Aldermans Go Global: Italy, Part 1 (Rome + Tuscany)
R O M E
Day 1
[First stop in Italy – pistachio gelato – amazing, of course]
[Trevi Fountain, Pantheon and a lot of walking around cute streets]
[Incredible first meal at Cul de Sac – voted best lasagna + proscuitto and melon on the trip]
[Stumbled upon the famous Giolitti … so of course we had to have gelato, round 2. Successful first day in Italy!]
Day 2
[A great morning of walking and sightseeing – Ancient Rome was incredible. We definitely needed more time to explore!]
[Lunch stop pre-Vatican: Bonci Pizzarium – highly recommend this place. Tons of unique pizzas to choose from by the slice!]
[Pictures of the Vatican and St. Peter’s Basilica don’t even do it justice – wow! Unfortunately couldn’t take pictures of the Sistine Chapel, but it was breathtaking – if only there weren’t so many sweaty people crammed into one place!]
[This wine + cheese pairing class was seriously the best – definitely our highlight of Rome. We learned a lot, drank some unique wines, ate some amazing cheeses and even got to see the thousand year old wine cellar, and Handi the sommelier was incredible! If you’re going to Rome you must make time for Vino Roma.]
[Final night in Rome: somehow found Husband’s dad and stepmom at the Spanish Steps, ate some delicious cacio e pepe and went to the best pub in the world (not really … but we did get this awesome picture from a stranger, ha!)]
ROME: we actually really enjoyed this city! For some reason, none of us had very high expectations, but we were all pleasantly surprised. It was very walkable, fun, safe and great food. There is so much history here that we did not get the time to really explore so I could definitely go back.
T U S C A N Y
Our home base was Siena, which we ADORED, then we traveled around a bit from there.
Day 1
[Our first view as we walked into the city after a long day of traveling – how could we not immediately fall in love?!]
[The best pizza I’ve ever had – everything was so incredibly fresh, including the burrata on top. Il Pomodorino was one of our favorite spots with the best views. We actually ate there twice!]
[Drank wine at Bar Il Palio on the Piazza and people watched (including these two cute people above) – exactly as Rick Steves recommended, and it was perfect]
Day 2
[Spent the day exploring Siena – pictured is the Duomo and the crypt below, which was so creepy and so cool]
[Husband and I then walked up 131 tiny, winding steps to see this view. We got some incredible panoramic photos we will definitely print and frame – it was challenging, but so worth it!]
[Our favorite meal of the entire trip! This place was so amazing and romantic. My risotto with FRESHLY GRATED truffles was literally the best thing I’ve ever eaten in my life. Truly a remarkable evening.]
Day 3
Day trip to Florence
[Very cool market we stopped in for breakfast – bottom floor was fresh meats, cheeses, veggies and fruits like a farmer’s market; top floor was cafes and restaurants – this cappucino and ham + brie croissant was delicious.]
[David, David, David, you truly are a masterpiece. I cannot get over how surreal and amazing it was to see this work of art. I’m so glad we went to Florence if only for this!]
[And this! Birth of Venus by Botticelli was amazing.]
[Uffizi gallery with these views was fantastic – though by the end of the day, we were so ready to get back home to Siena …]
[and we did eventually make it home, but with a crazy story to tell (best told in person). This was us cheers-ing to Josh making it back alive.]
FLORENCE: in full transparency, we really did not like Florence very much. It was crazy packed with tourists everywhere you turned. Maybe we didn’t go to the right places and should have spent more than a day and done more than just the touristy things, but we were not impressed. (Except for David!)
Day 4
Wine tour to Montalcino + surrounding wineries 
[Montalcino was an adorable little town! We only got 30 minutes in town before heading to the wineries, but could have spent several hours wandering around. Of course, even in those 30 minutes husband found a pair of leather shoes to buy!]
[First winery was a small family-run production – the wine was delicious, we met two adorable dogs and we tried grappa (definitely not for me…)]
[Second stop had the best views by far and incredible lunch + wine in a gorgeous home. I could seriously move there tomorrow!]
