Five On Friday ... Friday the 13th!

Hey girlfriends, we made it to the weekend, and you know what that means ... the most fun link-up day ever! As always, I hope you'll join me along with Darci, Natasha, and Christina.  Playing along is simple. Just write a blog about five things on your mind today, anything goes really, post the logo below on your blog, link back to one or all of our blogs, and then enter your post address below in the link-up section below. Easy peasy. So here we go!

O N E

Helloooooo, paradise of the South!  Shortly I will be Charleston-bound and I just can't wait. We are staying at a fabby-fab hotel and the grand finale of the weekend will be a very pretty wedding.  I still have to figure out what to wear, but I'm just thrilled for the weekend to begin! 

T W O

Girlfriend dinners.  Monday night I happened to be in the same city as one of my besties!  We met at Lucky 32 in Greensboro for dinner and had the best time just chatting, giggling, catching up, sharing stories. My dinner was awesome - cornmeal crusted catfish, pintos with chow-chow, deviled eggs, and green beans. I think you call that kind of dinner a SUPPER.  Tell me that isn't mouthwatering!

T H R E E

Going organic (mostly).  I have been making a big effort to go organic on fruits and veggies recently. This week I was out of town three nights for work, so I chopped up peaches and stored them in Tupperwares to bring to the hotel since I knew there was a fridge in the room. So much better than relying on hotel food and restaurant food the entire time.  And while organic produce is more expensive, I feel so good about this choice.  An investment into my future.  :)

F O U R
This week I received an email asking for my permission for one of my recipes to be pinned to the Betty Crocker Pinterest page.  Ummm, please, be my guest! The exact pin (found here) is on their Recipes Betty Loves board. What an honor!

F I V E
Today is Friday the 13th which I sort of love ... am I alone in this one? Maybe I'm a little strange in that regard! Tell me -- are you superstitious? I don't have any qualms about seeing a black cat, but I don't walk under ladders, I leave out of the same door I entered from, and I knock on wood like it's my job.

Now, your turn!  I can't wait to see your Five On Friday!

PS: I had some questions about the 

cute bakery in Greenville I mentioned 

last week with the amazing 

rosemary shortbread. It is called 

the Bakery Off Augusta.  :)

When I'm Back In The Kitchen

When my travel slows down and I'm blissfully back in the kitchen (seriously - can't wait), I will be making this:

CREAMY ASPARAGUS AND AGED CHEDDAR BAKE

recipe and photo found here

I mean ... really.  Does that look incredible or what?!

I'm on my fourth day of travel this week and will be driving home this afternoon.  You'll know if you pass me because I'll be the girl with the huge smile on her face the whole way from Greensboro to Charlotte!  Happy to be home with my boys.

And then comes the fun part ... meal planning for next week, when I'm only out one night! XOXOX

Fall Brights

 

I may have moved on from the bright summer pastels already, but all I've really done is redirect my attention to fall brights!

Just because Labor Day has passed doesn't mean that we need to move to a neutral, autumn-hued color spectrum.  Ehh - that's just not really my preferred color swatch.  But this is the perfect time to pull out saturated, colorful hues that really pack a punch!

+ I was turned on to the Maybelline Vivids line by my favorite beauty YouTuber, Jaclyn Hill.  I love the Shocking Coral color ($6 here), either worn alone or layered over a darker color for a pop!

+ The Old Navy green Rockstar jeans in Imperial Jade ($18 here ... and enter ONEXTRA15 for 15% off, today only) is such a cute cut and color.  The Rockstar cords are also a favorite of mine.  I sized up 2-3 sizes for the cords, just FYI.

+ The royal blue top is ASOS (black on major sale for $22 here) and I just love a deep v-neck.  So feminine.

+ J. Crew cardigans are a favorite of mine -- I have quite a few.  This mustard version is so lovely (persimmon available for $69 here).  Bright but not "summer bright."

+ Splurge?  Okay.  These deep purple flats feature Swarovski crystals, and dadgummit if I'm not a complete sucker for flats with a crystal detail at the toe.  I warned you, though -- they are $430 here.

+ Tortoise cuff, be mine.  I just love Fornash jewelry.  Aaaannnd -- it's $30 here.  Deal.


What's your go-to outfit in the fall?  Are you a fall brights lover like I am?

Weekend Pairings.

pizza + beer

gatsby + blankets

no alarm set + books in bed

coffee + southern pecan creamer

silver toaster + english muffins

landscaping meeting + landscaping budgeting

deviled egg snacking + hamburger grilling

ikea + cinnamon roll salivating

girlfriend lunch + girlfriend trip planning

homemade salsa + pulled pork enchiladas

breaking bad + yoga pants

.........

hope your weekend pairings were just as delightful as ours!  :)

Five On Friday

It's Five on Friday time, ya'll!

Can I just tell you how much I love reading the posts each week? They are so creative and fun! Please do join me, Darci, Natasha, and Christina ... playing along is simple!  Just write a blog about five things on your mind today, anything goes really, post the logo below on your blog and link back to one or all of us, and then enter your post address below in the link-up section.

Here's what's on my mind this Friday.

O N E
So we may be a little late to the game for summer patio beautifying, but you just can't resist a great deal when it goes 75% off.  This 9-foot umbrella from World Market looks so stinkin' adorable on our patio ... now I just have to get pillows made to match!  It was originally $120, and we got it for $30.  BAM!

