Weekend Recap

This weekend, just like EVERY other weekend flew by.  Before I knew it, it was Sunday night and I was getting back into "work" mode, but I was glad for a somewhat relaxing weekend, it was MUCH needed after a long week.

The weather has been so gloomy lately.  I couldn't be any more ready for some sunshine and spring weather.  I am hoping that it comes sooner rather than later (next week would be fine by me!).  Friday was another one of those dreary Winter days that seem to be never ending.  Since it was gross, I decided that it might be a good idea to start packing, seeing that I am moving next weekend! Luckily, I had my best friend, Jordan, help me clean out my closet the other weekend when she was in town. Thank goodness she was here, I never realized how much of a clothes hoarder I was, I guess you could say I was in a little bit of denial.  I know I won't ever wear a certain dress or shirt again, but always find an excuse to keep it, but with Jordan's help I was able to give away almost 20 pairs of shoes, some purses, and 3 trashbags worth of clothes to Goodwill.  It felt good to give away my clothes, maybe now when Rusty and I move into our house he can share a closet with me (ha, who are we kidding! I will now have to go get new clothes!).

Saturday, Rusty and I moved a few things into my storage unit.  I discovered that I am absolutely WORTHLESS at moving.  I have no upper body strength, it is actually quite humorous moving this furniture, but I doubt Rusty finds it funny! After we got the "hard work" out of the way, Rusty and I spent the rest of the weekend with our friends.

I am NO fan of BBQ, but was very impressed of how much I enjoyed our lunch with our good friends at The Smokin' Pig BBQ in Pendleton (right by Clemson!).  Everything looked so delicious, even the pork and brisket which we all know I would never eat! The sides were to die for.  They had everything a great BBQ place should have including fried okra, baked beans, loaded potato casserole, banana pudding, sweet potato crunch, and much more!

Rusty got the 1/2 Chicken and Pork with Sweet Potato Crunch
and Fried Okra...yum!!!

 Chopped Chicken (before I put the BBQ sauce on) with
Sweet Potato Fries and Baked Beans!

The Smokin' Pig BBQ

The rest of the weekend we spent with friends.  Lots of people were in town so we actually went out in Downtown Greenville for once.  I am a 23 year old grandma, I never go out Downtown anymore.  I think that it was maybe my 6th time since I moved here almost a year ago, how pathetic is that?! But we had a lot of fun with everyone.  We will definitely have to start doing that more often! And on Sunday, we went to Stax for breakfast with about 20 people.  This restaurant is literally 2 minutes from my apartment and I had NO idea it was there and of course when I do find out, I am moving away!

It was such a great weekend, but unfortunately just like every other one it came to and end and I have another busy week ahead of me! Lets hope I survive since next weekend will be so busy moving all of my furniture!!

Weekend Adventures

Who doesn't love a three day weekend!? I was lucky enough to have President's Day off and let me tell you it was much needed after a fun-filled, busy weekend. I was so relieved when 3 o'clock rolled around on Friday. That is my favorite time of the week, because it means that my weekend has officially begun!

Friday was the start of our busy weekend.  I officially booked my storage unit and have most of my apartment all packed up, which is a good thing because I will be moving in with Rusty in two weeks until our house is done being built! So much to look forward to with this BIG step in our lives. That night, Rusty had a basketball game for the church team he was on.  I finally went and watched one of them for the first time and surprisingly enjoyed it, seeing as I am not a huge basketball fan. Unfortunately, Rusty's team lost--but it was still entertaining to say the least. Afterwards we enjoyed a some Mexican at Monteray's to begin our weekend full of dates :)

I was so excited on Saturday morning when I woke up.  Earlier in the week, Rusty had mentioned that he wanted to go to Asheville for the day on Saturday.  He didn't have to ask me twice! I have been wanting to go up there with Rusty and explore the city.  I wanted to go to the Biltmore Estate, but it is very expensive and we needed more than just a few hours to explore the vast grounds, the house, and the vineyards of course. Because we were leaving the dogs at home, we could only spend half of the day in Asheville.  We decided that we were going to go shopping at the discount Dillards (but that turned out to be a disappointment, way too cluttered for me to dig through!) and then go bar hopping and to some of the breweries that are in Asheville.

