We were supposed to be home a few days ago, but our flights kept getting canceled due to the huge snowstorm that swept through the city! It’s still currently snowing, but I think we’ll be on track for a morning flight home. I can’t lie; I was so excited when it started snowing. Kyle and I were sitting at dinner celebrating my birthday when the blizzard started. The views of new york city in the snow were absolutely stunning. Snowy days were my favorite as a kid because that meant no school and sledding!

I haven’t spent much time on the computer because we’ve been hanging out with family, but when I get home, I have so many fun blog posts for you! You can look out for the book club picks, a recap post from my 30th birthday, and a whole lot of recipes!

I figured I’d share some fun snow photos we took outside today before I head upstairs to finish our movie and have a delicious snowed-in takeout dinner with the family. I’ll share some of the outfit details at the end of the post if you’re interested     Outfit details | Boots | Jeans | Scarf | Beanie | Sweater

I hope you all have a great day, and I’ll be back tomorrow with a new blog post!

1. Do you love the snow? (i do when it’s rare!)
2. What’s your favorite part about snow days?
3. Favorite snowed-in meal?

I almost made the title “this will be my last recap blog,” but I decided not to go that route again. But seriously, this is my last recap blog…in my twenties! The next time I recap my week, I’ll be 30! Can you all believe it? Some of you were reading my blog when I was 19! We just spent ten years together (virtually!) It’s amazing how fast time goes and scary. I am going to do a blog next week about things I learned in my 20’s! I’m so ready for this next chapter in my life. And if you’ve been reading since the beginning, thank you!  I finished up filming what I eat in a day low carb, but you all pretty much see everything in these recap posts!

My breakfasts each morning has consisted of these low carb pancakes. I usually add blueberries to them, but I can’t get enough! I’m officially two months in on reducing my coffee down to one cup a day, and wow, has my sleep pattern changed. My random insomnia is pretty much nonexistent, and my elevated afternoon anxiety has been reduced as well.
I spent most of Monday on the computer working. I did happen to get my walk-in (the only one I did this week!) My goal for February, March, and April is to walk one hour a day! Let me know if you want me to create a group if it’s something you’d be interested in doing with me.

After working, Kyle and I picked up chicken caesar salads and buffalo wings to have while watching the Bachelor! He hates the show, but it’s cute that he watches it for me. His commentary is my favorite part. So far, I’m still loving Matt. My favorites are Bri and Michelle. I have a  feeling one of them will be the next Bachelorette.  I spent Wednesday afternoon working on the garden beds. I cut back the hydrangeas, my peonies and ripped out all the weeds that made their way into the mulch in the Fall. I also added a new layer of mulch. I’ll prune the roses in late February and plant some more bulbs! I’m SO ready for spring to get here. I miss being outside or walking the nursery so much! I’ve been documenting everything I’ve been doing outside from now until spring so I can share a gardening post! Here’s what my peonies looked like last spring! I’m excited to see them come back up. There’s a chance I may have to move them since the house next door was finally built. I’m not sure if they’ll get enough sun. We’ll see! I have also been working on building a raised vegetable bed for the back of my yard this year, and I’m excited to see how it turns out! The back of our hard has a huge downhill dropoff that I want to utilize, and the vegetable garden is a great way to do it. I spent a lot of my week working on recipes (I have so many coming your way!), so I didn’t get to document too much. If you follow me on Instagram, then you know I’m always making something!

For dinner, we had jalapeno queso turkey burgers with brussels sprouts!  On Friday, I was up bright and early because we had someone coming out to remove our roller shades. We had white roller shades installed, but for the price, we did not love them. They were fraying, they didn’t fit even though they were custom, and they added no design value to the house. Kyle finally agreed with me that drapes would look so much better! I can’t wait to show you our living room/dining room with our new drapes! We have kitchen chairs coming, a new coffee table and end tables, lamps, and we’ve been working on an industrial mirror. I will hopefully do a post next week, but stay tuned on my Instagram! I always share little sneak peeks.

