Sunday Currently: Volume 25

Well, I haven't been feeling inspired to write my usual Sunday Currently posts for the past few weeks for some reason, so I'm easing back into it today with an abbreviated version. Also, here's a sneak peek of a fun DIY I've been working on this weekend. I'll be sharing more this week! Have a blessed Sunday.

Reading Gone With The Wind, still! I'm ashamed at how long it's taking me. I really am enjoying it, but have been balancing a lot of other things lately. I hope to finish it this week.

Listening to the laundry machine whirring away.

Wishing I wasn't so sleepy these days! I get bursts of energy and then feel fatigued. Perhaps it's the changing seasons?

Hoping for a great few days of vacation coming up. We're going to Boston and then Newport for a family wedding. It will be lovely to head North, my favorite direction!

Drinking Jasmine Green Tea.

Wearing leggings and a long-sleeve tee.

Loving tea and toast in bed on weekend mornings.

Needing a new pepper mill, and have been eyeing this one. I've been scouring the internet to try to find a used or vintage one under $20 because $70 is way too steep. But I love the classic design of this one and it's gotten great reviews.

Feeling very excited to see my family in a few short days!

Sunday Currently: Volume 24

I was up at the crack of dawn this morning so I thought I'd type out this post before starting the rest of my day. I've been in a major, moody funk the last few days, so I'm hoping that a little bit of morning blogging will be therapeutic.

Before I move on to my Sunday Currently, I thought I'd share some of Verily's Daily Doses that have been speaking to me. I love each one of these so very much. I can feel my mood lifting just reading through these words.

Reading Gone With The Wind. At long last! I'm not sure how it has escaped my grasp up until now. It's beautiful and I'm loving it.

Writing this post, and that's all for now.

Listening to early morning crickets chirping outside.

Thinking too hard. I'm an over-thinker (to a serious fault) and I'm still learning ways to just shut my mind down for awhile. It's exhausting and un-productive to think so hard all the time.

Smelling fresh coffee. We are out of tea and expecting some more any day in the mail, which means I get to resort to coffee for a few days (which is really a treat).

Wishing for a trip with one of my good girlfriends who lives in San Francisco. We had some really great back-and-forth phone calls this weekend and she's one of my favorite people to talk to about life and its many ups and downs. We're hoping for a much-needed girls weekend together this fall.

Hoping that one of my engaged friends has that magical moment when she tries on my wedding veil. I'm going to let her borrow it (assuming she has that moment and it's just right) and it will make me so happy to see her walking down the aisle with the same veil I wore on my wedding day.

Drinking coffee.

Wearing PJs still, and covered in my favorite black and white striped blanket.

Loving the power and hope of prayer.

Wanting so many things that require patience and trust.

Needing a weekend in Atlanta, starting this Friday. I can't wait to visit my little brother and two of my best girlfriends.

Feeling peaceful and rested at this moment, and hoping that the moodiness of the past week is gone.

Clicking on information for this sweet little Georgian town. I think we'll spend some of this weekend here. My little brother has been in Atlanta all summer for an internship and it would be neat for him to see a different, more rural side of Georgia. Plus, I can more easily pretend I'm in Scarlett O'Hara's Georgia in a town like this than in a town like Atlanta.


Linking up with Lauren.

Sunday Currently: Volume 23

Reading lots of articles online, mostly. I have yet to start a new book!

Writing an essay--and that's all I'll say about that.

Listening to this beautiful song I discovered yesterday. Give it a listen--it's lovely. Also, the rain dripping down outside.

Thinking about going to this event in October in Montgomery. It's being organized by Layla of The Lettered Cottage (you have to stop by her blog if you don't already know it!) and it seems like it will be really fun.

Smelling the fresh linen candle I have burning. Candles and rain just go together, don't you think?

Wishing for more weekends like this one. It was just about perfect. My husband and I didn't do too much other than run errands together and have lots of great chit chats at home, but it felt just right.

Hoping for cooler weather! You know the heatwave that has struck the Northeast? Well, our entire summer here in the South is just one long heatwave. It really makes it hard to enjoy the great outdoors! I did have a lovely dip in our neighborhood pool this week so there are ways to cool off, and we're lucky to have pool access included in our rent.

