soak and simmer

Adam's Birthday Weekend

2012-02-13T06:27:00.000-08:00

This past weekend was spent spoiling Adam as much as he would let me. His birthday was on Sunday, so I think it was appropriate to deem the stretch his birthday weekend.

Friday night we went back to my old stomping grounds on James Island to eat at Wood Heartfire Kitchen. I've heard rave reviews from friends and critics about their open brick oven and I wanted to try it out for myself.

I ordered the Veggie Burger with a side of broccoli salad. Clearly, not really a wood oven meal - but after having HOM earlier in the day, I needed something light. The burger was good, not knock-your-socks-off, but good. It was bean based and the flavors weren't really popping off your palate. However, the burger came with a sweet pepper slaw that was delicious. It was the perfect mix of sweet and spicy to take the burger to the next level.

I was able to test out the brick oven when I sampled Adam's meal. He ordered the Berkshire Pork Shoulder with apple-celery salsa verde. It was delicious. Perfect portion and perfect mix of smokiness.

All in all, it was a great meal. Good atmosphere and very tasty food.

On Saturday the birthday festivities continued. The big meal I had planned for Adam's actual birthday dinner was at SNOB. (Clearly, we celebrate with food. Love. Love. Love.)

So we got all fancy and had a nice little night on the town. Every once in a while we really enjoy going to nicer restaurants and pretending like we can taste the notes in our wine and discern flavors in our meats. Ha, really - we just love food. And SNOB lived up to the challenge.

Adam ordered the BBQ Tuna, Fried Oysters, Green Onions, and Country Ham Butter with a side of greens. I went with one of the specials, Panko Encrusted Keegans Pork (was shaved), roasted brussel sprouts, and a bleu cheese gnocchi sauteed with spinach. I didn't take any pictures because sometimes I feel awkward whipping out a camera at a nice meal, but suffice to say the food was incredible. Adam placed the BBQ Tuna in his top 3 dishes ever. Definitely worth a repeat. It's also worth pointing out that service was top-notch. Our server was great at making sure we had everything we needed without crowding us.

While I dream about food daily, my favorite part of the weekend was giving Adam his gifts. They are by far the geekiest gifts I have ever given, and I love that. I like helping Adam embrace his geekdom. I know mine is pretty high too, so it's fun.

For his birthday I gave Adam a new set of binoculars for his astronomy habit and a book entitled, The Economics of Software Quality. He loved both. :)

Saturday night we also, thankfully, witnessed another Kentucky win at Vandy. It unfortunately became a close game, but our boys powered through and got another W. Whew, I thought I was going to have a heart attack!

We rounded out the weekend on Sunday by having brunch at Triangle (had a Darius Rucker sighting!) and went to see The Descendants. I have a strong love for George, so I loved the movie before walking in. It was very good, but very heavy.

And now on a completely different note, last night I broiled a grapefruit and it was one of the greatest things I've ever made. Seriously. I found an idea for it on Pinterest and it is very easy. Simply melt 1T of butter, mix with 2T of brown sugar, mix in some cinnamon and top both slices of grapefruit with the glaze. Broil for about 6 minutes and you're left with the most juicy, sweet, delicious grapefruit.

WILW: Rowen Footwear, Adam James, and Kentucky Basketball!

2012-02-08T06:21:00.000-08:00

I'm loving...my new Rowen Kacee Espadrille Flats from my roommate Erin!

If you live in Charleston, you may have seen Rowen Footwear in Copper Penny Clothing or Shooz. Rowen is designed by Charleston native, Blake Vaigneur. My roommate Erin works for Rowen and is highly involved in the research, marketing, and production of the shoe line. She knows I am always admiring the new lines, so I was especially excited to receive a pair from their Spring 2012 Line for my birthday. Perfect gift!

My day-to-day outfits tend to be pretty low-key, so I love that the print can give anything I'm wearing a fun little pop of color. Rowen is quickly expanding to boutiques all over the South, if you're looking for one in your area here's a store directory.

I'm loving...that Adam's birthday is this weekend! He doesn't like anything over the top so I think we're just going to go to dinner alone and then watch the Kentucky game out with friends. I'm looking forward to spoiling him all weekend long! Also loving that our dinner will be taking place at SNOB.

I wish I could share on here his presents, but I know I can't take that chance yet. Just know, his gifts are super-geeky and he will love them.

I'm loving...that the CATS kicked some ass last night! Y'all, this team is good.

You might not be following college basketball much now, but come March Madness, look out for my wildcats. These boys aren't messing around. Yes, it was a home game - but a 20 point win to Florida (and the number 7 team in the country) doesn't come easy. I said it in my last post, but Anthony Davis is a damn beast. That boy definitely deserves to be the number 1 draft pick.

Hope you're having a good week!

Anthony Davis is a MAN

2012-02-06T08:20:00.000-08:00

Ok, so unless you're a UK fan you won't understand my post title. But I just had to give multiple shout outs to the superhuman Anthony Davis.

I've always loved the weekend (duh), but I especially love the weekends in Charleston. Seriously, what is better than 70 degree days in this gorgeous city? I feel like I say this every Monday, but it was truly a wonderful weekend full of fun and a little bit of relaxing.

Friday night I went to a special happy hour event at Fish for Champagne For a Cause. The group puts of special events every month or so benefiting a different charity. This event's proceeds went the Charleston Waterkeeper.

It was a great time to be social and have fun with friends, while also helping a great cause, but my favorite moment of the evening was definitely when I ran into an old friend randomly on Upper King.

My friend, Brent, was in town from Western Kentucky for a food conference. He is one of the program director's of Kentucky's Soybean Board. We both did a double-take when we saw each other on the street Friday. It was such a great surprise and so fun to catch up with an old friend from home. Made my night.

The amazing-ness (word?) of the weekend continued when we made the trek to Columbia to watch the fantastic Kentucky Wildcats take on the South Carolina Gamecocks. Fantastic is an understatement. These boys kicked some ass! It was such a fun game and the energy the whole day was incredible. No lie, I have never seen so many Kentucky fans at an away game. I believe it was close to 50/50 away and home team fans. Big Blue Nation is out of control for our boys!

Here's a shot of the lower arena at the game, keep in mind - blue is the away team!

And of course, the weekend wrapped up with a Sunday Funday. I don't know if it gets much better than a mimosa brunch on a Saturday, outside in 75 degrees. Also, a quick trip to the beach is a great way to wind down the weekend. :)

Hope y'all had a great weekend!

Go CATS!!

Birthdays, Aziz, and AMA

2012-02-03T06:16:00.000-08:00

Hello, world! After the craziest, busiest, and most whirlwind of a week ever, I have a jam-packed blog post update. I've said before, since my laptop was stolen and I don't really have an opportunity to blog once I get home. If I don't write up a quick post at work or stay at work late, odds are nothing will get posted at all. This past week at work has been extremely busy for me and I was staying late as it was. On those nights, the last thing I want to do is write up a post about my weekend.

But, I completed my big project yesterday, and now I have time to catch back up to normal life.

Starting last Saturday, it was my birthday! I celebrated the ripe old age of 27 by getting my hair cut (always nice), watching the CATS stomp LSU (fantastic), and celebrating with friends at Taco Boy (perfect). It was a great day. I was very thankful to be able to see some of the incredible people I've become friends with in Charleston over the last few years. Plus, tacos and margaritas always make me happy.

The night hit a little bit of a low when a few of us ventured off to a Nappy Roots concert. Yes, Nappy Roots, the rap band from the mid 2000s. You see, Nappy Roots are from Kentucky, and have a few songs that give Kentucky shout outs. We thought it would be a fun way to close out our night and get our dance on.

We couldn't be more wrong. I now understand why Nappy Roots is no longer famous. They are absolutely terrible. Probably the worst live band I have ever seen, and this includes high school talent shows.

Several reasons why they were the absolute worst:

They didn't know how to work the microphone. About every 5 seconds there would be that high pitch interference noise.
They rapped over their CDs. And by rap, I mean basically grunted.
I don't know if they ever finished a song. At a certain point in every song I think they just gave up.
Their whole entourage was just sitting on the stage with them, crawled up under their feet. It was depressing.
In between songs they kept screaming, "Where my weed smokers at? Where my weed smokers at?"

A little background on the venue - this was at the most college of college bars off College of Charleston's campus. Very preppy - very fraternity and sorority.

In case you'd like to experience the magic of Nappy Roots for yourself, here's a quick video that Adam captured:

Once I recovered from the weekend, I was extremely excited to go see Aziz Ansari at Theater 99 on Wednesday night. The show was fantastic. It's a really small venue, so it was great to be able to be so close to the comedian. I have a weird thing where I always associate people with the characters they play on television, so it was a little strange to see Aziz and not Tom Haverford. It was, however, hilarious. The man was great at getting the crowd involved and keeping us laughing.

So now the event that I had been gearing up for all week. I gave a presentation yesterday to the Charleston American Marketing Association on SEO. I don't know if I've discussed my work before, but I'm an SEO manager at an Internet Marketing Company in Charleston. This past week was spent preparing my powerpoint, notes, and practicing my presentation. Now, I'm not exactly nervous when presenting in front of a big crowd, but I get a lot of adrenaline. Add in that I haven't given a real presentation since college, and I ended up with a lot of anxiety all week. I spend my days working with programmers, a presentation is on the other side of the spectrum.

However, the presentation went well. I think (I hope) I got all my points across. And I managed to speak to about 80 marketers for 30 minutes without crying. Win-win I believe.

The presentation was fun, I felt good afterwards. But I'm glad it's over. Ha! I'm glad I did it, but now I would like to be able to breath at work again.

And nowwww - it's the weekend again! Tonight I'm off to a fundraiser that involved copious amounts of champagne and tomorrow we're making the trip up to Columbia to watch our beloved Wildcats play!

Hope y'all have a great weekend!

Holy City February Fun

2012-01-27T06:10:00.000-08:00

Even though January is still in full swing, February is already shaping up to be a superb month. Several events and concerts will be making their way to the Holy City. I'm very excited, because outside of the normal country concert, Charleston doesn't get a lot of big music acts. Most of the time we have to travel to Charlotte or Atlanta. Thankfully, all of these people wised up and decided to swing by the lovely Lowcountry.

The show I am over-the-top most excited is definitely Elton John. Excuse me, Sir Elton John. Growing up my mom was always blasting Rocket Man on high. I cannot wait to experience his concert in real-life. I suppose I will finally have to learn the real words to Benny and the Jets before concert time.

