number 101

it’s tuesday! for the 2nd week in a row – i'm hoping you’ll link up with me for my new series, “take me there tuesday”. here are the “rules” again just in case you missed last week’s: “every week, a new getaway - whether it’s a vacay spot you frequent, a dream trip you’d like to take, or even a new restaurant you want to try”. let’s go!

i'm so excited! if i could fast forward to friday, you bet i would! andrew and i are heading back down to asheville, north carolina for a fun weekend away! you might remember asheville from this post way-back-when.

image via

this gorgeous town is the location of america’s largest home, the biltmore, but since we’ve seen what there is to see there, we’ll be exploring some other venues this trip. what i'm most excited about is our saturday night activity. we’ve got 2nd row seats to see funny man, aziz ansari. if you haven’t seen his stand up – go now – or, well, later… when you’re at home… and away from the workplace and away from little ears. since i have a really immature since of humor, he makes me laugh out loud every time.

we’ll be staying in downtown asheville, hitting up the local breweries and sidewalk cafes, and maybe if i’m lucky, a little shopping as well! i really can’t wait!

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so, tell me…

where is this tuesday taking you?

number 100

how pertinent that my 100th post would fall on such an important day. today marks the 5 year anniversary of april 16, 2007 – a day that every virginia tech hokie will never forget. even though she says she’s at a loss for words, my sweet friend alex said it so well:

“i cannot believe it has been 5 years since my favorite place on earth was absolutely rocked by a senseless, selfish act of violence that took the precious lives of 32 of my fellow hokies. there isn't a day that goes by that i don't think of that terrible day and all the families who undoubtedly still grieve today. if there is ever a reminder to be thankful for all the blessings in your life and remind the important people in your life just how important they are to you....this is it. you may not get that chance tomorrow.”

picture via

neVer forgeT

04.16.07

number 99

i'm so excited! last night, i ordered a gold monogram necklace from etsy. am i the only southern gal who doesn’t have one of these? i didn’t want to splurge too much – i get nervous that things like this are just a fad, so i won’t invest too much money in something until i know it’ll be around for a while. for example, i just bought my first nice pair of skinny jeans (the first 2 being from f21) – and even those were from the joe’s jeans outlet! hence my hesitation for purchasing expensive colored denim. i digress…
here’s the link where i purchased my gold-plated monogram necklace (i got the 1.25”) on an 18” chain. happy shopping!

do you dive head first into a new trend?

number 98

 
woo hoo! it’s wednesday! i'm linking up again with jamie for what i'm loving wednesday! first, i'm loving that i have a 3 day workweek (muahahaha). monday, i was off for the Easter holiday, and friday, andrew and i are headed back to danville for this week’s #3 (below). enjoy!

1  |  lately i'm loving colored denim! it’s all over pinterest and in any department store or boutique you visit. i'm still not sure if i can pull it off…but i'm going to find out soon! maybe paired with a simple white blouse and some gold jewelry? photo via

2  |  opi’s rapidry top coat! this stuff has changed my life! i'm now going on day 5 of an at-home manicure with no chips. that doesn’t happen in real life! and to boot, i don’t wake up with sheet marks on my nails when i get the urge to paint them an hour before bed! …it’s the little things.

3  |  i'm loving that we’re heading back to danville to spend the weekend celebrating one of my best friend’s most special days! my friend lauren, you may remember her from this post, is finally marrying her “lover”, adam, and i could not be happier for them! she was born to be a wife, and i know she’ll be an amazing one for adam! congrats, you lovebirds!

4  |  lastly, i'm in love with these envelopes, every single one of them, from lindsay letters. so much that it makes me want to learn this “calligraphy” technique myself – not to make money, just to send fancy mail, duh. i stumbled on her website a while ago, and forgot all about it until it popped up on pinterest yesterday. oh, how i love pinterest too!

what are you loving this wednesday?

number 97

it’s tuesday, and after a 3.5 day weekend, it might as well be monday. tuesdays have a rough go, in my opinion. at least on wednesday, you’re able to say “the week is halfway over”. sometimes i just need a little pick-me up on the 2nd day of the workweek. this being said, i'd love it if you’d join me for my new series “take me there tuesday”. every week, a new getaway - whether it’s a vacay spot you frequent, a dream trip you’d like to take, or even a new restaurant you want to try. i want to hear about it! here we go!

