we are the ruffles

We were all feeling a case of the wedding blues post the June nuptials so we decided to get together for the third time this year in one of the South's premiere cities....for a fall ruffles rendezvous of course! Since I moved to Birmingham, the original ruffles destination, we decided to head to the peach state for some big city eats and shops.

It was so wonderful to get together with all my nearest and dearest - oh how I miss them. We had a fabulous time, as always, and can't wait for where 2012 will gather us.

of course ruffles love to give and be given gifts :)
katie came this year and brought us each a hand adorned wine goblet!

I brought some gifts from my new town - dreamcakes are a must and then a little happy gift from chickadee!

we headed to taqueria del sol for and eyeopening dinner on friday night and it was mucho delish

I had the roasted chicken enchiladas and plenty of chips, salsa, and guac to go around

rian met her first friend of the night that recommended cafe intermezzo for dessert which was dessert heaven! the menu was the size of a novel and had fun anecdotes, etc. like this little snippet on coffee.

we spent saturday exploring virginia highlands on a beautiful fall day! our sweet high school friend kelly traveled from athens to spend the day with us!

I fancied the fresh floral arrangements in the boutiques

we happened upon the most delightful chocolate shop...cacao. they do chocolate from bean to bar and let me tell you it's some kind of good. everything from their treats to the interior design of their storefront.

I indulged in a fig and balsamic truffle and a lavender orange macaroon

we had a fantastic brunch at murphy's

meghan, mc, heather lane, and kelly

lane, katie, rian, sister, and pamela

saturday night dinner was at jct kitchen and it was so good! I've been waiting to go there for a year. one of heather's dear friends from college, julie, joined us for dinner. I was so happy to finally meet her in person - we've been e-mailing interior design ideas for years.

sister debuted her new edgy vintage outfit!

on sunday we brunched at canoe and had some delicious seasonal fares...

photo shoot along the chattahoochee river

love you sister.

"we're the three best friends that anyone could have"

awkward family photos!
did you know lane ruffle is pregnant :)

my sweet tallahassee friends - I'll be back to you soon!

family visit

The Micas came to visit us this weekend in Birmingham!! They also came for the Florida/Auburn game...but mainly to see us :) And when they arrived they arrived with a mum in hand from Tallahassee Nurseries. It meant so much to me as I have been trying real hard to not buy, you might say, frivolous items these days.

We had a fun day on Friday giving them the tour de Birmingham. We'll be giving my parents a similar tour at the end of October when they come to visit! We stopped by Chickadee and took them to see where David spends quality time learning and studying. And of course we managed to take them to some of our old and new favorite eats like Saw's BBQ, Slice and Klinglers.

One thing's for sure, we love our families! We have been blessed by several visitors since we've lived in Birmingham and we say bring it on - the more the merrier!

Thank you Micas for taking care of us this weekend. We love you and miss you already!

alli came too!!
first stop, saw's bbq...then a dreamcake cupcake for dessert!

so proud of my law student!

david gave us a great tour of cumberland. it is a beautiful school and we know exactly where our private school tuition is going ;)

david's advice for aspiring lawyers: go to a school with a nice library - you'll be spending a lot of time in there. not too shabby, cumberland.


a very cool conference room

they are so proud too!

they were sweet and got us a pumpkin too!
who says you have to have a front porch for fall decor?!

we're going to the zoo!

We had quite the busy weekend this past weekend! Sister and Sally Kate came up for weekend visit to AL-A-BA-MA {that's how Sk pronounces it} and Heather Lane and Paul joined us too! Friday was my day off from the store, as I had to work on Saturday. But the girls know their way around this town and they entertained themselves. They did come by Chickadee where Sally Kate proceeded to try on all the purses and hats and strut her stuff around the store! Paul went to the Mississippi State vs. UAB game and David....studied.

On Sunday, we took Sally Kate to the Birmingham Zoo! She's been so excited about going and we all had a wonderful time. Living in a big city has so much more to offer.

It was a quick weekend but much, much needed. I miss those Tallahassee lassies so much!

before our houseguests arrived on friday, I attended the charlotte moss lecture at the birmingham botanical gardens. it was a lovely time and I added another signed book to my collection.

