4 Year Anniversary: ATL

A couple weekends ago was B & my 4 year anniversary....  Let me say that again: 

4 Y.E.A.R.S!!!

Wow, that's crazy...

Anyways, we headed to the W Hotel in Midtown for a couple days of great food and relaxation.  It was  swanky and in the perfect location in the heart of Midtown.  We walked around Piedmont Park, napped in the super comfy king bed, lounged by the pool sipping chilled cucumber water, ate delicious local food, and enjoyed some much-needed quality time.

Below is a breakdown of our favorite eating experiences from the weekend:

- Tap: A local gastropub with a contemporary interior and great outdoor patio.  
My pick: The Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tacos (crispy chicken | buttermilk peppercorn sauce | corn relish)

- Cucina Asellina: A rustic Italian restaurant with a great outdoor patio and low-lit, warmly decorated interior.  
My pick: The Buffalo Mozzarella Pizza Special (buffalo mozzarella | fried zucchini | pesto | some other kind of cheese that I can't remember :) ), Layer Cake Primitivo wine, Tiramisu

- Highland Bakery: A cute restaurant and bakery with a healthy twist.  
Added perk: Great selection of flavored lattes!

- Einstein's: One of Atlanta's best patio restaurants and brunch spots.  
My pick: The Chopped Cobb (romaine | turkey | bacon | egg | tomato | avocado | cucumber feta | crispy chickpea | buttermilk-herb dressing)

All in all, it was a great anniversary, and we have officially added Midtown to the list of places we one-day wouldn't mind living.  :)

N.Y.C.

Ambiance: Bryon's Dubstep Mashup

Well, I can now officially scratch New York City off my list!  This year Bryon and I decided to go to the Big Apple for our annual anniversary trip, and boy did it deliver!

Before we went, I responsibly prepared our itinerary using Frommer's Day by Day and this new app that I found,  mtrip NYC.  The app was so crucial!  It lets your build daily itineraries, see your itinerary on a map, and gives you directions between points.  SO much better than pulling out my Frommer's every 10 minutes and looking like a tourist (at least not completely obviously).

Anyway, when I first brought the idea of NYC up to Bryon, he was initially completely against it, even refused to go, because he was so worried that everything was going to be so ridiculously expensive that we wouldn't be able to have any fun and do anything.  However, I'm glad to say that he was completely proven wrong.  Now, if you're a museum hopper, you might have a problem, but we're more of walk-around-and-enjoy-free-stuff kinda travelers so we got by on about $100/day, which is what I usually plan for when I travel.

I took, no lie, about 1,000 pictures while I was there, but below are some of the highlights from our trip.  

First stop: Central Park!

I'd been warned about how huge it is, but I don't think anything can really prepare you for how ridiculously vast this park is!  We walked across it, and it seemed like we would never see the other side.  So many different spots and areas to chill, run, play sports,... anything you want!

Best hotel ever: The Standard

We stayed with my friend Casey in Brooklyn the first night, so we decided to treat ourselves the last two nights (it was our anniversary, after all!).  The hotel was everything we wanted and more!  Awesome views, super trendy location, great options for eating, wonderful staff, and did I mention you could still enjoy the view while you SHOWER!?

Sunday: Washington Square Park

Just a great place to hang out on a hot, sunny day!

Monday: Brooklyn Bridge

I was kinda hesitant to attempt walking across the bridge because it was so ridiculously hot outside, but it was so worth the sun exposure!  Such a beautifully designed landmark, and it offered great views of the city.

Luxury: Le Bain

Did I mention our hotel was awesome?  The Standard has a bar at the top called Le Bain, complete with turf grass, lawn chairs, and overpriced cocktails.  SO worth a $14 drink though to enjoy the views of Downtown for an hour!

