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I have had to remind myself of this little saying all week.  Chin up. 

It's been one of those emotional couple days after being gone on several fabulous vacations the past couple weeks...it's back to reality and reality is knocking me down hard.

Thanks to my momma for allowing our usual everyday phone call to turn into a b*tch, cry, b*tch some more and cry some more fest.  It's a little stress relief (Well at least for about 15 minutes until I start thinking about things again after we hang up; but I guess some is better then nothing!) I love you momma and thanks for being my best friend and just listening.

At least its hump day; only two more days and it's a long holiday weekend.  I am excited to say that I am staying at HOME for labor day weekend and I couldn't be more excited!  Waking up in my own bed on a Saturday morning is priceless at this point! And.....on top of that.......Sister, Sam and Olivia Claire are coming to visit Saturday afternoon!  I can't wait to see that little peanut; I have missed her face more then the world! (and of course Sister and Sam too.)

Maybe it's just that I NEED my family.  I think that's it.  I have missed them.

Weekend Jewels

I spent the weekend in Charleston with fifteen of my bestests celebrating our dear love Ashley "Thunda" Leadon's bachelorette!  Saturday night we did our big night out on the town with the all too popular L.B.D.N  (Little. Black. Dress. Night).  L.B.D.N. gave me the itch for some new jewels in my collection because every single friend had on some of the most gorgeous and beautiful pieces to spruce up the little black dress; I was sincerely jealous. 

If money weren't a thing, Stella & Dot would be shipping these to my house tomorrow to fulfill that void I left the weekend with:

Sloane Enamel Bangle

Colette Necklace 

Revival Tassel

After the Rain Bracelet 

Amelia Drop Earings 

Contessa Jade Necklace 

Belle Fleur Earrings 

Charlize Teardrop Earrings 

So pretty!

Firefly Lane

I pretended I was just wiping the sweat off my face as I lay on my beach towel baking in the sun. Really though, I was trying my hardest not to sniffle and let everyone notice that I was cleaning up the tears that were pouring down my face. 

I have no clue what was wrong with me because I am usually not emotional over little things but when I hunkered down to read during my quiet time on the beach, I was on an emotional roller coaster caused by Kristin Hannah and her book Firefly Lane.

I don't want to go into detail of the who, what, when, where and why this book stole my heart and moved to the top of my favorite list but I will chalk it up to Kristin's ability to get her readers absorbed in her characters.  I felt like I was reading a story out of my own life about two of my closest friends.  I would cry on one page and laugh out loud on the next.  It was crazy.  No single book has ever done this to me; I never get that connected.

If you like chick flick books, this is the one.  (I would lend you my copy but I honestly think I am going to read it again before the summer is over!  This will be another first for me!) 

Back To Reality

I wish I would have taken more pictures but that is honestly how lazy I was last week; this is all I got.

  "Charleston" and I headed down to Isle of Palms, SC to this house, 801Ocean Blvd, to stay with his parents, Rob and Barbara, his younger sister Katherine, his older sister Lorene, her husband Bret and one of their friends Eric for a week of fun in the sun.

We lived it up beach style with bike riding, laying out in the sun, reading books, playing Mexican Train, eating AMAZING food and enjoying some cocktails.

The weather was absolutely gorgeous with only a single shower one afternoon that was over in an hour!

On the 18th, Rob and Barbara celebrated their 38th wedding anniversary!

The Happy Couple:



Each night we each took turns cooking and for mine and "Charleston's" night we did a low country boil which turned out to be a big hit (and lets not forget SUPER easy)!  We also went out to eat at Morgan Creek Grill, Fleet Landing, and Vickerys.  May I suggest if you are ever in Charleston, go to Fleet Landing and get the Crispy Whole Fried Southern Flounder with Apricot Glaze.  It was out of this world!

Barbara's brother Jim lives in Mt. Pleasant so his wife Yancey and their two daughters Camille and Lucy came over for dinner the night of our Low Country Boil.  The girls just had to do everyone's hair which started with hair gel:

I got a half up pony:

Then they got to work on Jim:

Poor guy got a Mohawk:

Thank you to the Atkins' family for allowing me to join the most relaxing family vacation!  It was just what I needed!

Already Checked Out for Vacay!

Mentally, I am already checked out and I bet you can see it all over my face right now!

