As we venture into 2012, I’d like to invite you to join me on the next leg of my journey. I’ve decided to return to my Paul Mitchell roots at Lunatic Fringe Salon. It’s a hip little salon in Cool Springs with a relaxed atmosphere and dedication to superior customer service. As a Paul Mitchell Focus Salon, it offers a diverse line of professional products and hair color.

I’m really excited about this move and hope you’ll come along!

Call 615-807-1808 to make a reservation or learn more at their website.

Moving day is finally here! We’ll be moving to our new house this weekend and would totally appreciate it if you could lend a hand, either with hefting boxes and furniture or cleaning up afterward.

If you’re able to help out, please complete the form below with how you’d be available to help and what time you’re available. Of course we’ll provide good eats to anyone who’s around!

Thank you all so much for the prayers, good vibes, Facebook posts, Tweets and texts. Audrey and Dagny are both happy and healthy.

Every so often, I get the urge to bake things. But, especially on rainy days. The past couple of days have been very rainy. And thus, my kitchen is full of homemade yumminess! My most recent adventure in baking was in the form of muffins. Since they turned out so well, I thought I’d share the recipe with you. Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Raspberry & Zucchini Muffins

Yield: 2 dozen 

Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup wheat germ

1/4 cup sweetened cocoa mix

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup buttermilk

2 cups shredded zucchini

1 1/4 cups fresh raspberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 24 muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.

2. Whisk together the flour, wheat germ, cocoa, and baking soda; set aside. Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light-colored and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to blend into the butter mixture  before adding the next. Beat in the vanilla with the last egg. Pour in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, mixing until just incorporated. Fold in the zucchini and raspberries, mixing just enough to evenly combine. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each 3/4 full.

3. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool in the pans for at least 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

Back in May, we began researching items we knew we’d need for a new baby. Many thanks to those who offered helpful tips and suggestions. Although we researched, we never actually registered anything… until this week. And let me tell you, the word “overwhelming” does absolutely no justice to the process… So. Many. Options. Which lead to so many questions. What’s best for baby? What’s best for mom & dad? What color should we get? How many will we need? etc. But, now that it’s done, we can let out a huge sigh of relief and start focusing on paint colors and pre-schools. 

It’s almost impossible for me to believe that Baby Girl will be here in less than three months (YIKES!) and we have a huge list of items to acquire before she arrives. Many of you have asked where we are registered. I’d like to think this is because you intend to help us gather these various items. Your curiosity and generosity are greatly appreciated! Here is the long-awaited answer to your question … (drum roll) … Target and Babies R Us. 

We tried to register mainly for things that can be purchased in-store, but there are several items that are available online only. So, if you’re the plan-ahead type, please purchase online-only items and leave the rest for those procrastinators out there. I kid. I kid… Of course, we will be grateful for any and all assistance regardless of your personal preparation method!

Feel free to browse around and if you think of something we haven’t thought of, let us know!

]]> http://nateandaudrey.com/2011/07/baby-registry/feed/ 0 http://nateandaudrey.com/2011/07/best-vacation-ever/ http://nateandaudrey.com/2011/07/best-vacation-ever/#comments Sat, 16 Jul 2011 01:52:28 +0000 nate http://nateandaudrey.com/?p=302

A week ago today, Audrey and I returned from one of the best vacations we’ve ever taken. I’m sure most of you have seen an abundance of Tweets, Instagrams and Facebook posts from us throughout the trip, so I’ll save the details of the trip for a post on some cold day in February. However, I’d love to share why this was such a great vacation (other than the ohmygosh-it’s-Hawaii factor), and how you can share a similar experience.

First of all, some backstory. Clayton & Teresa Ingalls, purveyors of claytonandteresa.com, are two amazing friends I met while attending Belmont University. Aside from living in the same on-campus apartment complex, they were part of a memorable 14-day Grand Canyon road trip out west, the partial journal of which has recently been moved here, here, and here (a strange, but sort-of hilarious read). We have the type of friendship that knows no time or space, as we rarely get to spend time together nowadays, but are able to pick up right from where we left off. Maybe it’s the magic of social media, maybe it’s the magic of what once was Belmont, or maybe it’s just the beauty of true friendships, but whatever it is, I hold it as a priceless treasure.

