Weekend Recap: Easter 2016

Have you ever been glad that it's Monday? I hate to say it, but I really am. Not that Easter with my family wasn't wonderful, but let's just say the weekend didn't end on the highest note...

Friday was a great chill day for me. The office was closed, so I slept in, cleaned the house, had lunch with friends, and worked on thank you notes from last Saturday's shower. You can read about how to be an excellent thank you note writer on my friend Wendy's blog, here. I had hoped to get them out sooner, but got them in the mail within a week of the event. I try to do them as soon as possible, otherwise my to-do list just gets longer and longer!

On Saturday, Christopher and I went to one of our pre-marital counseling sessions {in Georgia you get a discount on your marriage license if you go!}, ran errands, then headed to South Carolina for Easter with my family.

We had a wonderful church service at First Baptist on Sunday morning. It was great to see our friends and those who won't be able to make it to our wedding next month one more time before we're a married couple! My mother had made lunch reservations at Victor's in the new Hotel Florence, which was fab! Brunch was delicious, and I love the aesthetic of the space--it should definitely be a stop on your list if you ever make it through Flo-town.

Lunch is unfortunately where my current stresses began: I got a call saying my bank account had been compromised for a couple hundred dollars. Of course this would happen on the week I have to pay for the wedding venue. Luckily, we caught it before a second attempt last night for another large sum. While I know this will be resolved with the bank, it is unfortunately one of those stresses that is just hanging out in the back of my mind constantly.

It was rainy all weekend, and we had to drive home in the rain and spring break traffic. Yuck. I almost had a very bad accident, too--when I was finally able to skid to a stop to avoid someone who had blatantly pulled out in front of me, Christopher couldn't even see the front of their car, it was that close to mine. I was extremely thankful when we finally made it home safe and sound.

Although silly, this morning's frustrations stem from social media. This is a huge part of my job, and my life. I love connecting with friends and family through pictures and stories online. The recent algorithm changes in both Facebook and now Instagram are driving me nuts. I now have to login to a separate website to fully access my blog and our business' Facebook page. Obnoxious! Now, Instagram, otherwise known in my book as the most perfect of all social media outlets, is changing their feed from chronological to show you pictures they "think" you will like. Well Insta, I only follow accounts that I "know" I will like, so I don't need you picking out things all willy-nilly!

Follow me on Instagram @piperellice and be
sure to click the little three dots and "Turn on notifications"
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I was glad to get to work this morning, finding comfort in my routine and a big cup of coffee. I've already been to the bank to begin the fraud resolution process, and I'm just hoping that it doesn't take the full 10 business days to get this squared away. In the midst of my stress, although minor in the grand scheme of things, I'm reminded of the love and sacrifice Jesus made for us every time I drive by the churches in town that have their Easter decorations standing strong. I'm claiming his peace to make it through the day, and the week.

Follow me on Snapchat @piperellice to see all of our
upcoming beach bash shenanigans! 

On another note, my bachelorette weekend is here! A few of us are leaving Thursday night after work to head to Amelia Island for a long weekend with the girls. I'm super excited, but fingers crossed that the weather forecast changes and the rain stays far away!

Pup-date

I realized that while I share a ton about my life on this blog, I've neglected a huge section: my puppies! Yes, yes, my puppies, plural. If you've been reading since the beginning, you may remember when I brought teeny tiny Layla Claire home, and how quickly she grew. Shortly after I got Layla, Christopher got Samantha, the golden retriever. Since she's such a classic American dog, we named her after a classic American girl doll! 

While we were living across the state from each other, the dogs were not friendly. Samantha is a big lover, and Layla is very jealous and protective of me. It took some time for the two of them to get used to each other. Eventually, they began to get along which made things a lot easier.

In September, I took Samantha on full time. Christopher was beginning pharmacy rotations, and would be changing sites every five weeks or so. I thought it would be better for Samantha to have a more consistent and regular routine {and I love a good routine!}, and would also be easier for all four of us to live under the same roof after the wedding if three of us are already used to it. 

