Anniversary Trip To Nashville

Dale and I spent Memorial Day weekend road tripping to Nashville! It was our first time in the city as adults, and I would have to say it exceeded our expectations. We stayed in a lovely East Nashville Airbnb with hosts who were more than willing to share their favorite spots. Here are a few pictures from the weekend:

Letters Are Lovely | Trip to Nashville, Tennessee
Letters Are Lovely | Trip to Nashville, Tennessee
Letters Are Lovely | Trip to Nashville, Tennessee
Letters Are Lovely | Trip to Nashville, Tennessee
Letters Are Lovely | Trip to Nashville, Tennessee
Letters Are Lovely | Trip to Nashville, Tennessee
Letters Are Lovely | Trip to Nashville, Tennessee
Letters Are Lovely | Trip to Nashville, Tennessee
Letters Are Lovely | Trip to Nashville, Tennessee
Letters Are Lovely | Trip to Nashville, Tennessee
Letters Are Lovely | Trip to Nashville, Tennessee
Letters Are Lovely | Trip to Nashville, Tennessee
Letters Are Lovely | Trip to Nashville, Tennessee
Letters Are Lovely | Trip to Nashville, Tennessee

We arrived late Friday night and got up early Saturday morning in order to get in a full day of exploring! Our first stop was Biscuit Love for breakfast, and I have to say the Bonuts were as good as I imagined. (I suggest going early because there was already a line forming at 8 AM.) The waiter recommended 12 South as an area we wouldn't want to miss, so we drove through on our way to Pinewood Social for some morning bowling. The restaurant at Pinewood Social looked great but we were so full from breakfast that we headed back to 12 South right after in order to do some shopping. Our next stop was the Nashville Farmer's Market. After that we explored Hillsboro Village and then made the trek out to Hewitt Garden and Design Center. If you are on the hunt for a cactus (like I was) this is the place. I could have been happy snapping photos of all the different plants for hours. 

By this point we were exhausted and headed back to our Airbnb to relax before dinner. We choose to eat at The Pharmacy, and boy was it worth the wait. The beer garden atmosphere was just what we were looking for after a full day. (I recommend grabbing a drink at the Holland House Bar and Refuge next door if you have a long wait.) We finished off the evening with a drink at No. 308 and headed back home for the night. One of my favorite parts of the trip was chatting with our Airbnb hosts that evening! 

Letters Are Lovely | Trip to Nashville, Tennessee
Letters Are Lovely | Trip to Nashville, Tennessee
Letters Are Lovely | Trip to Nashville, Tennessee
Letters Are Lovely | Trip to Nashville, Tennessee

Sunday we slept in and then headed to Barista Parlor for coffee and breakfast. This is perhaps one of the most well thought out restaurant spaces I have ever been too, and I really appreciated their attention to detail. Amelia's Flower Truck was parked right outside which was an added bonus. After eating and relaxing for a bit we wandered down to several shops close by including Wilder. The rest of the afternoon was spent driving around to a few other shops we didn't want to miss (White's Mercantile & Old Made Good) before a late lunch at Desano Pizza Bakery. I couldn't have asked for a better way to celebrate our First Wedding Anniversary! If you are headed to Nashville, take a peek at A Beautiful Mess' posts, too, because they were super helpful in planning our trip.

Until next time, Nashville!


Portland, Oregon

Hello from Portland! I spur of the moment bought a plane ticket to join my family on their Spring Break trip. My first trip to the city has been wonderful, here is a recap from some of my favorite places we visited over a long weekend:

Letters Are Lovely | Portland
Letters Are Lovely | Portland
Letters Are Lovely | Portland
Letters Are Lovely | Portland
Letters Are Lovely | Portland
Letters Are Lovely | Portland
  • CARIOCA BOWLS β€” I've been wanting to try one of these bowls forever, and it definitely lived up to the hype. So delicious! I would love to make one at home.

  • Drive to MOUNT HOOD β€” Beautiful views & lots of snow!)

