Weekend+Randoms

Hey everyone, Happy Monday!

How was your weekend?

Ours was pretty uneventful really, but still very nice.

I took care of some business on Saturday (taxes, bills, blah, blah, blah) and then we had porkloin on the grill for dinner.

I made a super simple side dish of orzo with butter and parm, with a splash of lemon and italian seasoning.

Whenever we have a nice dinner at home, we eat by candlelight. 

It just seems so much more special I think.

 I had to work Sunday (yesterday) for a few hours, but I did have time to swing into TJMaxx where I found the prettiest little Bridal notecards!

We ended Sunday with frozen lasagna and a few episodes of Game of Thrones, we are making our way through all 4 seasons! 

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In other news...

I heard this song at the end of an Episode of Girls, and I love it.  If the rhythm was slightly different I think it could be a great first dance song.

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Cheese! (How's that for a segue?)

Have you ever tried Kaukauna's spreadable sharp cheddar?

I love it on wheat thins.

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And last, what do y'all think of a tailgate themed couples shower?

I saw this on Pinterest and I think I may need it.

See y'all later :)
 

Friday Highfive

Hey y'all, Happy Friday.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Here's a highfive!

{1}

So last night we were supposed to go grocery shopping,

but I suggested Mexican instead!

We went to Maria's on John's Island,

which I think is fresher than our nearby La Caretta.

I know that I've mentioned my strong love of Sangria Swirl margaritas before.

I often ask a bartender to make one for me, even if it isn't on the menu,

and I've never had a problem.

I did this last night and let's just say it was confusing for everyone involved.

What I got was a frozen margarita with sangria used instead of tequila...

I'll be honest, it wasn't bad.  I didn't even realize until taking a sip of K's regular marg that mine was totally wrong.

So, here is my Sangria Slush!

 {2}

I love Consigning Women, enough said.

{3}

Am I the only one who is anxiously awaiting the announcement that there is going to be an American sequel made to The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo?

I read that the Director is pursuing other projects, so I am reading the book instead. 

 {4}

 Too.Many.Remotes.

Here we have Surround Sound, Television, Roku, Cable, Blue Ray.

#controlfreak

 {5}

I'm working with my graphic designer on Save the Date fonts.

Which is your favorite?

A Wednesday Wish- Which is Which?

I hope you are all having a wonderful week so far.

My eye is all healed up so I am feeling great!

I have a fun little splurge versus steal scenario to share with y'all today.

I have this vision of wearing earrings that look like starbursts for my wedding.

I may change my mind based upon my hair trial,

but it's what I'm thinking right now!

I've been looking around and found these two pair as inspiration.

One of the below is a little over $100, one is a little over $1,000.

Which is Which?

Hello Spring!

This weekend was sort of a bummer.

My eyes were really itching from all of the pollen over the last week,

and I developed a cornea abrasion which basically took me down all weekend.

Blah!

I did pick these azaleas from the yard to enjoy a little bit of the outdoors while stuck inside.

So that's all I have to show for my weekend,

I hope yours was better!

Have a great Monday...

High Five Friday!

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!

I am so flippin' happy that it's Friday and the sun is shining!

I am ready for a cold glass of wine on a patio stat!

Here are 5 things on my mind:

{1}

I am always on the lookout for greeting cards and stationery that catch my eye.

I definitely get this from my grandmother!  I found this beautiful Thank You card at Trader Joe's, of all places.

{2}

When meeting with the caterer last week, I was sure to reiterate my request for a pumped up bread basket.

I absolutely love variety (as opposed to the usual mound of yeast rolls next to the carvery) when it comes to bread.  I think it's an inexpensive way to impress.

See Grill 225's amazing bread basket below. 

This is the stuff (my) dreams are made of, y'all. 

{3}

We went browsing for wedding bands a couple weeks back.

This one from Zales looks custom made for me (as is my engagement ring)!

{4}

I signed up for 3 months of 9Round and the other day we ran around the building between rounds (omg I used to laugh when I saw Crossfitters doing this).  Anyway, we ran past Riso Noodle House and I saw an ad for Bubble Tea in their window.  Holla!

{5}

K and I have been going back and forth on our Honeymoon planning.

