number 184

ermagersh! i'm still here, y’all! i won’t give you a line and say “things have been SO crazy lately!” because it hasn’t been anything out of the norm. i've just had a lazy streak and haven’t felt that anything was blog-worthy. we all have those days weeks, right? where nothing really seems all that interesting? it doesn’t mean that i was any less thankful during thanksgiving or that i haven’t been whipping up delicious food, no wait, scratch that last one.

here’s a snippet of what’s happening, via crappy cell phone pics. i think i'm due for a new cellular device.

at the virginia tech football game, before the buzz wore off, when we were still warm  |  we’ve had a ton of gorgeous fall sunsets around charlotte  |  quick trip to richmond for a dear friend’s perfect southern baby shower (invites designed my moi!)  |  we hung drapes in our bedroom – these are a fabulous buy, going to get more this weekend!  |  annie got dramatic before we left for thanksgiving  |  cookout pecan pie milkshake – a total game-changer  |  i got a fur vest and clearly fail at modeling it

that’s about it. we’ve been slowly, but surely, making the house more home-y and have spent a lot of time on the road or with guests here, in town. i know andrew and i are both super excited just to be in charlotte for the next few weekends, relax rake leaves, and decorate for our first christmas in our new home. so yeah, i'm here, just being a little quieter than usual!

number 183

ah! in less than 24 hours, i will be up to my eyeballs in maroon, orange, and bourbon! andrew and i are headed to see some of our favorite people in one of our favorite places: blacksburg, virginia! not only is it where i spent the best four years of my life, it’s gorgeous, and ...who wouldn’t want to go? see ya sunday, charlotte!

all images via

number 182

so this weekend, i played suzy homemaker and whipped up a little breakfast on saturday morning. i've been craving an easy casserole-type breakfast lately and decided a quiche would be easy, yet impressive enough for my sweet house-guest  not only was this recipe a snap, but it was delicious – with only a few ingredients. the hardest part was waiting for it to bake, so we could devour it!

spinach and bacon quiche via southern living

ingredients: 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1 (1.8-ounce) package leek soup mix
1/4 teaspoon pepper
10 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
1 unbaked (9-inch) frozen deep-dish pastry shell

prep: preheat the oven to 375°.
drain your spinach, make sure you get all that excess water out!
wisk together your eggs, half/half, and leek soup mix. next, stir in spinach, bacon, and both cheeses.
pour the goodness into your pie shell and bake for 45 minutes.
devour and enjoy!

number 181

so this weekend my beautiful and sweet sweet friend, alex, came to visit and continue our [new] tradition of no boys, floor seats, and being generally obsessed with carrie underwood for a good 48 hours. the concert was unbelievable [to be expected], as was the entire weekend. 
here are a few pics for your enjoyment…
 
needless to say, we were “blown away”. the last pic is my favorite. we felt so much closer in person, looking at these pictures doesn’t do her justice. girlfriend is gorgeous and didn’t miss a note! we were in the 8th row, and did a little “celeb” spotting – with emily maynard, charlotte’s own former bachelorette, just 2 rows ahead of us!
overall, it was a perfect weekend. we dined at cowfish and vida, partied at thomas street tavern and rira, and boutique hopped all around charlotte. alex, you’re welcome back ANYTIME – you were the perfect houseguest! now if only we could get you to move to charlotte….

number 180

it’s the freakin' weekend!!!! well….not technically, not until 5. but i'm just SO excited! one of my best gal pals, alex, is coming to town this weekend to frolic around charlotte AND tomorrow night, we’re going to see our mutual best girlfriend, carrie sing. yeah, we’re friends in real life, didn’t you know that?

i have some pretty good lookin’ friends. hah…. i'm losing it.

