Is It April Yet???

My March Mania has yet to slow, down but fingers crossed, I will have more free time come April.  My list of March-Must-Do's includes but is not limited to:

1.   Get a North Carolina License
2.   Transfer my car Title
3.   Register my car in North Carolina
4.   Make a dentist appointment
5.   Finish my taxes
6.   Get an oil change 
7.   Fill out 401K paperwork
8.   Sign a lease on an apartment
9.   Buy a sofa
10.   Buy an armchair 
11.   Replace my brake pads

So far, I have completed just over half of my list, which was no small feat I will have you know.  I was reading this month's Real Simple which devoted several of its pages to ways to relieve stress and stop procrastinating.  I think the writers of this month's issue were channeling my thoughts! One of the tips RS encouraged when tackling that daunting To-Do List was "Do the Worst Thing First", which in my case meant numbers 1-3.  I am famous for having to make multiple trips to the Devil's Waiting Room DMV whether it be for lack of the right paperwork, showing up on a Federal Holiday or failing my driving test.  So 14 months, $496.00 and 2 trips to the DMV later... I felt like an enormous weight had been lifted.  I am finally OFFICIALLY a North Carolina resident!!!!

Taxes were a new experience, and I am sure I could have saved myself a lot more money if I had a clue what I was doing.  However, I did get a refund and the pride of knowing that I did my taxes completely on my own for the first time.  Oh the joys of a recent college grad.

NOT to be confused with the "Easy Button"

Will took my car in for an oil change while I was at work, and I finally got my teeth cleaned this morning.  With half of my list completed, I can sleep a little better at night.  However, if I can't complete #8 by next month, I may have nowhere to sleep...

.....Must Have.....

Spring is in the air and you know what they say: April showers bring May flowers.  This week's forecast calls for rain, rain and more rain.  Stay dry and stylish with the accessory that makes even the gloomiest days a little brighter.

Marimekko Silkkikuikka

Cottage Rose

Mod Baltic

So until the flowers bloom, pull on your galoshes, open your umbrella and embrace April showers.  Your new outdoor accessory may even inspire you to look forward to cloudy skies.

.....Must Hear.....

"Something Good Can Work" Two Door Cinema Club

March MADness

I am experiencing my own March Madness in the form of lease agreements and eager realtors. I have been spending almost all of my free time searching for apartments over the past few weeks.  I have come to find (or not find as the case may be) that apartment searching is much more difficult than I had anticipated.  Should I move to a more remote area closer to work in an effort to limit my commute and gas expenditures? Or, should I opt to stay in the comforts of my present surroundings where the grocery store, restaurants, and boutiques are only a stone's throw away? I cringe at the thought of moving uptown but shudder at the cost of living downtown. I have less than 2 months to make a decision, so until May, my blogging may be a bit sporadic. I will attempt to provide a very brief run-through of the past few weeks.


I was in Tennessee at the beginning of the month and as always, enjoyed the change in scenery. On Saturday night, Will and I went to dinner and were fortunate to have the best seats in the house!  The restaurant we went to was connected to a small music hall that featured up and coming artists.  We were seated behind a glass wall and got to enjoy our meal while watching one of my favorite acoustic artists, Matt White, perform. Good food + great music + wonderful company = the perfect date!

VERY blurry picture of dinner.

On our actual "anniversary", Will had Thai food delivered to my apartment so imagine my surprise when I found another surprise gift waiting for me after dinner.  If you recall from a previous post, I have been hunting for a decanter and recently have been looking for a set of stemless wine glasses that match.  Well, my quest is finally over thanks to Will!!

My very own swirl set!

On Sunday, we went to the Tennessee vs. Kentucky basketball game.  Like the football games, UT's fans packed the stadium, or as I would refer to it, the Super Dome.  Even though Tennessee lost in the final minutes, I was happy to be in the stands cheering with thousands of spirited spectators.

What a crowd!

