Blue Floral

 Dress: Zara, Heels: Steve Madden, Belt: Ann Taylor (old), Kate Spade (similar, or selling mine here)

While back in Dallas last week for work I spent some quality time at one stores, Zara. Every time I am in town I have to stop there since we don't have one here in Charlotte. I was in love with this dress the minute I saw it on the hanger. It has a beautiful floral print and is super comfortable! I added a belt around the waist to give it a little more shape.

This dress can be easily dressed up, like I did for church on Sunday. But I think it would also be so cute with just some casual sandals and a jean jacket to dress it down. This will definitely be one of my go-to dresses this summer!

What is your go-to piece of clothing this summer?


Linking up for Trend Spin Linkup, I Feel Pretty, What I Wore Wednesday, Random Wednesday, Wildcard Wednesday

Blueberry Drop Cookies

One of my favorite things about summer are the fresh berries. While I love using their frozen counterpart during off seasons, there is just something about using fresh berries that make a huge difference.

When I saw a huge container of blueberries on sale at Costco, I had to stock up. I did the same thing last summer and made a ton of muffins to bring into work. This year, I decided to try something a little different and make cookies with them.

 

I altered a sugar cookie recipe by adding lemon zest and some extra levening agents to make these fresh, light, and airy. I also replaced most of the butter with Greek yogurt and half the flour with whole wheat flour. 

In the end, these cookies are almost like eating little blueberry muffin tops! Because they are a bit healthier, I wouldn't feel too guilty about eating them for breakfast.

Blueberry Drop Cookies
Ingredients
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 stick of butter, softened
1/2 cup 0% Greek yogurt
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
zest of 1 lemon
1 1/2 blueberries

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, yogurt, and sugar.
4. Once mixed together, add in the eggs one at a time and mix until just incorporated. Add in the vanilla and lemon zest until combined.
5. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer, and slowly fold in the blueberries.
6. Using a spoon, drop about 2 tablespoons of dough onto a prepared baking sheet, leaving at least 1 inch between each cookie.
7. Bake at 300 degrees for 14-15 minutes.

Enjoy!!

I'm Back!

Hey kids! Have you missed me? Did you even realize that I was gone? If you did, I'm sorry I wasn't  around much the past week. My week in Dallas was pretty hectic, but I had a lot of fun. I got to meet one of my friend's new baby! And I had two bridal showers: one thrown by my boss and one by B's mom. I definitely felt loved!

But, needless to say, I am so happy to be back in Charlotte. I felt like I was gone for a lot longer than a week. B had a crazy week too, so we made sure this weekend was pretty low key, mainly just catching up on some chores, wedding stuff, and relaxing.

1. My flight on Friday was out of the brand new Terminal A at DFW...and let me tell you, it was nice!! It even had a Salt Lick, which is an amazing bbq restaurant based out of Austin! Of course I had to stop and grab lunch there. Diet be damned!

2. It felt really good to be back home in Charlotte and to see B. We were both so exhausted from the week we pretty much crashed as soon as we got back to the apartment.

3. There were, however, a stack of RSVPs and some wedding gifts waiting for me! Pretty exciting!!

4. Saturday, B and I escaped the torrential downpours and saw Despicable Me 3-D. It was cute, but I liked the first one more. So far this summer, the comedies we've seen rank as follows: 1)This is The End, 2)Despicable Me, 3)The Heat.

5. The movie theater was right next to a Nordstrom Rack (how convenient), so I popped in just to check out the goods. And I am so glad I did!! I found a Kate Spade purse I wanted to get myself last Christmas for over 50% off!! It was the only one left so I snatched it up and never let it go!

6. B and I made a stop at Costco to pick up some dinner: salad, chicken, and wine.

7. Sunday morning I went running for the first time in months!! It has either been to hot or too wet to go running this summer, but I really wanted to get outside. I pushed myself to do 4 miles, which isn't bad considering I haven't run since May.

