NUMBER 239

i still haven’t gotten this whole “eating healthy” thing down to an art. i thought that was something that automatically happened when you became an "adult" - you stop craving mcd's and taco bell and start wanting a glass of water and quinoa for dinner. apparently not.

well get excited! i'm sharing a very unique and one-of-a-kind healthy "recipe" with you today. who am i kidding? everyone probably has this dish (in some form or another) at least once a week. am i right? andrew and i are huge mexican fans (of the tbell variety and homemade). actually i could probably just integrate avacado into anything and everything i eat, and be just fine with it! avocado ice cream? sure! avacado chocolate milk? yeah man! give it here! ok, so maybe not everything.

i threw this salad together a few weeks ago and was so pleased with the look and taste. that deserves to be documented! here are the ingredients that went into my fine, fresh, salad:  spinach, diced tomato, canned corn (drained), black beans (drained), avocado, a little red onion, a little leftover grilled chicken, just a touch of cilantro lime dressing from the new teeter.

and my notes: the avocado was mixed with lime juice, salt, garlic, and the red onion – guac makes everything better. which means the salad really didn’t need the dressing.

so, this recipe definitely isn’t pin-worthy. it isn’t one you’re going to scribble down because you HAVE to make it right-this-very-minute. BUT hopefully it inspires you to put a healthy twist on an old favorite, use a little more veggies and a little less filler, and start eating like you love yourself!

NUMBER 238

boots |  phone case |  bag  |  umbrella

mother nature has apparently decided she wants to give charlotte a daily downpour. there i am shopping [usually at the grocery store], and while i'm enjoying delicious deli samples and perusing fancy cheeses, i hear the massive raindrops start banging on the tin roof. at this point, i know i should be prepared for a quick “sprint” to the car – only to arrive there drenched, humid, and mad. i use the term “sprint” loosely, because c’mon, i've got groceries [and we all know physical activity running is not my forte]. today, i've put together a little list that would make my rainy day running-around more enjoyable!

NUMBER 237

it’s friday! which means i'm linking up with my favorites for five on friday – FOOD EDITION! ok, maybe it’s just me thinking and talking about food [what’s new?]

1  |  as i'm picking up my bi-weekly cup of coffee at dunkin' donuts this morning, the man at the register asks me if i want to add a FREE donut to my order? the huge smile that immediately spread across my face just couldn't say no! today is national donut day and they're celebrating in the BEST way possible - FREE DONUTS! my favorite is the sour cream donut, and although she’s not the prettiest, it’s certainly veeeerrry tasty!

2  |   i made crock pot chicken last night and not ashamed to admit that we’ll be eating it all weekend. just 3 chicken breasts is enough to feed andrew and me for a while and we usually still throw a little out. just throw the ingredients in a crock pot for 6 [on high] or 8 [on low] and you’re good to go! i've been adding a little water to the pot too, so the chicken doesn’t dry out. [find those super cute recipe cards here]

3  |  i stocked up on fresh fruit this week at the new teeter, and i've got a boatload of strawberries just begging to be piled on a cake with fresh whipped cream. via

4  |  breakfast is my favorite meal, and throughout the work week, it’s definitely not the most glamorous. weekday breakfasts usually consist of yogurt and a piece of fruit or breakfast bar. weekends are saved for pancakes, eggs, and their friends. i saw a great post earlier this week about mixing cottage cheese with your eggs and i'm excited to give that a go! there i go again, getting excited about food.

5  |  i've been making a conscious effort to drink more water [and less diet coke]. i'm thinking of getting one of these infuser water bottles to liven things up a bit. does anyone have any suggestions of combinations that have worked really well? i might just stick to cucumber, lemon, and mint to boost my metabolism from gorging myself on all of the above. whoops!  [similar]

HAPPY WEEKEND!

NUMBER 236

you may have noticed this gorgeous necklace from my post last friday. that beauty comes straight from my most recent client, madeline, of poppy style. poppy style is an online boutique that has a gorgeous mix of trendy and classic pieces, and the best part is that it’s wallet friendly! you’ve seen poppy style talked about by some of the big time blog gals like hello happiness and julie leah, and i know it’ll be many more soon! madeline and i took her current logo and gave it a bit of a modern twist with some metallic gold stripes and white space. i honestly can’t stop staring at this design! love!

