five on friday

It's Friday, so that means I'm linking up with Carolina Charm for Five on Friday.

1. My baby brother (and by baby I mean 17 year old) spent the day with us yesterday. He is a pretty busy dude, so for him to have the day off and time to visit was a real treat. We spent the afternoon by the pool, watched the hubs play ultimate frisbee, ate some fro-yo and just talked. I love being around my siblings so it was a great way to spend the day.

2. We have a strange love for cutting boards in our house. I really have no idea why, but apparently we collect them. I really want to add this one to our collection. So now I just have to think of a reason to justify buying it.

3. $12 tank top from Express. I love stripes and I love tank tops. Awesomeness right here.

4. My wonderful hubs read this post and helped mark one off the list! We went on a long walk along the river with Winnie this week. We ended up walking a lot longer than we had planned but it was great night for a walk. We managed to jump in the car just as the storms rolled in. Two points for good timing.

5.  I seriously love this nail polish. I think it is perfect for summer. Fun and bold. Perfect for poolside laying.

Lastly--

I'm also linking up with a blog hop.

Click on the button above and check it out to meet some really great bloggers!

summer bucket list

Am I the only one who is wondering where June went? I cannot believe that July is just around the corner. This month has just slipped by, I swear. It got me thinking today that summer is going to just come and go without notice if I'm not careful. Which led to the creation of this summer's bucket list. I love list making, especially when it includes things to do. This is our first summer in this area so I fully intend on finding out all the fun things to do around here. So, here it is:

• take a cooking class
• go to the beach
• have a picnic in the park
• go to an amusement park
• go boating with my cousins
• have a dinner party
• take Winnie for a walk along the river
• go blueberry picking with my mom 
• take a winery tour
• find a house (late summer)
• go to an outdoor concert
• have a movie marathon with the hubs (on a rainy day)
• eat as much fro-yo as possible 
• have a bonfire

 I think that is a good start for now. I am definitely looking forward to this summer and all it has to offer.

What is on your bucket list?

my dream home

We met with our realtor for the first time yesterday. Eek!! So excited! I am so thrilled to finally be dipping our toes in this process. I am just so ready to be in one place for longer than a year. We have done a lot of moving since college and the thought of settling a bit into one place is so refreshing. I am pretty sure I spend most of my extra time, looking and dreaming about our first home.

Just like anything else, we have heard all kinds of stories about home buying. Everyone loves to share their war stories...some good, some not so good. Yet, I am confident that we will find the home right for us. I know it will not be perfect and it won't have everything we want. But it will be our first home together and that is what is so exciting. All this talk about what we're looking for in a house has definitely had me dreaming. And if I was able to put together my dream home, I think it would look a little something like this.

It would have a big master bedroom with lots of natural light, a big comfy bed and big closets.

 

The kitchen would be the biggest room in the house because it is definitely where we spend a good majority of time. It would have white cabinets and beautiful appliances. Basically, just a lot of white. I'm leaning more toward the modern farmhouse look.

There would be a room or at least a nook dedicated to blogging and crafting. I cannot wait until I have space to keep my sewing machine out all the time. I want some place that can allow creativity to just flow.

It would definitely have a claw foot tub in one of the bathrooms, and it would be two stories with an open staircase.

The living room would be a welcoming and comfortable place. And I would love to have a wall dedicated to books. Again, lots of natural light and lots of white. (Although, I know white furniture is not really realistic for red wine lovers, dogs and future little ones.)

Oh, and it would have a big farmhouse table, which will be made by my hubs, where we can have family dinners and do lots of entertaining.

 

Lastly, I need to have a porch. Preferably a wrap around porch, but I'll really take anything. I want rocking chairs and a swing so we can sit out there in the evenings and enjoy being outside. And since this is my dream, I would have both of our families and our friends as neighbors. A girl can dream, right?!?

 

 

We might not get these things in a home, but that's ok. I am just excited for this new journey and for all that it will bring to our life.