Drinking jasmine green tea in my favorite tea cup.

Wearing my polka-dotted chambray shirt and my hair in a bun with a headband. I'm going casual this afternoon, if you couldn't tell!

Loving our tradition of listening to a Tim Keller sermon each week on Sunday nights as we eat dinner.

Wanting a certain piece I discovered last week in a local antique shop. I brought my husband to the shop to show it to him this weekend, and I think we'll be going back on Friday when the shop is having a sale. I'll be posting about it for sure!

Needing a pedicure, or maybe just needing to paint my own toes. I try to save pedicures for special occasions when I'm really in need of some pampering!

Feeling relaxed and productive this weekend. Sometimes that's a hard combination to strike so I'm feeling great about it. 

Clicking on some reviews of this movie. I think we may watch it later today.

Happy Sunday!

(Linking up with Lauren.)

Sunday Currently: Volume 22

The tastes and colors of summer (fresh watermelon and ice water with lemon and basil).

Reading nothing at the moment because a few hours ago I finished reading The Light Between Oceans and it was absolutely exquisite. The end had me sobbing at a few points and running to give my husband big hugs. You'll understand why if you read it, which I highly recommend you do. It's a deeply moving story.

Writing this as well as a post for Happy Wives Club.

Listening to one of my favorite recordings of the Goldberg Variations.

Thinking that I will take this lull in my book reading to catch up on the Notre Dame Magazine we got in the mail.

Smelling lemon and basil.

Wishing my parents a fun getaway in Canada! They deserve this little trip.

Hoping for another thunderstorm tonight. Yesterday's storm lulled me right to sleep.

Drinking that yummy flavored ice water pictured above.

Wearing bright red shorts and a neutral v-neck knit shirt.

Loving the feeling of being reinvigorated. I've been having so much fun practicing and learning new pieces lately, and I'm thankful for that. Sometimes I don't feel quite so inspired.

Wanting tolix chairs. I think they have such a fun, retro, industrial look to them. I would love to own several someday. They're quite pricey usually but I just found one in this style for a fantastic price on the Atlanta craigslist page, and I'm negotiating with the owner to pay for it now and pick it up in a few weeks! I plan to use it as my "teaching chair" and I think it will look awesome against the dark wood of my piano.

Needing to figure out how to use Spotify. Any tips for me?

Feeling deeply moved. I think this book will stick with me for a long time.

Clicking on this frightening article I read yesterday. Not everyone will agree with me, but I found so many of the quotes by the women who were interviewed to be quite crass and very sad. It even seemed like the journalist was surprised by some of the things these women said.


p.s. Have you entered my one-year blog anniversary/favorite things giveaway? You can check out the box I'm giving away by clicking the link above, and to enter simply leave a comment at the end of the post! I will pick a winner this Friday. Thank you!


(Linking up with Lauren!)

Sunday Currently: Volume 21

Today's Sunday Currently will have to be quick, because my husband and I are about to head to the park for an afternoon walk. It's been raining for the past five days, and while it looks a little overcast right now the rain has held off so far today, so we're going to soak up the chance to get some fresh air. We had an absolutely amazing couple of days with my little brother. We loved showing him our town, hanging out and catching up on life, and eating lots of great food. More on all of that later.

Reading The Smart One by Jennifer Close, and about to start reading this with my mom.

Writing this post, of course, and an introduction to a special guest post that will be up tomorrow. Be sure to check in! You'll love it.

Listening to the washer and dryer.

Thinking about how amazing it is that my husband and I have been married for a year and a half already (as of June 30). So very thankful.

Smelling (and munching on) the delicious chocolate-covered cherries that my brother got on his recent trip to Seattle and brought back for us. What an awesome gift!

Wishing all of our family was closer. That's a (hopefully short-term) goal of ours.

Hoping for a great afternoon walk around the park. I love how refreshed I feel after a good, long walk.

Drinking jasmine tea.