Anyway, I opened up a birthday gift from Kyle’s mom, and it was the best! She got me a pizzelle maker and gave me the recipe that she’s been making for years! They are so good, and I can’t wait to keep the tradition going! It’s always nice when you can do something that brings back good memories for your significant other! I’m sure you’re super surprised, but a big stack of low carb pancakes for me on Friday! On Friday evening, I started playing around with YouTube makeup tutorials for bridal looks.

Before I do makeup, I use the Vanity Planet Aira facial steamer. I add rose and eucalyptus to the sponge! I usually do this a few times a week before bed as well. After my face dries, I prepare it for makeup! The last makeup video I used was Brianna Fox’s! I’m in love with her makeup videos (coming from someone who isn’t that into makeup)

I am going to do my own hair and makeup for my wedding. I know some of you said it was the best decision to do it yourself, and some of you said you had someone make you look like a completely different person and hated it. But also, there were comments on my latest IG saying to hire someone to do it definitely. The feelings are mixed on this. I’ve had a few bad experiences with getting my hair/makeup done. I sometimes feel a little Halloween-ish. I witnessed someone get their hair and makeup done before a wedding, and they were completely in panic mode. They had bright blue eyeshadow, circle pink blush, sparkle lipstick, and their hair was crispy ringlets. They had to hurry and wash their face, do their makeup, and brush out their hair, 30-minutes before the wedding. I don’t wait to put that on anyone. I’m going to keep doing tutorials, purchase new products, and get everything down before my big day! Plus, I don’t want to time everything around a team of hair/makeup people. I want my day to be laid back and casual. The one thing I’m trying to get used to is adding more makeup. I don’t know if anyone can relate, but I have this weird anxiety that comes with wearing too much makeup. As soon as I take photos of things or get back home from events, the first thing I do is wash my face. I can’t even sit on the couch for more than ten minutes if I know there’s makeup on my face. I fear that my face is going to get broken out or wrinkly. It’s just weird! So the thing I’ve been working on is trying to do more makeup because I know in photos that the less you wear, the less your features show up. So each time I do a new tutorial, I add more! This was just the first round, but I’ll maybe record it for a video next time I try! On Friday night, I got ready for an Anders Ruff class with the ladies on my street.

The funny thing about this sweater is that I bought it in an extra small, thinking it just ran a little larger, but it’s actually maternity. You’d never know the difference! I’ve done this several times at H&M. It’s usually when someone puts a sweater in the wrong spot!

These boots are from Old Navy & soooo comfortable! For my Anders Ruff Project, I built a sign for our guest room with the wifi password on it! I think it turned out pretty cute  On Saturday, Kyle and I headed to my tattoo consultation, and then we made a trip to Whole Foods to pick up dinner ingredients. We were in the mood for steak Caesar salads. If you have whole food near you and love kale salads, this 356 Chopped Kale is the best! I had to pick MAYBE five stems out of the bag. The kale didn’t have a billion of those chunky stems you get in most salad bags. I’m in love with this stuff! I think that’s the hardest part about eating kale salads is the bitter stems! We dressed the kale in Whole Foods caesar dressing, red onion, parmesan crisps, steak, and avocado. I cooked baby potatoes for Kyle on the side.  For lunch the next day, I had a kale caesar salad with Sonoma chicken salad on top. That is my favorite salad from Whole Foods! I do need to make my own soon! But that probably won’t happen since I just ordered 2.5 lbs of it for porch delivery today. I can’t get enough of it when it’s with this kale! I made peppers, snap peas, onions, jalapeno chicken sausage, and added mozzarella! It was soooooo gooood. I made lemon poppy muffins on Monday because I had a weird craving for a lemon donut. This was the best I could come up with, and they were so good! I made them again yesterday so that I can post that recipe for you all Friday!

