number 111

so i had major success with my me day on saturday, and have a post in the works with my awesome deals. until i can get my act together, here are some fun pics from my adventure to the farmer’s market last week:

number 110

happy friday, friends! has everyone been gearing up for an event-filled saturday? andrew was naming off all the huge sporting events happening tomorrow, and it’s mind-boggling how many things were planned (or not) on the same day: cinco-de-mayo, the kentucky derby, stanley cup playoffs, mayweather vs cotto, baksetball playoffs, and the wells fargo championship golf tournament here in charlotte! the boys are going to the golf tournament tomorrow and sunday which leaves me with nothing on the agenda (hallelujia!) i love a weekend where i'm allowed to do whatever i want! since my weekend is a blank slate, it’s hard to make it the center of my friday five. so i'm picking the most glamerous event from above to feature instead…



1  |  i really love the lilly pulitzer felicity dress! the sweetheart neckline would be flattering on anyone, and i love the stripes! paired with some gold jewelry would be great too!

2  |  it’s the kentucky derby so you KNOW your ensemble isn’t complete without a hat. now, i'm sure there are some very very fabulous hats out there, but i'm trying to be realistic here – this is what i would actually wear! a simple navy, monogrammed hat would go great with my dress!

3  |  now, i've never been to the derby, but i would image that you’re walking in the grass quite a bit before… or at least doing a lot of standing. i would go with a low wedge heel – for comfort reasons, obviously, and so my heels wouldn’t sink into the ground. these are so cute, i might just have to invest in them for everyday wear too!

4  |  the weekend’s not complete without the signature drink, the mint julep!

5  |  my wayfarer style would be a little too sporty for this event – bigger is better when it comes to the hats and the sunglasses. these would be perfect and would complement my look perfectly!

i'm linking up with alex and lauren today for their own “friday five” and “high five for friday”.

happy weekend!

number 109

well, we’re over the hump! it’s thursday – i used to say thursday was my favorite day of the week because that means tomorrow’s friday! hah! i've cooked “real” dinners twice this week – out of four nights, that’s not too bad of a record – and they’ve both been brand new recipes that i was really pleased with. for your enjoyment:

skinny chicken enchiladas

in the original recipe, i think she put a lot more sauce and cheese on top, but since i splurged on a little sour cream, i decided to lay low on the cheese. also, be sure to spray your pan with more non-stick then you’d normally use; mine did stick a little. we’re having leftovers tonight, and i'm already looking forward to it!

#2:

chicken tikka masala

sorry, my picture wasn’t as pretty for this one. most recipes say to grill the chicken, but we don’t have a grill, so i baked mine. it was still moist and tasted really awesome! i served mine over brown rice, but i bet it’d be better over white or basmati! ALSO, some reviewers said they used 3 tablespoons of garam masala in the sauce, but since i couldn’t find it in the gstore, i left that out. AND my sauce is doubled, because i like a lot of it! the recipe is linked above, but here are my adjustments:

chicken marinade
1 cup yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger (be sure to mince it really well!)
1 teaspoons salt, or to taste
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

sauce
1 tablespoon butter
1 clove garlic, minced 
1/2  jalapeno pepper, finely chopped 
3 teaspoons ground cumin
3 teaspoons paprika 
1 (16 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 3/4 cup fat free half and half
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

in a large bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, ginger, and 1 teaspoon salt. stir in chicken, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour.

preheat the oven for 350. once the oven has heated, spread the chicken onto a lined baking sheet, and bake for 30 minutes.

melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. saute garlic and jalapeno for 1 minute. Season with 3 teaspoons cumin and paprika. stir in tomato sauce and cream. simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. add grilled chicken, and simmer for 10 minutes. serve over rice and enjoy!!

