about me.

i love cheese. macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese, cheese all the time.

nashville is a big city to me, even if sometimes it feels so small.

i'm a writer.

i totally believe in the power of meditation and positive thinking.

i am obsessed with dogs. okay, all animals. that's why i don't eat meat (even though i love it).

i constantly have a chapstick on hand. organic, clearly.
traveling is the best. my favs: new orleans, egypt, china.

i think my best skill is reading people and creating inclusive situations.

i am always analyzing/planning. in my head. all. the. time. sometimes on paper, too.

welcome to my blog, i'm glad you're here!

running.

i am not a runner. i have ran. i have participated in two 1/2 marathons. proof:

with peeps at the 2009 country music marathon.

with my sweet roommates after the 2010 1/2.

i ran that 1/2 marathon back-to-back in '09 and again in 2010. i was signed up to do it again this year.

but i didn't. probably by spring, when i should have been up to 4 miles a day and distance on weekends, i realized that it just wasn't going to happen this year. and so, i didn't do it. i.... quit? i thought i was being realistic, knowing my limits, saving myself pain and trouble.

but then, i was talking with a friend at an event last night, and she mentioned that she was in week 1 of training for a fall 1/2 marathon and had injured herself. i was immediately encouraging, "some people just aren't built to be runners! i'm not! we don't all have to be runners!" but then i wondered, is that an excuse?

clearly, it's bothers me and has been nagging at me since this spring.

what do you say? is it realistic to know when you're not good at something? or is it quitting?

piperlime.

we are going to a wedding in september. for which i have purchased two different dresses already. and then i found out it's more casual than i thought, so back to the drawing board. i think i found the winner this weekend on piperlime. it's coming in the mail this week, i'll let you know!

some of my favorites from the site:

 Juicy Couture

 BCBGeneration

 Tibi

Nanette Lepore

weekend from my iphone.

not a ton of photos today, because i was sick all weekend. i have strep throat again. and my doctor wants me to get my tonsils out. no thank you. here's what happened in our uneventful weekend.

clearly, i am prepped for 4th of july. also, i watch way (way!) too much "i survived". last night, one of the features was a lady who lived through the nashville floods. crazy. not pictured: i sneezed a ton, took a bunch of meds, slept through sunday and watched "red dawn" for the first time.

cafe nonna

alright, the week of eating and drinking continues at cafe nonna!



doesn't it look warm and inviting? it's super cute. that screened in area is a sweet little patio with couches and tables you can sit in and then the main dining area seats less than 50 people. i ordered the margharita pizza and even took photos, but my food photography leaves a lot to be desired. b got the clam sauce pasta and amy got pasta, too. delicious, and only a 5-minute walk from our house. we'll be back to cafe nonna again very soon.

MARGOT.

the all-caps title is so deserved. i can't talk highly enough about this place. it's comfy/hip-chic inside {read: dark} so i don't have any photos of my food. i will talk about it anyway.

we started with the housemade chips and aioli. it was recommended by a friend {thanks ben!} and the aioli was seriously amazing. the chips were hot and a combo of crunchy and chewy. so good.

i had a salad next, which was good. however, i had a bite of the crust of one of the pizzas. ah-maz-ing. i also had a bite of the peaches starter, and would have that again.

then, the big time. i got the fried green tomato napoleon, which was topped with lettuce and mozzarella. holy moly. the cheese had melted onto the tomatoes, which made for a tomato-filled cheese stick. which, if you didn't gather, is epic. i also had a bite of the halibut and it could make me turn from my vegetarian ways. it was that great.

we ended with a bottle of champagne and chocolate cake, in celebration of brandon's birthday. mark it down as one of the best meals of my life.

cheekwood.

via my work, we got free tickets to go to our local garden/art/historical place, cheekwood! i have been there once before, but at night, for a mixer. it was 100 bajillion degrees on sunday, but it was worth it.

{their theme right now is trains. trains were running all over this little city.}

{you LOVE my shirt, right??! jcrew!}

{mansion the original family lived in. they made their money from coffee.}

{life lesson 54: you know you're going somewhere nice when they have their own fancy street signs.}

weekend from my iphone.

{squash in our garden}

 {cute animal shirt at forever21. i didn't buy because the line was super long, per usual}

{meat free sloppy joe! my first time eating that in almost a year}

{hail}

{happy father's day! after opening his gifts. that's his happy face}

more las vegas.

it feels like months ago that i was in vegas (and it was just earlier this week!). here's some of my favs:

{i've been to vegas before, but never to the iconic sign! i thought our shoes were going to melt to the pavement, it was SO hot.} 

 {here we are!}

 {view from the top of the stratosphere - so cool. i'd recommend paying to go to the top.}

 {and now a tour from the car! i think the casinos are the most intersting thing in vegas.}

{the real thing is better :)}

{out on the town. aka the strip!}

lv from my iphone.

i'm back! i haven't downloaded the real photos from my camera yet. sneak peek:

vegas.

 {view from mgm grand last time i was in vegas}

{packed tons of dresses...}

{and bathing suits}

alright, i'm headed out AGAIN. i feel like all i've done this summer is pack, fly and sleep in hotels. at least this time i'll be staying at shari's house. i can't wait for a pool, sunshine and friend time. see you wednesday!

fan fair.

for the first time since i've lived in nashville, i will not be attending fan fair. cma fest is consistently a highlight of my summer, and i'm sad i'll be missing it, but i'll be in vegas with the bff!

a look back:

 {little babies! this was like our second week of dating.}

 {wendy!}

{wild}

and then 2010:

 {my seats were a LOT better}

 {shows on the riverfront}

{hannah + i}