sleepytime.

We get to move into our new house today! It's been so nice having a temporary place to live the last few weeks, but I desperately miss my stuff (which is still stored in a garage). In honor of the coziness that I just can't wait to create, here are a few of my favorite bedrooms.

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vintage on main.

My one-stoplight hometown of Amherst, Virginia boasts little more than an outdated Food Lion, a dusty hardware store, and a library. It also now has one of the best little vintage stores I've run across— maybe because the prices are so good. If you're ever headed up 29 in Virginia, be sure to make a stop.

I bought '50s table linens, earrings, sparkly clothes, and more. I also bought a dress form, and I decided to branch out with my own vintage shop focused more on 1940s-60s, feminine pieces and housewares. I can't wait to show you my treasures!

nicotine christmas.

 Want to have some fun? Google "vintage Christmas ads." Oh, and Merry Christmas.

these songs sound like home.

in bruges.

Dang it, now I have a serious case of wanderlust. We started planning our next big trip during our six-hour drive to Virginia today. It probably won't be until July, but I'm already so excited. I think we've settled on Amsterdam, Belgium (Bruges and Brussels) and France, somewhere. Let the obsessive planning and penny-pinching begin.

marienplatz.

My junior year of college, I made my first excursion to Europe. I went to Munich, Germany to visit a boy who's now ancient history, but the memories of Bavaria at Christmastime are some of my favorite. There was snow, of course, bitter cold, and the enchanting Christkindlmarkt — a glittering market full of nutcrackers, glüwine (warm spiced red wine), and pastries. While I can't wait to go home this Christmas, I sometimes wish I could spend it somewhere a little more magical.

 I also went to Neuschwanstein. I like to imagine my ancestors lived in those hills. They've been referred to as "black Dutch" but no one can tell me what that actually means, just that it was somewhere in Germany.

kittens heart puppies.

purple and pink and blue rain.

Discovered Pinterest today. And this lovely painting.

bookbook.

I need this Macbook cover. Best of all, it's locally made.

 I'll also take one of these.

industrial scars.

 

These images are beautiful, aren't they? Even more so when you realize they're barely-edited aerial photographs of the earth. Less so when you realize they depict severe environmental degradation. I interviewed photographer J. Henry Fair in this week's paper. Check it out.

foodie love.

I do believe I've found my food blogger soul mate. I discovered Framed Cooks today and started bookmarking just about every recipe.

{fig jam and cheese bites}

{devil's food butterfinger cake}

{cottage pie, which I'm making tonight}

I miss my kitchen, my pots, my cookbooks, my spices, and my cabinets full of random ingredients like capers and tomato paste. We lost most of those things in the fire, though luckily the pots survived with just a few soot stains. 

We're moving into our new place at the end of the month, and though the kitchen is small, I'm beyond thrilled to be able to restock and feel like a real cook again.

newlywed phase interrupted.

Todd and I had a serious house fire this weekend. We've been overwhelmed (in a good way) by all of the support from friends and family — it's helped make this time a bit easier.

Luckily, we were at home and awake when it started — had we been gone or asleep, we probably would have lost everything. Apparently the fire started with the hot water heater. We're not exactly sure what got it going. It spread across three rooms in the back of the house — those rooms are almost completely destroyed. The kitchen was also seriously damaged from the smoke, heat, and water. Luckily, our living room, dining room, and bedrooms suffered nothing more than smoke damage. We lost a lot in the fire, including a lot of our wedding gifts and our beloved bikes, but luckily no real necessities. We stupidly did not have renter's insurance.

We moved out of the house the next day with the help of an amazing group of friends. Within a matter of hours everything was out of the house and packed into Todd's brother's garage. We're currently staying at Daniel's house and trying to figure out where to move next. We're still hoping to be approved for one of the Cottages, now more than ever.

Now, will everyone please go check their smoke detectors? Thanks.

l.a. confidential

We ended our honeymoon in Los Angeles, which would have been a big let-down had we not been warned by everyone who heard we were headed there. But we went anyway, and we enjoyed seeking out the sprawling city's best spots.

L.A. Top 5:
1. Watching the sunset from the Griffith Park Observatory, even though we had to walk a mile to get there.
2. Lunch, ice cream, and vintage shopping at the homey L.A. Farmers Market.
3. Caramel Chicken at Rock Sugar.
4. Cruising along Mulholland Drive above the city.
5. Cute, non-chain boutiques and hipster watching in Silver Lake.

the last puzzle piece.

