October 2015

This month was jam-packed and full of travel, fun, and friends. The first weekend was ASU Homecoming (10-2-10/4). Jack and I rented a cabin with some friends from college. We laughed all weekend trying to count up how many bears we could find in the place. Literally there must have been over 100 statues, pictures, cups, etc. that all had bears on them. Although it poured the entire weekend, we did not let the rain stop us from having a great time. Friday we stayed at the cabin, played Wii, and hung out waiting for everyone to arrive. Saturdaymorning we headed to Big House to tailgate and watch the game since it was…pouring & quite cold. For dinner went to Lost Province Brewing Company . Their pizza and beer we delicious and I am looking forward to going back soon. After dinner, we headed to Boone Saloon where we ran into some other old college friends. Sunday we watched the Panthers beat Tampa Bay & now we’re 4-0!!

10/9 -10/11 started out with dinner at Mellow Mushroom followed by a surprise party for one of Jack’s best friends, Ben, and he was truly surprised. Saturday Jack and I picked out pumpkins for a pumpkin carving party that evening to celebrate Amanda’s Birthday. We watched football, carved pumpkins, drank spiked apple cider, cooked a spaghetti dinner, and topped the night off with a slice of pumpkin pie. The pumpkin winners were #1- Amanda, #2- Me, and #3-Jack. Sunday Jack ended up really sick—not exactly sure what from--- which allowed me to get some chores done (insert frown face). Thankfully, the Panther’s had a Bye week—so Jack did not miss a game.

Top left to right: Canaan, Amanda, Nach, Goddard
Bottom left to right: Elise, Jack, Allison, Kirkham, BethAnn

10/15-10/18 was full of  celebrations. Thursday, 10/15, was the wedding of my friends Jessi & Sean. I was so happy to see them finally tie the knot during an intimate ceremony at the Morehead Inn in Charlotte. Old friends Holly, Jordan, and Mike came in from out of town and it was wonderful getting to catch up with them. Friday I headed to Mount Airy to visit with family and leaf-peep. Mrs. Linda (Jack’s mom) had prepared the most delicious meatloaf dinner when I arrived. I LOVEE meatloaf—owning it! Saturday Jack and I were in Greensboro celebrating the engagement of my sorority sister, Katie, who now lives in Alabama. I enjoyed seeing some of my Chi O sisters as well as friends from college. On the way home (to MA) Jack and I picked up Bill’s Pizza. If you are ever passing through Greensboro and need a bite to eat you should stop at Bills. The pizza is delicious- almost all toppings & little crust. Sunday mid-day we drove on the parkway to “leaf peep”. The trees and colors were beautiful and I enjoyed the crisp, clean, fresh air as we drove around. Sunday afternoon we cheered the Panthers to another win over Seattle—and now we are 5-0!!!

Almost every week, Sara, Katie, Jennifer and I have some form of dinner together. We take turns cooking and on 10/21 Sara’s mom was visiting and cooked for us all. I wish that I had taken more pictures, but our apartment was turned into a beautiful dinner setting. She had flowers, wine, appetizers, cute napkins, dinner, and dessert for all of us—it was truly amazing and I am so thankful. Friday, 10/23, I took off to go to the N.C. State Fair with my mom, Alex, and Jack stopped by for a little bit too. My favorite part was the bumper cars—a family favorite.Saturday I ran errands and got a new computer. Sunday I was back in Charlotte for Amanda & Canaan’s gender reveal party. Although I started our girl, by the time of the party I was team boy. Jack was team boy the entire time… and guess what??? They’re having a BOY!!! If that was not enough excitement, Jack and I had great tickets to the Sunday Night Football game-- Panthers vs. Eagles, which was a franchise history record of 6-0!!!

Monday, 10/26, Sara and I hosted our friends for a Halloween Wine Night and Winston dressed up in his Halloween costume, a lobster. Later in the week, I burnt the Halloween cupcakes but it turned out to be alright because on 10/30 the company had a Halloween celebration and we had these delicious cupcakes.

10/31 was Halloween!!

