friday 5

Linking up with April, Darci, Natasha, and Christina....

{one} 

I'm really proud of myself  and my workouts lately.

I'm running a 10k on October 4 and am determined to do well, hence my goal of running 50 miles in September. Follow and join me on twitter (@charlotteplaw) and hashtag #50milesseptember. I realize 50 miles was a HUGE goals and maybe even too steep, but I'm doing my best to hit my goal!

I'll go back to 9/1/13 when I started my goal and throw in my other workouts... So I guess this isn't really a weekly workout, more like my "September so far" workout.

Sunday, Sept 1: 2.10 miles on treadmill 8'34 pace

Tuesday, Sept 3: 3.11 miles {with 2 coworkers} 9'34 pace

Wednesday, Sept 4: 2.34 miles

Thursday, Sept 5: 3.18 miles on treadmill, walk/run

Friday, Sept 6: 1 hour of spin class

Saturday, Sept 7: 1 hour of barre class

Monday, Sept 9, 1.05 miles on elliptical + abs

Tuesday, Sept 10, 3.38 miles outside and over the Beaufort bridge / 9'15 pace

Wednesday, Sept 11: 1 hour of weights + cardio class {I am h-u-r-t-i-n-g}

Thursday, Sept 12: 4.60 miles outside / 8'34 pace

Tonight I'm hoping to go to spin class again and get another run in tomorrow morning.

{via Tumbler}

Whew.

Total for September: 19.7 miles /  30.3 to go!

{two}

I've seen so many interesting articles floating around Facebook that I had to share!

 - Though I am married... I thought this article titled "26, unmarried, and childless" was super interesting. I think we can all relate to a lot of the points in the article.

- Another friend also passed on this article about marriage. It's called "15 ways to stay married for 15 years" and is definitely worth the read! There are some really good key points about marriage including  doing your own thing (hello Charlotte running and Tyler hunting) and going to bed mad and making up in the morning (I don't hate this one).

 - And I know we all LOVE Buzzfeed, so in honor of Halloween quickly approaching, I thought this one, "10 Questions Hocus Pocus Let Unanswered" was too funny not to share. 

{three}

You have all got to make this cookie dough dip. My friend tried it a few weeks ago and told me about it, but I was super skeptical until she made it again last night and I asked her to bring some to work.... Ladies and gentleman, I bring you "healthy cookie dough" and the main ingredient is chickpeas! I'm serious. It sounds so gross but it is delicious and I am making some tonight!

{four}

And HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BROTHER!

I don't know about you, but he's feeling 22. Cannot wait to embarrass his Facebook wall with some T.Swift.

{five}

No real update on my night sweats. Blood work came back "perfect" which is great butttttttttt we still aren't sure what is going on. I think I'll just wait it out and see. Thanks for those of you who have been concerned!!

Happy Weekend!

why must the weekend end?

This weekend was so much fun. We packed a to into a little bit of time and I am honestly whooped as I type this. The weekend was one of those that you didn't want to end because we both hung out with friends and got to do a lot of (new) things.

Friday night I went to spin class (a first) at my YMCA. It wasn't as hard as I anticipated, but it was also a great workout and I was drenched with sweat when I left! I headed to the grocery store to pick up some beer -- Abita Purple Haze and Sweetwater Blue it was -- so good! Tyler was getting his hunting stuff together to go dove hunting at the farm on Saturday, so I sipped on the beer while he got ready.

Saturday I met my friend (she's also my coworker) Caroline at her gym to try a barre class. I've been DYING to try one and finally got a chance since she had a "bring a friend to class" pass. I had no idea what to expect but kept an open mind. While it was a really challenging workout, I also felt great afterwards and am feeling it now!! It was nice to go with a friend who was used to going, and I'm glad I don't have to "commit" to it right now; I am just going to visit when I'm over in Bluffton.

After the class, we met up with another friend, had lunch at the Frosty Frog on Hilton Head (hello amazing Jungle Juice daiquiri) and hit the beach with mojitos. The weather was absolutely perfect at the beach at Sea Pines was almost empty! After a few hours and a little sun, we went back to shower and have girls night!

I feel like I haven't had girls night in a really long time and it was SO GOOD to meet new girls to start hanging out with! We had some drinks before dinner then headed to Wise Guys back on Hilton Head. We decided on the tapas and had the calamari, sliders, lobster risotto, goat cheese, and stuffed mushrooms. So so good, and a great amount of food for 5 girls to split! I drove back home to Beaufort (about an hour away), so I dropped the girls off at a bar and headed home for the night. Good thing, since they told me they stayed out until 3:30!

