Alpha Delta Pi 40th Anniversary

Last Saturday "Charleston" and I headed to Raleigh for the Alpha Delta Pi 40th Anniversary Weekend. There were open houses at the sorority house, a cocktail party on Saturday night at the Carolina Country Club and a brunch on Sunday. It's kind of cool to think that ADPi has been on NC States campus for 40 years and still going strong!

It was so much fun to see some of the girls I have not seen since I graduated and even some that I have not seen since my sophomore year when they graduated! The total turnout was absolutly amazing; I think reaching somewhere around 400 - 500 people! Thanks to Meghan Nicholson for going above and beyond, as always, to make the event perfect!

It was really nice to meet some of the women that were in the very first few pledge class and hear what their experiences were like. Needless to say we had the most amazing weekend all around and I am already looking forward to the 45th Anniversary!

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Dacie Edwards, Lori Carson, Me

Dacie's boyfriend, Dacie Edwards, Lori Carson, Michael Jennings, Me, "Charleston"

Me and "Charleston"

Jennifer Tallent, Me, Leslie Gaddis

Me, Ashley Leadon (A.K.A Thunda), Lori Carson, Jackie Pate

"I'm Ballin', We Ball Out"

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Yeap…..you’re correct! That’s a BIG bag of golf balls! That is my most recent purchase on Craigslist! 300 used golf balls for $15!

What the he*l am I going to do with so many golf balls you may ask?

Well……I am going to hit them! Every last one of ‘em!

“Charleston” and I are heading to the fabulous little town of St. Stephen, SC this weekend!

Where the he*l is St. Stephen, SC you may ask?

Well….that I am not 100% sure! I know it is 30 miles North of Moncks Corner, SC (which still doesn’t say much to some of you) and 60 miles North of Charleston, SC.

“Charleston’s” grandmother used to live in St. Stephen but the older she got, the closer she needed to be to family so she moved to Tennessee with one of her daughters (“Charleston’s” Aunt). But… she did not want to sell her house in St. Stephen so, there it sits, and there we go for a weekend of outdoor fun!

The house sits on acres of open land so I am looking forward to many things (probably) out of my “girlie” element. “Charleston” pre-warned me that we will ride four wheelers and shoot guns. Oh boy! (Secret: Guns scare me. Bottom line.) He said I should bring my golf clubs to hit into the fields (which prompted the random golf ball purchase from craigslist) and when I messaged him this morning to see if there was anything else I needed to get/pack this afternoon I got a single word response: “wine”. Ooookie Dokie….Sounds like a good weekend to me :)

What To Do With Cabbage???

Cabbage? Um, no thank you? Never really been too sure what to do with it…possibly make slaw? Well slaw isn’t that healthy with all the mayo and doesn’t make much of a meal….what the h*ll can you really do with cabbage?

Thanks to Happy Herbivore my problems are solved. I am trying my 110% darndest to lose weight but with the recent addition of a male species in my apartment more times than none, I find myself cooking more than I used to then in my “single chic” days of grilling a piece of fish and putting it over greens. That kind meal doesn’t always fly with a starving 6”2’ manly man. These additional calories of a “meat and potato” diet are adding up and keeping me set at the weight I am at. Something has to change!

Well last week when I was a “single chic” for one night I experimented with a healthy recipe: Mexican Cabbage and I honestly enjoyed it. It was a warm meal that was filling but still calorie cautious. It made a TON of food so I packed up the leftovers and took them to work the next two days providing me with a hearty lunch that took only seconds to heat up in the microwave. The second best thing about this meal was that it was super-de-doper cheap after buying all store brand ingredients!

Now, I am warning you, I would never sit “Charleston” down to a meal like this. He would look at me like I was crazy. If we were going to make this meal together, I would grill a chicken breast and serve it on the top with a French baguette on the side to scoop some deliciousness up with!