How Convenient: The Highline

Sorry to be so annoying about our hotel, but it's the first expensive hotel I've really stayed at before!  You know how they say real estate is all about "location, location, location"?  Well, this place gets an A+.  It's on the border of Chelsea and the Meatpacking District, right by the Diane von Furstenburg studio, down the street from the Chelsea Market, and literally right on top of the Highline.  We strolled along the Highline every day we were there.  So many different places to eat and hang out! I could go back, stay just as long, never leave the area, and still have so much to do.  Maybe one day when we are both making way more money, we'll move to Chelsea for a year or so.  :)

Short story: If anyone is questioning whether NYC is still fun to go to if you're somewhat broke and don't enjoy super crowded areas, the answer is YES! 

Flowers, Whiskey, + a Little New York City

Ambience: Mr. Monk Goes to Mexico

For Mother's Day, I got my mom a Jack Daniels whiskey barrel planter from Home Depot (great reuse of a preconsumer recycled product!) and some vegetables for her garden.  I got the idea from a friend at work, and thought it was such a good idea, I got myself one as well!  I really wanted to get some naturally mosquito repellent plants that I found on Pinterest, but couldn't find any besides Marigolds at Home Depot.  Who knew they were mosquito repellent?  [Here's the website with the other mosquito repellent plants]

Anyway, my mom ended up helping me choose and arrange the rest of the plants, which I think ended up looking very nice!  I can't remember all of the names, but the ones I know are Blush Pink Nandina, Marigold, Cockscomb, and Sweet Potato Vine.  Such a great addition to our barren courtyard!

My mom also got some Xenia just as a little summery addition!  She's so awesome.  Did I mention she did all of this while I laid around, groggy because I had just gotten my wisdom teeth taken out?  :)

Other exciting weekend additions are a new laundry basket (above) from Let's Get Organized in downtown Homewood and a Frommer's Day by Day book for New York City.

Did I mention we're going to New York City!?  Next month for our 3 YEAR anniversary!  Yep, that's right.. 3 Y-E-A-R-S!  Of course I've already begun planning our schedule while we're there.

Highlights so far: the World Trade Center site, the Statue of Liberty, Fifth Avenue, the Empire State Building, and the High Line.. can you tell I'm an architect (intern)?  :)

Shoeaholics Anonymous

So I know that you probably wouldn't guess by looking at me, but I have a bit of a shoe addiction.  Not necessarily tall, elegant pumps, more like boots, a couple wedges, and tons of summer sandals.

.. And along with this addiction, comes a problem: where to keep all of these dang shoes!?

I would like to say that my solution looks like this (from elledecor.com) ...

.. however I am currently renting (I can't make TOO many holes in the walls in my apt which means no wall shelves), and I'm broke.  So for now, my solution looks a little more like this:

Not for long though, hopefully!  My plans are to take this mess of a closet

 

and use this Shoe Tower from Crate and Barrel to create a condensed shoe closet, and then turn the current shoe closet into a cleaning/linens closet.

I'll let you know how it goes!

Takin in the BIG EASY..

ambience: Blue in Green - Miles Davis

I meant to post this earlier, however a little show called the Walking Dead had its season finale so of course blogging had to wait! (P.S. - It was AH-mazing!!)

Anyways, last weekend B and I tagged along with his parents and their friends for a just-because-we-feel-like-it trip to New Orleans... and we had a blast!  Our feet hurt so bad and we were so exhausted by the time we got home, we didn't even unpack the car.  Before we left, we were both saying, "You know, I could live here..."

We stayed at the [1] Lafayette Hotel on St. Charles Street.. it was a nice hotel very convenient to the St. Charles streetcar.. a little stuffy but the staff was very friendly!  

Friday morning we woke up FAIRLY early (considering we got in around midnight the night before), and went straight to lunch at [2] Commander's Palace.  It's one of those places you have to have a reservation for, even for lunch, but boy was it worth it!  I got the shrimp over corn and beans which was amazing.  For dessert B and I shared a bread pudding souffle, and during dinner we enjoyed 25 cent martinis.

After lunch, we headed across the street to the Lafayette Cemetery No. 1.  I have always wanted to go in the cemeteries in New Orleans!  It's just so interesting and beautiful to me.  

The rest of the day we walked around, of course visited Cafe du Monde and Jackson Square, and then made our way to [3] Bourbon Street!  People watching is one of B and my favorite pastimes so Bourbon is like watching TV for us.  After walking around a bit and grabbing a VERY late dinner at an oyster bar we headed back and called it an early night.

