9.29.2013

life in moments 9.29.13

last week, cory and i left the motherland (i.e. my hometown of gainesville, florida).  i always love going back home, spending time with the fam, and revisiting childhood landmarks.  there is even a road named after us in the bustling town of lake city, florida!! (no big deal).

and can i just tell you how hard it is to leave this little guy?  so hard.  i know he's in good hands with my parents, though.  love you, mr. b!

my amazing future groom was kind enough to bring home the most beautiful assortment of my favorite flowers from a local farm in durham.  i love me some lilies... and they smell like heaven.

we've been doing our best to try to eat more "whole foods" around here over the past few weeks (meaning i've been cooking more "whole foods" and cory has no choice other than to starve, unless he eats them).

okay, forget everything i said about "whole foods".  the dining highlight of my week was pizza, ranch, and beer.  a classic combination, if you ask me.

 this weekend, we "unplugged" a bit to spend a little time just the two of us (cue will smith background music) and to soak in the gorgeous weather.  we attended raleigh's downtown bluegrass festival during the day (more on that in another post) and capped the night off with a visit to lowes home improvement (a surprisingly pleasant way to spend a saturday night, if you ask me... it's so much fun to dream about renovations to a house that we don't currently own, haha).  i even made the cutest little bunny friend in the garden department!

i hope you all had an equally amazing weekend, and that your monday is as painless as possible ;)

9.27.2013

say yes to the dress

i was so excited to finally get my hands on my wedding dress a few weeks ago!  as i tried it on and admired all of it's beautiful details, i couldn't help but reminisce how i envisioned my dream wedding dress throughout certain points in my life (childhood, preteens, teen, twenties and beyond).  here's a few pictures representing my thankful evolution in bridal fashion...

early 80's.  she's a fashion icon... don't hate.

late 80's.  i wanted my colors to be blush and bashful.

i'm a little embarassed to admit this one, but... it was the 90's.

2000's, monique lhuillier dress made entirely from peacock feathers.  i still think this dress is amazing, yet just a bit over the top ;-)

currently, i absolutely love tea-length gowns! unfortunately this type of dress doesn't really go with my theme/venue... but if i was doing a courthouse ceremony, this would be the one.

 
 if money wasn't an issue (why can't i just be rich?), then i'd be rocking this gown down the aisle on june 28th... however, i'm a bride on a budget, and $1800 seems just a little ridiculous for a dress you will only wear for one day.

 today!!!  ^^^eeee, i'm so excited.  i wish i could show you more... unfortunately you'll have to wait until june, because that man of mine likes to frequent my blog from time to time :)  i really love the way my dress looks and feels, and i couldn't imagine a dress that is more... me. (although, hopefully my tastes won't change so much in the future, that it will eventually make me cringe like the one with the red sash!!)


9.16.2013

life in moments 9.16.13

1.  having today off, and knowing that i only have to work two days this week before a short vacation to the motherland of florida.  woot woot!

2.  organizing my closet (a tidy home is a happy home), and getting excited about all the "cold weather" clothes i get to break out again soon!  boots, coats, and scarves... oh my!


3.  ^^seeing this display of fall goodness^^

4.  noticing that i'm inching further away from twenty and closer to forty when i went shopping this past weekend, and the purchases i was most pumped about came from michaels... (and i'm okay with this, because...)

5.  i got carded multiple times within the past week!!  (a sign that i still got it/drank to much this past week).

 6.  long-distance celebrating my mom's twenty ninth birthday!  happy birthday mom, i love you more than words!

7.  taking a slightly impromptu vacay to visit my man while he was working out of town for the weekend.  although he worked a majority of the time,  we had fun eating and drinking the night away at one of our favorite restaurants, taco mac!

8.  and can we just talk about that king size bed at the hotel we slept in for two nights in a row?  it's unbelievable what a difference 16 inches makes (especially when you're sleeping with a 6'4" hunk of a guy).  heaven.

9.  knowing that in just a few days i'll be in the swamp, hopefully watching the gators annihilate tennessee!
 
 10.  ^^enjoying amazing weather tonight with this guy^^, and grilling out on the charcoal grill in the backyard.  charcoal > gas, in my humble opinion.



9.13.2013

five on friday 9.13.13


i'm linking up again, for five on friday (the thirteenth, by the way... so be careful)!

1.  yay for homemade guacamole!

2.  have you seen this video?  this guy's reaction to seeing his wife as he is waking up after surgery is priceless and really funny!

 3.  my inner middle-aged woman came out this week when i got the urge to make a fall wreath for our back door.  i even made the felt and burlap flowers myself with this tutorial!

4.  speaking of fall, how amazing would it be to wake up to these whiskey cinnamon rolls on a cool, crisp morning?  now, that's worth getting out of bed for!

