This weekend was packed with those chilly mornings that tell you fall is on the way for sure. My mom was visiting and we woke up early and put on sweaters and socks and drank steamy mugs of coffee on the patio, which is one of my favorite ways to spend a brisk morning. The air smells wet and it's kind of gloomy but still so refreshing--it's everything I love about the changing seasons.

Tomorrow I'm headed to Roanoke for a couple of weeks to help my mom recover from surgery on Wednesday. I'm so glad we live closer now and that I have the time to be there--I don't think I've ever been more grateful for my blog and the opportunity it gives me to have a flexible schedule. I may share more details soon, but until then we would really appreciate any and all positive thoughts, prayers, and general good vibes. My mom is the strongest, most wonderful woman I know and I am so proud to be her daughter and friend.

Every year around this time I start saying the same thing: I am ready for autumn. I know that's really annoying, especially down here in the South where it'll stay warm and muggy until October, but it's true. We've had a few cooler mornings and evenings lately and it's been so nice to go out in jeans and a tee shirt. I'm not craving pumpkin spice everything, either; I just want to wear a sweater and sit on my patio with a cup of coffee and read Villette by Charlotte Brontë or listen to Dashboard Confessional (which is really a specific fantasy and has me wondering what the perfect autumn moment looks like to all of you).

I basically disguised a work trip to California as a vacation to California (although it definitely had aspects of both), so I was really confused when we came back home and I was totally exhausted all week long. And then on Friday, Ender started displaying symptoms of kennel cough, so all three of us have barely gotten any sleep since then. It's been a rough few days, but if anything it's just made me realize how incredibly lucky I am--jet-lagged or not, there is nothing sweeter than watching your husband take care of a sick puppy.

I'm off to the chiropractor this morning after our accident a few weeks ago, and I couldn't be happier. My lower back has been bothering me a lot since then and it's been a long time since I've seen a chiropractor anyway, so that will be nice.

Hopefully we'll be sharing some of the work we did in California starting this week or next! I am so excited about all of it and I hope you guys are looking forward to it, as well. This week I'll be getting all of that stuff ready, folding a bunch of laundry (don't tell my mom I let it get out of control again!), possibly taking Ender to the vet, and hopefully taking a nap or two. Life, man! It catches up with you.

I hope you all had a lovely weekend--what are you up to today?

We had almost a week of rain here in Charlotte, which I kind of love, but this morning I went outside and it's warm and everything is green and that's my favorite thing about spring--the transformation. And the smell of fresh air plus wet grass.

On Wednesday night, Ender peed in our bed and at 11:30 PM we found ourselves at Walmart, buying white vinegar, a large box of baking soda, and a little hand-held vacuum. It wasn't the best night. Rob did an awesome job cleaning it (he was up until 3:00 AM), but we had to let the mattress dry so we've been sleeping in our guest bedroom. Last night we finally got to sleep in our own room again and I can't believe we ever had anything other than a king. It is just so comfy.

Our first wedding anniversary is coming up next weekend and I just think that is so crazy. Sometimes May 3, 2014 feels like it was just yesterday and sometimes it feels like it was ages ago. I'm excited to celebrate--we're going out for a really nice dinner on Saturday and on Sunday we have massages scheduled at a spa in our neighborhood. We also have a bottle of champagne in the fridge, ready to go.

I've been really busy lately and not so great with my time management, so as a result I've been feeling kind of frazzled most of the time. I've been sitting around during the day and then trying to catch up at night which just doesn't work for me at all. It's a new week and I'm determined to make the most of it--get my life and work together and feel a little less anxious these next few days. I have a big to-do list sitting on my desk and every intention to get it done before 5:00 rolls around this evening. How do you get back on track once you've let yourself get overwhelmed?

Wishing you a bright and happy Monday!

Photo by Sarah Gatrell, from my most recent La Crema collaboration.