Hiatus

If you have wondered if the Meggs fell off the face of the planet, I can assure you that we're still alive & kicking. Unfortunately, life takes over & fun activities (like blogging) shift to the bottom of the to-do list. I have been frantically jetting around the southeast being an unfabulous auditor & Drew has been working 7 days a week to make a church's sound system top notch. Amidst the chaos of joining the working world (by the way, I have a whole new appreciation for working moms - where do they find the time?!?), we have ventured into a new savings plan. We have always been HUGE Dave Ramsey fans, but we have now made it to Baby Step #2 (look it up - it will change your life). Due to our crazy couponing, diligent budgeting and stellar self-discipline, we will be paying off the balance to one of our student loans next month. To say we're excited is an understatement. We're just one more step closer to living a financially free life. We aren't financially perfect, but we feel we're on track to a sound financial future. For the next few weeks, we hope to share some tips & ideas we have found along the way. Our goal is to share some things we learn in this first 6 months of marriage to hopefully help other newlyweds in setting and reaching goals. Stay tuned to learn a few fun tips from two Tennessee Transplants!

A Family Affair

Since we returned from our lavish honeymoon in Jamaica, we decided we needed a hobby that fits our newlywed budget. So, we have been hitting the pavement. Problem - the TJ Maxx tennis shoes I had were not doing the job. After researching the best running shoes and finding sales online, we hopped in the car for the local sporting goods store. Drew already had these beauties...

so we decided Nike should be a family affair. Drew found these fun shoes [that we're on SALE] and he definitely worked husband magic - they are A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.

We're loving our afternoon jogs around our complex and proper running gear has made such a difference. Who wouldn't love a hobby that fits in the budget and provides stress relief? Now we just need to train hard so we can run the Country Music Marathon in our fun hometown next year!

We're back

The Meggs took a blogging hiatus to get married (!) and settle into our life together, but we’re excited to get back to sharing our story with our family and friends. Hopefully we will have wedding pictures soon to share with those of you who could not be with us during our special weekend. In the meantime, we would love to share parts of our new “home” with everyone who cannot journey to Nashville soon. Bear in mind, this is a 2 week work-in-progress and we're hoping you will give us input on making our small space "creative" on a "creative" budget.

Cool jars in the entry way filled with what Drew calls the "bird stuff"


Welcome to our blank-walled dining room. Picking up some decor from mom this weekend!

Pantry - so nice to have the additional cabinet space

All our favorite kitchen gadgets in one space!

Living Room

Wish we could find a fun way to display the suitcases & this chair - both are awesome pieces



Mantle filled with special things, but still needs some TLC

As much as you'll see of the Meggs bathroom, unless you come visit

Fabulous headboard we found for a STEAL!

Drew's fish Lyle. Yes, I'm aware a fish lives on my wall.

Now, we need your input on how to make our apartment a neat space. Go!

Tis the season to be married

As promised, we're updating everyone on the past few weekends of fun events.

Sadly, this is the only picture we have with the bride & groom. The wedding was at the home of Eudora Welty in downtown Jackson. We loved Jackson! The city is old and full of Southern charm. Since most of our weekend revolved around the wedding, we didn't explore as much as we would have liked. But we did make it to a fun restaurant in the Fondren District called Que Sara for brunch.

We are suckers for a great patio and as you can see, Que Sara had an awesome one. We enjoyed the beautiful weather and scrumptious food. We highly recommend checking out Fondren if you are ever in Jackson.

The wedding party (plus significant others) hit up Hal & Mal's in downtown Jackson. Awesome restaurant with an even better atmosphere. The groom, Drew and other groomsmen went to college together in Nashville, so they all especially enjoyed the live music. Also another neat place to visit in Jackson - wish we could go back!

