Monday Musings

I have to say that I have a much better relationship with Mondays when I don't have to work! When I sat down to pump out this blog, I had a whole lotta random posts in mind but none that I felt like deserved a post completely to themselves, so you'll have to excuse my Monday mish-mash of musings!

Let's talk about...

The Bachelorette Finale

I can't say that I was surprised by the way it all played out because I have a serious issue with patience and had to read Reality Steve's spoilers...like 2 months ago! I knew she was going to pick Jef. BUT I was surprised by the fact that I actually was happy about her decision after seeing how genuinely at ease and giddy she was with him. I've watched both of the seasons she's been on and have never seen her so comfortable! I never had anything against Jef and think he's a great guy...I just didn't necessarily see them together! I really like Arie, too, and felt so bad for him, but I think he'll have no problem getting a girl! Yay for Emily and, yay for Bachelor Pad premier tonight!

Holistic Medicine & Gluten-Free

So, my mom has been battling some blood sugar issues despite the fact that she is TEENY- TINY, eats super healthy, and exercises daily. However, she recently started seeing a holistic doctor who believes in natural remedies for health issues...aka, less pills and medicines from the pharmacy and more dietary changes and natural supplements. She's really been inspired by this and has even gotten my brother and I to see a doctor in our area who practices the same type of medicine. It has been quite an experience, and I'm learning so much! I think about so many adults that I know that are taking so many pills for everything, and I don't want that to be me...ever! Some of the changes I've made-- eliminating processed foods and eating clean, giving up diet soda (so sad!), exercising daily, and taking some natural supplements daily. My doctor also asked me to give up gluten for 2-3 weeks to see if I noticed any difference in the way that I feel in case I have a gluten sensitivity like my mom. It's amazing how good I feel! The only downsides...gluten-free brownies aren't nearly as good as the real deal AND  all of these changes certainly certainly don't come cheap! But, what better investment can you make than in your health?

Bridal Shower Invitations
I need advice from all of my super savvy blogger friends out there! My mom and I are helping plan a bridal shower for a long-time friend, Jannell, and we're trying to figure out the best options for invitations! The shower is going to be a tea-party but the bride-to-be wants the theme to be "dress the table"...aka everyone will bring gifts that will help get Jannell ready to be the perfect hostess for all types of entertaining! So, I was thinking we could say something like "Please join us for a Bridal Tea as we "Dress the Table" for the Bride to Be!" What do y'all think? Somehow trying to incorporate the two ideas has me stressing about which one to play off of for the invitation decor! And, we of course want them to be budget friendly and super cute/classy. Any advice about where to find good invitations for a nice price or what you think about the wording or decor is welcome!

Summer's Ending Panic
It's starting to hit me that I literally have about 3.5 weeks of summer break left before I start my 4th year of teaching. Let me repeat that so I might actually start to believe it. 4th year of teaching. Wow! I swear I remember my first year like it was yesterday! Slow down life. And for the love of gravy, slow down summer. I have yet to become the domestic goddess that I pledged to be. I haven't figured out how to do any of those cool Pinterest hair styles. I am so not tan yet. And let's not forget that I am in no way prepared to start back to school. I can't just walk in there on August 16th and expect for my classroom to magically be all set up and organized. Now I'm going to take 5 deep breaths and practice the mantra, "one day at a time" while I try to tame these panic-induced heart palpitations! Yikes!

Well, that's enough randomness for one post, I'd say...especially a Monday post!

Happy start to the week, friends!

What I'm Loving on this Rainy Wednesday!

Where, oh where is the sunshine!? I hope it reappears in time for our beach weekend! Super excited to link up with Jamie for another round of "What I'm Loving Wednesday!"

So, on this rainy Wednesday, I am loving...

That I get to celebrate my lovely friend, Alex's, birthday tonight! She's joining me in the 25's club!

That I am in the "talks" with my current gym about possibly working for them 2 weekends a month starting in September! I know it will be more of a time commitment on top of teaching and grad school, but the pros are that I get a free membership there and will hopefully be more inspired to keep working out...which I normally struggle with during the school year! Plus more money = more clothes!

That Kyle completed his "Beer Year" blog this past Monday! He has been blogging about all of the different beers that he he been drinking for the past year, and it's been an awesome experience for him! I'm so proud!

