Winesday Wednesday Chadonnay Day Week Month?

Happy Wednesday friendsssssssaaahhh!
Okay, obviously I've had too much coffee and need to take it down a notch. But, today is (as the Skimm so eloquently put it) the Winesday Wednesday before International Wine Day!! Welllll technically tomorrow is International CHARDONNAY Day, not Wine Day in general but I've never said no to a good excuse to have a glass (or two or five) of vino. Personally, I am waiting patiently for June 10th which is National Rosé Day, not to be confused with INTERNATIONAL Rosé Day which is on August 14th. That was a lot of information but stick with me! Here is nice little chart to make things easier. You're welcome *high five*

Anyway, now that The Bachelorette is back I think it's safe to say that most of us celebrate weekly wine day on Monday's but for the past couple of weeks I have been getting together with my sister in law to watch The Handmaid's Tale and woooooo if you don't need a glass of wine to make it through that show! I seriously cry angry tears an average of two times per episode but it's so good! And at least they aren't tears of emotional distress (cough cough Grey's Anatomy cough).

Now, I am definitely not a sommelier by any means, like my ideal wine is from Trader Joe's and it has a pretty label and is five dollars but I know what I like and love trying new varieties. When J and I lived in Florida during flight school some of the other wives and I would get together for Wine and Cheese nights regularly and just take a few hours to wind down, commiserate, and have some girl time. Those nights were seriously the BEST!

All we needed was a few bottles of wine, some cheese and crackers, and some blankets and the night would be made. I'm definitely not advocating alcoholism here by any means! But there is something so nice about sharing some wine with your people and embracing the hygge of a night with friends :) We definitely never had a dull wine night and I always left the night with sore abs from laughing so hard!

My current favorite wine genré if you will, is of the Sparkling Rosé variety because I am basic and it is refreshing and delicious when it is muggy and hot out.

So, in the spirit of Winesday Wednesday, International Chardonnay Day, and because I want to knooow...what are your favorite wines??

Let me know!

Cheers, Em

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'!!!

We've Got Orders...

Today was a little rough. We finally got J's official orders and our move date has been scheduled for a couple of weeks from now. It's not like I didn't know this was coming but seeing it on paper made it so much more real. I felt like such a baby because I literally just looked at them and lost my shit and started crying like an insane person. Thankfully after a bit of consoling and teasing from J, I was able to lock it up. It just makes me so sad to think about being apart for the next few months, but we will get to see each other every few weeks and time will go quickly.

I think I've just been feeling a little bit overwhelmed because everything seems to happen all at once! On top of dealing with moving technicalities, I have been planning on doing my bachelorette this coming weekend for the last 6 months. Everything was organized, everyone was excited, and then out of nowhere a hurricane decides to pop up :( We are still on, but keeping a serious lookout on the weather channel these next couple of days. Thankfully everything looks like it will be passing north of us...but fingers crossed! (And pictures to come soon...)

I've also been in work limbo for the past month or so because we are in the process of PCS'ing so I've been feeling pretty discouraged. I'm definitely not the kind of person who can sit around and do nothing all day without feeling horribly guilty. The one thing I am looking forward to immensely in Durham, other than seeing friends and family, is having a full time career again!

Starting my real estate company down here was something I will always be proud to have done. I met amazing people, learned a lot about real estate in Florida, and expanded my skills as an agent and broker. But with that being said, I also have a whole new respect for brokers like my mother who run a company and manage to do their own business at the same time. And I can't wait to get back to being just a regular, old agent for a while!

I guess today was just one of those days, but I'm going to have a big cup of tea, put on my coziest sweats, and settle down with a good book and the pups. Everything will be fine and we will be stronger for it. Nobody said this life would be easy all the time, but taking a deep breath and counting your blessings helps. And wine. Wine helps too.

Weekend Update

A big cup of reheated (multiple times) coffee in my Durham mug, Harry Potter playing on the TV, and snoring pups at our feet. Not bad for a 3 day weekend in Milton. The weather down here in Florida is incredibly volatile in the winter, so yesterday it was seventy degrees and sunny but today it is in the 50's and super chilly outside! We had plans to maybe take a trip somewhere for the weekend but there is something so easy and comfortable about a good old fashioned stay-cation :) Especially since as a realtor there isn't really such a thing as a three day weekend. 

I plan on spending this weekend catching up on some reading, trying out a couple of new recipes, and showing houses to some wonderful new clients. Not too shabby!

In honor of Valentines day we are going to make...drumroll please...DONUTS!! I have no idea why but I really associate valentines day with eating donuts, and according to Pinterest I'm not the only one who feels that way. 

