Friday, February 5, 2021

Adventures in Gardening, Prologue

It is safe to say that the pandemic threw my 101 in 1001 days goals out the window. Most of my goals were travel and experience related so I will be playing a lot of catch up once vaccinated and approved to roam the streets again! Thanks to coronavirus, I turned my attention to internal pursuits. It doesn't get much "closer to home" than actually purchasing a home - which is what we did last summer. 

Much of the last seven months or so have been spent buying, renovating, and decorating our new home. I wasn't entirely sure what I was in for when we decided to go for a fixer upper. The rose-colored glasses were fully on and I expected it to be a bit more like some entertaining HGTV venture rather than the stressful, expensive mess that it turned out to be. I know, I was naive. Nonetheless, we are grateful to be in a home that is ours and we are slowly chipping away at repairs and updates that need to be done. 

It has been an abnormally cold winter - there have been multiple chances for snow - and this Southerner has been looking forward to Spring. In preparation for the warmer months ahead, I have started planning changes to the garden and overall landscaping on the property. The prospect of having my very own rose garden is what I was most looking forward to in home-ownership! So, I thought I would share some of my plans here. 

Late March:

  1. Previous owners built a few raised beds in a particularly sunny spot in the backyard. The owners before us let them fall into disrepair and they have been overtaken by mint (as it is wont to do). We are going to deconstruct the old raised beds and pull up all of the mint.
  2. Our neighbors to one side have fencing separating our properties but on the other side lives an overgrown and patchy hedge of holly trees and miscellaneous shrubs. We need to trim back the trees and shrubs, and potentially install some sort of more private border between our properties. 
  3. In the front yard, we plan to pull up dead rose bushes and generally just clean up existing shrubbery. Our neighbor's beautiful magnolia is growing above our driveway a bit so we will plan to trim that back as well.

 Early April: 

  1. We have a small deck on the back of the house which desperately needs tending to. We are going to powerwash the deck and the driveway - I am probably most excited about this. Afterwards, we will reseal the deck. 
  2. If I can get my hands on some, I'd like to plant camellia bushes along the front of the house. There are a couple camellias already there but I'd like to fill them out. Perhaps some hydrangeas as well. 
  3. We need a new mailbox (the existing one is sadly drooping into the street). After the new one is installed, I would like to plant some rosemary bushes around it. I absolutely love the smell of rosemary. I hope our postman doesn't mind it!

Late April:

  1. I plan to repot an ivy plant and start forcing it to grow around iron railing off the stairs next to the back deck. 
  2. We need to purchase a few ferns to place around the deck. Theoretically ferns will last through the winter and start growing again in the Spring but I've had no luck with mine. Thankfully, they last all summer and into fall here so buying new ones every year isn't a total waste. 
  3. Lastly, we'd like to construct new raised beds, starting with a small one for an herb garden closer to the house. Since we just moved into the house last October and have been busy with major renovations, we didn't have time to start seeds or prepare the raised beds in time for vegetable gardening. Fingers crossed for next year! This year, we can make due with planting established herb plants such as basil and lemon verbena to get us through the summer. 
I like to think our goals aren't too lofty! I will report back in the Spring with, hopefully, good news.

Thursday, July 9, 2020

30 Before/After 30

Turning thirty feels like one of those events that happens to other people. It is never something that I gave much thought or stressed over, until recent weeks. I was planning to celebrate the occasion with a Eurotrip with my husband and a couple friends, but obviously we have had to change plans due to the current situation. I wanted to find a way to meaningfully mark the occasion, with an eye towards the future rather than dwelling on all the things that have passed me by.

While flipping through a recent Real Simple, I came across an amazing idea: record 30 things you did before 30, as well as writing down 30 things you'd like to accomplish after 30. You are probably sensing a theme here - I love a good list. So I tried my hand at coming up with these lists. The first half was surprisingly easy and left me feeling an overwhelming sense of gratitude. I have been truly fortunate to experience the things I've experienced, particularly in regards to travel. Of course the list only includes positive things, much like an Instagram highlight reel, but I would much rather reflect on the positives than the negatives.

