Weekend Recap in Kernersville

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"Charleston" and I headed to Kernersville this weekend to hang out with my family.  On Saturday morning I attended a mother-daughter brunch at my church with my mom, sis, neice, grandmother, aunt, and two cousins while dad and "Charleston" went turkey hunting (boys-will-be-boys).  As cheesy as the brunch was at times, it was also the most amazing feeling to look around the table and see how lucky I am to have such beautiful and strong women as my role models. 

The rest of the weekend included a surprise birthday party with friends, church on Sunday and a baby shower for Sister on Sunday afternoon.  It really has not hit me yet that we are going to have another baby in the family in just a month, especially a little boy which Blair and Sam have named Jackson!

After seeing all the cute little boy clothes, I am so ready to hug, squeeze and kiss on my little nephew!

But until then I will continue to spoil this little peanut who is getting cuter and cuter by the minute:

Olivia on Saturday morning, bed-head-and-all, enjoying cartoons and Apple Jacks

The bed head was fixed but cartoons and breakfast were still not over...

Aunt Blain loves you Olivia Claire!

Happy Monday Friends!

Black Bean Brownies and New WW Round!

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On Wednesday I started a new "round" of Weight Watchers here at work which means I just completed my last round like a champ!  I am proud to announce that in this past session I lost a total of 14.5 lbs!

I can say that my eating habits have done a complete 180 and I have a much better appreciation for food.  I can also say that with the change in my eating habits, my wallet has also gotten a little fatter.  When you start to cut down on your portions, especially if they were as out of control as mine were, your food goes a lot further!

I am excited to start again, especially since a couple more people from my little office have decided to join me :)   Motivation from co-workers really helps since I do eat breakfast and lunch with them five days a week!

Along with learning better eating habits I also experimented with many new recipes, one being:

Black Bean Brownies

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I know it sounds super gross but I promise you that they are way better then the name hints; the beans give it more of a dark chocolate taste.  The beneit of adding the beans is that you do not have to add eggs or vegetable oil.  They add a "bulkiness" to the brownie making it a lot more filling.  This chocolate treat then becomes a good source of fiber and protein!  Many of the women in my class said they do this to sneak in a little extra nutrition for their kiddos.

Try them!

Black Bean Brownies

15 oz can black beans

19.5 oz box chocolate brownie mix

Open can of beans, drain and rinse well (I use my colander). Put beans back in the can and fill can with water. Put beans and water in blender until smooth. Mix pureed beans with brownie package mix. DO NOT add eggs or oil. Spray baking dish with Pam. Cook brownies according to package directions. Cool and serve.

Please Purchase And Share :)

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My shopping days have been put on hold for awhile until this little house buying process is over and I am back to having a stable budget each month but until then....will one of you bestest friends buy this and share?!  PA-LEASE?!

I am in love....

...with it all- every piece- bracelets, necklace, bag, sunglasses, even hair color!  

The Mason Jar Manifesto

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It is too easy to get swept away in planning a wedding.  Colors, flowers, linens, trying to come up with the newest and coolest ideas for the reception.  It is all over the internet and sooner or later, you can't help but get distracted by all the nonsense.  It is easily addicting.  Everytime I get overwhelmed in wedding "stuff" I remind myself to read this:

The Mason Jar Manifesto - by Jonas Peterson

It’s 4.47am when I sit down to write this. I woke up 30 minutes ago and couldn’t go back to sleep.
I’ve been thinking about this for so long, but a couple of things lately have reinforced what I already knew.

The wedding train has derailed.

Put down those mason jars, store away that vintage typewriter and fairy lights and sit down because you need to listen. This is an intervention. The whole wedding industry has gone detail bananas and we need to clear a few things up.

- You! Over there! Step away from the hay bales and the Vintage Navajo rugs and come over here. Sit! Down! No, you don’t have to put lavender on the plates, you need to wake up!

We’re getting lost in details. The whole wedding industry is drifting away from what weddings are about and we’re all part of the problem – bloggers, photographers, planners and vendors – all hypocrites feeding the detail beast.

Strip it back.

Peel the layers off.

And start again.

At the center of every wedding we have a girl. Who fell in love with a boy. Or a girl who fell in love with a girl. Or a boy who fell in l… you get my point.

