Made Up Game

Over the weekend in Florida, I made up a game while out one night to get our friend Cort to chat with guys. So, we went up to guys, told them we were doing a photo scavenger hunt for X reason, and this is the result...

Reasons given (top to bottom, left to right): mustache, long hair, green shirt, hipster (and most photogenic after we saw his gorgeous smile), small, tall, wearing a hat, bro-mance, and camouflage

We won the contest, but only because we made it up - we had a great time! :)

Beautiful Bachelorette Brooke

How hilarious is this outfit?!? 

 
We had the best time in Florida, and that is all the details you get for now! :) Love this girl.

Sunshine State of Mind

I'm unplugging today and for the rest of this weekend for some much needed relaxation and celebration with my friend Brooke (and company) in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. The weather is supposed to be nice and in the low 80s... perfect fall beach weather!

Ocean Isle Here We Come! [plus a dessert recipe]

Headed out to Ocean Isle Beach, NC again this weekend for a bachelorette party! I am very excited for my third trip here in just a few months time. I love this place, small community, laid back, and really fun. I would love to own a house here someday!

This weekend is all about hanging out with my girlfriends though. Can't wait to catch some rays and relax after quite a long week at work! These are the moments we live for...

I made an amazing dessert dip to share for the weekend! Last time we came here I made a dessert dip and it went over very well. Everyone thinks to bring vegetables and hummus and crackers and cheese, but this is a bachelorette party and we need some chocolate! :)

I made it last night and tried it before chilling it all the way in the fridge and I think I could have eaten half of it before throwing up from the richness of it all. Here is the original recipe and how I modified it below:

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dessert Dip

I doubled the below because there are 10 of us...

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, room temp (do not use no or reduced fat)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup semisweet mini chocolate chips

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan, melt the butter with the brown sugar over medium heat. Stir continuously, until the brown sugar dissolves.
2. Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla and set aside to cool.
3. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and confectioner's sugar until smooth.
4. Slowly beat in the cooled butter mixture and beat again for another minute. It is OK if the butter mixture is not thoroughly "cool" just don't have it piping hot.
5. Stir in the chocolate chips.
6. Pour into a serving bowl, garnish with chips, and refrigerate.
7. Serve with Nilla Wafers.

Happy 2013!

Amazing friends, food, beaches, and bottles (plus a welcomed respite from our water-logged home).
Here's to an amazing 2013!
 

Cookie Exchange!

We had our annual Alpha Chi Alumni cookie exchange here in Charleston yesterday and look what I made! It is a Land O' Lakes recipe for Peppermint Meltaways. They turned out very similar to the picture and were soooo yummy and perfect for a holiday cookie treat!

I even made this little recipe card to go with them, complete with nutrition information. Not bad for a cookie, huh?

You must try these as they were so easy and such a simple recipe for a more "difficult" looking result. The remainder of my batch are being enjoyed by my coworkers as we speak!

Beignets, Boudin, + Bourbon Street

 My husband and I had such a fun long weekend in New Orleans with great friends! Here are some pictures from the trip. :)

  Boudin (boo-dan)! My newest favorite dish. 

Many people told me to try the Beignets, but the Boudin is where it's at. I will take sausage over fried dough any day!

 On the streetcar.

 Fresh local Oysters for dinner!

 

Beautiful Old Above-ground Cemeteries

 

Tulane School of Architecture

Being a past architecture student myself, I had to see what another school's studio looked like! It was very cool.

and Last but certainly not Least - the Girls on Bourbon Street. "Hand Grenades" were shared by all. :)

The Big Easy

We are headed to New Orleans this afternoon for a little R+R with some of my favorite couples friends! Can't wait to see them and hang out. NOLA is lucky to have such great people!

This will be my first time there so I am really excited. :)

Happy Independence Day!

Happy 4th of July everyone! 

This is the 1st year in 6 years that I did not travel home to Indiana for the 4th [and I have only lived here for 7 years]. I will admit that it is one of my most favorite holidays ever! BBQs, family, friends, swimming... not to mention that this is one of the few holidays during the favorable weather of the Midwest!