Mexican Cabbage

Ingredients:
· ½ whole cabbage
· 1 whole sweet onion, diced
· 2 whole garlic cloves, minced
· 8 ounces tomato sauce
· 4 ounces green chilies, diced
· 2 tbsp tomato paste
· 1 tsp cumin
· ½ tsp oregano or majarom
· ¼ tsp black pepper
· 1 cup corn, frozen
· 1 cup black beans, cooked
· ¼ cup baked corn chips

Instructions:
Chop cabbage into thin strips, set aside. Line a medium saucepan with water and sauté onions and garlic over high heat until translucent. Add cabbage, tomato sauce, chilies, paste and spices. Reduce heat to medium and cook until cabbage is tender, about 10 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in frozen corn until evenly distributed. Taste test, adjusting spices as needed. Salt to taste if desired. Mix in black beans before serving. Break corn tortilla chips into small pieces in your hand and sprinkle over top before serving.


And then of course it wouldn't be a good post if I didnt put any pics up of the cutest little niece in the entire world!

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Olivia playing with Sisters hair clips in the bathroom

Livi and Sister at Grandaddy and Shelbie's house

Friday's Favorite Quote

I am having one of those days....one of those days that I am just in a funk and had to revisit my favorite quote and read it several times over and over again:

"A couple hundred years ago Benjamin Franklin shared with the world the secret of his success. Never leave that 'til tomorrow, which you can do today. This is the man who discovered electricity; you'd think we'd pay more attention to what he had to say. I don't know why we put things off, but if I had to guess it has a lot to do with fear. Fear of failure, fear of pain, fear of rejection. Sometimes the fear is just of making a decision. Because... What if you're wrong? What if you make a mistake you can't undo? Whatever it is we're afraid of, one thing holds true: That by the time the pain of not doing the thing gets worse than the fear of doing it, it can feel like we're carrying around a giant tumor. And you thought I was speaking metaphorically... 'The early bird catches the worm.' 'A stitch in time saves nine.' 'He who hesitates is lost.' We can't pretend we haven't been told. We've all heard the proverbs, heard the philosophers, heard our grandparents warning us about wasted time; heard the damn poets urging us to seize the day. Still, sometimes we have to see for ourselves. We have to make our own mistakes. We have to learn our own lessons. We have to sweep today's possibility under tomorrows rug until we can't anymore. Until we finally understand for ourselves what Benjamin Franklin meant. That knowing is better than wondering. That waking is better than sleeping. And that even the biggest failure, even the worst most intractable mistake, beats the hell out of not trying." - Dr. Meredith Grey - "Greys Anatomy - If Tomorrow Never Comes (2005)"

I will have to say that this is honestly my favorite quote of all time. I heard it on the night this episode originally aired and it has stuck with me for the past 6 years and will forever. It speaks to me and hits home when I really need a "turn-around"; hopefully you will enjoy it as well!

Happy Friday Friends!

"Charleston" and I are headed to Raleigh this weekend to hang out with some of our fabulous friends as well as celebrate NC States 40th Anniversary of ADPi's Zeta Beta Chapter! Ha Ha Sorority Function - whoo hoo! :)

Gas Prices....Seriously?!

I bought my 2007 Honda Accord back in June 2007 and I remember driving her off the Burlington Honda lot back to Raleigh thinking I had just hit the jack pot! I was so excited to be behind the wheel of my very own brand new car! (I was excited until reality hit and I got my very first bill from Honda financial :) ) It was my very first “big” purchase as a college graduate and a grown up. Well I am happy to announce that she is almost 100% totally paid for and 100% mine. No more car payments! Just maintenance and gas! Whoo hoo!

Last weekend while I was at home, I was joking around with my dad about making him a swap for my mom’s 4Runner or selling him my Honda to drive as his “around town/work car.” Now, we were JUST joking; I could not imagine selling my baby right now and beginning ANOTHER car payment. My Honda is still in great shape and running like a charm; she is all I need. But, in the excitement of thinking about new cars, I started to dream of a new 2011 4Runner, 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee or 2011 GMC Sierra Denali HD. Well, yesterday afternoon these dreams were quickly halted and put on the back burner for probably another 5 years because I saw this:

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The gas station right down the street from my house

Holy Cow! Who in their right mind can afford $3.41 gas prices! Could you imagine the pit in your stomach as you stood at the pump and filled up one of those gas guzzlers? That would be a car payment in itself each month!