Another surprise visit is from Aziz Ansari. Aziz was scheduled to perform at Music Hall for a benefit next week and I was sad when I realized that tickets sold out FAST. Luckily, he also booked 6 shows at Theater 99. Perfect. I believe my Parks and Recreation obsession is well documented, so I cannot wait to see Mr. Tom Haverford.

While maybe not a big deal to the general public, my beloved Kentucky Wildcats will be gracing South Cack-a-lack next week in Columbia to play those dirty Gamecocks. We're currently #1 in the country (!!!!) and I expect us to hold on to the throne this time. Two years ago we were in the same scenario . Number 1 in the country, and had our first loss at Colonial Life Arena. It was heartbreaking. I cannot explain how terrible a feeling it is when your team losses an away game that you're attending and the other fans rush the floor. Hopefully we'll just avoid that problem completely this time and give a good

Also in February, the fantastic Who's Bad, a Michael Jackson tribute band, will be at the Music Farm. I've seen Who's Bad in concert twice and they are incredible. It's everything you would want from an MJ cover band. Dance routines, costumes changes, AND two Michael Jacksons. It is truly a sight to see. And an awesome event for any Michael fan.

And the last show I'm excited about is unfortunately one I don't think I'll be attending. Mr. Jimmy Buffett's concert sold out like hotcakes. Which I suppose should be expected. However, if there are any Parrotheads in the Universe who have extra tickets and want to help a sister out, give me a holler!

____

Hope you all have a great weekend! I'm celebrating my bday! :)))

Memory Map

2012-01-26T06:10:00.000-08:00

Today I'd like to share a gift I made for Adam. After being inspired by the sentimental gifts posts on Young House Love, I decided to make Adam a map of the places we've traveled together. Since we've been dating, road trips has been a common occurrence. Whether we're making the drive back home to Kentucky or being spontaneous and hitting up a football game in Auburn, we can generally be found in his Civic going somewhere on weekends.

The map was easy enough to make. I ordered the print on National Geographic. From there my supplies were:

Cork Board from Target
Decorative paper
Map push pins
Upholstery pins
Dark Wood Stain

I stained the wood with two layers. The cork board was the original light colored wood that I knew wasn't manly enough for Adam's bedroom. The stain took longer to dry than paint does, so I let it set for two nights. After the stain was dry I cut the paper to size and kept it in place with the upholstery pins. I again tried to opt for the most manly upholstery pin type. Can upholstery pins even be manly? Probably not.

Once the pins and the map were in place, the fun part began; pinning all of the places we've been together. I tried to make a general rule that we had to have slept the night in the location. And I didn't go wild with cities that were nearby. If this were the case, then the entire Lowcountry would be one big white glob.

What did the map teach me? Well, that Adam and I need to explore out of the Southeast.

This was a fun project and I think it's nice to be able to look back on it together to remember the places we've visited and the memories we have.

Today I've also got some very happy birthday wishes to send out....

First, my mom.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

I hope you have a fantastic day! I'm sure happy hour will be great this evening as well as Terri's 5-course meal. Wish I was there to celebrate!

And to my love, Laura - Happy Birthday!

I hope you have an incredible trip to the West Coast. Can we please be long lost lovers?? - I'll put my foot in the Atlantic as you hit the Pacific! Miss you!

Hope everyone is having a great week!

Juice Me, Please

2012-01-24T12:21:00.000-08:00

Confession: I haven't had solid food since Sunday afternoon.

For some crazy reason, I've decided to do a mini-juice cleanse this week.

I received a juicer for Christmas from Adam and have been loving it. Juicing fruits and vegetables has delivered some very tasty treats for the last month, but I haven't gone any further than using the juice as a supplement. I spoke to a friend the other day and she praised the feelings associated with a juice cleanse. She only cleansed for 2 days, but said she could definitely feel the effects. I figured I didn't have anything to lose.

I clearly have no expertise in cleanses, but wanted to share what worked for me. I've been having approximately 4 large tumblers of juice a day. One for breakfast, lunch, an afternoon snack, and dinner. Here are a few of the combinations I've been trying:

Grapefruit
Blueberries
Carrots

Beets
Oranges
Carrots
Celery
Ginger

Sweet Potato
Oranges
Carrots
Celery
Ginger

Cucumber
Grapefruit
Kale

That's a mix of what I've been trying this week, but over the last month I've been juicing a lot of apples and pears mixed in with veggies.

One of my biggest worries starting the cleanse was the the hunger would be unbearable. This hasn't really been the case. I definitely haven't been stuffed, but I've been satisfied. It's a different feeling to fill up on liquid that anything solid, but I can tell I'm still getting most of the food I need. I've also avoided any strenuous exercise in the last couple day. I know my calorie intake is lower than normal, so I don't want to go overboard with an exercise and feel faint.

I didn't have any real goals with this fast, I only wanted to understand how it felt. That said, this is a short cleanse for me. My goal was to last 2-4 days. I think I love food too much to go any longer than a week. I don't always eat healthy, but I think I balance it enough that my splurges on duck fat fries and buffalo wings are okay. Another reason I won't go more than 4 days is because my birthday is this weekend. No way I'm juicing on my birthday. Pshh..instead I'll be devouring Taco Boy.

I can see how juicing can help transform your life and help you lose weight, but these definitely aren't my goals. Watch the trailer below for Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead to see the power juicing can have.

Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead - Official Trailer from Team Reboot on Vimeo.

Have you all ever juiced or gone on a juice cleanse? Any thoughts?

Rock Me Like a Herman Cain!

2012-01-23T06:41:00.000-08:00

Hello, hello! Hope y'all had a great weekend! This past week in Charleston has been pretty whirlwind because of the South Carolina Primary election. The candidates have been all over the state for the last week and all were in Charleston Thursday night for the CNN debate. While, it's pretty cool that the candidates have been roaming around, I've been enjoying the hoopla more for the national press in our little city. Several news programs were specially aired from Charleston this week and I had the pleasure of attending a few.

On Thursday and Friday Morning Joe was filmed in Charleston. However, this taping began at 6AM. No way I could do that. I could, however, make it to the lunch meet and greet.

Both Joe and Mike took some time to give a little background on themselves and take questions from the audience. It was a casual forum that made it fun to see a more interactive side of the co-hosts.

Thursday night was the Primary Debate Live from North Charleston. I would have loved to go, but since it was sponsored by the South Carolina Republican Leadership Conference, I was not in the mood to pony up $50 when it would be live on TV. I had even heard that people who bought passes that day were denied at the door. No bueno, SCRLC.

Instead of attending the debate, my roommates and I had even more fun with it and made it into a drinking game. Anytime the following references were mentioned, a drink of wine went down. It got sloppy fast.

The end result:

If you're interested in playing this game, I assume most of the references will work for the rest of the primary elections.

Friday was the main event. A couple of my friends I work with and I went down to the Cistern on College of Charleston's campus for 'ROCK ME LIKE A HERMAN CAIN - South Cain-olina Rally' put on by Stephen Colbert.

The rally was essentially put on because Stephen Colbert was not allowed to be placed on the South Carolina Primary Ballot this close to the election. Instead, he encouraged voters to vote for Cain, who had dropped out, because a vote for Cain was really a vote for Colbert.

A few thousand people attended the rally. It was a great event and just so silly that I was laughing most of the time. Colbert was great, Cain didn't really seem in on the joke, but it was still a worthwhile event. If you don't follow The Colbert Report, it can be hard to really know when Stephen is being serious or making a joke. Yes, this rally was essentially a joke, but it was created and promoted to bring light to how ridiculous rules and regulations are surrounding Super PACS.

Friday night Adam and I made the trip back to the Cistern for a much more subdued taping that the Colbert Rally. Anderson Cooper was live in the square!

It was a much smaller crowd so we were able to be close enough to hear Anderson while he was live and he interacted with the audience during commercials. He was very, very personable and made lots of great comments about Charleston, including this tweet:

Charleston, SC is such a beautiful place. Historic homes, wonderful restaurants, friendly people. If you've never visited, you really should
— Anderson Cooper (@andersoncooper) January 21, 2012

And of course Saturday was election day!

I really enjoyed all of the hoopla surrounding South Carolina this past week. Growing up in Kentucky, not much emphasis is placed on the primary as our state is so late in the game. In South Carolina there was a lot of anticipation and excited that I found refreshing.

Now all eyes turn to Florida.

Shem Creek Park and Dock

2012-01-18T06:07:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, Adam and I made the trip out to the fairly-new Shem Creek Dock and Park. We were both feeling antsy and wanted to stretch our legs, this was the perfect little stretch to do so. The dock went much further out than I imagined. It was the perfect day for being near the water, a little chilly, but bright and sunny. If you live in the Charleston area, I highly recommend a quick stroll. Especially good for picture snapping. :)

I'm much colder than I appear

Geek

Adam pensively reflecting on life

Last weekend we also went to Tattooed Moose for the first time. I've heard way too many good things about Mike's Duck Club that I couldn't wait any longer. Seriously, this sandwich lives up to the hype. Husk introduced me to the wonders of duck confit, but they now have a serious rival with the duck club. I forgot to take a picture of my meal, but here's on courtesy of Food GPS.

The Duck Club comes loaded with duck confit, apple smoked bacon, smoked cheddar, garlic alioli, lettuce, tomato, and red onion on Sweet Hawaiian bread. It is incredible. I really appreciated the bread; it was toasted but never had any problems with scratching the roof of your mouth. Clearly, this meal may be a baby heart attack, but life is all about balance, right? I'll just juice my breakfast the next time I do this.

On the other hand, I did get a picture of Adam's meal. He is ridiculous. He ordered the Lucky Sub #1, which is BBQ braised pork belly, house made kimchi, tomatoes, cucumbers, crispy onions, cilantro, and sweet red chili sauce. Unfortunately, Adam missed that the sandwich also included wasabi mayonnaise. Now both of us can't do wasabi. I love, love, love spicy food - but I hate wasabi. It's something about the taste. I find it unbearable. As does Adam. Whenever we order sushi we have to sometimes avoid pieces that the wasabi may have touched. You may call us babies, but I just can't stand the stuff.

So when Adam discovered his lovely sandwich was covered in wasabi, this is what happened:

I went to dinner with a 5-year-old. Apologies Tattooed Moose, he loved the rest of the sandwich.

Side note: Eat the fries! They're fried in duck fat! If you cannot tell, I can't get enough of duck. ;)

Tonight I'm off to Coast for restaurant week with my roommates! Have y'all been to any special restaurants this week?

