Book Club Postponed

So you may or may not have been wondering what happened to our book club collaboration with Whitney Ann. Don't worry. We haven't forgotten you! Followers of Whitney's blog (and if you're not a follower, you should be!) may know that Whitney and her husband Mark are in the process of moving from Richmond, VA to Athens, GA. 

I have to say, as a Georgia native, I'm pretty jealous of this move. Whitney is in the heart of Bulldog football country. Other Georgians know that this should be pronounced Bulldawg, by the way. Maybe someday my own Mark and I will fly south again, but who knows where the future will lead.

Anyway, while Whitney and her hubby settle into their new home, we decided to temporarily postpone the book club. We're not sure how long the hiatus will last, but we will certainly notify you once we start up the book posts again. In the meantime, you can follow along with my own Good Reads column where I'll be posting reviews of my summer reads. 

Image: courtesy of Whitney Ann

Around Town // Frederick City Guide

This past week, Mark and I have been working relentlessly on renovating our tiny galley kitchen. While the project has been exciting, the work has unfortunately kept us indoors and away from the beautiful summer sunshine. These perfect summer days of hot blue skies and evening thunderstorms will pass all too quickly; so get out there and enjoy them while they last.

If you're in the Delmarva area, a fun way to pass your next free Saturday would be a day-cation to our little city of Frederick, Maryland. It's a hip little town packed with art, style, and Civil War history at every corner. To give you an idea of what Frederick has to offer, Mark and I put together a list of our favorite downtown Frederick attractions.

Eat

Brewer's Alley
124 N Main Street
This restaurant-and-brewery is hands down our favorite restaurant in downtown Frederick. Located in the heart of downtown in an imposing brick building that once served as Frederick's opera house, Brewer's Alley is the ultimate date-night destination. Periodically, their beer menu changes to reflect the season. Favorite eats: Aloha pizza and Mahi Fish Tacos. Favorite drink: Nut Brown Ale

Pretzel Pizza Creations
210 N Market Street

Mark and I love popping down to this restaurant for a yummy lunch. The bread and pizza dough are made from pretzel dough. Can you say yum?? I highly recommend the turkey-avocado sandwich.

Bushwaller's Pub
209 N Market Street

If you're in the mood for a cozy Irish pub, Bushwaller's is your destination. The food is hearty and, of course, Guinness is on tap. And if you're just looking to hang out, there's always a game of darts available at the back.

JoJo's
16 E Patrick Street

On my first night in Frederick, Mark took me to JoJo's. We were both exhausted from moving my furniture into the apartment and had no food in the fridge yet. So, at nine, we set out to find some supper and found JoJo's. I highly recommend their hot wings.

Rex's Downtown Grill
57 E Patrick Street
A few months ago, I mentioned to Mark that Frederick just needed a basic hamburger grill. A few weeks later, Rex's Grill opened its doors on Patrick Street. We've only been here a few times but were very impressed with the fun atmosphere and yummy burgers.

Cafe Nola
4 E Patrick Street

Famous for its brunch, Cafe Nola is a great place for a girls-date. Their menu boasts several yummy vegetarian options as well as a great coffee bar. I always order the California Turkey sandwich.

Shop

Repurposed and Refined
217 W Patrick Street
Of course, I can't create a downtown Frederick shopping list without including a shout-out to the shop. We're stock full of beautiful vintage furniture and carry a large inventory of Annie Sloan chalkpaint products. So whether you're looking for a vintage treasure or starting your own DIY, we've got you covered.

Silk & Burlap
28 E. Patrick Street
An ultimate ladies' shopping destination, Silk & Burlap carries everything from Vietri stoneware to designer clothing to Alex and Ani jewelry to vintage furnishings. They carry a little bit of everything. Although somewhat pricey for a newlywed girl like me, their store is always a beautiful place to peruse. 

Citizen Frederick
112 E Patrick Street
Mark's favorite Frederick store (along with every other man in the Baltimore-DC area), Citizen Frederick hands-down is the best-smelling store in all of Frederick. The perfect blend of leather, aftershave, and wool envelops you as soon as you step over the threshold. Somehow, the store manages to perfectly combine rustic manliness with urban style. Most of their inventory is American-made with much of it being Maryland-made and all of it being well-made. In addition to the shop, a barber shop resides on the second floor. In short, if you send your man to Citizen Frederick, he's going to walk out looking sharp.
Confession: I personally own one of their hoodies. No joke, it's the cuddliest sweatshirt ever. 

