friday finds.

We’re back folks! Summer’s in full swing down in Atlanta—we’re rocking new shades, sipping shandies and working on our tan lines. And the blog is back in action! My new site is up and running, and I’m hoping that there’s more love and less awkward silence around here from now on. Here are a few links that caught my eye this week. Check ‘em out, and have a great weekend!

• Traveling this summer? Skip the tourist traps and discover the best neighborhood haunts and hangouts in cities stateside and abroad. This website has become a recent favorite of mine, and I can't wait to use it on our upcoming trip to the Pacific Northwest! What are your favorite neighborhoods in Seattle and Portland?
• I’m currently rereading a favorite memoir, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. If you haven’t ever picked it up and scanned its beautiful pages, stop reading this and run to your closest bookstore, dig through your wallet for your library card, or jump over to your Amazon tab and claim your own copy. It’ll have a weathered spine and dog eared pages before you know it. And while you’re at it, grab any Donald Miller paperback you can get your hands on. His vulnerable, poetic, and soul-enriching prose hasn’t disappointed me yet. You can read an excerpt here. And I mean, c’mon, who doesn’t want to live a better story?
• I made this cake a couple weeks ago and it was a huge hit! Vanilla cake with raspberry jam filling and champagne buttercream frosting. Throw a few blackberries on top as garnish and you have yourself a work of art. Voila!
• While we’re on the champagne train, what about a fancy summer cocktail this weekend? 
• This sure would make my commute more fun. Also, I officially added Hamilton to my bucket list. (By the way, if you scored a Broadway ticket, you're one lucky dog. Here are all the things that are more likely to happen to you in life than winning a Hamilton lottery ticket. Now you know.)