Sugar Doll Award

The lovely Kerri at Blonde Ambition gave me this award last week and I just got so excited that she thought of me!  Thank you dear!  You must check out her blog.  She is one of those girls that you can always relate to her stories!  You will become a follower if you head over there you'll love it so much, promise.

So what's an award without some rules? These are pretty simple...


Thank the person who gave you the award, share ten things about yourself, pass this award onto ten bloggers who you recently discovered and think are fantastic and finally contact the bloggers to let them know you’ve picked them for an award.

1.  I love the water - beach...rivers...and boating on them.

2.  I have a mild obsession with J. Crew and Lilly.

3.  I was always the girl in high school, college and even now with lots of different groups of friends. 

4.  I love entertaining at my house...cookout...dinner party...or just having some friends over!

5.  I'm terrible at gardening.  Everything always looks pretty for a week and is dead shortly thereafter.

6.  I was a civil engineering major in school, was in a sorority (Chi Omega) and played club lacrosse at NC State.  Quite the random activities!

7.  Cooking is super fun to me but I cannot bake sweets for the life of me!  I tried an angel food cake last summer...yeah that didn't work out too well.  Mom made me feel better by blaming it on the pan!

8.  I'm OCD about cleanliness.  I hate germs and use antibacterial gel several times a day at work.

9.  I love checking out real estate (residential and commercial) and figuring out the best way sites can be developed.  Actually this is my job for the commercial side of things so it works out that I enjoy what I do.

10.  I'm pretty conservative when it comes to just about everything....money, time, etc...

Now onto 10 great bloggers to pass this along to!

1.  If I Can't Wear Heels, I Don't Want to Go
2.  Simple Yet Classic
3.  The Charlotte Observer
4.  Hannah and Bryan
5.  Tea and Crumpets
6.  Sweet Carolina Girl
7.  Cocktails and Cashmere
8.  This Kind Of Love
9.  Marriage Tales
10.  Beyond the Blue Ridge

Random!

Look at this cutie, my goddaughter!  Isn't she absolutely gorgeous?!

Check out Kev...you can tell he loves shopping!!!

And look at this steal I got last week at TJ Maxx.  $30.  Doesn't it look Lilly/Tory Burch - ish?  It is super cute and made of nice material.  I don't typically pick up random things like this but I couldn't resist this shift!  This picture is when I was standing in the check out line sending it to my mama.

LG's birthday and Rascal Flatts

Saturday was Lauren's birthday but we celebrated on Friday night with dinner at Vivace.  It is a new italian place in Metropolitan and the atmosphere was really cool.  There were 14 girls and some of Lauren's friends came up from Columbia, SC to celebrate.  Here's the birthday girl:

Me, Kim and Lauren

All the girls...

On Saturday night we went to the Rascal Flatts concert.  Kevin was not thrilled at all but we had bought Brittany and Joe tickets for their birthdays.  I think everyone ended up having a good time!  Don't know what Kevin is doing in this picture...haha.  He isn't right!  We loved tailgating.  We brought some BLT's and some good ole Miller Lite!  I was the driver so I drank lots of water!

Chris Young opened...

Of course Kellie Pickler was a bit hit since she grew up just outside of Charlotte in Albemarle.

The sunset was gorgeous.  But it was SOOOO hot outside!  It was definitely a hair up kind of day/night!

Rascal Flatts always has the best opening song/production.  This picture doesn't do it justice...

They are pretty cool guys.  I watch specials on GAC on them all the time.  One of them is married to a Chi O! 

Hope you ladies (and Dad because he is the only male that reads this) had a great weekend!!

Follow Friday

Today I'm participating in Maryland Pink and Green's Blog Hop!  Yall should scoot over there, check out her blog (she's fab!) and join in the hop! 

Mrs. G's Birthday and Washing Longchamps

On Tuesday, it was Kevin's Mom's birthday!  We celebrating by going to Mickey and Mooch's which is a tasty restaurant in south Charlotte.  They are known for their steaks but they have good seafood too.  Kevin and I both got the medallions over mashed potatoes with 4 fried oysters.  It was a ton of food but so good!  They brought cake out to her too!  We gave her a monogrammed vase, watering bulb things she wanted and a "G" trivet.  Hope you had a great birthday Mrs. G!!!

