Happy Weekend! And links for you.

Since we were with family last weekend, John and I are celebrating our January 4th anniversary tonight. Last year we had a great time at American Grocery, so we're going back - can't wait. We are also excited to do yoga, see friends, and relax this weekend after a crazy few weeks of travel.

Links for the weekend:

Sarah Tolzmann's brand new Note to Self print shop got me extra excited about my trips to Charleston in February! Always a good idea.

What ever happened to downtime and sacred space? An important read for all of us, especially if you're obsessed with working like I am.

Just ordered this and can't wait to start it this weekend. Caitlin Moran always says that feminism is too important of an issue to only be discussed by academics. Couldn't have said it better.

Have a good one!

Lm

photo via our bach party in Charleston last year :)

Summer Weekends

Summer weekends are the best. A Converse wedding and a trip to Charleston made this past one especially nice. We were able to squeeze in some good food at Hominy Grill and Husk and do a little furniture scouting for our condo.

I'd been dying to try Husk since the buzz surrounding its NY Times write up last year, and it was amazing. Everything is sourced from the South, and it's wildly creative while still tasting like home. We can't wait to go back.

xo.

C-Town Bachelorette

We have the best friends in the world. Almost our entire wedding party went to Charleston with us last weekend for a Bachelor/Bachelorette Celebration, and it was a blast. We explored The Old Jail and Battery Park, ate beachy seafood at Hyman's, and paired grits with Bloody Marys at Hominy Grill. We did plenty of dancing, and we learned how to shuck oysters at the Lowcountry Oyster Festival. Saturday night's fancy dinner party was at The Gin Joint, which impressed us threefold with their hospitality, food, and drink. In fact, because a lingering table delayed our reservation, they gave us a lovely jug of their housemade Bourbon and Chocolate Bitters Punch. Highly recommended.

The thing that really stood out is that we had 13 of our very closest friends with us to begin celebrating the best moment of our lives. We feel so lucky.

American Grocery

Last week, John took me to the restaurant I'd been dying to try since moving to Greenville. I was fighting off bronchitis, sure, but I refused to miss the celebration of our Second Anniversary at American Grocery.

Although I expected great food, I didn't realize we'd be blown away. We went through all of the best meals we've had - Woodberry Kitchen, FIG, L'Albatros, and Hungry Mother, to name a few- and were surprised to realize that AGR actually beat them all - right here in our new little city!

While they couldn't top FIG's amazing bartenders and Manhattan/Negroni Menus, John did have a martini that was made of Vodka hickory smoked to order. Yeah, it was amazing.



Maybe we just happened to choose the perfect combination on the perfect night. Maybe we'll have to go back for round two to see. And then three.

After seeing John hand me a tiny box over the table, our server came out with a little bag of handmade candies saying "I think I heard it was your birthday." She might have had the wrong occasion, but the gesture sure won my heart. Adorable.

xoxo,
    Lauren

2011's Food Trends

According to The Huffington Post, these are the top 11 food trends of 2011. From macarons to bitters to a general homage to the South, I feel like they took this list right off the tip of my tongue. 

And just to be clear, I would totally go to a fancy donut shop for dinner. You should come along. 

xo,

         Lauren 

Change is so good.

via Black Olive Photographic

It's funny how blog posts reflect life. Currently, mine are scattered and unsettled, with no regularity whatsoever.

John and I have continued our tour of the Southeast, along with the good time. We couldn't be happier. Great things are happening.

1. I am so pleased to say that I will be joining the Outreach and Enrollment Team at the South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities as Program Coordinator, beginning later this month. My last job was a learning experience, and as one would hope, it paved the way to a much better position. This kind of progress doesn't often happen in just four months, so I feel very lucky.

2. John and I have decided to BUY a condo in Greenville, and we are thrilled. These grown up things are so fun. And because we never even had time to unpack in Vermont, the thought of settling into a place of our very own makes us giddy.

3. Getting back to the Upstate has let me revive contact with some fantastic people. I've been talking to Converse ladies about networking and community advice in the area. I can't tell you how refreshing it is to be in contact with my (both pink and red) sisters.

4. Friends! I've already seen my ex-professors turned very close friends, and this weekend I'm going to paint the town red, quite literally, with my college best friends: Mary Carolyn and Grace. I still haven't gotten to coordinate with my childhood friends Brittaney and Tara, but it will happen soon!

5. Family. Both of our families have been so wonderful, and it's so nice that us moving closer to them makes them so excited. We've been overwhelmed by the support and love from the Maxwells and the Concklins! Whether it's watching Herbie while I house hunt or taking us out on the town in Charleston, it's been just lovely.

6. John loves the charm of the South, along with its warmth (not the weather - but there's that, too). He's such a gentleman. It's adorable.

I hope all is well in your lives, too, and have a relaxing weekend.

xo,

Lauren

Southern Drawl

 Sometimes vacation comes at precisely the right moment. My migration South with John has been so refreshing. Great food and great friends combined with this part of the world's friendly, laid back approach to life has taken us from Atlanta to Greenville to Charleston with fun at every turn. We've had a lovely time with both of our families. Today we spent an hour watching a Dolphin family before Happy Hour in downtown Charleston, and I'm convinced it doesn't get much better than that.