The second half was more difficult, as I struggled between including concrete, specific goals, or more abstract ones. I decided upon a mixture. The list is decidedly skewed towards travel, but that just serves of a reminder of its importance in my life. Some are contingent upon others, but I treated the creation of the list as more of an exercise in positive thinking rather than a list of performance goals. I've always struggled with dwelling too much on the past and not looking forward, so this was helpful in exercising those muscles. I found the whole experience to be useful in centering myself in the midst of drastic changes in my life. I highly recommend it for those of you about to turn thirty, or reaching another important milestone in your life.

(I removed some cities and names to preserve a modicum of anonymity)

30 Before 30
1. Traveled to Scotland (June 2004)
2. Got my driver’s license (July 2006)
3. Graduated high school (June 2008)
4. Euro trip w/ high school (June 2008)
5. Graduated college (May 2012)
6. Traveled to the Bahamas (May 2012)
7. Moved to South Carolina (August 2012)
8. Rented my first apartment (August 2012)
9. Traveled to England again (March 2013)
10. Adopted cat #1 (October 2013)
11. Traveled to England yet again (March 2014)
12. Received my MA degree (May 2014)
13. Adopted cat #2 (July 2015)
14. Moved to new town (July 2015)
15. Traveled to Oxford for husband (multiple times 2015-2017)
16. Traveled to Marrakech (March 2016)
17. Studied abroad in London (May 2016)
18. Traveled to Belgium (August 2016)
19. Received my MS degree (May 2017)
20. Traveled to Italy (May 2017)
21. Started my first professional job (June 2017)
22. Moved to new city (June 2017)
23. Got engaged (December 2017)
24. Traveled west of the Mississippi for the first time; Austin, TX (March 2018)
25. Traveled to Albuquerque (November 2018)
26. Got married (April 2019)
27. Moved to current city (April 2019)
28. Started a new job (April 2019)
29. Started learning photography (August 2019)
30. Photographed the Cotswolds (February 2020)

30 After 30
1. Buy a house
2. Start a rose garden
3. Get chickens
4. Improve my watercoloring
5. Improve my photography
6. Improve my French
7. Improve my German
8. Pay off student loan debt
9. Learn to cook signature dishes
10. Grow my own vegetables
11. Buy a vintage Land Rover
12. Go back to Morocco
13. Go back to Italy
14. Go back to Germany
15. Go back to Belgium
16. Go back to Scotland
17. Visit England at least once every two years
18. Take husband to France
19. Travel to the Netherlands
20. Travel to Finland
21. Travel to India
22. Travel to Nepal
23. Travel to Portugal
24. Travel to Spain
25. Travel to Egypt
26. Travel to the Middle East
27. Travel around the US
28. Go on a ski trip
29. Have children!
30. Have grandchildren!

Wednesday, March 11, 2020

England, February 2020

We traveled to England in early February for my husband's dissertation defense. I absolutely love visiting England and will use any excuse to visit, so while this was a "business" trip of sorts, we found ways to squeeze in some fun activities. Because this trip fell in the middle of a semester, we had a short amount of time this visit. But once the business was over on Friday, we had such a great time exploring Oxford, the Cotswolds, and a bit of London before our time was up.

Radcliffe Camera
Oxford

Oxford is one of my favorite places in the UK. I visited many times while my husband lived there and I always love revisiting my favorite sites. This time, we stayed at Magdalen College so that we could be more centrally located, and so that we could visit the deer park whenever we wanted. We spent the majority of the first day just wandering around outside so that we wouldn't succumb to jet lag (I also used that excuse to pop into Jigsaw...). Dr. B had a meeting in Brasenose College so I took up residence at the Vaults & Garden Cafe for tea and scones. This is one of my favorite places in Oxford, as it is attached to the beautiful University Church and sits across from the Radcliffe Camera. Afterwards, I deliberately walked through the Bodleian Library before making my way to heaven on earth, otherwise known as Blackwell's Bookstore. It was a lovely way to spend my first afternoon back in Oxford. We capped off the first day with dinner at the ever delightful Turf Tavern - a must visit.

