​Over this past week I woke up to a limb falling beside my window. I have several pecan trees in my yard. Although I like pecans, I am not sure how I feel about having these trees in my yard. I have quite the love/hate relationship with them. For starters, the squirrels are terrible! I have little tiny pecan trees popping up everywhere. Limbs just randomly fall off. And, I really don't pick up the pecans either! However, I like the idea that IF I wanted to eat pecans, I could go outside. I also just like having them because of what they represent: the changing of seasons, the cooling weather, the approaching holidays..They remind me of home and family and yesteryears. 
Well, the randomly falling limbs.. yeah. Good morning to me! But I found a good use for the wood this weekend. I sliced up a few of the branches to make little discs. I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to do with them, but when I walked through the living room and saw all of my jewelry stuff out from an earlier project, I knew what I wanted to do. 

Who doesn't love the weekend? Well, I especially loved this one. Scott surprised me, truly surprised me. My birthday was on Thursday, and we went out for dinner and ate cake and did the birthday things. (Birthday things include ALLYOUCANEAT crab legs, my most fave, and fancy birthday cake. like, really fancy. and homemade. with lemon curd inside. )  Friday afternoon, he came home and said that his sister and brother-in-law wanted to come over for dinner. He cleaned up and started cooking, so I didn't think anything of it. Well, as I was washing dishes, I heard a car door close and just assumed he would greet them at the door. He asked if I would go help them in, and I thought.. I am elbow deep in soapy water, you can open the door! He insisted, and after several pleas, I turned around and my friends were walking in the door! He had invited my friends from college over for dinner. Kristen, Ben, Erin, Brandt, and their son, Smith were walking in with sunflowers in hand. I was so shocked! 

He truly did a good job! We had fun, ate great homemade pizza, strawberry cupcakes, and played my favorite game, Tenzi. I didn't want the night to end! Saturday morning, since I had expected to see Brittney and Chris the night before, we decided to have them over for dinner, too. Again, the PIZZA! I love making homemade pizzas.. but Scott scored with this combination: Garlic, Sweet onion fig and rosemary jam, basil, prosciutto, sundered tomatoes and parmesan cheese. The second pizza had zucchini, shallots, fennel, red sauce, pesto and cheese, with truffle sea salt on the crust. 

Sunday, I woke up thinking I had to go to work, and was so relieved when I realized I could sleep in a little longer! Scott and I were up and moving by 7:30 though. I absolutely LOVE the mornings at my house. I love how bright and still everything is. I love having a cup (or three) of coffee on my porch and watching everyone walk by. I love cooking breakfast and enjoying it at my table outside, no matter how cold it is. 

And the Browns love some weekend projects! S had brought home some pallets sometime ago, so we decided to cut it up and make a coat rack. We originally wanted to make a herringbone type pattern.. and my brain just would not work! So, I decided to just piece it together. S got to use his new nail gun and sander that he got for christmas. 

We started out with a piece of plywood that we had in the back and cut it to a size we wanted. I started piecing together the pallet wood, and we glued them down and tacked them in place with the nail gun. I didn't worry about the edges matching up, we were just going to take the jig saw to it afterward to trim them to the edge of the plywood. 
Once they were all cut, we sanded and stained it with all different colors. We had quite a collection from all the wedding projects last May. 
Scott bought some hooks from Lowes, and I found a few IKEA frames that were laying around. We stained the frames and popped in a few wedding photos. I absolutely love how it turned out! It was quite heavy because of the plywood, but with the right anchors in the wall, we put a wire on the back and hung it up. 

We have talked several times about painting the mailbox. It was just unsettling for an art teacher to not have some color, or something, on it! I started out painting some flowers, being super-inspired by the artist Lulie Wallace. I have been drooling over her artwork for the last week. We had some leftover paint from the dining room, and decided it was the perfect color for the post. 

Oh, I must add: Before I started painting, S asked "Can it be something gender neutral?" Of course…

After it was painted blue, he added that I should paint some green on it, too! When it was all said and done, I felt it only perfect to tack up my paintbrush, too. And for the chalkboard (S tacked that up during football season to update everyone on the GA games!), I felt it appropriate to add an artist quote, and since VG is who we are studying in class, I added his quote: 

Its totally gender-neutral, right?! No, its not, but Scott still loves it. And that is one of the many reasons why I love him! 