Wearing linen capris that I got ages ago (they're so comfortable!) and a charcoal-grey "boyfriend tee" from Target.

Loving seeing how much my brother has changed and grown up in the last year. College suits him!

Wanting to play some Schubert later this afternoon.

Needing to keep finding new blogs to read. I follow so many great ones that I love checking out each day, but I know there are always new ones to discover and I'd like to spend some time this week finding them.

Feeling happy and excited and calm and at peace about our future.

Clicking on other Sunday Currently posts!


(Linking up with Lauren!)

Sunday Currently: Volume 20

This weekend has been all about cleaning, re-arranging, organizing, and freshening. I can't say I really like deep cleaning, but I do love nothing more than a truly clean and tidy house. And I'm feeling pleased with some of the re-arranging and re-vamping I've done. I thought I'd share some snapshots from around our house (sorry they aren't the best--I'm working on my photo skills and didn't have too much natural light today) before I move on to the Sunday Currently. 

I cleaned off a lot of the things on my desk, and added a mini gallery to the wall.

I love this tin pail and I thought it would be fun to use it for desk basics like scissors, a note pad, and pens.

I'm embarrassed to admit that this chair in our bedroom isn't always so neat--I'm guilty of sometimes throwing my clothes over it at the end of the day.

Our stone utensil jar was getting pretty crowded, so I whipped out this old oatmeal tin and separated out the wooden utensils from the metal/plastic. 

Instead of kicking off our shoes in the foyer, I bought this seven-dollar rug for the garage and have decided that we'll keep our shoes here instead.

This cute little lamp resides in our kitchen, and before it was transformed via a bottle of Catalina Mist, it was a boring brushed nickel. You should hide your lamps when I'm around.

Reading The Smart One by Jennifer Close. I just started it and it's pretty light, which is nice for summertime.

Writing lists and more lists! It's a weekend thing.

Listening to the washer and dryer whirling away.

Thinking and dreaming a lot lately about our future house (we have no plans or a timeline, but we do hope to buy our first home sooner rather than later). I'm just brimming over with thoughts and ideas!

Smelling a clean house--this lavender spray and this lemon polish to be specific.

Wishing I had a garden. Sometime in the future, I'm determined to grow my own vegetables and herbs and flowers, even though I don't think I naturally have a green thumb.

Hoping for some good weather this week. Yesterday morning I went to the farmer's market and it was so much more mild than usual and not too humid either, and my mood was noticeably brighter. I have reverse seasonal affective disorder I think!

Drinking a tall glass of water.

Wearing olive green skinny cords and a navy blue v-neck. And a light purple headband in my hair.

Loving my husband more every day. I could name the reasons but it would take me a long while, so let's just say that he's a pretty darn phenomenal husband.

Wanting to reward myself for all of the cleaning I've been doing with an afternoon of reading and a cup of tea and a homemade brownie.

Needing to scour two more rooms and then the whole house will be spic and span. Those can wait for tomorrow, though.

Feeling so excited for my little brother's visit this week for the Fourth of July! I can't wait to have him here!

Clicking on nothing--it hasn't been a computer day. But I'll be checking out all of the other Sunday Currently posts later!

p.s. Remember that Google Reader will no longer be available after today. You can keep up to date on new posts from Something Ivory by following my blog on Bloglovin'. Thank you!


(Linking up with Lauren.)

Sunday Currently: Volume 19

Happy Father's Day to my wonderful Dad! This is one of my favorite photos of us together. It was taken on the New Jersey side of the Hudson river, looking out at Chelsea and the Meatpacking District. I moved to Hoboken right after college and then about 8 months later, moved into the city and started graduate school. My Dad and my little brother came down to help me move across the river, and this photo is from that August weekend. 

I'm so blessed to be really close to both of my parents, which makes it even harder to live so far from them. But my Dad knows that I'm thinking about him today (and every day) and we hope the distance between us will be shortened in no time. I love you, Dad!

Reading The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout. My mom and I are reading it together and I haven't decided what I think about it yet.

Writing this post and I'll be working on one for tomorrow too.

