Short & Sweet - Our Spontaneous Trip to Raleigh

When Chris texted me Thursday morning saying that he had an idea of something for us to do over the weekend, I thought he meant something around town, dinner or shopping.  I never thought he meant going on a trip.  Little did I know he had already looked up tickets to the Rangers/Hurricanes game and found a fantastic hotel in Raleigh for the weekend.  After much debating Thursday night whether we should go or not, we finally decided to go and enjoy a weekend away.  We figured it would truly be the last good getaway before he starts studying for the Step 2 of his Board exam after the holidays.

We had been to Raleigh once before for a Rangers/Hurricanes game, but apparently visited the wrong area.  We were, to say the least, less than impressed with the area last time we visited.  The area we stayed in this weekend was called North Hills and it was amazing!  It had little shopping areas all over, really nice hotels, great restaurants and a Harris Teeter right across the street.  We enjoyed a great dinner at Yard House Friday night (pictures below) and walked around a bit afterwards and enjoyed the lights in the area.

When we woke up Saturday morning and saw that it was snowing/sprinkling rain, we were at a loss of what to do until the hockey game that evening.  All the little shopping areas around the hotel were outside and were meant to be enjoyed in dry weather.  Chris did a little researching online and found Crabtree Valley Mall about 5 minutes away.  What did we have to lose?  Well, apparently money :)  This mall was by far the best mall either of us have ever been to!  It had all the right stores, high end to browse and window shop in, clothing stores that fit our personalities, and plenty of restaurants to choose from for lunch.  Traffic was a nightmare getting off the exit, but what mall isn't a nightmare of cars the Saturday before Christmas???

After a full day (and I mean full day of 5+ hours) of shopping, we hurried back to the hotel and changed for the Rangers game.  We got there early enough to go down to the glass and watch them warm-up, which in my opinion is the best part of going to the games!  Chris is a die-hard Rangers fan, and after dating him for almost 3 years, I can say that I am as well.  It has sucked me in and I was up yelling and screaming when they scored with all the other Rangers fans in the arena.  The game ended up going into a shootout, which I absolutely love to watch!  Terribly nerve-wracking, but thrilling at the same time!  The Rangers won with Mats Zuccarello's goal in the shootout.  After only paying $90 for seats about 10 rows off the glass, I can say it was an amazing night!

After the game ended, we walked around the shopping centers by our hotel and enjoyed the Christmas lights!  Great area to stay in, I highly recommend North Hills to anyone visiting Raleigh.  On top of that, I really highly recommend the Hyatt House in North Hills to anyone needing a place to stay!  The nicest hotel I've ever stayed in - full studio apartment with kitchen and massive bathroom.  

This Special Time of Year

Well, it's hard to believe that December is almost half way over...which means Christmas is less than 2 weeks away!  Really hard to believe since I haven't finished my Christmas shopping or sent cards yet.  Here's to kicking it in high gear and wrapping all this up this weekend!

Our little apartment is starting to look a lot like Christmas or a Christmas bomb...whichever you prefer.  I prefer to go over the top with my Christmas decorations - it does only come around once a year.

Ornaments to me are the perfect way to add personality to your tree.  Chris and I started a tradition to get an ornament for our tree on each vacation we take together.  This year we acquired another one to add to the growing collection - Santa Claus on a crab from our trip to Hilton Head Island.  Another new ornament this year is from my mom who picked me up a seahorse made from Waterford Crystal when she was in Ireland this spring.  They are both perfect additions to our tree!

I came home to a surprise this week.  Chris had bought me a poinsettia and a wreath that look perfect in our living room!

I hope everyone is looking forward to Christmas just as much as I am!  Here's to a great weekend of Christmas shopping, baking goodies, and decorating a bit more!

10 Days of Thankfulness - Day 10

For my final day of the 10 Days of Thankfulness series, I am thankful for plenty!  Plenty of family, friends, food, happiness, and more.  As Thanksgiving winds down and we've had plenty of food and enjoyed our desserts, I am incredibly thankful that my family was able to make the trip here this year.  As hectic and busy as this day was prepping, it was totally worth it when we all sat down together and enjoyed a good meal.  I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and had plenty of food, family, and love today!  The picture above is from last winter - here's to hoping we get plenty of snow again this year!