I’m sure you can guess what was for lunch! On Monday night, I headed in for my first tattoo removal appointment! I explained why I wanted to do it and how the first treatment went. I am going to write up a blog for the next three treatments. I’ll share the cost, expectations, the pain, and everything that went into it! I didn’t realize so many of you would be interested in this process, but the DMs were blowing up! Monday night dinner while watching the Bachelor! On Monday morning, I headed to Hobby Lobby to pick up candles for my wedding dinner table. I’ve been trying to do something every day since it’s in four months! I can’t believe it’s almost here. I have some finishing touches on the table, and then everything is pretty much set to go!

I also stopped to get a mani/Pedi since my nails were looking rough! I went with a cute pink/glittery pink to kick off the birthday weekend! Last night for dinner, I made the yummiest low carb chicken parm! I breaded chicken breast with almond flour, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, salt, and Italian seasoning, baked at 350 for fifteen minutes, flipped them and cooked for another six minutes, and then topped them with marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, turned up the temperature to 400 and cooked for about six minutes! I will make this recipe again to post in a recipe format, but WOW was it good. I can’t wait to have it for lunch later.
Our curtains came yesterday! I’ll share everything about the dining room in the blog post next week, but I’m so excited. As I was finishing up this blog post, I got the notification that our dining chairs came! I’ll post them on Instagram today, But if you’re wondering, here are the chairs we purchased, and here’s the rug we have from boutique rugs in our dining room!

Questions for you!

1. Have you ever gotten a tattoo?
2. What is one product you’ve loved lately from the grocery store?
3. What did you have for dinner last night?

I’m getting married in just under 134 days. There’s only so much I can control when it comes to making my big day perfect. One of my worries is, of course, the weather, but unfortunately, there’s nothing I can do to ensure a sunny day. My second worry is having uncontrollable breakouts or dry skin on my wedding day. For the next few months, putting my skin routine as a top priority is so important! I want to do everything I can to ensure a clean and glowing face. The stress of 2020 played a big role in my skin. Canceling wedding plans a few times, eating too much chocolate, and not drinking enough water had my skin acting out pretty bad.

I hope you all love the video, and please let me know what you want to see during vlogmas this year! I know 2020 is so different, so I hope my videos bring a little bit of holiday joy to your days.

And if you’re wondering, my recap blog will be live tomorrow!  I filmed and edited the intro yesterday, so I need a little bit of time to decompress today. I hope you all had the BEST thanksgiving, and I can’t wait to hear what you think of the Vlogmas intro!!!

Questions for you!

1. What do you want to see for this year’s vlogmas?
2. What was your favorite scene from the intro video?

It’s raining here, but temps have gone back to the ’80s. Kyle is watching some old film in another language, and I’m cuddled up in a throw blanket with some hot elderberry tea. I’ve loved these weekend blogs as a way to say “hello.” They also allow me to relax and kick back while still doing something productive.
Yesterday, we headed to one of my favorite little towns outside Charlotte, Waxhaw, to pick up some books in their local shop. It’s all ran by volunteers, and they always have the best book selection when it comes to classics. We are in the process of getting our built-in bookshelves done in the music room right now, and we love grabbing a few must-haves for the shelves. I’ve been coming to that little book store since moving here seven years ago. But of course, when we come to Waxhaw, grabbing coffee at Crossroads and walking past my favorite “haunted” house is a must. I ordered a small iced latte with almond milk and an extra shot of espresso.
I know many of you are going to be able to relate to this one. When you LOVE a dress, there’s a good chance you’ll wear it twice in one weekend. Well, I certainly did that this weekend. I thought I’d mention that before you read tomorrow’s recap post and go, “didn’t she wear that dress on Friday, too?”  But (I mean 99% of my readers are women here) when you find a dress you can wear on your time of the month that makes you feel good, you wear it ALL YOU WANT!
I ordered this dress a few weeks ago and could not wait to wear it. It has orange and red roses on it, and I think the colors are perfect for Fall. I also love its light, so when Fall weather decides to leave the south, I can still look festive without overheating. After walking around and stocking up on our books, we had lunch at Provisions. They have the cutest shop, and it’s a great place to have lunch. I had a turkey and veggie panini, and kyle had a caesar salad wrap. I love going in there to pick up desserts, specialty items, and coffee. Their Sumatra is delicious. We usually end our day in Waxhaw at the creamery, but we had plans for cake and ice cream later on that night. My bag is from Southern Pagoda. I have it in three colors and LOVE it. I would have worn my black boots with this outfit if it were cooler outside. Anyway, I am going to hop off here and get some reading done! I have one more book to finish this week for the book club!

