Photo a day April: Day 2

Day 2: Colour

Gorgeous colored flowers at Trader Joes! They seriously have the best floral section, cheap too!

Photo a day April

So I'm going to ATTEMPT to complete "Photo a day April" - Lets see how this goes!

Day 1: My Reflection

Okay so Day 1's photo is not exactly MY reflection, but it was the reflection of the road behind us as we drove 9.5 hours home yesterday. Until next time Florida!

Easter Weekend

My parents live out of town, so it has become the new normal for me to go months without seeing them, I HATE it. So often times (although my mom would probably say not often enough) I'll call my mom on my 45 minute commute home just to catch up. This past Wednesday was no different. During our conversation I mentioned that both Chris and I had 4 days off of work for Easter weekend, she immediately invited us down to FL to stay with them. As soon as I got home I checked the weather report for the weekend and saw sunny and 80+ degrees, how could I turn that down? Chris and I then decided around Wednesday at 8pm that we would hit the road Thursday after work. 

I was so excited for our spontaneous road trip!

We packed up the doodle and began our 9.5 hour journey

Sidenote: One of my favorite things about a road trip is my excuse to eat fast food. I really wanted Sheetz for dinner (dont judge until you've tried it - although I AM weary about the 3 for $1 hotdogs), but my coworkers harrassed me about it, so I decided against it. What a disappoinment Arby's was in comparison. I should have followed my heart.

Our first day there the weather was BEAUTIFUL, especially coming from the cold weather NC has been having. We had lunch outside and then went to the polo field. We drove our golf cart, setup our seats and enjoyed cheese, crackers, a nice adult beverage, and of course the polo match. Chris and I both got a little sunburned, our poor translucent winter skin!

Our second day was just as gorgeous. We hit some golf balls (in my case, ATTEMPTED to hit some golf balls) at the driving range. We then spent the rest of the afternoon soaking up the sun and some trashy gossip magazines in my parents resort-like back yard. 

Easter Sunday we visited the craft fair at one of the town squares, hit the pool, and of COURSE we had to attend happy hour (live music and 2 for 1 drinks 365 days a year, yes please!) I'm so glad I have SOME photo documentation of the dancing that took place here. From little kids breaking it down, to senior-citizens bumping and grinding the whole evening was pure entertainment!

ma'am you're too old for this. 5 minutes later her slip fell down

 The weekend definitely went by too fast. It was such a nice getaway and I loved seeing my parents. But we are lucky that we don't have to say goodbye to FL for too long, we'll be back in May to visit Disney World! (You're never too old for Mickey, oh and "drinking around the world" in EPCOT)

Can't Wait!

Lately

Its hard to believe that its almost April, this year is already flying by! We had a great month, a busy month full of celebrations. 

First was a beautiful baby shower for my college friend Jill. The games were hilarious (including pin the egg on the sperm), the cake was delicious (of COURSE I would comment on the food) and she and baby Davis were definitely surrounded by lots of love. 

Is she not the cutest momma-to-be ever!?

Jill and Chad welcomed baby Davis Gray Neilson on March 1st. I am so so happy for the new family of three and can not wait to meet the little guy!

On March 3rd Chris and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary. We had such a wonderful day. We went to dinner at Print Works Bistro at the Proximity hotel where we had our wedding. 

 Then with the help of a wonderful friend (hey Meg!) I surprised Chris with a room there! I cant believe its already been a year since our wedding day, time flies when you're having fun (cliche I know, but SO true)! I'm a lucky girl to share my life with such a fantastic guy!

 

 Our friends were so amazing to help make our 1st anniversary one to remember!

We even returned home the next morning to an anniversary note from Parker (aka Allison)

subtle hint?

(I was then depressed for the whole following week remembering I was on my honeymoon last year at this time - if only someone would bring me drinks on demand at work)

This month we also welcomed a new furry friend to our group, meet Fenway!

   

Another dog for Parker to be a bad influence on. Maybe the puppy can teach him a thing or two. 

 I celebrated my 28th birthday. 

 

 The day started out great with bagels, flowers and balloons. I then had a low-key celebration of dinner and a movie. My how times have changed! I feel so spoiled and lucky to have such wonderful family, friends and co-workers. Looking forward to seeing what year 28 brings!

On a sadder note, this month we lost my childhood dog Lilly. She was the sweetest dog and will be deeply missed. In the words of my little brother "If I've learned anything from animated movies its that All Dogs Go To Heaven." Hope shes getting all the table food she could imagine up there!

A busy, but fun few months it has been!

