One BIG Happy

Yesterday on our walk with Bentley, we made a very important stop.

We stopped by the ice cream truck! I chose a Bratz Blondie, and Hank chose Batman - I'm all for never growing up. We enjoyed these tasty treats, complete with gumdrop eyes.

Mind You

I'd love for my mind to be able to do this...

I said to my intern... So it's $157.50 x 6, and he IMMEDIATELY replied, $945.

Then he kept that instant calculation speed up to all of my questions - joking or not.

Can you include math whiz on your resume? I'm still impressed.

Hank has amazing math skills too, and I just love it!! I think it's super cool, and I classify it as a magical talent. I'm all levels of 'Calculator, please!' when I'm crunching numbers : )

Ohhh... I Like!

I would love this set of Disneyland mugs - Especially the light blue one. Inside the mug there is a 'perfect for the home' inscription, "To all who come to this happy place: welcome!"

Quote Boat - Time

I've been striving to do a lot more of this lately - It's important. It pays off!

A Little Sunday Morning Design

I went to one of Pottery Barn's complimentary design classes on Sunday. It was on 'Designing Your Dream Living Room.' Here is what I took away from this class:

1. Entryway (and hall) rugs should have at least six inches of floor showing on all sides.

2. No loop rugs with pets... Whoops - Too late!

3. Coffee table drawers are a great asset to be able to put things away quickly... If an unexpected guest is dropping by in say 10 minutes perhaps? Away the dog toys go!

4. Never forget the power of grouping items in sets of three and five.

Three gold monstera leaves in a vase for example:

5. I already knew this one... Repurpose! You don't have to go out to buy all new pieces.

6. A regular couch should have three to five throw pillows on it. A sectional should have six to nine pillows. Nest your pillows in sets of two or three. If you have a set of three pillows, spice it up by having three different sizes with three different patterns.

7. Don't be afraid to mix patterns. Striped with floral, floral with polka dots... Don't be afraid to mix elements either, wood with metal or artificial flowers or fruit with real versions.

8. Karate chop your down throw pillows... I love doing this. It gives them the best look!! You'll see Jamie of Furbish Studio doing this in the following video, at about the 30 or so second mark:

9. Your drapes should just skirt the floor.

10. Decorations look best when they are offset, not perfectly lined up.

11. Everyday suede is the next best fabric to leather in regards to spills on the couch.

12. Use stacked books to add height under a decoration or lamp if needed.

13. How do the beds and bedding in Pottery Barn look perfectly fluffy & inviting - Each duvet is stuffed with not one, but two down inserts... Fancy!

14. Maybe the best thing I learned... When you're first burning a new candle, it needs to burn for no less than one hour that first time to create the tunnel necessary for the candle to burn straight down the middle. This is what allows candles to glow best too.

15. A 'classmate' called their house "Hodge Podge Lodge" - I thought this was cute.

Weekend Squeeze

I squeezed all the fun I could out of this weekend:

Love.

I came across this sweet video last night - It's love (& fun videography too):

Tony Bennett Duets II

I can't wait to listen to this album more tonight. Tony Bennett recorded duets with some of my favorite artists - Lady Gaga, John Mayer, Michael Buble and Norah Jones.

One BIG Happy

I'm all for celebrating the special guy in my life everyday!!

Remember...

Yesterday evening someone went to town on my dime. They online & phone order shopped at Macy's, Kmart, a sporting goods store I've never even heard of, Sears and back to Macy's. I don't know how they did it, but all I can say is...

I truly believe in it - every time.

P.S. What ever happened to earning your keep?

This was caught & taken care of before I even knew it was happening - Thank goodness. It's sad we live in a society where each company has to have their own fraud & security departments since instances such as this are so commonplace.

Three cheers for those with morals!!

Favorite Meal of the Week Award

Goes to...

Skinny Meatloaf Cupcakes with Mashed Potato Frosting!!

If I were giving out superlatives, these would receive most creative. This recipe was super easy (made easier as our potatoes came from a box). In any event, these were too cute & delicious. We paired these cupcakes with a side of corn, but any vegetable or salad pairing would create the perfect little meal. You can find this fun recipe here. Enjoy!

True Story.

Am I in a South African Rainforest?

