Last weekend Andrew and I headed down to Mobile for our friends’ wedding reception. And although we were only down there for a short weekend, we took in as much of the city as possible. I’d been to Mobile once before, but never really got to look around. Exploring is my favorite part of any trip— long or short. 

We got in Friday night after hitting multiple rounds of traffic, making what was supposed to be a 3.5 hour trip, closer to 6. We had minimal energy, but were deadset on a German place Andrew had found earlier in the week. We checked into our hotel then headed to Loda Bier Garten in downtown Mobile for a giant pretzel, fish & chips, and schnitzel. 

Saturday morning, we woke up early for breakfast (I may be an over-sleeper, but I will never pass up a waffle maker and fresh fruit) and then headed to the Mobile Museum of Art. This is one of the smaller museums we’ve been to, but I found several pieces that really stood out to me. The location itself was beautiful, and had we more time, we would have relaxed on the patio with a cup of coffee and our current reads.

After doing some shopping, we headed over to Serda Brewing, which was conveniently located downtown. You guys know I’m not too much of a beer drinker, so I took the time to soak up the local sights and just spend some time with Andrew. While there, we looked up places for lunch and settled on Pizzeria Delphina, also in the downtown area. 

We parked a few blocks away which let us do some exploring on our way to lunch. I borrowed a book from Andrew’s grandparents, “An Ornament to the City: Old Mobile Ironwork” by John S. Sledge with photography by Sheila Hagler. If it weren’t for flipping through their coffee table book, I never would have kept an eye out for the ironwork that’s such an integral part of the city. We took a quick stroll through Bienville Square, where I got to see some of the book’s photographs in person.

After our quick lunch, we headed to the hotel to get ready for our friends’ reception that night. It easily was the most fun I’ve had with a group in friends in sooo long, and the location was GORGEOUS.

We got a slow start on Sunday. We thought we’d be able to do a little more shopping before heading home, but we found that most places were either closed or didn’t provide their hours of operation. We were a little bummed, but got to drive through some stunning areas that we otherwise wouldn’t have seen. There was no way we could have been mad at that. Andrew really took a liking to Loda, so we headed into downtown once again for a #brunchbeer. We had lunch with friends shortly after at Blue Gill, where I had the best mahi mahi I’ve ever had. We hung around a while longer, but had to get on the road soon. 

Our drive north was much like our drive down, complete with MFM podcasts, music, and naps (but without the traffic jams). We had such a fun time, especially because we hadn’t done a weekend trip in so long. Seeing our friends made leaving so so hard (the fact they have a precious dog has nothing to do with it), but with a list of things we still want to do and see, something tells me we’ll be back. ❤️ 

How is it almost September? It still feels like August 1st! It’s been a while since I dedicated the time to my Tuesday Template series, but it’s also only been recently that we’ve begun getting out of the apartment again. July was a crazy-busy month for us, and I’m so glad it’s over. A lot of our free time in August has been used to recuperate and just get in the relaxation we didn’t get last month. With that being said, I’ve been sure to take my camera with me now that we’ve been venturing out a little bit more!

We’ve been heading into Birmingham these past two weekends, and even though it’s close to home, it’s still a sweet treat for us. I hadn’t been to any thrift stores in the area at all, so I’ve been exploring those and I’ve found some pretty great stuff I’m excited to share with you guys in a future post. Besides thrifting, we’ve been getting back into Andrew’s brewery roots and have been frequenting our favorite spots.

When we’re not out of town, I’ve been reading my way through the stack of books I picked up in Albuquerque. I’ve been pretty homesick lately, so reading anything that even remotely reminds me of home makes the heartache a little more bearable. Last week’s read was Frida Kahlo: An Open Life by Raquel Tibol. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and took it with me everywhere we went. It was a pretty dense read— very reminiscent of scholarly papers. This week I picked up Beverly Donofrio’s Looking for Mary: Or, the Blessed Mother and Me. I’m not Catholic, nor did I grow up Catholic (or religious, for that matter), but this book reads in such a way that that detail is moot. This book is making me feel so many things, and bringing up so many unrealized feelings and emotions. I don’t think it was an accident that I chose to pick up this book— or better— that this book came into my life when it did. 

And finally, something that I’m particularly proud of: last week marked the second week that we’ve been working out consistently. We’ve been going to the gym 4-5 times per week and also taking a day or two out of the gym to do some outdoor running. We’d been out of the gym for over a month and coming back was hard, but feels great. And now that we have two solid weeks under our belt (going on our third), it’s exciting to actually see and feel yourself making progress. Not only am I feeling great physically, but working out consistently has also silenced my harsh inner critic. I can’t be too hard on myself when I’m making consistent steps towards my goals.

I start my new job on Monday after the longest pre-employment period I’ve ever been through, and I’m so excited for it! What have you guys been up to recently? Is there anything you’re looking forward to? Let me know!

While I do update my wardrobe often, decor is one of my favorite things to shop for. So much of my apartment is made up of thrifted, kitschy, perfect little items that make our space feel like home, and I thought I’d share some of my favorites with you guys. Maybe you'll get some ideas for yourselves!

The largest piece of secondhand furniture I’ve purchased to date is my desk chair. When I came across this chair back in March, I was dead-set on a very particular style that I wanted our apartment to have. I knew immediately that this chair wouldn’t fit my vision, but I also knew the chair had to be mine. In that moment I accepted that our apartment wasn’t going to be Pinterest perfect, but instead an eclectic mix that only we could call home. At a whopping $4.99, I still consider this one of my biggest wins.

Seeing wicker and woven accessories styled in some of my favorite bloggers’ homes really inspired me to stop overlooking the massive section just about every thrift store has dedicated to it. I’ve found everything from a makeshift magazine rack, to a place to hold all my polishes, to a compartmentalized organizer for our coffee table, and the list goes on. And because they’re all fairly similar, our apartment looks a little more pulled together!

I made this picnic basket my makeshift magazine rack while I find the perfect one!

I’m still pretty picky about what goes on our walls. I love a good minimalist wall, with only touches of color. I’m still on the lookout for things to fill the open spots with, but I have found a couple of keepers. If you guys know me irl, you’ll know I love all animals and critters— especially raccoons. The frame that was already fitted on this was also a perfect fit for the apartment. This little guy makes me smile every time I’m at my desk.

Finally, probably the easiest things to find at thrift stores: coffee mugs, kitschy figurines, and all of those misc. items that are sitting on the shelf, waiting for their new home. Small dishes are so easy to come by, and come in a variety of unique designs.

Probably the most cliched item on this list: metal trays for perfume and makeup. These keep my everyday makeup in check and my perfumes all in one place. It’s funny to think that this small boundary of a tray keeps me from making a mess, but it works.