In T-minus seven hours I am South bound headed to Isle of Palms for a WEEK of fun in the sun and relaxation with "Charleston" and his family. 

#1 :  I love the beach

#2 :  I love the sun

#3 :  I love Isle of Palms and Charleston, SC

#4 :  I love "Charleston"

#5 :  I love "Charleston's" family

Who wouldn't have a permanent grin plastered on their face right now!  I haven't had a week of vacation, I think, since college.  

My bags are packed and sitting in the living room waiting to be loaded in the car.  I know I have probably forgot something but there is one thing I will never forget before a week in heaven:

Arbonne, Damage Control SPF 30 Sunscreen 

Until the day I die I will swear by this stuff.  I started using it almost six years ago when the wife (an Arbonne rep) of a guy I worked with at GE Aircraft Engines sold me several products.  I chose this and some kind of 5 step skin care system.  I enjoyed the skin care system but it was a little over priced for what I got.  I was very skeptical about a $28 dollar bottle of sunscreen but Dru ensured me that it would not disappoint.  Boy was she right!

It is not greasy so I can put it on my face without worry.  I apply it under my makeup in the summer whenever I know I am spending the day outside.  A little goes A LONG way and you don't have to reapply as often as with most other sunscreens.  (This small bottle will last me forever!  Those spray sunscreens last you MAYBE a couple days if you reapply often.  Add that up after a week at the beach and I am almost sure you have surpassed the $28 you would have spent on Arbonne sunscreen.)

Point is, I like to bake and toast in the sun.  I can sit on the beach in a chair and not move for 8 hours and during this time with my Arbonne sunscreen my face gets color without scorching and breaking out from greasy concoctions in brightly colored bottles.  Its a miracle in a tiny bottle!  I will never look back at another sunscreen in my life.

A Minor Meltdown

So it’s time for a little bit of honesty….about a meltdown that happened the other day.

I CONSTANTLY am paying attention to what I eat and drink. I am always thinking about calories in and calories out (minus a night or two on the weekend where every girl needs to let her hair down). I go to the gym at least four or five days out of the week. I feel like right now in my life I have never been healthier and my eating and workout habits have never been better.

When I look in the mirror, I am comfortable with what I see. Sure I could criticize myself up and down and draw little circles around areas that I want to fix but….overall in the mirror I am confident in my skin. I like my “curves” and have gotten used to them. When I go shopping, majority of the time I can buy just about anything I like; most styles work and I am pretty true to size top to bottom. I can say that when I am out in public I have confidence and I feel good in my own skin.

Like anyone, I was still looking to lose 10lbs or so but... I was happy.

Until….
The other night some pictures got posted to Facebook and I wondered “who is that girl?”


I looked heavy; in my face, stomach, and in my arms (my most insecure area). I honestly couldn’t believe what I looked like in the pictures because that is not at all what I felt like. I kept trying to convince myself that it was just the angle of the pictures and the way they were taken. (Although, the photographer was looking at me from that exact angle with his own eyes….. Is that what he saw of me?) I was ashamed and embarrassed. I HATED the way I looked in the pictures. I could not get over how heavy I looked, especially next to some of my cute and skinny girlfriends.

So I had a meltdown. I went downstairs and started crying to “Charleston.” He did what any supportive boyfriend would do and told me that I was beautiful and I did not need to worry about my weight. Yada-yada-yada. Of course it was all good to hear from him but it still didn’t make the feeling totally disappear.

In reality do I really look like I did in the pictures? It’s so hard for me to grasp because I FEEL so good right now. Ugh, it’s just so damn confusing because I think I am doing so well and I feel confident, but then, some pictures come out, and it just crushes my reality that I still have a long way to go before I am right where I want to be and happy ALL THE WAY AROUND.

Katie and Nick's Wedding In Blowing Rock, NC

"A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person."

For all 200 guests seated in Rumple Memorial Church in Blowing Rock, NC last weekend, there was no doubt that these two will fall in love over and over again.  They fit just right, like puzzle pieces, into the journey of life.  As cliche as it always sounds, they were meant for each other.   

Katie Lewis and Nick Riddle

 Katie and I grew up together.  I met her older sister Sarah on the first day of preschool and our families have been hip-to-hip ever since.  Our parents became very good friends and the four of us girls became sisters.
Katie met Nick while they were students at Appalachian State. Katie is one of the most genuine women you will ever meet and Nick could not compliment her more!