Thursday Thoughts (Random!)

2012-01-12T07:51:00.000-08:00

Today I have a bunch of random things to discuss...

I rarely listen to the radio (life without a car), so this song may have been out for awhile, but I've just fallen in love with it. I think Jason Mraz hits it out of the park with this song. It's so simple, but beautiful. Give it a listen if you haven't already.

CHIPOTLE IS COMING! CHIPOTLE IS COMING!
Y'all - I have been stalking the Chipotle website since I moved to Charleston waiting for a store opening here. Well, the day has finally come - Chipotle will be opening in North Charleston and Mount Pleasant. I'm a little embarrassed by how excited I am about this one. Only thing that would make it better is one downtown. I'm just going to lie to myself and think that a DT store is on it's way.

I actually worked at Chipotle when I was in college. Let me tell you, I cannot get sick of those burritos. Granted I was broke, but there were several weeks where the only thing I ate came from the land of Chipotle. Salsa Squad for life.

Now we only need an H&M downtown and my life is set.

What would you do with a $100 gift card to Amazon? Well, if you're like me, you would buy a toothbrush. Ridiculous? Yes, I believe so. My wonderful FlexCare+ is in the mail right now. I expect it to complete change my teeth for that price tag.

Tomorrow I will be getting the first massage of my life. Confession: I am a terrible girl. I'm never had a massage, I've never even had a mani/pedi. I don't know if I would ever book a massage on my own, but it was a gift from my company, so I'm going to try it out. Is it irrational that I'm afraid I might leave the massage paralyzed? One of my good friends is in her medical residency for neurosurgery and told me a story about a man who went in for a simple massage and came out paralyzed. That is terrifying. I may request the masseuse to avoid my neck. Irrational fears = my life.

I'm currently on the hunt to find the perfect Chicken Tikka Masala recipe. I've been craving this comfort meal and have yet to find the recipe that hits the spot. I made the version pictured above from Tasty Kitchen, and while good - it wasn't Tikka Masala. Please let me know if you know of the a recipe!

2012 Loves

2012-01-06T06:25:00.000-08:00

Today's blog post comes from the request of my roommate Jen. Apparently I've been a bad blogger. I just blame it on being lazy. No real excuses. But for dear Jen, here is a new post.

I feel like I've finally gotten back into a routine in Charleston. The end of December was a bit of madness. I think I went a whole week without sleeping in a real bed. Christmas and the events before and after were a great break from reality, but definitely threw off my schedule.

When I went to Kentucky for Thanksgiving, I made an effort to not have any plans. I wanted to relax and let my mood dictate my schedule for the days home. It was great, I was able to hang at home with my parents and get into bed early for most of the trip. But on the flipside, I didn't see many friends. When I did try to meet up with people, everyone was already booked. This encouraged me to schedule lunch and dinner dates with friends beforehand over Christmas break. This worked like a charm. I knew when I was going to see everyone and where. It's always impossible to see everyone I want to in such a short trip, but I did fairly well over Christmas.

Although, once we landed back in the Lowcountry we were out of whack. Do allergies get worse with age? Because I think a combination of smoking and cat allergies knocked me into a sinus infection. For some reason, Northern Kentucky is one of the last places left in the world where you can smoke in bars.

Being back at work this week and returning to my normal eating and sleeping schedule has made me feel like a normal human being again. I actually got off my lazy butt and went to yoga last night....and it kicked my ass!

So enough of my holiday ramblings - it's the new year! To start things off right I want to introduce y'all to some things I'm newly obsessed with.

Game of Thrones

Last week I was sick and off work so my On-Demand and I became very good friends. This led me into the mythical world of Game of Thrones on HBO. The series is about 7 families and their fight to become the rulers of the mythical land of Westeros. There is lots of twists and turns and character developments. A warning: it's very graphic, both in terms of gore and sex. Not for the light-hearted. The show is a little hard to follow (I would read recaps after each episode) because there are so many characters, but I loved it. From episode one I was hooked. It makes me feel like a big geek, but I don't care. The show is just SO GOOD. I made it through the first season in a matter of days. I also have a serious new-found respect for Peter Dinklage. Season 2 is coming in April!

My New Juicer

Adam gave me a juicer for Christmas and no fruit or vegetable has been safe ever since. I love this thing! It's very powerful and will take a whole veggie and deliver me with all the juicy goodness. Apples, celery, carrots, ginger, kale, and oranges have been on my short rotation. My only issue is I don't know what to do with all of the pulp extras. Anyone have a garden and need a food compost?

Global Santoku Knife

I've been wanting a good knife for a few years and am so happy that my parents delivered on Christmas. This puppy is incredible. I never knew chopping food and vegetables could be so fun!

Starbucks Gold Card

I have the Starbucks app on my iPhone and have been counting down the stars needed to get this little beauty. Had I been smart, I would have probably had a Gold Card 4 years ago. But oh well, better late than never. If y'all frequent Starbucks, I recommend to start paying with giftcards. You can set up an account and reload the cards online. Each time you purchase a drink, you receive one star. 30 stars = Gold Card. With the gold card you get a free drink every 15th, free syrups and soy, and free refills on coffee and iced coffee. And of course a gold card with your name on it. :)

New Business Card

We've redesigned our company logo, and with that came new business cards. How sweet is that thing? On top of the design, it's letterpress and has a letter-pressed back. I am in love.

Jay-Z at the Kentucky Basketball Game

Enough said.

What new things are you in love with this year??

Friday Five - food and puppies

2011-12-16T06:44:00.000-08:00

Oh hai there. Yes I'm actually blogging. And instead of a post with really great content about the holiday oyster roast I went to last night, or Christmas gift ideas, or something with any real thought - I'm wussing out and filling out a survey instead. Deal.

1. What I’m Reading:

I love food. I love cooking. And I love to travel. So any book that includes all of these is a-okay in my world. Also, I imagine Julia's voice as Meryl Streep portrayed her in Julie and Julia. It is awesome.

3. What I’m Watching:

The No Reservations Holiday Special. Please tell me someone else saw this. If not, here is a quick synopsis - pooping Santa, heavy metal vegan band, Christopher Walken, Norah Jones, drunk and wasted Samantha Brown shooting Tony, oh and - delicious food. No, I am not kidding.

4. What I’m Eating:

OYSTERS! We had our company holiday party - lots and lots of roasted oysters. Oh, and oyster shots. ;)

5. What I’m Pinning:

Source: petitegoldens.com via Carly on Pinterest

Virgin Diaries - Hello, Mortification!

2011-12-05T07:04:00.000-08:00

Please, please, please tell me someone else watched the train wreck the is Virgin Diaries on TLC last night. Words can not accurately explain how awkward, mortifying, and uncomfortable that show made me last night. Second-hand embarrassment is a real thing, y'all!

A few of my favorite quotes:
“I’m not very experienced with women” - this was said on a first date
"What's your timeline for getting married and having babies?" - also said on a first date
"Then we'll do foreplay.." - umm...
"I expect to have an orgasm" - a woman talking about her first time having sex
"It wasn't really like they show in the movies" - morning after the wedding

New Favorite Things: Skin Care and Makeup

2011-11-30T06:11:00.000-08:00

The last couple months I've been getting on a skin care kick. I signed up for Birchbox, a company that sends you new samples every month for $10, and now I've gone out of control. I've never been big into makeup or any type of skin care routine, but lately I've been trying to make a conscious effort to not be a slob. Nice, right? Below I've put together a list of some of my new favorites. These items would make great Christmas gifts for yourself or friend. You can find these products either at Sephora, or my Charleston girls - at Charleston Naturally in Mount Pleasant.

Enjoy!

Urban Decay Naked Palette

The Nake Palette feels a little pricey at first, but it's easy to overlook when you realize it comes with 9 colors, an eye makeup primer, and a brush. I'm obsessed with most of the light colors. They last all day and can give the perfect shimmer.

Benefit High Beam

For a little bit of shine on your cheeks, High Beam by Benefit is perfect. This little bottle looks like nail polish, but simply apply to your cheek bones and you get that airbrushed look that makeup artists use. LOVE.

Lemon Cleansing Milk by ilike skin care

I've been using the Lemon Cleansing Milk for about 2-3 months now and adore it. It's very gentle, organic, and hydrates my skin perfectly.

Bio-Brightening Face Serum by Suki Skin Care

At night I've been using the Bio-Brightening Face Serum to help further hydrate my skin. Since it's starting to get cold and the humidity is gone I need all the hydration I can get.

Blinc Mascara

I am seriously obsessed with this little mascara. I received a sample from Birchbox and just know I'll have to reorder it. It sets on your eyelashes as tubes instead of painting them. And they won't run, instead it comes off like a peel or clump. That sounds gross, but trust - it's great.

What are some of your new favorite makeup and skin care items?

Holiday Prep

2011-11-22T07:22:00.000-08:00

Hey y'all! This post is full of randoms today - be prepared.

Who's ready for Thanksgiving? I'm almost there...

I've got Thanksgiving on the brain a little bit early because Adam and I are leaving tonight to make the trek back to Kentucky. I love, love, love going home for the Holidays, but really sometimes with Thanksgiving and Christmas weren't so close together. It's a whole lot of traveling in such a short amount of time. The stress from debating whether to fly or drive, and then actually flying or driving kinda brings down the excitement that should be associated with the holiday. Next year my plan is a Charleston Thanksgiving. Who wouldn't want to celebrate in almost 80 degree temps? Alas, back to Kentucky we go this year.

Outside of eating a lot, spending time with family & friends, and watching football and basketball (SEC!!), one of my other Thanksgiving goals is to eavesdrop for Christmas gift ideas. Without living near my parents I don't get to pick up on those subtle hints all year. I really have no idea what to get them or my brother. Hopefully some keen ears will help this conundrum.

I've already somewhat started on a 'house' gift - what do you think?

I still have some work to do, but it's simple and understand - how I wanted it. Although I like it, my parents would probably be overwhelmed by this wreath...

Another random note, as you all may or may not know, my boyfriend Adam and I own a website that sells eco-friendly dog products. Well, if you are looking for some great Christmas gifts at good prices, everything is 20% off this week from GreenDogLove. Use code: Holiday2011 at checkout to save. I think that any of our Zogoflex toys (super, super tough) would make great gifts for dog lovers. Or your dog! The code is valid through 11/29/11.

Zogoflex Guide

1) Bumi

2) Hurley

3) Tux

4) Zisc

5) Huck

6) Twiz

And then to round out the most random post ever I thought I would share some recent pins. Because, why not?