10 Days of Thankfulness - Day 9

We all have that something that relaxes you instantly.  For me, it's a bath at night.  Whether it's after a long day at work or a busy day out and about in town, the bath is ultimately what I look forward to each day.  Light a candle, pull my laptop in on a dining room chair, add a glass of red wine and I'm set!  Above is a picture of all the products I've grown to love over the past couple of months.  Once a week I do a detox bath with Epsom salts and lavender essential oil.  The other nights I use either Cashmere Glow bubble bath or Lavender Vanilla Sleep luxury bath, both from Bath and Body Works.  I highly recommend any of these to anyone who enjoys relaxing in an occasional or daily bath!  I am extremely thankful to have the time to myself each day to relax and just not think about anything for 30 minutes.

10 Days of Thankfulness - Day 8

One of the biggest treasures in life is friends.  Whether it's childhood friends, spouses, family members that have become friends as you grow older, or new found friends, they're one of the most important aspects of life in my opinion.  Without friends, we wouldn't have anyone to celebrate the happy moments with or bond over the heartbreaking moments.  Even though I'm 8 or more hours away from some of my best friends, I still consider them to be some of my closest friends.  They've known me for years, through good and bad, and have always been there for me.  I've also found that as each year goes by, I grow closer to my aunts and uncles and confide in them as I would a friend.  I hope everyone takes a moment to be thankful for all the friends they share life with and cherish the bonds they've created together!

10 Days of Thankfulness - Day 7

I've always had the privilege of having good health.  I think it's something we all take for granted a lot.  Too many people don't even have the ability to do something as simple as taking a walk.  I know we all experience those ailments and illnesses that have us under the weather for a week or so, but I think being thankful for our health is something all of us could do a little more of.  Due to Chris and his newfound wealth of medical knowledge, my measly knowledge of how our bodies work has grown as well.  It's so fascinating how one small thing we do can impact so many systems in our body.  I've definitely stepped it up and have been taking vitamins more often and drinking more water.  Small changes like this can have a large impact on our health when applied on a daily basis.

10 Days Of Thankfulness - Days 5 and 6

I think too often we "live for the weekends" when we should be appreciating every moment of life that passes by.  I admit I am guilty of this as well, but I'm going to start appreciating each day of the work week as much as I do Saturdays and Sundays.  Too few people get to enjoy another day that I think each of us should wake up on Monday mornings and be thankful to start another week with a clean slate.

Chris and I spent Saturday night in Roanoke enjoying a bit of shopping, dinner, a VT hockey game, and catching up with friends.  After trying dinner in a new area we've never ventured to before, we noticed this little store next door called Piety.  Since it had "pie" in the name and looked cute through the window, I decided to look it up online as we ate dinner.  Come to find out, it's the place I've heard about for weeks and seen reviews of on Facebook.  They make these adorable mini pies that are absolutely delicious!  We decided to grab a key lime pie for ourselves and a lemon cranberry pie for our friends and enjoyed them together as we caught up with them at the end of the night.  Desserts have always been my favorite meal of the day - ask anyone who knows me!  They are the perfect ending to a delicious meal and also the perfect excuse to catch up with a friend.

10 Days Of Thankfulness - Day 4

As this crazy busy week is winding down, I've been incredibly thankful for having a best friend and significant other that I could depend upon.  Not only am I thankful for him, but I'm thankful to be with him.  I feel honored every day to say that my best friend and boyfriend is going to be a doctor soon.  To know that he will help people in a way that only the highly educated and well trained can melts my heart that he is willing to dedicate his life to that cause.  Over the past two and half years, I've been there for Chris through everything, but he has also been there for me through everything.  That's what true love is to me - dedicating your time to each other.  He may have been inundated with class and now swamped with rotations, but he's always been there at the end of every day to make sure I'm doing okay through it all.  I am so thankful that I have found someone who I love so much and has truly become my best friend in life.  Everyone deserves to find that person who they can talk about anything with and trust that they'll be there when they need them.  Here's to the past two and half years and many more to come!

10 Days of Thankfulness - Day 3

Thanksgiving is officially one week away and all I can think about is how I'm extremely excited to decorate for Christmas.  I'm one of those people who has been itching to pull out the Christmas decorations for weeks now, while also listening to Christmas music for yes, a couple months already. If it wasn't for Chris holding me back, our apartment would already be decked out in red and green.  There's just something about this time of the year when your apartment or house feels that much more like a home.  Something about hanging stocking and twinkling lights that lifts your spirits.  I am so thankful to have the privilege of having an apartment to call a home and having the freedom to express any religion or belief that I so choose.  I hope everyone enjoys the time they have with family next week over the Thanksgiving holiday and is thankful for the time we have with each other.

