live in the sunshine

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I have San Diego on my mind. I am heading home tomorrow for a wedding.. EEK! You guys, it has been a year since I have been in San Diego.  I am beyond excited.. not only to join in on this celebration, but also to see the rest of my friends and to explore my old stomping ground. I already have my bags packed and  a very well thought out list of all the activities that I would like to do! The list includes a picnic overlooking the bay, coffee at my favorite bookstore, dinner and wine and my favorite Italian bistro, and a walk on the cliffs with my bestie.

The wedding is going to be in a town outside of San Diego in a field overlooking a beautiful hillside. My dear friend has a wonderful eye for beauty so I am thrilled to see what she has come up with for the big day. I do know the reception will include croquet and line dancing. I am pretty excited!

I will be documenting the trip in order to share the lovely details with the husband (who had to stay behind and work) and my wonderful blogger friends! Hope you all have a wonderful week and weekend!

xo

anna lizbeth

Army Family

I got this picture from my dear friend Candace at hippie at heart. I feel like it sums up our day perfectly. Yesterday we had a girls day and it was one of those days where you stop and realize how blessed you are. Being an army wife you realize quickly how important friendships are. Your friends become your army family. They are the ones that are around when your husband cannot be, they are the ones that can say, "I know exactly how you feel", they are the ones that you can explore a park with, drink yummy coffee with, play with their babies, and most importantly laugh with.  I am incredibly blessed to have found such wonderful friends here at rucker!

xo 

anna lizbeth

linking up with tell me about it tuesday

sunflowers

This weekend we went to aplin farms... and they had SUNFLOWERS! The best part.. you could pick them for free. You guys, I was in my happy place. There was fresh fruit and veggies, an adult corn maze, tractor rides, pumpkin patches, and have I mentioned sunflowers? On top of that amazingness it was also a cool day and I was able to bring out my favorite anthropologie scarf.  I think it really compliments the flowers don't you ;) 

This weekend we also watched moonrise kingdom. Oh how I wish I discovered this movie BEFORE our halloween party. Would this not make the perfect costume? I would love to carry around flowers and a fishing basket and  I think the husband would rock that raccoon hat ;). Oh well, there is always next year.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

xo

anna lizbeth

linking up with weekend update and weekendfile

Sundays

I love sundays. Not only are they a day for rest but they are also a day for reflecting. Reflecting on your week, reflecting on your life, and reflecting on what is really important. I came across this video a while back and I found it to be so challenging. If you have a minute I highly reccommend watching it.

The Story of Ian & Larissa from Desiring God on Vimeo

xo

anna lizbeth

lets get crafty

A couple of months back I had a baby shower for  one of my good friends. I knew I wanted to get her something special but I could not decide for the longest time what that would be, until she pinned this. *who knew pinterest could be the new gift registry* My friend and I both share a love for crafts and diy so I knew this would be the perfect gift. 

The frame was purchased at hobby lobby as well as the knobs and they were both 40 percent off. Have I mentioned that I love hobby lobby? Well I do. A lot. 

The next step was finding chicken wire. I found this at Lowes. Unfortunately you can only get it in large quantities, so be prepared to have lots of crafts including chicken wire.

Attaching the wire to the frame was very simple. All that was needed was a staple gun. The trick is to cut it to size first then to make sure it is stretched out while you staple. 

The next step were the knobs. We used a drill to make the holes then placed them in.

I then purchased a couple of bows and a headband from this adorable etsy shop. *The shop lets you create your own style* I love how it all turned out.

As mentioned earlier. There was a lot of chicken wire. I had this old window (recently purchased at a local antique store) and decided it could use some of that chicken wire of mine. :)  I used the staple gun again and then used tiny clips from hobby lobby to secure my pictures.

Want to see more from the baby shower?  Go here.  

Happy Crafting and Happy Friday!

xo 

anna lizbeth

linking up with friday chaos 

the best people

Been sick the last couple of days so I have been...

drinking lots of oj

 looking at pretty things

listening to happy music

 and watching lovely movies 

thought I would share a few with you

arent these images lovely.. you can find them here. 

I could not agree more.

This song makes me quite happy. I love her quirky lyrics!

I have been watching ALOT of movies.. but here are my favorites

loving happy go lucky as well as amelie,  love actually and romantics anonymous

lastly, I think I would be a much happier sick person if I was wearing this robe!

Happy Thursday!

xo

anna lizbeth

what i wore

I wore this outfit this weekend to the boll weevil festival.. what is a boll weevil festival? If curious you can read more here. It is still on the warmer side here in Alabama. We are talking high 78-80 to low 60's.. so I have not been graced with the ability to do what I love so much..layering. 

Until the weather changes you will find me here.. in my cut off shorts.. dreaming of cooler days! 

glasses: warby parker

watch: fossil

shorts: seven jeans- diy cut offs.

shirt: local boutique

shoes: nordstrom

xo

anna lizbeth

linking up with what i wore and bloghop

Big News!

I have a new blog design AND I am working on getting pictures together for a house tour!

