This post from a few weeks ago ended up becoming a favorite, so I've decided to turn it into a little series. Share your answers with us below, in the comments!

Are you a dog or a cat person?

I love all animals a whole lot, but I'm definitely a dog person.

Do you have a signature fragrance? What is it and what does it remind you of?

When I was in high school, my friend Elena gave me a bottle of Vera Wang Princess and it smells like really expensive cotton candy. I wore it through graduation and into college. I still have the empty bottle because it's beautiful and I can still smell it if I take the top off and put it really close to my nose and take a deep breath. It reminds me of my friends, and summers at home and all the Ralph Lauren polo shirts I used to wear.

I went to Europe the summer after tenth grade and bought two bottles of perfume in Paris one afternoon. They were expensive and I remember using all of my "France" money on them (we went to England and Italy as well and I had a small budget for each country), but I loved them so much that I decided to use them sparingly and still have almost a full bottle to this day. I've had it for so long that the fragrance doesn't even remind me of that trip so much anymore, it just makes me happy because that was such a happy time. The fifteen-year-old me says that when I finally use all of it, I will buy another bottle and abandon all other perfumes.

I wore Light Blue by Dolce & Gabanna on my wedding day, and I've been wearing that since. Rob used to wear a certain cologne when we first met and it reminds me so much of those days and falling in love with him and because of that, we decided to each wear something new with hopes that one day, many years from now, we might pick it up again and remember those days when we were first married. He chose Dolce & Gabanna's The One, which I find fitting, and I had a bottle of Light Blue that was mostly unused and worked perfectly as my "something blue."

What is your favorite book?

I have a few. I love A Sick Day for Amos McGee, Where the Wild Things Are, Sophie's World, Atonement, and all things David Sedaris. My most recent favorite is B.J. Novak's One More Thing.

If you could live anywhere, where would it be?

I would love to move back to Charlottesville, Virginia and stay there. I think I'd much rather settle down and travel for fun than move around so much. Charlotte is going to be a great step in the right direction, but if I could really have my way, I'd just move Minneapolis to Richmond, Virginia and call it a day.

Photo credit: V.A. Photography

Yesterday evening I dropped Rob off at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport to catch a flight to Charlotte because today is his first day on the job at his new project. On my quick drive home, I was sort of overwhelmed with a mix of pride and nostalgia.

I thought about how smart and successful that husband of mine is, and how proud I am of him every day. And then I thought about those first few months of long(er) distance, when we went from Roanoke to DC every weekend to Virginia to Minnesota once or twice a month. From being within driving distance to booking a flight and requesting a day off from work. There were restaurants and coffee shops we visited in parts of town that we didn't recognize, and then I moved and less than a year later they became places in our favorite neighborhoods, where the bartender wonders where we've been if we skip a Saturday lunch one week. There are still so many new things to discover here, but we have managed to find a place to belong. 

We have come a long way since that weekend in January of last year when Rob went to Minneapolis to look at apartments. And yet last night, alone in our home, I started to feel a little sad. I am determined to make the most over these days that I have to myself--going to bed early, spending time with friends, and watching as much Gossip Girl as humanly possible. Transitions often throw me for a loop, but this one is so exciting, and I don't want to wish it away yet, even if I have to muddle through some melancholy to get there.

A new city, new friends (and old friends!), a new apartment, new adventures. I am so excited to get to Charlotte, but I will forever be thankful that we took a chance on Minneapolis.

“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;


Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that, the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,


And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.


I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.”

— Robert Frost

Sneak peek from my July collaboration with La Crema, coming soon! Photo by Photo + Love. Thought it seemed appropriate for the holiday!

Happy fourth of July! I hope everyone is enjoying relaxing time with friends or family and some warm weather. I have some links for you this weekend, so let's jump right in!

• Equinox always makes super-motivating fitness videos, but I absolutely loved their Portrait of a Locavore.
• I am having some success with a succulent I bought about a month and a half ago (it's a miracle!), and I wouldn't say no to a few of these cute planters for the little offshoots that are sprouting out.
• This commercial was seriously inspiring. If we have daughters, they are for sure going to be encouraged to explore math and science!
• So, so pumped to see this Time cover story. It's awesome to see Paleo-friendly principles getting mainstream attention.
• Have you ever thought of hiring a life coach? Nadia from Centered Self is currently running a huge sale on her services, so now might be a great time to try it!
• Love this bikini, even if it kind of looks like pajamas to me.
• I got a new phone the other day and this case is my new favorite thing. It's so sturdy but also so fun!
• This dress! Gimme.
• Surprise CrossFit proposal! I'm not usually one for any sort of over-the-top engagement story, but I love this one. Thanks Jenna for sharing this with me.
• Starbucks Praises Barista who Defended Breastfeeding Mom. Good for this barista, and good for Starbucks.
• David Sedaris is always such a delight to listen to. I've heard him read a couple times but I just love this video of him chatting with Craig Ferguson.

--

What are you up to this weekend? Today I'm going out to breakfast with Rob (it's so crazy to think that he starts work in Charlotte on Monday), then possibly doing some lake things with my girlfriends, and tomorrow we're going to a cookout!