NUMBER 235

zta formals 2007 - back when we were babies.

not too long ago, some of my favorite blog gals did a q&a with their lover-boys. since i'm a big fan of q&a’s, [see my brother’s, here], i thought i’d give the boo a shot:

how long have you been married?
he said: 3 and a half years
she said: 3 years, 7 months [or, if you’re asking me in a conversation, i usually just say “almost 4 years”]

where was your first date?
he said: poor billy’s in blacksburg
she said: poor billy’s in blacksburg, va

where was your first kiss?
he said: in her sorority house bedroom*
she said: in my sorority house

who first said, "i love you"?
he said: i did
she said: he did, at a diner in radford, va

what were your wedding colors?
he said: black, green, and white
she said: black, white, lime

what is her most commonly used phrase?
he said: “it’s okay”*
she said: “i'm hungry”

who is her celebrity crush?
he said: part of me wants to say carrie underwood, another part says ryan gosling
she said: michael buble, jude law

if she was ordering drinks for both of you what would you each get?
he said: she’d get me a bourbon and coke, she’d get a beer
she said: makers and coke, fat tire

what is the best meal she has ever cooked you?
he said: man, probably the fried chicken
she said: fried chicken

what is the worst meal she has ever cooked you?
he said: maybe meatloaf?
she said: meatloaf

what is the most-played song on her ipod?
he said: i know it’s carrie underwood
she said: all american girl – carrie underwood

what would she say is your most annoying habit?
he said: being loud
she said: i can’t think of one [honestly!] maybe his occasional late-night smoke?

what is the last thing she does before she goes to bed?
he said: kiss me goodnight*
she said: set the alarm, snugs

if you could throw out one item of her clothing what would it be?
he said: those raggedy socks, the blue ones [the hole-y ones]*
she said: granny panties [i know i’ve got some in there]

what would you say is your favorite thing about her?
he said: her personality or her butt
she said: my smile

what's her go-to drink at starbucks?
he said: chai latte
she said: grande nonfat dirty chai

what's her blog's name?!
he said: our life in the queen city
she said: our life in the queen city

*he was right
i had to dock his points for forgetting mr. buble, but he got a little extra credit with the carrie underwood answer(s). i'd have to say that he definitely gets a 98%. i'm beginning to think he knows me better than i know me – especially with the socks. i love those holey socks.

thanks for playing along, boo! you’re a good sport! xoxo

and another, because you know you love ‘em.

NUMBER 234

so, per usual, this weekend was awesome and went by entirely too fast. we had an unforgettable time staying up late night [friday] with old friends and backyard grillin' [saturday] with new ones. these summer weekend nights are what keep me going during the daily work-week grind [surriously] – that, and the occasional after-dinner cookie.

i just wrapped up a super cute blog design with sweet katie, otherwise known as miss dixie. if you haven’t stopped by to see this lady and her sweet family, i highly suggest you stop and go take a look! katie came to me seeking a fresh design and a love list that includes: pink, gold, stripes, simplicity, and her sweet baby boy, weeks [duh!]. here’s what we did:

 

NUMBER 233

it's friday again [HALLELUJAH!], and i'm linking up with some favorite blogger girlfriends for the weekly five on friday! here are a few exciting things from this week, sprinkled with items for the weekend and right this minute:

1  |  i'm a big fan of dressing up neutrals or a comfy maxi dress with bold statement pieces. right now, i've got my eyeball on this gorgeous statement necklace from poppy style.

2  |  twice a day, every day for the past 7+ months, andrew and i have been driving past the construction site of our new grocery store. (it's on the way to/from work, we're not just creepin). yesterday was FINALLY opening day of the new harris teeter in plaza midwood! conveniently, we were out of eggs last night (a night that called for breakfast for dinner) so i made a quick stop by. the thing is as big as walmart, i swear.

3  | summer is the season for backyard cookouts, and i'm so so excited to be attending the season's first at matt and christina's. i know it will be nothing less than "pinterest perfect"!

4  |  i designed some bridal shower invitations for my sweet friend, and sorority sister, liz. i love seeing how this event is coming together and that i had a small hand in it!

5  |  j.crew had a BIG sale on monday, and i'm kicking myself for not loading up. right now, i'm especially loving their printed shorts and this sleeveless popover.

HAPPY WEEKEND!

NUMBER 232

hi there! just popping in to share one of my most recent pretties: stefanie from the house spouse. stefanie was so awesome to work with. i hope she looooves her new design – it ranks up there as one of my top favorites (they’re all my favorites, obv)!

