Fab Find Friday: Reinvented

It's been a while since my first Fab Find Friday post, and this week I was inspired to change things up a little bit. So here we go!

She & Him. One part country folk artist M. Ward and one part actress Zooey Deschanel. Perfect for when you're in the mood for mellow.
Spiced Sweet Potato and Pecan Pancakes via Perry's Plate.
Life in the Super Burbs from Style Me Pretty contributor, Abby Capalbo.
Polka dot dress found via Peach & Pearl.

The Farm Chicks in the Kitchen. I would love to have this cookbook!

So as you can see, Fab Find Friday has gotten quite the makeover here at Front Porch Sittin'. I'm so excited to bring you fab finds from these specific categories in a new color scheme/theme each week! It's a new challenge to stretch my creativity, and I hope you like it! Let me know your thoughts! :)

Anthropologie Monogrammed Mugs

I just got my Christmas present from my best friend last weekend, and look what she got me! This delightful mug from Anthropologie:

{Photo by Erin Hearts Court via SMP}
Go ahead, be jealous that she's not your BFF. I about screamed, cried, and peed in my pants all at the same time when I opened it. Okay, so maybe only one of those things happened. But it's just amazing how well she knows me! I've been eyeing those exact mugs from Anthropologie for months, with the intentions of doing a little something like this:

{Photo by Ken Kienow via SMP}
So now that I have half of the duo, I just need to order the "K" mug and find me some fake or dried flowers to put in them. I'll post pictures once I find a place for them to live in our little townhome! And if you've been reading our blog for any length of time, you know that I typically don't use mugs for the purpose of drinking out of them. Exhibit A and Exhibit B. Call me crazy!

{Photo by Clayton Austin}
{Photo by Ken Luallen via SMP}
Click here to snag your own monogrammed mug for 6 bucks! I hope everyone has a wonderful week, and may your mugs be filled with delicious coffee {or beautiful flowers!}.

Tale As Old As Time

I'll just cut to the chase--Beauty & The Beast was AMAZING! I found myself fighting back tears practically the whole time, the nostalgia was so overwhelming as I watched the beloved characters and songs from my childhood come to life on stage. It did my heart good! Thanks to my husband for such a wonderful gift. (And he really enjoyed it, too!)

My favorite number was "Gaston," with "Be Our Guest" coming in a close second.



And, of course, the "Beauty & the Beast" scene is where the waterworks were definitely threatening to come out!

{All photos by Joan Marcus.}
Rewind a little bit earlier in the evening, and you would find Kyle & I eating dinner at Mary Mac's Tea Room off Ponce de Leon. We didn't know we were in for such a tasty southern cookin' treat! They filled us up before our dinner came out with not only yeast rolls-a-plenty, but cornbread dipped in collard drippings and cinnamon rolls to boot! It was almost as hard to pick our side dishes as it was to pick the main entree, they had so many savory choices. I finally settled with the Shrimp & Grits with Tomato Pie on the side and Kyle had the Chopped Sirloin. Needless to say we made the icy way to the Fox fat and happy!

Since Atlanta is only about 45 min. from my parent's house, we decided to stay with them for the weekend. And we had a pleasant surprise as my Aunt Carol and cousin Ali were in town to visit! It was so good to see them since they weren't able to come up from Florida for Christmas.

So I found the photo on the left below of Ali and me as I was looking for a picture of the "Belle" gown my Mom made me. I thought it funny how well it paired with the one on the right of us at my wedding. We just switched who was the bride and who was wearing yellow! Love it!

Even though it's Tuesday now, I hope everyone else had a great weekend!

Excited about an evening at The Fox!

My husband is a wonderful gift-giver, and this Christmas was no exception. Around Thanksgiving I discovered my affinity for hot tea, but we didn't have a tea kettle for me to enjoy making some at home. Well, Kyle picked up on the hints, and gave me the most beautiful red tea kettle as part of my Christmas present!

It fits in perfectly with the red & yellow southwestern-ish theme of our kitchen. And it's definitely been put to use during this frigid week here in Georgia!


But the tea kettle was not the best part. When I initially opened it, Kyle told me to pop the top and look inside, and lo and behold there were two tickets to Beauty & the Beast at The Fox waiting inside! SCORE! I'm liking this tea kettle even more.

This is why Kyle is such a great gift-giver. That sharp memory of his--I mentioned I would love to see The Fox performance of Beauty & the Beast way back in September! B&TB is my favorite Disney movie, and I've only seen a musical performance of it once before at the Flat Rock Playhouse in NC. I'm sure experiencing it on a grander scale at The Fox will be amazing! And here's to hoping Atlanta will hurry up and thaw out so we can actually make it to the show this weekend. :)

Fab Find Friday: Stylish Blogger Award

Sometimes we bloggers do curious things like blog challenges, link-ups, and awards, but you have to admit it's kinda fun to participate! So my lovely former roomie, Julie, recently gave me my first blog award, the Stylish Blogger Award. Thanks so much Mrs. Minton! ;)


So here's what's supposed to go down:
1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded you this award.
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Award 15 recently discovered bloggers.
4. Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award!

