15 Reasons Brunch is the Absolute Best

1. You can be ‘messy-cute’
   

   Messy cute is the art of looking like you just rolled out of bed, but you actually put a lot of strategic work into looking casual. And every girl loves the messy-cute look.

2. There are bottomless mimosas and Bloody Mary bars

   When Sunday brunch rolls around you get to pay $10 for bottomless mimosas. The Sunday scaries are frightening as is, so whoever thought of offering bottomless mimosas to conquer the scares is the tits.

3. It’s another excuse to hang with your gal pals

   In my opinion, the work week is the most depressing, because you hardly get to hang with your gal pals and do fun, social things. Brunch is the best way to get that last QT with your babes before the work week kicks in.

4. Chicken n’ waffles

   So first off – whoever thought of this AHMAZING meal needs to be this year’s president (bye Trump and Hilz). Secondly, how can you not love a meal that combines warmy, crispy, fried chicken with a sweet, syrupy bite of warm waffles. my stomach’s growling now…k, bye.

5. It makes you feel like you can conquer the day

   Brunch empowers me to do big things (for like…an hour or two). After I have a half carafe of mimosas, I have more ambition than I’ve ever possessed in my life. I start planning dinner parties, thinking about meal planning for the week, and de-clutter my iPhone camera roll. While this is short lived, it just confirms why brunch should be an every day thing — we’d all get so much more accomplished.

6. You can take a cute Instagram

   Y’all. My cutest pictures in my life have ooccurred at brunch. Whether you’re taking a picture of your ridiculously good looking plate *cue the chicken n’ waffles* or you’re wearing an over-sized floppy hat, trendy sunnies, and have your second mimosa glass in hand, brunch always makes for a great Insta pic. Plus you’ll get lots of likes, since we all know everyone stalks the Insta feed on Sunday afternoons.

7. There are t-shirts made specifically for brunch — and you get to debut these at brunch

   Ladies — don’t you all own one or two t shirts that you can only wear to brunch? (Like my “All I Want is Harry Styles & Pizza,” shirt or the “Brunch, Mimosa, Repeat,” and the “Resting Brunch Face” shirts. Brunch gives you the best excuse to buy that little $15 graphic tank that you’ll never wear anywhere else, or maybe ever again.

8. You can sleep in

   Brunch is obvi made for people that like to sleep in. Think about it – most breakfast places stop serving breakfast and switch to lunch around 11:00 am. Is that some kind of sick joke? Nobody wants to get up, get dressed cute, and zombie out over some eggs and bacon. Brunch lets you get your beauty rest, put on a messy-cute look, and still be on time when you arrive at 11:00.

9. It’s socially acceptable to wear sunglasses throughout the entire meal

   Brunch can be hard sometimes. It is not for the weary. It is for those people who power through the long weekend, endure that late Saturday night, and still manage to throw on clothes to get some food in their bellies. So naturally, it makes sense that true brunchers wear their sunglasses throughout the entire meal (indoor or outdoor).

10. You get to laugh with your friends about the night before and look at Snapchat stories/late night texts

    At every single brunch, me and my friends resemble a pack of middle school girls, giggling about the weekend happs and carefully reviewing and critiquing all 4 minutes and 23 seconds of our Snapchat stories. This is a good practice to make, as it fights off the Sunday scaries for as long as possible.

11. The Instagram captions

    I got 99 problems, but a brunch aint one. I love you the mimosta. I love you a brunch. You can’t sip with us. Don’t go bacon my heart. Need I go on?

 

Happy brunching,

Be My Valentine

Roses are red. Violets are blue. Valentines day stinks, but I love you.

Me and V-day have a love hate relationship.

The first Valentine’s Day I can remember was in 2005. I was in 9th grade. I had recently had my heart broken, but I still bought my ex boyfriend – who is now my current boyfriend – a card & scrawled some sappy, heartbreaking stuff in it. By the way…I still have that undelivered card 11 years later.

The next Valentine’s day I can remember was my junior year in 2007. Me and my bf at that time had a romantic dinner at..wait for it…Fatz Cafe. After we dined in style, and probably consumed 5 rolls a piece, we went to the parking lot to discover a flat tire. That’s where I learned to change my first tire, and I also learned not to rely on men. Happy Vday to me!

