Isaac Headed My Way

     As most of you know hurricane Isaac is headed right in our direction. The news told me this morning that it is not as strong at this point as it was predicted to be so that's a plus. I did pray that it would just fizzle out so if in fact it does, let it be known that I bend God's ear in weather emergencies. 

I jest.

     Seriously though, the seminary is open and operating as usual today but we should expect to hear more later this morning. 

     There is already a run on gas but fortunately we filled up yesterday. I also went to the grocery store to buy some provisions in case we lose power. I didn't unload the groceries when I got home so that if we did evacuate, I could just grab them for the road. 

     This morning I was trying to find the almonds I bought and realized I left an entire bag at the grocery store and came home with someone elses Pilsbury Flaky Twists with Icing. 

Dern.

     I sincerely apologize to whomever was planning to ride out the storm with Flaky Twists... hopefully you made it back to the store quickly because I'm sure they were first to go in the hurricane pillage, they sound delicious.

     I think Andrew and I will survive. If only on apples and water. (Flaky Twists died from a lack of refrigeration)

Happy Monday to you all and here's to not getting blown away!

Linking up here:

Craving the Familiar: A Pimento Cheese Story

     About a week ago I was really craving something familiar. Iwouldn’t say I was homesick exactly, just a little wistful. I was enjoying all the things New Orleans had to offer that were different from my home-grounds but still feeling that tiny tug in my heart for normal.

     My thoughts turned to food, as they often do, and I remembered that my favorite restaurant in Athens, GA posts recipes of some of their popular dishes on their website, generous right?

     Those who know me well know I am referring to Marti’s at Midday. Y’all. There is an over abundance of great dining options in Athens but Marti’s always and forever will be my favorite. In fact, I love it so much I had them cater my wedding and have never regretted that decision.

     On a given weekday you will find people lined up out the door for homemade pita chips, to-die-for chicken salad, soups of all kinds,knock-your-socks-off mint sweet tea, and my personal fave… pimento cheese; the quintessential southern lunch food.

So you know where this is going….

I made some.

 Something I had never done before. 

And am so glad I did. 

Matter of fact, you should too.

In a thought, perfect taste of familiar.

Click here or on any picture to check out this recipe and plenty of others by Marti’s at Midday.

Workin Hard for the Money

     Hello World, long time no see. I had the idea that I would be a blogging machine once we moved but to be honest, I just haven't felt like it. And that's OK. The day blogging starts to feel like a chore is the day I am out! Chores are one thing I do not like.

     However, I have great news to share and decided now would be a good time for a quick post. I GOT A JOB! Yeahh! It is not a fancy shmancy social work job but it is a job in the Psychology and Counseling department here at the seminary. I had the interview last Friday and started.... Monday. Yea. That was fast. 

     I am basically a secretary; a totally unfamiliar field for me. I think God has been teaching me some humility through it already. Don't get me wrong, secretaries are vital to practically every institution but I didn't exactly go to school for 6 years to be one. I am grateful nonetheless and am trying to focus on taking this job as seriously as I took my previous job even though it is not a "career" move, whatever that means. 

     On another note, one of my all time favorite home bloggers, The Inspired Room, is going to be hosting a Fall Nesting series so get ready for some Fall related posts come September! 

     I'm also going to be posting a great pimento cheese recipe that I have been hoarding for a week and a State of the Apartment tour, so hang in there while I get back into my blogging groove! 

AND

Linking up today with YOLO Monday.... a day late. 

Par for the course!

10 Apartment Details to Love

     I was SO nervous before we moved that I would have a hard time really feeling “at home” in our campus apartment. Feeling at home is a very big deal to me. I find it extremely comforting to be in a home that is not only pretty but also cozy, lived in and comfortable. I need my home to be a safe haven, a security blanket of sorts especially in a new and unfamiliar, if not otherworldly city. I decided ahead of time that I would be very intentional about making the apartment homey no matter what its bare bones looked like. There are not many places that pretty linens and good art can’t fix.