8. I wore my new favorite dress and my new sandals (also a Nordstrom Rack purchase) to church.

9. B and I stopped at one of our favorite stores after lunch where B found a bear foot rest he apparently cannot live without. Never mind that it will definitely not go with anything in our apartment.

How was your weekend?? Did you see any fun movies?

To make up for my absence last week I have a lot of fun posts this week: a cookie recipe, and outfit, and a peek at our invitations! Be sure to check back!

Weekend Blog Block Party #12

Welcome to the TWELFTH Weekend Blog Block Party! If you are interested in sponsoring a party (for an amazingly LOW introductory price of $5), please email Ellie for details. Not only will you headline the party, but your ad (for your blog or shop or both!) will be including in ALL of my posts for the following week! Let's work together! XO

GIVEAWAY TIME: We would like to welcome our honorary co-host, Rochelle from rochellebarlow.com! She linked up last week and was randomly selected to co-host with us. This week we are once again using a Punchtab giveaway to pick another honorary co-host for next week. 

Would you like to win a co-host spot for next weekend? We will definitely choose ONE but if 100 bloggers link up their Bloglovin' link, we will choose THREE so tell your blogging besties! 

DID YOU KNOW? The SIX of us have created a collaborative Pinterest board where we will be pinning our blog crushes each week. We will be choosing from the Bloglovin' list so make sure you are listed there so we can crush on YOU! XO

Once again, I am THRILLED to be hosting with five amazing bloggers: 

Ellie from Creative Geekery

Kristin from One Organic Mama

Rachel from Can't Google Everything

Mary Catherine from Fun-A-Day

Krystal from Krystal's Kitsch AND Sunny Soirees

and co-hosting with Rochelle from rochellebarlow.com!

ONE

Please "LIKE" the Weekend Blog Block Party on Facebook! You can do it right here:

TWO

Please follow the HOSTS on any list that you choose to add your link to! For example, if you want to add your Instagram link, please make sure you follow all of the hosts linked up at the beginning of the list. Don't worry, we are fun to follow and chances are we will follow you back! 

THREE

Please grab the party button and slap it on your bloggity blog somewhere. Sidebar? Link up page? Up to you!

Here is the code!

<div class="Creative Geekery Button" style="width: 150px; margin: 0 auto;"> <a href="http://creativegeekery.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow"> <img src="http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a618/CreativeGeekery/blockparty-blue_zps5786f3bd.jpg" width="150" height="150" /> </a> </div>

FOUR

Mingle. It's so fun to make new blogging buddies. Find a few new folks to follow. It's fun and good blogging karma.

FIVE

Share the love! Spread the word via Twitter, Facebook, your blog, smoke signal or carrier pigeon. More potential followers and blog friends for you! To make it REALLY easy for you, just click this button to send out a tweet now: Tweet

How to Be a Healthy Traveler

By traveling, I do not mean vacation, because as we all know, calories don't count on vacation.

What I am talking about is traveling for work.

If you travel for work on a fairly regular basis, I am sure you have come up with your own tricks to staying on track with your diet or exercise regiem. It has taken me a while to really establish a routine, but I think I have finally it out. Below I have listed some of my favorite trips to being a healthy traveler and not falling off the diet wagon.

1) Hit up the grocery store and stock up on some healthy foods like Greek yogurt, fruit, baby carrots or pre-cut veggies, water, nuts, and individual packages of natural nut butters of hummus. Obviously, you will want to be in a hotel that has a mini frigde in the room.

2) Keep some of your favorite workouts loaded on your computer. It's really hard for me to keep up with my workouts when I travel, so if I have a fun option available I am more motivated to get up early and workout. If you can't load anything on your computer, dry the videos at the DailyHiit and the DailyBurn for some great online workouts.

3) Find some classes you have always wanted to take at a local gym or fitness center. I always find myself wanting to try a yoga class or barre class, but never find the time when I'm at home. When I travel, I have a bit more free time so it's fun to try something new!

4) Be active after work. If you travel with coworkers, it might be pretty typical to hit up happy hour, but I like to encourage my coworkers to either explore the city or walk somewhere for dinner if it's an option. Or, if all else fails, walk around the local mall.

