Children and Sex

Sitting at dinner one night on our honeymoon Matt and I started talking about having kids.  We talked about how weird of a feeling it is to know that now that we are married we can start thinking about things like this.  When we (and God) decide that it is the appropriate time, we can try and have our own little family.

It then led me into the conversation about my sis, Blair, getting married and having kids.  Blair and Sam lived together before getting married so after their wedding it was like nothing had changed; instead of calling each other boyfriend and girlfriend, it was now husband and wife.  That was it; my brain never left the box.

But then, one fine day, the phone rang.

She was on the other end of the line and had just uttered the words "I am pregnant." 

I laughed and then I cried.  I was so excited for them... and to become an Aunt... but then it hit me....HOLY S**T!!!!!

Dad knows now that Blair and Sam have really had SEX.  omg. omg. omg.  I freaked out.

I have no idea why this freaked me out so bad but it did.  Blair is old enough to have sex (and married) and now that Blair is pregnant, Dad knows that she and Sam have REALLY had sex.  I mean honestly it hit me like a brick wall (what am I 16?! Grow up Blain).  It just came so weird to me to "admit" having sex to your parents, even when you are married!

To this day it's still a little weird but I am slowly getting over it, and one day, when the time is right, I hope to tell Dad that yes, Matt and I have REALLY had sex as well but.....(still creeps me out just to type.)

until then, I will enjoy one of the best jobs in the world and that is being an aunt to two crazy little rug rats who light up my world everyday!

Olivia Claire playing on the playground.  Blair is trying to work with her on her 'instant' smile for the camera; still a little rusty :)

It's so cute to watch them play together. 

Jackson is getting some little alligator teeth! 

She honestly gets more beautiful everyday. 

On this day her Flower Girl dress came in the mail and even though she was dirty from the park, she just had to put it on over her clothes and pose.  Such a ham. 

Easter morning discovering his a wind up chick in his Easter basket! 

Why do kids grow up so fast??? 

Dying her Easter Eggs. 

Working on that smile again in her Easter Dress 

Old man on Easter, ready to go to church 

Sister sent me this picture via text and said Olivia was making up dances in her car seat.  Mimi will be proud to know we MIGHT have a cheerleader in the making! 

I love you little doodles.

Down and Dirty In The Kitchen

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I still have not had time to go visit the social security office to change my name and we have yet to receive a copy of our marriage license but....yesterday after work, I met Matt at the bank and he officially added me to his bank account; he really does plan to keep me :)

It was also a pleasant surprise to arrive home and find out that the husband had grocery shopped and dinner was planned and prepped in the refrigerator!  He sure was "sucking up" yesterday :)

On the menu was Low-Carb Burgers from The Pioneer Woman. They were  EXCELLENT!
As always, no matter if they tasted like poo, I will never turn down him wanting to plan, prep and cook dinner.  Forever grateful that he likes to get down and dirty in the kitchen as much as I do :)

Find the Low-Carb Burger recipe HERE

Quick i-phone snap before this plate got gobbled up

YUM.



Meatloaf Anyone....???

For the LONGEST time I was a true believer that the words 'meat' and 'loaf' should NEVER EVER EVER be placed together.  It's just weird.  My momma is an excellent cook but growing up, meatloaf was simply just not a favorite of mine. 

But....since I have been out on my own and experienced how difficult it can be to put a hot meal on the table, every night of the week, after a long work day, I now appreciate the simplicity of putting meat into the shape of a loaf.  (Don't make fun of me)

Last week I cooked a meal every night.  Even though the food on our honeymoon was beyond outstanding, it was nice to be back in my own kitchen.  I decided to try my girl Gina's Turkey Meatloaf and it was a huge hit with the husband, and surprisingly myself!  It will probably appear on my table now every couple weeks just because it was so darn inexpensive and easy. 

Turkey Meatloaf - Get the recipe HERE.
(I covered my meatloaf in a little more sauce then the recipe called for.  I also made some extra to heat up and pour over our leftovers the next day for lunch!)

Let The Baker In Me Come Alive

Since our return from our honeymoon early Tuesday morning we have yet to have the time to tear into all of our wedding gifts but....I can not wait to get into the kitchen and whip up some delicious treats for "Charleston" and friends. 

With all new gear, I think its time to kick it into high drive and get this baking thing down pat. 

We received a Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer from some dear friends and I am going to put this bad boy to the test!

Our next big family-of-two event is not until "Charleston's" birthday in June so I have some time to practice. I have decided I am going to try and make him a cake by MYSELF this year. 

(HUGE step in life! HUGE)

With the help of Google and some patience I have confidence.

With a quick Internet search this morning I already started researching designs.  If you need to know ANYTHING about "Charleston" it's that he is beyond passionate for hunting just about any animal.  (Hence why him and my father, and grandfather, hit it off from the start!)

