our wedding guestbook

One of my favorite details of my wedding was our wedding guest book. I actually had originally created a book on Shutterfly using our engagement photos one weekend, but when I came back to it a few days later, I just wasn't happy with the way it was turning out.

I realized that I wanted to go a less traditional route than the typical "book," and so after some brainstorming (with the help of Pinterest, of course) I came up with the idea to use a print and have the guests sign the matte around it.

It was harder than I thought to figure out what print that I wanted to use. I decided to go with Rifle Paper Co., since they make the cutest custom designs, and it matched my aesthetic almost perfectly. Rifle Paper Co. also featured in my wedding planning early on - they designed the cards that I gave my bridesmaids!

I went with the Custom Floral Art Print in peach & rose, which complimented the wedding colors so well. For awhile I was leaning toward the Custom Floral Heart Art Print, but after seeing this pin, realized that the former would be a better fit for the wedding.

Rifle Paper Co. was a dream to work with. After placing my order, they contacted me within days to create custom drawings of Matt and myself. I was far enough along in the wedding planning process that I already had Matt's suit and my dress, and so I was able to send them photos of us wearing our wedding garments. But, I think they would have done a fine job if we had just sent them photos of ourselves along with what we were planning on wearing! I even took care to describe my hair the way I wanted to wear it on the day of the wedding - when I say I'm detail oriented, I mean it!

After sending over our description, they were quick with drafting up a proof of our design. I think it was within the week, if not sooner. There was just one small change which they fixed immediately, and then it was off to the printer.

One of the cool things about Rifle Paper Co. that saved me time was the fact that I could order my print already framed and matted, which I definitely took advantage of. It arrived in beautiful condition, and they even included a little notecard of our print that I have stored in my wedding memory box. :)

The print now hangs in our wedding gallery wall, and I just love it!

Photos by Emily March Photography

december reads

Well, the last time I did one of these was in February! I am very overdue. So far this year I've read 36 books, so I won't review the majority of those, but here's what I read from November until now:

Why Not Me? by Mindy Kaling / I really wish Mindy Kaling and I could be friends. I enjoyed this one and her first book, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? a lot. It's a quick read, and if you're a fan of Mindy, then it's a must read, as well.

The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith / Of course, we all know now that Robert Galbraith is really J.K. Rowling, but I try to read the Cormoran Strike series with an unbiased mind. This one wasn't as good as the first one, but it was entertaining. It was definitely a lot creepier, and while I figured out who the murderer was fairly quickly, I kept reading to figure out exactly how they did it. Looking forward to reading the next in the series.

Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll / This was one of those books that everyone kept raving about, and while it was entertaining, it wasn't the greatest. It seemed very cliche and over the top. I can always tell if a book is a little too soap opera-ey if when I'm describing the events to Matt it sounds ridiculous. This one was filled with every imaginable teen drama. Plus I could not STAND the main character, and I would like to personally berate any reviewer who compares TifAni (ugh, that name) to Amy Dunne in Gone Girl. Just...no.

After You by Jojo Moyes / When I found out there was a sequel to Me Before You, I was very excited. I liked getting back into the world of Louisa, but I don't think the author should have written a sequel. The first book stands well on its own, but if you've read Me Before You, then you have to read this one.

The Beautiful Bureaucrat by Helen Phillips / This book appeared on a to-read list of 2015, and when I read the synopsis, it sounded pretty interesting and I love dystopian novels, so I decided to give it a read. I was surprised at how short the book was, and felt like it could have been a little longer, to flesh out the characters a bit. That said, I don't know if I could have handled it being longer - it almost seemed like a really bad fever dream, or an episode of The Twilight Zone. I figured out pretty quickly what exactly Josephine's job was, but there is a twist that I didn't see coming. It's very Kafka-esque, so if you like his books then I think you'll love this (I'm just "meh" when it comes to Kafka). If you want a really good dystopian novel, read The Handmaid's Tale. Now.

The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver / I am a very big fan of Barbara Kingsolver. I've read almost all of her books, and The Poisonwood Bible is one of my all-time favorites. This one was a good read, and I also thought it was still pretty topical, even though it was written almost 10 years ago.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer / This is part one of the Lunar Chronicles series, and I picked it up on the recommendation of a friend. I can't believe it's been flying under my radar for so long. It's a fairy tale retelling turned on its head, which for me is like candy. I went through a stage in high school where I read every fairy tale retelling I could find. (My favorite? Daughter of the Forest. SO GOOD.) It's YA, yes, but it's so entertaining.