today my daydreaming mind takes me to destin, florida – my longtime favorite vacation spot! my family has been taking trips here since i was a toddler, and moving to the east coast (and the 12 hour drive) didn’t change that one bit. about 4 out of 5 people i mention this to have been there as well! quite the popular venue! the white sand and clear gulf of mexico has always set a high standard when choosing a family vacation spot and brings us back year after year!

image via

our favorite area to stay in the past few years has been miramar beach. to avoid some of the more crowded beaches in the area, we usually rent a townhouse or a big condo (there are 7 of us) in a low-rise building. (fyi: we always use this site to find awesome rentals). a few of my favorite restaurants to visit are the red bar in grayton beach (their smoked tuna dip is a MUST), harbor docks in destin(great for sushi), acme oyster house in baytowne warf (probably twice a week), and kj’s for late night fun (roshambo, the house band, is awesome)!

even as an adult, my family vacation is something that i look forward to all year (we go later in august to get lower rates and pray for no hurricanes). it’s so nice to take time away from work and spend quality time with those you love the very most!

so, please tell me…

where is this tuesday taking you?

number 96

happy friday! today, i'm linking up with my best gal, alex, for her friday five that she’s bringing back into action just for me! since Easter is this sunday, it’s the feature for my friday five:

1  |  my Easter holiday isn’t complete without cadbury crème eggs. apparently there’s people out there that are weirded out by the egg-ish yellow center? crazies. more for me!

2 | i love these soft pastel hues from OPI. here i've featured barre my soul, go on green, and care to danse? i'm thinking a soft pink on my nails would be perfect for this weekend. let’s be real, i'll probably stay with this color.

3  |  my dress for sunday is an oldie but a goodie! it’s been a while since i've worn this gal, and since bright bold colors are in this spring, i think this will be perfect. jcrew doesn’t sell this style anymore, but you might get lucky at an outlet or ebay if you’re looking!

4  |  the annual Easter egg hunt! i'm SO looking forward to seeing all of our cute nieces and cousins decked out in their Easter sunday best during the egg hunt. it’s my favorite part! and since it’s one of my sweet niece's 4th birthday, cake will be involved – which makes the day’s events that much sweeter!… literally.

5  |  with most sunday holidays comes a 3 day weekend! i'm extending my holiday into monday to spend the day with my brother apartment hunting in charlotte – which then means that we’ll be spending most of our day in uptown (the boys got high standards!)

happy easter!

number 95

i'm an idiot and deleted this post by accident

number 94

there’s a site that has recently gone viral on the interwebs that features several hilarious animated gifs. i seriously find myself laughing uncontrollably out loud at my desk (which defeats the purpose of me appearing to do work when in reality i'm surfing the net – so rare!) i wanted to share:
for example:

HOW I ALWAYS FEEL AFTER BRUNCH

and many more. ENJOY! <—click here!
and they already have a hokie copycat. so, i thought i'd take my own stab at it.

WHEN MY FRIENDS ARE COMING TO VISIT

I’m like…

EVERY DAY AROUND 2 O’CLOCK

I’m like…

ok ok. so maybe i shouldn’t quit my day job! hope everyone’s having a great day!

what’s your favorite internet sensation?

number 93

last night’s tv had my dvr bursting at the seams! first up, at 8 was the ACM awards with country music’s finest. this was quickly replaced by hbo’s season premier of game of thrones at 9 and followed up with a new episode of mad men at 10!

i got the most important part of the acm’s anyway – it led off with carrie underwood performing her new single, good girl. which was less than stellar. i rarely say this about a carrie performance, but honestly, other than her bangin’ outfit, i just wasn’t blown away.

however, in catching up with the photos and list of winners from last night, there were a few that definitely stood out for me:

1  |  2 

i've never been a huge taylor fan, but lately she seems to be really growing up and doing her ‘hands over mouth – i can’t believe i won’ gesture a little less. i've always liked her with straight hair which really polished off her mod glam look last night! she gets bessed dressed in my book. followed by jennifer nettles from sugarland as her runner-up. i LOVE this dress! can you believe i found this in a worst dressed slideshow on one site? crazy, i tell ya!