**All images are curiosity of Pinterest.

five on friday

Happy Friday once again-- today I'm linking up with Carolina Charm for Five on Friday.

It has been a busy week around here. We had a big birthday party and fashion show at the boutique last night, which was a huge success. I'll share more in a bit. But for now, here are my five from this week.

1. I am a sucker for candles. And good ole TJ Maxx never lets me down. I found this little gem this week and it is awesome. I am not typically one who enjoys coconuty scents, but this one is an exception. It's like vacation in a jar. Seriously.

2. I also finally ventured out to the local farmer's market. I had heard good things about it but hadn't taken the time to go. I was quite pleased with my experience. I managed to get some great veggies, cheese, and these gorgeous flowers. Fresh flowers are so welcoming in a home. And I love that the market is open during the week and not just on Saturdays. I will definitely be heading back soon. 

3. I got this sweet chevron scarf from our boutique. You can never had too much chevrons, right?!? I'm very excited to add this one to my collection.

4. Tomorrow the hubs and I are heading south to visit with some of my grad school friends. Plus, I am going to my dear friends baby shower. I am so excited to see these two ladies this weekend. I haven't seen either since our wedding (we all live pretty far apart) and it seems just entirely too long ago.

5. As I mentioned above, the boutique where I work celebrated it's 5th birthday this week! This celebration is a true testament to our owner and her dedication to the store. She managed to not only survive, but grew her small business during a time of economic chaos. It was a fabulous night filled with all things pink! There was a fashion show which featured our newest summer items and it was so beautifully put together. We had a DJ, food, cupcakes and pink champagne. The whole night was such a huge success and we had a incredible turn out of guests!

If you haven't checked out Flourish Boutique, you definitely should. The clothes are adorable and the ladies who work there are truly wonderful. So, really, go check it out. Here are just a few pictures from the evening of fabulousness!

 

I hope you all have a great Friday and first (official) day of summer...woo hoo!

the best pizza ever

There is no hiding the fact that I love pizza. I could pretty much eat it any time, any day. Although, I can be a tid bit picky when it comes to how I like my pizza prepared. I grew up on this pizza and any time I go home, I try really hard to sneak in a visit. It's the best pizza place around, hands down. I have yet to find someone who doesn't like it. But that is not what I am referring to today.

Since I do have a biased pallet for pizza, I often choose to just make it myself. My family has a great homemade crust recipe, which is always delicious. And thanks to my wonderful cousin, I have a new found pizza obsession. The Aegean pizza. If you have not tried some form of this deliciousness, you are missing out. Seriously, it is awesome and it's pretty easy to make, too.

You can use a store bought crust or your own recipe, if you prefer. I typically make my own crust because I am usually not prepared enough to have a store bought crust, and I usually have the ingredient to make the crust myself.

Once you've got your crust ready. Melt the butter in a separate bowl. Then add the olive oil, garlic, basil and oregano to it. Mix them all together. This is the "sauce" for your pizza. Spread the oil mixture over the entire crust. Then top it with the baby spinach, sun-dried tomatoes and mozzarella, feta and Parmesan cheeses. Sprinkle some Italian seasoning over top and your set!

Just pop it in the oven at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Watch the cheese to make sure it doesn't burn. Once it's cooked, cut it and enjoy!

It really is pretty simple and so delicious. Even if you don't like spinach, you will like this. This recipe will have everyone asking for seconds, I promise. And it makes your house smell yummy too!

 Aegean Pizza

1 (12 in) pizza crust

2 tbsp butter, melted

1 tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 tsp garlic (3 cloves)

1 tsp basil

1 tsp oregano

2 cups fresh baby spinach

1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, julienne cut

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

See instructions above. Bake at 450 degrees for 8 - 10 minutes

I hope you try this great pizza and enjoy it as much as we do in our house!

happy fathers day

You were the first man's arms, I ever fell into and the one who has loved me each day of my life.

  

You've played so many vital roles throughout the years and taught me many things. 