[Final stop was definitely the most unique and produced our favorite (albeit most expensive) wine – this winery is super modern, entirely biodynamic, and started by the very wealthy brother of Illy coffee (who we happened to see leaving for holiday in his Porsche while we were there)]
[Finally back home at Hotel La Villa for our final night in Siena – we did not want to leave!]
SIENA: hands down our favorite city. We seriously discussed finding a property to turn into an AirBnB so we could go visit whenever we want. It was charming and beautiful and just felt magical. I could spend so much more time here, using Siena as a home base then traveling to differing wineries and small towns nearby.
Hopefully you enjoyed the first round of pictures! This was only a tiny taste of what we saw, did, ate and drank.
Watch for Part 2 (Cinque Terre + Venice) in the next week!
xo xo
You might also enjoy: Alderman’s Go Global: St. Lucia, London, Paris, Munich
10 Things I Learned in Italy
- Never, ever, ever, hold a wine glass by the top, only by the stem. Or get seriously called out by a sommelier.
- Italians only drink with food. They don’t go out for a drink at happy hour without something to snack on, and they certainly don’t just sit on their couch binge-watching tv shows with wine. Hmm…..
- Ciao is hello, not goodbye. Americans incorrectly turned it into goodbye. (According to our very opinionated bar tour host)
- Under no circumstances should you get off of a train, unless you want to stay off of that train. Not to smoke a cigarette, and certainly not to get a taxi.
- I CAN get sick of pasta + pizza. (Actually surprising) But I can NOT get sick of good wine. (Not really that surprising.)
- And I DO like seafood when it’s extra fresh – like mussels and scampi and anchovies and scallops and swordfish
- Spontaneous tears of joy are a real thing.
- A meal or even just a cappuccino is not something to be rushed through or as “take-away”, but to be enjoyed leisurely. The 3-hour dinner was a common and wonderful occurrence.
- Air conditioning is non-negotiable. Especially when you’re walking 10 miles/day in 90+ degree humid heat.
- Travel can make or break a friendship. Luckily, ours was the former and only made us even closer.
Picturebook posts of our amazing Italian vacation to come soon!
xo xo
life lately
[celebrating this || a cousin’s wedding]
[eating this || amazing food at wednesday over water]
[loving this || chihuly exhibit + anniversary weekend]
[enjoying this || patio time with the sistahs]
[cuddling with this || adorable little girl for a morning!]
[saying this || CIAO, AMERICA!
because now we’re headed to Italy! follow our travels on #AldermansGoGlobal]
xo xo
Discover NWA: Staycation at 21c + Chihuly
For our 6th anniversary, we decided to do a staycation at 21c. Since we’re going to Italy very soon, we didn’t want to travel far or spend too much. We’ve also talked about staying at 21c since it opened, so we decided to go for it. And I am SO glad we did. It was exactly what we needed for a little one-night getaway. Luckily, we also got invited to the special opening of the new Chihuly exhibit at Crystal Bridges and it was absolutely incredible. (Thank you, Denise!)
[beautiful, super cozy room – and my sweet coworkers surprised us with champagne!]
[a few photos from the night below – though I HIGHLY encourage you to check it out yourself!]
[chihuly in the forest – there was even a wine tent out there!
wonderful night with these fun friends]
[chihuly in the gallery – and husband’s favorite picture of the night]
[late night snack back at our hotel – sweet + spicy fries that are just amaaaazing]
[sunday brunch at the hive – that buttermilk fried chicken was out of this world]
[post-brunch stroll on the trails – a perfect end to a perfect anniversary getaway]
xo xo
You might also enjoy: Discover NWA: Mod, Modern Ozark Dining
favorites, round 7. [walmart edition]
Things I love and want to share with you, so you can love them too.
[And yes, I do work for Walmart, so I especially want you to know about these awesome Walmart finds too!]
BIG BUDDHA: Did you know Walmart carries Big Buddha shoes and bags?! Until recently I had no clue, and now I own 3 pairs of shoes. Okay let me tell you about them – the sandals in the top left picture are so stinkin’ adorable and comfortable. I’ve seen a ton of these look-alike sandals in different retailers, but these are the most affordable at $13.
