Gulf Shores in the Fall

Last weekend, Cameron and I decided to take Friday off and head down to Gulf Shores for a long weekend at the beach.  When we mentioned it to friends, the group grew.  Some came down Thursday night, others Friday after work.  It turned out to be an amazing weekend!  I've mentioned before that fall is one of my favorite times at the beach and this weekend was the perfect example of why - gorgeous sunny weather with a breeze in the air and no crowds.

My weekend had a rough start - nasty cat bite at work on Thursday.  Punctured both sides of my finger -straight through my fingernail.  Thankfully, I started antibiotics within hours of the bite and actually had an M.D. and a P.A. with us for my wound care.  Being a vet isn't always fun & games! :) The throbbing has finally subsided and this is what it looks like now:

We spent all day Friday riding around on the boat...

Mary & I picked out our dream houses...

who wouldn't want a private little peninsula complete with a hammock??

Lunch at Pirates Cove - and made a few new friends...

Spent plenty of time on Robinson Island...

world's tiniest hermit crab

of course I couldn't help but collect more shells #hoarder

yes those are tiny seashells at the bottom.  Told you - I'm obsessed.

Made a stop at the Florabama for bushwackers, then enjoyed a beautiful sunset...

By Friday evening everyone had arrived.  We had grand plans of making it out, but after dinner at the house, opted for a relaxing evening in.

Saturday morning, we hit the beach.

The problem with going to the beach in the fall is that football season gets in the way.  By 2:30 part of the group started heading in to watch the LSU-UGA game, then we were all instructed to be ready to head to the restaurant in time for Bama's kickoff.  Auburn had a bye week so I was perfectly content to lay on the beach until the very last minute!


After watching the Bama game, we headed to The Gulf, a restaurant/bar Cameron and I found earlier this summer.  Best atmosphere ever!

 They also have an adorable gift shop...

Sunday morning, we hung around the dock on the lagoon - postponing the end of our trip.  It's so hard knowing that summer really is coming to an end!  The boys fished and even caught a huge trout and a few crabs - perfect for lunch on the last day.

being resourceful - tongs + soft drink box = perfect way to grab & contain crabs

I'm sure we will get in another few boat rides before the weather turns cold, but it's always sad for me to say goodbye to the beach.  Until next year!

5 on Friday

***So I had full intentions of having this posted on Friday - until I went off for the weekend on Thursday without uploading pictures and scheduling my post.  Oops!  Guess I was just a little too excited about #5!

1. Fresh Blue Crabs - we had an amazing dinner fresh from the gulf last week. A technician announced that her friend had collected way too many crabs from his traps, did anybody want some?  Umm, yes please!  We invited Mary & Poe over for fresh steamed blue crabs. Nothing like living near the water!

2. New Girl -  I am so excited for the return of New Girl, one of my favorite sitcoms. It is laugh out loud funny and if you haven't watched it yet you should!

3. Adorable Fall Decorations - I still have yet to even start on putting out any fall decorations. I've been burning a pumpkin candle, does that count?  I recently filled in at a vet clinic in Monroeville, a couple hours away, and decided to walk around the town square while I was there. My original goal was to visit the courthouse where To Kill a Mockingbird was set, but it was closed for the day. So I went shopping instead!  Found this precious little guy and knew he had to come home with me. He'll be perfect for my fall decor - if I ever get around to it! 

4. J.Crew Baby - Have you heard that J.Crew just launched a baby line.  I'm in trouble and I don't even have kids, yet!  But what I do have are nephews and a niece and lots of friends having babies.  In typical J.Crew form, I'll definitely be watching the sales, but how cute are these???

5. Fall Weekends at the Beach - We are off to Gulf Shores for a long weekend at the beach with friends.  September/October is my favorite time of the year to be at the beach.  It's still warm, but not blazing hot and the crowds have cleared out.  It really is amazing!  I know now is the time everyone is talking about how much they love fall, and it's true there are things I enjoy about the season, but when you get down to it, I'm just a summer girl at heart!

It's Great To Be An Auburn Tiger!

Last weekend, Cameron and I headed up to Auburn for the Mississippi State football game.  We weren't able to get any of our friends to go/meet us there, so it was just us two.  We really enjoyed being on campus and reminiscing about the "good old days!"  Since it was a night game (my favorite), we left Mobile early Saturday morning.  A stop by Starbucks for the first pumpkin spice latte of the season and we were on our way!

Since we got to town so early, we were still able to find a tailgate spot and set up our tent and chairs.  Definitely low-key!

After a while we decided to walk around campus, hit up the bookstores and my favorite shops on College Street, and look for a bar to watch the Alabama-Texas A&M game.  I picked up a new sticker for my car (my old one was in rough shape) and this cute new shirt.

Toomer's corner looks so empty without the trees!

But how great is this print of Job 14:7?

at Auburn Art

Downtown was packed and our first few attempts at finding empty seats somewhere to watch the Bama game failed.  But then we remembered the new restaurant, The Hound, where our old favorite, the Auburn Ale House used to be.  It's tucked behind the main drag so lots of people don't know/forget about it.  I talked about it here when we first went to it this spring.  Bourbon + bacon + great atmosphere = my new favorite restaurant.  My turkey, bacon, & avocado sandwich was amazing, and to drink I tried out the "Creek Water,' which mixes bourbon & sweet tea with a little lemon & mint.  Just might be my new favorite drink!

Before heading to the game we decided to stop by the Vault, or Bodegas for all you old kids.  Funny that it will forever be Bodegas in my mind?

And how is this for the best game day shirt ever?

By then it was time to head to the game.  Our tickets were in the upper deck and when we were climbing to our seats I realized the eagle was set to be released from right near our seats.   I was so excited to be so close and get a great picture of him flying.  Unfortunately, with the sun in our eyes we couldn't see him at all until he was close to the field!  Oh well!  If you've never seen the War Eagle fly, it's an incredible experience.

Gametime!

It was a rough game, but a W is a W right?  The last 2 minutes were so intense!  Not sure why we didn't play that way the whole time.  Nothing like pulling out the winning touchdown with 10 seconds to go.  I really thought I might have a heart attack!

This video making the rounds on Facebook really brings tears to my eyes.  Makes me miss the days of the student section!


Of course we had to head to Toomer's Corner.  Since the trees are gone, the put up "victory wires" across the intersection.  Can't say I'm a fan but oh well.  It seems like other people aren't either because the fans have taken to rolling the trees on the entire block now.  Now that I love!

It was a great weekend, made even better by a win!  I miss Auburn so much and I'm always in shock at how much things have changed in the few short years I've been gone.  A piece of my heart will always be on the Plains!