SATURDAY IN THE PARK.





saturday was one of those dream days. one where you naturally sleep in past nine, the sun is out (whaat?) and you have the day off. yes, that was my day. to top it all off carter had the day off too and we were spending it together!

we stopped by the charleston record expo and picked up a few great finds including paul simon's graceland, the best of the band, the grateful dead's europe 72 and the doors 13 album. all for under thirty bucks, which is still a little more than i would usually like to spend on records but we were there for the experience and just too excited to put them back. we enjoyed bbq sandwiches for lunch on the shaded sidewalk. and wandered around world market, trying not to pick up everything in sight.

our friend larry from the charleston brewing company asked us to work the festival of beers with him. we met him in the afternoon and packed up for the stadium. we set up tents around the outfield, decorated with each breweries t-shirts and banners. there were several food trucks parked, games of corn hole set up and a local favorite band "the larry david project" playing the stage next to us. larry aka "gonzo" renamed us both pocahontas and aro. and there were people coming to our tent all night in search of our characters. aro and i poured sample after sample, sold a few t-shirts, and met some hilarious people. including the couple who carter literally sold the shirt off his back to....

hope you had a wonderful weekend!
xo...




FRIPP ISLAND.





traveling has become one of my favorite past times. specifically, road trips with carter. in college, i drove to nashville several times each month and loved making playlists for the trip. carter however, hated being in the car for more than twenty minutes. our roadtrips went something like this....

me: la, la, la.. look at this, look at that, i looove this..
him: are we there yet, whistling as loud as possible, turning on hazard lights.. (catch my drift)

over the years, we've found that when carter was pre-occupied with driving (not going to argue on that one..) he genuinally enjoyed the trip more and more with each one. which became more often once long distance came back into play. now, we welcome them with open arms. 

so thursday we started our day at one of my favorite breakfast spots. after a few cups of coffee to wake us up, we hit the road for fripp island to visit our friends rob + juby. we drove through adorable little beaufort and i fell in love with the town. hopped across three islands, drove through a nature sanctuary and finally made it to the cozy, hidden home. we sat on the porch and listened to the rain while hearing about juby's trip to the states and catching up on old times. we played with chip junior, rob's new and very playful pup. we ventured out for fresh seafood to prepare for dinner. curled up on the couch while the storm continued outside and watched movies. and ended the night in bunk beds. yes, bunk beds. and there absolutely was a fight for the top bunk ;)

the overnighter ended way too quickly and we were right back in the car heading home. 
but it sure is nice to be able to hang with friends in another city for the night! 

...

MARKET.





on wednesday i enjoyed my first day off in weeks. i have been so busy lately that i have been neglecting my camera and this here blog. not because i wanted to. the boy has been at work during the day while i run any errand i can before heading to work for the evening. we usually have an hour once im home before we are both falling asleep, trying to rest before doing it all again the next day. no time for fun outings or adventures here, and not to mention it has rained every day in august. but finally, two days off! 

i spent the morning downtown. i love walking around listening to my ipod and taking pictures. it's just "me" time and i like that. after a little shopping i went to the market to look around. at first, i wasn't a fan of the renovations. (this place used to be all outdoors and not closed in or air-conditioned.) but i can easily understand why any seller would welcome the cool air with the sweltering summers in charleston. it was raining, of course, so the shelter was nice and there wasn't a crowd. i love all of the different things to see here from the historic sweetgrass to the homemade jam. 

i spent the rest of the afternoon at the shop with carter. can't seem to say no to him :) we're heading to fripp island this afternoon for an overnight with some friends. looking forward to being in the middle of no where with these good people! 

...

BREACH INLET.




we spent a few hours yesterday in the sun. we walked up and down the shore chasing tiny waves as they rolled back into the sea. it was kind of overcast and still very warm so we cooled off under the bridge before picking up lunch and heading back home. this has been another one of those crazy filled weeks and i am just thankful i got to have this morning with him

FARMER'S MARKET DATE.





yesterday i finally got to visit our local farmers market! each week i drive past on my way to work as people are setting up stands and stages. i always loved walking to market square with carter when we lived in tennessee and when we found out there was one nearby we immediately were interested in checking it out. i ended up having the afternoon off so i met carter at work and we rode bikes through the old village to the market. it was sweltering out. we quickly strolled through and picked up a few things for dinner. there was a band consisting of two cute old men laughing away and playing old covers. we opted against homemade popsicles in fear of wearing the lavender honey instead of savoring it and ended up with lemonade slushies instead. we sat and watched the groups of people flowing through the square and enjoyed the short time we had together. it was such a nice afternoon and i really hope we can do it again soon! 




...

THE SALTY LIFE.





for the most part, we are no strangers to this peaceful place. i love spending early mornings and late afternoons on the beach. walking up and down the shore with carter, usually not saying a word, but searching the water for shells and colorful schools of fish. when there is a good breeze, this calm and peaceful feeling overwhelms me. we often find ourselves here, even if only for an hour or two. 

so on thursday when the morning news called for a few hours of sunshine after weeks of grey skies and afternoon storms, we packed a beach bag and grabbed our bikes and headed to sullivan's. we figured it would be crowded and were right, but luckliy being on bike made it a little easier to find a secluded spot. ( i generally dislike crowded beaches // crowded anything. just makes me anxious ) we got to play waist deep in the waves, i still had a few stitches in my back... the weather was perfect and we were in the sun long enough to call for long afternoon naps, my favorite :) 


hope you are enjoying your weekend!
...





KNOXVILLE, PART II.




a few more memories from knoxville:


  • really playing with miles for the first time
  • admiring the wooded backyard 
  • hanging out with rachel and luke. 
  • sunspot with carter's sisters. 
  • carter's birthday. such a special day. 
  • the roadtrip back. our packed lunch. 
  • and the birthday gifts waiting at home.      


--- i am so lucky to be a part of such an amazing family. they really are just wonderful!

I THOUGHT HURRICANE SEASON WAS OVER...



(i only hear that in james franco's voice)







not really. technically, there is about three months left of this year's hurricane season. and those would be the busiest months. growing up in tennessee, i never had to worry much about a hurricane affecting me unless it rained out a high school football game. (which it did, when katrina hit new orleans) but ever since moving to the east coast, carter and i have attempted to become more hurricane prepared considering the threat is very real. like last year, when hurricane irene came barreling up the coast. fortunately, charleston was spared and irene made land fall in upper north carolina. but for an entire weekend we had scattered storms, inches of rain, high winds and the biggest waves i have ever seen on this side of the country. so, with the busy season approaching and the lack of beach time i have had this summer due to unforseen circumstances, my fingers are crossed that we have good weather and that this beautiful town goes unaffected for another year. and considering that we are on day thirteen of rain, i will even cross my toes!

KNOXVILLE, PART l.



 

we spent the last few days in tennessee celebrating carter's birthday. it was great to spend time with his sisters and their families. this was only the second time we've seen his nephew miles so we were a little obsessed over him. and his big brother eli who is growing up so fast. we celebrated his birthday morning with mimosas and sausage balls. kind of a tradition i love being a part of. and enjoying breakfast with this sweet deer. it sure made me miss living in tennessee.