happy birthday b!

today is a special day: it's b's birthday! {i would divulge how many, but i don't think he'd appreciate that.}

happy birthday buzz. you're my favorite chef, an epic snuggler, the calm to my storm and the love of my life.

{i just know that public display of affection will be really appreciated.}

we'll be celebrating on the river. happy weekend all!

on the ocoee.

this weekend we'll be heading down to the ocoee river to white water raft! b and i have done it every summer since we've been together.

back in 09, literally less than two months after our "first date", i invited him along with a group of people to raft. luckily i caught the awkward-early-in-love trip on camera:

{i'm singing the song "memories" in my head right now}

then, last summer, we organized a trip with our regular crew. my shirt says "i <3 my boyfriend". he <3s when i wear it.

notice anything different? that's right, in photo two b is showing his teeth. literally from like age four on, he was a closed-mouth smiler. i reintroduced him to the permagrin and he has never looked back. 

i'll share photos from the trip when we get back {permagrins and all}.  

why reeder is awesome.

the jig is up: i love reading blogs.

i love hearing people's stories, i love reading about home design, i love pretend planning events {read: weddings}.

now that i read blogs almost exclusively on reeder, i've found a new way to save the posts or photos i love: i just take a picture of it. check it:

{via}

{because who doesn't love gummy bears? via}

{via one of my fav blogs}

{there may or may not be a theme going on. via here, here and here}

anyone else out there blog addicted? spill.

weekend from my iphone.

{can't get enough fall decor}

{downtown at night}

{brunch with courtney}

{a message we all need sometimes}

{what happens when i grocery shop alone}

{nashville skyline}

{currently reading}

*all photos taken with the instagram app.

mid-day romance.

two posts in one day? i know, but this elopement is featured on green wedding shoes. and i love it. 



something is so romantic about taking off and getting married.

don't worry, mom, i'm not getting any ideas.

you all can see the whole pretty thing over here.

currently craving.

the metro coat.

a dog. {photo via jcrew's tumblr}

her eyebrows. okay, and her outfit. {via jcrew's lookbook}

clearly, there is a theme going on here.

flashback friday.

some of my favorite blogs have features that they incorporate into their regular blogging. like: breakfast at toast's girls who inspire series, hello happiness! and her wedding wednesday, and cupcakes & cashmere's five things.

as i approach my 100th post (say wha?) i can see why: sometimes daily life just isn't interesting enough to blog about.

so: we're going to have a regular feature around these parts.

introducing {drumroll please....} flashback friday!

one of the reasons i started this blog is because i have a terrible memory. it's funny at times, like when i go somewhere and forget what i was there for. but other times it's a bit "woh, woh", like that on repeat wasn't around when we went to china and i already am fuzzy on the details.

speaking of china, that's the first flashback friday topic! yay.

i could do flashback friday about china for every friday until eternity. so, i'll share just a few of my favorite pictures and stories from the start of our big trip for this one.

ni hao china! we are the foreigners!

hahahahha. i could do a blog just about ryan's experience in china. he was nervous to say the least and ended up sitting next to this local on the ride from the airport. as you can tell, he was uncomfortable. the old man laughed the entire ride.

so. we walk out of the tunnel from the airport shuttle ride and realize we have no clue where we are / how to read the map / how far it will be to get to our hotel. brandon had been living in a city hours from beijing so he wasn't familiar either. we ended up accepting rides from these rickshaw drivers. a new phrase was born from the experience: "getting rickshaw'd". they ended up charging us about double what they said the ride would cost, but we were just glad to be at our hotel, huge bags and all.

first night dinner.

we look like little babies!

first post done and i love flashback friday already!

missoni for target.

alright, i admit it: i was one of the crazies who wanted all the missoni for target stuff.

i was not, however, one of the supercraze who were outside the store when they launched. i waited until my lunch break, thankyouverymuch.

here's some action shots of my new stuff.

