September 9, 2013

Birthdays, Beaches, and Beads

Because those of you who have been around for a couple of years know what 2011 and early 2012 were like in Julsland, and because these days I am too happy to spend the energy rehashing it all, I'm just going to say that "the other side" of that particular refining fire is perhaps the best of my life thus far.

Losing the things I had fought so hard to hold on to allowed the wounds necessary to embrace that which is most important: the freedom to be vulnerable, to stare wide eyed into the world again and discover it staring lovingly back at me through the eyes of the people with whom I now surround myself.  Some old friends, some new~ a conglomerate of awesome that only God could have designed for my life.

Cliches exist because they have proven true for many, and when someone says you are the company you keep....listen...ok?

Ericca is having a birthday tomorrow, so Friday night we threw her a party at our little hangout bar.  Kim came, and since I haven't seen Kim in 20 years I pretty much tackled her when she walked in the door.  Good girls, y'all.  The kind for whom you'd grab wine and chocolate and go hang out with for no reason.


Y'all have already met Lita, and this pic is such an accurate representation of our friendship that we should print it out and staple it to our faces whenever we are together.   You probably already know this, but it is incredibly hard to duck face while you are laughing hard enough to pee your pants.


She's one of my favorite people ever~
the kind of friend everyone hopes to be
and deep down truly needs.

And she does super pretty super well, too.
(even with a blinding flash in her face)


~~

For the last month or so our Bama Crew has been building a Bama Shack/Man cave for one of the husbands who has been working in Afghanistan for over a year.   He came home last Monday for a 2 week vaca and Saturday night we had a birthday party for he and our YaYa Jena.

The only thing I can really say about the next picture is that Lita made jello shots with vodka....and we might have had 1 or 15....especially Alan, who for some reason known only to him cannot seem to keep his tongue in his mouth while having his photo taken.  Or ever.  


He just became daddy to beautiful little miniHim.
She can't keep her tongue in her mouth either.

Then there is this.
For now there are concrete blocks being used as the step into
the Bama shack, and if you know me at all you just read that as
Look!
Here comes Grace!
And she brought her leg to play!


~~


Lately it has been a weekly thing for one of my oldest friends (37 years) (How is that even possible?)
and I to get our feet in some sand before the weather divebombs.  Welcome to Sunday morning~  



and Sunday evening~
(My favorite time of day on the beach)


And Dusty's oyster bar, where the oysters
are kind of delicious and the buddha chicken wings totally rock~
(even though my hair in this photo does not)
(hush.  I'm a girl.)



~~

I've been super busy having a life lately,
but I've also been super busy working.

I made a few of these beautifully Autumn hued
Essentials collections, and I slapped 'em on Etsy 
at a Wholesale Price.

Because I'm happy, y'all.
(And I want you to be, too!)


100 beads ~ $130 bucks.


~~

FYI.  Count your blessings that I've spared you the stories about the gym.
Because wow.


4 comments:

  1. I can not express how happy this post of yours has made me. So friggin happy for you. XOXO :)

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  2. I am so glad that your life is looking up. Sometimes all it takes is letting go to come out on the other better side. But boy is that letting go difficult. As someone who has been there and still has the t-shirt, I can tell you that it keeps getting better.

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  3. I love this post more than any post anywhere ever. You've become the butterfly. How awesome you are, Juli... Thank you for all the smiles.

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  4. Love.... Love to you, love to happy, love to friendships, love to sandy beaches, love to life! It's so wonderful to see where the love is blooming right now sister! BTW, I love the sunset photo on the water. I love how the water just ripples with tips of gold! Keep smiling and know you my friend are loved! xo

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