On our drive up there, the snow flurries started coming down.  Now, I am from the South so seeing snow is a very rare thing for me and I of course get all giddy, and act like I am a little kid again!  The strange thing about the snow was that back home in Greenville got more snow than Asheville (guess we were in the wrong place).

After our failure at the Dillards, I know Rusty was so happy to be in Downtown Asheville at Lexington Avenue Brewery aka LAB (make sure to go check out their menu!).  This place was so cool with the lighting in the brewery and around the bar.  We got there at the perfect timing and escaped the wait in the cold.  We were starving by this point and each got a delicious sandwich.  Rusty got a Fried Turkey Sandwich with cranberry sauce and bacon that looked scrumptious and I got the Local Apple and Pear Gouda Grilled Cheese, which was the bomb.com! To accompany our food, we started off with a Flight to have a sampling of all of their beers.  I have come to love craft beers and can only drink domestic beers at tailgates or other events (I know, I am such a BEER SNOB!).  After we finished up at LAB, we decided to that it would be fun to walk around downtown and bar hop and stop in some stores.  We went to a few bars that were well known in Asheville, Jack of the Wood, Tall Gary's, and Southern. I loved trying new beers, they were all so good! Before leaving Downtown to head to Highland Brewery, we had to stop at Three Dog Bakery to pick Miles and Harley up a few treats!

Flight at LAB
Cream Ale, Spiced Wheat, IPA, Rye Pale,
Brown Ale, and Porter

Delicious Apple and Peer Gouda Grilled Cheese

Soft, hot pretzels from Southern with Spicy Mustard,
Cheese, and Apple Butter!

                 

Harley and Miles enjoying their treats from
Three Dog Bakery

After exploring all of Downtown Asheville, it was FINALLY time to go to Highland Brewing Company.  This is what Rusty had been waiting for ALL day long.  Over the winter, he had gotten hooked on their Cold Mountain Ale, which is definitely one of the best seasonal beers that I have ever had. It was so crowded at the brewery with bachelorette parties, Mardi Gras parties, a band, and several tours of the brewery moving in and out.  We got a spot right away at the bar and got another Flight there to sample some of the beers that they don't sell in stores.  Unfortunately, they ran out of Cold Mountain the weekend before.  Rusty was disappointed to say the least! Other than that, we had a great time and enjoyed spending a fun-filled day in freezing Asheville.

Highland Brewing Company

our flight of beer at Highland!

The weekend was amazing and to top it all off, Rusty and I are going to get Sushi tonight for dinner! To say I am happy is an understatement! I have been craving sushi for weeks now, but we have to be home before the Bachelor at 8!

Have a great week :)

Valentine's Day

This past weekend has flown by and so did Valentine's Day.  Can you believe that February is almost over? I cannot believe how fast this year is going by, I want time to start slowing down so I can enjoy more of my weekends and free time.

As fast as this weekend went by, it was so nice to actually spend some alone time with Rusty and enjoy a weekend full of dates.  Thursday was Valentine's Day and I for one am NOT a fan of this holiday.  It really is just a Hallmark holiday; but nonetheless, I decided to cook Rusty a nice dinner with a yummy dessert. I love to cook and bake, so I thought this would be another perfect excuse to try out a new recipe. We had Cajun Chicken Stuffed with Pepper Jack Cheese & Spinach, broiled asparagus with Cajun seasoning, and for dessert we had Red Velvet Cake Brownies.  It was all so good!

Cajun Stuffed Chicken with Broiled Asparagus
Excuse the classiness of the paper plates :)

Red Velvet Cake Brownies with White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Rusty also surprised with a beautiful necklace that he noticed I had pinned on my Pinterest.  Now ladies, that is what I call a good boyfriend! You all need to have your boyfriends, husbands, etc. log into your accounts so they actually know what you want! 

My awesome necklace that Rusty got me courtesy of Etsy!

Even though I am very opposed to Valentine's Day, I still had a WONDERFUL night with Rusty.  He is such an amazing guy and I am so lucky to have him in my life, especially since he took me to Asheville, NC on Saturday for shopping and brewery hopping! (I will be posting about adventures soon!)

BEST NEWS EVER!!!

Yesterday I received the best news ever from my parents and I couldn't be any happier!