I hope you all have a good week, and make sure to take care of you today!

Questions for you

1. What has been on your mind a lot lately?
2. Do you ever wear something all weekend because you just love it?
3. What’s the name of your favorite local book store?

And if some of you are wondering what’s different…Well, I straightened my hair for the first time in a year! The funny thing about Fall in the south is that it’s super chilly in the morning (around 45 degrees) and then gets up to 75 degrees by noon. It’s the perfect time of year for pants and a sweater. This is the weather I wish we could have most of the time. I felt so BLAH this morning, so I made myself get ready, poured myself a to-go cup of coffee, and headed out to our nature trails with Kyle. We wanted to have coffee by the river while it was still chilly out. It’s funny how doing something so simple as getting out of the house and sitting by the water can change your entire mood.  In mid-July, this area is filled with Shasta daisies. I’ll make sure to take advantage of those next year!

One thing I’ve loved this Fall are jumpsuits with cardigans. I can’t believe I’m saying this. Last year, I was so ANTI-JUMPSUIT. This year, I’m going all in. One of my favorite places to buy them is Abercrombie (but only online because the stores smell like a men’s locker room, and I never find anything I’m looking for in there). When I shop online, I always find something or too much of something. This jumpsuit was purchased this summer, but they have many similar ones on the site.

I paired it with an oversized cardigan and black boots! I would typically pair this outfit with lighter boots, but I was feeling the black suede ones! They are more comfortable than my sneakers. Something I’ve been thinking about doing lately (I bet so many can relate) is getting rid of all the bright things in my closet and making everything cohesive and more neutral colored. I don’t look good in bright colors, but I’m also worried it’s just the time of year where I’m craving more subtle tones. I don’t know. Have any of you made a big closet update by color? I feel like getting ready would be less stressful if everything was cohesive.  Don’t worry! I’m getting those nails done tomorrow. I picked the gel off last night while watching a movie with Kyle. Once I do one, they all go with it.   These to-go cups are from Homegoods! I usually rinse and reuse until they get worn down. I love being able to take my coffee with me out on my walk. I saw that they had little pumpkins on them, and I couldn’t resist.  After I finish up tomorrow’s recap post, I will be filming another clean with me! I love how many people DM me about filming them. Anything to motivate me clean

I know this was a quick post, but again, I love popping on just to say hello. I hope you’re having a great weekend. If you need a pick-me-up or something to make you laugh, turn on Schitts Creek! I promise you’ll love it.

Questions for you!

1. Have you seen Schitts Creek?
2. Have you ever transformed your closet to make it more cohesive?
3. Describe your weekend in one word!

Before I got to work on the house yesterday, Kyle and I stopped at the book store to grab some new books and music sheets. Of course, I only agreed to go if we could stop at Knowledge Perk for some coffee. I love being out and about in the mornings during the Fall, especially when coffee is involved. I posted a photo yesterday morning, and I had a lot of messages about my outfit. Fashion blogging is not my specialty, but I thought I’d start posting outfit pictures for others who enjoy more of a “basic” look. Instead of sending multiple messages about where things are from, it’s much easier to have the sources in one spot! You’ll have to let me know what you think about doing more of these. Plus, it allows me to hop on this blog for a quick hello more frequently.

