five on friday

it's time for five on friday!  here we go . . .

1.  date nights with ^^^this guy^^^ make weeks like this go by much faster (and that's a good thing, since i pretty much live for the weekend).

2.  isn't this coffee creamer from modcloth the cutest?  i've been eying it for months, and i think it may finally be time to cave and spend the $15.  i think it's too adorable to pass up!

3.  i discovered this no heat hair curling tutorial from the paper mama on pinterest a year or so ago.  i kind of forgot about it, and randomly started doing it again this week.  it's really great for me, because i'm not by any means a morning person.  i do this before i go to bed, wake up. . . and voila! wavy curls!

4.  i'm loving today's date, because. . . exactly one year from today i will be married to my favorite person in the world!!  june 28th, people.  pencil us in!

 5.  i'm loving these heart-shaped sunglasses i've been seeing everywhere.  i think this aviator version from nordstrom is a good i don't want to be the center of attention but still want to look cute alternative.

you're my home

here's a little video i put together with a few of my favorite moments from this past weekend in gainesville.  enjoy!

weekly roundup

this post is just a few days late. . .but better late than never.  last week was all about my 31st birthday!  i'm such a lucky girl to have a wonderful family and group of friends who are so thoughtful.  thanks for all the birthday wishes and all the amazing things everybody did to make my day super special!

on monday, my wonderful co-worker/work mom, patricia, baked the most delicious cake to kick off my birthday week.

mid-week, i came home to a soggy brown box by my back door (it had been raining).  despite my enthusiasm for online shopping,  i knew i hadn't ordered anything recently.  i took the box inside, opened it up, and was super surprised at the sight of the "blue box" all of us ladies know so well.  my best friends from back home, machi and helen, sent me this beautiful crystal jewelry bowl!  this pretty little bowl will definitely be a family heirloom for many years to come.  oh how i love my two chongas!

    wednesday night (my actual birthday), cory surprised me with a full cake decorating set and this cookbook i have been fawning over for months (if you haven't seen little paris kitchen on the cooking network, go watch/dvr it now)!  after opening my gifts, he took me to my favorite pizza restaurant for dinner.  he's such a gem!

 late in the week we left for my hometown of gainesville, florida to spend the weekend with my wonderful parents and dog bentley.  we had fun eating, fishing, spending time together, and eating some more (i never seem to have an empty stomach when i go home).  although i don't get to spend as much time with my parents as i would like, we had a wonderful weekend catching up, laughing, and reminiscing about the "good 'ol days."

all in all it was a great birthday week!  the icing on the cake. . .  when i was checking out at the grocery store with a six pack of beer, and i was asked for my i.d.!  the best 31st birthday gift.  ever.

five on friday

 

it's link-up time! five things i'm loving this week:

1.  birthday nails (inspired by pink frosting and multicolored sprinkles).

2. ^^^ this girl!  my supportive bff showed up at my first wedding dress search with these delicious macarons (which just so happened to match her dress, isn't she the cutest?) and mini champagne bottles.  even though i left the store empty handed, she made the experience super fun!  the search continues!

 

3.  i really hate jumping on bandwagons, but isn't this song catchy as heck?

4.  i finally upgraded from the foundation i usually buy at target, to this slightly more expensive but noticeably better foundation by bobbi brown.  it's the perfect amount of coverage (between a tinted moisturizer and a full foundation), and leaves your face with a pretty dewy finish.

5.  our surprisingly successful attempt at recreating the lobster pizza we had while in jamaica!  i'll post the recipe soon, try not to drool too much 'till then :-)

friends, fire pits, and lightning bugs

this past weekend, we met up with my lovely friend jill and her hilarious husband bill for a double date at one of our favorite restaurants, the angus barn.  we took advantage of the beautiful weater, and enjoyed dinner outside at "the meat locker."  dinner was followed by cigars and drinks next to a lovely fire, while lightning bugs swirled all around (basically, the quintessential summer evening).  afterwards we headed over to the recently relocated, hibernian for a few night-cappers.  their new location is pretty cool with lots of eclectic decor, but then again. . . i've never met an irish pub i didn't like.  here's a few snapshots.

weekly roundup

monday night i babysat this beautiful bundle of joy.  if you suffer from baby fever, trust me when i say that watching alice is definitely not a cure. . . she's basically the coolest, cutest, sweetest 18 month old on the planet.

this is what spending $100 during a 15 minute shopping trip to target looks like.  i think it was the razors that really put me over the edge.  ugh, this makes me feel ill, let's move on.

wednesday night we had to say goodbye to our temporary roomie/permanent friend, brian.  while it's sad to see him go, i do look forward to visiting him in whichever fabulous city he decides to settle into next.  he's been a wonderful friend to both cory and myself, and i wish him the best in his future endeavors.  go get 'em g-man!

we spent a lovely saturday evening with a few great friends, which included dinner and drinks alfresco followed by cigars. . . and more drinks :)

and finally. . . happy father's day to all the wonderful fathers i know. . . especially one father in particular, who (in my opinion) is the best dad in the world!  dad, i love you so much and can't wait to celebrate with you next week!  xoxo.

five on friday

five things i'm loving this week for five on friday . . .(lots of summer lovin' over here)

1.  for my birthday next week, my sweet sweet mommy gifted me with this clarisonic mia2 giftset complete with boscia facial products.  i've only had it for a few hours, and i'm already obsessed!