Listening to the air conditioning humming (I think that's been my answer for the last three Sunday Currently posts I've done. What can I say, it's how we survive summertime in the South!)

Thinking about how I've missed the Sunday Currently for the last few weeks. Last week I was traveling, and the week before I was busy for most of the day. It's nice to be back.

Smelling my Lavender Earl Grey tea. It's the best thing.

Wishing I was on the Hudson River, like in that photo. Oh I miss New York!

Hoping my Dad, my father-in-law, and all of the other dads in my extended family have a wonderful Father's Day.

Drinking tea and a glass of water.

Wearing a navy blue sundress with a mint green (my new favorite color) tee over it.

Loving the perfect Saturday evening date we had yesterday. Homemade ice cream in town and a walk down an adorable Southern street we'd never been to before. It was lined with gorgeous old homes--my favorite!

Wanting to head to the pool with my book but I may have to wait until late afternoon.

Needing to go grocery shopping. I went to the farmer's market yesterday and got some wonderful vegetables and fresh eggs, but there are always things like milk and yogurt and bread that require a trip to the grocery store. For someone who loves to cook, it's surprising that I'm really not a fan of the grocery store.

Feeling excited to write about a DIY project that coincides with a little piece of my family history this week. Stay tuned.

Clicking on lots of links to black flat summer sandals for my mom. I'm her unofficial fashion consultant and I love helping her find pieces she loves!


Linking up with Lauren.

Sunday Currently: Volume 18

Well, I'm off to a later start than usual for my Sunday Currently! I've been busy with a couple of fun decor projects, which I'll be blogging about later in the week. Here's a sneak peek. Hope you're all having a wonderful and relaxing Memorial Day weekend.

Reading Falling Together by Marisa de los Santos. I often find myself reading contemporary novels during the spring and summer and hunkering down with classics in the fall and winter. Isn't that funny?

Writing this post and some to-do lists.

Listening to the air conditioning humming.

Thinking about how today has been flying by--I actually totally forgot about writing the Sunday Currently until just now. I've been a busy bee!

Smelling my new basil grape hand cream (pictured in the green bottle above) which was on sale at Ulta this week. It smells incredible.

Wishing....I can't think of a single thing. I suppose that means I'm feeling pretty happy today, huh?

Hoping that the next few days go well. My husband has some appointments in Huntsville, AL and I'm going up with him to explore the area. I've heard that Huntsville is quite cute, so I'm excited.

Wearing linen capris and a black and white striped tee. And spray paint, which splattered my right hand when I was working on a project earlier!

Drinking water with lemon.

Loving lots of things--the neighborhood pool, afternoons absorbed in a book, fresh lobster (which was our lunch yesterday), little decor touches around the house, lots of time spent with my husband.

Wanting to head to the pool with my book (now that I've mentioned it!).

Needing to run one more errand today.

Feeling thankful, as I am every Memorial Day weekend, for our nation's military.

Clicking on not much, today. It hasn't been much of a computer day. But I'm looking forward to catching up on the other Sunday Currently posts a little later.

Enjoy the rest of the long weekend!

Linking up with Lauren.

Sunday Currently: Volume 17

I got a sweet request recently from a family friend and new reader to do a post on my favorite blogs and daily reads, so when I noticed that today's Blog Every Day in May prompt was to write about five favorite blogs, I thought it would be a perfect way to accomplish two things at once. But as I was trying to figure out which five blogs to pick I realized that picking only five is too hard! I'll dedicate a post to my favorite blogs later in the week, and for now I'll stick to the Sunday Currently.

A beautiful photo of some peonies, just for fun and inspiration.

Reading Bringing Up Bébé by Pamela Druckerman, still. I'm almost finished and my mom and I have plans to start reading this together soon.

Writing this post, and a special email to our friends regarding my husband's 30th birthday this November. It's a big one, and I can't wait to celebrate it.

Listening to the hum of the AC.

