NUMBER 265

this is part 1 of a 2 part series called "laura spends the whole weekend being super productive". it's a rarity. i'm seriously coming off of some sort of DIY high right now. my weekend activities included: thrifting, priming, painting, thrifting [round 2], sanding, washing, cooking, sanding [round 2], staining, weeding, designing. quickly followed by sleeping, and not enough of it. here’s a wrap up of the before shots of this weekend’s projects:
 

i know andrew thought i was certifiably crazy when he came home thursday to see this lovely swan portrait hanging in our entryway. no girl nowadays can resist a good gold frame, and i wasn’t going to let this beauty at the salvation army go to waste. i spent some time this weekend saying goodbye to the swans and jumping on the chalkboard bandwagon. the finished frame is back in the entryway, now decorated for fall! after pictures to come!

saturday morning we grabbed some iced chai lattes and headed down the road to charming gastonia. the backstory: i've had my heart set on a round pedestal table for our dining room for some time now – spending too many hours on craigslist for the cause. i like to think that i'm pretty frugal when it comes to spending, so i've been holding out for the best deal possible on this table [under $100]. after passing up a pretty perfect antique table for $140, we took a chance and stopped at a hole in the wall “discount alley” on the way out of town. after being directed to the basement [no joke] for the furniture selection, i spotted it. andrew and i both couldn’t believe he only wanted $40 for the table. i honestly could have passed out, my hands were shaking i was so excited! we walked out of there with a new table and $30 lighter. yes, even at $40, i still negotiated!

 this is the before shot – before any sanding or staning. i've got 2 coats of poly to go before it’s finished, and i'm so excited to show you the final product!

NUMBER 264

friday is here friends! hopefully this weekend will bring us some cooler temps. eight degrees just doesn’t say “october”, am i right? this week has blown by, and i can look back and say it was a pretty good one! i'm participating in my favorite link up today with darci, christina, april, and natasha for their weekly five on friday!

1  |  some poor target marketing intern probably got fired yesterday. they’re buy one get one coupon was available for a short period of time yesterday afternoon, and i was able to score this gorgeous necklace for free [with the purchase of my $8 earrings]! you can bet i'm sporting it today [and maybe all weekend]. i feel like such a jerk – of course i was so excited about the incredible deal, sharing it with my friends, only to have target take down the coupon almost immediately! sorry for getting y’all’s hopes up! maybe another intern will screw up sometime in the near future!

2  |  andrew and i are BACK on the weight loss/get fit wagon. this happens about 3 times a year, if we could up that to 12 times a year, i think we’d be in good shape! after eating well most of the week and doing some sort of physical activity every night, i think we’re on the right track! keep up with my progress and cheer us on here, on my fitness pal.

3  |  i'm on the hunt for a new dining table, and i'm not afraid of a little diy project if it comes with a low price tag! i love this table makeover by kristen davis designs.

4  |  speaking of diy... i know i totally missed the boat on the chalkboard trend, but i got an awesome deal on a gold frame at the salvation army store yesterday. planning on some chalkboard action this weekend – pictures to come!

5  |  one of our favorite brunch spots in charlotte, zada janes, has this jam on every table. after the first bite, i was hooked! i left thinking that i would surely have to order it online [and would inevitably forget about doing it], so i was so surprised to find it in my local harris teeter in the produce area [on our little local rack]. looks like andrew will have to make a few of his mama’s biscuits this weekend…

HAPPY [FALL] WEEKEND!

NUMBER 263

DISCLAIMER: i’m a total coupon amateur, but i saw this deal and couldn't pass it up! maybe i'm late to the party on this one y'all, but i had to share the news before it's TOO LATE for you to get in on it too!

i got the 2 items above for $7.99 plus tax. [disregard my basmati rice purchase]. i used target’s mobile coupon for buy one get one free on jewelry, watches, and sunglasses. here’s how you score:

1. download the target mobile app
2. sign up for the mobile coupons under “deals and coupons”
3. pick your 2 jewelry items of choice [the cheapest can be a clearance item, the most expensive can be up to $58.99]
4. have your cashier scan the barcode for this week’s mobile coupon [expires tomorrow]
5. your most expensive item will be the FREE one!

like i said, i’m very green when it comes to couponing. i chould have scored a $50 new watch with a $2 clearance item, but instead i got two items that i know i'll wear. another amateur move: i didn't get a picture of my full receipt. my final total was $11.11 because i needed rice for lunch...so there's that.

