A New Orleanian Birthday

Oh, New Orleans. The prettiest place in the south, my soul city and heart of hearts. 

I don't know what it is about this place. 

Maybe it's dark historic ties, the eerie tendrils of old stories and the ghosts that peek from behind peeling shutters. 

One of my favorite parts of the city (always and always, no matter how touristy) is a quick visit to hear the Preservation Hall Jazz Band play in the heart of the French Quarter. 

It's everything gorgeous and good. Take a listen, right here. 

Here are a few photos of our trip, if you'd like to see. 

They aren't expansive or intricately posed. They're quiet, small moments in our sweet city, a catalogue of a perfectly quiet, perfectly good weekend away. 

Where we went (this time!)

Eat: 

Luke 

Cafe Amelie 

Turkey & The Wolf

Drink: 

The Bayou Beer Garden 

The French Truck 

HiVolt

The Bean Gallery

Sweets + Treats

Cafe Du Monde

Drip Affogato Bar

See you soon, sweet NOLA. 

Happy Halloween from Margot + Richie...

...Tenenbaum, that is.

If you haven't watched, "The Royal Tenenbaums" yet, you probably should. I watched it for the first time half asleep, with a boy I thought I loved, and it will forever have a a nostalgic tinge to it. 

R and I watched the strange trials and troubles of the Tenenbaum family a few years later on our first, "date," with too much Chinese food and a whole lot of flirting on the side. 

It's a good thing. Watch the trailer, here. 

Sump Coffee on a Saturday

Sump Coffee, a Missouri-based roaster and retail space opened their second location in Nashville this past month. The St. Louis flagship shop has long since been a mecca of sorts for Midwestern caffeine addicts, and R + I managed to pop in last year on a quick trip to the city. The dark accents and transcendant skull-centric branding creates a sense of ethereal nostalgia run deep in the daily tradition of coffee cups and mugs. 

The minimalist and modern space is flooded with light, a haven for people-watchers and early-birds alike. Victory red chairs and grainy wood tables are scattered liberally across the coffee shop, creating a communal vibe and warm atmosphere for visitors. Nashville's coffee revolution began to take heat in 2014 with the opening of Barista Parlor's second satellite shop, Golden Sound, in the Gulch. The city has since seen a rapid influx of coffee shops, from Steadfast in Germantown to the newest location of Red Bicycle that opened off of Nolensville Pike. Music City thrives on a solid caffeine fix and stark millennial aesthetic, infusing local economy with a solid stream of native Nashvillian and tourist dollars. For all of you Nashville readers? You won't find the Slayer of Barista Parlor fame at Sump - instead, enjoy espresso from the Netherland-manufactured Kees Van Der Westen machine.  Owner Scott Carey states that he would like to, "open up new forms of dialogue about coffee vis-a-vis his equipment choices".  

Robert is a huge fan of  African coffees, and paired his Ethiopian blend with my ultra-uncool cortado. I can't do it, guys - black coffee is just too acidic for my stomach. Believe me. I've tried. That being said - I buy Latin American coffee beans above most everything else, and I'll stand by my Guatemalan sourced beans with gusto. 

You can find Sump Coffee in West Nashville, at 8 City Boulevard. Keep in mind - it's tucked away unassumingly in a local business park, just behind Pastaria. 

The Place We Called Home.

"Called" is the main word in that title up there - the verb tense is what pivots the entire sentence, blankets this post with a bit of nostalgia and a small bite of excitement. R and I 

Here's our little space, the way that it was. It was a home we filled with bright light and dying flowers, packed with candles and big books and haphazard nails on the walls. We bought our little house on Heritage Circle when we were engaged, and it remains one of my favorite places in the world. 

 We kept our bedroom simple and quiet, with a few things on the walls and an old dress I bought years ago that I thought was just so beautiful. I can't count how many people asked if it was my wedding dress - it most definitely wasn't! But I wouldn't have minded! 

 I took this photo before I went to work one morning - I loved the moody lighting despite the eventual graininess of the shot. 

 Our little office. It made us feel so twee to have such a thing - the office finally came together, as opposed to being a junk room. 

Our bedroom was always filled with light...I miss those floor-to-ceiling windows. They'll definitely be a must when we find our home for the long-term. 

 Pre-painted cabinets were an awkward, orangey color. We colored them white and added new hardware as soon as we could!

The entire house was carpeted when we bought, but with the help of some family and a long weekend we managed to pull together some beautiful dark laminate flooring. 

 Before we fixed up the office, we kept our library in the dining room. Doesn't it sound sweet, to spend your life surrounded by story?

 The light, the light. Always the light. 

Phoebe enjoying my annual Christmas Eve tradition...

We spent many a storm on that front porch, watching the sky fall from just beyond the roof. 

 The sweetest little helpers in the kitchen - Christmas in this home was beautiful. Our first one...

My heart, my home, my love.  

This was the first place we were first a family, and there's nothing more beautiful and full than that. 

Together in Paris

Paris. What a beautiful place, what gorgeous memories. 

I'll treasure them forever. 

This city is my heart...

...this city is my soul.

Spring 2017: New Orleans from Meghan O'Brien on Vimeo.

Year One - New York City

R+I decided to jet off to New York City for our first anniversary, celebrating our year of paper with a handful of tickets and layers on layers on layers.

I hope you had a beautiful February, friends. What a beautiful little month, winters last breath and the first sight of spring.
New York City from Meghan O'Brien on Vimeo.