Hannah's Wedding!

Remember that wedding I keep mentioning?  Well, this weekend it finally arrived!  The hubby and I headed to the north carolina mountains, to a small town called cashiers where Hannah and found the most gorgeous wedding venue.  A tree farm turned wedding locale on the off season.  Sawyer Family Farmstead certainly did not disappoint.

{I was in awe of the jaw dropping view}

{Michael and Piper bonded while we all rehearsed.  Piper even ran around for a while with the farms mascot, an adorable scottish terrier--Piper may need one of her own!}

{Rehearsal Dinner at the High Hampton Inn}

{Hannah truly spoiled her bridesmaids!  Holy COW what nice gifts}

{I may never take this off}

{About to walk down the aisle!}

{Stunning table decor}

{relaxing sunday morning at our cabin, it was so gorgeous there, we all loved it!}

All in all it was a lovely weekend.  Hannah put so much thought into every single detail.  I've honestly never seen anyone execute a specific wedding vision this well!  I can't wait to see her wedding photos and will definitely have to share some of those here.  She did a wonderful job and I wish them the absolute best in their marriage!

Oh and before I go, I'll share a quick exert from the toast I gave them that served as a great reminder for me as well:

Hannah and Jesse, don’t go to bed angry.  Life is way too short, stay up, fight it out, kiss and make up.  Waking up the next day refreshed, barely remembering why you fought is far better.

Jesse, make sure you tell Hannah how beautiful and loved she is each and every day, she will never get tired of hearing it.  Cherish her, and make her feel taken care of.

Hannah, be sure to always tell Jesse that you believe in him, that you are proud of him, and that he can do anything he sets his mind to.  You cannot tell him that enough!

Now, everyone if you would be so kind as to raise your glass with me—

Hannah and Jesse—I want to end with a quote from one of my all time favorite authors C.S. Lewis:

“Now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the great story no one on earth has ever read.  Which goes forever: in which every chapter is better than before.” 

Nothing better than a wedding weekend!

Cast Iron Skillet Veggie Pasta

I'm always looking for something easy and healthy to throw together, particularly during the week.  Often, I like to come up with meat free recipes that feel a bit lighter!  I came up with this simple pasta dish and it was so delicious we devoured every bit.

You will need:

1 Zucchini

1 Yellow Squash

1 Red Pepper

1/4 of a large onion (or half a small onion

One garlic Bulb

1 cup crushed tomato

Spaghetti noodles (cooked)

1/4 cup chedder cheese

-Sauté veggies for 10 minutes (or until tender).  

-Mix in crushed tomatoes, noodles, and cheese.  

-Cook on low for a few minutes until all mixed together and serve!

Weekend Notes!

Our weekend was relaxing and lovely.  Michael and I had a date night at Reid's Friday which I certainly should of photographed!  We split mussels, a flat bread, and the best Carmel cake ever!   Mmmm, it was lovely and I debuted a few of my items from my last stitch!

Saturday we went to our friends house for their pups birthday party!  Amelie and Piper met at the park and just love each other!

                (The birthday girl!!) 

Amelie's mom stumbled upon these beauties at Harris teeter!  They look just like Amelie!

(piper and Amelie's brother tucker!!)

Saturday evening we had a lovely dinner with Michaels mom at nolen kitchen!  Another one of our favorite places!  Loving their fall menu.

The most exciting thing though for me this weekend was the decision to get back into art!  I grew up taking art classes and after saying I would for ages, I finally got myself some supplies.  I'm not sure why I waited so long--I had so much fun!  Perhaps eventually I will share some things I create but not yet ;)!

{Yet Another...} Stitch Fix Review

I would imagine that by now you've heard of Stitch Fix.  It's pretty freaking awesome if you haven't tried it out yet.  Personally, I'd heard about it almost a year prior to my finally biting the bullet and signing up.  I've now received my third {awesome} box and thought it was time to do my part and add a review.  The concept is simple, a $20 styling fee for some fashionista to choose five items for you to try on in the comfort of your own home.  Keep one and the 20 buckeroos is deducted from that, keep them all and you get an additional 20% off.  For reals, this is my third box, and my third time loving it all.  They've got a GOOD thing going with this service.  And, everything I have received I keep on loving.  Give in and try it if you haven't yet.  And I highly recommend very VERY detailed notes and requests to get things you want.

Skies are Blue: Catie Textured Fit & Flare Dress

I saw this dress and loved it right away.  Michael said right away "woah, that's a nice dress" which made me certain it was a keeper.  It's comfortable, fitted, and unique.  The stylist suggest a jean jacket with it now, and then a cardi, tights, and booties for fall.  Done!

41 Hawthorn: Rosa Tab V-Neck Blouse

This top is super comfy and flowy.  I loved the color and knew it would look great with a blue and white skirt from previous fixes as well as shorts and jeans.  (I actually wore it right after this to dinner!)

Street Level: Jamie Animal Print Folded Clutch

This clutch surprised me.  I liked it right away.  It's got three internal pockets, is a fun texture, and is just different than anything I own (all my clutches are monogrammed) and for that I was excited about it.  It goes well with the blue top and will be a pop of color this season.  I wore it out to dinner and really enjoyed it!  I'm glad to have been chosen something a tad outside of my comfort zone.

Milano Tassel Detail Beaded Bracelet Set 

I am crazy about tassels.  These were a totally fun surprise and I love them.  I've never seen anything exactly like these guys and I just love that.