Holidays in my family start in November but end sometime in February. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and then birthdays spread out the gatherings and celebrations. Scott's side of the family all live in the same place, so planning meals and gatherings is relatively easy. My family, however, is  a little spread out. My parents, and the Johnsen side live in south Georgia, right on the Florida line. My brother and his family lives on the west side of Georgia, right on the Alabama line. Scott and I, of course, live on the other side, right on the South Carolina line. We love our state lines, right?!  And my grandparents and the Porter side live in Charleston. Needless to say, its a little difficult getting everyone together all in one place. 

Scott and I enjoyed our Thanksgiving with the Brown family on Turkey day, with cousins and nieces, aunts and uncles, grandparents and friends. It was a beautiful day of buffet-style food and desserts that never end. My side of the family came up that following Friday for a Turkey Day event that weekend. My brother, his wife, and two kids came and stayed at our house, and my parents and grandfather came as well. S and I were so excited to host our first Thanksgiving meal together as a married couple. We decided on our menu and got to work! 

It is no secret that S loves to cook. And by golly, he is pretty darn good at it. Not only does it taste good, it looks good, too! Here was the menu: 
Charcuterie Plate
Cheese, Herb and Nut Pull apart Bread
Green Olive and Pomegranate Dip

Roasted Root Vegetables with Soy and Star Anise
Golden Cauliflower with Pine Nuts and Currants
Prosciutto Wrapped Green Beans with Tangerine Glaze
Sweet Potato and Turnip Gratin
Mashed Potatoes and Parsnips
Rye, Kale, Mushroom and Pumpkin Seed Dressing
Roasted Turkey with Lemons and Herbs
and my Mother's famous Cranberry Chutney

Pecan Pumpkin Pie
Apple Spice Hand Pies with Vanilla Ice Cream

It was so much fun having so many people over. Saturday night we had My parents, grandfather, brother, sister-in law and two kids, Scott's parents, grandmother, aunt and uncle, their grandson, and our niece all in our house. I love when both of our families can get together! 

I feel like Christmas came and went, so fast! I have been secretly planning our first Christmas card ever since we started dating! I have a whole lot of respect for the families with children who get it all together to take fun pictures and make fancy cards. S and I had this great idea, but with him working in Atlanta most of this season, it was hard to coordinate begin together in our spot with a photographer. Or even a camera, for that matter. So we are saving our fun idea for next year, but I was still pretty excited to send out our first card. I guess its not every year you can put your wedding picture and engagement session photos on your card anyway. And they just happened to coordinate with our tags and wrapping that we bought for this year. 

S and I decorated our second tree together! He made the star the first year when we were dating. I love our hodgepodge of ornaments and trinkets. I made his stocking last year for Christmas, and he got me mine. I had plans to make a stocking for Sudie and Hendricks, but that will have to happen next year! 

It has been so fun starting new traditions and sharing with each other the traditions we had growing up. He watched Rudolph and The Grinch every year on Christmas Eve, so I was excited to buy all the original Christmas movies. They were always on in the background, but I had never actually sat down to watch them. So, this year I watched Rudolph for the first time! 

I had LOTS of commissions this year, so I spent most of my Christmas Break from school painting. I painted all the way  up to Christmas Eve! Among all the presents and greenery was also lots of paint, brushes and canvases. Thats the way I like it, anyway. 

Christmas Day we went to the Arthurs, and then went to Scott's parents house for lunch, and then came back home to settle in and sit still. It was a beautiful day of family, friends, and good food. 

My parents came up a week later to celebrate Christmas. It was so nice to have a relaxing weekend with just my parents. Scott, of course, wowed them (and me!) with a beautiful meal. He prepared a rocket and pampelmousse salad, scallops in a lemongrass and sundered tomato broth with bacon and cucumber, purple potatoes with tarragon and mustard, and then a beautiful and scrumptious Arctic Char. The finale was a blueberry creme brûlée. 

So, into January we were(are) still celebrating the Holidays! The following week was Christmas in Lagrange, and then the birthday celebrations begin! In January, we have five birthdays! 

One thing I absolutely love about where I live is the generosity of my neighbors. I will often find little trinkets or treasures left from my friends that live nearby. It might be a basket of berries,a bunch of herbs, or a bucket of fruit. At the start of this school year, I got several buckets of pears. I love pears, and I remember climbing my neighbor's tree when I was little and munching into their thick skin and juicy center. I love pears. As much as I like to eat them, there is NO WAY I could have finished off all of those pears by myself. I had to come up with something delicious to make with them. My decision? Spiced Pear Cake! 

