It’s true. I’ve finally done it, switched blogs platforms, names, the whole nine yards. I would love it if you would join me as I continue my blogging journey on ‘Almost Overnight‘.
I needed some change, and this is what I came up with. All of my posts here have been transferred to the new blog, so come and join me and subscribe over there.
Thanks for a wonderful run ‘Live What You Love’. You made me fall in love with blogging.
Filed under Uncategorized
Gosh. Life had just been a little insane lately. I spent this past (long) weekend being entranced by the lovely city of New Orleans (more on that later, of course) Then, some friends came to visit me in Nashville so I’ve been busy showing them my favorite places. It’s been nice to have a little bit of a break from “normal life”, but it will be nice to get back in the swing of things.
Also, I may have big plans for this blog… can’t decide quite yet. But, know that my custom design expires and I’m not renewing it quite yet because I might be switching blog platforms. Just wanted to keep you updated. Be back soon on the regular. Promise.
I’ll leave you with an absolutely dreamy photo I took in the French Quarter on a foggy morning this weekend…
Filed under day to day life.
Istanbul obviously has a lot more to offer than mosques and palaces and bazaars. The culture and the people there are absolutely phenomenal. We met so many genuine and lovely people and had the most amazing food. Turkey’s food is absolutely wonderful, and food is one of my most favorite ways to experience new places. In this edition of Wanderlust Wednesday, let’s experience the wonderful culture of Istanbul…
Let’s not pretend that you all don’t know that I absolutely love food, especially experiencing different cultures through food. Istanbul had it’s fair share of good food (But, just wait until you hear about the food in the other places we visited). The only thing about Istanbul is that it’s (relatively) expensive, just like any other big city. We still enjoyed everything we ate though.
What breakfast looked like almost every morning.
Appetizer sampler: Looks questionable, tasted wonderful.
Pide, Turkish pizza. One of my favorite things. All the toppings are wrapped up inside.
A cozy little cafe connected to a hotel, Cafe Kybele. It was one of my favorite little spots in Istanbul. We just happened upon it while exploring the city one afternoon.
We met the owner and found ourselves up in a magical little attic space filled with antiques and textiles.
Sultanahmet Koftecisi, this restaurant was right near the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque and had really great, affordable traditional food. It’s a great place to grab lunch while visiting the mosques.
I’m usually pretty bad at taking photos of people, mostly because I’m just not very good at it. So this trip, I tried to capture some of the faces of Turkey. I believe that, more than anything, can capture the true heart of city.
Filing out of a mosque after one of the 5 daily prayers.
Freshly squeezed pomegranate juice from a street cart. One of my favorite photos.
Feeding the birds in front of Istanbul University.
A precious old man and his chestnut street cart.
Pink scarved girls visiting the Hagia Sophia.
Simply walking about Istanbul, there is plenty to see. Narrow cobblestone alleyways to open spaces between huge mosques, this city constantly kept me surprised at every turn. A favorite thing to do while exploring is simply that, to explore, to wander and walk about the city, to see as much on foot as I can.
Isn’t it just the most wonderful of cities?
Filed under travel.
Another must read checked off the list.
This book was similar to 1984 in that it made a bold and eerie statement about where our world could be going. Guy Montag is a firefighter, however, this instead of putting out fires, they start them, and only to destroy books, because books are “dangerous” for the mind; they allow you to have the freedom to think for yourself. Society in the novel thought of this as a detriment. Everyone should be the same and not question anything, which books would make them do. I definitely agree with that. Books open up your mind to so many new thoughts and ideas. Could you even imagine a world without books? Tragedy!
Here are some quotes that I really loved:
For how many people did you know that refracted your own light to you?
There are billions of us and that’s too many. Nobody know anyone. Strangers come and violate you. Strangers come and cut your heart out. Strangers come and take your bliss.
And he remembered thinking then that if she died, he was certain he wouldn’t cry. For it would be the dying of an unknown, a street face, a newspaper image, and it was suddenly so very wrong that he had begun to cry, not at death but at the thought if not crying at death, a silly empty man near a silly empty woman, while the hungry snake made her still more empty.
There must be something in books, things we cant imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there. You don’t stay for nothing.
As for the first time I realized that a man was behind each one of the books. A man had to think them up.
School is shortened, discipline relaxed, philosophies, histories, languages dropped, English and spelling gradually gradually neglected, finally almos completely ignores d. Life is immediate, the job counts, pleasure lies all about after work. Why learn anything save pressing buttons, pulling switches, fitting nuts and bolts?
A book is a loaded gun in the house next door. Burn it. Take the shot from the weapon. Breach man’s mind. Who knows who might be the target of the well-read man.
It’s a pretty quick read and very well worth it.
Filed under recent obsessions.
