Small Business.

Happy Aloha Monday everyone!

I finally feel like I am in a good position to share with you all, a little project that I've been working on.

Upon moving to Hawaii with my husband, I had to leave my full-time job at the College of Charleston, and with that, I left behind a lot of my financial independence that came along with that.

I knew that if I left my job, that I would want to try and do something from home that would give me the flexibility of making my own schedule and working for myself. From this, came the idea for Southerly Monogram Shop.

I've got myself an embroidery machine and have been whipping up some super cute toddler t-shirts and baby onesies for the kiddos! Many of the orders that I have been getting are for military homecomings, but I also have some adorable monogrammed goodies in my Etsy shop, as well.

I would love for you all to check it out! And also, please feel free to share :)

Here is just a sample of some of the designs that I offer.

Please "Like" me on Facebook for updates on new items coming every week!

Thanks, y'all!!

Dinner for One.

If you have a husband that is in the military or works a lot, you probably know what it's like to have to cook for one. 

Most nights, I have to dig deep to even find the motivation to cook at all because it's never fun eating alone and even less fun trying to find healthy options to cook for one person.

I've decided to start blogging about my meal plan for the week, once again, to try and hold myself accountable for my choices.

Weekly food shopping for just myself has also posed a problem lately with actually getting a chance to use the fresh foods that I purchase before they go bad. Here in Hawaii, anything perishable has to be refrigerated; otherwise, you can expect it to go bad within a couple days. Because of this, I have resorted to going to the commissary or grocery store every few days or on an as-needed basis. 

I have also found, that with an active lifestyle, where I am not always home for lunch and/or dinner, it's better to plan for just a few meals at home in the event that I do not make it home in time to cook. This has also been helping to save money and avoid buying food that goes bad before I have a chance to eat it.

Here is my [dinner] meal plan for the week.

Grilled Mahi Soft Tacos w/ Spiced Mayo & Avocado Salsa

(The original recipe actually calls for grilled chicken, but I'm doing it with Mahi.)

Slow Cooker Beef & Broccoli

Shrimp Burgers

Do any of y'all have advice for cooking for one?

Hiking Hawaii: Diamond Head Crater

Thought I would take a little break from wedding posts to share some of my favorite experiences since we moved to Hawaii.

One of the first things that Shaun and I did once we arrived here, was hike Diamond Head.

I've now done this hike twice, the first time with Shaun and the second time with some lovely ladies that I've gotten to know through our boat.

This is, what I would consider, an easy hike. It is kid-friendly, but definitely not stroller-friendly. You do gain some elevation on the way up and there are quite a few stairs, but there are spots where you can  move off to the side of the trail and take a break. The second time I did this hike, one of the girls I was with, had her 26 lb. son in an Ergo carrier and she made it up with no problems.

If you ever get to visit Hawaii, I definitely recommend doing this hike.

Diamond Head from Waikiki.

The mountain to the left is Koko Head Crater and just over the one to the right is Hanauma Bay, a famous snorkeling spot.

Beautiful view of Honolulu and Waikiki.

The views that I have seen from the many mountain tops here are incredible and it seems like each new hike outdoes the previous. I feel so blessed to be living in such an amazing place and hope you all enjoy reading about it!

Thank y'all for stopping by!

Our Wedding, Part 3 - First Look & Bridal Party Photos ~

Good morning!

Today I'm sharing our 'First Look' photos. I wasn't 100% convinced to do the first look in the beginning, but our photographer kind of talked me into it and I'm glad she did.

It was a great way to save some time and get some pictures done early so we could get to our reception sooner. I think it also helped calm some nerves ;)

We did our first look photos at Wide Awake Park, just down from our venue, Old Wide Awake Plantation

Here are some of my fave shots.

All photos by Aaron & Jillian Photography

Location: Old Wide Awake Plantation, Charleston, South Carolina

Dress: Austin by Watters

Jewelry: Nicole Miller via Rent the Runway

Bridesmaids Dresses: Mori Lee 682 in Ivory and Blush

Groomsmen's Suits: Jos. A. Bank

Bow-ties: CCADesign

Thank y'all for stopping by!

Our Wedding, Part 2: Getting Ready & the Details ~

Back to my favorite topic, our wedding.

Have I mentioned how unbelievably perfect the day was? It will forever be a day that will live on in my memory and in my heart for always.

Our wedding took place on Sunday, April 13, 2014. The weather was perfect, 75 degrees and sunny.

We were very fortunate to have a space at the venue to get ready. The upstairs of the house on the property had a bridal suite as well as a second bedroom, not to mention a beautiful wraparound second-story porch.

Once the guys arrived, they were able to use the downstairs living room to finish getting ready.

Take a look!

All photos by Aaron & Jillian Photography (formerly Aaron Nicholas Photography.)

Location: Old Wide Awake Plantation, Charleston, South Carolina

Dress: Austin by Watters

Jewelry: Nicole Miller via Rent the Runway

Bridesmaids Dresses: Mori Lee 682 in Ivory and Blush

Groomsmen's Suits: Jos. A. Bank

Bow-ties: CCADesign

Thank y'all for stopping by!