After a couple of transitional weeks, the girls really began to get used to always being together. Now they play together, go outside together, and even eat and drink out of the same bowl!  You have no idea what an accomplishment that is. 

I love spending time with their two very different personalities. Samantha always wants to play with the ropes or throw the balls, or love all over you--there is no 'off' button for her. Layla has finally become somewhat of a lap dog, and is laying on me much more. But she always prefers her ball over anything else. 

Layla has always had this one ball that she loves. It's a specific plastic ball that can only be found in certain Christmas stockings at Petsmart. She knows the difference between it and all other balls. As hilarious it is, it's also kind of annoying. If the ball disappears or is torn up, her world ends. If she forgets to bring it to bed at night, she will literally scratch at the bedroom door so I can let her out to go and get it. 

Three girls, one boy. Oh what a very particular household Christopher is entering into!

Layla always lays on my bags if I leave her
with anyone for any length of time. 

Samantha apparently thinks she's the same size as LC...
or a cat. Either one. 

P.S. Would you mind entering your email into the "Follow By Email" slot to the right of this post, directly above my Instagram feed? That way, you'll get an email every time there is a new post, and only when there is a new post, so you can stay up to date. Thanks!

#2015bestnine

2015 has been such a whirlwind of a year. Today, I'm exactly four months away from getting married and with New Year's Eve tomorrow, it seems like the perfect time for reflection.

2015 Best Nine Memories

My best memories of this past year don't exactly align with my most popular Instagram photos of the year, but they're pretty close.

1. Engagement pictures--this was something I had looked forward to for such a long time. We had a great day with the perfect weather, as well as an excellent photographer who helped me relax and perfectly captured our relationship. Christopher and I both talk about how much fun we had on that day, and how excited we were to look through the pictures only a million times. 
2. Dolls Do HHI--The first of hopefully many annual college girlfriends weekends during the last weekend of July on Hilton Head Island. Too many memories from this weekend to count, and too many we may not remember...oops. 
3. Georgia Southern football games--something I look forward to every year, but this year was by far the best. We got into a really good groove, and I loved having my regular weekend visitors stay with me!
4. My best friend's wedding--Niki's wedding was a definite reoccurring theme throughout 2015. Weddings seem to provide extra opportunities for fun times together, which I love. We had a great time going on her bachelorette in Chattanooga, and her wedding was perfection. 
5. Wedding planning--Once we settled on a date in early spring, planning my wedding truly began! Finally! It's been something I've really enjoyed and has been relatively stress free. I've had a while to cultivate a vision and feel for the day, which has helped the other events like showers and things come together seamlessly as well. Of course, I couldn't do this without my mom and Maid of Honor, as we hash and rehash everything a million times each night on the phone! 
6. Moving into my new house--I moved into a new house at the end of February which I am incredibly thankful for. It has been a place of serenity for me, as well as a home full of laughter and love, filled frequently with friends and family. I'm thankful to have the space to share and time together. 
7. Starting Therapy--maybe this isn't the cool thing to talk about, but starting to see a therapist regularly has been life changing for me. It's something I look forward to, and something I've grown from. Most people know that my life over the past two/three years has been tumultuous at best. After keeping a strong front, I finally wore down and could not handle the stress any longer. After working through some bigger, overarching issues, my sessions focus a lot of self development and being an emotionally healthy person. My goal from the beginning has been that I want to be my best self for my marriage. I feel like therapy has helped all of my relationships so much, but also my own personal sanity and physical health as well. If you're questioning it, don't--just find someone you're comfortable with and trust. It's life changing! 
8. Phi Mu--I've become an advisor for my Phi Mu chapter this year, and have also taken on an important role in the chapter's housing corporation. It's been challenging, but so very rewarding. I love spending time with the girls that were mine when I was the new member director, as well as learning from the alums that are still involved 60+ years after graduating.  
9. Friendships--My friendships have evolved a lot this year. I've also needed my friends more this year. It takes a while to transition from seeing your friends everyday in college, to incorporating them into your daily life postgrad in an intentional, real way. I've also developed more 'adult' or 'professional' friendships that I enjoy.  I'm thankful for the reconnections, the closeness, and joy that I've experienced in these relationships and can't wait to celebrate together in the coming months. 