Blackwell's Bookstore

The next morning, we got up early and had breakfast at Magdalen College Hall. Imagine the Great Hall at Hogwarts and you wouldn't be too far off. We were both nervous and anxious about the defense later so we had a very low-key morning, stopping into Queen's Lane Coffee House for Turkish coffee and a chai. Both Queen's Lane and The Grand Cafe across the street purport to be the oldest coffee houses in Europe, which makes for a very interesting (and tasty) rivalry. We've been to both and love them equally.

My husband went to his defense and I claimed a spot at The Oxford Wine Cafe, nervously swallowing down tea and pretending to read articles online while waiting for word about the defense. The cafe was beautiful and I kept imagining how, if I were a student in Oxford, I would be there all the time. Finally, I received word that he passed the defense (!) and we quickly made our way to his old haunt, The Royal Oak. I have such a fondness for this pub - not only because it is beautiful and quirky like all good pubs should be, but because they genuinely have the best burgers in England. Dr. B could finally relax, and it was nice to be able to celebrate with his friends.

Cotswolds

Saturday morning after breakfast, we rented a car and drove to the Cotswolds. Many Cotswolds towns are within an hour drive of Oxford so we planned a pretty thorough itinerary for the day. We usually plan trips like this pretty tightly, knowing that we will play it by ear once we get to where we're going, and this was no exception. We started with Bibury, a small village along the River Coln, most famously known for Arlington Row, a collection of mill cottages built in the 1380s and Arlington Mill. It was quite chilly but we got there just before fellow tourists descended on the place. We decided to have a mid-morning snack at The Swan Hotel before heading off to our next location.

Arlington Row, Bibury

From there, we went on to Bourton-on-the-Water, which is one of the most picturesque villages in the Cotswolds. We had previously visited the village but wanted to have more time to spend there this time around. I was a little disappointed with how crowded it was, given we visited in the middle of winter. Nonetheless, we enjoyed a little stroll alongside the water and did some duck-watching.

Our next stop was Lower Slaughter, where we stopped to have lunch at the Slaughters Country Inn. I love traditional pub food and was impressed with the elevated pub offerings at the Slaughters Country Inn. We wandered through the village and found ourselves at the Old Mill, the structure of which has been around since the 14th century.

The Old Mill, Lower Slaughter

Our last stop was Stow-on-the-Wold. Admittedly, I wanted to go solely to see the famous door at St Edward's Church, rumored to have inspired J.R.R. Tolkien, but I actually really enjoyed exploring the market town. There were lots of unique shops, including Cotswold Hat Club, whose offerings I admire from time to time on Instagram. We stopped for tea and had the most amazing millionaire's shortbread. By this point, we were absolutely exhausted and actually skipped visiting Broadway Tower in order to head back to Oxford just in time for dinner. I can't wait to visit again, hopefully during warmer months when everything is in bloom.

St Edward's Church, Stow-on-the-Wold

London

After our day in the Cotswolds, we had one more day in Oxford. It ended up being a bit of a wash because of storm Ciara, but we still made time for Sunday Roast at the Ashmolean Museum's rooftop cafe. The Ashmolean is one of my favorite museums and definitely a must-visit on a rainy day.

The next day, we traveled to London by train shortly after breakfast. We dropped off our bags at the Mentone Hotel, one of my favorite hotels in Bloomsbury, and hit the town. Bloomsbury is a great place to stay, conveniently located to multiple major tube stops, train stations, and within walking distance to the British Library. The area is also known for its history and literary connections. After exploring Kings Cross station, we then spent some time exploring Covent Garden before stopping for lunch at a quaint, French restaurant, Le Garrick. I'm a sucker for traditional French cuisine and Le Garrick did not disappoint.

