Yet another wedding attended this weekend, this time one of my good college friends. Also got to see some of my besties again, which makes me very happy. I am very lucky to have some amazing friends who have been with me through thick and thin from both high school and college. The wedding was absolutely beautiful, the setting, the dress, the decorations, everything. The bride really did a fab.u.lous job putting it all together! Since I knew it was going to be super HOT AND HUMID in Charleston, I decided to go with my lightweight paisley dress from Forever21. It was a great choice, both for comfort and for a Friday afternoon wedding.

Ha, this is the only full length shot I got! There was some drama with a flat tire before the wedding, so we were in a rush to get ready and I didn’t time to do my usual photos. And these are not the shoes I wore! They are actually my friend’s standing next to me Mine were KILLING my feet and she brought flip flops, so I stole her shoes ’cause they were way more comfy than mine. I ended up barefoot before the night was over. Notice this is also towards the end of the night and the humidity had ravaged my hair! That is one of many things I don’t miss about living in Charleston.

The bride was so happy and looked absolutely stunning! I just loved her dress, simple and classy She doesn’t usually wear a lot of makeup and she looked like a supermodel with her makeup and hair done. It was so cute because she kept going up to everyone and saying “I’m TOTALLY MAARRRIIIEEEDD.” I am so happy for her and the new hubby, they are a great couple!

There was lots of dancing going on, but since hubby was absent from the wedding I didn’t get nearly as many pics as I normally would. He is my designated photographer

The cake was beautiful and delicious…trust me, I ate THREE pieces (I live for wedding cake)! Vanilla with a chocolate ganache filling, yummy!

There were also hydrangeas EVERYWHERE, which I love because they remind me of my great grandmother. They also coordinated with all of the sage and blue in the wedding decor:

A lot of my college friends were there (these are just a few!) and we had a wonderful time hanging out and catching up. I wish I would have been better about taking pics!

Next up is my best friend on my right, also my college roomie for almost all 4 years! She is getting hitched in July…I am a bridesmaid and I can’t wait. Since the wedding was on Friday and the bride and groom didn’t leave for the honeymoon until Sunday, their parents threw a huge cookout and invited all the friends and family on Saturday evening. It was a lot of fun, but I totally forgot my camera, so no pics (bad blogger!). Some of my friends took some, so maybe I will post those once I get them. Hope everyone had a great weekend as well! My parents are coming to the Queen Citythis weekend and I am SOOOOOO excited!!!!

This weekend was spent in Hilton Head, SC at one of my best friend’s weddings! We stayed at the Grande Ocean Resort and had a great time hanging out with old friends and the rest of the wedding party. Here is a recap of the weekend:

Much of the weekend was spent lounging by the pool and drinking frosty drinks from the pool bar (which were all made with delicious fresh fruit!):

However, we did make it to the rehearsal Friday evening:

Including this beautiful Carolina sunset (one of the few things I miss about living on the Carolina coast):

Then, the long-awaited day arrived. My friend and her fiance have been dating for 10 years, so this wedding has been a long time coming!

The wedding and reception was held at Rose Hill Mansion, right near where both the bride and groom’s parents live. It was beautiful!

Getting ready to make my way down the aisle:

College Roomies Couldn’t have asked for two better people to live with and befriend.

The beautiful (and delicious!) cake:

Hope you had a wonderful weekend too! This next weekend will be spent in Kiawah with my high school girlfriends, then many, many more wedding weekends after that. It is going to be a crazy summer

I don’t know about where you live, but it was a gorgeous southern Sunday here in the Queen City! My day was spent dining with some girlfriends and going to see “He’s Just Not That Into You.”  The weather was so nice, we even dined outside on the patio at Dean and Deluca. The movie was actually better than expected, I really like how all of the characters were interconnected in a way, even though they didn’t all know each other. I also enjoyed the way it was set with several different story lines following different characters…that is one way to keep my ADD in check and make me pay attention. Don’t want to give away any major movie details, so I will discuss movie fashion I think my favorite style in the movie was that of Jennifer Aniston’s (of course!). Why is it she always gets the best wardrobe in all of her movies? She definitely had a classic, put together vibe going:

Jennifer Aniston - He's Just Not That Into You

I didn’t feel like Jennifer Aniston and Drew Barrymore got a lot of screen time compared to the other characters, and they are the main reason I wanted to see the movie. I am not a big Scarlett Johannsen fan and I really did not appreciate her character in the film. I also thought she looked pretty rough, but that was maybe intentional?

Anywho, I definitely give this movie a 4 out of 5 PinQue stars and suggest you get a group of gals together to go see it!

