the real deal

Grown up Christmas

The other night I had the opportunity to get into bed by 9:30 with nothing else to do, not a care in the world until my alarm croaks at 5:15am. Golden. This morning however I was so tired that after showering I went back to bed for 20 minutes... it's definitely Friday and a week before Christmas. This time last year I was writing about my tiny tinsel town of Surbiton. This year, I'm reminiscing about it.

This afternoon I'm heading south to a warmer climate and planning on catching up with my entourage all the way there.

In the raw at it's finest

Do you ever feel like you are loosing your mind for the sake of your heart? This week, I have decided that this is a somewhat normal feeling....

Simply put, there are things in this life that will find us. Things you can't just brush. And it's these things that cause us to ignore all rationale. Logic, basis, grounds.

In these things there are the moments where you find yourself looking a little less credible, a little more vulnerable and well... just plain human.

Find the way to stay true to yourself & the perception will follow, because looking back the perception never mattered before did it?

Truth:

You can get through just about anything with the right amount of heart & sarcasm.

But Once

Don't miss out.

Why not tomorrow?

Thank God it's Friday. You may find me in west elm over my lunch just inhaling and decompressing from the morning. Ceder bark scented candels and throw pillows hit the spot. I'm just the girl with a lot on her plate... ready to play hostess this weekend and spend time with the ones I haven't made time for in too long. Update on the weekend later.

Your most profound will

Life is extraordinary, it throws you back and forth between the lines of expectation and deception... I hope you have your head gear on for the lows and your heart guarded for the highs because the reality of it all is that no matter what we believe to be, we are purely the sum of all the moment of our lives and nothing else, you realize now that you expected much more out of yourself and someone is telling you what your life is from the outside looking into a snow globe figment of their imagination.

It is what you have made it and to everyone else it is what they have decided it to be... one weighs well, much heavier than the other and one is a common misconception made by many.

It is very easy to convince yourself of something in your head, make everything add up and make sense of all the outcomes of your actions yet in reality none of it lines up at all. Humans... human nature is a terrible weakness and short coming... human nature eliminates all useful methodologies of living such as logic, sense, judgment, analysis... Humans are not subject to these terms and because we never will be, life will continue to throw us upside down and leave us out on the hunt for answers. Which avenue will we take?

When life fills up with decisions, over flows with eagerness for change, take charge.

Don’t lose grasp of the things that matter to you, without that one foot on the ground your tethers are cut. Remember next time, it only takes one negative comment to lose sight of a dream. It's like that moment, that moment that the world has decided to shake right underneath of your feet and even gravity has betrayed you. That moment of betrayal.

Yet everyone deserves that moment... it may seem like a curse at first, a failure in a sense, but it's the shake up that brings you back to a clearer sense of understanding, a sense of simple living.

You know the feeling when you're in too deep and willing to admit most great things take an ample amount of time and work. Invest your love into something worthwhile. Where will you chose to invest your love? Nothing in life will be more real than that choice.

I want to tell you how much has changed. My life is my own and no one else's...  I am in here, and no one else is. There is a parade of rejoice to be had for this simple life and it tastes so sweet.

Never out grow your city

The South End neighborhood is actually called “Historic South End.” It’s filled with design centers and landmark eateries, as well as new favorites. Every weekend there is an event, whether it’s a gallery crawl, outdoor movie, or Food Truck Friday.

The Common Market: There are two locations for Common Market, but this one is my favorite. Inside is a small market with some food, candy, novelty items (think the hipster Cracker Barrel) a deli counter, and a huge wine and beer selection, including some beers on tap. Once you make your purchase, they offer to open your beverage for you, and you are able to drink at one of their indoor tables or outside on their patio. They have DJs or musicians there almost every night.

Prices Chicken Coop: This place is legendary. You could call it a Charlotte landmark. Price’s is a hole-in-the-wall chicken place. That’s it. But you will get some of the best fried chicken you’ve ever had.

Mr. K’s is almost as legendary as Price’s. Another tiny hole-in-the-wall place, but this is for soft serve and burgers. It’s one of the best and cheapest meals in town.

Pewter Rose: I once heard Pewter Rose described as “an eclectic gem. The perfect location for a Fern Gully brunch.”

Pike’s Soda Shop

Plaza Midwood is one of our most eclectic neighborhoods, one of those places where you can do some Saturday antiquing and then go next door to get a tattoo.

Zada Jane’s is the perfect brunch place in Charlotte. It’s bright, cheerful, and colorful. And they have coffee ready for you as you in mismatched thrift store mugs as you wait for your table. The food is perfectly southern (sweet potatoes, grits, biscuits & gravy) with great West Coast influences.

Midwood Smokehouse BBQ

Penguin and the Diamond: There is a well-known feud behind these two restaurants. Brief history lesson: Penguin has been a local dive in Charlotte since 1954. It is known for its amazing greasy food and hole-in-the-wall atmosphere. There is always a line, which I blame on the Winky Dinky Dog (chili and pimento cheese hotdog). But then . . . oh . . . then the owner fired the manager. The manager left, and took the menu with him. He announced that he would open a new place within the year. And he did — next door to Penguin. He named it Diamond, and it is just as good as Penguin. Sometimes I think it is better. So the city of Charlotte is torn: Team Diamond vs. Team Penguin (I am team Diamond myself). If you are ever in the city, these two are a must. You need to choose your allegiance.

