Life Changes!

Moving to Charleston!!!! It's official! -- It's only about time this happen, I have wanted to live in Charleston my ENTIRE life, and now I will be living in a little carriage house right downtown by the battery!!

I have been transferred there by my company and although I have a lot of meaningful people and memories staying in Raleigh, I am elated to finally be in this chapter of life. 

N'Awlins

I am downright obsessed with New Orleans. All the stories are true and the party really does not EVER end!

I wrapped up my own March madness of traveling this past weekend in NOLA with an amazing bachelorette party I planned for one of my closest friends, Lindsay! We had a complete blast. Starting the day off right with mimosas at our condo in the french quarter, then off to Cafe du Monde for beignets, carriage tours, jazz music, crawfish and poboys. The whole weekend was wonderful. We of course joined the party on Bourbon street into the wee hours of the night and stayed for a long weekend so we could get all the shopping possible in through Monday. We wrapped up the weekend with a nice cocktails and a 3 course meal at Muriels, which was also fantastic. I tried fried alligator..and loved it. (I love anything fried) It was a truly wonderful weekend!

Food Coma

The only problem with an incredibly delicious Low Country Broil is that the next day I am swollen like a blimp. The salt KILLS me every single time. Still, I indulge thoughtlessly as I can never seem to help myself.

This week marks the end of a relaxing month and starts the March madness frenzy. Charleston, New Jersey, New York and New Orleans all within 3 weeks! Whew.

work them hips, run girl.

Maybe if I see it on paper, or even just type it out, I will actually commit to start training for a half marathon. Little, tiny, itty bitty baby steps this will take, but it is something I have been thinking about pretty consistently for about a year now. Like most typical excuses, life sort of got in the way with actually committing to A) training for a race and B) committing to one. I mean, getting margaritas with friends always sounded like so much MORE fun than hopping on the treadmill.

I have a few half's that I am looking at, and now I need to research how to start effectively training. Is there a program called fat to fast?

I'll find out!

February Fever!

Spring fever in February is a rare treat, but this weekend was basically Christmas all over again! Sunny and 70 degrees on Wrightsville Beach made for a wonderful 2 days full of jogs on the beach and playful puppy parties -- It was wonderful and incredibly beautiful! My family forefeited our membership to a tradional country club years ago and opted for a membership with a yacht-club esque place at the beach. BEST. DECISION. EVER. Technically, our family could classify as professional beach bums and since Golf never totally interested us much the trade-in was 100 fold for our family. Now that I am graduated from college, I have my own personal membership at the club that I share with Bear and friends.

A wonderful cookout at the new home of one of my childhood besties, Lindsay, and her fiance Hayes, sealed the weekend. After hibernating this winter, I almost forgot what it was like to even ENJOY the outdoors. I cannot wait for Easter and the festivals and parties and cookouts and weddings... just, so much to look forward to!

Mercer, my cocker spaniel, at the beach!

Cuisinier

For me, high school was a surprisingly very meaningful and memorable period of life. College... well, college was a haze that was somehow full of fun experiences that eventually led to life-lessons -- a wonderful 4 years, for sure. Now, in my young adulthood, I have an unparalleled curiosity of life and newfound excitement for the things I want to learn so much about. Weddings and travel and history and promotions... you know, the celebrations and turning points in life. The little things. Well, my newest indulgence: cooking.

The fact that I can even manage to boil water is truly astonishing, especially since this time last year I literally did not even know how to make coffee. My New Years resolution was to learn to be a great cook so that by Christmas 2011 I could cook a lavish meal for friends and family. My plan is to make something new every single week in the kitchen. Not surprisingly, making a new years resolution to eat MORE delicious food is a lot easier to keep than the ones in years past where I wanted to avoid the calories. I have managed to keep the goal alive since January 1.

Super bowl was fun to cook for. For some, the dishes I made could be done before their age hit double digits. For me, learning to melt bakers chocolate (honestly, even KNOWING that bakers chocolate is different than hershey kisses) has been a victory. I was an incredibly active child and teenager, and when I got home from practice, games, clubs, parties, church, etc dinner was on the table. My mom was wonderful about that. But, while I could always clean up a kitchen like nobody's business (that was mine and my dad's job together, my mom and sister made the mess cooking) I had zero business even holding a spatula.

Thank God for my sweet boyfriend, my Bear.  He's been my guinea pig with all of this cooking. So far I have focused on appetizers and desserts and really just the familiarity with the kitchen. Bear's favorite so far has been the pimento cheese and Oreo truffles I made. This is a marathon, not sprint folks... SMALL STEPS.

Oreo truffles: (straight from the kraft website, I do not get too creative, yet! I drizzled white chocolate over mine)

what you need

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1 pkg.  (1 lb. 2 oz.) OREO Cookies, finely crushed (about 4-1/4 cups), divided

2 pkg. (8 squares each) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted
make it
MIX cream cheese and 3 cups cookie crumbs until well blended.

SHAPE into 48 (1-inch) balls. Dip in melted chocolate; place on waxed paper-covered baking sheet. Sprinkle with remaining cookie crumbs.

REFRIGERATE 1 hour or until firm. Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator.

All in a day's work!

Spent the afternoon networking here, overlooking this. What a fabulous view and great atmosphere. If only I had these seats during a Durham Bulls game. It was wonderful to meet with world renowned doctors and professors from Duke University over my famously favorite grape vodka cocktails! These incredible figures are getting involved with grassroot business endeavors in the area and have truly the most amazing stories.

One anesthesiologist single-handedly supports a village in Uganda and by directly buying their crafts from them and then re-selling them at a local boutique he owns on Main St. What I love about this boutique is that wedged in between a national bank and Gap and sees far more traffic than both from local supporters.

My company is looking to help them from several business standpoints and thankfully as the District Manager in the area, I am their point of contact. Very inspiring day full of empowerment and connections!