HAPPY COUPONING!

*update: i've had mixed messages from some iPhone users saying they can’t see the coupon. i can still view mine which makes me think target may be trying to take this down to save themselves a little $$

NUMBER 262

i'm well aware that i've been neglecting my little blog, but i am still alive, well, and busy! here's a little recap in pictures of the last whirlwind week. not pictured: me + the boo celebrating our 4th wedding anny eating ice cream straight out of the carton.

new birthday boots! y'all might remember my wishlist post a while back. well, andrew came through in the clutch this year!
i think i’m good-to-go on shoes for the next 17 years.

playing dress up in the cliché birthday sombrero at cantina 1511 on friday night.

too much mexican food = pj party with anni-mal after din.

me, whitney, mason, and alexa.
saturday morning blogger brunch at toast with some lovely ladies!
i'm so so glad whitney put together this little outing! it was wonderful meeting you gals!

cute little coordinated family at mellow mushroom saturday night! [only ate 1 dinner at home last week, oops]

lastly, our weekend project. and by “our” i mean, the men. my dad and andrew spent saturday [and most of sunday] routing the gas line and installing new gas logs! we broke them in last night during the finale for breaking bad [which was ahhmazing]. our living room is quickly becoming my favorite place in the house!

HAPPY MONDAY, Y’ALL!

NUMBER 261

image via

today i am 28 years old! in the past few years, i feel as if i've been struggling with some sort of quarter-life crisis. i wasn’t feeling like the happy, carefree, girl i had known in years past. i was insecure, moody, and just not very fun [in my opinion]. late in my 27th year, i've truly felt a transformation. i'm on the rise again! my heart is happy, and i am content [and no, i'm not pregs]. here are just a few things that are keeping my spirits high:

• think positive!
  only i am in charge of how i feel.
• stop comparing.
  there will always be someone prettier, smarter, more talented, etc. be thankful and enjoy the many gifts and blessings that God has given me.
• count your blessings.
  [they greatly outweigh the negatives that can seem so huge at times]
• keep a clean home. 
  am i crazy? having a clean house makes me genuinely happy!
• stop putting happiness on a pedestal.
  i'm starting to realize that i don’t have to have 10/10 items checked off on my “list” in order to be happy. i have a good life.
• just do it.
  [not like nike] for me, this doesn’t mean going skydiving or moving to nashville to become a country music singer. it means going to coffee with a new friend or picking up the phone to call an old one. i walk around with the fear of rejection so often and don’t realize the opportunities that can pass me by. once i just “do it”, i'm so happy i did.

and a few goals for the next year:

• wake up earlier.
  i'm usually up by 9 on the weekends which is definitely progress. now if i could just swing 6:30 on a weekday, we’d be in good shape.
• eat better.
  i think i've eaten enough taco bell in my lifetime to feed a small village for a year. i wish i were kidding when i say that i love fast food and think it tastes really good. time to make some changes.
• be active.
  for me, this is a more realistic goal than “work out”. let’s start with a walk around the neighborhood a few times a week. baby steps.
• show love.
  i want to make a more conscious effort to think of others more often: call someone when you’re thinking of them, send more birthday cards, help out a friend who’s going through a hard time. i spend a lot of time thinking about doing these things and saying “i don’t have time”, when the reality is…. if i didn’t surf pinterest for 17 hours a week, i could spend more time doing meaningful things for other people!
• know God.
  learning to not think of God as some abstract being but rather someone who is actually in my life - day in and day out. our relationship is definitely something that needs tending in the next year [and then some].

the past year has brought a lot of enlightenment for me, and i know 28 will continue along the same path. thanks for reading and following my little journey!

NUMBER 260

last weekend we traveled to smith mountain lake to spend some time celebrating our sweet friends, marc and lori beth, and their engagement! we were fortunate enough to have our engagement party here just 4 short years ago, so it was so much fun to go back and relive the excitement with our good friends! the girls were too busy gossiping about the bachelorette party to snap pics, so these were stolen from marc+lb – which explains why they’re awesome, and not cell phone photos. thanks so much to their families for hosting this perfect event and for including us!

this view never gets old.

soul sisters/best friends
my dress is from francescas, lb’s is from gap

beautiful bridesmaids

the happy couple

my handsome groom – almost 4 years and counting!

dad and I being sweet.
andrew, brad, and mom perfecting the photo bomb.

we’re so lucky to have such great friends…who throw great parties…and invite us to them! can’t wait for that beautiful wedding in june!

