Friday, August 31, 2012

Friday Loving.

-It's Friday and it's the day after a Gamecock win! Not the prettiest win, but a win is a win!

 
 
-Here's your feel good video for the day. This has got to be one of the cutest videos ever! I just love that they look at each other right when he starts playing. :)
 
-My friend (and hair extraordinaire), Kady, is preggo and went to the doctor yesterday to find out whether she's having a boy or a girl! BUT her and her husband decided not to peek until their gender reveal party on Saturday! I'm going to stalk Facebook so hard Saturday night at 7pm!! For the record, I'm guessing a boy.

-Speaking of pregnant friends, my other friend, Alyssa, is going to have a baby boy any day now!
 
Hope everyone enjoys their Labor Day weekend!
What are your plans??

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Wedding Wednesday: Save the Dates!

When I began to look at Save the Dates, I had a few details in mind that I knew I wanted. I wanted it to be a postcard because duh, postage is cheaper and every little penny counts in wedding planning, and I wanted it to have one of our engagement pictures on it.

Here are a few that were in the running:
Etsy
Wedding Paper Divas

Etsy
Etsy

Classic styles that I was also drawn to:
Etsy
Etsy
Since I sent the Save the Dates out last Friday and everyone should have received theirs by now, I can share the one we wound up choosing! Drumroll please............
Wedding Paper Divas
Snippet of the back:

Rather than writing the return address on each postcard, I ordered a self inking stamp from this Etsy store!

I was really happy with my experience with Wedding Paper Divas. Their response and shipping times were super fast! WPD is always running some kind of special so I waited for the right time to order and scored a 20% off coupon code!


Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Tasty Tuesday: Tailgatin' Treats.

With college football season beginning on Thursday, my mind is consumed with football. And food. Always food. So today, I'm posting my favorite tailgatin' treats!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Monday, August 27, 2012

Charleston Naturally + Scenes from the Weekend.

Happy Monday morning!
 
Fellow blogger, Carly, emailed me a couple of weeks ago asking me if I'd like to try some samples from the company she works for, Charleston Naturally. Charleston Naturally focuses only on organic skin care products.
 
I received products varying from moisturizer, shampoo + conditioner, foaming cleanser, nourishing masque, and more.
 
Here are all of the products I received:
 
The products that stood out to me the most are the Ilike apple and lemon whipped moisturizer (very light, refreshing and a little bit goes a long way), the Suki exfoliate foaming cleanser (made my face super soft and didn't dry it out), and the Suki intensive nourishing masque.
 
Charleston Naturally on Twitter
Charleston Naturally on Facebook
 
-------------------------------------------------------
 
On to the weekend...
 
This weekend Cameron and I hung out with my aunt & uncle at their lake house on Lake Marion. It was so fun and relaxing. Much needed for sure.
 
Friday night we just grilled some hamburgers, fixed some drinks and hung out at the house.
Saturday we took the boat out and got a tour on the lake. For dinner, we went to the fanciest restaurant in Eutawville, Chef's Choice Steakhouse. Not much of an atmosphere (other than the sweet man singing) but the steaks were very tasty! Later, a few intense rounds of Uno & Phase 10. :)

 
Sunday, we ate breakfast at Bell's Marina in Eutawville and then packed up and headed to Summerville to pick Brady up from my parents house and eat dinner. While my dad and Cameron were tending to the grill & smoker, my mom and I took the dogs to the semi-new dog park in Summerville, Sky Dogs Family Dog Park. This is no ordinary dog park - it serves beer/wine, has multiple flat screen tv's, cornhole, agility and lure courses and baby pools. This was mine and Brady's first time and we loved it!

 
 
Hope everyone had a nice, relaxing weekend, too! :)

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Thursday's Thoughts.

-Let's start by saying that the 2012 Gamecock football season begins a week from today!! Next Thursday when I wake up for work is going to be way better than Christmas morning!

-Natalie always has the best recipes and snack ideas on her blog. On Tuesday, she posted about some jalapeno jack pretzel crisps + hummus. I stopped by Publix yesterday on the way home from work and what do ya know? The pretzel crisps were on sale BOGO so I picked up a bag and some hummus. Immediately dug into them when I got home. They are the perfect combination because the pretzels are a little spicy, and then the hummus cools your mouth back down. Try ASAP! :)

-I picked up some new (and cheap) shampoo and conditioner the other day and I am loving it so far! Not only does it smell amazing and wake me up in the morning, but it leaves my hair so soft and I've noticed that I don't have as many fly-away's.

