Durham House: The Before Pics

After a few push backs we finally have a new departure date from Florida. The truck(s) will be here this weekend and then it's on to our next adventure. I have to admit that even though I'm still bummed about being apart, it will be very nice to finally get this move over with and not be in PCS limbo anymore.

Also, I am pretty darn thrilled that I will be getting to NC just in time for my favorite season of all! October is a great month in NC because the leaves finally start changing, the state fair comes to town, the farmers markets are in full swing, the nights are cool enough to leave the windows open, and its tailgate season. Aaaaand also, because halloween.

We already have our first couple of trips planned to visit each other and I'm feeling better about the situation now that we're almost in October. The rest of this year is going to fly by, and before we know it we'll be celebrating our wedding with everyone :) And then J will get his Wings of Gold, and we'll be off again!

Another positive about moving into a new place is that I get to feed my interior decorator addiction. I love moving into a new space and deciding where to put everything and how to make it feel homey. The Durham House (as we're calling it) is wonderful but tiny. It has old hardwood floors, a huge back deck, and great windows. But it is only 827 square feet! Which, coming from our Milton House, is going to be a huge change. Luckily for the most part it will only be me...and four animals...and J when he comes to visit. I'm actually really loving the idea of downsizing and getting rid of all the unnecessary junk.

So, now that it is officially official, here are some before pictures of our new Durham House...Stay tuned for the 'after' photos!!

kitchen area looking out to back deck and huge yard!

itty, bitty kitchen love

hallway from living room

ye olde bathroom

second bedroom which will be the office

master bedroom (bring your own cat)

living room!

I've got big plans for this baby, and a good old ikea trip in the making so check back to see what we've done to spruce this place up and make it our own <3

Some Fall Wardrobe Favorites

Thank you so much for all of the wonderful book recommendations after my last post!! One of my life long goals has been to start a book club that doesn't immediately fail due to lack of organization and time haha so thanks for helping me keep the dream alive!!

One of my biggest chores of the week, in preparation for our move, has been to go through all of my clothes and shoes so I can get rid of all of the things I don't wear anymore. After being in Florida this long I definitely feel like my work wardrobe has dwindled down to flip flops and sundresses, which we all know will not cut it in a NC winter.

So, out come the three organizational piles! The donate pile. The keep pile. And the trash-it-before-anyone-sees-it pile. My favorite part about the changing of the seasons is being able to switch up my wardrobe. As someone who is constantly trying to focus on the NOW but who is always thinking way too far ahead, I get sick of the seasonal fashion trends really quick. After like 3 weeks of bikinis and short shorts, all I can think about are sweaters and jeans. After a month of so of hoodies and tights, I am ready for flip flops and rompers.

It's really hard work being this basic.

With all of that being said, I have been gearing up for fall by creating a list of my fall fashion staples. My favorite part about fall fashion is the juxtaposition of all of the textures and patterns. I love mixing a huge, chunky knit sweater over opaque black tights, with some Frye boots. And seeing all of the rich, jewel tones people mix in with their work blazer through scarves and accessories. Everything is so comfy but so interesting to look at. In my opinion, a perfect, oversized, knit sweater is the equivalent of your favorite blanket you curl up in on your couch. Except the sweater is not frowned upon when you wear it in public.

Speaking as someone who is obsessed with always making everything as cozy as possible, the fall is my absolute favorite time of the year for fashion.

Must Haves:
Black Tights: they go with everything.

Boots: ankle, over the knee, etc...all of the boots!

Nice Jeans: I prefer dark wash, but a nice pair of bf jeans are amazing for a more casual look.

  

Flannel Shirt: the fitted flannels from Madewell and J-Crew are perfection. They are very flexible and can be tucked into a skirt or worn over jeans to a tailgate.

 

Blazer: a fitted, fresh blazer is perfect for going from the office to dinner.

Sweaters: I love a chunky, off the shoulder knit that can be layered or worn in its own.

Flats: A dressy pair of flats can be worn with jeans or a dress and they always look good

There are so many awesome fall outfits to try and so little time to try them all. You could always turn the A/C down and completely jump the gun like I did this morning! What are some of your fall wardrobe necessities?? 