One year ago, my dad found out that he had spots on his lungs that needed to be checked out because they were showing abnormalities that were associated with lung cancer.  He called me a couple months later after going to the doctor and told me that they were 90% sure that what they were seeing on the scans was in fact cancer.  The news hit me like a ton of bricks.  My dad had NEVER smoked a day in his life and now he possibly had lung cancer?  I didn't know how to react to the news and I certainly couldn't focus on work anymore that day.  The feeling you have when you find out the strongest man in your life has cancer is miserable.

Cancer has affected so many people in my family and so many of my friends' families.  I just never imagined that my dad would soon be facing the challenges of what cancer brings.  He was then told that he would have to get surgery and they were going to remove 20-30% of his lung in order to get the tumor out.  When they went in, they realized that it had spread throughout the lining of his lungs, but was contained in there (thank God, for that news!).  We were told that 3 months after this surgery he would start his 12 weeks of chemo.

Those 12 weeks of chemo were the hardest and longest weeks for my dad.  It was so hard to watch him lay on the couch, feeling abosultely miserable.  My dad is not one to ever show that he is sick and always wants to be strong, but you could see how much the chemo was really taking a toll on his body.  But no matter how sick he was feeling, my dad was always in good spirits and from the beginning he knew that this was just a little bump in the road and that he would get past this.  Well after almost a year of battling lung cancer, I am beyond happy to announce that everyone's prays worked and my dad's scans came back yesterday CANCER FREE!! I have never been more excited to hear those words.  It was the perfect Valentine's day gift to my mom and my sisters and I. 

He is the strongest man I know and I couldn't be more proud to call him my DAD!

I continue to keep all of my family in my thoughts and prayers that are still battling cancer, but now have new found hope that they can beat it as well

Best Friends Come to Greenville!

Last week could not have gone by any slower! I don't think that I could have been any more excited to have three of my closet friends from college come and visit me.  Jordan, Kaylee, and Leah all made the trip down to Greenville so we could have a fun girls weekend.

Friday night all the girls came into town and we went to one of my new favorite restaurants in Greenville, Southern Culture Kitchen and Bar, with my boyfriend (Rusty) and his roommate, Will.  Obviously, this restaurant is very popular because we had an hour wait (but it was well worth it!).  I was so happy that my friends could come down and that Rusty got to meet them. We enjoyed a few drinks at the bar and finally got seated.  The menu is amazing and of course we had to get the Tator Tots with Pimento Cheese Fondue and Pulled Pork Nachos to begin the meal.  They have a wide variety of southern inspired dishes, I highly recommend you to go check it out!

First stop of the weekend was to Green's to get Rusty a Growler of Highland Cold Mountain Ale!

On Saturday, I decided to take the girls to Downtown Greenville.  We walked all around Main Street and went into the different boutiques and enjoyed the scenery.  Jordan was so excited because she wanted to find the "Mice and Main," which are 9 bronze mice hidden around Main Street that have a story and riddles to go along with them.  We weren't successful in finding all of them, but did manage to find a few!  It was such a pretty day and we enjoyed the beautiful views at Falls Park. After walking up and down Main Street, we stopped for lunch at Grill Mark's for more delicious food. That night we cooked dinner, had some wine, and went out to the lovely city of Greer (my future home!) for a fire at Rusty's neighbors' house.

At Falls Park at Reedy River

It was so much fun having them in town and showing them around Greenville.  But the most exciting news of the weekend was that Kaylee asked me to be her Maid of Honor!!!!! I am sooooo excited about it and cannot wait to start helping her to have the most amazing wedding ever!

Jordan and Kaylee found Aunt Maggie the mouse while searching for "Mice on Main"

The bride to be!! So excited to be her MOH :)

Jordan and Leah at Falls Park

The Mice on Main Street...probably the highlight of Jordan's trip!

Obviously we had to make a Pinterest meal. Honey Mustard Pretzel Chicken

Fire with friends out in Greer! I think Leah, Kaylee, and Jordan enjoyed the Moonshine :)

I hate that the weekend flew by, but hopefully in a few months when my house is finished I can have everyone come back and visit again for a House Warming Party :)

Super Bowl Weekend

Super Bowl weekend is the Thanksgiving of the New Year! It's a time spent with family, friends, football, lots and lots of food and drinks.  I still feel stuffed from our delicious feast yesterday.

