the last bits of summer

Life has been moving fast and a few home projects are in full force. I can't wait to share a little bit of how I turned an upstairs utility room into a cozy, cool jam room. My husband's old drum set is up there, and I feel like the house is instantly more badass when he's playing.

With as quickly as September moved in, I'm sure October and November will be here in another blink of an eye. Here's to soaking up as much as I can of that sweet Summer.

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30 before 30

Though I'm well into my 29th year, I was inspired by this post to think about some things I'd like to do before I turn 30. It's one of those birthdays that's easy to joke about and be sad for the end of my twenties, but I'm looking forward to what lies ahead. So, here are few things I'd like to work on/accomplish in the remaining months...

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1. Jump out of a hot air balloon.
2. Go on a girls trip with my mom and sister.
3. Surf in Virginia Beach. 
4. Complete an Olympic distance triathlon.
5. Finally finish reading Atlas Shrugged.
6. Floss regularly.
7. Run a half marathon in under 2 hours. I missed that mark by 9 minutes last year!
8. Be a better plant mom and garden more.
9. Go fly fishing and spear fishing with my little brother.
10. Hike (parts of) the Appalachian Trail. 
11. Volunteer locally.
12. Take better care of my skin.
13. Make a habit of consuming less sugar.
14. Finally take off the ugly wallpaper in the bathrooms.
15. Be comfortable in my body.
16. Be more present for friends and family. 
17. Write more– letters, blog posts, journaling...
18. Work on being a better communicator for my husband.
19. Call my siblings and closest friends more often.
20. Complain less.
21. Cook more meals at home, preferably with my husband.
22. Stop biting my nails.
23. Be a (better) morning person. 
24. Spend more time with my nieces and nephew.
25. Save more money.
26. Be content with saying "no."
27. Get to my goal weight of 135lbs.
28. Start those front end development courses I've been wanting to take.
29. Take Jay to see the trees in the water of the Great Dismal Swamp.
30. Be able to hold a handstand and do 3 pull-ups. I've always been more of a legs girl.

lately (in black + white)

With frigid temperatures (I know, I know– everyone is complaining about the cold) around Virginia Beach, I've been spending much of my time inside. Week nights and weekends at the house are a nice treat that we often miss during the summer months when we're off camping, traveling or playing in the sky. I'm finding that I can indeed cook, and the results are usually tasty. Plus, it's pretty enjoyable to chop ingredients and sauté vegetables with the one you love.

Eating like a queen. For our first Valentine's Day, Jay made Beef Wellington. It's now become a tradition, and 8 years later it's still going strong.

It's a jungle in here. Our outdoor plants and bonsai have been inside for a few weeks due to below-freezing nights. Not pictured: more plants taking over our dining room table and bench. And floor. And kitchen counter.

Linen sheets. One of my favorite things making it extra difficult to get outta bed.

30 days // no social media

I've been thinking about doing this for a long time. Now, after talking about it with my sister-in-law who recently disconnected, she's given me the motivation to deactivate. So I'm joining her. She told me she's loving it. Mostly because she's finding herself appreciating small details she would have missed with her face glued to a phone, and she's experiencing more simple pleasures. Her husband (my little brother) never got on any of these platforms to begin with.

For me, social media includes the three I use-- Instagram, Facebook and Twitter (Pinterest doesn't count here because I don't socialize on it. I think of it as a digital magazine). I've deactivated Facebook and removed Instagram and Twitter apps from my phone. I will not be visiting them on the computer either. This is nothing life-changing, and who knows, maybe I'll hate it and be back in 30 days. Or, maybe I won't miss it at all and continue to stay disconnected.

If someone actually calculated the time I spend on these sites in a day I'd be sick to my stomach. It's easy for me to get my "fix" every 15 minutes because I'm at a computer designing for 8+ hours a day. I'll mock up a mobile app page, check Facebook, work on button styles, see what's new on Instagram. It's an addictive cycle that's been challenging my attention span and brings multi-tasking to a whole new level. There's a lot of comparing and wanting going on during the bottomless scrolling. Why does she get to travel to Tulum while I'm here working? I just NEED that $1,200 lounge chair! 