The next morning, B's parents and all their friends went to the WWII museum, and I'm not a big fan of museums, so we went and checked out [4] St. Louis Cathedral and Jackson Square.  While I have been to Jackson Square MANY times, I have never been inside St. Louis Cathedral so it was really cool to go in and take a look.

After we got the word the other group was done with the museum, we headed back across Canal Street to [5] Magazine Street!  Miles after miles after MILES of shopping...  In other words, B's worst nightmare.  B's mom and I tried not to shop too long but we got some good browsing and walking in before the boys completely quit on us!

We decided not to push ourselves though because that night we went to see the always awesomely bizzare [6] of Montreal at the Howlin' Wolf.  I honestly didn't think I could stand one more second but I'm glad I persevered because it was one of the best shows B and I have ever been to!  Such great performers!

The last day everybody else left pretty early so B and I looked in my handy Frommer's guide and found a brunch spot called [7] Ralph's on the Park.  We weren't quite ready for just how fancy it was, but there was a guy in a tie dye T-shirt sitting next to us so it made us feel a little better about being in shorts.  The food was so worth feeling under-dressed though!  I got the Pigs in a Blanket and B got the Eggs Sardou.. SOO good!

We rode around the park for a little while after that and then drove through a Frommer's-recommended walking tour down Esplanade Avenue (our feet were still killing us from the previous 2 days!).  Along the route, we came across [8] this wonderful mansion that originally sat back from Esplanade.  All the cottages and bungalows sprung up around it and you can't even see it from Esplanade now.

After our "walking" tour, we sadly had to say goodbye to New Orleans and headed back across Lake Pontchartrain to Bham.  We had so much fun though...  don't worry New Orleans, we'll be back!  :)

n'oleans style!!

Ambience: The Kennedys

Next weekend we are going to the always-exciting NEW ORLEANS!!!

I grew up about 3 hours away so we always went at least once a year!  I have the best memories of going there over the years.  

Some of my favorite things about New Orleans:

French style Architecutre..

Vibrant night life..

Beignets from Cafe Du Monde..

The French Quarter..

Plus, it reminds me of SO MUCH of Mobile!

So.. all that too say.. I'm really excited!!  We're tagging along with Bryon's parents and a couple of their friends who have never been to New Orleans so I'm excited about trying new places to eat and shop and just stroll through!

Of course, being the planner/scheduler that I am, I wanted to make sure I knew all the great things to do, so I ordered the Frommer's Day by Day Guide:

We used these books for all the cities that we went to in Europe and they had such great ideas so I thought I would trust them again with our New Orleans trip.  Can't wait for it to come in the mail!

Until then.. I have been talking to friends & colleagues who had a few suggestions:

- Take the trolley to shop along Magazine St

- Take the graveyard tour that has a good historical overview of the city

- Eat, eat, eat!

Anybody have any fun other suggestions?

It's Almost Beach Time!!

Well, not really, but due to this recent rainy + cold weather, I need to think ahead to sunny + warm times!  In keeping with our summer tradition, we are going to the Hangout Music Festival in May!  It's an awesome music festival that keeps getting better + better acts every year, and did I mention it's ON THE BEACH!?

So this year, I am thinking ahead + planning about the most crucial part of the festival.. what I'm going to wear!  So here is my summer wish list, a couple weeks early...

[1] Urban Outfitters: Mint by Goorin Striped Floppy Hat [2] Victoria's Secret: Daisy Triangle Top + Matching Bottom [3] DIY Twisted Knit Bracelets [4] Anthropologie: McNally Necklace [5] Victoria's Secret: Tank Dress Cover Up [6] Urban Outfitters: Dolce Vita Raffia T-Strap Sandal

Finally! Somewhere to Put the TP!

Voila!  Behold the long awaited bathroom console!

 My mom got me this super cute bath console from Target for Christmas this year.  I really loved this particular one because of the nice glass front detail, and the fact that the pull matches the pull on the cabinet that I already have.  It's also white, which I didn't think I wanted at first, but I am now loving the white on white look!  

