Location Scouting 286/365

Tyler left for Denver on Monday, so I spent an hour in the evening walking around the Davidson campus in preparation for a shoot the following weekend. It was definitely hot and humid, but I really enjoyed taking in the empty campus and having some fresh air time to myself. I absolutely love it up there and one thing is for sure...school is definitely out for summer!

Pretty Obvious 285/365

We think she may be trying to tell us she wants a new dog bed...or maybe she would rather we just get rid of it so she has no other option but to sleep on ours. :)

Keeping Score 284/365

A while back we signed up to receive information about volunteer opportunities in Charlotte involving sports. This month we received our first email alerting us to an opportunity in town, so we signed up to keep the book and run the scoreboard at 2 baseball games during hte Powerade State Games. We headed over to the baseball field at UNC-C on Saturday morning and got a quick run down before the games. Tyler kept the book and I ran the scoreboard. Aside from a couple mistakes, mostly with me trying to push the right buttons at the right time :), we became quick pros. We helped out for two games and enjoyed the opportunity to help out.

That night we had Mandie and Drew over for dinner and they brought their puppy Jake to meet and play with Tess. The dogs hit it off and we loved catching up with them!

Tess in 3-D 283/365

On Friday, after work, we went out for dinner and a movie. We checked out Zoe's Kitchen for the first time and REALLY enjoyed our dinner! Thanks J, A and LC for my birthday gift!! Then it was off to see Toy Story 3 in 3-D. We laughed, I cried....and we both really enjoyed it. Then we came home and had a photoshoot with Tess and the 3-D glasses. I think she killed it. :)

Perfectly Helpful 282/365

After work on Thursday, I ran by Steve and Erica's real quick to grab a couple more house pictures for their listing. I walked inside and saw these colorful bottles that Erica had purchased and smiled to myself because I knew they would make perfect subjects for the picture of the day. How fun are they and how easy was that?!

User Error 281/365

On Wednesday, Tyler and I managed to set off our own alarm, not once, but two times! Now that's pretty impressive! We also had a Charlotte Seminole Club board meeting, where Tyler became the newly elected Vice President of the club. We have some fun events coming up at the end of the summer that we are planning in preparation for football season and the fall and we are both really enjoying the time we've been dedicating to the club. After the meeting we met friends at Big Daddy's for burgers. Tyler has been to Big Daddy's before, but this was my first time and it definitely did not disappoint!

Tragic Timber 280/365

In addition to the insane heat we've been having in Charlotte lately, we have also been having some pretty major storms. So I came home from work on Tuesday and let Tess outside, only to find this huge split branch on one of the trees in our yard. After hanging there for a couple of days, Tyler chopped it down and cut it up. What a great excuse for us to invest in a sturdy and high quality pair of trimmers!

New Default 279/365

I am completely in love with my birthday gift...before bed, this is where you'll find us. :)

Just Joy 278/365

We had breakfast at the house before Matt and Carrie got on their way back to Greensboro. Then we got some things done around the house and made a trip to the grocery store. We had a relaxing end to our weekend and looked forward to the next 2 weekends that we would also be spending in town. Last summer we were crazy travelers...which was awesome...but we just can't get enough of our local summer coming up! Aside from a great July 4th weekend away, which we are hugely looking forward to, we will be spending most of our summer weekends in Charlotte and we couldn't be more thrilled.

Little Panther 277/365

While I met up with Brent to help pick out some new paint colors for his place, Tyler picked up Ethan and went to Bank of America Stadium for a tour with a group of other Bigs and Littles. I was able to meet up with them before lunch for a minute and it sounded like the tour was AWESOME! Ethan showed me his autograph from Sir Purr and told me about all the great questions he asked while they were there. I know Tyler has toured the stadium before, but I think this time was the best yet.

Tyler and I met back at the house and waited for Matt and Carrie to get in town. Matt was actually flying into Charlotte and Carrie was driving in from Greensboro. After picking Matt up from the airport, we spent the afternoon on the deck playing cornhole and enjoying the beautiful day. Before we knew it, we almost missed dinner time! So we headed over to Brixx for pizzas and beer. It's always so nice when we can get together...we're so happy they are happy here in NC!

