Fall Favorites!

One thing I can't seem to get enough of are candles! There is something about them that warms my heart...maybe it's the small flickering flame, the scent that transitions throughout the room, or the cute jars they come in. Whatever it is, I love them no matter what the season. But fall candles have to be my all time favorite!!

Even though it's still only August, I have already gone ahead and stocked up on all of my top picked fall candles from Bath and Body Works. Below are just a few of the one's I purchased earlier this week and have already been burning morning and night :)

A warming blend of spiced caramel and nutmeg

A rich, robust blend of roasted coffee beans topped off by creamy vanilla foam

Two favorites; apples and pumpkin - enhanced by notes of cinnamon and clove

A fall harvest favorite inspired by delicious treats found at the local market - pumpkin pie, vanilla cream and spice

A perfect blend of sweetness & spice - fresh picked berries, crushed cloves, cinnamon bark and vanilla cream

 

 

A combination of golden nectar, red apple and spiced berries

Hummingbirds

Yesterday I was in Terrie's (one boss of mine) office and came across a note that was framed by her desk. The first word that stuck out to me was hummingbirds...which was my grandmother's all-time-favorite animal. The thought of hummingbirds made me remember all of the sweet memories I have of my grandmother, and her delicate love for her friends and family...or anyone or anything for that matter. Lately my life has been moving quicker then I could keep up with, and my to-do list continued to grow because I was not able to complete all the tasks I had set out to accomplish each day.

But despite how busy I was, I took a short minute to read the note that was framed, and I am so glad that I did. It made me remember that life is precious, and to-do lists are great, but there is so much other stuff in life to focus on. It brought back memories of being at my grandmother's house, watching her make hummingbird food, and going outside to check on all of the hummingbird feeders she had hung throughout her entire front and backyard. It reminded me that we all need to savor each moment and hour that we have, because like a hummingbird, it flies right by you without any warning, and most of the time, so fast...

"Legends say that hummingbirds float free of time, carrying our hopes for love, joy and celebration. Like a hummingbird, we aspire to hover and savor each moment as it passes, embrace all that life has to offer and to celebrate the joy of everyday. The hummingbird's delicate grace reminds us that life is rich, beauty is everywhere, every personal connection has meaning and that laughter is life's sweetest creation".

Mid-week Reflections

I started my new job as the Sales & Marketing Coordinator at Primary PhysicianCare (soon to be Healthgram) and I think I'm doing a pretty good job transitioning into things! I love the people I work with, and I even have my own office that I get to "play up" into my own little space!

But the one thing I really want to reflect on today is a prayer I came across that spoke directly to my heart and emotions today. Later this week or weekend I will jump backwards and talk more about my new job and all the new things that are coming my way :)

So enjoy this prayer that I came across and take the time to dwell on the words that you read...they are powerful and showcase God's great care and support for us.

"Dear God, I thank You that You make all things new. I pray that today You will make me and my attitude new. Help me to get rid of any mind-set that would keep me from becoming more like You and receiving the blessings You have for me. Make me more and more into the image of Christ".

Party of 5

Hey everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend :) I can defiantly say that mine was so much fun! The Mackvick's came to stay with Will and I, and since Ariel lives in Charlotte she joined us for all of our fun outings. Before I dive in on our weekend adventures, I just want to say that The Mackvick's are amazing...I love Jeff and Cindy SO much, and can't wait to have them as future in-laws ;) Ha! But on a more serious note, they really are such amazing and special people, and I truly love every moment I get to spend talking to them.

On Friday, Cindy and Jeff got to the condo a little after 7:00, so of course everyone was hungry. Ariel had been asking Will multiple times if we could all go to Vapiano's, so we did...and it was delish like always. I think all 5 of us would agree that Vapiano's is somewhere you should dine-in at at least once! I particularly enjoy the atmosphere because it's not like every other restaurant in Uptown Charlotte and is very reasonably priced.

**(Excerpt from Vapiano's website) Vapiano is an innovative European fast casual restaurant with a twist - customers use a "chip card" to personally order their food or drinks from the bar or from the individual fresh pizza, pasta or salad stations.