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer / Part two for me wasn't as entertaining, mainly because I just don't care for Scarlet or Wolf all that much. But, instead of each book focusing just on the main title character, Cinder from the first book is still featured prominently in this one, which I enjoyed.

Cress by Marissa Meyer / I think this one is the longest of the three, so it took me awhile to get into it. The action sequences are fast-paced and fun to read, but it being YA, it's very predictable. This series is great when you need a break from "heavier" reading. 

Fairest and The Age of Miracles are up next. What are you reading?

P.S. You can see all of my past reads here.

around here

around here I turned 29 on Wednesday. Matt and I went out for dinner at a famous Italian restaurant in Georgetown called Filomena. I ordered a glass of wine and got carded. I didn't think much of it until Matt pointed out that I just got carded on my 29th birthday. I've been having some sort of crisis over turning 29 (it's so close to 30!) and had been feeling kind of old, so that was nice. :)

around here Matt and I saw the new Star Wars movie last night. I won't spoil it for any fans, but we were both pretty pleased with it. It definitely left us leaving the theater with some questions though. I think we'll see it again soon.

around here the weather in DC has been incredibly warm. The cherry blossoms have even started blooming! I had been gearing up for such a cold fall and winter after living in the South for so long. It's nice that we're getting a gradual taste of cooler weather, though I think this weekend it's supposed to be colder.

around here the end of the year has been creeping up on me, and I would like to sit down and intentionally think about some goals that I would like to achieve in 2016. I was late to the game in ordering Lara Casey's PowerSheets, but there's no magical method for goal-setting. I'm just going to make some goals for this year and also for January and see if I can stick to them. If I can, that's great. If not, then I'll figure out what works for me. But that's another post. :)

around here we've been gearing up for spending Christmas and New Year's in North Carolina. I have a running to-do list in my head of all the things that I would like to get done before we leave, and also  what I want to do while we're visiting family. Most of the things we want to do involve eating at restaurants we miss. (Matt took me to a North Carolina barbeque restaurant the second week we moved to DC and I cried at dinner because it made me miss North Carolina so much, ha!)

around here I've been flying through the Lunar Chronicles series. This series is giving me such mixed emotions. I feel most of the time like I don't really enjoy it, but then I find myself thinking about the characters and wondering what their fates are going to be...? All I know is I'm a little sad at I'm nearing the end of the series.

around here The Knot Carolinas issue that our wedding is featured in is on newsstands! So, if you live in NC or SC, pick up a copy. :) One of the reasons I stopped sharing so much about my wedding on the blog is because of the feature, but I feel like now I can share more here, since it's out. I am so excited and proud that our wedding was one of the few chosen. I worked with a great team of vendors who have become like friends, and worked so hard to make my wedding beautiful and personal to Matt and I. If you don't live in NC or SC, our wedding was also featured online at The Knot here.

the best sugar cookies

I'm excited to share this recipe today! I make these cookies every year, and they are so good. They are a lot of work, but for me sitting down and decorating the cookies is peaceful and fun. This would even be a great Christmas activity for kids - just put a bunch of icing and candy down and let them go to town decorating!

Sugar Cut-Out Cookies - makes about two dozen, depending on thickness of the cookie

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 12 tbs. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the icing:

• 2 cups sifted confectioner's sugar
• 1 or more tablespoon of milk (I wound up using about 3 tablespoons, but I was using skim milk)
• 1 tbs. light corn syrup
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
• food coloring (I used red and green)

Have all the ingredients at room temperature.

Over a small bowl, sift together the flour and salt. Set aside.

Beat the butter on high speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium, slowly add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the egg and vanilla and beat for 1 minute, stopping once to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Add half of the flour mixture. Beat on low speed until most of the flour has been absorbed, about 1 minute. Add the remaining flour and continue beating until all of the flour has been absorbed and the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl, 2 to 3 minutes.

Turn the dough out onto a work surface and divide into 2 equal balls. Shape each into a disk and wrap  separately in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.

