Happy Memorial Day!

Happy Memorial Day!

I'm taking a quick break from reading my book on the beach to send out my thanks for all that the American troops have done and continue to do so that I can live in a country where I am free.  

It is always a good practice to know the "reason behind the season,"  so I encourage you to check out the interwebs or click on over here.  Did you know that only since 1971 has the holiday been giving Americans a nice 3 day weekend?  Or that it used to be called Decoration Day?

I'm thoroughly enjoying my freedom right now, and that includes my freedoms in the national sense and the personal sense.  I will return home tomorrow and back to my job and real life, but for now I'm soaking up the sunshine and reveling in my lack of obligations.  Hope you are doing the same!

Stand By Me

Heading to the beach for Memorial Day Weekend!

Give me the smell of suntan lotion.

Give me sun-bleached nylon bathing suits.

Give me a Beach Cruiser with a cup holder.

Give me some minnows and a fishing pole.

Give me wide brimmed floppy hats.

And please, give me some Ben E. King.

Save Me Salad

Last night I was supposed to have dinner with a very old friend of mine; as usual the time snuck up on him and before he knew it our 7:30 or 8 dinner turned into 8:30 and he was still cross town.  We shall call him D, for anonymity purposes, and I love D dearly but he is notorious for this sort of thing, I mean really, who takes a muscle relaxer before they go for a run?  Unfortunately, I am the kind of girl who gets hungry early(I blame it on my metabolism and hypo-glycemic tendencies) and he is the kind of guy who gets to everything late.  A catastrophic combination, and truth be told one of the reasons why when we were dating it just never worked!  Luckily I still had a few items in my fridge that I could toss together even though I'm trying not to buy any groceries this week because I have been out of town and am leaving again tomorrow.  So I took what I had and came out with a delicious and EASY salad.  Just a few ingredients and it hit the spot and kept my hunger and low blood-sugar from getting the best of me.

Roasted Potato and Bleu Cheese Salad

Leftover roasted potatoes from another recipe

Spinach or any greens of your choice

Bleu cheese crumbles

Balsalmic Vinaigrette (or just some oil and vinegar will work too)

1)  Toss together all ingredients and enjoy!  The beauty of this salad is that it is SO easy, but totally hits the spot and I would make it even as a planned meal.  Cheap, fast, tasty, and pretty healthy too, I'm going to have to go ingredient hunting in my fridge more often!

Oh, and D (because I know that you read this!) you owe me some pina coladas and surfing lessons this weekend at the beach.  I will be collecting.  

Shellac Attack?

So there has been news around the blogosphere about this new nail polish which is apparently like the second coming of Jesus.  I just had a manicure done for the wedding this past weekend but... I am not kind to my nails, in fact they are usually dented or scratched within minutes of leaving the salon.  This time was no different, the flawless polish that was meticulously applied a mere 4 days ago has already been nicked and is peeling thanks to me just going about my regular day to day activities.  This company, CND, boasts that they have a nail polish and shellac hybrid that gives you a manicure that lasts for 14 days and is easily removed in 10 minutes.

I know I'm skeptical too, but apparently this is no joke and it has been getting a prettily manicured thumbs up from most reviewers.  It sounds like something I would be really interested in, you know, so I don't start to ruin my $30 dollar manicure in a mere 30 minutes.   I have been trying to get on their website for a few days now and I haven't been able to access it, but I have found out a few little tid bits and thought I would share...  The line is being launched this May with 12 spring shades.  You cannot remove it with regular nail polish even if you try, you have to go back to the salon to get them to put acetone pads directly onto the nail to remove it which causes no damage.  This product has been 5 years in the making and I think it's going to be huge game changing.  I'm just curious though, what is it going to cost and is the price worth the 14 day no nicks or peeling manicure?

I found this on You Tube, and while the lady on the left really frightens me, it offers some great info...can't wait to try this!



What do you think?

With This Ring, Pt. II

As promised the details of the decorations!

The Groom is a HUGE Tennessee Vols fan...part of me was hoping for a bleeding armadillo cake...Steel  Magnolias anyone?

Chelsea helping by modeling with the lanterns.  I love lanterns at a party, they are so festive.  This is from the Rehearsal Dinner Dance.

The flowers were amazing, roses, hydrangeas, lemons covered in sugar, peonies, lilies, gladioli, and all sorts of greenery and one green flower that I couldn't identify.

This peacock was in the center of a loungy type area that had all sorts of white couches and ottomans which was a great way for guests to mingle without having a huge round table in the way.  The story is that apparently someone in the bride's family shot this peacock...sounds random until you saw the peacock theme mirrored in the tent hanging decorations.

On the top of these beautiful blue-green parasols were cattails which was such a neat and unexpected touch.  Draping from the bottom were the peacock feathers to tie the whole tent together.

This was a "shoe tree" where guests could hang their shoes and don a pair of flip flops.  

Obligatory shot of the cake...which I didn't even get to try that night!  Love the yellow accent to the signature teal blue which was the color of the bridesmaids dresses.

