Sayin' bye to Winter with No "Egrets"

Long time, no blog. Number one reason: 

As I have already announced, I am now a proud mommy to a 3 1/2 month old Parson Russell Terrier puppy. 

Langston has me VERY busy these days, but I can't imagine life without him! 

A few highlights since the last entry:

The Kings of Leon concert.

Had so much fun catching up with my favorite sassy lady, and the concert was amazing! 

A surprise trip to Charlotte for Julie's 25th! 

A weekend visit from Mom & Scott, complete with beer tastings and a picnic.

An afternoon with the Harlem Globetrotters and my Dad!

And finally, a MUCH-needed Adult Spring Break trip to Florida with all the Taylor's. (Shawn, David and Mr. Dove)

Don Pedro Island, located south of Tampa, was the perfect place to get away. In order to reach our new favorite piece of paradise, we took a quick ferry ride over and were greeted immediately with an example of the island's quaint, yet humorous, nature.

While the majority of the trip was spent tanning, eating and drinking, we also enjoyed bike rides, morning runs (for Shawn & David), sunset viewings and golf cart adventures.

Perhaps my most favorite part of the trip: collecting shells. Despite my family's incessant ridicule and jokes about me turning into an 80-year-old woman, I couldn't believe how beautiful and unique all the shells were! 

Now everyone knows what they'll be getting for Christmas ;) 

Another highlight of the trip was the daily pics we received of Langston playing with his cousin Owen and Aunt Addy. 

We were all sad to leave the island, but spring has sprung in the ATL and as I look back at the atrocious Winter and even our Adult Spring Break, I have to say, I have "no egrets."

Thanks for reading y'all! 

On the road again

Semesters once ruled my world.

There was the Fall semester, jam-packed by Rush, tailgates and after-game parties.

Then, there was the Spring semester, which began with a few weeks of football withdrawals but quickly evolved into months of non-stop road trips. Although semesters are no longer a part of my world, the two halves of my life still play out similarly.

Like last year, I decided to kick-off my “Spring Semester” with a visit to my sweeties in the Queen City!

First, we met up with the Queen of the QC herself, Heddy! (AKA Steph’s mom) It was such a treat to catch up over mojitos and grilled artichokes at 131 Main.

 

Next up, drinks and a much-needed catch-up sesh with my two favorite girls! Can’t believe it’s been 4 years since we started our adventure in Olympia Mills. We would all give anything to go back to those days!

 

Saturday, we rose early to hit up a brewery! We ventured to Noda, a quaint, hipster-ish neighborhood right outside of downtown. Noda Brewing was our first stop, where we sampled several brews including: Coco Loco Porter, Jam Session Pale Ale, Imperial Hop, Drop ‘n Roll and NoDaRyeZ’d Double Rye IPA.

 

 

And for an extra treat, Bates joined us for a brew!

 

Because we were drinking at noon, we figured dessert at 2 p.m. was only fitting. Honey macaroons, strawberry tarts and chocolate truffles were accompanied by chicken salad croissants and turkey and brie paninis at Amelie’s. I love that my sweeties share my love for healthy eating! J

 

 

Saturday evening we took on quite a task—Wine and Design.

If we learned anything from living together for three years, it was how to polish off a bottle of wine (even the double bottles of Riesling we bought at Walgreens for about $9. We had quite a collection of those blue bottles which were nearly as tall as me!), but unfortunately, we never quite mastered the design part.

 

 

 

 

Despite our slight disappointment in the final products, we still had a great time at our “Night in Paris.” P.S. Still wish I had left off that confetti!

 

 

On Sunday we rounded out our weekend at Soul with a Basil Smash--Thanks for the recommendation, Jules—I loved it!

 

 

So thankful for these two ladies, and so very glad that we still make time for each other. In 50 years, you can find us in Miami! #goldengirls

Thanks for reading, y’all!

Everyday's a Holiday

If you know me at all, then you are well aware of my obsession with holidays. Perhaps my most favorite holiday is Halloween because it marks the beginning of the greatest season of them all! When the first of October arrives, my 3-month span of non-stop holiday activities begins. From pumpkin carving and cornucopias to wrapping gifts and mistletoe, I just can’t get enough!

I always say that the worst day of the year is the 26^th of December. The Christmas music stops, the tree lights stay off, and in our house, the holiday hangovers are enough to keep you in bed for days.

Nevertheless, I do my very best to pack all my holiday spirit in, and this year was one of the best yet!

It all started at Shawn and David’s new casa, or should I say, their new iglesia, where cocktails are never in short supply.

First, we concocted a spiked apple cider.

 

We mixed Captain Morgan’s spiced rum with pureed apples, cinnamon and nutmeg and topped it off with a cinnamon stick. It tasted more like apple sauce than a cocktail, but it was great for dessert!

Next, Shawn put together a beautiful and delicious cheese plate, complete with a variety of Asheville cheeses, pecans, apples and boysenberry jam.

We even attempted a second holiday cocktail—spicy gingerbread spritzer! This was THE festive beverage we'd been looking for! Yum!

 

And, as always, our family gathering turned into a game night. This time, we put our spin on the ever-popular Pictionary, and unlike always, everyone played rather well!

 

Christmas morning finally came, and we enjoyed mimosas and French toast roll-ups. These were a Pinterest find (like everything these days), and they did not disappoint! I only attempt simple recipes, and this is as easy as it gets!

The rest of the day was spent opening gifts and devouring a traditional Christmas meal.

 

 

 

We got a big kick out of one particular gift. This is what Betsy ordered for Scott.

And this is what she originally received in the mail.

 

Somewhere in the world that Russian wife was unable to give her husband the gift I’m sure he would’ve worn with pride. But, we all appreciated the laugh!

With the dust settling from Christmas morning, the spirits (who I truly believe are haunting us in that church house) decided we no longer needed lights on our whole tree. But we’d never let such a small mishap keep us from our celebrations.

 

Daddy and Carrie arrived just in time for Round 2 of cocktails and presents!

 

And Owen got to meet his cousin Sofie for the very first time! I think they’re going to be good friends!

 

The day after Christmas, Mr. Dove blew in from Augusta, and we made a bee-line for Wicked Weed to kick-off their 1st birthday celebrations! A couple highlights were the Muscadine Saison and the absolutely delicious Milk & Cookies stout.

 

Before heading back to ATL, I made a pit-stop in Greenville for a much needed Clinton reunion. Always love seeing these ladies!

 

Back in the Capital City, it was time for some of my most favorite college friends to make a visit! We had a blast reuniting over tacos at Verde Taqueria.

 

And we rang in the new year at Red Brick Brewing, sipping on delicious brews, such as Laughing Skull and Hoplanta, and listening to the tunes of My Favorite Baldwin.

 

 

 

New Year’s Day brought a big Gamecock victory and a bittersweet goodbye to the best quarterback in Carolina history! Thanks, Connor. We sure will miss you!

So, it’s back to the grind, but you can be sure I’m already counting down the days until the next holiday season!

Happy New Year!