Home Love Collage

I found all of these prints on Etsy and want to build this collage in our future home (hopefully soon).

Christian gave me the "I dream of Bluegrass" print for Christmas last year. If you didn't guess already, this collage represents everywhere Christian and I have lived together (Cincinnati, Savannah, and New Orleans) and where we each will always call home (Mobile and Kentucky). 

To find any of these shops on Etsy, click the links below (from top right):

New Orleans, Mobile, Georgia on My Mind, I Dream of Bluegrass, Home is where the heart is, Cincinnati 

Here are some of my other favorite state love posters:

Georgia on My Mind

I love you from here to New Orleans 

vintage Cincinnati map 

New House Tour

Check it out, a new update of our house tour by clicking the "our home" link above, or just click here.

Here's what it looked like before:

Early Summer (though it feels like August) Cookout

It's really hot down here already! The heat index must be close to 100˚, and I know I should expect this by now but we had a really mild spring (some might say cold spring) so there was no gradual build up to the heat. And it is hot! 

That said, we grilled out for the first time in a while last night. Rabb (our new neighbor, see introduction at the bottom) brought some sausage and we added pork chops and drum to the menu; along with a bounty of local veggies.

Local Bounty:

 

Intro to Rabb:

here he is in the wedding procession

Christian's best man, college roommate and generally one of our best friends recently relocated from New York to New Orleans. On his first day in the city he biked over to respond to a for rent post he saw on Craigslist® and what do you know the for rent apartment was the other half of our double! So here we are sharing walls again, and glad to have an old/new friend in town. 

The Leather Anniversary

As you may already know, we stick to the traditional materials for our anniversary gift exchange (see the last two years here). This year was leather, and although that brings to mind lots of fun ideas, we kept it tame; I got Christian an engraved leather bracelet and he got me some awesome bedazzled shoes. After gifts we went out to a new restaurant, Peche Seafood Grill, where the specialty is fish grilled over an open flame.

   

After a few martinis and some key lime pie, we decided to skip town the following morning and stay resort style in a Biloxi casino. I jumped on priceline® and negotiated us a hotel room with a view. We ended up at the IP and since we don't gamble, we spent the next 24 hours sunning pool side, eating, and drinking. It was a much needed recreation of our honeymoon in Miami. 

The rest of that Cinco de Mayo Dinner

Hey we're only a month late! Well from what I can remember (way back to May 5th, 2013) the food was great and so was the company. Check it out the evidence:

Cabbage slaw for tacos

homemade guacamole (directions here)

Chipotle beef in the slow-cooker (see recipe at the bottom):

Black beans and tomatoes:

Check out Real Simple's version here

And since we're no stranger to an after dinner haircut (here), Mattie gave Christian a new summer look. 

What's the Difference Between St. Patrick's Day and Cinco de Mayo?

No one pretends to be Mexican on Cinco de Mayo!

But we sure do like the food! Tonight we're having some friends over to celebrate Mexican Independence. I will leave you with a preview and our favorite guacamole recipe:

Ingredients:
4 avocados
2 cloves of garlic (shaved)
1 tomato
about a cup of salsa
loads of lime juice
salt and cumin to taste
dollop of plain Greek yogurt

Mash it all up, stir together, drop the pits back in, and chill.