Curious Iguana Bookstore
12 N. Market Street
Frederick's independent bookstore has become my go-to for any book purchases not made on my Kindle. If they don't have the title you're looking for, you can always order it for no additional charge. 

The Trail House
17 S. Market Street
If you're into outdoor sports or camping, you need to stop by the Trail House to stock up on gear. Not only will you get great products, but you'll get friendly advice on the best places to trail run, bike, and hike in Maryland. 

Muse
19 N Market Street
If you need some creative inspiration, stop by the Muse downtown. Its owner Whitney takes care in promoting and beautifully displaying artisan products in her store. The baby section in the back is especially adorable.

Do

Frederick Coffee Co.
Hands down, Frederick Coffee Company is my favorite local spot for a latte. Curl up in one of their booths with a book or for a chat with a good friend over a mug of something hot and sweet. They also regularly host poetry readings, live music, and other fun events. 

Historic Frederick Bike Tour
This bike loop leads you through 10 miles of Frederick's 50 block historic district. You'll pass historic buildings that span from the town's inception in the 1700s to the early 1900s. 

Museum of Civil War Medicine
With so many battlefields just a few miles away, Frederick became a hospital town during the Civil War. In fact, five major battlefields-- Monocacy, Gettysburg, Harpers Ferry, Antietam (Sharpsburg), and South Mountain--all lie within an easy 30 minute drive of the city. This museum highlights the difficult plight of Civil War camplife and the medical innovations that paved away for modern military medicine. 

Baker Park
A short walk from downtown's center, Baker Park has 40 acres for you to run, play, and sunbathe. On pretty summer days, you'll find people reading in the shade of the trees or playing a pick-up game of ultimate frisbee. My favorite part of the park is the bell tower which occasionally peals out beautiful hymns. Hit up the park this weekend for the Celebrate Frederick July Fourth fireworks show. 

Carroll Creek Canal

Originally designed as a floodwater preventive,  Carroll Creek now runs through downtown Frederick as a beautiful canal speckled with lily pads and teeming with wildlife. Since many shops and eateries line its banks, strolling along the canal is always a pleasant way to spend a summer evening.

Alive @ Five 
Every Thursday night, the amphitheater by the canal transforms into a stage where local bands serenade passerby. Sitting with our legs dangling over the edge of the canal bridge, listening to cover songs, has been one of our favorite middle-of-the-week getaways since moving to Frederick. 

These are just a few of our favorite Frederick attractions. I'm sure I've left many other awesome places out-- but to be honest, Frederick has so many great aspects, its hard to pick just a few places to highlight.

Are you a Frederick local? What are some of your favorite places?

Revitalize Your Old Art Prints

As a painter myself, I take special care when selecting artwork for my home. I don't go home with an item unless it truly speaks to me. Most often, I purchase antique architectural pieces-- like old windows or gates-- to hang around the house, or I just paint my own pieces. When decorating, I much prefer to use quirky vintage items or original artwork over generic store-bought items. Not that anything is wrong with buying cheap art. You can really get some lovely art at great deals, don't get me wrong!  There's absolutely nothing wrong with that route. I personally just prefer items which possess more of a story or a one-of-a-kind quality, items that you may not see in someone else's house.

Over time, my decorating style has certainly evolved. In fact, I feel that it has tremendously evolved even since my wedding day almost 3 years ago now. Previously, I used a lot of crimson and golds when decorating. I tended to gravitate toward carnival-y, baroque-ish pieces. I loved rich, gemstone hues, bling, and texture. Case in point: this large art print from World Market that hung over my bedroom dresser for years. 

Pretty, right? But quite busy and yes, somewhat carnival-esque. This art print was a Christmas gift from my parents when I was about sixteen. While I adored the print back then, I suddenly found that its swirls and kaleidoscope colors no longer jived with my style. I caught myself staring at it every night before bed and thinking... Wow, that thing really sticks out. 

I fantasized about replacing it. But the hefty pricetag attached to large artwork gave me pause, especially in the midst of our recent kitchen renovation. I mentioned my art-woes to Mark one night who shrugged and said "Why don't you just paint over it?"

Ohhhhhh, duh! And thus, a DIY was born.