 

both of these recipes were very very good, not bad on the budget or the waistline! they take a little bit more time and effort than my go-to breakfast for dinner, but will both be added to the future dinner routine!

tried it? tell me about it!

number 108

hello all! happy tuesday! i am in desperate need of a getaway this week. work has been crazay! without further ado…

<a href="http://andrewandlauraleigh.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i637.photobucket.com/albums/uu98/lauraleigh925/take-me-there-tuesday.jpg" /></a>

it feels like we’ve been on the go so much already – and it’s not even summer. but i would love nothing more than a vacation right now. i think california is just the place to do it – let’s go there now, shall we?

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my beautiful friend emily, has lived in california for almost 2 years now without a visit from me. she’s always posting awesome pictures of her fab life on the coast, and since i've never been there, i think a trip (at least in my mind) is just what i need today!

i would stay away from the bright lights of LA and just soak up the gorgeousness of the smaller beachside towns, sample the local cuisine, and enjoy time with my girlfriend(s) (i'm certain others would come along for my trip).

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oh yeah – and it’s not a vacation with my girlfriends without riding around with the windows down looking at million dollar mansions and jamming out to 90’s tunes.

so tell me…

where is this tuesday taking you?

number 107

the weekend is almost here, and i could not be more ready for it! andrew is heading out of town with his grad school buddies, and my mom is coming to visit!!! i'm looking forward to a relaxing weekend, pretty weather, and doing lots of girly stuff with my very first gal pal. here a few more things on the agenda:

1  |  i really love yogurt…with sprinkles. i think it must be a requirement of every sorority girl (past and present) to have an obsession with froyo. i'm no exception. saturday afternoon would be a great time to take a long walk, and go get some yoges from yoforia.

2  |  if my mom and i have anything in common, it’s the love of mexican food. it just always seems to be the default selection – if we can’t decide where to go, “let’s get mexican!!”, and it always pleases. cantina 1511 is one of my favorite spots around charlotte. she’s been here a few times already, but “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” p.s. their guac is amazing!

3  |  judging by the looks of my ragged fingernails, i think a mani-pedi is in order. i'd love to try out the new zoya blogger collection – featuring one of my favorite blogger’s (kate from the small things blog) color appropriately named “kate” – pictured here in the middle! it’s a great grapefruit-y pink-y red!

4  |  i heard a dirty rumor that the weather is supposed to be nice this weekend. what would be more perfect than sitting on the patio drinking a glass of sangria? this recipe is my favorite (7up instead of carbonated water).

5  |  this week has been super hectic – just a lot of work, mostly. but it also seems that everyone has had a flair for the dramatic. i'm really looking forward to a relaxing weekend…away from the drama.
i'm linking up with alex and lauren today for their own “friday five” and “high five for friday”.

happy weekend!

number 106

hey y’all! it’s tuesday which means i'm hosting a linkup called TAKE ME THERE TUESDAY! the rules are simple, grab my button, below, and tell me about where YOU wanna go – it can be anywhere, a tropical locale, a new restaurant, or even a state of mind! i hope you’ll join us…

<a href="http://andrewandlauraleigh.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i637.photobucket.com/albums/uu98/lauraleigh925/take-me-there-tuesday.jpg" /></a>
just grab the text in the box above and paste into your html source section of your blog post! got it? let’s go!
today is my husband, andrew’s, birthday, so i’ve got 1 thing on the brain – CAKE! hahaha! for a couple of years, on my birthday, my best gal, alex – you may have heard me speak of her before? – would send (or sometimes self-deliver) me cupcakes all the way from DC. there’s a little known company there called georgetown cupcake. let me tell y’all – it’s worth all the hype. the red velvet alone is worth the long….long…long wait in line. (not that i’ve ever had to!)

if i were at georgetown cupcake today. i would bring andrew along. and in my perfect dream world, we could skip to the front of the line – because he’s the birthday boy, duh! and i guess while we’re there, we could see my girlfriends friends too (might as well since we’re there, right?!).
in all honesty, i wouldn’t want to be anywhere today, unless andrew was with me! but hey, this is my link party – i make the rules – and i can bring a friend along if i want to!
most importantly…
i hope you have a wonderful day today! i love you!
so tell me…

where is this tuesday taking you?

