There’s nothing like a girls getaway weekend in the summer to leave you feeling rejuvenated! My friend and I road tripped to the music city to spend the night and see as much of Nashville as possible! We checked into the historic Hermitage Hotel Saturday morning. We we’re greeted with plush robes and a beautiful lobby. The five star hotel is listed in Forbe’s 2016 Travel Guide and did not disappoint! The Hermitage has a cute boutique right outside the lobby. It’s named after Andrew Jackson’s wife, Rachel! Stop in and look around, but don’t leave without sneaking a peak at the men’s bathroom. Located in the basement, the restroom is restored to it’s 1930s state with green and black lined walls and a shoe cleaning station. When my friend and I found out about this, of course we had to take a look! We made a friend outside the bathroom who checked to see if the coast was clear so we could step inside! After getting settled in our room, we hit Broadway! This cowboy’s paradise is the best place to listen live music and barhop from rooftop to rooftop. Our all day Broadway adventure turned into a late night! We ended up at honky tonk with an awesome view of the AT&T building. On our way out we grabbed pizza and went back to the hotel. Sunday was all about The Gulch, a trendy part of Nashville right outside of downtown. We brunched at The Mockingbird, where I got a delicious dish of breakfast tachos! Yes, tachos. Think nachos with tater tots! Afterwards we went to explore all of the streets (and Instagram murals) this part of the city had to offer! Before we left, we had one more item on our bucket list! Donuts from Five Daughter’s Bakery! We ordered a vanilla bean and a birthday cake, both equally delicious! While our time in Nashville was short, we had so much fun and visited so many different places. I highly recommend taking a road trip yourself to the country music capital. Bach is back, alright!Is it the promise of true love? Is it the celebrity appearances? (Hey Lil John!) Is it the drama on the two-on-one date? Whatever it is, Bachelorette is back and I'm hooked! Every Monday night is an excuse for my friends to get together, watch reality tv and drink wine til our hearts content! Each week we take turns hosting our watch parties with a full spread of snacks, tons of drinks and our picks for the final four! (My friend's dog gave us the first impression rose - so sweet!) The SnacksThese are a few of our favorite treats:
The DrinksI love using my bar cart for Bach night! The top shelve holds a few bottles of wine & La Croix, and the bottom is stocked with clean wine glasses, coasters and bottle openers! This week I'm trying out a Frosé recipe, if it's a success I'll add it to this post! :) The DramaThis IS the Bachelorette we're talking about! Get caught up on last week's episode with the Rose Pricks podcast or keep up during the show on Twitter! Following #Bachelorette Monday nights at 8/7c really will change your life - or just make you laugh! Bach is always better with friends! I think we all use the show as an excuse to get together every week and catch up! Now, "Let's Do The Damn Thing!"
People always crack up when I tell them my favorite part of living in Tennessee is “having actual nature.” It’s true! I’ve lived in nine states and this is the first time my home has had mountains, rivers and incredible natural beauty that I’ve never experienced before. To give you my background...I’m TERRIFIED of bugs, and I really hate dirt. To be completely honest, I hated the outdoors before my move! A few months before coming to my new home, I went to “Mississippi’s Grand Canyon” and hiked for the first time for a shoot. I took two interns with me and the whole time, I kid you not, we took selfies and struggled to climb up a steep, clay-covered mountain. At one point, I thought I was going to die in sinking mud and never make it out of the hike alive. I’m happy to report that I now hike on the reg. Recently, I caught up with one of the interns from the shoot. She told me she couldn’t believe I was such a “nature girl” now! I had to agree, I had surprised myself! There’s something to be said for being out in nature! You get to decompress and really connect with being outdoors! Now that it’s summer time in Tennessee I'm in heaven! My town is coated in beautiful blooms, green and gracious hikes and of course, incredible mountain backdrops! It’s such a refreshing breath of fresh air to be able to get outside and hike, run and paddleboard after a long stretch of winter! Here are five things I’m loving this month! Paddleboard YogaTwo of my favorite things combined! I’m fortunate enough to live in an area with lots of beautiful lakes and rivers! There’s nothing better than inhaling, turning sideways and catching the water’s horizon and mountains as your view. While a bit unnerving at first, paddle board yoga is incredibly calming and one of my new favorite workouts! Blueberry BeerNothing says the start of summer like blueberry beer…(and in this case chocolate donuts). My favorite is SweetWater’s blue! It’s light and has the perfect fruity hint. I love drinking these after I run 5ks at my neighborhood beer market. Rose Gold SunniesI’m obsessed with sunglasses! I own 13 pairs and counting! Right now my favorite frames are my round rose-gold tinted sunnies! They literally go with EVERYTHING! Dip ManicuresI’m a girl that loves getting my nails done. I finally tried dip and I’m obsessed!!!! My nails have lasted 3 weeks and still look great. In my line of work, I do a little bit of hand modeling (LOL) and having nails that last is a big win. Two Less Lonely |
Last month I had several long drives and plenty of time to find new podcasts. My favorite is the HILARIOUS, Two Less Lonely Girls with Rose Bud & Corrine. These 30-year-old comedians are obsessed with Justin Bieber and dive into the meanings behind his tattoos, his relationship with his mother and his instagram account. I die every time I listen to them. I’m not ashamed to admit that I’m also a belieber! In high school, I even tried to interview the Biebs while he was touring in my city! |
Cheers to summer!
