It’s almost fall, y’all! Monday is the autumnal equinox! Which brings me to the realization that the final installment of this summer recap series is long overdue. Life lately has been so blessedly full and wonderful that writing has been put on the back burner. However, as we enter the fall season, I can officially say goodbye to a stupendous summer with this post. So far I’ve shared:
~The things that kept me entertained
~The delicious things I’ve cooked up in the kitchen
~The things I wore the most along with some of my favorite purchases
Feel free to catch up on those posts if you haven’t yet. I think this recap will be my favorite, though. Today I’ll share about our galavanting, get-togethers, and give my final thoughts on a summer well spent.
Summer kicked off with an early morning at Brooks Berry Farm. This was something I wanted to do last year, but I never got around to it. My dad is always up for an adventure and isn’t afraid of an early start time. (I get my early rising honestly.) So he and I got up early and headed to Brooks Berry Farm and picked our own blueberries. There’s other fruit that you can pick, but it was a little too early for those at the beginning of June.
It’s the easiest experience, you grab a bucket from the precious porch of a charming cottage and head into the rows and rows and rows of blueberry bushes to pick to your heart’s content. When you’ve gotten your fill, transfer your blueberries to your own containers you brought from home or into grocery bags to be taken home to put in the freezer or in muffins, yogurt, pancakes, smoothies, you name it. I mean, are blueberries bad in anything? I think not.
You can pay in cash in the drop box or there’s even cashless options for you. You can also pick up a jar of honey from the porch and add that to your purchase. It’s extra delicious because those bees are feasting on the blueberry bushes too.
I do recommend going early to beat the heat (and the bugs). I definitely plan to do this again next summer and suggest you put it on your calendar to do the same.
Next, I had the privilege of toasting a coworker into retirement inside a 100+ year old library. We’ve been in a book club together for four years, so bidding her farewell surrounded by books was the most perfect setting. Celebrating your friends is such a treasure. I encourage that practice and hope I get to do it again and again. They deserve it and there’s so much to celebrate.
Sticking with the theme of book club, I got to host a book club after reading the book The Book Club for Troublesome Women. The book is set in the 60s and is about a group of four women who start a book club. I channeled my best housewife self and made on-theme food of homemade hamburger helper, an award winning cake from the 60s- The Tunnel of Fudge Cake, and whiskey sours minus the egg white. Some of us even dressed as our best 60s selves. There was a playlist that still brings me joy. It was a great night. You can read my review on the book here.
For the Fourth of July, Paul and I headed back to our old stompin’ grounds in Louisiana to stay with our dear friends and former neighbors.
We crashed at their place, ate delicious food, visited some new and old places, and laughed until our cheeks hurt. We played a game where I ended up speaking in a British accent for most of the night. Never a dull moment with the Reids!
After that I was able to sneak away for a quick girls’ trip in Atmore at Wind Creek. We stayed one night but crammed in as much as we could, including a fabulous dinner at the restaurant Gather. If you haven’t eaten there, I recommend getting a reservation and going as soon as possible. You have to get the brussel sprouts and pretty much every dessert.
We woke up early the next morning and took full advantage of the spa amenities. I had my first facial, and it won’t be my last. I am not a massage girl. I truly cannot stand to be rubbed on by a stranger, and I’m far too ticklish to fully enjoy a massage. It’s not worth the money. I took a chance on the facial, and I loved the results so much. I wish I could get them every other week.
Finally, Paul whisked me away for a bit of a staycation for our 15th anniversary at Heritage House Bed and Breakfast in Opelika. Y’all, it was the cutest, coolest getaway. I was completely smitten with our room and the house as a whole. The grounds are small but beautiful, the owners are knowledgeable of the area and extremely kind, and charm oozes out of every corner of this home. It was exactly the kind of place I wanted to stay and could have moved right in.
We stayed in the Garden Suite, which was a romantic room filled with antiques. It has tall ceilings and beautiful windows, and diamond pane windows. It was truly perfection.
We were greeted with chilled champagne and chocolates since we were celebrating, and it was the perfect start to the weekend. I cannot wait to book the whole place out for a couples trip or a girls’ weekend.
Opelika, as it turns out, is a great city. We painted pottery downtown at the Fired Fox Art Studio. This was such a special way for us to make something to remind us of our trip and to commemorate 15 years in our own, nontraditional way.
We had a fabulous dinner at Botanic, which is a place you need to go to immediately. I’m serious, stop right now and plan a brunch or a celebratory dinner. Get your reservation on the books now. It was a special and memorable experience. Our menu was even customized! It was an all around 10/10 experience.
Don’t discount a staycation. There’s so much to do in Opelika, and it’s close enough to Auburn to enjoy all that that delightful town has to offer. It’s also close enough that you can feel like you’re getting away without being too far from home.
I’ve got to give all the credit to Paul. He planned the whole thing as a surprise, down to the pottery painting, and we had such a great time. He loves me so well and spoils me to no end. I’m the luckiest girl! Here’s to 15 years with my favorite person, and to the next 15!
So long, summer. You were one for the books.
