Weekending

I'll go ahead and warn you I took my fair share of pictures this weekend! When you have a gorgeous view that is just what you do!! Justin and I had such a nice and low key weekend. Friday when we got off work we were both ready for some mental relaxation. Justin LOVES doing yard work.. crazy right?! So he headed outdoors and I spent the evening trying out some calligraphy. I have always wanted to learn and even bought a book last year but was so busy wedding planning I never had the time to dig in. I pulled the book and tools out that have been sitting in the corner of our bedroom and got to work. It was so relaxing! I am going to continue practicing and trying to learn this new skill! Saturday I had a to babysit all morning and early afternoon. As soon as I finished up we headed to the Holden house for the night. We had another couple over Saturday night to grill out burgers and take in the view. We were so busy catching up I never got a picture after they arrived.

Sunday was spent relaxing in the morning- coffee, the news, cloudy skies and a nap before we finally ventured out of the house at noon. We tried out a {new to us} restaurant and took a walk at the far end of Holden beach. I have been to Holden beach many times but have never walked to the far east end. We walked as far as we could to the very end where at low tide you can see and almost walk right to Oak Island. It was breathtakingly beautiful yesterday. We had the BEST time taking in the view, snapping pictures and watching the boats. We even stumbled on this mailbox hidden in the dunes. It is called the Holden Golden Memories mailbox and inside are notebooks and a pen where people that pass by can jot down a thought, note, letter or whatever they please. I know there is a similar mailbox like this on Ocean Isle Beach but had no idea Holden had one. It was such a fun surprise! Justin and I both left a little note inside! Right after that the poor hubby had an accident cutting his foot on an oyster shell so we ended the walk to head home and doctor him up. We managed to still sneak in an ice-cream break before ending the day. Weekends truly are the best! I was super sad to see this one end. I don't want to wish time away but I'm already counting down to next weekend! 

isn't this how every 5:00 should be spent?!

Friday Five

Hello, Friday! It has been quite the week at work. We have the countdown on for the end of the school year. (ONLY 12 more school days!!!) It is taking every bit of energy I have to keep my little ones engaged. This weekend we don't have anything too crazy planned, just some rest, babysitting, house cleaning, and grilling out with friends. Bring it on 4:00 pm!

One. Happy Mail. I LOVE when I get my new Our State and Southern Living magazines in the mail each month. Just seeing the always gorgeous seasonal covers makes me so excited! I'm planning on making my own Southern Sip this evening and digging in to the newest editions! 

Two. Speaking of Southern Sips, or maybe just refreshing sips I have a new favorite cocktail. I don't drink a lot of mixed drinks (I prefer wine/beer) but I'll be making an exception for this drink. Alexandra at Alexandra Bee Blog gave me the idea. I couldn't find coconut La Croix that she suggested so I used grapefruit with citrus vodka and a lime. It is SO refreshing and perfect if you don't care for sugary/juice mixers. It is going to be my go to drink during the hot summer that will soon be here! 

Three. It is no secret that I ADORE my dog, Henson. He has been cracking me up all week with his teddy bear. He can rip through a stuffed animal in a matter of seconds but every now and then he takes to one and actually takes care of it. His newest friend is this teddy bear. He has been carrying him around the house with him everywhere he goes and snuggling up with him when he sleeps. It is just so darn cute!  

Four. I really want to jump on the one piece band wagon this year.  I honestly think a nice one piece can be more flattering than a two piece some times! I'm on the hunt for one that is still "young" and doesn't cost a fortune. I really don't want to spend $100+ dollars on one bathing suit and so many of them are in that price range! Any suggestions on where to look?

Five. It's no secret that I love the little things in life- like this dish towel! I found this adorable flamingo dish towel at World Market for only $5! They had a TON of really cute options. It is the perfect accessory to our kitchen this summer! 