 3  |  4

i'm not going to say much about these two – you have a stylist for a reason, no? gross.

who were your hits and misses?

number 92

woo hoo! a full work week just makes the last day of it SO much sweeter. i've had a fabulous week, so i've decided to link up with lauren over at "from my grey desk" for her weekly high five for friday link partay!

1 | i'm starting to play golf (and i think i'm pretty good!) i grew up with my brother -- who played at the college level for a bit -- trying to teach me proper golf techniques only to find that i would spend the entirety of our lesson 'whiffing' the ball or to have it dribble a few feet in front of me. i purchased a $30 set of women's clubs last year at a yard sale with the intention of mastering the sport of a decent drive and maybe, if i'm lucky, be good at 1 sport in my entire life. the point of all this is that last saturday, andrew and i went to the driving range, for the first time with my yard sale clubs, and i was AWESOME! i was hitting drives longer than i ever have before! so tomorrow, we're taking my new found talent to the golf course. don't get excited - just 9 holes. i get cranky after 7...

2 | my brother (mentioned above) is moving to charlotte!!! i could not be more excited! he recently accepted a job in uptown charlotte, and i could not be more excited for him! i may or may not have been sending him obnoxious emails filled with craigslist apartment ads every day. what kind of big sister would i be if i didn't make sure he was taken care of? mom would be so proud!

3 | midwood smokehouse for dinner tonight!

4 | Easter is next weekend! i'm more excited than usual about this holiday because i gave up diet coke for lent. you can guess what beverage i'll be ordering for lunch after church!

5 | i start full time hours at my web design job on monday! since last may, i've been straddling 2 part-time jobs (and some singing on the weekends), and even though i'm sad to leave 1 behind, i'll be so happy to have a normal 9-5 schedule. plus, i love my job - which is so rare in these days!

head on over to lauren's blog and check out her sister, kate's, as well. both adorable gals!

happy weekend!

number 91

the past couple of months, andrew and i have been throwing around the idea of buying a house. more than that…we’ve been scouring the market every day, and our very patient realtor has been so sweet to show us any home we like! it’s been a really fun experience so far – not so fun when you see the asking price on some of these perfect homes, but that comes with the territory. here are a few of our “must haves” for home shopping. now, we’re well aware that we’ll have to compromise in one [or more] department, but just let me live my newly renovated bungalow dream for a little longer...

1  |   2  |  3  |  4  |  5

charlotte is bursting with quaint neighborhoods filled with cute houses and fun restaurants. we’ve gotten to know the areas pretty well and have narrowed down where we’d like our future home to lie. our current favorites: plaza midwood, dilworth, and chantilly. currently, we rent a condo in myers park – but for now, we just can’t hang with the half-mil price tag that comes along with a myers park home. when we find “the one” you can bet the news will be here first [or, lets be real…5th].

any advice for first-time home buyers?

number 90

you know when you read a great book, and the movie never lives up to your expectations? this is not one of those stories. i saw ‘the hunger games’ last night, and was pleasantly surprised! i feel like they stayed very true to the story that suzanne collins created. and they did an excellent job at showing just how twisted the capitol is – pictured perfectly in ceasar flickerman’s (stanley tucci’s) face above.
one thing is certain, it beats the hell out of twilight.

number 89

i didn’t really become a girly-girl until about 5 years ago. i wore makeup and did my hair (on occasion) in college, but pretty much stuck to my 3 pairs of american eagle jeans and oxford button-up polos. only lately have i developed an interest for accessories, designer apparel, and what i fondly refer to as “fancy” makeup. moving to charlotte and having instant access to a sephora or nordstrom could have been a fiscal nightmare (for andrew), but over the past year, i've slowly built up my makeup collection using quality brands, and believe it or not, my complexion is much better as a result! here are the items i use on a daily-weekly basis:

1  |  benefit – stay don’t stray – eyeshadow primer – i really like that a little of this goes a long way!

2  |  benefit – boi-ing – concealer

3  |  laura mercier – tinted moisturizer* – not too heavy for every day wear! and you can layer it if you want more coverage! love!

4  |  laura mercier – silk crème foundation – peach ivory – this is a new addition to my collection, much more coverage than the #3, i'm liking it so far!