     You can imagine how pleased I was when I opened our front door to find our apartment possessed an immense amount of charm all its own. Walking into a room that smelled of fresh paint and had sunlight streaming in onto beautifully polished old hardwood was like getting kisses from God. Our little campus apartment is certainly not perfect. I wish the counter tops weren't permanently stained with Lord-knows-what and that I could find that enormous roach that got away, but I think you and I both can find some joy in noticing the beauty in the details, don't you? So here are my favorite details in our New Orleans apartment that have nothing to do with my stuff and everything to do with a home that was prepared for us long before we got here.   

 Nine windows pour sunlight into six rooms.

Original wood. 

 Odd free space turned bookcase.

Big basin sink, coffee mug for perspective.

View of the chapel steeple and park from the kitchen.

Cooking on gas. 

Elephant trunk (my term) bathroom faucet. 

Red for hot and blue for cold. 

Honeycomb tile. 

 Four closets. Need I say more?

     I'm curious, what details do you love in your home that others may not notice?

Hello Monday, Hello New Orleans

I really don’t know where to start. I thought I would have been blogging every chance I had last week but each time I thought about starting, I got overwhelmed. There is just so much to say. Just so much. I’ll save the details for my mom and try to hit the high points from our first full week living in New Orleans.

It definitely takes a village to move the Donaldson’s. This post wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t start with big thank you to: Mr. Olen and Mrs. Penny, Chris, Staci and Lauren, Kyle and Katie, Daddy and Nancy, Don and Mama, Scott and Sarah, Chris and Megan, Kris, Andrew, and Stasia. Whew. Without you all, we would still be trying to figure out how to fit the vacuum cleaner into the trailer in Valdosta. 

Hello old house.

But for real, Andrew and I never could have gotten out of our Valdosta house and into our New Orleans apartment without this generous, hard-working group of friends and family. Thanks, from the bottom of our boxes.

The first four days in New Orleans were a haze for me. I think the urgency to stop living out of a suitcase coupled with working full time and moving the previous week put me in an extended state of deliriousness. I can’t really describe it. Lots got done. The kitchen is miraculously organized (for now) and I must have experienced some level of creativity to get things arranged in a pretty way, but I don’t really remember. 

Hello newly organized cabinets.

I do know however, that we have the kindest neighbors we could ever hope for. They are the ones listed in my thank yous as Megan and Chris. They live across the hall and when they saw we were moving in, they jumped to action by helping us unload, bringing us a case of water, and giving us an impromptu tour of their (precious!) apartment so we could understand how it was all supposed to fit. On top of that, they had us over for dinner Tuesday night. They have already meant so much to us and it is only the first week. Not to mention they are fellow Georgia folks AND Megan also has a blog! 

Hello Megan, my neighbor.

I think I more or less awakened by Thursday. By then, things had gotten settled enough around the apartment and our cable was finally showing the color red so everyone on T.V. stopped looking like aliens. I could relax. We had breakfast for dinner with Scott and Sarah at their (equally precious!) apartment. It included a fantasy like cinnamon-roll-French-toast casserole (Pinterest find) that was for the record books. Maybe I’ll post it one day.

Hello bridge over the Mississippi.

The weekend felt like the week since we are not employed, but it was fun nonetheless. Andrew might have gotten hired for a job delivering furniture for a hotel liquidator but that is a post unto itself. I got a free quart of paint from Ace Hardware. We ate too much fried seafood at Deanies. We sat by Lake Pontchartrain and watched the sun set. And we went to our first NOLA church service at Mosaic.

Hello Lake Pontchartrain.

To sum up this already summed up account; I really like living here. It may be a little premature to say but I think I love living here. I actually think I love it more than I wanted to. I wanted to love it just enough to enjoy myself but not so much that I didn’t want to go back to Georgia. I’m starting to feel differently. Maybe this is what contentment feels like? I’ll keep you posted.

Linking up with #YOLO Mondays, Hello Monday, and Bits of Splendor

Go to still being [Molly] for a chance to win an amazing pair of cowboy boots!!!!!!!

We are Heeeeere!

Hey world! We are safe and sound in our new apartment and things are going well. We still don't have our Internet up and running but fingers crossed, it will be ready sometime today!

I can't wait to tell you all about the first few days. In at nutshell it has been: great, emotional, exciting, and frustrating (at times).

Here are a few pics of the apartment, it's changing every hour!

Much love, always.