My Pretty Pennies

High Five for Friday

June 14, 2013 7 Comments

high five gif

It’s Friday!

High-Five-for-Friday_6.14

1. J and I went to the mountains last weekend to visit some friends that moved from Austin, TX. Look how cute those pups are!

2. Peonies at the farmer’s market — my favorite. They are all gone here in Raleigh, but I forgot that Boone is always a few weeks behind seasonally.

3. My fella turned 28 last Saturday, and this may be my new favorite picture of him.

4. I struggle with worry a lot, so this reminder in my Jesus Calling devotional was especially helpful this week.

5. A storm came through last night and left within a half hour. My dad is a layman meterologist and sent me a text that it was coming, but I didn’t believe him because it practically cloudless all day. Silly me, he’s (almost) always right when it comes to the weather.

Follow me on Instagram at @thatginnagirl to see more pics from my week. :)

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

PS – Linking up with Lauren today!

Love Where You Live

June 12, 2013 5 Comments

Hola! Today, I’m participating in an Influence Network linkup, an opportunity for network members to share where all they live. I’m going to share a little bit of all the places I’ve lived. :)

Greensboro, NC | 1985 – 2004

My family has a long history with Greensboro. My grandparents grew up here, and both of my parents have lived there all of their life. That’s the house I grew up in and came home to throughout college. My room was the top left. I have so many fond memories in Greensboro and love going back to visit.

Boone, NC | 2004 – 2008

boone, nc

I went to school at Appalachian State, and absolutely loved living in Boone. Every time I visit, I well up with nostalgia. The mountains, the weather, the culture — it is unlike any other place in the world.

Silver Spring, MD | 2008 – 2010

After graduation, I got a job and moved to Silver Spring, Maryland. It was a very transitional period in my life: my parents sold our house the weekend before I moved, I just started dating J, and only knew one person in the city. Looking back, I am amazed at how brave I was trying something new and jumping two feet first into the unknown. I learned so much during that season living there. I also adore the area. There is so much to offer! My favorite spots were U Street, Eastern Market and day trips to Annapolis.

Raleigh, NC | 2010 – present

durham, nc

Growing up in North Carolina, I never cared much for this area (affectionally called the Triangle — Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill). So when J got a job here and I decided to move from DC, I admit I had kind of a bad attitude about living here. It seemed a little too flat, too hot, too cookie-cutter for my taste, especially compared to the beautiful rich history in DC and the beautiful landscape in Boone.

That was, of course, a very narrow-minded approach. As I began to explore the area more, I started to really like it. Now, I love it here. It’s home. I love the variety of different cities so close to one another. I love all of the farming communities in the countryside. I love the restaurants. I love the (lack-of) traffic, especially after my DC commuting experience. I love being two hours from the beach and the mountains. But most importantly, I love living so close to both my family and J’s family. Who knows if this will be our forever city, but I certainly won’t complain if it is.

Now it’s your turn — where are you from and where do you live now? I’d love to hear! :)