Jam-Packed Weekend of Fun

This past weekend was filled to the brim with a lot of fun activities!  Since we knew that Saturday and Sunday were going to be super busy we decided to have a relaxing night in by watching The Lorax and The Hunger Games  I had watched The Lorax as a kid and enjoyed it but wasn't too impressed with the new movie.  I would give it 3 stars.  I haven't read The Hunger Games but decided to watch the movie with Dave.  I really enjoyed it and want to know what happens next, so it looks like when I'm not studying for school, I will be reading the books!  We also took a break to get some fro-yo...yummy!!! :)

Saturday morning we drove to our jeweler so I could pick out a simple wedding band that I can wear when I'm exercising, at the beach/pool or doing other activities that I don't feel comfortable wearing my original ring since it has a lot of tiny diamonds and is very delicate.  It was fun to be back at our jeweler...I mean what girl doesn't like to look at jewelry?!?! :)

Guitar-Shaped Margarita/Strawberry Daiquiri and a Funnel Cake!  Concert FOOD!

   

Dancing to "Then" in the rain <3

Jeff & Susanna being cute! :)

Saturday afternoon we headed out to Bristow, VA for the Brad Paisley concert with our friends Jeff and Susanna.  We tailgated for a little while and did a lot of people watching (OBVIOUSLY this is a must for country concerts!)  Easton Corbin opened up as well as The Band Perry.  They both were amazing and I especially loved The Band Perry.  Their song, Postcard from Paris, has become a favorite of mine.  Brad Paisley was out of this world!  He's such a good performer, seems so genuine and has an amazing voice.  This was my 3rd time seeing him in concert and he was just as good as the first two times.  Unfortunately, it rained but that didn't stop us from enjoying the concert.  The highlights from the concert included:  being able to experience Jeff's first concert with him :) , dancing with Dave to "Ticks" (the night we met, we played this song on Guitar Hero together), dancing with Dave in the rain to "Then" (our first dance song), Carrie Underwood coming out and singing with Brad Paisley and just having a wonderful night with great friends!

 

The Band Perry:  "Postcard From Paris"

Pulling up to Cirque Du Soleil!

Sunday afternoon Dave surprised me with tickets to Cirque Du Soleil Totem.  This was the first time for both of us to attend one of their shows.  We had such an amazing time; the tricks that they did were phenomenal.  We kept looking at each other in awe of the performers.  It was such a fun date and something different from what we usually do.

It was such a fun-filled weekend with great friends and my wonderful husband.  Now we have my beautiful cousin's wedding to look forward to this weekend in New Jersey.  

Birthday Surprise in Charleston

Waiting to board our flight to Charleston!

Thursday night, Dave and I flew into Charleston to surprise my dad for his birthday.  My mom told my dad she was going to the movies with friends while in reality she was hanging out at her friends' house until she picked us up from the airport.  When we got to my parents' house, she went into the house through the garage and Dave and I stood at the front doorsteps.  She told my dad she had a present for him at the front door and once he opened it and saw us standing there, he was in total shock!  It was so fun to surprise him and he really had no idea!

Out-of-this-world shrimp and grits from Hominy Grill!

Happy Dave

Big Nasty

Friday we all went into downtown Charleston for a nice Southern meal at Hominy Grill.  If you ever visit Charleston I highly recommend this restaurant. It has been featured on several shows on Food Network and has become one of our favorite places to go when we visit.  Usually I order the fried green tomato sandwich but I decided to try the shrimp and grits since shrimp and grits is one of my favorite meals!  Let me tell you, their shrimp and grits were out of this world!  The grits were creamy, the shrimp were cooked to perfection and the flavor was out of this world.  I will be definitely have this dish again because it is probably one of the best shrimp and grits I have ever had!  Dave had his usual, the Big Nasty, which was featured on Man VS Food.  It's a fried chicken biscuit topped with sausage gravy and cheddar cheese.  My mom had the fried green tomato sandwich (a favorite of mine) and my dad had the vegetable plate which included macaroni and cheese that he said was outstanding.  All and all it was a delicious meal with the best company!

Happy! :)

Yabba dabba doo at Husk

After lunch my dad and Dave decided to check out the Charleston Museum, which ended up being a total bust, while my mom and I shopped on King Street.  Later that afternoon we all met up for a drink at Husk.  I had been wanting to try this drink, Yabba Dabba Doo, which they no longer have on their menu, but the bartender was nice enough to make it for me. It tasted just like an orange creamsicle!  We were supposed to go on a sunset cruise but due to the weather they had to cancel and we had a wonderful dinner at Fleet Landing, overlooking the water.  We saw tons of dolphins jumping during our dinner which was such a wonderful sight to see.  It was a fun-filled day with tons of great food!

My amazing parents at dinner!

Our view at dinner!

Saturday we had a relaxing day at the beach and my dad grilled us a wonderful dinner:  steaks for my mom and Dave (not seafood lovers) and swordfish for dad and myself.  Dinner was amazing and it was a relaxing night.