I had been dying to try out my new ice blue kitchen aid mixer, and was so excited to put it to good use. I diced up those pears and soaked them in sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamon, cloves, and nutmeg. 
In the mixer, I placed flour, baking powder, salt, and a little more sugar and blended with eggs, milk, oil and some applesauce. After I pulled the bread out of the oven and let it cool off, I drizzled some browned butter icing on top, and me-oh-my, talk about DEELISH!  
I think I made about 8 of these bad-boys that week. Not only did I really have a LOT of pears, but they were so fun to make, and turned out so beautiful! I was handing out cakes left and right! 

Scott and I were married on May 17, 2014. The weather could not have been more perfect; It was a cozy 75 degrees all day, and by the end of the night, we had a fire going and light jackets on. S and I had been planning our wedding, honestly, since the beginning, but seriously since January when he proposed. We both are creative people and had lots of fun ideas. There were a lot of pinterest steals, but there were also a lot of our own original ideas and a lot of heirlooms that we wanted a part of our day to make it special and unique. 

We wanted an outdoor ceremony and decided on The Farm because that is where we are planning to build our home. Scott and I decided to name our farm, Heirloom and the Bird, and I was so excited that I was going to say "I DO" under a cherry tree that will soon be in view from the window of my home. 
Our ceremony was under an arbor that Scott built. My dad hung windows from the back and there were sprays of Eucalyptus, pine, handpicked greens, and roses from each corner. We had cut logs in the back with candles and rose petals. In one of the logs, scott and I planted a tree during the ceremony . We put out hay bails with burlap for our guests to sit on. There were large lanterns and roses set out for decorations. 

I walked through wooden doors that my dad built. I walked down the aisle to my good friend, Emily Hearn, singing "Found a Heart." My beautiful niece was the flower girl and she was in a handmade dress, cowboy boots, and a crown of flowers. She tossed petals from Scott's fishing creel that was made from pine needles by the amazing basket maker, Mrs. Betty Dyson. She looked darling, as usual. My ring bearer was the son of a good friend, and he might be the cutest ring bearer EVER. in history. period. He wore handmade leather suspenders over a chambray shirt, linen knickers, with a gatsby hat, and I made him a bow tie. He carried our rings down the aisle in a little handmade box that Ms. Betty Dyson made out if pine needles, as well. Before I walked down, Hugh Arthur walked down the aisle with a sign that I painted, "Scott, here comes your love!" 

Khari Manuel and his family flew from Oklahoma City to do our ceremony. He led my first trip to Africa and amazed me with his leadership and humility. I got to know his wife on another mission trip to Haiti, and we became instant friends. When Scott and I got engaged, I knew that I wanted Khari to marry us. Khari and his wife, Jennifer, are some of the wisest people I know, and have taught me a lot about what relationships look like. Their marriage is a beautiful testimony to who Jesus is. 
Our ceremony was short and simple. However, Khari packed in a lot of truth. Scott and I exchanged our handwritten vows and planted our tree. Lewis Phillips and Emily Hearn played "I will wait" while we planted our tree. Their rendition, with Lewis killing it on the banjo, might be my most favorite. When it was through, Ruby Cullars Arthur rang a bell hung from the cherry tree when we kissed! 

Scott designed my wedding ring. He had lived in Montana for ten years before we dated. He loves Montana for the beautiful place that it is, but also because of who he became while he was there. He ordered sapphires mined from Missoula to be placed around my diamonds. Because that is his favorite place, I found it only right to have part of my favorite place put in his ring. His ring had cocobolo wood from Kenya, my beloved place, placed in his ring. I found a designer on Etsy (Minter and Richter)  that makes beautiful rings with this particular wood and turquoise. 

My good friend, Elizabeth Arthur, did all of the floral arrangements and a lot of the decorating. She and her crew made the most beautiful bouquets and arrangements to make this day alive and green. The bouquets were made of David austen roses, blush peonies, peach astille, seeded eucalyptus, and mixed greenery. 
Another good friend, Beth Antonakos, helped design the setup and provided most of the props and decor for the wedding. Without Elizabeth and Beth, I don't believe our wedding would have been anywhere near as beautiful! They both sat with me and helped me sort through all the meticulous details and placement of things. I will forever be grateful for what they did for my special day! 

