Weekend Recap

Wasn't this weekend wonderful y'all? The weather was a perfect 72 degrees for the most part, and Will and I were able to spend lots of quality time together too. We had originally planned on going on a winery tour in Mount Pleasant, but due to Will's allergies acting up, we decided to stay in the Queen City with alternative plans in mind! Friday night was laid back. We enjoyed delicious burgers out on the patio of Bad Daddy's Burger Bar, walked around the Dilworth area because the weather was too good not to enjoy, and then headed back home and watched Game of Thrones before calling it a night. Have any of y'all gotten into Game of Thrones? I didn't think I ever would but I can't lie about the fact that it's pretty addicting.

  

Saturday we started our day with breakfast at Tupelo Honey Cafe. If you have a THC where you live, you MUST check it out! I swear they have some of the best biscuits that come served with honey and blueberry jam. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water. If that doesn't sound darn good, wait until I tell you about their famous Sweet Potato Pancakes. Imagine a large buttermilk pancake being placed in front of you that is flavored with cinnamon and sweet potatoes, topped with whipped peach butter and spiced pecans. Yeah...I told you so! Will swears by the Country Breakfast but I'll let you check out the menu to see what that one entails :)

After devouring a wonderful southern meal, it was time for us to knock out a handful of errands which consisted of checking out a jewelry store, stopping by Brooks Brothers to get a suit fitted for Will, running into Orvis to see if any Barbour jackets were on sale and then heading home for a quick cool down before heading back out, again will Miller in tow, for a four mile walk on the Greenway! The weather was perfect remember?!

A busy day calls for another mouth watering meal so it was only appropriate to pull out one of my favorite family recipes to make; broccoli and cheese casserole (thanks for the great idea, Will). I'm thinking of doing a post on how to make it...what do you all think of that? Would you be interested in recreating this dish yourself?

We took our plates outside so we could watch the sun go down and enjoyed each others company with the sounds of birds chirping and bees buzzing in the background. After dinner, we got out our bibles and went through some of the New Testament, learning more about the history, setting and events that took place during that time period. It was challenging and at times hard to understand, but getting to spend those moments reading the Word with Will was something I wish we got to do more often. It's defiantly something we both find very valuable to do together and are striving to do a better job at making it more of a regular routine!

Sunday was spent resting and relaxing...with an hour or two of laundry and cleaning up around the condo. Will got to work from home so it was nice to have him around while I kept myself busy with Miller. The weekend was coming to an end, and I was feeling refreshed, content and ready to take on a new week. The work week is going to be a shorter one; with the office being closed on Friday due to the Easter Holiday, and Will and I heading to Savannah on Thursday for our mini-vacation! I can't wait to get away for a few days, explore and shop and take photos to share with you all when I return. If you have any recommendations of places to go or things to do while in Savannah, please leave me a comment or shoot me an email! I would love to hear from you!

Oh the places you'll go (Guest Post)

Hey everyone, I hope you had a wonderful weekend and are feeling refreshed! My Monday is off to a good start for a number of reasons. Taking over my sweet blog friend Katie's blog today is one of them! Katie, of Sweet Pea's blog asked me to do a guest post while she is on Spring Break in POLAND! How cool is that?! I may be a tad jealous and cant imagine how beautiful it must be there... So Katie, I really hope you take a ton of photos that you'll be able to share with us all when you return ;)

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In honor of Katie's trip, I thought I would write a post on all things travel! Seems pretty fitting right? Well one fun fact about me is I LOVE to travel. Period. I'll always say YES to a weekend road trip and you can count me in on any semi-unplanned adventure. It's all so exciting to me. Life is an adventure after all...so why not get out an explore all that God has created? Why don't you hop on over to Katie's page to get some insight on my past travels?!

5 on Friday

Boy did this week fly by! I hope everyone is ready to get off work so you can enjoy the weekend :) The weather is suppose to be nice and warm and I'm hoping that's true so I can take the pup to the park on Sunday! Do any of y'all have plans this weekend? Will and I were going to go on a winery tour at the Old North State Winery in Mt. Airy but his allergies have been acting up really bad and he has to travel for work on Monday, so we decided that it would be best to hold off on another weekend spent in the car and to just take it easy here in Charlotte :) I'll probably pick up a bottle for us to enjoy on Saturday night thought so it's a win-win, right?! But no Friday is complete without doing my 5 on Friday! Enjoy your weekend, friends and I'll see y'all again next week.

