happy friday

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Happy Friday!  Josh is home from China, (more on that later) and we have a BUSY, BUSY weekend ahead.  We are catching up with friends for dinner, trying out a new "secret" speak-easy, painting the dining room, hanging pictures, getting ready for Thanksgiving guests, finalizing recipes for Turkey day, and celebrating one sweet baby's baptism.  Oh, and Josh is hoping to "switch" the office and guest room upstairs.  Not sure how far we will get down the list before jet-lag takes over, but we are going to try our best.  

Do you have any big weekend plans?  Am I the only one crazy enough to feel like I need to do a test run of recipes before serving them on Thanksgiving?!  Head on over if you want to try my pecan pie or pumpkin spice cake this weekend...

xo,

friday

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Happy Friday, Friends!  I hope this week has been full of blessings, and the weekend brings an abundance of whatever you desire: rest, fun, energy, etc.  The weekend around here is shaping up to be a busy one as it's the last weekend until January without holiday festivities, family, travel, or some other activity to keep us occupied.  And don't even get me started on the Christmas shopping that needs to be done.  I'm already feeling desperately behind.  All the same, I love this time of year, and I am happiest being busy, so I think I'll just embrace the chaos and try to remember to stop and smell the {peonies?!}

Do you have any fun weekend plans?  Or will you be relaxing in preparation for the upcoming weeks? Either way, be nice to people, breathe deeply, and enjoy.  

xo,

friday

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Happy Friday, Loves!  It's been one of those weeks around here.  You know the kind where you just can't seem to catch up on life?  In a way it's a blessing to have so much going on, but in other ways I just want to do some laundry, unload the dishwasher, and finally finish "changing" our closets for the season.  There is a very real part of me that can't feel settled when my life is disorganized.  

So here's to a weekend of getting organized.  I am making my list, drinking my coffee, and excited to take a few deep breaths.  Maybe I'll even finally choose that paint color for our dining room...

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

xo, 

chocolate cake + cream cheese icing

This weekend, we had a little mountain get away.  In addition to chasing down some cooler temperatures (yay for boots and sweaters!), we also celebrated my momma's birthday.  Leaves were changing, the air was crisp, fires were abundant, and this cake was DELICIOUS.  Next time you need a simple, homemade cake give this one a try.  The cake itself was moist and light, and the cream cheese icing was the perfect compliment to the chocolate.  Decadent but worth every bite if I do say so myself.  AND, as an added bonus, the entire cake can be made in one bowl.  

Chocolate Cake + Cream Cheese Icing

Original cake recipe from all recipes

Ingredients

Cake:

• 2 C. white sugar
• 1 3/4 C. flour
• 3/4 C. cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 C. milk
• 1/2 C. vegetable oil
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 C. boiling water

Icing:

• (1) 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
• 3 Tbs. butter, softened
• 1 1/2 C. powdered sugar
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Grease (2) 9 inch round pans.
2. Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla and mix for 2 minutes.
3. Stir in boiling water.  (The batter will be very thin)
4. Bake cakes for 30-35 minutes.
5. Cool 10 minutes in the pan; cool completely on wire racks.
6. Ice with cream cheese icing and serve.

Icing:

1. Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.  Gradually add sugar and salt, beating until blended.  Add vanilla.

Enjoy!

xo,

happy friday

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Here's to a weekend full of crisp fall weather, relaxing, indulging, and coffee.  

It's been great "re-entering" the blogging world, and I'm thankful for all of the comments and support.        (Thank you especially for the help with paint selection...more to come soon!)

Happy Friday, and I hope the weekend is wonderful!

xo,

happy weekend

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Happy Weekend!  I am sorry for the radio silence on my end lately.  I can't say I have been doing anything profound with my time, but I have been savoring the start of fall, days to explore my new city, and time with friends.  We even had a touch of "fall weather" here in Florida this week.  

(Read: 60s in the mornings with daytime highs below 90!)

This weekend we are planning meals with new friends and old, a possible corn maze/pumpkin patch visit, cheering on the Gators, and some time to just kick back and relax.  It's funny how much I want it to "feel like fall" here, but in reality it is still late summer.  Most Floridians have come to savor the fact that while the rest of the country is dusting off coats and scarves, we are still boating and swimming almost daily.  Unfortunately, I can't claim to have that mindset...so pumpkin patch here I come...maybe even in a pair of long pants.
(Can't win em' all.)  

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

xo,

long weekend and some links

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And not just happy weekend, but happy LONG weekend!  We are sneaking in a mini-reunion with friends from W&L, and we couldn't be more excited.  I am savoring every minute of "summer" this weekend, as Labor Day always seems to be summer's last hurrah.  (Never mind the fact that it will be in the 90s until October in Florida!)  

Just in case you discover some extra time on your hands this weekend, check out these two videos:

Butterfly Circus

"For Good" Duet

The first is a little longer (20 minutes), but I promise it is worth it.  My niece sent it to me, and while I don't usually have the patience for something so long online, it was one of the most inspiring and beautiful things I have seen in a long time.  