Seriously counting down to another weekend to hang out again!

Sunday Tyler and I visited a church (we are trying to decide between two), and I did a lot of cleaning in the house before going to dinner at a friends' house. Tyler has become really good buds with my coworker and we had dinner with them for the first time. So much fun!

Did I mention Tyler went hunting all day Saturday with a friend? I'd say they did pretty well:

165 doves killed by 11 guys. Pretty impressive. And I think Sarge had a blast. Poor thing has been moping around all Sunday from running around and getting the birds. 

So there's my weekend in a nutshell. Why did it have to end!!??

How was yours?

laws in the lowcountry... for real!

Tyler's parents just left a few days ago after visiting us for an entire week! It was so much fun having them here with us and to show them around our new town. We packed in a lot in a little bit of time, and it was worth every bit!

Tyler picked them up from the airport on Friday in Savannah as I drove home from taking my insurance licensing exam in Columbia. I rushed home, ran to the grocery store to pick up some milk and bread and fresh flowers, and walked into the door at almost the same time that they did! 

We hopped on the boat to put out crab pots. Heather grew up crabbing in Baltimore so she was really excited to get back to her roots!

Ty threw the cast net out a few times and we really caught a lot of shrimp! They were teeeeeny, tiny, though!

We all showered and got ready for dinner at a place none of us had ever been before. The president of Ken's division at Pfizer told him about this amazing restaurant downtown called Griffin Market. They are a delicious Italian restaurant and they have quite the menu! We each had our own small appetizer "antipasti" (I had some sort of fried eggplant and honey that tasted like pancakes!) and then we shared the "primi" pasta. Heather and Ken had a risotto and Tyler and I split a penne pasta with fresh parmesan. I also had a crusted rosemary chicken dish with arugala and fennel. We all had dessert, too! Did I mention that we were a) celebrating the Laws visiting us and b) I PASSED MY INSURANCE EXAM!! It was such a fun night!

We  got up Saturday and had a delish brunch and stopped by the farmers market for watermelon, tomatoes, and peaches. Heather had heard so much about my working at the SC Department of Agriculture and the Certified SC Grown program and immediately spotted the Certified sign!

 Then we headed back out onto the boat to check our crab pots and crab with chicken necks.  We used to crab off of the boat in the creeks at Edisto Beach when I was a kid and I hadn't done it in years. We had a BLAST and we caught a ton of crabs. I had the hot line and was constantly catching crabs!

I had a lot of people ask about my shirt and bathing suit! The suit is from Target circa 2009 and the shirt is from Old Navy Outlet probably the same year! It was perfect for this day because my back was burned!

After we got back to the house, the guys steamed the crabs and we feasted!

Tyler's grandfather's nickname was Hump for Humphries and we now have his crab tools!

 My parents came down on Saturday because Tyler, Ken, my dad, and my brother had a fishing trip planned with one of my dad's friends. They caught a bunch of trout and red fish.

Tyler and his red fish.

All of the guys with their trout.

We cooked the trout for dinner along with watermelon from the farmers market and crab soup!

Monday the Laws drove to my parents for the day to spend time with them.

Tuesday, Ken and Heather invited their friends Shelley and Jeff down for dinner. It was delicous! I highly recommend Saltus River Grill if you come to Beaufort.

We ate outside, hence the frizzy hair we all have!

Wednesday Tyler entertained his parents!

Thursday he and his dad went to shoot sporting clays at Brays Island with Ken's coworker from Pfizer. Supposedly Brays is super nice and has a ton to offer! It is such a gorgeous place from what I've heard and the houses start in the $700,000s! 

Later, Ty and his dad drove to the Lewis's about 45 minutes away to deer hunt while Heather and I drove around with a realtor looking at houses and neighborhoods in Beaufort. Eventually, they want to move to South Carolina and are starting to get an idea of where they want to live. Heather and I also walked downtown on Bay Street and got deluxe pedicures. We had to do girl things while the guys were in the woods!

Ken sent me this selfie of him in the deer stand and I almost died! He is one of the funniest people I have EVER met! Ken is also always making us laugh and setting Tyler straight. I love when we are all together, especially with his brothers. There is never a dull moment.

 Love ya man!

It was so much fun having them here with us and man it is quiet in our house now. Sadly, we won't see them until Thanksgiving, but that will be here before we all know it. I'm so thankful for fabulous in-laws and got so lucky with Heather and Ken.

Love you guys!

it's official: i'm an insurance agent!

Whoo hoo!

