Floral Prints

"Charleston" and I are getting our engagement pictures taken at the end of June by the fabulous Cyn Kain and I have been brainstorming several looks for the pictures.  Because it is in the heat of the summer I originally thought I would go for some sort of dress but... the more I think about it.... if we are walking around downtown Charlotte or another urban area, I might want to go with a floral short and light weight jacket; I LOVE this look!

Peachy : :  Floral & Gold details

Happy Thursday Friends!

Dinnerware Decisions

I feel totally overwhelmed when it comes to thinking about the wedding; probably because it has been on the back burner for several months since we started house hunting. I make lists in my head everyday about things I want/need to do but have yet to get anything checked off:

Flowers
Cake
Bridesmaids Dresses
Wedding website
Registry
Save-the-dates
Invitations
Guest book
Transportation

(OK my heart is beating fast again just thinking about it)

In the meantime I have started to think about where “Charleston” and I should register and what kind of everyday dishes would work for us. I am trying to convince him to go with me this weekend to get the ball rolling…

There are so many choices but since I get my grandmothers china I want to stick to just registering for casual dinnerware. Right now I am leaning towards Pottery Barn’s Cambria Dinnerware in Stone. I need to call my BFF Leslie who is the Pottery Barn connoisseur and get her opinion because my only concern with going for Pottery Barn dishes is, if one breaks, will I be able to find this pattern in 10 years compared to going for something more common like a Lennox pattern from Belk?  Also, how often does Pottery Barn change their patterns?  Will this still be available up until the wedding date next March?

Anyone have any advice?

Cambria Dinnerware - Stone

Our Petting Zoo

.

One of the reasons we fell in love with our house was the private backyard.  The house backs up to a huge natural area owned by the city.  During one of our tours of the house "Charleston" saw a deer walk through the backyard and I think from that point on he was sold.  At the closing the sellers mentioned the amount of wildlife that we will see in the area but we honestly never expected that we would actually have this:

It doesn't matter what time of day it is or how loud we are on the patio, they are out there just playing around; not scared of a thing.  I told "Charleston" that by the end of the month I will have them named and eating out of my hand :)  

Welcome to the Higgins/Atkins petting zoo!

Friday's Playlist

.
Good grief, is anyone else as excited as I am for it to be a Friday?
I still have a house full of boxes that are screaming my name to make them disappear.... but... I just keep telling myself that its a process and I will approach it one day at a time!  So we will begin tomorrow :)

To keep my mind off of all I need to accomplish I have made a new playlist that has jump started my good mood for a beautiful weekend in the Queen City!

River City Lights - Griffin House
Good Life - One Republic
What I Wouldn't Do - A Fine Factory
Stole My Heart - Little and Ashley
First Day of My Life - Bright Eyes
Ooh La La - Faces
Say - John Mayer
Song For No One - Mike Snow
The Middle of the Road - Jonathan Rice
Island In The Sun - Weezer
5 Years Time - Noah & The Whale
Beautiful Day - U2
Angel Dream No.2 - Tom Petty
Secrets - One Republic
Farther Along - Josh Garrels
Springsteen - Eric Church
Just Say Yes - Snow Patrol
Washed Away - Joe Purdy
Say Hey (I love you) - Michael Franti & Spearhead
For What It's Worth - Buffalo Springfield
This Years Love - David Grey
Here We Are - Patrick Park
Tongue Tied - Grouplove
Oxford Comma - Vampire Weekend
After All - Sondre Lerche
Queen Bee - Neil Halstead
Come on Eileen - Dexys Midnight Runners


Ta-Ta for now friends!

Not A Baker

I am not a baker.  I do not have the patience to bake.  I hate to measure and I hate to have to bake something to just the right minute and second for it to turn out perfect; too much effort for me.  (I am a burner in the kitchen.  I get distracted watching TV while my recipe is baking and usually end up making some form of a charcoal concoction!).  Therefore, I always find myself in a pickle when a friend asks me to "bring the desert."  Too many times I have showed up with an add-egg-water-and-oil pouch made cookie.  Therefore, I was out searching for something different to take to a gathering this week and I stumbled upon what I believe to be a new solution....

Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries via The Sweets Life

How amazing do those look; my mouth is watering right now!  They also seem so simple that my fingers are crossed I can pull them off.  I am thinking I could either serve them just like this or...... how amazing would they be along side a scoop of homemade ice cream?!  YUM!

Recipe:

Ingredients:

-1 lb large strawberries
-8 oz. cream cheese, softened (can use 1/3 less fat)
-3-4 tbsp powdered sugar (4 tbsp for a sweeter filling)
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-graham cracker crumbs

Directions:
1. Rinse strawberries and cut around the top of the strawberry. Remove the top and clean out with a paring knife, if necessary (some may already be hollow inside). Prep all strawberries and set aside.

2. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until creamy. Add cream cheese mix to a piping bag or Ziploc with the corner snipped off. Fill strawberries with cheesecake mixture. Once strawberries are filled, dip the top in graham cracker crumbs. If not serving immediately, refrigerate until serving.

Done Deal

.

It's a done deal...we are officially homeowners!

We closed on the house yesterday morning at 10:00 and by 11:30 had the keys in our hands.

"Charleston's" mom did a little snooping/gossiping with some friends at church, who also live in our neighborhood, and found out that our house is the "Robinson house" to most of the older couples that have lived in the hood 15+ years.  The Robinson family owned the house for 30+ years before selling it in 2006 to the couple we bought it from. 

The sellers that we purchased the home from did not use the home as their primary residence but put their elder mother up in it when she moved to Charlotte.  Therefore the house has been very "easily" lived in and has been kept in great condition for a home built in 1968. 

When we arrived for the walk-through before the closing, the house had been cleaned from top to bottom and every original owners manual, to every single kitchen appliance, fan, outdoor lighting, etc. was laid out neatly on the counter.  From that point on I knew we were purchasing a home from my kind of people...neat and organized!!  LOVE IT!

We spent the most part of yesterday moving over little things and meeting the neighbors.  So far our neighbors seem fantastic.  The Bailey's beside us have lived in their house since 1975 and they have a daughter that was actually a teacher in Kernersville; my hometown! It's a small world!  I was a little intimidated that these "older" individuals would not like some young bucks moving up in their hood but I was totally wrong!  Each left us with a "Well come on over if you need anything!"

Let the weekend begin!

Bring On The Fun And Memories

.
The last five months have truly been a whirlwind. I got engaged, started planning a wedding, went through some serious health issues with “Charleston”, started house hunting, stopped house hunting, closing on THE house tomorrow, and officially moving in next Tuesday. OK, breather.

All the dreams I have thought about for so long are playing out right in front of my eyes and I wouldn’t have pictured it any other way. Pinch me right now so that I know this is real.

I would be lying if I said I wasn’t slightly overwhelmed as well but… the one thing that is keeping me grounded is knowing that once we get into our house, we are set, establishing roots for the years to come; a place to start our marriage and life together. I can’t wait for that feeling of knowing that when I walk in our front door, I am HOME. I am looking forward to slowly unpacking and putting things just right where I want them.

For the past couple years I have held off on buying ‘real’ furniture because I knew one day I would be buying a house. Now I am ready to buy furniture to fit our HOME. Even with that being said, taking advice from Alex Berlin of Things That Sparkle, “Invest in pieces you love slowly, rather than filling it with things you just like quickly.” I am looking forward to enjoying this new adventure as a slow process. Alex and her husband took two years to pick out the perfect couch - talk about patience!

“Charleston” and I are going from a 1,000 square foot apartment to a 2,400 square foot HOME so, you can only imagine how much empty space we will have but, that’s what I am excited about; SLOWLY building each room to fit our taste, wants and needs! And obviously there is a $$$ factor in there as well! Design each room as the funds come along. Therefore, over the next couple years, I can’t wait to show you the projects and progress we make in our HOME as an engaged and married couple!

Bring on the fun and memories that are ahead!

Weekend Recap in Kernersville

.

"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!

.

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

via

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 :)

.

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

.

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!

.

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

.
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

.
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!

.

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

.
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

.
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

.

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