Game Day!

Beat Navy! No, seriously.

First home game of the season. I'll be working, but watching from an elliptical tv.

I don't have any a lot of doubt in my Gamecocks, but you NEVER know.

So seriously, BEAT NAVY.

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First Birchbox + Baby Mama Lunch.

On Tuesday, I received my very first Birchbox! After debating for months about signing up, I finally bit the bullet last month. Last Saturday, I received an email saying that it had shipped! Tuesday after work, voila!, there it was in my mailbox. I immediately ran inside and ripped open the box to see what was inside. Now, I'm not gonna lie. I was a tad disappointed. After seeing what was inside other bloggers' boxes, it wasn't what I expected. Don't get me wrong, there were a few things in the box that I couldn't wait to try, but some of the things I was like "really??" I'm hoping next month's is better (even though this box was supposed to be super awesome because it was their 1 year anniversary box!).

If you are signed up for Birchbox, did you get anything different in your box? What did you think of this month's box?

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Yesterday was a very busy and exciting day for me! First of all, I was at the grocery store at 7:45am. On my day off. That is just weird for me. But I can never fall back asleep once Cameron is up and moving and getting ready for work! So I went to the grocery store and did all my boring errands. Went home, attempted to sew curtains for my laundry room with the leftover fabric from my pillows. That was....interesting. Thank goodness my mom still had her instruction booklet for the sewing machine. The sewing machine kept messing up (totally it's fault, not mine), plus I was running out of time so I gave up. Dropped the sewing machine back off at my parents house, along with the curtains so my mom can finish them. :)

For lunch, I met up with Leslie, Becca, and their babies! It was Leslie's 28th birthday so I wanted to get her out of the house and treat her to lunch. All throughout her pregnancy, Leslie could not WAIT to eat sushi again. So that's what we did - ate sushi at Wasabi in Summerville. Just so happens that Becca lives right behind Wasabi so it worked out perfectly!

Davis and Emilee could not have been any cuter or quiet. They were angels. Emilee slept the entire time and Davis woke up hungry about halfway through our lunch. That boy is going to be a soccer player. Mark my words. He kicks so much!

I did not want to leave them and can't wait for my next baby mama date!

Davis, Me, Emilee (They are just 2 weeks apart!)

Birthday Girl (Leslie) & Me

Becca & Me



Tasty Tuesday - Greek Lemon Chicken Soup & Chopped Greek Salad

I could eat both of these every day for the rest of my life and be happy. I know Natalie is going to be a big fan of this post, too. :)

Both recipes and pictures are from Real Simple.

Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

Serves 4| Hands-On Time: 15m | Total Time: 30m

Ingredients

6 cups chicken broth

1/3 cup orzo

6 large egg yolks

1 1/2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

black pepper

Directions

In a large saucepan, bring the chicken broth to a boil. Add the orzo and boil until tender, 8 to 9 minutes. In a bowl, beat the egg yolks. Slowly whisk in 1 cup of the hot broth.

Add the egg mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring, until thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the chicken and lemon juice; season with ¼ teaspoon pepper.

Chopped Greek Salad with Pita Chips

Serves 4| Hands-On Time: 15m | Total Time: 15m

Ingredients

2 pitas, split horizontally

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

kosher salt and black pepper

1 small head iceberg lettuce, chopped (about 8 cups)

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

1 green bell pepper, cut into bite-size pieces

1/2 English cucumber, sliced

1/2 red onion, chopped

1 15.5-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and coarsely chopped

4 ounces Feta, crumbled (1 cup)

8 pepperoncini (optional)

1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives (optional)

Directions

Heat oven to 350° F. Place the pita halves cut-side up on a baking sheet, brush with 1 tablespoon of the oil, and bake until golden and crisp, 4 to 6 minutes. Let cool, then break into pieces.

In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oregano, the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Add the lettuce, tomatoes, bell pepper, cucumber, onion, chickpeas, Feta, pita chips, and pepperoncini and olives, if using, and toss to combine.

Miscellaneous Monday.

Ahhhh this weekend was so good. Had an event Friday night at work and was off both Saturday and Sunday! Love it when that happens.

On Saturday, Cameron, Brady and I took the boat out for a little while because it was absolutely beautiful outside. Stopped at the sandbar for a few minutes because there weren't that many people there. Brady wound up lifting his leg on two separate little girls so we decided it was time to move on. Oops.

Since Cameron's game (Clemson) and my game (Carolina) were so close in time, we decided to go to Kickin Chicken to watch the games since they have a ton of tv's.

Both of our teams walked away with a Win, although neither were very pretty.

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On Sunday, Cameron had to go into work for a few hours to oversee his project that is set to be finished this week! Woohoo! So proud of him. :) I can never go back to sleep once he gets up, so Brady and I just layed in bed, watching coverage of the 9/11 anniversary.