Katie and Nicks wedding was a weekend affair filled with AMAZING food, FABULOUS music and EVEN BETTER friends.  Over the past 24 years, mine and Katie's friends have grown into the same group and her extended family has become mine, therefore, I had the best time catching up and hanging out.

Now onto more important things:

Katie arrived to the church in the App Bus! Couldn't be more fitting!


The wedding took place at Rumple Memorial Presbyterian Church in downtown Blowing Rock, NC.

No decorations were needed.  The inside of the church was absolutely gorgeous.  Guests were packed in but it made for the most perfect intimate ceremony.

Katie doesn't have to work to be beautiful and this picture does her dress no justice.  It was stunning and fit like a glove.  Who wouldn't kill for Katie's height and figure?!

I introduce to you, Mr. and Mrs. Nick Riddle!

 Those of us in the wedding party (plus our dates) took a Trolley from the church to the reception site.

Meet my second parents Joan and Earl Lewis.  (Katie's Parents)

Nick and Katie's Reception was at Reynolds Blue Ridge.  It was stunning and the weather was perfect!
They had cocktails, appetizers and the bar under here:

...and then across the bridge was a tent set with tables for dinner as well as the dance floor, and then a lawn area lit by intimate lights with lawn chairs for lounging and enjoying the S.O.B Band.

Me and the Hunny Hunny.  Please excuse the frizzy hair and shiny complexion.  I was not at all used to the humidity in the mountains!  (Katie's colors were navy (hence the B-maids dress) and green.  A girl of my own heart!)

Dancing the night away.  All of us girls did a line dance to Copperhead Road.  After Katie's bachelorette weekend at Bald Head Island, she decided that this had to be part of the reception. 

Congratulations Katie and Nick!  I wish you the absolute best and can't wait to watch you two grow as a married couple!  Love you KT-DID and Nick!

**Thanks to Sharon for all the pics!**

On The Dinner Table Tonight

This will be on the dinner table tonight:

And it will be on the dinner table becuase I already have all the ingredients for it!



Thanks Gina for the suggestion and the recipe!

Mayo-less Tuna Salad

Ingredients:

5 oz. canned albacore tuna, drained

1 tbsp capers, drained

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

2 cups arugula

1 cup cooked pasta (from 2 oz dry)

fresh black pepper

.5 oz fresh shaved parmesan

(and I might add a squeeze of fresh lemon and only 1/2 tbsp of red wine vinegar)

Directions:

In alarge bowl toss tuna with capers, oil, vinegar, arugula, pasta and pepper.  Divide on two plates and top with shaved parmesan.  YUM!!



Out Of The Hair Care Rut

I am a creature of habit, especially when it comes to hair care products.  When I find something I like, it becomes a staple in my daily routine.  I got addicted to Aussie High Hold High Shine hairspray for the past year or so.  Every morning I would spray a little on my roots at my crown to hold some volume at the back of my head.   It did the trick so "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." 

Well now that I am trying to let my hair grow out a little more, I don't need something as "stiff" as the Aussie.  I wanted to have a little hold but the ability to easily run my fingers through it at the end of a day.

Enter this:  Ultimate Finish Natural Hold Hairspray by Ulta

It is exactly what I was looking for!

It is not sticky and the smell is extremely fresh.  I have very thin and fine hair and it doesn't weigh it down, leaving it with more volume then when using "volume" hairspray.  I can comb through it and restyle my hair without it feeling dry and heavy.

I love getting out of a haircare rut with something I like and that is totally affordable!

Just Another Meatless Monday

I will never waste the time or calories on fried okra ever again. 

Last night I made "Charleston" and I a meatless meal of kabobs and mashed potatoes for dinner.  I made two kinds of kabobs; one with green pepper, onion and grape tomatoes and the other with okra. (All fresh from the farmers market!)  The grilled okra was everything I had dreamed of and more!

Sorry for the poor picture quality. These babies didn't stand a chance long enough for me to find my camera so I settled for the blackberry!

The best part of grilled okra is the simplicity.

Ingredients

fresh okra (all about the same size for even grilling)

kosher salt

Lawry's Seasoned Salt

extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Skewer okra on kabob sticks and brush with olive oil.  Season with kosher salt and Lawry's.  Grill on low heat, flipping once.  (and when I flipped them, I seasoned a little more with Lawry's) Depending on the heat of your grill will depend on how long it takes.  I grilled mine on both sides until they were lightly browned.

