Roadtrip Recap: DC & OBX

I've been on a bit of a blogging hiatus lately due to too much fun, I suppose! I got back last weekend from a week-long roadtrip to DC and the Outer Banks. The main reason for the trip was to see one of my beautiful friends get married in North Carolina. My husband and I decided to break up the trip a bit and spend a few days in DC. We had both never done the whole touristy thing, so in true american fashion we put on our walking shoes, charged up the camera battery and walked (what felt like a marathon) around The District. We hit up all the monuments, checked out a handful of museums, explored George Washington's estate, took a tour of the Capital building and ended the tourist extravaganza with a trip to Arlington National Cemetary. Whew! Here are a few photo highlights from our trip:

On the road!

Our lovely accomodations

1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Washington Monument with the "Big Red One",
honoring the first division of the United States Army

WWII Memorial

my fav part of the trip :)

NH ~ Live Free or Die!

Mount Vernon ~ George Washington's BEAUTIFUL estate

Capital Building

Arlington National Cemetary

While we loved exploring the nation's capital, after a 9 hour drive and 3 and a half days on foot, we were ready for the BEACH! Another 5 hours on the road later, we finally arrived to our beautiful 5-bedroom house in the OBX! The remainder of the week was spent relishing in fun in the sun, beach, and booze glory, with lots of new friends. Those that know me know that anywhere there is a beach, I'll be happy. But what made this trip so special was being able to share in and celebrate the union of 2 people we absolutely adore! I met the bride, Janet, 5 years ago when I graduated college. I needed a roommate and all my college friends were still in the post-college job search process, so I reluctantly resorted to craigslist. Somehow roommate fate brought Janet and I together, and I knew right off the bat that we would become fast friends. I remember the day she came home from a carribean cruise and told me "I met the man I'm going to marry!"  I (and her future husband) may have thought she was crazy to make such a statement so soon, but once I met Jay, it was undeniable they were meant for each other. Although life has brought us to different states and I don't see Janet as often as I'd like, she is a one-of-a-kind friend and everyone who knows her can't help but love her. My husband also has a slight bromance with Jay, so its only natural that we both wouldn't miss their wedding for the world! Their wedding week was beyond perfect and totally "Janet and Jay". Here are some highlights from this leg of the trip:

Almost there!

Our house

Living Room

Our private dock

Welcome Bag

Beach, beers and good tunes :)

View from the Welcome BBQ hosted by the groom's parents

A little pool time before the wedding

Before the ceremony at Marshes Lighthouse
Manteo, NC

Here comes the bride!

Vows

Beautiful couple...
and have to point out the Reverend's bare feet :)

Reception at 108 Budleigh
Manteo, NC

Cocktail Hour

Fajita Bar ~ such a cute idea!

My husband and I :)

Aren't they the cutest?

What a stunning bride!

I have to say this was one of my favorite weddings I've ever been to. Laid back, amazing location, beautifully decorated and perfectly customized to the couple's personality.

Overall a fun and memorable roadtrip!

Wedding Planning 101

With both wedding season and my wedding anniversary upon us, I figured I would devote a blog post to one of my favorite things. Let me start by saying I LOVE weddings. Which is funny because I was never the type to dream about my wedding as a little girl. Or even as I got older. It wasn't until I got engaged (almost 3 years ago) and I started my own planning process that I truly fell in love. Some may call me crazy, but I loved everything about the experience... even when it got a bit stressful. I'll admit, its easy to get caught up in the petty details, and before you know it you're $10k over budget, or you're having a crying fit to your mother over the seating arrangements. But if you can keep yourself in check throughout the process, planning a wedding is such a fulfilling and exciting time!  I am in NO way a wedding expert, but I was overly satisfied with both my planning and day-of wedding experience, so I've put together a list of my top 5 recommendations to any current or future bride-to-be:

photo courtesy of Pinterest

1) YOUR WEDDING IS YOUR WEDDING. Everything about it should satisfy, first and foremost, you and your future hubby. There is bound to be some sort of family and/or friend drama (it happens to the best of us!), but I think what is most important to remember is ultimately you need to decide what makes you happy. Sure, there may be things you need to compromise on, but you must pick your battles!  If you envision your ceremony barefoot on the beach, but your parents have always dreamed of seeing their little girl walk down the aisle of a church, you need to ask yourself- will I regret if I choose the latter?  If not, make your parents' dream come true and this may give you a "free pass" on something else.  With that said, if you have your heart set on your bridesmaids wearing black, but your grandmother is beside herself because black is NOT for weddings, take a step back and think- Do I know black will look beautiful regardless of what my grandmother says? Will she eventually get over it? Is this what I truly want?  If the answers are yes, then go for it!  Those that love you unconditionally, will be there to support you on your special day regardless, and still love you after all is said and done.