I love romance as the next girl. Even though I’m a realist, I still enjoy being in love and all the wonderful feelings that go with it, but I don’t love Valentines day. I believe that you should show your loved ones how much you care EVERY day, not just one day a year.

This year for Vday, I had just some pretty big surgery, so I was bed bound and out of commission, but I was able to do some wonderful DIY Valentine’s for my favorite friends and loved ones.

To make your own DIY Valentines, you’ll need:
-A few thin canvases (Hobby Lobby $4 for 4)
-Acrylic paint (I have lots of colors, but stuck with a pretty gold metallic for this project)
-Assorted paint brushes
-White cardstock paper (optional – I used for stenciling purposes)
-Mod Podge (optional)

I used Pinterest to find some design inspiration, but for the arrows and feather canvases, I just freehanded the designs with a thin paintbrush. For the ‘Love’ canvas, I simply cut out a paper heart out of the white cardstock. Using a freehand font, I painted the ‘love’ across the paper heart and let it dry. Meanwhile on a blank white canvas, I painted the whole canvas the metallic gold. Once the paint was nearly dry, I used some Mod Podge to secure the paper heart to the canvas.

On the back of each canvas, I wrote a sweet little note to all of my valentines. These DIY Valentines are both sweet and personal and are the perfect little sercies for desktops, bedrooms, or bar carts.

Xx,

Snow Day Spirits

The South shuts down when it snows.

If you were born and raised below the Mason Dixon line, you know all to well that if snow is on the radar, the town shuts down. Last week Charlotte received about 2 inches (or maybe less) of snow with a mixture of ice. Naturally, schools and offices were closed nearly everywhere. And it is my most firm belief that you are NEVER too old for a snow day. 

It so happens that my house is within walking distance to a local bar, Ed’s Tavern. Despite the crazy amounts of food I purchased the night before it snowed, my friends (Amelia, Sammie, & Regan) and I decided to walk to Ed’s for some drinks and lunch on our snow day. Inspired by the overpriced $11 Moscow mule my friend Regan had, we decided to purchase 4 cans of ginger beer and head back to the house to make some snow spirits.

We made 4 different mules and taste tested each. Here are the ingredients we used:

–William Wolf Pecan Bourbon 
–Absolut Hibiskus – Hibiscus & Pomegranate Vodka
–Tanqueray Gin 
–Svedka Vodka
-Limes
-Lime juice
–Gosling Ginger Beer 

To make our delicious spirits, I added about a shot and a half of liquor to each cup. I then added in the ginger beer (about a 2:1 ginger beer to liquor ratio). Then I squeezed a half shot of lime juice and added to fresh limes to each cup. Let me just say, the results were DELICIOUS.

All four of us sampled each cocktail. The overall favorite was the Absolut Hibiskus mule, which surprised me, because I generally do not care for flavored vodka. The regular Svedka vodka and the Tanqueray gin mules tasted very similar to one another with the strong ginger flavors overpowering the taste of the liquors. The William Wolf Pecan bourbon was certainly the most interestingly flavored mule. While it was tasty, the dueling pecan and ginger flavors were almost too much for me to handle. I recommend the William Wolf Pecan bourbon sipped on the rocks or with a splash of ginger ale, because as a standalone flavor, this liquor is AMAZING.

No matter the liquor, I’m always down for a good Moscow mule. Happy sipping!

Xx,

 

 

 

23 Reasons Why Moms are the Absolute Best

I think Juvenile said it best when he said “She get it from her mama.”

Oh where she get her eyes from? She get it from her mamma
Oh where she get her thighs from? She get it from her mamma
Where she learn how to cook from? She get it from her mamma
Oh where she get them looks from? She get it from her mamma
But where she get that ass from? She get it from her mamma
But where she get her class from? She get it from her mamma
– Juvenile 

While the above rap song may not be the most tactful way to express my feelings, I truly grow to appreciate my mother, for multiple reasons, more and more each day. As we all age and mature, I believe everyone begins to grow more appreciative of their mothers, and realize that no matter how old we get, we still need them. So without being too terribly sentimental (I’m a glass and a half of wine deep in some cab, so this post may get sappier as you read), here are the:

23 Reasons Why Moms are the Absolute Best

1. They carried you safely inside of them for 9 months, distorted their bodies, and had to give up wine. 
2. They fixed your hair, dressed you, and kept you from looking like a hot mess as a child (bless those of you whose fathers never had to do your hair when your mom was out of town). 
3. They teach you manners. 
4. They can read your mood, good and bad,  without you saying a word.
5. They listen to your problems, as big or as small as they may be.
6. They have seen you at your worst, and still love you at your worst.
7. They try to keep up with the times and learn the most current lingo — bless. They teach you the true meaning of ‘unconditional’: unconditional love, unconditional support, & unconditional honesty.
8. They are always on your team.
   