10 Days of Thankfulness - Day 2

Vacations are a necessity in my book.  Without them, I think we'd all be running on fumes 24/7.  I am extremely thankful to have the opportunity and the privilege of taking time off for vacations.  Being with Chris through the past two years of medical school has taught me that you truly do have to work hard for what you want.  The past two years have also taught me that time off away from the hustle and bustle is essential for everyone.  We have taken a trip to Charlotte each year while he's been in medical school and it's been a couple of the best weekends yet.  Being only 2 hours away, it's the perfect distance from Blacksburg to feel like a nice getaway but yet not too far that you're stuck in the car for hours on end.  I hope everyone is grateful for the privilege of having time off and the opportunity to take vacations to recoup.

10 Days of Thankfulness - Day 1

What does Thanksgiving mean to you?  To me, it's about being thankful for what we have, big and small.  It's that time of the year when we sit down and think about what we're thankful for.  With just over a week before Thanksgiving is here, I'm kicking off a 10-day series of what I'm thankful for.  Here's Day 1.

Family has been and will always be there for you through thick and thin.  They're the people you turn to when you need a helping hand, when you want to celebrate an occasion, or when you need an unbiased opinion.  Growing up as an only child meant I was pretty much destined to be close to my parents.  They have both been there for me through everything!  My mom is without a doubt one of my best friends.  Anytime I need to talk or just want to say hey, she's there no matter what.  I've always been a daddy's girl and always will be.  Living hours away from my parents has been an adjustment, but I truly believe it's made us that much closer.  I call and text them more often that I did when I lived just an hour away in Tennessee.  The best part of Thanksgiving to me is gathering around a table with those you love.  I cannot wait for my family to come visit for Thanksgiving next week and cannot wait to spend a few days of quality time with them.

Short & Sweet - Halloween Decor (Apartment Style)

There's no doubt about it...one of my favorite holidays has to be Halloween!  I love it all - the decorations, the candy, the movies and TV shows.  Everyone knows I live all year for the day Hocus Pocus comes on TV!  Even though I have it on DVD, there's something about watching it on TV with a cup of hot apple cider.

I think one of the most important aspects of living in an apartment is making it feel like a home.  One of the ways I try to accomplish this is by decorating for each holiday that I can.  I've tried to make our little apartment as cute and comfortable as possible.  Since I made these banners last year for a Halloween party we were planning to throw, I knew I had to use them somehow in our apartment.  After receiving a little inspiration from none other than Pinterest, I figured out the perfect place for them.  While I would love to also have garland around our front door and a pumpkin topiary on the porch, those hopes just aren't realistic when we share a common space with our neighbors.

After having the Happy Halloween one up for a couple days, Chris and I have decided it would be nice to have one for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Looks like I have a few more crafting weekends in my future!  If anyone has any cute Thanksgiving decoration ideas - please share with me!  Before we know it, it'll be November and time to circulate out the apartment decor.

Short & Sweet - My Favorite Season

It's hard to believe that October is already upon us.  With October comes all sorts of goodness - PSL at Starbucks, decorating for fall, Halloween, colder weather.  These are just a few reasons why fall is my favorite season of the year!  The days when you can enjoy a nice brisk walk outside, slightly bundled in one of your favorite sweatshirts, admiring the beautiful colors of the changing trees...these are the days I look forward to year round!

I spent last Saturday decorating for fall in our apartment.  All sorts of goodies made their yearly appearance - the colorful front door wreath, a centerpiece for the coffee table, and a few knick knacks.  I've decided to make homemade Halloween cards this year.  Yes, I am one of those people who sends cards for each holiday that Target stocks a seasonal shelf for.  After stocking up on a few supplies at Michaels, I couldn't help myself in waiting to make them.  So below is a preview of a few of my Halloween cards this year!

I hope everyone has had a great start to their October and enjoy the beautiful weather this time of the year brings us!

Short & Sweet - DIY Coasters

I've been neglecting this blog of mine lately - wrapped up with work and Chris starting his internal medicine rotation.  I hope everyone has had a great start to fall so far!  We are officially 5 days into the best season of all in my mind!  What's not to love about pumpkins, Halloween movies, hot apple cider, and layers of cute, warm clothes?

My friend Courtney recently moved into a house and started to unpack and decorate.  While you're taking a break from your busy day catching up on my blog, head on over and take a peek at her blog, A Little Bit Moore.  She recently posted a house tour and I have to say, it looks precious!  I can't wait to have a house and put our personal touch on each room.

