So we went on a picnic! We had hoped to check out the music at the American Tobacco Campus, but they no longer allow coolers – bummer! We made the best of it by finding a nice grassy patch outside of the concert and enjoyed conversation instead of music.

Matt went all out in the Whole Foods prepared foods section and we had shrimp skewers, summer kale salad, sweet potatoes, quinoa and apple salad, watermelon, and three bean salad. Yum!

On Saturday, we had plans to check out the famous annual bbq festival in Hillsborough, but the rain kinda ruined that idea. We did, however, get to eat some great bbq at the Hillsborough Bbq Co. with my parents! We stopped by the new Mystery Brewing tap room for a beer first – love that place. I was having so much fun that I didn’t snap any pictures until dessert – carrot cake! We listened to live music at a cute venue afterwards.

Today I had my final wedding dress fitting!! It fits:) My mom and I celebrated finally having the dress in our possession with salads. Although now she’s stressed about the bustle – it’s complicated.

2 weeks and [not] counting! I don’t want it to come too fast because I’m not ready and then it will be over!

warm kale salad with mangoes,

pork belly dumplings,

pineapple, basil, and green curry mussels,

fish fritters with summer veggies,

And our entree was the pan-fried crab and shrimp cake with sweet potato in green curry – this was so awesome and a great entree to split because it came with two big cakes and chunks of sweet potato. The mussels were my second favorite, but everything was so flavorful. Love this place!

After dinner, we sat around sipping wine and chatting. It was so nice to just relax on a week night and enjoy the balmy night. It’s finally hit me this week that I am almost finished with this school year and there is lots of relaxing on summer nights to come. I’m so pumped for everything!!

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!!!!

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:)

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!

And we have a marriage license!  I wasn’t expecting to have to take an oath – kinda felt like we were married after the oath, especially since a couple congratulated us on the way out.

I came home and made sweet potato enchiladas to celebrate.  Only I forgot the verde sauce and had to use salsa.  Oh well!  Things are getting busy with a hair apt, hair trial, small bachelorette dinner, a dance lesson,  and lots and lots of wedding related emails to be sent in the next week.  Happy hump day.

The Dean hosted a reception at the Nasher Museum with all kinds of goodies:

Good thing some of these folks are heading to Dallas with us!!

Early to bed, early to bootcamp! Night.

Don’t ya just love shower food?!

This was like a nutty pineapple carrot cake combo involving cream cheese and buttercream!!!!

Cheers to [one of the] lovely moms-to-be:)

The second shower on Sunday had fabulous food too! Both showers were gender-neutral, which meant lots of yellows and greens.

After Saturday’s shower, Matt and I grabbed pizza with friends at Pizzeria Toro.

We shared the asparagus salad and a spicy clam pizza – I can’t believe I’m going to Italy next month – this meal made me soooo excited!

After we said good night to our friends, we couldn’t resist a drink at Mateo Tapas (my very favorite in Durham). We have so few free weekends left here! So even though we had just finished dinner, we ordered the blue cheese stuffed bacon wrapped dates because they are heavenly.

What a nice weekend! And after today’s shower, I had my second-to-last fitting, so my dress is just about ready to be picked up. Yay!

• 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!