And I’m obsessed with the heels in the bottom right corner. A coworker started the trend and of course, now we all wear them on the same day all the time (case in point above). You can’t see the heel, but it’s short and chunky and totally in style. I bought them in black and tan, obviously, because they’re only $11.
The bag, pictured above the heels, is also Big Buddha and sent by my sis this morning! I love to send my family my WM finds and she sent us this one. I’ve literally almost bought this bag multiple times, but not sure why I haven’t. They have multiple colors/styles in-store.
CACTUS PLATES + BOWLS: Top right are these adorable cactus plates I found in-store for $1.50. I immediately bought two, then went back a few days later and bought two more. They’re plastic so very lightweight, but perfect for a Summer get-together, yeah?? Also worth mentioning are the amazing Better Homes and Gardens melamine plates. These are heavier and very nice. I buy their new Summer styles every year and always get compliments on them.
AVIA TANKS: Aren’t these tanks great? I’m sure you’re starting to see a trend here … when I find something I like that’s affordable, I buy in multiples. Since I’ve started exercising more it’s more fun to buy workout clothes and these are perfect. They are breathable, come in multiple colors and are just $7 each.
FADED GLORY DRESS: Okay so this is not a great picture of the dress, but I wear it ALL THE TIME. It’s sleeveless and so comfortable. It’s long enough for work, but cute enough for weekend. I just purchased another one in black. You will see me in these allllll Summer and definitely in Italy. Unfortunately they are out of most sizes in-store and online, but search your store just in case! It will be worth it, especially for only $7 each!!
OZARK TRAILS: Oh, Ozark Trails, how I love thee. (pictured top left with the sandals) We all know the Yeti trend, and yes we jumped on the bandwagon at first too. Until we found Ozark Trails at Walmart. It is EXACTLY the same as Yeti. I mean exactly. And I can say that for certain since we have both. We now have 3 coozie cans (pictured), 4 tumblers and most recently the cooler. It keeps my beer extra cold and my coffee extra hot, and I am a happy camper.
What is your favorite Walmart find?
xo xo
life lately
{rockin’ out to this || blink 182 concert}
{making this || amazing pasta from chrissy teigen’s cookbook}
{obsessing over this || “I’d rather be watching Gilmore Girls” sweatshirt}
{enjoying this || rooftop bars + a week in NYC for work}
{eating this || crawfish on crawfish on crawfish}
{drinking this in || fayetteville foamfest – our favorite event of the year}
{celebrating this || our amazing mothers on mother’s day + every day}
xo xo
Weekend Picturebook: New York, New York
New York City – the city that never sleeps, and is perfect for work AND play.
W E D N E S D A Y
[Highly recommend the Circle Line Harbor Lights Cruise. You get to see so much of the city, and it was amazing. Thanks, Sister E for the recommendation!]
T H U R S D A Y
[Great day full of meetings, then an adventure out with the team in East Village!]
[Awesome restaurant Gnocco – I tried about 5 pizzas that night and mine was the best: prosciutto, arugula + parmesan. The salads were also delicious.]
[After dinner we walked “right around the corner” to the famous Odd Fellows Ice Cream. I had banana pudding ice cream with salted caramel sauce – yummmmm! photo from oddfellowsnyc.com]
[Later that night Mom arrived – yay!]
F R I D A Y
[Morning of meetings, then took the afternoon off to start our girls weekend!]
[We felt so fancy staying in the gorgeous St. Regis on 5th Avenue]
[Afternoon at the MoMa (Modern Museum of Art) browsing Van Gogh, Rothko, Matisse, Warhol and so much more. Ended with a rosé + the best onion dip ever in the statue garden]
[Dinner at Don Antonio’s in Hells Kitchen – more salad and pizza, that was just as amazing as the night before … maybe even a little better. Thanks for the recommendation Erin!]
[Tonight’s show: The Humans – 2016 Tony Award Winner for Best Play. Enjoyable, but not my favorite]
[My favorite part of staying at St. Regis – after coming back from a long day of walking, there would be slippers at the ready, water on the bedside table + classical music playing in the room. Can this be real life??]