2.  i'm loving finding clothes in my closet from years ago that i kinda forgot about, and incorporating them with some of my newer pieces of clothing.  it's kind of like finding money in a coat pocket you haven't worn since last winter!

3.  i've loved vampire weekend since their first album, and i was ecstatic to hear they were releasing a new album last month.  i already have a few favorite songs from the album, but i'm currently loving this song.  it's so upbeat and summery.

 4.  peaches scream summer to me!  considering how hot it has been these past few weeks, i can't wait to invite some friends over and whip up a batch of this sparkling white peach sangria!

5.  i have been on a mission to find a lace shirt for the summer.  since this one from anthropologie was sold out within a day (why do you have such irresistibly cute clothes, anthropologie?), i'm settling for this more economical and equally as cute version from ruche.  i can't wait to rock it with some colored ankle-length denim and nude heels!

random acts from my iphoto library

i met steve-o (from wildboys, jackass, dancing with the stars, etc.) at a random new years eve house party when i lived in west palm beach (circa 2006).  i hung out with him and his entourage for a while, he showed me his tattoos, and he kept telling everyone i was his new bodyguard. . . he was a pretty cool guy!

weekly roundup

whew.  this week was a bit trying emotionally. . . but i can honestly say it's weeks like this make me extra thankful for the small things i sadly find myself taking for granted: supportive family members, friends who go out of their way to "be there" for you, good health, and finding happiness in the least expected places.  don't take your days for granted people!! ;)  on another note, most of this post contains pictures of food and alcohol. . . don't say i didn't warn you.

my solution for a quick and healthy dinner that doesn't take hours to prepare: low-carb mexican chicken wraps.

our regular week night date spot. . . brixx.  have you ever tried fresh arugula on top of your pizza?  if not, go do it now.  also, as you can tell. . . cory loves when i snap countless photos of him on any given night.  so enthused.

i'm dogsitting my god-dog this weekend.  little rosy. . . she's such a sweet lady.

i'm slowly collecting odds and ends for our "DIY" wedding. . . this week i got several different washi tapes and some twine to add to the colletion!

 saturday afternoon, we oficially found our new favorite outdoor spot in downtown raleigh, the landmark tavern.  you got to love a place that uses craft beer glasses!

saturday afternoon we went on an impromptu self-guided walking tour of downtown raleigh.  i love the mix of old and new architecture this city has to offer.

we concluded our weekend with an alfresco dinner (consisting of beer and wings) at the carolina ale house.  we were graced with a beautiful sunset view right from our table!

five on friday

five things i'm loving this week . . . 

1.  i can finally end my search for a glittery hair barrette (trust me, it's harder than it seems)!!!  even though i really wanted a gold one, i guess silver will do.  i found it in the children's section at target.

2.  i couldn't tell my inner floridian "no" when she wanted me to buy this during a recent trip to a nearby market.  in my eyes, you have not lived until you've tried smoked mullet.  it's kinda a delicacy in florida . . . right alongside boiled peanuts. 

3.  ^^these cute flats that i ordered from modcloth!  i can't wait to get them. . . they're perfect for a summery outfit that's just a little too fancy for sandals or wedges.

 4.  i made this delicious fast and easy hot onion dip recipe from chef in training, for margaret's goodbye party this past weekend.  it is one of my favorite appetizers to make for parties, not only because it's delicious, but it literally is so fast and easy!  it only contains four ingredients, and bakes in 30 minutes.  i like to serve it with crackers and crostinis.  it gets serious raves.

 

5.  i'm in the process of re-styling our coffee table . . . i found the perfect "oddball object" while shopping at z-gallerie!

i hope you all have a fabulous weekend.  i'm looking forward to doing a whole lotta nothin'!

weekly roundup

on monday i ordered some shampoo and perfume from sephora . . . check out all of these free samples i scored!

cory surprised me with this beautiful bouquet earlier this week.  he sure knows how to make me smile!

saturday, we checked out our first wedding venue (which we really liked by the way!!) and then we went to brunch afterwards at southern rail in carrboro.  i had vegetarian huevos rancheros, and cory had an egg sandwich.  and of course, brunch wouldn't be brunch without a mimosa and bloody mary.

saturday night we had a goodbye party for one of my favorite co-workers, margaret.  it's sad to say goodbye, not only because she's a great member to our team, but also because i've come to know her as a friend.  hopefully she'll come back and visit a lot. . . and do splits!

^^this cutie had a birthday today!!  my nephew brian is three years old!!  i can't believe how grown up he is, it seems like just yesterday he was born.  i had the pleasure of skyping with my brother and his adorable family today, and we definitely need to do that more often.  i miss their faces so much!

we had a delicious sunday night grill-out.  cory makes the most delicious shrimp kabobs.  it was a good way to wind down the weekend, and gear up for the week to come!

I hope you all have a great week!