NUMBER 193

i was fortunate enough to not only be born into a cooking family, but i married into one as well. both my mom and andrew's mom are excellent cooks, so when holiday gatherings roll around, i usually don't have very many responsibilities. my contributions usually fall into 1 of 3 categories: drinks, desserts, or appetizers. so here are a few recipes i've been eyeballing:
*disclaimer: i have not yet attempted any of these recipes, nor can i vouch for their deliciousness. this is simply me, staring at food, thinking it looks good!
DRINKS
gingerbread martini

pomegranate prosecco

blood orange cocktail (no alcohol)

sangria (my favorite recipe - sub sprite for carbonated water!)
APPETIZERS
hot crab dip

hot crawfish dip

cream cheese and pepper jelly (no recipe necessary!)

rosemary apple & goat cheese crostini
DESSERTS

gingerbread brownies with cream cheese frosting

oreo truffles - i CAN vouch for these, it's my go-to and they're SO GOOD, esp straight out of the fridge!

red velvet cheesecake – anyone made this? looks amazing!

gingerbread cheesecake bites those cheesecake bites are TOO adorable and might just be my winner this year for the desserts! are you trusted with a main dish? or are you a “dinner accessory” gal like myself? if so, what’s your go-to recipe?

NUMBER 192

so last night was the 1st annual charlotte blogger christmas dinner and ornament exchange, and i have to say that i sincerely hope this continues as a yearly tradition. i had SUCH a blast with these ladies, and although i had only met 2 of them previously (whom i adore!), everyone was SO warm and welcoming - even to me and my tiny little blog! and to be a bunch of computer-savvy tech gals, we’re not too bad to look at!

top: me, bre, kate, annie, mariel, lulu, maran, lauren
bottom: bri, christina, mindy, michelle, april

enjoying a little drank before the shindig begins!
via

me with christina and april, sweet sweet girlfriends.

photo credits go to these gals 1  |  2  |  3

it’s so refreshing to spend some time with ladies who aren’t catty and really just enjoy each other’s company, talking about things in common (sororities and favorite neighborhood restaurants, mostly), and good food – duh! for inquiring minds, we all met at aria in uptown charlotte – which i highly recommend for a fancy-ish dinner out. i enjoyed the most delicious thin crust pizza with goat cheese, caramelized onions, and mushrooms [helllooo leftovers!], and plan on going back soon to partake in their champagne selection!

everyone, have a great weekend! xoxo

NUMBER 191

thanks so much for the great responses on my last post. it really put me at ease, knowing i'm not the only [late] twenty something who still feels like a shy little girl sometimes!

let's lighten things up a bit today, shall we? christmas cards seem to be the running trend in the blogosphere today, and it just so happens to be the day i've planned to do myyy big reveal. i can tell -- you're really excited!

yes, that is our house, and yes, those are our kitties. i really enjoy designing our own christmas cards each year, and although i do have to sacrifice on paper quality (eek!), i'm really proud do deliver something that i made and has our own little touch.

i hope everyone is having a wonderful week! i'm over-the-moon excited because tonight, sweet "annie" has arranged a charlotte blogger dinner and ornament exchange! i'm pumped to meet some new friends and have a blast with these great gals!

NUMBER 190

this little online world seems to be so full of energetic, outgoing, courageous people. and while i love them all (the majority of my friends are like this!) and enjoy being around them, i am not one of them.

my name is laura, and i am a shy person. a lot of my girlfriends have told me that before they knew me, they thought i was snobby, but in reality i'm just pretty shy and quiet. even after i warm up, i'm still pretty mellow and quiet. at least, this is how i perceive myself.

it's no secret that i was in a sorority in college [ZTA], and as a sister, we all participate in recruitment. looking back now, this was one of the most beneficial events for me. as an introverted person, it really helped me to overcome my "fear" of talking to strangers - no joke. after talking to the first 15 girls or so, i started getting the hang of things, and after 60+ it was just another day. no nerves, just new faces. as a result of this newfound confidence, i sang at many chapter events (philanthropies, pref nights) and was even president of my chapter senior year [and a pretty good one!].

now, being a real adult, and out of college now for 5 years, i feel as if i've lost track of that fun sorority girl persona that just jumped in and lived life so easily. i get nervous now...but i'm working on it. i've seen the results, i know that if i can get out of my little shell, i can not only feel better about myself, i can be proud to be myself.

so if you're that stranger beside me in the grocery store, and i strike up a conversation....just play along.