At a gas station in Mississippi you can find wood-fired personal pizzas and beer growlers.
While stopping for gas at Exxon Mobile, I spotted a Mercury Pizza on the left hand side of the gas station's convince store. Hungry, I went in and discovered a local pizza shop with wood-fired pies. My pepperoni & mushrooms and Hawaiian pizza took ten minutes to bake, so I walked into the convince store section.
There I found "Taps & Crafts" a growler station with local and regional beers on tap.
While stopping for gas at Exxon Mobile, I spotted a Mercury Pizza on the left hand side of the gas station's convince store. Hungry, I went in and discovered a local pizza shop with wood-fired pies. My pepperoni & mushrooms and Hawaiian pizza took ten minutes to bake, so I walked into the convince store section.
There I found "Taps & Crafts" a growler station with local and regional beers on tap.
Next to the draft beers were brown glass jugs called Growlers. These air-tight bottles let you take home draft beer in 32 and 64 ounces.
Growlers got their name in the 1800s, when people would fill up pails of beer enclosed with a lid. It's rumored that when the CO2 escaped from the lid it would make a growling or rumbling sound.
You can buy a beer for $4 or take home a refillable glass growler...I went with the growler.
Growlers got their name in the 1800s, when people would fill up pails of beer enclosed with a lid. It's rumored that when the CO2 escaped from the lid it would make a growling or rumbling sound.
You can buy a beer for $4 or take home a refillable glass growler...I went with the growler.
While the growlers were a pretty impressive find, so was the pizza.
Mercury Pizza's dough is hand-made and the food stop cooks the pies in a Italian brick fire oven. Each pizza is baked at 900 degrees in 90 seconds...and easily devoured in 90 seconds more.
Mercury Pizza's dough is hand-made and the food stop cooks the pies in a Italian brick fire oven. Each pizza is baked at 900 degrees in 90 seconds...and easily devoured in 90 seconds more.
Let me start out with a few pictures, so you know what we're working with.
Welcome to Foam Coffee Shop in Gulf Shores, Alabama. Here the coffee is iced and the lighting is amazing. So amazing, that my college best friend and I spent 20 minutes taking pictures of our food, drinks and selves.
This spot had been recommended to us from some friends on the beach. Just look at my thoughtfully placed sunglasses and avocado toast!
This spot had been recommended to us from some friends on the beach. Just look at my thoughtfully placed sunglasses and avocado toast!
Another shot from our border-line photo shoot.
As soon as you walk in Babalu Tacos & Tapas you're greeted with episodes of "I Love Lucy."
The restaurant was inspired by the show's character, Ricky Ricardo, and his famous song "Babalu."
Five locations in the south serve this upscale Latin-inspired cuisine and decor.
The restaurant was inspired by the show's character, Ricky Ricardo, and his famous song "Babalu."
Five locations in the south serve this upscale Latin-inspired cuisine and decor.
I started off lunch with table side guacamole. The sun dried tomatoes take this app to the next level! All the waitresses were wearing bandanas in their hair...maybe a nod Lucy??
Babalu's carnitas, pollo and carne de vaca tacos were just as tasty as the guacamole!
While the food was great, I was most impressed by the restaurant's mouth wash station in the bathroom. I kid you not, I went in there twice to use it.
On my second visit, I wanted to video tape it, but stopped to talked to a waitress instead. She said a young girl once came out of the bathroom with two cups of mouthwash. The little girl said she wanted to bring her mom a drink, just like the waitress did.
If you try this restaurant, I highly advise seeing the mouth wash station in action.
Click to see the video.
On my second visit, I wanted to video tape it, but stopped to talked to a waitress instead. She said a young girl once came out of the bathroom with two cups of mouthwash. The little girl said she wanted to bring her mom a drink, just like the waitress did.
If you try this restaurant, I highly advise seeing the mouth wash station in action.
Click to see the video.
This might just be the best kept secret in Knoxville, TN.
Lakeside Tavern overlooks the Concord Marina. The restaurant offers up burgers, pizzas and most importantly, this breathtaking view.
Lakeside Tavern overlooks the Concord Marina. The restaurant offers up burgers, pizzas and most importantly, this breathtaking view.
I can tell you from experience that their Greek Chicken Pizza and Concord Pecan Chicken Salad are must-trys!
And seriously...the view sells itself!