XX

ETB

Halloween 2015

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. I love dressing up. This year Jack and I were going to a Going Away party for our friend, Tyler, who will be leaving to serve our country. This year, with how crazy October was (let’s be honest, every moth is crazy with events, traveling back and forth, etc.), we did not think of anything except being bank robbers, which is pretty simple basic. Then last week Jack was living at the gym joking around with friends when one asked “Do you work out at Globo Gym?” Click. That was it. We were going to be Globo Gym from the movie Dodgeball.  Jack would be White Goodman and I would be a Globo Gym teammate.

Supplies for Globo Gym Costumes :

-          2 tight purple shirts in the same color purple (we used ones that we already had which were Nike/ UnderArmour)

-          2 black legging/ compression pants (we both already had a pair)

-          Sweat band

-          Black duct tape (to look like shoulder pads)

-          Purple duct tape

-          Black thick belt

-          Large “G” for the belt buckle

-          Mustache (real or fake)

-          Globo Gym logo

-          Dodgeball (optional)

How do you think they turned out?

blast from the past: Halloween 2014

XX

ETB

Halloween Cupcake Tradition

Every year for as long as I can remember it has been a tradition that my Dad and I make cupcakes together for Halloween to share with my friends and co-workers. Just a few weeks ago he sent me the perfect card reminding me of our tradition via my favorite—snail mail! Isn’t it cute!

This year I saw my parents the weekend before Halloween which was too early to make cupcakes. Instead, I packed all of the sprinkles, toppings, paper cups, frosting, and cake mix to bring back to Charlotte. It was finally time to make the cupcakes. I whipped up the batter, lined the cupcake tray with the cute paper cups, and put everything in the oven— 1/2 of the job was soon to be done. 15 mins later (which was less than the box said) the kitchen smelt of freshly baked cupcakes and I took them out of the oven only to find that the bottoms were COMPLETELY burnt-- and I chuckled inside.

I think that my oven may have been too hot, but I will never know. What I do know is this is proof that you shouldn’t change a tradition— and that I am definitely not perfect! 

I will never forget the year I broke the tradition and burnt the cupcakes! Next year I look forward to continuing the tradition with my dad of baking and decorating Halloween cupcakes!!

Some of my previous creations:

xx

ETB

September 2015

whew! this is a little long but HOW could it not be long... I am covering 30 days in a catch-up post. Enjoy!

First stop—DALLAS 8/31-9/1— for a short two day work trip. The hotel where we stayed was super nice and served these cool waffles in the morning. While in Dallas, we drove past the Cowboys stadium, which was neat, and we also ate at In-N-Out burger. This was my first time and I loved how the menu is just a few items, it makes ordering easy & the food was delicious too!

Labor Day 2015 Jack and I traveled to Oak Island with our friends Ben, Christina, Brooke, and Zac. We stayed in a tiny house that was just a few steps away from the ocean. The weather our first beach day was great. We played bocce ball, Christina’s parents came up to visit us, we met a dog wearing doggles, and we went to dinner at Frying Pan in Southport for dinner. Our second day was a little drearier, but we still made it out to the beach and had an afternoon dance party at the house. That evening, we decided to stay on the island. We played putt-putt and tried to have dinner at an oyster bar, which turned into a disaster mixed with monsoon rain. Needless to say, we ended up back at the house and made frozen pizza & pasta. On Monday before we left, we headed to Southport one last time for some seafood at Provision Company.

9/11-9/13 I headed up the mountain to Seven Devils, NC to spend the weekend with my Life Group. We stayed in a huge cabin and in the basement there were enough beds for us all to stay in one room. The first night was when the launch of the iPhone6S went live, and we stayed up until at least 3:30 in the morning talking & so one of the girls could place her order. In the morning we went on a hike to see a waterfall and the leaves were just beginning to change colors. We also stopped over at the original Mast General Store where I scored a new Columbia coat @ 50% off!!-- you know your girl LOVES a good deal In the afternoon we went to Grandfather Vineyard and Winery. My favorite wine was the red Grandfather blend. Sunday morning I headed to Raleigh to hang out with my parents since I had an eye doctor’s appointment on Monday.