Source: etsy.com via Carly on Pinterest

Source: snackinginthekitchen.com via Carly on Pinterest

Source: samsanator.tumblr.com via Carly on Pinterest

Source: webecoist.com via Carly on Pinterest

Source: foodgawker.com via Carly on Pinterest

Wine and Design

2011-11-13T12:00:00.001-08:00

Happy Weekend, everyone! I'm actually writing this post today from my iPhone, (I love technology!) so if anything looks strange, I'm gonna go ahead and blame my phone for that.

Ever since my laptop was stolen a couple months ago I feel like I've been cut off from the online world after I leave work. I have a pretty awesome Mac Mini at work, but my blogging has suffered without being able to have a laptop at night. Maybe, just maybe, blogging from my phone will work. The pictures will be terrible, but it's something.

Anyways, my point in blogging today was to share some fun paintings Adam and I created last night. We went to Wine and Design in Mount Pleasant (BOGO for November) and got our drink on while attempting to create visual masterpieces.

Here's what we have:
hold up - take two - I actually have no idea how to add pictures to a post on a phone. #help

If you can see the photos, hopefully you can guess what we painted. If you cant guess, get to Charleston for an oyster roast. I'm not going to share the original, because I want you to think mine is beautiful. ;)

Hope everyone had a good weekend!

Make This Tonight: Creamy White Chicken Chili

2011-11-03T06:12:00.000-07:00

Want me to describe a perfect Fall weeknight? Easy. Hanging out with my boyfriend. Watching my Cats kick butt in their first exhibition game. And eating this chili.

Seriously.

Make this chili.

Adam always says he likes my meals, but for this one he was going back and getting seconds. Made my little cooking heart happy. :)

I even liked it enough to put it in my Paula Deen recipe book.

Recipe via Pretty by the Bay

serves 4 – 6

2 c shredded or cubed rotisserie chicken

1 medium onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, diced

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tbsp vegetable oil

2 cans great northern or cannellini beans, rinsed/drained

14 1/2 oz chicken broth or stock

2 – 4oz cans chopped green chilies

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

8 oz light sour cream*

1/2 c half and half*

In a stock pot, heat the oil on medium and add the onion and celery.

Cook until softened, about 5 – 6 minutes.

Stir in the garlic powder, salt, cumin, oregano, pepper, cayenne and shredded chicken; heat through for an additional 2 – 3 minutes.

Add beans, broth and chilies.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and half and half.

Top with a dollop of sour cream, cheese, or any other delicious chili topping.

Keeneland Fall 2011 Meet

2011-11-02T08:10:00.000-07:00

After our Halloween shindig on Friday night, we were up and at 'em early on Saturday for a trip to Keeneland. Keeneland is my happy place. On a day with beautiful weather, few things can beat a trip to Keeneland. The horse track is surrounded by rolling Bluegrass hills and white picket fences. Pictures cannot do it justice. It's simply gorgeous.

Beyond the beauty, it's also a great place for a tailgate. We got to the track a couple hours before the first race and set up with our food and drinks. This was one of the most perfect trips home. I was able to see family from my Mom's side, Dad's side, and Adam's family. Thankfully we were all in on tailgating location so there was no stress about hopping from tailgate to tailgate to see everyone.

Amy and I, Adam's Sister

My cousin Kara, she's a freshman at UK and I am SUPER jealous!

Dad!

Loving that the leaves were changing color. We've yet to see that in Charleston.

My Aunt Shelley and I

Best Frannnd, Jeffrey!

My Dad and God Dad - my Godfather is a chef at Keeneland so we always sneak back into the kitchen. Chili dogs and bread pudding after the 10th race is the way to go!

Laura, Adam's Sister-in-Law, and I (she's got a little baby bun in that oven!!)

After Keeneland I was exhausted. I tried to rally with a nap, but that was a bad, bad idea. I fell asleep around 7pm and woke up at 11pm. Woopsss... I felt like an awful fan because I woke up after the football game was over. Let's just say Lexington kicked my ass...

Happy Halloween!!

2011-10-31T06:11:00.000-07:00

Halloween Preparations

2011-10-28T07:07:00.000-07:00

Hey ladieeees! Today is a grab bag of random topics. Bear with me.

Last weekend I was super excited because I won FREE tickets to the Southern Ground Festival put on by Zac Brown Band. Pearlstine (same company I won my bike from) gave tickets away on Facebook to whomever could get the most 'likes' on their status. All I had to do was whore out my FB friends for an hour and I won! Haha! Thanks for liking mah status, friends!

Speaking of Like Mah Status, have y'all seen this video? It's a little NSFW, but I love it anyway. It's my new theme song.

We went to see ZBB on Saturday night and also got to see Train perform for a bit. Here are a few photos from the show.

Trying to work out the blur...

Success!

At one point Zac Brown came and sang from a different spot directly above us. Was. Awesome.

On a completely different topic, who's ready for Halloween?! I AM!

This weekend (more specifically in a few hours), Adam and I are taking off to the Bluegrass to celebrate Halloween, Keeneland, and Football in Lexington. We're attending a Halloween party this evening and I've been working hard for the last couple weeks to make sure my costume is ready. I'm pretty wacko over Halloween. I love making my costume and doing something a little funny. Here are a few costumes from over the years:

Power Ranger - 2006

Mother Nature - 2008

Chiquita Banana - 2007

Troll Doll - 2008

Lady Gaga - 2009

Mrs. Potato Head - 2010

Looking for a sneak peek for this year's costume? I've got one right here:

Can you guess what I'm going to be? Please, excuse the trashy bra straps. Those won't be out tonight, promise.

I hope everyone has a great weekend! I'm off to the track! :)

The Friday Five Roundup!

2011-10-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

1. What I’m Reading:

Official Book Club Selection - Kathy Griffin: I picked up this book last weekend at Barnes and Noble on extreme discount. Regular price - $25, my price $5.95. Very nice! I had actually wanted to get this book when it first came out, but I refuse to pay full price for hardcover.

For a long time, Kathy Griffin annoyed me. She was too loud and brash. But then I started to watch My Life on the D-List and fell in love. In her book, she actually says the same thing, many people disliked her until the show. It was a fun read because you get to learn a little bit more about her upbringing and how hard she worked to 'make it'. I also loved that she was raised Irish-Catholic and had a big family with crazy stories. It reminded me of my Mom and Dad. My Mom is one of 11 and my Dad is one of 8. You cannot keep track of that many kids, so crazy things happen. If you're looking for a good laugh and some Hollywood dirt, I recommend this as a read!

2. What I’m Listening To:

Today our office was looking for a 'Fall' Pandora station. I present to you Mr. Paul Simon,

3. What I’m Watching:

I've heard too many good things about Breaking Bad to go any longer without watching it. Adam and I started Season One, Episode One last night - I'm already hooked.

4. What I’m Eating:

Terrible. In a nutshell. In the last two days I've eaten at:

5. What I’m Pinning:

Eeee...I've fallen off the Pinterest Train a little. Will get it together next week, maybe?

Hope y'all have a great weekend!

Sock Curls

2011-10-20T06:07:00.000-07:00

I don't post often about fashion, hair, or makeup. Because really - I don't know much about any of those things. But y'all, today I have something to share.

Sock curls.

Yes, I have been curling my hair with socks. And it's easy. All I do is after I blow dry, wrap my hair up in a sock bun, and sleep on it. Easy. In the morning I have curls. Good curls too. They last most of the day and I don't have to use any ease. Full disclosure: I do touch up the front pieces a little bit because they're wonk.

Here I am with my bun:

And with the curls! Excuse my dead-eyes morning face...

Without further adieu, here's the tutorial:

(note: she recommends spraying your hair with water before wrapping. If you have somewhat wavy or curly hair I wouldn't recommend it. The first morning it made mine a little kinky. I don't use water and I still get the curls. Also to optimize big, big curls - I used two socks!)

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds and Jack-o-Lanterns

2011-10-17T06:25:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the perfect Fall Sunday. I spent most of the day either in the kitchen or working on Halloween activities. October may be my favorite month of the year; the weather is starting to cool down, football season is in full swing, Keeneland is open in Lexington, and one of my favorite holidays - Halloween, is right around the corner.

I'm in the process of creating my Halloween costume (sneak peak coming soon!), but wanted to share a couple other projects that took up my weekend.

Adam and I carved a pumpkin yesterday afternoon. This is the first pumpkin he remembers carving!! Haha, clearly we aren't going to win any carving contests - I lack carving talent and Adam is one hand down, he has a broken finger. :( But regardless, we're proud of our ugly little jack-o-lantern!

One of the best things that may have come from this pumpkin were the pumpkin seeds! I love roasting pumpkin seeds and this time I tried more of a sweet Halloween-y seasoning.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Directions via All Recipes

Seasoning

4 tablespoons melted butter

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon all spice

S&P for tasting

What October activities have you been participating in?

Happy October!

Warby Parker

2011-10-13T12:17:00.000-07:00

Remember many moons ago when I asked for advice on glasses? Well, I finally bit the bullet and got my eyes checked out. I was correct - I have a slight case of the blurs. After my doctors appointment, I immediately popped on Warby Parker and ordered my new pair of lenses. Presenting the Nedwin in Summer Green!...

Anyway, this post was to actually promote Warby Parker. At Warby Parker you can buy a pair of optical lenses plus frames or prescription sunglasses for the low price of $95. I'm new to the glasses world, but I do know that $95 is a great deal, and after receiving my frames I have nothing but positive things to say. To make things even better, Warby Parker donates a pair of glasses to someone in need every time a pair is purchased. They follow the same Buy a Pair, Give a Pair practices as TOMS.

Watch the video below to learn more about this great company.

Glazed Gourmet

2011-10-12T06:51:00.000-07:00

For months I've been following Glazed Gourmet, a new donut shop in Charleston, on Twitter and Facebook. I've been counting down the days until the store opened and began serving the good people of the Lowcountry with delicious donut options. Yesterday all of my stalking paid off. Glazed ran a soft opening and luckily the store is less than a block from my office on Upper King.

My friend Amber and I popped over to Glazed with high hopes and luckily were not disappointed. The storefront is clean, the workers are friendly, and the donuts are delicious. I had the Chocolate Curry donut while Amber opted for the Pumpkin Donut with Cream Cheese Icing. Both were incredible. The donuts were freshly baked, light, and airy. The glaze on top was perfect - not too much, but enough to sweeten up the donut. The donuts are priced from $1.50 to $2.50 - making them a great option for a cheap quick treat.

