Holiday Inspiration: We Took to the Woods

In the spirit of little holiday moments, I have to tell you about my recent trip to We Took to the Woods. You may have seen them on the Garden and Gun Blog last month. These photos were taken by the owner's daughter (see the rest here), and they capture a bit of the ambience, but really, you have to visit. Upon arrival, you see rows of fresh wreaths on wooden benches in front of the shop. The one pictured above was my favorite.

Entering invites delightful woodsy smells to overtake you, and suddenly you're enticed by candlelight to stay a while, have some cider, never leave. There are plaid blankets and wall hangings, antique ornaments and Mast Brothers Chocolates. There are beautiful antique decanters and carefully selected letterpress stationery. The owners are there, and they want to talk to you, get to know you, adding to the already palpable sense of warmth. 

Shop Small - My Favorite Companies {and Indie Craft Parade}

It's fun to see all the bloggers' gift guides going up at this time of year. I've discovered a lot of great small companies that way over the past few years, and I always look forward to seeing new ideas (like these and these).

I also loved Amex's Shop Small efforts last Saturday. It was nice to see a giant supporting small business!

Here's a chance to support local artisans this weekend and do some holiday shopping. The Food Truck Rodeo certainly doesn't hurt, especially because Neue Southern's new menu made my eyes pop. Flounder and Greens and Israeli Couscous forever.





Other businesses I love:

To do: Neue Southern, Community Tap, Dapper Ink Block Party

This weekend, I want to look for dining room chairs at Shinola, eat Korean Fried Tofu from Neue Southern, and check out Dapper Ink's letterpress. The Pisgah Brewing tasting is icing on the cake.

Greenville, see you there?

Knack Studios {Greenville, SC Art}

Yesterday I went to see my friend Barb at Knack Studios, and I have to share her with you. I stumbled upon Barb's work after finding some of her pieces at a local antique store. Her card was there with her studio address and I drove right over, thinking she might have a shop I could browse. She didn't have a shop, and she was actually right in the middle of a shoot for her book (available now for pre-order!), but she was so sweet and gracious and let me come in and look around anyway.

Weekend Highlights on Instagram (and where to eat in Greenville)

I had to work most of the weekend, but here are a few moments captured on my Instagram: North African Vegetable Soup at The Lazy Goat, a martini at 21 East, and poor Herbie staring at the dog he's too scared to befriend.

Another recent highlight was happy hour at High Cotton. We knew immediately that our bartender could be trusted with an Old Fashioned (it was delicious), got the cocktail with the cucumber-infused Gin (never disappoints), and will be going back as soon as possible to visit our new friend (with benefits). 

Last but not least, we went to Cazbah for tapas, wine, and most importantly, the tiniest and most delicious Bread Pudding we've ever had.

Happy Monday.

Makeover

Hi, everyone!

I've been quiet on the blog, but hopefully that will change soon. I've been using free moments (and late nights) to give myself this much-needed makeover. I couldn't justify spending money on design right now, so with inspiration from a few other bloggers who took matters into their own hands, I tackled the world of DIY Code. It was a lot of fun. I'll probably be tweaking it over the next few weeks, but it's exciting to have a prettier place to write.

The tabs at the top are exciting, though eventually they will become more organized pages. For now, I'd love to hear what you think, and check out my grown-up About page!

Have a beautiful weekend.

xo,

Lm

P.S. If you're here in Greenville, come hear my friends joie. play at Upstate Pride tomorrow!

How do you make friends?

Thelma & Louise, friends to the end.

You might have seen this article last week in the New York Times about trying to make friends as a grown up. John and I have had a lot of conversations about this recently - we feel ourselves settling down in Greenville and want to make sure we have good people to see on the weekends. Alex Williams is right, though - it is starting to feel impossible to form new relationships.

Luckily, I have a couple of good college friends nearby and work with some great people, but if that weren't the case, we might be in trouble. Our jaunt around the country certainly didn't help us form lasting relationships, and as we inch towards 30, I feel the ability to cultivate new friendship slipping through my fingers like sand on a beach.

