Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Snow and a New Camera Lens


If you haven't noticed already, A Doodle Dose has a brand new look! I worked very hard on the layout and I am excited for all the new features. Be sure to read all about The Girl and The Doodle as well as Our Adventures!
On top of the new layout I also got a new camera lens this past weekend! My friend Sarah from Sarah Beth Photography helped me choose the perfect match. Check out her website, she is an incredible photographer and she inspires me with all her photos. I was so excited for our very first southern snow that came this afternoon, it gave me a chance to test out my new lens and Dusty was more than happy to be my model!

I am off to take more photos! Happy snow day!
xoxo 
Emily
Credits|| Photography: Emily Verdonk

Monday, January 13, 2014

Flowers For Our New Table (Sneak Peek)

Here is a little sneak peek at my latest project!



Michael and I moved in May 2013 and have been living without a kitchen table until now. We just couldn't find anything we really liked. I found plans for a DIY Farmhouse Table on HGTV.com. I was thinking about doing it myself, but for Christmas my dad surprised me by bringing all the supplies and building it for me! It turned out so good, I can't wait to finally start eating dinner at a REAL table!


Sunday we sanded and stained the table and this morning Michael came home after running a few errands with fresh flowers for our new table! I love him!


I am still working on chairs but I have some fun ideas. I have been searching Pinterest and doing a little thrift shopping so stay tuned! I will share a photo of the entire table and chairs when I am all finished. As you can see Dusty already found his spot under the table. He loves it!

xoxo
Emily

Credits || Photography: Emily Verdonk

Friday, January 10, 2014

Weekend Playlist



Happy Weekend! This weekend I hope to take Dusty on a nice long hike, catch up on a few craft projects and sit around in my pajamas! Thought I would share a few of my favorite tunes lately. Michael and I are loving some of the local artists we have discovered like, A Mad Affair and Carolina Chocolate Drops. Enjoy!


xoxo
Emily 

Credits || Photography: Emily Verdonk, Playlist: Grooveshark

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Eat Cake for Breakfast


Around here the holidays don't really end until about the middle of January. After Christmas and New Years are over, the first week of January is filled with birthdays! Saturday was my niece Samantha's birthday, today was my dad and Michael's birthday(yes they have the same birthday!)and this Sunday is my nephew Benjamin's birthday.

Michael and I work very opposite schedules, I leave for work early in the morning and by the time I get home Michael is already at work and doesn't get home until late at night. This leaves us very little time together during the week. We spend a lot of time playing catch up on the weekend, sharing stories we missed during our time away from each other. Since Michael's birthday fell on a weekday this year I had to get crafty with celebrating. I woke up super early this morning(which is a big deal for me, I am a hit the snooze 10 times before getting out of bed kind of girl) and I baked Michael's favorite cake. Carrot cake.

Once the cake was baking in the oven I got dressed for work and took Dusty on his morning walk. I was planning on letting Michael sleep in and wake up to a delicious surprise but by the time I got back from walking Dusty he was already awake. So I got out the candles and we celebrated with cake for breakfast!

It was fun celebrating a little differently, and hey I don't mind eating cake for breakfast!

One more birthday to celebrate this week and then Dusty and I are kicking on our hiking boots, it's time to shed all these extra holiday pounds!

xoxo
Emily 

Credits || Photography: Emily Verdonk

Monday, January 6, 2014

My First Blog Post of The New Year

2014 is kicking off to a great start. On New Years Eve Michael and I celebrated by visiting one of the local breweries here in Charlotte, Heist Brewery. I enjoyed a few craft cocktails while Michael sampled the beer selection. It was a wonderful way to ring in the new year and celebrate everything we have accomplished together in the past year!


New Years Day was a perfect lazy day. I started reading a new book called The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer. It is the January selection for the A Beautiful Mess book club. Michael began brewing his second batch of beer. He brewed his first batch last September which was an IPA, this time he is brewing a honey and molasses porter. I am so excited for it to be ready, it smells so yummy!

Sunday we ran a few errands around town and then took Dusty on a rainy day walk. Dusty is so crazy when it comes to water, he loves to splash in every puddle he can find! After our walk I tried a new recipe for homemade lentil soup. It was delicious!

I would say that 2014 is already off to an awesome start! This week we have a few Birthdays to celebrate, I love any reason for a celebration!

Credits || Photography: Emily Verdonk
xoxo 
Emily