Get your butt down to Glazed ASAP!

Racking up the Awards in Charleston

2011-10-11T07:23:00.000-07:00

Living in Charleston has a lot of advantages. We have a beautiful downtown, friendly citizens, amazing restaurants, and several beach options. It seems like the rest of the country is starting to take note, Charleston just won the Conde Nast "Top City in the United States" award! The award is based on the following categories: Atmosphere & Ambiance, Culture & Sites, Friendliness, Lodging, Restaurants, and Shopping. I like to think that Charleston hits the nail on the head with every category!

Conde Nast isn't the only one showing Charleston some love. In the past several months the city has also been honored with features in GQ, Bon Appetite, and Travel and Leisure.

Coolest Small Cities in America via GQ

Best Summer Beaches via GQ

Husk - Best New Restaurant in 2011 via Bon Appetite

If you aren't already living here, plan your trip now! :)

Bourbon, please!

2011-10-07T07:16:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I'm heading up to Columbia, SC for the Kentucky/South Carolina game. It's a noon game so there won't be much time to tailgate, but that won't stop me from making some fun drinks. I want to whip up something that reminds me of home (bourbon) so I'm debating from making the following drinks.

Bourbon Slush - recipe via Garden & Gun

Bourbon Ginger Snap - recipe via Real Simple

Ginger and Apple Bourbon - recipe via Tampopo Post

The Charleston Bog - recipe via Food and Wine

Apple Pie Bourbon - recipe via Chicagoist

Any thoughts? Do you have a favorite bourbon mixed drink? Woodford on the rocks is definitely a favorite, but that might not be tailgate appropriate. ;)

Friday Five

2011-09-30T05:59:00.000-07:00

1. What I’m Reading:

One Day by David Nicholls:

I'm only about halfway through the book, but am enjoying it so far. I was looking for a light read (after a couple particularly heavy books) and this is fitting the bill. The book centers around a male and a female and offers snapshots into their lives every year. It begins right when they graduate college, but I honestly don't know where it ends. I'm in the late twenties stage right now. There's a film adaptation of the book, with Anne Hathaway, but I've heard pretty terrible things about it. So I think I'll stick with the book and be done.

2. What I’m Listening To:

Watch the Throne, Jay-Z and Kanye.

I seriously cannot get enough. This whole album has been on repeat for weeks now.

3. What I’m Watching:

Parks & Recreation - my extreme obsession! :0)

4. What I’m Eating:

Healthy! Last week I went a little bit overboard in the fried food category. I'm trying my own Southern Detox this week. No fried food, please!

5. What I’m Pinning:

Puppies! Yes, I know Pinterest should be helping me with ideas for decorating my new room, but look at how cute this sweetie is:

Source: samsanator.tumblr.com via Carly on Pinterest

Parrothead Vlog

2011-09-23T08:44:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I've been wanting to take/upload pictures of our current house before we move, but I'm lazy. I haven't been in the mood to go room-to-room to take pictures and a camera never really shows off the right angles. Everything seems to look smaller and cramped. So instead I made a video. Or 4 videos because I don't know how to combine them. I almost deleted the first video because I look like hell, and maybe I'm vain..., but y'all can watch. I'm trying to get over it.

Although I have picked up on several annoying things I do/say. If you're looking for a drinking game...

Drink every time I say 'pretty' (it's out of control, I'm aware)
Drink every time I say 'creepy'
Drink every time I make a weird noise

I promise you'll get drunk. Yay, it's Friday! ;)

Hope that wasn't too painful. Y'all have a great weekend!

Quick and Easy Recipes

2011-09-20T06:27:00.000-07:00

Being in full moving zone (again), I don't have much thought process for fun posts. So I thought I'd share a few quick and easy meals I made this week.

Rotisserie Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches - this ended up being the perfect lunch meal to heat up at work. All I had to do was shred apart a few cups of rotisserie chicken, throw it in a pan with some butter and hot sauce, and voila - I've got the perfect filling for a sandwich. I was chowing on these all of last week with some blue cheese and celery.

Dill Pickle Fries - Props to Mama Pea for her fantastic dill pickle fry recipes. These were the perfect mix of tangy and salty. I'll definitely be trying the Coconut Curry Sweet Potato Fries and the Sesame Lime Sweet Potato Fries.

Okay so I didn't make this next item. But you still need to try it. This is the spicy pork bahm mi sandwich from Street Hero at the Farmer's Market. It was incredible. Great portion size and every bite of delicious.

And this photo below is a stuffed poblano pepper recipe I whipped up. Find large poblanos and cut them in half. Let them boil in a couple inches of water for 4-6 minutes. While they boil. Toss a veggie burger (I used spicy black bean), olive oil, and chili seasoning in a pan. Let the veggie burger heat up until you have a lot of crumbles. Once everything is mixed up, remove the peppers and place in the in a baking pan. Fill the peppers with your veggie crumbles and top with cheese (I used 4 cheese Mexican). Bake at 425 for ~10 minutes. This has been one of my new favorite meals to make for dinner. It's so easy and I get to clear out my pantry/fridge a little.

Do you all have any quick and easy recipes? Please share!

Housecolding Party Recap

2011-09-13T13:44:00.000-07:00

Today I start this post with happy news - I'm not going to be homeless! Today or tomorrow I sign a lease on a new house downtown.

AND guess what?

It's a year lease!

This means that I don't have to worry about moving again in a couple months. If you're new here you can catch up on my situation by viewing my Househell post. The last couple weeks have been stressful because downtown living situations are scarce right now. We were looking for a 4-bedroom and there have been very, very few available as College of Charleston started classes over a month ago. Most rentals have already been filled. I'm thankful we found an option this fast that is actually affordable and in a good location.

I'm sad that we have to move (because I basically live in a mansion on the water), but I'm still looking at the positive. Our new place will only be half a mile from my office and that also means only half a mile from some of my favorite restaurants and shops. Oh and the Farmer's Market will only be two blocks away. That. is. Awesome.

Also, we're signing on a 4-bedroom with three people right now. This means we mayyy need another roommate. Any leads? Send them my way please. :)

One of the things we had to do before we move though is throw a party. I deemed it our Housecolding party, as it definitely wasn't a warming. We had a group of friends over Saturday night and had lots of fun drinks and food. My definition of party food = dip. Oh I love it. Check some pics below!

This is actually from Reds on Friday, but I wanted to share. :)

A little bit of the spread

Heyyy pretty kitchen. I'll miss you.

Lezlie's fabulous sausage dip bites.

Spinach Artichoke Bites

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Veggie Cakes

The holiness of buffalo chicken dip

Sunset Pictures!

With the boys who moved into our old house. This was our attempt to make a 128. We were a mess.

Giant Pepsi Cups for All!

Hope y'all are having a great week!

Seattle Recap - Part 2

2011-09-12T08:43:00.000-07:00

The Seattle recap is not yet complete! Saturday was the wedding day. The wedding was on Mercer Island right on the water. It was absolutely gorgeous! The weather was perfect and the bride and groom looked incredibly happy. A wonderful ceremony.

Our last day in Seattle was Sunday. We had to check out of the hotel room at 11AM and our flight wasn't until midnight. Which meant a day of roaming the streets. We were all exhausted but managed to fit in another stroll of the market, the Space Needle, Waterfront Park, and the Scultural Park. We also went to a movie. Ha, 12 hours of wandering leaves you tired. An air-conditioned dark room was perfect for our bodies.

Sunday night was my first time flying the red-eye (does the night flight to Europe count), and it was rough. When we landed in Dallas for our layover Adam and I were about ready to cut anyone who crossed us. Get this - at the Seattle airport, a couple tried to skip the security line because their flight was in 20 minutes. And people let them! Adam and I didn't, we might be cruel, but our flight was in twenty minutes too. AND a girl just straight up skipped the whole line AND she was on the same flight as us. Boo you whore. I didn't know people actually did that.

So Seattle = awesome. Must go back and fit in time for hiking. STAT.

Moving like Bernie!

Seattle Recap - Part 1

2011-09-08T06:48:00.000-07:00

Hey there, world! I'm back! I survived Seattle! I survived a red eye and traveling across the country. I've caught up on my sleep, I'm heavily caffeinated, and I'm ready to give you a recap!

Seattle was a perfect trip. The weather was gorgeous (highs of 70, no humidity - I curled my hair and it stayed that way!), the company was excellent, and our excursions were very fun and exciting. We made the trip to Seattle to celebrate our friends Josh and Kerry's wedding. Adam has known Josh since elementary school and was a groomsmen in the wedding.

We left for Seattle from Charleston last Thursday evening and arrived late Thursday night/Friday morning. The time changed knocked us for a little bit of a loop. We got to our hotel in Seattle at 2:30AM Pacific time, so 5:30AM Eastern time. For the full three days our bodies were confused. We didn't know when to sleep, when to eat, but yes, we knew when to drink.

Our first day is Seattle was jam packed. We woke up early (umm..1PM eastern time) and make the walk down to Pike's Place Market. I had to be tacky tourist and visit the first Starbucks ever! The market was fantastic. As I'm sure you've heard, the fish and the flowers are out of control. I loved every minute. I considered shipping fish home to Charleston, but let's be serious - I don't know how to filet a 20 pound fish.

On Friday we also went to the EMP museum and saw some fun exhibits. If you're a Nirvana fan, you'll love it. I am not, but I still enjoyed it. My friend Erin and I did record a beautiful version of Sarah McLaughlin's "I Will Remember You". Ha, kidding we were terrible. It also doesn't help that that song reminds my of sad puppies. :(

Friday night was the rehearsal dinner and afterwards we hit up downtown Seattle. Maybe a bad idea... Ha, lots of fun, but let's just say we wore ourselves out. Irish Car Bombs? Never a good idea. Ok this is where I'm going to stop the recap. I'll pick up on the wedding day tomorrow.

Now for the fun stuff - pictures!

First Starbucks!

Get in my belly!

Gum wall = disgusting

Yes, I realize I am a geek...

Did you know I was a cheerleader in high school ;)

EMP Museum

Professionals

Taking a 2 1/2 hour energy

Ruh-roh

New friends!

