Going Home…

After one whole year away from all the beautiful people I love dearly and have MISSED EVERY SINGLE DAY(like you wouldn’t even understand) I simply had to go home.

My life would of course be much easier if all of my friends and family were located in the same city, but like most families, they are strewn out around the United States.

It’s always going to be challenging to see all of the folks that I would like to when I visit. It’s simply not possible. I will also miss weddings, births, and killer dinner parties whilst I’m abroad.

This is just a sad reality of my spectacularly fun new life. ;(

We flew into Cleveland first because that’s where a big chunk of my family live.

My beautiful Aunts did their best to make our stay the most relaxing and fun few days imaginable…

I even got to spend some quality time with the family pets!

And no trip to CLE is complete without stopping by Cedar Point.

We rodes some epic and terrifying coasters…

Ate some massive BBQ turkey legs…

Then we passed out from jet lag exhaustion!

Followed by a quick flight to Nashville!!

I immediately had a bar party and invited everyone to come out and give me a year’s worth of hugs.

They complied!

Toasts were made…

I was so excited to spend time with some of my besties…

And baby!

OOooohhh baby!

This one made me want one of my own…

Even with fussy scrunched up sad baby face…

There were lots of babies being made whilst I was away…

Big fat squooshy pretty babies!!!

And some of the babies I knew a year ago weren’t babies anymore, but little tiny people…

Simon made some new friends as well…Of the furry variety…

And the wacky-conspiracy-theory-Jesus-loving-rocker-chick variety…

Crazy girls are the hottest. Always. That is a fact.

LOVE YOU LALA. Forevs. PS. Her Dad MIGHT be Ziggy Stardust. FYI.

Moving on…

My mom was as pretty as I remember her being…

My brother was still a massive fantasy football dweeb…

Gorgeous sunny Murphmurph was just as gorgeous and sunny as ever…

Becca was still awesome and smart and sharing her love of great food…

She and her fantastic fiance took us out to Dinner at Silo http://www.silotn.com

Exceptional and elevated Southern cuisine welcoming me home proved to be JUST what I needed…

Especially deviled eggs three ways…

Deep fried greenbeans…

And pork belly…

We even visited my beloved Bombay Palace http://www.bombaypalacetn.com/

They were all super excited to see me too! Awwwwww!

Actually, we did a lot of eating.

And of course, we had to work some of it off…

No better place than Edwin Warner Park…

So that was our trip back to Nashville via Cleveland. A ton of photos I know, but some super wonderful days with friends and family! Hopefully I’ll be back sooner than later and can see more of my loved ones this time! See ya soon Nashville xx

One last Spain post for my foodies…

I just wanted to share some of the food I DEVOURED in Spain for those of you who live to eat…

I promise I’ll be quick!

A simple lunch…

Followed by a decadent dinner…

Tomato and goat cheese salad

Beef carpaccio with sheep’s-milk cheese

Tuna carpaccio with pink peppercorn and dill

Filet mignon with foie

Vanilla bean panna cotta with black currants…

Me pre-FACESTUFF

Me in action!

Grilled calamari for another yummy lunch…

A little scampi party…

Tasty tapas…

That is all! I hope you salivated at least a little!

Next up: LONG overdue Nashville Trip posts!!!

Christmas in Spain…

Hi Friends. Sorry it takes me forever and ever to post lately.
I’m a busy little worker bee in hustle-y bustle-y ole Londontown. You must forgive me!

Needless to say, spending Christmas in Spain was exceptionally cool (as you have probably surmised from my last few posts).

I don’t celebrate Christmas for religious reasons (because I’m not a religious lady) but to be honest, I LOVE the aesthetic of Christmas.

Big fat glittery Christmas trees and shiny foil wrapping paper get me all swoony inside.

Eggnog, chocolate truffles, and roasted meat? Yes please.

To get to do, see, and experience all of these things in fancy pants Spain with my beautiful and FUN Spanish family was simply the best.

There was so much food. So many presents. It was quite simply the loveliest and merriest of Christmases I could imagine ever having.

I present it to you with limited comment!

The boys worked hard to prepare Christmas dinner…

They even served everyone!

My paleo plate!

The wine began to flow and so did the laughter!

And then the machetes?

And of course…dishes were tackled…

Snuggles were had…

Feliz Navidad!!!!! xx

Becca’s visit!

Leaving Nashville a year ago was a mixed bag.
I was super sad to leave my friends and family, but extremely excited to marry my sweetheart and stoked to be starting a new life in London.

I worried that no one would ever come visit me.

I mean, I did move 4,000 miles away and across the Atlantic Ocean.
Tickets are expensive and taking time off work is tough(especially for Americans).

But lo and behold, this has not stopped people from continuing to make the journey.