There is too much in my life to be thankful for, and I should stop to think about those things when I have an extra couple minutes. Or catch a sunset, go on a walk/hike, read an article about maintaining house plants, learn HTML and CSS, call an old friend to say hello, cook my husband dinner, stretch more, moisturize, plan a weekend trip somewhere new, make something, watch a documentary, paint...the options are ENDLESS!

My plan is to blog more during this time too. I miss writing. Today is day 1. I'm excited to see how this goes and what I'll discover in the next 30 days. Would you disconnect for a month? Have you done a social media shutdown yourself? I'd love to hear.

top photo by Eva Kolenko. bottom photos via Pinterest, mostly my adventure/carpe diem board

life outdoors

Life is sweet...and kinda hectic. But I wouldn't have it any other way. With August coming tomorrow, I've been thinking about where exactly July went. It started in late June with our camping trip and every weekend since has been booked. I've visited new sites (Boston, Colonial Beach and Jamestown) and re-visited places (Harrisonburg and Yorktown), all while having good friends and family in tow.

This weekend I'm crossing my fingers to stay home and work on some house projects that have been on my mind since February, but sneak away for a little bit to get a few skydives. Hope you're enjoying every bit of this sweet, sweet summertime.

you can follow me on instagram @christinaprock

::snapshots::

Thankfully, we've been spending the last couple weekends enjoying our home. One weekend was sunny, this last one was snowy. We're slowly filling the house with furniture and decorations we love. A favorite new addition is that fiddle leaf fig in the corner (and now searching for the perfect piece of pottery). 

follow along on instagram: @6_petals

::winter wonderland::

This is the first snow I've seen since we moved to Virginia. I was that girl who threw on a beanie and boots to go play in it. It fascinates me that this white stuff falls from the sky. That's what you get when you grow up in Florida.

::4 days::

I"ll be spending the next 4 days tackling a loooong and neglected to-do list. Items include:

• finishing & sending our Save the Dates
• decorating bookshelves in the house
• a few DIY projects
• two logo designs
• more wedding planning
• listing shop items
• sleep

and how about I get back to daily blogging. I sure miss that.

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::coupledom::

We're starting to get things settled in our new home. And, it still doesn't feel real sometimes. It's like I'm on a long vacation in someone's house. There are times when I still think my belongings are in our old place. Perhaps a housewarming party will help!

One thing I know for sure is that I really enjoy sharing a space with Jay. I'll try to avoid the lovey-dovey talk (I guess I'm on that path because I just designed our Save the Dates!), but it's true. All the little things that I notice about him makes me happy to know that he's mine. Coupledom is a wonderful thing.

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::it's time::

::socks?::

I know what you're thinking. "You up and leave for Maui for over a week and come back to blog about socks?!" Well, hear me out. This whole trip was the first time in a long while I had my eyes off a computer screen for multiple days. Pixels are cool and all, but it was incredible to get away to a new place. Especially one so scenic. 

I'm back to the daily grind, the projects are back on the table and there's lots to get done. I'll get some Hawai'i pictures up soon to show you just how beautiful it is there. We had such a fun time with good friends and made some new ones, too. I'm another year older and have big things to look forward to in the next year. Call it another one of those "new outlook on life" sorta deals. Life is good-- I'm so grateful for my supportive and loving family and friends. Mahalo.

At least they're sweet socks.

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::an afternoon date::

Jay and I met up yesterday afternoon to finally sit and watch the new Batman movie. Yes, we called it a date. We don't go to the movies often (although we did see Moonrise Kingdom) because we usually opt for something on Netflix. I remember my Grandma recording the old Batman TV series for us. You know, the one with the "SHAZAM" and "KA-POW" graphics. The movie was awesome. Powerful music and good stories always get me.