Picture of the tables.

MK I stole some of your shots because I liked them better than mine!  You were after all, the "other" photographer!

With this ring I promise I'll always love, always love you.

I came.  I brides-maided.  I....drank...a lot.  Let me apologize for just now paying attention to this little blog of mine.  I crawled out of my wedding weekend stupor on Sunday and straight into my bed and slept until I had to go to work this morning.  It was a magical whirlwind weekend, and I have to say it was an absolutely BEAUTIFUL wedding.  There wasn't one thing that I didn't love and I promise to have a separate post about the decorations, flowers, etc.  First, however, I would like to share some observations and things that I have learned from my first bridesmaid experience.

1. Tequila shots before a speech will make you repeat yourself.
2. There is always the one guy at the wedding who gets "weird" drunk.  At this wedding he decided to start sniffing everyone's back.  Yeah.
3. Spell check your wedding program.
4. A bag makes a great bridesmaid gift, they get to carry all their accoutrements they need and then when they are scrambling to find everything the next morning it is a pleasant surprise to find that they put it in that bag.  
5. Don't drink so much the first night at the rehearsal dinner, you will regret it on wedding day.
6. It is nice when the groom comes from a different state(in this case Virginia), because then you get to meet all these new cute groomsmen.
7. Waffle House is always sometimes a good idea.
8. Pockets in a bridesmaid dress are phenomenal.
9. College boys make for great eye-candy as bartenders.
10. You can't walk slowly enough down an aisle.
11. When you hire a hair dresser, make sure she doesn't like pills more than she likes hair.

I smile to look at all of these pictures, they only tell half of the fun that we had though.  Here are the pieces of my weekend.

Shea can you and Bo get married again soon?  K thanks.

Here Comes the Bride...

Off to Fayetteville, NC to be a bridesmaid in my friend Shea's wah-ding.  It will be one for the annals of wedding-dom and I can only hope to enjoy this party Wedding Crashers style.  The painting was a gift Todd...I'm taking it with me.

Some fun wedding videos for You Tube Friday!






Best Scene Ever:



Best Wedding Entrance:



A Funny Remake:





And a funny re-remake:

Gnome-tastic

So, I'm a gardener now, you saw my seed pods and my little plot of dirt, it's offish.  Some would say that the bounty of flowers and other goodies that a garden provides would be the greatest reward that gardening can offer.  Others would say that it is the calming effect, the peacefulness, or the communing with nature that really rev up their gardening engine; and I have to agree with all of the above, but what am I most excited about now that I can legitimately dub myself a "gardener?"  My right to a garden gnome.  Some would say it's a privilege, but I think that it should be put in the constitution right after our right to bear arms.

According to the interwebs garden gnomes were first produced in Germany(thanks for giving us great beer, Boxer dogs, AND garden gnomes, fist pump to you Germany) to support the local myths that gnomes were willing to help in the garden at night.  Gnomes are typically male and wear a red cap, and have become very popular in suburban and working class gardens.  A fact which made it look like outright snobbery when the Chelsea Flower Show banned the use of garden gnomes in their garden designs.   Gnomes save you money on travelocity, are kidnapped as part of a liberation front, and paramount to all other qualities, they are just cute.

Do you have a garden gnome?

I want to get one that looks like this:

Sassy.

Chalkboards: Not Just For the Classroom

I have been pondering for about 2 months over what I should do with all the wall space above the couch in my office.  It was the last part of the office makeover and of course it took me forever to decide what I wanted there.  I am so pleased with the results though....

Before:  above the couch

After

Chalkboard paint!  I got it for about 10 bucks at Benjamin Moore.  Put on three coats then I had to let it cure for three days and now it's like any regular chalk board!  I just have to figure out what I am going to write/draw on it now....???

I also put some chalkboard paint on a cabinet in my bathroom.  I had to stop myself after that because I kept finding places in the house where I wanted to put the paint.  But doesn't it make a nice "To Do" board?

Here are some other AWESOME examples of chalkboard paint.  I dare you to not be inspired...

{Spotted on Martha Stewart Offices via The Estate of Things.  I love the idea to use it as a calendar!}

{Kitchen accent wall/ cabinets.  It's a play on the open cabinets concept because you can still tell what is in every cabinet based upon the drawing!  It would also be really neat to write recipes on there too!  Spotted on Get Togetha}

{Used inside a pantry door to write grocery lists.  Genius.  Spotted on Peach and Pearl}

And now Hudson has come out with COLORED chalkboard paint!?!  My design cup over-floweth...

Plea-yea Puh-lease

Last night I had my ballet "recital," and I am really sad for my class to be over.  Have you ever taken a dance class?  I highly recommend it, it's so much fun, not to mention great exercise that doesn't feel like exercise.  I encourage anyone to find a class at their local gym or dance studio and explore the different genres of movement.  The class doesn't have to be serious, in fact I would recommend anything that is a just for fun deal like my "ballet for adults" class.  It can be a splurge for your bank account, but it pays off in dividends in your self esteem, fitness, and you might make some friends in the process.  One of the neatest things from my class experience was when I was telling an older fellow classmate about my garden and the next week she brought me a seed packet of Cosmos, which she said were easy to grow in your first garden.  So sweet.

