Thoughts from a Tuesday
-I packed up one of my offices today – crazy, and so exciting
-Tornadoes scare the sh*t out of me and I can’t imagine what the people of OK must be going through – makes wedding decor seems like the stupidest thing in the world
-Matt is keeping me sane by doing a million things – he made mini burgers tonight that turned out awesome! Can’t wait to eat more burgers at summer bbqs
-I just got super excited to hang out at the beach next week. And I get to see SOOO many friends!!
-Thanks for reading while my posts are sporadic and frantic
-I still need more romance novel recommendations!
Read MoreThoughts from a Tuesday
Exercise used to be my time to clear my head – now it’s the time that my to-do list fills my head and ruins my me time.
We’ve been eating giant salads over here, because they are quick and easy and good for wedding bodies.
Work got crazy this week, which can be expected for this time of year – what is it about the end of school and kids acting crazy?
Sleep and I are BFF.
I’m going to the Lantern tomorrow night and I’m so pumped. We also have a dance lesson – is it bad that I’m not as pumped?
I love this weather, and all the green in Durham. Lush!
I need the ultimate romance novel to read on my honeymoon – do tell!!!!
Read MoreThe Weeks Fly By
I’m sure you can guess why I’ve been mia here – on the home stretch!! It was a busy week, so I ate a ton of meals out – not the best for healthy eating, but oh so convenient when there’s no time to cook. And also so fun during the week! On Monday, my mom and I got together to start working on the escort cards and we grabbed salads at Panera.
Tuesday, one of my bridesmaids and I grabbed dinner because she’s back in town for the summer – we went to Toast and I got my favorite little sampler of crostini. The garlic mushrooms and blue cheese is the best!
And Wednesday, Matt and I took a dance lesson! It was fun, but a bit overwhelming when I realized that the wedding is in 3 weeks and we have no plan for a first dance. Plus, I’m a terrible dancer and I’m really not looking forward to having people look at me! We ended up back at Panera because it was so close:)
Bachelorette
The lovely ladies in Durham were kind enough to treat me to a bachelorette outing on Friday night! In lieu of big bachelor and bachelorette parties, Matt and I asked all of our friends to come to the island a day early to hang out and celebrate. So it was fun that I ended up having a little bachelorette party after all!
We started the evening off at the Carolina Inn, where they have live music and drinks on Fridays in the summer. Despite the chilly weather, it was packed!! The music was festive there’s nothing like wine, music, and lawn chairs to kick off a Friday. We were chatting so much that I didn’t even realize two hours had passed!
We moved on to Elaine’s on Franklin for dinner – I’ve been wanting to try Elaine’s for two years, so I was pumped that my friend Rachel chose it. The cocktails were fantastic – they make their own version of ginger beer and I had the best dark and stormy!! There was really good house made focaccia we well.
I had ceviche to start: yucatan style local fluke ceviche w/pickled habañeros, coconut milk, ginger, lime, local cilantro & plantain chips – probably another best I’ve ever had.
In honor of the derby, I also had a mint julep – whoa this drink was strong, but perfectly sweet and right up by bourbon-loiving alley.
Next, I ordered: the southern fried n.c. softshell crab w/ purple cabbage slaw, millarckee farm’s arugula & tabasco aioli! I know I’ve had softshell crab before, but definitely not often and this guy blew my socks off. And it was much better than having to dig for crab meat in the shell:)
After dinner, we gathered at West End Wine Bar for cupcakes and games. These were supposed to be mini’s, but the bakery gave us the big ones! 12 cupcakes for 5 girls made for a lot of sharing of flavors. Red velvet was my favorite.
We played a version of the newlywed game with Matt’s input – not sharing any details here:)
[Don't worry, she's simply posing with one of my four glasses:)]
We ended the night at the coolest little speakeasy that the wine bartender told us about. We were hesitant to follow my friend Katie into this door, but it was so neat inside! Am I supposed to share the name or does that ruin the fun?
Thank to my friends for an amazing celebration – I’m only ‘single’ for a few more weeks!
Read MoreThoughts from a Thursday
- Garlic asparagus, Cajun catfish, and rice and beans! Matt and I tag-teamed the cooking last night and dinner came together so much faster. Loved this meal. In the next few weeks, I may be transitioning to all microwave meals and salads. Time is of the essence.
- I’m thinking a wedding planner would have been a good idea right about now.
- I’m so thankful for a weekend at home with only a few things on the agenda.
- Only 4 more weeks at work (and a handful of days after the wedding) – this is nuts to me! Has it really been an entire school year?
- Note to self – do not plan your bachelorette party two days before the wedding.
- I never thought I’d love bootcamp, but I do.
- I’m ready for a big glass of chilled white wine. Happy Friday!
This Week
I was so sorry to hear the news from Texas today. It’s been such a sad week for so many people – a reminder of how many things we all have to be grateful for.
For one, spring is in full bloom! The weather has been so perfect lately and NC is just gorgeous this time of year. I’m definitely getting a bit sad to leave this awesome place!
Now that the weather is warmer, I’ve been craving lighter meals and we’ve been eating on the porch. I made this orzo with zucchini and dill a few days ago and added shrimp this time. I got lazy with the dill, and I must say, it’s so much better with the fresh herb. This is a great summer dish!
Other than life, not much is going on. I’ve really been trying to push through this wedding to-do list so I can enjoy my last weeks at work and in Durham. I think we’ve finally finished putting together the ceremony – Next is the marriage license, decor details, and finalizing the menu.
And my bridal shower is this weekend! My friends and family are so scattered – I didn’t think I was going to have one. But three of my mom’s lovely friends are hosting a small gathering in my home town!! I’m pretty excited to have a day with the ladies and Matt’s family and my sister are coming to town! The wedding is starting to feel very real:)
Happy almost weekend!
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Welcome to TBT!
I've created this blog because I'm in a bit of a quarter life crisis. Since graduating from college in 2008 and earning an advanced degree in school psychology in May, I still don't know what career path to follow. All I know is that time is moving way too fast and I find myself living only for the weekends. Bear with me as I attempt to reclaim my twenties by finding pleasure and balance in the work week and incorporating my passions of food, fashion, fitness, and fun into everyday life. 
She said what?