S A T U R D A Y
[What a wake-up call – french-press coffee + NY Times hand-delivered. Okay maybe this was the best part!]
[Breakfast and goodies at Chelsea Market]
[Quick stroll on the High Line (which was incredible) before …]
Greenwich Village Food and Culture Walking Tour!
A 3-hour tour where we learned about the history, culture and architecture of the area and ate so.much.good.food. Seriously, this was amazing, and I can’t wait to do another one next time I’m in the city! The following photos are from the tour:
[First Stop: Joe’s Pizza aka the perfect, quintessential NYC pizza]
[Our favorite spot, that was so adorable – Palma. Will definitely come back here.]
[The Cornelia Street Cafe – where SJP and Matthew Broderick had their first date, where Eric Clapton randomly shows up the play the piano, and where you might run in to Taylor Swift because … ]
[she lives right next door!!! I almost died and went to heaven. This is her $40k/month rental while her home in Tribeca is being remodeled, in case you were wondering.]
[Rafele’s Ristorante with amazing eggplant + ricotta!]
[Where they filmed the opening of Friends!!]
Seriously, if you’re going to NYC you have to do one of these Food Walking Tours!!
[Drinks before dinner and a show at The Roof, Viceroy Hotel – how about those views of Central Park?!]
[Yay Matilda! Loved this movie growing up and the show was so so cute!]
S U N D A Y
[Officially obsessed with Levain, and will always make a stop here before heading home.]
[Brunch at Central Park Boathouse – this mac and cheese was everything.]
[Such an amazing trip with Mom I will never forget!]
xo xo
You might also enjoy photos from my last mother-daughter trip to NYC here.
Fayetteville Ale Trail
3 years ago, almost to the day, we did our very first ale trail with one of our favorite couples. This was way before the ale trail was even a thing.
I called it NWA Brew Hop, and wrote a blog post about it. (Of course.) What followed was our “Summer of Saddlebock”, and a growing love of local craft beer.
Since then, Fayetteville started the official Fayetteville Ale Trail complete with a passport to get stamped at each brewery.
Yesterday a group of us attempted the Ale Trail again. While we didn’t make it to all of the breweries (not sure we ever will), we sure did have a lot of fun and sure did drink a lot of beer.
1ST STOP : S A D D L E B O C K
2ND STOP : C O R E
3RD STOP : B L A C K A P P L E C R O S S I N G
4TH STOP : F O S S I L C O V E
FINAL STOP : A P P L E B L O S S O M
[Sadly, we didn’t get any pictures here. Probably because we were so dang hungry! And the food was delicious.]
B U S S E L F I E S
[Thanks, Abby for bringing the selfie stick! It was totally clutch.]
[Final selfie with the entire bus!]
Thanks to Pinnacle Limo for the ride – $30/person for 4 hours. And shoutout to our awesome driver, Don!
Who’s ready to do the North Route next weekend??
xo xo
Sunday nights.
As of late, I have been loving Sunday nights.
They’ve been following the same pattern for a few months, and the type A in me loves it.
Sunday nights mean comfort, and warmth, and family, and communication.
I love Fridays and Saturdays and the memories they bring – fun and friends and busy and irregular. But Sunday evenings are something special.
As we prepare for the week ahead, we clean and meal plan and grocery shop. (Not exactly my favorite things.)
But at 5pm, the cork comes out and the music comes on. We put a new record on the player, pour some wine and start cooking dinner together. Husband grilling steaks. Me prepping veggies and salad. Puppy moving from one of us to the other, dying to be in the middle of all the action. We talk about the week behind and the week ahead and the things we’re looking forward to.
After dinner, we catch up on our shared TV shows or watch an 80s movie from our list, then turn in early to read and rest up for the week.
Even as we’ve been traveling a lot lately, we’ve been home by midday Sunday and able to keep our cherished tradition. Or as I’ve been returning from work trips, Husband has meal-prepped ahead of time with wine ready so we can just enjoy each other after time apart.
It’s perfectly boring, perfectly an old married couple evening, and I’m perfectly content with it.
xo xo
Weekend Picturebook: Denver
[first stop – husband’s favorite brewery!]