Remove dough from the refrigerator and let stand for 5 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thick. 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Using cookie cutters (I used a Christmas tree and a candy cane, but you can do virtually anything), cut out the desired shapes. If the dough sticks to the cutter, dip the cutter into flour before cutting out more shapes. Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart. 

Bake the cookies until golden brown around the edges, 10 to 15 minutes. If baking more than one sheet at a time, rotate the baking sheets from top to bottom and 180 degrees halfway through baking.

Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks and let cool for 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to the racks and let cool completely. 

To make the icing and decorate:

Whisk the confectioner's sugar, milk, corn syrup, and vanilla extract together in a large bowl. 

Separate some of the icing into two separate bowls and add the red and green food coloring to each, mixing until you achieve the desired color. Dip the cookies directly until the icing or use a butter knife to smear the icing on the cookies.

Use your desired candy or sprinkles to decorate. Sometimes I use M&Ms on the Christmas trees as little ornaments, other times I just use sprinkles to create a frosted tree.

Admire your handiwork and enjoy! These are incredibly addicting, so you've been warned. Now go eat a salad after all that sugar. :)

P.S. the dish is from Kate Spade

december: currently

looking forward to spending over a week in North Carolina for Christmas. The move has been a bit hard for me, and it will be nice to see familiar faces and sights. 

needing to purchase a new pair of jeans, since I am down a pair (they completely split one night while I was sitting on the couch - at least I was at home!). I'm thinking either these or maybe this pair?

gearing up for a new year. 2015 was a big year for me (wedding, honeymoon, move to DC) and this time last year I was in full-on wedding mode. It will be nice to come up with a list of goals and work towards them in 2016, which I think will be a lot calmer.

feeling like I'm starting to get into a rhythm with the kids I nanny.

wearing leggings and boots. Every. Day. 

thinking a lot about the future and the possibility of purchasing a home (well, a condo) in DC or Maryland(!)

reading the Lunar Chronicles series. I know these books are for YA, but they are really good. I'm on the third book right now and trying to savor the story a bit instead of flying through.

loving that my schedule allows so much time to read.

making all of the Christmas cookies. Hoping to get a recipe up on the blog sometime soon.

watching Parenthood. I'm on season two and think I cry every episode. Matt and I will be seeing Star Wars opening night, of course.

enjoying the Christmas season. Matt and I have been trying to take part in all of the holiday events that DC has to offer, and every weekend is an adventure.

our 2015 christmas card

This may seem kind of corny, but I was really looking forward to creating a Christmas card this year - our first married Christmas! I knew I wanted to go with Minted, since I had our save the dates created with them, and they turned out wonderful.

Minted has SO many options for Christmas cards, ya'll. Did I want to do gold foil? A "married" Christmas theme? One photo? Multiple photos? After a lot of back and forth, I picked the "Snowy Love and Joy" design, along with my favorite photo of the two of us. Side note: you guys, my bouquet - heart eyes for days. I can't say enough good things about Heather Miller at Eclectic Sage.

On the backside I left a good amount of space to write a personalized note, and included Luke 2:10-11 as a little reminder as to why we celebrate Christmas. I opted to do express service, which does not include a digital proof of your design before printing - and then proceeded to worry that there would be a typo (there wasn't).

I mailed them off a few days ago, and I'm excited to see if we get a few Christmas cards of our own!

Photo by Emily March Photography

i love gift guides

I thought it would be fun to compile a little gift guide, since I love reading other blogger's picks. So this year, I collected a few things that I either own myself and love, or things that I want for myself that I thought would make great gifts for that late 20-something girl in your life. :)

Emily Ley's 2016 Daily Simplified Planner - I am a planner girl, and bought myself ban.do's agenda when it came out in August, but I think this one would have suited my needs better. NOTE: this one is sold out, but there are two more still in stock! 

Caitlin Wilson gold dot pillow - For all those pillow people (you know who you are), these would look great on a couch or bed.

Should I Wash My Hair Today? print -  A cute print to hang in the bathroom, and because really, sometimes you need a reminder it's okay to have dirty hair. ;)

J Crew stadium-cloth cocoon coat - I bought one of these on super sale last year but had to return it because it was too big. Remember to size way down!

Loren Hope small Sara cuff - A pretty bracelet to pair with my Kate Spade watch.

Tory Burch 'Derby' leather riding boot in almond - My pair of Sam Edelman boots (in whiskey) have seen better days.