In the summer, it’s usually too hot here to enjoy getting ready. If I curl or straighten my hair, it’s frizzy within minutes of stepping outside. And no matter what I wear, I’ll be sweating within minutes. In the fall, getting ready for the day is so much better! It’s enjoyable to wear jeans, put on mascara, and add a few curls to my hair. Speaking of hair, I haven’t cut it since February. I am in definite need of a trim. I have recently become obsessed with day jackets. Target, Old Navy, and even Goodwill have fantastic selections. They’re perfect for throwing over a t-shirt and pairing with jeans and boots. Since I have broader shoulders, I always go into the seams with my sewing ripper and remove the shoulder pads. I used to hate wearing jackets because they made me look so bulky, but removing the shoulder pads have been a big game-changer. That’s what I’m doing today with a few of my new jackets while Kyle watches his football game. Jackets are perfect when it’s not cold enough for a coat but not warm enough for a t-shirt.

In the winter, jeans and boots are my best friends. I try to add a few new boots to my collection each year because I wear them so often. Target has stepped up its boot and jean selection this year. They have the most comfortable jeans in so many styles, fits, washes, etc.  The jeans I’m wearing in this photo are SO comfortable and were only $22. I used to hate Target pants, but they’ve evolved to satisfy more body types. I’m all about recycling items and wearing them differently. I love buying essential pieces that can be thrown into a casual or dressy outfit. I stick to more neutral colors in the fall, but even those can be paired with a colorful sweater or sparkly necklace to add a splash of pop.

Outfit Details: Boots || Crossover Bag || Jeans || Jacket (similar) || Ribbed T-Shirt || Nail Color || Green Velvet Belt

Kyle and I have been drawing up a closet plan to do some wood built-ins. I’m excited to share that project with you soon! I’d love to know how you wear your clothes in the fall!

Questions for you!

1. Do you dress up more in the summer or fall?
2. Favorite place to shop for fall sweaters?
3. Would you like me to start hopping on here once a week to share a favorite style?

It feels good to be back blogging again. I took a much-needed hiatus the past two weeks to give myself a mindful refresh. Sometimes, you just need some time off to read a good book, watch a few films, and spend time with family. I have missed you all, and I can’t wait to get back in the routine of things. And if you haven’t noticed yet, the blog also had a little refresh of its own! I hope you’re enjoying the new website so far, and new features will be added throughout the next few weeks. I can’t wait to share some projects I’ve been working on like the office makeover (so close to finishing), my latest travel guide, and Fall decor. We had some rosé and treats over the weekend to cheers on the new website! Any excuse to have rosé, am I right? Plus, I found the cutest rosé strawberries that I had to add to the celebration!

I don’t know what has gotten into me lately, but I’ve become a rosé person. Now that it’s summer, all I’m craving is fresh fruit, and fruit just happens to pair well with rosé. I found limited-edition rosé strawberries by Dole at the grocery store and had to give them a try! I was pleasantly surprised by how flavorful they were, definitely worth the hype. Each weekend, I have a glass of rose and dive into my reading list. It’s become something I look forward to most Friday nights.

Reading has been a big part of my routine this summer. Kyle and I have been reading before bed, reading in the morning with coffee, reading on vacation, and even randomly throughout the day while the dogs wrestle in the backyard. I used to have a guilty feeling when it came to reading. I had to make sure the house was spotless, the blogs were kept up with, and everything around me had to be done before I opened a book. I’ve locked that mindset out and have put reading as a priority.

I am excited to announce that I will be starting a mini book club here on the blog. For those that are interested, I will be sharing two or three books at the beginning of each month. It’ll be fun to connect and exchange conversations about the featured books. I’ve considered a monthly zoom chat to hang out and go over books just as if it were a real-life book club. The details will be coming September 1st when I announce the chosen books! If you are looking for some good books to read, this month, I finished the following:

Where the Crawdads Sing
The Great Alone
The Invention of Wings
The Dilemma

To celebrate the new website as well as the launch of the book club coming in September, I wanted to do a fun little giveaway! I will be sending two winners a  September book pick of their choice (coming soon) as well as my favorite relaxation tea and calming candles! All you have to do is leave a comment below telling me what book you have on your reading list!

