Grape Did It

Friday tidbits

A hilarious Adele parody.

I swear Facebook is dying for me to buy Thinx period panties, so I finally clicked on the article & now I'm intrigued to try them.

Mmm, a blueberry braid looks perfect for Sunday morning breakfast in bed.

I don't understand a word of this post, but I'm loving the shampoo & conditioner bottles. Such a simple way to make your shower feel luxurious.

Have you read about the way Utah approached homelessness & their success rate? Pretty inspiring.

Georgia recently uncovered some really cheap flights to Stockholm, Sweden. Here's what I would do if I were going. A bike tour, a beautiful airbnb (check out the pretty buildings from the balcony), 10 reasonably priced restaurants & the COOLEST playgrounds for kids.

All of my favorite pictures are on instagram. I'd love to make some books at chatbooks, have you ever?

Seal jumps in boat to escape Orcas. Haha, you damn right.

On losing the romance of sleep. "Every human being streams at night into the loving nowhere," Just lovely. I think we should all fall back in love with sleep.

And lastly, my perma-girl crush Faith.

(images via daddy types & hairdiy)

Friday tidbits

 

What will you do this weekend? Tonight instead of family movie night, we're going to try family game night. That + the kids want to make tacos :) Then I'm hoping we can mostly chill since we're transitioning to early mornings and school.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend & see you back here next week.

I sort of love the den/kitchen combo (#20 blurred lines). 

A pretty dress on mega-sale at modcloth.

Have you seen this squid? Whaaaa?

The Curse on The Moth podcast. A short story that is so so good. (I found this on Cup of Jo's post here). 

Is this for real?! The Squatty Potty. Watch the unicorn commercial if you can.

 How to make white queso dip at home!

Have you heard of the Portland Coffee Press? It's a coffee press designed around a Mason jar, so if you break it, all you have to do is grab another jar! LOOVE.

A high speed rail system for the US.

That's it - have a great one! xo

(image via tsurubride)

Friday tidbits

Good Friday morning! What will you do this weekend? We have a birthday party at a skating rink (I haven't been to one since I was a child) & then I hope to squeeze every last drop out of summer break before Truett begins Monday. June will begin the following week.

Hope you have a great weekend & see you back here next week.

Have you read this story? Tiny stray dog finds her human when she joins him in 77 mile race. I love this man's reaction, I love this dog, I feel so happy reading this story. “At the finish line she followed me into the tent and we slept next to each other. That was it then.” 

Dragonfruit. These would also make beautiful prints in a child's room.

Bed frame inspiration from Domino. We're in the market since we got a case of bedbugs this spring(!). It was horrible, more on that later, if I can muster the strength.

Tiny olympians.

The indiegogo - a fancy bento box - comes with an app for tasty meal planning. The video will make you want to pack lunches all day ;-p

Barnyard dust might help prevent asthma.

What I love about the Olympics. Cynical, but funny.

Children are worse when their mothers are present. So much click bait, but at least click through to the Nene gif.

I loved this week of outfits at Cup of Jo.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

Caves to visit in the Northeast. The kids were asking about caving the other day and I thought it might be a fun adventure.

xoxo

(image via Pinterest)

Friday tidbits

I was folding laundry this morning & realized that my obsession with stripes has gotten a bit out of hand.

What are you up to this weekend? In a few we're headed out to get donuts & candles for Truett's Chuck E Cheese's party. Chuck E Cheese's is sort of a nightmare but...also kind of fun. Then we're beginning to get ready for the start of school (sigh, so sad summer is coming to an end).

Hope you have a fabulous weekend & see you back here next week.

How to meditate because, seriously, not thinking isn't possible.

8 simple words to say when someone you love is grieving. My only gripe with this article is that I've been the offender & the recipient of insensitive comments and thus try to have compassion for the foot-in-mouther too.

The climate here is so stifling hot, I can't help but daydream about a trip to New England.

Gosh I'd love to be organized enough to make a few of these make-ahead meals on a Sunday night. Perhaps a new goal.

Fall paint colors. I'm mostly just crushing on that kitchen with the huge windows.

What do you like better, Snapchat stories, or Instagram stories? I feel a bit like this about both.

Nine tiny houses to try.

