yosemite, part II.

{Part I here.}

I can't believe I've come to the end of my posts from this summer's trip...and we're only in December! :) As I mentioned in my previous post, Yosemite is a really special place. There's something so magically wonderful about National parks. To think about the people that have been visiting these places and admiring the scenery for so many years makes me feel really connected to history and I like that feeling. It amazes me that all those years ago, people had the forethought to mark Yosemite as a place to be preserved and that people still enjoy it today.

I hope you all enjoyed reading about our trip out to the Pacific Northwest. It was really exciting and fun to be a small part of Jeffrey's journey and explore new places with my family. xo, R.

{Read all the posts from this trip here.}

san francisco.

Jeffrey and Derek ended their bicycle tour in San Francisco. After crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, they would be finished. I think riding over the Golden Gate Bridge is probably the most spectacular way to end such a memorable event. It was such an honor and a pleasure to be there as they finished a tour they had been dreaming of and planning for for such a long time. As they crossed over the bridge, it was really cold and foggy. It remained that way for the rest of our time in the city. We spent a couple days sightseeing and popping into places my sister had recommended (Tartine, Ike's Place, Paxton Gate). We rode on the cable car, saw the sea lions (there was only one), stopped into City Light Books and enjoyed being a part of the hustle and bustle of the city. xo, R.

P.S. More posts from this trip.

happy thanksgiving.

I hope you have a happy, healthy, lovely Thanksgiving. This year I am thankful for so many things; it's difficult to put it all into words. I am thankful for the love and support of my family. I am thankful for the companionship and adoration of my Jeffrey. I am thankful for the friendship and kindness of my sister and her husband. I'm thankful for the encouragement and reliability of my friends. I am thankful for the cuteness and fuzziness of my sweet pup. I'm also thankful for you, my sweet readers. Thanks for sticking around. What are you thankful for? xo, R.

P.S. The Thankful Week :)

sister's birthday festivities.

 

 

Hello, friends! My sister's birthday was last Monday, but my parents came up the weekend before, so we did a bit of celebrating while they were here. We had such a lovely evening, complete with homemade pizza, outside eating, a peanut butter + chocolate cake, and presents. It is such a joy to celebrate a person you love with the people you love. xo, R.

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{1} Little outdoor dining area; {2 // 3 // 4} Pizza prep (basil + green peppers, caramelized onions, cheese); {5} The spread (butternut squash pizza with fried sage leaves); {6} More Josh Stover Ceramics; {7} The aftermath

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birthday festivities.

It's hard to believe that my birthday was already over a month ago. It seems like fall always goes by really quickly. The combination of anticipation for the holiday season and the rush of a new school year seems to make the autumn months really rush by. Since October is my favorite month, this realization always make me feel a bit sad, which is why I have no problem reliving this year's birthday celebration.

I went home for the weekend and it was just the four of us as a family. That almost never happens. It was so special for it to be just us. Jeffrey happened to be out of town and Mark was attending a conference, so they couldn't make it. They were certainly missed, but the four of us had a lovely time. We went to the Saturday morning farmers' market (which was boiling hot), the scrapbook store, one of my favorite lunch spots, Anthropologie, and out to a restaurant with the very best Vegetable Pad Thai I've ever tasted. Thinking of it makes me want a big plate full with a big, big glass of Thai iced tea to go with it! xo, R.

little snapshots.

This weekend my parents visited, which meant Target runs, lunch at Satchel's, lazy mornings on the Starbucks patio, breakfast for dinner, and lots of wonderful chit chat. My mom kept remarking that visiting our little apartment was like a mini vacation and I have to agree that our cozy little abode is quite lovely and the perfect place to come home to after a long day. 
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{1} A beautiful new begonia I picked up to join our front porch floral family.
{2} A small collection of pillows Jeffrey has made for me over the years.
{3} Marble-Rye bread for this week's sandwiches.
{4} Vanilla Chai hand soap that smells like concentrated fall (and matches our pink bathroom tiles quite well).
{5} Fall colored bouquet.
{6} Jack-O-Lantern erasers for my sweet students.

I hope you all had a marvelous weekend. I'd love to hear about it. xo, R.

the time i saw elk! + cataloochee.

I have seen deer plenty of times, yet a spotting still makes me very giddy and excited every time it happens. However, I have never, ever seen an elk, my friends. Not even once. So, you can probably imagine my absolute excitement when we spotted not one, not two, but five elks! FIVE! I mean, honestly. I don't know why I was in such utter shock and disbelief, but I was. And, really, that just made our sightings so. much. better.

The sighting took place at Cataloochee, which is a portion of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The history there is sort of unbelievable. Over one thousand people were displaced in the 1900s because the area was taken over by the government as national park land. Most homes and landmarks were destroyed in order to preserve the natural state of the area. Some years later, it was determined that the buildings on the property were actually quite interesting and historical, so a handful remain. I can't imagine the simple and beautiful lives these families led before they were asked to relocate. These people had a community, a network that they knew and relied on. Churches and barns and small family cemeteries. The fact that the government took over this land in order to preserve its pristine beauty is absolutely wonderful, but I found myself wondering if the families who built their lives on the land ever found as beautiful a settlement. It would be hard to believe they did.

P.S. That concludes my North Carolina posts. I hope you enjoyed them! I certainly enjoyed recapping them and nestling that special memory here in my blog archives! xo, R.

penland school of crafts.

I wanted to live here. I would have moved in right then and there had the option been available to me. I mean, it would be impossible not to be inspired here. Penland School of Crafts was started by a little lady in the early 1900s and still serves its original purpose. Artists can come from all over to take classes that cater to a various number of trades (ceramics! letterpress! metals! painting + drawing!). Anyone can come and take a class here! I think that's awesome. Plus, I think it's neat that it's still functioning and supported by people who believe in allowing artists to express their talents in the most beautiful of places. It all made me feel very happy!

the nutmeg bakery cafe + blue ridge parkway.

Hello, my sweet readers. I hope you had the loveliest weekend! Today I have another post from our North Carolina trip and I happen to be very fond of this particular day! Why? We found the most wonderful cafe I've been to in a long time. The Nutmeg Bakery Cafe is home to the best bagel I've ever tasted (and I've had a New York bagel!) and our sandwich had a piece of pecan smoked bacon on it that was out of this world! I love breakfast sandwiches, but I am now indebted to this one, specifically. I'm anxious to go back to North Carolina if only for one of these sandwiches, and that's crazy talk, my friends!

After we got our breakfast sandwiches (and the smell wafted temptingly through our car) we headed down the Blue Ridge Parkway until we discovered a lookout point that would be suitable for our breakfast picnic. The Blue Ridge mountains are honestly breathtakingly beautiful and I think they are a sight which everyone should behold at some point in their lives. True, natural beauty at its finest. xo, R.