[great tour + great beer – blood orange IPA]
[did some shopping on Pearl Street in Boulder]
[perfect date night at Larimer Square – it was so picturesque and adorable!]
[dinner on the patio at Osteria Marco]
[after-dinner champagne flights at Corridor 44 champagne bar]
[sunday morning brunch at Curtis Club – yes we will have all the champagne, please]
[coffee + exploring at Union Station]
[the most amazing tacos + churros I’ve ever had at Pinche Taqueria – we went here 3 years ago and had to fit it in again. it will always be a go-to every time we’re in Denver!]
[and finally, the main event – The National at Red Rocks!]
[such an amazing show in the most amazing venue – check out the Denver city lights in the background. these pictures don’t do it justice, but you must put Red Rocks on your bucket list!]
We had such an incredible time in one of our favorite cities to celebrate Husband’s 29th birthday. Unfortunately didn’t get a photo with our generous hosts – cousin Ellen and husband Lanny, but so wonderful spending time with family! ❤
xo xo
You might also enjoy: Picturebook: California Dreaming’, Aldermans Go Global: St. Lucia
life lately
{loving this || early morning porch time}
{celebrating this || becky’s birthday at theo’s}
{enjoying this || afternoon playing ball in the backyard}
{savoring this || a morning with mom at the farmer’s market}
{eating this || fresh farmer’s market peaches and ice cream. hellooo summer}
{obsessing over this || adorable juliet!}
xo xo
4th of July Staycation
The last month has been BUSY – St. Lucia, family wedding, work trip to LA. So I have been yearning for some serious time to relax and spend quality time with husband, for longer than just a few hours after work.
As we approached the 3-day weekend I realized we (surprisingly) didn’t have any plans. And I told husband I wanted to keep it that way (again, surprisingly).
Though I did have a few moments of FOMO this weekend, I quickly realized I really wasn’t missing out on anything. Maybe I’m just getting old, but I was perfectly content spending my 4th of July weekend at home.
S A T U R D A Y : W O R K D A Y
{16 bags of mulch later …. the couple who gardens together, stays together.
ps – I’m STILL sore}
S U N D A Y : F U N D A Y
{lunch + fruit tart at the in-laws}
{beer + good conversation + silliness with friends}
M O N D A Y : R E S T D A Y
{slept in with my girl}
{brunching at home}
{yoga with husband}
{started a new show and loving it … does anyone watch?!}
Not Pictured: Sitting on our front porch Sunday and Monday night, watching fireworks all across the horizon without having to deal with any traffic. I’d say that’s pretty perfect.
xo xo
Picturebook: Weir Wedding
B R I D A L S H O W E R
B A C H E L O R E T T E P A R T Y
{amazing cookies from sweet little sugar}
{burlesque chair dancing}
R E H E A R S A L D I N N E R
W E D D I N G D A Y !
{mimosas + hairdos at luxe beauty fayetteville}
{seriously obsessed with my hair! hairdresser called it “Vera Wang in the woods” – LOVE}
{the guys getting ready aka drinking beer}
{love these two!}
{hilarious photo of the bride calming her pre-wedding nerves. also shoutout to marcus for an amazing snapchat filter!}
{how gorgeous is this picture?! photographer: megan hampel}
{and we’re pretty cute too}
{my handsome date and brother of the bride}
{and this is practically the only picture I have from the after-party – on the fayetteville square at 3am. we’ll just leave it at that}
xo xo
life lately
A little pre- and a little post- vacation, here are some photos of my life lately.
{enjoying this || time with family for Mother’s Day}
{working this || bentonville film festival with bexx}
{obsessing over this || peonies, peonies, oh how I love peonies}
{celebrating this || adorable guy at his first birthday}
{yelling this || “who’s number 1? the customer! always!” at Walmart Shareholders}
{drinking this || lots and lots of beer at our 4th annual fayetteville foamfest}
xo xo
life lately
{celebrating this || an 80’s themed birthday for this beautiful lady #madeinthe80s}
{enjoying this || gorgeous weather + an art installation on my sunday afternoon walk}
{eyeing this || cute husband during happy hour}
{obsessed with this || perfect FNL mug, made even more perfect while watching little league practice from my porch}
{savoring this || wonderful girl time + delicious wine}
xo xo
Discover Arkansas: Stand Up Paddle Boarding
Ever since I heard about stand up paddle boarding a few years ago, it’s been on my bucket list. I have never been into water sports, but I love being in or near the water. I’ve tried surfing several times (fun fact: I went to surf camp in Santa Barbara for a week when I was in middle school) and enjoy it, but it’s still pretty hard. I thought this would be the perfect solution to be on the water, but not too strenuous.
