Monthly Mumbles #4
How about the last Monthly Mumbles post was in March…I have no idea how but 2021 is already more than halfway over and per usual, I am barely keeping up with life! Since it’s been a while and I have been more out and about thanks to being vaccinated, I hope this edition of Monthly Mumbles is more exciting to read! I will share the top highlights from the last few months. 😉
April
I went real camping for the first time! It was low-key since we went to Umstead State Park, which is not far from us at all but I am happy I got to cross it off my 30 Before 30 List! I would totally do it again though I was very cold throughout the night.
I finally gave in and made a Bookstagram account. Don’t ask me how many Instagram accounts I have/am managing because I know it is too many! My first Bookstagram post was this throwback photo from a trip to Savannah, Georgia a few years ago. I am casually on the floor of a bookstore so I could be photographed with one of the bookstore cats. As someone who loves books and cats, E. Shaver Booksellers was a delightful space! If you want to follow along my Bookstagram, you can find me @readwithjuyoung (@readwithju was taken a few months before, and I was devastated).
My Dress // Sujung’s Dress (from Old Navy)
I don’t think I ever posted on the blog but I attended this most gorgeous and epic picnic hosted by Pineapple Sol earlier this year! It was as if I died and gone to the picnic heaven of my dreams. From the very extra setup (I mean, look at those balloons?!) to the grazing board and the desserts, I was absolutely blown away. Their picnics are a bit pricey but for good reason.
May
I don’t have photos to share but I migrated my website from WordPress.com to (self-hosted) WordPress.org at the end of April/beginning of May. It was a huge pain in the butt and took multiple days but it was worth it (yay for not having to pay for an arm and a leg to use plugins)! My website is still work in progress, but I am pretty happy with it for the time being.
I saw my college friend Nicole for the first time since 2019 thanks to COVID-19 vaccines! We first met in high school when we visited Salem for scholarship weekend, and we have been friends ever since. Our car rides (and the accompanying venting sessions) to and from Salem back really allowed us to open up with each other. Seeing Nicole and catching up IRL (because our friendship doesn’t really involve phone calls/FaceTimes) was cathartic and therapeutic.
I baked a strawberry shortcake all by myself because 1) baking a cake was also on my 30 Before 30 list, 2) it was strawberry season, and 3) I like strawberries. I used this recipe after seeing it on Instagram, and it was hard! There were multiples moment of panic and breakdown, but I followed through!!! The cake did not look like the photo, and the cake was very crunchy like a biscuit BUT it tasted better after it had been refrigerated and got a bit soggy. I know it sounds weird but it kind of worked, okay?! Kind of…
Alex and I went to Charleston and had the best time! It was our first real vacation since before COVID, and it was blissful to turn our brains off and really mentally check out. With the ongoing pandemic, I didn’t want to ask other people to take photos of us so we tried our best to take selfies haha. Note to self: invest in a little tripod. If you want to read more about our trip to Charleston, I wrote about What To Do in Charleston and Everything We Ate in Charleston.
June
I wasn’t sure if it was going to happen but I got my annual soft-shell crab sandwich! It was towards the end of the season, and I was losing hope but Saltbox pulled through!!! Their sandwich has a few small soft-shell crabs and was full of flavor. Last year’s soft-shell crab came from Local’s Seafood.
While I had my “blog” since 2018, I didn’t make a lot of blog friends until last year during the pandemic. Since I hadn’t met a lot of them in person, I have been endearingly calling them my “Internet Friends.” Thanks to the vaccine, I have met up with a few of them—pictured here are Hannah (@lifewithhanny), Joy (@joyeatsworld), Breanna (@the_blendedspoon), and Andy (@triangletravelingcaveman).
Not the best photo but I met up with Fareena, who I hadn’t seen in literal years! We had a long hug, and the hug itself made me emotional. Fareena has such a warming presence, and catching up with her made my heart happy.
My Dress (xxs) // Shoes (old from Old Navy; similar here) // Earrings (old from Humans Before Handles; similar here)
Haley, also a friend from college, is expecting her first baby August, who is due August! We got to celebrate the baby and the parents-to-be. It felt surreal to attend a gathering of this size (everyone was vaccinated). I cannot wait to meet/spoil the baby once he’s here!
It’s mid-to-late July now but I am going to save all the July happenings for the next Mumbles post because this is already so long! Hope you are having hot girl/vaccinated summer!