Thinking about how neat some of the perks of small town-living are. Last night we went to our favorite local restaurant (the only really nice restaurant in our town) to celebrate a little blog milestone I reached. Whenever we go to The Rawls, the chef comes out to chat with us at least two or three times--about the menu, wine suggestions, how he prepared a certain dish. It's fascinating and makes the experience so personalized and fun! He chats with all of the tables, but at this point he knows us a little bit, and we enjoy catching up with him each time we go there.

Smelling the hand cream I just put on.

Wishing away the heat and humidity. Please, let's just have a nice, mild summer!

Hoping to see my brother, who is in Atlanta for the summer, really soon!

Wearing white pants and a grey long-sleeved shirt.

Drinking a tall glass of water.

Loving the incredible meal we had last night. Fried green tomatoes with lump crab, foie gras (which both of us had never been daring enough to try before), seared scallops and filet mignon. And cheese for dessert. It was divine, every bit of it.

Wanting to go back to Napa Valley. We were reminiscing about it yesterday and I just can't wait to visit it again. One great thing (among many) about taking a honeymoon in the U.S. is that it can realistically become a place you visit again and again. I think that would be more difficult if your honeymoon was in, say, Thailand!

Needing to make some lunch!

Feeling happy and young (even though I have a birthday coming up--my 25th!).

Clicking on lots of sites trying to find a dress for a family wedding this fall in Newport. Anyone have suggestions on where to look?


Linking up with Lauren.

Sunday Currently: Volume 16

A recent photo of my Mom in her new abode on the water. Happy Mother's Day, Mom! I love you!

Reading Bringing Up Bébé by Pamela Druckerman. It's a really fascinating look at how French parenting differs from American parenting. The differences, for the most part, have really surprised me--for example, it turns out that the majority of French infants, starting as young as 2-3 months old, sleep straight through the night! I suppose I was expecting to read that French parents are looser and freer, but this bit of evidence points to something different.

Writing this post, and not much else.

Listening to this absolutely beautiful song from The Great Gatsby, which we went to see yesterday. In fact, I was blown away by the entire soundtrack--it was a high mix of 20s Jazz Age music, rap and hip hop, classical organ music, and synthesized beats, and often these were layered on top of each other in the most creative ways. My husband commented that the movie was very similar to Moulin Rouge in that way (and then we found out that these two films share a director). I almost want to see it again just for the music!

Thinking about how deeply I slept last night. My husband downloaded a white noise app on my phone a few weeks ago because there's an obnoxious dog in our neighborhood who starts barking at 1 am every night. So far, the white noise works like a charm.

Smelling nothing. A clean house, I suppose!

Wishing my husband didn't have to travel this week.

Hoping my brother's move out of his dorm goes well! He's finished with his freshman year of college--I can't believe it.

Wearing nothing cute at the moment.

Drinking tea with soy milk--my blog friend Betsy tells me that the English would be horrified by this!

Loving my Mom. I'm so thankful that we just keep getting closer as the years go by. I hope that someday soon, we will be physically closer too, so I can see her and my Dad more often than once every few months.

Wanting to play the song linked above on repeat all day. I won't, but I want to.

Needing to discover more ways to use coconut oil. I'm very into eating healthful oils these days. Yesterday, we made homemade popcorn in coconut oil, tucked it into my bag, and ate it in the movie theater. We're so rebellious!

Feeling very positive and hopeful today. I love this feeling!

Clicking on some fashion shots from The Great Gatsby. This is my favorite look from the movie. I just adore that headpiece.

Here's my Mom with my Mother-in-Law. Two beautiful ladies, if I do say so myself! We hope you both have a wonderful day.


Linking up with Lauren.

Sunday Currently: Volume 15

Reading books I'm slightly embarrassed to be reading, but we all have guilty pleasures, right? Over the last three days I've devoured one and a half Emily Giffin books, and will probably be done with the second one by the end of today. They are pure "chick-lit," very light reads, but the writing is actually quite good. I saw them at the library and decided I was in the mood for a little bit of fluff.

Writing not much besides this post.

Listening to the washing machine clean our sheets.

Thinking about the yummy Orange Apricot Muffins (from our cookbook) I made for breakfast this morning. I made six, and as you can see from the photo there are two whole ones, and two nibbled ones left. I blame my husband for the nibbles!

