Atlanta living

1. VIP TI/Lil Wayne concert at Lakewood - why don't I go to more rap shows? This night was incredible. I stayed til the end.

2. Pimento cheese and bacon spread at Victory Sandwich Bar

3. Jack and coke slushies at Victory Sandwich Bar - an Atlanta staple in Decatur. You can get a single or double, or choose from one of their 10 other seasonal drinks. I also recommend the Pain Destroyer.

4. Work parties at Whiskey Blue and Park Tavern - jeez we love parties. And photo booths. And Jaeger bombs. And food. And dancing. And djs. And our co-workers. 

5. First trip to Monday Night Brewing 

6. User group in Denver, CO with Pardot and ReadyTalk - went to T|aco (the urban taqueria) and 1 Up to play Big Buck Hunter with Sweezey and Anita. I'm a terrible shot. 

Come to Kenya with me?

Check out this page with more information on my upcoming trip to Kenya! 

The 410 Bridge has an incredible program that I get to be a part of, and that impacts many of these communities:

Arise, shine, for your light has come.

And the glory of the Lord rises upon you.

See, darkness covers the earth 

and thick darkness is over the peoples,

but the Lord rises upon you and His glory appears over you.

Nations will come to your light,

and the kings to the brightness of your dawn.

Isaiah 60:1-3

My Top 31

1. New coffee table made from mango wood. 

2. Succulents for the living room. 

3. Hydrandea in the sun.

4. The gem Susan has had in her desk for entirely too long.

5. Sun in my Belly latte.

6. Wishing "Between the Raindrops" was still in my life.

7. Wall art courtesy of Heiden and all of our business cards.

8. Il Localino for Father's Day. The most expensive meal of my life.

9. Beer cart Friday.

10. "Hold on and take a breath, I'll be here every step."

11. Harim, Michael and Sook - our heart and soul.

12. Donald Miller

13. Around the World happy hour.

14. Breaking in our new patio furniture. 

15. Celebrating Reena at Taqueria.

16. Brunching at Local Three.

17. Peaches poached in Prosecco.

18. Grilled bananas with marshmallows, chocolate chips, and Reese's cups.

19. Happy Karaoke

20. Fried bananas with honey and cinnamon.

21. Beer-candied bacon. 

22. 4th of July in North Carolina

23. Hike up Lookout Mountain.

24. Latte at Waking Life.

25. Beer tasting at Pisgah Brewing Company.

26. Lunch at Veranda.

27. Rainy 4th of July parade in Montreat. 

28. Maple bourbon bacon. 

29. Dinner with these loves at Fresh in Black Mountain. 

30. The Cake Shop visiting Jess. Salted caramel cupcake #ftw.

31. Zonked out Lucy after 4 days in the mountains. 

I've decided to quit sleeping.

May and June are forever our nuttiest months of the year. Between (7) family birthdays, our anniversary, Mother's Day, AND Father's Day... we practically walk around throwing our money at people. 

But other than lighter-than-usual wallets, we tend to still enjoy ourselves. 

My birthday dinner at Two Urban Licks

Throwback to Cam's bridesmaid's lunch at The Swan House (newly acquired pic)

You know you have amazing friends when you get Blue Bottle Coffee in the mail for your birthday. I told Dave I'd share, but I shouldn't have promised such a thing. It took every ounce of willpower to not shove the beans directly into my mouth upon receipt.

For Patrick's birthday, he wanted to go to a Braves game together. I gave myself a jewel in my crown for every inning I didn't audibly complain. Then I rewarded myself with Batdorf & Bronson coffee from West Egg. I am such a saint.

Patrick received his SECOND promotion in less than 2 months this week. Me? Well, I got acquired. Again. Times they are a changin' folks. Promotion celebration happened at Fritti, an Antico'esque Napoli pizza place in Inman Park. Which is also home to Barcelona Wine Bar, another fave.

So these last four pictures are of killer recipes that I tried this week. Going clock-wise from the top left:

1. The Pioneer Woman's restaurant style salsa - I made it so spicy I was practically sobbing into the bowl. Great flavor, really smooth, really wanted to die hot.