We are going to try several different recipes and combinations so hopefully they taste awesome and we don't burn down the house! As an amateur in the kitchen that's really all one can hope for...

Keep an eye out for our V-Day donut adventure tomorrow... ;)

Happy 240th Birthday Marines

This weekend we got to take a break from the packing fiasco and celebrate the 240th birthday of the Marine Corps at the annual birthday ball. It was such a good time (even though we only made it to the pre-ball) and it was nice to let loose and celebrate with friends, both new and old. The music was good, everyone looked beautiful, and we all ate and drank more than we should have! 

It's nice to get super dressed up every once in a while and spend the day pampering yourself. I don't normally go all out on things like this but on Saturday I did the whole shebang; spray tan, hair, makeup...I even shaved my legs. You're welcome. Haha. Seeing J in uniform is definitely the best part though. I'll tell you one thing, I've never in my life been a uniform chaser, but seeing him in his dress blues makes me understand where they are coming from! Soooo handsome <3

We had a great evening, and ended the night at the whiskey bar, eating french fires as a night cap. Not too shabby ;) 

Today, after recuperating and having a huge brunch with friends, we tried very hard to 'adult' and went to look at appliances for the new house. It is insane how long the list of things you need in a new house is. We had to completely leave the store to regroup! I've worked with enough first time home buyers to know that this process is overwhelming but being on this side of the transaction I'm learning that the actual purchase is just the tip of the iceberg as far as making a house a home goes!

But we are SO excited! The countdown is at t-2 days! That's insane. It's also insane how much we still need to pack. Of course instead of packing right now I'm making home made buttermilk biscuits and blogging, and J is playing Fallout 4. We're very productive and can't be disturbed right now, obviously. 

The next couple of weeks are going to be incredibly busy and hectic but I'm going to diffuse my holiday oils, listen to christmas music, pack like a mad woman, and get it over with as quickly as possible so we can start my favorite time of the year!!

Woo-hoo! Hope everyone else had a great weekend, stay tuned for the next bit of madness...

E

Bull City Race Fest

It feels like its been forever since I have had a chance to sit down and write! Probably, because it has been. Last week was insane because I had to study for and take my Florida Real Estate Brokers exam. It was so tricky, but thankfully having my license in NC made it much easier than it could have been. I definitely don't recommend taking the brokers class online without a real teacher if you don't have any experience with real estate because you will learn LITERALLY nothing. Anyway, I passed and its over! I can officially work as a buyers agent in the state of Florida now wooooooo :)

With all the excitement from my test, work being crazy, and planning our move out of the apartment (!) I almost completely forgot about the half marathon I was supposed to be training for...

Welp, I did it! 13.1 miles of hills that I didn't even know existed in Durham. It was actually a really liberating and empowering experience. I never even knew I COULD run that far so it's absolutely hilarious to me that I did it. It was also really fun to be back in my hometown and see what fall is supposed to look like! Running through the city all the leaves were changing, there was no humidity, and the day was sunny, mid 50's, and absolutely beautiful. 

My knees are killing me, and I will probably be walking like an 80 year old for the next week but it was totally worth it and I may be hooked...I have already started looking up other races to run in which is funny because for the whole last chunk of the race I was telling myself I would NEVER do it again. They have a Disney Princess Run in Disney World. That makes me so happy! If I could find a Harry Potter race I would be in heaven...

So hears to doing activities you thought were nearly impossible, pushing your limits, and trying new things!!

10 Things I Love About Sundays

Sunday's are funny because they feel like an ending and a beginning. The weekend is over and a new week is about to begin. It's a time for switching your lazy, fun weekend brain off and starting to gear up for the work week ahead. It's very easy to focus on the negatives of a Sunday; having to get up early the next day, not being able to watch Netflix for hours in a row, curbing your Pinterest habit. 

But, I also love Sunday's because they are so cleansing. There is something very therapeutic about cleaning the house, getting the fridge stocked for the week, organizing my work stuff and setting it out, getting something good cooking on the stove, and then being able to sit back and relax in the evening for a little while before bed. 

As I write this post, the doggies are snoozing by our feet, J is studying and watching a football game on T.V, some amazing smelling chicken and rice soup is simmering away on the stove, and I'm and relaxing and drinking some hot, peppermint tea . It's pretty perfect. 

Starting the week off on a good foot can make all of the difference in the world, and out of all of the days of the week, I find Sunday the easiest day to both fall off the positive bandwagon and get going with a really great, positive mindset. However, a lot of people don't think of happiness as a choice, and of course this choice is more difficult for some than others, but it is still an active, participatory thing. 