Smelling fresh, gorgeous air breezing into through the window. It's a stunningly cool day for this area and this time of year, and I'm in heaven.

Wishing it wasn't so expensive to take out an ad in the church bulletin. I'm looking for more students and assumed that advertising in a church publication would be free--but I was wrong! Even with the 10% discount for artists, it's completely unaffordable. Ah well.

Hoping our little niece has a beautiful birthday! She's 6 today.

Wearing jeans, a black cami, and a mocha-colored long sleeved top.

Drinking a tall glass of water.

Loving dates with my husband. This weekend we went to see Iron Man 3, and we also discovered a delicious, new (to us) Thai restaurant that was as good as any Thai food I've had in New York.

Wanting to finish my book! Oh I'm so hooked.

Needing to snack on some of the tapenade I made yesterday. Yes, needing. This is the second batch I've made this week and I have a feeling it might become a staple in our fridge. It's so easy--I just food-process green olives and kalamata olives, walnuts, garlic, some ground flax, ground pepper, and olive oil. It's divine.

Feeling thankful for girlfriends. I've had some really nice exchanges with friends recently, including a "checking up on you" call on Thursday night from a friend who I'd told recently about some struggles of mine. Her call really touched me.

Clicking on Bloglovin', trying to get used to it. It's not that intuitive so far, I must say, but I'm trying.

Linking up with Lauren today!

Sunday Currently: Volume 14

We had such a joyful Sunday morning! One of our very good friends from college, who was also a groomsman in our wedding, happened to be driving through our neck of the woods so we invited him over for a breakfast of spinach and cheese soufflé, ham, and coffee cake. The best part was that he brought his beautiful new fiancée along with him! I say "new" because they have been engaged for only one week--you can read their adorable proposal story as told by his mother (who has become a dear blog friend of mine) by clicking here.

It was such a pleasure to celebrate with them both at this incredibly special time in their lives. This was our first time meeting our friend's other half, and we think she's absolutely lovely! They are clearly so right for each other. We wish them all the love and joy in the world!

Here's the happy couple along with my goofy husband!

Reading blogs and news this afternoon!

Writing some post ideas for this week.

Listening to the dishwasher running--I created a lot of dirty dishes this morning!

Thinking about how wonderful it is to have friendships that I know will be lifelong.

Smelling nothing at the moment!

Wishing it wasn't so humid here--I can't believe it's only late April and the humidity has already set in. I'm meant to live much farther North, I really am.

Hoping to see more of these particular friends soon. They live in Charlottesville, just about halfway between where my parents live (Washington, D.C.) and where my in-laws live (Lynchburg) so we're thinking a trip sometime soon is in order!

Wearing grey leggings and a chambray top.

Drinking a big glass of water.

Loving love! Being around a happy, newly-engaged couple brings back wonderful memories from that time when I couldn't stop staring at my ring or reading books on becoming a godly wife, and I remember the joy being overwhelming.

Wanting a cat nap this afternoon.

Needing to go on a long walk, after the cat nap! I didn't get any exercise yesterday and I'm feeling itchy to get outside and stretch my legs.

Feeling happy that my mother-in-law will get to see my parents' new houseboat tomorrow when she drives through D.C. on her way home from New York. I only wish I could be there too!

Clicking this article on the Bush Library dedication. My parents were at the events this week in Dallas (my Dad was President Bush's Domestic Policy Advisor for two and a half years) and they had a fantastic time!

I hope you have a blessed and wonderful Sunday. 

Read more Sunday Currently posts by visiting Lauren's blog!

Sunday Currently: Volume 13

Image Source

Reading A Severe Mercy, and also planning to read some G.K. Chesterton and the Bible later today with my husband.

Writing this post in bed. Yesterday was gorgeous and sunny but today is rainy, and I love the coziness of being inside, warm and comfortable, while it's raining outside.

Listening to sputtering rain.

Thinking about the next year ahead of us. Since we've been married, we haven't exactly had the kind of life we'd planned. And it looks like it will continue that way for a while (because the Army takes FOREVER to get things done) but I'm working hard to make peace with this.