Tarte Tartelette eyeshadow palette - For all those beauty enthusiasts, and because the Naked palettes get all the love.

Le Creuset Dutch Oven - Man, would I LOVE one of these for Christmas. You can cook virtually anything in this, even bread!

Plum Pretty Sugar robe - I gave these robes to my bridesmaids as gifts, and bought one for myself as well.

Kate Spade purse - Because my other purse is starting to look a little worse for wear, the pop of pink is so cute, and you can monogram it! 

S'well water bottle - I used to have a bkr water bottle which was so cute, but SO hard to clean. This one looks a bit easier to keep clean, fits in your car cup holder, and boasts it can hold an entire bottle of wine!

Jo Malone Peony & Blush Suede perfume - I wore this scent on the day of my wedding, and every time I wear it I think of that day! 

Rifle Paper Co. personalized stationery - Bring back the art of letters with your custom portrait (also a great first anniversary gift).

Bonus...for my own stocking, I would choose this tinted lip balm, some essie nail polish, this cosmetic pouch, and cozy socks.

Our Wedding: the morning of

I spent my wedding eve with two of my bridesmaids at my parent's house. It was a very low-key night, though one of the smoke detectors kept chirping for new batteries, which delayed our sleep a bit! 

That morning, I woke up pretty early, I think around 6, ready to start my day! My wedding day didn't officially start until noon, when we were arriving at the venue for hair and make-up. Let me tell you, that morning seemed to go on forever! I had a quiet breakfast with my parents, and then the girls started waking up. 

a fitting coffee mug from Ashley Brooke Designs, if I do say so!

Side note: I drank SO MUCH fluid on my wedding day, because I was a bit nervous that I was going to faint during the ceremony - I had already almost fainted at two bridal fittings, and have a penchant for fainting in the past, so was determined to make sure that I kept my blood sugar level up for the wedding day!

We hung out until around 11 or so, and then headed to the venue. My cousin had beaten us there, and sent a photo of the ceremony chairs being set up. It was starting to get very real!

Once we were all there, the girls at Body Bliss and Spa immediately got to work on hair and make-up. Sarah, the owner, had given me a timeline in advance of when each girl was getting their hair and make-up done throughout the day, which helped my nerves tremendously. Since I was getting married at 4:30 and wasn't arriving to the venue until 12, I was a bit nervous that Sarah and her team wouldn't have everyone done on time, which included me, five bridesmaids, and two mothers.

I needn't have worried, though, because they were done with plenty of time to spare. It's such fun getting your hair and make-up done, and the girls did such a great job. I even wore false eyelashes for the occasion!

The bridal party got ready upstairs in the main house of the venue, while the guys got ready in an old cabin on the property. Since Matt and the groomsmen were in such close proximity, I was confined to the upstairs, and caught glimpses of the ceremony and reception through small windows that afforded a view of the goings-on. At one point, I was standing on the toilet, craning my neck to look out the window at the reception pavilion!

After a quick lunch of wraps and chips, we popped a champagne bottle (or two) to celebrate!

Emily and her assistant Morgan arrived shortly thereafter, and I gave them a bag that I had already set aside with all of the "details" that Emily might want to photograph - invitation, welcome bag, perfume, shoes, etc.

During the rehearsal the day before before, I had given the girls robes from Plum Pretty Sugar, with the intent that we could get ready in them. It made for such adorable photos!

At this point, I was starting to get a bit antsy, so when Emily said to me, "let's put your dress on, girl" I was about ready to burst from excitement!

Since my dress had so many layers, I needed a lot of help from my bridesmaids!

One very special gift from one of my sister-in-laws was my "something blue," an embroidery of my married initials with my wedding date, which I had sewn into my dress. It was such a sweet and thoughtful detail.

Once my gown was on, with my gorgeous bouquet in hand, us girls went outside for some portrait shots before the wedding.

To be continued!