Your Vibe Attracts Your Tribe: Mission Miami

This past weekend was absolutely incredible. Somehow, Hurricane Hermine completely missed Miami and everyone was able to make it to the bachelorette! And we even had two beautiful, sunny beach days. I honestly don't know what I have done to deserve such amazing, kind, hilarious girlfriends but I am so thankful for these women who have been with me throughout all of the different stages of my life!

I have known some of these girls since we were children, some since college, and some of these women I have only just met in the past two years, but each and every one of these friendships has helped make me who I am today. If there's one thing in life that I feel like I have definitely always done right, it is surround myself with supportive and loving girlfriends, and I only hope that I can always be as good of a friend to all of them as they have always been for me.

We spent 3 hilarious days clubbing, laughing, playing silly games, laying out on the beach, swimming, and celebrating. It was such a wonderful experience to see all of my friends from different walks of life hanging out and becoming great friends with each other. It's one of those weird things that you don't think you'll ever get to see! You talk about your hometown friends to your military friends, and to your college friends about your childhood friends, but many times they never actually meet, so it was very special to have everyone together in one place. I can't wait for the wedding where we will all be together again along with the ladies who couldn't make it!

With that being said, I hope everyone had a wonderful labor day weekend and here are some of the more PG pics from my bachelorette weekend... enjoy!

Perfect beach day! Accessories courtesy of my awesome sister, Tempe!

Dinner at Larios: Elizabeth you are amazing!

Photo Op ;)

Of course you have to take a pic in front of a giant duck if you find one...

What hurricane??

I don't think I've ever laughed as hard in my life! Such a ridiculous night!

Brunette Mafia <3

Oh hey perfect beach day

My Mission Miami Maidens

Team America!

<3 <3 <3

As the Spice Girls say... If you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friends! I think J officially has the seal of approval from my ladies ;) T-4 months until 'I DO'!!!

Holy August Batman!

I can not believe it is already August. This summer has seriously flown by and honestly, I am completely fine with that! This girl is ready for some cool fall nights, cozy sweaters, and pumpkin flavored everything. Basic I know, but there you have it.

I just got back from spending a wonderful week up in Durham with the family. We finalized some wedding details, had my first dress fitting, & did a little rental house hunting (more on that later!) I also got to see one of my favorite ADF performances (Paul Taylor), and pick up the new Harry Potter book at the midnight release from the old, local book shop where I bought the others so many years ago. Super nostalgic trip! Every time I go back to Durham to visit I feel so lucky to have been raised in such an open minded and forward thinking community. And luckily wedding planning keeps me going back and forth quite a bit!

It's hard to believe that in a few short months we will be saying our 'I do's'!! When we got engaged last December I kept thinking that our wedding date was soooo far out, but this year is flying by and I'm super thankful we started planning early. A lot of changes are going to be happening in the next few months leading up to the wedding and I am excited to see where these changes take us.

But for now, we are enjoying our last few weeks in the Milton House and spending time with all of our Florida friends :) One of the hardest parts about being a military family is having to constantly say 'see you later' to the wonderful friends you make along the way. The stress and love that comes with this lifestyle bonds you together with each other quicker and more intensely than most normal friendships and they are the glue that holds us all together.

As we approach this next PCS, I can't help but shed a few tears over the idea of parting ways with these wonderful friends and having to start over from scratch again. But if I've learned anything over the last couple of years, it's that distance over time and space have nothing to do with affairs of the heart, and while we may all be scattered across this planet nothing will cause this support system to falter. Also, we thankfully have the internet at our disposal so staying in touch is much easier :)

With all that being said, new beginnings bring a sense of excitement and adventure and we will be keeping everyone posted on our little journey right here through it all! Stay tuned...

Monday Morning Motivation

Monday mornings have always been a bit of a 'catch-up' day for me. So, when the storms rolled in this morning, and the thunder started rumbling, I poured myself a hot cup of coffee and started going through my emails from the last 24 hours.

I love the feeling of getting my week started with a bang. And recently, it's been difficult for me to have that feeling of excitement since things around here are much slower than I am used to. But I've got NPR on the radio, its less than 107 degrees, and my to-do list is getting out of control!

There are new client searches to get started, closing details to organize, wedding vendors to respond to, offers to be written (!), and a million little details in between.