T W O

So, it's decided.  I need this mint suede belt from C. Wonder.  It was $48, now marked down to $19.99 with an additional 50% off.  Ten bucks, people.  Now that's love.

T H R E E

During our recent girls weekend in Charlotte, my girlfriend Kerry brought the most delicious rosemary shortbread cookies from a cute little bakery in Greenville, SC.  I fell deeply, madly, passionately in love with them.  (Not exaggerating.)  So the other day, guess what I spotted?  A Martha Stewart recipe for Rosemary Butter Cookies.  I think they look so similar -- I can't wait to try out this recipe and see if I can recreate this delicacy!

F O U R
Last Saturday morning we broke out a little arts + crafts action at the house!  These ECU wreaths for the front doors were so easy to make.  Ian and I painted the letters and then I created the bows using yellow burlap.  The wreaths are such a fun welcome to the house!

F I V E
Cheers to very few weekend plans ... just a lot of good times with friends.  I am so excited to just soak up another warm Charlotte weekend and enjoy it before it turns chilly.  We are so happy to have lots of friends that live right around us -- so let's raise a glass to a great weekend guaranteed to make happy memories!

Your turn -- what are your five?

Makeup, Hair, Photoshoot ... The Perfect Day.

This past spring I was contacted by a local photographer, Lindsay Wynne Photography, who threw out the idea of a fun little joint project ... a mini-session of her beautiful portraits that I could share with you all.

If you know me -- in person, or even just through this blog -- you can imagine that I didn't have to think long and hard when presented with a completely girly day of makeup, hair, and fun photography.  Obviously, I was IN!

We decided to do the shoot at my house -- I loved the idea of capturing some pieces of my home in the background.  We kicked off the fun early on a Sunday morning and wrapped up around lunch.  What I really liked about Lindsay Wynne is that she shared so many pointers to getting a good photo -- most revolving around looking relaxed and approachable in the photos.  She would get me ready for a shot, I'd smile for the camera, and then she'd give me a quick "now drop that shoulder closest to the camera" reminder.  It was such a simple tactic that really keeps you from looking too cold or squared-off in a shot.

So here goes ... some of my favorites from the shoot!

I am just in awe of what talent Lindsay Wynne has. I could brag on her all day. These are pictures I'll cherish, especially that last one with our sweet Drake in it.

So remember -- next time you're in front of a camera, drop that shoulder closest to the lens!

Would you be game for a girly photo session?

My Favorites!

Happy Wednesday all, and how nice is this short week?! My trip to Georgia was a good one -- easy, quick, and successful work-wise. I was hoping to stop at the outlets in Commerce, GA on my way home yesterday, but I ran out of time. Fooey! That particular J. Crew outlet there is one of the best I've ever been to.

Today I want to share with you some of my favorites.  Pardon the random post, but I personally enjoy seeing what other gals love, so I hope you do too!

/// Favorite Ice Cream Flavor ///

When I go for a sweet treat, I want it sweet.  I love super-sugary flavors like cotton candy and cake batter! I've been trying to reduce my fro-yo consumption, but the new TCBY in walking distance is going to challenge that goal. I can typically justify it by telling myself that half the cup will include raw fruit (blueberries and kiwi are my go-tos), but some days you've just got to go for the candy bar chunks, am I right?!

/// Favorite Lipstick ///

Before our Europe trip, I went to the MAC counter and tried on, ohhhh, I don't know, THIRTY different shades?!  I couldn't go to Paris without some fabulous lipstick. I ended up choosing Plumful (here) and I've been so happy with this purchase!

/// Favorite Way To Spend A Lunchbreak ///

Every Friday I treat myself to a trip to the Marshall's near work. Love, love this tradition. Wandering the aisles keeps me sane. :) The home and kitchen area is my favorite part with the beauty products area coming in at a close second.

/// Favorite Vacation Destination ///

I'm a beach girl through and through, but would you believe I haven't been once this entire summer? Our schedule has been packed to the brim with other activities, but we've got a date on the calendar this month to get some sand between our toes.  Thank goodness!

via

/// Favorite Fast Food ///

Can you call Panera fast food? That's easily my favorite quick lunch or dinner spot.  The Mediterranean Veggie sandwich is purely amazing -- I'm not a vegetarian, but I do try to limit my meat (especially at fast food places) and this sandwich always fits the bill.

/// Favorite Wine ///

Just about any sauvignon blanc from New Zealand, expensive or inexpensive!

.................

I'd love to hear your favorites ... ready, set, go!

via

Labor Day Weekend

We were invited by some of our good friends to spend Saturday on the lake. They have a beautiful boat that they keep at a marina at Lake Norman, so we packed our coolers and sunscreen and hit the water.

We made our way to a really fun area with lots of boats anchored around us. We cranked up the stereo and then alternated between sitting on the boat chatting until we got too hot and then bobbing in the water until we got too chilly.

I brought one of my favorite glasses, an acrylic wine glass that is perfect for boats!  

Thank you so much to our dear friends S+C for being such amazingly wonderful hosts, as always! Sending love from Georgia, where I'll be for the next few hours for work. Travel on Labor Day? Not so great ... but I'll be spending my short work day doing an event at a very pretty spa and winery, so no complaining from this gal.  :)