As a housewarming gift, I decided to DIY a little something for her :)  These adorable cork coasters are so easy to make and add a personal touch to any living space.  All it takes is a little acrylic paint and pre-cut cork coasters and you have yourself a homemade personalized seat for your drink!

I hope everyone has a great weekend and enjoys this beautiful fall weather :)

Vacationing in the Lowcountry of Hilton Head Island

What does Labor Day mean to you?  To me, it's usually an excuse for a day off work and my birthday weekend!  This year, it was also the last big trip to top off this summer.

Chris and I were planning on spending a week during his online rotation month up in Connecticut and New York, but it didn't work out to make the trip this month.  Instead, we started to search for RCI properties, that his parents are members of, that had last minute openings for a week over Labor Day.

We stumbled upon Hilton Head Island and thought we'd look a bit more into the available properties (very few) and see what the island had to offer.  I had been to HHI once before, but only for a day trip when my friend Brittany lived in nearby Savannah, GA.  After finally reserving a spot and getting my time off approved at work, it was time to pack our bags and venture 6 hours south to the gorgeous Hilton Head Island!

Hilton Head Island definitely has some of the best seafood I've ever had and many delectable restaurants which we highly recommend.  We had lunch at Robert Irvine's restaurant Nosh one day, which I would highly recommend to anyone visiting the area.  It's basically a burger and sandwich joint, but Robert Irvine somehow converted me and I now love blue cheese and pickled onions.  The Salty Dog Cafe is another original to Hilton Head Island.  Perched on South Beach, you can enjoy fresh seafood as you overlook the marshlands.

Of course we had to go big for my birthday!  We were also celebrating Chris' birthday as it was the week before we left for vacation.  The Old Oyster Factory was by far the best meal we had down there!  Amazing calamari as an appetizer, a seafood platter for Chris (top left) and crab cake dinner (bottom middle) for me.  We enjoyed a nice relaxing dinner on the outside deck that overlooked the marsh and watched the sunset.

After driving a few miles through beautiful scenery, we were ready to conquer Harbour Town.  Harbour Town boasts the landmark of Hilton Head Island, the Harbour Town Lighthouse.  The top of the lighthouse overlooks HHI's only PGA Tour golf course.  

As Savannah, GA is only an hour south of Hilton Head Island, we decided it would be well worth it to make the drive and explore what the city had to offer.  We were right - this city is full of history and charm.  In my opinion, the best way to see any city in a day is to hop on board a trolley tour.  This may be because I'm the daughter of the vacation planning queen, but I've always enjoyed these tours.  They have the best tour guides who know details and secrets about the city that you just can't find anywhere else.

What's a vacation without a few tourist shots and selfies??

I have to say that I've never visited anywhere that is more biker-friendly than Hilton Head Island.  Not only were there sidewalks, but there were bike paths leading everywhere.  You could get around the whole island without ever biking on the main road.  We were fortunate that the unit we stayed in provided us with 2 free bikes for our stay.  We took advantage of them and biked around the community a few days.

All in all, it was a great vacation which provided much needed rest and relaxation!  We will definitely be returning to Hilton Head Island in the future and highly recommend a visit to all our friends and family!

Short & Sweet - My Wish List

So I'll be honest...I've splurged a bit lately.  Last week I bought a pair of Hunter rain boots and two beautiful pictures of lighthouses for the walls in our bedroom.  Since I'm trying to save money, I figured it was time I wrote down an official wish list of items I've had my eye on for quite some time. My birthday is coming up soon...(hint hint).

1. Taylor Swift's Champion Bow Stripe Keds - I don't know whether it's my love of Taylor Swift or my love of comfort...but these are just so cute!

2. Opposite Attract ring by Pandora - I stopped wearing the ring on my right hand about 3 months ago.  It just got to be a little too wide for everyday wear.  This ring is the perfect width and beautifully mixes yellow and white gold.

3. Bose SIE2i Sport Headphones - I seem to be the most productive at work when I can listen to music.  Even though I have an office, I still like to use headphones in case the people around me don't like to listen to Glee soundtracks or Michael Bublé.  I think everyone can admit that the in-ear headphones that come with your Apple device are not the most comfortable for long-term use.  Although I haven't had the opportunity to try these on, I have never been disappointed by any Bose product I've owned.

Short & Sweet - My Morning Essentials

I am by no means considered to be a morning person, so anything that can help wake me up and make me look more alive is considered an essential in my book.

