St. Patrick's Season in Dublin, GA

I think anytime you live in a small town, people complain. There's not enough restaurants, shops, or things to do. I've always been one to throw myself into anywhere I've lived and be involved in {too} many activities and organizations so I always feel busy. March, and most of February, in Dublin, Ga., is definitely a season where there isn't "nothing to do."

I'm a part of the volunteer-based Dublin-Laurens St. Patrick's Festival Committee that works all year to coordinate over 50 events throughout our community from mid-February through the end of March. This is my first year on the committee, and I honestly didn't realized just how much goes on during these six or so weeks until I got so involved! This is one of my favorite volunteer activities because it directly benefits our little community, but also because there are so many great people involved in all of our efforts.

This past weekend, we had our annual Irish Balloon Fest and I got to experience my first ride in a hot air balloon! As someone who is terribly afraid of heights {with the exception of roller coasters...I know, makes no sense} I was really proud of myself for just hopping in the basket and taking off. It was the coolest thing! A little scary as we topped the trees, but once we were up high enough, the quiet and stillness of the sky was something magical. We were able to see a couple of miles out in each direction and landed right in Downtown Dublin. There was also a balloon glow and tethered rides Saturday night which is such a beautiful sight to see.

This is officially the week of green in Dublin, with something going on every single day! I'm looking forward to taking pictures at the Leprechaun contest Tuesday night, visiting the Capitol in Atlanta Wednesday for the official festival proclamation by Governor Kemp, working and eating at the Pancake Supper Thursday night and attending the 20's-themed gala Friday evening. Super Saturday will hold the parade, corned beef and cabbage lunch, arts and crafts festival, ShamROCK and Munchies in the Park with all of this capped off by a special St. Patrick's brunch at the country club Sunday morning.

It's busy, and I'm tired already, but it's so much fun being green. For more info and a list of all events, visit: http://www.dublinstpatricks.com/

Check out my St. Patrick's Highlight on Instagram for a recap of all the fun! @piperellice

What I Learned after Leaving My Job

I am officially done in Statesboro. I have a few weeks off before I start my new job, and I'm thankful for an opportunity to rest, recharge, and get my house in working order. No one likes to live out of boxes, or without the things they need, so this week I am trying to get as much done during the days so that I can totally focus on CJM in the evenings.

It was hard to leave Statesboro, but it was terribly sad to leave the lovely individuals I worked with on a daily basis. I really grew professionally in my most recent role; it was a job that truly prepared me for the big step up in career that I am going to be making in a few weeks. I've learned a lot about being a young professional, and wanted to share a few thoughts/tips with you! Please leave your suggestions in the comments as well--I truly believe it takes a team to be successful, and appreciate any insight.

• Work/life balance is critical. This was something that I came into this position determined to maintain. At my first post-grad position, I let everyone around me dictate my schedule by answering calls and emails to people that I didn't answer to, ever, and didn't pay my bills. 10 p.m., 6:00 a.m.; I was available. This is unhealthy. And it sets a precedent that is almost impossible to break. I am totally available to my boss/es when they need me. And they know the best, most direct ways to reach me. But there is no need {usually} to answer calls and emails from others late in the evening or early in the morning. Maintain the most healthy for you and your job amount of work/life separation as possible. I was much happier at my most recent job because I had established cut-off times for communication.
  
  
• Not hating your job is key. Job satisfaction directly affects your level of happiness in the rest of your life. While no job is perfect, one that has the right amount of stress, engagement, challenge, and reward for you will be one that supports a positive, re-charging environment outside of the office. We all know that person that hates their boss/job/office environment, because that's all they seem to talk about! And if you can't leave a job where you're miserable, make sure you're doing absolutely everything you can to discover a contentedness while you're there. Your happiness is ultimately up to you.
  
  
• Depend on your work family. While not always a reality in every office, I've been blessed by working environments that recognized that I was a real person, with real emotions, and real issues. When I had family issues that I needed to take care of they listened, were supportive, and allowed me opportunities to address the situation that involved people outside of the office. We all worked to learn about and invest in each other, and created a true sense of community amongst our office. These are the people I invited to my wedding, celebrated birthdays with, and other wins and losses throughout life--even hard ones like moving away, and starting a new job. Support your team, and they will support you as well.
  
  
• Network! At my last job, I worked in networking. We provided multiple opportunities throughout the month for business leaders in our area to connect with others and saw some great initiatives develop through these events. I also saw people who didn't take advantage of networking, and they end up feeling left out of the loop, uninvolved, or uninvited. Insert yourself into networking and building relationships with other individuals whenever you can. These are the people that become your references, help you find a job in another town when you do have to move, and become that person that you can schedule lunch with once a month, too!
  