Supplies:

- an art print you've "fallen out of love with" 

- glossy white paint

- grey acrylic paint

- blue acrylic paint

- gold craft paint, Martha Stewart brand

- a variety of paint brushes

- papertowels

- water for cleaning brushes

My first step was to simply cover the entire canvas with the white glossy paint. To be honest, just this step alone produced a lovely result. The texture of the original print peeked through the white paint. If you're into minimalist design, simply painting a textured art print white would give you a unique piece of art. But we all know I'm no minimalist, right? 

I went on to paint the remainder of the abstract design, sticking to blue, grey, and gold hues. I had so much fun layering the colors and splattering paint every which-away. If you're undertaking your own abstract painting project, the best advice I can offer is to choose coordinating colors that suit your decor style and to be sure to allow time for the individual paint layers to dry.

The end result of this spontaneous project was a piece of modern abstract artwork that not only matched my bedroom color scheme but also was a bit easier on the eyes (aka less busy). The white background illuminates the space and really pops against the charcoal grey wall. Sometimes it pays to just flex your DIY muscles and give new life to a piece rather than going out to buy new. 

Good Reads // Longbourne

Today I thought I would share a review of my most recent read: Longbourne by Jo Baker, This book first entered my literary radar via a review on A Beautiful Mess blog. I had seen the cover displayed at our local bookstore Curious Iguana, but I never felt drawn to pick up the book. As a general rule, I don't read spin-off stories. The paperback industry of Pride & Prejudice spinoff novels is just too in-your-face lucrative. You know what I'm talking about... those novels with a scantily clad Mr. Darcy on the cover. With one glance, I consigned Baker's novel to this category.

I couldn't have been more wrong. Instead, Baker's novel Longbourne proved to be a page-turner that not only kept my interest but changed my entire interpretations of the Bennett-Darcy world.

Warning: if you haven't read the book, there be spoilers ahead.

1. Baker gives her readers a completely different view of Regency England. You're not led into the dainty parlors or escorted around the ballrooms. Instead, Baker plops you in the kitchen, the barnyard, or even out back at "the necessary." The famous Pride and Prejudice characters fade to the background while Baker's protagonists--the servants-- take the stage. Everyday aspects of life that Austen's contemporary readers probably already knew -- like how the washing was done or how the courses were served--are brought to light. Yet somehow, Baker manages to delve intrusively into the Bennett household without sullying the original story. Sure, you learn things like how annoying it was for the servants to clean the Bennett girls' "monthly napkins" and how frustrating Elizabeth's muddy jaunts across the English countryside were to the servant cleaning her clothes and boots. But these revelations don't lower Austen's characters. Instead, these details render the Bennetts more human somehow, more believable.

2. The protagonist Sarah is just as gutsy and memorable as Elizabeth Bennett, maybe more so. And I love her. Because Elizabeth Bennett has been such a beloved character of English literature for nearly two centuries, I was a little worried about Baker's ability to create a character who could stand out despite the long literary shadow cast by Austen. Yet Sarah certainly stands as her own person. She is headstrong, brave, and opinionated-- and isn't afraid to stand up for herself or fight for what she truly wants. I especially appreciated that she didn't wait to be rescued by the dashing gentleman. Instead, she went out and found him and rescued him. 

3. All that being said... I do somewhat feel like Baker was a bit harsh in her portrayal of Darcy and Elizabeth's marriage. The final chapters of Longbourne extend beyond the tale of Pride and Prejudice and give you a glimpse into life at Pemberly after the Darcy wedding. This life, as portrayed by Baker, seemed a bit of a letdown. A demure wife, Elizabeth seems to lose her spark and individuality, becoming instead this polished, sophisticated lady. Suddenly, it seems Elizabeth is so concerned with the "Darcy name" that she cowers at others' opinions of her. Next thing you know, she's pregnant with one of what Sarah assumes will be many children, since "that is what a man like Darcy needs." Reading this, I thought sheesh. I couldn't help but wonder if the modern-woman Baker was looking back on the marriages of that time period with a bit too critical of an eye. As if her message was "Ya'll, Pride and Prejudice is just a fairytale. There was no prince. Here's the reality."  Of course, women did face a harsh fate of childbearing over and over again back then. But was the change in Elizabeth true to her wild, willful character? I feel like maybe not. However, Sarah's storyline is so interesting that you quickly forget about Pemberly.