After our little recital we had an after party with everyone's family and friends.  We decided that everyone would bring a snack of some sort, and I figure this is a conundrum that many people face, what to bring??? Alright, so you figure it's just a stand up gathering of people, so finger food would fit the bill.  I hate to do the usual chips and salsa or pita and hummus, but I wanted the ease that those two finger foods offer just a little bit more exciting.  Then I decided to go with the simple but delicious combination of tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil(can I please be Italian in my next life? )  I love to make Caprese anything:  salad, pasta, sandwiches, I love it all.  So I made these little finger sized bites.

Caprese Hors D' Oeuvres Bites


1 package mozzarella (the soft, chewy good kind that comes in a ball or something similar)
3 small to medium ripe tomatoes
Baguette style bread (I would have gotten smaller rounds but Trader Joe's only had large loaves so I just cut the pieces in half to make them more edible)
1 jar pesto
Fresh Basil (roll it up and slice it to make ribbons)
Salt
Pepper


1)  Toast the bread in the oven or if you are awesome and have a grill that would work too.  Remove from heat and thinly spread pesto over slices of bread.

2)  Slice the tomatoes and mozzarella into 1/2 in. slices and layer one piece of tomato and one piece of mozzarella on each slice of bread.

3)  Salt and pepper each Caprese bite and sprinkle the fresh basil over top of everything.

This is SO easy, not to mention cheap, and a guaranteed crowd pleaser.  My entire platter was empty at the end of the party which I took as a compliment.  Also, tomatoes are realllly starting to get yummy fresh off the vine right now and will keep on getting better as the summer goes on.  Use the leftover basil and pesto to spice up some whole wheat capellini later in the week and really stretch your ingredients.

Morgan's Garden

Today I want to introduce you to my friend Morgan.  She and I go way back to the days of Indian Princesses and secretly sledding on the Carolina Country Club golf course.  These days she is a loving wife and a mother to the cutest little boy named Gunnar and has another on the way.  We may have taken different paths since childhood, but Morgan and I share some similar passions that we have been emailing each other back and forth about.  Gardening, well, gardening and bargains, but the gardening mostly!  This is my "see, I'm not the only 25 year old who enjoys gardening" moment.  I asked Morgan's permission to share a few photos of her absolutely stunning home and garden.  She humbly acknowledged that the house had a beautiful garden in place when they moved in, but she has been adding her own personal touches.

I salivate over the fact that she has a fountain with beautifully trimmed shrubs and trees.  

Morgan loves to add varietals from the local farmer's market, she claims that the selection is breathtaking.  I'm dying to check it out when I get a free weekend.

Some of the additions to the garden include gladioli(I looked it up Morgan, otherwise I don't think I would have been sure of the plural for gladiolus!), daffodils, and lillies.  They have even replaced some trees with a weeping willow(my personal fave!) and crepe myrtles, which Morgan calls a "southern staple."  I recall her house growing up had tons so this comes as no surprise!

Beautiful wire rack purchased from Home Goods with impatients, etc.

The back view of her house which looks uncannily similar to the one she grew up in. 

Side note:  she got these benches for $30 off e-bay, nice work!!  Bargain fist-pump to you!

Thanks so much for letting me share, Morgan!

Sea Shells + Weathered Wood + Sandy Feet

It was a relaxing weekend.  I will let the pictures speak for themselves this time.  Did you have a good weekend?

I Want to Rock Your Gypsy Soul.

I'm heading down to the coast for the weekend to catch some sun and run on the beach with my dog.  I can just taste the salty air now.  I hope that y'all have a good weekend too!

This is arguably one of my very most favorite songs.  It reminds me of summer nights and being with good friends.  I like this cover done by Swell Season, maybe it's because they are also Irish like Van Morrison, a fact that I often forget.  Enjoy and I'll catch back up with y'all on Monday!

Orange Crush

I go through color phases like most people go through underwear.  One day purple is the new black and the next lime green is all the rage.  I feel like I can tell you about a specific time in my life based upon what color I was in love with at the time.  From ages 2-16 you can guarantee that color was pink, but now that I'm older I have branched out and I will spend a season in love with a specific hue or shade.  Right now, with summer just around the corner, I have a crush on orange.  It's so fresh and while most people only use it as an accent color, I have found a few examples of full on orange-yness that make me consider it to be a solid color statement all on it's own.

{Tangerine dining room, spotted on Southern Living}

{Pantone coffee mug, spotted in their W2 accesories line}

{Pumpkin orange foyer set off nicely with black trim, spotted on Martha Stewart}

{Ashley Greene in a summer orange dress, spotted on Just Jared Jr.}