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Sea Leg Salad

Here we go again! This time down by the sea with another Hank-family staple.

Ingredients

16 oz. package elbow macaroni, cooked
14 oz. package flake style imitation crab (found in fresh catch section), roughly chopped
12 oz. tail off 71-90 count cooked shrimp, thawed and roughly chopped
1/3 cup dill salad cubes (dill relish)
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3/4 cup mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Mix all together and done. Seriously! The dill relish, mayo and salt and pepper can certainly all be added to taste - more or less than mentioned above depending on your style. The mayo simply serves as a light coat so don't go too crazy. This makes a ton too. Refrigerate and serve. Shell yeah.

Turtle dish by Vietri; my favorite table ever by Hank

Orange You Glad Salad

I love asking people about their staple dishes or what they're making that week for dinner. I'm always down for new recipes - I'll try any recipe once and am always looking for that next best recipe to add to our signature line up. My sister-in-love Amy and I were chatting the other night, and she had this mandarin orange salad on deck - a Hank's family staple. I seriously could not keep the spoon out of the bowl as I was putting it in the refrigerator. It makes a ton so plenty to share at a party or with your lunches all week. Here we go:

Ingredients

8 oz. lite cool whip
16 oz. low fat cottage cheese
3 oz. package orange Jell-O (keep as powder)
20 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained
15 oz. can mandarin oranges, drained and roughly chopped

Directions

Fold first three ingredients in a large bowl together and mix well. Remember: You're adding the Jell-O to the cool whip and cottage cheese in powder form. Mix in your drained pineapples, and drained and roughly chopped mandarin oranges. Refrigerate prior to serving.

Fish dish by Vietri; my favorite table ever by Hank

Empire State of Mind

I'm back from NYC and Charleston. Let's start with NYC. The weekend was amazing and all to celebrate one of my best friends - Maura (we met at Carolina). My friend Cara and I flew up on Friday morning. We took this photo with one of the best $9.99 purchases I've made - a hot pink selfie stick from the Maxxer (T.J. Maxx). 

Cara and I like to throw up peace signs because we endorse peace and because why not. Our first stop was the North River Lobster Company. It's all levels of Midtown happy. 

North River Lobster Company: You climb aboard and hike straight to the top. There's a bar up there with picnic tables and views. Lots and lots of views of a big city pretty. We ordered drinks and lobster rolls. All was delicious and spot on. The boat takes off and for about 45 minutes you cruise around the Hudson River. The music is going, the American flag flapping and the sun kissing your face. It seriously couldn't be more delightful. We took the Friday at 3 p.m. cruise, and we pretty much had the upper deck all to ourselves. It's not cheap but neither are lobster rolls, cocktails or a boat ride with beautiful views so I think it's totally worth it i.e. I'd definitely hop on board again. 

Afterwards we headed back to Maura's cutest apartment in Hoboken. 

We listened to the jams, drank sangria and reminisced. Then it was off to my favorite (!!!) Grimaldi's for pizza al fresco. 

No other pizza can touch New York pizza with those pepperonis all 'up like a cup' (to hold in all that greasy goodness). Aside: All my family is from upstate New York so this is the pizza I've grown up on for all of my days. #rekindledlove 

That night we played around on the waterfront, hit up the bars and recreated a favorite emoji. Then we had bridal shower dreams in anticipation of the Saturday ahead.

I can't say this enough: this shower was the funnest. I laughed and smiled the entire time. It was beautiful. And they know how to 'do it up' in the North. 

All of the paper products were from Minted. The invitation matched the place cards that matched the menu that matched the thank you cards. The place card holder above was made by one of the sisters, Chrissy, and she seriously outdid herself with all of this paper flower bliss. 

The restaurant, Apertif, was very French and very cool, and the cocktails - bellinis, champagne and mimosas - unlimited. I wore a big bow for the occasion and started my delicious meal with the French onion soup. Dress from Red Dress Boutique.

Then it was onward to the entrees, and then dessert and then a second dessert. 

Here's me and the lovely bride to be.

Maura was a great present opener - with lots of varied sayings. I love watching people open presents - just so much darn joy. I was in charge of a timer and every time it dinged! I got to award whoever's present was being opened a prize. So cute. 

Photos above are bridal party, with the moms, and Carolina gals, respectively. And yep, that selfie stick came in handy yet again. 

That night we played in Maura's parent's backyard for hours and hours. We sang a lot, danced it out and dined on Italian. 

Then Sunday came. Which meant it was Bachelorette Party day. We woke up and had some breakfast and opened swag bags before we paraded onto our party bus, flower headpieces and all. 

We cruised to North Fork, land of the vineyards. Our first stop was River Bend.

Big fields, horses, barns, picnic tables and all that countryness. 

The sweet sisters served apps of cheese and veggies. Then it was off to Duck Walk.

We had boxed lunches and wine in mason jars. Yum. Then it was off to Vineyard 48. My favorite. It was like Cancun spring break in vineyard form. There was a cookout, DJ, dancing, people everywhere, and... Sangria buckets. Pink ones.

The sisters brought dessert including fruit and pink sprinkled oreos. Yay, sisters!

That night we played in downtown East Rockaway to keep the celebrations going. We popped the confetti like it was NYE. Monday morning came quick, and we said goodbye to an awesome weekend and that big pretty city.

Happy Hair

Hooray for last Thursday. I started my morning off with a workout at Pure Barre. Then it was off to Cameron Village to shop it out before my appointment at Parlor Blow Dry Bar.

I've had some fun with Parlor before, but this was my first time at their location right in the heart of it all. We're talking Flywheel on one side, Tupelo across the street, boutiques galore right behind. 

I picked a cupcake (from favorite The Cupcake Shoppe - where we got our wedding cupcakes from) ... And a blowout. I'm always down for long beach curls so that's the style I went with. 

I kicked back on my silver pouf, in their bright open space, and watched some Legally Blonde while sipping away. Seriously, the epitome of relaxation. They washed my hair, decked it out in all the Bumble and bumble products a girl could dream of and then dried and curled it out.

Here I am! My stylist kept my curls tight so they would look loose and beachy for the evening festivities - May's rehearsal and dinner.

Cheers to happy hair by Parlor Blow Dry Bar in Raleigh.