NUMBER 189

via

it’s the weekend - and a cold one at that! actually, it looks like only today will be cold. oh well. y’all have a good one!

NUMBER 188

hey y'all! last week, i promised a trip through our past years christmas cards, and i've put together a little somethin' for that. i really enjoy recieving christmas cards from loved ones and like to think that our friends and family like seeing our happy smiling faces when they receive ours too!

2009

this was our first christmas as a married couple and right when i started dabbling in graphic design. it was a really simple card, and the envelope had a gold liner. hindsight, i wish i had done a pretty photo card with one of our wedding pics. oh well, what can ya do?

2010

we're lucky enough to have a friend who is a professional photographer, and were on vacation with them this summer. the pictures were very casual, and kind of unplanned, but turned out cute, so we decided to stick them on the christmas card!

2011

again, our good photog friend visited us in our new city! this sesh was pre-planned and the pictures turned out gorgeous - it was an amazing fall day in uptown! this is my favorite card out of the 3 so far!

i've designed a couple of holiday invites over the years, so i thought i'd throw this little guy in the mix. (that’s not our current address. sorry, stalkers.) it's such a cute invite for a holiday party, don't you think? if anyone's interested in purchasing this design for an upcoming holiday party, contact me!

hope everyone's having a great work week and really getting into the christmas spirit. i've had the holiday tunes blasting on full force! i think everyone's in agreement that mariah carey's christmas album (the original, not the recent-ish crappy remake) is the best christmas album OF ALL TIME, no? still obsessed – after all these years!

number 187

just a couple of christmas scenes from the wyatt residence…we had a productive little saturday and put our christmas decorations up (along with andrew raking up 22 bags of fallen leaves); it really got me in the christmas spirit! [i wasn’t really feeling it yet!] had some holiday tunes on the tv, a simmer pot on the stove, and some online purchases in my shopping cart for you special ones. i've got a good amount of the shopping started and christmas cards are on the way, so i feel like i'm really on top of my game. so in the spirit of giving, i've put together a playlist of some of my favorite festive tunes just for you! yes, it’s got everything from otis redding to hanson, it’s my list, and that’s what i like, okay? y’all enjoy!

my ultra awesome christmas faves

number 186

is it just me, or did christmas arrive VERY quickly this year? i've never been one to start decorating before december, and i'm usually a last-minute gift shopper as well, but this year, i have to say, that even waiting until tomorrow to put up my tree makes me feel i'm running behind! maybe it’s having our own house to decorate? anyway – i'm really on the ball this year, having already submitted my order for christmas cards! go me!
for the 4th year in a row, i've designed mine and andrew’s christmas cards to send out to family and friends. why not? here’s where i'm drawing some inspiration:

1  |  2  |  3  |  4

and i know you friends IRL would love to see my and andrew’s bright and shiny faces, but this year, we’ve opted to do a non-photo christmas card. don’t worry, it’s still very “us”!

come back next week for a peek into christmas cards past and, later in the month, for this year’s reveal!

number 185

  
it’s wednesday! i haven’t played in a while, so i figured i'd link up with jamie for what i'm loving wednesday! can i get a “hallelujah” for the week being halfway over?

christmas is just around the corner, but i've been eyeballing several things for myself lately! i'm going to have to hold off for a little longer, and just tack ‘em onto the wishlist!

1  |  i drink my coffee out of my huuuge tervis tumbler every morning. it keeps my brew hot much longer than my regular ol' mug. so i'm putting a monogrammed tervis on my wish list this year (24 oz, please!), but wanna hear a sad story? my circle monogram is terrible! sob story, i know.

meh.

2  |  this balsam and cedar footed candle. i spotted this beauty in a boutique over the weekend – she is not only beautiful, but smells amazing! since i'm allergic to real christmas trees (another sad story), i need her to fill my home with the seasonal scent we all love so much!

3  |  ok, so shrimp and grits isn’t on my christmas wish list. this one i'm taking care of myself. i've been craving it like a crazy person lately, and i plan on making this recipe this weekend. if you have an amazing recipe for s&g, please please share!

4  |  lastly, on cyber monday, i sat for about an hour with these leggings from loft in my online shopping cart. i'm feeling really smart right now, because not only are they not half off anymore, they’re sold out. (i'm really full of sad stories today, right?) hopefully santa snagged a pair before they were all gone!

hope everyone’s having a wonderful week! p.s. who’s buying lottery tickets tonight? 500 MIL? yes, please!

what are you loving this wednesday?

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!