BlessedSouthernTarheel

What I'm Loving Wednesday

I find myself having less and less time to visit the blogosphere these days. I'm afraid that isn't going to change since our wedding is exactly one month from today! How that is even possible is beyond me. I get so giddy and literally squeal out loud in delight each time I realize how close our day really is! Here are some other things I'm currently loving.

I know I just said this, but I'm loving that the wedding is one month away! I love this so much, the fact that I mentioned it twice in one post is totally permissible.

I'm loving that another season of So You Think You Can Dance starts this week! As a dancer for seventeen years, this show holds a special place in my heart.

Yep, I am in this picture! Circa 2003 I think?!

I'm loving that my favorite girls and I are heading to Charleston this weekend for some bachelorette festivities! Charleston has to be one of my favorite places in the world. So that, plus a weekend with all my closest friends is sure to make for an incredible trip!

I'm loving that the closing on our house is scheduled for a week from today! I'm ready to make it official and start tackling the "moving" monster!

I'm loving Essie's 2013 neon collection! I am making every effort I can to find some time in my schedule to visit a nail salon for a little mani / pedi action before Charleston! Even if I can't fit it in, I snagged a few bottles of the collection at Ulta yesterday. Opps...happens to me every time.

What are you loving this week? Link up with Jamie and let me know!

Be blessed!

Please tell me...

I'm a planner, I'm an organizer. Most of the time, that seems to work towards my benefit...hence, why I do it. So before I ordered the postage for my wedding invitations, I took one to the UPS store and checked with an employee...he told me two stamps would cover it. I buy the stamps, get them ready to be mailed and take them to the post office...10 cents short! Are you fricking kidding me?! Fine on weight, but the larger size required the extra 10 cents. So I order another set of forever stamps, because I want them to match. Huge waste of money and time. Please tell me why the guy at the UPS store couldn't estimate postage correctly?! Isn't that his job?!

I had three four hour meetings at work last week. Two from 8:00 - 12:00 on Wednesday and Friday and one from 10:00 - 2:00 on Thursday. I don't typically get to work until 8:30 - 8:45...please tell me who schedules an 8:00 meeting anyway?! Or a meeting in the middle of lunch?! The best part is, we didn't get finished so we had another 10:00 - 2:00 meeting today.

Speaking of getting up early for an 8:00 meeting, on my way to my car and in a rush to get to work on time for said meeting, I stepped right in a fresh pile of dog poop. So I scoop up a few twigs in an attempt to get most of it off my shoe and keep it from getting all over my car. I'm pretty sure I could still smell the last of it during the meeting...let's hope no one else could. Please tell me who in my apartment complex doesn't pick up after their dog...I would like to hurt them.

One last thing...I had a third wedding dress fitting appointment last weekend just to sew a belt onto my dress. We couldn't do it at the first or second fitting because the belt hadn't come in yet even though I picked it out back in August on the same day I picked out my dress. Please tell me why it takes over eight months to make and ship a belt?! More time than an entire dress?! (I'm pretty sure someone forgot to order it, but that's another rant for another day) So the belt finally arrives and I'm told it doesn't match the color or the fabric of my dress. They'll have to make a new belt and move the applique from the ordered belt to the new one. So now, I have a fourth appointment scheduled. Please tell me why no one mentioned any of this when we picked out the belt in the first place?! Or before I wasted time coming in for that fitting? And that I better not be charged for the reworked belt...because I'm not paying.

Alright, sorry for the rants. I'm finished. Sometimes you just gotta let it out. I'm feeling much better. :)

Be blessed!

Zach's Baptism

I spent this past weekend in Greenville, NC with family and friends celebrating the baptism of my nephew, Zach. I am incredibly thankful I was able to be a part of this special day in my favorite nephew's life!

No surprise here, let's kick of this recap with some of the delicious eats we enjoyed. Bojangles makes any five hour drive more bearable. Actually, Bojangles makes about anything in life more bearable.

