that time we slept in a treehouse!

April 22, 2014 Whitney Saxon

As much as I love traveling on the weekends, there's something so sweet about staying in Atlanta. Especially in the spring.

This past weekend Chris and I celebrated his birthday. I surprised him by booking a night in a treehouse in Buckhead. I was pretty nervous the day of - it was unusually chilly, rainy and I suddenly began to worry about if he'd actually think it was fun to stay in a treehouse, or if that was just something I thought was fun.

image

But, it couldn't have turned out better. The treehouse was amazing - truly majestic and so serene. It was surreal to know I was only 15 minutes from my house but felt a world away. It sits in someone's backyard, but the foliage is so thick this time of year that it felt completely secluded - like we were in our own world. It's covered with a tin roof, which made the rain sound beautiful, and the bed has a heated blanket so being cold was not a concern.

We had so much fun eating (lots of food!), talking, drinking wine (they give you a free bottle!), opening presents and sleeping in the woods. [If you're interested in staying in the treehouse, I'm happy to provide more details. I also have this $25-off referral code. It's really kind of like glamping.]

{Do we look refreshed? That's what an evening away from civilization will do.}

Other weekend highlights include going to a dog show with Chris to cheer on his dad.

Eating dinner with his parents at Treehouse (yes - a double treehouse weekend!).

Church and Easter brunch at H Harper Station with my brothers and dear friend, Megan.

Planting vegetables in the backyard with my brothers (basil, Heirloom tomatoes, jalapenos and red peppers) and praying they don't die.

Reading and exercising in the glorious Easter Sunday weather.

And Sunday dinner at Urban Pl8.

I hope your Easter weekend was lovely! :)

Good Friday, indeed

April 18, 2014 Whitney Saxon

Hello, Good Friday!

I'm off of work today - enjoying a slow morning with coffee, quiet time and the Today show.

I couldn't be more excited for this weekend. I'm celebrating Chris (his birthday) and Christ (Easter!). That's a lot of celebrating :)

My brothers and I are debating going to our normal church service or possibly trying out Stone Mountain's Sunrise Service. The thought of hiking to the top of the mountain, enjoying a sunrise service (on the list of one of my favorite ways to spend time with God) and still getting in an early breakfast hits a lot of my favorite things.

I hope your weekend is full of love, happiness and sunshine!

spaghetti squash with avocado & kale pesto

April 16, 2014 Whitney Saxon

image

Last night, on a whim, I decided to make dinner for Chris, which was the first time I've ever cooked for him instead of with him. He's Paleo (which I am not at all - I'm not even all that carnivorous these days) and a really good cook - so I was pretty nervous.

But it was oddly cold yesterday and he was working late and I decided it was time to go for it. I was inspired by Nicole's Avocado Pesto Sauce but, if you've ever made one of my recipes, you know I'm utterly defiant when it comes to following a recipe. I don't know if I'm a little bit more of a rebel than I realized or if I secretly think I'm going to be a chef someday or what.

That being said, here's my version of Avocado and Kale Pesto. I put it over baked spaghetti squash and added grilled chicken. The only thing I would have changed was to add more Cayenne and kale (as changed below) because the creaminess of the avocado and the sweetness of the squash begged for a little spicier. But I'm always up for more spice :)