5  |  bobbi brown – pressed powder – warm natural**


6  |  bobbi brown – sheer finish loose powder**


7  |  cover girl  - classic color blush – soft mink – oldie but a goodie!

8  |  urban decay -  naked eyeshadow palette* – perfection!

9  |  bobbi brown – long wear gel eyeliner – black

10  |  loreal – voluminous million lashes mascara – blackest black – this is just okay. I might step up my game and get a MAC mascara next time. any suggestions? i have tree stumps for eyelashes – the goal is LENGTH!

11  |  NYC – eyeliner pencil  - black – at $1 each, you can’t beat it!

12  |  bare escentuals – buxom lips – leslie*


*have to have, can’t live life without it! if you don’t have a naked palette, RUN and get one now! it’s the only eyeshadow i use, and i get compliments all.the.time.

**footnote: i don’t use pressed powder and loose powder in the same day. the compact is usually thrown in my purse!

i'm not going to waste my time putting up a makeup tutorial, because there are already so many awesome ones out there. sorry, i know you’re really looking forward to my smokey eye (because it’s awesome!) BUT, just wanted to let y’all know that i really love all of these products, and if you’re on the fence about building your “fancy” makeup collection – go for it! i wear most of these products every single day – and that’s more than can be said about the “designer” jeans that have replaced those old faithful AE’s!

number 88

y’all may remember my raves about these avocado grilled cheese sandwiches a while back. we've eaten them twice in the past week – with a few edits to the original:

the new (and improved) avocado grilled cheese is now combined with your traditional BLT sandwich. layer the following ingredients and toast on your panini press for a delish din:

your favorite bread (we had a french loaf on hand)
avacado
tomato
provolone cheese
bacon
pesto (optional)

SO quick and hardly any cleanup – which wins in my book! i served our sammies with a mixed green salad and some trader joe’s greek goddess dressing!

enjoy eating!

number 87

march madness has begun! i don't consider myself a real fan of any team, really, but when asked to join the bracket pool at work yesterday, i couldn't be the only one not picking! right? i had about 30 minutes to do some last-minute research before making my very important decisions in order to make this "winning" thing happen. now, at least i know that it's not about your favorite teams or who you want to win - it's all about odds and how to guess better than everyone else in the office. i think i'm on the right track. after the first day of games were played yesterday, i was in first place. unfortunately, since then, i've fallen to 5th. let's hope i can tread water for the rest of the night! what? you wanna see my picks? ok! (click the pic to enlarge)

i made several enemies in the office by picking kansas to win it all (kentucky and unc alum). oh well. must be tha money?

what do y'all think? am i way off?

number 86

to celebrate my return to the blogosphere [for the moment], i'm tagging along to participate in one of my favorite linky parties - what i’m loving wednesday.

i’ve been pretty sour this week because i’ve been home from work – sick with the sore throat/hacking cough/clogged up congestion crap, but i can still pick some good stuff out: my short but sweet list.

1  |  it’s no secret that i love my kitties. today, i love them extra. despite my recent illness, i made sure the kitties were at their annual checkup today, and both of them got A+ reports from the vet. annie loved on all the nurses and bangs…well, bangs hid in the corner. they meowed and howled all the way to the vet, but it’s worth it to make sure they’re healthy - considering they’re the only babies we’ll be having for a while.

2  |  spring has sprung in charlotte! i think the temp hit 88 degrees today. no joke [apparently summer is the new spring?] i can’t complain! i love that everything is in bloom – especially the tulip trees! picture via

3  |  i really love eyeliner. and lately, for a dramatic flair, i've been using the gel eyeliner. just the cheap kind, though – to make sure i like it. recently i bought the double set from bobbi brown, and i'm really excited to try out my new fancy makeup!