2. Summertime noodles with sweet balsamic dressing from here - OMG this was AMAZING. It is  basically noodles, oranges, spinach, tomatoes, onions, avocado, mint and basil. Then you top with balsamic, olive oil and honey. I had to make Patrick take the bowl away. 

3. Buttered latte - I know this sounds strange, but in reality, all butter is is heavy whipping cream. So Liz taught us to get UNSALTED (this is key) grass fed butter from Whole Foods or Trader Joe's. Then you blend your coffee with the butter to get a frothy, smooth latte. I still need to add a little sugar, but the consistency is excellent.

4. Guacamole - And if I come clean about this one, I'll admit that it's the same recipe I've been using for 3 months. 1 red onion, 1 tomato, 1 garlic clove, 4 avocados, and a whole lotta lime. And if you go overboard on the lime, the guac keeps 2-3 extra days (which is heaven because this recipe makes a ton). 

And in other news, I feel it impressed upon my heart to give you my 2 favorite .gifs used in the context of my job.

What people think working at a tech startup is like:

What its really like:

#winning

Let's weather the storms together

Throughout my last year of counseling, one of the biggest things I've learned about myself is that I never grew up feeling safe, accepted or nurtured. Not that my physical needs weren't taken care of as a child, but emotionally I didn't ever have the space to relax. A safe space. And for years, I've never been able to put my finger on why. My parents did all that they could for me. I had big families on both sides with huge hearts and homes for resting. I played sports, had friends, and went on vacations. But at the end of the day, I never had a home base. A refuge. A place where I knew I would be loved no matter what.

When faced with the fears, uncertainties, 

and worries of life, children need a 

reference point—a place in their mind 

where they feel loved and safe. 

Rachel Stafford

And Marcy, in all of her infinite wisdom, gently stated that this was because I had never been mommy-ed. Never being mommy-ed meant that I was never welcomed with open arms, fought for, or supported when I wasn't doing well. I always felt like a burden. Not trusted to do the right things, or to feel like my side of the story mattered. I never felt listened to or heard. No one processed thoughts or feelings with me, unless it involved correction. I grew up feeling like I had to fight to create a space for myself.

This lack created in me a need to find my nurturing elsewhere. Always looking for that one female relationship that I could feel safe in. Where I knew that they'd be on my side no matter what. That I was a priority and that I would be taken care of.

It is hard watching girlfriends that are close with their moms, because they share something that I always wanted. They love each other, support each other, tell each other deep and hard things, laugh with each other, run errands and go on vacations together. They pray for each other, send each other cards, and enjoy just hanging out together. There wouldn't be enough books to pen the words and phrases and appreciations that my friends have for their moms, and that their moms have for them. Having been a part of several weddings, it has been amazing to see this firsthand.

I love that my friends have relationships like that. It reminds me that they exist. That there is hope. That even though I don't have that safe emotional space and that person forever on my side, I can still provide that to others. Whether that be my friends, my children, or other adults that might also be missing that part of their hearts. I desperately want to nurture others. And I want to do it right and I want to do it well. And I want to be a safe place for people, and that person that they can depend on through the storms to stick by them.

I don't really know what that looks like. I have some great examples of people to watch, but at the end of the day, they aren't me. I still have to figure out what me looks like in that role. And maybe for now it just means filling in the gaps where I know I would have needed filling. Or giving people the response that I always wanted to receive. This could prove to be a gigantic failure, but I know that the process is important. The efforts matter, no matter how small.

So thank you, sweet friends, for listening and letting me vent and sort out my thoughts in this place. Please know that I'm here to love you and support you no matter what storm you face. I'm on your side, and I will not leave.

Love love.

Summer Jams, Reads, and Eats

If you're like me, summer is not complete without great tunes, books and food. Below is a list of my summer faves (however, the songs will change in 10 minutes because I beat them to death in my car):

Wisteria

Murphy's

Sotto Sotto

Holeman & Finch

Canoe

Local Three

Terra Terroir