Smelling coffee. We ran out of black tea (some more is on the way--we're a little bit snobby about tea and so we order it online) and green tea just didn't seem sufficient today. I haven't had coffee in a few months (I informally gave it up for health reasons) and it tastes divine.

Wishing it wasn't so challenging to get together with college friends. My closest friends are completely spread out across the country--San Francisco, Maine, Houston, Upstate New York. And we're here in Alabama, close to....nothing and nobody. At least we have email and texting and phone calls!

Hoping for high health and spirits this week!

Wearing comfy clothes.

Drinking coffee with cream. Such a treat.

Loving all of the goodies my husband brought back from Sam's Club on his way home from his trip last week. Fresh salmon, berries, a leg of lamb for me to roast, a whole pineapple, raw nuts. Yum. He knows me too well.

Wanting a new vacuum cleaner. Isn't it funny how once you're married you get excited about things like that? My parents have a good one they want to give us, but it's in New York and we'd have to wait until we leave here to get it. So we're trying to decide what to do. Hmm.

Needing to soak up husband time. Without going into detail, it's been a rocky road these last 5 or 6 months. Though I haven't written about this on my blog, except perhaps vaguely, my husband and I have been apart for much of this time (it's no fun when the Army gives your soldier "unaccompanied orders") and we've experienced so many unexpected twists and turns. When you're in the Army your life is not your own, and it felt like chaos for a little while. But things have normalized and although we still have a lot of waiting and patience-testing to get through, my husband is here with me and I plan to not let him out of my sight for a very long time.

Feeling grateful. For my husband, for the chance to make this next year a really wonderful one, and, despite all of my grousing, for the Army too. I have to remember that in spite of its inefficiencies and defects and crazy ways of doing things, the Army has taken care of us.

Clicking the sequel to The Business of Being Born--More Business of Being Born! We haven't watched it yet but plan to soon.

I hope you have a blessed and wonderful Sunday. 

Read more Sunday Currently posts by visiting Lauren's blog!

Sunday Currently: Volume 12

Some wholesome fun with my honey.

Reading A Severe Mercy, still! I'm reading about the couple's conversion to Christianity and how it affected their marriage. There's a lot to think about so I've been reading it slowly and thoughtfully.

Writing some thoughts, notes, and lists.

Listening to an Airborne tablet fizzle in my water glass. I've been feeling under the weather for the past few days.

Thinking about how much better it is to go through life with a companion and best friend always at your side. I've been feeling low lately--emotionally and physically--and my husband has not only put up with me but has gone out of his way to listen to me, encourage and cheer me, and empathize with me.

Smelling my grapefruit Airborne drink. I actually think it tastes good!

Wishing my husband didn't have to travel for the next few days. I'm going to miss him.

Hoping for a great week ahead!

Wearing skinny jeans that are ripped at the knees but too comfortable to throw away, and one of my husband's shirts. I just changed and this outfit feels just right for the day.

Drinking Airborne. I promise, this is the last time I'll mention it.

Loving good, simple, fun at home. Last night, we played a round of Bananagrams before making lasagna together, then we watched a great documentary that inspired a lot of talk. I love nights like that.

Wanting my health to kick back into gear. My body is a bit out of whack these days.

Needing a piano tuning. The tuner is coming in the morning and I'm looking forward to practicing on a freshly tuned piano tomorrow afternoon.

Feeling just ok. But I think that's alright. I'm about to click through some of the other Sunday Currently posts, so maybe that will cheer me up!

Clicking on Netflix (well, last night we were). We watched a documentary called The Business of Being Born and it was both beautiful and fascinating. I loved it. If you're interested in the idea of natural delivery and midwives and home birth, you should definitely watch it. Childbirth is truly miraculous!

(Linking up with Lauren.)

Sunday Currently Volume 11

The restaurant we went to for Easter brunch was on a lake and these beautiful pink-flowered bushes were everywhere! They were much more charming in person, but I thought I'd include this snapshot anyway.