ONE
I am hardcore lusting over these gold slate coasters from the ReneeRedesigns Etsy Shop. I can just picture a mason jar filled with iced sweet tea perched right on top of one of these gold beauties. Anyone want to surprise me with these? Please?

TWO
Joyce Meyer. Anytime I give someone advice or send a friend some inspiration, it's likely I got it from her. She's an intelligent Christian lady, who I understand. She is real and speaks in a way that makes me want to grow deeper in my faith and be challenged. Last week in one of her daily devotionals, she said "Spiritual stability and emotional maturity don't come naturally. You must desire it with all your heart and be determined to get it. When you make emotional stability a priority, God is more then willing to help you manage your emotions". Can I get an AMEN?

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THREE
Do you follow Stephanie of The Lipstick Gospel because you should. Have you heard about the Atlanta Writer's weekend coming up in May? No? Well there's still time! Will surprised me and bought me a ticket to go for our four year dating anniversary and this will be my FIRST blog conference/retreat and I couldn't be more excited to go!

FOUR
Activated Charcoal. I had never heard of it before until I saw someone post an image of it on Instagram. So of course I was curious and did some research and found out that there are a handful of benefits to using it. From being used to whiten teeth, clear acne, help digestive issues, too helping heal spider bites, treating food poisoning and even accidental poisoning, it seems to do it all. Has anyone ever tried it and does it really work? I want to hear from YOU before I go out and try this stuff...I'm a little scared-y cat :)

FIVE
A few months ago I decided to cancel my Birchbox subscription. I had it for a year and for the most part really enjoyed it. I loved coming home to a little fun surprise in the mail and getting to try new products was a plus. But after awhile, I started to get the same things over and over again and the products just weren't worth my money. Lately I have been hearing a lot of buzz about Stitch Fix and decided to jump the gun and sign up! I'll be getting my first box in May and am curious to see what I'll think of this subscription. Be on the lookout for a review next month!

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SIX
I know that it's normally "5 on Friday" but I can't help it that I am obsessing over pastels and floral pieces and these outfits caught my eye when I was browsing through Pinterest late Tuesday night. I couldn't not share them with y'all because well, look at how adorable they all are! I mean seriously, could those shorts be anymore perfect? Pastels and floral prints always seem to make me happy and are so fun to wear.

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Weekend Recap

Happy Monday, friends! It's a rainy and cold morning here in Charlotte... so i'm hoping you have better weather wherever you are today! Over the weekend, I spent a lot of time reflecting on my life and in prayer. Lately, I have had a lot riding on my heart but have been to busy to notice it until just recently. Once I recognized the issue, I took all the time I needed to get back on the playing field and feel so refreshed and more "at ease" with everything. Praise God for that because it was much needed. Time in prayer can truly change your outlook on life and the current situations you are in. And it's ultimately the best way to get to know the Lord and grow closer to him.

Friday night consisted of absolutely zero plans and I loved it! Will had to stay at the office later then usual, so I decided to get in my PJ's as soon as I got off work and had a "me" night. Everyone needs one of those type of nights every now and then right? Okay good! On Saturday, I woke  up bright and early so that I could get ready and head to Chapel Hill to attend a bridal shower for one of my dearest friends, Kate. While there, I got to catch up with my sweet friend Maddie and also got to meet lot's of people who are special to Kate. It was such a fun day, getting to celebrate a friend and gift her with lots of fun items for her future home :) 

After the bridal shower, I headed back to Charlotte, relaxed for a solid hour on the couch and then Will, Miller Dog and I headed to Chandler's (one of Will's buddies) house to watch some of the Final Four. We sat around the TV, ate pizza, laughed while enjoying each others company and of course, lost track of time (but hey, I love when that happens)! After watching Kentucky take the win, moving on to the Championship game it was time for us to call it a night and head home. Before we knew it, Sunday morning had rolled around and I went and picked up breakfast for Will and I before he had to head into work. I spent most of the day taking care of some laundry, and even rearranged some furniture! Is it just me or does it put you in a good mood when I you have a clean and organized house?