5) If you are on a strict diet, order meals from companies like My Fit Foods, Simply Fit Meals, or eDiets. You can pick them up at the beginning of your trip, store them in your fridge, and just microwave them in the office or at the hotel. These plans can be expensive to do on a regular basis, but why not try them out when you have a per diem.

6) Bring light weight and compact exercise equipment. No matter what, I always bring some clothes to workout in and a pair of light weight running shoes. I also really like bringing along a resistance bands, since weights are really not an option.

 

Do you have some tips for staying on track while you are traveling?

 

 Linking up for Google Friend Conect

 

 

Hashtag Awesome

This weekend was my Bachelorette weekend spent in Fredricksburg, Texas, which a small town outside of Austin. It is basically Texas wine country, so I bet you can guess what we did...lots of drinking!!

We also spent a large part of the weekend coming up with Instagram hashtags for the weekend. If you follow me on Instagram, you will see that we kept adding more as the day went on, and we drank more wine.

1) Our super cute house just down the road from the wineries. If you are in Texas and are planning a trip to Fredricksburg anytime soon I highly recommend 101 Settlement.
2) We got the drinking started early on Saturday. I was on a strick cycle of water, coffee, and mimosas.
3 & 4) Our super cute group in the house and on our wine tour shuttle.
5) First stop, Becker Wineries. One of my favorites.
6) Second stop, William and Chris where we managed to only break one glass. I call that a success.
7) Third stop, a liquor store where they were doing tastings of all sorts of things, including moonshine. I tried some Apple Pie moonshine, and I have to say, it wasn't half bad.
8) Fourth stop, Grape Creek winery. By this point all the wine started to taste the same and I had a little case of the drunk eyes.
9) Lindsey and Lindsay amongst the vineyards at Grape Creek.
10) One of my friends couldn't make it to the wine tasting, but she came last that night for dinner and some more partying!
11) The drinking continued pretty much all night.
12) Needless to say, at stop at Jo's coffe in Austin was necessary to get over the wine hangover and get me through my drive back to Dallas.

And the fun will continue this week. I am working from the office all week and have 2 more small showers with co-workers and B's parent's friends. It is going to go by in a flash, so please forgive me if I miss a post one of these days!

Linking up with Weekend Shenanigans, This Weekend I, The GFC Collective

Weekend Blog Block Party #11

Welcome to the ELEVENTH Weekend Blog Block Party sponsored by the FABulous blog and etsy shop, Mama's Got It Together (blog | shop). To learn more about her shop, check out my post from a couple of weeks back. Thank you Sarah! If you are interested in sponsoring a party, please email Ellie for details. Not only will you headline the party, but your ad (for your blog or shop or both!) will be including in ALL of my posts for the following week! Let's work together! XO

GIVEAWAY TIME: We would like to welcome our honorary co-host, Kait from Chickadee Says! She linked up last week and was randomly selected to co-host with us. This week we are using a Punchtab giveaway to pick another honorary co-host for next week. 

Would you like to win a co-host spot for next weekend? We will definitely choose ONE but if 100 bloggers link up their Bloglovin' link, we will choose THREE so tell your blogging besties! 

DID YOU KNOW? The SIX of us have created a collaborative Pinterest board where we will be pinning our blog crushes each week. We will be choosing from the Bloglovin' list so make sure you are listed there so we can crush on YOU! XO

Once again, I am THRILLED to be hosting with five amazing bloggers: 

Kristin from One Organic Mama

Rachel from Can't Google Everything

Mary Catherine from Fun-A-Day

Krystal from Krystal's Kitsch AND Sunny Soirees

Lindsey from Follow the Ruels

and co-hosting with Kait from Chickadee Says!

ONE

Please "LIKE" the Weekend Blog Block Party on Facebook! You can do it right here:

TWO

Please follow the HOSTS on any list that you choose to add your link to! For example, if you want to add your Instagram link, please make sure you follow all of the hosts linked up at the beginning of the list. Don't worry, we are fun to follow and chances are we will follow you back! 