All in all, I highly recommend this novel! If you're looking for a good beach-read, this may be it.

Have you read the story? If so, what are your thoughts?

Baby Boy Shower & Bump Shots

This past weekend, Mark and I loaded his truck and drove down to Virginia to shower two of our sweet friends Ryan and Laura Beth Rirchardson. This sweet couple is expecting their first baby: a little boy. Ryan and Laura Beth have always meant so much to Mark and me over the past six years. They were instrumental forces in our dating years and have been such stalwart, generous friends to us, giving freely of their time and love. The little boy who's currently sleeping in his mommy's tummy is beyond lucky to have them as parents. The angel who made that decision chose well. 

Laura Beth was my closest childhood friend. In fact, her parents double-dated with mine. So, she and I were practically required to become friends as girls and then now as grown women. A few years older than myself, Laura Beth taught me some of the finer points of teenage girlhood: how to apply eyeshadow, how to flirt with boys, and how to shave my legs. Not in that order, though. We were so close that we often forgot whether we truly were related or not. 

Funnily enough, Mark and Ryan also grew up together. As first cousins and only a few months apart in age, they learned how to walk, how to talk, how to shoot guns, climb mountains, and get the good girls--all together. Even though I truly had nothing to do with it... I feel special and somehow proud of the fact that my best friend married Mark's best friend. Now that they're expecting their first baby, the special feeling just grows. Life stories like theirs underline the divine hand that governs our lives. 

 As little boys and teenagers themselves, Ryan and Mark loved Jeeps. They spent their summers bouncing along dirt roads, spinning their tires and slinging mud. As long as I've known Ryan, he has owned a Jeep. So a Jeep-themed shower cake was perfectly fitting for this couple.

After the shower, I convinced the couplete to let me take a few "belly shots." I just adore the way they turned out. . Laura Beth knew that she wanted a photograph of Ryan's hands on the tummy. Because he is a diesel mechanic, his hands bear the marks of his trade, a fact about her husband that Laura Beth always says she loves. Plus, there's something special about the mommy and daddy's hands on the expectant tummy. It's as if they're cradling their little baby boy already.

Do you like bump photos? I definitely do. When tastefully done, they can be so intimate and tender. I greatly appreciate the fact that photography and society has moved forward, allowing the artistic exposure female form in this special moment of life. Somehow, this bump shot captures so many feelings, especially the sense of anticipation and love. 

 We all certainly can't wait for Baby Richardson's arrival so that we can finallhy give him some much-anticipated snuggles! Love you guys!

For more maternity-style photography, click here. 

7 Favorite Songs

Recently, two of my favorite blogs The Freckled Italian and Whitney Ann shared a list of their favorite songs and invited their readers to do the same. Reading their awesome song lists got me to thinking about the songs I consider to by my "favorites."

As a pony-tailed little girl, I used to ride along with my daddy in his white Ford truck, rocking out with him to old blues and classic rock tunes. Trips to school occurred with the Monkees, Men at Work, the Beatles, or Three Dog Night as the soundtrack. At eight, I knew every word to "Last Train to Clarkesville" and could clap the beat to "Take the Money and Run." My mom on the other hand loved classic country and folksy gospel songs. While my dad taught me the finer skills of air guitar, my mom instilled in my an appreciation for banjo, steel guitar, and a Southern accent's twang. Now, enter my older sister: who taught me the macarena, gave me her Smash Mouth CD, and introduced me to pop.

Combined, these musical influences created a girl with the most varied taste in music you can possibly imagine. My iPod's shuffle setting will lead on you a merry jaunt from Mozart, to Waylon Jennings to Corinne Bailey Rae to Avenged Sevenfold to Brad Paisley to Rebelution. I don't think I have a particular taste in music. I just like good tunes. 

Thus, my attempt at a list of favorite songs proved more difficult than I expected. How could I possibly pick just seven?? So I followed my friend Whitney's advice and went with the seven songs that evoke powerful emotion every time I hear them. In truth, this list should be a lot longer, but these seven deeply resonate with me. Whenever I hear the opening strains, I find it difficult to suppress the urge to sing along.

1. Georgia on My Mind by Ray Charles
As a Georgia girl, this song is the one and only tune that inevitably and always gives me tears. After I moved to Maryland with Mark, my Pandora Radio apparently decided it hated me and played the song every ten minutes.