Therefore, I figured some of these birthday cakes were cute and gave me some fabulous ideas!

This one is my fave:

The following two were Groom's cakes but a little change of wording and boom, birthday cake! 

This one just screams "Charleston" with the Browning Logo, bullets, and Browning rifle.  He would go NUTs!  Although, this might be a little out-of-my league.   

(If I fail, I am definitely taking this design to a baker and let them work some magic!)

He also LOVEs to deep sea fish so if I wanted to get really creative maybe something like this :

and if all else fails....

we will stick to Shotgun Shell Cupcakes



I DO, I DO, I DO......WE DID!!!

It's done.

It's official.

 We are Mr. and Mrs. Matthew "Charleston" Cole Atkins!

Good gracious it feels fabulous to be his wife!  Nothing feels more meant to be.

Thanks so much to all of our dearest family and friends for the love and support and for making our wedding magical....and for snapping some pics for me as we wait on our photographers to come in!

Rehearsal At The Church

We said "I Do!!!" 

Lindsey Regan Thorne worked her magic on me....LOVE how it turned out!!!

Olivia Claire was our flower girl!  Such a little HAM smiling for the cameras.

 Yes, this happened.....

Dancing with my Daddy 

Wedding's are not complete without an ADPi picture 

And my K-ville girls

Dancing with my husband

Cake Lady Jill did an AWESOME job with the cake!  Just like we had pictured!

Exit: Mr. and Mrs 

On Monday it was honeymoon time!  Starting the morning off right! 

and we looked at this view every day when we woke up!  no complaints. 

Galley Bay Resort in Antigua

Just wanted to share a few sneak peaks because I could not have been more excited with how our wedding journey turned out.  My HUSBAND and I talked everyday about how lucky we were.  THANK YOU TO ALL INVOLVED!

it's here

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i get married Saturday.  holy moly cow.  it's crazy.  it's a day i have been waiting for my entire life; cliche to say i know.  i am one of those girls that loves all things wedding; even before i met "charleston".  my dream job is working at Kleinfields helping girls pick out their wedding dresses.  ("charleston" asks if we will be able to stop watching Say Yes To The Dress after our wedding....nope! sorry bud)

i love LOVE. 

i did not know what to expect of myself during this week but i am shocking myself with how calm i feel.

all the planning is done; the schedules are with the vendors; our bridal party is informed....now i sit back and watch it unfold.  i have never been this laid back or calm before in my life.  i used to get more worked up over formal in college.  i contribute all this calmness to one thing:  "charleston"

he's not my "best friend"; i have plenty of those who will gossip with me over wine and sushi. 
"charleston" really is my soul mate. 
i wish i could go on and on about how picture perfect and pretty our life and love is like some other bloggers; snuggles, giggles and long walks on the beach....but that's not realistic. 
our life is perfect because it is OUR form of perfect.  yes, we do snuggle and laugh together but we also argue and challenge each other; it sometimes happens.  it might be weird but i somewhat appreciate this part.  it allows us to grow together.  we will always be two separate individuals but in "charleston's" words "we are a family of two" and that's what matters.  the one thing i love the most about US is that we are SO very similar that when we click (99.99% of the time), we are a force to be reckoned with; a true team.  that's OUR form of perfect and exactly what i love everyday.  its not butterflies, flowers and rainbows but true, hard, honest team work through life.  that's us.  i can't wait to marry this man.  i can't wait to make him proud.  i can't wait to honor him everyday for the man that he is. 

as i think about our wedding day i am reminded of a post i read awhile back; i even posted it before and i posted it again below.  it still rings loud and clear. we have already jumped through a couple hoops in the wedding planning process but at the end of the day, none of those hoops really matter.  what matters is that "charleston" and i are uniting our lives in front of our family and friends.  we are making a commitment to each other; a commitment to love.  vows.
for better or for worse.  for richer or poorer.  in sickness and in heath.  to love and to cherish.
i am so overwhelmy blessed that i get to make this commitment to "charleston" that i will NEVER take one day of our life together for granted. 


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.

What To Do Now....

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It’s been a really “weird” week. While I should be getting into total freak out mode because I get married in 11 days, I am rather calm. I have actually been thinking more about what-in-the-world I am going to do AFTER the wedding. I am constantly going over in my head to-do’s and schedules. What am I going to focus on when, in a single day, this year long hoop-la will be over?!

I considered signing up for some sort of race; rather it be a half marathon or full marathon but I really want to get involved in the Charlotte community and do something not for myself. I wish I was loaded and rich and could give tons of money to local charities but I feel the best I have to give right now is my TIME.

