Pumpkins, Apple Picking and Dahlonega Goodness

A few weekends ago, Drew and I drove up to Dahlonega to attend a wedding and decided to spend the morning and afternoon soaking up all things Fall. If you've never been to this quaint little mountain town, you are missing out. Envision the picturesque set of Gilmore Girls but with the North Georgia mountains as a back drop. Glory. Now I'm a bit partial because Dahlonega is also home to my alma mater, North Georgia College and State University (yes, I know that they've changed the name to University of North Georgia, but I can't help but hold onto the unusually long college name that I'm so fond of).

We started our adventure up in Elijay, home to the world's finest apple pies, and meandered our way through the many apple orchards that line Highway 52. We try and visit our two favorites whenever we are making a visit, Hillcrest Orchards and B.J. Reece Orchards. Both of these orchards offer the option to "Pick Your Own" apples and also sell freshly baked apple treats. Drew and I love the hand apple pies at B.J. Reece and the apple cider from Hillcrest.

Our next stop was Burt's Pumpkin Farm, where most of my pumpkin picking memories stem from. This family owned pumpkin farm offers hay rides through the pumpkin fields, has a precious country store filled with local produce and canned goods and makes the best pumpkin roll (this year they put a twist on their traditional roll by dunking it in funnel cake batter and deep frying it...craziness). We picked our pumpkins and headed down the mountain to grab a bite to eat.

One of my personal favorite things about going to college in a small town was the ability to walk to our town square to eat and shop. It's been three years since I've made a visit and a few restaurants have come and gone but thankfully The Picnic Cafe is still up and running. Fondly called the dessertery, this tiny cafe, bakes their own bread, creates delicious sweet treats and has the best tomato basil soup! It's the perfect place for a light bite and an afternoon cup of tea or coffee.

To top off our day, we strolled around North Georgia's campus that was ablaze with gorgeous hues of red and gold. The drill field and my old dorm (Get it Lewis Hall) are about the only things on campus that looked the same to me but all of the new buildings are beautiful too. College held so many precious memories for me and I'm so thankful for the core group of friendships that have remained long since graduation.

Today is our three year wedding anniversary and I'm so thankful for the incredible man who stands by my side and loves me with his whole heart. Drew, you are the love of my life, my biggest fan, my quiet, strong leader and my very best friend. I'm so very glad that you asked me to walk through life beside you! Love You Same!
                                                                                              

Weekend Birthday Celebration: Atlanta

This weekend my lovely husband surprised me with a few days of fun in downtown Atlanta. My birthday is actually next weekend (woo hoo!) but my sister is coming into town and my grandmother is turning 90 years old. As fun as birthdays are, mine has always had an extra dose of fun! I was born on my mom's birthday and her mom's birthday is only four days after ours. It's just amazing to me that we have three generations of women with birthdays packed in the same weekend. So we decided to celebrate early and Drew did not disappoint.

We started our adventure at Victory Sandwich Bar down in Decatur and it was amazing. Drew had their brunch special and I had a ham and pimento cheese sandwich. You have to try their Jack and Coke slushies on tap if you ever visit.

The next stop was to check in at the bed and breakfast that Drew found for us. I did not even know that a bed and breakfast even existed in downtown Atlanta but Drew found one! Let me just tell you....it is a glorious place to stay. Stonehurst Place is a house originally built in the late 1800's and one of the owner's children lived in the house and rented it out until she passed away. She had an incredible art collection and it stayed with the house after it was sold to the current owner. Every inch of this house has a unique story and Drew and I loved learning all about it.

I'm a sucker for big bathrooms and our room had a huge bathtub with a view of the city to boot. Almost every room had an original fireplace and each of them were intricately designed. In one of their hallways they have a wall filled with magazine covers from Flair, a magazine that only made it for a year in the 1950's due to it's lavishness. The house is filled with books of all kinds and as I was browsing through I came across an original Mastering the Art of French Cooking, by Julia Child, Simone Beck and Loisette Bertholle. One of my favorite movies is Julie and Julia and cooking through a cookbook and blogging about it is definitely on my bucket list.

Drew found a delightful restaurant called White Oak Kitchen, they put a modern twist on Southern favorites. We shared the rock shrimp beignets with white barbecue sauce and I would go back again just for these little beauties. We also loved their brisket with Coca Cola barbecue sauce and their cheesy garlic grits. Our friendly waiter just happened to know we were celebrating my birthday and brought us a banana's foster bread pudding. I'm getting hungry just thinking about that meal.

The next morning Stonehurst fixed us a yummy breakfast and Drew told me that the rest of the day was up to me. We window-shopped for the better part of the morning, grabbed coffee and did a little dreaming together and also visited Anthropologie. Drew helped me pick out a new perfume called Kensington Garden and I have loved wearing it this week. We ended our celebration with a trip to Jeni's Ice cream shop (a post devoted just to this delightful company will be happening soon) and it was the perfect way to finish the day. What are your little indulgences? What are your favorite places to go in Atlanta? We are always up for trying new things and new places!

Drew you know my heart so well, spoil me to pieces and make me feel so special. I'm so happy that we are on this adventure together and I can't wait to see what the Lord will bring our way this year! I love you same!

                                                                                         
Click the links in my post or below to find out more information:
1. Victory Sandwich Bar//
2. Stonehurst Place Bed & Breakfast//
3. White Oak Kitchen//
4. Anthropologie//
5. Jeni's Splendid Ice creams//