I miss my family but I am trying to make the most of my 4th of July here in the lowcountry. I started out last weekend with a boat ride with friends, then we had some other friends over for a cookout, and now it is family all day today at my brother-in-laws house! I am so blessed.

Everyone be happy and safe and keep your dogs indoors! Fireworks totally freak them out. Fireworks totally freak me out too, but I have never really liked loud noises. Even sparklers, yikes!

These photos are inspiration for the dessert I am going to make this morning to bring to the party... I don't know which one yet, but it is going to be totally patriotic! :)

P.S. Happy Birthday to my friend Kelly!

Girls and Guns!

My girlfriends and I are in a group that we call the Dilettantes, which by Webster's Dictionary means "an admirer or lover of the arts." Basically, some of us decided that instead of getting together every month to drink, we get together every month to do something cool... and then we drink. ;)

June was my month to plan and we went to ATP Gun Range for their biweekly "Ladies Night" which IS.SO.FUN! We got to shoot semi-automatic and revolver .22 caliber ammunition - 50 rounds - and our paper men were totally dead by the time we were done with them!

The best part was we learned a little bit of everything; safety, stances, eye domination, and best of all - how to load and reload our guns, all on our own. Although I grew up in a household full of them, I finally, at 30 years old, can say that I feel so much more at ease with guns!


On to Bottles and Brushes next month!

April Wedding #2 | Katie + Jeff

What a beautiful day in the midwest for my best friend Katie and her new husband Jeff! OK, so maybe the weather wasn't that great, but when it is true love, nothing else matters. :)

 Last Girls Night Out in Indy on Thursday

 Rehearsal Dinner at Buca di Beppo on Friday

That's me at the top next to the beautiful bride in white. ;)

 

 Someone was designing from Pinterest - love the letters!

To my newest favorite married couple, I couldn't be happier for you and love you both!

Celebrity Spotting!

Aziz Ansari did a stand-up comedy performance here in Charleston this past Saturday and I REALLY REALLY wanted to go... but we had just gone to see a show a couple weekends ago, and we are trying to save money, and he'll be back, and yadda yadda yadda - so we ended up with different plans that night for my friend A's birthday.

Well, after the birthday dinner, we all went across King Street to the Cocktail Club and an hour into our hangout, Aziz walks outside on the patio like 10 feet from me! I was soooo excited, I love him. For the record, I was probably the only one who even recognized him - huge Parks and Rec fan.

But here is where the crash and burn happens... I walk over with my friend J and we are talking with him, welcoming him to the city, and saying things like "great show" to him (even though we didn't see it) and he is not amused. Not.at.all. He says thanks, tells us that he used to live here, barely cracks a smile, and walks back inside never to return.

I get it. I am not 20. I am not smokin' hot. I am not even single. But I was a huge fan. I really think that sometimes it is best not to meet those that you admire as they may disappoint. He must also realize that this is Charleston, not Hollywood, and we Charlestonians are not accustomed to seeing famous people, so we are probably going to try to talk to you! haha

Beech Mountain, NC | NYE Trip

We were invited to go up to the mountains this year for New Year's Eve with a group of people by our friends J and A. A's parents own a cabin up there so we packed the Excursion and headed out on our road trip on Thursday!

We had as much fun with them on the road as we did in the mountains. There was a lot of iPad scrabble between J and I in the car. Then we started out the first night by picking up a pizza from the famous Brick Oven Pizzeria [link here]. While playing a few arcade games while we waited for it to cook, I managed to snag the high score on Hoop Fever!

The house was amazing. It is such a quaint homey place and I absolutely loved it! I was stumped by the name at first, until I remembered that A's dad is a dentist ;)

We spent the morning of the second day on a nice hike to a waterfall and back. The day was a little chilly, but that added bit of cardio made me quite comfortable!

New Year's Eve evening we all went out for a nice dinner at Sorrento's Bistro [link here] and the food was amazing! I had the Tortellini Sorrento and it was so creamy and cheesy and delicious. I think we all had a blast!

And then, of course, there was a lot of this... 

...following dinner and we rang in the New Year to the early morning of 2012. What a great time! I haven't had a New Year's like this since college! :)

One week until 30!

