So much going on ...

Y'all the guest room is for sure coming together. Got paint on all the walls and I'm LOVING it! I'm still putting the room back together though! 

It seems I started this project at SUCH a busy time (as I always do!) ... 

Last week, my younger sister Meghan and I road-tripped it to Orlando, FL for Surf Expo! What a crazy busy but SUPER fun time! 

This week I'm not sure what I've been doing besides catching up on sleep, fighting a cold and/or allergies and now all the sudden it's Friday and Bryan and I are heading for the NC mountains tomorrow for one of my best friend's weddings! 

An affair that I PROMISE to show pictures of because it's sure to be BEAUTIFUL!!! 

So next week ... I WILL be getting the guest room completed and there WILL be pictures to prove it! :) 

Goodbye Guestroom!

So y'all after WEEKS (okay, okay ... MONTHS!) of planning what to do in my guestroom ... I took the PLUNGE! I started!!! (slight EEEEK moment going on here!)

I'm still not 100% what color I want to paint it, but you can always repaint, right? So I decided today to just go for it! 

Here are some before shots ... PLEASE PLEASE don't judge me because even I am cringing looking at them! And I've been living like this! (insert another EEEK moment!)

That's the bedside table that I want to find glass knobs for. 

Yes, that is a TV ... ON THE FLOOR.

I am forced to cover my oh-so-cute PB duvet because Mr. Black Dog (Tux) has taken over this bed as his napping room! 

Grouping that's WAY too small for the wall. 

(Can't wait to reveal the project I'm working on!)

SOOOOOOO over fabric covered tables. 

Goodbye brown & darkness. Hello pretty weather & paint.

Glass knobs!

So as y'all know I am DESPERATE to re-do both our guest room and office. I want to be sure it's perfect and JUST the way that I want it so I've been doing LOTS of research to try to make sure that happens!

So we have these white pieces that I love but I want to update them!

(armoire in the office)

(bedside table in the guest room)

 I'm thinking of adding glass knobs and have spent some time researching where to find these jewels for a good price!

Check out some that I've found!

I love all these though some are DEFINITELY out of our price range! Newlyweds on a BUDGET! I may go thrifting to try to find some too! I'll definitely let y'all know what I choose! 

My perfect nephew!

Welcome to the world Brayden James! 

So as y'all know, I often call me best friends' children my nieces and nephews ... I'm obsessed, I just can't help it! 

Well Brayden James was born Saturday, August 21st. He weighed in at 7lbs 6oz and was 20 1/4 inches long! Y'all he is PERFECT! I'm absolutely in love! 

paint, fabric, paint, fabric ....

So I'm not sure that anyone truly understands how HOT Charleston is during the month of August. I'm talking 90+ degrees with 100% humidity. Air so thick it takes your breath away to step outside.

Now I'm typically not much of a complainer (though Bryan may disagree!) but this summer has been HOT HOT HOT! Much more than usual! So I've been trying to fill my days doing mini-projects INSIDE!!!

However, lately I've been having a hard time making up my mind. I think it's due in large part because I have SO MANY things that I want to accomplish and I am having serious 'design ADD'.

I want to re-do my guest room and office. I want to re-paint almost EVERY room in the house. I want to make outdoor pillows for my patio table. As well as re-paint the table. I want to clean out and organize EVERY closet in my house. And those are just the things that I can think of right now!

So today I decided to spend the day looking at paint colors and fabric... Sounds like a good Sunday, right?

I'm LOVING the Benjamin Moore Pottery Barn collection ...

And I'm thinking a navy stripe for the cushions outside? Coral for the table?

So many decisions! Now I just have to narrow down which of these PB colors I want to use for the guest room ... I've determined that's where I'm going to start! I think! 

must have these...

So as y'all know I've been searching and searching for inspiration for my guest room ... I've really been thinking that I wanted to use mason jars somewhere in there because I just LOVE to decorate with jars (remember the painted ones I did?)

Then I found these... 

Yes, I know .... PERFECTION! I will be creating some of my own to use in the guest room. And perhaps the office. And maybe the kitchen. 

Check with Miss Mustard Seed for her tutorial! 

Where are you ideas????

So I think I've mentioned before that I REAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLY want to re-do my guest bedroom ... well y'all that need has become a lot more intense this week! But the only problem is ... I have NO CLUE what I want to do! 

Bryan and I are on an INTENSE limited budget right now (especially since yours truly decided happiness trumped employment!) So I've been trying to come up with ideas on how to use things I already have, which of course is not nearly as fun for a self-diagnosed shopaholic! 

So I've been researching ... A LOT! Here's some ideas I've come up with ... 

From the Pottery Barn bedroom inspiration page ... We all know how I <3 PB! 

Just found her blog & LOVE her bedroom 

Vintage plates on the wall? A MUST! 