That Kyle and I just finished the first season of How I Met Your Mother on DVD...ah-mazing! I can't wait for season 2 because I just HAVE to know if Marshall and Lilly get back together! Ahhhh! If you don't watch this show, you should definitely add it to your list!

That Loft is starting to come out with their Fall collection...hello, colored denim and adorable shoes! And, thank you, employee discount!

And lastly, I'm SO Loving that Kyle and I get to head to the beach this weekend to join my family for vacation! Have I mentioned that we love the beach!?

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

And the fun continues!

I swear I feel like I've just been bouncing from one fun event to the other, and I think come August I'm going to be pretty sad to see this summer end! Still on a high from all of the fabulous wedding festivities  this past weekend, Kyle and I road-tripped our way to the lovely Charlotte, NC for the Coldplay concert this past Tuesday! From reading some other blog posts, it seems like we weren't the only ones!
We had bought tickets as our anniversary gift to each other, and we've been waiting since April to finally get to go! It was our third time seeing them, and this was by far, the most amazing concert I've been to! And, we were also super excited that Robyn was opening for them because we had missed seeing her in concert last summer :(  Hands down this was my favorite concert for multiple reasons! I'd definitely say they are well-worth the ticket price! And, I think Chris Martin is just so sexy when he sings...Gwyneth is one lucky lady!

Robyn...so awesome!

Waiting for Coldplay! Ahhhh! 

Coldplay...you just have to experience the amazingness in person! No picture does it justice! You may not be able to tell, but everyone had a bracelet the lit up! It was the coolest thing ever!

And, the best part was that we didn't have to worry about staying out too late or Kyle having to work the next day because of the 4th of July holiday! We slept in 'till our little hearts were content, and then took my friend, Becca's, recommendation and headed to the Flying Biscuit for the most delicious " Southern American" breakfast...eggs, bacon, grits (heaven!), biscuits, and even an oatmeal pancake!

So pumped for this grub-fest!

 We continued our celebration of America by spending more money that we'd like to admit at the GAP!
Ikea was calling my name as well, although we only picked up a few baskets for cheap! We arrived back in Durham late in the afternoon but were still able to grab dinner and yogurt with friends! No fireworks for us this year, but at least I had plenty of awesome bright lights fun at the concert!

Another successful Charlotte trip...check!

Hope everyone had a great 4th!

Fairytale Wedding Weekend

This past weekend was certainly one for the record books as Kyle and I helped our dear friends, Brittany (you've probably heard me call her Beebs!) and Brian celebrate the beginning of their life together with an AH-MAZING wedding and reception! It was so hard to come back to reality after spending 4 days playing, getting pampered, eating delicious food, dancing, and making wonderful memories!

I flew to Baltimore early Thursday morning so that I could spend the day with Beebs-- going with her to appointments, running last minute errands, and keeping her calm before her big day! She had done these exact things with me on the Thursday before my wedding, so it was so special to be able to do the same with her! Her mom, Ms. Becky, hosted a small barbecue for any one who was in town, and I loved getting to catch up everyone and share in all of the pre-wedding excitement!

Friday morning was when the official "wedding" fun began! All of the bridesmaids met at Beebs' mom's house for breakfast before heading over to a local spa for manicures and pedicures! Definitely the perfect way to kick off the wedding festivities!

Following our pamper-session, we prettified ourselves for a Bridal Luncheon hosted by one of Ms. Becky's friends, Beth, at her gorgeous home! Beth had prepared some delicious salads and the most amazing red velvet cupcakes for us! 

But those weren't the only treats that day were! There were also the bridesmaids gifts that Beebs so generously gave to us! She is just one of the most thoughtful people I know, and I could tell that she had put so much love into every detail of the gifts, from the Hershey Spa goody-bag to help us remember our fun there from her bachelorette weekend to the personalized hangers for our bridesmaids dresses! And, she wrote us each the sweetest note, which is definitely going in the memory box!

Vera "Miller" tote stuffed full of...spa treats, Loft flip-flops (to wear for dancing!), earrings & a necklace to wear on wedding day, and an after-shower towel wrap with our initials (we call them "moo-moos")! How sweet!

Friday night was the wedding rehearsal with a dinner to follow at an adorable restaurant in Little Italy called Dalesio's. The rehearsal went really well, and I was excited that my pastor from Wilmington was going to be doing their wedding. He had been good friends with Beeb's grandfather, who had also been a minister. It was SO special to me that we were married by the same preacher!  The dinner was great, and Beebs' adorable little brother gave the most precious toast! Following the dinner, the "girls" parted way with the "boys" and headed over to stay the night at Beeb's dad's house...which is a pretty darn incredible house, if I do say so myself!

