life lately

[celebrating this || 7 years of marriage with my favorite guy <3]
[enjoying this || a cool dip in my new pool]
[watching this || ocean’s 8 with my girl tribe!]
[loving this || wonderful deck-warming party with drinks, lawn games + the cutest cookies]
[eating this || a gorgeous and delicious meal at Preacher’s Son]
[stuffing ourselves at this || BITE NWA, two nights in a row, and it was oh so worth it]
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
Aldermans Go Global: St. Lucia
D A Y 1
{The first views of the hotel were amazing – Calabash Cove Resort & Spa. I’ll never forget husband’s face when he stepped out of the car and saw our hotel for the first time.}
{We got to our room just in time to watch the breathtaking sunset}
D A Y 2
{Of course it rained our entire first full day. Not just rained, down poured, even though it’s the dry season on the island.}
{We still found ways to pass the time and relax, with good food (prosciutto grilled cheese with mango salsa), good drinks (pina colada) and good books.}
D A Y 3
{We laid in bed and listened to more rain (ugh!), but then it stopped … and we went on the balcony… and saw this. Oh my gosh I couldn’t believe it. I’ve never seen two sides of the rainbow and this was more gorgeous than I could have ever imagined.}
{It still rained off and on all day, but we couldn’t wait any longer for the pool. Note the swim-up pool bar, that we frequented often where they made us fancy drinks ….}
{Cue fancy drinks – this one was called the Bob Marley and our favorite drink made by Chris aka Mr. Fabulous}
D A Y 4
{I woke up really early, so walked down to the beach with my book (check out my vacation book reviews here)}
{And then came back to our balcony for breakfast. We loved having breakfast delivered to our balcony every morning. How could you not, with these views?? (and french press coffee and fresh local fruit!)}
{Another day, another drink, another amazing day in the Caribbean}
{An end to an amazing day}
D A Y 5
{Our Catamaran for the day, leaving from the beautiful Marigot Bay}
{We met these two ladies from Missouri celebrating their 55th birthdays and decided to boat together}
{Amazing day on the water traveling from Marigot Bay to the Pitons and snorkeling (for the first time!). It was the highlight of our trip!}
D A Y 6
{Started the day off with an amazing couples massage in the gazebo – seriously, the best massage I’ve ever had}
{Then headed to our private beach for some paddle boarding (didn’t work out so well, ask me about the story) and some two-person kayaking (which was a lot of fun)}
{And back to the pool for our last round of drinks at the swim-up bar}
{Last night on the island – sipping champagne, watching the sunset and talking about our next trip to St. Lucia – for our 10-year anniversary!}
D A Y 7
{Before heading to the airport we had just enough time to drink one more Piton beer, walk the grounds again and take a final picture}
We had such an amazing time celebrating our 5-year anniversary in St. Lucia and at Calabash Cove. We would highly recommend this resort to anyone traveling to the island. It was small and quiet, but with everything you could possibly need. We felt like we were the only ones at the resort, with the pool and beach practically to ourselves.
Not to mention the food … wow!! Chef specials every night made it so hard to choose what to eat. A few of our dishes included: Oven Roasted Whole Duck (the best duck I’ve ever had), Mahi Mahi with Mango Salsa, Red Snapper Filet with Chorizo Risotto, Indian Lamb Curry (this was amaaaazing), Jerked Shrimp (that we ate every single night as an appetizer), Banana Flambe, Homemade Pumpkin Pie with Pistachio Ice Cream … the list goes on and on. We were all-inclusive, so every night we shared a different bottle of wine, appetizers, main course and desserts. Needless to say, we gained a few pounds and are now on the post-vacation diet, but it was oh so worth it.
Here’s to our next 5 years together!
xo xo
You might also enjoy: Alderman’s Go Global: London, Paris, Munich
An Open Letter to my Husband on our 3rd Anniversary
Dear Husband,
I love you. Do you know how much I love you, day in and day out?
On our last anniversary, we spent an evening at dinner discussing what the next year would hold for us. It was such an exciting, joyous thing to dream about the future.
Well, the future came, and it wasn’t quite what we expected, in good ways and in bad. We bought a house. We lost a parent. We got promotions. We dealt with an illness of a close friend.
We couldn’t anticipate what the next year held, but I could anticipate one thing. There’s no one else I would rather go through any of it with than you.
That’s what makes a marriage. Not just enjoying the good times, loving each other and laughing with each other. But holding each other in the hurt and pain. Reassuring each other. Listening to each other. Praying for each other. Not necessarily understanding each other, but being there no matter what.
I watch our wedding video below, for surely the thousandth time, and I can remember our day so well. What I remember most is not how perfect the day was, but how excited I was to bind myself to you for life. To start our life together.
Well, we’re three years in, love, and I think we’re doing just fine.
Always and forever,
M
You’ve Got the Love I Need to See Me Through

Sometimes I feel like throwing my hands up in the air
I know I can count on you
Sometimes I feel like saying “Lord I just don’t care”
But you’ve got the love I need to see me throughSometimes it seems the going is just too rough
And things go wrong no matter what I do
Now and then it seems that life is just too much
But you’ve got the love I need to see me throughTime after time I think “Oh Lord what’s the use?”
Time after time I think it’s just no good
‘Cause sooner or later in life, the things you love you lose
But you got the love I need to see me through
* * *
Happy second anniversary!
I love you, husband. Always & forever. xo
You can see a snapshot of our wedding in my post 5.28.11.