  • Dinner at HUBERS CAFE with family friends

  • VooDoo DOUGHNUTS β€” Also worth visiting, quirky and delicious.

  • The PORTLAND JAPANESE GARDEN β€” Stunning! We got very lucky with our weather, and I can imagine it would be even more spectacular when everything is in full bloom.

  • The PITTOCK MANSION β€” Great view of the city.

  • DIVISION ST. FOOD TRUCKS // MENAGERIE SHOP β€” There are so many different food truck locations in the city it was hard to decide where to sop, but the ones at Division St. were wonderful. I tried Smakken Waffles. Lots of options, and a very cute seating area in the middle. Also visit Menagerie, it's a lovely little shop.

  • Drivee to CANNON BEACH β€” One of my favorite parts of the trip. You could easily spend more time in the park around the beach.

Letters Are Lovely | Portland
Letters Are Lovely | Portland
Letters Are Lovely | Portland
Letters Are Lovely | Portland
Letters Are Lovely | Portland
Letters Are Lovely | Portland
Letters Are Lovely | Portland
  • MULTNOMAH FALLS β€” Breathtaking waterfall, only about 30 minutes from the city.

  • PAADEE β€” Lunch stop for some Thai Food

  • ARTEMISIA COLLAGE WITH NATURE β€” Lovely store filled with plants and terrariums.

  • INK & PEAT β€” Home and lifestyle shop we stopped by.

  • WITCHES CASTLE β€” Forest Park is beautiful for hiking.

  • For our last meal we enjoyed French food at PETITE PROVENCE and we couldn't help but brave the one for SALT & STRAW for dessert. Worth it! (I tried the Salted Caramel Cupcake, Honey Lavender, Lemon Amaretto Sour Sherbet & Strawberry Honey Balsamic with Black Pepper. I choose the last two in a waffle cone!)

Until next time, Portland! 


Snapshots

Happy Friday! I love photography, but have found I rarely spend the time taking pictures unless it is a special occasion like a trip. I hope that I can continue to share some snapshots from the more mundane details of my life because I find they are an interesting reflection of the present moment. Valentine's Day is on Sunday so I arrived home on Wednesday night to beautiful flowers, and I am loving my new "OK" vase from Oh Joy's Target collection. Other details include Otto (plus his constant ability to interrupt any activity), The Five-Minute Journal, and an adorable llama I bought at Renegade Chicago. Enjoy!

Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great. β€”Mark Twain
Letters Are Lovely | Snapshots
Letters Are Lovely | Snapshots
Letters Are Lovely | Snapshots
Letters Are Lovely | Snapshots
Letters Are Lovely | Snapshots

Sophie in St. Louis

This weekend my sister, Sophie, visited St. Louis! She is one of the rare few who can convince me to cook Pinterest recipes, and I'm sure glad she did because we ate WELL. If gnocchi mac & cheese isn't enough, she also made coffee cake. We spent some time exploring the city, highlights being a visit to Flowers & Weeds, and a trip to the CAM. I also spent some time with my watercolors, which was a nice break after a busy work week full of computer time. Here are a few snapshots from our sister-bonding weekend! 

Letters Are Lovely | St. Louis Adventures

Sisters In STL

I spent last Saturday exploring Cherokee Street in STL with my two future sister-in-laws! With the wedding quickly approaching it was nice to spend a relaxing weekend shopping, eating, and enjoying the nice weather. Saturday night we ate at Charlie Gitto's, one of my favorite Italian restaurants on The Hill. It really is hard to beat homemade noodles. 

Sunday we ate breakfast at the Soulard Coffee Garden. This was followed by a trip to get gelato at the Gelateria del Leone. After trying way too many samples we each finally decided on our order. Next up was a quick stop at 4 Hands Brewing Co. to get some beer for the boys back home. Our last adventure was a visit to see the Jewel Box in Forest Park. I was excited to finally take a peek inside this mysterious greenhouse, and it is definitely worth a visit! Thanks for visiting Dianne and Heidi!

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