It's decided that immediately following our wedding we are heading to Manhattan.

We had considered a late December Carribean trip to follow, but now we are switching gears.

My dream vacation, for as long as I can remember, is to visit southern Italy.

We've been realizing more and more that this trip would be better sooner than later (thinking in a 5 year timeframe).  Additionally I realized that my 2 weeks of vacation is basically spent for 2014. 

 So the current hope is a late Spring 2015 holiday in Positano.

This would be EPIC.  It's just a dream for now, but a sweet one that's for sure!

Have a great weekend!

p.s. 8 months from tomorrow is our wedding!

Wedding Details: Rehearsal Dinner

I am very excited to share where we have chosen to have our Rehearsal Dinner!

Because our rehearsal will be taking place at the church where we are getting married, convenience was definitely on our minds.

Additionally, because our wedding is going to be formal, I wanted something up-scale, but certainly not stuffy. 

I've found that most restaurants do not offer bar packages.  They essentially require you to pick up the bar tab from your party.  I am not really comfortable with this being an unknown cost, so the challenge was set: Find a nice restaurant (known for good food) that offers private dining space, and catering packages to include alcohol!

And ambiance, y'all know I need that certain 'je nais se quoi'!

So without further ado, our rehearsal dinner is being held Upstairs at Fish!

Remember this photo? 

I love the sophisticated yet quirky feel of the space.

And while these photos are great in broad daylight, I visited several weeks ago and loved the look and feel of the room by candlelight even more!

St. Patricks Day Weekend!

Happy Monday my little leprechauns!
I am totally dragging today, still stuck in lazy Sunday mode.

Did you have a nice weekend?

Ours was very good.

Thursday night I took my girl Carrie to Jeans to try on my bridesmaids dress, and then we grabbed dinner over on Shem Creek.  Even though it was a bit chilly, the sun was shining and it was really beautiful.

Friday evening we had a Caterer tasting...

I will share our choice once the contract is signed.

Yum! 

 Saturday St. Patty's nails! 

These are so funky but I felt they were appropriate.

We went down to Folly early afternoon,

 and had a day filled with green beers and fun friends!

Several hours later...Yikes! 

You can tell this was a long day because I am super flushed by this point.

Yesterday was incredibly dreary and so we used it as an excuse to lay around...

alllllllll day.

Did you celebrate St. Patricks Day this weekend?

Wedding Details: Building my Trousseau

Preparing for my wedding has been a dream come true.  I have channeled all of my energy into the entire process, looking at the planning as part of the experience and not just the build up.  

This is the most wonderful time in mine and K's lives,

and we are savoring every second!

I would consider myself a traditionalist, an 'old soul' for certain.  I've always known I would be a classic bride, embracing practices of the past.

It's been an interesting endeavor, translating old customs to the modern world.

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Nowadays, a trousseau is not so similar to dowry as it once was. 

In our time, a hope chest is replaced by a pinterest board!

My current interpretation of trousseau refers to the clothing and items collected by a bride in preparation for her wedding.  I've always enjoyed shopping for special occasions, and I can't think of anything more special than Wedding parties or our Honeymoon.  Building my trousseau has been yet another way I've been enjoying this entire process, not as a means to an end.

*Dresses above by Lilly Pulitzer and The Impeccable Pig (on King Street).  

**Remember you can search for all of Wedding posts with the label My Charleston Wedding.

bbq shrimp and grits

I first tried BBQ shrimp and grits at the Crab House on Wappoo Creek and it was delicious! While I had initially planned on picking up a rotisserie chicken last night, the gorgeous afternoon made me feel like cooking up something new! This was simple and very tasty.

There are so many different ways that you can approach this meal. I saw recipes using pre-made sauce, and some with home-made sauce. I'll share my recipe below!

What I used:

Grits (1/4 cup dry) 

Milk and Water for cooking grits  (1 cup water/1 cup milk)

1 cup cheddar cheese

salt and butter to taste

Shrimp

Kraft Recipe Makers Hickory BBQ Beef

*I had picked this up to do pulled pork in the crock pot, but decided to experiment with it.  It comes with a brown sugar and cider vinegar simmer sauce, and a Sweet bbq finishing sauce.