holding mini kit kats. side note: i love fall. if for nothing else than the candy free-for-all that halloween brings.

mini wine glasses. cheers with the sister!

and hanging in the bathroom.

not pictured: mixing bowls, a candle, bobby pins and a tray. i think people hated this, loved it or just didn't get it. {b falls into the last category.} i personally like to both wear and decorate with black and white, can't get enough chevron and basically am into anything target does.

come on over and have some wine out of my missoni cups. you'll love it too.

hiba-CHI!

the title is meant to be read as though you are yelling hiYA! like a ninja. because we were served dinner via a ninja at hibachi this week.

p.s. konnichiha! didn't even have to look that one up.

i've been to hibachi before, but don't remember getting so much stuff. soup and salad starters.

susHI! some of the best vegetable-only i've had since going to the dark side.

fire!

fire tricks.

ale CUSINE!*


sakURA! i'd recommend it.

*if you know what that's from, we are true friends. either that, or you watch as much food network as i do.

taylor swift.

my birthday present this year from b was tickets to taylor swift. he's not exactly the biggest country fan and my sister went with me last year, so we put on our boots and boogied downtown for ladies night.

closeeeee up.

our seats were AMAZING. we were in row 13.

 so good, so good.

and then my camera died.

not pictured: special guests kenny chesney and tim mcgraw. also not caught on camera, taylor walking two feet beside me. aghhh. she ran to the back of the arena after "speak now" and was high fiving everyone and stopping for hugs. my camera clicked off as she ran by us. emily was recording video on her phone, but freaked out when taylor grabbed her hand, so it's a great shot of the floor, the back of taylor's head and then us screaming.

photos won't really be needed anyway. even with my terrible memory, i'll definitely remember the concert forever. it's a new top 5 for sure.

weekend with the sister.

this weekend was great. for the sister's visit, we had to do another tour de nash, like we did last time she was here. first stop: rosepepper, of course.

second stop: jeni's. ...of course.

in between: we went shopping all over town, visited mom at work, sipped wine from my new missoni glasses, ate homemade pizza and saw taylor swift.

sunday morning: goodbye breakfast at cracker barrel.

family photo! my dad in overalls? does the cuteness kill you? i dieee.

oh, you know, just a cat hanging out in the car. my sister's cat mos. she just lets him walk around as they make the drive to ohio and back.

t. swiz represent.

tomorrow: taylor tuesday.

my sister, my friend.

my seeeesstterrrr* is coming today! i haven't seen her since... i can't remember! we're going to shop til we drop, see t. swiz in concert for the second year in a row and drink a glass of white wine. since she's legal now and all.

*i don't think we look alike. agree/disagree? she got the darker skin tone/hair. and she's about three feet shorter than me. win some/lose some.

**if you know the song reference in the title, i applaud you. we are friends. maybe even like sisters.

road trip.

i know you're wondering, how could i have any more to say after that tmi post about my keyhole?

don't you worry, i do.

one of the benefits to driving 14 or so hours around the midwest? you see a lot of scenery. here's an artsy fartsy vantage point on our way out of michigan.

hoho's are my favorite thing in the world. seriously, we're talking last-meal-on-death-row type love for these things. and i can't find them in the south. it's a little debbie conspiracy down here and i think she sucks. a "swiss roll" is a clear rip off of a hoho AND NOT THE SAME.

awe b's hometown. the only photo i took while we were there. except for of the hoho's. you're welcome. this picture sums up the cute, all-american feel of it though.

poodles = funny. poodles who act like people = adorable. poodles who act like people and love to get their photo taken = my new best friend.

and the real reason i went on this trip: the outlet malls. just kidding. but really, cincinnati outlets are the bomb. AND it was labor day. AND i opened a j.crew credit card. just kidding. {not really.}

this is the last of four of the epic recap of our michigan trip. this was your favorite, wasn't it? poodle wins it every time.