Last week I became daring and decided to do research on washing my longchamps.  I took the plunge and did it that night after all the reviews I read were positive.  Let me tell yall, my bags were NASTY.  It was at the point that I'd do it just to see if they could look better, if not, no loss.  They came out great!  I washed them with woolite in cold water on delicate.  Then just hung them to dry! 

I don't guarantee you'll get the same results so make your own decision of whether you're willing to do this or not!  ;)

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!

Happy 37 years to my parents!  Aren't they presch?!!

Thank you for being role models on what a great marriage should be!  We are so lucky to have you guys!

Enjoy your day! 

Clay and Parker Boats

Last week my brother, Clay, got the opportunity to be a part of the Parker boats photo shoot.  I guess they are going to use the pictures in some of their marketing material.  How cool is that?  Check out these shots.  My brother is the one in the light blue shirt with the full hat on (not the visor). 

By the way, if you know anyone looking to sell or buy a new or used boat, Clay is your guy.  He is located in Pawley's Island, South Carolina but he has shipped all over the world.  Check out his business at http://www.carolinaboatbrokerage.com/  :)

Don't these pictures make you want to be out on the water?  Where is your favorite place to go boating?

Wear your Lilly Day and Weekend

Is everyone wearing their Lilly today?!  I am wearing the pink and green tube top I got at the sale with a pink cardigan and a white skirt today!  Happy First Day of Summer!

On Friday night, Kevin's great Aunt from Winston-Salem came down to Charlotte.  We went to their club and had a wonderful time visiting with her.  Aunt Kate is the nicest lady I know - seriously!  Her sweet, southern accent is so perfect and I don't think she has ever said a bad word about anything or anyone!  She is very involved in her community, is in the Daughters of American Revolution and volunteers in the ICU department of their local hospital.  Truly a remarkable lady!  Here she is with Kevin's parents and him.

Kevin, Aunt Kate and I.

Saturday, we had a pool party at the Avenue where we live.  They had a reggae band that had come up from Columbia, SC.  They were really good and played all afternoon. 

Check out the crowd...it was chaos!  They had two kegs, a margarita machine, strawberry daquris, and some food for everyone.  It was a blast!

Here is a big group of us.

Fun times were had by all and we called it an early night after dinner at Nix. 

Yesterday we celebrated Father's Day with Kevin's fam.  We had a good time.  It was also his brother, Joe's birthday so his mom made cubed steak, fried okra, mashed potatoes, slaw and tomato slices - his favorite meal.  Needless to say, we aren't eating much today or this month for that matter!

Happy Father's Day

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to the best Dad in the world!!!!! 

Here he is chillin on Pawleys Island Creek!

Sleeping on Thanksgiving Day!

Here we are together over Memorial Day weekend.  Co-captains!

Thanks Dad for everything you do for me and all of our family!!!  You are truly a role model and we're so lucky to have you!!!  Wish we could be together to celebrate you today!

"Nastics" and Surprise!

Anna Kate began "nastics!"  Isn't she the most precious gymnast ever?!!

I talked to her after she had been to "nastics" on Wednesday and I asked her what she did and she kept saying, "jump, jump, jump!"  Haha, I bet she spent some time on the trampoline....and the balance beam as you can see below!

Last night, Kevin beat me home and brought me pink carnations and had fixed up dinner and had a bottle of wine.  How cute is that?!  He also wrote me a really sweet email that he purposively sent right before I walked in the door.  Awww!!! 

Kev, I have to tell a tale on you!  So he knows I like peonies, a lot.  But he calls them peronis.  How funny is that?!  So when he went to Trader Joes and came home, he immediately told me, "I tried to get you those peronis you like but they didn't have any!"  I cracked up hearing it again.  Stuff like that makes me laugh so hard because he was really trying to get me exactly what I liked and he just didn't know exactly what they were called!  Men! 

Anyway, it was really sweet and such a nice surprise!  He's got a lil sinus head cold so we are trying to get him healthy again so he can keep working hard on his new business!  This weekend should help!

Tonight his parents invited us to their club for dinner.  His Aunt Kate (who is such an amazing lady) is coming down from Winston-Salem for the night so we're excited to see her.  Tomorrow, we have a pool party at the Avenue and Sunday is Father's Day and Kevin's brother Joe's birthday.  Busy but fun weekend!  Hope yall enjoy some relaxation!  :)

Etsy

Do any of yall use Etsy?  I know most with children do.  My cousin loves etsy and always finds the cutest things.  Check out this adorable little girls dress.  We think the three minis in our family are going to wear something like this for some family photos on the beach in August.  How adorable would that be? 

