It’s funny that fall ends so close to the end of the year. For me, seasons follow events—not dates. As soon as Thanksgiving is over, it’s winter! As soon as school is out, it’s summer! Nevertheless, it has officially been winter for one week and today I’m reflecting on a fall season full of surprises and hard-learned lessons.
Where we traveled
At the beginning of November, we drove to Nashville to see one of our favorite bands at the Ryman Auditorium. The Lone Bellow‘s album release show was unforgettable and definitely a highlight of my year. We were only in town for the weekend, but fit in an amazing meal at Husk, sweet treats from Pink Door Cookies, burgers and brats at The Pharmacy, a tour at the Country Music Hall of Fame, and even ventured down to Franklin for a portrait photo shoot with Jeremy Cowart (see one of my portraits below).
The weekend after Nashville, we drove down to Gastonia to visit with friends, then spent the next night in Charlotte to see “Hadestown.” I saw the show in Durham in February and was dying for Brandon to see it, too! Before the show, we stopped in for dinner at Dandelion Market—a restaurant we visited 11 years ago while we were dating. It was just as good as I remembered, and they have the best macaroni and cheese ever.
What we celebrated
Our weekend in Nashville corresponded with Schmidt’s 10th birthday! He tagged along on the trip, and I even brought gifts and decorations to our Airbnb to mark the occasion. It makes me sad to see him age, but I always love an excuse to celebrate my favorite pup.
home projects i started
I can’t call it complete just yet, but this fall I started an update for our primary bedroom. When we moved in, we painted it baby blue. I hated the color from the first brush stroke, but was too embarrassed to say anything. After nearly six years, it was time for an update. I painted everything a dark shade of blue, moved around some art, and purchased new bedding and a chair and side table. These cosmetic updates have made a huge difference! It’s 90% finished now, but still needs for some doors to be painted and re-hung and for some wall molding to be installed.
What WE played on repeat
After seeing The National Parks over the summer, we listened to their albums nonstop for weeks and ended up seeing them in concert again in October when they were touring with another favorite band of ours, Judah & the Lion. I also listened to The Lone Bellow’s new release, “Love Songs for Losers” too many times to count (it’s still on repeat as we speak).
On the horizon
I’m desperate for the fresh start of a new year. 2022 was unforgettable in many ways, but I’m expectant for what’s ahead!