photo courtesy of The Knot

2) THE MAGIC IS IN THE DETAILS. While I believe it is SO important not to get too caught up in the details, I also believe the details can be what make the wedding.  I love that weddings are so personalized now-a-days, and really anything goes. Be creative. What can you incorporate into your wedding day that perfectly reflect who you and your future hubby are as a couple (and/or individually).  Focusing on the details doesn't have to mean spending excessive amounts of money making sure there are flowers at the end of each church pew. I am talking about the fun, unique details. Whether it be the color pallet, the music, the ceremony readings, the centerpieces, a signature cocktail.. whatever.. choose things that reflect you as a couple. And be unique. Your guests may not notice if you had chair covers or not, but they will remember the personal touches. You want them to leave your wedding with the feeling that it was SO you.

photo courtesy of OneWed.com

3) CASH IS KING.  Set a budget and stick to it. Although it may be awkward, make a point to sit down and have a conversation with anyone who will be contributing to the wedding. Be realistic. Encourage everyone involved to be honest about what they are able to contribute. From there, set estimates for all the big items (venues, food, photographer, band/DJ, dress, etc. etc.) Next, brainstorm all the little things that many people forget (i.e. centerpieces, favors, hair/makeup, shoes, wedding party gifts)  Trust me, things will add up quickly! It is important to include as many things as possible in your budget so there are no surprises or financial stresses when you get down to the wire. I would also recommend adding a contingency line to the budget (whether it be $500, $1,000, $5,000.. there will ALWAYS be something unplanned that pops up and having some wiggle room in the budget will be appreciated later on.)  The budget can be very overwhelming, but don't get discouraged. Try to take a step back and look at the big picture. Maybe you are willing to sacrifice a limo for that gorgeous Vera Wang dress you've always dreamed of. Or maybe you'd rather have an open bar than splurge on the dress. Compromise is key. Maybe the wedding planning process is designed to prepare you for married life. ;)



photo courtesy of TARA Photography
cake by Let Them Eat Cake

photo courtesy of TARA Photography
flowers by Blooms & Heirlooms

4) COMMUNICATE.  You know what you're envisioning for your big day, but you can't expect anyone else to unless you relay this to them. This includes your family, wedding party, and last but not least vendors. Be sure to let your bridesmaids and MOH know the whats, wheres and whens of what they're responsible for. Also make sure that your vendors know and understand what you want for your day. A good vendor will be a good listener and will want to know your thoughts. If they don't seem interested in what you want, you might want to reconsider selecting them. I can honestly say that I loved every single one of the vendors we chose- from our photographer, to our florist, to our reception coordinator- and I think the relationships I made with my vendors throughout the process contributed to everything running smoothly the day of. Keep an open communication throughout and if everyone is on the same page, you're bound to be satisfied!  (Shout out to my fabulous vendors whom I'd highly recommend- TARA Photography, The Coastal House, DJ Kevin Cain, Let Them Eat Cake, Ogunquit Trolley, Madeline's Daughter, Aria Bridesmaids' Dresses, Blooms & Heirlooms, and especially Michaels for all my DIY needs!)


photo courtesy of Pinterest

 5) KEEP CALM and CARRY ON.  With everything on your plate, it is easy to get overwhelmed and a little cranky at times, but remember, nobody likes a bridezilla!  Although your wedding day is about you (and your fiance, of course), it is also a special time to share with friends and family. I have the fondest memories of my wedding experience. Some of the tasks may be daunting, but be sure to add a little fun into the mix. Follow bridesmaids dress shopping with drinks. Add a lunch date in when you are dragging your fiance to meet the DJ. Enjoy every minute! And when it comes to the day of, remind yourself that at this point everything is out of your control. Relax, be happy and cherish the day. When else will you have every single person you love together in one room celebrating you?  If the flower girl doesn't make it all the way down the aisle- who cares!  If the DJ announces the cake cutting before you did the parent dances- life goes on!  Everything may not be "perfect", but remember that this is your one and only wedding day and nothing should get in the way of the happiness, joy and love you feel.

Happy wedding season everyone! <3

Dim The Lights, And Here We Go...

And the winner is.... Phillip Phillips!!!!

I don't mean to toot my own horn here, but I called this day one.  A blue eyed southern boy who can seriously jam out on the guitar.. mmm mmm mmm. This is when I fell in love....

fast forward to 1:36
Thriller acoustic - yes please! 

For those of you that don't follow American Idol, you MUST check this guy out. He is extremely talented and ridiculously good looking. Here are some of my favorite Phillip Phillips performances:

He sang this as his "song he wished he'd written"
Damien Rice's Volcano

Phillip's version of Usher's Nice and Slow

Show's over. I'm sold.

Dave Matthews Band's The Stone

CCR's Have You Ever Seen The Rain

One of my all time favorite songs
Stand By Me originally by Ben E. King

The Four Seasons' Beggin

And his final performance....

  

His new single "Home"

How can you not adore him??? I'm telling you, he is a serious talent. I cannot wait for the "idol circus" to be over so he can start to make his own music. I think this guy has a lot more in store for us!