Which, makes me feel REALLY LOVED.

I’m sure it doesn’t hurt that I happen live in one of the coolest city’s in the world, but I like to think that it’s only a tiny part of why people have made the trip.

Becca is one of my GIRLS!
We worked together for years and she is probably the most reliable and trustworthy person I know.
She also threw my bachelorette brunch and has generally just always been an incredibly great friend to me.

When I found out she was going to come visit me I literally jumped up and down in my bedroom screaming “BECCA’S GONNA COME SEEEEEE MEEEEEEE!!!!!” at the top of my lungs while my dog looked at me with distinct disapproval of my volume level.

We had a REALLY good time and saw ALL OF THE THINGS.

We were out and about every single day walking (and shopping) our butts off.

I have photographic evidence of all the funtimes.
Most of the photos are of Becca because she’s just really super pretty.

A day exploring Greenwich…

The Prime Meridian Line-where time begins!

Becca is also a MAJOR Harry Potter fan.
She took a bus one of the days she was visiting and went on a 3 hour superfan tour the Studio where they filmed all of the HP movies.

All by herself. Awwwww..

Bearing this in mind, it was simply imperative that she visit the Millenium Bridge as it is apparently featured in a scene of one of the films where some scary smoke monster thing flies over it or destroys it or something?

Clearly I haven’t seen the films.

She was a little excited.

Simply adorable.

Here we are slurping down a few beautiful craft cocktails at Bar Social…

And then snarfing down some gorgeously sinful pizza in Shoreditch…

And beer…

And the prettiest little butter lettuce & avocado salad…

Did I mention that Sir Noodles fell in love with Becca during her stay?

(she’s totally channeling some ultra hot Uma Thurman in this shot)

Exploring Salisbury + Salisbury Cathedral with the hubbs and the Noodz.

Sunday Roast…

Let’s all just take a moment of silence for how breathtaking my friend is.

Unfortunately she couldn’t stay forever and had to go home. SADFACE.

Til next time!

xxoo

The things we ate in Italy…

After much purposeful procrastination I shall begin sharing my plentiful Italy photographs, starting with FOOD!

(FYI, some of these are cheeky iPhone shots and obviously not as great as my Olympus ones)

The Italy party started in the Airport lounge. As it should!
Red wine and mimosas!

ITALIA!

Let’s talk about the food! It was all about the food.
Eating the food. And then eating more of said food.
Rinse, Repeat. You dig?

Our first meal in Rome…

Tomato Bruschetta…

Caco e Pepe…

Great little spot near our flat…mostly cold items, salads and such.

Rocket with white bean, cherry tomato, mozzarella, and tuna.

One of my MANY glasses of white wine…

Caprese salad…

Gelato and I became best friends! OBVIOUSLY.

Wine and cicchetti…

Mountains of sweets…

And a chocolate festival for Valentine’s Day!

Homemade Caprese…

Spoils from the market…

Let there be PASTA!

And grilled vegetables…

At all times you must have your eating face on!

Ristorante La Spada in Florence…

Chicken Liver Pate…

Mushroom Ravioli…

Happiest little carb loading face you ever did see!

VALENTINE’S DAY FEAST!
Antica Trattoria “da Tito” dal 1913…AKA BEST STEAK EVER CONSUMED. EVER.

Swordfish, pomegranate, and grapefruit Carpaccio…

Raw Artichoke and Parmesan Salad…

The biggest Florentine Steak ever. Served Rare.

Chocolate cake of happiness…

WE DIED that night. We were reborn. I found god. God is a steak in Florence.

Did I mention that I used to be mostly vegetarian?

Look at this gorgeous charcuterie platter!

I even ate TRIPE Gnocchi…that is COW STOMACH.

More Wine!

Stuffed Squid, potatoes, and pesto.

Grilled vegetables and fried seafood yummies…FRITO MISTO!

Fluffy Ravioli with magic thyme butter.

Another outstanding charcuterie!

On our last night in Florence we ordered another breath taking Florentine steak.

We died again. Seriously. DIED. DEAD.

In Venice, the seafood is outstanding and plentiful.
You pick it, they cook it…

Birthday Dinner…

Frito Misto…

And Bellinis!

We found ourselves thoroughly exhausted in Murano, so we ate more Frito Misto!!

I think I ate squid, octopus, or cuttlefish at least twice per day in Venice…mmmmmmm.

I managed to crow bar in as many veggies as I could…

I leave you with our most strenuous feast.
(MY most epic act of sheer Miss. Piggy style gluttony really…)

The night of 5 desserts.

We dined at Piccalo Arancio (The Little Orange)

We ate everything in sight.

I grabbed Gelato ON THE WAY TO THE RESTAURANT like a fat girl.

This counts as Dessert #1.