This weekend was a busy one for me.  Friday after work, my dog Harley and I ventured back home to Charlotte. I had one of my best friend from high school's baby shower to attend on Saturday and wanted to spend some time with my family since my little sister was home from college this weekend too.

Friday night my family went to our favorite restaurant, Riccio's, but I unfortunately missed out because I wasn't feeling well.  My sister did surprise me with a carton of Samoa Girl Scout Cookie flavored ice cream and let me tell you, it was SOOOOO good.

Saturday was another busy day for me, but I was starting to feel much better.  The whole reason I came to town was to go to one of my best friend's Baby Shower.  I cannot believe that I am old enough to have friends that are married and pregnant (where does the time go!?).  Her baby shower was at TPC Piper Glen in Charlotte and it was absolutely gorgeous.  They had a nice brunch menu, full of different choices.  I chose the Shrimp and Grits and they did not disappoint, they were so nice and creamy--such a Southern staple!  After food, we of course indulged in the adorable cake that Stephanie had ordered and even had cute baby Riley's name on it.  Watching Stephanie open the presents was so cute, she was so excited for all of the gifts that she was given.  Little girls are so much fun to shop for. I could have spent days in the baby aisle picking out what clothes and accessories I wanted to get her.  It was a great way to celebrate Stephanie and her new addition to her family! I cannot wait to meet Baby Riley :)

All the ladies that were at the Shower

Shrimp and Grits...yum!

Pretty Cake for Baby Riley

Sunday was spent getting ready for the big game! I headed back to South Carolina and went to my boyfriend's house to start cooking away.  Since none of us really had a team that we were pulling for and were really just watching for the entertainment value and an excuse to eat a lot of food, I went searching for new football favorites to try! I found so many recipes that we couldn't resist making even though it was just going to be a small group of us watching the game.  Needless to say, we had WAY too much food and all were stuffed within the first 5 minutes of the game.  I think we were more excited about the food than anything else, especially since the commercials for the most part were disappointing.  The only good ones were the Budweiser and Taco Bell with the old people from the nursing home (I secretly hope that I am that fun at that age!!).  Here is a small sampling of our Super Bowl feast! 

Peanut Butter Cookie Dough dip from Shugary Sweets

Rusty's pork for the Pulled Pork Sliders

Turkey, Swiss, and Pesto sliders from Reluctant Entertainer

Delicious Jalapeno Popper Dip from Simply Gourmet

It was such a fun weekend with family and friends, but now its time to get back to the grind of work before another fun weekend with visitors!

Here Goes Nothing...

After reading my little sister's blog, Tar Heel Taste Bud, for months and months, I decided that I wanted to join her in the fun and popular world of blogging!  She has inspired me (along with Pinterest) to become creative with my cooking and I felt with it being Super Bowl Weekend, it was the perfect time to start capturing some of the happenings in my life, including fun times with my friends, delicious food that I love to cook, and overall events in my life :)


I absolutely love taking pictures and sharing things in my life.  I thought this blog would be a perfect place to do that! Although I work 50 hours a week, there is still a lot of fun things that I fit into my busy schedule!

I love to cook and I am so excited that in just a few short months I will have a brand new kitchen to create delicious meals and sweet treats in.  It doesn't hurt that my wonderful boyfriend got me a KitchenAid Mixer for Christmas and my mom got me a Cuisinart Hand Mixer, so I better put these two to good use :) Along with a brand new kitchen, I will have a brand new house to decorate...so look forwards to lots of fun decorating types and ideas!






For now, here is a small sampling of a few things that I have created recently!

Low Country Boil and Dirty Rice with Venison with good friends! It was my first time trying Low Country Boil and let me just tell you, it was DELICIOUS!

These were some delicious Chocolate Chip Blondies that I saw on Tar Heel Taste Bud. I made these on our "snow" day in Greenville.  They were a huge hit right out of the oven, such a gooey and yummy alternative to brownies!

My beautiful owl that I painted at Uptown Art in Greenville for a teambuilding event with four other girls from work.  I will definitely be going back to paint something else and enjoy some more wine and laughs with friends!