7 things about myself:
1. I might be the only person in the world who doesn't like hamburgers. At all.
2. I'm one of 14 people in my family who went to UGA. And it's quite possible I'm leaving someone out of that number. Go Dawgs!
3. My absolute favorite flowers are peonies and ranunculus.
4. I had braces by the time I was 7 1/2. Definitely upped my cool factor.
5. I turn into this accident prone person when I'm on vacation. Such as, I fell off the ski lift in Breckenridge, CO. Don't worry, I survived unscathed!
6. I've recently become obsessed with design blogs. I've been adding them to my Google Reader like a kid adding candy to his bag in a candy store! :)
7. I love being a Fenton, even though I have to spell it a few thousand times whenever I say my last name over the phone.

Here are the blogs I picked to pass on the Stylish Blog Award. All worth checking out, ranging in topics from home decor to baking to just everyday life. All, of course, with style!

1. Kathleen at Twig & Thistle
2. Sarah at Truly Smitten
3. Jessica at Living the Swell Life
4. Emily at Peach and Pearl
5. Ashley at Buzzy Craftery
6. Morgan at Sailor's Wife for Me
7. Emily at Our Blue Door
8. Laura at The Epitome of Us
9. Michelle at Miss Oven Mitts
10. Kristen at Hope, For More Than a Name
11. Christy at Meet the Wilburs
12. Lauren at Rhythms of Radiance
13. Katy at This Frame of Mind
14. Amanda at Genuine Greavu
15. Jami at Cup of Homrich

And I'm so proud of my sister, Ashley, for starting her first blog! Prepare your taste buds, because it's gonna be all about food. Check it out here. Have a great weekend, y'all!

You go to bed in one kind of world...

"The first fall of snow is not only an event, it is a magical event. You go to bed in one kind of a world and wake up in another quite different, and if this is not enchantment, then where is it to be found?" -J.B. Priestley

I came across this quote on Rachel's tumblr and thought it so appropriate for us Georgians right now. It kinda helps explain why snow makes us freak out.

And to further demonstrate Mr. Priestley's point, here is the kind of walk Kyle and I had on Saturday by the Savannah River:


And here's our stroll through the snow on Monday:

Two very different worlds indeed! Gotta love it. We had a blast rocking our PJs, watching movies and reading books during our snow day in Augusta. I hope everyone is staying safe and not going too stir crazy from all this time off!

Note to self: You'll want to remember this post when it is 100+ degrees outside in July.

An Idea for Christmas Future

Someday, when I have enough space for more than one Christmas tree, I would love love love to have a Vintage Photo Tree. The photos will all be authentic from mine and Kyle's family. And seeing from this post, having enough to decorate a tree will not be a problem for us.

Ooo I'm so excited! {Even though this is years away!}


Photo from The Georgia Club Christmas Tour of Homes. Design by Tracy Cook of Design, Etc.

Humbled & Inspired.

One of my goals for 2011 is to find and follow websites/blogs of successful Christian businesswomen, especially photographers, to challenge and inspire me as I begin to pursue my own business. Yesterday I came across Natalie Norton's blog, and MAN. I was absolutely BLOWN AWAY.

{via.}
Not only is her photography simply breathtaking, but the way she communicates her love for the Lord is so genuine. It touches the deepest place of your heart, like it really is the Lord speaking through her. I couldn't read any of her recent blog posts without wanting to weep uncontrollably. Seriously. This week is the one-year anniversary of the death of her then 8-week old baby boy, Gavin. I simply can't imagine the grief. As I read her story about the tragic loss of baby Gavin, in the midst of her pain, her faith never wavered. In fact, it only became stronger. Lord, may I have that kind of faith when faced with the tough circumstances of this life! I know it was a God thing I found Natalie's blog, she is an inspiration, an answer to prayer, and someone I would love to have photograph my family one day (but she lives in Hawaii...hmm? We'll just have to visit!).

Check out Natalie's blog here and be encouraged!

2010: Everything Beautiful In Its Time

I've been in a reflective mood today (who isn't lately?), so I thought it appropriate to jot my thoughts down for a post about all things 2010. So here goes!

When I sit back and think on this year, I'm instantly reminded of Ecclesiastes 3. That there is a time for everything, and a season for every purpose under heaven. And I say this because Kyle and I experienced SO MUCH in 2010:

We got married. I graduated from college. We moved to a new city the very next day. Kyle started Physical Therapy School. I started a new job. We had to learn what it means to put each other first. And failed. But kept trying. We had to learn to let go of a lifestyle of college and friends and come to terms with 8-5 and health insurance and retirement plans. We've had some painful goodbyes, but also some beautiful new beginnings. We've traveled to new places but also learned what it means to be still. God has challenged us to dig down inside of ourselves and see what we’re made of. And while "what we're made of" is not perfect, we continually find hope in the One who is.

And now, here's my attempt at a photographic representation of this whirlwind of a year:

This is exactly why I wanted to start a blog, so I could look back and see where I was in my life at different points along the way. Who knows what a reflective post like this will look like a year from now? So here's to anticipating a great 2011!

"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end." {Ecclesiastes 3:11}

Coming Soon: 2011 Vision Boards (SUPER excited about this!)