9. They would take every ounce of your pain just to see you to be happy.
10. They teach you about love. They are excited for your first kiss, they are happy when you fall in love, and they hold you tight when you have your heart broken.
    
11. They pray for you daily – “A mother’s prayer is the most powerful force in the world.”
12. They will always be honest with you, even if that means telling you that your outfit is not flattering — this one I relate to all too often. 
    
13. They put themselves last and rarely complain about it — it is a fact, that mothers are always the last to sit down at the dinner table. 
14. They are our best friends.
15. They always know how to get the stains out of your most prized shirt. Can I get an AMEN for all the times your mom saved an article of your clothing?
16. They are there for all your milestones — your first step, your first kiss, your first bad grade, & your first hangover.
    
17. They share your excitement with and for you, whether it’s for an A on a paper, a new boyfriend, a college acceptance letter, an engagement, or a pregnancy announcement. 
18. They keep you humble. 
19. They are the Best. Santas. Ever. (Because we all know if it were up to Dads, there would be no Santa).
    
20. They are always right – even when you hate to admit it.
21. They are all real life super heroes. 
22. They will always be here for us, near or far. Always. 

I know we all give our moms a hard time (and some times it’s warranted), but they truly are the best humans in the world. Hands down. Now go call or text your mama, and tell her you love her, a lot.

Xx,

 

 

QC Eats – The Little Spoon

We like booze with our brunch, music that makes us move, and dining in the open air.

If you must know one thing about me, it’s that this girl loves brunch. Brunch basically combines every great thing in life – friends, booze, & food. Since moving to Charlotte, North Carolina, I’ve made it a point to try out new restaurants (I’m also on a never ending search for the best nachos in Charlotte, but more on that later). Last Saturday while running errands, my mother and I happened to stumble upon a brunch goldmine – little Spoon.

Let me try and set the scene for you. From the outside, with a white awning and a little Spoon logo, this place looks interesting enough and quaint. As soon as you open the door, you’ll be hit with old school music, a west coast vibe, and the revelation of the most intimidating espresso machine you’ve ever seen.

From the unique menu, featuring dishes like the Breakfast Tacos, 007 Chick’n Sandwich, Donut Holes, to the dining details, like clipboard menus and retro glass water pitchers, I was hooked before I even ordered food.

And just when I thought that the atmosphere couldn’t get any better, a throwback Snoop song comes on, followed by T.I’s Bring ‘Em Out, and some Outkast, which made me relive every great moment from middle school thru high school. YAS QUEEN. 

My mom and I decided to split the Chicken Biscuits & the NC Chopped Salad, which might I had was one of the best salad’s I’ve ever tasted, AND it had boiled peanuts on it — done & done.

I could go on, but you’ll just have to go see for yourself the amazingness that is the little Spoon Eatery.

Xx,

I Should Be Engaged.

Corinne Steele

I want to be engaged this year. As of yesterday I’ve been on this earth for more than twenty-three years, and I think it’s about time for me to be engaged.

I’ve been asking people on my Home Team what one word they want to hold true for 2016, and when the question was finally reciprocated by my friend Sanford, I couldn’t come up with anything. I hadn’t found one that quite fit just yet.

I would  say seemingly meaningful words aloud to see if their meanings would hold any significance for what I want this next year to be.

I rustled up words like depth or rest or value and announced them to myself in the car or in the shower or on my walk to work. Nothing was clicking.

Until I drove to Joshua Tree yesterday morning, and that’s when a word so unexpected was whispered into the silence…

View original post 1,031 more words

Your Essential 2016 Playlist

One of the best decisions I made in 2015 was purchasing Spotify premium…and buying a Harry Styles lifesize cardboard cutout.