41 Hawthorn Longsleeve Knit Cardigan

I've actually really been wanting a flowy cardigan and am excited about rocking this during the fall!  I paired it with jeans and a flowy top, but am planning on trying it with a navy maxi dress over the weekend.  

All in all... I loved my third stitch and cannot wait for next months!  So far my stylists have really listened to me and also given me examples of how I can mix and match that help me feel like actually have things to wear!

Thoughts for Thursday: Unique Jewelry

One trend that has stumped me for the past couple of years has been statement jewelry.  For years I wore pearl stud earrings and a tiffany heart necklace (I've since grown out of hearts thankfully).  Suddenly though I noticed women were mixing it up and my look wasn't all that in.  Big bubble necklaces and tortoise shell and chunky pearl strands.  They looked great, but on me they just felt odd... I tried with earrings a bit, and learned that my little ears can only handle gold posts.  This was painful to learn (like, literally!) and means I wear pearl studs or diamond studs and that's that.  I had almost given up until I received a delicate long necklace from stitch fix that I actually felt comfortable in... this opened the gates and had me looking at more unique and less main stream pieces that felt way more me.  You could say I've been on a style journey, from stereotypical preppy to something more transitional?  Anyway, these are some of the new jewelry items I am loving incorporating into my look!

This has to be my favorite item to date.  I've been eyeing these "Alex Holleman" necklaces (sorry she doesn't have an online store) and finally was invited to a trunk show to grab one!  She's a super stylish local charlottean (a capital shopping, myers park living attorney) who created them!  Each one is unique.  I love it.

{a quick pic I snapped to show Michael, as I have been talking about tassels to him a lot!}

These are from Ten Thousand Villages and handmade in india.  My super awesome and stylish grandmother gave them to me this past weekend.  Her sense of style and home decor is incredible.  {similar here}

If you're local, I'm sure you've seen these Lily and Laura bracelets.  I've seen them around a lot and just love them.  They are comfortable, fair trade, and each one is uniquely made by women in Nepal.  I just think they are super fun!

Weekend in the Mountains

This past weekend began with a quick trip to the vet for the fur princess that has left her pretty scared of the car ever since!  She needed a booster and needed to have the boo boo above her eye examined.  However, little girl keeps shaking in the car now, I sure hope she forgets about it!

Saturday AM the hubs and I decided it was time to get away to the mountains and hit the road!  We met my parents at our favorite BBQ joint Hubba Hubba.  It is seriously delicious and we just love going there!  

We also went to our favorite apple orchard Sky Top that one of my moms best friends owns!  Her aussie Stella quickly found Piper and they were instant friends.  Sky top has incredibly apple cider, apple donuts, and apple butter among many other things!  Going there truly makes it feel like fall is here.  It's one of our favorite places and it was a real treat to have our pup with us for the first time!

{Aussies love to smooch each other}

{Piper just saw her first sheep.  It dove at her through the fence!  She didn't appear to know what to do little city pup!}

It was so nice to get away for a bit after Michael's first full week at his new job.  His hours are long and he has to work at home every night.  We are adjusting to the new normal but it sure was nice to get away!

Thoughts for Thursday: Time Off!

This week beginning with Labor day is my first actual week off since Christmas!  Now granted, I do have The Best Job Ever however, time off is super awesome!!

Monday, the hubs, the pup and I went to our absolute favorite water hole, Common Market for some lunch and some delicious IPAs on draft.  Man, I love that place.  They allow dogs inside in the AC (amazing) and Piper always finds multiple people interested in making out with her (thats a life goal for that girl!)  One of my littles was in town from my college sorority plus another sister and they met up with us for a bit!  That night we had a dinner date with one of Piper's best park friends (nope, not kidding about that) and her parents.  We brought the pups to angry ales and had a great time!

Now, I'm enjoying playing housewife this week!  I concocted the most wonderful pasta sauce last night!  It was easy, canned pomodoro tomatoes, ground turkey, basil, and two whole bulbs crushed garlic.  It tasted absolutely wonderful.

I had to share this cute photo!  She was given that treat at the bank and then carried it carefully inside from the car with her little head held high.  She's such a little person sometimes!!

Above are the two new pairs of shoes I splurged on for Hannah's wedding!  Both are Sam Edelman, and so incredibly comfortable!  I'm excited to see how they work with the whole look.  She's going for a very rustic boho/chic look!  The Gigi Sandals can be found {here} and the wildly comfortable Felicia flats can be found {here}.

Girls Trip to Tybee Island and SavannahI

This past weekend my girlfriend Hannah and I headed down to Tybee Island Georgia to have a little girls getaway before her wedding at the end of the month!  Olivia, one of her bridesmaids graciously invited us to her beach house and we had a lovely time!  Olivia met us at the door with homemade sangria and cheesestraws I mean seriously, I cannot ask for more!

We headed out to "Social" which was an adorable little spot on the island.  They had absolutely fabulous tacos and Jalepeno margaritas!

 The next morning we headed down the dock right onto the beach... we relaxed, had spiked lemonade and homemade boiled georgia peanuts...bliss.

It was so seriously gorgeous out there that I don't even mind the wicked sunburn I got!

Saturday Night we headed to Savannah for a fun night out!  We grabbed sushi for dinner and then went to a super fun bar "Rocks On the Roof" atop a hotel with a gorgeous view of the river.  Absolutely perfect and a fun place!  We had some pretty funny moments with some of the drunker fellas... Ah, it wouldn't be a girls weekend without that right?

The ALMOST Mrs. McEntire!!  3.5 weeks and counting girl!!