Technology Twins 276/365

Hang in there with us on this Friday night we spent in...we just can't get enough of our new A/C!!

On the Market 275/365

Our friends Steve and Erica are putting their house on the market....so after work I went over there to grab some pictures for their online listings. They had done a GREAT job getting the house ready, so I just went room by room and grabbed some shots. If you know anyone who is looking for an adorable house in Huntersville, let me know and I will pass you along to them. :)

Full of Hot Air 274/365

Our house...is full of hot air NO MORE! After putting a bandaid on our old units for the past 2 summers, we finally bit the bullet and repalced them. And can I just say WOW! How nice it is to be able to set our thermostat down when it is hot outside without our units freezing. And how nice it is to walk up the stairs without the temperature dropping dramatically. And how nice it is to be able to hang out in the bonus room without wanting to strip off layers of clothing. And now we will be able to enjoy this extremely hot summer because our house is finally a place that can cool us down. I will happily say goodbye to our fan who only served to blow around the hot air...

Silly Smile 273/365

All I have to say about this is I must have been REALLY tired....please forgive me :)

Light Reading 272/365

I know it's hard to believe this based on the number of book pictures that have found their way to this blog, but I had forgotten how much I enjoy reading! Between the Yankee Years book that I FINALLY finished at the beach over Memorial Day weekend and the new books I've been reading on the iPad...I've turned back into a "before bed" reader. I love finding books that I can't put down and I am really enjoying getting back into reading regularly!

Newest Newlyweds 271/365

We had a tasty breakfast at Poogan's Porch on Sunday morning before making the trip back home. It had been a long, but fabulous, weekend and I don't think we had even made it out of the city before I was asleep in the car. There was even more napping when we got home and before bed, it was all we could do to remember to grab a picture. So naturally, the coozie party favor served as a great subject. Congratulations again to one of our favorite couples!

Beautiful Bride 270/365

After grabbing a quick breakfast with Tyler and my parents, the rest of my Saturday was dedicated to the beautiful bride to be. Tyler and my parents walked around Charleston while we spent the morning doing our hair and makeup and getting ready for the big day. It was a little warm out, but the day was BEAUTIFUL! We headed out to the Plantation early for pictures and to put the final touches on the bride.

We took some picutures before everyone arrived and then patiently waited as the guests filled the seats. We happily gazed on as Maggie and George became husband and wife and then spent the evening on the dance floor. It was a wonderful wedding weekend and we so enjoyed celebrating with the Sandbanks and Halls.

Three Hour Adventure 269/365

We woke up early on Friday morning to drive to Charleston for Maggie and George's wedding weekend! After 6 months of intense planning, it was hard to believe the weekend was actually here. I met the bridal party for brunch and an aftternoon by the pool, while Tyler caught a movie before we checked into our hotel. After the pool day I got ready for the rehearsal and Tyler relaxed before it was time to meet at the rehearsal dinner. He brought the projector for the slideshow and arrived a little early to get things set up. Upon his arrival, he discovered that the projector and the laptop were not going to cooperate with eachother. So after catching a cab back to our hotel to grab his laptop, he was back at the restaurant with the setup below.

Now, we both knew how much putting this slideshow together meant to the bride's sister, Leah Drew, because 2 years ago my sister put one together for our rehearsal dinner and she had been equally excited to share it with everyone. So for the next three hours, the three of us tried everything we could think of to get the slideshow from one laptop to the other. Tyler eventually ran out and brought back DVD's that were big enough to hold the file. After a lot of waiting and crossing all of our fingers, we were finally able to show the slideshow at 9:15pm. The picture of the day is very fitting and needless to say, we all really looked forward to a stress-free Saturday!

Just Because 268/365

If I were to make a list of the reasons that I love my husband, we would be here a while. So today, I share just one with you....

Just often enough, he has "just because" flowers waiting for me when I get home. :) So grateful...

