weekend in houston

Hello hello!

Excuse my absence- we were having a blast in Houston and trying to regroup from such a fun time. We did a lot of things in just three days and it was awesome!

Friday afternoon Tyler and I drove to Charleston to hop on a plane to Houston. We had a short flight and arrived in Houston just in time for dinner! Tyler's brother Cameron and his wife Lissy picked us up and then we headed to their apartment for some grub. They cooked delicious lamb burgers with pitas, a fabulous salad, and couscous. I need cooking lessons from them! Oh, and wine of course! After dinner we walked a few blocks to a bar to meet up with a few of their friends. We met them last year at their wedding in Rhode Island so it was nice to hang out with complete strangers. Funny enough, their couple friends were flying to Charleston for Labor Day weekend.

Saturday I met up with Whitney from The Observant Turtle who lives in Houston and is from SC! This is the second time we have gotten together and of courseee food was involved! We had a fabulous brunch at Tiny Boxwoods and I had THE BEST watermelon lemonade I've ever ever ever had. Seriously, I couldn't get enough. And my granola, yogurt, and fruit was super too, but y'all the watermelon lemonade!! I want some right now!! We had a great catch-up as always and of course ended with a "see you soon" because hopefully I will get to see her later this month!

When I got back to meet the fam, they were geared up and ready to go sample BBQ. Keep in mind, i'd just eaten breakfast an hour prior!

We started at Virgie's BBQ and had brisket, sausage, ribs, baked beans, and potato salad. Oh and Big Red..... Texas friends- what is that stuff and do you like it!!? I felt like it was carbonated kool-aid and kind of hated it, but loved it at the same time!

Texas BBQ = beef not pork

It was obviously delicious.

Second stop was Gatlins BBQ but they weren't taking orders thanks to a catering order. After standing in line half an hour, we left and tried to go to an ice house that served BBQ, but they were closed! Finally we landed at one more place to get in a second sampling of BBQ. I was so full I totally missed the name of the restaurant!

Hello fried okra!

Tyler and Cameron went to the gun store for the afternoon while Lis and I went to the pool. I was like a blimp after all of the food I'd eaten! Then of course we showered and got ready for the CLEMSON GAME!!!

The four of us and a friend hopped in the car to get a table to watch the Clemson/Georgia game at Black Finn Grille where the Clemson alumni gather to watch the games. We had on all of our orange and got a great table and lots of beer! I had shrimp tacos which were decent, but it was OK since I was consuming plenty of beer (OK probably too much). We had so much fun screaming and yelling and ooh-ing and ahh-ing. We even met a couple originally from SC who went to Clemson who is friends with one of my friends and knows exactly where I grew up. It's such a small world people! After pulling out a great WIN we went home!

Sunday we woke up (with raging headaches- me at least), had breakfast (do you sense a food pattern here), and drove to George Bush Park to shoot skeet. Friends, let me warn you. Never ever shoot a gun while hungover. My head was pounding and every time I shot I could feel little blood vessels popping! I had beginners luck... We'll not beginners because been shooting a gun since I was very young, but I hit the clay the first shot I took. I think Ty was amazed. I, honestly, was quite amazed and then I was ready to go... Impatient much?

Trying to make things colorful.

A monogrammed gun case. NOW I have seen it all......

Of course, we had to grab some food (duh) after shooting up an appetite and Cam and Lis suggested Vietanamese food. I was super skeptical because usually my post-beer food is greasy, buttttt while in Houston you must eat like Texans! We drove through China town (this city is crazy) and had sweet and sour chicken at Que Huong. Thank goodness for Foursquare or I'd never remember the names of these places. I must say, it wasn't as crazy as I had anticipated!

Sweet and sour chicken- tomatoes, green onions, pineapple, onions + rice

And no trip to Texas is complete without boot shopping. Tyler is now a new proud owner of a new pair of Justin boots thanks to Cavendar's! I opted out of boots since I already have a pair and I don't wear them often, but it was so much fun trying on all kinds of crazy cowboy boots! We were so tired when we got back from our outing that Ty and I took a nap while Cam and Lis went to the pool. Before dinner, we all went downstairs to the gym to run off a few of the millions of calories we'd consumed over the weekend!

To wrap up our foodie weekend, we had tex-mex for dinner on Sunday night. I had delicious chicken tacos at Ninfa's and we all indulged on queso and mojitos and beer for the guys. I was seriously stuffed!! It was fun to experience all kinds of foods this weekend... obviously. After watching The Great Gatsby (which I wasn't really a fan of by the way........), we crashed!

Monday we had breakfast at home (because that's important) and sadly packed to head back to SC. Before we left, though, we made a trip to Tyler and Cameron's friend's fire house. I felt like I was on a set from Chicago Fire! I'd never been in a fire house before. As I sat in the driver's seat of the firetruck, the siren went off and I FREAKED out... I just knew I'd hit some wrong button, but, no.... the guys were called out to an assault! I asked a million questions and jumped on the pole because we couldn't slide down it since they'd closed it off due to the heat.... Oh Texas...