The only experience I've ever had with Etsy has been the two pillows I ordered.  It is the green and white one in the picture below.  Got them from a lady in Canada.  PS - the blue one shown in the picture was new and I was seeing how it looked, that's why the tag is still on there - ha!

What are your favorite etsy sites and what are they for?

Kate Spade Sample Sale

Today starts Kate Spade's sample sale!  They say you can find purses starting at $56, small goods $27, clothing $69, jewelry $21 and odds and ends $14.  The sale begins today and goes through the 18th (Friday).

Jim and Kim

This past weekend was Jim and Kim's wedding!  They lived with us at the Avenue for a couple years prior to them moving to Dallas for a promotion for Jim!  We miss them but are glad they are happy out there!

The wedding was in uptown Charlotte at the Levine Museum of the New South.  It was actually pretty cool because they had the museum open during the reception so we got to tour through there.  It basically shows the evolution of Charlotte and how the city has changed.  Very cool!

Jim and Kim were so cute!  They were very happy and glad to have finally tied the know!

Ingles and I!  My new best friend!  She and her Kevin were also at Courtney and Daniel's wedding last weekend!  It is a pretty funny story about Ingles and her Kevin...she and I have so many of the same characteristics and so do our Kevin's.  It is so funny - we honestly should have been friends long ago!  :)

The happy couple being nice to each other during cake cutting!  Isn't her cake pretty?!  Love the pink and green!

Kev and I.  :)

The gorgeous bride and I being goofy!

And they are off!  I love Kim's face in this picture - it is pure happiness!

But of course they came out later!  Here are some of the guys.  Yes, Kevin went home and changed!

Laura and I.  She was so fun!  I wish she lived in Charlotte instead of DC!

Kevin and Kim!

Jim and Kim - we had so much fun with you guys and all of your friends!  Have the best time on your honeymoon!!!!

Stiletto Award!

Prissy and Preppy Flamingo gave me this award!  It was such a fun surprise to see and I'm honored to have received it from her!!!  If you aren't following her blog - you should be!  She is always full of fun and informative information!  I've loved getting to know her!  :)

First, let us understand the Stiletto… some words that describe it…

Classy – Strong -Exotic – Demure – Extreme – Ultra – Sexy - Bold – Funky

“Walking in extremely high heels is not something that the average woman (or man) will need to do in their everyday life. However, there are times when this skill may be required.” I want to salute the women who balance life, family, and relationships with style and class! Those women who share their experiences with us…who encourage us, inspire us, teach us, make us laugh and basically keep us going! You know who they are! While you read this blog, your family is looking at you wondering what the heck you are laughing about so hard…or why the tissue is necessary for internet browsing. It’s the one that the kids are excited about because a new post means a new craft project or family outing. The one that inspires you to be a better mom, friend, person in general. The one that reminds you that we are all “in this life together” and you’re not the only one going through the hard stuff. The one that you secretly wish your blog was like…

“Heels this high are not meant for clubbing or walking long distances in. They are mainly used for getting from the living room to the bedroom, from the car to the restaurant, or for a short stroll along the catwalk.”

 

If you’ve received this award, someone out there thinks you deserve it! Be proud! Display the badge with honor! You earned it…after all it means that you brought something special to at least one other person, and really, isn’t that what life’s all about?

 

THE RULES!

This blog award is meant to be shared, to be given out, to be bestowed upon any and ALL women who exemplify what the stiletto represents. If you’ve received this award, here’s what you do:

 

1. Display your Stiletto Badge of Honor on your sidebar! Wear it with pride…

 

2. BRAG ABOUT IT! -write a post about your award. Include the link to this page so everyone will understand what it’s all about!

 

3. SAY THANKS!

 

4. SHARE THE LOVE!

5. DO WHAT YOU DO!

Keep inspiring and encouraging and sharing your life!

We love it and we thank you!

 

I give this award to:

 

Suz

Let's Be Preppy

Pretty Little Dress

Pink Preppy Lilly Lover 

Starfishes and Sundresses

Final Lilly recap and No Boil Lasagna Recipe

Yall, I finally totaled everything up last night from the Lilly sale and I save $1,000 plus the tax that we would have had to pay in North Carolina (Pennsylvania has no sales tax on clothes).  How awesome is that?!

