two signs of fall

sunday we drove up into north georgia to visit burt's pumpkin farm for the first time. the drive was stunning: gray skies + orange leaves, winding roads, farm after farm. there was no one in sight and then we got to the farm. where did all of those people come from? matilda was beyond excited to help pick out heirloom varieties of pumpkins (the uglier the better in my opinion and they better have a long curly stem). there were rows and rows of pumpkins and gourds and people. if you know me, i'm not really big on crowds but it was so festive and it just felt like fall. it was jacket and boot weather, y'all. we were sad we didn't get to take a hayride but i think 2012 will be our year. we DID however manage to fit a super long corn stalk in the back on my car. my porch will scream fall soon enough.
when we got home from the farm i warmed up the quart of soup i was lucky enough to snag from staplehouse. did you hear they're introducing soups to their ever-growing fan base? once the email goes out announcing the soup of the week, first come first serve will get their very own brown-bagged soup. letmetellyou there might have been some moaning happening in my house as it was being consumed. we are huge fans of jen and ryan's and are beyond thrilled that we got to take a little piece of staplehouse home. sign up for their email list at staplehouse.com for more info.

and the winner of the giveaway is:

thanks to everyone who participated!

v-day

sam and i had a rare weekend of no plans. the snow kept us mostly in, but we ventured out on saturday.





we had lunch at the porter. we always end up trying to do the most non family-friendly fare, but i loved my burger and the atmosphere was very warm and pub-like and we sat on a slanted booth and drank out of huge ball jars.





on valentine's day, with the assistance of our wonderful friends/neighbors, i was able to surprise sam (read: he was blindfolded!) with a staplehouse dinner! it was just the coolest experience. we are so proud of jen and ryan. check out their most recent press here and here!













i am so in love with my valentine!



see the rest of the mouthwatering pictures here.

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tacos @ hidinger's

i had one of the coolest experiences this holiday weekend. sam, rachel, witt, and i had the pleasure of attending the sold out tacos at the hidinger's party in support of the staplehouse.



even though the hidingers hail from indiana, they threw a perfectly southern end of summer bash. the food (chicken pazole, pork barbacoa, pulled pork, homemade guacomole, margaritas, and sangria) was drool worthy. i mean, i'm actually drooling right now thinking about the perfect margaritas, and my favorite the pork barbacoa tacos with habenero sauce. too.die.for.







there was a silent version of the three amigos playing in the forefront and three amazing bands supplied the soundtrack. the end of the night involved some firepit dancing. so much fun.





all of our best to the perfect hosts, Jen, Ryan and crew and a big thank you for a truly memorable evening!

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Prelude to Staple House

So exciting to see people I know doing great/cool/fabulous things in Atlanta. I love dreams that come to fruition. Jen and her husband Ryan (currently at Muss and Turners) in a genius and delicious move, have begun hosting "underground" dinner parties in their home complete with beautiful menus as a way to create buzz for their future project aptly named...Staple House. The dinner parties give them immediate community, feedback, and a platform to discuss what the city has to offer. There are typically 8 seats open with a $45 donation and they go fast!




{Prelude to Staple House blog}

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