NUMBER 231

did we just have a 3 day weekend? i'm asking because my memory is just a big blur. our memorial day weekend was spent celebrating birthdays, babies, beer, and burritos (actually, all junk food, but burritos fits best here).

friday: i drove down to my parents house to spend the night halfway to danville. i enjoyed some sweet jack snuggles, delicious dinner at lucky 32, did some design work and called it a night around midnight.

saturday: drove down to d-ville with my mom to celebrate my gorgeous mom-to-be bff, lauren. she’s in her 3rd trimester already and, i swear, the gal is in better shape than me. headed back to charlotte saturday evening to nurse my week-long head cold with a tall beer and salad with my boo at big daddy's (i like the old name better).

sunday: up early to celebrate sweet chelsea with brunch at peculiar rabbit and some a moderate amount of day [and night] drinking. oh! and gnarley kitty snugs.

monday: spent the day sleeping until noon, eating fast food, posted up on the couch in front of the tv, vowing to get back in the gym this week, and having my body hate me for the sunday’s activities.

NUMBER 230

i'm so excited, a few of my blog gal pals (here and here) are hosting a new link up: 5 on friday, and i'm so pumped to join the partay! here are a few things that i'm super excited about:

1  |  we went out last night to celebrate one of andrew’s coworker’s (and good friend’s) bday. we ended up going to VGBG and had a ton of fun playing trivia and eating cake. we made our way over to an invite-only concert next door at the fillmore. this was my first concert there, but it won’t be my last! what a great place – such an intimate setting! the free booze provided didn’t hurt either! andrew and i ended the night lounging on the couch, listening to jack johnson and o.a.r. reminiscing about the good ol college days. ahhh.

2  |  NO. i am not with child. i'm NOT preggs. one of my very best and long-time girlfriends is flying in from dallas for HER baby shower this weekend! i'll be going to danville on saturday to celebrate her and rub her little bump! one of my go-to baby gifts right now is a wubanub – which might be the cutest little thing ever. i know i would have been all about this as a child – seeing as how i didn’t let go of my tiny stuffed rabbit friend, “beans”, until i was in middle school.

3  |  memorial day is monday and the unofficial start to summer. this means short shorts are IN season! last year, i did a little tutorial on my american flag cut off shorts for the NASCAR race, and i might just be brining them out of retirement!

4  |  how gorgeous are these kate spade earrings? they would have been perfect for a cinco de mayo bash!

5  |  i've been using this face wash for a week now and think i've found my second life partner. i've mentioned before that i have horrible skin - actually, i'm pretty self-conscious about it. i have really deep pores (damn genetics) and i rarely feel like my face is really clean – even after washing with a clarisonic every night. i can honestly say that my face is softer and brighter and i could tell a difference after just 1 use. -- plus a $7 price tag certainly beats what i've been desperately throwing away at sephora.

look at me! back on the blog-wagon!

HAPPY [HOLIDAY] WEEKEND!

NUMBER 229

i'm back from radio silence to share a project that i worked on over a month ago with sweet sweet lindsay of linsday wynne photography. linsday reached out to me not long ago about a blogger promotion she was hosting and after reading the first sentence of her email, i was hooked! from that point, we scheduled a meet and greet and started gathering our ideas for the shoot. linsday was so awesome throughout the whole process. even though this was totally her idea, she fully indulged my creative side as we started collaborating on a pinterest board to plan the shoot (what a GREAT idea!).

the morning of the shoot, our hair and makeup gal arrived at the house with a suitcase full of tools and we got to primping! i have to say that this was one of my favorite parts - i could watch youtube tutorials on hair and makeup for hours on end, and having someone else do mine on a daily basis would be money well spent! ok ok! now to the good part…

here are just a few of my favorites from the shoot:

thanks so so much, lindsay, for making me feel so beautiful! you truly are an artist and one of a kind! i had a blast doing the shoot and look forward working with you again soon!

i promise not to go another 20 days before i post again!…famous last words

NUMBER 228

via

i appreciate you sticking with me in the last few months - my posts have been pretty bare. 4 in the month of april!? eesh.

i was putting together one of those "fluff" posts today, and halfway through, it was TOTALLY evident that it was just that - filler. i think it’s only fair to me and to you, that i wait until i'm truly inspired to write about something legit. deal? until then, i'll keep sharing some happy, lovely new designs.

as a side-note: thank you for the outpouring of support from friends, family, strangers, and especially my husband and for allowing me to do the work i love to do!