First off.. lets talk about this blog design... I am in love!! It was designed by whiskeytangofoxtrot and she did an amazing job. She is reasonable, fast, and will work with you until you have the design that you absolutely love. What more could a little blogger like myself ask for.

Now on to the house tour... it is a work in progress.. first things first.. i need to do some cleaning ;)... check back later this week for pictures of the rest of my little home!

Hope you are all having a lovely tuesday!

xo 

anna lizbeth

linking up with gfc

a lovely weekend

Let me start off by telling you that this little town that we currently live in has a monument... to a boll weevil! Little fun fact- it is the only city to have a monument to an insect.  Well, this weekend we had a big event named the boll weevil festival. There is not much to do in this town so this was kind of a big deal! We loaded up Shakespeare in the truck and headed to the festivities. The weather was absolutely perfect outside so it was a good day for all that was in store. So what did these festivities include? Pony rides (see picture above) , children in costumes, vendors, a man singing on stage to a CD, some food vendors and hot dogs in crock pots. We did find a couple of good vendors.. and lovely persimmons. So overall I would say it was a great Alabamian experience. Later that night we headed out for Indian BBQ and the food was DELICIOUS.  They were also playing old Bollywood videos and let me tell you... they were probably the highlight of my day. The husband and I decided we should get some copies to play at our next get together. I think they would be quite the hit ;) who doesn't want to see people dancing and singing in colorful clothing.  Sunday was also a beautiful day so we headed to the lake. We love spending days on the lake and wanted to let Shakespeare swim before it gets too cold. After the lake we headed home for a relaxing Sunday evening.. where 

I came across this video... it made me quite happy!

  Hope you all had a great weekend!

xo

anna lizbeth

linking up with sami and molly

Sunbeams

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what do you value most in life? 

My faith which gives me a purpose.  The husband who brings so much happiness into my life and loves me wholeheartedly. I am very excited to do life with him.  My family who will always be there for me. My wonderful friends who I can laugh with and who really just make life better :).  I have been very blessed.

what do you think is the greatest invention in your lifetime and why?

I would definitely say skype. On my husband's deployment skype was our main form of communication. I cannot express how comforting it was to not only hear his voice but to also see his face (because he has a good one :) )  and to see his expressions. At times he would even "watch" the bachelor with me and my roommates! Good man.

what do you think is the secret to a good life? 

Surrounding yourself with a loving community. Life is meant to be shared with others, not spent alone. I tend also to be happiest when I am focusing on helping others rather than constantly thinking of my own needs. Lastly, letting things go that are too heavy and focusing on the positive things in life rather than dwelling on the negative.

what would you most like to be remembered for when your gone?

That I loved God and loved others well. That I was joyful, a good listener, I opened my door to others and I was genuine.

what accomplishment in your life are you most proud of?

That I have been true to me and followed my own dreams.

If a movie was made about your life, who would you want to play you? 

 I would want Emma Stone to play my part. I think she is a wonderful actress and the fact that she is a fellow redhead doesn't hurt! Oh and my husband would be ryan gosling because they both can pull off the newsboy cap ;)

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xo 

anna lizbeth

linking up with sunday social

the girl behind the blog

I hit 50 yesterday!! I am beyond thrilled. I am really starting to like this whole blogging thing. :) I wanted to thank you all for seeing something in this little blog of mine and following along. I decided to share a little about the girl behind the blog! So here we go...

I am married to my high school sweetheart. We have been married two years and he is my besty.  He likes to cuddle and I only do SOMETIMES.

I am a christian and I have a heart for missions. My trips to Africa have been absolutely life changing. I was amazed at their joy and positive outlook on life. 

I have a degree in human services and loved my internship at the IRC in San Diego teaching English to refugees..but I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up ;)

I am so excited to one day be a mom.

I love the french press and drink my coffee black.

If I could eat cheese and drink red wine for dinner every night I would.

My husband is in flight school.. I really dig his uniform. 

I think it is so important to surround yourself with a loving community. 

I think people are fascinating and love to learn what makes them unique.

I could sit in a book store or cafe for hours and be content.

I love the beach on cold days. 

I love traveling and spent a year in europe.

I love going on adventures, camping and hiking.

I am a daddy's girl.

I tend to get very grumpy if I am hungry so my husband has learned it is best to keep peanuts on hand.

I love to decorate, diy projects, and am obsessed with antiques. 

I love everything j-crew and stripes.

I am stubborn, a little feisty, short-tempered, and have a hard time getting myself to the gym. ;)

I love foreign films and could watch Amelie once a week.

Lastly, I think life is too short to take yourself too seriously.

thanks again for following this little blog of mine and reading about our journey. I look forward to getting to know all of you! 

xo 

anna lizbeth

in case you didnt know... ITS FRIDAY!

highlights from the week.. apparently food makes me happy ;)

1 ice cream from milky moo's. Yes. we have a local ice cream shop named milky moo's and it is actually quite charming.    2 loving mumford and sons as well as my inspirational chalkboard 

3 homemade tomato and basil soup with a fancy grilled cheese and wine. A.M.A.Z.I.N.G 

 4 was able to pull out my flannel and riding boots. (but then i may have gotten a little warm.. still worth it) 

 5 eating a greasy pizza with the mister where we discussed our halloween costumes.I dont think

he wanted his picture taken...but isnt he the cutest :)

xo

anna lizbeth

linking up with highfiveforfriday

happy dance

its okay...