So, why was this trip so amazing?

We had a budget

I know this seems like a silly point to all of you wise people who only take vacations when they’ve saved up enough money to do so, but we’re recently-recovered financial dummies, so bear with me. Audrey and I took Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University this spring, and among the oodles of good things we learned over the 13-week class, we learned to only buy things when you can actually afford them. That means cash. So even though we had some debt to tackle, we decided to start saving a little bit each month for a vacation fund. And since we’re having a little girl in late September we decided July was the perfect time for a babymoon.

Fast-forward to the end of June –  we had our tickets (thanks to some extra frequent flyer miles from my parents!),  a rental car, a place to stay (more on that later) and were ready to go. From the moment we left our house, we knew exactly how much money we had to spend while we were away, and committed to spend it all before we came home. It was so relaxing to know that we could enjoy ourselves and not worry about a big credit card statement when we went home.

We stayed with friends

Clayton, Teresa and their daughter Autumn were kind enough to allow us to stay with them while we were in Hawaii, and this made all the difference in the world. Not only were we staying with locals, and could avoid the tourist hell known as Waikiki, but our experience was much more meaningful since we were able to spend time with people we care for. I know that sleeping on a futon in a baby nursery and sharing a bathroom with a 2 year-old doesn’t seem like a vacation, but it was amazing. We had the opportunity to share meals, play games, chat, babysit and even just sit around and quietly relax, all while experiencing the comfort of being at home.

In addition, we were able to take the money we had budgeted for a hotel and use that to bless our friends. Instead of paying Mr. Hilton and Wolfgang Puck for a room and a meal, we bought groceries, picked up the restaurant tabs and day trip fees, and even bought the shave ice. The money we had saved for vacation was being spent on people we love and memories we’ll have for a long time, and this meant more to us than any alternative I could imagine.

P.S. – Love Well

Alas, our vacation only lasted a week. The beautiful sunrises, indescribable landscapes and good conversations ended far too quickly. And pondering this on our ride back to the airport, we asked ourselves if we had made the most of every moment. If we had woken up 15 minutes earlier, we could’ve had just a bit more conversation. Had we not taken a nap, we could’ve seen an hour more of the waves pounding the beach. Had we not gone to bed so early, we could’ve played that new game with our friends.

While I cannot change the past, at times like these I’m always more mindful of the moments I do have to share with the people around me. We are not promised our next breath, yet many times we take the familiarity of those around us for granted. May we appreciate the opportunities we have to share a meal or a moment with others. May we experience these moments to the fullest. And may we love well.

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…and adults can be just as stupid.

When I was growing up, I quickly learned the concept of “school friends”. You know, the kind that will talk to you in class, eat lunch with you, study with you, but never call in the afternoons or on weekends? You always know about the parties and the hangouts going on, but are invited only when it can’t be helped.

I suppose I had a few things “going against me”. For example,  I lived in a small subdivision in the country, I didn’t go to the United Methodist Church near the college, I wasn’t great at sports, I hadn’t gone to the cool elementary school, I didn’t have Reebok Pumps, and on top of it, I was a bit of a dork. Ok, I was a big dork…and some things never change.

All that to say, I grew up always feeling like I was standing on the outskirts looking in at the beautiful community being created with all of the beautiful people doing beautiful things. I learned how to diplomatically invite myself along, how to let sarcasm and dry humor mask frustration and loneliness, and how to read social situations and quickly ascertain the politics and hierarchy. I still see those childhood frustrations coming out when I’m tired, stressed out or lacking confidence, and it’s those times when I realize that I’m still a big dork, still reading situations incorrectly.

Fast forward to this evening when dinner with a good friend and business associate  happened to take us to a splendid little pub on the south side of town. Walking in, the first thing that catches my eye happens to be a table full of some wonderful and dearly-loved friends enjoying a meal together. Not knowing that my wife had fielded a call earlier in the day sending our regrets and notifying said friends that we both had prior engagements, my childhood insecurities popped up after a rather long day and said,

“I can’t believe your good friends are here and didn’t even call you! They’re probably tired of enduring your non-stop bantering, random facts and sarcasm and couldn’t wait to have a community meal without you.”