THREE

Please grab the party button and slap it on your bloggity blog somewhere. Sidebar? Link up page? Up to you!

Here is the code!

<div class="Creative Geekery Button" style="width: 150px; margin: 0 auto;"> <a href="http://creativegeekery.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow"> <img src="http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a618/CreativeGeekery/blockparty-blue_zps5786f3bd.jpg" width="150" height="150" /> </a> </div>

FOUR

Mingle. It's so fun to make new blogging buddies. Find a few new folks to follow. It's fun and good blogging karma.

FIVE

Share the love! Spread the word via Twitter, Facebook, your blog, smoke signal or carrier pigeon. More potential followers and blog friends for you! To make it REALLY easy for you, just click this button to send out a tweet now: Tweet

The Weekend is off to a Good Start

Happy Friday!! Today is an especially exciting Friday because I am off to Austin, TX for my bachelorette party! I am so excited to spend some quality time with some of my best friends and drink lots of wine!

However, due to the packing and all the other things I have to do before I leave, I won't be posting my Friday Favorites today! So sorry! However, if you already planned a Friday Favorites post, you can still link up below!!

And in honor of the genius that is Sharknado, I leave you with this:

Have a great weekend!!

Worst Wedding Songs Ever

A few years ago, B and I went to a wedding - a day time Catholic wedding, no less - where they played "Blame it on the Alcohol" at the reception. We didn't really know what to think. Are they saying that we should blame the marriage on the alcohol? Or just the really inappropriate dancing? Either way, we think it sent the wrong message.

That got us thinking, what would be the best worst songs to play at a wedding reception. Don't get us wrong, these songs are awesome (most of them), but probably would be taken the wrong way. (But if you play ALL of these songs are your wedding reception, you will probably be our new best friends)


1. Gold Digger - Jamie Foxx

That's an obvious pick for worst wedding song, right? No bride wants to be called a gold digger at her own wedding.
She take my money when I'm in need/ Yeah she's a trifling friend indeed/ Oh she's a gold digger way/ over town/ That digs on me...


2. Dance - Big Sean
How could you go wrong with a song called "Dance" to get all your wedding guests on the dance floor, right? Well, unless you only invited frat guys to your wedding, you might want to pass. Here's how it starts...
Ass ass ass ass ass ass ass ass ass ass ass ass ass ass ass ass ass ass ass ass ass ass/ Stop, now make that motherf**** hammer time like...
Literally, the lyrics read "Ass x 22".

 
3. I Love It - Icona Pop

Great song, right? I bet you rock out to it in your car, don't you? But it might send the wrong message to your groom to be...
I got this feeling on the summer day when you were gone./ I crashed my car into the bridge. I watched, I let it burn./ I threw your shit into a bag and pushed it down the stairs./ I crashed my car into the bridge./ I don't care, I love it./ I don't care.


4. I'm Going To Find Another You - John Mayer
I love John Mayer, and he has some beautiful songs that would great for a romantic slow dance, except this one...
So go on baby/ Make your little get away/ My pride will keep me company/ And you just gave yours all away/ Now I'm gonna dress myself for two/ Once for me and once for someone new/ I'm gonna do somethings you wouldn't let me do/ Oh I'm gonna find another you 


5. Right Round - Flo Rida ft. K$sha

This is a subtle one. Its fun, its catchy, it could be about a turn table....but its about a stripper. Not wedding appropriate. 
From the top of the pole, I watch her go down/ She got me throwing my money around/ Ain't nothing more beautiful to be found/ It's going down down


6. Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off - Joe Nichols
I am pretty sure that this one, like Gold Digger, speaks for itself.
She can handle any champagne brunch/ A bridal shower with Bacardi punch/ Jello shooters full of Smirnoff/ But tequila makes her clothes fall off


