Charlotte, Home, Journal

Journal | 10.9.21

Alyssa stands next to cars on the sidewalk in Plaza Midwood

Instagram going down this week was reassurance enough that I should have this space to call my own, but I’m glad to say I didn’t feel the impact too strongly. I missed connecting with friends who I’d just gotten back in contact with, and I missed using it as a tool to find out what …

Charlotte, Destinations, Food, North Carolina, Restaurant Roundups and Reviews, Travel, USA

Queen City on Tap: A Review of Every Charlotte Brewery (Updated for 2025!)

Krystal is standing in front of a wooden fence with string lights hung. She is wearing a black silk tee and holding a golden, hazy beer and smiling while looking left.

There are very few truly public gathering places left. Sure, there are ever-shrinking public parks, gardens, and libraries, but beyond that? There’s little else. In Charlotte, breweries step in to fill the void; despite being private businesses, they act as a meeting place for people from all walks of life. Even though there are waves …

Charlotte, Journal, South Carolina

Journal | 10.1.21

Krystal is standing to the right of a large sign that reads Indie Craft Parade

Happy October! We’re still a few weeks away from peak fall foliage, but there are signs of autumn’s arrival everywhere. Apple farms are open for picking, boots and wool capes abound, and there’s something distinctly different in the air (is that cinnamon?). Last year Michael and I did All The Fall Things and I think …

Home Try On + In-Depth Style Reviews, Style

Home Try-On: The Arc Jean from Everlane

Alyssa holds a camera and takes a photo in the mirror while wearing dark blue jeans and a black tank

Whether or not you believe that skinny jeans are “out” I think we can all agree that it’s exciting to see other denim cuts on the racks at both high-end retailers and Walmart (and everything in between). I’ve enjoyed wearing my wide-leg canvas pants for a few seasons now, but I haven’t given wide-leg denim …

Charlotte, Home, Journal

Journal | 9.24.21

A large jar of pale yellow body wash with a green lid sits on a wooden rack. The sunlight is casting lots of shadows. The jar reads "body wash"

Hey, hi, hello! I’m so glad you’re still here (and if we’re being honest, I’m so glad I’m still here too!). The weather is just incredibly beautiful for this first week of fall, and I’m feeling extra happy we decided to move to Charlotte. Right now my days allow for meandering walks, and I love …

Home

How This Travel Blogger is Coping with Being Stuck at Home in the Midst of Coronavirus

A weaving and a watercolor painting hung together in the corner of a hallway

This feels weird – everything feels so strange. I haven’t been sleeping well, and I’ve woken up in a state of confusion each morning since Sunday ( as such, this post is a little out of the ordinary – more train-of-thought than planned content). As a whole, social-distancing and borderline self-quarantining isn’t that drastically different …

Journal

Journal | 2.1.20

Site of the sit-ins in Greensboro, NC

Have you seen today’s Google Doodle? Today marks the 60th anniversary of the Greensboro Sit-in that took place at the Woolworth’s Department Store (above) in Greensboro, North Carolina—which we had the chance to visit last weekend. I’ll share more about our visit to the site, now the International Civil Rights Museum, in an upcoming post. …

Journal

Journal | 1.15.20

Alyssa is standing on the sidewalk in black skinny jeans and white shoes. There are cat or dog paw prints embedded in the concrete

Happy… Wednesday? Sure, why not. It’s been a kind of weird, gloomy week here in Charlotte—weirder still because it immediately followed a beautiful, 70°F Sunday that we’re told is highly unusual in January. I’ve been trying to take it easy as much as possible to get ready for our trip to Baltimore this weekend. Well, …

Home, Reflections

Beginning Again: Intentions for 2020

A young green plant sits in a white pot on top of a bamboo rack

It didn’t hit until recently that a new decade is beginning—I suppose because I’ve already experienced so many new beginnings recently. 2019 was a big year for Michael and me, with an interstate move, our first big family vacation together, and injuries that impacted both travel and our day-to-day quality of life. With these changes, …