Cute back-to-school clothes. Or, like June, you could just wear an old painted-on dress all day :)

Gotta go buy donuts! xoxox

Nashville so far + Airbnb house tour

Good morning from Nashville!

Sorry for the blogger-silence. Last week was nutty - we had camp and then, Thursday night, I ended up in the ER with a terrible UTI. TMI, but there you have it. 

Then we cleaned, packed, said goodbye to the dogs on Sunday & headed here to this lovely & charming house just outside of Nashville. We met Bud's mom, Bonnie, & his step-father, whom the kids call Mr. Big Jim (this owes to when they were just dating and we were all unsure whether to use the more formal Mr. Jim or simply Big Jim. June put them together ;)

We opted to rent an Airbnb outside of the city because: kids, and I'm so glad for the woods, Longhorn cows, pond, climbing trees & rooster who crows just down the street every morning.

The house is so cool - I imagine it was built in the 70's though I'm not sure - and it's updated but in a 1990s kind of way. It makes me nostalgic.

Yesterday we ate lunch at The Pharmacy - a burger joint - but we also snuck over to Mas Tacos Por Favor and got a to-go order for a late afternoon snack. 

After lunch we raced to make the 1 pm deadline for a river float down The Red River. HIGHLY recommend, even though the dude who owned the little racket wasn't very nice. The kids loved it - and June was thrilled to dip into the water between our inner tubes for little swims (both kids did wear life jackets even though the water was mostly very calm).

Today we hope to visit The Hermitage & eat lunch somewhere yummy & perhaps hit up downtown Nashville for shopping and poking around.

These are mostly house-tour photos since that's the kind of thing I can never get enough of. Tomorrow or the next, I'm hoping to post pictures of our adventures. Thursday is Truett's birthday & so I'm scoping out where to find an ice-cream cake, and we'll have a special dinner & some presents :)

The kids keep finding frogs in the koi pond. Here they've caught two in a bucket, soon to be released.

If you've been, or just heard great things about what do to or where to go, please leave a comment :) xoxox

Can you spy the frog? 

Kind of homemade ice cream sandwiches

On July 4th my parents brought over three big boxes of cookies: chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin & sugar. Of course they were delicious, but since we forgot to bring them up to the party at the park, we had TONS leftover. I didn't want to chunk them in the trash, so I bought a carton of ice cream and scooped messy bits onto a cookie, & then topped with another cookie.

For a hipster look I wrapped them in wax paper & tied with black & white twine :)

In other news, we're finishing our last two days of camp for this summer &, along with all of the other life stuff (more on that later) I feel like the summer is vanishing. So much so that in a dream last night when I complained about being busy, some super-cool girl turned to me and said with a half-smile, "Yes, tell us something interesting that not EVERYONE else feels," Ouch. 

xoxoox

Have a happy Friday

What will you do this weekend? It's been SO HOT here so we will likely spend a lot of time indoors & possibly go to my parent's pool. 

Have a good weekend & stay cool :)

I loved this interview with Ulla Johnson. Her designs are so airy and pretty, and her family life seems so sweet. 

Good picks if you're hunting for shorts & I thought her comments on high-waisted cutoffs hilarious.

Oh my gosh, this idea of how to show a before/after. Drag the cursor back and forth. Brilliant!

Mimi Thorisson workshops in 2017!

On...Shit I know for Sure. I 💕 Gemma Burgess.

What to read, watch, listen to this month. I'm reading Delicious! by Ruth Reichl - it's a perfect summertime read. 

Is pasta back?!

Also on goodnewsnetwork - I sometimes get a touch of vertigo - so this natural way to treat it was a breath of fresh air to read.

Baking with Toddlers: Banana Oat Drops. Excited to try these with the kids!

Pretty, simple & small, this white leather handbag is on my covet list. 

A kimchi cocktail...hmmm.

This quote spoke to me this week.

xo

My five favorite places to eat in Columbia

My good friend Miriam is visiting and so we've been hitting up a few restaurants while she's here (also see: taking June to the doctor, & getting my car towed, so, not ALL fun & games ;)

Last night we parked our cars legally and walked through Five Points to Blue Cactus Cafe. It's one of my favorite places to take out of towners. It's Korean meets tex mex meets greasy spoon. It's not perfect, the booths are kind of falling apart - seriously, June grabbed a purse hook & fell to the ground - but the kimchi is spicy, delicious and authentic. The sticky rice is yummy & the Bee Bim Bob + Bul Go Gee are both go-to orders for us. 