In exactly one week, I will turn 30. It could have been in 6 days, but my mom held out an extra 4 minutes so I would get my own birthday [because my uncle and grandfather were born on the 27th]. I was born on September 28, 1981 at 12:04 in the morning and occasionally call my mom and dad at that untimely hour if I am out celebrating - haha! :)

This year will be no different except for one small change in my birthday plans... I am more concerned about quality of people over the quantity of them at my party. In the past I would try to have a big party for the celebration, but more people is more work and there were constant let downs and/or drama. I think that is part of growing older. Life gets shorter and you want to make the most of it and spend it with the people that you love and who love you back.

This time my two sisters will be there, as well as my husband, best friend, and some of our best "couples" friends and various other local besties. There will be about 15-20 of us in a beach villa enjoying some frogmore stew, adult beverages and the beautiful Charleston weather.

Since my older sister and BFF are going to be guests in our fair city, we've got a whole weekend planned. Girls night out, spa, shopping, farmer's market, fancy dinners... I absolutely cannot wait!

Children's School Outfit Accessories

My friend Kasey is very talented and makes adorable headbands and bracelets, and pretty much anything with fabric. She models them on her adorable little girls and has come up with some very cute ideas!

I personally love the one she posted recently of navy and white gingham flowers on a headband. It takes me back to the days where I wore navy and white (and occasionally plaid) for 8 years in private school. How much simpler it was to get dressed in those days!

This one is amazing as well... wonder what my nieces think of this?!

Check out Kasey's blog and her etsy links here.

Pro-bono Logo

A friend who I grew up with a LONG time ago recently started a childcare service. She has worked so hard to renovate a whole wing of her house, add a playset, get licensed, etc. and I felt like she deserved some free design!

My niece recently started going there on a per day basis (when my sister needs a daytime sitter) and she had such a great time! I feel good knowing that she is in good hands at "With Love and Hugs Childcare."

Upon viewing her facebook page I didn't see any logos or banners or anything so I took it upon myself to design one for her as a surprise. I have been so impressed with her drive and commitment to education that I couldn't think of anyone more deserving.

The email she sent me back was payment enough. I am overwhelmed with happiness write now! She wrote:

"My partner, Amy, and I were SOOOOoooo excited after reading your e-mail!! Like jumping for joy excited!!! Not even kidding!! Getting a logo is something we have been discussing now that our name has been getting out there, but had no clue where or how to begin!! We did look at your awesome designing and we LOVE LOVE LOVE the one with the pink!!! It is PERFECT!!!!! Thank you so much!! Your expertise, talent, and kindness will help us out so much!! You truly are amazing!!!! We would completely LOVE to use it if you are sure you are completely okay with it!!!!  Thank you again for thinking of us!!!!!"

Who would not be overwhelmed with a response like that! She totally made my day. :)

Friend's New Baby!

How precious. That is all that can be said about this brand new chubby cheeked bundle of love!

Congratulations go out to my friends Kelly and Darin, Eleanor Kate is such a blessing!

She arrived yesterday at 12:51pm and measures 7 lbs. - 5 oz. and 20.5" long. I hear she has tons of dark hair too! 

Animal Kingdom, FTW!

Me and my friend Ashley at the Kentucky Derby Party this year, it was a blast! Shout out to my friend Lauren Minors and her creation, the Tasteful Tailgate, for throwing a fabulous party with real mint juleps, real sangria, real BBQ, and a real fun time!

Pictured above are my friend Ashley and myself in "our pearls" [still acting like ladies at this point].

B-E-A-UTIFUL wedding!

It was a perfect Saturday for a wedding and my friend Tyler and her fiancee Danny planned just that! It was held at Lowndes Grove Plantation here in Charleston and was right on the water. Couple that with a great band, delicious food, and fun friends and you've got yourself quite an evening!

Pictured above are most of my Charleston girlfriends [and myself], followed by the first dance, the cake under the tent, and the bride walking down the aisle with the plantation house in the background. The night went on to the wee hours of the morning and Steven and I had a blast!

Southwest Airlines Coming to Charleston!

This billboard makes me happy every time I see it... which is pretty much every day! I am very happy to have a more affordable direct flight to see family and friends. It has been too long my loves!