When SUP first became popular it was only on the coast or in bigger cities. I knew it would take a while to come to NWA. I thought I would get an opportunity to try it before it did, but unfortunately did not. Today, husband and I tried it for the first time, and we are HOOKED. It was exactly like I imagined. I felt so at peace on the water, and just fell in love. Don’t get me wrong – it was hard at first. I was so unsure of myself and my “sea-legs” standing up on the board for the first time, but once you get it, you get it, and it’s like you’re walking on water.
We got up early (6am on a Sunday!) and drove about an hour to a section of Beaver Lake near Eureka Springs. We rented the boards through SUP Outfitters. It was the perfect time to be on the lake – there were no boats out yet, it was about 80 degrees and the water was so calm. It was absolutely beautiful. We had so much fun together exploring the lake. There was only one problem … it was too short! We went for an hour and time seemed to run out just as we were getting the hang of it. Next time, we’re planning to go for 2-3 hours and take a little cooler out with us. Who’s ready?!
After our morning on the lake, we headed to Eureka Springs for brunch at Local Flavor Cafe.
[the best appetizer: baked brie + blood orange mimosas]
[huevos rancheros – mine and husband’s favorite]
[cheers to all of our sides of the best cheese grits]
[love these beautiful ladies and all of the adventures we get to go on together! and love that we all wore the same hat!]
xo xo
Read all my Discover Arkansas posts here.
this is real [saturday]
an unvarnished look at my lazy saturday
[no judgment please – you know you have these days too]
8:30am
rolled out of bed, learned how to make aeropress coffee + spent an hour and a half leisurely talking to an old friend about life
10:30am
ZUMBA [the one non-lazy thing I’ve done today]
12pm
showered [only because I was soaked in sweat from zumba], didn’t put makeup on + and put my PJs back on
12:30pm
watched 3 episodes of friday night lights [bawled my eyes out at one episode, The Son], ate some ice cream to console myself
3pm
tried to take a nap, didn’t work out, so turned FNL back on
4pm
decided to get some sunshine, sat on the front porch + read 2 magazines
5:30pm
turned on FNL again for a final episode of the day + some blogging [okay, this might have turned into 2 more episodes]
next up: cooking dinner with the husband, backyard fetch with the pup + ending the lazy, hazy summer day with a movie and wine
xo xo
Blackberries for Days [Photos + Recipes]
[my bounty]
[skinny blackberry margaritas via – TIP: more tequila needed]
[blackberry & raspberry oatmeal crumble bars via]
[pioneer woman’s blackberry cobbler via]
[M’s blackberry cabernet sorbet via]
[E’s blackberry mojitos via]Photobook: NWA Food Festival
I’ve talked before about how excited I am about all the amazing things that are starting to come to my little hometown of Bentonville, Arkansas – a world-class museum, breweries, stylish new restaurants, a FILM FESTIVAL. Seriously, we’re growing up fast and I love it. We were actually just named one of the newest hipster towns across the US – hilarious, and awesome.
We’ve hosted the LPGA tournament for several years now, but for the first time ever this year we added a food festival at the Walmart AMP. Thursday night was Taste of NWA, showcasing 35 local restaurants featuring the best in southern comfort food. Friday night was a beer and burger fest that we did not attend – mostly because we didn’t have tickets, secondarily I don’t think I could have eaten that much two nights in a row.
We went Thursday night with some friends and had no clue what to expect since it was the first year. We left shocked at how much food and drink we consumed for such an affordable ticket price, and we had so much fun! It was hot. Boy, was it hot, but with a cold drink in one hand and a new food to taste in the other, we could get past the heat.