The rest is fluff.

If you read magazines and wedding blogs today, you’d think it’s all about the dress, the decorations, invitations or a million other things.

THINGS.

It’s not.

It’s about celebrating love, a manifestation of commitment, a gathering of friends and family.

Because you’re in love.

But if you visit many of the blogs today, you’d think it’s about other things. Heck, there are even themed shoots with no people. As if candles and old LP players on a blanket in a clearing in a forest make a wedding. Just add people. And maybe a groom. Or actually don’t, the wedding is about the details, remember? Details, details, details.

Strip it back.

Peel the layers off.

And start again.

Weddings are about people, it’s about commitment and celebrating love. It’s about you. Build on that and everything else will follow.

I am a detail person, so it’s not that I don’t like details. I love details. Details, details, details. Love them. I honestly do. I’ve worked with some of the best planners in the business and they’ve styled weddings to perfection, made details stand out and it’s always been great, because they’ve built on the couples, starting with who they are. And I actually like shooting details. A lot.

When I was younger I used to record mix tapes and give to girls I liked.

Every detail was thought out, every letter, every scribble, every word on that tape had meaning. I love me some details. I grew up in a house with vintage bottles and mason jars everywhere. That and rocks collected from oceans and fields. So I get the jar and bottle thing, I truly do. Throw in some rocks and I’m there. But remember what the wedding is about, why you’re doing this, that’s all you really need. Don’t stress out about building a fairytale wedding, perfectly crafted, every detail borrowed from somewhere else.

Look away from the blogs and magazines.

And look within.

Why are you doing this? What does it mean to you? Do you really need all that…stuff? And if you want stuff, are you adding stuff that actually means something to you? What do you want to remember from your day? The cake, the flowers, the dress from Hoya de la Poopy?

Or do you want to focus on that moment between you two? The boy? Who fell in love with a girl?

Strip it back.

Peel the layers off.

And start again.

It's all so true. This day is about "Charleston" and I.  That's it.  Our love together. 

One Step Closer!

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Want to know what I have been doing the past two days after work until bedtime?

This.......

Painting and Cleaning

Why am I painting my favorite orange kitchen nook back white you may ask?

Because "Charleston" and I are one step closer to being homeowners!  After the inspection, we worked with the sellers on the "repair" negotiations and are now just sitting and waiting for our loan to finalize and our closing date to come!  YAY!

In the meantime I have hit the ground running trying to get our rental townhouse back to its "original state", a.k.a. STARK white.  I was told by the property company that I was never supposed to paint in the first place but, if I had to come home everyday to an all-glossy-white apartment I would go crazy feeling like I was in a mental institute.  Our lease does not end until June 30th but there is a waiting list for our style townhouse and supposedly they go like hot cakes.  Therefore, the sooner we move out of here after closing the less money we waste on over lapping rent and mortgage.  Saving money is as good as cheese and crackers in my world!  I'm out!

A personal side note:  I had a tiny minor meltdown Wednesday while I was painting.  Reality hit me that we were moving out of this place.  As much as I cuss the kitchen because it is too small (yes, I do yell at it like it's a human), and rant on and on about how much I HATE the carpet....this place will always be a HUGE part of mine and "Charleston's" life.  This was our first place together.  The 1000 square feet that we shared and learned more about each other in the last year and a half then since we started dating.  It is where we got engaged on Christmas Eve morning and where we set up our headquarters to plan our wedding and begin our lives.  For that, I will miss this place dearly. 

What Would Daniel Boone Do?

Even though there was rain in the forecast near Pipestem National Forest last weekend, our camping trip for Sam's birthday went on!

Originally all the guys wanted to be "Daniel Boone" and brave the weather but Sister got wise and rented us little cabins which turned out perfect! (I think the guys will finally admit that the cabins were a life savor.)  It was a weekend filled of doing nothing and it couldn't have come at a better time for some rest and relaxation.

The sunset on Friday night was gorgeous.

The girls hanging out by the fire waiting for the boys to get back from the Par 3 course.

L to R:  Blair, Jennifer, Sharon, Jodie, Katie R., Erin, Katie H.

 Me and the future husband!