There was a large yellow storage trailer that was on the property that could not be moved. We decided to utilize it and painted it with chalkboard paint. Guests were greeted by a "welcome" sign on one side of the trailer with a flower box that Scott and I built with left over lumber from the fence. The long side of the trailer had the story of our proposal and asked guests to write what was on their bucket list. The other side of the trailer hosted the cocktail bar, with a beautifully built bar by scott that had little wooden pockets for succulents to cascade down from. 

I feel like I have been painted wedding signs since I moved to Lincolnton, so I was ecstatic to start painting my own. I painted signs directing guests where to go, and Scott painted signs that had lines from our vows. 

We had a tent set up for guests to sit under. We had tables set up with handpicked wildflowers (thanks to the groomsmen and Elizabeth's crew!) pictures, little succulents in old coffee tins, and wooden spools. We had a dance floor and a DJ that entertained guests. Scott and I sat at a handmade table out of my Grandmother's old sewing machine, and I painted Mr. and Mrs. signs from wood from Scott's parents barn. 

My sweet mother came up to visit a few weeks before the wedding and brought more strawberries than a farm could hold. We mashed strawberries all day long so we could have homemade strawberry jam for favors. In a few batches I threw in a sachet of rosemary from the garden, giving a slight unique hint to the jam. My brother made labels for the top that had our date and "Spread the Love" on it. The label on the side had "Heirloom and the Bird" on it and labeled it either strawberry or Strawberry rosemary. 

Our guestbook was a book I made. I made the paper out of old Tshirts, and dyed it with black walnuts, and then I stitched it together. I made the book a while ago, and was waiting for something really special to use it for! The cards were placed in my great grandmother's old painting box, and the favors and gifts were placed on a table that my dad and I built out of an old door. 

We had friends flying from all over, and we wanted to recognize that. Scott had the idea to paint mileage sings and post by the fence. I loved it! I missed a few cities, but we were so happy that everyone came, no matter how far. 

Since I teach elementary art, and because we both have little nieces and nephews and cousins that would attend, we wanted to make sure they had just as much fun as the adults. I drew a coloring book. I saw the idea on Pinterest, but I altered the book a little with my owl personal drawings. My sweet little friend, RCA made heart shaped crayons for kids to color the book with and to do the puzzles. I made bubble wands out of wire and beads, and we had bubbles being blown by kids and adults. 

Scott and I built a three panel photo backdrop out of old pallets. We figured there would be lots of instagramming, so we put up a sign that said "OH SNAP! Instagram? #PeatoaBee" We also had some corn hole to play. Scott made a sign out of license plates for me, so we displayed that by the backdrop as well. There was also our getaway truck in the middle of the field that was a bigger hit for photos! Scott's cousin, Steve, let us borrow a beautiful '57 Chevy, and it matched my lipstick just PERFECT! 

I had lots of ideas for programs, but honestly, that got pushed to the last minute. I called my brother and asked if he could design something for me. He did, but I didn't have all of the information for him. Since my friends and family had never met Scott's friends and family, I wanted the program to tell a little about us. You know, "Scott loves to fly fish and lived in montana…"yada yada. Well, when Andy was making the programs, I didn't have that typed out, so I just told him to "fill it in" and I would go back later and fix it. 

He wrote in the About Him section: "Dashingly crazy guy. Unbelievable hair. You can tell he loves her." In the About Her section: Hot mess says it all. Cant help but love her. She knew he was the one after first date." When my friends saw it, they said YOU CAN NOT CHANGE IT!!! Its perfect. So, it stuck. 

He designed them to look like chalkboards, and put little bird graphics that my niece, Adah drew. 

 There is only one time I get to brag about a dress, right? Well, my dress was absolutely beautiful and I occasionally just put it on to feel pretty in. Not going to lie! It was a Vera Wang dress and it had all these beautiful lace floral appliqués all over it. It has a sculpted neckline and a cathedral train. My sister-in-law worked at a bridal shop and she helped french bustle it for the reception. I, of course, wore cowboy boots and mismatched socks. (One was borrowed from a bridesmaid, and the other was a mona-lisa sock!) I wore my late grandmother's turquoise necklace, and I used her pearl brooch to adorn my flowers. 
I chose not to wear a veil, but I had David Austen roses in my hair. 


My girls chose their own bridesmaid dresses. They all wore a neutral color and had turquoise jewelry to wear with it. I wanted them to be neutral but full of texture. They did a great job picking out fun and fitting dresses. They wore cowboy boots too. 

