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:
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!
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!
May Around The Web
This month was full of spontaneous decisions and late nights at work. I love Spring and snapped photos of flowers everywhere I went! Here are a few of my discoveries around the web this May:
I love this guide on "How to be Happier" by Adam J. Kurtz on Design Sponge. His thoughts on finding fresh inspiration especially resonated with me.
I'm been eyeing this kelly green ASOS top all month...
Ever since trying an Acai bowl in Portland I have been dying to make my own. Oh Joy's post has me even more excited, so June might be the month I make this happen!
Speaking of flowers, I have Think.Make.Share.'s May download as my phone background right now. So lovely!
Courtney, of Hibrid, and I share a love of Pete Cromer's artwork! I need one of these pins.
The cutest napkins for Summer!
Some beautiful inspiration in this National Stationary Show recap from Oh So Beautiful Paper
I loved how Dale and I were able to fit in a trip to Nashville this month, and I am really looking forward to a summer filled with travel! In early June I head to the Dominican Republic for a wedding. This month at work my team finished designing Valentine's Day cards for next year, and I also found out I will be moving to a new team. Next week I will start work on Mother's Day 2017. I hope you all had a wonderful last month of Spring and are ready to head into Summer!
Creative Gift-Wrapping for Think.Make.Share.
I recently had the chance to participate in a gift-wrapping workshop for Hallmark's Think.Make.Share. blog! Take a look at all the ideas here. (And take a peek at the video they made during the workshop below!)
Go Blog Social – St. Louis
Today I attended Go Blog Social's St. Louis conference! The event took place in the beautiful Lumen Private Event Space and featured a full day of speakers and hands on opportunity to connect with other bloggers and business owners. I attended with my sister Sophie and we especially enjoyed, Julie Blanner's, talk on relationships with brands, the two discussion panels with local and out of town bloggers, and making flower crowns with Snapdragon Studio! Here are a few photos and takeaways:
- Be persistent, but very polite (when working with brands).
- Research and personalization for pitches is important.
- Produce high-quality photos and content.
- If you are persistent, luck has a way of finding you.
- Analyze your life and present environment; reinterpret to share with the world in a distinct way.
- Editing is vital, find good mentors to help with this process.
- Focus on the social media platforms you are most passionate about.
We also enjoyed a delicious breakfast and lunch by 23 City Blocks Catering! I especially loved the Olive Gelato (served in a frozen tomato) which is pictured below. Thanks, Go Blog Social, for a day full of learning/connecting with wonderful people and brands!
A FEW OF MY FAVORITE SPONSORS:
Lumen Event Space
23 City Blocks Catering
Walls Need Love
Paris312
Snapdragon Studio
Think.Make.Share. Doiley Dream Catchers
Head over to the (just redesigned!!) Think.Make.Share. blog to learn how to make these Doily Dream Catchers! I loved participating in this workshop led by Hallmark Designer Melissa K. The dream catcher I created used mint green yarn, a gray doiley and natural beads and feathers. Enjoy!