  
• Be consistent. This is probably my biggest personality pet peeve: I hate when people are inconsistent. I think consistency in work can be shown in various ways: through timeliness, efficiency in work, and in the skills you provide. But it's also in your personality and appearance--don't come in a grumpy slob one day, and peppy professional the next. It sends mixed messages, and makes you hard to get to know and work with. People want to know what to expect; save the surprises for thoughtful notes or words of encouragement, not in your presence or behaviors.
  
  
• Communicate. Our office always worked to know what was on each other's schedule {kind of easy, but also crucial when there was only three of us!} in an effort to not overschedule or overload any one person. It also helping us plan days off that everyone was happy with, and to just be aware of the "real life" things that were going on outside of the office. While those are easy things to share, it's important to communicate the issues too. When a problem arises in a project, if a volunteer becomes too much for one person to handle, or if you are unhappy in your work life and need something to change. Communicate what's really going on--good or bad. Just like in any relationship, it's important to be honest with what's happening in your heart and mind. 

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Weekend Recap: Hurricane Matthew

It's always a bummer when a weekend doesn't really feel like a weekend at all. I'm kind of obsessed with the weather, so when the possibility of a major hurricane hitting the Savannah area developed last weekend, I of course began tracking that thing by checking my weather apps multiple times a day and constantly refreshing my Twitter feed for any related news. Last Wednesday it was pretty much confirmed: the Georgia coast would be seeing extremely rough weather sometime over the weekend.

Most of the town closed down Friday in preparation, which was great for me. I slept in, cleaned house, and sat on the couch most of the day watching the 24/7 live stream of Savannah news as the storm rolled in. As the winds and rains began to pick up after dark, I started getting a little more nervous. Christopher wouldn't be off work until 10 p.m., and then he had over an hour commute home. Thankfully he pulled up right after midnight, and right after the first storm band was beginning to really come in strong.

We went to bed while many of my friends didn't sleep all night long. I woke up a few times to the 50 mph+ wind gusts rattling the windows. Once, I woke to the sound of cracking limbs, but that was all I heard so I went back to sleep. Imagine my surprise when I woke Saturday morning to find that we actually still had power and a major downed tree in the back yard! It appears to have been struck by lightning and split down the middle as it fell, taking about six smaller trees down with it, crushing the fence along the property line. We are so thankful that it didn't fall the other way, as it surely would have landed on the house, and probably in our bedroom!

Our backyard

Visitors will have a hard time getting in today!

There are still trees down all over town this morning, including one blocking the main entrance to our office building. We were blessed to have had power all weekend, while still so many are without, including my family in South Carolina. Sunday was full of yard clean up and trying to get the house back to normal after such an intense weather weekend. Needless to say, I'm a little exhausted today, but nothing like the amazing men and women working to restore utilities to our region! One of the Georgia Power men yesterday stopped to ask why we had power when the rest of the streets surrounding us didn't {I don't know! But glad we do!} and mentioned that he still didn't have lights on at his own home.

Riding out the storm with our scaredy-dog 

My favorite house in Statesboro...seemed to only sustain fence damage! 

I'll be interested to see how Christopher's apartment on Whitemarsh Island near Savannah fared, but there is still no way on to the island at this point. Thanks to all who checked in on us throughout the whole ordeal. We are definitely counting our blessings!

Power truck from Tyler, Texas 

Pretty & Pink Party

This past Saturday, my bridesmaids hosted a bridal shower for me in Statesboro. The best part? It was held at the Phi Mu house! It was so meaningful to have such a special event held at a place full of memories and meaning in my life. Plus, it's beautiful and pink inside and out which only added to the fun!



My maid and matron of honor prepped all the food and decor, which included a naked cake, my favorite lemon squares and deviled eggs, and other goodies.

Kirstie, my Maid of Honor, made a lot of the decorations using her sister's vinyl cutter, including this "Future Mrs. McAfee" pin that I wore! She spray painted cute frames from the dollar store to display a few of my favorite love quotes and important dates throughout the room. She also used the vinyl to make the countdown to "I Do" frame, to monogram the acrylic recipe box, and customize the "Bride" tea cup with the shower date.

The picture above in the gold frame is actually the first picture Christopher and I ever took together! It was the night of Phi Mu formal, and we took pictures in the cotton field across the street from my neighborhood. 

Publix petit fours are my mother's and my favorite treat! My Matron of Honor, Niki, picked up a tray decorated with pink flowers for the afternoon's spread. It was the perfect touch! 