These 2 are from The Lettered Cottage (y'all know I dig what Layla & Kevin do!) I really really like the simplicity of this room. I'm going for clean lines I think.

So there's a few ideas I've come across ... Notice how different they all are? How will I decide? 

HELP! HELP! 

Boredom = Avocado

So for those of you who know me well, you know that I LOVE food ... and by love I mean I'm OBSESSED with food. All kinds. I don't discriminate.

So as I was waiting around for my girlfriend to pick me up (we're carpooling to Tybee) I got REAL hungry bored. So I decided to make a sami to enjoy while I was watching Paula Dean whip up some delicious goodies on the Food Network.

It was then that I realized I still had 1/2 an avocado in the fridge! Y'all when I say it made my day, I am not exaggerating! I love those ugly little green things! On everything! So I made a chicken salad sami with avocado, tomato, and of course cheese! It was so delish!

So after I finished this delightful mid-afternoon snack (Bryan thinks I eat the biggest snacks of anyone he's ever met!) I decided to look up some recipes featuring avocado!

Check this one out... It includes so many of my FAV things: avocado, mango, black beans & cilantro! HELLO!!!!!

I am hosting a going-away cookout for a friend of ours on Sunday evening and y'all THIS recipe will be featured!

Ok ... Heading to Tybee! Hope everyone has the BEST weekend! :)

Tybee Days... I mean Tybee DAZE

Do y'all remember me talking about going to Tybee Island for a bachelorette party? Well, today is the day! 

I can't wait! Check out the CUTEST house we're staying in... Tybee Daze

It's going to be super fun! We're playing bar golf on Saturday night, complete with golfing 'costumes'! (read lots & lots of plaid!) 

There will definitely be some pics posted soon! Until then, HAPPY (early) WEEKEND! 

Oh pillows, how I love you!

So I'm sure that many of you remember my pillow craze a while back ... To call it a 'stage' would be an EXTREME understatement! I love love love pillows! I think that they are the PERFECT instant room update! Even just to add 1 or 2 more will make a HUGE change in your room!

So y'all I have to make a confession, I try hard to keep the house as masculine as possible but I am a GIRLY girl! I've been trying really hard to stay away from ruffles, but these pillows are a new MUST in my house!

Stay tuned for my version...

Garden & Gun ... And Sangria!

So the other day, I randomly received Garden & Gun magazine in the mail the other day... Literally have no idea where it came from! But I was perusing this magazine and really kindof like it; it has so many interesting things about The South (which as we all know, is one of my favorite subjects!)

Well while flipping through my new mag, I found an article about Southern Sangria made with summer's sweetest fruit (in my humble opinion) ... PEACHES! And the best thing about my latest find: going to SNOB (Slightly North of Broad)  tonight with the parentals for dinner! :)

And y'all I cannot WAIT to try the sangria tonight! I will definitely report back because even though summer is winding down... this could be the PERFECT party drink!

AHHHHHHH, Mac!

Well y'all this weekend in South Carolina, is tax-free weekend! I decided that it was the PERFECT time to purchase myself a BRAND NEW FABULOUS MacBook Pro!!!!

WOOHOO! More soon! For now, gotta hone my skills on this bad boy! :)

TyBEE, TyBEE, Here we come!!!

Ok y'all so one of my best girlfriends is getting married in September! I am so very excited for her and have been planning what I hope will be a fabulous bachelorette weekend!

We're going to Tybee Island, GA! I'm so excited! Although I've been to Savannah before, I've never actually been to Tybee ... So OF COURSE I'm excited to go explore what looks to be the cutest beach town! My friend and fellow planner has been poking fun because of the way I pronounce Tybee... Apparently I put the emphasis on the BEE instead of the TY... Hence the title of this post! :)

Well y'all, after some EXTENSIVE searching for the perfect weekend rental, I found The Mermaid Cottages and FELL IN LOVE. I'm not kidding. I want to stay at each and every one of the houses they have listed. Take a look... You will too. I promise.

Everyday I've been checking these cute beach houses out and getting inspiration for my little guest room (and my den, dining room, and porch). Priorities... priorities... guest room... guest room....

These are just a few of these adorable rooms... There are so many more, but Bryan's calling for dinner! :) More soon!

Back to reality... Well the virtual reality?

So as you all know, I FINALLY became gainfully employeed (after months of job searching) about 4 months ago. Well, as of Monday, I officially have 2.5 days left at my office... I have resigned from my job! I can't believe it... Part of me is really excited to find something that better fits my personality and another part of me is TERRIFIED to be unemployeed ... AGAIN!

Either way it means I am BAAAAAAACK in the blogging world! And man, does it feel good! I am excited to reconnect with my own blog, but SO EXCITED to reconnect with some of the blogs I use to read and follow!

So that's what I've been doing (well, that & procrasinating on laundry) this morning... Catching up on my blogs!

