Just a Small Town Girl

IPHONE ROUND-UP
cute little church || cousin football game || corn on corn || authentic diner that only served pepsi (no lie)

I might be a city girl through and through, but there's something a tiny bit magical about small town, USA.  Levi and I have spent the past few days in itty-bitty Mifflintown, Pennsylvania where my mom spent her childhood.  Mifflintown is best described in a story.  I can remember visiting my grandparents as a girl and not having a Blockbuster nearby for videos and games to keep us occupied... so my grandmother and I marched over to the Amish farm down the street and "rented" a barn kitten to play with during my visit! 

So Mifflintown is less video games, more Amish kittens.  Ya dig?

On Saturday, I returned to Mifflintown for the first time in probably 15 years.  

I went back to celebrate the life of my Poppop.

His wife of 57 years, 6 kids, 6 sons and daughters in law, and 15 grandchildren came to celebrate too.

While the reason for our trip was sad, I have to admit that I was overjoyed to be there.

Sure, we cried. But we laughed too.  We laughed A LOT.

We played a lot of tag football.

We ate a lot of fresh cream-filled donuts baked from scratch by the Mennonite woman down the street.

We told a lot of stories.

We shared a lot of bad jokes.*

We saw how much a small town loved my Poppop and his family. 

For better or worse, there's not much else to do when visiting Mifflintown except spend time with the ones you love.  So that's what we did.  For three days, we lived the simple life.

They might be on to something, y'all.

While I don't think I'll be leaving the city in favor of the country anytime soon, I definitely think I need to schedule in some quiet visits more often.  It's just so good for the soul.

I also need more of those fresh cream-filled donuts, stat.

Are you a country mouse or a city mouse? 

Also -- so thrilled to be chosen as Biana's July B~Inspired woman!  Head on over to her blog, B Loved Boston, to check out my interview.  Thank you again for the feature, Biana!!

*How does a Mexican cut his pizza?

With Leetle Scee-sors (Little Ceasars/little scissors)!

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.  I'll be here all week.

Lately

Clockwise starting from the top left:

Bold new shades

Lunching on the go with a green smoothie and JCrew Malta sandals

Took a break from designer to play coordinator for a darling couple

The courtyard at Atlanta's Summerour Studio

Summa time feast!

I've been bopping around for the last two weeks -- Greenville, Atlanta, North Georgia mountains, Charleston... all kinds of fun places (with fun people)!  I'm looking forward for this week at home before craziness resumes command next week.  I plan on catching up on some work, snuggling with the pup, and indulging on some all-American treats that Levi works up on the grill.

Do you guys have big plans for the four day work week?  Are you laying low or going big?

Sunday Edition

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An InLinkz Link-up

Real Talk | Budgeting

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Ahh. The "B" word.

BUDGET.

Doesn't it just send chills up and down your spine?
(And not in a good way)

Considering that I quit my full-time job last September to start my own company, we've had to be extra careful with our pennies this year (and will continue to be for the foreseeable future).  While Levi and I aren't anal organized enough to input every single purchase into a spreadsheet with categories like "groceries", "gas", and "parking tickets" (yes, that last category would be completely necessary in our household), we do make a very conscious effort to pay attention to how and when we are spending to make sure it's done responsibly.  Over the past few months, we've implemented a few new habits that really make a difference to our bottom line.

I know what y'all are thinking.

"Didn't that hoochie just get back from two weeks in Europe?  Doesn't sound like she is the best person to be doling out budgeting advice."

You're right.  But don't you want to know HOW we had the money to take that very expensive trip?
 Read on.

Cancel Cable

When Levi first suggested this, I threw my hands in the air and yelled "I would rather die!".  Hm, dramatic much?  In reality, canceling cable has been the easiest and most effective way to cut back on our budget.  We signed up for a Netflix subscription for $8 a month, thus saving us $72 every single month (and $864 a year*).  Honestly?  We watch just as much TV as we did when we had cable, except now we're enjoying more quality programming.  Think less Real Housewives, more House of Cards.  Sure we miss some live events, but all in all, this was the best decision we made for our wallets (and our minds).

No "Extra" Groceries

Simply put, we** don't buy any snack food.  No chips, cookies, no soda.   We buy what we need for meals and that's about it.  Not only does this fatten our wallets, but it also shrinks our waistline.  Levi has lost almost 20lbs since we stopped buying snacks! I haven't been so lucky, but not having junk in the house helps me stay on track.  It also prevents mindless eating -- before I eat leftovers "just because", I think about the costs and how that could easily equate to another meal.  Granted, there are just two of us and I could see this being much more difficult for those of you with little mouths to feed.  We also don't eat out very often -- maybe twice a month or so on average (and upscale restaurants are few and far between). 

