7.10.2014

3 Years!

Happy Thursday readers!

Have y'all had a good week?  Mine has been great and I actually have today and tomorrow off.  I am looking forward to having some time to get some things done around the house and also give this blog some much needed attention!

Those of you who follow along on Instagram saw that this past Monday, July 7, marked the three year anniversary of my first date with Bryce.

If you're a long time follower, you'll remember the early days of our relationship.  After first meeting him and setting the date, I remember debating long and hard whether or not to mention him on the blog. Being that I had a really good feeling in my gut, I decided to bite the bullet and share the news of my upcoming first date.  I am so glad I did and have enjoyed sharing our journey with you.

I also laugh at myself now, over the stress I felt about revealing the blog to Bryce.  I would like to think that this blog is a good reflection of me and who I am in real life, but you never know how others perceive you through your blog.  That being said, it was a big deal to share this part of my life with him.  I didn't want him to read and form an opinion of me without getting to really know me first.  Now the blog is such a big part of our lives together, and he is often helpful--sharing ideas and taking lots AND lots of pictures.

I feel so lucky to have found Bryce and am proud of the life we have worked to build together over the last three years.  It hasn't always been easy--we've stood side by side through issues with family, friends, career...you name it, really, but we've stuck together through every trial that's coming our way. We've also been side by side through a a lot of good and exciting times and have made lots of wonderful memories together.  I can't imagine a better partner and am excited to see what the future has in store for us.

Okay...now mushiness aside, I did want to share our 3 year date night with you!

The night started at home when Bryce surprised me with a beautiful bouquet of flowers.  He requested that the florist use stargazer lilies and snapdragons (some of my favorites) along with red roses.  The bouquet is breathtaking and I am enjoying it more and more each day as the blooms continue to open up.


We had a cocktail at home and Bryce graciously snapped an outfit pic for Instagram before hitting the road.

I patterned mixed greek key and ikat, by wearing a favorite Alice & Trixie dress that Bryce bought me this spring and carrying a Stella & Dot clutch!

I also thought it would be funny to share one of the rejected photos..there are always lots of those, ha!

After taking the perfect picture we got in the car and headed to Can Can, a French restaurant in Richmond's Carytown.  Our first date was at Can Can on July 7, 2011.  Every year now, we go to dinner there on the 7th of July to celebrate, AND, we...go...all...out!  In fact, I ate a teeny tiny lunch on Monday in anticipation of our feast!

We started out with drinks and two appetizers: the zucchini fritters and seared scallops.  They were both delicious, but the zucchini fritters were out of this world!  If you are in Richmond, go to Can Can and order them!

Next we ordered entrees and a side of frites!

I ordered the pan seared chicken, Can Can's spin on chicken and waffles.  It came with a cornmeal waffle and was served over an amazing salad of arugula, asparagus, snap beans, bok choy, strawberries, pecans, and goat cheese!  Bryce ordered the braised shortribs which came with blueberry corn fritters (ah-mazing!) and a medley of peppers, zucchini, snap beans and more!  For the frites, we ordered both a bacon aioli and truffle aioli which were both equally delicious!

We had decided to skip a favorite, the macaroni grueyere, BUT...when it was served to the table next to us, we realized we couldn't resist and put an order in for that too!

We barely put a dent in this delicious mac and were able to use the leftovers for dinner on Tuesday!

After all that gorging, we decided to forego dessert and have a second cocktail instead.  I've found that a full-bodied red wine can usually satisfy my dessert craving and we enjoyed just taking time to chat over a final cocktail before heading home!


Do you still go back to the spot of your first date?

How do you celebrate big milestones in your relationship?

Have a great day!