Being married actually makes it harder. Now there are added layers of complexity: do both partners get along, can the wives and husbands switch around in conversation, can the couples afford the same social activities? I'll admit that I'm less inclined to ask a girlfriend to go for a drink after work, because I'm eager to get home and paint or hang out with John (don't throw up). And John isn't exactly beating down the neighbors' doors to watch football when I'll watch it with him at home. 

I've met two people during the downtown lunch hour with whom I wanted to be friends. One was so sweet she offered to let me, a perfect stranger, borrow her necklace for an event. I don't even know the other one's name. There was a third person - in my neighborhood! - who was a friendly dog owner, but I thought it seemed a little matronly (or desperate) to knock on her door the next week with freshly baked cookies.

John and I both have amazing friends from home and college, but without money to constantly travel, it's hard to get our fix. Neighborhoods no longer have cookouts or baseball games, and becoming someone's social media connection only discourages us from asking them real questions. 

So, is our chance to form meaningful relationships over? I'd love to hear what you think. :)

One Big Circle

With Mom and Dad at the Peace Center for the 2003 Senior Showcase. 

Moving back to the South wasn't something I planned to do. When arrows started pointing in this direction, I was dubious at best. I thought I had too much to do and too much to see to come back so soon.

Luckily, I followed the signs and ended up with a job at a life-changing school that I love. SCGSAH is the place that really started shaping the person I would become, and there's something comforting about the cyclical nature of my return to Greenville. Now I have the opportunity to give others what I was given, and it's really an honor.

And no one believes me when I tell them about the good old days:

there were guys who spent the entire summer of 2002 rafting the Reedy in duct-taped blow-up chairs,

the Raid really happened,

and a trip to Cherrydale on an old yellow school bus was something to be excited about.

xo.

P.S. We were all thrilled to see Newsweek's list of the top high schools in the U.S. - SCGSAH was number 42!

Have I Told You Lately

Dear Friends,

I've neglected my blog! This was bound to happen pre-wedding. The past three weeks have been full of events and parties - with my college friends, my Aiken friends, and my soon to be mother-in-law's friends. I've said it before, but I can't say it enough: I am blown away by how much love and support we are being shown as we take this step to join our lives together. Thank you, everyone, for being so wonderful! We are truly grateful.

Lately - ribbon galore, pretty paper, little bro, and John.

xo,
          L

February Life

Lovely Friends,

February is coming and going faster than I thought possible. Life has been insane, and luckily, I mean that in a good way! The Governor's School is in the midst of audition season, so weekends have been full of work and travel. But, wonderful colleagues and great kids make me hesitate to even call it work.

We got our beautiful invitations from Buzzy Craftery last week, so free moments have been filled with faking fancy handwriting. Ashley, our designer, made such an effort to incorporate everything I wanted, and she did a gorgeous job. She even based the design on my favorite street in Aiken, pictured below. It's right around the corner from our wedding spot.

On Sunday night, we had dinner with my family at Green Boundary to choose our menu. So fun! The theme is Southern Elegance, and if you know anything about the South, you know that no one is ever allowed to go home hungry. Throw in some fried green tomatoes and you've got yourself a treat.

xo,

Lauren

here

Moveable Type

Look what's coming to Greenville! 

Moveable Type will be in town, courtesy of Power & Light Press, on February 16th, 2012. This is an '82 Chevy Step Van that's been converted to a moving letterpress studio. Owner Kyle Durrie travels the country teaching people about printing and letterpress - even letting them create their own pieces.What a fun concept. I love that people along the way get to learn more about the craftsmanship that goes into handmade art.

I'm obsessed with all things type, paper, and press, so I'm thrilled about the chance to try it out for myself. You should join me!

xo,

                   Lauren

photos courtesy of Kyle's blog

Down Filled

Recently I've been thinking lots about how to decorate our new home, a place that represents us and will foster happiness and creativity. Even though I wish I could buy/paint/create/find everything right this minute, having to wait makes it a more fun and thoughtful process. Meanwhile, Herbie is obsessed with my new pillows from CB2. And contrary to his mom, it has nothing to do with the color.