Fast forward to this past weekend.  I made the short but sweet trip to North Myrtle Beach for one of Mary Loyal and Lash's engagement parties.  The soiree was held at the beautiful Pine Lakes Country Club.  I loved the simplicity of the exterior and the interior was lavishly decorated with sparkling chandeliers, gold dusted accents and tall vaulted ceilings.  Since both the B&G are South Carolina natives, the hosts themed the party "South Carolina Grown".  The party was catered using only locally cultivated crops which were in season during the month of March.   Fittingly, dessert consisted of cookies and a cake in the shape of SC.  I can't believe Mary Loyal is getting married in just over 2 months! 

Pine Lakes Country Club

Carolina Cake

More pictures to come!

On a more somber note, my thoughts have been with Japan in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake.  While browsing New York Times website the other say, I came across these unbelievable satellite photos comparing the landscapes of cities before and after the natural disaster.  My thoughts are with all of those affected by this misfortune.  I can only pray that we all can continue to offer support to Japan during the difficult days, months and years ahead.


Here are some ways to lend your support:

TEXT:

If you would like to donate to the American Red Cross for Japan Earthquake Relief, just text REDCROSS to 90999. Each text will provide $10 towards the Red Cross’s humanitarian efforts.

FACEBOOK: 

The Red Cross has also launched a campaign on Causes to raise at least $25,000 for relief efforts. By logging in to Facebook, you can donate anywhere from $10 to $500 to help Tsunami victims and their families.

The people over at Explore.org are donating $1 for every “Like” of the “Dog Bless You” Facebook page, up to $100,000.

ITUNES:

Apple is also dedicating resources to the crisis in Japan. They have created a simple donation page in iTunes[iTunes link] that makes it simple to donate anywhere from $5 to $200 to the Red Cross with just a few clicks.

This day last year...

I am really not doing so hot on my resolution to be more efficient with blog posting!  The weekend before last, I was thrilled to have my college roommate Bethany in town.  On Friday night, Bethany and I went to a restaurant near my apartment.  Upon arrival, we realized we were not as young and hip as we once were.  Apparently, we did not get the memo that Friday night was "wear your shortest skirt and highest heels" night.  We spent the night avoiding the loud speakers, slurring frat boys and short skirt stiletto stampedes on the dance floor.  We never thought dressing so modestly would make us feel so exposed!  Despite feeling like Golden Girls, we managed to have a great time catching up and people watching.  We dragged our old bones home around 1AM, took out our dentures, and crashed.  Suffice it to say, we just can't keep up with the college kids like we used to...sigh.

The next day we met up with Bethany's sister Ryan, mom Beth, and stepdad Jim.  The sun was shining, the lawns were perfectly manicured, and the boutiques had their doors propped open, beckoning shoppers to browse their brightly colored spring additions. After a late lunch,  I served as tour guide to Bethany's family and took them to some of my favorite places in Raleigh.

North Hills Mall

Five Points

My favorite home in Raleigh

Cameron Village

I dropped Miss Beth and Jim off at their hotel, and Bethany, Ryan, and I headed to my apartment to get ready for dinner.  I made reservations at my favorite restaurant in Raleigh, Caffe Luna, and we all enjoyed a tasty dinner downtown. It was great having old friends in my new town. I was so thankful for the visitors!

Luna

On an unrelated note, one year ago today I was in South Beach with Jessica browsing a dinner menu on Ocean Avenue.  I glanced up and saw a group of guys walking by and one in particular caught my eye.   After 15 minutes of begging, Jessica agreed to leave the restaurant with me in search of the boy in the blue button down.  She said we could walk 10 blocks and if I didn't see him we were giving up and turning around.  Nine and a half blocks later, I sat down at a table next to the boy in the blue shirt, who now happens to be my boyfriend.

So, although I would never condone "chasing" after a boy (Yes Mother, I did technically chase him), I must say this act of insanity spontaneity was one of the greatest and most rewarding risks I have ever taken.   So to Jessica and Will, thank you for putting up with my craziness.  I sure am a lucky girl ;).

March 8, 2010

.....Must Have.....