It was such a beautiful, sunny day today! Hubby and I decided to start off our day with Brunch at our favorite spot, Flying Biscuit. They have the most wonderful biscuits (whole wheat, I might add), dreamy cheddar grits, turkey bacon, chicken sausage, and a lot of vegetarian options. I decided to make a plate from sides, whole wheat biscuit with apple butter, fruit, turkey bacon, and my all-time favorite, the white cheddar grits:

White Cheddar Grits

I also love the atmosphere, it really is the perfect place for a Sunday brunch. Everyone else in the Queen City must think so too, because there is always quite a wait to sit down. Even better, when it is warm outside there is outdoor patio dining (I am a sucker for anywhere with outdoor dining!). There are several locations around the southeast, so go check it out if there is one near you!

Next, hubby and I decided to hit up a nearby shopping center to check out cameras at BestBuy. While we have to decided we are going to buy one, we are undecided on whether to go with the Canon Rebel XS or the Nikon D60. I have always used Canon cameras and love them, so I am having a hard time going with another brand. Anyone have any pros or cons with either of these to help me decide?

We also stopped by PetSmart to pick up some stuff for our fur babies and look what was outside:

PUPPIES!!!

I have been BEGGING my hubby for a big dog for quite sometime now because I just can’t take my little Yorkie running with me! I would seriously adopt all the animals in the world if I could, I just love them so much. So after tearing myself away from the puppies, we got our stuff and hit up a few more stores. I ended up getting those odor-neutralizing Wallflowers from Bath and Body Works (review to come later in the week!) and popped in Banana Republic, just to browse I ended up scoring some GREAT deals, check ‘em out:

SCORE from Banana Republic

I got the Paisley Cardigan, Black layering cami, satin dress and geometric blouse for less than $50, and that berry colored satin dress was marked down from $150 and I got it for $4!! Hubby didn’t seem to share my excitement, but I knew you gals would. That will surely come in handy for all the weddings I have to attend this summer (I think we are up to 10?).

Of course, last but not least was a SuperBowl party with friends. Apparently I dressed appropriately since the Steelers just won

Steelers inspired outfit

I am actually a HUGE Carolina Panthers fan (obviously), but since Jake Delhomme messed up our chance at the SuperBowl, I just went with the team that I liked their colors the most. Blue knit top (Banana Republic), Black skinnies (Express), Yellow Stilletos (Nine West), and a long, silver layered necklace to complete my SuperBowl ensemble. There was also a lot of commercial watching. My favorite was the Budweiser commercial where the horses fall in love, which one was your fave? It was a fun night and congrats to the Steelers. Hope you had an exciting night of football, friends, and fun as well!

Superbowl Party

Tonight we went to our friends Nate and Kate’s house for a casual dinner in. Guests included Kath and her hubby Matt, Diana and Dan, Justin, Valerie and John, and the star of the night was Nate and Kate’s dog Gilbert Of course much of the conversation included blogging and food, all of our favorite things! I decided on a casual outfit, my favorite skinny jeans (Express) and a black drapey knit top (Forever21) with my favorite camel boots (Piperlime):

Night In With Friends

Dinner included a variety of pizzas, salads, and homebrewed beers! I tasted a few that were quite yummy. I also made a classic banana pudding that is my go to dessert for social gatherings. It is quite easy and is always a hit. Being a southern ‘gal, I grew up eating banana (or neener, as I like to call it) pudding at all family gatherings, parties, etc. so to me it is a staple! My favorite recipe that I always use is “Not Yo Mama’s” banana pudding by Paula Deen, which I then morph a bit to be healthier:

Not Yo Mama’s Banana Pudding by Paula Deen

Ingredients:

2 bags of Pepperidge Farms Chessman Cookies (Nilla Wafers, or any cookies of your liking)

3-5 Bananas, sliced

2 cups cold milk (I use Non-Fat)

1 box of French Vanilla pudding (I use fat free/sugar free)

1 Eight Oz. Package of Cream Cheese (I use lowfat…nonfat is disgusting in this recipe)

1 Fourteen Oz. Can of Condensed Milk (again I use Fat Free/Sugar Free)

1 Twelve Oz. Container of Frozen Whipped Topping (Fat Free/Sugar Free Cool Whip)

Line bottom of 12x9x2 glass dish with cookies, then bananas.

Combine milk and pudding and let sit for five minutes or so.

In a seperate bowl (or your Kitchenaid) whip together cream cheese and condensed milk until smooth. Fold in whipped cream with pudding, then mix all together with cream cheese mixture until smooth and creamy. Pour into dish over cookies/bananas, then layer top with additional cookies. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

And there you have it, easy, delicious, and always a crowd pleaser!

Not Yo' Mama's Banana Pudding

Look at all the Creamy Delicious-ness

Thanks again to Nate and Kate for having us over, I think a great time was had by all!