And this is how my Saturday started, Bacon Vodka Bloody Mary

Taco Mamacita Y'all

2011-09-02T05:02:00.000-07:00

Ohh I love this handy 'schedule post' function on blogger. Hello, future! In my life right now it's Thursday, but to all you lovely ladies it's Friday. Cray-cray. Very helpful for when I just up and leave for Seattle. ;)

So today I thought I'd share one of my lovely meals from Taco Mamacita last weekend. Adam and I made a visit out to the new taco hut on Sullivan's Island. Taco Mamacita took over for the departed Off The Hook. RIP Off the Hook. I have spent a-many a-evenings on your dance floor (literally...). It was strange to eat at Mamacita and have flashbacks to Goldmeister shots last Summer. Oh joyyy.

But anyways, I'm down with some TM. I love me some Taco Boy and believe that Mamacita is a great option for someone who doesn't want to venture downtown or out to Folly. It's about the same set up. Most of the menu was tacos, margaritas are expensive, and you still have to pay for chips and salsa. However, I did love the Mamacita has side items. Really y'all, I'm the girl who can't order pasta or a salad because they don't come with a side items. Weird, I know.

Creeeeeeepy

Hi. :)

Of course we started off with salsa and queso. There is no better way than the queso way. We went with the mango salsa and it was delicious. Muy bien. And the queso, well I've never had bad queso.

Whoops I lied. We really started with beer. Dos Equis is my go-to when margaritas are $7. Adam, on the other hand, likes to be manly and drink Bud Heavy.

For dinner we both did the choose two tacos and side item combo. I had The General Homeboy (Panko breaded shrimp with a sweet Thai chili sauce, shredded cabbage, sliced cabbage, green onions and cilantro) and the Vegetarian Jerk (Sautéed plantains served with shredded cabbage, mango salsa, refried black beans, spicy Caribbean jerk sauce and a peach aioli). I really, really enjoyed both. My only complaint concerns my side item. I order the corn jalapeno slaw. To have two ingredients in the name, you'd expect a lot of both. Really, it was all cabbage. I think I may have found one jalapeno piece. Lame.

Adam had The Baja Fish (Panko breaded tilapia served with crispy Napa cabbage, authentic Mexican white sauce, pico de gallo, sliced radishes and cilantro) and The Memphis (Slow braised pork, diced white onion, chopped dill pickle, jalapeño corn slaw, dry rub seasoning and barbecue sauce). He gave two thumbs up.

We both really enjoyed Taco Mamacita. Good food and good atmosphere! Big pluses!

Leaving on a Jetplane

2011-09-01T11:10:00.000-07:00

Goodbye, bloggies! I'm off to Seattle for the next few days. Before I go, I wanted to share a few ridiculous images...

Hope you all have a great extended weekend! :)

Hey, College Football!

2011-08-31T07:34:00.000-07:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year...FOOTBALL SEASON!

College football reminds me of brisk fall nights, tumblers overflowing with bourbon, tailgate traditions, roadtrips, the excitement in the air at kickoff, and the rush of joy you experience when your teams scores a TD. Oh glorious, college football. You slay me.

Here are some photos from my favorite college football moments

With my fave, Wildcat

Tailgating with Auburn friends

Auburn 2009 - CATS WIN! First win at Auburn in over 40 years!

Freezing our butts off in Nashville for the 2009 Music City Bowl

Playing in Bengals territory at Paul Brown stadium in 2009

Williams Brice in 2009

2010 watching Kentucky beat South Carolina with the Alumni Group in Downtown Charleston

Tailgating in Athens, Georgia 2009

Knoxville November 2010

The Emerald City

2011-08-30T13:38:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for the kind (and angry, I liked the angry) words on my last post. We don't really know what our situation is right now, but most likely we'll be giving 30 days and moving out at the end of next month. Unfortunately, it's a bad time to be looking for a 4 bedroom at an affordable price in downtown Charleston. Since college just started, there aren't too many places available. Oh well, one day at a time...

Luckily, I've got something exciting happening this weekend that will distract me from my moving woes...

We're going to Seattle!

We're taking off Thursday after work to attend the wedding of one of Adam's best friends. I am beyond excited for this trip! I've never been to Seattle (heck, I've never been this far West) and I've heard such amazing things. The wedding is bound to be beautiful because it's an incredible couple and it'll be outdoors on an island. How perfect is that?!

My only stress with this trip is figuring out what to wear. I've been used to the average of 90 degree days in Charleston and the whole weekend in Seattle the temp will be lucky to hit 70. I'm not of cardigan mind right now, so I'm a little thrown off. Nothing that some retail therapy on King Street won't fix! ;)

Also, Adam's a groomsmen in the wedding so I'll have a little bit of my own time to explore. If you've been to Seattle do you have any must-see, must-do, or must-eat (duh!) recommendations! Gracias!

Househell.

2011-08-29T06:04:00.000-07:00

Hey y'all, remember how I just moved a month ago? And the house is for sale on short sale but the owner said no one has been interested and people only view it every couple months? And houses in the neighborhood aren't selling at all? Remember that?

Because guess what?

The house has been under contract for three months and will close soon. A couple has been desperately trying to move into the house for 3 months, even if it meant they were just renting before they could buy. And sometimes they drive by just to look at the house. Basically the owner lied to us to make a quick buck. Fantastic. And we'll have to move out soon. No clue where to go. No rentals available now that school has started. Awesome.

Oh yeah and I moved onto the fourth floor. Can't wait to move all the furniture back downstairs. Also, really happy we all bought lots of new furniture and decor. Real cool.

Thanks for screwing us over, owner.

Oh and you can bet we're still having a ~~Housewarming~~ Houseleaving party, because that place needs at least one big bash.

Moral of the story: if it's too good to be true, it probably is.

Food Trucks, Biggie's, and Irene

2011-08-26T06:53:00.000-07:00

Food Trucks are definitely the new trendy thing in Charleston. Most days you can find them split up in different locations on and off the Peninsula for lunch. And then on weekends they plan rodeos where they all come together for a big outdoor event. Last weekend Adam and I went to a Food Truck Rodeo in the Whole Foods parking lot.

The event was a success! From 5-9PM last Saturday about 7 food trucks plopped down at Whole Foods for a fun outdoor party. I enjoy food trucks because you can sample lots of different things and be in a great social setting.

I tried a new truck this time (Pot Kettle Black) and had a delicious order of Shrimp etouffee. Adam ate at Strada Cucina and had a filling and delicious Chicken Cutlet sandwich.We attempted to get donuts from Diggity Donuts, but lines were too long and our stomachs were already full.

If you have the opportunity to grab something from a food truck I highly recommend it.

Our new house in Charleston is about on the complete opposite side of downtown as our old one. This means trying new restaurants! Ha, I'm a-okay with that.

The other night my roommates and I ventured out to Biggie's Southern Gastropub. Biggie's was originally Granville's (which I loved), but they've since switched up the theme. The menu is pretty slim (about 5 sandwich listings and a few appetizers), but the drink menu was very impressive.

Each of us ordered the John's Island Mule, a drink which they're known for. The drink was vodka, cantaloupe juice, lime, and Sweatman's Ginger Beer. In a word: wonderful. The drink had a spicy hint from the ginger which I loved.

I opted for a simple burger. It was great, but really if you mess up a burger you've got problems. The chips were housemade that morning and you could tell. They were fresh and crisp.

Jen and Laura both had the BLT. They both enjoyed it and found the fried green tomato a fun change.

We all enjoyed our meals and drinks at Biggie's. It's close proximity to our house might be the winning note. They can expect us to be back soon!

On another note, I hope everyone stays safe and dry this weekend. It looks like we're going to miss most of Irene but will still pick up some storms and strong winds. Be careful out there!

Hello my name is Carly and I have an addiction to patterns.

2011-08-25T06:39:00.000-07:00

It so happens that in filling my new loft with pillows, rugs, and throws, I may have overdone it on the patterns. I blame it on indecisiveness. At one point I want a modern funky loft with cool architectural patterns. The next minute I want calm blues and whites to make the loft feel like a beach escape. And then every once in a while I can't decide whether ikat, chevron, or trellis is my favorite pattern.

I mean, how do you decide between those pretties??

It's been a dangerous game, and it was close to getting me in trouble. Thankfully I recognized my disorder before my last pillow purchase. And I realized that I need to even out the craziness that has been going on in my head. This has led me to the necessity of white pillows. But now I need help. Dear friends, which pillows should I choose?

Grand Chenille Pillow Cover

Texture Linen Pillow Covers

Harbor Rope Pillow Cover

Differences Between College Football in the North and South

2011-08-22T07:04:00.000-07:00

I've posted the following list before, but I just love it so much I had to do it again. We're quickly approaching college football season, and I whole heartedly believe that the South (SEC specifically) is the greatest place to be during this time of year. There's nothing greater than waking up at the crack of dawn to tailgate all day for a night game.

I can't wait for football season to begin!

Do you agree with this list? Have anything to add?

Differences between North & South College Football

Planning for the fall football season in the South is radically different than up North. For those who are planning a football trip South, here are some helpful hints:

Women's Accessories:
• NORTH: ChapStick in back pocket and a $20 bill in the front pocket.
• SOUTH: Louis Vuitton duffel with two lipsticks, waterproof mascara, and a fifth of bourbon. Money not necessary -that's what dates are for.

Stadium Size:
• NORTH: College football stadiums hold 20,000 people.
• SOUTH: High school football stadiums hold 20,000 people.

Fathers:
• NORTH: Expect their daughters to understand Sylvia Plath.
• SOUTH: Expect their daughters to understand pass interference.

Campus Decor:
• NORTH: Statues of founding fathers.
• SOUTH: Statues of Heisman trophy winners.

Homecoming Queen:
• NORTH: Also a physics major.
• SOUTH: Also Miss America.

Heroes:
• NORTH: Rudy Guliani
• SOUTH: Archie & Peyton Manning

Getting Tickets:
• NORTH: 5 days before the game you walk into the ticket office on campus and purchase tickets.
• SOUTH: 5 months before the game you walk into the ticket office on campus and put name on
waiting list for tickets.

Friday Classes After a Thursday Night Game:
• NORTH: Students and teachers not sure they're going to the game, because they have classes on Friday.
• SOUTH: Teachers cancel Friday classes because they don't want to see the few hung over students that might actually make it to class.

Parking:
• NORTH: An hour before game time, the University opens the campus for game parking.
• SOUTH: RVs sporting their school flags begin arriving on Wednesday for the weekend festivities. The really faithful arrive on Tuesday.

Game Day:
• NORTH: A few students party in the dorm and watch ESPN on TV.
• SOUTH: Every student wakes up, has a beer for breakfast, and rushes over to where ESPN is
broadcasting "Game Day Live" to get on camera and wave to the idiots up north who wonder why "Game Day Live" is never broadcast from their campus.