Winnie being cute!

Sunday my dad and Dave went to visit The Hunley and had a great time. My mom and I went out shopping AGAIN :).  Later that night we went to one of my parents' favorite pizza places for dinner.  It was such a fun last night in Charleston.

"grits are good for you" - had to get this at Hominy Grill!

 This past weekend was absolutely perfect.  I don't know what it is about going to my parents' house, but I just feel so relaxed there and always have the best time but I'm always so sad when I have to leave.  Luckily my parents will be staying at our place next Thursday before we drive up to New Jersey for my cousin Lauren's wedding weekend on Friday. 

Shark Week

So Shark Week is my dad's favorite week of the year and he likes to send our family an email reminder right before it starts.  I'm not sure why he loves Shark Week so much considering he's an avid surfer.  After watching some of the attack stories I am now petrified of the ocean.

My dad surfing!

In honor of Shark Week, my sister and I decided to send my dad a dozen of Georgetown Cupcake's Shark Week themed cupcakes!  They just arrived and he's so happy!  I wish I could have seen the smile on his face!

Image Courtesy of Georgetown Cupcake

How cute are those cupcakes?  Do any of you get super excited about Shark Week?

A Fun Weekend With Friends

Okay, so I wrote this post earlier this week but hadn't gotten around to adding the pictures, so please forgive the delay!

This past weekend was P-E-R-F-E-C-T!  We started the weekend with a fun game of Top Golf on Friday night with our good friends, Jeff and Susanna.  We all took golf lessons together this summer and wanted to practice what we had learned.  Even though I forgot some of the things I learned during our lesson it was still a fun night with great company!

Dave & Suman at the aquarium!

Saturday we drove up to Baltimore to visit our friend Suman and his girlfriend Rupal.  It was so good to see them again since we hadn't seen them since our wedding except for about 5 minutes back in December.  We decided we would spend the afternoon at the Baltimore Aquarium.  I had never been to the Baltimore Aquarium and was really looking forward to it!  My favorite exhibit was definitely the shark exhibit...man, are those things creepy looking!! 

Dave w/his "grape soda"

Yummy baked gnocchi

After a fun day of exploring the aquarium we were all famished!  Rupal found the perfect little Italian place for dinner.  I had baked gnocchi which was TO DIE FOR!  Dave thoroughly enjoyed his "grown-up grape soda!" :)  The food, drinks, conversation and company were amazing!

After our big meal we decided to walk back to the Inner Harbor.  As we strolled we came upon this little park that had instruments you could play and the craziest walkway I had ever seen.  We hung out there for a bit before we decided to grab a drink.

Rupal & Me playing in the park!

I swear I'm only squinting b/c there was a huge fan over my head!

We walked by Dick's Last Resort and I was immediately drawn to the ginormous margaritas with beers in them!  We decided to get a drink there so Rupal and I each ordered a margarita and shared it with our guy! :)

What a wonderful day it was with great friends!

Sunday was spent relaxing at the pool and catching up on chores.  All in all I would say it was the perfect weekend!

The Big 3-0

Let me preface this blog post by saying that I'm not here to brag, but to inspire my readers to go after their goals and also to show you that hard work and persistence really does pay off! It also doesn't hurt to have a great support system! :)

As a lot of my family and friends know, I've been working really hard since the beginning of March to lose some weight.  I wasn't feeling good about myself and wanted to do something about it and boost my self-confidence. 

I decided to join Weight Watchers and I couldn't be happier with the program.  By measuring my food,  keeping track of everything I ate and getting back into running, I noticed the pounds just melt-away each week.  It was the greatest feeling in the world to see my hard work really pay off!

I started this in the middle of tax season, which took a lot of willpower since our firm often buys us lunch and has numerous snacks that are available in the kitchen at all times.  I stuck to my plan and with the help of Dave, a lot of willpower and hard work, I can happily say that as of today, I have lost 30 pounds since I started the program back in March.  I am so much happier with my appearance and feel great!  The only problem is that none of my clothes fit me! :)  I'm slowly adding items to my wardrobe and getting a few key pieces tailored. 

I am so thankful for Dave who has been there every step of the way and for my parents who have been there to give me encouragement along the way.  I'm so happy with the results and will continue living this healthy lifestyle.  A big thank you to everyone who has supported me along they way!  I hope this inspires you to go after your goals!

Awesome running watch Dave just bought me b/c I reached my goal!!

2 Years

Two years ago today, the sweetest, most loving and caring man in the world asked me to be his wife.  It was the happiest moment of my life (besides marrying him).  It was such a special night and will be a memory that I will cherish forever.  I love Dave more than life itself and am just so lucky to call him my husband.

The apartment all set up for when I came home from work!

Dave calling his parents after I said YES!

Dave - thank you for making every day so special and always putting a smile on my face.  You make me so happy and I couldn't live without you!  I love you with all of my heart!

Saying our vows!