[one of our first stops – pedal pops. they loved us so much they took a pic and put us on their facebook page and we loved them so much we came back for seconds at the end of the night…]
[scattered throughout the food tents were breweries, wine tastings, bacardi and coke, and whiskey tastings (and some amazing iced coffee from kennedy’s that we really needed by the end)]
[love doing these fun things with husband!]
[and here you go, a picture of [almost] everything I ate. #dontjudgeme by the end we were all so full, but couldn’t stop because we wanted to try everything (which we couldn’t and didn’t). I was definitely in a food coma that night and into the next day, but it was so worth it.]
[end of the night pedal pops again + more beer – things started getting weird]
[wait, this was really the end of the night – the boys doing whiskey shots]
[had such a fun night with these wonderful friends!]
xo xo
Discover Arkansas: Whitaker Point/Hawksbill Crag
“Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
in the heavens.
Through the praise of children and infants
you have established a stronghold against your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.
When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?
You have made them a little lower than the angels
and crowned them with glory and honor.
You made them rulers over the works of your hands;
you put everything under their feet:
all flocks and herds,
and the animals of the wild,
the birds in the sky,
and the fish in the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.
Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!”
– Psalm 8
See all my Discover Arkansas posts here.
my three-day weekend in pictures
Saturday (and Sunday morning):
Celebrating John’s 29th Birthday all day … Pizza + Beer, Arcadia Retrograde, Party Time
Sunday:
Sleeping in + Lake Day
Monday:
Husband’s first 5k (in the rain), Brunch, Nap + Everything we procrastinated doing all weekend
How was your three-day weekend?
xo xo
End of Summer To-Do List
The end of summer is near. Or at least it feels like it now school is back in session and everyone is talking about football, PSL and new boots. But it really doesn’t feel like it at all. It’s the average August in Arkansas, aka 100 degrees by 10am.
If you ask, I’ll tell you I’m so ready for fall and everything that comes with it. However, with the month or so left of hot weather, I’m holding on to the last few bits of summer to round out my summer to-do list.
I typically make a summer bucket list every year. I posted this one last year: Summer-ish Things and this one in 2010: Endless Summer. There are a lot of similarities – always canoeing/floating (which happened this year for the first time in years!) and always going to the drive-in (which never seems to happen). But this year we will try again!
Accomplished:
1. Road trip + the BEACH
2. Floating
3. Host a party
4. Brewery hopping
5. Outdoor concert
6. Hang by the pool, good book and drink in hand
7. Consistent games of catch with puppy after work
8. Start running
9. Perfect a summer recipe
10. Stay up super late pretending like we have nothing better to do the next day than sleep in, a la high school and college summers
Still on the list:
1. Stand up paddle boarding
2. Drive-in movie
3. Water park
4. Floating (again!)
5. Do something ridiculously spontaneous
6. Lake time
Who wants to cross any of these off with me??
xo xo
life lately
{floating this // the Illinois River with these awesome people}
{working this // Walmart Blogger Day in San Jose, CA}
{celebrating this // husband’s 27th birthday!}
{visiting this // family home in Magnolia, Ark. where my parents got married 41 years ago}
{enjoying this // beautiful night to see Steve Martin, Edie Brickell and the Steep Canyon Rangers at the AMP}
{celebrating this // our new home at our official housewarming party!}
xo xo
10 Signs of a Successful Housewarming Party
1. There are blue feathers literally everywhere. You find some 2 days later in the front bushes.
2. Someone loses their wallet.
3. You’re literally the last pizza delivery order of the night at 1am.
4. You develop a name on the spot for the punch everyone is gushing over. (SDP aka Sam’s Delicious Punch)
5. You spend way too long trying to perfect the jumping picture.
6. You also spend way too long trying to perfect the Moscow Mule.
7. You end up with more alcohol than you started with.
8. All your food gets eaten. Even your leftovers in the refrigerator.
9. There’s a (fake) sword fight on the front lawn.
10. You take a 4-hour nap the next day.
I’d say our house is officially warmed.
xo xo
m.davis xoxo 