-This weekend Cameron and I are going to hang out with my aunt & uncle at their lake house! They've owned it for 3 years now and we've never been out there...and it's only about an hour away! I'm such a bad niece. Plus, their old house was on the market for 16 months and it finally sold and closed this week! I'm sure we'll be doing lots of celebrating! :)

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Wedding Wednesday: Florist & Updated Checklist!

It's been a little over a month now since I posted the most recent wedding checklist, so I decided to just post it once a month to show you (and mainly myself) what I've crossed off!

Set a date
Book venue
Book photographer
Book band
Ask bridal party to be in wedding
Book caterer & bar
Create wedding website
Register
Book florist
Shop for wedding dress
Book ceremony musician
Book rentals
Take engagement pictures
Select bridesmaid dresses
Make sure bridesmaid dresses have been ordered - by October
Select and order groom & groomsmen attire
Find veil
Book cake baker
Hire coordinator
Buy cake knife & server
Order save the dates
Finalize guest list
Send save the dates - September
Book officiant
Pre-marital counseling - Scheduled for January
Order guest book
Find a reasonably priced videographer
Hotel room blocks
Calligraphy - pay or learn?
Engagement announcement in Post & Courier
MOB & MOG dress shopping
Find wedding shoes - Found them!
Find wedding jewelry
Find garter
Book makeup artist & hair stylist
Menu tasting
Take bridal portraits / hair & make up trial – Scheduled for October 25th
1st dress fitting
2nd (final?) dress fitting - Scheduled for September 20th
Make ceremony programs – JCB doing as a gift
Buy bud vases!
Buy a "M" and "C" and paint gold
Figure out where we want to do first look
Figure out where I'm getting ready & where Cameron is getting ready
Who will set up ceremony chairs?
Order invitations - End of September
Address invitations
Mail invitations - January
Book rehearsal dinner venue
Book RD caterer
Book RD rentals
Book RD music
Buy RD dress
Order pom poms for send off
Order koozies
Buy bridal party gifts
Bachelorette party
Buy gifts for parents
Bridal shower
Purchase wedding bands
Create wedding day timeline
Put together picture list for photographer
DIY drink stirrers
DIY signs for River Rd and venue
DIY signs for reserved seating & seat yourself
Hankies for ceremony?
DIY moss letters for bar?
Get marriage license
Book transportation from reception to hotel
Book honeymoon
RD invitations
RD groom's cake
Final vendor payments
Music selections to band and ceremony artist
Book wedding night hotel room
Order thank you notes
Wedding announcement in Post & Courier
Walk down the aisle & say I do!



So as you can see, I FINALLY decided on a florist! I met with THREE florists to make sure I was getting a fair price and to make sure my vision of what I wanted for my flowers was understood.

I wound up choosing..........

First Bloom!

I chose Debi not only because of her great prices (she has a studio at her home so she has little overhead), but because she asked lots of questions so that she could know exactly what I was looking for. She brought along multiple flowers books to our meeting incase I didn't know what a specific flower looked like (which in a lot of cases, I didn't), and even drew sketches of what certain arrangements would look like together! I felt really confident when I left that meeting. I also knew someone who used Debi for her own wedding and she raved about her experience working with her, so I knew I was on the right track!

source
source
source

220 days to go!

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Tasty Tuesday: Bang Bang Shrimp

I made these as an appetizer last week and Cameron LOVED them! I, too, thought they were pretty good, but I want to add some sweet chili sauce to the mix next time. 

Bang Bang Shrimp
Recipe found here.

1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

For the sauce:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
4-5 teaspoons chili garlic sauce, such as Sriracha sauce
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon rice vinegar

For the egg mixture:
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk

For the breading mixture:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried basil

For frying:
8 to 12 cups vegetable oil


Combine all ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl; cover and set aside.

Combine beaten egg with milk in shallow bowl; set aside.

Combine flour, panko, salt, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and basil in another shallow bowl; set aside.