While driving to Raleigh, I received a call from Jack that Enzo had gone to doggie heaven. I will never forget the call because I was driving past the exit where Jack and I met his parents when we first went to go pick up little Enzo. Enzo was such a loving dog and I miss him very much, especially around Halloween. Enzo loved to celebrate Halloween just like I did. You might remember this post on his Halloween costumes. RIP Enzo, I love you!

On 9/19 my committee for Junior League hosted our Family Health Link event, where we provide pre-K and Kindergarten children with physicals, dental check-ups, vision screenings, and hearing screenings, which are all required for these students to continue in school. We served over 100 kids that day and although the day was long & the hours were tough, I was humbled by serving so many in our community. That evening Jack and I celebrated the engagement of our friends, Andy & Kayla, at their Stock the Bar party. 

My parents celebrated their 30^th wedding anniversary on 9/21 and 9/26 Jack celebrated his Golden Birthday, 26 on the 26^th!! Although it was yet again a dreary, rainy day we made the most of it. For lunch we celebrated with Ben and Christina at The Porchfollowed by a visit to Raylen Vineyards. For dinner we went to a new restaurant in Winston, Quanto Basta Italian Eatery & Wine Bar, with Jack’s family. Everything we ate was amazing and I hope that we go back soon **hint hint**. Sunday, per Jack’s request, we had a cookout and cheered on the Panthers in their victory over the Saints. Since the theme was all things panthers, I got Jack a new Panthers polo and made him personalized "you pick the game" Panther's tickets. Also, check out the awesome cake that Jack’s mom custom ordered from Lorene's Bakery!!

A few other fun things in September: 

-Jack, Amanda, Canaan and I went to Scarowinds on the first night it opened.

-Amanda revealed to our friends that she’s pregnant and due in March 2016!!

-One of my dearest friends, Lyndsey and her husband, moved back to the States from Puerto Rico.

-A picture of Jack's family from Eve & Gray's wedding was in the 2015 Triad Weddings Fall/Winter Magazine.

-Brooke, Lyndsey, Amanda, Sarah Jo, and I met for lunch one afternoon, which was so nice because almost everyone else lives in a different city/state.

- I worked out a lot and have kept up eating healthy, for the majority of the time.

- Not so fun first—I got rear ended on 9/22, thankfully I was not hurt, and now my car is all fixed up!

xx

ETB

Blogiversary

I cannot believe it! It has been one year today since I started blogging, and boy does time go by fast. It just so happens that this celebration coinecides with ONE BIG purchase... a new MACBOOK- i'm doing a little happy dance :)

Now you know the missing piece of the puzzle-- I have been computer-less for a while and hence no posting for eh 68 days. 

I have learned so much over this past year from writing code, taking "blogworthy" pictures, meeting other bloggers, and just enjoying this little creative outlet.

I will soon update y'all on what has been happening in my life over the past two months (insert emoji covering its eyes)!

xx

ETB

You’ve Got Mail

There’s just something about opening the mail box and finding a letter or card that makes me so giddy. It must be something about the personal touch—that someone took time out of their day to think about finding the perfect card, writing the best message, purchasing the stamp, and taking it to the mail drop to be sent out – that makes it so special.

I absolutely LOVE when I open up box #204 and find “snail mail”. Recently, while my parents have been working on restoring/ renovating their new house, my mom has been sending me letters about what has gone on. It has been so special to receive these notes and laugh about what happened to my parents. She has written about the time when a hawk came down near our pond and tried to grab my dad’s hat off his head or the time that she found and old deed to a plot of land our family used to own.

I know it may sound silly and they could have just texted me about their daily lives—but that is just something that most people don’t do. Most people don’t chat about “normal” day to day stuff, instead people tend gossip about something crazy that has happened or just say happy birthday via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.— boring.

It’s the heartfelt hand written letters and cards that I cherish. Here are just a few of my favorites:

I also enjoy sending out mail too-- especially because I get to use my personalized stamp from Three Designing Women (eBt above). I am always sure to have stamps nearby, in fact I carry post card stamps in my wallet because those are hard to find when traveling—owning it! And I have a box of cards (blank and the Hallmark kind) for whatever occasion right at my desk. You never know when you need to send a card to say Thank You or Happy Birthday and I think people should try to say it more—using Snail Mail. It’s wonderful medicine and can brighten even the worst of days.