We finally got our photographer's wedding pictures in last night. There are some amazing shots, and I just want to keep looking through them over and over, reliving the night. I can't wait to share them with everyone, but until then, here's your teaser.

{That's me with my special lady friends from college.}

magical big sur.

The main reason we chose California for our honeymoon was the drive along the Pacific Coast Highway. While hours in the car seemed a bit daunting, the views did not disappoint. Some of the best memories of our trip are of slowly driving along the winding roads, having our minds blown at every turn.

 

Big Sur road trip Top 5:.

1. Starting out with breakfast and strolling in charming, cottage-filled Carmel-by-the-Sea.

2. The changing landscape along Route 1, from rolling hills to stunning cliffs to artichoke fields.

3. Picnic-ing at Phieffer Beach, an intimate cove located at the end of a windy, one-lane gravel road.

4. Randomly discovering a colony of sea elephants near San Simeon as the sun set. 

5. Spending too much on a hotel overlooking the cliffs at Pismo Beach.

The next day, we were to head to L.A., but I would have been just as happy turning around and driving back up the coast.

(the other) city by the bay.

 

Five favorite things in San Francisco: 

1. Glimpses of the Golden Gate Bridge from the city's many peaks and valleys. 

2. Cute shops, free chocolates, and sunny views of the bay from Ghiradelli Square.

3. Dim sum feasts in Chinatown. Cheap enough to try one of everything.

4. Sea lions.

5. Farmers market at the Ferry Building.

purr.

 

All I want for Christmas is a baby leopard. 

{via J. Crew}

on to the next obsession.

The house hunt is back on. We've currently got our hearts set on the Cottages at Longborough, a new townhouse development in Wagener Terrace targeted at first-time home buyers. They were extremely sought-after when they first opened up bidding in 2009. Todd was approved to buy one, but lost his job soon afterward. We've gazed at them wistfully every time we walked by, until we learned that there are still a few units available. The application is in. Fingers are crossed.

the other side.

Well kids, we made it to the other side. Outside of a few hiccups (car break-in, hair disaster, freezing temperatures, near-crippling anxiety), we had ourselves the best day of our lives. I feel like I could write a book about everything I learned in the wedding planning process. I think I'll at least write an essay called something like, "Why weddings are dumb ... but you should have one anyway."

final countdown.

Oh, Whiskey Kittens, I have not forgotten you. I've merely been prepping for my looming wedding, which is now a matter of days away. I haven't been particularly stressed, but it has been consuming pretty much all of my spare thoughts.

There's lots to ponder. The confluence of so many family and friends from my life and his. The year of planning and all of the ways it could go wrong. How I'll be able to keep myself from bawling my eyes out over happiness and nervousness. Whether it's possible to lose 10 pounds in 4 days. Last-minute projects to make the day extra-special.

There's so much to think about, yet for now, I'm calm.

I'm excited for everyone to get here to share the day with us. I'm excited to see everything come together. I can't wait to marry the man that I love. I can't wait to jet off to California for a week. And as tough as it'll be to return to real life after all the fun, I'm looking forward to normal life again, where I'm not defined by this one-day event.

mochi mochi.

Inspired by a thorough perusing of Oh Joy's foodie blog, which I just discovered, I picked up some new items at H&L Asian Supermarket in North Charleston. My favorite? Mikawaya's mochi, a Japanese dessert consisting of ice cream wrapped in a chewy rice dough.

stop drop kaboom.

I bought something from Little Rock-based Roll & Tumble Press for the wedding. I'm not gonna tell you what. But look how cool their stuff is.

formula for a perfect weekend.

This weekend was nothing short of epic. It included but was not limited to:

• An intimate bachelorette party that included sweet gifts, amazing cocktails, and a leisurely dinner at one of the best restaurants in town. 
• Farmers market followed by a few hours at the beach, where I got burnt to a crisp. And I didn't even care, because it's October and I was at the beach.
• A sunset fashion show by the docks, with lots of wine, followed by a mind-blowing art party. And more wine.
• A bike ride around the peninsula that included a car-less King Street, run-ins with friends, a rest on the Battery, a s'mores bar from Baked, and tacos at Santi's. 
• A trip to a local farm with my nephews, where we got to see them dork out over cows and goats and pumpkins.
• Grilled pizza and Mario Kart and friends and family.

P.S. This dude's doing our wedding. There will be a photobooth, but it might be a little more low-key. Apologies.