A restaurant's pretty outdoor seating - Complete with a water feature.

It's really quite nice, ACME.

Quote Boat - Celebrate

"Celebrate someone or something everyday."

*This is the box Erin Condren products are shipped in - Most enjoyable box I've seen.

Pumpcakes

Oh my... These Pumpkin Cupcakes are delicious. They're easy & super moist.

Then you add the Pumpkin Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting, and they become addicting.

You can find the recipe here. They're the perfect treat to mark the beginnings of Fall.

Home Happenings

Number One

Hank and I have a storm door!! This is a dream come true. I have loads upon loads of excitement towards this home happening. I see Bentley does too.

One decorating tip I've been using lately is moving the items we already have around. Repurpose. I find we get comfortable with having a piece where it is, so it stays there. Let's move things & switch it up a bit - You might surprise yourself (I did)!

I've had a hard time figuring out what to put beneath the mirror in our entryway. You see the door occupies this space when open, leaving minimal options. On another note, I moved the little table above from our bedroom, and I could not find a best place for it to be relocated to. Then one night I was reading Domino: The Book of Decorating, and Jonathan Adler did an amazing number on an entryway with a little table, topped with a plant, placed below a mirror. Ding, Ding! I recreated this by finding the perfect home for the previously misplaced little table, and I took the plant that was in our bathroom to put atop it.

Repurposing success!

Number Two

Craigslist has gems. I've been searching for a bar cart for awhile now, and the ones I've seen have been a bit pricey. Over the summer I spotted the above solid wood bar cart on Craigslist, and I immediately knew it was the one. Aside: I searched 'tea cart' instead of 'bar cart.' While the retrieval of this was a bit sketchy (I did bring a friend!), it was worth it at a steal of a deal. The top even lifts up as a portable tray. I'm still deciding if I want to restore it a bit or repaint it entirely, but in the meantime, I'm enjoying it just as it is.

Number Three

Hank and I finally picked out a rug for our living room, and I could not be happier with the one we chose. It's bright, and the greek key pattern is way too fun. When Bentley is not busy trying to eat this rug, he's been winning. On Monday, Bentley won a $100 gift card to our favorite pet shop, and a $25 gift card to a local wine shop. I hope he shares!!

I love our happy home - Home is where the heart is.

Happy Wednesday!

This little week is flying like a pig with wings.

I found the above pig at the antique land I previously blogged about. I decorated his sign and that was a wrap! I like him being rustic. He loves his new home - perched on the porch.

Very Cool, Raleigh.

(As ranked in September 2011 by Businessweek.com - Full article here.)

All Aboard!

Last week I dined out lunch & dinner five days in a row. That's too many meals beyond normal for me. By Wednesday I was burned-out from eating out, and I desperately needed to get back on the cooking in & working out train - So I happily hopped aboard that night.

Now that I'm back on this train, I feel unbelievably better & balanced. On Sunday night, Hank and I cooked a delicious meal in under $10 for two!! It consisted of coconut tilapia from the fresh catch section of the grocery store, teeny tiny potatoes with rosemary, and my Grandma's cucumber salad. We've got a creative menu on tap this week, and I'm ready for it.

P.S. My first exercise back was rollerblading around the neighborhood, and it was scary!! I need some lessons on the use of breaks downhill before I'm back at it again.

Postcard Nostalgia

A postcard I mailed back in 2005...

The dinner must have went over well ; ) Thank you for saving this, Kathleen!!

Thoughtful.

I love this sweet email I received today from one of my favorite artists, Elaine O'Neil:

Subject: Congratulations!

Hi Andrea,

I loved seeing you and your husband featured in Chapel Hill Magazine! You make a beautiful bride! I hope to see you at some point in the near future!

All the best,

Elaine O'Neil

Feelings of Fall & Football

Here's a bit of our game day fun (UNC vs. Virginia 9.17.11):

The day was already great when we pulled into a centrally located (& free) parking space!!

One BIG Happy

Last weekend we luaued. This weekend it's feelings of fall & football.

I conquered a major goal this week - I'm feeling happy & thankful.

"Life is what you make it, always has been, always will be."

Fortune Confusion - Round Two

Hank and I's go-to take-out chinese restaurant never ceases to amaze us with unique & confusing fortunes. Perhaps you remember this fortune I previously blogged about?

