Category Archives: Style

The date // A late birthday dinner down south.

On Saturday, still dazed from our 12am return from Alt and 6am swim team wake-up call the next morning, I’d just ordered Chinese and settled into a zombie-like state on the couch when Mark — slowly, carefully, so as not to provoke the tired beast — proposed an adventure.

And hey, who am I to turn down an adventure?

Or, more accurately, who am I to turn down an adventure that involves food?

We’ve wanted to visit The Shack for months now, and haven’t had the time to make the 3 hour drive down to Staunton. But given that we pretty much forgot to celebrate that whole birthday thing (and let’s be honest, Father’s Day before it) we were overdue for a little party.

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The date // Memorial Day at the beach

This Monday we packed up the car for a quick day trip to the beach. The drive is only about 3 hours each way, but lately life has been so busy that we’ve found it hard to make it out — so we knew just what we wanted to do with our holiday.

The weather was perfect, the beach was beautiful, and to make it all just that much better, on the way down we downloaded a book we’ve both been meaning to start (okay it’s Game of Thrones, what can I say?) and took turns reading chapters to each other while we lazed in the sun. It was just the relaxing holiday we both needed.

Now I’m happy to be back so we can catch up! Tell me, did you do anything special to celebrate?

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The date // Mother’s Day dinner at the Wine Kitchen.
The food // Tuna tartar tacos, fresh herb rolls, fried green tomatoes, cheesesteak fries and a french dip sandwich (we shared a little bit of it all).
The wine // A bottle of Sledgehammer Cabernet, Peter Gabriel would be proud.

As a stepmom, I’m never quite sure what to do with Mother’s Day. It’s not the same kind of huge celebration, but it’s certainly not nothing, either, and while I don’t feel like I can demand any big hoopla, it really is nice to be recognized in some small way.

Luckily, Mark always knows just what to do to make me feel special. This year, even though with so much going on I was sure we wouldn’t go out, he surprised me with dinner at our favorite place. We sat outside on a night that felt more like summer than spring, made plans for the future, and smiled at how smart that little boy we’re raising is and how big he’s become.

We savored the special occasion, and my awkwardness melted away. We might be a less traditional family, but we’re a strong and happy one too, and I wouldn’t trade what we have for all the traditional days in the world.

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