The second is much shorter, but also amazing.  It has sparked lots of conversation about would you "be ready" if given the chance to live your dream.  

Enjoy the last bits of summer and get excited for college football's debut this weekend!  

xo,

happy friday

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Happy Friday Loves!  Any grand plans for this weekend?  We are debating a last minute trip to Orlando and IKEA to go furniture shopping. I must admit, I am feeling a little overwhelmed at the thought of an IKEA adventure.  It might be that I am just overwhelmed making decisions about furniture in general, and I am very aware of not making rushed choices that I won't like in the long run.  Decisions, decisions...

Anyone have any great suggestions for living room furniture sources?  

Hope your weekend is fabulous! 

xo,

weekend rain

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Happy Friday friends!  This weekend we are set for rain, rain, and rain.  Sounds like the perfect excuse to stay inside and get some projects done around the house...or maybe just snuggle up and watch a movie.  When we do leave the house, we are planning to try out the fantastic thai food here, and the best tapas in Jacksonville here.  We are also super excited to spend some time with some of our best friends before the arrival of their baby boy in just over a week!  

Happy weekend to you all!

xo,

first weekend in florida

This collage could not be more descriptive of our return to Florida!  We had a wonderful first weekend here complete with temperatures close to 100 (my car was in the sun when she hit 113), palm trees, and afternoon storms.  As crazy as it sounds, there is something so comforting to me to know that everyday at 4:00pm, a storm will roll through to cool things off...

While I wish I could say we did something over the top and crazy on our first weekend back, most of my weekend was spent staring at my computer screen.  I start my bar review class this week, so I had some pre-work to catch up on that took most of my weekend.  I did have a beautiful view of the river and loved seeing so many boaters whiz by enjoying the gorgeous weather.

my current desk set up...moving to a larger desk tomorrow!

For study breaks, we snuck in some visits with family and friends.  We are still adjusting to the fact that we are in Florida for good now and that we don't have to squeeze everyone into a few days or weeks.  We have lots more friends to catch up with, and we need to schedule some extra time with my family, but all in all, we have loved getting time with our Florida people.

quick visit to our new house for some measurements and planning with rebecca, mom, and josh

dinner with claire and ed at basil thai...and an amazing mango sticky rice dessert

family dinner with nieces k and b

Though I don't have a picture, we got to have dinner with Russell and Simmons earlier this week and Simmons introduced me to a fantastic wine.  This was the perfect red for summer- light and delicious and available at Total Wine!

cloud break

Hope you all had a great weekend!  Trying to get back into my routine of blogging now that we are in Florida but with bar classes and another move into our house on the horizon things might get a little crazy again.  Thanks for bearing with me!

xo,

graduation and mother's day

What a weekend!  Between Mother’s Day, Graduation, and family in town, we had a weekend FULL of celebrations.   Receptions, brunches, dinners, and pizza nights with wine in solo cups gave us plenty of time to catch up and enjoy Chapel Hill, but as my sister, Rebecca, put it… we all need to eat only veggies and water for the next few weeks.  Before I go any further, please excuse the somewhat blurry iphone photos and the length of this post.  There was just so much packed into the weekend, I couldn't fit it all into a short, quick blurb.  

The weekend truly began on Thursday when my parents and sister and Josh’s parents arrived in town.  While we had dinner with my Dad’s Godparents on Thursday night, Josh’s parents spent some time with their grandchildren and Cotton and May.

no pictures from thursday night, but my dad, me, and my dad's godfather, sherwood at the reception on friday

Friday, we did a little packing in the morning before a reception at the Law School.  The reception was beautiful and gave the entire group a chance to meet some of the students, faculty, and administration that have shaped my law school experience.  After the reception we enjoyed the first true spring day in Chapel Hill and enjoyed dinner on the patio at Glass Half Full. 

dean kasprzak

brightly colored sheath dresses with meriwether

class of 2013 with josh after dinner on friday night

Saturday morning, the graduation ceremony was held in Carmichael Arena.  (For all you sports fans, that’s where Michael Jordan played when he was a student at UNC.)  The ceremony was wonderful, but the highlight of the day was milling around with friends in the hour or so before we officially began.  With the chaos of the weekend, that turned out to really be the last chance I had to see everyone and give hugs and say goodbye.  Though goodbyes are always sad, I think it is safe to say we were all elated to walk across that stage and know three years of hard work (and more than 20 years of formal education) had paid off. 

class of 2013

with dad post-ceremony...two law degrees exactly thirty years apart

traditional self-portrait with josh

with mom post-ceremony

one last time on the steps of van hecke-wettach

with whitney in the madness after the ceremony

Saturday night we had a fun dinner with the entire group (including Cotton and May) at Crook’s Corner.  It was delicious and a fun chance to celebrate with ALL of my family in Chapel Hill.

a rough shot of the entire group

For Mother’s Day on Sunday, Josh and I divided and conquered.  Josh went to lunch with his parents and Cotton and May’s family, while I went to brunch with my parents and sister.  We had a great (though much larger) than anticipated meal at Weathervane and shopped at Southern Season afterwards. 

mother's day brunch

Sunday afternoon, we all shifted in packing mode, and the Bryans took a full carload and our puppy, Mac, back to Florida.  My parents stayed for an extra night and we spent the day packing our final boxes and securing large pieces of furniture.  One of my favorite parts of the entire weekend was eating pizza amidst the boxes of our living room and drinking wine from solo cups.  Although it wasn’t fancy, it was so nice to spend the last night in our house with the family. 