Thankful for an amazing 2015, but I know 2016 is going to be even better...I can't wait!

Celebrating the Carters

 After a very fun evening preparing for the big day, November 1 came rather early. We all thought that since the time change was happening that morning, we'd be getting an extra hour of sleep. Unfortunately, my body clock is pretty well tuned and I was awake at 5:30 a.m. due to my summer sleep schedule of waking up at 6:30 a.m. Bummer.

The day went smoothly, and although it drizzled throughout the day, there was a break in the rain during the ceremony. The pictures all probably turned out even more stunning because of the overcast skies. Ashleigh Dees Photography took all of the professional shots throughout the day--they were a joy to work with. You can check out the profesh pics here, which are way more exciting than my iPhone shots!

We had a blast at the reception, dancing the afternoon away. I gave my first ever wedding speech, and managed to not sob through the entire thing, which I was worried about. We sent the couple off to the the Dominican Republic {which was a surprise for the bride!} before heading home. I'm so thankful I was able to be a part of such a perfect day!

Ceremony Space

Guest Book/Gift Table

Send-off Station

Bar Details

Seating Chart--super impressed I managed to
pull this off the morning of!

Bar

Groom's Donut Cake

The Bride's Beautiful Dress

My handsome wedding date--hey, only six months till ours!

Bouquet featuring our Phi Mu pins

The Bride!

How We Met--Big/Lil while Phi Mu's at Georgia Southern

Family

Monogramed Doors

The Ladies

Twenty-four

It's my birthday! Here's 24 reasons why I'm excited about my birthday, and being 24.

1. The fair. 
2. Today is the 4th year anniversary of the day I met Christopher.
3. Getting to go to the fair today, with Christopher. 
4. Birthday cake.
5. Funnel cake. 
6. I'm getting married this year! 
7. My wonderful friends who made this past weekend the absolute best. 
8. It's Tuesday, so that means all of last night's Bravo shows are now available on the app for me to watch {it's the little things}.
9. My family and getting to celebrate with them this weekend.
10. 441 Kitchen & Pub for lunch with my wonderful work friends. 
11. Getting my first place setting of my everyday china as a birthday gift this weekend from my future sister in law. 
12. Feeling older, and in a good way. From Friday night:
    Random guy: Happy Birthday! 21?
    Me: Thanks! Nope, I'm turning 24.
    Random guy: Well you look 21!
    Me: Excellent...!
13. Perfect birthday weather. 
14. Christopher's wedding band arriving today {it's a sign!}. 
15. Finding a Georgia Southern academic logo sign in the Chamber yard left over from last night's fair parade. 
16. Morning snuggles with my puppy dogs. 
17. My best friend's wedding in 12 days. 
18. Wearing my new favorite shirt to work {it's the pink one in the picture}. 
19. All the coupons my favorite stores have sent me to use this month. 
20. This "Very Vanilla" coffee I stumbled upon at the grocery store last night...yum. 
21. The Google birthday logo! So fancy.
22. All the sweet texts, calls, and Facebook posts I've gotten today. Thank you!
23. Being alive {these long lists are hard}.
24. This list being over! 

It's the Little Things

One of my love languages is gifts. Not just receiving gifts, although it makes me feel so treasured and loved, but giving gifts. Especially around the holidays, and for birthdays, I want to give everyone a gift. Sometimes you need a little gift to make someone's day, or a small thing to finish out your larger gift a la tower of presents which is my preferred way of receiving gifts. Here are a few of my favorite little things that I like to give {and receive! wink wink}:

via

Glitter Monogrammed Sweatershirt via Marley Lilly. Who doesn't love a good sweatshirt for fall? I love monograms and glitter, and this is an easy, personalized gift to give and get. Plus, Marley Lilly is always super speedy with their production and delivery times.

via

Candles are another great personal touch. My favorite fragrances are both from Yankee Candle: Campfire Treat {available year round}, and a Christmas special called Peppermint Bark. While other candle companies have come into trend in the past few years, I still love Yankee Candle best for their long burn time, and not overpowering fragrance. 