Ephesus. One of the best ancient cities ruins. These are taken in front of the Celsus Library. Just imagine this place filled with so many books, how much more beautiful it must have looked 2000 years ago. The archeologists are still uncovering more to this day. Now that’s something to get excited for. There’s not much else to say because the awe all lies in the photos.
outfit details- blouse: thrifted // jeans: calvin klein // boots: candies // glasses: SEE
I mean, what an extraordinary place in this world, in every aspect of that word. I was completely blown away with every sight.
Cappodocia is a region in central Turkey. It is full of absolutely gorgeous rock formations, caves, and very early history. You really need a couple days and a guided tour to see everything. And believe me, you want to see everything. We booked ours through Jasminne Tour, a company out of Istanbul and we loved it.
hiking
Cavusin, an old Christian cave city
Pigeon Valley, because the area is riddled with pigeon holes
Fairy Chimneys
Goreme Open Air Museum
Cave church at Goreme, with secos on the cave walls
Stunning. Breathtaking.
We stayed in the little village of Urgup at a wonderful little hotel called Cappodocia Palace. The staff was so friendly and helpful. We would sit and chat with them in the evenings while drinking tea and planning out the days ahead. I definitely would recommend it!
A little plaza inside the hotel
Streets of Urgup at night
Plaza in the city centre
You are looking at the absolute best food we had. It was a a restaurant called Sofra Restaurant. It may not look very “pretty” but it was absolutely amazing and affordable. You MUST go here if you visit Cappodocia. Top left: homemade Turkish ravioli, top right: lamb kebap, bottom left: lamb shish roll up, bottom right: Sofra, a porridge of lamb, spices, and vegetables.
We also ate at Uranos Sarikaya, a restaurant in the cave of a mountain in Goreme. We had a lovely 3 course meal and talked by the perfectly dimly lit light. Such a warm and lovely atmosphere.
Lastly, one of my favorite things from the whole trip. Hot mulled wine while walking amongst the Fairy Chimneys. Cappodocia is known for their wine. Their climate is perfect for vineyards, and we had some very great dry red wines. It was rather chilly, which we weren’t expecting, and this wine, warmed in a clay pot was exactly what we needed. It was heavenly.
My life is a journey, an exploration of the things that make me feel alive. Each year, it’s so wonderful to look back and see the adventures that I got to be a part of. Whether at home or thousands of miles away, each experience allowed me to enjoy what I’ve been given. Don’t waste your life, k?
I did my first major blog overhaul. I learned a bit of CSS and played around with the look. It’s changed at least 5 times since then and I’m hoping to continue to improve! Other than that, January was kind of a quiet month, besides a few trips to Indianapolis. I also decided to get my life back on the healthy track. I started exercising, eating better, and making my life more natural and simple.
I turned 24 and had one of the most lovely parties. My dearest friend Sara, hosted at her and her husbands farm out in the country. It was unusually warm for the beginning of February. We got to explore outside and even got to race barefoot down a gravel road. Perfection.
I also traveled to Nashville with some Indiana friends and got to show them around a city I love. Oh, and I also shaved a small part of my head, which got bigger and bigger as the year went on… 
I went to Chicago with some lovely friends from work to see them compete in the Big Central Barista Competition. We got to meet up with other coffee geeks and gush about specialty coffee. I just love spending time in Chicago and exploring new parts of this wonderful city.
June was kind of a quiet month, but it was just what I needed. There was a lot of back porch breakfasts, reading novels, and shopping at the farmer’s market; just what a summer should be. Oh, and another trip to Nashville to spend some time at a lake house with some friends… (whoops)
I took a mini road trip with Sara to Newport, RI for the Newport Folk Festival. We also go tot stop in NYC and visit our dear friend, Jason. The festival and the little New England town were both lovely. It was my first time in “real” New England and I loved it. I got to see so many of my most favorite people play the the Folk fest.
Flat Iron Building in NYC
Newport Bridge
I had the wonderful opportunity to see Bob Dylan play live. Now, I was prepared for it not to sound awesome, and it really didn’t. His voice has really seen better days, but it was such an honor to see him play. Even, if every song sounded almost exactly the same 
I also threw a 25th birthday party for my Sara Jean along with her husband. We had it out on their farm and it was just a wonderful late summer event. It was also great to spend time with people I loved before the next major event in my life…
In a whirlwind of events, I moved and said goodbye to West Lafayette and hello to Nashville once again. I’m so very thankful for the community of friends I have in both of these places.
We also celebrated Heather’s birthday on a wonderful warm afternoon at Arrington Vineyards. Such beautiful times and beautiful friends.
Out on the road again, I headed south for a short little trip to Charleston, SC just because we could. We had an absolutely amazing time. So much laughing, talking, and enjoying each other’s presence. And, oh my, what a beautiful little southern town. *swoon*
I also ran my first 10k race (since becoming a huge fan of running) and visited the most beautiful of waterfalls (Burgess Falls) right here in Tennessee.
Filed under day to day life., travel.
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