Summer Nights

Outdoor concerts, gardening, handmade popsicles and a new pair of chucks are just a few great things that have happened this summer. If I blogged about each individual thing, I'd never catch up on the blogging I've fallen behind on. So how do we fix it? Combine it all into one! The summer of 2014 has been quite the ride. Here's a glimpse of what went down.

MONUMENTOUR.
I don't know what it is, but my college roommate/best friend, Chelsea, always brings out the punk rock in me. We surrounded ourselves by young kids and rocked out to Fall Out Boy on a humid July night. We've been obsessed with their last album, Save Rock and Roll, for the past year or so taking the plunge and joining teens swooning over Patrick Stump and Pete Wentz. Paramore started off the show and we ended the night singing old and new songs from the band we fell in love with in college.

Where's the beef?
Jeremy and I came across a list of the best burgers in Charlotte and we've been happily eating our way around the Queen City ever since. Stay tuned for a blog from Jeremy coming your way. Here's a sneak peak of the goodness that has entered our bellies.

Keep Pounding.
It's not summer without the Panther's Fan Fest. We enjoyed seeing the new additions to the stadium and the start of training camp for our beloved Panthers. Can you believe it's been 20 years since we've joined the NFL?! We ended the night with the best fireworks and light show around. Not kidding...it was pretty amazing.

Life in Chucks.
I don't know what it was about this summer but I was a chucks fanatic. I was happy to add a new pair of fresh, white kicks to my collection.

King of Pops.
Another new obsession. You guys, these are the BEST popsicles around. All-natural handmade pops made from local produce and dairy have entered my life and there is no going back. Chocolate Sea Salt, raspberry lime and watermelon mojito are some of the flavors I've fallen head over heals for. I mean, COME ON. It just doesn't get better than that. You better believe I break into my happy dance when I see that their cart is near.

Tomato, Tamato.
After many failed attempts at growing my tomato plant, I finally succeeded! After drowning the poor thing twice, I finally got some buds, sprouts and a good old fashioned red tomato. I was a little worried when our first three had rotted on the bottom but have no fear, the fourth one that appeared was a beauty! Couldn't be happier! Next year, I'll at least know the Do's and Dont's of Gardening 101.

Summer of YES.
My favorite, Jason Mraz, has done it again. He has released another amazing album that is nothing but love to my ears. While watching his new music video, I noticed that we had the same shower curtain. Totally only a thing I would notice but I had to recreate the moment. I mean....who wouldn't?

Matt Nathanson & Gavin DeGraw Summer Tour.
Elyse, Rachel and I enjoyed a night of good music, food and pops under the stars. Matt Nathanson had us laughing throughout his entire set and Gavin DeGraw had us singing those familiar tunes from those One Tree Hill days. We also got to meet Matt after the show! Such a sweet guy!

Movie Reel.
Jeremy and I are suckers for a good movie. Let's Be Cops had us laughing for two hours straight, TMNT had us craving pizza afterwards and Guardians of the Galaxy was surprisingly awesome.

Oddball Comedy Fest.
A collection of comedians featuring Hannibal Buress and Aziz Ansari kept us laughing throughout the night. Aziz is now a new favorite in the Singleton household.

The Gospel Tour.
I relived those college days once again when Chelsea asked me to go to the Panic! at the Disco show. As we were waiting for Panic to start the show, we had the best time scrolling through old photos from the last time we saw them together back in 2006.

Throwback to 2006!

Native Summer Tour.
The last show of the summer season belonged to Jamie Scott, The Script and One Republic. I joined Elyse and Rachel once again as we brought the blankets out and sat below the stars listening to the upbeat sounds of Ryan Tedder. I'll miss these care free summer nights of pops and chucks but will happily welcome the cooler breeze and fall television shows once September rolls around. Summer 2014 has been a good one...a summer I won't forget.

Walking Back in Time

It's been quite some time since we've all been in History class but it was time for a pop quiz as we traveled back in time to Colonial Williamsburg. We walked the grounds with our fancy Citizen Passports which could get us into our own personal tours of the town.

We started our self-guided tour on the outskirts of town where most of the common people lived. Imagine how large your house would be if you had to build it yourself. We got a first hand look on how colonist constructed their homes using simple tools and their bare hands. Local produce was grown in the back yard, refrigerated food was kept beneath the ground and fresh meat was hung in the smokehouse for dinner that night. We decided we didn't want to be poor anymore and headed to be with the rich folk at the Governor's Palace.

We walked up to a commotion in the courtyard where the townspeople were gathered arguing the latest takeaway of gunpowder. It was hard not to chuckle at the actors who tried to talk to us, wondering how we felt about the situation and if we were in such the tizzy they were in. The crowd dispersed and we took a tour of the Governor's Palace & Gardens where we learned how the wealthy lived, dressed and ate during the 1700s.

We continued to walk the cobblestone streets that were filled with market square taverns, shoemakers, and little shops where we could purchase souvenirs.  Eventually, we came upon the Capital where we sat in the courtroom and toured the round table that our forefathers once sat. The tour ended just in time for us to hear the Declaration of Independence being read aloud to the townspeople (that was us). And when I say he read the Declaration of Independence....he read the ENTIRE thing. That was enough for us to realize we were hungry as we left the past and gained our technology back. Our appetites were satisfied as we ate at the College Delly, across the street from William & Mary college. We tiredly called it a day as we headed back home from a fun and adventurous weekend with close friends. It was certainly a trip we won't forget!