7. A Song For Mama - Boyz II Men

Ok, so this is a beautiful and sweet song. I could be a good mother-son dance song. But do you really want the most romantic and emotional song at your wedding to be to the grooms mother. Like, I would be a bit concerned if B were dancing with his mom to this song.
Mama, mama, you know I love you/ Mama, mama you're the queen of my heart/ Your love is like tears from the stars/ Mama I just want you to know your love is like food to my soul/ Never gonna go a day with out you/ Fills me up just thinking about you/ I'll never go a day with out my mama 


8. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For - U2
I am sure your parents would love to hear some U2, just make sure that it's not this song. Or if is, you might want to find out who requested it...
I have run/ I have crawled/ I have scaled these city walls/ These city walls/ Only to be with you/But I still haven't found what I'm looking for/ But I still haven't found what I'm looking for

What other songs would you never play at your wedding?


Linking up for: The Bloglovin Collective

That's My Jam!

Today, over on Creative Geekery, I am sharing my summer playlist. Other than being fun and upbeat, my playlist serves another purpose: to fuel my running.

You know when a song comes on while your out walking somewhere and you can't help but walk to beat? That's kind of what this playlist does. All of these songs have been picked out because they have a quick cadence and a strong beat that you can't help but keep up with on your run.

It's kind of surprising how little I talk about exercise on this blog considering it's something I do just about every day. I have played sports almost my entire life, so being active is very important to me. One of my favorite forms of exercise is running. It's so theraputic! But sometimes I need that extra push to get me started or to keep me going.

If running outside just isn't your thing or it's gotten to hot to be outside, I have come up with a good treadmill workout to accompany this mix. The speed and incline are more suggestions than requirements. Everybody has a different stride and not all treadmills are created equally. I always run at an incline of 1 since it's better for your knees and provides a little bit more resistances that mimics running outside.

 (I should add, otherwise he would get mad, that B is responsible for putting together most of this playlist.) 

Asian Pork Tacos with Watermelon Cucumber Salsa

 

A few weeks ago B and I went out to dinner and had the most amazing tacos. They were brilliant in their simplicity. Pork belly glazed in an Asian inspired sauce and topped with watermelon cubes. We were pretty unsure about the watermelon and pork at first, but we were quickly won over.

We knew we wanted to try to recreate these at home, so after some experimenting, we found a recipe that rivaled the restaurant version. Best part is, they are pretty easy to make and are probably a lot healthier.

These days, I love making my own tortillas, and they are not that hard. These tacos can obviously be made with their store-bought counterpart, but if you want to make your own, I have a recipe here.

I hope you give these tacos a try. You truly won't regret it! And don't let the watermelon weird you out. Once you try it, you will love it!

You can print and zip the recipe here.

Also, we are running a giveaway right now for a $100 gift card of your choice!!

Linking up for Taste of Tuesday, Google Friend Conect, Bloglovin Linkup, The Pin It Party, Pinterest Power Party

My Bi-Polar Weekend

This weekend was strange. It was like it had multiple personalities. On one hand, it was kinda fun. I got to spend time with some new friends and try new things. B and I also had some great meals and checked off a lot on our wedding to-do list. On the other hand, it sucked. I was pretty much driven mad trying to print our wedding envelopes. And I also found out that someone very important to me may not be able to be at our wedding, which was pretty upsetting.

Friday was my battle with our wedding envelopes. Who knew printing on envelopes would be so difficult!? If I had known better I would have hired a calligrapher or practiced my handwriting a bit more. Unfortunately, I didn't have time for that nonsense. After 4 different attempts at printing and losing my mind (I mean...I might have cried over these stupid envelopes), they finally got printed.

The only reason I tell you that story is to explain the first 2 pictures.

1. My dinner was literally a bottle of wine and spinach dip. That's it. At least there was some antioxidants in there, and some spinach. Right?

2. So...the bottle of wine and the stress may have lead to some bad decisions. For instance, I watched 'Honey'...on purpose. Did you know Jessica Alba can dance? No? Oh, well, that's because she can't. Great casting for a dance movie.

3. Saturday, a friend and I tried out a beer tasting event at a local bar. It was clearly well organized because they served beer in Dixie cup. Nothing better than beer, 1 ounce at a time our of a soggy cup.