4  |  like everyone else, i'm loving that the premier of the hunger games was this week! although it won’t hit charlotte theatres until next friday, i very much enjoyed oohing and ahhing over jennifer lawrence and her gorgeous dress in pictures of premier that’s all over the interwebs! if you haven’t read the trilogy yet – go out and get it! it’s not groundbreaking literature, but it’s a quick and easy read you won’t regret later. picture via

and, as always, i'm loving my husband because he’s awesome!

number 85

so carrie released a new video last night, and i'm celebrating by getting back on the blogging bandwagon. i love how my blog looks right now, and want to make good use of it!
the first song off her 4th album (coming in may!), good girl is a fun, catchy tune that's played in my car at least 5 times everyday. i'm hoping to have an acoustic version for the sulkes band setlist in the next couple of weeks! click any of the images below to watch the new vid and enjoy carrie’s 7 wardrobe changes! that’s a lot of clothes for 3 minutes and 30 seconds, but girlfriend pulls it off perfectly.
my personal favorite is one i've dubbed “the girl next door”. it’s the most natural look, and one i think is the most “carrie”.

what's your favorite?

number 84

it’s saturday, you know what that means…

the best entrance in college football

enjoy! GO HOKIES!

number 83

COMING SOON:
christmas post! yay! preview:

number 82

WOO HOO! i may or may not have had this board ready for 3 weeks now. i didn’t want to jinx us by posting too soon! in honor of the upcoming ACC championship game this weekend, i give you my…

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

1 | orange skinny cords – sorry kids, jcrew is sold out of orange. youll have to find these guys on ebay!

2 | white button-down tunic. i got mine at the jcrew outlet this time last year. these aren’t too hard to find anywhere though!

3 | orange/maroon patterned scarf – you can find these anywhere after some searching. the one above i will NOT be wearing, seeing as it is way out of my budget, and i will not be purchasing a $400 scarf anytime soon… or ever.

4 | orange bangle     5 | gold watch     6 | maroon bangle     7 | riding boots (a must!)

whoops! my links expired for 4 and 6. in case you’re wondering…the orange bangle is from forever 21, and i believe the maroon was marc jacobs (i think!). that’s what i get for jumping the gun and making the inspiration board too soon! oh well! happy hokie shopping!

YIKES! looks like i may need to add a coat…


see y’all in charlotte this weekend!!!

number 82

I was such a bad little blogger yesterday! I pretty much forgot to do the most important post in the series: I'm so THANKFUL for the special people in my life. Since this is such a special post for me, I'm waiting until I have a real computer with my pictures to post it. I'm currently posting this from my dad's iPad, and I must say, it's not very blog post friendly (aside from capitalizing the P in iPad). Thanks, I really needed that! I couldn't even post the link up picture if I wanted.... More to come (with my thankful post catch-up) soon!

oh yeah, HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

number 81

a year ago today, my very best friend lost her dad unexpectedly. he was such an amazing person, and we were all so lucky to have known him. below is a little snippet from our show last saturday, and i'm posting it today in remembrance and celebration of a life that ended too soon.

number 80

day 7: plenty to be THANKful for: THANKSGIVING TRADITIONS!

traditions are my FAVORITE! sometimes i even try to instate new traditions in my family. emphasis on try : homemade cinnamon rolls on christmas morning just weren’t my forte i guess? luckily i don’t have to worry about the cooking just yet!

my #1 favorite thanksgiving tradition is …. stuffing my face - closely followed by #2, the thanksgiving afternoon nap. being recently married means that i get to have 2 HUGE thanksgiving meals thursday (lunch with my fam, din with andrew’s). that nap is going to be essential to my survival seeing that’ll be miserably full…it’ll be SO worth it, though!

another favorite is the college football rivalry games that follow on friday and saturday – 2 in particular:

friday @ 2:30 et on CBS

saturday @ 3:30 et on ABC

notice that i posted times and networks above! please be sure to cheer on the good guys! if when tech wins against uva saturday, planning can begin for the acc ‘ship! hooray!

number 79

oh hai guys! just wanted to show y’all a little something i found last night. apparently rachel bilson has a new shoe line/program coming out on friday:

and it’s not like shoedazzle or whatever that require you to sign up and pay for shoes each month (that i know of) just an array of shoes for $80 that if you like, you buy! we’ll see how things go on friday during it’s launch. i'm really excited! i love rachel bilson’s style – you can catch her in anything, really – boho/tomboy/soft and feminine. i'm sure the new site will reflect that as well!

whoops! none of these pics show her shoes! haha!

click here to sign up for email updates (no obligation to buy) and to see their selection on friday! yay!

number 78

day 6: plenty to be THANKful for: i’m THANKful for my favorite thanksgiving recipe!