We had afternoon tea reservations at The Dorchester as a way to celebrate Dr. B's thesis defense. I had been wanting to go to The Dorchester for years and we finally found an excuse to go. Their tea was absolutely luxurious and I highly recommend it to those visiting London and wanting a traditional tea experience. The hotel itself is beautiful, as expected, and we were perfectly content to spend a few hours relaxing in the tea room.



Although we were absolutely stuffed from both lunch and tea, we were anxious to meet up with friends and have dinner at Dishoom. We'd heard great things about Dishoom from friends who traveled to London some months before. My husband then discovered that the cuisine was the same as that of Chai Pani in Asheville, where we had dinner a month before. There are multiple Dishoom locations across London but we met friends at the Covent Garden location. It was quite busy, which we were expecting, and took the opportunity to have cocktails before being seated for dinner. This was, hands down, one of the best meals I've had in London. Standouts included the chole puri (my favorite) and jackfruit biryani. I loved it so much that I ordered the cookbook the next day!

View of the Thames from the Houses of Parliament

London is one of my favorite places on earth and there is just never enough time to explore and enjoy all the city has to offer. I'm hoping that we can branch out and stay in another part of town when we are next in town sometime this summer. I am always interested in London food recommendations so please send them my way!

Monday, March 9, 2020

Asheville Day Trip

I am so thankful to live in an area where I can be in the mountains in under two hours or on the beach in three. My husband and I are big fans of day trips where we can spend the day exploring a new or beloved town and still get to sleep in our own bed that night. One of our goals for the year was to do more of these trips and explore more of our surrounding area. We had some friends join us for a day trip to Asheville, NC back in January of this year and we had such a good time! If you're a fan of craft beer, you will find no shortage of things to do in Asheville. Here's what we did:



We grabbed breakfast just outside of town and hit the road around 9am. It took under two hours to get to Asheville, and we decided 11am was a respectable time to have our first beer. Our first stop was Burial Beer. The beers are delicious but the place was cramped and already packed when we got there. We lucked out and found a place to sit for a bit.

Afterwards, we headed to Wicked Weed's Funkatorium close by. Although the space was five times as large as Burial, it was even more packed. Given it was a rainy Saturday, we were not surprised that seemingly everyone in downtown Asheville was hiding out in the local breweries. So we went on to Twin Leaf Brewery down the road and it did not disappoint. 



At this point we were in need of sustenance, so we ventured down the street to Vortex Doughnuts and grabbed a half-dozen to split between us. Sadly, I did not even capture a photo of the donuts before they were gone. We loved Vortex because of the unique flavors and their numerous vegan options. It was the sugar rush we needed to get us through the afternoon - pit stops at ZaPow and my favorite place, Battery Park Book Exchange.



One of the main reasons we were wanting to go to Asheville was to have dinner at Chai Pani. Chai Pani is an Indian street food restaurant from James Beard nominated chef Meherwan Irani. My husband is a huge fan, so this was a must-visit for us. I was blown away. We shared bhel puri and okra fries, and I devoured the butter chicken thali. We ended the meal with chais. 



Despite the rain, it was really the perfect day, and we're already planning our next trip!

Friday, March 6, 2020

Mother + Daughter Trip

I recently came back from a trip to Charleston, SC with my mom. We've been going to Charleston on a mother/daughter trip since 2011 - except for the years I lived in Charleston, 2012-2015. Originally we were going in the summer, but we've since switched to visiting in either January or February to help fight off the winter blues.

Traveling with my mom isn't always the easiest, but this trip is an important tradition for both of us and I'm glad we've kept it up all these years. She definitely sent me this Southern Living article at least twice... The formula is pretty much the same every year - stay at the John Rutledge House Inn, spend a day shopping on King Street, and try out a new restaurant. This year, we made a concerted effort to try more boutique shopping on King Street, rather than just at the same stores we always visit, and it was such a nice change of pace. I'm including our itinerary below, as well as a list of our favorite shops we visited.