All in all it was an incredible weekend and I feel so lucky to have such amazing friends and family.  Though I'm sure you stopped reading ages ago, thank you to everyone for the love and support over the past three years – I am truly blessed.  

xo,

a weekend away

Hello!  First of all, thank you for bearing with me during my week of radio silence.  Exams are over, and now only one more paper stands between me and graduation.  CRAZY!

Remember a few weeks ago when I posted that I was dreaming of vacation?  Well, that very same day, Josh and I got a phone call offering us a weekend get-away in Charlottesville, Virginia.  While the timing didn't seem ideal (it was the weekend before my two exams), it turned out to be the perfect pre-exams treat. The weekend was a mix of relaxation and activity, and I couldn't have asked for a more wonderful trip.  As fair warning, there are LOTS of pictures in this post...the weekend had so many highlights and our hotel grounds were absolutely beautiful... I just couldn't help myself!

keswick hall

view from our room

rainy day by the pool

molton brown toiletries...my favorite!

Friday evening, Josh and I attended a dinner and program at Monticello.  This was the primary reason for our last minute trip, and it was an incredible experience.  After cocktails and dinner, with Monticello as our backdrop, we heard from John Meacham, the author of "The Art of Power," a new book about Thomas Jefferson.  It was a beautiful evening and an experience that neither of us will soon forget.

monticello in the rain 

 in front of monticello in the rain...we were the ONLY people taking pictures, so I think the fact that we stood in the rain in black tie for a picture earned us a few raised eyebrows and chuckles. 

tent on the lawn

centerpieces at dinner

placecard

beautiful water colored program cover 

a quick shot inside monticello after dinner...little did we know there was an entire bus of people 40 years our senior waiting for us while we explored the house...oops!

Saturday, the rain storm passed, and Josh and I spent the day relaxing and exploring our hotel.  Keswick Hall is an old manor home that has been converted into a hotel and club.  The hotel keeps bikes for guests to use while exploring the hotel, and we made good use of this amenity.  After a quick breakfast, Josh and I grabbed some bikes and went on what the hotel dubbed the "Ultimate Scenic Tour."  While it was a little more strenuous than we anticipated (hello hills of Central Virginia), it was the perfect way to enjoy an absolutely beautiful morning.

bikes

view of keswick hall with momma duck and ducklings in the foreground

sampling of the beautiful flowers that were blooming EVERYWHERE

stopping for a quick rest 

After our bike tour, we headed into Charlottesville to grab sandwiches at Josh's favorite...Bellaire Market.  We ran into multiple friends (very randomly) while we were there so we felt like we had found the local "hot spot."  We ate a very light lunch because as soon as we got back to the hotel, Josh humored me with afternoon tea.  One of my very FAVORITE things about traveling in Europe is the tradition of having tea.  When I found out Keswick Hall served an afternoon tea on Saturdays, we signed up immediately. 

tea snacks

devonshire cream, jam, lemon curd for our tea snacks

tea time

josh REALLY humoring me here...tea time and photographic evidence!

After recovering from our food coma, we headed into downtown Charlottesville for dinner.  Charlottesville has an area downtown called the Pedestrian Mall, and it was packed with people enjoying the relatively warm night, a concert, and a market of local artisans.  We found a small restaurant called Bizou and completed our day of eating, eating and eating.

shrimp and grits

Sunday morning we met up with Josh's fraternity brother D.G. and his wife Chelsea.  We grabbed bagels at Bodo's and enjoyed the chance to catch up.  We hit the road early since I had finals looming, AND, I really wanted time to stop by the J Crew Clearance store in Lynchburg.  I had only heard rumors of the store until last Sunday, and I am so glad we stopped to confirm them!  The J Crew Clearance store is not a factory or an outlet store.  It is one of a few places in the country that J Crew sends actual items and sells them at a deep discount.  I'm talking skinny jeans for $35 plus an additional 35% off for the spring sale, and an extra 15% off with my student discount.  If you are ever near Lynchburg, it is well worth the few minute drive off the highway to check this place out. 

amazing

we found kelsey and edward there as well...AND, this picture should actually be titled 3L year- kelsey had an exam the next morning and mine was 36 hours later...our 1L selves would be so proud.  

my loot...3 shirts, 2 colored denim pants, jewelry and 1 pair of blue suede shoes

While I must admit I was a little nervous to take this impromptu trip, being on the "other side" of those finals I can say I am so glad we did.  We have lots of change and transitions coming up, along with lots more studying for the bar this summer, and this weekend away was the perfect re-charge.  

Thanks for bearing with me through a long post and lots of catch ups.  I hope you all had a wonderful week and a relaxing weekend!

xo,