Weddings!

I'm happy to say that after a month break from blogging due to a very busy work schedule and social calendar aka my sister's wedding, I'm back and ready to write!

My sister's wedding was this past weekend in downtown Annapolis, Maryland. The weather was perfect...sunny, warm, and beautiful! Being my sister's only sister, I was the Maid of Honor, and had a fabulous time at all of the wedding festivities...the bridal luncheon, rehearsal, rehearsal dinner, ceremony, reception, and farewell brunch! I enjoyed every moment because I had the chance to spend time with my family from all over the US, and they also met my boyfriend for the first time while celebrating my sister's wedding! I went to 4 weddings this year, this past weekend being the finale, and I had an amazing time at every one of them! Weddings make me so happy, and I'm excited that I already have 2 to look foward to in 2011!

*The picture of the cake above is from one of my sister's bridal showers. I'll be sure to post another picture from the wedding after I upload them!

Setting and Accomplishing Goals

If you know me, then you know I'm such a goal-setter! I'm always thinking of new ideas and activities that I want to do. I was just telling my parents over the weekend that I'd like be to a little more domestic, you know with cooking, sewing, gardening, that sort of thing! I know the basics of cooking, don't know a thing about sewing, and eventually I'd like to get into gardening (once I have a home of my own with a yard!).

Although I have such a sweet tooth, I'm really into eating healthy meals. I also work out 3-4 times a week after work, which doesn't leave much time to cook a healthy, homemade meal every night. My goal is to start looking up recipes on Cooking Light, and making some healthy, more challenging meals for dinner. I'll also attempt to make some of the meals from the wonderful recipe books that my mom compiled for me containing family recipes passed down through the years. These meals aren't as healthy as I normally eat, but are so very delicious!

As for sewing, my mom said she's going to teach me how to sew a button on a sweater this weekend, and I'm super excited! How sad is it that I can't even sew a button?! I never had to take home-ec because I was an advanced learner and had the privilege of taking Spanish classes earlier in school. That seemed like a great idea then, but now I could probably benefit a lot more if I knew how to sew a button instead knowing when to use the preterite vs. imperfect tenses in Spanish. Hablaba anyone?!

So, I will continue pursuing my goals however big or small, and will eventually be well-rounded in all domestic areas of the home! Adios amigos! ;)

Morning Work-Outs

I finally got back into my morning work-out routine by waking up at 5:50am and running 2 miles! It actually felt like nothing after the much longer and hilly run this past weekend with my boyfriend. I always feel better when I work-out first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. It's a good feeling to wake up and feel so accomplished by 6:30am, the time when my alarm normally rings! Seeing as how I have to be at work tomorrow morning at 6:30, I probably won't run before work, so we'll see how Thursday morning goes! Wish me luck!

Washington Redskins!

Although we lost to the Houston Texans tonight in overtime, we killed the Cowboys last weekend and that is the most important game to win in the whole season if you're a Skins fan!

Being a Redskins fan wasn't necessarily a choice for me as I was raised in Southern Maryland surrounded by Skins fans, including my parents. Then, I went to college in Virginia, where there were also a lot of Redskins fans. That is where I grew to like football and actually understand the game! Don't get me wrong, I went to almost every football game in high school (I was part of the half-time entertainment aka dance team!) and a few in college (Go Duuukes!), but watching the Skins game every Sunday in college is how I finally discovered my appreciation for football and learned to root for my hometown underdogs...the Redskins!

With a new coach this year and a new quarterback (thank goodness!...so long Jason Campbell!), I'm feeling pretty confident that we'll have a decent season and not let the Lions beat us again (sorry boyfriend!). I've been wanting to buy a jersey the last couple of seasons but have been holding off for the right season, and I think this is it. Any suggestions as to whose jersey I should get?!

Wedding China

Call me old-fashioned or too traditional (I call it classic!), but one of the reasons I look forward to getting married is picking out an amazing china pattern with my husband! (Not getting married anytime soon, but just thinking ahead!) I know that some people decide that they don't want to register for china because they think they will never use it or never entertain for nice family gatherings, but when in your life would you ever buy it for yourself? Never! Maybe I just look forward to it because I love entertaining and adore many of the new, delicate patterns that have come out over the past couple of years. Entertaining is a huge part of my family traditions, and I'll be so thrilled to carry out this tradition when I have a home of my own as well as a china set to impress!