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

Shapeshifting

via Design Sponge

Inspiration comes in so many forms. For me, it's clearly been in music (though not as much these days) - and often in words, color, and design. For a while, it was our wedding. Designing a day to represent both of us individually and what we've become as a unit kept me entranced for hours on end. Most recently, it's become our home. We finally have a place of our own combined with the feeling that we're going to stay a little while. What inspires me now is having a space to create something for us - a place to live, work, and play - a blank canvas that will serve as the backdrop for our next few chapters.

We both have a penchant for bright colors, so I'm thinking a neutral background that will allow for lots of warm, energizing pops of color. I've been having a lot of fun searching Design Sponge, Design Love Fest, Oh Happy Day!, and others to see what excites me and find offbeat ideas on where to shop.

Scouring Craigslist for thrifty furniture finds becomes so addictive!

xo,

        Lauren

Deboned

I'm in love with the Trader Joe's Christmas bags this year - DIY Kraft paper gift tags with pretty white text. Here you'll also see a lovely 5 pm moon and Herbie, who never ceases to amaze me with his sweet little humanlike habits. 

John and I tried this restaurant recently and loved it. They had me at "pistachio encrusted goat cheese drizzled with honey." We shared the Branzini (Moroccan Sea Bass) pictured below. 

Time well wasted, indeed.

R to the i c e

I love brown rice. It's so nutty and delicious. It's also healthy. Win.

I was happy to see this article in The Times over the weekend - a good little project to try in our new condo. Speaking of which, we close tomorrow!

Recap

John and I are going to own a condo in 9 days! That's so crazy. Things have changed so much for us: our career goals, our personal goals, what makes us happy. I know I speak for both of us when I say we feel so, so blessed. The Unexpected, in this case, ended up being wonderful.

From illness to moving around the country, conducting and opera singing to working in fashion, to an abusive job, to settling in one place that we both love. I can't believe everything that's happened in the past three years - or how well it ended. I can hardly sit still when I think about the exciting things to come - condo, wedding, honeymoon - or the things that are happening right now - excellent job, general happiness. Big thanks to our little support network that's kept us going along the way!

via Girl Near the Bay

Fall for Greenville

Fall for Greenville is so much fun! Best friend Grace joined us Friday night for food, music, and dancing in the streets. After sampling the menus of Soby's, Smoke on the Water, Larkin's on the River, and The Bavarian Pretzel Factory - just to name a few, we went to a free J Roddy Walston and the Business show, which was f-u-n. They're super talented, gritty, and can make anyone remember why they love Rock and Roll. They also have this great shared energy with their audience that makes you want to fight your way right to the front and stay there.

John and I had such a great time that we went back Saturday night just to get our fill, and I can't even count the number of times we said "We love living in Greenville" to each other. I can't wait for next year!

I love this place.

Okay, maybe it's because I've been moving all over the country, but I just tried Zoes Kitchen for the first time today. It's amazing. You should go.

I was drawn in by the smart font surrounded by my very favorite colors, and I wasn't disappointed. It's healthy fast food that's actually healthy. Think delicious, vinegary slaw with no mayonnaise.

It's right around the corner from Governor's School - dangerous for my wallet, but not my lifespan.


                                                                     xo,

                                                                           Lauren

P.S. They sell beer and wine!

Sept 23 = First Day of Fall

Friends,

My littlest brother is visiting for the week! Okay, he's way taller than I am now, but I stand by my nine years of seniority with unapologetic fervor. This weekend, we rode a tractor and picked a bushel of apples at Justus Orchard. It was so much fun! I had my hopes up for Hot Cider, but since the sun came out, I had Slushy Cider instead. I do not regret it.

Now I have just the excuse I need to revive last year's Apple Cake. I recommend you do the same. And if you need a few extras, take them from my refrigerator.