I have the dream of owning an SUV one day but until gas prices fall off tremendously, it is just not worth the additional price :(

These will have to be put on hold:

2011 4Runner

2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee
2011 GMC Sierra Denali HD (wouldn't I look hot driving this! I would even take the boat behind it!)

Five Favorite Things: He's My Valentine

It might have been a year ago that I started doing a bi-weekly post on Five-Things-I-Love. Well in the spirit of Valentine’s Day today, I am bringing sexy back and starting the tradition once again with five things I love about my Valentine “Charleston.”

1. “Charleston’s” eyes. I know it sounds cheesy and corny but I honestly get lost in those baby blues. They always have such an innocent grin and crystal clear reflection that’s hard to resist. They are beautiful and they go right along with his soul – deep and passionate.

2. “Charleston’s” natural protective instincts. “Charleston” and I love to run together. We run around our neighborhood and through Freedom Park majority of the time which often takes us on the sidewalks of busy roads and major intersections. It always made me nervous because he tends to run slightly behind me at all times. At first I thought he just wanted to watch my backside ;) but realized when cars would pass he would always position himself between me and the traffic. It wasn’t until one evening, on a run, we were waiting to cross the street at a sharp curved intersection that I realized what he was doing. Cars started flying around the corner and he instinctively stepped up and held me tight against his backside so that he was between me and the headlights. He never says anything; he just does it, without hesitation. He makes me feel safe and taken care of. Always.

3. His ability to show the appropriate amount of P.D.A. I have dated guys before that refused to even hold my hand in public. It DROVE ME CRAZY. I do believe that there is a distinct line where enough is enough and there is a happy medium of what should be public and what should stay behind the bedroom door. “Charleston” doesn’t mind a little PDA and I love it. The way he naturally grabs my hand while we walk through the grocery store or leans over to kiss my head when we sit down at a restaurant just melts my heart. He doesn’t mind letting public know that I am his and we are together. Even when it is just the two of us in the living room, “Charleston” is naturally affectionate and I love every minute of it. He kisses me as soon as he walks in the door; snuggles with me on the couch and randomly walks into a room and gives me bear hugs. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

4. His Top Chef abilities in the kitchen. “Charleston” is an amazing cook. I love to cook but, I will have to admit that it is nice to be able to share the responsibilities. The best part is he OFFERS to cook as well as do the grocery shopping and prep work. He tells me to go sit down and he likes to handle everything. I had never thought that this would be something I would look for in a counterpart but…not having this responsibility EVERY night of the week and having the ability to actually sit down and relax after work is ridiculously nice. I don’t think I will ever thank him enough for sharing this task!

5. His dedication to his friends and family. “Charleston” has a heart of gold. He truly cares about other people and has the raw instinct to want to please others. Something has to be said for the guy that has friends from kindergarten and over the past 26 years has just added to the list. “Charleston’s” friends are always calling him, inviting us to dinner, movies, and drinks and to just hang out. I love that he is so genuine and has a deep liking to desire these close social connections because it is exactly how I am. “Charleston” cherishes his friendships and I can’t wait to build these friendships with him in the future.

This list could go on and on but….for now, those are just several ways that I cherish my valentine!

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY FRIENDS!

Auntie Blain Is My Name

Sister sends me a picture text of Olivia with the following caption:

"Auntie Blain, do you know how to make my magic carpet fly?" - Livi

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And instantly I fall in love all over again. I love being an aunt; especially to this cute little doodle bug! She brightens my every day!

Officially 27

It was a wonderful weekend….thanks to every one of these people:

“Charleston”
Lauren Musiol
Amy Strickland
Laura Faust
Leann Spadaro
Lori Carson
Jennifer Talent
Lee Ann Jones
Ashley Leadon
Ryan Smithson
Leslie Resnick
Georgia Gourley
Meghan Price
Melissa Hurley
Mason Hurley
Adam Zelsdorf
Alicia Zelsdorf
Mandy Rubin
Adam Rubin
Marla Boughton
John Wadsworth
Jenna Luck
Pat Gildea
Kirsten Pittman
Reece Pittman
Preston Smith
Gretchen Hutter
Michael Lopez
Scott Whelchel
Tiffany Orth
Lorene Temming
Brett Temming

and the 33 others who sent me texts, facebook messages and phone calls!