 Essentials Only

Beauty products are my weakness.  I'm always looking for the next best thing, which can lead to some unnecessary expenditures.  Lately, I've been focusing on using up what items I already own.  Hopefully, this also results in some more space in my bathroom drawers!  I only buy something new if I'm replacing an essential item that I've used up.  I just recently replaced a lot of my essentials at the Sephora F&F sale in the fall, so I should be set for quite a while.

Utilities

If we leave the room, we turn out the light.  Our house always a little uncomfortable, temperature-wise***.  It may not be much, but it adds up.

Clothes & Decor

Ugh, shopping.  This is the hardest area for me, no doubt.  I like to shop when I'm happy, shop when I'm sad, or just shop when I'm bored.  This goes for both clothing and home decor.  I don't have a good answer on how to cut back.  Honestly, I'm trying to just cut it out all together for the time being.  I already own some wonderful pieces, so it's all about working with what I've got.  When I do make a purchase, it's almost always an item already on sale (or with a discount code), and I never forget to check Ebates for extra savings.  Paying full price is for the birds! I do plan on allowing myself one or two small purchases a month.   This blog is an amazing resource for edited, conscientious shopping.  It's really changed the way I mentally approach my wardrobe!

Get Moving

One thing that I have not cut out of the budget is my gym membership.  While it does cost me quite a bit every month, I see it as a money saver.  Why?  Well, let me explain -- rather than taking an hour a day wandering through Target (almost always resulting in a loss of $100), I can take that hour and go to the gym.  It gets me out of the house and keeps me busy at a place where I'm not tempted to spend a dime.  Oh yeah, there's all of those physical and mental health benefits too.  Hooray for me.  Of course, you could save even more money by forgoing a membership and running outside/working out at home too.  I just know myself, and if I don't have my spin instructor yelling at me to turn up that dial, I'm just going to be lazy.  If my couch is within eyesight, a workout just isn't going to happen!

I know that everyone's situation is different, but we've had great luck with some of the methods discussed above.  However, I know we can continue to improve and be even more financially responsible, so I'd love to hear how you all make your budgets work for you.

What are your best money saving tips?  I'd love to implement a few of them!

*Yes, I had to use a calculator to get that figure. Shuddup.

**You like how I said "we" like Levi steps foot in a grocery store, ever?

*** I use throw blankets when it's cold, lounge in my underwear when I'm hot.  I would recommend investing in window coverings if you adopt this approach.

I'm Back

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...But not unpacked.

Still trying to catch up on work, house stuff, and mountains of laundry*, but it's good to be home!  I'm looking forward "seeing" all of you, hearing about what I missed, and sharing lots of details from our European adventure :).

But now, it's time for emails and Georgia snuggles.  I missed them so much (snuggles, not emails).

Until tomorrow!

*We only took two carry-on bags.  Where did all of the laundry come from?! 

Sunday Edition

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An InLinkz Link-up

Little Moments

I snapped this photo bright and early Easter morning, just as the sun was starting to peak through the curtains.  We usually don't allow Georgia on our bed, but she was a nervous nelly the night before, so we let her up to help curb the anxiety.  I spent the next several hours fighting for sheets and bed space.  She obviously wanted to stay close to her dad in case something scary came after her ;).  I have to admit, waking up to this special scene made it worth the cramped sleeping quarters and extra load of laundry today.

There really is beauty in life's tiniest details.

How was your weekend?  Where did you find your beauty?

All in Good Time

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If I've seemed distracted for the past week or two, it's because I have been.

Last week, my sweet, darling (seriously, he's da best) Levi surprised me with a TRIP TO EUROPE as an anniversary (and birthday, and Christmas, and Valentine's Day) gift !  I've never been to Europe, but I've been dreaming about it for what feels like forever.  I was actually supposed to study abroad in Austria the summer after my sophomore year at UGA, but my family had some troubles arise due to the downturn of the economy and I had to cancel my trip.  I knew that it was for the best, but I was devastated.  I still remember Levi holding me while I sobbed.  He promised me that we would go.  One day.

One day.

After lots of saving, one day is here. The day he told me that I could start planning, I started researching and decided that next spring would be the perfect time to jet set across the pond. So much time to plan ahead!  I can research my little heart out and save up for the next year to have lots of spending money.  Hooray!

Or, not.  In true Levi fashion, he meant that we were going to Europe THIS spring.  As in, the next 30-60 days.  CUE FRANTIC RESEARCHING NOW.  