Then ordered a charcuterie platter, fried artichokes and stuffed zucchini blossoms.

Followed by Orange Ravioli…

Swordfish in a Neapolitan sauce…

Dessert #2 Creme Caramel…

Dessert #3 Tiramisu…

I am a fat happy piggy.

OH NO ALL MY SWEETS ARE GONE!

MOOAARR!!!!!!!!

Dessert #4 Panna Cotta with berries…

I’m starting to feel light headed at this point…

So I ordered Dessert #5 Espresso and cookies thus completing my sinful evening of mostly sugar.

No one can ever say that I’m not a dessert person.

Stay tuned for MANY more Italy postings! xxoo

Grouse House Bed and Breakfast Edinburgh

How have I lived this long and not ONLY stayed in bed & breakfasts when I travel?

Somehow I had it in my head that they were these weird old musty houses with green shag carpeting stocked with uber creepy victorian doll collections.
I don’t need some demon doll glaring at me in its crocheted doily dress as I chow down on my cornflakes the next morning.

Not my idea of R&R.

Are they not strictly for couples going away to have a zen weekend to fix some personal issues and sleep in all day?

Apparently you can just stay in them like regular hotels, except for the fact that they are adorable and cozy and don’t charge you for every little thing.

WHO KNEW? AND WHY DID YOU KEEP THIS FROM ME?

Grouse House is sort of the champion of the B&B. No really. It is.

The ideal that all other B&B’s should model themselves after.

Pretty much every little detail you could dream up, the owner Dean has already got sorted out for you.

And he’s actually a NICE person.
He’ll talk to you and give you sound advice on where to go and what to avoid while you are visiting and really mean it!

And the rooms are decorated with charm and modern style.
No crappy wallpaper, no pink carpeting from 1983.

Warm and inviting with tons of character and whimsy. Without being cutesy.
Just clean and calm and CHILL.

Dean was nice enough to let me poke around and take photos the morning that we checked out.

(After the biggest most spectacular breakfast accompanied by awesome tunes and candles glowing on the hearth!)

EVERY Bathroom should have room spray. Period. End of discussion. Dean knows!

The dining room is incredibly beautiful and peaceful.
Grab a seat, have a cup of coffee.
R-E-L-A-X.

If you ever find yourself in need of the best sleep of your life, the friendliest B&B host, the heartiest breakfast, and the hottest shower you have ever taken…look no further my friends…mystery solved!

http://www.edinburghsgrousehouse.co.uk/index.html

Til we meet again Grouse House! Keep making people happy! xx

EDINBURGH IN 24 HOURS…

It’s a shame when you only have a short amount of time in a spectacularly cool and ancient city like Edinburgh.

I suppose it’s not that ancient.

Wait, wait…prior to the 7th century is pretty damn old… don’t you think?

Welllll…honestly everything is pretty ancient in comparison to Nashville.

It doesn’t matter, I’m not here to get into a history argument.

And as much as I’m sure everyone would appreciate me being the consumate tour guide and explaining by every little detail is in my photos, I’d rather just post them and if you have a question, please ask me in the comments.

EXAMPLE:

YOU “Where was that cool graveyard photo taken?”

ME: “WHY THANK YOU FOR NOTICING HOW COOL IT IS! THAT WAS TAKEN AT ST. ANDREWS ABBEY. OR WHAT’S LEFT OF IT! HAR HAR.”

YOU: “OH YOU ARE SO FUNNY! AND I LOVE YOUR BLOG. CAN I SMELL YOUR HAIR AND BE YOUR FRIEND?”

ME: “YOU HAVE TO PAY THE MEMBERSHIP FEE.”

YOU: “OKAY SURE! WHAT IS IT?”

ME: “TWO LAVENDER PONIES WITH SPARKLY HOOVES, A UNICORN THAT SMELLS LIKE BUBBLEGUM AND SUNSHINE, AN OCTOPUS THAT CAN LIVE SAFELY IN MY WARDROBE, AND FRONT ROW TICKETS TO BJORK.”

YOU: “UMMMMMMM…I DON’T THINK I CAN GET THOSE THINGS FOR YOU.”

ME: “I DON’T THINK WE CAN BE FRIENDS.”

Something like that.

This isn’t to say that at times I won’t find myself feeling extraordinarily poetic and explanatory.
It’s very likely.

Sometimes I just don’t FEEL like it.

I’m sure you have days like that too.

Often, I just want you to look at my photos (or not look at them…I really don’t care) and be inspired to travel your pants off.

So, without further babbling…checked out the gray and marvelous city of EDINBURGH!!!!!!!!!!

Sidenote for above photo: Okay, I’m being totally honest here. I’ve had a dream with this in it since I was a little girl. This exact photograph. Serious as a heart attack. I’d never seen it before I took this photo. Except in my repeat dream. No idea what that means, but there it is.
Freaked me out pretty good.