E Fab 267/365

On Tuesday Tyler was off to Maine for a quick business trip, so I met up with Erica for dinner. We chatted all the way through the previews when we met for a movie the week before, so it was obvious that we were in need of a full catch up date! We had a long dinner at Red Rocks and loved catching up. We both got a fabulous pasta dish and enjoyed a glass of wine. We talked about life and business and summer and work...and while I can't quite remember how we got there, I know we walked away from the night with me calling her E Fab :) So naturally, it was an easy choice for the post name....

Eye Popping 266/365

After work on Tuesday, we went over to Jeremy and Andrea's for dinner. Between the work travel schedules of Andrea, Jeremy and Tyler and our fun busy spring/summer schedules...finding time to get together is getting tougher and tougher. But Andrea cooked dinner for my birthday and we loved getting to catch up with them and visit with Lincoln. She is getting SO big and she has such a personality...it has been lots of fun to watch her grow. And it is very hard to believe that she is 8 months old!! She was getting a little tired by the time we arrived, so after she ate dinner, it was off to bed. I didn't feel like adding to her long day by waving my camera in her face so we enjoyed a peaceful and camera-less evening. All of which led to this crafty picture below snapped before bed...

Chocolate Chip 265/365

When we arrived to the beach on Thursday night, my mom surprised me with a chocolate chip cake! This was one of my grandmother's specialties and we had one at every birthday celebration growing up. After calling my sister to gloat, we set to work through the weekend eating that cake piece by piece. Mom and I indulged in cake for breakfast, snacks and after dinner...and yet still, at the end of the weekend, we brought some home. And so I happily blew out my birthday candle, on my actual birthday, and enjoyed a celebratory piece of cake. We got back into town in the afternoon and had a relaxing night at home after a SUPER birthday weekend and before being forced to get back into the swing of a work week. I've decided that 26 feels very much like 25 and I'm excited to see what this year has in store. :)

Night Life 264/365

The guys were up early on Sunday to enjoy a round of golf before the beach while mom and I ran a couple of errands and met them back at the condo. We spent the day outside and enjoyed a relaxing night in after that. We sat on the balcony and ate delicious chicken tacos with mango and avacado salsa. In addition to the moon reflecting off the water, the building across the parking lot was part of our view.

In Between 263/365

We spent the day on the beach on Saturday, and got ready for dinner out that night to celebrate my birthday. Before dinner, we grabbed a few quick pictures to remember the weekend by and I happened to catch this perfect moment between my mom and dad. It makes me smile SO big! And I think it more than makes up for the fact that their blog photo introduction involved giant yellow earmuffs. :) M&D, thank you for showing us that while life will never be perfect, true love gives us the grace to get through it all. This little picture on the blog doesn't even begin to do this captured moment justice...I'm already working on that...

And a great family photo....

Tyler with the birthday girl :)

Smiley with mom and dad.

I also got to open my birthday gift from Tyler and my parents before dinner...a new iPad!!!!! I can assure you we haven't put it down since we brought it home....thank you thank you!

And finally a birthday shot with our reluctant furry family member...looking kinda at the camera is better than most of her pictures turn out!

After present opening and pictures, we were off to dinner at New York Prime. It was fabulous, as always, and it was a great continuation of my birthday weekend celebrations. I am one very lucky girl!

Finger Lickin Legs 262/365

We woke up Friday morning to the sun shining through the blinds and the waves right below us....totally worth the crappy week! We had a lazy morning getting things set up around the condo and happily spent the day on the sand. We had cocktails upstairs and got ready for dinner at Biminis....Tyler's only request of the trip! There was fried fish, oysters, crab legs and Coronas for everyone! I don't think a beach trip can really be official without a stop at Biminis. It was also a great start to what turned out to be a fabulous weekend filled birthday celebration.