What I did:

I sauteed my shrimp with some butter for few minutes and then added the simmer sauce.

I let that simmer for another 7 minutes as I started the grits.

I used half milk, half water to cook my grits, and salt of course.

Once cooked I added a small pat of butter and 1/4 cup of cheddar to my Grits.

I added the BBQ finishing sauce to the skillet of shrimp.

I topped the grits with the bbq shrimp and a sprinkle of cheddar.

Bacon would also go very nicely on top :)

Add a side salad and you are good to go!

Weekend Happenings

What a gorgeous weekend,

and such a beautiful morning today I can barely stand being inside!

I hope you enjoyed some spring-like weather,

and were able to enjoy being out and about like we did.

Friday night was wet and cold and we relaxed with a yummy meal of Swordfish steaks at the best restaurant in town, our house! :) Thank goodness for a low-key night because Saturday was one for the books!

I had the privilege of joining my friend at the most fabulous of all the Charleston Wine and Food Festival events,

Pinot Envy Uncorked! 

This sold out event was held at the William Aiken House and offered wine and food pairings from top vineyards around the world (all pinot varietals)

and local star chefs.

Can't you just feel the gorgeous weather in these pics??

We were feeling great!

Fiddlestix!

Now here's a big smile for you! 

Thank you for taking me Lauren, I clearly had a fabulous time!

<3

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As if Saturday wasn't pretty enough,

Sunday lived up to it's name and we were soaking up the rays!

My parents had a room down at the Tides on Folly and we really enjoyed that view.

I loved the birds eye on Center Street.

We had dinner at Rita's.

(I recommend their blackened tuna nachos)

How did you enjoy the weekend?

Mars and Venus at the Grocery Store

One of my favorite parts of being in a relationship is how K teaches me about myself and how I learn to be a better me.  I love the compromise and the teamwork that goes into our life as a couple. I love that we support and help eachother, and come out stronger as a pair! 

As a woman, I'd say that sometimes I try to 'do it all' and struggle to relinquish control.

It's hard to ask for favors!

There have been several times over the past 3 years where I have asked K, or he has volunteered, to do the grocery shopping for me when I'm crunched for time.

It's a wonderful gesture that I appreciate with all my heart! 

But it's lead me to conclusions regarding men and the grocery store.

I treasure the fact that K is willing to help me, and so I resist growing frustrated if said help is not exactly what I wanted.  But y'all, Mars and Venus!

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An example:
 I'm making Velveeta sausage dip for a tailgate, and I'm running late trying to get ready at the same time.  K volunteers to pick up what I need at the store.  I explain what I need, and he comes back with a bag of shredded cheddar and some kielbasa.  Um, thanks babe?

But I have found the solution!

It's all in the list.

I have mastered the art of detailed listing.

Exhibit A:

This is a typical weekly shopping list for me.

Exhibit B:

A list I'd send with K: 

It's all about the details!

You know guys will just grab the first thing they see,
so specifics are key.

--

I want to hear your Mars and Venus moments!

And how you conquer the universe between.

:)

The Weekend

Hey hey!  How was everyone's weekend?

No complaints over here.

We took it easy Friday night with Chinese takeout.

Remember that book I mentioned a while back?

Well, I found the sequel at the Library and finished it up Saturday morning.

It wasn't quite as good as Firefly Lane,

but it was nice to have some follow up with the characters.

On Saturday we went to the last CofC Men's Basketball Game of the season. 

Did you go to any basketball games this year?

Saturday night we had dinner with friends to celebrate my girl Kristina's Birthday (which is actually today so Happy Bday Kroo!)  Lots of fun, enough fun for a slight Sunday headache, but not enough to hold us down!

We took our baby to the beach!

He is SUCH a happy boy y'all.  I mean:

We did our grocery shopping for the week and had a laid back night on the couch.

I can watch this sweetpea sleep on his daddy's lap for hours y'all.

He stayed like this until I pulled out the ice cream and he just perked right back up.

Yum!

I hope you are enjoying this beautiful day!

Charleston is in for a cold snap tonight and tomorrow,

but there's no doubt Spring is here!