February 28, 2013

"It's Charleston, sweetheart, y'all know anything can happen here."


I'm really excited because one of my good girlfriends from home is coming to visit tomorrow until Tuesday! I've only had a few visitors (besides family) since I moved here over two years ago, but I blame that on the sky high airfares from CT to Charleston. Anyway, I've been trying to think of some ideas of things to do while she's here and thought I'd put together a sample itinerary :)


Friday - After leaving the airport, I thought we could go to one of my favorite barbeque places. I'm torn between Home Team BBQ or Jim N Nick's

Yummmm!


Saturday - Breakfast @ Lost Dog Cafe and check out Folly Beach for a bit (the weather is only supposed to be in the mid-50s so I don't think we'll spend too much time there). I think Saturday would be a good day for strolling along the streets of downtown Charleston, walking through the Market, Waterfront Park, and the Battery. I'm sure we'll stop for lunch somewhere, too. I'd love to take C to somewhere like Lowcountry Bistro, Eli's Table, or Poogan's Porch.

For dinner, I'm sure S will want to go to one of our favorite restaurants, Coast. They also have the BEST mojitos! There are lots of places to go out downtown, but I'm sure we'll end up at somewhere like Pavilion Rooftop.

 {Source}

Sunday -Brunch is a must in Charleston and I'm thinking either Triangle Char & Bar or The Glass Onion (I've heard very good things!) From there, we can make our way out toward Middleton Place, Magnolia Plantation, or Drayton Hall. We may or may not have time to see more than one.


 

 I've actually never been to any of the above plantations. I know, I can't believe it either. I heard the gardens at Magnolia are amazing and even though it's early in the year, I hope that we get see some beautiful blooms! Middleton Place also looks absolutely extraordinary, I love how its situated along the river. Drayton Hall has also been rated a "must-see" in Charleston.

On Sunday for dinner, I'm thinking maybe Mex 1 Coastal Cantina or we can head over to Shem Creek in Mt. Pleasant if we are in the mood for seafood at Shem Creek Bar & Grill, Red's or RB's if we're feeling a little fancy.  Shem Creek is also a good spot to grab a couple drinks so we don't have to wander too far after dinner :)


Shem Creek

Monday - S has to work so it will just be C and I for the day. Sunrise Bistro would be a great spot to check out on our way out to Wadmalaw to visit the Firefly Distillery and the Angel Oak. Other options could be to head out to Cypress Gardens or Boone Hall Plantation.

S will join us for dinner and since it will be C's last night, I'm thinking Wild Olive in John's Island. We haven't been there in a while and it's one of my absolute favorites!! I have a LOT of favorites if you haven't noticed already, but there are just soo many amazing places to eat in Charleston.

Tuesday - Since C will have to be to the airport late afternoon on Tuesday, I think it would be a good day to grab a quick breakfast at home then go and run/walk the Ravenel Bridge. Nothing like a nice breeze, some exercise, and panoramic views.



I'm sure we'll work up an appetite and since we won't be far from Shem Creek, I'd love to check out The Shelter for lunch. After lunch, we could head out to Sullivan's or Isle of Palms, do some shopping in Mt. Pleasant or head back downtown for a bit. I think at that point, both of us we'll be exhausted from a whirlwind weekend!



These are just some ideas that I came up with, who knows what we'll end up doing.

What are some of your favorite things to do in Charleston? Favorite sites, restaurants, etc.?


PS - Don't forget that tomorrow is Fitness Friday!!

Honor Courage Commitment

February 27, 2013

**Witherspoon Wednesday**


Haha okay, Witherspoon Wednesday isn't really a thing, but I thought it worked for this post.

Since I didn’t want to make yesterday’s Oscar post too long, I decided to carry part of it over to today. As I was looking at celeb pics yesterday, I decided that I wanted to dedicate a whole post to Reese Witherspoon and her classic, preppy, southern, laid back style. Yes, I realize that's kind of a lot of words to define one's style, but I think she encompasses all of them.


Someone once told me that my style was "very Jackie O.", that was an amazing compliment. I also am a HUGE Reese fan and if there is anyone that I look to for style, it's her. I love how even though she is a huge celebrity, she still comes across as down-to-earth and laid back. Her southern roots are firmly planted and although she is strutting her stuff in LA, she will always be the Belle I look up to.



Some more of my fave Reese looks:



My girl and I could do some major bonding over red, white, blue, and stripes!