Try them!  I promise you will never pull out a frying pan again!

Thursday Dreaming

I would take a little bit of this:

chop, mix, stir and bake in with a little bit of this:

and yea, I'd be in kitchen heaven.

Thursday Dreaming

I Am A Petal Pusher

Before I even try and tackle Southpark Mall when I am in need (want) of a particular clothing item, I always hit up several of my "staple" boutique shops to see what they have to offer.  One being Belle Ville in the Epicentre, another being Fresh on Providence Road and the last being Petal on East Blvd in Dilworth.  Yesterday, Petal was my drug of choice.  I needed (wanted) a dress to wear to several bridal showers and luncheons I have coming up in the next several months. Something light, airy and comfortable to dress up or down. 

Petal delivered, and delivered several other cutie things that my wallet just couldn't afford right now:

Glam Ruffle Down Dress in Teal

(this looks awesome with a wide belt!)

Glam Short Sleeve Tie Back Dress
(Pictures don't do this justice!  Its slinky, shear and silky!)

Cooper By Courtney Short Sleeve Romper

LA Clothing Maxi Dress
Perfect for my upcoming beach vacations!

LA Clothing Vibrant Romper in Navy
With a long gold necklace and espadrilles...yes please

Citizens of Humanity Elson Slim Leg Jean in White

LA Clothing Chiffon Lined Dress in Green

I ended up going with the dress above (LA Clothing Chiffon Lined Dress in Green - pictures don't do this one justice.  The color looks very different and the belt is light brown) and am contemplating going back and getting the Glam Short Sleeve Tie Back Dress for a rehearsal dinner.  The only thing is it is really shear and I would have to find something to wear underneath the entire thing.  Oh well, we will see. 

Who am I kidding though, it probably will end up in my closet! (as well as the vibrant romper. I have plans to go back today!)

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BOUTIQUES!

A New Addiction

My weekend included a little bit of this peanut.....

Livi - the purple little people eater

 And then this....

I was talking with Blair's mother-in-law, Barbara, Saturday morning telling her how I HATE to read but always try and pick up a good one to take to the beach with me. (Even though 99% of the time I still don't make it to page 20.)  In several weeks I am headed to Folly Beach with "Charleston's"  family and I told Barbara that this year I thought I might try to read The Help while I am there.  I saw the preview for the movie and thought I might try to be one of those people that reads the book and goes and sees the movie!  I have NEVER done that.  It's so much faster to just see the movie. :)

Well that same afternoon Barbara popped her head in Blair's house and handed me the book.  She had gone to Boarders (to check out the sales since they are closing) and picked up a copy just for me!  I was ecstatic! (Thanks Barb!)  Saturday night, Blair and Sam went to a birthday party so I stayed at home with Livi-belle.  After I put her to bed, I didn't know what to do with myself; I had no one to play with and the TV selection was worse than a Sunday morning. 

So...I picked up the book and started on page 1.  Two hours later I couldn't put it down.  What was wrong with me!  I never get into a book like this!  Since then, that's all I have wanted to do.  I am addicted.  (I read last night instead of catching up on episodes of Say Yes To The Dress if that tells you anything.)  I am more than half way through now and will honestly probably finish it by the end of this week!

What in the heck am I going to read now at the beach?  Any suggestions?!  I am on a roll with this reading thing, give me something good!

One a side note:  I am slightly very proud of myself; this is going to be the first book I have finished in over a year! Maybe I turned over a new "grown up" leaf in my life!

Working for the Weekend

This picture pretty much sums up my week so far:

Busy and Exhausted.  Out of town on the weekend equals catching up with cleaning, laundry, and the grocery store on Monday and Tuesday after a long day of work.  Several other obligations on Wednesday, smashed between work, dinner and sleep has really gotten the best of me.  I am flat out exhausted.  Right now I am really working for the weekend.....all fueled by endless cups of stiff coffee.

A Lake Weekend

This is what I looked at all weekend.....just the right prescription for a long work week. 

Lake Gaston, NC

Please excuse the photo quality, it was so gorgeous and clear outside that I took the picture from inside the screened porch and didn't realize it until just now!

Thank you to Brian and Cristin for having us up to visit! 

I am ready to go back....