Overall the weekend was great and I can't wait for next weekend because Will and I are going on a winery tour and then visiting his mom in Pilot Mountain. Wine and family go hand-in-hand in my book! Oh and before I forget, I wanted to know if any of y'all have heard of Photography Concentrate and a book they have called Extremely Essential Camera Skills. As most of you already know, I have a new camera that I have been trying to figure out and was thinking about purchasing this book! I've heard some good reviews about it, but wanted to get some more input first!

Do you have any suggestions of other books, websites, tutorials or anything that would be useful and revolves around DSLR photography?! I would love to hear from you, some leave a comment and give me your two cents!

10 Recommended Phone Apps

Ahh! Happy April, y'all! It feels like it's been forever since I was last on here, but I couldn't be more excited that it's a new month and that the weather is FINALLY warming up a bit :) To get back in the swing of things, I thought it would be fun to share ten of my favorite phone apps that I use on a regular basis. I would love to hear what some of your faves are that you use and want to know if you have any recommendations too!

Joyce Meyer- If your like me, you don't always have time to read the Bible every day. I hate that, but it's the truth. For weeks I had been searching for something (whether it was a book, devotional or an app on my phone) that provided me with some sort of "biblical teaching" that I could read on-the-go. That's were the Joyce Meyer app came into play. I love it. Not only do you get a daily devotional, but you can also watch the daily broadcast episodes that are generally 30 minutes or less. Each day, you'll find a new devotional and episode to enjoy. And my favorite is the prayer starter at the end of each devotional. Sometime's, I get stuck on how I want to start my prayers and this always helps me figure out how I want to begin. 

Bloglovin- If your a regular blogger, then you probably know what Bloglovin is. And the chances that you use it daily are likely high right?! Well for those who didn't know...Bloglovin has an app, so there is NO reason why you can't follow your favorite blogs and discover new ones throughout the day (even when your not by your computer). This is one of the first apps I open when I wake up in the morning and hey, there is no shame in that!

My Talking Pet- Okay. You havvve to go download this app right now! I guarantee you will laugh until you cry (no joke)! So the name of the app explains it all. My Talking Pet. All you do is take a photo or upload a photo of your beloved furbaby. Then you speak into the microphone, saying whatever you want. I like to sing some song lyrics or make up jokes. When you are done, you end the recording and can change the tone of voice of and then play the video of your pet "talking". I can't tell you how many videos I have made and have sent to family and friends...and I'm pretty sure I've got a handful of friends addicted to this app as well. Literally go check it out!

Heads Up- This is another fun one, although, this one is a game. And here is a fact for you. This game is from Ellen DeGeneres so you know it's gotta be good. Per the description from the app store, this app goes "from naming celebrities, to singing, to silly actions--guess the word on the card that's on your head from your friends' clues before the timer runs out". To go to the next card you simply tilt your phone upwards or downwards. And the best part? When the timer runs out, there is a video you can watch of the whole thing. I can't tell you how much fun it is to huddle around the phone and watching everyone who was playing along try to act out the different words from the categories.

Instagram- A must have for all you photo fans.

Twitter- Another obvious one for many reasons.

Pinterest- You can pretty much catch me using Pinterest on my lunch break or anytime I have a spare moment. I love Pinterest because it helps me come up with hundreds of home decorating ideas, DIY projects and I always come across some awesome quotes. (#Pinterestaddict)

TV Guide- I love my TV shows and I like to make sure I knot what is coming on so that if I want to record something, I have plenty of time to do just that. Now don't go assuming I watch a ton of TV, because I don't think I do...unless it's on the weekends which is totally acceptable in my book!

Snapseed- This is hands down my favorite photo editing app that I use. It's so easy to navigate, there are a handful of filters to choose from, and I swear that the quality and end product are never a disappointment.

Waterlouge- You like the way my photos look above? Well I'll give all the credit to Waterlouge! This app is one that is worth the few bucks that you'll spend! In short, it takes your regular photos and transforms them into watercolor beauties! You'll catch yourself spending hours playing around on this app!

And in case anyone wants to know what other photo apps I have on my phone, see above! The only other app shown that has a cost is the ABM one :)