Well I think Hank's fortune from last night takes the cake! And I quote...

Q. What is H2O?
A. Caring, 2 Parts Hug and 1 Part Open-Mind.

We get the 2 Parts Hug & 1 Part Open-Mind (if we have to), but where in the world does caring come into play when dealing with H2O? ... Can we have a fortune refund?

We're still holding out for the world's best fortune to come from this restaurant.

Hey! I see us!

There's Hank and I first dance dipping on a Facebook ad:

Bentley's First Furbish

Bentley loves car rides. He will sit as you see below or lay the entire ride. Hank and I read this is a trait of his breed - Bulldogs love to travel.

I am all for pet friendly shops, so Bentley and I headed over to Furbish Studio on Saturday to catch-up with Jamie. Bentley enjoyed exploring all of the beautifulness her shop holds. He was also very busy greeting everyone as they came in. Here we are posing with pretties:

After this visit & a walk in the park, I'd definitely say Bentley shopped until he dropped.

You got the job!!!!!!

Congratulations, Hank!! Hank just accepted an amazing new job - I am so, so proud of him. We went to our favorite restaurant, Angus Barn, on Friday night to celebrate.

I have to include all of the food that made its way to our table, for memories sake, because I have never seen more food for two (much of it being complimentary). Hank & I could not stop laughing. We had cheese and crackers, a relish tray, ribs, crab cakes, shrimp, oysters, toast, caesar salad, spinach salad, chateaubriand, fingerling potatoes, mixed vegetables, stuffed potatoes, a whole pound cake, a bottle of wine, a root beer float & apples to go.

We had to box up some of our salads we were already so full! This restaurant, to me, is one of the masters in customer service, and I love them so much because of it. We had a blast!!

Bentley even made out with a bag of peanut butter star-shaped cookie treats.

If you are what you eat, Bentley's a star - just like Hank : )

One BIG Happy

Reading a magazine we are featured in... So excited!

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

Kat's 'Bachelorette Bash' at the Beach - This weekend was highly entertaining!

Olive Outfits

Last night I worked Preference Night. I was a sounding board for the girls that were rushing, so they could speak out loud about what they were feeling and ultimately decide which sorority they wanted to be a part of most. While each girl dressed to the nines,

This outfit took the cake for me:

The hot pink color of the dress caught my eye, but I mostly love the idea of a dress being one-shoulder while still having a sweetheart neckline. I loved her simple accessories - a pair of chunky gold starfish earrings with a hot pink bamboo bracelet.

This Pref Night Princess had her nails painted and her hair in the oh-so-popular-right-now curled & low side ponytail. She was rocking her flip-flops at this point, but I would rock some cute gold flats, as seen above, with this A+ ensemble.

Snack Time

I was introduced to one tasty snack over the weekend. It's Palmetto Cheese with Jalapenos. It's the best pimento cheese I've had. It's the perfect consistency, but most of all, it's got a kick to it! We're currently snacking on it as a spread with pita chips.

You can look on their website here to see if it's at a store near you. I think it's so good that it was in my fridge the night I got home... Thanks, Hank!!

Do you know what makes it so tasty? It's got soul.

The Little Mermaid

I came across this on Facebook...

This Little Mermaid BULLDOG is too funny/cute.

11 Things to Know at 25(ish)

This is a great article. Read it!

One BIG Happy

There's a new bachelorette in town... It's Kat!! Passing the sash ; )

I'm heading to the beach this weekend with Carolina girls to celebrate Kat, the Bride-to-Be, at her 'Bachelorette Bash'. This is going to be a blast. Happy Labor Day Weekend, ya'll!

Quote Boat - Turn it Around

Happy Biscuits

A surprise left at my office door... Well I just love surprises!!

Look how cute these dog biscuits are... They're Buddy Biscuits.

They're the happiest biscuits I've seen. They're made by the same company that makes the 'Wag More Bark Less' sticker I previously blogged about here. I love this company's outlook, and that all of their products are made in the USA. You go Cloud Star!

I'm currently working on a surprise for Hank... Pay it forward. You know this one, it's "the concept of asking that a good turn be repaid by having it done to others instead."