Before meeting up with everyone Saturday, my parents and I ate lunch at aTavola!. I'm almost positive I've mentioned this place a time or two before, but they have the best pizza. My mom and I always do our best to ensure one meal is eaten here during our trips to Greenville. If you're ever in the area, go there. Just trust me.

Spinach & Feta heaven

The star of the weekend, Zach!

My SIL, Megan, Zach and myself. Love.

We spent the afternoon visiting with everyone, taking a walk, eating cookies and waiting for Zach to wake up from his three hour nap!

Oatmeal, crasisns and chocolate chips!

We ventured out to dinner at The Dixie Queen fish camp. I'm not the biggest fan of fried fish, but fish camps are a significant part of my family's traditions, so I went with the flow. It was definitely an experience. Have you ever heard the term "fish camp"? I found most people haven't - must be a local NC thing. That could be a blog post of it's own.

The baptism was on Sunday. Being that pastor's son, Zach drew quite a large group of paparazzi. So I whipped out my camera during the service too!

Zach made it through the baptism without much crying! He was out by the end of the service though!

He wore a gown made by my mom many years ago for my brother's baptism. My brother and I both wore it also. All three of our names along with our birth dates are stitched on the side. I'm so excited for a little one of my own to wear it someday!

Pictures, cake and lunch followed the service. Around 3:00, Zach decided he had had enough and was ready to go home for a nap! So we said our good-byes and headed home.

Be blessed!

A Wedding Shower for Him & Her

On Saturday evening three family friends hosted a couples kitchen shower for Joey and I. I am a tad upset I don't have more pictures to share. It was one of those nights where you just want to savor and live in each moment rather than try to capture them all on a camera...plus, I didn't want to be the girl running around snapping photos of all the guests and every single piece of food. I mean I wanted to...but not everyone understands the tendencies of a photo lover and blogger. So I asked my mom to take pictures, who then gave the camera to my dad...who took a few photos, half of which were blurry, and then got bored. Can't have it all I suppose.

Anyway, here are the photos I do have. The shower was at 6:00. There was an incredibly delicious southern dinner, which included ham biscuits, pimento cheese sandwiches, tuna salad cups, meatballs, potato salad, fruit, veggies and hummus, crackers and a sausage cheese deep that was out of this world. Oh, and three kinds of homemade desserts, because one or two desserts just won't do.

For dessert, there were brownies, lemon bars and these beautiful cupcakes. Trust me, they were as delicious as they were beautiful!

The rooftop room has an amazing porch with a great view of the Charlotte skyline...unfortunately, it was rainy and chilly that night so we only got to enjoy the view from inside.

The hostesses and my sweet nephew, Zach!

The last picture of the night captured the awkwardness of gift opening. I was so happy to have Joey by my side for this shower and made him open the majority of the gifts. I opened the cards and then helped shift everyone's attention to him. :)

The invitations were mailed out Monday... so the wedding is official now!

Be blessed!

What I'm Loving Wednesday

I'm loving bright colored running shoes and workout clothes. A more brightly colored outfit makes for a happier workout in my opinion!

I'm loving this salsa verde I got as an impulse purchase at Target last weekend. I have always loved the salsa verde at Moe's but never noticed it in a grocery store until now. It is so much better than regular salsa...only problem is, I can't stop eating it once I start!

I'm loving Relevant's article "Instagram’s Envy Effect" discussing the real issue of the comparison trap that social media creates.

But seeing the best possible, often-unrealistic, half-truth version of other peoples’ lives isn’t the only danger of the Internet. Our envy buttons also get pushed because we rarely check Facebook when we’re having our own peak experiences. We check it when we’re bored and when we’re lonely, and it intensifies that boredom and loneliness.

This article really resonated with me. As a result, I've been trying to put some space between myself and my phone this week.

I'm loving this healthy recipe for fluffer nutter cookies. Peanut butter and marshmallows are my jam, so I may just have to stop by the store after work and attempt this recipe tonight.

I'm loving this ModCloth maxi dress I finally found and purchased yesterday for the honeymoon! It is out of stock as of today, so that must be a good sign!