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This is a fun one. The Naked 3 make up palette by Urban Decay. I have Naked 2 which I got for Christmas a few years ago, and I still use it every day! The colors are highly pigmented so they last, and the wide array of colors works with any skin tone and allows for the user to switch it up from time to time. I think these colors would definitely compliment my other palette.

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Two popular items this year: druzy stones and tassels. That's why I love these necklaces--best of both worlds! I really like the black and white one because I think it could work year round. These necklaces also compliment the incredibly popular wire wrapped bangles that most boutiques are sporting right now.

via

And finally....the new Taylor Swift CD. I have every TS CD thus far, and just can't stop now. I also can't stop listening to "Shake it off," so I'm assuming the whole album is going to be great. Always be sure to order the delux version {extra songs!} online, or sometimes available at Target. While this one doesn't come out until after my birthday on October 27th, it would make a great stocking stuffer too!






*Disclaimer: pictures are not my own.

Fall Favorites

Happy Fall! The temps have already dropped just a little bit, and there is a chill in the air early in the mornings around Statesboro. I can't wait for it to be full-blown fall with sweaters, boots, and scarves a total necessity. I don't really have a favorite season {my least favorite is winter, for sure}, and there are lots of reasons that I love fall.

1. Sweaters, boots, scarves. Duh. 
   Boots and vests are easily my number one, go to outfit makers of the season. They make dresses last longer during the cold seasons, and dress up leggings and other basics. Also, why can't leggings be work appropriate?
   
   
2. The Fair! 
   The Statesboro Fair holds a special place in my heart. It's always the week of my birthday, and is where Christopher and I first met. We've gone every year except last year when I didn't live here, and it's what I always tell him I want for my birthday.
   
   
3. Salted Caramel Mocha drinks from Starbucks. 
   I like pumpkin stuff as much as the next girl, but anyone who knows me knows my greatest weakness is salt. Now before I hear another lesson on how unhealthy salt is, I'll have you know that I have the lowest blood pressure of anyone I know...which is saying a lot considering how wound up I usually am. This drink tastes like Christmas. It forces me into Starbucks, a place I normally avoid like the plague {cough..cough..Fivebucks}. I'm not really sure how to explain it, but this drink makes my insides feel happy.
   
   
4. Stores decorating for Christmas. 
   It's never too early! I don't care what you say! I'd honestly prefer it if we skipped Halloween and Thanksgiving all together and just plowed straight into Christmas with arms wide open. Hobby Lobby may or may not have begun putting their Christmas things out in July, and I may or may not already be stocking up on new ornaments and decorations. 
5. Pumpkin bread, and other fall baking. 
   Punkins...punkins...I love pumpkin bread. I usually just whip up the Krusteaz box mix from Sam's Club, but the real kicker is the lemon curds. Lemon curds, you ask? Oh it makes pumpkin and gingerbread goodies the ultimate cold weather foods. The tangy jam makes the spices come to life, and I can't have pumpkin bread without it.
   
   
6. Football. 
   Football is kind of a big deal in the South. I grew up a Clemson girl, and went to Georgia Southern, so obviously football is kind of a big deal to me too. What do I love most about football? All of it: the all day tailgating and late game nights, the dressing up in the perfect combination of colors, the screaming until you can't scream any more, getting the perfect game day picture in your game day sorority button, and if you're not actually attending the game...finding the only place in town that's playing your game and settling in to watch it with some wings and spinach artichoke dip.
   