Yesterday was my birthday and on Saturday, every one of these people helped me celebrate in what ended up to be the best birthday party yet. Lauren hosted us at her cute little house in the neighborhood where we started with cocktails and appetizers. We then headed to Whiskey Warehouse to socialize for several hours which was then proceeded by late night at Dixie’s Tavern. Having tons of my friends there meant the world to me and really brought into reality how special and lucky I am to have the most amazing people in my life.

My friends make me feel special and I cannot thank Laura and Lauren enough for organizing, hosting and getting the entire night together.

The weekend wasn’t only filled with wonderful friends but also wonderful food. On Friday night “Charleston” took me to dinner at Coco Osteria and on Saturday for brunch “Charleston’s” sister and brother-in-law took us to Terrace Café. Both places, hands down, amazing. If you live in Charlotte, you have to make a visit. Coco Osteria was a terrific date spot with an excellent atmosphere and wonderful comfort Italian food. Terrace Café had everything to choose from but one of the highlights at my place setting? A perfectly seasoned bloody mary garnished with a crispy bacon strip!

I did receive a couple little birthday presents, including a new addition to the family:
Meet Kate (yes, Kate Spade that is!):

She is beautiful and makes me grin from ear to ear every time I see her. (“Charleston” has excellent taste. He picked her out on his own!)

Without knowing that “Charleston” had purchased “Kate”, Lorene and Brett ("Charleston's" sister and brother-in-law) got me the perfect Coach wristlet that matches so well with the new addition to the family!


Several times over the weekend I had to pinch myself to make sure it was real because this weekend was a dream come true! Thanks to everyone, friends, family and “Charleston” for everything!

I Shop Attacked

Did I have the money? No

But I shopped.

Am I proud of my actions? No

But, do I love what I bought? Absolutely

I can’t really justify it but to be honest….but....it’s my money, I’ll spend it how I want! If it means I am eating PB&J next week, at least I will look cute doing it. :)

I bought this little trio below from Banana Republic to wear tonight when my "hunny hunny" takes me out to Coco Osteria for my birthday dinner! It was on a manikin in the store paired together and I HAD to have it!

I also bought a top from French Connection, which for the life of me, cannot find on Nordstrom’s website or on the Internet in general and......I bought a cocktail dress from BCBG, which, again, cannot find a pic to save my life! I might just have to model it myself later on!

TRUST

It has taken some time but I am finally able to admit that I have trust issues. In past relationships, going back to college, I have been screwed.
Hurt.
Betrayed.
Disappointed.
Emotionally scared.
Mainly by one person in particular but the several gentlemen that followed him were not the best picks to try and sweep up these broken pieces of my soul. This person said he loved me (BS). I loved him back with my whole heart, put everything I had into our three year relationship only to find he had another girlfriend throughout the last several months of our relationship. On top of that he had the nerve to break up with me on my birthday and still not tell me the truth about the other girl.

I can assure you that he has no idea what kind of emotional issues he has caused me (and I promise you, even on the day he broke up with me, he could have cared less.) He has caused me to have little faith in the opposite sex and in relationships. Most people don’t understand why I can’t just get over it, have confidence in myself, and know that those were the actions of one guy and not the intentions of all. I understand that; I do. But those feelings are hard to brush under a rug because when you move the rug over for a new guy, they are exposed once again. Over the years since then, the quality of guys that I have chosen to date, I like to think, have improved tremendously but… my lack of confidence in the opposite sex and their “faithful” skills always brought bumps in the road throughout these relationships.

“Charleston” and I have an excellent relationship and never in a million years would he do anything intentionally to hurt me. "Charleston" is restoring my trust everyday and in every little way.
I trust him wholeheartedly.
I believe in him and I believe in us.
I have told him over and over again about these issues that I internally posses and I strive everyday to not let them surface in our lives. Every now and then an insecurity bubble will float up and “Charleston” lovingly pops it and makes it disappear through positive reassurance and constructive criticism.

My hope is that one day this issue will totally be an issue of the past. I want to, every time, trust “Charleston” from the start and never let my head wander to its untrustworthy and insecure side which usually brings about some turmoil for the day. It’s not healthy for me or for our relationship and the last thing I ever want to do is to lose him over an issue an old boyfriend brought about in my life.

