i can’t believe another year has come and gone and it’s time to celebrate going home to roost’s birthday once again! if i could sum up today with one word, it would be gratitude. i’m so grateful for you, this space and this community. you all have touch my life in ways that i will never be able to repay. i’m grateful that i get to do something that i love so much each and every day. this blog brings me so much joy and inspiration- i truly delight in every moment of it! and none of it would be possible without you, so thank you. thank you so much!

fun facts- since ghtr was born its had:

- 3,880,435 pageviews
- 2,316,929 visits
- 1,593,592 unique visitors
- 11,384 comments
- 4,318 spam comments
- 1,833 posts
- 3,293 tags
-and 4 birthdays!

can’t wait to see what’s in store for us this year! love, bonnie

image: cupcake photography by nelou

wrap up: {4 years} {birthday} {ghtr} {going home to roost}

hello, fellow roosters! today i get to finally share some very exciting news with you- i’m pregnant! (!!!!). if you’ve been waiting for me to start sharing some of my 2012 teases, well this is one of them. :) this september, david and i will be celebrating a new birthday, and we couldn’t be more excited!

i’m also so very excited to start sharing this experience with you. there’s been so many things i’ve wanted to share with you along the way, and now i finally can! so far, everything has been going really well and it’s been a very healthy pregnancy (yeah!). other than some wild food aversions and sleepy afternoons, i’m so thankful to have been feeling pretty good as well.

the reveal: the reveal to our parents turned out just the way i had hoped. we found out just after christmas, so we were able to tell them on new year’s eve! after falling in love with this idea, i knew i wanted to tell them by putting my secret in the bottom of a coffee mug. i had each set of parents over (on separate occasions) and served hot chocolate to everyone. the mother’s however, got served in one of these special mugs. upon sipping their last gulp, they got surprised with our big news. it was perfect! i had 3 mugs made, so each of them got to keep theirs as a keepsake (we kept one for ourselves as well).

about the mug: after searching for days, i couldn’t find anyone selling mugs with messages in them. so, i began researching some local potters, and thankfully stumbled upon kung fu clay in asheville, nc. i saw that she had some stamped ornaments and made mugs as well, so i sent her a message in hopes that she could combine the two and make a few custom mugs for me that said ‘i’m pregnant’ in the bottom of them. thankfully, she was thrilled to take on the project and was so much fun to work with! i’m also really  happy to say that since then, she’s started making ‘message me mugs’ with all kinds of sayings in the bottom, see them here!

all photos © bonnie christine, going home to roost.

wrap up: {announcement} {coffee} {i'm pregnant mug} {mug} {pregnant} {reveal}

hey friends! somehow, we’re being blessed with a return trip to hawaii this week (you can see photos from our first trip here). it’s yet another happy work trip for my husband (and myself), and we just couldn’t be more excited to return to this dreamy place. we’ll be gone until next wednesday (2/27), so until then you may notice that things might be a little lighter around here and running on a different time zone.

i’ll be sharing photos on instagram as much as possible and would love for you to meet me there! you can find me by searching for @goinghometoroost. i’m also hoping to share a few videos on vine, where you can find me by searching for ‘bonnie christine’.

wrap up: {hawaii} {instagram} {kona} {trip}

hey friends! toaster and i are so excited to be over on treasuring, jessica swift’s blog for a super fun interview! i was so excited when she asked me to be a part of her artists and renegades series- she’s one of my most favorite surface pattern designers and i always love to see what she’s up to! in this interview, we’re talking about dreams, mottos, embarrassing photos and playing two truths and a lie. come join the fun!

p.s. if you guess the lie, but sure to check back later today as i’ll be popping in to reveal the TRUTH!

p.s.s. if you haven’t already, be sure to check out jessica’s rainboots, jump trust repeat - the e-book for aspiring artists, and her super fun shop.

wrap up: {artists & renegades} {creative} {fun} {interview} {jessica swift}

i’ve been so busy this week that it’s hard to believe we begin our journey to kailua-kona, hawaii today. it’s a work related trip for david (otherwise we wouldn’t be able to go!) and i’m so happy to be able to join him for it. we’ve been having some seriously grey days here lately, so i’m really looking forward to some sunshine, fresh pineapple and kona coffee.

though i won’t be online too much next week, i will be sharing photos on instagram as much as possible. follow me by searching for @goinghometoroost and join the journey- i’ll meet you there! i’ve also got posts scheduled for you next week so we won’t miss a beat. :)

photo: the wild side of kona hawaii

wrap up: {follow} {hawaii} {instagram} {journey} {kailua-kona} {travel}

happy new year, folks! after taking a much needed break from the interwebs, i’m feeling ready and excited to be back. i feel motivated, refreshed and bursting with inspiration and creativity! my time off was spent primarily with family, with lots of relaxing, laughing and yummy food thrown in as well. to start off the new year, i’d like to talk about some favorite memories from 2012, as well as some goals the upcoming year. i hope you’ll join in and share a few of your own as well!

bye bye 2012 by zü

top 12 memories from 2012:

1) waking up every morning in our sweet california cottage (before we moved!)
2) frequenting the organic honor stand down the street
3) getting certified in holy yoga and attending retreat
4) spending much of the summer in aspen
5) getting to be in my sister in law’s wedding
6) attending a josh garrels concert
7) starting the roost tribe
8) attending quilt market
9) moving to north carolina
10) signing my very first freelance contract (tease)
11) having my biggest dream come true (tease tease)
12) having my 2nd biggest dream come true (tease tease tease)

welcome 2013 by zü

13 goals for 2013:

1) read all the books i’ve ordered
2) stop renting and buy or build a permanent roost
3) design more than ever
4) become a more established surface pattern designer
5) stick to my walking routine
6) learn more about whole foods and holistic nutrition
7) start making my own almond milk
8) continue to put God first. in my time, my day, our finances, and in every way
9) do a redesign for ghtr and make a website for the roost tribe (!)
10) submit my pattern portfolio to a few companies in several new industries
11) start sewing more
12) save more, spend less
13) share all 3 of my secret favorite memories with you

what are some of your favorite memories or goals for the upcoming year?

wrap up: {2012} {2013} {goals} {memories} {new year}

the house is empty and the pod is packed,

all tied down and neatly stacked.

hugs and kisses to friends from the years,

we hold on tight and fight back the tears.

a 3 day drive until we arrive,

to the land in which we thrive.

returning to the mountains and streams,

the people and places that fill our dreams.

california we will dearly miss,

we’ll remember often and reminisce.

anxious for what is to be introduced,

we’re finally going home to roost.

- by bonnie and david (in the car).

yes, today we’re starting our 3 day drive to north carolina! and just in case you’re like ‘say, what?!’, you can catch up on our move and my thoughts on it here and here. :) we’ll be hitting up albuquerque, oklahoma city and saint louis along the way before we finally arrive at my parents house late on thursday night. my sister will be waiting as she’s already made plans to whisk us away (or rather scrape us up from off the ground) to attend the opening of twilight. haha. friday we’ll be swinging by our storage unit and grabbing some things we need before we drive to brevard and check out our new home. i can hardly wait! we’ll have about a week to start settling in before our pod arrives and the craziness of unpacking ensues.

follow our trip on instagram! i’ll be instagramming (and tweeting) as much as possible, and would love for you to join us on our journey! you can find me by searching for @goinghometoroost or follow along on my web profile. see you soon!

p.s. i’ve got posts scheduled here for you all week, so you shouldn’t notice much of a change. xo

wrap up: {california} {moving} {north carolina} {travel} {trip}

as i shared earlier this week, david and i will be packing up and moving cross country next week (eee!). i have a lot of feelings wrapped up in the move and about these two states, of which i’ll to try to express today with letters to each.

dear california,

oh how i have loved living here among your rolling hills and brilliant blooms. i will miss dearly your perfect weather, sunshine and lack of humidity. i will never forget running through your vineyards and letting your sunrises and sunsets take my breath away. it has been wonderful to let the outdoors in year round with no need for heat or air conditioning. our little vine covered cottage has been more than a home, it’s been a source of peace, inspiration and renewal. the ability to cut your fresh roses all year has been addictive, and i’m not sure what i’ll do without it. you’ve introduced me to neighbors and friends that will live in my heart forever.

your farm stands, markets and gardens have sustained us. i have never experienced a more vibrant land full of nutrition and wholesomeness. we will never forget the names of our favorite farmers and bee keepers who live here. january just won’t be the same without your juicy tangerines. the growth that we have experienced here has been monumental and life changing.

on the contrary, i won’t miss your increased living expenses, taxes and strict beach regulations. i will be gladly give up my fear of  earthquakes, great whites and tarantulas in our home. i will happily leave your dry land and sprinkler systems behind and will be overjoyed to dramatically decrease the distance between us and our families.

dear north carolina,

oh how i long to return to your mountains, green fields and beautiful trees. i can feel the mossy grass between my toes right now. i will welcome your seasons as i have missed attaching the cycles of my life to the cycles of your weather. i cannot wait to dig in your rich soil and sink my teeth into a juicy watermelon come summer. i have missed your streams, rivers and warm lakes. everything is always so green and full of life- it begs to be frolicked upon. i’m eager to return to your bluegrass music, amazing food and tilted barns. community thrives in your land and everyone feels like family.

i can’t wait to pull out my boots, sweaters and knitted goods as i will be glad to again be able to hibernate. i love nothing more than sipping tea by the fire as i watch your sky pour a blanket of white snow on the ground. you feel cozy and warm and snuggly in my mind. i am eager to return to this land where i was born, raised and fell in love. where our families and grandparents still reside. i will be so happy to never again miss a holiday, birthday or family reunion with my loved ones.

on the contrary, i am not so thrilled to be returning to your humidity, mosquitoes and general bugginess. it will be heart breaking to wake up and think about the people i love who i left in california. the ocean will now be a disspointing distance away from us, though i do look forward to returning to your shell filled sandy beaches again. though the mountains are my favorite source of beauty, i’m already dreading the essential curvy roads that make me sick.

in closing,

no state is perfect, but these two states have been perfect for us. i welcome the negatives because the pluses fill me with such joy. getting tossed to and fro the last few years has been a learning experience, a great adventure for us. but it has also left us feeling a little unsettled and we long to grow our roots. in closing, we’re finally going home to roost.

wrap up: {california} {letters} {move} {north carolina} {thoughts} {travel}