 Getting the fire just right before we started cooking dinner.

I have the most amazing friends and family and can't wait to make this trip a ritual every year for the brother-in-laws birthday!  Happy Birthday again Sam!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BESTEST

See the girl below in the blue?  Yeap, that's my Homie-G (Aka Lauren) and today is her

BIRTHDAY!

Happy Birthday to the sweetest most genuine girl I know!

Words can't explain what you mean in my life.

Front Row:  Blair, Me, Lauren

Back Row: Sharon, Leslie, Sarah

WWW Week Nine and Week Ten

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I missed my WW Weigh-In two Wednesdays ago due to the house inspection so this week I was weighing in for both week nine and ten and..........

I lost 2.8 lbs in the last two weeks bringing my total to 14lbs!  Yay me!

Last Friday night, "Charleston" had gone to stay with Sister and Sam so that he could hunt in Greensboro early the next morning.  Therefore I had the house to myself and I took the opportunity to enjoy some wine and do a little SPRING cleaning!  I switched the clothes out of my closet, winter to summer, and in the process of doing so, stumbled upon a pair of jeans.  They were a pair of Sevens that I purchased my sophomore year of college.  I have not worn these bad boys in FOREVER because A. they are worn to death and B.  they have not fit in years.  Well guess what?  They fit again!  I almost cried I was so happy. 

For years I have been wanting to lose just this little bit of weight that has been dragging me down and its finally happening.  I'm disappointed that it took me this long to admit that I needed some help but then again, better late then never!

Easy Slow Cooker Dinner

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I was in a hurry the other day at the grocery store trying to pick something out for dinner. I knew I wanted to use my Crockpot but my brain wouldn't act quick enough to come up with something creative so I opted for this:

via

Best decision I made all week.  "Charleston" was working from home last Thursday so around 11:00am I had him follow the recipe on the back of the packet and by 7:00pm our dinner was done.

It was amazing.

The chicken was tender and the sauce had so much flavor.

I served it over rice for dinner.

For lunch the next day, I shredded the chicken like BBQ and served it over pasta - EVEN BETTER!

Try it!

RECIPE ON PACKET:

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 8 hours on LOW or 4 hours on HIGH

You Will Need

2 ½ lbs. chicken parts

1 pkg. (8 oz.) fresh mushrooms, halved or sliced

1 pkg. McCormick® Slow Cooker Italian Herb Chicken Seasoning

2 cans (14 ½ oz. each) stewed tomatoes, undrained

1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste

PLACE chicken and mushrooms in slow cooker.

MIX Seasoning, tomatoes, and tomato paste until blended. Pour over chicken and mushrooms. Cover.

COOK 8 hours on LOW or 4 hours on HIGH. Remove chicken and vegetables to serving platter. Stir sauce before serving.

Makes 8 servings.

IMPORTANT: For best results, do not remove cover during cooking.

Pipestem State Park This Weekend!

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WE ARE GOING CAMPING!

I am so excited.  This coming weekend "Charleston" and I are headed to Pipestem State Park in West Virginia to meet a bunch of our friends to camp. 

The occasion?  My brother-in-law's BIRTHDAY!

Yesterday, "Charleston" and I ran all around Charlotte getting our stuff together for the trip.  We own most of the items we need to camp but were missing two staples:  sleeping bags

Instead of borrowing two bags from his parents we decided that it would be worth our money to buy our own.

"Charleston" found his at R.E.I and I got mine at Dick's Sporting Goods.

We were like little kids in the candy store when we got home so we had to pull them out before bed and try them out:

How do we look?

ready to face the wilderness?!
I tried to get "Charleston" to buy one of the double bags for both of us to sleep together but he was having NONE of that!  I just don't know why...  :)

Happy Birthday Sam!  Can't wait to celebrate you this weekend under the stars!

New Favorite Design Blog

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I can't get enough....it's my new favorite "design" blog: Stay at Home-ista   It's simply fabulous.  Meet Jessica and meet Jessica's house:

Every square inch is done to perfection!

"Charleston" would die to have one of these in our living room.  West Elm purchase maybe?!

Simple and Elegant.  LOVE the ceiling!

Um yea, that's her kitchen.  No joke insane.  Check out the view!