5.  i heard this song on the radio this week, after not hearing it for what seems like a really long time.  i was reminded this will forever be one of my favorite songs of all time!

happy friday!

9.10.2013

diy: one tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor.

i recently put together this gift basket for a friend's housewarming party.  with a little inspiration from one kings lane as well as multiple observations of my friend's love for margaritas... putting this together was a breeze!  i recently learned how to make the most delicious margaritas on the rocks with only three simple ingredients (thanks, BG) and decided to go with that recipe rather than buying a bottle of the bright green, sugary pre-made mix.

 here's what you need:
one bottle of delicious tequila (i'm a patron gal)
 one bottle of orange liqueur (cointreau, patron citronge, etc)
limes
handheld citrus juicer
beverage napkins
a "dolled-up" copy of the recipe (rim a margarita glass with salt and fill with ice.  mix 1.5 oz tequila, 1 oz fresh lime juice, and 0.5 oz orange liqueur in said glass.  stir and enjoy!)

you could even add in some margarita salt, margarita glasses, some fancy straws, or even fresh guacamole and tortilla chips (if you're an overachiever)!

the original idea i found involved packaging everything in an oversized glass lantern, but that was a problem for two different reasons:
1.  i couldn't find an oversized glass lantern anywhere for under $40.
2.  that idea seemed really impractical, not to mention breakable.

 i came up with two alternative ways to present this gift...

1.  (carefully) place everything in a large fun colorful bowl, for the host/hostess to keep long after the margaritas have been enjoyed.

2.  pack everything into a decorative basket (they always come in handy around the house).

what are some of your favorite housewarming gift ideas?

9.08.2013

life in moments 9.8.13

1.  that moment cory and i were driving back home from our "date night" and we began to freestyle rap (a drunk talent of mine that only a select few have ever had the pleasure of experiencing)  :)

2.  when i saved a beetle that was stuck in a cobweb near our front door.  i also like to help beetles out who have flipped on their backs and are struggling to turn over.  fun fact about beetles:  beetles are one of the few forms of insects that actually protect and safeguard their offspring.  thanks, wikipedia ;)

3.  receiving my wedding dress in the mail (yes, i'm an avid online shopper, even when it comes to wedding attire)!!!  i absolutely love it.

4.  can i get a hells yeah for labor day on monday?  even though i was stuck laboring on labor day, it's refreshing to take time out to observe a holiday that's not centered around religion, old politicians, or the pressure of gift giving.  instead it simply celebrates hardworking americans!  we deserve a break from time to time, damnit (even if it is only once a year).

5.  that moment when i was scanning an eleven year old boy, and he was talking to his dad about why we have two of certain body parts (kidneys, arms, eyes...) and he said and i quote "you ought to find the one you recognize. the one who gives you four arms, four legs, four eyes, and has the other half of your heart. there's only one of those, so what are all the other things for?"  did your heart just melt? because mind did that day.

 6.  hanging out with friends on thursday night for game 2 of the playoffs for the durham bulls.  it was craft beer rodeo night... needless to say, we had lots of fun.  also, cory kept stealing peanuts out of brain's pocket.  i don't know what's weirder: eating peanuts out of someone else's pocket vs. actually having peanuts in one's pockets.  those guys always make me laugh.

7.  having the opportunity to work with one of my favorites all week long!

8.  that moment i was randomly flipping though the tv guide, and troop beverly hills was on!  it's been so long since i've seen that movie, and i still consider it nothing less than a masterpiece.  also, what a fun group halloween costume idea... hmmmm.  anyone else game? "beverly hills, what a thrill!"

9.  when cory and i were having our weekly sunday night grill-out, and multiple groups of geese flew (honking) overhead.  it made me realize these birds will soon make their journey down south for the winter, and i have to admit... i'm a little bit jealous!

9.06.2013

five on friday 9.6.13

it's friday, i'm in love...


1.  i love this article that points out seven ways your grandmother dressed better than you.  i can't tell you how many times i used to go through my grandma's closet as a little girl and admired all of her intricately detailed shoes and tailored dresses that she had for years and years.  (hopefully the same can be said by my granddaughters, at least regarding my manolos and louboutins... those were a small investment!)

2.  this is a great tutorial from apartment 34 on how to style a gallery wall.

 3.  speaking of a gallery wall... i'm in love with this schnauzer wall bust from anthropologie featured in the gallery wall tutorial above (i hold a very special place in my heart for schnauzers)!

 4.  i'm dying for this linen pillow, but rather than paying a ridiculous amount for it (i mean, ridiculous)... i may just have to get crafty and diy my own hand-stamped version for less.  the lyrics to this song are so dear to me, i can remember my mom and grandma singing this to me as a child.

5.  have you come across menswear dog?  this shiba inu has a mean eye for fashion, and knows how to strike a serious pose!  what a fun tumbler page :)

i hope you all have a wonderful weekend!