This provided a combination of frustration and disappointment, and although my dinner companion and I had some amazing conversation, I couldn’t help but hear those thoughts playing out in the back of my mind.

Needless to say, when they got up to leave, they all made a point of coming by the table to say hello (like wonderful and dearly-loved friends do). I wouldn’t say  that I totally brushed them off, but the shoulder I gave them was definitely less than lukewarm. In short, I acted like a total dick.

After reflecting on this experience tonight, emailing an apology to these good friends, and continually thinking about the little girl we’ll be welcoming into the world later this year, I’m struck by how much we’re shaped by our childhood. Our behaviors, preferences, strengths and even our shortcomings can often be traced back to our earliest years. Not that we should live in the shadows of our youth, but that we might embrace our own stories, caring for the dorks among us who may still show the battle scars of childhood, and marveling that we didn’t all kill one another along the way.

I used to draw all the time back when I was in high school
thick yellow pencils with soft lead that smeared real easy
page after page, I was lonely
but senior year I met a girl and she made me feel better here
but a girl was a girl, was a girl

and she was beautiful, everyone’s beautiful
I smeared the picture of her and then I walked away

I remember in junior high, half sick from fear on the hillside
Eddie wore braces and talked like he couldn’t be beaten
Shawn had said Friday out back after school
and Eddie was stumbling lood mixed with drool
but a fight is a fight, is a fight

still they were beautiful, everyone’s beautiful
all of us crawling on hands and knees in need of You

I want to lift my memory of them in the desert
and set it on fire, watch it burn, watch it burn, oh, how it changes
and hope that the smoke of the sins of my youth
will sail to the base of the throne of a King
’cause a prayer is a prayer, is a prayer

they were beautiful, all of us beautiful
let them all find their redemption down, deep in Your eyes

We know there’s a list of things we absolutely must get done before our little girl arrives, and this weekend it’s all about looking for the must-have’s and the really-want-to-have’s.

So, wise, learned parents… what can we not live without?

Audrey and I are in the process of selling our current home, and have just listed it with Allen Perry and the team at Nashville On The Move. Since we are t-minus 4 months to baby time, we’d obviously love to make the transition pretty soon. That being said, if you know anyone interested in a lovely home within walking distance of Lenox Village, please send them our way!

As for our next move, we’re still working on that. Most of you know that we’re very involved at Rolling Hills Community Church in Franklin (I’m part-time creative staff), and Audrey is part of the team at The Yellow House Salon, located right off the roundabout on Music Row, so we’re usually playing somewhere between Franklin and downtown. Right now, we’re beginning to look in the Nolensville or Franklin area, but haven’t totally ruled out a few other areas.

All that to say, we’d appreciate your prayers as we make some very big transitions in the next few months. And, we’ll always entertain bribes if you’re interested in us moving into your neighborhood!

VIEW OUR LISTING

That’s right, we’re having a girl! We had our 20-week ultrasound today (that I keep trying to call an Instagram as I’m writing) and everything looks to be totally healthy and right on track. Thanks to everyone for playing along today. We actually had about 60% guess “girl”, so way to go. Audrey has been intuiting that we’re having a girl for about a month now, so I suppose it was bound to be true. All that to say, we’re extremely excited about meeting our little girl in late September, and can’t wait to introduce her to our world and our friends.

And take note little boys – you’re all on notice!

As far as names are concerned, we’re still trying to narrow it down from a very long list. Thankfully that list was cut in half today, and we have a few that we really like, but so far it’s officially undecided.

We did receive quite a few name suggestions today. Even though we’re not having a boy, special mention goes to Lord Squigglybum von Poopstenpants. Here’s the list of girl names you suggested today…

• Alexandria
• Ayn
• Bella
• Carys
• Charlotte Eloise
• Chloe
• Dagny
• Dominique Francon
• Eliza Jane
• Etta James
• Iris
• Natoya Audfawna
• Sarah Michelle
• Zoe