I passed my SC Insurance Exam yesterday morning with a score of 80%! You only have to have a 70% to pass so I am really proud of myself for rocking it! I seriously studied my tail off ALL week and couldn't think of anything else while I was at home with my parents taking the class and coming home and studying until midnight. How do you people in school do it after being out of school 2+ years. Yikes. Looks like I won't be doing graduate school!

Now all I have to do is pass my SLED background check (which better come back perfect), and I'm good to go! I'll be able to sell insurance and talk with customers about their policies.

Thank you for the prayers and well-wishes! 

Now I can relax because Tyler's parents are in town for the week!

Have a great weekend friends!

happy happy happy!!!!!

Thanks for your funny comments on yesterday's ranting post. I'm really glad I didn't offend anyone and am happy to know that I'm not alone.

I've been terrible in neglecting to tell you all some happy news! Thank goodness it doesn't have anything to do with me, but I want to celebrate with my friends and share in their happiness.

This weekend is full of celebrations!

{1} Tonight I am headed to Greenville for the weekend to a) hang out with college girlfriends and b) attend our sweet Ryann's wedding. I am so thrilled to be there for her big day and I cannot wait!

Cannot wait to see her become Mrs. McCall!!!!

{2} One of my best friends, Virginia, got engaged last weekend! She was my college roommate for two years and we became super close. We actually bonded freshman year in a western civ class and went to lunch together every day.

Virginia caught my bouquet at our wedding, and honestly, I threw it at her!!!! I had been planning to do that for a long time because she and her new fiance, Bobby, have been dating since 9th grade! All of our friends adore Bobby and we are so excited to have another wedding to look forward to!

I love this moment!

Love you VA and so happy for you!

{3} I am helping host a baby shower for one of my other best friends, Rebecca on Sunday! She was my Matron of Honor in our wedding and she is due in a few short weeks. I cannot wait to be an aunt! She and her husband Tripp haven't found out the gender, so I don't know if it will be a little boy or girl yet! I cannot wait to spoil the little one rotten! Baby Love will be the first real baby in my life!

So much to celebrate. I love my sweet friends!

Oh and mini girls weekend this weekend too- cannot wait!

friday five

I am so, so happy it's Friday. This week has drug along, especially yesterday!

{one}

Welcome Tropical Storm Andrea.

Working in insurance has truly made me weary of strong storms. Not only will we have to work like crazy on claims thanks to wind, possible hail, water damage, and flood, I have to worry about that with my own house!

Yikes. Can you even see the little blue dot where we live?!?!?!

{two}

I made a trip to the grocery store to buy bottled water and beer, just in case. I picked up the summer collection of Blue Moon, and I may now have a new favorite beer!

Blue Moon Blackberry Tart Ale

I also picked up new creamer earlier this week and it is to dieeeeeeee for!!!

{three}

Whitney from The Observant Turtle and I are working on a recipe link-up!!! Hopefully it will go up next week, but follow us on social media below to get all of the details! I loved y'alls meal plan help on Sunday and thought this could be a fun way to compile our favorite recipes into one place!

Charlotte: facebook / twitter / instagram

Whitney: facebook / twitter / instagram

Here's a sneak peak of what I made this week:

Baked tilapia with avocado salsa

{four}

Tyler and I decided yesterday to fly to Houston for Labor Day to see his brother and our sister-in-law! Neither of us have ever been to Texas, so we are super excited! It was kind of a spur-of-the-moment, "oh my gosh these flights are a really good price" kind of moment, so we took advantage of it!!! I am also going to see Whitney (above) while we are there! Counting down the days until our trip!!

{five}

Linking up with {av} for Friday's Fancies as always!

After meeting {av} last week, it makes me more excited to participate in this fun weekly link-up!! 

shorts // wedges // necklace // sunglasses // top



Looking forward to zero plans this weekend for the first time in forever!

What's on your weekend agenda?

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!

playing catch-up

I took a little break last week in blogging unexpectedly. With the Sarge drama, I couldn't sit down and play on the computer when my pup was hurting. Luckily, he is almost 100% again thanks to lots of medicine and love. We had some great veterinarians working on him and I am so thankful!

Here are a few pictures that I took over Memorial Day weekend before our poor pup got sick!

Such a beauty king ;-)

Beautiful sunset over Lake Marion

This place is my happy place

Love this place

I cannot believe this was Saturday before Sarge really got sick. He was acting so very normal, playing and having a ball at the lake! We felt horrible that this all happened to him!

Tyler and I were thrilled to see our second family who was our family in Illinois. They were in Myrtle Beach for vacation and we took a trip to see them last Sunday. Scott was too funny and we've decided he has try to become Alan from the Hangover with the glasses, beard, and purse!

Waiting for a few pictures from their family and will share later!