I am loving Milly's Spring 2011 Ready To Wear Collection by founder and designer Michelle Smith.  Gone are the days of psychedelic swirls, abstract angles and shapeless frames.  Smith's line focuses on bright colors and geometrical shapes while adding her signature feminine touch.  Although the label is fairly new (11 years young), Smith has made quite a name for herself by consistently producing preppy yet professional pieces.  With so many designers trying to reinvent themselves in an effort to be fashion forward, it is refreshing to see that Smith's sense of style has stayed true.  Milly has proven that the classic silhouette still reigns supreme.  

.....Must Hear.....

"The Luckiest" Ben Folds

No KK, No

Has anyone else heard Jam? Kim Kardashian is trying her hand at "singing".  This is bad...I mean really bad.   In Kim's defense, her song was debuted on Ryan Seacrest's radio show in an effort to raise money for St. Jude's.  But is a techno song that includes lyrics like "Buzz got me high in the sky" and "5 more shots of tequila, I'm thirsty" really an appropriate way to represent a Childrens Hospital?   

I'm not quite sure why Kim is famous in the first place but one things for sure, she won't be adding "professional singer" to her celebutante resume.

Inn Like Flynn

I'm finally getting around to recapping my President's Day weekend.  After 2 weeks of researching, we decided to rent a spacious beach house nestled in the heart of Duck, North Carolina.  Inn Like Flynn was the perfect fit, complete with a billiards table, a pool, a hot tub, a newly renovated kitchen and spectacular views of the ocean and the sound. 

For February, the weather could not have been better, and we made sure to make the most of our mini-vacation.  I was thrilled to finally meet Jessica's new beau Jon, and lucky for him, he definitely earned the best friend "stamp of approval"! 

Saturday afternoon, we all piled into the car and headed down the road to nearby Nags Head.  My family used to own a home in the Outer Banks and due to the close proximity of OBX to Hampton, a large portion of my childhood was spent at our beach house. Once George and I headed off to college, my parents made the difficult decision of selling our home-away-from-home, so I insisted we stop by the old digs.  Seeing as Jessica and I have been best friends since elementary school, we had a great time reminiscing about our countless trips to the shore.  

Hello from Eighteen South

We continued the trip down memory lane by visiting one of my favorite local dives, Tortuga's Lie for a much anticipated lunch.  After appeasing our hunger, we headed to the local bowling alley to satisfy our competitive appetites.  Under our creative pseudo names, we played three rounds.  There were several highlights of the game.  Will (Lucky Lefty), still recovering from right shoulder surgery, had to bowl left-handed and was such a good sport! Jessica (CaCa), managed to send her 10lb. bowling ball sailing backwards in a display of talent we had only seen on America's Funniest Home Videos.  In a streak of unfathomable luck, I (Sweatta, not Sweat) managed to get 5 strikes in a row! Knowing my brush with bowling glory would soon be over, I had to take a picture of the once-in-a-lifetime King Pin moment. 

Next on our OBX bucket list was a visit to Jockey's Ridge State Park to hike the dunes. The games continued as we had a competition to see who could jump the furthest off the sand dunes.  Our attempts to fly were futile at best as they consisted of 2 second air-time followed by 3 pounds of sand in our shoes.

Flying Failure

After attempting to shake off the sand we had all gathered, we made our way back to Duck just in time to watch the sunset from our balcony.  

Sunset on the sound

We got dressed for the evening and met up with Jessica's godparents at The Blue Point for drinks.  Much to our delight, the Lawson's offered to treat the four of us to dinner.  The food was incredible, and it was great enjoying a delicious meal by the water with friends.

Blue Point 

After dinner, we headed back to the house for the highly anticipated girls vs. boys "Minute To Win It" challenge.  The competition was fierce but, unfortunately, the boys ended up reigning supreme despite our practice rounds.  I guess we will have to plan another meetup because I am looking forward to a rematch!   