Well, I missed my Sunday Currently last week, and this week I'm hours later than usual. I do have some pretty good excuses, but I also don't plan to make a habit out of it. I really enjoy and look forward to writing these posts in the early morning each Sunday.

I hope you all are having a beautiful Easter. We went to Mass and brunch in a nearby town that we don't know too well, and an older couple (they have been married for 56 years!) took us under their wing. We met them at church and they told us the best place to go to brunch, then invited us to sit with them, and they even insisted on treating us at the end of the delicious meal. Talk about generous and loving people, who clearly model their lives on the man whose resurrection we celebrate today. It's been a lovely Easter.


Reading A Severe Mercy, as well as catching up on some blog reading.

Writing This post, and jotting notes for some other ones. I'm also brainstorming ideas for some freelance articles.

Listening to peace and quiet!

Thinking about the kindness of strangers. My husband and I both hope that when we're 80 years old we will be as gracious and kind to a random young couple or two, as Tom and Betty were to us today.

Smelling my perfume, Versace Bright Crystal. I've gotten to the point where I only really wear perfume on special occasions, and today certainly constitutes as one!

Wishing my family and in-laws and friends--and all of you!--a Happy Easter.

Hoping and praying for the renewal that this season promises.

Wearing high-waisted, wide-bottomed light blue/gray linen pants from Anthropologie. And a pale pink top tucked in.

Drinking nothing at the moment. I think I'll go pour myself some water!

Loving my husband, my family, my God.

Wanting to make lamb next week. I love lamb on Easter and was going to make it for today, but our plans changed at the last minute. The recipe I love is in our cookbook--if I do end up making it, I'll share it with you all (the recipe, not the lamb!).

Needing a little snack. How I could possibly be hungry after our huge brunch is beyond even me. My husband jokes that I'm always eating! That's what a fast metabolism will do to you.

Feeling mellow and happy.

Clicking nothing at the moment--I just popped on my computer to write this post. But I think I'll check the NYTimes for some Sunday news. Are you clicking anything interesting?

Have a lovely evening!

(Linking up with Lauren.)

Sunday Currently: Volume 10

Currently...

Reading A Severe Mercy by Sheldon Vanauken, a beautiful story about a marriage. When I first mentioned that this book was on my reading list, a few of you responded and said you had read it and loved it. I'm hoping we can have a discussion about it when I'm finished.

Writing this, along with my first post for the Happy Wives Club!

Listening to cheerful birds making lots of noise in our backyard.

Thinking about logistics. I have a busy couple of weeks ahead of me.

Smelling the oats that are cooking away on the stove. And speaking of whole grains, I recently heard a great tip for getting more of them in our daily diets--make a large batch of a whole grain (like quinoa, farro, or barley) at the beginning of the week and throughout the week, throw a handful of grains into salads or smoothies, or use it as the base for a main dish. I thought that was a good idea! I eat steel cut oats for breakfast and I typically buy only whole grain bread, but I could be better about varying the grains I'm eating and making sure I'm eating them with most meals.

Wishing you a happy St. Patrick's Day! I've never been too into this holiday, even after all my years at Notre Dame, but this week I did go to a special St. Patrick's Day Zumba Challenge, which was really fun! We did some Irish jigs and played our air fiddles and acted totally silly!

Hoping today is productive and peaceful.

Wearing a long, cozy cardigan.

Drinking Harney and Sons "Anniversary" blend tea with cream.

Loving the updates I'm getting from my parents, who are in the latter stages of designing and building their houseboat. I get to see it in a few weeks and I can't wait!

Wanting to do some shopping when I see my parents in D.C. I've been very good and haven't bought any new clothes in a few months, but I think everyone deserves just a little bit of spring shopping!

Needing to start working on my to-do list for today.

Feeling both excited and nervous about the charity runway fashion show I'm in this week! I think it will be a lot of fun.

Clicking on this cute story about Fergie's maternity style. I just learned that Fergie is married to Josh Duhamel, and that they're both Catholic and go to church. Hearing about celebrities who are serious about their faith warms my heart (perhaps because so much of Hollywood is secular and not too wholesome).

Have a lovely day!

(Linking up with Lauren.)