Genius

 That makes me want to read; just shows you how much I love it. 

The view from her shower....why would you ever leave home?



Growing Up

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I remember specifically it was love at first sight. I was in the car with Beth, my real estate agent, and she was taking me to see a property that she thought I might be interested in. On the way there we past IT. IT had a FOR SALE sign in the front yard. I immediately looked over at Beth and asked the price of IT. Obviously IT was out of our price range because IT did not appear on my radar. I am not even sure if she had time to give me a number before I said “I don’t care, I want to see the inside.”


“Charleston” and I started our house hunt by listing our “must haves” and top of my list, besides 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms was location and neighborhood. I have no intention of buying a “starter” home for just “Charleston” and I. I want a space to grow into as a family. Therefore, I wanted a neighborhood like I grew up in - Something nice and safe; the kind that allows your kids to run down the street and out of sight with no worries. This house sat in that kind of neighborhood. “Charleston” wanted brick and this house was all brick. I wanted a nice lot with a low maintenance yard and this house has all that and more.

Beth made a couple phone calls and next thing you know I was walking in the front door. Besides having four bedrooms and three bathrooms, this house had a large living room, just the entertainment space “Charleston” and I both had on our list. Before even viewing every room I knew “Charleston” would be in love and couldn’t wait to get him over there. Next day, he looked, he saw, and he was even more in love then I was. Rush forward several days and we were going back and forth with the seller on a price. On April 2nd, our offer was accepted. Even though the listing price was above our price range, we negotiated enough bringing our final offer right inside where “Charleston” and I are comfortable! Now it’s the waiting game….inspection is tomorrow….our fingers are crossed it all goes well!

It has been weird discussing our house hunt with many of our friends and family because what might be important to us has proved to not be a priority for others. Therefore I am sure someone will look at this home and go “what are they thinking” while others will feel that the houses we look at throughout our house hunt are awesome. But in the end, it only matters to two people…me and “Charleston”. That’s what I am excited about. I am excited we are doing this together and we are in this as our own little family. It’s a cool experience in that this will be the first house that either of us has owned!

Keep your fingers crossed friends and say your prayers that this works out!! Keep you updated!

Kids and Easter

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I LOVE watching my sister and Sam establish traditions in their house with my niece and can't wait one day to hopefully share some of the same ones with my family.  Last year Olivia was too young to understand Easter and how the Easter Bunny comes to visit but this year, she was a total blast.

The Easter Bunny came and left a trail of eggs from Olivia's bedroom all the way to the living room..

The eggs led to her Easter Basket.  She is still too young for candy so this year she got several Kidsong DVD's and some books; the little girl is a serious bookworm!

Around 8:30am, before Church, she woke up and started following the egg trail....

Sill following.....

She finally found her Easter Basket that the Easter Bunny delivered!

That DVD looks massive against those sweet baby hands!

She totally checked out, cover to cover, each book and DVD.

Blair got Olivia changed into her Easter Dress and while Sis was getting ready, she sat Olivia down with one of her new Kidsong DVD's and Livi was 100% engrossed.  I can only imagine how this scene played out when Blair told her it was time to leave for church....tears were definitely involved. 

Happy Easter Olivia Claire!

Spring Shoes

I love Spring because I love sandals....of all kinds.

But for some reason this week, I can't stop looking at the ones that just scream, COLOR!

BCBG Perrin Wedge

Charles David 'Baja' Sandal

Kate Spade New York Multi Color Sandal 

Charlotte Olympia 'Serena' Bow Sandal 

WWW Week Eight

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This week at Weight Watchers Weigh-In Wednesday.....I lost a big fat goose egg... 0.  That's right, not a pound up or a pound down.  Bummer.  I am getting closer to my goal weight so our coach said it was going to be A LOT harder to lose weight each week and she was right.  Just gotta tighten the reigns this week!