4. That night, B and I went out to dinner for Thai. Normally we don't get dessert, but we were intrigued by the sticky rice and mango, which was AMAZING. I know it looks like a big slimy blob, but it was delicious.

5. On our light rail ride back to the apartment, we spotted a Left Behind dvd that was...left behind. I couldn't help but snap a photo of the irony.

6. We spent the rest of Saturday night stuffing envelopes. Oh, it's such an exciting life we lead.

7. Sunday afternoon we went to the newly opened Chuy's, which was pretty much like being back in Texas. Oh Tex Mex, we've missed you.

8. After Chuy's and a trip to the jewelery store to order my wedding band, we made a trip to Costco. And what is a trip to Costco without a $1 cup of fro-yo!?

9. We finally finished the damn invitations, which will be mailed out tomorrow. The sooner the better!


I hope your weekend was better, and by that I mean I hope it didn't resort to you watching Honey!

Also, we are running a giveaway right now for a $100 gift card of your choice!!

Linking up with Weekend Shenanigans, This Weekend I, The GFC Collective, Mingle Monday

$100 Gift Card Giveaway!

For this months Favorite Things Giveaway we are giving away $100 to your choice of Nordstrom, Home Depot, Amazon, Target, Sephora, or Lululemon! Which means there is pretty much an option for everyone, whether you want to freshen up your style, just bought a new house, live in yoga pants...or all of the above!

 

Lauren / Beth / Laura
Amie / Allison / Samantha
Tracey / Jaime / Lindsey

This giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada, 18 years or older. Winner will be verified.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Weekend Blog Block Party #9

Welcome to the NINTH Weekend Blog Block Party sponsored by the FABulous etsy shop, Cultivating Me. Jennifer from Cultivating Me is currently donating ALL proceeds from her sales to charity : water. How awesome is she? Thank you Jennifer! If you are interested in sponsoring a party, please email Ellie for details.

GIVEAWAY TIME: We would like to welcome our honorary co-host, Janine from J9 Designs and Confessions of a Mommyaholic! She linked up last week and was randomly selected to co-host with us. This week we are using a Punchtab giveaway to pick another honorary co-host for next week. 

Would you like to win a co-host spot for next weekend? We will definitely choose ONE but if 100 bloggers link up their Bloglovin' link, we will choose THREE so tell your blogging besties! 

DID YOU KNOW? The SIX of us have created a collaborative Pinterest board where we will be pinning our blog crushes each week. We will be choosing from the Bloglovin' list so make sure you are listed there so we can crush on YOU!

Once again, I am THRILLED to be hosting with five amazing bloggers: 

Ellie from Creative Geekery

Kristin from One Organic Mama

Rachel from Can't Google Everything

Mary Catherine from Fun-A-Day

Krystal from Krystal's Kitsch AND Sunny Soirees

and co-hosting with Janine from J9 Designs and Confessions of a Mommyaholic!

ONE

Please "LIKE" the Weekend Blog Block Party on Facebook! You can do it right here:

TWO

Please follow the HOSTS on any list that you choose to add your link to! For example, if you want to add your Instagram link, please make sure you follow all of the hosts linked up at the beginning of the list. Don't worry, we are fun to follow and chances are we will follow you back! 

THREE

Please grab the party button and slap it on your bloggity blog somewhere. Sidebar? Link up page? Up to you!

Here is the code!

<div class="Creative Geekery Button" style="width: 150px; margin: 0 auto;"> <a href="http://creativegeekery.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow"> <img src="http://i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a618/CreativeGeekery/blockparty-blue_zps5786f3bd.jpg" width="150" height="150" /> </a> </div>

FOUR

Mingle. It's so fun to make new blogging buddies. Find a few new folks to follow. It's fun and good blogging karma.

FIVE

Share the love! Spread the word via Twitter, Facebook, your blog, smoke signal or carrier pigeon. More potential followers and blog friends for you! To make it REALLY easy for you, just click this button to send out a tweet now: Tweet