(I have a new love of the white beadboard and tile in my bathroom since perusing PotteryBarn.com, and seeing all that they did with white on white beadboard.)

Of course it did not come assembled, by any means.  It came with not one, but SEVEN baggies of screws, nails, and so on..  Overall, it went together pretty easily though.  Made for a nice little hour project.  And Leila loved her new box to play in!

And of course Bryon did his part... by playing on his new iPad and watching a documentary on TV...  men!!

Starting the Year off with Some Apt. Additions

ambience: someone like you - adele

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, y'all!

So I haven't get on here much lately due to the football and holiday seasons... however, I will have LOTS of free time for a while!

This Christmas was a very adult Christmas indeed.  First off, my sister Lauren is ENGAGED!  It was our first Christmas with all of us, including our boys on Christmas day. 

Secondly, this year my main focus for presents, were things for the apt., including a bath console and spice shelf that I have been needing and wanting seems like FOREVER.  And last week, I finally got around to putting them up!

First up was the spice shelf!  About a month ago I tried to put up another shelf that I got from Target, however my ignorance coupled with cheapness of the shelf ended up with a sloping shelf.  So I threw the shelf away and stared at screw holes in the drywall above the stove for months.

Finally, new stainless steel Pottery Barn spice shelf and jars in hand, I got some help from a neighbor Sam, finding the studs in the wall, and installed my brand new shelf!  This allowed me to clean out some wall cabinet space by filling my new spice jars with my spices. 

I still need to fill the last jar with something colorful and maybe add a picture above the jars!  Bath console post and pictures to follow!

A Very Eskimo Halloween.

So I know I'm a little late... but this Halloween I FINALLY got to wear my eskimo costume that I got for a party three years ago... and NEVER wore!

I had my costume, shoes, and hair down, but needed a little help in the makeup department, specifically eye shadow.  Luckily my friend from work, Kyonta, took me to Wal-Mart, helped me pick out exactly what I needed, and gave me a play-by-play of how to apply all of the layers.

On my Wal-Mart list:

Eye shadow multi-pack with white, silver, & baby blue
Shimmer powder
A brush set for application
Bubblegum pink blush

Process:

Step 1. Apply foundation & powder to face as well as eyelids to cover the veins in the eyelids
Step 2. Start with white eye shadow, apply a light layer over entire lid, and then a thicker layer in the inside corner of the eye and right below the eye, along the lash line
Step 3. Apply silver eye shadow in the middle of the eyelid, blending with white color
Step 4. Apply baby blue eye shadow in the outside corner of the eyelid and along the bottom of the lash line, blending with the other colors
Step 5. Apply blue in the crevice of the eyelid and blend with white along the bottom of the brow line
Step 6. Apply eyeliner and mascara (don't forget to apply to the tops of the lashes as well as the bottom)
Step 7. Apply blush along the cheekbones and nose
Step 8. Use a large brush to lightly apply shimmer along cheekbones, and very lightly around eyes and nose
Step 9. Apply lip gloss

For an amateur, I think it turned out pretty well!

Arts & Crafts Project: 1

Ambience: Starry Eyed - Ellie Goulding

So when I first moved into my apartment in Birmingham, I pretty much just used anything and everything that I had from my little house in Auburn.  I didn't have much money to upgrade so it stayed for about a year and a half looking like a college dorm.

     

Finally I realized that I am a working adult and that my place of residence should reflect that.  So my first area of focus, above the couch in the livingroom.  While I still do love Klimt and think he was a genius, I just didn't feel a poster was the right look, so I went with the trusty old picture arrangement.  As travel is one of my favorite past times and interests, I decided it should be the focus of my arrangement.

I picked the best looking pictures from all of the places I have been to in Europe, my current favorite travel destination, sorted through, and picked the 5 best vertical pictures from the bunch.  I changed them to black and white through photoshop since I already have about three color palettes in that room already and didn't think it needed any more color.