If you know Scott at all, you know that he spent our entire engagement making sure his suit was absolutely perfect! He wore a blue ludlow linen suit and a pin dot shirt. He had his wingtips (with no socks!). He carried his grandfather's pocket watch. He made his tie clip from a piece of cherry wood from the property. I made his pocket square from liberty of london fabric. 
His guys were outfitted in chambray shirts with brown pants. I made them all bow ties from liberty of london fabric. His best man does a lot of work with leather and made his own suspenders. They are amazing! He also made my ring-bearers suspenders.  Scott loves to fly fish, so the boutonnieres were made out of grizzly hackle feathers, rosemary, and nandina by my sister-in-law and mother-in-law. 

There were some great beards in the party, but my brothers (bottom right) takes the cake! So handsome. 

Food was a big deal when Scott and I started dating. Our first date consisted of him coming over and cooking a gourmet meal for me! We fell in love in the kitchen or over a good plate of food. We both love to cook, but we also love to explore new and exciting restaurants together. While we were dating, oysters also played a big role. We both LOVE raw oysters and would frequent the Branded Butcher (in Athens) after church. Good food was a MUST at our reception. As well as oysters. 

Epting Events out of Athens, Ga catered. They did a fantastic job. We had an oyster bar set up, and I promised guests that they could find me there!! Our menu consisted of: 

Baked Vidalia onion souffle
Mrs. Carters Cheese Ring
Hot baked crab dip with french bread rounds

Beef brisket with apple Q sauce
Roasted chicken breast served with peach salsa
Bacon wrapped pork loin 
Garlic cheese grits
Assorted melons and berries
Roasted vegetables: asparagus, parsnips, brussel sprouts, tri-colored carrots 
Sweet potato biscuits
Cheese biscuits
Yeast rolls


The food was GOOD. I mean, to die for good. But the best, the best was our Cake Buffett. One of my best friends runs a cake shop out of Asheville, North Carolina. She was a bridesmaid and brought down the cakes. We had a Strawberry Tres Leches cake for our cake, and then an assortment of cakes for the guests. We had a coconut cake, strawberry "short street" cake, Georgia hummingbird, salted caramel, citrus poppy seed, banana split, and a triple chocolate cake. There was literally not a slice left at the end of the night! 

We had an assortment of beer and wine for the guests, and we also had a his and her's cocktail. I had a G&G: Grapefuit and Gin cocktail, and he had a B&B: a Bulleit and Blenheim. 

We had lots of details to make this special day wonderful and beautiful, and everything a girl could wish for in a wedding. We also had a wonderful photographer, Kyle Hale to capture our wonderful day! He did an amazing job and we can forever remember this day  with amazing photographs to look at! Mostly, we loved having everyone we love and cherish together for us to make our big decision together. 

The Hubs has a thing for spaces. and lights. and design. So we have been slowly changing this little house of ours into our space. I have lived here for a few years now, so it has been fun changing it up and incorporating his style into our home. Our recent project has been the dining room. It has previously been used as the art room and teaching space for my littles. (The whole house, actually.) Love found a sweet pendant light from Lowes and he just had to have it! It looks great in our blue room and brings so much life to the space! 

I love lots of things. But there are two things that excite me more than anything right now: summer time ( hello! teacher here.) and list making. and, well.. list making about summer! I can be completely task-oriented if needed, but leave me alone for a summer and I will wake up late and lounge on my porch and doodle, and, yes, completely enjoy myself doing absolutely nothing. (I am great at making myself feel entitled to that) However, I have two months to do so many things that I can not do throughout the school year. I have two months to yes, wake up and lounge all day, AND fill the day with all sorts of to-do lists. I have time to make things. to travel. to experiment.  OH! the possibilities. 

I have made some epic lists. This one in particular.  And lets not even get started on New Years… but lets be honest. this summer is special. This summer deserves a great list.
So here goes. Summer 2014. 
You greeted us with fantastic weather (what a delight it was to have 75 degree weather on my may wedding day!) and a few rains. You have opened up your book with some fantastic chapters ahead. You are free. This time 'round, you hold nothing in agenda for me. No crazy overseas trips. No massive murals to get done in days. No lavish vacations. No summer jobs. What do you have in store for me?! I am so excited. We are great friends, you and I, picking back up right where we left off. I appreciate that about you. So here goes, summer time, lets dance. 