If you love music half as much as I do, stop right now, do yourself a favor, and get Spotify premium. Spotify is the 2016 version of your high school mix CD’s (minus the sharpie drawings and scratches). There’s nothing better.

I probably listen to it about 5-6 hours a day on average. And even better? Spotify is solely to blame for my monthly data overage charges (sorry mom). Also, this is not even a paid advertisement for Spotify…I just happen to love it THAT much.

Last January I started a 2015 playlist, which racked up 288 songs over the last 365 days. It’s actually pretty neat to go back and look at my playlist, which basically was the soundtrack to my life. I can definitely tell my ups and downs throughout 2015 based on my song choices — hopefully 2016 is filled with all upbeat songs, lol.

While my new year playlist is only 8 days strong, here’s what I’m listening to this 2016:

• A.M. – One Direction
• The Money – Charlie Mars
• Hymn for the Weekend – Coldplay
• Save Room – John Legend
• Come and Get Your Love – Redbone
• Don’t Wanna Fight – Alabama Shakes
• Sedona – Houndmouth
• Powerful – Major Lazer & Ellie Goulding
• Hands to Myself – Selena Gomez
• Send My Love (To Your New Lover) – Adele
• Suffer – Charlie Puth
• Washed by the Water – NEEDTOBREATHE
• Same Old Love – Grey Remix – Selena Gomez
• Easy Love – Sigala
• Future People – Alabama Shakes
• Lover Come Back – City and Colour
• Jackie and Wilson – Hozier
• Trouble – Iggy Azaela, Jennifer Hudson
• California (Cast Iron Soul) – Jamestown Revival
• Aint No Mountain High Enough – Marvin Gaye, Tammi Terrell
• Wolves – One Direction
• Sugar – Remix – Maroon 5, Nicki Minaj
• Beast of Burden – The Rolling Stones
• Just Smoke – Mumford & Sons
• Reflections – MisterWives
• Let Me Down Easy – Billy Currington

Follow me on Spotify, so you can check out more of my playlists! Easy listening, friends.

Xx,

101 Things in 1001 days

We all have a love-hate relationship with New Year’s Resolutions.

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Instead of making a ton of resolutions that I’m not likely to keep throughout the next 365 days, I’ve decided to keep up with my list of:

101 Things in 1001 Days.

I made this list last year (May-ish) on the Notepad app on my iPhone. Now that I’m blogging, I’ve decided to publish my list and keep up with my goals that I set some 200 days ago. (I initially found this adorable idea on one of my favorite blogger’s site, Design Darling). 

Since I’m just now publishing it, I’m going to start my 1001 days today — even though I’ve already completed a few tasks on my list 🙂

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Start Date: 01/07/2016
End Date: 10/04/2019