Tailgating:
• NORTH: Raw meat on a grill, beer with lime in it, listening to local radio station with truck tailgate down.
• SOUTH: 30-foot custom pig-shaped smoker fires up at dawn. Cooking accompanied by live performance by "Dave Matthews' Band," who come over during breaks and ask for a hit off bottle of bourbon.

Getting to the Stadium:
• NORTH: You ask "Where's the stadium?" When you find it, you walk right in.
• SOUTH: When you're near it, you'll hear it. On game day it becomes the state's third largest city.

Concessions:
• NORTH: Drinks served in a paper cup, filled to the top with soda.
• SOUTH: Drinks served in a plastic cup, with the home team's mascot on it, filled less than halfway with soda, to ensure enough room for bourbon.

When National Anthem is Played:
• NORTH : Stands are less than half full, and less than half of them stand up.
• SOUTH: 100,000 fans, all standing, sing along in perfect four-part harmony.

The Smell in the Air After the First Score:
• NORTH: Nothing changes.
• SOUTH: Fireworks, with a touch of bourbon.

Commentary (Male):
• NORTH: "Nice play."
• SOUTH: "Dammit, you slow sumbitch – tackle him and break his legs."

Commentary (Female):
• NORTH: "My, this certainly is a violent sport."
• SOUTH: "Dammit, you slow sumbitch –tackle him and break his legs."

Announcers:
• NORTH: Neutral and paid.
• SOUTH: Announcer harmonizes with the crowd in the fight song, with a tear in his eye because he is so proud of his team.

After the Game:
• NORTH: The stadium is empty way before the game ends.
• SOUTH: Another rack of ribs goes on the smoker, while somebody goes to the nearest package store for more bourbon, and planning begins for next week's game.

Bull Street Gourmet on King and HOM

2011-08-19T11:46:00.000-07:00

I may have been left without a phone and laptop this weekend, but my tastebuds are still very much in tact. And luckily, they were able to try out two new restaurants in Charleston.

The first is an oldie with a new location; Bull Street Gourmet. We frequent BSG for work lunches, so we were very excited to check out the new location on Lower King. It was a good hike from our office, but well worth it. BSG had the same menu as the original location, but the grocery selection has become incredible. It reminded me a bit of Caviar and Bananas with fresh produce as well. I can certainly see it becoming a great spot for a meal or grabbing something to go.

And I can't say great enough things about the food. My personal favorite is the Chicken Salad Sandwich (made with almonds, dried cranberries, and cranberry mayo ) but The Mozz is also a fave.

Take a look at the photos below to see all the goodies and the gorgeous clean interior.

The second new restaurant I ventured out to was HOM. HOM is a burger/ping pong joint that recently opened on Upper King. It seems Charleston is quickly becoming a mecca for gourmet burgers (Burger Babies, Big Gun Burger, classics: Moe's, ACs, Rue), but I wanted to see what all the buzz was about at HOM.

Firstly, the place is gorgeous. Stumphouse did a great job with the interior. The design is fresh and modern. It had the same exposed interior feel that is trendy in Charleston right now.

Secondly, the food was great. I had the specialty burger with was a blue cheese pimiento, pickles, lettuce, jalapenos, and adobo sauce. It was exactly what I wanted; spicy and juicy.

However, I didn't love the prices. Burgers range from 7-10 dollars and don't include a side. With a beer and tip my meal was hitting close to the 20$ mark. And unfortunately the burgers aren't big enough to split. I really, really enjoyed my meal and the atmosphere, but I can't afford casual $20 lunches.

What I am and AM NOT Loving Wednesday

2011-08-17T08:34:00.000-07:00

So today's edition of WILW will be a little different. Instead of only including what I'm loving, I'll also add what I'm not loving.

First up - WHAT I'M NOT LOVING

(CUE ANGER and BOLD)

Yesterday while I went to lunch with a few of my co-workers (to the new Bull Street Gourmet, which was delicious (loving!)), my laptop and iPhone were stolen off my work desk. Right off it. Someone must have walked in and swiped it. Both of my bosses were in the conference room with the door closed. There was only a 30 minute period where no one was in the main room. It's crazy and terrible!

Note: If you stole my computer and iPhone (maybe you can see this, it's in my browsing history) I think you are a terrible person and the bad things you have done will catch up to you. I hope your sleep is awful and you have nightmares about getting arrested. You are low class and not worth anyone's time. You are probably a University of Louisville fan.

(End bold) - Sooo now I am pretty much cut off from the world when I leave work. Both of the items stolen were work property, so I'm not losing money - but it is stressful knowing someone can access my pictures and internet history. I don't have anything to be scared about, it's just creepy knowing someone can learn so much about me from stealing my laptop. Asshole.

Also, one bright light is that I'm not completely cut off from phone calls when I get home. We've discovered a phone in our elevator. Haha, so I look pretty ridiculous taking calls standing in the elevator, but whatevs - best I can do right now.

Now let's make things happy. WHAT I'M LOVING!

My upstairs loft in our house is almost complete! Here's my progress

~~paint dresser~~
~~new bedspread~~
~~new pillows~~ (covered for the bed, still need for the futon)
~~mirror~~
~~futon~~ (delivered, but i need to assemble)
~~coffee table~~
rug

I don't really want to drop a ton of cash on a rug (oh man, those pups are expensive), so I wanted to show you my fave and get opinions.

I can't decide whether to get the grey or blue. All of the walls in the loft are angled, so I can't add any pictures. I thought the blue would give a pop of color to the room. But I'm not sure whether it's too obnoxious. Thoughts?

Another thing I'm loving is my subscription to birchbox. birchbox "... delivers the best products and the best insider secrets, without any fuss. Every month Birchbox members will receive a curated box of luxe beauty samples. Each box will span beauty categories and deliver exciting products that fit into both your day-to-day routine, and into those days when you want to turn up the drama a notch."

This month I received:
Befine Exfoliating Cleanser
Befine Night Cream
kate spade new york Twirl - 3.4 fl oz
blinc Mascara
LIFTLAB Lift & Fix™ High Potency Solution
Twistband Hair Ties

It's been so fun to get to try out new samples. I really have enjoyed the Befine skincare products. If you have trouble picking out beauty products, or want a sample before you commit, I def recommend birchbox.

All right, that's all I've got for today. I'm still a crank-ass. Hopefully I'll be with a new computer and phone. I just wish I could tweet from my elevator...

Lowcountry Boil

2011-08-16T03:54:00.000-07:00

If you live in Charleston (or really anywhere in the South), it's safe to assume you've enjoyed the masterpiece know as Lowcountry Boil (or Frogmore Stew). Lowcountry Boil is a staple down here, it's perfect for big get-togethers or pickin' food. You can find the stew spread on a picnic table at a beach party or served at buffet alongside an oyster roast. It's a delicious dish that's also very simple to make.

For our vacation on Fripp Island, each couple was to take a night to feed the crew. Adam and I made the boil last year on Tybee Island and it was such a hit that we went with a re-do.

You can adjust the portions based on how many you're serving - but these amounts worked well for our group of 8 adults. And gave a little bit of leftovers.

4 pounds shrimp

3 pounds potatoes (yukon or new) (quartered if large)

6 ears of corn (shucked and split in half)

2 pounds smoked sausage (or kielbasa) - cut in 1 inch slices

4 garlic cloves (not to be confused with heads)

And we mustn't forget the ever important Old Bay. Trust me, if you don't have Old Bay, you don't even want to attempt to make this meal.

Boil 8 quarts of water and Old Bay (1 T of Old Bay per quart)
Once water begins to boil, add potatoes, sausage, and garlic
After ~15 minutes add corn
Leave boiling in the pot for another 5-7 minutes
Add shrimp to pot and let boil for approximately 2-3 minutes (shrimp gets rubbery fast, so keep an eye on it)

While you're waiting for the water to boil, practice silly faces...

6. Immediately strain the boil

7. Set out all nice and pretty for everyone to scoop out. Forks not necessary. ;)

8. Serve with smiling faces.

9. We recommend pairing with an ice cold beer.

Enjoy!

Have you made Lowcountry Boil? Any variations you use?

Planking, Owling, and Horsemaning - Oh my!

2011-08-14T16:27:00.000-07:00

So you may have heard of this crazy thing called planking? Well, consider it over. Until a couple days ago, Adam and I thought owling was the new thing. Here we are taking a few owling shots on the beach.

You also seem to look like you might be taking a bathroom break...

And then we found out how wrong we were!

Owling is out - old school. Clearly we weren't hip enough to know this.

Have you all heard of the new thing, horsemaning?

Here are a few hilarious horsemans:

And our beautiful horseman! Striking, isn't it? ;)

Fripp Island Photo Dump Part 2

2011-08-12T16:43:00.000-07:00

Don't want to leave tomorrow...

Fripp Island Photo Dump

2011-08-09T08:26:00.000-07:00

Hope y'all are having a great week! Here's a photo dump of our first couple days in Fripp!

Two Boroughs Larder Review

2011-08-05T05:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday for lunch two of my co-workers and I header to try out a new restaurant, Two Boroughs Larder. The restaurant had just opened to the public and is only a few blocks from our office. Easy decision.

Two Boroughs describes themselves as "seasonal american food ... our own prepared specialty foods and all the essentials to stock your pantry."

The restaurant is located in an old convenience store that gives a Southern, distressed vibe. Architecturally I loved the way the restaurant was set up: the exposed brick, and the gorgeous wood tables, and the whitewash vibe.

The lunch menu offered a few appetizer, salad, and sandwich selections. There were lots of options for old-timey drinks and coffee. Amber and I both went for a bottle of Blenheim's Ginger-ale.

We started our lunch sharing the Country Fried Rabbit and Pickled Carrots appetizer.

This was the first time any of us had tried rabbit and we all became big fans. Sarah compared the taste to "corn beef". Whatever it tasted like, it was good. (Also could have been the fact it was fried...)

For our entrees we all went with the sandwich board. I had the PBLT (pork belly, lettuce, tomato sandwich) and was thoroughly impressed. The best part may have been the pumpernickel bread the sandwich was served on. All of the sandwiches also came with a side of delicious zucchini pickles.

Amber opted for the Crispy Fried Chicken sandwich that had a fried egg tossed on top! The sandwich also had a spicy fingerling potato salad. Amber enjoyed her sandwich but felt it was a little too salty.