Questions for you!

1. What book are you currently reading?
2. Are you apart of any book clubs?

Stacey & Kaitlyn are the winners!! Find your comment and please email me to redeem!! 

I just finished packing for our weekend trip. We’re driving down to stay at a bed and breakfast (one of our favorite things to do) to celebrate Kyle’s birthday this weekend. Our time will be spent relaxing on the beach, drinking coffee on the porch, reading in the hammock, and eating as much seafood as we can. I’ll be bringing my blog camera to capture all the places we grab food at and spots we visit along the way. We have a few lighthouses, biking, and kayaking expeditions on the list. I’m excited to visit Beaufort, Bluffton, and Hilton Head! If you have any suggestions, let me know! I’m also sharing a small office update for those who don’t follow over on Instagram. I’m hoping to have it completed in the next few weeks!

I bought a few outfits for the weekend trip, and one of my favorites is this jumpsuit! I purchased it in two colors and it’s the most comfortable jumpsuit I’ve ever owned. I’m on the taller side (5’8) so jumpsuits usually never work for me. The fabric is so light and it can stand up to the southern heat. I purchased it at Red Dress Boutique.

 I know I haven’t written a recap blog in a while, but I’m taking a break for a bit. I’m almost done completing my office! I’m loving how it’s turning out so far, and I can’t wait for it to be completed. I’ll be sharing a big reveal and giving all the details about paint/art/and wallpaper.

Another little sneak peek!

I hope you all have an amazing weekend.

Questions for you!

1. Are you giving any rooms in your space a makeover?
2. What is one thing in your office you use the most?

Good afternoon! Oh, & happy August! 

I hope you all had a fun and relaxing weekend. I spent almost all of my weekend reading Where the Crawdad’s Sing and teared up when I finished. Next, I have The Great Alone sitting on my nightstand waiting to be read next. I appreciate all of your book recommendations and can’t wait to get through a lot of them. Looks like we’ll be getting a lot of rain from the hurricane and that calls for a cup of tea and reading. 

One of my favorite things to do lately has been stopping into local coffee shops and boutiques around the area. It’s important to show them support during these times, and I’ve loved all the fun items I’ve found for my home and closet along the way. I wanted to hop on the blog today to share a quick little visit to York, SC. It’s about 35-minutes outside of Charlotte, and it’s an adorable town with hidden gems. 
One of my favorite spots is a boutique called Southern Pagoda. It has everything from adorable clothing, purses, gifts, home decor, and more. Every time I stop in there, I find something I just have to have. This Kimono and my purse are from there. I had them order the bag in a few more colors because it’s my favorite. If you live in the Charlotte area, definitely make the drive to check it out. 
Supporting local businesses right now is so important. Many of them were shut down for long periods of time, and you can still support while keeping your distance as well as wearing masks while inside the stores. Down the street, we stopped at Southern Touch Bakery.
How do you even choose?

They had the cutest little shop inside with a huge menu. I’m looking forward to stopping back in there for lunch. The cafe & bakery is an old gas station and there is a ton of outdoor seating. I bet it’s going to be so cute in the fall. You’ll know where to find me. 
The most delicious black coffee! 
I just realized that most of my recent purchases have all been blue and white. I ordered some clothes for a bed and breakfast kyle and I are staying at for his birthday, and every dress was blue! 
I can’t wait to explore more local coffee shops and boutiques that have popped up around here recently.

Questions for you!

1. Do you have a favorite local boutique/coffee shop you enjoy visiting?
2. Is there a color you’ve found yourself wearing a lot of lately?