birmingham is for lovers

okay, maybe not. but david and i did have a fantastic get-away weekend there these past few days. we attended quite possibly my 2nd favorite wedding ever (next to my own, of course).

mike and natalie got married outdoors, on the sprawling lawn of a gorgeous old white mansion on a sunday afternoon in october. her dress was classy and retro, the food defied description, and david and i were able to dance the night away under the stars. it was like a movie. i decided if we ever renew our vows, 25, 40, 50 years from now, we'd do it like that - outside in the fall, an intimate gathering with family and great food and dancing.

david and mike have known each other since kindergarten.

typical cowger posers, in the hotel room at the end of the evening.

we spent monday meandering through the downtown streets of birmingham, and stumbled upon the most incredible antique shop. i just kept taking pictures, because the whole set-up was like someone inviting you into their attic/basement/closet, and letting you dig through all their stuff. i could have spent days in this place. the best part, besides all the old cameras, was the owner's dog, who followed us around with a sweet, curious disposition.

as we continued to explore, we asked the advice of another local shop-owner where to eat, and she recommended this panini/soup/salad restaurant called brick&tin. the best part was the side menu that cited where each ingredient came from, and all of it was local - from urban gardens and nearby farms! i had a veggie panini with grilled eggplant, zucchini, and goat cheese, with cold cucumber soup on the side. it was heavenly.

photo credit must be given to my new ipod for almost all the pictures in this post (except the wedding day ones). i only wish the resolution was a bit higher, but i'll take what i can get.

wide open birmingham streets.

our lovely rental car and the broken parking meter we found - that eternally gave us an hour and 36 minutes to do as we pleased.

(completely cheesy alert) the best part about the whole trip was getting so much unfiltered david time. we travel well together. we keep each other entertained, we goof around, we laugh a lot. we love stories - whether we are listening to them or reading them or repeating them. we gravitate towards the same types of adventures and off-the-beaten-path shops and dives.

we even play solitaire together.

our lives have merged so effortlessly into the other's, and when we get to stretch our newly married wings, we do it best on the open road, with a little unknown and a lot of excitement... and a couple nasty taquitos from QT for added flavor.