Once Cameron got home, it was time for Sandbar Sunday! There was a good crowd and I managed to keep Brady from lifting his leg on anyone. :)

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This week is a normal work week, except Thursday is Leslie's birthday! I'm taking her and little Emilee out to lunch. Can't wait to squeeze that little nugget (Emilee, that is.).

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Hope everyone has a great week!



Creative Energy Candles.

While on the cruise, Cameron and I met a nice man named Todd at the craps table in the casino. The next day, we ran into him again while laying out by the fun slides. We got to talking and found out that he is the head diving coach for USC! He also mentioned that his wife started a company called Creative Energy Candles. I just remembered to Google the company the other day and was instantly intriqued by these candles!

Description from their Facebook page:

"The Creative Energy Candle is a 2-in-1 candle. When burned, it melts to create a beautiful scent, as well as a healthy body lotion that’s suitable for skin.

Our candles are 100% all-natural. Organic cotton wicks, soybean wax and certified organic extra virgin coconut oil are non-toxic, making this “green candle” safe for you and the environment.

Our soybean wax is dermatologist-tested, FDA-approved and Kosher-certified. A healthy combination of vitamins A, E and K provide minerals and antioxidant properties. This candle not only softens the skin, but promotes healing and gives skin a more youthful, healthy appearance.

Creative Energy Candles have a great hot and cold throw, and are hand-poured in this chic, 3” heavy base square glass - making pouring wax into the palm of your hand a cinch.

This square, heavy base glass holds nine ounces of wax and burns twice as long as regular candles, up to 55 hours.

With a marketing and advertising background, I have seen how much paper is wasted in package design. That’s why instead of traditional boxes, our packaging is made of 100% recyclable wrap sleeves, minimizing waste and providing a much greener alternative to packaging."

The candles currently come in six scents.

Garden of Eden

[The best seller. A romantic classic with a blend of light fruit, citrus and florals.]

Hannah Lily, Rose and Grapefruit

[A clean fragrance with touch of fresh lily, crisp white grapefruit and a touch of rose.]

Citrus Basil and Wild Mint

[An energizing scent with a contemporary blend of bright citrus and fresh herbs.]

Peppermint and Eucalyptus

[The oils in the peppermint and eucalyptus give the skin a cooling, tingling sensation.]

French Fig and Amber

[Blends of fresh figs with a hint of floral, and a touch of amber. ]

Mountain Grove

[Warm vanilla sandalwood and a hint of patchouli.]

At $20 a candle, these would be a perfect Christmas gift for someone who you have no idea what to get them! :) (Never too early to start thinking about Christmas gifts!)

[Realistic] Fall Want List.

Tan Wedge Boots

[My last pair of tan boots I purchased was 3 years ago and have worn them to death. It's time to move on. I love that the wedge gives them a little more dressy feel.]

Aldo Farmar Boots

Statement Necklaces

[To mix and match with plain shirts/dresses.]

Vestique Glorious Teal Bead Necklace

Vestique Beadacious Necklace in Blue

F21 Glamourous Necklace

Anthropologie Layers of the Sea Necklace (made possible thanks to a friend who works at Free People)

Tory Burch Revas

[But I can't decide which color. I just bought a new pair of black flats last Christmas. I'm leaning towards Royal Tan - if you have a pair of tan flats, do you wear them often??]

Tory Burch Revas in Royal Tan

Blouses to wear with skinny jeans

Gap Pintuck Cowl-Back Top

Victoria's Secret Peasant Blouse

Entire Essie 2011 Fall Line
[my boss will be happy about me wearing more neutral colors on my nails.]

And a few random picks

[just because.]

Old Navy Printed Roll Up Camp Shirt in Aqua Gingham

Gap 1969 Lightweight Corduroy Leggings

Kimchi Blue Paper Bag Skirt

Michael Kors Rose Gold + Navy Watch

It's That Time Again!

Ladies, it's that time again where I need your help. Cameron's brother is getting married next month and I need to decide what I'm going to wear to the wedding!

I was originally just going to find a dress to buy, but then I discovered that I have a $20 credit to Rent the Runway! Problem (almost) solved!

Here are the dresses that I've narrowed it down to.

Which one is your favorite??

#1 - Shoshanna Lace and Love Dress

#2 - alldressedup Coral Geometric Neck Dress

#3 - Tibi Sage Embroidered Keyhole Dress (love the back of the dress)

#4- Milly Midnight Tulip Bow Dress (It's actually a midnight blue color, not black)

#5 - Tibi Teal Applique Bloussant Dress

#6 - Milly Pretty Belted Ruffle Dress

I really appreciate your help! I am the worst decision maker!

Emily & Caroline - Find something fancy to do on Friday, October 7th or Sunday, October 9th so that yall can get in on this rental! :)