Do you enjoy receiving snail mail?

xx

Catching Up

Over the past two weeks I have been traveling A TON! In the past two weeks I have been in 5 different cities over the course of 12 days-- and i'm glad to finally be back! Through all of my busy days of traveling (mostly for work) I have neglected the blog, but I am happy to say that I’m back!! I wanted to share a round-up of what I have been doing over the past two weeks + some fun that I had back in Charlotte this weekend.

Raleigh:
Celebrations for my mom's birthday, grandfather's 95th birthday, and getting to see my parents house they are renovating & eventually going to move into {so far, they have removed trees/bamboo in the back yard and have a new hvac installed} I should also mention that my car had some trouble and it took my brother and I an extra 2 hours to leave Charlotte on that Friday-- we were so thrilled!

Orlando, FL:
Every year FD has an Annual Leadership Conference where over 1,200 team members gather to review business and learn about what is coming to the stores for 4th quarter {Halloween, Harvest, & Christmas seasons). This year I was asked to speak on stage in our version of the Today Show when we featured Halloween. From early mornings to late evenings the team learned a ton, but we also had a little fun too! Some highlights included getting to go to the wax museum - can you guess which one is me?, stuffing SWAG bags for the Today Show, Universal & islands of Adventure party, and great food and catching up with co-workers.

Charlotte: 
When I got back to Charlotte to say I was exhausted is an understatement. I am pretty sure that Jack would say I slept through the weekend just in time to leave again for another trip. Besides sleeping I did get out a little bit. On Saturday I was able to take Alex to the airport to catch his flight to China... at about 4:15 am. My mom wanted a picture--so here you go mom! On Sunday Jack and I went to a day trip to Mount Airy to visit his family & have lunch and dinner.

Chesapeake, Va:
Monday I left with co-workers for a 7 hour bus ride to meet our counterparts at DT corporate. This was my view for the entire trip, which was nice because after I got bored watched almost 3 movies on the way up I was able to enjoy the scenery as we pulled into the hotel. Also after a week off from the gym I hit up the hotel exercise room. I was pleasantly surprised at the equipment & that they had free weights!! 

Charlotte: 
Finally back in Charlotte again I was able to meet up with some friends to catch at The Wine Loft. Recently two of them have gotten engaged-- 2016 is going to be a busy year! 

Weekending:
My weekend kicked off with an evening walk, wine, pj's, and Panthers football! I was so happy to see that the Panther's won their first pre-season game and hoping that means we are going to have a good year ahead of us {Jack was in Cali, so I kept snapping him bits of the game to enjoy}. Saturday and Sunday were spent trying new things. Saturday Sara and I headed to Orange Theory  for a mid-morning class. This was my first time visiting and I cannot wait to go back. The workout is intense, but you leave dripping in sweat knowing that you got in an amazing workout. For the afternoon we stopped at Sycamore Brewery, again first time there, and enjoyed a cold beer + live music. 

Sunday Jenn, Sara, and I went to Cafe Monte, my first time, and I had the Croque Monsieur with side salad. The sandwich was to die for & the service was great. I cannot wait to go back for an omelet or french toast! For the afternoon I me up with Hannah, Kayla {two engaged from above} and Patricia for The Bridal Showcase hosted by Belk. Although it was so overwhelming to have all of the vendors in one place it was nice to see a little bit into that industry. Afterwards we had wine & joked about how we will not go to another show-- here's to trying something at least once! Sunday evening I finished up the first season of Bloodlines and now will wait until season 2 releases.

How was you weekend? Try anything new?

xx

  

Snowshoe Summer Trip

After Rob's mountain weekend, Jack was ready to go back to the mountains the next weekend. Spur of the moment we invited two of our friends, Ben and Christina, up to Snowshoe Mountain for a weekend getaway. We arrived in the wee hours of the morning {1:30 am!} on Saturday due to getting a late start & then me losing the keys to our place, whoops! On our way up the mountain we saw lots of wildlife. At one point we saw a black bear cub cross the road right in front of us, which was truly amazing to see a bear in the wild.