2. Have You Ever Seen the Rain by Creedence Clearwater Revival
Whenever I hear this song, a teenage memory pops into my mind's eye: driving on country backroads in my cousin Matt's truck, singing this song together at the top of our lungs. We both wondered how a song could make us happy and sad at the same time.

3. Hard Way Home by Brandi Carlile
All hail the singer/song-writer queen Brandi Carlile. If you haven't heard of her, stop reading this blog post and immediately go to YouTube to listen to this song. Her train-whistle croon at the beginning of this song gets me every time.

4. Evil Angel by Breaking Benjamin
My and Mark's dating years were set to a Breaking Benjamin soundtrack. In fact, our very first phone conversation circulated around rock music. Mark recommended Breaking Benjamin, and I immediately downloaded every song I could find of theirs on Napster. By the end of the day, I was hooked on this particular track. So much so that its still my Xbox Live name.

5. Like a Stone by Audioslave
This man's voice could melt butter. I mean really. I could spread Chris Cornell on a cracker. Such a haunting, easy listen. Sheesh.

6. Sirens by Pearl Jam
I remember the first time I heard this song on XM Radio. Instantly, I fell for the desperate, lonely sound it has. I have to admit though: I have a soft spot for Pearl Jam for a very specific reason. My husband doesn't sing often, despite the fact that he has a lovely deep baritone. Yet when Pearl Jam comes on the radio, if he thinks no one is listening... Sigh.

7. Hurt by Johnny Cash
Interesting factoid about this song: it was originally released by Nine Inch Nails in 1995. Nearly ten years later, the infamous Johnny Cash came along and blew it out of the water. Because come on. It's Johnny Cash. The Man in Black. Who can even compete with that?

Now it's your turn! Share your favorite list below or link to your blog post. 

image via Pinterest

Kitchen Inspiration

For the past two weeks, Mark and I have been working on renovating our kitchen. Before the project began, we optimistically and naively thought "Oh this will take about a week." Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Here we are, two weeks later, still putting the last pieces together.

Here's an annoying truth: tiling a backsplash can take forever. Especially when you have this "vision" of subway tile reaching to the ceiling. Each row has to dry and set before you can proceed to the next. Otherwise, the whole thing could come sliding down. Once you've finally tiled and grouted the entire thing, you have to allow the grout to set about 48 hours before sealing it. Ugh. My hands are constantly white-flecked with grout and adhesive, speckled as if I have some kind of skin condition.
Once the subway tile backsplash is sealed, we will begin hanging the three shelves. The final steps of the renovation will be hanging a new light fixture and then extending the cabinets to the ceiling.

I. Am. So. Ready. To. Be. Done.

I can't wait to share photos of the finished project. But even more so... I can't wait to have counter top surfaces again and to be able to cook a decent meal in the kitchen without having to dodge stacked bowls or random tools. So, to hold myself over until the Big Reveal, I thought that today I would share some of the Pinterest photos that inspired our kitchen makeover.

From the moment we bought our house, I knew I wanted two things in the kitchen: open shelving and subway tiles. I just love the crisp, classic look of subway tile. You can find it in stately old homes built at the turn of the century and in new, modern buildings. It's simply a timeless look that just doesn't lose it's charm or style.

Another favorite: shabby chic painted chandeliers. I've been scouring our local thrift shops and ReStores but haven't found one that works and is the right size. While I'd love to do a fun DIY and put an old chandelier in the kitchen, I will most likely go with this cutey from Home Depot. It has an old schoolhouse charm that I think will work well in our little galley kitchen. Since this isn't our forever home, I don't feel the need to make every single detail perfect. I'll have my Ultimate Kitchen later in life, maybe in house two or three.

The final kitchen detail that inspired our renovation: two cabinet colors. Those of you who follow along on my Instagram know that we decided to go with Annie Sloan's grey-blue shade Old Violet. I love the way its turning out with our old-rubbed bronze drawer pulls and faucet.

I also love these hanging rods and buckets from IKEA. I probably won't grow herbs in my kitchen (no direct sunlight), but have found them to be a great place to store random kitchen doodads like napkin rings or small utensils.

Stay tuned for our kitchen reveal!

All images via Pinterest.
Image of kitchen in first collage via Primitive & Proper.