For frames, I got 5 simple, black, 8.5 x 11 frames at Hobby Lobby for half off of $9.99 each.  Now because they were so cheap, they didn't come with a mounting hook so I bought a mounting kit as well for about $5.  They also had the already-cut sale section of mattes where I found this beautiful texture matte that, of course, they only had 3 of.  So I got 3 for $3 each and then had to get the other 2 custom cut for full price.

All assembled and finally on the wall, they add a subtle conversation piece that reminds me every day of all my great European memories.  Love it!

walking in memphis.august 2010

ambience: walking in memphis

for bryon and my one year anniversary, we decided to go to his homeland, memphis, tennessee, the land of elvis and good bbq!

first stop: rendezvous. "the best bbq, EVER"-bryon (i wasn't the biggest fan because it was dry rub and they used celery seeds in their seasoning)

we found out that it wasn't open on sunday, so even though it was 10 o'clock on saturday night, off we went.  turns out, we still had to wait about an hour to get in.  they have a waiting room as big as their serving area, but bryon wanted a taste from his childhood, so we had to go!

the next day, i got to have my pick, so we went to the zoo, which was awesome!  every exhibit had a theme, from the alaskan north passage to the egyptian (memphis) entry to the zoo.  

then, we ate more bbq (of course) followed by a walk down beale street, a stroll along the river, and a ride on the main street trolley.  memphis is only about the size of birmingham, but beale street is awesome!  it's like bourbon street.  it was so packed both nights we were there!

monday, we took a last look around and ate some more bbq (a bbq breakfast omelette) @ cockadoos, this super cute brunch place that has floral table cloths and serve their drinks in mason jars.

then, we headed to the infamous graceland.  we immersed ourselves in everything elvis and loved it!  i felt like i was channeling my dad; he was a huge elvis fan.

on the way back to birmingham, we took a stop in collierville, a suburb of memphis, where bryon grew up.  it had a cute little town square with shops all around.

over all, very successful anniversary/first road trip together.  we look forward to more to come!

belgium.june.2009

ambience: lily allen

when i went to rome, i knew it was a once in a lifetime experience to travel abroad and enjoy the world, that i would probably never get to do again... until i came home and lauren wanted to go to europe... so we decided to take a little trip.. to visit her bf jake in belgium..

and so we went..

we went to amsterdam..

where we took a bike tour, ate at an outdoor cafe overlooking the canals, played an oversized game of chess outside the hard rock cafe, went to the heineken brewery, and saw a legitimate dutch windmill.

also, i almost crashed my bike into a tree outside of a cheese farm, and lauren confused madam tussaud's with a brothel.

then, we went to london..

where we rode the london eye, crossed tower bridge on a double decker tour bus, ate fish and chips in notting hill, and gazed up at big ben from the banks of the thames.

we also couldn't figure out how to turn the lights on in our hotel room and had ourselves an amazing traditional english breakfast at the corner pub.

then, we looked around brussels, since we were already there..

we went to the cinquantenaire, ate at a cafe in the middle of the main, historic square, visited the mannequin pis, ate belgian waffles with ice cream and chocolate on top, and enjoyed the life of a belgian.

also, we ate at a mexican restaurant, twice; and lauren realized that yes, europeans use the same numbers we do.

we also took brief stops in le mont st. michele to see the beautiful island cathedral and medieval town, and luxembourg to see lily allen perform.

Best of the Best: Part 3

Barcelona: Spring 2009 . Casa Batllo

Paris: Spring 2009 . View from the Notre Dame belltower.

Istanbul: Spring 2009 . The banks of the Bosphorus in Ortakoy.

Capri: Spring 2009 . The shores of the Isle of Capri.

Venice: Spring 2009 . The canal surrounding our hostel.

Best of the Best: Part 2

Siena: Spring 2009 . View looking up at the tower from the Piazza del Campo.

Florence: Spring 2009 . Santa Maria del Fiore

Rome: Spring 2009 . View of the Ponte Sisto with St. Peter's in the background.

Brussels: Summer 2009 . The Cinquantenaire Triumphal Arch

Luxembourg: Summer 2009 . View of the valley that runs through the heart of the city.

Le Mont St. Michele: Summer 2009 . View from the Medieval streets surrounding the cathedral.