Bread the shrimp by first coating each with the breading mixture. Dip breaded shrimp into the egg and milk mixture, and then back into the breading. Arrange the coated shrimp on a plate and pop them into the fridge for at least 20 minutes. This step will help the breading to stick on the shrimp when they are frying.

Heat oil in deep fryer to 350 degrees F. Use amount of oil required by your fryer. (I just used my saute pan.) When oil is hot, fry shrimp 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on rack or paper towels.

When all shrimp has been fried, drop the shrimp into a large bowl. Spoon about 1/4 cup of sauce over shrimp and stir gently to coat.

Friday, August 17, 2012

Friday Lovin'.

It's Friday and I'm actually feeling awake this morning!

Maybe it's the good mood, but I've got lots of things I'm lovin' today!

My F21 necklaces arrived yesterday so I had to wear one today!
Yes, that is me in my work restroom.
Flowery blouse by Lauren Conrad that I picked up during tax free weekend (plus 40% off!).
Forgot to include in yesterday's post.

I finally got to meet Baby D on Tuesday! Got together with Alicia (Baby D's mommy) and Kathryn at Triangle for some girl time and Taco Tuesday! 

 New obsession. Wicked okra. A little sweet, a little spicy. Just like me. :)

The fox was back at work yesterday! I just want to pick it up and snuggle with it!


What are you lovin' today??


Thursday, August 16, 2012

Recent Buys.

I recently won a gift card to Vestique from a blog giveaway and was super excited to pick out some items! Since Vestique is in Raleigh (and Charlotte), I asked Jana to pick up my items and bring them to my bachelorette party to avoid shipping charges. :)

Vestique

Vestique

Vestique

 NWT Lilly Pulitzer Elsa Top in white linen via Ebay

Heard about these super cute and super cheap necklaces from Natalie..both colors are (slowly) making their way to my house..
Forever 21 via Ebay
Ok, from here on out it's wedding purchases ONLY!


Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Wedding Wednesday: The Aisle



The Aisle New York is a website that I recently discovered. It's pretty much like Rue La La, but specifically for brides. Designer dresses, accessories, etc at highly discounted rates.

For example:


Kara by Amsale
Retail: $4500, Aisle Price: $1475

What makes this site even better, is that when you purchase a dress, the website will donate a portion of the sales to a charity chosen specifically by each designer. EVEN BETTER, the designer of that dress will also MATCH the donation! Now that should make you feel good about shopping! :)

Go here to sign up!

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Tasty Tuesday: The Dirty Girl Scout.

Well if the title of this drink didn't catch your attention...


The Dirty Girl Scout
Photo and recipe found here.

1 shot Bailey’s Irish Cream
1 1/2 - 2 shots vodka
1 shot White Creme de Menthe
1 shot kahlua

Mix with chocolate vodka for an extra naughty kick.
Serve with your favorite cookie on the side.

Monday, August 13, 2012

PGA Sunday!

For all of you who live in Charleston, you know that the PGA Championship was on Kiawah Island last week. And as yall may or may not know, I work on Kiawah (for the community association, not the resort)! Leading up to the tournament, we really didn't know what to expect! Of course we knew that a TON (30,000 a day) people would be coming to our small 13 square mile island, but we still weren't sure of it were going to be crazy or what. I'm happy to say that it was not that bad traffic wise (for me, anyway). There were 200 large busses that hauled spectators from off the island to The Ocean Course, which helped greatly with the flow...except for that one yesterday that tried to make a turn, got stuck and wound up stopping traffic to the course for 90 minutes! Oops.

Cameron and I weren't planning on going just because golf really isn't our thing. But I ended up getting two free tickets from work so I said, why not? When will this ever happen again?!?

Here's a small recap of our day:



Vijay Singh on hole 17


Dad & Mom

Resting in between rounds.

Up close and personal with Bubba Watson, winner of this year's Masters Tournament.

A better view of Bubba. :)
Ian Poulter (in white) on hole 9..he was giving McIlroy a run for his money for a few holes.

And because it was Sunday, and we were hungry, we hit up Maria's on the way home.

PS - Big thanks to everyone who commented on my rug dilemma! We do want to go the next size up but would have to wait until the end of September to receive it because it's on backorder! I'm going to call Ballard today to see if they can do anything about that.