Common Market’s 2nd location

Boris and Natasha is a clothing boutique where you can find great high-end designers, as well as fantastic cheap sunglasses. It’s a wonderful balance.

Hong Kong Vintage is an amazing vintage shop. They have clothing ranging from the ’50s to the ’80s, all organized beautifully by color. There is also a great housewares collection with enough fondue pots, ashtrays and coffee serving sets to supply all of the cast members of Mad Men!

Lunch Box Records is my go-to record shop. I have never left disappointed. There is an excellent used collection, as well as every new album you can think of. The guys know their stuff, too. And an appreciative nod from the manager over your purchase is the icing on the cake.

John’s Country Kitchen has a good, cheap, greasy breakfast. It’s perfect for Saturday mornings.

North Davidson Street, or NoDa, runs from uptown into our art district and is filled with some of our favorite coffee shops, restaurants and galleries

Amelie’s is a 24-hour French bakery and cafe. I could just stop there; that is really enough. But in reality, Amelie’s is so much more! They make award-winning pastries. In fact, Pioneer Woman herself has become obsessed with their salted caramel brownie. All of these amazing pastries and coffees are served in the perfect shabby-chic, thrift-store treasure sitting area. Amelie’s is one of those places where you might find yourself sitting for 6 hours as you finish a book.

Crepe Cellar

Growlers Pourhouse has a fantastic selection of local beer served with the perfect bar food. They’ll have you at the complimentary organic popcorn.

Cabo Fish Taco

Smelly Cat Coffeehouse named after Phoebe’s famous song from Friends, Smelly Cat is the perfect local coffee shop. It has great atmosphere, and you can find a drum circle outside on most weekends.

Evening Muse is our small coffee house-style music venue. Charlotte has a great local music scene, and you can see local bands there almost every night of the week.

Rat’s Nest is another vintage shop, but this one has an awesome southern flair. They have an entire wall lined with cowboy boots. The owner has searched far and wide working on his collection, and it’s the only place I know of where you can find a PBR lamp next to a 1970s prom dress.

Hart Witzen Gallery

Neighborhood Theater is our most beloved music venue in Charlotte. It was scheduled to be shut down a year ago, but locals banned together to keep its doors open.

Elizabeth is one of the most established neighborhoods in Charlotte, famous for its canopy-like tree-lined streets.

Sunflour Baking Company has the best cupcake in Charlotte. Their peanut butter chocolate cupcake is what dreams are made of. They have a modern setup with great coffee, sandwiches, and baked goods, including homemade pop tarts.

Lupie’s Cafe

Cajun Queen

Philosopher’s Stone, affectionately called “P-Stone,” is your typical bar/pub. It’s perfect for getting a beer and wings and sitting on the patio while playing corn hole. It’s a local favorite because it isn’t fussy.

We call our downtown “uptown,” so don’t get confused.

Not Just Coffee is one of Charlotte’s best surprises. Hidden in a market located in one of our uptown parking decks, it’s easy to walk past this place. I made that mistake my first visit. It is a stand-alone bar, with the best pour-over coffee you can find. And their espresso drinks are some of the best I’ve ever had. James is brilliant and a perfectionist. His lattes will make you cry tears of joy.

Pure Pizza is in the same market as Not Just Coffee. They have amazing organic, gluten-free, and dairy-free options for pizza. Their buckwheat crust is so good!

Dandelion Market

NC Music Factory is music venue that has a theater, amphitheater, beer garden, restaurants, clubs and bars all on one giant property.

Mint Museum

Dilworth is just south of uptown and a local favorite. It boasts bike paths, beautiful homes, and some of the best parks and restaurants in the city.

Bad Daddy’s is the favorite burger bar here. Everyone is a regular, which makes sense with menu items like all-natural, grass-fed beef burgers, “grown-up” milkshakes, and homemade potato chips with pimento cheese.

Dolce Ristorante Italiano is famous for their gnocchi. Dolce is a favorite neighborhood Italian restaurant. Not fussy, but lovely.

Freedom Park is perfect for a nice walk or even a nap on the hill. It is a lovely spot to relax after a big lunch at any of these places.

Paper Skyscraper is the best gift shop in Charlotte. It’s one of those places where you end up spending way more than you planned, but it’s totally worth it.

Toast Cafe is another breakfast/brunch gem. They serve perfect southern food (try the raspberry walnut pancakes!), including cornbread as you wait.

Sir Edmund Hailey’s, or as we call it, Sir Ed’s, might be the best kept secret in Charlotte. It’s hidden behind a local shopping center, so it’s not the easiest to find. Sir Ed’s is the perfect pub, but perhaps most famous for its jerk chicken nachos. Definitely a Charlotte favorite!

Never a day too soon

Don't run away from the good things in life, most often times the very little things. Don't forget about the bad. It's a little easier to remember the things that have affected you negatively in life...  never forget yet never dwell.

I truly believe if you are a prisoner of history you're a prisoner of yourself.

motion brings emotion

They say that the world was built for two...

"They" talk a lot don't they. 

Benson