   
7. Festivals. 
   Apple festivals, cotton festivals, even the marble festival in my mom's hometown--I love them all. Some of the best fall memories come from watching cloggers while eating boiled peanuts and fried Milky Way's outside by some rock jewelry makers. 
8. That smell in the air. 
   I can't describe it, but you know. It's crisp, a little smokey, and comforting. The first time I sense it, I get butterflies. 
9. The slant of the sun. 
   I started noticing it at the end of July, and now the sun is almost completely gone by 7:30 p.m. It's dark when I wake up now, too. I have diagnosed myself with SAD {Seasonal affective disorder}, so I cling tightly to the disappearing minutes of sunlight each day. I hate winter, specifically post-Christmas, because it's always so dark, and the sun looks funny, and there are no Christmas lights up any longer to light my way. 
10. Blankets. 
    Have you ever known anyone to sleep with only a sheet? This is unacceptable. I need blankets. Preferably three on my bed, and one to snuggle with...and wrap around my neck like I'm trying to strangle myself in my sleep like my mother says. I want blankets on the couch, in the car for football games, everywhere! 

What are your favorite things about fall?
Also, follow me on Instagram for more fun pics! @piperellice

Summer Bucket List

I can't wait for summer! While laying awake one night after accidentally having caffeine for the first time in a few weeks {okay, whatever, sometimes a thirst can only be quenched by a large Diet Dr. Pepper} I was thinking about all of the things I wanted to make sure I did this summer. Being a listy person, I started a list so that I could check things off as they happened. So here is my Summer 2014 Bucket List:

1. Weekend Getaway in Charleston
2. Find/make/restore a vanity for my bedroom
3. Learn to play tennis
4. Throw a White Party 
5. Build a Sandcastle 
6. Watch the sunrise on Tybee
7. Unsubscribe from pointless emails
8. Read: The Fault in our Stars, The Southerner's Handbook, Girls in White Dresses, Tipsy in Madras, The Summer We Read Gatsby, The Reagan Diaries...basically I just need to read more
9. Watch all of Friday Night Lights {the TV show...so good}
10. Take the boat out
11. Watch fireworks with my love
12. Go to Six Flags
13. Late Night Milkshakes {or slushies...Sonic's Sour Blue Raspberry with Nerds changed my life forever}
14. Get organized in all parts of life
15. Tan...duh 

Lent 2014

Can this be in my Easter basket? 

What are you giving up for Lent?

Growing up Southern Baptist, Lent was one of those things that some people did and some people didn't. I don't really remember it being talked about in church all that often. It wasn't really until I went to college where I saw how this old church tradition crossed denominations, ages, and roles. While I've never had the privileged of participating in a Lent service at a church, seeing my friends proudly walk through campus with the cross of ashes on their foreheads was quiet inspiring.

So what are you giving up for Lent? And what are you going to start doing, giving, serving? I know one time in high school, I gave up Diet Coke. While it may not sound like a lot, for me it was a really big deal. I still remember the sweet sting of that first sip from a Sonic Route 44 after 40 days without my beloved beverage!

This year, I'm giving up sweets. This is going to be so hard, and really no fun. But its something that has always had strong grips in my life. It's cute to joke about a "sweet tooth," but it's not so cute when it starts to affect your body physically. I hope that this refocus on health during Lent will motivate me to continue with my Year of Change and making myself better, happier, and stronger. But I still can't wait to have something yummy on April 17.

I haven't decided what I'm going to do yet. I want to do something that will give back to others, and inspire them for the day. So the question remains...

What are you giving up for Lent?

The Best is Yet to Come

If New Years Eve is any indication, 2014 will be a blast--literally! I spent the week in Dublin with the fiance and his family, just hanging out and getting ready for NYE. Christopher and I had gone to Clemson earlier the week before and stocked up on what promised to be the best fireworks around. Crazy Steve did not lie! These were the best home-done fireworks I have ever seen! All 24 were absolutely huge! Of course the boys had to not just shoot them out of the {rocket launcher? fireworks tube?}, but had to throw them by hand--I'm so glad no one lost a hand...