With all that being said, I came about this topic because of an article I read on CarolinaBride.com . It was a blog post by Alison Henry about an interview she had with a young woman from Charlotte. The topic: Adultery and the website AshleyMadison.com. If you are unfamiliar with AshleyMadison.com, it is a controversial married dating service that allows individuals to sign up and ultimately cheat on their spouses. As soon as I read this I was stunned. After all the hurt I went through with my old boyfriend (and he was just a boyfriend) what in the world would I feel like if my spouse intentionally went on a website seeking someone else to hook up with. Ultimately I was floored (actually, I still am floored). 6 million people have signed up to cheat on their spouses. Who are we anymore and where in the world have the words moral and commitment disappeared too in today's society? It truly is troublesome.

Check out the interview here: Interview with An Adulteress

What’s your opinion?

Best Lasagna Ever. Seriously

The other day I posted about my favorite recipes that came out of my kitchen in 2010, well, 2011 is already given 2010 a run for its money!

I was cooking dinner for “Charleston”, his sister and brother-in-law the other night and wanted to try something new. Needless to say Pioneer Woman pulled through for me again.

Hands down, The Best Lasagna Ever, Is seriously the best lasagna ever.

I don’t do frozen lasagna. I REPEAT, frozen lasagna from the grocery freezer section has never seen the inside of my oven unless there was truly a very sad sad situation. But then again, I have always heard the troubles with making homemade lasagna and have stayed far away from attempting it.

This lasagna recipe is super easy because you cook everything before assembly! Use it to feed many people or easily split it into two pans to feed two smaller groups. Cook one pan tonight and freeze the other for later!

There is just one thing I did different from Pioneer Woman’s recipe:

I used Fresh Mozzarella from the deli section and it made the WORLD of a difference. I know it was more expensive but…I beg you, if you make this recipe for the first time, just bite the bullet and use fresh mozzarella. Please. Trust. Me.

The is a crowd please hands down!

Best Lasagna Ever

Ingredients
1-½ pound Ground Beef
1 pound Hot Breakfast Sausage
2 cloves Garlic, Minced
2 cans (14.5 Ounce) Whole Tomatoes
2 cans (6 Ounce) Tomato Paste
2 Tablespoons Dried Parsley
2 Tablespoons Dried Basil
1 teaspoon Salt
3 cups Low fat Cottage Cheese
2 whole Beaten Eggs
½ cups Grated (not Shredded) Parmesan Cheese
2 Tablespoons Dried Parsley
1 teaspoon Salt
1 pound Sliced Mozzarella Cheese
1 package (10 Ounce) Lasagna Noodles
(add 1/2 Teaspoon Salt And 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil To Pasta Water)

Preparation Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet or saucepan, combine ground beef, sausage, and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat until browned. Drain half the fat; less if you’re feeling naughty. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, 2 tablespoons parsley, basil and salt. After adding the tomatoes, the sauce mixture should simmer for 45 minutes while you are working on the other steps.

In a medium bowl, mix cottage cheese, beaten eggs, grated Parmesan, 2 more tablespoons parsley, and 1 more teaspoon salt. Stir together well. Set aside. Cook lasagna until “al dente” (not overly cooked).

To assemble:Arrange 4 cooked lasagna noodles in the bottom of a baking pan, overlapping if necessary. Spoon half the cottage cheese mixture over the noodles. Spread evenly. Cover cottage cheese with a layer of mozzarella cheese. Spoon a little less than half the meat/sauce mixture over the top.

Repeat, ending with meat/sauce mixture. Sprinkle top generously with extra Parmesan.
Either freeze, refrigerate for up to two days, or bake immediately: 350-degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes, or until top is hot and bubbly!

Becoming Soft Around The Edges

Why does it melt my heart to see a man with a baby?

Lets just say that the two most important and special men in my life (yes, my Dad and "Charleston") are your typical "man's man". They like to dress in camo, sit in the woods, and shoot everything that moves. They both drive Tacoma's and their version of TLC is the Versus channel. Their hands are always dirty because 99% of the time, they do things themselves. They are "steak and potato" men.

But...

ever since Olivia was born, something has changed.