I'm not sure if any of you follow The Lettered Cottage... But Layla has some GREAT ideas and is so fun to read! :)

I just came across a post that is all about updating your house on a SMALL budget... Updates in the house? Small Budget? Sounds PERFECT to me!

Speaking of 'updates' .... I NEED one in our guest bedroom! In fact, I'm in the mood for some thrifting now! Here's to hoping for GREAT finds! :)

Southern Delicacy

So as y'all know by now, I am a Southern girl and very proud of it! I am also a HUGE lover of food... Especially SOUTHERN FOOD!

Now I don't know if any of you have had the pleasure that is a Krispy Kreme doughnut, but if you ever get the chance to try a "hot & now" glazed you may never feel the same about "other" doughnuts after you have had one of these. I have been known to have a "hot & now" for both a breakfast appetizer and dessert. They are also the perfect guilty pleasure treat for those days when nothing else will fix your woes.

Well y'all Krispy Kreme merged with another great Southern product Cheerwine to create a DELICIOUS (and limited time) doughnut...





They only sell these tasty treats in grocery stores in North Carolina and we've been searching for weekends to find Krispy Kremes newest signature doughnut... And this morning we had success!

And I must say... GREAT IDEA Krispy Kreme and Cheerwine! I'm impressed with the tastiness that these two Southern 'delicacies' created together!

Fresh flowers... Fresh smells!

One of my absolute FAVORITE things are fresh flowers!

Yesterday, I told y'all about the baby shower we hosted for my friend Marsha... We decided to use all white flowers and I was the lucky one who brought home the arrangements!

Since it's been several days, I had to rearrange and recut the ends, but they still smell so wonderful and make me smile everytime i walk into the house!! Now... Where to put them?!?

Loving baby shower 'decorations'!

One of my best girlfriends, who I've definitely talked to y'all about before, is having a baby boy in August! And I am quite the excited 'aunt'!!!

This past weekend we threw a baby shower for Marsha and I am absolutely loving the way that we 'decorated'! I for one am not huge on generic decorations so I really tried to think hard about how to create the perfect baby shower setting! We decided to do a semi-vintage light blue, white, and chocolate brown theme.

What do you think?

Best summer flower!

Now y'all I must admit... My green thumb is still developing and I'm still learning LOTS about plants and flowers!

Ever since I was a little girl, I have ALWAYS loved hydrangeas! I remember the house I grew up in had a yard FULL of hydrangeas and even still my parents have some in their yard. I just think they're beautiful!!

Don't they just make you so happy?!?

Most favorite...

My BERRY BOWL!!







How great is it?!?

This was an early birthday present from my most favorite auntie! It's a handmade berry bowl by an artist in Georgia!

I honestly think that everyone should own one... Especially during the summer!!

Hope y'all had a great weekend!

More on my detox soon!

ALLLLLLL about detox!

Ok so as y'all know, I've been doing this detox all week...

Well I still have 2 days left (and of course the rest of today!) and I am feeling GREAT! It's been super simple, even with Bryan not also detoxing!

The detox is called The UltraSimple Diet. I bought the book on my iPhone Kindle app (which I highly recommend) and started the detox a few days after!

Check it out y'all!

gardening... townhouse style

So remember a WHILE ago I was talking about my garden?!?or I guess then it was my future garden!

Well y'all I must say, this little lady has developed a serious green thumb! I had to plant EVERYTHING in containers because our STRICT (and annoying!) HOA says NOTHING can go in the ground that their landscapers don't plant! Well, okkkkkk with me because check this out....





This is my squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, and some flowers!





And on the other side: 3 different peppers, herbs, and more flowers!

Look at the basil in the bottom left corner... Time to make some pesto!!

Day 3

Well y'all, I have successfully made it (almost) through Day 3 of my 7 day detox! And let me tell you, I am feeling GREAT!

I must admit I am usually a 2+ cup of Joe kind of girl before I even THINK about getting my day started, but I have not had a DROP of caffeine in 5 days and I honestly feel great!

I'm excited to see what the next 4 days hold! And I will of course keep you posted!

detox.

First y'all... I'M TERRIBLE! i've been so so bad about writing recently! I promise to be better! I hope you've missed me as much as I've missed connecting with all of you!

Now let me tell y'all what I'm doing this week... A detox diet! Ahhh!

I've wanted to do one for quite a while now but have been nervous that I would choose one that wouldn't be safe!

Enter one of my best girlfriends Alex... She tried The UltraSimple Diet and absolutely LOVED it! So I decided why not give it a try?!?

I'm on day one and here's what's for dinner...


This dish makes up in flavor what it lacks in color!

It's a combo of cabbage, brown rice, abd cannellini beans with lots of Rosemary and a touch of EVOO! Delicious!

I'll definitely keep y'all updated on the diet! And will post my results and the website at the end of my week detox!