Photographer: Emily March Photography / Day-of-Coordinator: Ashlee Adams of The Sutherland / Hair and Make-Up Artist: Body Bliss Salon and Spa / Invitations: Ply / Bride's Dress: "8724" by Justin Alexander / Bride's Shoes: "Couture Bow Pump" by Valentino from Nordstrom / Bride's Hair Comb: "Bella" by Hair Comes the Bride / Bridesmaid Dresses: J Crew

Bridal Accessories

One of my favorite wedding accessories was my hair comb. I decided to not go with a traditional veil for a couple of reasons:

1) To help with the budget, I decided that this was one of the items that I could forego

2) When I tried on veils with my dress, it seemed "off" somehow, almost as if the veil was competing with the dress. I think it's because there is so much tulle in the gown itself that a gauzy veil just looks superfluous 

3) Matt wasn't too keen on me wearing a veil, and so I wanted to respect his wishes

Since I wasn't going to wear a veil, I did need a little something extra to go with my dress, because I wasn't wearing any jewelry, either. I had planned on wearing this kate spade bracelet, but when I tried it on with the dress, it just didn't look right.

photo by Emily March Photography

That's when I got the idea of wear a pretty hair comb! I found one at the cleverly named Hair Comes the Bride, and was so happy with the piece. It looked so elegant in my hair, that I don't think anyone even realized that I wasn't wearing a veil!

My wedding dress

I've blogged about my wedding dress hunt before, but now I can finally show you some photos of the actual dress!

I ordered my dress in February, and at the end of July I got a happy call that my dress had arrived! Truthfully, I was a bit nervous that the dress wouldn't fit. When I ordered my gown in February, I decided to go a size down, since I was between two sizes, and thought that a smaller size would mean less alterations (and less money). I was very happy that it fit perfectly.

I did decide to get a crinoline layer taken out of the skirt, since it was a little too "Southern Belle" for me. I am from the North, after all! The hem of course needed raising, which the seamstress did little by little, over the course of four bridal fittings.

We did have a bit of a problem with the bustle. Originally, the seamstress made a 9-point bustle, but when the sales girl, the seamstress, my mom, and the maid of honor couldn't seem to find the buttons and line up the points correctly, the seamstress decided to make it a bit easier by only doing 3 points, which I was very grateful for. I kept envisioning everyone at the reception waiting, as the clock ticked on, and my bustle still not pinned!

One thing that I don't think I mentioned in my first post regarding my wedding dress was the fact that I didn't have an immediate emotional reaction to my dress. I liked it, sure, but I didn't have a "moment" or anything.

With that said, one of the telling ways that I knew that the dress was for me was the fact that after I tried on a few gowns, I wanted to put the dress back on. And when I had it on, I didn't want to take it off! And as the wedding planning progressed, and I had my hair and make-up trial, I wanted to put the dress back on, to see everything together! I would say that all of these things were a good indication that while I may not have gotten emotional, I picked the right dress for me.

Our wedding invitations

Well hello! It's been awhile since I last updated my blog...four months to be exact! A lot has happened since then, but perhaps the biggest thing is that I got married! I kind of left you all hanging with my last post about my March goals, but I am back now to chronicle my wedding.

The good thing about taking such a long break is that now I can share everything all at once, since my wedding day has come and gone, as sad as that is. It was a truly beautiful day, on all accounts - spiritually, emotionally, and physically. I am excited to share it with you!

Today, let's talk invitations!

I had no clear direction on what I wanted our wedding invitations to look like, I just knew that I didn't want them to look plain. While I can appreciate a classic invite, I kept being drawn to invitations that had a little something extra - a pop of color, a cute monogram, or a fun envelope liner. The wedding invitations are most likely the first thing that your guests will see regarding your wedding, and so I wanted to set the right tone and feel with our invitations.

After some careful consideration, I started working with Molly Gaither from Ply to design my invitations. Molly was truly a gem to work with, and I wholeheartedly recommend her, for the following reasons:

1) She is so sweet, and was just as excited about my invitations as I was

2) She was sensitive to our budget, and never made me feel like I was "skimping" on a design decision. Case in point - I really wanted letterpress invites, but when the budget just simply wouldn't allow it, Molly pointed out that with a digital print, I could personalize my design and add as much color as I wanted - which was exactly what I was going for

3) She clearly loves what she does, and was incredibly patient during the design process

4) Lastly, she took my inspiration and created a beautiful invitation suite that looks better than what I had envisioned. It can't get any better than that!

After I decided to work with Molly, she went right to work creating a design. I shared a Pinterest board of my wedding invitation inspirations, and  we were off!

I can't remember how many rounds we went through - I think it was about 6, but once we got through the basic structure, it was essentially small tweaks until I declared them perfect, and that was mostly changing the color scheme of the different elements of the suite.