1. Move cities  (September 2015)
2. See Taylor Swift in Concert  (June 2015)
3. Buy a house
4. Write a book 
5. Watch less television
6. Use my phone less  (January 2016)
7. Get a new hairstyle
8. Lose 20 lbs
9. Visit Europe
10. Go back to NYC 
11. Reconnect with my friend Amanda
12. De-clutter/simplify my house
13. Walk Murphy 4x per week
14. Run a 5k (November 2015 — even better, I ran an 8k)
15. Start a Roth IRA
16. Get a pretty (and matching) bra & pantie set
17. Cook weekly 
18. Join a Bible Study  (October 2015, I started a Bible study)
19. Learn to play the piano 
20. Read 12 books a year (at least)
21. Buy an upholstered chair/couch
22. Help bring someone to Christ
23. See a ballet (December 2015, The Nutcracker)
24. Skydive 
25. visit the West Coast 
26. Purchase a ‘cruiser’ bike
27. Stretch daily
28. Call LuLu (my grandmother) 1x a week
29. Paddle board
30. Don’t purchase any new clothes for 1 month (November 2015)
31. Go to a winery/wine tasting  (October 2015)
32. Skinny dip
33. Make a ‘Signature KB drink’
34. Learn calligraphy 
35. Take a weekend sabbatical with no cell phone
36. Wake up at 5:30am twice a week for a month
37. Host a dinner party
38. Mail a care package to my brother in college 
39. Plant a lemon tree in my yard
40. Collect a photograph of each of my grandparents and great grandparents
41. Make someone I love breakfast in bed
42. Give 5 “just because” gifts
43. Take a girls weekend trip 
44. Watch the sun rise
45. Fall in love (October 2015)
46. Go on a family vacation 
47. Change my hair color  (January 2015- present, lol, see post here)
48. Take shagging lessons
49. Start a journal (August 2015)
50. Buy a cookbook – and use 5 recipes from it
51. Go to a rooftop party
52. Send 5 handwritten letters to old friends 
53. Find a signature lip color 
54. Subscribe to a magazine (June 2015, Garden & Gun)
55. Pay for a customer in line behind me 10x 
56. Make homemade sushi 
57. Get a massage
58. Paint or make pottery 
59. Host a themed game night or party 
60. Put together a cookbook with recipes from the women in my family
61. Have a picnic (October 2015, Freedom Park with my bible study)
62. Go horseback riding
63. Take my mom to NYC 
64. Make homemade guacamole
65. Publish a book 
66. Listen to an entire podcast series (January 2015-October 2015, Serial)
67. Stay up to date with the news/current events
68. Go snorkeling 
69. Find a signature white wine and a signature red wine
70. Start a scrapbook 
71. Memorize 15 bible verses 
72. Attend a concert of someone I have not yet seen 
73. Surprise a friend with a visit 
74. Deactivate Facebook (temporarily or permanently) (January 2015)
75. Apologize to someone I’ve hurt 
76. Pray daily (November 2015)
77. Take more photographs on my Canon camera
78. Hike a mountain 
79. Start doing crosswords in the mornings with my coffee 
80. Learn the lyrics to an entire rap song 
81. Sing karaoke 
82. Send Christmas cards to my friends and family  (December 2015)
83. Show appreciation to my co-workers (October 2015)
84. Introduce myself to neighbors I do not know
85. Make my bed every day for 1 month 
86. Pamper myself at a dry bar 
87. Find a mentor & have lunch with her 4x a year
88. Have a custom monogram created (from Emily McCarthy)
89. Get engaged 
90. Redecorate my room (new headboard, drapes, pillows)
91. Design & print a fabric 
92. Rent a Vespas and tour a city 
93. Leave a 100% tip for great service 
94. Drink a Piña colada on a tropical island
95. Take a Blogshop class
96. Throw an engagement party for a friend 
97. See 1D in concert – lol 
98. Fix up an antique piece of furniture 
99. Be a mentor to someone younger than me 
100. Paint a canvas for my house 
101. Foster a dog 

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Wish me luck! I encourage you to try your own 101 Things in 1001 and share with me!

Xx,

 

 

How to be a Sports Fan!

So, my boyfriend and my best friend love SPORTZ.

When I say they loves sports, I mean, they could leave their TV on ESPN & the Sports Center 24/7. I love that they are passionate about sports, but I must admit, I could generally care less about watching any ‘big game.’

I got a kick out of my Timehop app this morning when this 3 year old Twitter post popped up.

Recently, I’ve decided to let go of my sports ignorance by picking a team or two to pull for, and I must admit…it’s actually a LOT of fun AND I enjoy watching the games.

So how do you become a ‘Sports Fan’ when you really don’t give a damn?

1. Pick your team(s). I recently moved to Charlotte. I’ve always kept up loosely with the Carolina Panthers, but recently, I decided they were going to be my team. I invested in two jerseys and some other team gear. I must say, having a cute team jersey to rock makes watching the games so much more fun (it also helps make for cute Instagram photos…just saying). 
2. Watch the games. I’ve found that actually paying attention to the games (whether on tv or at a stadium) helps get you invested in the team’s success. If you can’t keep up with all the plays and rules, just pick a few players to focus on throughout the game, and cheer for them (I recommend pulling for the good looking ones like Luke Kuechly…what a babe)!
3. Learn the rules of the game. Do not be the airhead who is asking “what is that yellow line that keeps moving on the field?” or “when is the halftime routine during the baseball game?” If you’re going to watch games in a social environment, don’t be THAT girl who knows nothing about the sport.
4. Make a social event out of game day. The more people you watch the game with, the merrier. Try hosting a tailgating event or a game day party at your house. Serve some easy hors d’oeuvres and make some Panther Punch. Game day will soon be something you look forward to every week!

 

From one rookie SPORTZ fan to another, #KeepPounding.

Xx,