Neutrogena Pink Grapefruit Foaming Scrub is the best facial scrub for the mornings.  The scent wakes me up instantly and the scrubbing beads exfoliate my face for a light flush.

In the past 10 years, I have purchased who knows how many concealers trying to find the one that covers those pesky under-eye dark circles.  Bobbi Brown's Creamy Concealer Kit is by far the best concealer I've ever owned.  I don't plan on buying anything but this for years to come.

For those mornings when you don't feel like putting multiple layers of make-up on, a nice all-over bronzer is all you need.  The Warmth All-Over Face Color from Bare Minerals is my favorite.  A little bit really does go a long way.  Shake less than a pea-size into the cap, buff on with a brush, and you're ready to go!

I have recently discovered dry shampoo.  I know I'm a little behind the curve on this one but I am in love!  We all have mornings whether we are running behind or just don't feel like messing with the whole process of shampoo, condition, blow dry, style...dry shampoo is my hero these mornings!  Pantene Pro-V Blowout Extend Dry Shampoo is great!  It doesn't leave any residue behind and brushes in nice and evenly.

Short & Sweet - Aquí Vamos

"Aquí Vamos" is translated in Spanish as "Here We Go."  Well, here we go for my new adventure - learning Spanish!

After traveling to the Dominican Republic twice in the last two years and my overabundance of love for Mexican food - I've decided to learn Spanish through Rosetta Stone.  I absolutely loved Spanish when I took two years in high school, I even got the award of Most Improved Student from our Spanish teacher.  Working in the world in Human Resources also means communicating with individuals from different backgrounds, some of which may speak Spanish as their primary language.

Rosetta Stone ended their summer sale of 46% off any set yesterday.  I have been thinking of buying a package for months now and finally pulled the trigger yesterday and purchased my set of Spanish - Latin America learning package!

As of right now, my Spanish vocabulary basically consists of hola, gracias, de nada, me llamo, and baño.  You know, the basics of introduction and bathroom - very important when in a foreign Spanish-speaking country.

I'm so excited to start this new project and see where it takes me!

Whew - Miami! What a Vacation!!!

Whew - What a Vacation!!!  After unpacking, relaxing, and being home for a couple of days, I finally have time to showcase my Miami trip to you all!  A week away was exactly what Chris and I needed.  Miami was amazing and beautiful, as always!  I will say it is nice to be home and back to the regular daily pace of living...which also bring the not so fun part of returning home from vacation...work.  Time to get back to the grind though.  Chris starts his third year rotations tomorrow and up first is underserved rural care.  Should prove to be interesting with plenty of stories I'm sure.

Up first was a day on the beach, followed by the best deli sandwiches around!  This little french deli about 5 blocks from the condo has the best dressing to put on the sandwiches - it really does make the sandwich 10 times better!  The water at the beach was absolutely breathtaking this morning - so clear you could see your feet and so shallow you could walk out pretty far without getting past your waist.  Either we didn't wear enough sunscreen, which I have a hard time believing because we put it on 3 or 4 times that day, or the sun was just extremely hot - but we both managed to burn the first day so we stuck by the pool with umbrellas for the next few days.

A few beautiful panoramic pictures!

We decided to go shopping on Wednesday and go for lunch down at the pier - about 20 blocks away.  After browsing through a few stores, we set on our way towards the pier to have some fresh seafood for lunch...tuna salad for Chris, lobster and shrimp wrap for me.  They were delicious!

Wednesday was also a day of pictures - gelato, which was much needed after walking over 8 miles, Chris and I at the pier, beautiful palm trees, and the tower that's in CSI Miami.

We both happened to find new sunglasses while we were shopping.  New Ray Bans for me, new Oakleys for Chris.  My first pair of polarized sunglasses - I am NEVER going back to non-polarized. I honestly don't know how I put up with a headache from squinting while I wore sunglasses for years.  These are perfect - they make everything more crisp and vivid!

A night out for dinner on Ocean Drive proved to be eventful - saw a few Ferrari's drive past, enjoyed an Italian singer and dancer while we ate dinner, and delved into our delicious plates of paella and lobster ravioli...best dinner down there by far!!!

We ended the trip by watching the sunrise at the beach - one of my 30 Before 30 list items.  Marking the list off one item at a time!

Overall, this trip was one of the best vacations I've ever been on.  It was really nice to spend quality time alone with Chris after two years of medical school for him.  Here's to the future and starting his third year rotations this week!