Clinique Products

With the changing seasons/weather, I've been noticing that I need to revisit my daily skin care regimen. That being said, yesterday after work, I visited the lovely ladies at the Clinique counter in Macy's. Because I have extremely sensitive skin (cannot tolerate any products with fragrance!), I find Clinique's products to be the most simple, clean, hypoallergenic, oil-free, and effective! Not to mention, their products aren't ridiculously expensive either.

I'm addicted to several products in their 3-step skin care lines as well as the High Impact Curling mascara. I've refused to use any other mascara since I began using this one about 3 years ago. If you are looking for a non-clumpy, curling mascara that lasts all day, I highly recommend this one. I hope they never discontinue it!

Ultimate Skinny Jeans

Last week, after I stopped by the Clinique counter in the mall to pick up my skincare products that I needed, I decided to casually browse in J. Crew and Banana Republic to check out the new fashions for fall. BR was having an amazing sale on denim, and since I don't own any BR jeans (or hadn't at that point!), I thought it would be a good idea to just try a few pairs on for fun. At first I stuck with the straight leg, thinking they would look better on my body-type. The manager came over to help me and demanded that I try on their ultimate skinnys. I was reluctant at first, but as soon as I put them on, they magically fit me perfectly! It was just like The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants! It's always when you aren't looking for something in particular that you end up finding the best buys! So, now I am in love with these jeans and wore them for the first time this past weekend at my sister's bachelorette party in Cape May. They are so comfy and soft, I could almost sleep in them! What can I say? I heart my ultimate skinnys!!

Mixt Greens

My lunch plans for today changed, so I decided to hit up my absolute favorite salad shop just 1 block away from work, MIXT GREENS! They make the best organic salads in the neighborhood with the freshest ingredients too! I always create my own salad when I go there because I don't want to be the annoying customer who substitutes everything in their set salads on the board, and my salad creations are always much more tasty/healthy!

Today, I had the mixed greens lettuce with grilled chicken, edamame, cucumbers, grape tomatoes, chick peas (aka chick butts, for those who know that inside joke!), and a pinch of red onions for a little bit of flavor. It was topped with fat free balsamic vinaigrette and was delicious! I usually always get the mango citrus dressing, but decided to switch things up today. Crazy, I know! Anyway, if you haven't been to Mixt Greens yet and you live in DC, San Fran, or LA, I highly recommend it. Check it out! http://www.mixtgreens.com/gui/2008/default.aspx It was incredibly refreshing today too since it's 90 degrees outside!

Running with my boyfriend!

My boyfriend is training for a 10K, so this weekend while we were in Michigan for his cousin's wedding, we went for a couple of runs around his dad's neighborhood. It's nice running with someone else because it's not so boring, and I always end up running further because the time passes much more quickly. On our run, we picked out our favorite houses in the neighborhood and ended up racing each other home. Of course he won, but he's a guy, so I guess that makes it okay!

I'm glad I got back into running this weekend because I was starting to get bored with my elliptical workouts and running works my legs muscles differently than the elliptical. My legs felt a little sore after running, so I'm pretty sure that means it was a good workout! Great way to start the week!

Motown Music

I'd like to thank my dad for introducing me to the wonderful world of motown sound when I was just a few years old. I loved "My Girl" by the Temptations, which is probably one of the most popular motown songs and is now the most popular father-daughter dance song. My love for motown music (The Temptations, The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Four Tops, Gladys Knight, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, to name a few!) has grown so much since I was younger. The Temptations movie (you know, the one that's always playing on VH1) changed my life! Soul music always puts me in a good mood, what can I say? I love it!