While “planning” the trip, I knew that there was a mountain bike event going on during the weekend and Snowshoe would be packed, which it was. There were people, tents, bikes, and mud everywhere, which only meant that there was going to be plenty for the 4 of us to do and watch.

Saturday morning we woke from our slumber and started off the day with morning coffee & breakfast. I enjoyed feeling the crisp mountain air and the glorious sun on my skin. Since it was so pretty, we started off our adventuring with a trip on the ski lift to the bottom of the mountain to see what activities Shaver’s Lake had to offer. Although we could have gone swimming, the water was pretty chilly so we opted to do stand-up paddle boarding. We also were horrible played some disc golf.

Planning ahead, we had packed our lunch + some wine, we decided to take a hike up a freshly cut trail that a Yoga instructor told us about. The Eight Rivers Yoga trail went through the woods, up and down the mountain and we ended up at a spot with a beautiful view of the Greenbrier river area.  On our hike we saw a deer just sitting in the brush under a tree cooling off, and it was likely the closest I have ever been to a deer in the wild. The boys climbed in the trees and we simply enjoyed the serene and views. On our hike back I found a really cool rock that looked like NC and I brought it back to use as décor somewhere in my place.

It was about 3pm and we were tired from the hike and wanted to see some of the mountain biking events. We rode the lift for Western Territory three times {even though everyone but me wanted to get off after the second trip} and enjoyed seeing and cheering on the bikers as we past. Next it was pool time followed by dinner at Sunset Cantina. While waiting in line we took some pictures and were entertained with Magic Card tricks. We can all honestly say that these were some of the best magic card tricks we have ever seen. My mind is still blown away with the tricks Mr. Ellis showed us and I hope to see him again the next time we go up to snowshoe.

Sunday morning we repeated our coffee + breakfast routine followed by the pool. After packing it was time to head down the mountain. Our weekend was perfect. Pure Bliss and I cannot wait to repeat it again soon.

ps. sorry for  the lack of pictures, I only took 1 photo the entire time we where there, so these are from Jack's iPhone

xx

Rounding out my week

I have wanted to try Nan and Byron’s for quite some time, but somehow it always slips my mind when trying to figure out where to eat. They happen to be on the Queen’s Feast list so why not a perfect time to go and try a few things. Their menu had some many great choices it was hard to decide what to order. I ended up getting: wine- Row Eleven, Pinot Nior, app- wings, entrée- grilled salmon, dessert- hazelnut chiffon cake. Everything was delicious & did not disappoint. I cannot wait to go back soon!!

We had so much fun in the mountains last weekend that Jack+ me + some friends are heading up this weekend to the mountains of West Virginia. We will be staying in Whistlepunk at Snowshoe Mountain. Snowshoe offers so many fun summer activities including off road tours, hiking, geo cashing, sporting clays and so much more. Jack and I enjoyed the off road tours back when we went in September 2009. We had a great time & got covered in mud during the tour. It was a fantastic experience and I am excited to relax and spend time with friends in the great outdoors.

Flashback to our trip

Hope y’all had a great week!

xx

Garlic Roasted Vegetables

Before I went out of town last weekend I wanted to make sure to use up as much of the fresh foods in my refrigerator. It was a Thursday and I needed something quick and easy so I could use my time to pack for the mountains. I had cherry tomatoes, garlic, zucchini, and mushrooms left in the fridge that was not going to travel well on my trip. Using my roommates new Inspiralizer I was able to come up with a quick an easy meal that was so delicious!

Garlic Roasted Vegetables

Adapted from Carolina Charm

Ingredients:

1 (16 oz) container of cherry tomatoes, halved

1 container of sliced mushrooms (or you can slice baby bella mushrooms yourself)

4 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons fresh cracked black pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Cover baking sheet with aluminum foil. In a medium bowl, toss together tomatoes, mushrooms, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Transfer everything to the covered baking sheet and spread into an even layer. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until tomatoes are soft.