Shining Smile 261/365

Thursday was better than Wednesday, so I was back to work in the morning. Tyler and I had both taken Friday off, so Thursday was the last day of our work week. I was SO excited to receive a package from my coworkers who do not live in Charlotte on Thrusday morning. They sent me something I had never seen before as an early birthday gift...a sugar cookie card. The card was actually printed right onto the sugar cookie ,which came in a box with ice packs. What an amazing SURPRISE...Thank you Brenda and Lucia!! I took it home and looked forward to enjoying it with Tyler. We had plans to go to a concert on Thursday night, but in an attempt for me to be back to 100% health for our beach trip, we decided to skip it. I got home from work and without skipping a beat we decided to go ahead and pack our suitcases and grab Tess so we could drive to the beach that night. It was a long week and a long day, but waking up AT the beach on Friday morning made it all completely worthwhile!

Doctors Orders 260/365

Just when I was feeling so much better on Tuesday, I managed to find myself with an unbearable stomach virus on Wednesday morning. I couldn't do anything to make the cramping go away. So Tess and I spent a second week day in bed...very unhappy. I couldn't keep anything in my stomach, until finally at the end of the day I was able to hold down some Lipton's noodle soup. Tyler was such a lifesaver, running by the store on his way home from work to get me soup and Sprite. It was a ROUGH week for my body, but luckily we were all looking forward to an extra long weekend at the beach coming up.

Tuesday Treat 259/365

I made it into work on Tuesday and was feeling so much better! So much better in fact that when I got home I was really in the mood to do something out of the house. I tried to talk Tyler into seeing Letters to Juliet with me, but instead he sent me on my way with a free movie ticket and $10 for goodies...what an awesome husband! So I met Erica at the theater and smiled my way through the adroable story while Tyler happily hung at home, pleased to have avoided this very chick-like chick flick.

Loving Lavender 258/365

Tyler went off to work on Monday morning ,while I spent 18 hours of the day sleeping off the painful and annoying itchiness that is having hives. HOW MISERABLE! I have no idea what caused these things, but I hope I don't come into contact with them ever again. Tess was SUCH a good care taker. She snuggled with me all day, made sure I kept the Benadryl running through me and barely left my side. It's amazing how they seem to know...

By dinner time, I could finally feel a difference. The bumps had gotten much smaller in size, thanks to the lack of scratching, which was greatly helped by my sleeping all day. I was able to spend a few hours with Tyler and even paint my fingers with a new color I had picked up over the weekend. After being in bed all day, painting my nails was quite a highlight!

Itchy Scratchy 257/365

I woke up Sunday morning COVERED in what appeared to be bug bites. I was not feeling so well, but figured I had just gotten eaten by bugs at the race. So we got ready and left for our favorite brunch in the city. Tyler left straight from brunch to pick up Ethan while we stopped by the mall to find some shoes I could wear to Maggie's wedding coming up. My mom and dad got to meet Ethan when we got back to the house and then they were heading home with Sophie after a fun weekend in Charlotte. I was starting to feel worse and worse, so I took a Benadryl with hopes of falling asleep and waking up to fewer bites. Once I woke up, I couldn't wait to take more meds and go back to bed. It seemed the only time I wasn't itching and scratching was when I was zonked out. Thank goodness for these little capsules...after determining that I seemed to have had a reaction to something and had actually broken out in hives, they were the only thing that got me through the pain and itching.

First Timers 256/365

Tyler was up early on Saturday morning to meet his clients for a race shop tour and then they were heading to the track for the All-Star Race festivities. I hung around the house in the morning and waited for my parents and Sophie to get in from Greensboro. Once the pups settled down, the 3 of us grabbed a tasty bite at Eez and then made the drive to the track ourselves. We parked and walked to meet Tyler at his tailgate. We armed ourselves with headsets and coolers and found our seats in the bleachers between turn 4 and the Start/Finish line. I certainly wouldn't consider Tyler or I race afficianados...but this was the FIRST time my parents had ever been to a NASCAR race. While the weather threatened rain, we ended up with a dry night for racing. We grabbed some food and enjoyed our beers, while we watched the cars zip around the track. I can't believe a picture of my parents hasn't made it on the blog until now...and mom might be less than thrilled that I chose the yellow headset picture as their Project 365 introduction...but here they are, the first timers!

Sunflower Sill 255/365

Despite the fact that we have had SERIOUS trouble keeping a green plant alive in our kitchen, I decided to grab a $1 "Grow a Sunflower" kit at Target. How hard could it possibly be?! :) Well, we have had zero luck so far, but I promise I will be more than thrilled to share if we actually do get a flower out of this. But I will not be holding my breath in the meantime...