2 years ago, alex and i took a last minute chance to snatch up some carrie tix and see her perform in roanoke, and it was easily one of the best nights of my life. don’t believe me? here’s a recap. this year we got on the ball and scored some equally awesome seats and are both so excited to relive it all!

i'm very much looking forward to blowouts, boutique hopping, and belting carrie songs all weekend with you, al! yay! c’mooon 5 o’clock!

number 179

something about paint on the walls just makes me feel at home. and no, i'm not talking about “builder beige” that comes in almost every apartment i've ever lived in. color chosen by YOU that fits YOUR lifestyle and reflects YOUR tastes. my mom’s coming into town for a few days this week to help get the paint train started. i figure, we’ll shoot for the living room, bathroom, and our bedroom – since those are the rooms where we spend most of our time.

the colors i've selected for the house are mostly variations grey, some bluer – some greener. while andrew’s busy thinking “they all look the same to me”, i'm having a less-than-easy time deciding exactly which shade of “greige” i'd like our main living quarters to be.

our living room has 2 large windows, but they’re both on the same side of the room. i'm having a hard time straying from the beautiful rich shades like “intellectual gray”, but on the flipside, i don’t want the room to seem darker and smaller than it already is. has anyone painted any of these shades before? and if not, what’s your favorite greige?

number 178

so i opted for a re-design instead of an actual post today. #sorryimnotsorry

see y’all pretties next week!

number 177

welp! we’re all in and [mostly] unpacked. i can’t tell you how exciting it is to finally have a home base that’s OURS. even though we’ve been in charlotte for over a year and a half, buying this house really says that charlotte is our home, and we’re here to stay! last night, andrew and i took a long walk to check out our new neighbs – and again it made us both so certain that we made the right decision. the streets are beautiful, the neighbors are SO friendly, and we’re pretty much obsessed with our new digs.
let’s back-track for a sec: last march [wow! march!] i made this little wish-list when we started house hunting. let’s see how our new purchase stacks up:

1. bungalow: our house isn’t your traditional “bungalow” style, but the interior layout is very similar. according to my expertise [google images], i believe our architectural style is “cape cod with cotswold cottage details” which is just fine by me! are you tired of seeing images of the front of the house yet? what? one more?
   
2. near uptown: our commute this morning was 11 minutes to uptown. not too shabby! our usual commute was usually 5-7 minutes, so an extra 3 or so won’t hurt.
3. newly renovated: while we don’t have a brand spankin’ new kitchen, the seller was very kind to update the fixtures in the bathroom, the lights thorough the home, install rubbed bronze doorknobs, re-stain the beautiful hardwoods, and paint the walls and trim. eventually we do plan on updating the kitchen, but we’re so happy to have a home that isn’t necessarily a “fixer-upper” - she’s already gorg.
   
   
4. 3 bed / 2 bath: 3 bed / 1 bath. gotta make a compromise somewhere! i'll trade an extra bathroom for the spacious back yard anyway.
   
   
5. good neighborhood: not only good, but great! i won’t get into specifics, but i will tell you that we bought in one of the neighborhoods mentioned in our wish list.

overall, i think we hit the nail right on the head with this one. i'm already looking forward to the many memories will make in our new home and the process of making it our own.
up next: paint colors and my diy wish-list!

number 176

i know everyone’s been driving themselves crazy thinking “what happened to laura?” “where’d she go?” and dyyying to know just WHAT i've been up to. the reason i've been MIA: we're CLOSING on our house friday! needless to say, my mind hasn't been on the blog. i figured i'd stop in for a sec, say hey, and let everyone know that i'm still here, just taking some time to pack and prepare for a life in an actual HOUSE!

damn right she’s under contract!

stay tuned for our adventures in first-time homeownership! with this exciting change, i hope to include y'all in some fun DIY's and budget friendly fixer-uppers. any tips? send them my way (pretty please!)

number 175

i really enjoy reading these little tidbits from other bloggers, so i thought i'd give it a try. some of these are pretty quirky – and not in the cute, zooey deschanel kinda way.

if you really knew me, you’d know that i don't like to be the center of attention, and even though i love to sing, it takes some big-time coercion [and usually some liquid courage] for a karaoke song or two.