I came home inspired and created this.

some beautiful fall colors to enjoy! I miss doing more with flowers since we've moved.

at the zoo!! sk loves to pose these days...usually with her hands on her hips - she's quite sassy ;)

the children's zoo had a wonderful petting area and we learned sally kate is quite fearless. she liked to greet each animal first...

...then sit down and get to know them...

she loved the carousel ride!

she and uncle david had the best time...I love seeing them together.

we saw callie the elephant

then we took sk into the aviary with the lorikeets...sister stayed outside! sally kate was fascinated and of course wanted to make friends.

sally kate was not afraid to hold them either!

sister and I wore our new matching scarves from chickadee!

Also, today is the best father-in-law's birthday!! Happy Birthday to you Mr. Mica! They are all coming to visit us next weekend and we can't wait to show them our new city and home! We love you.

game day

This past weekend we taveled back to Florida for the Tennessee v. Florida game! It's a heck of a long drive but worth getting to see family and friends, even for a short time. We had a great tailgate and an even better game!

Poor David has been so pitiful each Saturday since we can't easily go to every game this season. David missed his first home game in 10 years and we're letting Law School take the fault!

Go Gators!

first tailgate as a mica :)

sweet alli

nick, amanda, david, mc, mike and courtney
so great to see you all!!

And happy birthday to Lane Ruffle today!!! Wish I would have been able to share a cupcake with you today...the birthday phone call will never be able to replace it. xoxo

p.s. It's official...wedding thank you notes are done!! I feel so good that they are all beautifully "penned" and out of our apartment.

a good and nice man

Today we sent forth my sweet Grandpa Warren with a service full of Gospel music and praising our Lord...just as he would have liked it. He passed away on Saturday, September 3rd at the age of 82. I drove down from Alabama yesterday for a short and bittersweet visit. It's been a hard week being away from family until now and 8 hours away. However, it's been a joy being home even under these circumstances. I was his Sweet Pea and I love him so much.

Grandpa was described today as a "good and nice man" and that, and so much more, he was. He became a Christian in the 1960s and it forever changed his life. His greatest joy was having a relationship with Jesus Christ - and that is what he wanted everyone to know. He began singing when he became a Christian and always said he didn't know he could until then. He had a beautiful bass voice that all of the grandkids love to impersonate. Today we sang in his honor a medley of his favorite gospel songs and hymns - we know he was singing with us in Heaven! We will miss him so much. Holly gave a touching eulogy that walked us down memory lane.

My dear Grandma Jean and all of the family have been so strong. We have cried and laughed at stories being retold of how wonderful Grandpa was - quite the character. It's the memories that we will cherish and his bear-like hugs. Hearing all the true and gracious words today about his character made it such a celebration. As a Veteran of the Korean Conflict, he was laid to rest with Military honor in the Florida National Cemetery this afternoon. The VFW did a brief but honorable service. I am so proud that he is buried there. But my greatest joy is know that he is golfing right now with our Lord!

One of the many stories Grandma told this week was how they had met on a blind date. He took her to the East Carolina Football Game and dance afterward. She would finish by saying "we've been dancing ever since." They were married 57 years and again a true testament to everyone. His love for Grandma was always evident. And she has such a peace about Grandpa Warren leaving his earthly home.

Tonight, we had all the family over for a wonderful dinner prepared by the ladies of their church. Of course no Radcliffe family dinner is ever complete without Dad's cousins Mark and Kenney bringing their guitars and having a jam session. We re-sang the medley from the service and so many more of Grandpa's favorite songs. It was a great way to end this day.

I pray that God will continue to bless and comfort our family. My Daddy is their oldest child and a God fearing man much like his father. I know we will all miss Grandpa's sense of humor and strong faith but we will see him again soon - no longer suffering or sick. And as we sang today as a testament to his life...

He touched me and made me whole.

apartment living

Here's a little glimpse into our new humble abode...

we're thankful for a separate dining room...that acts as dining/study/my desk

mom made my beautiful panels out of the leftover bridesmaid skirt fabric - exactly my plan :) I love them!

looking into the kitchen from the dining room.
I painted the dining and kitchen a cheerful yellow!

bath...
{thanks for our towel lane!}


our room.
I painted this room too the week we moved in and I love that david really likes this color. it makes me happy! I always told him that when I got the opportunity to decorate for a husband then I would be more color neutral, but until then it was ok for me to have, and love, pink couches in my living room!