5.31.2011

toes in the sand

oh how i long to be back here.

i had an amazing weekend with my best friends at the beach.
more to come on that later.

5.27.2011

sunshine

i had the urge to paint my nails a really bright color!  this is pretty odd for me because i rarely paint my nails and if i do, it's clear or light. but i found the brightest yellow i could find and i kind of loved it {for like 3 days}.  every time i looked down at those bright nails, i felt a wave of happiness.

5.21.2011

doggy playdate

i took riley to meet one of my best friend's dog, dallas. naturally, they are now best friends. they had so much fun running around and playing in the back yard for hours while stacey and i walked to downtown apex for lunch and shopping. thanks to stacey's husband, adam, for babysitting the boys while we were out!

what a wild pair these two make.
riley can't wait till his next playdate, dallas!

 i forgot how much fun downtown apex is. there are great restaurants, cute shops, and a great place to spend a beautiful afternoon! way to go, apex!

5.20.2011

beach music + sushi + sarah

on thursday night, some of my favorite girls got together because our precious friend, sarah, came to visit! we went to north hills for the beach music concert. what a fun night it was. the weather was perfect, food was delicious, and the music was awesome. we ate sushi, drank wine, caught up, and danced the night away!

 all the girls after dinner

 i love having sarah back in raleigh (even if it is just for the week)








sarah, please come back soon!
xoxo!

5.14.2011

vintage jewelry

i am a huge fan of vintage jewelry. lucky for me, my grandmother has some amazing jewelry that she loves to give me. i think she's pretty much given me all of her vintage jewelry {don't worry, she never wears it and prefers to buy new jewelry}. i actually wear what she gives me so i'm sure she loves knowing how much i enjoy and wear these jewels! most of this stuff is from my grandmother but also my great aunts {and one ring from my sister-in-law's aunt which i borrowed-- sorry, jessica, i'll return it someday}

these are some of my favorite pieces:
 this is my favorite ring. yep, there are 19 diamonds on there. sigh...

 this was my great grandmother's wedding band

my great grandmother's locket. i can't remember if the picture inside is of her or her parents but either way, it's really old and so beautiful!


5.13.2011

something borrowed, something blue





















a while back i read the book something borrowed and it's sequel, something blue. i love these books! they are best read during the summer while lying on the beach. and let me tell you, when i heard they were making the first book in to a movie, i couldn't wait!
{i still don't know if there are plans to make the sequel- it's only my prayer every night} 


the movie did not disappoint. it was hilarious-- even better than expected. the cast was great {you really can't go wrong with john krasinski}. i've already seen it twice and it's only been out a week. i highly suggest seeing the movie AND reading the books {the 2nd one was my favorite}.
if you don't like it, don't let me know.


ps. if you like these books, you should definitely read the shopaholic series.
they are super cute books and great summer reads!

5.10.2011

kale chips

kale is one of the best leafy greens for you.  WebMD listed it as it's #1 leafy green. way to go, kale! but how do you incorporate this green in to your diet? it doesn't have quite the same appeal as spinach in a salad. kale chips are one of my new favorite snacks {and so easy to make}. 

preheat oven to 425.
tear kale into bite size pieces-- they will become about half the size once baked, so keep this in mind.       
spray pan and kale with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic salt, parmesan, or your favorite seasoning.
bake for 4-5 minutes-- until crispy but still green
enjoy!
if these last long enough to be stored, keep in tupperware but don't cover-- they will stay crispy if they are uncovered.

i suggest making at least 2 pans because they will go quick!

stay tuned for a no sugar, no fat, all delicious and "healthy enough to eat for breakfast" apple crisp recipe. it will change your life.

5.09.2011

puppy love

this is riley.
my sweet {and not-so-little} puppy.
isn't that a face you could love forever?

i like when he sits with his paw like that.

flashback:
oh my word, was he not the cutest puppy ever?

5.01.2011

royal wedding top 5

oh what a royal wedding day it was! it was even better than i expected. i could watch the events unfold over and over (and i kinda have). there were so so so many things i loved about prince william and kate's (excuse me, princess catherine- lucky girl!) wedding but here are my top 5:

{drum roll please}

5. pippa's dress. she certainly tried to outshine the bride but really, how can you outshine a princess and future queen of england? pippa looked good. prince harry, you should really dump chelsy for pippa. it would be such an upgrade!

chelsy davy- harry's on-again off-again girlfriend.
oh, honey. oh no.
4. the fascinators (what brits call their hats). they really are quite fascinating! some were awesome, some were hideous, some were so ridiculous that they were awesome. 
3. prince harry. you can always count on the spare to add a little comic relief to any event. when kate was walking down the aisle, i loved that he kept turning around to sneak peaks of her (will and harry were not facing kate as she walked down the aisle). he kept saying little things to will and they would giggle. so cute! 
2. THE dress. kate's dress. it was absolutely beautiful and just the right amount of lace and train and fullness to the skirt. it could not have been more perfect. it really highlighted how beautiful kate is. and kate even did her own makeup. like we needed another reason to love her!



kate changed in to an evening dress for the party (actually, parties) and wore an amazing dress once again
 1. the way kate and will looked at each other. they exuded happiness! they would glance at each other and smile and laugh. what a pair they make! when kate arrived by will's side he looked at her and said, "you look beautiful" and then said, "and we were supposed to have a small family affair." watching their wedding made me love them even more!

who wants to take a trip to england to find prince harry??