I’m not one of those girls who’s ashamed to eat. I acknowledge when I’m hungry, I believe in dessert, and I unapologetically do not order the salad when what I really want is the burger. As a result, I’m no longer a size four, but my soul is nourished and my life is so much more flavorful.
Tag: Charlotte
Friday vibes: September 23

View of Uptown Charlotte
Last night marked the third night of riots in Charlotte. While they’ve been occurring a few blocks away from us, we’ve been living with a steady hum of helicopters overhead, pops and bangs of tear gas at night, and an overcast of heavy hearts. It’s sad to see our beautiful city get smashed and torn apart – especially in the media. Pray for peace. We don’t need anymore hurting.
Saturdays are for the girls

Pink Social Girl Tribe Pop-Up Shop! 👯💕 #shoplocal
Barstool Sports may say that Saturdays are for the boys, but this past Saturday was most definitely for the girls. My friend Amanda and I started our morning at the Pink Social Girl Tribe Pop Up sale at Sugar Creek Brewing. This pop up sale had 50+ women-owned businesses, including local boutiques and designers. The whole purpose was to support other women, shop local, and throw a fun girls’ day out.
3 things I miss about Troy

Mural in downtown Troy 🎨
I recently wrote a post about how our decision to move to Charlotte changed our lives in so many positive ways. But despite the truth in all of it, I couldn’t help but get a little nostalgic for our first apartment and the first little city MPR and I explored together.
Breakfast at Amélie’s

Rufio is très très chic 🐩
Sunday continued Charlotte’s trend of cooler air and lack of humidity, so MPR & I decided to take Rufio for a walk uptown. First we walked up to the main library branch to return two books, and on our way back we stopped at Amélie’s French Bakery & Café for a leisurely breakfast.
Friday vibes: August 26

Beware the bichpoo-a-saurus. Rawr 🐩
What’s that? Cool air? Yes, the humidity in Charlotte has finally broken 🙌🏻 That’s the first sign that fall is on its way, and I cannot wait. Summer is actually my least favorite season of the year. The only thing that makes it bearable down here is the fact that I have a pool right in my backyard. But fall is the sweet spot. It’s going to be filled with long walks on the Rail Trail every evening and on Saturday and Sunday mornings, Panthers games on Sunday nights, and scoping out open houses as we try to educate ourselves on the housing market down here. Sounds like heaven 🍂
King of Pops

My first King of Pops! 👑
This past weekend, we went to a Charlotte Independence soccer game with our friends Ava and Mariano. It was our first time going to a game and the stadium was really cute! I kind of felt like I was back home at the town park. It was filled with bleachers, kids running up and down the field with friends, and food trucks serving up summer snacks.
Friday vibes: August 12

Our Panthers tickets came in the mail this week! 🏈🙌🏻
This week I was completely burned out. I think I’m still trying to catch up from my business trip in Seattle last week (full recap coming soon) and my missed hours of sleep. It was a good reminder that when you think everything sucks, take a step back and think for a second: Do I need a nap and/or a snack? These two things can solve almost any bad mood.
3 ways to save money with a library card

In-flight entertainment ✈️
I recently signed up for a Charlotte library card, and it was the first thing I did that said, “I’m staying here for awhile.” The only other library card I’ve had is from back home in Delmar. I never had one while living in Cortland, Connecticut, or Troy. It seems small (after all, it’s free), but it meant something to me. And suddenly I felt like Belle in Beauty in the Beast with all of the books at my fingertips. (Except I have multiple libraries because Charlotte has so many branches.)
Bayern Munich/Inter Milan soccer game

View of the stadium during the Bayern Munich/Inter Milan soccer game in Charlotte
This past spring, MPR created a New York Islanders meet-up to watch the Stanley Cup Playoffs among fellow hockey fans. Through this group, we discovered Brevard Court in uptown, and The Upper Deck at Courtyard Hooligans quickly became our go-to spot. The owner let us take over the bar during Islander playoff games, but it’s really a soccer bar. So although the Islanders didn’t make it past round 2, we ended up back there for the Copa America USA v Columbia game. It was a blast and we decided right then and there that we’d become soccer fans while we wait for hockey and football to start back up this fall.