UPDATE: I almost forgot! For Halloween my mom made me an amazing Catwoman costume. It was black spandex with silver stitching. Complete with long clip-on fingernails, pleather booties and belt. I'll try to get the photo up!

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::fourth::

It was a hot Independence Day (and sadly, I didn't have a bathing suit to jump in that water). Yorktown is very small with a cute downtown area of historic buildings, private residences and a couple local eateries. I love how it isn't filled with commercial shops and restaurants. Although there was a super long line for Ben & Jerry's. Our view from the rocks watching the fireworks was pretty spectacular. And now, it feels like Monday again.

::richmond (and outskirts) adventure::

Last weekend, we visited another couple in Richmond to see their new place and go camping. They live on the second floor of a building from the 1800's. Their little neighborhood, just outside of the city, has tons of character. We walked over to a park across the street that overlooked the Lucky Strike cigarette factory. 

It's such a pretty drive from Richmond to Staunton. There's old rustic farmhouses, quaint towns on winding roads and scenic mountain views. We hiked to a watering hole and jumped off fallen trees into cool, crisp water. Our campsite was right next to the river, so when dusk came we roasted marshmallows over the fire pit.

Our last stop was a beautiful winery called Veritas. I'd get married here...

::an ode to summer // by kinfolk::

This is too good. The simple pleasures of healthful food, bike adventures and shared moments with friends. Andrew and Carissa's videos are always stunning. I just ordered my copy of Vol. 4. Get your Kinfolk Magazine here.

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::starting early::

We're taking off a little early this week. Our good friend from college is celebrating his birthday with a weekend on the water with fireworks, booze and the warm Kentucky sunshine. Not too shabby if you ask me. I've never been to KY, but I'm sure it'll be just perfect. We haven't seen this group in a while and it's always nice to reconnect and share stories. Hopefully I return well relaxed and with sun-kissed skin.

Have a beautiful weekend! See ya back here Tuesday. -christina


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::how i plan to spend my evening::

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::as of late::

+ Really enjoying this whole vegan thing.
+ Another Olde Towne Market Day with my vintage goods. Thanks to those who came out!
+ Florida palm trees.
+ Janis Joplin spinning on the turntable.


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::out back::

It's been so beautiful in our backyard. I'm really not sure why we've been eating dinner inside at all. That's gonna change. It's the perfect place to sip a little wine and relax from the daily grind. Those roses are as big as my head.

*edit: yes, this is my backyard.

::changing habits::

On May 1st I began a vegetarian diet. It all started with a handful of Netflix documentaries that left me feeling rather nauseous. So, each morning started with green juice. To my luck, Fruitive just opened in Virginia Beach...where I finally tried beet juice. And liked it.

A couple months ago I found myself with a bag of Funyuns...yes, Funyuns! Embarrassing. After a long career in various sports through college, I've become so sedimentary. Most of my playing these days happens in Photoshop. However, lugging around loads of vintage goods to Market Day is considered a workout in my book. But something needs to change. Before I had a j-o-b, I was active daily. Now, this is where the excuses pile up, "I'm too tired" "My friends are having a dinner party" "I need to brush my hair". This past weekend, my friend took me to hot yoga. I'd taken a hot yoga class during a trip to Costa Rica years ago, but this time it was rough. It's like I didn't know my own body. But I'm hooked, and I can cross this one off my to do list.

I've acquired poor eating habits since I left college. Shouldn't that happen IN college? When we were younger, my parent's rarely had soda in the house (if ever), fast food wasn't commonplace, and we were fortunate to have home-cooked family dinners at the table every night. My mom is Superwoman. This is a venture back to that. Back to the healthy habits I learned at an early age and hope to pass on to my children.

The month wasn't completely meatless. I couldn't resist my grandfather's steak sandwiches that my dad grilled up over Memorial Day. I don't regret it.

*I didn't intend on getting so lengthy here. I'm motivated and becoming passionate about this. What do you practice to stay healthful? 

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