I felt this post was appropriate since I will be flying into Detriot tomorrow, Hitsville USA baby!, with my boyfriend to attend his cousin's wedding in Ann Arbor on Saturday! Speaking of, GO BLUE! (that was for my boyfriend!) Anyway, I am excited to see Ann Arbor since I've never been there before, and it's kinda cool that I'll be landing in Detriot, where all the motown magic happened a few decades ago.

Starbucks Iced Coffee!

I'm convinced that Starbucks puts a little something extra in their coffee that makes it taste fabulous and better than any other brand. Illy from Italy is a close second. I don't know what it is about Starbucks, but everytime I drink it, it puts me in such a great mood!

So, I was having a sluggish morning and decided to stop by on my way to work this morning. I got an iced regular coffee with a shot of sugar-free caramel! This was my drink of choice on vacation this summer because it's refreshing, sweet, and still low on the cals! You should try it too!

Charleston!

In case you didn't already know, I'm obsessed with South Carolina and everything Southern! I even have a South Carolina palmetto and cresent sticker on the back of my car because I will eventually, someday live there. Charleston is one of my favorite cities in SC, and I'm working on convincing my parents to let me have a destination wedding there. This won't be any time soon since I'm not engaged, but a girl can dream, right?!

I've been thinking a lot about Charleston lately since two of my friends are visiting there this week! It's such a beautiful city with gorgeous plantations, colorful homes, and great restaurants (Hyman's!! http://www.hymanseafood.com/) I sat at the same table as Sarah Jessica Parker and Oprah, and no one can argue with Oprah when it comes to good food (or books!).

Here's a picture I took on my tour of the city. These are some of the amazing homes on The Battery. Can't wait to go back!

Diet Coke!

I can't believe I'm blogging about soda because I used to be so good in college and I never drank soda at all! That was until I entered the wonderful world of work and realized that I need a little extra caffeine to get me through the day. I really do try to avoid soda at all costs unless I need some quick energy, and then I turn to my lovely friend, DC! Diet coke is the only soda I drink (unless it's bourbon and ginger ya'll!) , and I can justify drinking it once or twice a week because after all, it is 0 calories. So, nonetheless, I'm having my weekly dose of DC tonight in the hopes that it will give me a little boost to go for a night work-out at the gym. I'm sure Jillian Michaels would not condone this, but I don't care!

Going to the movies!

I absolutely love going to the movies with my friends and my boyfriend! Tomorrow night, one of my best friends from JMU, R, and I are going to see Eat Pray Love! She just finished reading the book, and although, I haven't read the book, I'm definitely excited to see the movie! I know books that turn into movies are usually better in their book form, but I'm convinced that Julia Roberts would never star in a movie bust. I can't name one movie that she was in that was not spectacular, especially My Best Friend's Wedding, Pretty Woman, and Steel Magnolias (just to name a few of my faves!). Clearly, chick flicks are my favorite when it comes to movie genres. R and I always see them together when they come out in theaters and we haven't in a while, so tomorrow night's chick flick outing is much needed!

Wine Club with my JMU girls!

Once a month my friends from JMU (James Madison University in VA, where we all went to undergrad) and I get together for an official wine club! We started these nights back in March after our friend's bachelorette weekend in Virginia Beach where we all discovered that we really are a bunch of winos! Two girls host each night, and they pick a country or region as their theme. Last night's theme was Spain and Latin America. Everyone brought a bottle of wine from either Spain or any Latin American country. My friends, W and A hosted and they made delicious Spanish tapas for dinner! It was fabulous! They also made amazing sangria, one red and one white. I had quite a bit of the red myself, and it was absolutely fantastic. I really need to get that recipe!

It was so much fun to catch up with each of them since we don't all live in the same dorm or within a couple of miles of each other anymore. I love this tradition because a) we each get a turn to put our entertaining skills to use; b) we drink lots of wine; c) it's so much easier to catch up when you aren't at a loud bar where it's impossible to hear each other; and d) there's always lots of laughing!

Working Out!

