Heart It

Hearts here, hearts there. Loving my framed Heart Snapshot Mix with gold foil from the always delightful Minted. Almost four years later, and I'm still finding new ways to display our wedding photos. Thanks to the oh so talented Neil Boyd Photography for the best photos of my life. And that ASWN confetti - sprinkling it all over the house once I'm home.

Free and Fab: Flywheel

Friday night I went to my first #triFABB (Triangle Bloggers) meet up at Flywheel in Raleigh (thanks to Meghan over at Champagne and Suburbs for telling me about it). They put on an awesome event, and Flywheel is straight up cool. My friend Cara and I toured about, got sized up for our shoes and filled up at the water bar. 

I brought along a favorite gift from Santa - my Fuji Instax (aside: check out this awesome album you can get for all of your photos here). We were suited up, shades and all, ready to fly. 

The bikes are set up stadium style, the room is dark, and the music is LOUD. You work hard, you race each other for a song or two, and near the end of class, you do arm weights. 

Afterwards we mingled and enjoyed delicious bites from Faire Seafood & Steakhouse. 

Those little burgers plus an open bar from Bartending Unlimited including Big Boss brews AND that speckled macaroon above all made for the perfect after workout treat. 

We were gifted swag bags on the way out - always a favorite - and just had an overall awesome first 'Free and Fab' Friday night. I highly recommend all of the above - so. much. fun. 

Sunday Livin'

This past weekend was great, and simple, and purposeful. While I didn't totally give up social media for the weekend, it was greatly reduced, and it made all the difference. It allowed me to just do me, and I like it like that.

Sunday morning church launched me happily into the week, per usual, and pairing that with brunch downtown Raleigh with new friends made it an A+ morning. We brunched at The Morning Times, and it was delicious. I dined on corned beef and chard {house braised beef, Swiss chard and collards, sunny side egg}. As for Sunday sermon takeaways, here's a few notes from my phone:

1. Don't be so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.
2. Push out the negative - whether it is someone or something - to make room for the positive.
3. Reduce discontentment: don't continue to do the wrong things to be content.

I can't believe we're already into the second full week of January. Here's to continuing to consume less, and be more. Cheers!

Greek for Dinner

Just returning from St. John (recap coming soon), and my first home-cooked meal of the year is my go-to pasta salad, Greek tortellini. Get the recipe from my previous post here.

This salad is great because there's always leftovers which makes for a happy lunch. Here's to being back in the kitchen and cooking my way through 2015 (except for on Fridays and Saturdays as those are foodie days).

My Merry 25

Yay, Christmas! This month is off to a spirited start, and I want to share the 25 ways I celebrate all month to make December merry and bright.

1. Decorate, of course. This is our first year with colored Christmas tree lights and so far so good. This includes adding an ornament to the tree that represents a favorite moment from the year. 

2. Attend the GAA's Holiday Concert where a cappella carols abound (I highly recommend this - next year it's on Nov. 30). 

3. Kick back at a reading of How the Grinch Stole Christmas (located on Carolina's campus at Bull's Head Bookshop). 

4. Have some fun at work holiday parties.

5. Watch the usuals: Christmas Vacation, Elf, Home Alone and How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

6. Drink the usuals: apple cider, hot chocolate with lots of marshmallows, eggnog, Christmas lattes and all that. Best Christmas lattes are at Thanks a Latte in Holly Springs. 

7. Dine at The Carolina Inn (their Christmas decorations are my favorite).

8. Compete in Southern Weddings' Annual Gingerbread Barn Building Competition (also at the inn - there's still time to sign up here); build a gingerbread house with family.

9. Craft an ornament, and participate in an ornament swap.

10. Drive around looking at tacky as all get out Christmas lights (if you need some good houses - I've got some great ones). 

11. Take Bentley to his kennel's open house where he gets to see Santa.

12. Make red and green Jell-O shots on Christmas Eve and open homemade poppers with lottery tickets all while devouring lots of apps... Naughty before nice!

13. Christmas feast with our friends Jen and Nick. 

14. Go ice skating in Raleigh. More on that here. 

15. Read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas - boomingly! - to family on none other than the night before Christmas. 

16. Bake cookies with lots of Christmas sprinkles.

17. Attend candlelight service on Christmas Eve (the service at Hope in Raleigh is great). 

18. Listen to Kenny G's Miracles: The Holiday Album - my "I'm castaway on an island during the holidays and can bring one album" album. Seriously.

19. Turn on Time Warner Cable's Yule log channel in every room of the house (TWC channel 508 in the Raleigh market; search options along bottom, to the right, until you see Yule Log, select 2014 Yule Log HD for the "ultimate experience complete with a crackling fire and holiday music"). 

20. Have some fun with our Christmas card.

21. Random acts of kindness (crucial!). 

22. Get new Christmas jammies.

23. See Kathleen over Christmas break - preferably at What-A-Burger in Concord - it's all about traditions (she told me a baby was on the way here last year!). 

24. Celebrate 'A Very Bestie Christmas' with May complete with a slumber party.

25. Try a new holiday happening. 

I love old traditions, new traditions, all traditions. Here's to a month full of love and happiness and a whole lot of fun.

{photo of my delicious latte from restaurant Sip in Holly Springs}