if you really knew me, you’d know that i LOVE food, and have had many a conversation with my husband about how much. i'm not a top chef (andrew’s lucky if i cook more than twice a week), but i like to eat more than i like to cook.

if you really knew me, you’d know that i can’t commit to working out. considering my previous statement above, this has GOT to change. no more of this 2-5 month at a time business.

if you really knew me, you’d know that i'm seriously afraid of black holes and the enormity of space really freaks me out.

if you really knew me, you’d know that i have a soft spot for all animals, but mostly kitties. and adding to that one…if you really knew me, you’d know that i have an embarrassing amount of cat pictures on my cell phone.

if you really knew me, you’d know that i've only ever had 3 real boyfriends in my life, and i'm married to one of those.

if you really knew me, you’d know that i still drive the same car i drove in high school…a 2001 blue celica. it was my “dream car” when i was 17. now, not so much, but it runs, so i don’t complain too often.

if you really knew me, you’d know i've changed my career path 4 times since graduating college. luckily i've found one i love and will stick with!

if you really knew me, you’d know that i'm really shy, and meeting new people makes me really nervous. i've been trying to get over this little hurdle lately by speaking to people i wouldn’t normally speak to and getting out of my comfort zone more and more.

if you really knew me, you’d know that i love canned asparagus and candy corn (but not together!).

and if your really knew me, you’d know that i'm really clumsy. i'm often tripping, spilling, dropping stuff, dripping food on myself. just call me grace!

i hope you’ll play along too! if you decide to give it a go, post your link in the comment box below!

number 174

this house thing is on my brain all.the.time. seriously, everything that crosses my mind is, in one way or another, related to the house (décor/diy/appliances). so it’s no surprise that when i'm driving down the road and pass a piece of furniture being thrown out, i immediately think, “that’s cute! where could that go in our new house?”

now, andrew and my friends can vouch for this: oftentimes, i think i'm really funny. here i am, driving down the road, with a chair from the side of the road, in my 2 door hatchback car, SO tickled and thinking i'm really clever for snatching up  this little prize! the reality is this – i picked up someone else’s trash with the intention of using it my house, and it kinda smells a little bit like a wet dog.

anyway…am i crazy or would you do it too? ps. it’s pier 1.

my roadside treasure

just so you can see the potential that i see: here is a similar chair for sale now. check out that price… and just to add to my defense: a little indoor wicker/seagrass inspiration.

my plan of action is to 1. give it a little bleach treatment to get rid of any mold/mildew that could be causing the stinky dog smell 2. add a little stain to touch up some blemishes 3. sew a cute linen cushion for the seat.

the best part: if all else fails, i’m not out a single dime because i got it FO FREE!

have you found any trash-to-treasures lately?

number 173

so i'm hoppin’ back on the blog train this week by linking up with jamie for a little “what i'm loving wednesday”… enjoy!

i've totally got fall on the brain, as you can see from #'s 1 and 4.

1  |  you can skip offering me that pumpkin spice latte from starbucks or anything pumpkin flavored. i'm loving the sugary-sweetness of the brach’s mellowcreme pumpkins. so what if i've already polished off an entire bag a few this season.

2  |  with this dream-house purchase in our midst, we’re in the market for a new couch. i'm loving a few of my favorites pictured above (1, 2, 3).

3  | i'm loving browsing craigslist every.single.day for the perfect vintage dresser. our new home only has 1 bathroom, so i have every intention of taking over one of the guest rooms and making it my very own girly getting-ready haven.