With that being said, here are 10 of my favorite things about Sunday...

1. Making a big pot of something yummy that we can munch on for the next few days
2. Opening the windows and letting the cool, evening breeze blow through the house
3. Reading what the next prompt is in The 52 Lists Project and brainstorming my answer
4. Sitting down after getting the house clean and ready for the week (smells like orange oil!)
5. Freshly washed sheets and blankets to snuggle down into
6. Scrolling through my favorite blogs & Pinterest posts in my coziest sweatpants
7. Turning on my twinkle lights, lighting those pumpkin spice candles, and reading a good book (#basic, I know)
8. Drinking a cup of hot tea after dinner and watching New Girl reruns with J on our couch
9. Calling my family in Durham to say Hi and catch up with them (even though we talk way more than once a week)
10. The feeling of a fresh, new week ahead of me with infinite possibilities!

I hope everyone had a great weekend, and that your Sunday has been as restful and relaxing as mine :)

E

*P.S This Weeks Prompt For The 52 Lists Project Is...

List all of your favorite things about fall.

Sunday Night Blues (And The 52 Lists Prompt: List 40)

It's that time of the week again. Sunday night. 
It is so hard to enjoy these last few hours of freedom when I know I have to go back to work tomorrow. 

Don't get me wrong, I have a job that I like but starting over as a real estate broker in a new town is not the easiest way to go. It's hard having to work in an administrative position when I have been a licensed broker for longer than most people I work with. 

But I know my stuff and have 3 years of real life experience under my belt, so at least there is that! I just didn't realize how long it would take for my application paperwork to go through! Since Florida doesn't have reciprocity with any other state I had to completely start over when I got here, which included a new background check, a pre-licensing class, a class exam, finger printing, numerous application fees, and a state exam (that I am STILL waiting for the okay to take). 

Once I am finally able to take my state exam I will be in a much better position though, and I have to keep reminding myself that. Nothing is permanent, and in real estate if you work hard, know your market, and do your business in a respectful & educated way, things will generally work out :) I learned that from the best...my mama haha, but seriously!

Anyway, this first week of the 52 Lists Project could not come at a better time because I could use a little bit of motivation right now. Since I am starting in the fall section, I will be starting with list 40 which is...

List your top 20 mood boosting songs!

I am going to be taking this week to work on my list, and probably revisit some great, moldy oldies from my high school and college music collection. Everyone is welcome to share all or part of their lists in the comments below! 

Can't wait to see what everyone comes up with...

E

Easy Peasy Cheesey Cake

We are living the Saturday life over here in the Nardi/Morgan household, and we are doing it right. The house smells like coffee, pumpkin candle, and Churro Cheesecake which is baking in the oven right now. I have a feeling it will be a dessert-before-dinner night...

This is the first time I've used this specific recipe and there are definitely a couple of things I will be doing differently next time (like make my own dough or used pie crust instead of pre-made biscuit dough). 

But overall, this is an easy to make, yummy, fall recipe that is quick and delicious.

All you have to do is mix...
Two 8 oz. blocks of cream cheese
One large egg
1/2 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla

...into your food processor like you would if you were making frosting. When it is smooth and fully mixed then you're good to go. 

Set the oven to 350, and grease a baking pan heavily with butter then sprinkle the bottom with cinnamon sugar (I mixed in a little bit of brown sugar with this too because I like it on my pie crusts).

Next, fit your dough (or as this recipe called for, the Pillsbury Crescent Roll dough) into the bottom of the pan and pour the cheesecake mix on top. Put a second layer of dough (the second can of crescent rolls dough) on top, and douse it with another hefty layer of cinnamon sugar mix. 

Pop it in the oven for 30-35 minutes and enjoy as your whole house fills up with the amazing smell of baked cinnamon sugar. Viola!

Easy peasy cheesey cake that anyone can make :)

I found this original recipe on 

http://therecipecritic.com/2013/04/churro-cheesecake/ 

Weekend Roundup

Another weekend come and gone. 

I know I'm not alone in mourning the end of the weekend, but Monday's really are the worst. Like, the actual worst. Especially after a weekend of perfect weather, hanging out with good friends, and relaxing.

J and I turned off our A/C, opened up the screen door and windows, and let the amazing 65 degree breeze blow through the house. There is nothing better than being able to get some fresh air in your house, especially during seasonal changes. Aaaand I may have jumped onto the fall bandwagon early and bought cinnamon scented pinecones and carmel apple candles so the house smells sooo good! I also love diffusing our tangerine and eucalyptus oils this time of year to keep those colds at bay. 