They do things like this:

instead of sitting in the recliner watching an Iowa buck get smoked with a Matthews bow. (I have learned something in my 26 years of this exposure!)

"Charleston" putting Olivia in her supermodel pose!

"Charleston" giving Olivia a flying ride!

Practicing his baby talk. (I wish I knew what she was thinking right here!)
Too cute.

My dad still can't escape the fact that he is becoming even more surrounded by women. But...something tells me he doesn't seem to mind :)
Dad, trying to convince Olivia to crawl

Christmas- A little long overdue!

(Again, please excuse me how far behind I am on posts! I know that it is January 18th but...can't it be Christmas year round?!)

Anyway,
This was, hands down, one of the best Christmas' yet. Mainly because I was able to pull off both Christmas with "Charleston's" family as well as mine and....the newest addition to our family celebrated her first Christmas morning with a visit from Santa! Words can't describe how the dynamic of a family changes when a new one is added to the family but it brings so much more excitement to opening presents and celebrating the holiday together!

I spent Christmas even with "Charleston's" family and we did "Christmas morning" on Christmas eve, followed by dinner and the Christmas Eve service at their church, Myers Park Presbyterian. On Christmas morning, we woke up and drove back to Kernersville to meet mom and Dad, Sister, Olivia and Sam and have Christmas morning with my family!

I tried my hardest to use my camera as much as possible but there were so many other fun things to do besides snap pictures!

Here are a couple to show some of my most favorite people in life!

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On Saturday night we had Christmas at Grandmas.

Mattie and Griffin (my cousins)
On Christmas morning it started snowing.....and didn't stop....we measured the amount of snow on our patio table and by Saturday night we were at 9 inches!
Olivia had a long Christmas morning with her new toys from Santa. She was due for a nap while we were at Paw-Paws house.
Livi got a new pair of boots for Christmas! That sweet little face in her Christmas onsie!
Mom, "Charleston" and I got Dad the Muck hunting boots he has been wanting. They got used that morning while dad shoveled the drive-way!
Sister and Livi having Christmas morning breakfast!
Mom wanted a new facebook profile picture...I think it turned out well!
Christmas morning at the Higgins house
Mom and Olivia
"Charleston" is going to go on a shopping spree at the Bass Pro Store!

She was focused on the presents in front of her!
The Howard Family. I think Olivia wants her present back!
I got her some new PJ's!

Sweet tired baby face. She has added so much happiness to our family; I can't even explain!
Hope everyone had a happy holiday!

ACC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

(so I am a little behind...bare with me!)

It was cold. It was miserable. It was raining.

When NC State was rolling through our winning football streak, “Charleston”, myself and our friends Ryan and Heather grabbed up some tickets to the ACC Championship game here in Charlotte in hopes of cheering the Wolfpack to victory.

Well….bum bum bum…. The Wolfpack did not make it to the ACC Championship game thanks to a loss to Maryland in their last game of the season. Therefore, we had four tickets to a game none of us truly cared about.

Oh what to do??

Well you suck it up, tailgate and have a fabulous time at the final football game of the season with friends!

We had full intentions of throwing an all out blow-out tailgate until…the second bomb hit. It was freezing rain all day leading up to kick off. Miserable weather.

Therefore, it paid off to live in Uptown and only four blocks from the Bank of America stadium. We pulled the coolers up to my fourth floor balcony, kicked our feet up on the coffee table, turned on several other football games and threw our own tailgate in the living room ALL DAY LONG. We ate bojangles and chips and dip and heather and I pulled out all of our favorite tailgate games – painting our finger nails! When could you ever do that at a normal tailgate?!

Long story short. We ended up going to the game and were miserable the entire time. I can’t explain how cold and damp it was, and the worst part, I honestly couldn’t give a crap who won.

We did hold a little photo-op out on the balcony before walking to the game. We had to come outside to take pictures because with all our cold weather gear on we were sweating to death inside….

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view from our seats

"Charleston" and Heather
Ryan, "Charleston" and Heather

Me and Boyfriend freezing our bums off!
I knew as soon as Heather pulled out a bottle of finger nail polish from her purse this was going to be the best "tailgate" ever!
FA-REEEEEZING....