 

I am forever thankful for the man that you are and for the father you have been to me.

 And although we can't share it together, this day is only a small token of how blessed by you, the boys and I, are. Thank you for being the best father you can be to us. We wouldn't want you to be anything more or less. I am so grateful for your loving heart, kind spirit and for showing me what a real man is. 

You are the best!

I love you & Happy Father's Day

lately

Not much beyond the ordinary has been going on around these parts, except for these major storm predictions for tonight. Summer has officially arrived here and I am definitely enjoying it. On my days off, I have been spending a majority of my days here--

 

 Our apartment complex has a pretty great pool, which I have been taking full advantage of. I am bound and determined to have a darker tan than the hubs this year. Who am I kidding-- that won't happen but it's a nice thought. Also, when we were poolside this weekend, the ducks decided that they wanted to hang out too. So they had themselves a nice little dip in the pool. They seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves.

And when we haven't been poolside, Winnie and I have been taking some extra naps. I guess the sun just makes us sleepy. However, I choose not to sleep with my head under the couch, unlike the Winster. She actually sleeps like this a lot. She has some of the strangest sleeping happens. But she's cute, so we usually just laugh and take pictures.

 

Also, the hubs and I spent some time this weekend exploring further into our "new" town. We tried a new pizza place, which ended up being very good. Family run, quaint and good food-- my favorite type of restaurant. Then we headed to Greek Fest. A festival dedicated to all things Greek. We had some baklava and another dessert, which I cannot spell. And enjoyed some authentic Greek dancing. Opa!

 

Anyway, happy hump day to you all! Hope your enjoying the sunshine on this summer day.

Until next time...

five on friday

Can you believe that the first week of June is already over? I can't believe how fast time seems to be going. But, for today, I'm linking up with some great ladies for Five on Friday.

1. I'm so happy because our plants are actually growing! We don't have any flowers yet, but at least they are getting taller every day. I cannot wait until there is some color on our back deck.

2. We've been planning summer travels and finally got our tickets for a friends wedding in August. It also happens to be our one year anniversary, so we decided to make a weekend of it. Neither of us have been to Texas so it will be a first, but I'm super excited to be traveling to a new place.

 3. I just can't help it, but this picture cracks me up. Jake put a bro tank on Winnie and she was less than thrilled. Dressing your dog like a human may be a slight form of dog torture, but we sure got a kick out of it.

4. I tried a new work out this week. My cousins loaned me the dvds a while ago but I had been hesitant to try it out-- mostly because I didn't really want to have to work that hard. Sad, but true. However, when I did try it out I really enjoyed it. The work outs are between 30-40 minutes and had three phases: burn, push and lean. Hopefully, I will actually stay motivated to continue doing this workout.

5. I'm SUPER excited because today we're meeting with the bank to begin discussing mortgages. We've been talking about buying a house and we're going to be making the first steps today. It's scary but we're really excited to finally begin putting some roots down. Wish us luck, I know it can be a long and stressful processes but we're putting our best foot forward.

Happy Weekend!

baby girl's sip & see

On Sunday, we threw a Sip & See for my cousin's sweet baby girl Renee. We had a great time passing her around, ogling over how adorable she is. The day was filled with everything pink and girly. Here are some photos from the day.

 

I made the pink pom poms using these easy directions. They turned out really cute and we hung them with clear fishing line so they had a floating effect.

 

I also got these adorable owl cupcake toppers as a free printable, here. I cut out the circles using a 1 3/4 in. hole punch then used doubled sided tape and tooth picks to adhere two circles together. Then we placed them in the yummy strawberry cupcakes.

 

Ever since I had cake balls at a friends wedding, I have been obsessed with how delicious they are. Here is the recipe used for these cake balls. They're delicious and always a big hit.

We sipped champagne and pink punch and enjoyed an afternoon celebrating together.

And this is the guest of honor. Isn't she just precious?!?

Love this sweet baby girl!