meet sophie

John and I had our list of reasons why we did not want a dog- and they were all very good reasons. We consistently listed the reasons to each other, reaffirming the fact that we were not ready for a puppy.

• We both work downtown, so it's almost impossible to come home for lunch each day.
• We take a lot of weekend trips, so we would have to find someone to keep our dog.
• A dog would make our new house very messy.
• We disagreed on the breed: I wanted a pure bred dog and John was set on a rescue dog.

And the list continues, until we met Sophie...

{sophie at young williams animal shelter}

Sophie is a Chesapeke Bay Retriever from Young Williams Animal Shelter. Someone left this sweet girl on the side of the road in Knoxville. From the moment we met Sophie, we knew she belonged with our family.

{sophie}

 Immedietly the list of reasons why we should not get a dog became obsolete. We love coming home at lunch to walk Sophie, our house feels more like a home and I am so thankful we rescued sweet Sophie from the shelter. I would urge anyone who is thinking of adopting a pet to visit your local animal shelters.

John and I love spending time with Sophie, John calls himself a "dog whisperer" and Sophie is very obsessed with him. Everytime he walks in the door, she literally jumps in his arms. It is so wonderful to have a sweet puppy so very excited to see you everyday.

{the dog whisperer and sophie}

Life is not just a bed of roses with a new puppy, in fact, she has literally dug holes all around our bed of roses...

{sophie loves digging holes in our rose flower bed}

Sophie's favorite activity is swimming at the lake. She just didn't know that she liked to swim, so we had to give her a little encouragement.

So despite our list of reasons why we are not ready for a dog, it turns out we were more than ready and love Sophie so much! We hope you will get to meet her soon! 

{lately}

The past couple of weeks have been a whirlwind for our little family. John and I have finally settled down into a wonderfully eventful routine and are enjoying married life in Knoxville. Here is a little bit of what we have been up to lately...

{west hills 5k}



I have never been a runner, but in the past couple of months I decided I would like to add this to my exercise routine and I have never felt better! I went from being able to run for 4 minutes tops in June to completing my first 5k last weekend. I also think Lululemon workout clothes are a great incentive to go to the gym. Michelle and Rachael were great running partners and we are looking forward to many more races in the future!




{chi omega bid day 2012}

 It is SO hard to believe it's been eight years since I pledged Chi Omega in 2004. It is such a blessing to have such an amazing group of friends that I know will be part of my life forever. When I pledged Chi O, I had the goal of meeting my future bridesmaids and best friends. Out of my ten bridesmaids, six were from Chi Omega and I still keep in touch with many more. What a blessing to have such a wonderful group of friends!


 

{chi omega alums}

 

 

 

 

 

 

{allison and I at bid day 2012}

It's Football Time in Tennessee! It's such an exciting feeling to see everyone sporting their orange and white and feel the crisp in the air. We celebrated kick-off by hosting a Tennessee football party at our house for our friends who were in Knoxville and had such a great time! It also helps that Tennessee has their first WIN over NC State! Go VOLS!!

 

{orange and white}

{the girls watching the game}

{go vols!}

 

My Little Sister and I have really enjoyed building our relationship as she begins her first grade year in school. We both love the same things and it is so much fun to have a little friend to hang out with on the weekends! This weekend, we went to the park and she played in the fountains at World's Fair Park. I love seeing our relationship grow and develop as time goes on and look forward to many more exciting memories together!

 

 

{my little sister}

 

Labor Day weekend would not be complete without watching the Booms Day fireworks from John's office patio in the BB&T building. Not only is it a great view, but this year it started pouring rain halfway through the show and we were able to stay dry. Thank goodness!

{fireworks}

{the girls: windblown look}

{the guys}

I am so excited about the upcoming football weekends in Knoxville and many more exciting weekends to come! Happy Fall!

 

 

{a few of my favorite things}

One of my friends once told me, life is way too short to not appreciate the little things that make you happy. Since our wedding this May, I have had the opportunity to experience something I have never enjoyed before... the luxury of free time to explore my interests and make life just a little more wonderful! Here are a few of my favorite things...

kate spade i-phone case
available at katespade.com
$40



I have never been big in technology, hence, I just purchased my first iphone four years after their introduction to the market. It's not that I don't think they are amazing, I just think its so sad when people are at dinner together and everyone at the table is playing on their phones. Well, when I walked in the apple store, it was my turn for someone to feel sorry for me... the customer service rep actually apologized to me saying she was "so sorry I have had to use a BlackBerry for so long." I did love my Blackberry, but they only made these adorable kate spade phone cases for the iphone, so I upgraded and life has been very colorful ever since! If you have a basic phone cover case, I recommend this one. It will bring a smile to your face every time you see it!

maybooks courtesy of courtney russell
available at maybooks.com
$17 per book



Life is too short for ugly notebooks! Maybooks are perfect gifts for a friend getting married, having a baby or to use as a daily planner. The books are available in a variety of colors and styles and are simply fabulous!

Use code Peoplestyle for a 20% discount off your order.

Summer People
By: Elin Hilderbrand

Set in the mysteriously charming island of Nantucket, Summer People explores the lives of a Manhattan family after tragedy strikes their world. It explores the complexities of love, anger, resentment and the longing each of us have to make sense of our current reality. This is a great book to prolong the last days of summer.

 

Robins Nest Blue
OPI Nail Polish
$7-10 per nail polish bottle
{i recommend a manicure}



This OPI color caters to every girls favorite jewelry box color- Tiffany Blue. This distinctive and widely recognized blue color is a member of the Robins Egg Nest blue family and adds a pop of color to any girls summer style!




Jones Design Company
www.jonesdesigncompany.com



If you love to create special projects for your home or be inspired by cute fonts, creative printables and enjoy having tutorials for projects focused on faith, friends and home... be inspired by the Jones Design Company blog. You can join the mailing list to receive monthly printables and ideas that will provide hours of inspiration.



All Recipes I-Phone Application
Free
proudly endorsed by the best cook in Tennessee, Denise Ramsey Whittemore





The All Recipes Dinner Spinner has revolutionized dinners at The Kizer House. This I-Phone application allows you to choose the meal you are preparing and the ingredients you would like to use. The spinner will then provide you with thousands of recipes based on your taste and occasion. If this isn't enough, the application will then add the ingredients to a grocery list for easy shopping. Simply delicious.

{i hope you enjoy some of my favorite things, what are yours?}