Neon Nix 254/365

Tyler had clients come in town on Thursday for the All-Star race weekend in Charlotte. I met them out for dinner at Nix, where we all enjoyed FABULOUS burgers and beers. Tyler is usually traveling up north to meet these guys, so I know he enjoyed having them in town on his turf for a change. After dinner we grabbed a few drinks before heading home for the night. Tyler had a weekend full of events and activities while his clients were in town and I was looking forward to a visit from my parents and Sophie.

Looking Up 253/365

I find Michael J. Fox to be both inspiring and hysterical...so I picked up his book Always Looking Up from the bookstore on Harvard's campus. I started reading it when we got home from our trip and 2 days later I had polished it off. It made me laugh out loud and above all I found his outlook on life to be incredible. I consider myself an optimist, but as most people who know me would tell you, I often find it too easy to push realism out the window. :) This book tells the story of a man who embraces both, which allows boundaries to be pushed and seemingly unrealistic achievements to be attained. To say I enjoyed it would be an understatement...

Happily Shedding 252/365

Tess is happily shedding POUNDS these days! After putting on a bit of a "winter coat," we are working her back to model legs and a little waist. She is LOVING her carrot snacks at home and apple slices when she gets to visit Sophie. She still gets a cookie in the morning and before bed, but a change in food and switching to carrots for snack has already made a huge difference! If only it were that easy for the rest of us...

It's Electric 251/365

And it's also our 2nd Anniversary...May 17th. It is crazy how quickly the past 2 years have flown by, but I know we would not have rather spent them any other way. I know, as we grow, that life happens and that tough times will come with the great times. I also know that we fully plan to walk through those times hand in hand, with our faces to the sun, like the giddy honeymooners I hope we'll always be. Tyler, you make our day to day moments perfect and I am so grateful for the me that shines through when I'm with you. You challenge me to be incredible and you never stop making me feel special. Cheers to a lifetime of celebration and many more anniversaries shared. I love you.

As for our day...we grabbed a quick on-the-go bite for breakfast on Monday morning as we headed out of our hotel and over the Aquarium. We were there early enough to catch the Penguin feeding and seal training before even getting started walking through the exhibits. We checked out the Jellies room first and could not help but stop at every tank. What amazing creatures!

There was also a great fish tank in the Jellies exhibit...it was filled with gorgeous bright fish!

Most of our time was spent checking out the penguins. They occupy most of the main level of the aquarium and we were there long enough to watch the feeding and also learn more about them during a session later on. The middle of the Aquarium is a huge walking ramp that moves up an enormous cylinder tank. There are fish and sharks and eels and turtles and eventually you get to the top and can look down into the whole thing. The design is incredible and there is something new to see as you get higher and higher. We loved spending the morning there and after grabbing a quick Bloody Mary at Legal Seafood across the road, we were off to check out the historical parts of the city.

We grabbed a map and walked ourselves through the city along the Freedom Trail. We made it through 16 stops following the red paint and red brick through the streets. At the end we grabbed lunch in the Quincy Market and walked around Fannueil Hall. It was a great way to end our weekend away and while we enjoyed visiting both Boston and Martha's Vineyard, we were looking forward to heading home to our pup.

Best of the Best 250/365

We were up early on Sunday to check out of the Inn and head back to Boston. We grabbed the first ferry off the island and caught our bus back into the city. While we enjoyed our quick night in Copley on Thursday, we were really excited to check out Boston's Financial District for the rest of our trip. We dropped our bags at the hotel and headed out to grab lunch at the highly recommended and much anticipated Neptune Oyster. While we had enjoyed great food in Boston and Martha's Vineyard on our trip so far, this place exceeded everything we had heard and was far and away our favorite meal of the trip! We were lucky to grab two stools at the bar of this tiny restaurant where we enjoyed sampling oysters and clams from all over and where we split a lobster roll that we may have consumed in record time. I don't know that either of us actually put the roll down between bites...it was that good! We couldn't wait to let Jimmy know how awesome it was and thank him repeatedly for telling us it was a place we HAD to try.