1. Sink my toes in the sand, MY sand, and share it with Love. Take him to my favorite beach. Draw some shells and send out some more postcards. 2. Float down a river. 3. Make some home goods. screen print some pillows for the front porch and make some more curtains. Sew. be crafty. 4. Make paper. because you love it and it takes you back to sweet memories. Make paper from flowers from 05.17.2014. 5. Journal about the wedding from said paper. 6. Tomato sandwiches and quick pickles. DUH, because this is summer. 7. Go strawberry picking, or blueberry. or anything berry and make some JAM up good jam. and then hand out jars to people I love. 8. Have an awesome herb garden. 9. Go fishing. learn to fly fish. learn to tie a fly. 10. Kayak. Embrace living near a lake. 11. Fire ceramics. 12. Teach an art class. 13. Blow some more glass in Asheville. 14. Experiment some with resin. 15. Paint some "sea" things. and chickens. and cows. and lots of abstract stuff, too. 16. Make some yard art. 17. Win at yard game. 18. Camp on Cumberland Island. 19. Enjoy the lake with my new family! And Introduce scott to my lake family for the fourth of july. 20. Meet my nephew! 21. Get *that* picture of hay bails. 22. Expand the record collection. Sit on rocking chairs and share music with friends. 23. Change my name and all those details. 24. Cheer on the Braves. This is summer time in 'Merica. 25. Grill as much as possible.  

And he has a list, too. His is not quite as long, but he also still has to go to work everyday.  His list is also way more intense than mine. 

1. Build a House. 2. Get Frankie a new car. 3. Seriously consider building a kayak. 4. Own a goat. or two. 5. Have a garden. 6. Paint my tractor. 7. Buy a Tenkara fly rod. 8. And an iPad. 9. Become a level II climber. 10. Teach Sudie how to bird hunt. 11. Get a new tattoo. 

S and I postponed our trip to Seattle for later in the summer for a quick trip down to the beautiful Savannah and Tybee Island. We stayed at the Marshall house, a gorgeous house in the heart of downtown Savannah. We both fell in love over raw oysters, so of course, the first place we ate at hailed to have the best oysters in town. And I believe it! We ate at CHIVE sea bar and lounge. We started out with oysters for an appetizer, and then he had a sashimi plate and I had mussels in a creamy dill turmeric sauce. And then what did we do? Ordered oysters for dessert. I knew I married this man for a good reason! 

We strolled the streets and he bought some fancy shoelaces for his favorite shoes and I bought some new salts from the Tea and Spice Exchange. We went to a mead tasting (a first for me!) at the Savannah Bee Company and then caught up with some locals for a tour of the nightlife. The next day we drove over to Tybee, but not without stopping at Lady and Sons first! Did you know you can get butter flavor chapstick? and hand cream? lip balm ? Don't get me wrong, I love PD's favorite ingredient too, but I don't think I want to wear it. . 

We stayed right on the beach at Tybee which was so nice. We could walk right out our door and onto the sand. He calls me a saltwater girl, which I am, so the salt in the air and the sand between my toes makes me just breathe a little better. We dined at Stingrays the first night, with live music that dedicated a few songs to the newlyweds. We went to one of the best "hippies joints in america" Huc-a-poos. I don't know if I would call it the hippiest of places, but it was fun nonetheless. The next day we ate at the Breakfast Club, where I got my napkin of art taped to the wall. It was a greasy masterpiece, the breakfast that is, and one that I think Bourdain would be proud to eat. Later, the Dolphin Reef, and after hours laying in the sand, we headed to COCO's on the marsh for dinner. We sat at a comfy little table on the roof overlooking the river full of kayaks and the dolphin tours. We both soaked in the sunset with basil martinis in hand and bellies full of calamari, blackened shrimp, and she-crab soup. One thing I love about SB is that he embraces my hobbies. He loves to see me draw and will placate me by playing my "two minute sketch" games in my notebook. We time each other and see who can get the most information down in a single sketch. Oh, the simple pleasures of an art teacher. 

On the way off the island we stopped for some shopping and coffee at TYBEAN coffee, a super cute little coffee shop next to the hippie joint. The Sammy cold brew was perfect, especially after the days of poor hotel coffee. It was a perfect way to say goodbye, and set out on the road back to lincolnton. As much as I would love to stay on the beach a little longer, I can't wait to get back home and continue setting up house with my new husband. We have been working on some really fun things together to make the house "ours," and I can't wait to share!