Some people get really into spring cleaning but im much more of a fall 'cleaning' gal myself. I love decorating for the colder seasons, putting out all the cozy throws and blankets, burning yummy candles, and having the slow cooker running all day to fill our house with the smell of whatever cold weather concoction were making for dinner (this weekend it was Spicy Vegetarian Chili!) 

Sunday is also usually the day I like the get things ready for the week. As much as I want to be able to do everything (work a 40 hour week, make dinner, hang out with friends, clean the house, take care of the dogs) its just not possible to get all of those things done during the week when I get home at 5:30 every day. So getting the laundry, housework, meal prep, and my long run done on Sunday makes the week much easier for us. And let me just say that this weeks long run was 7 miles. Not an easy task for a non-runner. Also, cleaning house on Sunday keeps the swirling abyss of animal fur at bay so we don't get attacked by dog sized dust bunnies and my OCD can rest a little bit more peacefully knowing that everything is KIND OF clean.

I know it sounds crazy, but I really do get sick enjoyment out of making my house clean and cozy. J calls me an 'anxious cleaner' because I've been known to swiffer and rearrange things when I'm nervous, but at least the house is clean! And it's so much more fun to have people over and hang out when everything smells and looks good, am i right?? 

Anyway, I hope every has a good Monday! Here is our weekend photo roundup ;)

How do you like to make your home cozy for fall??

E

A Little Piece Of Peace

Saturday morning. There are few things better than waking up slowly to the smell of coffee and knowing that there is nothing on the schedule for the day that HAS to be done. 

Unless of course you count going to a book store, studying a little bit for the realtor exam, drinking MORE coffee, and maybe going for a run in the evening...all good things. 

The past couple of weeks there has been a wonderful sense of calm in my life. Maybe it has to do with finally having a job I enjoy, one that challenges me in a good way. Or the fact that it always takes a while to get into the swing of things when you move. Whatever it is, my sleep has been sounder, my days have gone by faster, and I just feel less anxious about things in general (which is rare for me haha). For every big change in life there is an adjustment period, a time when it is easy to doubt yourself, but without these changes it would be impossible to grow and evolve as a person. 

The older I get the more I realize that there are somethings in life that you just can not control, and that your energy is better spent working on the things that you can control and change. Especially now that the Marine Corps is a part of my life through James, Ive learned that everything must be written in pencil and that plans change. Being a person who finds comfort in routine and having control over situations this has been a huge wake up call! But in a way it has been liberating too, because it allows me to (whether I like it or not...) let go of things a bit more and just go with the flow. No perfectly laid plan will ever work out the way you want it to, but there is beauty in challenge and those crazy little life messes that pop up when we least expect it :) 

So, as I sit here drinking coffee out of my Bull City mug and writing this post, I am content with the direction of my life but also excited because I know that everything could change in an instant, and all any one of us can do is be the best version of ourselves that we can be and weather the storms when they come. 

Hope everyone enjoys their weekend!

k i d k r u d

if you are a parent, teacher, or in my case a nanny, then you are most certainly familiar with what i refer to as the 'kid krud'. its that nasty virus that school age kids get EVERY. SINGLE. YEAR. it comes complete with runny nose, horrifying cough, sore throat, and body aches. and the best part is, you don't get a day off when you are a nanny and the kids are the ones who started the illness because they can't catch it back from you! its not like you can say 'stay away from me you sick child!' when i see one of my kids being all sick and pitiful i can't help but want to make them feel better...so long story short, i caught the 'kid krud'. wah wah

however, i did get about 24 hours of fun in this weekend before it hit me! we went out for sushi on friday night (or i did, J had a video game date) to celebrate our friends' flight suit friday. its crazy to think that James will be celebrating his in a few short weeks! then we spent the day at the pool, drinking gin & tonics, reading, and relaxing. 

saturday night we had people over for a BBQ. its nice to know that we are surrounded by so many great people. our tiny apartment was packed with fun friends, good food, and lots of noise. we had to call it a night early because J had some studying to do for his exam, but it was a good time :) also i needed to chug about 4 bottles of nyquil. 0_o

today was the first day of summer for the kids i nanny for so my days will be beginning at the crack of 8:00am for the next couple of months. the camp schedule for these 3 is insane, and i spent most of the day running them to and from their activities while trying to get laundry done in between. we did manage to watch Mockingjay, play 3 rounds of checkers, take the dogs to the dog park, and make crepes today though which is pretty good for four sick people haha. hopefully in the days to come everyone will start feeling better so we can go to the beach!