So yes, we leave May 7th (!!!!).  Which gives me exactly 43 days to map out an entire itinerary, book places to stay, and plan out my entire wardrobe.  I've been trying to learn to be more spontaneous, and this is definitely the ultimate test.  Challenge accepted.  

Stop by tomorrow and I'll map out our route and which cities we'll be exploring! 

Have you ever been to Europe?  Any tips for this first timer?

Weekend

Top of the morning to ya.  This weekend was one for the books -- sunny, warm, and filled with good food.  Just how I like 'em.

Levi was out of town all last week, but surprised me by coming home on Friday early enough for us to have a lunch date.  We went to one of of our favorite spots in downtown Greenville, Nose Dive.  We took advantage of the gorgeous day and sat outside to people watch.

I always, always, always order the lobster sandwich when we go to Nose Dive. I would try something different, BUT LOBSTAH.  Enough said.  I did try the roasted brussels sprouts with a warm bacon vinaigrette as my side and they were beyond delicious.  We do like to try new beers every time we go.  This time, we enjoyed a red ale by local brewery Thomas Creek.

On Saturday, I did a little window shopping* at JCrew and Forever 21.  

While I kind of loved everything, I only purchased the pop-pom dress and the tortoise shades from Forever 21.  I had a $25 Visa gift card that covered the purchases exactly. Cha-ching.  However, I fully intend on purchasing that little summer tunic from JCrew as soon as it goes on sale.  I have a serious thing for tassels and pom-poms right now (boy, never thought I'd say that), so it's a must.  Levi, if you're reading this, my birthday is coming up...nudge, shove.  Also, I think it's officially time for a spray tan.  Like, tomorrow.

Sunday we brunched at Southern Culture Kitchen + Bar.  I've heard amazing things about their brunch, so I wasn't too surprised when we were told that the wait for a table was over an hour.  Their kick-ass bloody mary bar and live music made the hour fly right on by! As expected, the food was great.  I got a burger, which was good, but a mistake.  Levi got fried chicken, biscuits, gravy, and fried eggs and I dropped some not so subtle hints that I wanted to trade plates.  No dice.  Even true love can't come between a boy and his biscuits.   The rest of our table was really happy with their meals.  We'll definitely be back.

I spent the rest of the day nursing a head cold, picking up the house, and giving myself an at home mani. I went with another neutral (surprise!), OPI Mimosas for the Mr. & Mrs.  

While I'm completely in love with the color, the formula le sucked.  It will definitely be going back to Ulta.

I'm still trying to fight off this cold before I head to Atlanta tomorrow and then fly to New Orleans on Thursday for MARDI GRAS!  Send me some Vitamin C love, please!

How was your weekend?  Did you have beautiful weather?

* By window shopping, I mean trying everything on and torturing myself by not buying anything.  Dressing room attendants love me.

Weekend Recap

Happy Monday!  Last week was a little weird, since the snow/ice kept us inside for the majority of the time.  Needless to say, we were very excited about getting out of the house on Saturday, and I'm even more excited to get back into a a routine.

The roads were still pretty icy on Valentine's Day, so we didn't do much.   Levi was wonderful enough to go pick up some of my favorite sushi for us to enjoy while watching SEASON TWO OF HOUSE OF CARDS, WHAT WHAT.  I lost my shit during the first episode.  JAW + FLOOR.

If you follow me on Instagram, you saw that Levi was so excited for the new season that he literally stood in front of the screen for the entire first episode.  It was like watching a 3 year old Levi watch cartoons.  He does this kind of often and doesn't even realize that he's doing it until I ask him to kindly sit his butt down.  Hilarious.

While we were in the middle of Episode 2, we heard a huge BOOM and the entire house shook.  It shook for long enough that we had time to pause the show and look at each other with "WTF?" faces.  Levi and I were sure that the wrath of Frank Underwood was upon us.   Seconds later, Facebook started blowing up about the EARTHQUAKE in South Carolina.  Yep, South Carolina had a snow storm, ice storm, and an earthquake all within the same week.  The best part?  This week it's supposed to be in the high 60's and sunny.  Mother Nature might need to be put on some serious medication.

Saturday morning, we woke early to head to Columbia, SC for Gamecocks Baseball's Opening Weekend!  While I'm a tried and true Georgia fan (go dawgs!), my little brother is a freshman on the baseball team at University of South Carolina.  They have one of (if not THE) best college baseball program in the country, so we're all pretty proud of him.  I even wore garnet to the game.  If that's not love, I don't know what is.

They had a double header against Bucknell, and won both games by a sizable amount.  Reed even got to pitch at the end of the second game -- as a freshman! 