NUMBER 227

HOW is it already may? i guess that's what happens when you spend all month traveling, working, and having visitors! i promise to have a real post coming up soon, but in the meantime, i'm popping in to share one of my latest favorite designs:

i recently had the pleasure of working with leigh, a fellow carolina gal, from hines-sight blog! check out her new, fresh design and follow along as she reviews the finest hotels and restaurants in the country! maybe i can sweet talk my way into her suitcase for her next trip!

NUMBER 226

this past weekend was one of the most fun weekends i've had in a looong time! the older i get, the more i appreciate a low-key weekend with great friends and wonderful family. my dad’s newest hobby is brewing beer, and since he had 2 little kegs ready at the same time, we decided to celebrate a successful brew with a crawfish boil! the weather was gorgeous, the beer was delicious, and the crawdads were spicy – all elements that add up to a perfect afternoon! here are a few of my favorite shots from the shindig:

the eligible bachelor

still alive and pinchin’

this is only a little bit. we had 50lbs of crawdads!

pretty/sweet/awesome lori beth

my handsome husband

sweet sweet charlotte girlfriends, chelsea and kristy
(awesome hurr stylists in charlotte @ t.reid – give ‘em a call!)

oh, and jack got plenty of attention. i promise he's really loving it!

our gracious hosts/the best parents ever

p.s. special thanks to chelsea for letting me steal a bunch of her pics for this post! xoxo

NUMBER 225

oh look! i'm back! i've been busy working with sweet sarah over at georgia peaches on a bloggie facelift. if you love animals and all things southern, you should check out her blog. she's such a sweet soul who loves her furbabies - which was (and still is) the base for her blog design. sarah wanted to honor her sweet dixie dog, who recently went to heaven, by featuring her in the header image. her previous blog design used this cutesy frame and dixie's picture, and she wanted to keep that theme going. we worked together to develop a cleaner design that felt light and airy with accents of peach and pink. see how it all turned out:
 

NUMBER 224

i promise i'm still alive! with springtime here in full force, andrew and i have been spending all of our spare time working in the yard (grass seeding and flower planting). when i'm not a sweaty mess, i've been doing LOTS of design work! i couldn't be happier about the influx of work and support for laura wyatt designs! even though i'm primarily doing web design, i still do a little bit of invitation and print work. here’s a recent graduation invitation i made for a william & mary graduation party:

i hope everyone is having a great week (and month). i promise to get back on the blog train once life slows down a bit!

NUMBER 223

ermagersh! i just wrapped up the cutest design for just bri – you might remember her from the charlotte social. bri is a fellow charlottean and as cute as she can be! it’s been such a pleasure working with her again, and i was so thrilled to design something so fun and fresh – just like her! see how it all came together…

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

NUMBER 222

today, i'm linking up with sweet jaime for what i'm loving wednesday – something i haven’t done in a while, but it’s nice to revisit old friends, right?

1  |  do i carry a laptop everyday? no. do i need an excuse to buy a super cute laptop bag? perhaps. currently eyeballing this cutie from better life bags – you may have heard of her from kate @ the small things blog. at $75 for a custom sized bag, you really can’t go wrong!

2  |  i've been daydreaming of the day that my girlfriends would make the trek down to visit me in charlotte and see our new home. i'm loving the look of this light and airy guest bedroom. add a few southern living mags, some fresh flowers, they’ll be happy call this place home for an extended stay! (source)

3  |  if you walked into old navy today, you’d find at least 8-10 items that look like they hopped off right the overpriced racks at jcrew. i snagged some incredible look-a-likes over the weekend, including this pair of adorable paisley printed shorts, this gingham shirt (got it in black gingham, only in stores, i guess), and this comfy tee. debating hitting the store again this week to snag these sweet gingham shorts.

4  |  i spend an absurd amount of time being jealous of andrew’s long eyelashes. it’s just not fair – he doesn’t need lashes that long and thick – I DO! i've been very leery of the large price tags, so i hadn’t tried a growth serum on my eyelashes yet. BUT i saw where this loreal kit is on sale for less than $7, so i snagged it and am excited about giving it a try. if it ends up working (even the slightest bit) you can bet i'll share the love and do a review. i may/may not have already taken my “before” pics!

PS – don’t forget to enter my giveaway for a shopping credit at ADAIR! the giveaway ends this friday!