White Bean Chicken Chili Recipe

Lately this cold winter spring weather has had me in the mood for some comfort food. However, comfort food usually comes with a hefty caloric/fat price. And being that both Chris and I usually dont get home during the week until after 6 we often aren't in the mood to whip up a gourmet meal. Enter White Bean Chicken Chili. This recipe is so easy, pretty healthy (until I add sour cream and cheese, but sometimes I just cant resist) and lets not forget, DELICIOUS!

What you'll need:

3 Chicken Breasts (can be frozen or thawed - doesn't matter), 2 cans white beans (I use great northern and cannellini), 1 can corn, 1 can diced tomatoes, 2 packs white chicken chili seasoning. (Sidenote: do not drain any of the canned veggies)

How you'll make it:

Now this is where it gets really tricky. You're going to dump all the ingredients, minus the chicken, into the crock pot, and stir to dissolve the seasoning. Then add your chicken breasts to the crock pot cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Shred the chicken before serving, and add any toppings you'd like - That's it!

This picture is from recipes.com because I was too hungry/lazy to snap a photo before eating

One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it makes a ton, so there are plenty of leftovers!

Now that I've had my fill of cold weather comfort food, WHERE is spring?!

Hanging Out

For a town home our house has a lot of storage, but the one thing it lacks is the unappreciated coat closet. Because of this, Chris and I have taken to throwing our coats on the stairs, or over a chair, making for a really organized looking home (and a really wrinkled jacket). 

Another thing our house has a lot of is blank wall space, and another thing it I lack is money. So I put my thinking cap on/searched pinterest for hours on end, and came up with the idea to MAKE a coat rack for the naked wall behind our front door.

So we headed to the hardware store to pick up our supplies: a piece of wood (26x7.5), and some coat hooks. 

The wood was only $6, the coat hooks on the other hand were $5 each. I'm sure you could find some cheaper (maybe even cuter) options at Hobby Lobby, but it was Sunday and I'm impatient.

We then figured out where we wanted the hooks to go and marked and drilled pilot holes so that we wouldn't have to drill after it was painted.

The next step was to sand the rough edges and do a quick sand over the whole piece before painting. For the base color I chose to use some leftover paint that we used for our walls. I figured a: this is a cheaper option and b: it would tie the rooms together. Its gray, but I couldn't tell ya the name.

I used a small foam roller for the front and small paintbrush for the sides. I painted several thin coats until I thought it looked completely covered. I then let it dry completely before I started my taping.

I knew I wanted to do a chevron pattern, and I had looked for a stencil but had no luck. I figured how hard could it be to just use painters tape to create the lines? The answer: REALLY HARD, and REALLY time consuming!

A good 3 hours later the floor and dog were  covered in painters tape but I had nice, straight and even (for the most part) lines.

I then used my foam roller and rolled on a few thin coats of white acrylic craft paint. I would suggest using a higher quality paint and/or using a trim brush to paint between the lines, but that was what I had on hand and I think we've already discussed that I'm impatient/cheap.

After I finished my last coat I started peeling off the tape right away before it dried hoping to help create crisper lines.

My lines weren't perfect, but for the most part they looked pretty good. I then used a small sponge brush to touch up any smudges.

After the whole piece was dry we hung it on the wall and installed the hardware. We just used 2 screws with anchors to hang it, hopefully that will be enough. 

 Overall I'm really happy with how it turned out, and how it fills in the space. 

Now just to decorate the other 95% of my house.

(PS- Sorry for the grainy iphone pics, I'll try to get some better shots in the daylight)

Slack (but none in the waistline)

Well, seeing as I haven't posted in over a month, I think most of you would agree with me that I have been a slacker. However, I have not just been slacking in the blogging department, but in a lot of areas of my life. This time last year, I was a week away from my wedding date, had a strict exercise routine and was eating healthy all while getting the final details of my big day finalized. It seems like the wedding day came and went and with it went any type of accountability for my behavior. I went to to the doctor this week and I have officially gained 16lbs in the last year. 

Now I'll give myself a little slack, everyone goes a little crazy before their wedding, so a 5lb allowance would be understandable, 16 on the other hand is outrageous - I mean c'mon is this freshman year where the only food I have access to is easy mac and beer? No. 

You would think I would have gotten the clue as most of my clothes look like sausage casings, and many of my instagram posts are pictures of food with the hashtag "this is why my pants dont fit". 

But no, somehow I have persistently carried on. 

I am airing these embarrassing facts so that I can become somewhat accountable (I am asking you guys to smack my hand when I reach for that third first cookie).

While I don't expect myself to become as workout crazed as I once was, cutting out fast food, limiting my soda intake, and exercising at least 2-3 times a week, are easy goals to kick start a healthier lifestyle. 

Something better happen soon or I'm on the fast track to becoming this: 

But ya know what?! I think even SHE has lost some weight recently. I have NO excuse!