So as you can tell, I think we had a phenomenal time and I am so glad we were able to visit Cam and Lis! We hadn't gotten to spend too much time alone with them since we are usually in PA for a holiday, so it was great doing our own thing! I'm so blessed to have a great brother and sister-in-law! In a few weeks they'll move back to Lis's home state of Rhode Island, so I'm hoping a New England trip will be in our future!

And I'm going to miss their precious pooch and Sarge's cousin, Popcorn!

Thanks for reading my novel. Hope you don't think we are complete fatties! I promise I'm running and eating healthy this week!

meeting {av}

After about 9 months of dating long distance with Tyler, I began this blog when it was "From Carolina Cotton to Illinois Corn." I had googled websites that gave advice for dating long distance, and I came across Long Distance Loving. At the time, {av} was featuring couples who were dating long distance, and I read every word that each couple wrote, praying that soon I would move 800 miles away to Illinois to be with Tyler. We knew we would eventually get married, and my parents and I agreed I needed to "date him" in a real life situation before that day came.

I bookmarked her blog and ready daily, clicking around and finding other blogs. I emailed {av}, telling her I was dating someone long distance and thanked her for her candidness and for her blog. She responded and I was almost star-strucken. I couldn't believe I got a response from someone who I thought was "so cool!" I also never imagined I would have the opportunity to meet her in real life. After a few months of reading her, I took the plunge began this blog in August. I had NO idea what I was doing, but I tried my best.

Then I found Lacey after I won a giveaway of hers (the best giveaway I have EVER won and I carry that handbag every day). My friends Mary and Mary Loyal had blogs that I also read everyday that helped me find local South Carolina blogs. Once I got my blog going, I really started to get into it. I have met some WONDERFUL ladies and am so thankful for their {online} friendship. Some I have been fortunate to meet in real life (Shannon, Whitney and Megan) and there are some I am really looking forward to meeting in the future (Megan, Megan, Emily, Jamie, and gosh there are so, so, so many more!).

But, this past weekend I was able to meet the girl who was my blogging inspiration, Alison. You see, we have been in the same place at the same time about four times now. I was in Providence, Rhode Island where she lives last September for my brother and sister-in-law's wedding. We were going to meet up, but because I didn't have a car there, it was really hard to get away! We've also missed each other in airports, usually Indy where her parents live and where Tyler and I would fly into when we live in Illinois.

This weekend she was in my new town for a wedding and I was going to make sure I could meet her this time no matter what! After communicating via some emails and social media, I was able to meet her in a fun bar, Q on Bay, on Bay Street after both of our weddings. Tyler thought I was absolutely nuts! He hasn't quite figured out this whole blogging thing and was a little weary of me meeting a "stranger" without him while he went and got the car. I convinced him it was OK and that there would be people we knew in the bar.

I walked to the back of the bar and we both looked at each other and yelled, "HEY!" I gave her a huge hub (multiple times) and told her how happy I was to finally meet her. Creepy? No. Of course we had to snap a picture like good bloggers. I literally only had five minutes with her, but I can assure you all she is just as sweet and wonderful in person as she is on her blog. So genuine and was almost shell-shocked when I confessed that she was my blogging inspiration.  But it is so very true!

Loved meeting you and hope you enjoyed your South Carolina vacation! Y'all if you ever get the chance to meet {av}, do it. If you ever get an opportunity to meet someone who inspires you, do it! 

I'm so thankful for those who inspire me and to put my story out there on my blog! Hugs to all of my new {virtual} friends!

Happy Birthday, Ryann!!

Happy 21st Birthday to my sweet Ryann!

 

Long before I was involved in the blogging world, Ryann and I were real friends!

In case you don't follow her blog, you should. You can find her at { unspeakable joy }!

Ryann and I began our friendship thanks to our fabulous sorority, Zeta Tau Alpha. I was Vice President and poor Ryann was Philanthropy Chair underneath my command direction. We worked long and hard on fundraisers together and got to be really close and good friends! She is such a sweetheart and a friend that everyone should have! Ryann then became Historian of our chapter (which was one of my old positions), and we kind of began our silly Mini-me-ness. I know she wants to be justtttt like me (hehe just kidding, please don't!) Site note: Our chapter is pretty badass. I have to brag a little because I never get to anymore.. Our chapter was ranked #2 of over 150 in summer 2010. I was one proud sister! When they go to convention this summer, we better be getting an award again, especially if Ryann was the one completing the paperwork to send to our International Office (uh what a lengthy process!). Anyways, now Ryann is VP and poor thing has to read all of my old notes! Sorrrrrry!

I am so proud of her for many reasons! Ryann is super smart, a great friend, compassionate, creative, and so loving! She has always been there when I need a pick-me-up!

So go to her blog and wish her a happy birthday!!!!!!!!!!

Have a great 21st, Mini-me!! Drink a Margarita!!!! Or 5 for me!! xoxoxoxox

Ta ta,