If we're looking to act all fancy and stuff, we'll take someone to Saluda's. It's just around the corner from Blue Cactus and sits perched over Five Points. I always order the duck and it is always delicious. (I think it's seasonal but whenever I've been there it's on the menu).

You can people watch over the balcony if you sit outside, and I can think of nothing more pleasant than whiling away an evening sitting on a balcony, eating good food, sipping white wine & watching people meander by below.

If you don't want to blow your budget, this would be a good place to order drinks + appetizers and forego the entrees.

If we're looking for a mid-priced restaurant with good beer & local flavor, we hit up Hunter-Gatherer Brewery. It's basically a gastro pub in an old brick building. It's the one place Bud & I can almost always agree on. I always think of it as our first good food experience in Columbia. Casual enough for an old married couple to run to dinner, cool enough for a first date. Bud loves a gnocchi dish that isn't on the menu right now, but it changes four time a year.

Best breakfast or brunch has to be Cafe Strudel. It gets super-crowded on weekends & it's across the river - I have an issue with driving more than a few miles - so we don't go often but when we do it's worth it. Yummy biscuits & coffee and hilariously named Hangover Hashbrowns.

One of our newer finds is called White Duck Taco Shop. They serve interesting combination tacos (note: Bud did not like one of the non-traditional tacos he ordered) & real, cold margaritas. There is also a grassy spot right across the street where you can send your kiddos to play while you chat with the grown-ups. 

Anything to add?

(image credit here, here, here, here & here)

Friday tidbits

What are you up to this weekend? Tomorrow we leave for Williamsburg, Virginia, to celebrate my dad's 70th birthday! I'm really looking forward to eating cake from the Blackbird Bakery, showing the kids Colonial Jamestown, & maybe even doing a ghost tour! Also tea! They have tea at the Terrace, Williamsburg, Inn.

Ok, let's do some links & we'll be off!

If you're looking for something cool to do here in Columbia, Roy Lynch park in Elmwood just had a major overhaul & is supposed to be awesome. Game board splash pad, boulders for climbing & a 60 foot zip line. Go Columbia!

Forest schools because DUH!

Go to the Limits of Your Longing, by Rainer Maria Rilke. Someone recently posted this on Facebook & I found it so moving. 

On raising a wild one. I loved this perspective & have to remind myself of this as I constantly try to hem Truett in.

Wow, my links seem parent-heavy today, but The Parenting Magic Word was a wonderfully helpful article to read. Also, not reading articles is wonderful.

I love the idea of sliding doors in small space in this very pretty apartment tour.

Georgia's father-in-law (how's that for a title?) gave me a bit of mint last year. It has exploded in one of my little garden beds. Here are 10 Recipes That Use Fresh Mint so I can actually begin to cull it a little.

Check out this amazing vertical farm in NYC.

Which 90's leading lady are you? I got Kat Stratford. I feel oddly good about this, and Ten Things I Hate About You was easily one of my favorite 90's movies. I'm having major 90's nostalgia. Oh my God, rabbit hole.

I'm off! Have a great weekend, see you next week with travel photos :)

(image via about.com)

Friday tidbits

Good Friday morning! What will you do this weekend? We'll be resting up after a SUPER FUN week of camp & June wants to do a lemonade stand. I'm also looking at this & this at Old Navy. 

Once again, I've failed you on the style post. You can blame my sister Georgia. Promises, promises.

Anyway - here are some great links, and see you back here Monday :) xo

A simple, delicious looking pasta recipe. Garden party?

Scroll down a bit to this beautiful info graphic (cool kitchen art?) on edible flowers. 

Have you seen The Meddler? It looks so good. 

Apartment Therapy is hiring.

The folly in logic-only. I LOVE this article. I repeat, I LOVE this article. I think our intuition is our strongest tool, by far. 

Beautiful sofa from Anthro.

Look at Billy Joel's eyes & lips in this photograph.

Berry Freedom Floats would be an awesome drink to make for a 4th of July party.

In my forever growing travel dreams, 20 unexpected places to visit in France.

I'll leave you with this moving & intelligent speech by Jimmy Fallon regarding the Orlando massacre.

xo

(image via)