The John Rutledge House Inn

Friday
:
  • Checked into the John Rutledge House Inn: We absolutely love staying here and we've had the same room since we started visiting in 2011! The service here is wonderful and we love the afternoon tea/snack/brandy breaks and excellent breakfast options. It's in a great location for exploring South of Broad or Upper King Street. I hate to say it, but we are considering staying somewhere closer to Lower King Street next year because it seems as though all the new restaurants are opening down there. But I don't think I could cheat on the JRH like that...
  • Dinner at The Establishment: This was a new to us restaurant down from the inn on Broad Street. We picked it solely because of its location to the inn so I had no idea what to expect. We were pleasantly surprised. We ended up sharing a few small plates, standouts include the lobster raviolo, lump crab gnocchi, burrata, and duck. It is definitely more upscale than I was expecting, given the somewhat relaxed interior, but the live pianist elevated the experience. I loved it so much that my husband and I already booked a table with friends for our trip to Charleston later this month!

Saturday:
  • Shopping on King Street:
    • Candlefish: This was such a wonderful experience! The sales associates were so attentive and fun, and the space is just beautiful. I'm a huge candle lover so their "candle library" was a must-visit for me. A bachelorette party was starting a candle-making workshop while we were there and it looked like so much fun. We left with some candles for us and gifts for others.
    • YETI Charleston: I didn't consider myself in YETI's target demographic but I have a new appreciation for the brand after visiting their Charleston store. They have an awesome bar and space for live music. This is also on our list of places to revisit later this month!
    • Skinny Dip: Charleston: This was also on my list of must-visits as I wanted to pick up one of their "CHS" sweaters, and I'd heard so much about it. The space itself is beautiful and it features a lovely hand-painted mural of Rainbow Row. We didn't get a chance to try the bar upstairs but we will be back next year. I thought they did a great job of selecting pieces and designers that suit the Charleston aesthetic. 
    • The Copper Penny: I find this place a bit trendy for my tastes, but mom loves it. They have a few off-shoots around downtown, and there's almost always a huge sale going on. 
    • Jordan Lash: We happened upon this place by accident and I was very impressed. I love shopping for clothes for my husband, and I found some great deals here.
  • Afternoon tea at Twenty Six Divine: We were very much looking forward to having afternoon tea here after a day full of shopping. Twenty Six Divine is a bit of a drive from Upper King Street. Their scones were to die for but I found it a little cramped and loud for my tastes. Also, it was a bit more "quirky" than traditional afternoon tea, but we enjoyed it nonetheless. 

  • Dinner at Circa 1886: We saved the best for last. I'd been to Circa years before and had high hopes for this dinner. They did not disappoint. We didn't realize it at the time we booked, but if you stay at the John Rutledge House Inn, you receive a very generous discount on a three-course meal at Circa. It is absolutely a must if you stay at the JRH - one of my top five dining experiences in Charleston. The standout for me was the Piedmontese Beef, pictured above. My mom was blown away by the African Squash Soup. A lovely ending to a lovely day.
Broad Street
All in all, it was a wonderful trip. Just enough time to shop and eat - our favorite activities. I love trying out new restaurants and visiting old favorites, and am always on the lookout for a new haunt. Looking forward to returning with my husband in a couple weeks for a dear friend's wedding! 

101 Things in 1001 Days

I have felt so unmotivated and uninspired lately. I'm not really sure why because we've had a fairly mild winter and it hasn't felt terribly long to me. But I have never been so ready for spring and all the good things the season brings. My husband and I are moving out of a long, stressful phase of our lives, and I know this has contributed to my feelings of restlessness and unease. Thankfully we are on the tail end of it and I have high hopes for the future!

I recently rediscovered Mackenzie Horan's 101 in 1001 lists and I thought it would be the perfect idea to help inspire me to get out of my creative rut and help me focus on the positive things ahead. Basically, you have 1,001 days to accomplish 101 goals. I talk a big game (to myself...) about all the things I want to accomplish, but it's time to put metaphorical pen to paper and make things happen. To make it easier, I'm totally stealing Mackenzie's structure, and I'm including goals that I know I will hit.