Setting the tone for your week early on is a great way to ensure productivity, something that is easy some days and nearly impossible other days. Usually I wake up and get the coffee started, put some essential oils in our diffuser (peppermint, sweet orange, and eucalyptus since it's been so hot), and turn on NPR (or HGTV) so that my brain has a chance to wake up as I'm getting ready.

Then it's on to the emails, and phone calls, and texts. I absolutely love my Day Designer planner because as I'm going through everything I have an easy to fill out blue print for my week! Each day has a timeline progressing in half hours, a notes section, a to-do list chunk, and a spot for top goals (because let's be honest...the top three things on your list are the ones that HAVE to get done).

Some days those are the ONLY things that get done, but that's life. Especially when you are awake half the night because your 70 pound dog is sleeping on your head because the smoke detector is beeping in the guest room and it is the single most terrifying thing he's ever heard.

But! I will get everything done today! And I will do it with a smile on my face because I am thankful, and alive, and motivated woohooo! (How's that for a Monday mantra??)

What are some ways you get started on the right foot on a Monday Morning?

What's on the Menu: Fourth of July (Part 2)

It's actually, officially INDEPENDENCE DAY!! However, we celebrated too hard all weekend so I am celebrating by watching Captain America and trying to force my dogs to snuggle as they run about the house barking at fireworks (high five)!

heh heh heh 'Merica

We did have a great BBQ yesterday and were able to spend time with our wonderful friends, eat some amazing food, and drink too much beer. We were ALMOST outnumbered by dogs since all of us are in that awkward 'we don't have kids yet but treat our dogs like they're babies' stage, but the humans won out in the end.

J and I got up early so he could start marinating the ribs in a new homemade sauce (Pineapple Habanero), and I had to get the biscuits and veggie burgers crackin.

The veggie burger recipe is from one of my all time favs Thug Kitchen. They are super easy to make, and only require a few ingredients that we usually have laying around the house:
-3 cans white beans
-an onion
-cumin, chili powder, paprika
-jalepenos
-bread crumbs

All you have to do is bake them for 30 minutes and they are good to go!

The biscuits are another favorite of ours from the Foster's Market Cookbook.
They are amazingly buttery, and cheesy, and delicious! And, they are good for several days after so you can heat them up and have them with breakfast and dinner.

We also had sides galore thanks to our amazing friends, and everyone was stuffed by the end of the night. I for one will be doubling up on Pure Barre this week, especially since Wednesday is Glow Day at the Pensacola Barre studio! (and who doesn't love doing pilates covered in glow paint??)

Here are some photos from our festivities...

Sweet Friends 

Men & Their Fire Sticks

Dog Pile Up

Poodle Mama

Cop & Tuck 

Lovely Milton Ladies

Happy Fourth of July friends! Hope everyone had a wonderful, safe long weekend :)

Let's Talk Food: Our Fourth of July Menu (Part 1)

If BBQ is not synonymous with Independence Day, then I don't know what it, which is awkward because I'm a vegetarian (most of the time). When we cook any meat in our house I am adamant that it comes from our local butcher so I know exactly what farm the meat came from, how the animal was grazed, and any other horrifying details they choose to give me that day.

J is actually kind of a master griller so it makes my vegetarianism quite difficult sometimes. For this weekend, we compromised though with a menu of delicious dishes and sides that cater to all diets! Even my lovely friend who is gluten/soy free (love ya girl!).

With that being said, here is a list of our favorite cookbooks that we whipped out for the occasion!

1. Foster's Market Cookbook
2. Thug Kitchen
3. 12 Bones Smokehouse: A Mountain BBQ Cookbook

These cook books are staples in our kitchen and you should definitely check them out!

For today's cookout J mixed up some of the 12 Bones Chicken Rub and marinated a pork butt in it over night (thank you little piggy butt!) You slow cook the pork in the oven for 4 hours on 275 so it comes out perfect for pulled pork sandwiches or tacos!

The we made the 12 Bones drop biscuits. This is our first time using this homemade biscuit recipe since the Buttermilk Biscuits in Foster's Market Cookbook are so delicious but I'm excited to see how they turn out. Instead of smoked gouda we used chipotle gouda for an extra kick.

12 Bones Chicken Rub

Gouda Drop Biscuits

Kitchen War Zone

What are you cooking for today's festivities??

Happy 2nd of July!