Disclaimer:  I realize I am a happily married woman.  And I also realize this adorable piece of "man" is 6 years my junior.  But a girl can crush, right??? ;)  #Cougar #I'llfallinlovewithanyonewhocanplaytheguitar

Bachelorette Recap: Episode 2

The Good:
The fashion! I'm not sure if I fell in love with every single outfit Emily wore because of the clothes or because she is literally a barbie and could make anything look amazing. But regardless, the stand-outs to me were: 

One Shoulder Lace Dress

Gold Sequin Dress

LBD with lace back

Glitter Sling-back Shoes

The Bad:
The Muppets. C'mon ABC... pretty lame.










The Ugly:
I can't decide between MC Stevie or Kalon's arrogance. They both need to go.

What was your "good, bad & ugly" of this episode??

Just Another Mani Monday...

One of my favorite simple pleasures is a fresh mani! Not only do I adore the two women that do my nails (Sidenote: If you're ever looking for a GREAT nail salon in the Portsmouth area, I highly recommend Sarah and Vicky at Strictly Nails!), but I feel like a fresh coat of color on my fingertips can actually add the finishing touch to any outfit.  Here are my top 5 shades for the (hopefully) sunny days to come:

1.) Mint Candy Apple
Mmm, doesn't it just sounds delicious?!

2.) Barbuda Banana
I've actually never done the yellow-nail thing, but its def on my to-do list soon!

3.)  Mesmerize
This color just reminds me of the beautiful buildings of Santorini.... a destination that is on my bucket list for sure! I guess this polish will have to do for now.... siggghhhh

4.)  Haute as Hello
Refer to my Crazy for Coral post here. Enough said.





5.) Lilacism
Lilac word association: pretty. spring. fragrant. calm.
I'll take any of the above, please! 

Check out all the other glorious shades of Essie here. What are your favorites???

Helicopters, Ostrich Eggs and Bobbleheads....

What do these 3 words have in common? 

You guessed it... the kickoff to Emily Maynard's season of The Bachelorette did not disappoint!  Although most of the first impressions were totally cheeseball, there were a good handful of guys that look promising.  I have to admit I am MUCH more impressed with the guys in person... ehh I mean.. on tv, than in the bio pics.  My top 3 have DEF changed. In fact, I'm having trouble narrowing it down to 3, so I'm going to go with my top 5. Here we go:


Doug - Surprise, surprise... she gave the first impression rose to the single dad, and now he is in my top 5. Ha, I'll be honest, this guy came out of the woodwork for me and I don't know if the "single dad" connection will be sustainable for lasting chemistry, but I do think the fact that he fully understands what Emily's everyday life entails immediately made her feel comfortable and close to him. They can relate to each other in a way she won't be able to with some of the other guys, and that's a great foundation to build on. Time will only tell if sparks fly with these two down the road.

Charlie - I've loved him from the beginning. He seems like a friendly, funny, lovable guy and I feel like Emily could use a little fun and humor to compliment her southern belle poise. I'm not sure that he is truly ready to commit to the lifestyle Emily leads with raising her daughter, but I'm willing to give him a shot and I'm looking forward to seeing more of him!

Arie - Holy hotness!  Gotta love the dark hair, light eye combo. At first I thought the whole race car driver thing might bring back too many painful memories, but I'm so glad he was concerned about how she would feel about that from the beginning. That totally shows he's thinking about her feelings - definite plus! Emily seemed totally ok with it and I saw undeniable chemistry between these two. Their minivan would be full of reeeallly cute babies!

Ryan - I loved his little sign idea that said "you are beautiful" and "I am nervous".  Cute and not too over-the-top... some of the other guys should have taken note! I don't have a lot to say about this guy, but he seems sweet and I think he has good intentions.

Jef - Ok, when I saw Jef with one F roll in on his skateboard with his Zach Morris hair-do, I laughed a little. But I don't know, as the night went on, I found myself thinking there's something cool about this guy.  I definitely saw chemistry between these two. I think that he may end up being an unexpected front runner.


What do you think? Agree? Disagree? 
Until next week.... 

The Bachelorette - My Predictions

The new season of The Bachelorette airs in less than a week! Is anyone else as excited as I am??? ABC recently released the bios of the 25 men who will be vying for Emily Maynard's heart, and to be honest I am not very impressed, but I decided it would be fun to predict my top 3 (based solely on pictures and bios). Without further adieu.....

#1:  Charlie -

This guy is by far the best looking in my eyes. AND he's a local boy, so maybe I'm a bit biased. His answer to the question What is your idea of perfect happiness? is "Every dog fed and every child with a roof over his head." Aww. I like!

#2:  Randy -
I am NOT loving his vest, but he seems like he has a good attitude on life. He likes football games and telling jokes... yeah, that's about all I have to say about this guy.





#3:  Tony -
He made my top 3 mostly because there are slim pickings... but I like his most embarrassing moment story. He thinks humor is the best ice breaker and I agree so we'll see on Monday what this guy has to offer!




It'll be interesting to see if my predictions come anywhere close to Emily's final 3. Let's hope they at least make it through the first rose ceremony. Stay tuned for more Bachelorette posts as the season goes on! I hear it is the most DRAMATIC season EVER. ;)

WHO ARE YOUR TOP 3?? You can check out all the guys for yourself here.