I might be biased, but he had the best walk-out song on the team.  This kid watched the movie Space Jam approximately 18,000 times growing up, so it was perfect.  

The stadium was FREEZING, so we all wanted to go somewhere with heat after the game for a bite to eat and some brewskies to warm us up.  We stumbled upon the Hunter & Gatherer in downtown Columbia, and I am so glad that we did.  

The atmosphere was warm, cozy, and intimate.  They brew their own beer (which was delicious) and the food was top notch.  I had the tofu marsala, Levi and Mom had gyros, while Dad, Reed, and his teammate all had steak sandwiches.  Yes, the menu was kind of random, but the food was really good nonetheless.  I'd definitely recommend giving it a try if you're ever in Columbia.

Sunday was my first day back to the gym in a week (thanks to the snowstorm) and my spin class just about killed me.  I spent the rest of the day recovering, running errands, and just getting some stuff done around the house.  Nothing too exciting!

I'm so excited to get back to the grind this week.  I've missed my routine!

How was your weekend?  Anything you're looking forward to this week?

Let It Snow

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Remember when I made a fuss about this wimpy little snow day?

Ha, joke's on me. We have a full on blizzard coming through South Carolina -- we already have 6" and they're predicting up to another 14" on top of that!  Wowza.  I'm looking out the window as I type and I have to admit -- it's pretty gorgeous looking.  I don't hate it.

 There's a very high probability that we'll be without power for the rest of the week, so I made sure to wake up extra early to squeeze in a cup of coffee and a hot shower.  Better safe than sorry, right?  I also just wanted to pop in and say hello before our house becomes an igloo.  So, hello!

 Well, we're going to hunker down with hot tea*, a fire, and a few good books and ride out this storm. 

Catch you on the other side!** 

*By hot tea, I mean booze.

**It's supposed to be in the 60's by early next week.  The Southeast is cray and I love it.

Southern Snow Day

You ready to see what Snowmagedon 2K14 looked like in SC?

Oh yeah.  And you better believe that we were excited about it.

Alas, it's already melted and we're back to normal.  Our little family was lucky that we work from home and  didn't have to deal with all of the craziness on the roads. Lots and lots of Atlantans weren't so lucky -- my newsfeed was filled with horror stories of getting stuck on the road, sleeping in cars, or abandoning their vehicles and walking 5+ miles in nothing but their work clothes to find food and shelter.  Some people are STILL STUCK.

But here's the wonderful thing -- for every terrible story I read , I read two more about good Samaritans sacrificing their own comfort to help those in need.  Check out these 13 examples of people being awesome in the Atlanta traffic jam.

Forever I love Atlanta, y'all.

Mexico on a Wild Hair

Mexico was ah-mazing.  We stayed at the Bahia Principe Sian Ka'an Resort in Akumal and could NOT have been happier with our stay!  We drank, we ate, we lounged, we swam with the dolphins, we took really great couple photos where we both looked at the camera without making stupid faces. 

Typical.

Can we go back now?

Surprise!

Oh hey, friends. Remember me?

I know, it's been a while.  I took a little break -- not because I was exhausted and needed to get away, but because life has been crazy (in a good way!).  The month of June has been very, very good to me.

Let's recap, shall we?

I rescued this little nugget.  She showed up in our neighborhood with no collar and no microchip.  We searched for an owner, but after a few days we realized that someone probably dumped her in the neighborhood and left (which makes me incredibly angry, but I digress).  Peach the Puppy lived at our house until we found her a great forever family. Georgia and I miss her, but I'm so glad she has a family that loves her to peices!

I had my 5 seconds of fame on Bravo's "Newlyweds".  I worked on Blair & Jeff's wedding, and the cameras caught me in OCD mode (folding and refolding napkins until they are perfect).

We celebrated Georgia's 2nd birthday by chasing ducks and eating peanut butter fro-yo.

We've tried some new restaurants in Greenville and dined al fresco.

At home, we've been focusing on clean eating (80% of the time, anyway).

This happened. And this.

I reached out to my homegirl, Angela from Saffron Avenue, to start an exciting new project (!!!).

We booked a vacation to Mexicoooo! We leave next Saturday.



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Here's to July being just as wonderful! Hopefully I'll be around to share more of it in real time, too. :)

So tell me -- how was your June??

Southern Weddings

Yesterday was your typical Tuesday -- at work, answering a million emails, and in desperate need of a latte. I decided to take a sneak peak at Facebook (shhh) and boy, was I surprised when I saw a post from my fabulous wedding photographer saying that Natalia + Levi's wedding was named one of the Top Ten All-Time Favorite Weddings by Southern Weddings Magazine.

