Ashleigh/The Famine/Wall Art/Prepping for the Road!

I have a good friend named Ashleigh. She is one of those neat souls who really and truly follows her heart and isn't afraid to be a little bit lost or homeless or without an anchor. I envy her bravery. She does the kinds of things I talk about doing... from the comfort of my home. Recently, she decided she wanted to move to Dublin- a city she fell in love with on a short study abroad experience. So guess what she did? She up and moved! From what I understand, she had a mere sketch of what that entailed, but she had faith in people and in the world and she now lives there. And guess what else? She is fine and happy. I need to take notes from her. Love you, Ashleigh! You can follow her adventures (and misadventures [*wink]) here. Can't wait to visit you, Ashleigh! You are an inspiring person.

Speaking of Ireland-

There is a famine happening in my refrigerator and in my cupboards. We have almost literally NO food. I was hesitant to buy and food yesterday because we are going out of town for a week tomorrow (Wednesday), and what I typically like to buy are fresh foods without boxes-- i.e., stuff that spoils. So, I was left to be industrious with what I had. What I had were these ingredients:

For dinner, cheesy garlic potatoes with caramelized onions.

A friend came over and said, "Are these instant?", to which I replied, "No, I made them from scratch", to which he replied, "Okay, 'cuz I was gonna say... they are awesome!" So, mission accomplished. Not very healthy, but that was it for dinner, so I guess fat, carb, and calorie-wise, it was alright.

Yesterday I also hung the painting up. It looks good! Can't wait to be in a place with white walls where it will really pop!

Today, Dan and I are prepping for the road. On the agenda:

• Oil Change
• Clean the truck
• Pack

A big pile of owwie.

I got a trenta iced coffee at Starbucks to start the day. It's a new size and it is no joke... it was nearly as long as my forearm.

Please disregard the ugly steering wheel cover. My friend Mollie says it looks like a spine.

I have begun my packing and I am already worried about how all of my stuff is going to fit in the cab of the truck and not get all wrinkled. Oh--I guess I should mention why we are going to Kentucky! We have a good deal of family there now, and one of my dearest cousins is getting married! She lives in D.C., but she is originally from KY. Our dad lives there, as do our grandparents and my mom's twin sister and her son (not for much longer) and her husband. My dad says it rains all the time there, but I hope it clears up for my cousin's big day! Kelley, the bride-to-be, is a lawyer, and Nick, the groom, is also a lawyer. They are Vanderbilt and Harvard grads, respectively, so obviously they are both dumb as rocks. I can't wait to see my beautiful cousin glowing in white! I have been assigned the job of Wedding Day Chaos Coordinator... I will definitely be updating you on how that goes! I like to think that since it's not my wedding day, I will be able to come from a place of calm and logic. We'll see...