My Opinion

But I’ve decided to switch things up and make the move over to WordPress. I’ve been on Tumblr since 2008, so this feels a little (ok, a lot) like cheating. The blog world is a strange place—especially to those not in it—but in a totally unexpected way this little space has introduced me to wonderful people I would have never known otherwise. Some of them I’ve since come to know in person, and some I just feel like I do. 

The weather this week has been suddenly blustery and cool. Which meant that this little restaurant in an old home just north of Charlotte was especially perfect for an autumn dinner last night.

You know that time of night that everyone wastes playing around on the internet? I spend mine (countless hours of it) fantasizing on Zillow. So, I thought it’d be fun to start posting some of my favorite houses.

This one was for sale for $650k in West Seattle. I love it for the charming bright blue hue and modern fence exterior, the gorgeous fireplace, and that huge sink.

I’d link to this one, but the link is gone so I’m assuming it sold. So, for now, some other lucky person will be taking their dogs for walks along the Puget Sound before coming home to curl up in front of that fireplace. (Oh, I didn’t mention that I create entire imaginary lives in all of the houses?)

I’ve had a lot of fantasies about apple picking and admittedly, most of them came from Pinterest or like a charming magazine fashion feature. I imagined a chilly fall day with scarves and boots and the crisp scent of apples in the air. Then I imagined a cozy evening with warm apple pie and hot cider. 

Realistically, in this part of the country apple picking happens when it’s still exceedingly hot outside. I was plucking these puppies from trees while trying to keep the sweat out of my eyes in the 90+ degree heat. Afterward, we drank cold cider and ate donuts (this part was still awesome) and then promptly retreated to air conditioning. 

Every year I spend Labor Day weekend at Pawleys Island with some of my favorite people. It is invariably one of my favorite weekends of the entire year. 

This year was no different. We went swimming and kayaking and walking and crabbing. We spent mornings in rocking chairs with warm coffee and fresh bread, and evenings around a big table laughing and eating way too much. I watched sunrise in the sand with the curly-haired toddler son of an old friend, and two nights in a row our whole group gathered on the marsh as the sun sank and the Palmetto moon rose over the water. 

Anyway, because of this, I get asked a lot about what podcasts I like, so I made a list of my three top picks right now: 

Revisionist History

Malcolm Gladwell, the guy behind books like The Tipping Point and Outliers, hosts this podcast in which he takes something from history and reexamines our interpretation of it. It’s fascinating. This is one of those podcasts that makes you feel smarter. Also, Gladwell has the most soothing voice ever and it’s a ridiculously well produced podcasts as far as clips and interviews.

Lore

I am, at my core, someone who freaking loves a good story. And Aaron Mahnke, the guy behind this podcast, knows how to tell a great one--and do it in a reasonable time frame under 30 minutes. The concept is that these are the back stories to scary stories (lore). Lore has made it to the big time--it’s going to be a television series from the folks at The Walking Dead. I’ve been a listener since ep. 6 so I feel like I’ve watched this little guy grow up. 

Building a Story Brand

It was an especially hot summer weekend. Like, the thick, oppressive kind of warmth where you’re constantly thinking about how to get into a pool or air conditioning... or where to find an icy drink or a consistent breeze. That’s how I ended up in Asheville on Saturday--in search of cooler mountain temps. After a waterfall hike and a drive along the Blue Ridge, we stopped for a late lunch at Buxton Hall where I ate my weight in barbecue and discovered this life changing tequila-spiked watermelon slushy. 

Caption: “And then Rosie, the scary monster took all the bones away and declared that no dachshund would ever chew rawhide again!” 

My friends Joanna and Jonathan got married this weekend. I’m not sure if I’ve ever known two people who are more well liked. They’re both just genuinely kind and warm--and they love to have a good time. A perfect match. 

Despite a downpour that pushed the outdoor ceremony inside, the wedding was beautiful. Joanna asked me to read a passage during the ceremony that I loved. It was something her mom had sent her and it read to “let love be genuine and live in harmony.” Words that feel especially applicable these days. 

The weekend also included a Saturday lunch at one of my favorite local restaurants, Kindred, and an afternoon trip to the Lazy 5 Ranch to watch adorable piglets run around and feed giraffes by hand. (Lest you were confused and thought there was a giraffe at the wedding.)

I spent the weekend in New England with my brother and sister-in-law, who live about 45 minutes outside of Boston.

We visited a pick-your-own strawberry farm (with friendly goats!) down the road from their home, ate NC barbecue sandwiches and New England lobster rolls on warm patios, spent an afternoon exploring Portsmouth, NH, and went for a morning hike around a nearby reservoir.

But what made the weekend so great was the laid back life they’ve created. They live in the country where they leave the windows open at night and the only sounds that wake you are chirping birds and chipmunks darting in the leaves. They go for long walks in the woods around their house, watch the wildlife from their screened-in porch in the evenings, and cook creative meals together in their sunny kitchen.