And here is the finished product!

photo by Emily March Photography

The gold glitter envelope liner was an extra addition that I felt would really make the whole suite "pop," and I think it had the desired effect! Molly hand-cut all of the envelope liners, so it was nice touch. 

The envelopes were addressed by Calligraphy by Carrie, who also did the escort cards and cupcake flavor cards, but more on that later. I have atrocious handwriting (I blame the fact that I am a lefty!), and so it was important to me to have a beautiful addressed envelope for our guests.

What do you all think? I truly loved them, and I hope you do too!

march goals

Curious kittens from the snow day...

Hello, friends! Last week was quite the week! Mother Nature has not been kind to North Carolina, and on Wednesday night dumped about 5+ inches of snow on the Triangle, knocking out power for thousands (including Matt and I). We didn’t get power back until Friday morning – two days since it first went out! Luckily, we have family that live close by, and were able to pack up ourselves and the kittens to spend the night in electricity. It’s funny how much your schedule gets thrown off by something like that!

This weekend was spent brunching with friends at Irregardless Café (our caterer, coincidentally), picking up our wedding rings (!), and lots of downtime watching movies and snuggling with the kittens.

I’ve been seeing many bloggers post their monthly goals, and it’s always something that I wanted to start on my blog, too. What better way than the month of March for the beginning of a new series? With the wedding countdown in the double digits, it’s going to be a busy month! My March will include: dropping off / picking up invitation envelopes for the calligrapher to address, a dress fitting, a hair and make-up trial, a wine tasting at the venue (rescheduled from all the snow the past couple of weeks), and a bridal shower in New Jersey. Whew!! I’m sure there’s more that will pop up, but this is what is currently tracking on my calendar. With all that in mind, I’m trying to keep everything else low key.

Goals for March:

— Make biscuits! 

— Write a “60 Before 30” post

— Purchase some plants for the top of the bookshelf

— Keep on top of the wedding plans – I’ve been pretty good about this so far, I think the only outstanding thing from February was purchasing the bar signs, which I couldn’t do anyway!

— Have a fantastic time at my bridal shower!

Looking over this list, I think it’s doable. The only thing that could get crazy is the wedding planning goal, but I’m confident in my organizational skills that everything will continue on smoothly. :)

our favorite durham spots

I thought it would be fun to share our favorite places around Durham. This city gets a bad rep, mostly because at one time it was considered pretty unsafe. But, Durham has gone through a revival of sorts over the past 10 years, and I’m confident that it will look like a completely different city in the next 10 years – that’s how much change is happening. It’s fun to live in a city that is coming into its own, so to speak. This is in no way an all-inclusive list, but these are the spots that Matt and I have gone to, continue to go to and enjoy.

FOR DINNER

Geer Street Garden – a restaurant located in a former gas station. The seating is mostly communal and outdoors, but they bring in heaters and close it off during the winter months. I think between the both of us we have gotten pretty much everything on the menu, and it is delicious. The grilled pimento cheese sandwich and fish tacos are so so good.

The Pit – if you want some authentic, North Carolina barbeque, this is the place for you. I used to dislike hushpuppies, but theirs have converted me.

Dos Perros – upscale Mexican restaurant with the best guacamole and margaritas.

Bull City Burger and Brewery – I don’t normally eat beef, but for Bull City Burger, I make an exception. If you get a tattoo of the BCBB logo somewhere on your body, you will receive 26% off for life. Really.

Nanataco – when we just want some fresh, authentic tacos, we go here. They always offer a “dirty meat” (think duck, beef tongue, etc.), but I’m not that courageous and just stick to chicken.

Lilly’s Pizza – I had to include a pizza place! The best crust partnered with the freshest toppings.

The Federal – for all intents and purposes, the “Fed” is a hole in the wall bar, but man their fries…so good. Check out the specials; there is always something surprising and delicious (like boar meat tacos).

FOR LUNCH

The Q Shack – The best Southern food, with no frills. Think: picnic benches and paper towels for your sticky fingers.

Nosh – While good for lunch, this is also a great place for breakfast (it’s what Matt gets every time we go there). I love their pasta salad. 

FOR BREAKFAST/BRUNCH

Parker & Otis – Can get pretty crowded on the weekends. It’s located inside a store, so it’s fun to shop while you wait for a seat.