Here are a couple items that I picked up today, using Reese as my inspiration :)












(I love these tees, they are so soft and comfy!)


If you haven't figured it out already, my motto goes something like, "if you love it, buy it in multiple colors!" I went a little crazy on the coral, but I'm really digging that color right now and I'm getting excited for Spring! I'm getting tired of my seemingly drab winter wardrobe and am ready for a pop of color :)


Who is your style icon?? What are some of your favorite "go-to" pieces?




**All photos are property of Loft.com**



**Wednesday Walkabout**

Happy Hump Day y'all! Hope you are all having a great week. I am honored to have been chosen to co-host one of my favorite link-ups, Wednesday Walkabout. Check it out below -

I know I should maybe save this for Fitness Friday, but I am just so excited! S surprised me with a little gift a couple nights ago.


It was a "just because" gift and it was perfect because I've been wanting one for a while now. I tried it out for the first time last night, however, I don't think I had the chest strap tight enough. The instructor of the class that I took at the gym has the same exact one and she said that once you get the hang of it, it works really good. Can't wait to start logging my workouts!

On to the link-up!


 

What is a Walkabout? It's a blog link-up party, every week here and with our co-hosts! Simply put your blog address or a specific post in the linky, visit some other people, and make some friends. Easy at that! I can't wait to talk to everyone!

PS: You only have to link up with ONE of the co-hosts!

The Rules:

1. Please follow at least ONE hostess, and let us know you're a new follower and how to follow you! To be entered as next week's Mystery Host, follow all hosts from this week.  
Mystery Host Kelly- Honor, Courage, Commitment
Chantal- Scattered Shells
Jane- Taingamala

2. Try to visit 3-4 blogs that interest you. Take some time and let them know where you came from.

3. Grab the button and spread the word! (Not required, but just cool if you do). The more, the merrier.

February 26, 2013

**Oscar Style**

I guess today, I will jump on the Oscar style bandwagon since everyone else seems to be doing it :p 

I pretty much seem to agree with most people. I loved Jennifer Lawrence of course, Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston can do no wrong, Amanda Seyfried, Jennifer Garner, and even Helen Hunt looked great I thought. A couple others that not many people mentioned were Charlize Theron, Jennifer Hudson, Amy Adams, and Kerry Washington.





I couldn't stand whatever that Michael Jackson-looking dress Halle Berry was wearing, Kristen Stewart's dress could've been worse and she just looked rough. I also couldn't stand Adele and her moo moo, I just don't like her in general so she automatically makes my "Fail" list (whatever she wore to the Grammy's doesn't give her any points either.) Did somebody inform Maria Menounos that she was attending the Oscars? Not a Jersey Shore event.



Over this past weekend, S and I went to see Silver Linings Playbook. I hadn't even seen a preview for it, but I had heard great things. Both fans and critics were urging people to go see it, that does not happen often. It's also not often that S and I agree on a movie to see so that in itself was a sign.



I'm not always a huge fan of going to the movies, I'd rather just sit and watch them in the comfort of my own home. This was the first movie in a long time where I wasn't checking my phone every ten minutes to see if it was almost over. S and I both really liked and I'm happy that Jennifer Lawrence got "Best Actress", she deserved it (and I loved her in Hunger Games so she gets extra points for that!)

Have you all seen this little gem? It's pretty funny...



Hope you are all having a great week so far and thank you all so much for the kind words and prayers for the sailors that were involved in Saturday's accident. While they are not all home from the hospital yet, they are doing just fine.




All photos property of oscar.go.com/

February 25, 2013

**Weekend Update**

It is with a heavy heart that I write this post today. A weekend that started out with celebrating a friend and saying "see you later" turned into a stressful couple days. 

We had a fun time Friday night with S's work crew and I got to hang with Lindsey and Liam. It was sad to see J leave, but I know that we will stay in touch with him for years to come. Hopefully one day we will find ourselves all in the same place again.

Sub Ball 2012

It rained and rained all day Friday and Saturday. We went out for sushi Saturday night with our friends  and their two year old then we grabbed some TCBY and headed home.

Just before midnight, S got a phone call from one of his students. They were heading back to base to meet their 12:00 curfew, when their taxi van was hit by a guy who was clocked just prior at 95 mph. He apparently was running from the cops due to having a bag of pot in his car. Seems like a great reason to lead the police on a wild chase which ends in hitting a cab full of innocent guys, who proudly serve our country, sending five of them to the hospital. The next couple hours consisted of contacting the command and the higher ups to alert them of what had happened and trying to figure out what needed to be done.

