Rob and I had a weekend full of good food, cocktails, apartment decorating, IKEA, lots of episodes of House of Cards and a few skits from Portlandia, farmers' market wanderings, and an amazing Saturday evening spent on our patio with Thai takeout.

Now that there's a definitive date set for me to move in, this visit to the Twin Cities felt even more special than the other two. I packed a suitcase full of things and left almost all of them hanging in the closet or nestled in a newly-claimed drawer. I felt less like a tourist and more like I belonged, with a list of favorite places already. (Hint: one of them is the patio.)

This place is pretty amazing in the summer.

 

 

I got home from DC pretty late last night and didn't have a chance to look through the few photos I took with my camera. These from the reception, however, are too good not to share immediately. As you can see, a good time was had by all.

 

 

 

I was so excited when Jigsaw London asked me to represent Virginia in their fun summer campaign this year.  They're following bloggers around the country, getting insider details on the best places to stay, eat, shop, and go out. I decided to stick with what I know best--Roanoke and Charlottesville. They aren't big cities by any means, but I love them.

You can check out my recommendations right here.

  

  

Where do you live? What are your favorite spots there?