My college best friend and I went on our first vacation, post-graduation. This trip was completely different from anything we had planned during our time in college. We didn't have the same financial means or real-world experience to book and plan the perfect vacation.
Here's what we learned:
First things first, recruit the moms.
Having never truly planned or budgeted a vacation before, we were completely clueless~ We both tried our best to find a hotel close to the beach and within our price range, but this was truly a job for a mom.
My rockstar mom got us on the beach and in the perfect location close to restaurants and nightlife. Mom pro tip: stay in two different locations. On Friday, we booked a smaller hotel further away from our destination. When we switched hotels for the rest of our stay, we were straight on the beach with more money in our pockets.
Secondly, say yes to every adventure.
That's how we wound up getting matching anchor hennas, meeting new friends to go to dinner with at the beach and killing Christina Aguilera karaoke.
Here's what we learned:
First things first, recruit the moms.
Having never truly planned or budgeted a vacation before, we were completely clueless~ We both tried our best to find a hotel close to the beach and within our price range, but this was truly a job for a mom.
My rockstar mom got us on the beach and in the perfect location close to restaurants and nightlife. Mom pro tip: stay in two different locations. On Friday, we booked a smaller hotel further away from our destination. When we switched hotels for the rest of our stay, we were straight on the beach with more money in our pockets.
Secondly, say yes to every adventure.
That's how we wound up getting matching anchor hennas, meeting new friends to go to dinner with at the beach and killing Christina Aguilera karaoke.
We catch up every two weeks on the phone, but it was important for us to maximize our time because we never get to see each other! By the end of the vacation, we were super tired from staying up all night and waking up super early, but now we have fun memories and crazy stories to tell.
Third and final, make traveling part of the trip.
In all, we spent 6+ hours driving to and from our final destination. We used it as an excuse to jam to throwbacks (I'm talking Jesse McCartney and The Cheetah Girls), catch up and stop at different food and coffee shops along the way.
I think this vacation re-energized both of us as we headed back to work on Monday.
Third and final, make traveling part of the trip.
In all, we spent 6+ hours driving to and from our final destination. We used it as an excuse to jam to throwbacks (I'm talking Jesse McCartney and The Cheetah Girls), catch up and stop at different food and coffee shops along the way.
I think this vacation re-energized both of us as we headed back to work on Monday.
I woke up early one Saturday morning and tired of the same old same old, decided to take a road trip by myself to Jackson, Mississippi. As soon as I finished getting ready, I hit the road.
Having never visited the state's capitol, I sent a quick text to two friends that live there asking for recommendations. My itinerary would consist of museums and a famous garden.
After two hours of podcasts and pop music, I arrived at the downtown Jackson exit. My first stop would be the Old Capitol tour. Instead of following my GPS, I had an itch to get lost in the city and find my way by street signs.
This was a terrible idea. I have literally never been so lost in my life.
Except this one time on a road trip in Georgia...I plugged in the wrong town, and spent an extra three hours driving to my destination. Navigation isn't a part of my skill set.
Once I (finally!) arrived at the Old Capitol, I was awed by these views!
Having never visited the state's capitol, I sent a quick text to two friends that live there asking for recommendations. My itinerary would consist of museums and a famous garden.
After two hours of podcasts and pop music, I arrived at the downtown Jackson exit. My first stop would be the Old Capitol tour. Instead of following my GPS, I had an itch to get lost in the city and find my way by street signs.
This was a terrible idea. I have literally never been so lost in my life.
Except this one time on a road trip in Georgia...I plugged in the wrong town, and spent an extra three hours driving to my destination. Navigation isn't a part of my skill set.
Once I (finally!) arrived at the Old Capitol, I was awed by these views!
Next up, the Mississippi Museum of Art. I felt super adult, walking around taking no-flash photography of pieces inspired by the Magnolia state...and not gonna lie I totally geeked out when I saw a painting of Pulitzer Prize author, Eudora Welty.
My last stop was no other than Eudora Welty's home and garden on Pinehurst Place.
Eudora and her mother, Chestina, started their garden in 1925. This was the first time women were able to garden and participate in leisurely activities outside of the home. Eudora used this garden as a source of inspiration. Many of the flowers in the garden were personified as characters in her books.
In 1994, Welty asked for the garden to be restored. Susan Haltom and her "Serious Weeders" volunteers have come together every Wednesday since to repair the garden.
Eudora's favorite flowers are camellias. They grow below the room she used to write in.
Eudora and her mother, Chestina, started their garden in 1925. This was the first time women were able to garden and participate in leisurely activities outside of the home. Eudora used this garden as a source of inspiration. Many of the flowers in the garden were personified as characters in her books.
In 1994, Welty asked for the garden to be restored. Susan Haltom and her "Serious Weeders" volunteers have come together every Wednesday since to repair the garden.
Eudora's favorite flowers are camellias. They grow below the room she used to write in.
I definitely recommend just hopping in the car and exploring, but my best advice for these types of adventures is to always listen to Siri.