.... that my husband and I are obsessed with our dog. You would be too if you had a goldendoodle :)

....that I enjoyed holding my friends cute baby more than shopping. 

.... that I have already gone to barnes and nobles to look at christmas magazines

.... that i have to travel for 16 hours to get to san diego.. because it was free and I get to go to a wedding and see these lovely ladies!

... that I could tell you what is new in the j-crew catalog..  and that i relate to this video clip. 

Its okay...

... that I was having way to much fun with my blog yesterday that I didnt go to the grocery store and had to serve the hubby a frozen pizza.

.... that I get excited to go places that I can blog about

.... that I did a happy dance when I found the perfect person for a blog design! (check back soon :). )

its okay right??

xo 

anna lizbeth

linking up with brunch with amber for it's okay thursdays

you are the bee's knees

I love etsy.. dont you? I can spend way too much time browsing all of the quirky shops. My newest obsession are these embroidery hoops. They would make a great gift for a friend or the perfect addition to your own home! I love the little phrases that dearmoonbeams came up with. I am thinking "I love us" is going to be the newest addition to my bedroom. Because.. well.. the husband, shakespeare and I are pretty great.. and I do love us :) 

Do you have a favorite etsy store? If so I would love to check it out. My home will thank you.. but my wallet will not ;)

xo

anna lizbeth


linking up with rolleduppretty

A lovely weekend

On Friday night the husband and I loaded up the bed of his truck with pillows and blankets and headed off to the drive in theater to meet some friends. Four of us piled into the back of the bed, homemade popcorn in hand. This was my first time at the drive in so needless to say I was quite pleased with the whole situation. It was a warm day but that night it went down to the 60's, just cool enough to want to cuddle up with my man and the blanket. The first movie was incredibly cheesy (trouble with the curve) and the other (argo) was good, but the ambiance was perfection. Did I mention there were stars in the sky? Well there were.. and it was lovely! I will definitely be heading back to the drive in. Maybe next time I will add in some wine and cheese.

On Saturday I went searching for a pair of oxfords for an upcoming wedding in San Diego but had no luck. If you know of any online I am up for suggestions! 

After we headed to the bookstore to look at some magazines then headed home for a night in.

Sunday we went to church and then headed to the diner with friends *where I had a very tasty omelet then naturally couldn't turn down a pecan pie for dessert :) 

Not much happened this weekend but sometimes the lazy weekends make the best weekend! 

xo 

anna lizbeth

Lets Get Literary!

This is my first link up with Sunday Social and I am in love with this topic! I love curling up with a good book and a cup of coffee or spending the day at a quaint bookstore. My favorite bookstore is Upstart Crow  in San Diego. If you are ever in the area you MUST stop by. Picture the children's bookstore in You've Got Mail.. but for adults and add in a yummy cafe. Yes.. it's that good! 

Favorite Childhood Book would have to be Anne of Green Gables. As a child I was drawn to the fact that she was a fellow redhead. :)

My Favorite Book lately is The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. I did not want to put this book down! I love how it was written in letter form. I loved the characters and  found the book to be very intriguing and unique. 

A book I wish I could live in would be Lunch in Paris. I think I was born in the wrong country. Oh how I would love to live in Paris. Spending my days going to markets, sitting at cafe's, sipping my wine and eating delicious food. Yes.. I can picture me there. 

If you could be a character from any book it would be Elizabeth Bennet because I love her style and wit. I also wouldn't mind wearing the clothes! 

My favorite book turned movie currently would be Hunger Games. I am a big fan. But a close second would also be The Help. 

My favorite magazine is Kinfolk. Obsessed. With. This. Magazine. 

"You can never get a cup of tea large enough, or a book long enough to suit me." - C.S. Lewis 

xo

anna lizbeth

Friday Letters

Dear Banners, I have big plans for you. I want to make one of you for every season now. I am thinking Trick or Treat, Merry Christmas, and Be Mine. What fun. 

Dear Wine, I love that I can enjoy you at noon with friends.

Dear Maps, I am pleased that my husband has now completed his flight school project and you are off my floor. Dear Husband, have I mentioned how proud of you I am? Because I am one proud wifey over here. Your hard work in flight school never ceases to amaze me.

Dear Big Daddy, I really enjoyed your BBQ. Thank you.

Dear Kimbra, I am obsessed with your video. In my world my husband would always wear a suit and a top hat. Oh and be dancing.

Dear Husband, Can we head to the beach this weekend? Now that its cooling down I am picturing.. overcast, beach chairs, coffee in my hand, you by my side, and a good book. Sounds good, yes? 

Dear Weekend, Welcome. I have big plans for you!