Weekend Recap

On Friday night, I headed to Columbia for a St. Patty's Day get together at my cousins' house. I am so thankful that I am back in SC and can easily make it to things like this. My aunt went all out with the decorations and even served shepherd's pie for dinner. We had the best time just being together and we stayed up way to late just talking and laughing. Unfortunately, we didn't take any photos.

Saturday morning, we had a big breakfast before heading out for the day. We stopped by my grandparents' house before grabbing lunch and doing some shopping. I had not been to Columbia since the Anthropologie and J. Crew opened so we made sure to swing by. I wasn't planning on getting anything but these two sweaters caught my eye along with my favorite jeans which happened to be on sale. I hate jean shopping so to find a pair that fits on the first try and is on sale is a cause for celebration.

Portico Pullover

Slouchy Merino Sweater
This was on final sale! 

By mid afternoon it was time for me to head back to the upstate so I could make it back in time to babysit. I needed a little pick-me-up so I swung by Dunkin' Donuts. Shout out to Courtney for posting that their Cookie Dough Iced Coffee is back! It's a good thing that the Dunkin' Donuts is not convenient in Spartanburg or these treats would become a habit. 

Sunday, I headed to Greenville for church and ended up hanging around for a while after the service mingling with people. After my weekly trip to Trader Joe's I was starving, so I swung by Zoe's for lunch. I've been loving their Tossed Greek Salad. It comes with all my favorites - grilled chicken, greens, pasta salad, caramelized onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, feta, olives, Zoe's dressing, and pita bread. 

I decided to take advantage of the gorgeous weather that afternoon and go for a run outside. This was my longest run outside to date and it was a struggle mentally. I knew I was in trouble when I checked my mileage within the first half mile. Here's to hoping the endorphins/adrenaline kick in during the race on Saturday. 

I capped off the weekend by watching the Terriers get selected to play Arkansas on Thursday in Jacksonville. I may be biased but I thought we had the most school spirit of any of the teams they showed. I won't be making the trip but I will definitely be cheering them on from here. Go Terriers! Conquer and Prevail! 

Weekend Recap

Friday night, Ashley came over to help me pack. We talked about making dinner but figured that would take away from our packing time so we decided on Panera instead. I wanted to try their new broth bowls and ordered the Soba Noodle Bowl with Edamame and the Lentil Quinoa Bowl with Chicken for us to share. I was impressed with both of them. 

We caught up over a glass of wine before tackling the kitchen. We made quick work of things especially when you consider how much kitchen stuff I have.

Saturday, we headed to Greenville to run some errands. It is rare that I get to downtown Greenville early in the day but I could not believe how empty the streets were. Our first stop was Anthropologie. I was intrigued by their display of ribbons. I will keep this in mind for when mom dismantles my wall of fame in my bedroom at home. 

Anthro was having a great sale and I picked up these glasses for my bar. I am obsessed with them! 

We also hit up Bed Bath and Beyond and Target before going to Zoe's for lunch. I'd forgotten how much I enjoy Zoe's food/miss working there. I wish we had one in Spartanburg. Who knows, maybe one day I will open one. 

Our last stop of the day was Trader Joe's. I can't go to Greenville without stopping there. Once we were back in Spartanburg, I ran a few more errands before heading home for the day. The evening was filled with popcorn for dinner, a Hallmark movie (judge away), and some crafting. I will share what I made later this week.

Sunday morning, I tried Grace Presbyterian and really liked it. I look forward to going back. After a run outside, it was back to the packing. Do you think I have an excessive amount of books? Amy got the gold star for dusting them all before putting them in boxes. 

Sunday night, we had a dinner on campus in honor of MLK Day. We still had to work today but instead of heading straight to the office, we spent the morning volunteering at Camp Mary Elizabeth.

It was a busy weekend but I am glad that I was able to get some much accomplished. T-minus four days until I move into my own place! 

Weekend Recap

On Friday morning I headed to New York to join Mary Loyal and mom for the weekend. They both had to work up there during the week so we decided to tack on a girls' weekend at the end. I was very thankful to make it since my first flight was cancelled and my second flight kept getting pushed back. Fortunately we didn't have any plans until dinner. Once I got settled in, we bundled up before heading out. Note to self: New York in January is freezing. 

The original plan was to eat at Fig and Olive but we decided to change our reservation to Brasserie. We got there pretty early and while the bar was packed we had our pick of the seats. We decided to share a few plates and our waiter staged our dinner so that we started with the frisee salad followed by the mussels and frites and then the lobster risotto and sea scallops. Every dish was just as good as the previous one and we left with full bellies.

Our next stop for the evening was Broadway to see Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. We grew up listening to her songs but I could not get over how many other famous songs she and her husband wrote. We laughed, cried, and sang along. I would definitely recommend going to see it if you get the chance.

Saturday morning we piled on the layers and hit the streets. After shopping at the Etcetera outlet, we headed to the Flat Iron District for lunch. We ate at the Grey Dog Cafe the last time we were there and made a point to go back. It's a neighborhood gem and the wait is worth it. I had the Prawn and Jalapeno Popper tacos. They did not disappoint.

After lunch, we walked back to the hotel stopping in a few stores along the way. Before we knew it, it was time to head out for dinner. ML and I dressed in our new purchases from the Etcetera Outlet. For dinner, we went to ABC Kitchen and had another phenomenal meal. If you go, make sure to order one of the pizzas. I never knew that brussels sprouts on a pizza could be so good.