Wait. What?

I clicked on the link. Low and behold, there it was. 



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I respect the ladies at SW so, so much and they feature some of the absolute best content in the wedding world.  I can say with absolute confidence that they publish the BEST wedding magazine, period.  No one else even comes close!   I'm still completely baffled that they wanted to publish our wedding in their V4 print edition, and now I'm even more shocked that my little budget DIY affair made their Top Ten list*. 

Ladies of Southern Weddings, THANK YOU.

All of my talented, dedicated, super-duper awesome superstar vendors, THANK YOU.

Mom, Dad, Taryn & Tom, THANK YOU.

Levi, thanks for marrying me.  I know I can be a bit of a handful sometimes.

Be sure to head over to the SW blog to check out the other weddings on the list -- they included some of my all-time favorites (I still remember drooling over Lindsey & Tyson's wedding when I first saw it in V3, and absolutely nothing has changed).

Want to see more of our wedding?  Be sure to check out the Part One and Part Two on the Southern Wedddings Blog!

Also, I don't care if you're single, engaged, or already married -- go buy all five editions of Southern Weddings Magazine now.  It's so full of pretty.  You will thank me.

Happy 5th Birthday, Southern Weddings!!!

*Psssst, Marissa.  Thanks for choosing us! You're my homegurl.

Truths

Hey, friends.  How goes it?  My sweet, sweet friend Ashlyn from Let it be Beautiful tagged me after she shared her Five Truths yesterday, so of course I accepting the challenge.

Secrets, secrets are no fun unless you tell everyone. Right?

Truth One

I only wash my hair twice a week, max.  I have super thick hair and I haaaaaate the process of washing, drying and styling my hair.  Luckily, I've trained my hair to stay clean for two to three days.  Then I extend it another day or three with dry shampoo and ponytails.  Judge away, clean freaks, judge away.

Truth Two

I'm terrible at keeping in touch with long-distance friends. I love them to pieces and think of them often, but I  rarely pick up the phone and call.  I deal with people all day, and often the only things I want after work are sweat pants and silence.  However, that's no excuse.  I need to make more of an effort, even if it's just a quick text message or card in the mail to let them know I love them dearly and cherish their friendship

Psst, all my LDF's out there? I love you!! Sorry I'm such a sketch-ball.

Truth Three

I'm obsessed with TV.  Seriously, obsessed.  I develop oddly deep emotional connections with characters and story lines.  I probably have 10+ shows that I watch religiously, including The Walking Dead, Shameless, Girls, Breaking Bad, Suits, Modern Family, Homeland, The Real Housewives of Orange County, and The Millionaire Matchmaker.  Thank the TV gods for my DVR.  Do you watch any of those shows?  Call me.  Lord knows I'd love to talk about my friends Walter White and Patti Stanger.

Truth Four

I curse like a ******* sailor. A-Bombs, D-Bombs, S-Bombs, F-Bombs --  I drop them all.  If I'm not careful, I can easily work multiple curse words into a single sentence without realizing what I'm doing.  It's extremely unbecoming and I know that I should stop... but honestly, I don't see myself cleaning up my act anytime soon.  

Truth Five

I've only had one serious boyfriend, who is now my husband.  I kissed my share of boys, but I was way too insecure as a teenager to ever let anyone get too close.  I started dating L when I was nineteen and it was the first time I had ever dated someone exclusively.  He made me feel beautiful, smart, funny, and all-around fabulous, and continues to make me feel the same way every day.  Do I sometimes think about what I missed out on by not dating more men?  Of course -- I'd be lying if I said I never think about it.  But on the flip side, I have a wonderful significant other who makes me feel like a rock star, PLUS I've never experienced a serious heartbreak.  

So there you go.  That was relatively painless.

Marilisa, Lauran, Nat, Tina, and Emily -- you're it, girlfrans.

Four Favorites: Valentine's Edition

PJ's //  Lipgloss // Card // Bubbly

It's Wednesday, which means it's time to link up with Ashlyn and Kristin for Four Favorites!  This week, we all have Valentine's Day on the brain.  Levi and I typically spend Valentine's Day eating a good meal, drinking champagne, and enjoying each other's company... from our living room.  We did go out last year, but it was a bit of a bust (long story), so I think we're going to return to our tradition of spending Valentine's Day at home.  We put away our laptops and really enjoy spending time together without technology.  I love to go out at much as the next girl, but sometimes it's a quiet night at home with your love (with no distractions) that means the most.

What are your plans for Valentine's Day? Will you go out to a romantic dinner? Stay home? Or perhaps hit the bar with your single girlfriends for some fun?