But moving on.
In other news.
There is A LOT going on in my little world that I think has had me slightly distracted:

1.  I found my WEDDING DRESS! Its the exact look I was going for!  There are so many options out there I can easily say I was 100% confused and probably over shopped.  But when I put my dress on and my mom, sis, niece and bestest bud fell in love with it...I knew it was the one! Mum is the word from here on out because I don't want "Charleston" to get the slightest whiff of what it looks like.  We will revisit this topic in a year :)

2.  "Charleston" and I have started our hunt for a house.  We have the sweetest lady, Beth Carpenter, as our real estate agent and I have LOVED working with her; it's just like shopping with my mom!  We are not in a rush to find a house and we don't have to worry about selling anything before we buy so.... the entire experience so far has been a lot of fun!  Fingers crossed we find a gem!

Happy Friday Friends

Picture Text From Livi

A picture text last night from Olivia:  "Hey Aunt Blain!"

My response:  "Hey you little ham!  Where are your clothes?!!!"

Then I get the following picture with:  "Do you want me to go upstairs and play in your bed?!"

(I claim the guest room upstairs in their house because I am the only one that sleeps in it!)

God love that sweet precious little angel face...miss you so Olivia Claire!

Shopping Bag Gallery Wall

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I am LOVING this idea:

via

Just like the girl that posted this picture, I feel that sometimes just shopping in the designer boutique store can be just as exciting as actually making the purchase.  What better way to display that feeling all over again then to display the designer bags they came in on a gallery wall. 
How awesome will this look in my dream house dressing room/closet one day?!  Fabulous addition to my lady-lair!

Even though you don't wear those Chanel shoes everyday, the bag is a simple reminder of the fun experience!

Eliza J Dot Dress

LOVE...

LOVE...

LOVE....

the new Eliza J Dot Dress

It comes in three styles.  How cute would these be as bridesmaids dresses OR a rehearsal dinner dress?!

I can't decide which style is my fave:

Eliza J Embellished Metallic Satin Strapless Dress

 Eliza J Belted Satin Dress

Eliza J Belted Ruffle Satin Sheath Dress

Happy Friday Friends!

I am getting into some wedding dress shopping this weekend and some Wolfpack Basketball tonight! 

GO STATE!

Can't wait!

WWW Week Seven

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And again... yesterday was Weigh-In Wednesday here at work for our Weight Watchers Program and again....I had a pretty good week despite the fact that Saturday was St. Patty's day where I threw it back college style.  I attended a keg party all day with some friends and then went out to dinner and to the bar that night!  Seriously fun times; I am jealous of all those college kiddo's on spring break  :(

I lost 2.2 pounds this week which puts me at a total of 11.2 pounds since starting the program!

My small accomplishment was getting into a pair of Express Editor Dress pants that are a size 4 that I have not been able to wear in AT LEAST three years; so glad I held onto them because they are like new! 

My biggest motivation has been my friends and "Charleston." I am so lucky that they allow me to be open and honest with my feelings and how I feel about myself whether it be a "good" day or a "bad" day.  Because of that comfort, I am not the slightest bit embarrassed when we talk "points" when ordering from a menu or someone asking me out in public how it's going.   Compliments keep me motivated and "Charleston" keeps me in check. I LOVE the fact that he allows me to fix anything for dinner and he never complains.  When its his turn to cook, he questions the ingredients and their point values before putting it into a dish.  I would feel isolated and alone without each one of these people.  Much love and thanks.

Greek Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

I love a good salad but the key ingredient to a good salad is an awesome dressing.  On my little Weight Watchers adventure I have quickly learned how fast a 0 point salad can climb to a 6 point salad in a heartbeat when you choose the wrong dressing. 

Therefore, I decided to eliminate the chance and make my own.  I tried out the Greek Vinaigrette recipe found on the weight watchers website. The entire recipe serves 8 and each serving is only 1 point!  SCORE

Its delicious- light and fresh.  I think it would also make a good marinade for chicken or pork!

Greek Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

Ingredients
1/4 cup(s) white wine, dry-variety

1/4 cup(s) fresh lemon juice
1 medium uncooked shallot(s), minced, or more to taste
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp olive oil, extra-virgin
1 Tbsp dill, fresh, chopped
2 tsp fresh oregano, chopped
1 tsp parsley, fresh, chopped
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground

Instructions
In a medium bowl, combine wine, lemon juice, shallot, sugar, and mustard; slowly whisk in oil. Whisk in herbs, salt and pepper. Yields about 4 teaspoons per serving.

 
You're turn....try it out!