Weekending

This past weekend was the perfect balance of relaxing and productive. The hubs I were so excited to head over to moms new house after work on Friday. We got there just in time to eat a sub, watch the sun set and poor a drink. My favorite part of the night was watching Henson check the place out. He absolutely LOVES it there. He did almost give himself a slight concussion running full speed into the sliding glass door and is going to have to get used to the floating dock that moves up and down with the tide. Ha, he is the funniest dog to watch. (; On Saturday I had no problem waking up early because I headed straight for the rocking chairs on the porch to sip my coffee and watch the sun come up. I want to spend as many mornings as I can like that. There is something so peaceful about water! Saturday was spent exploring Holden Beach, catching some sun and cocktails on the dock. Saturday evening we packed up meet family for dinner to celebrate Justin's cousin's birthday at our favorite restaurant. If you vacation near N Myrtle Beach I highly suggest doing dinner at Boardwalk Billy's one night. They have a huge outdoor patio, corn hole, good food and live music just about every night. We had a huge crowd at Carlee's birthday dinner. Isn't that the best though?! Thankful for a large family that keeps expanding! 

the shrimp burgers at Holden Beach are the BEST. They actually patty the shrimp together here

Sunday was low key and productive. Just what I needed before heading back to work on Monday.  I babysat most of the day on Sunday. When I got home I was able to cross some dreaded task off the todo list: clean the ceiling fans and move couches to retrieve lost dog bones and clean the floor. I was sad to see the weekend come to an end but I'm also ready to get the work week started. We are in the final countdown at school (16 more days!!) 

Weekending & Mothers Day

This past weekend was SUCH a good time. So much so that my mom stayed an extra night and I didn't have to say bye to her until 7 pm yesterday! We started off on Friday after work celebrating Cinco De Mayo a day late. My sister got into town right about dinner time. We had some celebratory drinks and chicken tacos that turned out so good. I always cook my chicken for tacos in the crock pot. It's so easy and smelled so good by the time I got home from work! My mom didn't get into town until late Friday night so dinner was just the hubs and my sister. 

On Saturday we all enjoyed a slow breakfast. I made my favorite buttermilk blueberry breakfast cake. I can't take credit for the recipe but I can express how delicious it is! There was plenty of food and coffee to go around until it was time to get ready and head out wedding dress shopping for my sister!! We started off at a bridal shop in Wilmington where Ginny found two dresses she liked but not enough to buy one right then. We took a break from dress shopping and had a mothers day lunch at The Pilot House on the Wilmington Waterfront. That is one of our favorite places to eat because you can sit outside overlooking the water. My mom and I had the shrimp and scallop scampi with a glass of white wine- oh my word. I can still taste it.. it was amazing. After another pit stop by World Market to get the most adorable flamingo dish towel we made our second stop to continue looking for a dress. After trying on just a few Ginny found HER DRESS! Y'all... I wish I could share a picture. It is absolutely stunning. She is going to be the most beautiful bride!! After the best day out shopping the fun continued at our house having dinner with my family and Justin's family. I made the comment that I was just so thankful we had our table filled to the max with family and good food. There is truly nothing better than that! All weekend long I was reminded  how fortunate and blessed I am to have such an amazing family (both sides!) and husband! Life is good.

On Sunday the fun continued with Mothers Day celebrations! We had another slow morning with banana bread and coffee. side note- I messed up the banana bread.. how is that possible? I need a new recipe!  Then, we headed to lunch at a local seafood restaurant in Calabash with Justin's whole side of the family. Everyone handed out mothers day gifts and chatted. After lunch, we all went to see my moms new house on the intracoastal waterway. She just closed on it- just in time for the summer! I cannot wait to make new memories in that house!!

Justin with his mom and brother

Mom's new house- can you spot Justin's mom and dad?

Five on Friday

Happy Friday! The end of the school year is approaching, testing is in full swing in first grade and this teacher is mentally exhausted. I have never been so happy to see a Friday. The fact I have my mom and sister coming to town tonight makes me all the more excited for the weekend! 

