Hello and Happy Friday! I hope you are having a great month so far! This month is zooming by and we are currently preparing for David to start his routine entering his 10th year of teaching! I look forward to writing this post every month because it gives me a chance to debrief from the month, share some of my favorite links and happenings, and to just generally venture away from a structured blog post theme. And this month, I have quite a few favorites I’ve been excited to share! So, thanks for joining in on the August 2019 Edition of Coffee Talk! Grab a cup and let’s get started.
Check out previous coffee talks here: January | February | March | April | May | June | July & favorite coffee shops in Raleigh here.
Coffee Talk: August 2019 Edition
I’ve mentioned before that I’m really into podcasts. Whether it’s while I’m driving for work or while I’m at my computer, I typically have on a podcast. I’ve mentioned some of my favorites here, but recently, I’ve added two more to the mix. I recently listened to A12, a podcast giving background and insight on what happened in Charlottesville before and on August 12, 2017. I also started listening to Backstory, a compilation of historical reflections on various parts of history. A recent episode I listened to talked about men and beards and where this style came from. Joanne Freeman, a history professor at Yale and one of my favorite historians, is one of the featured historians on Backstory. Nicole Hemmer, a political historian at UVA, did the work on A12. P.S. if you’re a teacher, check out this option for lesson plans and connections to the podcasts!
I shared this article in May’s coffee talk, and wanted to resurface it as it is a great one for how to support your friends that are experiencing it, including what to say and what not to say during this time. I also really love Cathy’s perspective on IVF and why it’s hard to find articles talking about the actual experience. It is a great read and something to consider if friends seem a bit off at times.
It’s hard to believe that I’ve been blogging at I’m Fixin’ To for over 4 years now, and longer on other platforms and under different website names. Sometimes, I wonder when it will be time to hang it up. Life is busy between my real job, family time, continuing higher education, and just wanting to have time to relax and enjoy life. But, to be honest, I thrive on having a creative outlet and I am a true Enneagram 3 and like to work and stay busy. So, for now, I’ll be over here on I’m Fixin’ To, sharing favorite places, spaces, and style, and perhaps throwing in some other interests (stay tuned for more hopefully this year).
Another article that Cathy wrote recently that resonated with me was how to support your favorite bloggers. Honestly, I struggle with encouraging materialism at a time where David and I are striving to live a more minimalist lifestyle. Cathy’s post shows how to support bloggers and writers like me, whose content is more lifestyle and travel based.
Y’all, this story is so sweet. She’s the former students of one of my friends who teaches outside of Atlanta and I am loving the artwork, but the message is even more beautiful.
I’ve shared my passion for voting and encouraging others to exercise their voice through the election process. Stacey Abrams is one of my favorite leaders and this article about her is intriguing and only affirms why she is spectacular. I am especially thrilled to learn that she also is in to personality tests, because so am I. I think the more we know about ourselves, the more we can front load things that may need to be processed by people (like, Hi, I’m Meghan. I’m very direct, to the point, like to work frustrated, and will probably say the f word. That means I’m engaged, feel comfortable, and like what I’m doing.). But that’s a different story for a different day.
Y’all, I love bartaco. Seriously, it’s one of our favorite date night spots. We start with the guac & salsa duo, get tacos, and always end with churros. This month’s secret taco is the fried oysters, and I love an oyster (check out my Raleigh Oyster Crawl here). A couple of people reached out to me on my Instagram stories about our recent date night to try the secret taco and didn’t know it was a thing. I highly recommend at least asking what the secret taco is before you place your order. It’s a must order for me!
This Mayo & Tomato tee is one of my favorite graphic tees and it’s finally back in stock! Check out my other favorite graphic tees here. And y’all, there ain’t nothing better than a Duke’s & tomato sandwich in the summer.
I recently made my first trip to Bath to visit my college best friend and we made a trip to some of our favorite stomping grounds from our college days. One of our stops was at Wine & Gourmet, a beautiful wine shop that features the best pimento cheese. I picked up this bottle of Vino Verde Rosé and holy wow is it one of the best rosés I’ve ever tasted. P.S. here is the runner that we recently added to our mix.
I just snagged this skirt from Amazon for $15. It’s a perfect piece from transitioning from summer to fall.
Disregard my dirty mirror, but I snagged this dress from Target a couple of weeks ago, and I loved wearing it to work this week. Similar shoes and earrings linked.
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This post is sponsored by Harry I. Martin, Jr. of ID Private Equity. Be sure to connect with him on social media and learn more about The Martin Group.