I started dancing competitively when I was 4 years old and continued until I was in high school. Because I was so active and athletic at a young age, I can't imagine not being active now! I know some people hate working out and it's a chore to them, but I LOVE it!! I always feel so great after each work-out, whether it's biking on the beach, running on the treadmill, or pedaling on the elliptical. By the way, those are a picture of my tennis shoes (I love pink too!). I've become so addicted to working out that now I feel lazy and incomplete if I only make it to the gym three times a week. I love being fit and staying in-shape! I mean, how else could I accomplish that if I keep up with this recent cupcake overload?! :)

Cupcake Overload!

I attended my friend's wedding this past weekend and was thoroughly excited when she told me a few weeks ago that she was going to have cupcakes for dessert at her wedding! Since then, I had been craving cupcakes and was looking forward to indulging in some yummy frosted bliss. Well, my wish came true on Saturday when my boyfriend and I were assigned to sit at the table right next to the cake and 2 cupcake trees!! We were within 5 feet of icing, sprinkles, and cupcakes galore! I only had 1 Oreo cupcake on Saturday, but brought home 4 (not all for me, silly!). I left those at my parent's house when I drove back to my apartment on Sunday afternoon.

Then, yesterday, my boyfriend and I went for a stroll around the neighborhood and stumbled upon CakeLove cupcake shop and bakery. Well, we couldn't just walk past without stopping in for a small taste!

Now, just this afternoon, my co-worker asked me if I'd like to go for a walk around town with her while she picked up some goodies to bring to her friend's home for dinner tonight. We picked up a bottle of wine, and then she suggested a trip to Hello Cupcake! It just never ends, does it?!

We walk up to the shop and the line was the longest I had ever seen it before. Well, it just so happens that today, my friends, is Hello Cupcake's 2nd birthday, and you guessed it, a FREE cupcake for every customer!

Moral of the story, be careful what you wish for or else you'll have cupcakes begging you to eat them every day of the week!

PS. My #1 favorite cupcakes are still Georgetown Cupcakes. With all the cupcake overload recently I think I'll have to wait until at least Christmas before I make a trip there!

Wear pink and make the boys wink!

I'm not sure if it's the bright colors, the beachy patterns, or just the legacy of the brand, but I'm in love with all things Lilly Pulitzer! I'm trying to expand my Lilly collection beyond the few skirts that I own and the travel coffee mug. My boyfriend is even contributing to my addiction; he bought me a bottle of Lilly's Wink perfume and a Lilly pink and green wristlet for Valentine's Day earlier this year.

Lilly just added new sorority prints to her fall collection! Check them out here: http://www.lillypulitzer.com/accessories+gifts/New-Sorority-Prints/icat/sorority&bklist=icat,4,shop,accessoriesandgift,sorority Is your sorority featured? Mine isn't, but maybe that'll change next season! Happy Pink and Green!

Family Vacations at Hilton Head Island, SC

For my first post, it's only appropriate to write about my recent family vacation to Hilton Head Island, SC. I think it's safe to say that it is my favorite beach destination in the US, and I've been to several!! Every year my family takes a week-long summer beach vacation. Some years it's at HHi and other years we go on a cruise in the Caribbean. This year we went to Hilton Head and stayed in my favorite plantation, Palmetto Dunes. My parents invited my sister's fiance and my boyfriend to join this year! This meant we stayed in a beautiful, 3-bedroom, 3-bathroom, oceanfront condo with 2 balconies and priceless views of the white sand and the crashing waves. Are you jealous yet?! This trip was absolutely amazing and probably because I'm obsessed with South Carolina, east coast beaches, the South, down-home cooking, golf course communities, fresh seafood, and "real friendly people, ya'll!" Here is one of the pictures from our main balcony. Can I go back already?!

Let's try this again!

As some of you may now, I started writing this blog back in the spring, but abandoned it for a while because I was a little busy at the time (and maybe a little uninspired too). Now that a few more of my friends have jumped aboard the "blog train," I've decided to give this another try with a new and improved look!

This blog is all about what makes me happy in life aka all things from my precious family dog Teddy to wine nights with my JMU girls as well as some recent shopping purchases and of course, my favorite family traditions. It all comes back to my "bee happy" beach, which if you know me, the beach is my absolute favorite place to be! I hope you enjoy reading about my life and the little things that make me happy!

:)