I want to find a solid and consistent volunteer opportunity here. In college, through my sorority, ADPi, I used to visit the Ronald McDonald house in Durham. We would make meals and do crafts with the kids and families that were staying at the home. The Ronald McDonald house here in Charlotte is awesome and I thought about checking out opportunities with them. I would love to establish myself somewhere in hopes of one day being on their board or committee groups and really making a difference.

I also thought about checking into Levine Children’s hospital because I have this draw to support kids that do NOT deserve to be battling cancer. (I guess that also kind of fits hand-in-hand with the Ronald McDonald House).

Overall I just wanted to throw it out there to see if anyone else had any other suggestions for wonderful opportunities to get involved in the Charlotte community! Let me know!

Also, wanted to share with you a little sneak peek of my card from my Valentine this year. He is just too cute. He even took the time to paste on an “addition” to make this card politically correct:

House Remodel

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No no, don't get too excited.  "Charleston" and I are NOT remodeling our house.  With our wedding in 19 days (holy moly!!!) we definitely do not have the time, spare cash or the appropriate stress level to accommodate the start of a remodel at this time!  We were just saying this morning how we can't wait to start saving again, starting with our tax refunds, so that we can do something fun to our house this year... but...for now, I will just live vicariously through these guys.....

I found this remodel through a design blog that I read regularly.  It has to be one of the cutest little houses I have seen go from zero to hero.
Check it out!!!!

Outside Before:

Outside After:

So stinking cute!

If you think that's good, check out the inside here:  Farmhouse Remodel

This little gem has so much character now!!!

He's A Keeper

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I was going through my file box the other day as I was getting my tax papers together and ran across my "personal" file.  Over the years I have dropped all kinds of cards, invitations etc that I just wanted to hold onto for a little longer.

I found this card that "Charleston" gave me on our one year anniversary.

I knew all along this man was a keeper.  Melt my heart. 

"One year ago today you came into my life and every moment since then has been filled with happiness and joy.  You are the most beautiful, amazing woman that I have ever met and these are not words to describe how much you mean to me.  I love you more and more everyday and I know that the number of our anniversaries will only be limited by the length of our lives." ~ "Charleston"

The Man Cooks

Saturday night we had a plan to meet some friends at Selwyn Pub for a couple drinks.  "Charleston" wanted to cook a quick dinner before going and I have learned, if the man wants to make dinner....don't turn down the offer.  Grab a glass of wine, sit back and just enjoy!

He started the meal by marinading two pork tenderloins all afternoon. 

He then butterflied them and stuffed each with sundried tomatoes, small cubes of goat cheese, basil spread, and fresh garlic.

Once stuffed, they were tied with string to keep the deliciousness inside. 

He then placed them on our charcoal grill, seared once on each side and then moved off the direct coal to slowly cook.

I decided to pitch in and make some veggie skewers to grill as our side dish.

Onion, Mushroom, Red Pepper and Green Pepper 

Successful little meal!  I prefer to eat dinner at home any night over going out!!!

LOVE THIS MAN!!!

"I Like The Way You Work It"

Meet my Aunt - 

Lori Higgins Rohs

No other word describe her but fabulous.  She is an amazing intelligent woman, incredible mother of three, and as you can see absolutely beautiful.

(Her ONLY downfall....she's a UNC Tarheel, but we forgive her)

I was so thankful that she came with us on my bachelorette weekend in Atlanta.  The experience would not have been the same without her!

We had an absolute blast!

Me, Aunt Lori, Sister Blair

(personal portraits in a dark cab with a flash never work out that well! ha ha)

Aunt Lori went to dinner with us Friday night at Ecco and then to Whiskey Park to sip cocktails and dance the night away!

and that's exactly what we did....

"Shorty get down, Good Lord

Baby got 'em open all over town" 

"Gettin paid is her forte

Each and every day true player way

I can't get her outta my mind

I think about the girl all the time" 

"East side to the west side

Push your fat rides it's no surprise

She got tricks in the stash

Stacking up the cash

Fast when it comes to the gas" 

"I like the way you work it (no diggity)

I got to bag it up"

"Hey yo hey yo hey yo hey yo

Hey yo hey yo hey yo" 

And that was just PART of night one! 

I love you Aunt Lori and thank you for being there and making my weekend so special!

(photo credit given to Ms. Sara Ted Boehm)

More pictures to come of the rest of the weekend with my fabulous G/F's!

Shop Attack For The House

I shop attacked again for our house.

This time it was for a rug to go in our middle floor living room.

I have been drooling over this little gem for quite some time and on Monday, Ballard Designs had a 15% off site wide coupon. I had to jump on it!

The only downfall:  This rug was considered a "special order" therefore it says it will not ship until April.  Bummer

But again.... sticking to my rule that "I am going to fill our house with stuff I LOVE and want to keep for years" so....if I have to wait a couple months to get it.  So be it!

Ballard Designs Sarafina Rug: