A good long visit to our one of our most beloved cities. Snow came on our last day. It made it even harder to leave. 

- another photo of my parents in love. they are the best.
- more asheville. 

mt. mitchell

Last month at Mt. Mitchell, the highest in the Appalachians.

A part of me feels very at home in western Carolina. I don't have enough words to tell you how happy the mountains make me. 

mom's garden

I grew up in my mom's garden. Honeysuckle, onion grass, and dirt are the aromas of my childhood. I still love to hang out in the yard with my mom, still barefoot but now with coffee, while she points to different plants and a little bit of the conversation goes over my head but I listen anyway because I want to know all of it. I want to be in the club where they speak garden lingo. I want sliced tomatoes with my dinner that I plucked fresh five minutes ago. Sprinkled with the basil I grew from seed. I want to swap freshly picked bouqets with my mother regularly. I want gardening muscles.

Plants that have not survived in my potted stoop "garden" I blame on the curse that is Savannah humidity. That may not be fair to Savannah but one day I think I will have some ground to grow things, and I pray those things look like what's in my mom's* garden.

*and my grandma's...after all that's where my mom gets it.

mountains

My parents fell in love with the mountains of North Carolina when I was young. Living in coastal North Carolina, we had to escape hurricanes from time to time and we took advantage of the excuse to go camping near a river up in the mountains, someitmes with all of our pets in tow. My parents and little sister now live in Asheville, NC and when we visit them now we like to ride around and stop on the side of the road to soak up all the amazing smells and sights, most of which hit me with nostalgia like a brick. If we ever have a reason to move to the mountains, we will be there in a heartbeat - especially if it means seeing these cuties more often.

leah's first roll

This weekend on film.

Leah finished shooting her first roll of film while we were visiting Asheville this weekend. With all the school I've been busy with, it was as good as ever to have a mom to make homemade biscuits for breakfast again, a dad to give me bedtime back scratches again, and a sister to be silly with again.

Two trips to the bus. (vanilla hazelnut cream soda + dark chocolate latte with peppermint).  

Lots of thrifting.  

Three separte ice cream outings: two at the chocolate lounge (maple bacon ice cream + dark chocolate/gingerbread milkshake), one at the hop (nutella ice cream + salted caramel ice cream).  

Car dancing.  

So many good dinners including a salad with Ina's goddess dressing.  

Contra dancing. Leah taught me and brought me. I loved it!  

Baked this.  

Lunch dates with my dad.  Knitting dilemmas with my mom.  Brunch dates with Demetria.  

Lots and lots of driving.

*I was a bridesmaid in a friend's wedding, but I didn't take any pictures. I also got to see my sister Lauren for a little bit. She made me good food and let me sleep on her couch after the wedding. I miss living near her.

the chocolate lounge

weekend in asheville

Jeff had a four day weekend from work so we drove to Asheville for a family visit. We got to play in the snow, eat lots of food, go thrifting, play with a kitty, have tea parties, eat candy, watch movies, and play in the snow some more. I'm really happy that Jeff is willing to make six hour drives on short notice whenever he has enough time off of work. The only thing better than long weekend visits with my family would be if we got to live near each other. Every time we visit Asheville (especially snowy Asheville) I kind of want to live there forever.