BY THE WAY, APPARENTLY THERE ARE NO FAST WALKING MEN IN 70′S LEISURE SUITS ALLOWED IN EDINBURGH CASTLE. JUSTSOYOUKNOW.

I’m not going to lie. This ain’t no Hampton Court y’all. (Don’t I sound snobby!)

I think most of the things in the castle were on loan from London museums. Which, is sort of messed up.

Hey London, Give Scotland back it’s stuff.

THIS IS THE EDINBURGH SCHOOL OF UNICORNS

FANCY PANTS TEA TIME FOR ME!! IN SCOTLAND! WITH MY HUSBAND!

ACTION SHOTS!

The days winds down…

One more Unicorn for the road…

Next up…the AMAZING B&B where we stayed in Edinburgh!!

Scotland O Scotland

I have always wanted to go to Scotland.
More than most people…and I’m not exactly sure why.
I probably watched too much Braveheart growing up.

Oh wait, maybe it’s the accent. I LOVE that accent.

Or the sheep.

Or these MASSIVELY ADORABLE HIGHLAND COWS.

(BTW, Rob Manningham took this great shot, not moi)

UGH. WANT ONE. Soooooo bad.

No matter!

The point is, I have ALWAYS wanted to visit Scotland and I finally got my wish!

HOORAY!

First Stop, St. Andrews!

Lunch was at Mitchell Deli…http://www.mitchellsdeli.co.uk/#

The Decor reminded me very much of Marche and Margot from Nashville…

And the food was AMAZING.

NEXT UP, EDINBURGH!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hampton Court

It is becoming more and more evident that I should have been born a princess.

I am absolutely and utterly obsessed with castles and the sordid history of royals past…it is all consuming.

I am bewitched by the tales of King Henry VIII and the saga of his SIX wives.

I watched the Showtime series “The Tudors” like it was my job, and have also read several books about Ann Boleyn and Henry VIII… never tiring of the story.

A few weeks ago, I actually got to visit Hampton Court.

My eyes were operating on overdrive and my tiny little heart just fluttered away inside my chest as we strolled around the Palace.

Hampton Court is infinitely beautiful.

I have this fixation with windows.

It is difficult to comprehend fully that Catherine of Aragon looked out of these very same windows.

Unaware of the turmoil she faced…

That her King would lust after Anne Boleyn so much…going to the most desperate of lengths to possess her.

And that this beguiling woman would become his new Queen, only to be cast aside and sentenced to death when she could not provide an heir and gossip prevailed…

The sheer scale of Hampton Court…

The soaring ceilings….

The exquisite frescos, super-saturated with color…

What hands have opened these doors? To what end?

Grandiose rooms…

Ghosts that have left their mark…

Crystal chandeliers and marble staircases…

Massive kitchens…

What horrors have been seen by these mirrors? What secrets?

How can we process all of this beauty?

Gardens that bring tears to your eyes…or MY eyes at least…

Bask in the majesty…

The tiny details…

I really should be sauntering around in a mammoth gown right now…dripping in gems…

Surrounded by so much magic…

The air is electrified…

There is this immense feeling that you are being watched…

And I’ve never been happier…

Bachelorette Babes

I was just about to FINALLY post some of the photos from our actual wedding this past September when I realized that I have yet to even post the shots from my Bachelorette Brunch.

Jeez.

My blog is starting to turn into Memento.

In my defense, I have been all sorts of busy and sometimes I just get so excited about a set of photographs that I just can’t wait to post them.

So pretty much the last 6 months of posts are totally out of whack.

Honestly it’s probably a pretty accurate representation of how hectic my life has been these last few months. So whatever.

Anyhoooo…I’m from Nashville. Home of Southern hospitality, crazy natural disasters, and smoking hot women. I’m lucky to be well acquainted with a handful of these gorgeous creatures, and they happen to make excellent friends.

This one, in particular, was magnificent enough to throw me a fabulous Bachelorette Brunch…which turned into a full-on day of Mimosa’s, sunshine, and ended in a drag club.

Pretty much the best.

My girls are so sweet.

And so pretty.

And so missed!

They gave us a table big enough to hold a press conference on…

And then we ate!

Group photo time!

My day would not have been complete without some outdoor Nashville day drinking!

What a perfect sunny day!!!!

I even got serenaded!

Boy crasher!

Boys who do the Sturgeon face with me can crash my Bachelorette party.

Seriously my friends are just gorgeous…le sigh…

The night ended with dancing and dragqueens…which is so epic and perfect.

Successful Bachelorette day if I don’t say so myself!
Now I miss my friends something fierce. I love you ladies!
Thank you for making my day so special!

xxoo