While the tomatoes and mushrooms are baking get out your zucchini and Inspiralizer. Chop off both ends of the zucchini and get to spiralizing. I used blade “D” which makes spaghetti noodles. Once you have made all of your noodles toss the noodles into boiling water, cook until al dente, then strain to get rid of the water. You can also eat the noodles raw. If you prefer raw, put a warm sauce on the noodles and they will slightly heat and soften.

Last step is putting the noodles in the bowl and topping them with the Garlic Roasted Vegetables.

Any suggestions for quick and easy dinners are welcomed!

Enjoy!

XX

ETB

Rob’s Dirty 30 Mtn Weekend

What I loved about my weekend…

Spending time with some of the ones that I love the most

The feeling of success when you reach the top of the super-duper steep driveway to the cabin

Celebrating 30 years of Rob Roach

No cell phone or internet access for 2 days—pure bliss

Making wayyy to much guacamole with Jillian-- Note 10 avocados + 4 limes is way too much

Campfires + music + racing up and down the hill

Red Wine

Canoe trip down the New River

Fresh mountain air & getting to put on a sweatshirt & enjoy the crisp air

Making s’mores—even if I did burn my nose

#nationalICECREAMday

xx

Weekend || My iPhone CAN’T swim

This weekend I stayed in Charlotte for a girls weekend, which was super fun. Here’s a peak into my weekend:

Friday- a relaxing evening full of Netflix: Scandal season 4 & chipotle with Sara.

Saturday- Coffee with the girls, we went uptown to 7^th Street Market to grab a coffee at Not Just Coffee, a place I had never been. I must admit that I am not a coffee connoisseur and normally order a simple brewed coffee. This morning at this fancy coffee shop, I decided to get a macchiato, figuring it would be just a step up from the normal. I was pretty disappointed  when after waiting 10 mins for my coffee that when it came out it was a “fancy” version of espresso in a tiny cup that looked like it would be served at a 5 year olds tea party. Needless to say, maybe I should do my research next time.

I also stopped at the Viva Raw Juice Bar and picked up the Turmeric Almond Milk and I could not put it down.  Although juices are expensive, they are a meal within themselves and my milk filled me up!

For the afternoon I headed out to the pool to catch some rays before getting ready for TIM MCGRAW!!! The concert was soooooo good, although it was HOTT until the sun went down. Per the usual Tim put on a great concert, played many of his old & new hits, and the crowd was on their feet the entire time.

Sunday- Started off really early. I have been eating clean and changing my life style through Tone It Up, but last night I had a few drinks & also ate a hot-dog, definitely NOT on the TIU Nutrition Program. At 4:30 am I woke with the worst stomach ache and I could not fall back to sleep, hello Netflix…again. I ended up watching almost 3 episodes of Scandal and then was back to bed around 6:15 am.

At 11am I attended a free Xtend Barre: Charlotte class held in Athleta at South Park mall. The class was tough and my body was feeling the burn after the first 15 mins. After class I did a little shopping & then it was time to head home & get back out to the pool.

I made iced coffee, blew up a float, and started re-reading the book Lean In. It was a glorious day outside, not too hot & not to cold. I had my phone & my towel on the edge of the pool & read for about an hour until I decided to respond to my texts and then it happened. I put my phone down, it slipped off my towel right into the water. MY “new to me” iPhone5 that I had only had for a few months was in the pool. I grabbed it out & ran inside dripping wet to put it in rice with fingers crossed that it would eventually work again.

Since life is life and accidents happen, I didn’t let the phone issue bother me too much that night. I went to Trader Joe’s to gather ingredients for a Sunday meal-prep evening. I made berry bliss bars, protein snack balls, and quinoa pasta salad. I also used Sara’s new spiralizer to make zucchini noodles for a “spaghetti dinner”.

The night was filled with watching… you guessed it- SCANDAL--- and I still have a few more episodes left!

Overall the weekend was a great one--despite the phone accident-- phones can't swim. Here's to getting a LifeProof case for my next one!

What show are you watching on Netflix? Ever dropped your phone in the pool? Did it still work? 

P.S. my phone is still working—the screen has horizontal lines ever so faint across it—we will see how long that lasts.

xx