4  | i'm loving plaid. and the fact that fall is just around the corner. i definitely rushed it a bit this week by sporting my boots yesterday when the high was 80 degrees. whoops. anyway…i'm always on the hunt for the perfect plaid flannel shirt. too bad this one is for men. would it still work?

hope everyone’s having a great week!

number 172

if you know me IRL, you know that although i do like nice things, if it's inexpensive AND nice, then i LOVE it! i'm all about a good deal! i'm not afraid of eBay or craigslist, and find myself on both sites at least once a day, just perusing and making a mental wish list. am i the only one?

this birthday, i opted for a recent craigslist find as a birthday gift and was more than pleased with my decision.

forgive the cell-phone picture and shag carpet. this is my new china cabinet – purchased from a lovely lady in kannapolis for $100. it’s in perfect condition, and i can't wait to fill it with my pretty pretty fine china that's been packed away since we moved to charlotte last year! i already have its perfect place picked out in the new house!

on several occasions when friends/family say "i'm looking for *this piece of furniture*" my immediate response is "check craigslist!". i've had some really good luck on craigslist since moving to charlotte - both buying and selling! bigger market – better stuff? anyway, i have yet to have a bad experience, so i wanted to share a few tips which, i think, have contributed to my success.

now, in a year, i might have a garage full of diy’s that never were, but don’t shy away from a great buy just because it’s not the right color, doesn’t have good knobs, or has broken glass. there are a TON of furniture painting tutorials out there for us beginners. buy some new knobs at anthro and replace that old broken glass, and you’ve got a piece that not only looks as good as new: it looks custom and expensive!

never will i ever buy from the “dealer” on craigslist. i feel like even searching that section is a huge waste of time. even when i'm searching the "by owner" section, i look for listings that are low on the symbols – NOT like: ***********NEW GREAT OFFER ~~~~ GET IT WHILE IT LASTS**********. yeah…not gonna happen, buddy.

i think i overlooked this little option for years before discovering it last week:
i’m not going to consider a listing unless it has a picture. maybe i'm missing out on something awesome by doing that, but cmon...can you really expect to sell your "beautiful one-of-a-kind camo gun cabinet" without a picture? believe me, "show images" and it'll save you a boatload of time.

the worse they can say is “no thanks”. say you’re in love with a kitchen table, but it’s listed for $50 more than you’d rather spend. email the seller and ask if they’ll take your price! if they say no, check back a little later. chances are, if that table hasn’t sold yet, they’ll take your offer just to get it out of the house!

you’re looking for a gorgeous campaign dresser for under $300? story of my life! an rss feed will show your listings in google reader or your rss feed of choice. so you can check the listings as frequently as you want, with these exact search parameters. just perform your search:

then click the orange RSS button at the VERY bottom right corner of the page to set up your feed. ()

 

and lastly, be safe. although i've had several good experiences with craigslist, there are some creepers out there. be sure to take your husband/boyfriend/really strong gal-pal with you on your trip to pick up your new-to-you awesome find!

 

did i completely miss your awesome craigslist tip?
fill a gal in!

number 171

today, andrew and i are celebrating our 3rd anniversary. and by celebrating i mean, having 2 of his best friends come stay with us for a couple of nights for a golf tournament tomorrow and another just passing through. i'm ok with that because i'm an awesome wife (that, and he's taking me out of town for a romantic date saturday night!)

i've known my husband for 11 years, and we've been “together” over 5 out of those eleven. you see, when i was 15, i had an embarrassing huge crush on an older 18 year old guy at our church. obsessive high school dream crush. 6 years later, during my senior year in college, we went on our first date.

our first year together was filled with lots of "this-is-SO-crazy-that-we’re-dating"s quickly followed by lots of "i've-never-felt-like-this-before"s. and telling my mom "i think i might marry him" just in casual conversation. i can honestly say, from day 1, i knew something was different. it's always just felt "right"… and it still does. i can't imagine anyone more perfectly made for me. we complement each other seamlessly, and i'm just so thankful that he's such a huge part of my life.

happy anniversary, andrew. i love you a massive amount, and i'm SO excited for what is yet to come.