Yesterday afternoon, I decided I should make Kevin a yum dinner since he has had a rough couple of weeks with work.  His favorite is lasagna and I have never made it for him.  Truth be told, I've only made it once before and it came out terrible so I had no "lasagna confidence."  Yesterday I just used the standard Muellers recipe on the box!  To go even further, I made garlic bread instead of salad because I knew this would make him REALLY happy.  Haha!  Let's just say this - we hardly ever do pasta in my house and never bread....for obvious reason...not the healthiest!  He was in for a big treat and surprise when he walked in!  

It turned out really good and we have enough for 2 servings last night and 7 more tupperware containers!  Crazy amount!

So here is the recipe:

No Boil Lasagna

8oz. lasagna noodles (1/2 box)

2 eggs

15 oz. ricotta cheese

½ cup parmesan cheese

2 cups of mozzarella cheese

52 oz. favorite sauce

1 lb. hamburger meat or ground Italian sausage

1 tsp. dried parsley flakes

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Brown meat

3. In a medium bowl, combine lightly beated eggs, ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, and 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese.

4. In another bowl, combine browned meat with sauce.

5. In a 9x13 pan, spread 1 cup of meat sauce on the bottom.

6. Lay 1/3 of noodles on top of the meat sauce

7. Spread 1/2 of cheese mixture on top. Continue to layer.

8. Spread 1/3 of meat sauce.

9. Lay 1/3 of noodles.

10. Spread remaining cheese mixture.

11. Spread 1/3 of meat sauce.

12. End with the last 1/3 of noodles then top with last 1/3 of meat sauce.

13. Bake for 55 minutes at 350 degrees.

14. Take out and top with remaining mozzarella cheese and parsley flakes.

15. Bake for 5 more minutes or until cheese melts.

16. Let sit for 15 minutes prior to serving.

17. Enjoy!

Lilly Warehouse Sale Recap!

Oh my goodness!  We had a BLAST at the Lilly sale yesterday!  As yall know, it was our first trip up for it.  We had no idea what to expect and anything we knew, it was from reading yall's blogs!  Suz flew in from Raleigh and I from Charlotte.  We got in about 8:30pm on Tuesday and headed straight to the Convention Center to scope things out. 

Once there, we were snooping around the Center to see where the actual sale was.  We found it and peered in until the security guard made us go away!  We also met a couple girls and moms together.  They had stood in line that day and gotten ticket numbers to line up the next morning.  THEY HAD TWO EXTRA!  Yall - this was a hot commodity.  They gave out 350 tickets and you got in the sale in that order.  Everyone else had to get there around 3am to line up.  Craziness!  We were and still are sooo thankful for their good deed!  Here is Suz:

Here are our tickets!!!  We went to our hotel jumping for joy that we received these!  Seriously, what were the chances?!

They had everyone line up upstairs and took group by group downstairs to line up.  This was as we were walking down the stairs.

These are our friends that were so sweet to give us our tickets!  Sara and Erin and Mamas (they were from NJ and couldn't believe we flew up for the sale)!

This is what it looks like inside.  Everything is grouped by product and size so it made it really easy to find what you wanted. 

This is Suz and I after a few long hours!  The sale began at 5am and we finished up about 9:30am.  This is after 3 times of putting a bunch of stuff in our bag and going into a corner to try it all on.  There were no mirrors or real dressing rooms! 

The goods!!!  Top left of my bed is a navy dress that was originally $298 and I got it for $69.  Top middle is a tube top.  Top right is a $10 dress I got!  Lil girl's tunic is on the far middle right.  Navy skirt with nautical ropes in the middle.  Pink murfee scarf.  Green capris on the far left.  Men's bathing suit for $19 for Kevin (shh, don't tell!), patchwork skirt, and my biggest splurge was the bottom right - navy shift dress....still under $90 for it!  As yall can tell, they had some awesome deals.  I'm going to add up all the original prices and see how much I saved! 

All in all, we are SO glad we went.  We really had a great time and will definitely go back.  We now know that we need to stand in line the day before for a line number.  We just got lucky this time! 

After the sale, we went to King of Prussia mall and walked around there.  Needless to say, we were spent out by then!  We headed to the airport and came back south!  I kept looking at all my stuff and probably still will for a long time!  I have never spent that much money on clothes at once!!!

Can't wait to hear what everyone else got at the sale!  Please share!