964.8 miles

chris and i are both feeling kinda bummed today.  we had such a fun whirlwind trip visiting beca, doug, sammy and patrick, and seeing tennessee, a peek of georgia, and asheville, north carolina.  we're happy to be back with flojo and kona, but knowing that the tumbleweeds are 7 hours away has us feeling lonesome; it can be bittersweet having such rad friends to hang out with.

i didn't take a ton of pictures at the southern blogger mixer mainly because i was too busy eating plate after plate of delicious hors d'oeuvres, but to see more of the event, the food, the people, and the project, you should peek at beca's blog.  i am super, super shy until i can feel people out and see what they're like, so i was really nervous going to the mixer.  it was a great group of girls though, and it was so nice doing blog talk with people that understood!  i think the smaller group made for better discussion, and it made the event more intimate, like a lunch date with friends.

we decided to go home from tennessee via asheville, north carolina, which wasn't really on the way, but it's somewhere chris and i have wanted to visit.  our friend patrick met us in downtown asheville and gave us a tour and local architecture history lesson before we ate a late lunch/early dinner at a delicious thai restaurant.  i could actually go for another plate of phad pak right now...

964.8 miles later, i'm wishing we could be on our way back with flojo and kona in tow, of course, that way we could stay until we decided to come home.  it must be tennessee wanderlust.

travels and cupcakes

i hope today finds you well!  it finds me with orders to fill and packages to ship, and since i've been pretty good at keeping up with orders lately, it doesn't seem nearly as daunting!  i've been working on a few new pieces of art, making some cupcakes even though i know i shouldn't because i can't stop eating them, and getting some things ready for the southern blogger mixer which is this saturday - i can't believe it's almost here!

i made something for the gift bags that will be given out at the mixer, and i'm curious to see what people think.  i would show you here, but you know, the surprise would be ruined.  i have to get my laundry done today so i can start packing, because i pack about eight times as many clothes and shoes as i need in case i change my mind while i'm there (and i always do).  and chris and i also have to make a road trip playlist!  it's his favorite thing to do when we're hitting the road.

the cupcakes are pumpkin spice with cream cheese icing, and they're so moist and delicious.  my mouth is watering just thinking about them, so i think i may go eat one (but probably two) for breakfast.  oh, and they're also the easiest things to make in the history of cooking.  just combine a box of spice cake mix, a can of pumpkin, and a tablespoon of water.  then mix, spoon into cupcake liners, bake according to the cake mix directions, ice, and EAT, EAT, EAT!

don't you just love simple but tasty recipes?  i've actually only ever baked one cake from scratch - a chocolate cake for my pop's birthday - and although it wasn't difficult and it turned out well (i mean, i didn't taste it because i hate chocolate, but it looked nice and i hear it tasted good), i'll still probably reach for the box mix because it's kind of a no-brainer!  have you ever made these pumpkin cupcakes?  do you like to bake things from scratch, or do you use a mix?  just curious!

let's plan a date!

i wanted to share a pretty exciting upcoming event with my fellow southerners, and i hope you can plan to be there!  so you may be wondering what's so exciting about a blogger meet-up with a group of people who say y'all and drink iced tea like it spews from the fountain of youth, and i'll tell you: these two people right here...

i kid, i kid, beca and i aren't the attraction, but we will be there and i know i speak for both of us when i say that we hope to see and meet a lot of other lifestyle, fashion, food, diy, etc. bloggers in the south (or from anywhere, really, if you want to join)!  it's always fun to meet other people who have created some sort of internet presence through blogging, whether it's to swap ideas, pick brains, or just get to know one another.  beca has done an amazing job of planning what i know will be a fun event - from food to drinks to gift bags.  if you're in one of the southern states, or will be in the area, you can reserve your spot here.  i really hope to see you there!