NUMBER 221

so remember that time i was a fashion blogger? yeah, me either. today, i am one of "those girls". the ones who laugh ever so casually while giving that shy upward glance (because that's totally natural and not staged at all). the ones who sweet talk their husbands/boyfriends/so into having a rather large photo session in the back yard. the ones who give away dresses and gift cards to awesome boutiques. yes! that's me today!

sweet sydney over at adair (a charlotte-based online boutique) recently reached out to me and asked that i style their gorgeous "heat is on" maxi. a red dress is a little bit of a challenge – especially for a gal like me. red is such a BOLD color - often worn by women who want to make a statement, who want the spotlight. i, on the other hand, am perfectly comfortable OUT of the spotlight… but that’s another story for another day.

it actually ended up being really fun to make this bold statement dress a little more “me”. i added a chambray shirt to make it a bit more casual and cool weather friendly. i threw on my booties to keep in trendy, but in all honesty, when i wear this dress again, i’ll most likely be in flippy flops or my favorite tory sandals.


dress: c/o adair | shirt: old navy | belt: forever 21
bracelets: david yurman,john hardy | earrings: silpada  | booties: steve madden
not bad, right? today, we’re giving away a $30 credit so you can shop online at adair too! to win, you must follow our life in the queen city through google friend connect, bloglovin, or feedburner. additional entries can be earned below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

NUMBER 220

the design business is GOOD, y’all! over the past week, i've had so much fun working with precious kerri from a sweet georgia peach on her new bog design. kerri wanted a design that was clean and sparkly, and this is right up her alley! i'm so thrilled at how it turned out:

NUMBER 219

i love a good deal! over the weekend i ran across a dead ringer look-a-like for an item i'd been eyeballing at j.crew factory. check it out:

i've been on the hunt for a utility jacket as soon as i saw cute emily sporting hers last fall. i waited too long to pull the trigger at j.crew, and they sold out. now, i'm glad i waited! i spotted the copycat at jpc and snatched that baby up! fyi, the look-a-like version isn't quite that green in real life. so go get it girl!

NUMBER 218

today, i'm linking up with sweet whitney over at the observant turtle for her international badge day link up! this week, she's invited bloggers to share their sorority experiences and celebrate greek life!

i knew, way before i started college in the fall of 2003, that i wanted to be in a sorority. one of my older cousins, who i still look up to so very much, joined a sorority in college, and that was all the info i needed to decide that i was going to be in one too. i can still remember my last pref party, late and in the freezing cold - how narrowing it down to 1 choice had been so easy. i had no idea then how much that easy decision would impact the rest of my life. my pledge sisters would eventually become my bridesmaids and my leadership roles would shape me into the woman i am today.

i cannot say enough wonderful things about my experience in zeta tau alpha. i met some of the most important people in my life by joining the greek community at virginia tech. even 6 years after graduation, our tight-knit group has celebrated highest highs and mourned lowest lows together. i wouldn't trade my 4 years at virginia tech for anything, and being in a sorority with these amazing women MADE my college experience.

anti-greek hipsters can make comments like "joining a sorority is just paying for your friends". if i paid for my friends, it's the best investment i've ever made.

for your enjoyment: some vintage snapshots and my ever changing hairstyles.

NUMBER 217

this weekend, we got to experience our first snow in charlotte (we missed the first “big” one this winter). it was a big wet snow that didn’t stick, but it definitely got me in the mood for a yummy soup and crusty bread. i’m no gourmet chef, so i stuck with something simple – a canned tomato soup, doctored up to taste like one of my favorites: tomato basil bisque.

laura’s fake tomato basil bisque

2 cans of tomato soup
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 large garlic clove (i like to grate mine, so it dissolves nicely)
2 tablespoons of fresh chopped basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
.5 teaspoon fresh black pepper
.5 cup milk
splash of heavy cream (just because it was in the fridge)
parmesan cheese (optional)

i added the first 7 ingredients and let it simmer for a while – to let the flavors meld. then towards the end, i added my cream!
*note: my measurements are not precise. honestly, i just eyeballed it and seasoned to taste.

enjoy with a heel of crusty bread or the mandatory grilled cheese that has to go with tomato soup.

NUMBER 216

over the past week i've had the pleasure of working with sweet sweet christina from carolina charm on a new blog facelift. i know christina in real life and can’t say enough good things about her! she’s just great, y’all!! she wanted something fresh and clean – “lots of white space” – and nothing too frou-frou or girly. i think the new design we put together is so timeless and gorgeous! i hope she loves it as much as i do!

NUMBER 215

since it’s the first day of march, here’s your new calendar! weee!

desktop | android | ipad | iphone 3/4 | iphone 5

happy weekend!