NUMBER 259

it’s friday!! i haven’t been the best blogger lately, but i'm staying faithful to my favorite post each week – five on friday! i'm linking up with some of my favorites: april, christina, darci, and natasha for their weekly link up! you should too – all the cool kids are doing it!

1  |  earlier this week, alex was raving about pottery barn’s mercury glass pumpkins. what’s a girl to do when you don’t want to pay the pottery barn price tag? find them cheaper at kirklands, duh. and you can light these up if you’re feeling extra spooky.
2  |  although the weather isn’t quite cooperating with my state of mind, i put together a little fall crockpot meal this week. one of my go-to favorites is red beans and rice. i've been using this recipe for years, and it never fails. the only bad part? my hands smelled like chopped onions all day.
3  | we’re headed to virginia for the weekend to celebrate our good friends’, marc and lori beth’s, engagement. the party will be at marc’s parents’ picture perfect home on smith mountain lake, one that andrew and i have been lucky to be guests at too many times to count. so excited to celebrate the beginning of married life for these two love birds!
4  |  last weekend, mom took me on a little pre-birthday shopping trip and just couldn’t leave francesca’s without this gorgeous dress. i'm wearing it to the party on saturday and can’t wait to sport it when the weather gets cooler with some tall boots!
5  |  lastly, being in danville for the weekend wouldn’t complete without some niece snuggles. these little girls are growing so fast into young ladies, and our time with them is so so precious! looking forward to some delicious home cooking and a beautiful virginia weekend!

HAPPY WEEKEND!

NUMBER 258

it’s always so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day routine. take a minute today to reflect on the event that rocked our world 12 years ago. my thoughts and prayers are still with those who lost loved ones on 9.11 and who continue to hold strong today. we’ll never forget where we were on this day, and we’ll never forget the sacrifices that have been made since.  image via.

NUMBER 257

so i'm full of empty promises and haven’t had a sec to put together my vacay-wrap-up post! instead, i'm dropping by today for a little five on friday action with darci, christina, april, and natasha!

1  |  alex and i received a little surprise text yesterday from our good friend emily with some very valuable information. apparently we’re the carrie underwood fanatics in our group – who knew?! mrs. fisher is coming out with her very own opi nicole line which debuts in january 2014. can’t wait to try some of these new hues!

2  |  yesterday was my dad’s birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD! we’re driving up to greensboro tomorrow for a little beer brewing [and beer drinking] in honor of the birthday boy! i love this old throwback picture of my dad and me! it’s so fun/creepy to look back at old pictures of him and see the extreme resemblance to my brother now!

3  |  i'm feeling incredibly thankful for my little fur babies this week. it’s a well-known fact that i'm approaching the “crazy cat lady” title [if i'm not there already], so it’s no surprise that andrew and i both got really freaked out [ex: me, in tears] when we almost OD’d our cats on flea treatments this week. lesson to be learned: don’t just go for the cheapest brand of flea prevention [hartz, sergeants], they can be incredibly hazardous to your pet’s health. go ahead, splurge on the good stuff at the vet if you want to keep fido and fluffy around for a while.

4  |  i'm not a tried and true PSL gal. *gasp* i know! i'm more of a chai latte lover. i'd love to whip up this homemade chai vanilla latte creamer! i think it would be a nice little transition into fall!

5  |  although i'm not crazy about a PSL, i do love a great spiced donut! i had my first little pumpkin muchkin from dunkin’ donuts last week, and i know it won’t be the last. i've never made homemade donuts before, but i'm thinking i might add that to my fall bucket list! image via

HAPPY [ALMOST FALL] WEEKEND!

NUMBER 256

phillip lim for target (coming soon!)  |  naked 2 palette |  frye paige boots | essie cashmere bathrobe, skirting the issue, after school boy blazer

according to pinterest and every blogger/instagrammer out there, fall is in the air! nevermind that it’s currently 86 degrees outside. it’s definitely by far my favorite season: the season of football, hearty crockpot soups and chilis, chai lattes, boots and leggings, and MY BIRTHDAAAY! i've already started compiling a little wish-list. last year, i [we] got a house for my birthday, so i'm not sure this year will pack as big of a punch [or pricetag]!
i'll be back later this week with a vacay recap! we had a perfect time – i could not have asked for better weather, food, and company!