as long as i can remember, i’ve loved asparagus! as a child, it was my favorite vegetable hands-down – you don’t find that very often! here’s the catch – it HAD to be canned. haha! fresh just wasn’t as good. as an adult, i now appreciate (and love!) fresh veggies, don’t worry! which brings me to my all-time favorite thanksgiving recipe:

mom’s pea and asparagus casserole

1 can of english green peas
1 can of asparagus
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 cup of cheddar cheese

so simple! mix all ingredients together (saving 1/4 cup of the cheese for the top) and pour into a small casserole dish. bake covered at 350 until bubbly. remove from the oven, uncover, and bake a little while longer (7-10) minutes to brown it a little.

i’ve seen alternative recipes that add fried onions or breadcrumbs to the top for the last step, but i’ve always had it this way, and i’ll never stray! mom called the other day to get any requests for thanksgiving lunch, and this was the ONLY item on my list – she really even didn’t have to call to know that. i ask for it every year…. christmas too! YUM!

number 78

day 5 of the THANKful challege: today, i am thankful for the 21st century.




ok, so maybe i'm going to stray from the 'inventions' path that this could take and make it about me. i'm allowed, it's my blog!

in the 21st century i attended and graduated from the best school that ever was, virginia tech. here, i met the best friends that ever were. what? you can't get the whole picture without a photo collage? okay... if you insist


so yes, i am very THANKful for the 21st century, because without it, it would still be 1999, i would still have braces, and would not have met these awesome ladies...yet!

number 77

oh. my. gosh. y’all RUN home right now and make this sandwich:

i know you’ve seen it on pinterest. avacado grilled cheese. SO GOOD IN MY BELLY! i put mine on ciabatta bread and, like the original recipe, used pepperoni and avacado. i ended up using packaged mozzarella (because it’s cheaper) and it was still SO good! i made it once for dinner last night for and made extra for lunch today. added pesto the 2nd time around and it just adds a little something extra. now, on you go!

thankful post coming later this afternoon!

number 76

yay! look at me! i'm on a roll! day 4: i'm THANKful for the blogoverse!

i've been blogging only when i feel like it since i got engaged in 2009 and have found SO many fun craft ideas, recipes, hair styles, beauty products… i could go on and on! the blogoverse is such a HUGE cornucopia (ready for t-giving? maybe…) of awesome people with creativity oozing out of their pores – and who am i not to take advantage of that!?? here are a few of my favorites:

1 | ribbons, ruffles, and bows! OH MY! - one of my best friends and fellow carrie underwood lover, alex, has a super cute blog and is quite the consistent poster! she has a keen eye for up-to-the-second fashion and always knows what’s up in the land of hollywood gossip. my go-to gal for… everything!

2 | keeping up with the joneses - my friend of a friend, kendall, will wow you with her martha stewart-esque decorating and organization skills and will then serve you an amazing meal. and she’s gorg… geez. all of my friends are not-so-secretly obsessed with hooked on her life as well!

3 | small things blog - along with everyone else, pinterest got me hooked on this little bloggy. seriously, i think it’s hilarious that kate got recognized recently by a stranger on the street (or, really her hair did!) from PINTEREST! crazy! she lives in raleigh, and i wish it was charlotte, because we could be friends in real life, and our cats too! yeah, i'm crazy, i know.

4 | ohhh whitney english, you are so pretty. haha. i've had a long time obsession with paper companies. is that obvious? and whitney english is one of them. their blog expands beyond the paper industry and offers some amazing design ideas for fashion, home décor, and other stuff.

5 | confessions of a 20 something - alex got me hooked on pink lou lou. i think we immediately fell in love with her due to our shared obsession with carrie. 1. she’s really funny 2. she’s southern 3. she wears a weave (and styles it SO cute!) i always look forward to her posts (and her pug-baby’s posts too)

6 | caitlin creer interiors - oh my goh. go here now. i checked this blog just now, and almost couldn’t come back to my post – i got hooked! gorgeous home décor – so fresh and so clean (clean) sorry, couldn’t help myself. (*shout out*: @ETK, go there now! you’ll love it)

i think that wraps it up! oh ps. i'm wearing my new ORANGE corduroys today – showing my HOKIE spirit! hopefully i'll get a pic up later!