Rise – Don’t let the location turn you off (it’s located in a strip mall). They have the best biscuits with some tasty toppings as well.

Monuts – Fresh donuts! Who doesn’t love a good donut, am I right?

FOR COFFEE

Guglhupf – Belgian inspired bakery and café. This is a great place to come and meet a friend for a latte or to get some work done.

Cocoa Cinnamon – The best hot chocolate I’ve ever had can be found right here (seriously, it was like drinking straight chocolate). They have a lot of interesting choices, so take a look at the menu closely before ordering.

FOR BOOZE

Fullsteam Brewery – Out of all the places listed, this is definitely the most hipster. Dog friendly, food trucks, arcade games, ping pong tables, and trivia every Thursday night. I don’t like dark beers, but The Working Man’s Lunch is pretty delicious.

Bull McCabes – an Irish pub located in the heart of downtown. We usually order a Guinness (Matt) and a Crispin (me).

And really, every restaurant we recommend serves great drinks. We are living in the golden age of microbreweries, folks.

FOR DESSERT

The Parlor – Delicious ice cream made by hand. It was originally a food truck that started a Kickstarter and opened up its own shop. They feature a lot of quirky flavors, including green tea.

The Cupcake Bar – I have a soft spot for cupcakes (I’m opting for them instead of a traditional wedding cake), and this bakery almost won as my wedding vendor.

february reads

I haven’t done one of these in a while (the last one was back in October), so here we go! 

The Vacationers by Emma Straub / This is very much a summer read, so if you are escaping the cold winter and relaxing on a beach somewhere, I suggest you bring this along. The characters are somewhat annoying, but that’s the point.

Unbroken: A World II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand / This book was just...wow. It’s an incredible (true!) story that is very inspiring and emotional. I haven’t seen the movie, but I can bet that the book is WAY better.

Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares / The final installment of the “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” books. I’ve been reading these books since I was in high school, and it was time that I finish the series. This one was super sad and very heart wrenching.

Astonish Me by Maggie Shipstead / Confession time: when I was a little girl, I wanted nothing more than to be a ballerina, mainly because of the shoes (I guess I’ve always had a thing for shoes). An entertaining story about a dancer, with a slight twist at the end.

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart / This book kept coming across lists as a to-read book of the year, and while it was a quick read and entertaining, I didn’t think it was OMG AMAZING, you know?

The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd / I really enjoyed this one. I like historical fiction, especially when it is loosely based on real person’s life, and so I pretty much breezed through this. It is an Oprah book club pick, which comes with all the stigma attached to that, but she honestly picks some really good reads!

A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra / This was another one that kept getting rave reviews, but I had a hard time getting through it. The storyline is almost too bleak. It’s one of those stories where everything is connected, though, which redeemed it a bit for me.

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes / So many tears. I highly recommend it – it would be a good one to read in a book club, especially with the topic it addresses.

Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler / I thought it would breeze through this one, but I had a hard time getting into it. I love learning about the lives of past authors, but for some reason I just couldn’t get excited about this book. I don’t know where the disconnect was.

What are you reading?

wedding planning update: 3 months to go!

Landon Jacob Photography via Southern Weddings

Since my last update…

— We received our invitations, which are stunning! You can see a sneak peek of the envelopes on my Instagram

— I finished the bridesmaid gifts!

— Purchased some monogrammed Jack Rogers for the honeymoon

— Speaking of the honeymoon, we booked our car rental – Mustang convertible or equivalent :)

— Scheduled my hair and make-up trial

— Decided on ceremony readings

— The guy’s attire is figured out and purchased!

— Purchased custom cocktail napkins – I’m really excited about these!

— Purchased my rehearsal dinner dress

—   Wedding cake design is finalized, and the cake topper is purchased, though we still need to decide to cake flavors

—   Purchased table number signage

—   Purchased the postage for the invitations

—   Matt purchased the groomsmen gifts

Next up on the list?

— We have a wine tasting at our venue this week, so I’ll pick the wine and champagne choices then

— Need to iron out the transportation details

— Continue compiling ceremony and reception details (guest book, centerpieces, signs, etc.)

— Get invitations to calligrapher to address

—   Start working on escort cards – this will probably be my one and only DIY project, so we’ll see how it goes