Friday Favorites

Happy weekend, kiddos.

The recent snow is making me long for Marinha beach in Portugal. Apparently it's the best in the world. Sold!

This weekend, I really want to make this! I already have the wood-burning tools so let me know if you want to join! :)

OMG. My heart cannot handle how cute this baby otter is!

Swooning over these rings - they remind me of the ocean.

I just watched this awesome episode of CNN's "Inside Man" about medical tourism. Very fascinating!

Been feeling very nostalgic lately (could have been induced by my recent decision to read my old LiveJournal posts...cringe) so this quote really resonates. I truly believe that real connections live on forever...

xo

Featured Shop: Diamonds Are Evil

Last year, J bought me these awesome wooden, laser-cut earrings online.
I always get a lot of compliments on them (what can I say - J's got great taste :D )!

While in Austin, TX, we spent some time walking around an open-air market off of South Congress Street (Sarah mentioned that they have puppies at the market so I was enticed)! As I casually passed a booth, the man in the booth commented on my appearance (I don't remember exactly what he said, but it was kind) so I turned back to check out his booth. Turns out the guy was Michael, co-founder and designer of Diamonds Are Evil, which is who made the very earrings I was wearing!
Such a small world, isn't it?

It's such a great thing to meet the people behind handmade items and I love supporting small business!
With that being said, make sure to check out their shop! Here are some of my favorite pieces (although my earrings are my favorite):

xo

Weekly Tiny Home: Stone Cottage

This week's amazing tiny home comes from St. Ives Bay, Cornwall, United Kingdom.

This stone cottage is perfect for a romantic getaway.

I love that the interior is super fresh and clean with some rustic touches (I expected the inside to be more rugged based on the outside). I love white walls and wooden beams!

This is one of the first tiny homes that has the bedroom downstairs! It makes it so cozy! The bead board which gives the room a slightly nautical feel.

I love the wood-burning stove and full living room (with a comfortable couch) since most tiny homes forego comfort and space for entertaining. 

Such a great floor plan overall and I also love the pine floors and exposed wooden knots.

What are your favorite features of this tiny cottage?
If you'd like to plan a weekend getaway in this adorable cottage, you can book it here!
xo

♥

Featured Artist: Jose Romussi

This week's featured artist is Jose Romussi. Jose is Chilean, but currently lives in Berlin. I love embroidery so I guess it's no surprise how much I love his work. I also love the street art influence in his pieces. It makes me want to go home and try my own stitching!

 I love this quote!

Swoon! I love the movement that the thread and colors make in this piece. 

The colors are so vibrant in each piece up against the sepia and black-and-white backgrounds.

Have you found any new artists lately?

xo

Weekend Recap: Outer Banks, NC

 

Last weekend we took a short vacation to Outer Banks, NC.

Although our friends booked the house for a week, sadly we were only able to stay for a few days so we decided to get a head start on Friday night. We booked the Aloft in downtown Charlotte, NC so we could cut our drive down on Saturday morning. We'd never been to Charlotte and although the Aloft was pet-friendly, it required Townes to ride in a lot of elevators and it was definitely a party hotel...so not the best for pets, but you live and learn, right?

We woke up on Saturday morning and got breakfast from Zada Janes (which came highly recommended by J's cousin, Aaron). Since the patio was closed due to the cold weather, we got it to go and ate in a local park. Thankfully the sunshine was wonderful...and the food too (especially the "bunny rancheros")!

 After we ran to the market to pick up some food, we started the long 6+ hour drive to Outer Banks.

 As we finally got on the island and headed towards Cape Hatteras, we got to see some great sunset views!

 We only arrived a few hours before Jen, Nick, and Shawn to the beach house and it was during 40+ mph winds. It didn't help that part of the roof was broken and kept slamming against the house.

Thankfully, by the next morning, the piece of the roof had broken off; however, the pipes had frozen solid so we had no running water.

We braved the cold and wind to get the pups out on the beach. Townes was in heaven!

 The wind was insane and blowing the sand everywhere!

 The broken pier was so lovely and the beach was totally desolate. Pure magic...well, minus it being cold. :)

Townes kept getting Benga's bone and "burying" it. Here is where I found it before we had to move houses. So yeah, there's that. After the technicians tried to heat up the pipes to no avail, we had to move houses. The realty company was absolutely dreadful to work with and not accommodating at all. If you can avoid it, NEVER use Outer Banks Realty. Okay, enough negativity!

 As we took our last walk to the beach before moving to the new house (which sadly wasn't beachfront), we got these amazing views and some wild visitors! They walked up as we were pulling out of the driveway...it was absolutely breathtaking!

 

 Although the new house wasn't beachfront, it was definitely a lot nicer inside. After a hot shower, we were all ready to take on the day. Nick made incredible homemade french toast from fresh challah bread that he made himself! It doesn't get any better...well wait, yes it does. Every meal Nick made was unbelievable!

My favorite lady ever, Jen, and I spent most of the day working on a 2000 piece puzzle that they brought, while the boys played on a Nintendo emulator. 

 Windy walks on the beach to wear out the pups. Townes kept trying to get in the water! The dunes were so pretty and the sand looked like textured rock.

 Even the new house had a pier immediately to the right of the house, although this pier in Avon was still standing.

 Puzzle process! And amazing grilled burritos for dinner!

 Isn't she the cutest? ♥

It was so nice and relaxing to take it easy once we were settled in the new house.

The very last piece!

 Victory!

 On our last night, Nick made homemade pizzas (dough, sauce, and all) followed by homemade creme brulee! Insane, right? 

A better shot of the finished puzzle.

Our last walk on the beach before the 10 hour drive home. It was so bittersweet to leave Jen, Nick, Shawn, and Benga after such a great few days! We definitely need to get another trip on the books (when the weather is nicer, of course)! It was crazy that an ice storm hit the southeast, but missed the island; however, we definitely hit a bit of snow and ice on the way home.

 Townes was such a trooper for the whole ride, but I kept him company for a bit in the backseat.

PS - since I've been on a podcast kick, check out part one and part two of the "Cops See It Differently"

podcast from "This American Life." Really powerful and relevant podcast!

This most recent weekend was basically spent lounging around and taking it easy after so much traveling (personal and work) lately. We watched "Boyhood","The Homesman", and had an awesome time with friends at Sunday brunch. Hope your weekends have been awesome!

♥