Beebs & Lulu

Me with my handsome sir!

Last Kiss before the "Real" one to seal the deal!

On Saturday morning we were up-and-at-'em pretty early considering the first hair and make-up appointments were set to begin at 9! Mine was one of the first, and it was so nice to be able to roll out of bed and literally walk downstairs in my robe to begin my wedding day prep! Beeb's step-mother, Cindy, had transformed one of the closets into a "prep" room so that the hair and make-up stylists could set up shop right there in the house! Pretty much from 9-2:45pm, we were in and out of the chairs, lounging in our comfy robes that Cindy so kindly gave us and eating the wonderful breakfast and lunch provided! It was SO much fun, and of course, we were all just buzzing with excitement!

The awesome goody basket waiting for each of us on Friday night!

Gettin' mah hair did!

Beautiful bride waiting to put on her beautiful dress!

Around 2:45pm, it got real! We helped Beebs into her GORGEOUS wedding dress while the photographers were busy snapping pictures and the videographer filmed away! Beebs read her card and opened her present (earrings to wear that day!) from Brian, and her dad came in for the dress reveal, which was such a sweet moment! He was literally speechless! We "oohed" and "ahhed" as Beebs took some of the most stunning bridal portraits, and then we joined her for some bridesmaids pics! I seriously cannot wait to see them because we took some pretty cool ones!

I could not be more in love with her dress! 

Such a stunning bride!

And, then, before we even knew it, we were loading onto the limo-bus and driving into the city to get to the church for the ceremony! All of us had butterflies in our stomachs, and walking down the aisle never gets any easier, but it was special to get to see Brian and how nervous he was! His eyes were literally glued on the door, waiting for Beebs to walk down the aisle! When the BIG moment came, I think we were all in tears as we watched both her and Brian choke back tears as they locked eyes. It was a beautiful moment...the kind of raw emotion you rarely get to experience in life, and definitely the kind I remember from my own wedding day! The ceremony was so sweet, and Mike said some really beautiful words about Beeb's grandfather that I know meant a lot to her and her family, and I'm sure he was smiling down upon her in that moment! And before we knew it, all vows were said, and Brian kissed his bride!

And that's when the real party began! They had the most gorgeous reception ever at her father's home in a tent that overlooked the gorgeous farmland. The decorations were so beautiful and classy, with tons of white floral arrangements and candles as centerpieces. The tent had it's own lounge to the side with white couches, a bar, and a photo booth, and there was also a deck with adirondack chairs for guests to sit in and soak up the view! Of course there was an awesome dance floor where we all boogied the night away while their amazing band played! Did I mention the food yet? Probably my favorite part! There were fabulous appetizers, like bacon-wrapped breadsticks, cobb salad in tostitos scoops, lobster mac-n-cheese, and a sushi station. They had signature drinks, one of which was a blueberry mojito that was awesome! Dinner was a sit-down and included a water-melon salad, steak, crabcakes, asparagus, and the most amazing mashed potatoes! And then there were the desserts! They had a Coldstone station, a whole other dessert bar with yummy treats, including the famous Vacaro's cannolis, and a frappacino bar. Oh, I forgot to mention that they also had different kinds of popcorn! And then, around midnight, they brought out even more yummy treats, like mini-cheeseburgers, grilled cheese and tomato soup cups, and french-toast bites with maple syrup! And let's not neglect the s'mores! I was in HEAVEN with all of the deliciousness that night!

Kyle and me with his parents!

SO excited to be Mrs. Doyle!

Beautiful newlyweds!

Fun in the photo-booth!

Momma and me!

Kyle and me!

Ash came too!

My family! 

Head Table...perfection!

Beautiful!

It was the perfect night of dancing, laughing, and celebrating a wonderful pair of newlyweds! I hope that Beebs and Brian felt all of the love that was present that evening and know just how many people adore them and wish them all of the happiness in the world!

I wish I had more pictures to share, but as you can imagine, I wanted to experience every second of it, so I'm trusting that their photographers captured everything I didn't! I promise to post more photos as they come in!

It was definitely a weekend I'll always remember!

Beebs & Bdo...

We LOVE you guys and are SO excited for you!

6.30.12