots and smooth rocks.  I mean this is it.  This is the stuff we are suppose to be in awe of.  God is way cooler than Van Gough.  Are you kidding me?  He MADE TREES.  And lots of them.  The whistling of wind and the crunching of leaves under your feet is nature's music.  Mozart, who?  

I have no doubt that their sanctuary is the woods.  Not a building with a cross on it.  The woods.  Where simplicity, sanctification and restoration for the heart resides.  I bet their alters are fallen trees.  And communion cups are those that John whittled out of acaia wood.  I bet you that they are baptized by waterfalls and their joy comes from the warmth of the sun.  I believe that whole-heartily.

And I also believe that is the gospel according to John and Will.

The Tale of Elevator 44

I got a quick, yet funny, story for ya.

 

My parents, siblings, husband and I all went to see my grandmother in the hospital one night.  When we were done visiting with her, all six of us got on the elevator.  My little (ahem, 6 foot 3 inch) brother told everyone to jump.  I had always thought that that was how to make your stomach drop.   So when the elevator almost came to a stop everyone but my mom jumped.

And we essentially broke the elevator.  We hit the alarm button on the elevator multiple times and we even called the hospital to let them know.  Oh my word, it was hilarious. 

About an hour and half went by before the security team and Forsyth County Fire Department started talking to us about getting us out.  They explained to us that we were between two floors, so they couldn't just open the elevator doors.  

Next thing we know, a fireman is coming through the roof of the elevator.  He brought a ladder the width of a pencil (well, it seemed like it) with him.  One by one, we crawled out and thanked all the men involved in our "rescue".

Gracious, I love my family.  I love all the mischief we get in and how we laughed for a solid hour and half that night.

Six Months of Marriage

Colby and I are celebrating 6 months of marriage today.  We don't celebrate "month anniversaries" usually.  However, today when I was talking to Colby, we were both in shock that we have already been married for 6 months.  It seems like 3 months MAX!  

Tonight we celebrated by simply living life together.  I cooked supper and we sat at the dining room table, decked out with turkey salt & pepper shakers, and mustard yellow candles.  We did our high's & low's of our days and then cleaned the kitchen together.   Now we are sitting in our freshly cleaned living room, folding laundry together in front of the warm fire that Colby built for me.  

Oh my, my.  There is joy in laundry, folks.  

 

Currently enjoying

There are a couple of things I am currently enjoying...

Orange Gatorade.  It was literally my life source for the million years I was playing on a ball field.  I always had an orange Gatorade before every ball game (& fruit punch flavor if they didn't have orange).  Colby & I are active people.  We are always doing something... biking, throwing ball, messing outside, now kayaking.  Our newest source of fuel is orange Gatorade.  I am loving it.  Those intense Gatorade commercials are fabulous.  After a work out or taking a break from kayaking, sweat pouring, your thirst at it's newest all time high, a good chug of orange Gatorade is currently hitting the spot.

 

The idea of decorating my own house.  Colby & I are currently renting this sweet little house in our hometown.  It is completely furnished.  Which is great for many reasons, for one, we don't have any furniture of our own except for a bed set.  But it's not so great because it's decked out in the owner's stuff.  It's not a place where I feel inspired or creative, simply because I didn't decorate it.  I feel like I'm on a month-long getaway to the mountains/amazon forest (there are more plants and animals in my front yard then I know what to do with).  You're probably thinking.. "I would love to feel like that!"  But you know when you have been on vacation on a while, you just start to feel like "I can't wait to get back home, in my space."  That's how I feel.  So as Colby & I wait for the Lord to move to help us to decipher where our next home is, we will continue to embrace our mountain getaway and I will continue to dream of decorating my own house, Pinterest style.

4th of July Decor.  Speaking of decorating...  I love the 4th of July decorations.  I told Colby this week, that once we get a house that is ours and we have a little bit of spending money, I want 4th of July to be our holiday.  The one where we entertain our folks and friends before the fireworks at the nearby ballpark.  The one where he entertains while grilling all-American meals and I entertain while pouring you a patriotic cocktail.  The Today Show this week was killing it with all of the 4th of July decorations, recipes and general ideas.  I was so in love.  Hopefully, next year Colby & I will be able to host our first 4th of July cook out!  Fingers crossed.

This rainy weather.  Everybody on social media has made it very clear that they are not loving these endless amounts of raindrops.  Personally, I am loving it.  Well, for now.  We have a covered side porch where I love to sit outside, drink my coffee and just watch.  It's refreshing and calming in so many ways.  Now when it starts to look like this small town in turning into Seattle, then I'll join the anti-rain social media rant.

 

She Reads Truth.  I love their devotions on their website because they are created for women.  I have decided, especially since becoming a wife, that it's important to take the time to understand the word as a woman.  Especially in the application aspect.  How I apply the truth can be different from how Colby does and I love that there is an online body of women who are teaming together to help us understand that.

 

What are you enjoying on this rainy Wednesday?