Starts: January 1, 2020
Ends: September 28, 2022

Personal:
1. No shopping for a month
2. Fully fund 3-month emergency fund
3. Pair down clothing/shoes and donate (March 2020)
4. Organize digital photos and files (May 2020)
5. Organize Spotify/Apple music (July 2020)
6. Find a financial advisor
7. Open a Roth IRA
8. Spring clean entire house (March 2020)
9. Simplify beauty routine (June 2020)
10. Find a hot yoga studio and go 2x/month
11. Complete BBG 1.0 & 2.0 again
12. Join board of community organization
13. Use all my volunteer hours every year (November 2020)
14. Learn to cook at least three signature dishes
15. Put $10 into savings for every goal accomplished
16. Run a 5k
17. Take a watercoloring class (online! March 2020)
18. Give two custom sketches as gifts (May 2020)
19. Learn portrait photography
20. Invest in a new lens for camera

Professional:
21. Go up for promotion
22. Publish an article
23. Present at a conference
24. Participate in management training
25. Chair a committee at work (July 2020)
26. Chair a conference committee (2020-2021)
27. Take professional headshots
28. Find a mentor
29. Be a mentor
30. Reach out to counterparts at local institutions

Family and Friends:
31. Celebrate our 1-year anniversary (April 2020)
32. Celebrate our 2-year anniversary
33. Celebrate our 3-year anniversary
34. Buy our first home (September 2020)
35. Have a baby!
36. Send out Christmas cards every year (December 2020)
37. Celebrate husband's 35th birthday
38. Celebrate my 30th birthday (July 2020)
39. Celebrate Mom's 60th birthday (December 2020)
40. Send Mom and MIL flowers for Mother's Day
41. Write to friends three times "just because"
42. Bake a cake for husband's birthday (November 2020)
43. Stockpile cards for birthdays/special occasions
44. Go on a mother/daughter trip (February 2020)
45. Take photos of/with my grandfather
46. Make a will
47. Make a friend at work
48. Make a new friend in Charlotte
49. Help Mom get setup on Netflix (March 2020)
50. Make something for my nieces

Charlotte:
51. Go hiking at Crowder's Mountain (March 2020)
52. Spend a day at the Whitewater Center (July 2020)
53. Take a cooking class at Chef Alyssa's Kitchen
54. Go to a Charlotte MLS game
55. Go to a Panthers game
56. Go to a Hornets game
57. Visit the Carolina Raptor Center
58. Visit all the local breweries
59. Visit Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens
60. Ride bikes on the rail trail
61. Spend a day exploring Plaza Midwood
62. Spend a day exploring South End
63. Spend a day exploring NoDa
64. Visit the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art
65. Go to a Charlotte Symphony performance
66. Explore area around Lake Norman
67. Spend a day in Concord
68. Go to Top Golf
69. Go to a NASCAR race
70. Go to top of Bank of America building

Travel:
71. Travel to England for husband's thesis defense (February 2020)
72. Travel to England for husband's graduation
73. Plan a beach trip with friends
74. Travel abroad somewhere new
75. Visit Greenville, SC for a weekend
76. Go wine tasting in Charlottesville, VA
77. Go to the Outer Banks
78. Visit Asheville, NC for a day trip (January 2020)
79. Go to SEWE one year
80. Visit friends in Charleston, SC
81. Visit friends in Durham, NC
82. Spend a long weekend in Wilmington, NC
83. Plan a trip somewhere tropical
84. Go on a ski trip
85. Plan a weekend trip to Nashville, TN

Just for Fun:
86. Host a tea party
87. Host a 4th of July cookout
88. Throw a housewarming party
89. Host a super bowl party
90. Host a Kentucky Derby party
91. Go shooting
92. Go horseback riding
93. Go 4-wheeling
94. Make a wreath
95. Start growing our own veggies
96. Start an herb garden
97. Go to a concert at least 1x/year
98. Go apple picking
99. Go to a pumpkin patch
100. Watch the sunset
101. Watch the sunrise