One. remember when I announced my sisters engagement on Monday? Well she is waisting no time getting the wedding planning started. This weekend we are going wedding dress shopping! I have no idea what type of dress my sister will choose. I can't wait to see her try on all different styles! We are combining a fun mothers day out in Wilmington and wedding dress shopping for Ginny. I can't wait to get our weekend started! Hurry up 4:00!

Two. I finally got around to getting Henson's collar personalized and LOVE how it turned out! He always ends up loosing or scratching his name tag beyond readability (the kind that dangles). I am so excited to not have to worry about loosing the tag anymore because now his name and our contact information is right on the collar! It's the little things right?

Three. It is mothers day weekend and this year I have two mothers to celebrate! These are two of the sweetest, most caring and giving people I know. My mom and mother in law are both worth celebrating today and everyday. Happy Mother's Day to these two! 

Four. I have been real into podcast these days. I love to listen when I'm getting ready in the mornings and driving. The Happy Hour with Jamie Ivey is my go to as well as Newspring Church's (which if you are looking for sermons to listen to these are AMAZING!) I would like to find some new podcast to listen to though! Any other podcasters out there that have a suggestion?!

Five. There is no five this week- remember the exhausted part up top?! Have a great weekend friends!! 

Favorite Things

Lately there have been some things that I am just loving. It's funny how sometimes something as small as new soap can bring that extra bit of joy to your day. Maybe it's the spring or maybe (probably) I am late to the game finding out about these gems. Either way I have a little extra pep in my step this week because of each of these things! Here are my top 6 things I'm loving these days:


1. Piko dress- Since when did Piko start making dresses? I'm telling you I am probably way late to the game on this one. Talk about the easiest and most comfortable dress. It is my new go to outfit for sure. Pair this with the tusk necklace and you're good to go! 

2. The Husbands Secret- This is what I'm reading currently. If you are looking for a good beach read I recommend picking this book up! It's one of those that you can't put down.  Side note- since I just finished this book now I'm looking for another good read, any suggestions? Thinking about The Nest?

3. Meyers Soap- speaks for itself. It smells AMAZING, is affordable and brings happiness to my daily hand washing! I bought one bottle and had to go back to get more for each sink in our house. 

4. Labrador Tank top- "My Labrador Retriever is all I really care about ....any like maybe 3 people .... and wine." OMG yall- yes yes yes. I found this gem on Etsy and knew I just had to have it! Linking this one here.

5. Fun Necklaces- There have been so many fun necklaces coming out recently! I am loving the beads, tassels and tusk/horn trends I've been seeing. I don't normally buy a lot of fashion jewelry but I have gotten a new necklace or two. It's fun to spice up an otherwise plain outfit! 

6. Candle- I just found this new candle at TJ Maxx and it smells DIVINE. It's Serenity: Orchard and Jasmine. 

Celebratory Weekend

Hey friends! It's been a while! I had big news happen over the weekend that called for a blogging comeback. This blog might not be the most consistent as far as daily postings but it is an amazing scrapbook for me to look back at! So on to the big news... 

My little sister is ENGAGED!! I couldn't be happier for her and her new fiancé. My sister, Ginny, is just the sweetest and so deserving of this new blessed chapter of her life. Her new finance is a perfect fit for her. Our family keeps expanding and I just love it. Justin and I traveled to Greenville for the weekend to surprise Ginny at a celebratory lunch Doug had planned. He proposed at sunrise on Atlantic Beach and then had both sides of the family waiting back in Greenville for lunch. She had no idea we were there. When Doug proposed he had a photographer hidden in the dunes. He was able to capture some amazing pictures. Are they not the cutest?!

The lunch was at Winslow's, a restaurant downtown Greenville. Both sides of the family were there to celebrate. Ginny had no idea about any of it! It was so nice to meet his family members and celebrate with the new bride and groom to be! 

Congratulations Ginny and Doug! Let the celebrations and wedding planning begin!