number 105

andrew and i had a p.e.r.f.e.c.t. time in asheville this weekend. we had a couple more showers than were planned, but it didn’t slow us down a bit. the weekend was filled to the brim with craft beer, local musicians, a little shopping, and one hilarious comedian.

the scenery in asheville is so gorgeous! it sits right along the blue ridge parkway, and its beauty just speaks volumes. the people there are so nice and carefree [read: hippies] – it was pretty refreshing to feel like i didn’t have to be dressed to the nines wherever we went (not that i ever am, anyway!). overall, it was a fantastic trip - one that we’ve promised ourselves we’ll do more often than once every 2.5 years.

don’t forget…

tomorrow is “take me there tuesday”!

number 105

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number 104

it’s fridayyyy! even though alex isn’t hosting a link party today (or so she says) i'm linking up anyway for her weekly FRIDAY FIVE!

since we’re headed down to asheville for the weekend, i though it appropriate to make mine a weekend getaway theme!

1  |  i love my nora satchel from tory burch. it has a huge detachable strap that makes a perfect cross-body look for walking around all day --- remove it for a trendy top handle look! the leather is actually richer than in the picture above and is super soft!

2  |  i'm definitely looking forward to bar hopping there as well! we learned in our first trip that asheville is the brewing capitol of the southeast – boasting more breweries per capita than any other city in america. pretty impressive! i'm a big fan of craft beers, and i'm really excited to try out some of these local brews.

3  |  for sightseeing and window shopping on saturday, i would love a great striped maxi. something tells me that my plan for this won’t come through seeing that we’re leaving today at 3 = no time for shopping before then.

4  |  maybe not with the dress above, but i'm definitely in the market for some new toms. maybe some wedges? i'm loving my original flat pair that i got last fall – and based on my experience with those, i have no doubt that the wedges would be super comfortable. maybe i'll find some this weekend? “maybe” 3 times, really?

5  |  this is one of my faaavorite pairs of earrings. they are pretty heavy, but i don’t mind that. of COURSE i lost one earring last summer when my girlfriends were in town, and i need to break down and buy these online! seriously – they go with everything!

hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! i know i will!

HAPPY FRIDAY!

number 103

today, i'm linking up with neely for it’s her weekly “it’s okay thursday”. i'm having one of those funky weeks where i just need to remind myself that i'm not crazy.

it’s SO okay that…

…before i'lll buy something new, i check to see if it’s on ebay.
…i'm addicted to playing temple run on my phone.
…my hair is in a ponytail today because i wanted to sleep longer.
…i'd rather buy cheaper food than organic/unprocessed food.
…i'd rather have cats than children – right now.
…i'm tempted to give up on the house hunt and just buy a car instead.
…we’ve only had a home-cooked meal once this week.
…i've been scouring craigslist every. single. day. for a campaign dresser.
…at 26, i still love fast food.
…i keep a separate browser open on social media all day (am i the only one?).
…sometimes i just want to link up instead of doing an original post.

what’s okay with you today?

number 102

 
yay! it’s wednesday! which means linking up with jamie for what i'm loving wednesday! can i get a “hallelujah” for the week being halfway over?


1 | i'm hoping to love this recipe. i pinned it here on pinterest and i'm really excited to try it out tonight!

2 | i'm loving white bedding – especially this duvet from west elm. i'm in the market for a duvet cover for our bed – dry cleaning our white comforter every month (damn cat hair) just isn’t cutting it.

3 | i’m loving this hair tutorial from pink lou lou. i've got a LOT of hair, and it’s pretty heavy. this technique holds for me all day! i'm a big fan of loose, beachy waves, and that’s what you get! (sorry for the abominable pic – the lighting is SUPER in my office. this really is me…today!)

4 | i'm loving the weather today. i know – it’s raining…and cold, but it just doesn’t seem like april with out the “april showers” – especially when it’s been 70+ degrees every day. not sure why, but I just needed this today.

hope everyone’s having a great week, and that yours isn’t dragging on like mine!

what are you loving this wednesday?

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.”

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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!

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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?