New Hair Products

Stalk me on Facebook and you will notice that the length of my hair has not crossed the threshold of my shoulders in, well...actually, way before I even joined Facebook back in college.   I have always kept it short because my hair is so fine and thin that I feel as it gets longer, it gets straggly looking. 

Well I changed my mind and I want to start trying to grow it out so that hopefully in a year (yes, it might just take a year) I can wear it in some sort of up- for the wedding.  In order to begin the process and have it healthy I knew all along I need to start taking better care of my hair. 

My first step was a much needed visit to Modern Salon in the Hearst Tower for some hair care T.L.C.  I got a good trim, deep condition treatment, soft highlights and some advice from one of the sweetest gals in the salon, Codie.

Since my visit I have discontinued the use of all my old hair styling products that were drying my hair out including hair spray! (I know, it's not the 80's but I still used hair spray to manage fly aways and give me some root boost.)  All of my old products contained some sort of alcohol and each were causing major build up which ultimately weighed my hair down.  I have also stopped shampooing my hair every day.  Now I only use shampoo two or three days a week and I have noticed a tremendous difference in the shine and texture of my hair.

I do still wake up in the morning with MAJOR bed head so I will either spritz my hair and re-style or just wet and condition to give it some moisture while its wet.  Before I style, I use my NEW products that I purchased at Modern.  I absolutely LOVE them.  They are light, and really give my hair a soft texture that I have always wanted:

damage remedy daily hair repair

Smooth Infusion style-prep smoother

So far I feel like I am on the right track!  Codie gave me some little secrets about heat styling with a hair dryer and a flat iron and I am trying my hardest to put those tips to good use so that come next March, I might have a thick, healthy pony-tail!

Fingers Crossed



Creature of Habit

I am a creature of habit and I like it, especially when it makes this city feel like a small town. 

I eat at the Energy Cafe across the street from my work at least three days a week whether it be breakfast or lunch. 

As soon as I walk in the door, the guys behind the counter greet me with "Hey Blain, how's it goin?"  I don't have to tell them what I want and they already have a brown piece of paper on the counter with my name written on it ready to build my Towering Turkey and Cheddar or Egg Delight Sandwich depending on the meal.   

Little things like this make Charlotte feel like home and I like it!  Puts a smile on my face.

Happy Friday Friends!

WWW Week Six

Weight Watchers Wednesday Week 5!

At 11:15 yesterday I arrived at my WW Weigh-In Wednesday feeling pretty good about myself because for the first time since being on the program I followed every exact rule of success. I counted my points ACCURATELY, I measured my food ACCURATELY and I did not CHEAT; not once. If it went in my mouth, it went down in my journal and my points were subtracted from my 26 daily allowance.


My carefulness paid off because I lost 3.2 pounds this week! Yay! That’s a total of 9 pounds since I started the Weight Watchers Program!

The hardest thing for me this week was not the food, it was handling alcohol consumption. Alcohol on Weight Watchers can really swallow your daily points fast. Each beer, liquor drink or glass of wine (a 4oz glass of wine, not a “Blain” glass of wine) can EASILY be 4 points. In order to enjoy a weekend with my girlfriends who were in town from Raleigh, I made many conscious decisions so that I could eat out and have a night out on the town that all of us have been planning for some time now! Overall, super success! Not once did I feel deprived while trying to lose weight. I wasn’t some crazy person trying to skip all carbs or some other diet gimmick. I had a couple beers while watching basketball, a cocktail with dinner at Vida and some drinks that night at Dandelion. I was simply being cautious about how much I was consuming and its ingredients. That’s it, plain and simple.

Yay me!

I Love Being An Aunt

This little girl just melts my heart and turns every bit of me to mush.

When I hear her sweet little high pitched voice say "Aunt Blain" over the phone it makes me want to jump in the car and head to Kernersville to squeeze and kiss all over her.  I am a sucker and already know that I will never be able to say no to her and she will get her way with whatever she wants from me. Sorry Sister and Sam but I will not be able to stand up to that precious face!

Blair sent me this pic the other night saying that Olivia sat in her bed during nap time just talking up a storm to herself so .....when they got home from dinner, she sat down in her chair crashed hard.

XOXO Olivia Claire