number 170

image via

so today i'm twenty-seven years old. sometimes throughout the year i have days where the smallest problems seem so huge… i forget to look around and see all the good that’s in my life, reflect, and be thankful. today’s a good day for that: i have 27 years behind me - filled with great memories from great people. i have a happy and healthy husband who tells me he loves me and kisses me every day, two parents who are wonderful role models and who still love each other so much, a wonderful family (immediate, extended, and in-law) that i wouldn't trade for anything in the world, a boatload of amazing girlfriends who make me so so happy (even though we're hours apart), and even the simple things that i take for granted all too often: a steady paycheck, an un-leaky roof over my head, 3 meals a day, my health, a beautiful, safe city to live in, two healthy and affectionate kitties, and a ton more.

my goal for year 27 is to remember these things every day. in reality, not every day can be champagne and confetti, but keeping this little list of thankfuls in mind can really put those “huge” problems into perspective.

number 169

in the spirit of the first day of fall! i’ve put together a little bucket list. let’s see how i do!

what’s on your fall bucket list?

number 168

image via

welp! it looks like we're well on our way to being homeowners! as of last friday morning, andrew and i are officially under contract on the cutest house ever! (it's a proven fact! - you’ll just have to trust me – no, that’s not it in the picture above) we're overjoyed and have spent the last week crunching numbers, waiting on inspections, and in the spirit of full disclosure: picking out paint colors. we’ve been doing the whole house hunting thing since february and this is as far as we’ve gotten and really feel like this is the one. i cried during the tour. yep, full disclosure.

the excitement is still in full force, but with that comes the anxiety of the biggest. purchase. ever. or at least… since we’ve been on this earth. our realtor is amazing, as is the seller of our cute cute home-to-be, and the process has been really easy and seamless thus far. still, there are some days when i feel like a nervous wreck and want to obsessively drive by the house to make sure no one else has staked their claim on our adorable abode. (yeah, i know i'm nuts) so… anyone out there want to give a little advice on getting through this anxious time for first-time-homebuyers? other than xanax.

number 167

since i got a pretty good response from y'all for last week's tip, here's another one that's quick and to the point, and will be beneficial to YOU and your readers:

this is something that's so simple! for the longest time, i overlooked this tiny task that could have really helped me out. let's say i'm posting about a really cute dress over at queen of the tailgate. be sure to check the tiny box at the bottom of the hyperlink window to "open this link in a new window". (see below!)

this little task will enable your viewers to simply "x" out of the site you've linked out to, and return back to your blog to read for another 3 hours. otherwise, if they're like me, they're getting lost for days browsing the virtual aisles of pottery barn or, worst case, the black hole that is pinterest. 

so maybe you already knew today's trick, maybe you didn't. is there a web trick you'd like to know how to do? ask me! if i don't know, i'll try my best to find out and we'll learn together!

number 166

so i had a little craft time going on at my house sunday afternoon. the sound of football on the tv and the cool crisp air really got me in the mood for a little fall wreath action. here are a few snaps of my little project:

my supplies (cost ~$20, i already had my burlap). i bought a grapevine wreath because they were on sale, and it ended up being better than a foam form one.



i hot-glued the moss directly onto the grapevine wreath, and used a dowel to press it down in between the vines. above, you can see the back of my wreath, which i decided looked fine enough to leave bare. there’s no reason why you couldn’t glue moss on the back as well. below, i laid out my “adornments” the way i liked, then glued them into place. tip: a candle ring works just as well as the loose sprigs of berries, etc!

above, i made my bow, and hot-glued it separately to the hanging burlap piece. for me, i was able to make a prettier bow using this method. if you’re a super craft queen, i'm sure you could make it all one piece! lastly, i covered my letter W in burlap. this step took longer than the whole wreath! i used my wooden dowel to keep the burlap down while the hot-glue dried. tip: this works much better than using fingers!

here’s the finished product!

i hope y’all enjoyed craft time! i really enjoyed this project and hope to continue posting more crafts in the future!

how are you welcoming fall?

number 165

hey y’all! as a quick follow-up to yesterday’s post: queen of the tailgate is giving all OLQC readers 10% off!!

10% OFF
at
promo code:
QUEENCITY

so head on over and stock up on your football frocks!! thanks, QT!