The next weekend, Drew played tour guide for Lacey, one of my close college friends, and me when we visited Nashville. Lacey ran the Country Music Half Marathon! She wants Drew and me to run with her next year...we'll see about that. Sadly, we have NO PICTURES from the entire weekend! What were we thinking?!? We did attend the Street Festival in Historic Downtown Franklin after my brave friend finished running 13.1 miles. We picked up some cool stuff for our future home. Drew found a print from a local Nashville photographer that captured Belmont's campus during the 2008 Presidential Debate hosted on campus. We're framing it for the apartment since Drew was a student there when the debate happened. Love how the small things make your apartment homey!

The BIG move happens in 7 days!

Praise You in this storm...

Honestly, Drew and I had planned a follow-up post about our Jackson trip, but recent events have changed everything. Our sweet hometown was hit by the tragic tornado that swept through Alabama last week. The disaster site is less than a mile from where I live with my parents until the move. We begin the process of officially moving to Nashville in two short weeks and while we are excited that I will become an official Nashville resident, our hearts are not prepared for being away from our town in this time of need. We are so blessed compared to other cities such as Tuscaloosa and Pleasant Grove, who both had loss of lives. The Lord will provide through this tragedy. He has a plan for this devastation. Drew and I may live in Tennessee soon, but our home will always be our small town in Alabama.

Relief efforts are in full swing for all the communities involved. Last night, Casting Crowns graciously donated their talent to a free concert that raised over $20,000 for relief efforts. Drew and I were completely overwhelmed to witness 6,000+ people gather to worship and donate. What a demonstration of the power of Christ!

Please, please donate your time or money to help families across the state that are facing the long road to recovery. Pray every day that our Lord is glorified through this process. Thank emergency workers such as the National Guard, policemen and women, firefighters, relief organizations and churches that will provide much needed help in the coming weeks. Reflect on the blessings in your life. Most of all, remember that God calls us to love our neighbors and care for those who cannot care for themselves.

TPC

As many of you know, Drew and I were not only high school sweethearts, but also church sweethearts. We have the privilege of being a part of the same body of believers in our hometown. The past 8 years of our dating/engaged relationship involved many, many church events. As we begin the transition to our new Tennessee home, we are excited to join a new church as well. I'm the Nashville newbie, since Drew spent four years there for college. Thankfully, he found an awesome church during his college time. We have decided that this will be our newlywed church home as well. Man, the Lord provides! I still remember the first time Drew took me to The People's Church. I was blown away! I love our hometown church and part of me is not ready to let go; but, the more Drew and I talk about newlywed life, the more excited I get about transitioning to another "new home." Check out The People's Church here.



P.S. Drew wanted me to mention that Jim Caviezel (aka - Jesus in The Passion) and Matthew West have both dropped-in on a service in the past few months. We're not name droppers or anything, right?

We're goin' to Jackson, Look out Jackson town

So, I'm not sure if the Johnny/June Cash song is about Jackson, TN, or Jackson, MS, but it seems fitting because Drew and I are hitting I-20 this weekend for a Jackson, MS wedding. Drew's good friend is taking the plunge and Drew is a groomsman. Since he will be busy Friday and Saturday "practicing" for our big day, I'll have plenty of time to wander around the capital city of our neighboring state. I have a LOT of thank you notes to write, so my plan is to knock those suckers out (who are we kidding, we all knew Drew wouldn't be lending a hand on that task).


Instead of sitting in the local Starbucks, I decided I'm hitting up the local culture to add some flavor. Plus, I love exploring a new city. I just wish Drew could be my tag-along/drag-along.

Here's the list:

Mississippi Museum of Art

Looks like they have some Warhol and O'Keefe in their collection, so I'm hoping to find a comfy place to sit, be inspired and write.

Mynelle Gardens

Pretty day, camellias, and thank you's...how Southern

Fondren District

Just the shopping adventure this eclectic heart needs - (after finishing all the thank you's)

Drew took one look at my list and was (almost) thankful he will be occupied with the wedding. Any suggestions on cute lunch spots for one? Or maybe other places of interest not listed on the tourism website?