After dinner, we headed back to the hotel to regroup before walking across the street to The National. We each ordered coffee and split the dark chocolate creme brulee. I wish I could recreate this dish at home.

Sunday morning we grabbed a quick breakfast before heading to the airport. It was a short trip but I feel like we packed everything in!

Weekend Recap

Last week was full of lots of festive activities including events with both work and Junior League. By the time Friday rolled around, I was ready to put my feet up. After work, I headed to the gym and the grocery store before heading home for the night. Nothing says a wild Friday night like a copy of Real Simple, a glass (or two) of red wine and a Hallmark Christmas movie.

Saturday, I made a batch of paleo pancakes before heading out to run some errands. I was thankful for the hearty breakfast since my errands took much longer than expected. I felt like I was in Target for hours and ended up picking up quite a few things that were not on my list. I also ran into Barnes and Noble to return something and could not believe how long the line was.

Saturday night, we headed to Converse to watch the Spartanburg Philharmonic perform Handel's Messiah. The show also included some songs from Frozen so I made sure to get a picture with Olaf.

The show was incredible and definitely got me in the Christmas spirit. 

Sunday, I spent some time in the kitchen before heading to Colleen's for a Christmas party. It was a great weekend spent with great friends.

Weekend Recap

I took a much needed day off on Friday and enjoyed catching up on some things around the apartment as well as spending time in the kitchen. Friday night, we headed over to a friend's house to pass out candy. At 26 and 25, Sara and I decided that you are never to old to dress up for Halloween. She went as a flying squirrel and I channeled my inner T-Swift. We were listening to her new album when our first group of trick or treaters walked up and one of the girls exclaimed, "I knew you were Taylor Swift." Talk about my night being made!

Saturday morning, I decided to ramp up my paleo pancakes by adding some pumpkin puree to the mix. I added a little bit of nutmeg and vanilla to the batter before topping them with cinnamon to serve. I also used the leftover coconut milk to flavor my coffee. I usually drink my coffee black but this was a nice addition without being too sweet.

Saturday afternoon, I bundled up as much as I could before heading to the barn. November 1 brought our first cold snap of the season.

Sunday, I woke up bright and early thanks to the time change and decided to head to the early service at church since I was already awake. Three different people asked me if I had forgotten to set my clock back. I was the youngest one at the service by a good 20 years! After church, I made another batch of pumpkin pancakes and ate them while watching Maclay finals. I love that USEF has started live streaming all of the big shows. 

After spending the afternoon at the barn, Amy came over for dinner and a movie. I served the Thai Crunch Brussels Sprouts Salad and added Asian noodles, bean sprouts, and roasted Srircha broccoli. This is one recipe that kept getting better each time I ate it. 

Overall it was a great weekend!

Homecoming Recap

Last week/weekend was a busy one with all the homecoming festivities. Wednesday, we hosted Mr. Wofford and I can honestly say that I have not laughed that hard in a long time. The winner impersonated our Dean of Students during the costume round and absolutely nailed it. For our annual homecoming event on Thursday, we had a cookout and showed "Remember the Titans" on the jumbo tron at the football stadium.  

Friday, the majority of our staff headed to a conference on the other side of town. I am thankful that I get to work with such great people on a daily basis and take advantage of so many professional development opportunities.

That night was the annual Terrier Ball which was held at the Marriott this year. It was so fun to have ML and Lash in town and to be able to catch up with so many alums.

Saturday, I had to work for a few hours setting up the student tailgate lot and a brunch for the homecoming court before getting to tailgate with ML and friends.

During halftime, I got to go down on the field as we crowned our homecoming queen.

Saturday night we headed to dinner at Limeleaf before stopping by the Street Party. Overall, it was a great week/weekend. I love my new job and getting to assist the students with all their events. It was a crazy couple of days but it was so worth it - it only took me three whole days to recover!

Weekend Recap

Friday night, we headed to Charleston for the Hibernian Ball. We met up with some of our college friends and kicked the weekend off with a dinner at Sara's house. Nothing says reunion like 5 bottles of wine, a whole bag of peanut m&ms, and multiple games of Heads Up.

Saturday morning, we headed downtown to check into the hotel and get ready for a fun night. We stayed at the Elliott House which is conveniently located a block away from Hibernian Hall. It is not often that I stay in a hotel in Charleston but I would definitely stay there again.

After getting settled in and walking over to see the Hibernian, we headed to Poogan's Porch for a late brunch/lunch. We all went the breakfast route and had shrimp and grits, chicken and waffles, fish and grits, pulled pork eggs benedict, and a breakfast platter. Everything was delicious, including the bloody marys and biscuits they brought to the table.

We spent the afternoon tooling around downtown before putting on our party dresses and dancing shoes. The evening was so much fun. Lowcountry Eats catered and Second Nature was the band (fun fact: they also played at my sister's wedding).  

I'm not sure if we had more fun on the dance floor or in the photo booth.

Once the band stopped playing, we headed back downstairs for more singing and breakfast food before calling it a night.

Sunday, we ate lunch at Bull Street Gourmet before heading back to the upstate. It was such a fun weekend spent with great friends.