One of the students was checked out at the scene and was cleared to go home. Three of them were taken to a local hospital to get checked out; they only had minor bumps and bruises. The last two were taken downtown to the University hospital for more serious injuries. We eventually found out that one of the two taken downtown, was being kept overnight for observation due to a concussion. The sixth student was ejected from the vehicle and was being treated for a broken collarbone and broken vertebrae. He is extremely lucky to be alive.

The job that S currently has puts him in charge of about 24 students. They are fresh out of boot camp and have only been on base for about 3-4 weeks. Most of them are far away from their families and if they're not married, they live in the barracks. It was really sad to see something this tragic happen to these six sailors.

On Sunday, instead of going to the gym like I had planned, I made homemade cookies and headed off to the hospital with S to visit the two who had been admitted the night before. The one with the concussion was sitting up and seemed to be doing pretty well. The other student with more serious injuries was thankfully also alert and talking, however, he was a little more restricted because of the braces, etc. I just couldn't help feeling so bad for them, but it did feel good to visit and bring them something that hopefully gave them a little bit of comfort. They are all expected to make a full recovery, thank God! S will visit them again today to check up and see how they are doing.

This past weekend made me realize a couple things. I think S had a hard time understanding why something like this would happen to him and I told him about the quote below. I told him that it's something that I remind myself of every time I am going through a hard time. I told him that if it were anyone else, they may not have cared as much as him, but he is a strong person with a good heart. Even when his students didn't have anyone else nearby for support, he was there for them when maybe someone in the same position wouldn't have done the same thing.



The whole situation proved that S would be there for anyone else just like he is always there for me. I'm so happy that I have such a caring person in my life. I wouldn't want to have it any other way<3


Pics from the rest of the weekend:
 Upper left: Gunner got a new collar and food dish
Upper right: Sushi with friends
Lower left: Cookies for Sailors
Lower right: Dog park days..



February 22, 2013

**Friday's Fancies**

Since I'm just hanging out waiting for 5 o'clock to come, I decided to join in on this week's Friday's Fancies link-up. The theme is 'Oscar-worthy' and with this year's Submarine Ball coming up in just a short couple months, I thought I would put together some ideas for the early April event.

Last year, I wore a short chiffon dress from JCrew because the ball took place at an outdoor venue that did not have air conditioning. Like last year, I would like to go for a dress with a pop of color since it will, once again, take place in the spring.

 ie. (sorry for the blurry pic)

  This year, the event will be held at a hotel ballroom and since we are staying overnight at the hotel, I won't have to worry about traveling in a long dress or the humidity. Also, the early April temperatures will be much more favorable for dressing formal :)

Here are a couple dresses and some matching accessories that I have had my eye on...

 
This dress also comes in pink (see below)
Spring Ball




formal

FItness Friday, Week #12!

Happy Fitness Friday, y'all! Hope everyone had a great week, I am so excited that it's Friday. You better believe I'll be walking straight out of work at 5pm and not looking back!

We're not supposed to have the greatest weather this weekend so I'm looking forward to getting some spring cleaning done. Hopefully I don't give in to the couch though and spend it lazing around like a bum! A good friend of mine from home is coming to visit in one week so I need to make sure our place looks acceptable for guests :)


On to Fitness Friday!


Honor Courage Commitment


I don't mean to toot my own horn, but I have been working really hard at the gym this week. Here we go -

Sunday (yes Sunday!) - Body Pump
Monday - CXWORX
Tuesday - Body Attack (60 min. of pure cardio = not easy!!)
Wednesday - Body Pump
Thursday - Off
Friday - maybe a run? Or yoga?

As far as my meal plan for the week, dinner wasn't too bad, but I definitely didn't plan lunches very well. I need to get on top of that again for next week! As for dinner next week....

Monday - Pasta Night
 {source}

Tuesday - Honey Teryaki Salmon with Brown Rice
  
Wednesday - Pork Tenderloin w/ Sweet Potatoes
 {Source}


Friday - Grill Pizzas, Shrimp/Scallops on the grill, or dinner out
 {Source}

I've come to the conclusion that come Friday we're not usually in the mood to cook so while I'd still like to have some ideas in mind just in case, we likely will not eat at home on Friday night (or Saturday for that matter!)


Hope you all have a great weekend! I will leave you with some inspiration :)



 


It's true!
 
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