This picture shows the raw bar with the constant line of people waiting outside while we were there. It's amazing how quickly our barstools got snatched up as soon as we were finished. We decided it was a good thing we don't live in Boston because this would be a dangerous spot for us!

After lunch we grabbed a quick ride on the T and headed out to Harvard. We walked through Harvard Yard, which we happened to catch on move-out weekend. But despite the moving trucks, furniture, suitcases and trashbags...we enjoyed our stroll though campus. We made a quick stop at the campus bookstore to grab some books for the rest of our trip and then headed back into the city. We were glad we made the trip to check out the campus but found that we really loved the area of city we were staying in. It felt like a college campus...we walked everywhere, there were pubs and bars on every corner, and we were right on the water...what could be bad?! We enjoyed a drink at the wharf at an outdoor bar near the aquarium and got some great people watching in. Then we ducked into a bar across from our hotel to grab a nibble and watch the end of the Celtics game. It was pretty fun to be in Boston during the playoffs. After a LONG 3 days of traveling and exploring...we were exhausted! We still had more to cram in on Monday morning before our flight home so we stayed in for a quiet night at the hotel. 

Fairy Tale 249/365

We were up pretty early on Saturday and Tyler brought breakfast up to our room. We got ready for our day and walked down the street to pick up our bike. The great Inn keeper had given us a map and suggested we take the 6 mile trip to Oak Bluffs. She also suggested that we give a tandem bike a try. So we walked into Happy Wheels and told them what we wanted. They gave us a quick once over and let us know that the tandem bike with one chain and rear handlebars connected to the front seat would require good communication if we want to come back in one piece...with a bike in similar shape. We decided we were up for the challenge and even had them throw a basket on the front for fun. They wished us good luck and off we went. The picture of the day perfectly sums up our trip to Oak Bluffs....it was wonderful. :)

We stopped for a quick picture during our ride. There was beach on both sides and we were so glad we were told about the tandem bike because we were able to talk during the ride. Tyler may not have been so thrilled about it on the way back...the seats were not the most comfortable.

The main reason for our photo break...

We tied up our bike once we got into downtown Oak Bluffs and started walking through the cottage community made of little ginger-bread looking houses. They were colorful and adorable and we enjoyed winding our way through the streets of the neighborhood. We searched for a house numbered 17 but had NO luck! The closest we came was finding 19 and 15 with an empty lot in the middle.

We could not have had a more gorgeous day! Between the sun in the cloudless sky and the breeze coming off the water, the weather was absolutely perfect...

My favorite little house with purple trim and clothesline...

A sweet sleeping pup that made us miss Tess...

We grabbed lunch at a little cafe and walked over to a big green field at the center of town. We enjoyed some ice cream and after relaxing for a few minutes, Tyler went off in search of a kite.

We laid on our backs and flew our kite...the world seemed to turn a little slower on that island. :)

Then I managed to get our kite stuck on the one building at the center of the field. It look some tricky fixing but I was finally able to wrap up all the string and get the kite down. It did make for an eventful end to our day in Oak Bluffs.

We passed our kite along to a group of families with several children. Hopefully they enjoyed it as much as we did. Then we hopped back on our bike and headed back to Edgartown. We stopped for some quick pictures at the nursery on our way before dropping off our bike, which we managed to keep all in one piece!

We stopped for a little shopping and then for drinks in a local bar on our way back to the Inn and even collected a few wooden nickels. We didn't get anywhere close to earning our own mug or the big accomplishment, which is a plaque on the back of your own barstool, but maybe one day we can go back to rack up some more coins. We showered and changed for dinner and made the short trip to the restaurant attached to the Inn. We decided to catch the early ferry on Sunday morning back to Boston so we got a good night's rest in preparation for the rest of our trip. In addition to the relaxing days and beautiful scenery of the island, we took away a great quote with words to live by...if only we could...

Quit Your Job

Buy A Ticket

Get A Tan

Fall In Love

Never Return