FLASHBACK FRIDAY: NOLA.

remember when i did flashback friday posts? i don't really intend to bring it back, but one of our past trips has been on my mind recently: new orleans. i think it's a combo of the snowy weather, plus realizing that our next big trip won't be for a full year. {although it WILL be to australia, so don't feel too sorry for me.}

new orleans is only an eight-hour drive from nashville, so b and i decided to head to the big easy. keep in mind, we had only known each other for six months and dating for a hot second. my parents were like "who?!" and made me give them his phone number. you know, so just in case he was a kidnapper, they could call him?

we did and saw everything everyone recommends while there. from drinking the local specialties, to eating a muffaletta {b ordered it plain, haha}, trying oysters, dying over delish beignets and tasting absinthe.

we also walked most of the city {on accident, side eye b} and saw the devastation from katrina still fresh in many areas of the city. we also did not go into the cemetery, even though that's a popular thing to do. it just felt too disrespectful to me - and i'm sure i was totally afraid.

look at that little baby! this was almost four years ago and i can't believe how young we look. it also rained the entire time we were there - and it didn't even phase us. we stayed outside of the city and rode a trolley in each day.

self-photography, even back then! this was before our big date night at gw fins. i still follow that restaurant on twitter and consider it one of the best meals i've ever had.

oh, beautiful nola. i hope i'm back someday soon.

flashback friday: let's pretend we did that.

remember that time i wrote a nashville bucket list?

remember that summer i accomplished nothing on that list?

okay, i actually DID go to the frist. but, besides that, nada.

so, let's fbf waaaay back to 09 and pretend like we hiked this summer!

muddy mud. i think this was shortly after we got back from china, so the area was still recovering from all that rain {and the subsequent flooding} that happened that may.

flora.

prickly flora.

us. self-photographing.

not much has changed since way back then.

better luck next summer for all those goals.

xoxox happy weekend!

flashback friday: on the east side.

i talk a lot about that one year that i lived in east nashville. {because i like to pretend it gives me street cred.}

but, i thought i'd share the actual place i called home for that year. and, as you can see it was/is super cute.

and in the snoooow. {let's all take a moment to send up a prayer that this year is not as epically snowy as last.}

officially though, i do not miss this closet.

 but i do miss these kids.

{and the cat.}

of course.

happy weekend, bloggies!

flashback friday: atlanta.

early on in our relationship b and i used to travel. a lot.

{okay, we still travel a lot.}

one of those vacations led us to atlanta. the reason we went was to go to top chef contestant kevin gillespie's woodfire grill.

{the food was amazing, he was not friendly, unfortunately.}

but, that wasn't all! here are some photos from that 09 trip.

 oh hai, remem when i used to eat meat?

 world of coke.

aquarium. and woof to all my photos from this time period. i felt like i was drunk looking through because every other one was a blurry mess.

olympic park.

self-explanatory.

the hotel where we stayed. amazing - i LOVED it and would totally recommend if you've ever in atlanta for a fancy weekend.

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!