oh! and for all of my durhamites, i will be back in town this sunday until wednesday morning for the Taylor Swift concert and to visit my family. sooooo, if you wanna get a drink or catch up, you know how to reach me! i promise not to breathe on you...

b o x e s o n b o x e s

i can happily say that yesterday was super productive on the box front! after doing a little bit of research online, and deciding that i wasn't desperate enough to dumpster dive, i decided to go and ask some local businesses if they had any boxes they needed to get rid of. everyone was super helpful especially Sam's Quickstop, Harris Teeter, Smitten, and Whole Foods. if anyone ever needs good, free moving boxes i definitely recommend asking around because it is  much cheaper and there are literally boxes everywhere. 

however, be prepared to have to pick them up from grocery stores at the ass crack of dawn. i made the mistake of saying i would pick them up this morning, after staying up until after midnight watching the duke game, and then there was that pesky 'spring forward' life ruiner. we got there in the end though. so now i have about a million collapsed, empty boxes...time for the fun part.

thankfully, my friend Brittney is a pro-mover and is coming over to get me in line later today. because it turns out that no amount of coffee, spotify or pinterest has motivated me to actually put things in boxes yet today. 

if anyone has any moving or packing tips, please share them! i could use all the help i can get ;)

s a t u r da y m o r n i n g

there is something amazing about being able to wake up slowly in the morning, knowing you have nowhere to be, nothing to do. just coffee to drink, a good book to read, some refreshing oils to diffuse...

my bedroom gets the most beautiful morning light. that bright golden, warm kind that makes you both sleepy and ready to get up and embrace the day. its been a while since i haven't had to work on a saturday because its such a good day to show houses. but this weekend i decided to focus on getting my stuff together for the move and taking it easy. i want to enjoy my last couple of weeks here before i empty out the house and take the plunge. 

so here i am sitting in my bed with a hot cup of coffee, lavender & lemon in the diffuser, dogs chomping merrily on their bones, listening to NPR and playing on pinterest. perfection. 

sometimes you have to take time out to relax and get your bearings before jumping into a flurry of activity. and believe me when i say that my to do list goes from about here to belgium today! 

but first! coffee. 

w e e k e n d h u s t l e

this weekend was a blur. it seems like whenever i want time to slow down, it speeds up with a vengeance. and since this is james' last weekend before he leaves for pensacola (two months before me) it was over before i knew it. we also had a million things to get done this weekend which didn't help, all fun things mostly though! 

saturday we spent the day in charlotte with j's aunt, who has been kind enough to bestow some great furniture on us for the new place. we also made a trip to ikea, which lasted a grand total of 37 minutes. that has got to be some kind of record...we may also be the only lunatics who go to ikea for a can opener, but you try making chili with only a pair of scissors and an attitude to open all those cans! of course we also walked out with a bajillion tea lights and some other accessories but hey, thats ikea for you. 

after a wonderful lunch at a cute place called The Rabbit, we booked it back to Durham for the Duke vs. Syracuse baseball game. of course the blue devils killed it and the cameron crazies were on point with their less than tasteful but awesomely hilarious taunts. my parents nagged a couple of extra tickets for this game and the four of us were able to have a nice dinner together before the game. i know its going to be tough leaving them when i make the move to florida so its nice to spend any time i can with them :) 

today james had to help his brother and sister in law scrape the popcorn ceiling off in their new place. as a real estate agent i do my best to avoid any such home improvement activity and leave it to the professionals. if it involves sloppy goo falling on my head, I'm probably not down (must be all of those years watching people get slimed on nickelodeon). so instead i baked cookies for the scrapers and got some stuff done at home including a nice hot batch of chicken and wild rice stew. 

overall, I'm happy the weekend was so productive, and i knew this day was coming where james and i would have to be apart for a little while. its not like we haven't been here before, what with his job as marine and everything, but this time i got to keep him for two whole weeks! soon enough we will get into our new place together and this won't be the norm anymore. but, until then, i have 3 weeks to somehow manage to pack up all of our furniture and belongings that are scattered from here to raleigh to charlotte, pack them onto a 26 foot moving truck, and get them down to pensacola without a hitch. then, a month more to wrap up a few real estate deals and my nanny gig, pack up the fur kids, and make the move myself. no big deal, right? As my parents would say, at least it builds character...

until tomorrow though, we are going to spend our last night watching the new season of House of Cards, drinking wine, and doing absolutely nothing. happy sunday everyone!