Memphis, TN

Dear Memphis,

You take good care of me :) You remind me how cheap and delicious food should be. You take me back to my partying roots. You surround me with friends and family I love so dearly. But, mainly, you are and always will be my first home. So Memphis, I will love you forever - even if you sucked the life out of my camera's battery the first day I was there. So even though this post is a compilation of iPhone photos, the pictures are still wonderful since there is some Memphis love in them.

I ended up staying a few days longer than expected and my long weekend trip turned into a week long trip! I spent my time helping my sister move into her new apartment downtown, hanging out with loved ones, and eating all of my favorite Memphis food - including Pho Binh's lunch buffet three times...yes 3/6 days I was there I ate Pho Binh (their lemongrass tofu is addictive). 

This trip made me feel as if I never left Memphis to begin with. It was hard saying goodbye since I don't know the next time I will be back. Safe to say I didn't want to leave my wonderful friends and pretty city :) Yet, as my train pulled away, I was satisfied knowing that the next time I visit I will be greeted by open, loving arms! I can't wait!

^^Annie's new patio with views of the river

^^Best chicken in the world - Gus's

^^Mango lemonade and a nerve racking game of Jenga at lunchbox eats!

 Dog picnic at the river - which included dog selfies and long walks

The 4th & More

Oh hey everyone! It's been a while hasn't it?! Life has been a little nutso lately - my sister and friends came into town, the 4th of July flew by, Chicago Gay Pride Parade took place, and I got a promotion and a raise at work! Woohoo!! So here are a few pictures from the past two weeks.

The fourth of July in my hometown is the most amazing day of the year. The whole town is out celebrating and enjoying the holiday. It's a mixture of a seeing old friends, partying, watching a HUGE parade, and finally fireworks at the pier. This year my sister and a few of our friends came into town for the 4th, which made the day even better! We decided to end the holiday weekend at a Cub's game - and what is super awesome is that the tickets we bought off craigstlist came with free t-shirts! Right now I'm attempting to recover from this crazy, fast paced weekend! What did you all do this holiday weekend?!

Weekend Trip - Ann Arbor, MI

Last Wednesday I received a facebook invite from my grand friend Emily to attend her housewarming party in Ann Arbor, MI.  I sighed and thought to myself I would love too, but it's too far away and I have responsibilities and yada yada yada. I was about to click decline when Luke reminded me that it was my weekend off from work and we should just go. "We'll make a weekend of it," he said, and that is just what we did! I haven't taken a spontaneous trip in a while and, quiet honestly, it was the best decision I have made in a while. We spent the weekend going out for drinks, eating delicious meals, wandering around farmers markets, and playing with Emily's cute cat Boone! On the way back from MI we stopped at the Indiana Sand Dunes for a quick swim. Luckily, we visited the Dunes before this happened... Yikes!! Finally, we topped the weekend off by seeing Lord Huron and Milo Green at Taste of Randolph. I couldn't have asked for a better weekend off! A big thank you to Luke for being our spontaneous plan maker and to Emily for being an unbelievable host!

Just letting Boone hang out - see what I did there ;)

The beach and Sangria! What more could a girl ask for?!

A Hint of Summer

Per usual, the weather in Chicagoland cannot make up its mind. Last night I was wearing a jacket (which I didn't mind because it was a new, exciting purchase) and today I found myself in a bathing suit. Being the Midwest girl I am, I knew I had to take advantage of the unexpected sunny day and participate in some summer pastimes. Floppy hat - Check! Laying by the pool - Check! Nail painting - Check! Bike rides - Check! And who better to do it with than a wonderful friend :) It was an almost perfect day until I got a city violation for talking on my phone while driving. Sad moment. But in all honesty, I haven't been back home in so long that I had no idea the rules changed! Lesson learned! Even with that speed bump (no pun intended) it was still a lovely summer day.

How have you all spent these warm days?!

Virginia - Highland County

For our second part of the trip, Liza and I spent a few nights in a beautiful house in Highland County. Our days were spent reading by the creek and exploring the property. During the nighttime we ate too much cheese, drank local wine, and star gazed. We watched the most amazing shooting star fall so slowly through the sky it seemed unreal! The weather was mostly sunny with big white clouds but, on the second day, the weather cooled down and we witnessed some storms roll through the valley. It was magnificent to watch! Virginia's beauty has once again won my heart over! I look forward to the next time I can escape into the mountains with Miss Liz! Thank you Liza for such a lovely trip :)

On a side note - Yes, from now on I promise to never shoot my video vertical. Lesson learned :)