Relax & Unwind

My trusty travel companion (my camera) was left in Raleigh this past weekend. However, my other trusty travel companion Jessica was smart enough to bring her camera to chronicle our wonderful trip to the Outer Banks. Hopefully, she will be sending me the photos soon so I can properly document our fun weekend by the water.  

A three-day weekend means a four-day workweek, and a four-day workweek means the office has been busier than normal these past two days. The To-Do list on my desk seems to be ever-increasing, a relentless reminder that while I was enjoying a Monday off-the-clock, the majority of the working world was not so lucky.  In an attempt to withdraw from my busy day, I decided to treat myself to a stress-free evening.  I burnt cooked dinner, had a glass of wine, and am planning on finally flipping through the various magazines I received in the mail last week.  In honor of my evening's repose, I thought I would share a playlist I compiled on iTunes aptly named, "Relax & Unwind".  If I set the fire alarm off while attempting to make a grilled cheese sandwich, at least the firemen will have a peaceful soundtrack to listen to as they extinguish the flames.  Enjoy!

  Copper Line - James Taylor

Details In the Fabric - Jason Mraz

Edge of Desire - John Mayer

Human - Jon McLaughlin

Nothing Fancy - Dave Barnes

Pitter-Pat - Erin McCarley

Rise - Eddie Vedder

Sweetness In Starlight - Matt Wertz

Wild Horses - The Sundays

Dream - Priscilla Ahn

.....Must Have.....

It has become apparent that Lindsay Lohan has a habit of making bad decisions.  As a matter of fact, I would venture to say that her only wise decision thus far was her role in Parent Trap.  Her party-girl lifestyle has rendered us all speechless and proven that money can't buy you class or even a $2500 necklace.  Although I must commend her attempt to revive the ankle bracelet fad, LiLo's fashion in the past few years has been seriously lacking.  But just before I threw Lohan in the Worst Dressed category, she did what she does best: she surprised me.  Lohan recently sported this to-die-for Kimberly Ovitz "Glavis" minidress on her way to, wait for it...court.

This "a bit short for court" dress may not have been a hit with the judge, but it sure was popular with the public.  The dress sold out almost immediately and is now impossible to find on or offline! So thank you Kimberly Ovitz, I think wearing your dress may be the second best decision Lindsay has ever made.

.....Must Hear.....

"Dream" Priscilla Ahn

In it to Win it

I made the trip back to Virginia this past weekend to celebrate Mom's birthday and what a celebration it was! On Saturday night, the Lockwood's treated Mom and me to a delicious meal at one of my favorite restaurants, Schlesinger's. It was so great spending time with my second family, and of course, the birthday girl!

After dinner, Jessica and I went to the grocery store and bought $42 dollars worth of a random assortment of goods all in preparation for the night's big festivities.  A few weeks ago I was introduced to the amazing game, Minute To Win It.  If you haven't discovered this jackpot of a game show, you must tune in!  Contestants are given a series of tasks that they must complete in 60 seconds or less. All of the games are played with items you can find in your home: Kleenex, straws, rubber bands, etc.  Jessica and I chose a few of our favorite games and competed against our mothers.  Mom and Cheryl played Hanky Panky which requires the players to pull all the tissues out of a Kleenex box using only one hand.  That's 160 tissues in 60 seconds, not as easy as it may seem!

Jessica and I then taped the empty Kleenex boxes to our backs and filled them with ping pong balls.  I can only imagine how ridiculous we looked when the timer started and we had to shake the balls out of the box.  What a workout!

The most hilarious game was called Elephant March.  In this game, you put a baseball into a pair of pantyhose and have to knock over 8 water bottles.  The tough part is the pantyhose goes over your face so it looks like you have a trunk growing from your head.  This was by far the most difficult challenge, especially since we were laughing so hard we were having trouble standing.

This weekend, Jessica and her boyfriend are joining Will and me in Duck, NC.  We are undoubtedly forcing our significant others to partake in our new favorite game/comedy routine.  Yes, we may be LOSERS for loving this game but I'm in it to WIN it!