Sarah had the Roast Lamb with Farro. After having the sandwich, Sarah has become a farro convert, but agreed with Amber - her meal was too salty.

One of my favorite things about Two Boroughs Larder was the wall of goodies. A collection of items the store uses (glassware, coffee mugs, cleaning supplies, food supplies) are arranged beautifully on one of the walls for customers to shop. I, personally, am a big fan of the mason jars!

My only critic of Two Boroughs is service was a little slower than I'd like for a work lunch. However, for being the first day open, Two Boroughs Larder was great. The place has a fun vibe and we predict many more work lunches taking place there. I do recommend if you're looking for a quick lunch wait a couple weeks for when the place gets its wheels rolling.

My New New Belgium Beach Cruiser!

2011-08-04T06:09:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago I entered a scavenger hunt put on by Pearlstine Distributors. Pearlstine is one of the top beer distributors in South Carolina. For the month of July they were doing a different scavenger hunt every week featuring on of their brands. The week I played was New Belgium week and the prize was a New Belgium Cruiser.

The rules of the scavenger hunt were pretty simple: drink beer. Ha! Really, we accrued points by drinking New Belgium, attending New Belgium happy hours, and finding New Belgium employees. These points were tallied by tweets, 4square check-ins, and Facebook posts.

So for about a week I was drinking beer with all my meals. At least it was fancy beer. ;) One of my new favorite discoveries for the Trippel Man-Mosa. Just Trippel beer (or any wheat beer really) and orange juice.

Here are a few pictures from my adventure that week.

It was a close race, but I won! I was so so excited to win the bike! Haha, but I have a couple people to thank. My co-worker and friend Amber for committing to drink beer and lunch every day. Anddd my wonderful boyfriend Adam for attending both New Belgium Happy Hours with me. Hooray!

And here are a few pictures of the beautiful (monster) bicycle. I took them this morning and it was a little humid and my lens took note. Also, I've got some work to do on lowering the seat because I can barely stand over it right now.

Old to New

2011-08-03T08:04:00.000-07:00

Last weekend before we moved out of our South Battery house I was on a mission to get a couple final pictures. No matter how long I live somewhere, it makes it's own special impression. Since moving to Charleston I always wanted to live downtown. I wanted to walk to go shopping, walk to work, and just walk for fun around the beautiful neighborhoods. I found that location with South Battery. I went out on a limb and did the Craigslist roommates and it paid off. 8 months ago I met a couple girls who were no more than strangers and now I considered them good friends. I'm lucky that those friends are my roommates in our new house. We've moved on to a completely different part of town (in a completely different type of house), but I'm sure the adventures will be just as fabulous.

Pre-Vacay Checklist

2011-08-02T06:57:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I made a secret trip home to Kentucky to surprise my parents, and I'm so glad I did. It was about the quickest trip ever, but very well worth it. Friday after work Adam and I hopped in the car and about 10 hours later (2:30AM) we laid our heads to rest. I stayed at Adam's Mom's house because I didn't want to scare my parents in the middle of the night. I wanted a surprise, not a scare.

So Saturday morning bright and early (lots of coffee in tow) I made the trip home and still managed to scare them a little. I'm so glad I decided to be sneaky, I think it made them very happy. I ended up spending most of the day with my Dad going to the Farmer's Market (Findley Market) and hitting up a Reds Game. Y'all I miss MLB like whoa. The Riverdogs are fun. But there's something incredible about major league baseball.

Also, I have a newfound obsession with Vietnamese food. We went to Pho Lang Thang in Over the Rhine and it was incredible. If you live in Cincinnati, GO. If you live in Charleston, please tell me where I can get good Vietnamese.

And just like that it was Sunday. And Adam and I got back in the car. And 10 hours later we were back in Charleston.

Whew.

Now I've only got a few days until we leave for Fripp Island for a week, but I've got quite a to-do list ahead of me. Let me share:

Trader Joe's, Trader Joe's, Trader Joe's. I feel a little left out reading everyone's posts about how incredible it is. Tomorrow night, I will find out. :)

Hang all my artwork. My room feels a little blah right now, I'm thinking it's a lack of color. Tonight I'm going to hang all my paintings/posters. This will create a small challenge as 80% of my wall space is slanted (living in the attic basically). I'll update with pictures!

Figure out a new bedspread. I'm sick of mine, I've had it for a few years, and while it's pretty, I'm bored with it. Right now I'm debating between a plain white quilt or a pattern. I'm leaning towards white so I have the option to mix it up with pillows whenever I want. Thoughts?

Sand, prime, paint my new dresser. I would have started this last night, but I'm waiting on all of my shipments from Amazon and Benjamin Moore. Hurry up, yo!

There's obviously more to my list, but I'll update y'all as I go. Hope you're having a fabulous week!

Queen City

2011-07-29T09:28:00.000-07:00

I'm taking a super secret trip to Cincinnati this weekend to surprise my parents. Luckily they don't read my blog so hopefully I can keep this a secret for the next 20 hours.

Hope you all have fabulous weekends! Catch you on the flip side. ;)

Slowly Coming Together

2011-07-28T07:36:00.000-07:00

So today's post is sort-of a hodge podge of things. Like I said yesterday, I'm frazzled. My brain isn't working properly yet so I don't think I can manage a cohesive post. Just an example: within twenty minutes yesterday I broke 2 plates and soaked myself in soy sauce. All my own stupidity too. Not accidents, just dumb. This means today I'm just going to go random.

Things are progressing pretty well in the new house. We got most of the kitchen put together last night and my bedroom is only a few hours from being where I want it. It's constantly going to change over the next few weeks, but for now it would be nice to be done with all the boxes.

I've been stalking Craigslist pretty hardcore lately and am excited that last night I got to pick up this beauty:

Gorgeous, no? Welllll, imagine it looking more like this:

Source: primitiveandproper.blogspot.com via Carly on Pinterest

That's my inspiration piece. I ordered paint, an electric sander, and pretty knobs from Anthro. I'm excited to see how it will turn out!

Another fun little item I picked up in my Amazon binge was this pretty little beauty:

I've been a big fan of the Peas and Thank You blog for awhile now (LOVE the recipes and stories) so I was more than excited to order the new book! I even made one of Mama Pea's recipes for dinner last night.

Tofu Tacos - recipe via @Peas and Thank You

This was my first experience making tofu, and I have to say - I'm a fan! Even Adam was devouring the tacos. But perhaps even better than the tacos, was my new view from the kitchen...

Hope you all are having a great week!

What I'm Loving Wednesday: A Redirect

2011-07-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

My brain has been a little crazy lately. With moving and all the stress and confusion that comes with it, I'm struggling to get even a good thought out. I think I'm just a little delirious from the upheaval my life has taken in the last few days. It's so strange to wake up in a new place. Even small things, like my new scoot to work is throwing my off a little. Also, it doesn't help when I try to make dinner and half the boxes are still full of half the stuff I need (apple cider vinegar, where are you???).

So instead of a traditional What I'm Loving Wednesday, I'm linking up with the GreenDogLove post I wrote for Wordless Wednesday: Pinterest Puppies. Sorry for the cop-out, but the good news is is that the GreenDogLove blog is full of sweet puppy pictures. I know everyone loves those. :)

In honor of shark week, here's a sneak peek:

Source: artonkels.tumblr.com via Carly on Pinterest

6 Rolls, Not 12

2011-07-26T06:27:00.000-07:00

Y'all, my scooter puts me in some awkward situations. Here's the scene last night at Harris Teeter: I have to spend $50 to get a $10 off coupon. Now I'm going to be out of town this weekend, so I couldn't buy any perishables. Somewhere in my head I thought it would be a good idea to buy a bunch of toilet paper. New house means I need lots of toilet paper. Clearly I must have been delusional and thought that I had used an undetectable extension charm (HP!) on my scooter to fit all these items.

So wouldn't you know when I get outside to start packing up my groceries, right in front of the store, nothing is fitting. First, I look like a crackhead tearing about my toilet paper wrapper to try and individually fit the rolls. Then when I realize I can't fit the remaining items under my seat, I know I need help. I am not leaving behind that fancy bottle of wine!

Thankfully I have awesome roommates who were already out of the road looking for food. So just a few more minutes of looking silly and I've been saved. I also want to say I love living in Charleston. Some random woman told me she would drive home my groceries. We really are the friendliest!

Oh and it rained this morning. This is what I looked like:

Glorious Friday!

2011-07-22T08:59:00.000-07:00

This has really been an awesome week! Ha, I don't even want it to end! On top of moving to an awesome house, winning a bike (I'll write about that next week), today brought more good news; Adam and my website, GreenDogLove (we sell eco friendly dog products), has been featured in Charlie Mag. If you're a native Charlestonian I'm sure you've already check out this awesome site, but if you're new, give it a looksie. :)

Heavenly Buffalo Chicken Rolls

2011-07-20T10:24:00.000-07:00

Whatever you have planned for dinner tonight, cancel it. Make these buffalo chicken rolls ASAP and I promise I will turn into your best friend. These delicious, easy, healthy (!!!) little guys are incredible.

All credit goes to the glorious Andie of Can You Stay for Dinner? for the recipe. Also, please check her blog - the photos are much better (I assume she doesn't use and out-of-date iPhone for a camera) and her writing is better. She pretty much kicks my ass.

Quit waiting around and get your butt to the grocery store so you can experience this heavenly phenomenon.

Moving Days

2011-07-19T08:20:00.000-07:00

Things have been pretty wild around these parts lately. The big news is that I'm moving!

This weekend to be exact.

Crazy, crazy. It's a long story (that I will get into some day), but the lease at our current rental isn't being renewed. This has turned the last couple weeks into a free for all to find a new home in 30 days. We thought it was going to be difficult because we're pretty much living in the nicest part of downtown for a low, low price. We figured we'd be downgrading on the home/location and upgrading on the price. Somehow - this didn't happen! We found a better house and big news - it's on the water!! And guess what - it's the same price or cheaper (depends on how many bedrooms we use).

To give you a better perspective - here are photos from both houses. They are both for sale, and we pray the new one stays on the market a long, long time.

The house is a duplex, we currently live on the first floor.

My bedroom - not my furniture, these pictures are old from the real estate website.

And now, our new house....

My second bedroom will be the kitchen!

Elevator!

The master bedroom is ridiculous!

And did I mention it's on the marsh with a community dock?

Sooo...moving is not fun. But it's not too bad when you get to move into a 4-story home overlooking the Ashley River. :)