After dinner we decided to call it an early night and headed back to the condo where we lounged around watching stand up comedy and talked. The next morning, we woke up to a variety of danishes and muffins from Nova's Bakery that Jeff had gone to pick up for us before we all woke up. I had never heard of this bakery but Will and I will most certainly be heading back there in the future! After enjoying our morning meal, we sat around trying to figure out what to do for the day. We went back and fourth on options such as going to a museum uptown, to seeing a moving, to the girls hanging out and the guys hanging out but we finally made up are minds  that we wanted to be together and agreed it would be fun to go to Adventure Landing and take each down in a few rounds of putt-putt (we only made it through one round because it was soooo hot though)!

After the girls won in Putt-Putt, we caught a quick breeze by go-kartarting before calling it an afternoon. (Please note Will's face in the picture below...last place blue's haha) :)

As soon as we were done racing, we headed back to the condo and took much needed naps. The sun took so much energy out of us that we slept until it was time for dinner where we enjoyed BBQ and Burgers at Mac's, and then dessert at Amelie's!



Sunday we all slept in and went to brunch at The Original Pancake House before having to say goodbye to Jeff and Cindy and before Will had to go into work for the afternoon...

- Cinnamon Nut French Toast -

All in all, this was another amazing weekend spent with those I love so dearly. I can't thank God enough for those he has put in my life. It really is amazing to see how much he loves and cares for his children. Today and for all my days, I want to always remember what we are told to do in Psalms 107:1 which tells us to give thanks to the Lord, for he is GOOD. His love endures forever...

5 on Friday

ONE- Family. I think it's an understatement for me to say that my family means everything to me! They truly are what get me through each and everyday! Last weekend I took a spontaneous and very last minute trip to Greensboro to visit my Mom, Dad and Uncle and what fun I had! Of course there were a few things I needed to get done while visiting my hometown, like get my eyebrows wax, go to Ulta, and drop off dry cleaning, but other then that, I got some MUCH needed R&R! I also love going home and playing with sweet Peanut and Coco; my Mom and Dad's veryyyy old but precious pups! But this weekend is going to be yet another great weekend as well :) Will's Dad and Step-Mom Cindy are coming to stay with us for the weekend and since Will's Step-Sister Ariel lives in Charlotte, we all plan to get together and possibly even go the Whitewater Center!

Peanut!

Cindy and Jeff

TWO- Will's NEW CAR.Will had been looking at getting a new car for quite some time now, and he finally made it happen this week! We narrowed down the choices between an Acura TL and a Infiniti, and decided that we loved the Acura TL more. It had the main amenities like leather seats (black), Bluetooth, four doors, and a sunroof (my preference) that we both wanted...and was just the perfect car for Will to have!! Will is one who doesn't show much emotion, but after signing all the paperwork and actually seeing him driving off in his new car heading back to work, I could just tell he was SO happy and satisfied with his big purchase. It pleases me to see him light up and I can't wait for our first road trip in this beauty.

THREE- I GOT A JOB! It is such a relief to say that I have landed a job with Primary PhysicianCare as their Sales and Marketing Assistant (title may be tweaked a little)! I had spoken with Primary before I made the move to Charlotte, and went through three rounds of interviews and found out on Wednesday that the wanted ME for the position. God is so so SO good, and I can't wait to see what this position has in store for me. AND...the cherry on top is that I even get my own personal office!

FOUR- Tricia Nae Designs. If you haven't worked with this sweet lady, you should! I contacted Tricia a few weeks ago in hopes to work with her on helping me "play up" my blog and design something specifically for me. Not only is Tricia friendly, but her work is AMAZING and also very affordable!! After seeing the final product of what T designed for me, I decided I didn't want to stop there...so the next thing we are going to work on are some Blog Business Cards. I can't wait to see how they turn out. You should all defiantly check out Tricia Nae Designs now or in the future.

FIVE- Houzz. This site has easily turned into one of my favorites! Houzz is a home design site that offers endless photos of decorating, remodeling ideas and inspiration for any room in a home. Any I mean ANY room you can think of. I can easily spend hours just flipping through all of the photos; adding my favorites to my 'idea book' for future reference. Below are some of my recent favorites!

Traditional Exterior by Sausalito Architects & Designers Heydt Designs

Traditional Home Office by Cambridge Architects & Designers Foley Fiore Architecture

Traditional Kitchen by Brooklyn Photographers Francis Dzikowski Photography Inc.

Eclectic Exterior by Atlanta Interior Designers & Decorators Rachel Greathouse