Outfit Details: Dress | Earrings | Bracelet | Pumps

My mother and mother-in-law; both sweet enough to make the trip to Statesboro for the shower! So glad to have both of these women in my life. 

My lovely bridesmaid hostesses...I think we have a pretty strong Lilly following between us...

I apparently don't know how to cut a cake. Glad I have 40 or so days to figure it out! Kirstie planned one bridal shower game for me after we enjoyed our snacks. She had asked Christopher a variety of questions and gotten his answers, and then asked me to answer the same questions. For every answer I got wrong, I had to put a piece of bubble gum in my mouth. I got a bunch wrong, and ended up with a mouth full of strawberry gum--so much so, that I could barely breathe! Needless to say, I am not very good with questionnaires at showers!

Christopher and I were given so many beautiful gifts Saturday, and we're so blessed. But I am mostly so thankful for the time everyone has taken out of their busy schedules to celebrate with me and spend time together. It's made this whole experience so meaningful. 

Busy weeks are ahead: Easter this weekend, bachelorette bash the next, and our final shower the weekend after that. I can't believe how fast things have gone! Oh, and Happy Spring!

P.S. If you have any yummy "newlywed recipes" to share, please leave them in the comments below so I can add them to my fancy monogram recipe box! 

Second Annual Pie Day

In honor of National Pie Day, which is tomorrow by the way...January 23...I made a delicious peanut butter pie with a chocolate ganache to share with my work friends! It was delicious. Super creamy and smooth, and the semi-sweet ganache was an excellent compliment to the rich peanut butter filling.

I found this recipe one day from Pinterest; you can check out the pin and the recipe here. Originally posted in 2012, there was a 2016 update about the ganache being too thick. I didn't have that issue, but I also was more liberal on the heavy cream and used semi-sweet chocolate chips that I had on hand. I added a some extra peanut butter in the filling, too!

You can read about last year's Pie Day at the Chamber here which features my super spicy Chicken Bog recipe which is great for a cold/wet/winter-y day like today. Don't forget to follow me on Pinterest by searching "Piper Ellice" which will also find me on Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter!

Happy Weekend!

Jekyll Island Club

This week I had the pleasure of touring the Jekyll Island Club. The Chamber will host their adult leadership class's retreat there in the fall, and since I had never been/am in charge of the class, it seemed like it would be a good idea to go down for the day and see the grounds. Whoa--I am majorly impressed. I'd heard how beautiful it was, but the resort blew me away. It looks like something out of a movie {may or may not have reminded me of Dirty Dancing}with perfectly manicured grounds, accurately restored homes that were originally built by families with names such as Rockefeller, Pulitzer, and Goodyear; and of course wonderful food. I had the "Award Winning" Jekyll Shrimp and Grits for lunch, and I know why they call it award winning--it was different from any shrimp and grits I've tried before, and I like to think of myself as a connoisseur of the dish!

Jekyll Island Club--Clubhouse & Annex

Jekyll Island Club--San Souci

Jekyll Island Club--Crane Cottage 

Jekyll Island Club--Crane Cottage Garden
Wouldn't this be an amazing location for a wedding?

Jekyll Island Club--Crane Cottage Courtyard
I bet they've had some fun wedding receptions here!

Jekyll Island Club--Crane Cottage Garden 

Jekyll Island Club--Faith Chapel
There is a real Tiffany window in here, and precious Bride
and Groom quarters too. 

I can't wait to go back in the fall and explore over a long weekend. This is such a beautiful place--and would be the ideal location for a destination wedding! We ended the most beautiful day by stopping at a little hidden gem known as Driftwood Beach. I've never seen anything like that! Huge trees littered the beach, completely bleached by the salt and sun. I'll definitely have to take more pictures next time!

#gala2014

This weekend, Christopher and I had the pleasure of attending the Statesboro-Bulloch Chamber of Commerce 2014 Gala at the Russell Union Ballroom at Georgia Southern University. We attended last year when I was interning there, but went this year to kick off my new position at the chamber. It was so much fun! I really enjoyed seeing all of the people I had worked with in the past, and everyone was so welcoming. The food and drinks were really amazing, but we can't stop talking about the music performed by the Atlanta Pleasure Band. They were so good! They kept the crowd engaged the entire time, playing oldies and more recent stuff too. So much talent on that stage. It was a really fun night, and a sign of more fun things to come!

The Atlanta Pleasure Band 

My handsome date!

Porch Column--Beer, vodka, lemonade.
A.K.A., too much fun. 

Masquerade fun!