menu monday

happy monday, friends!  what started out as a glorious spring day {62 degrees at 8:30am!} here in small town, virginia has quickly turned to an icky, gray, tres rainy day.  le sigh.  all the better to grow daffodils and tulip trees, i suppose.  i had the most wonderful weekend visiting both of my grandmothers in the mountain town where they live. lots of homemade comfort food, shopping, and wedding discussion and continuing to be amazed at these two fabulous women!

here's what's on the ole menu for this week...

monday: date night! the beau has a rare evening off work tonight, so we're picking up food from a favorite local restaurant and watching movies on the couch.  can't wait to snuggle up next to him with some vino and my faux-fur blankie.

tuesday: salmon with brown butter and almonds.  looks healthy AND delicious, plus i have all of the ingredients on hand.

wednesday: sullivan's island shrimp bog, found via rachel.  my parents gave the beau a bacon-of-the-month membership for his birthday, so we have bacon piling up in our freezer.  this looks like a yummy way to use some of it up.

thursday: babe's chicken enchiladas, courtesy of alice.  i made babe's mexican lasagna last year for the beau for the first meal i ever made him and it was a HUGE hit. this recipe looks even more delicious!

friday: chick meal

saturday: chick meal

sunday: i'm hoping for two date nights in one week, but if my powers of persuasion fail me, it will be leftover night.

bon appetit!

just in the nick of time

the perfect way to kick off my weekend...girl scout cookie delivery!  we're now fully stocked with our friends samoa, thin mint, lemonade to keep us company over the next few days weeks months. here's to hiding a few in the office so the beau can't touch my stash...

bon weekend, sweet readers!

fit train friday

feeling much better {thank you for asking}.  but since there weren't a whole lot of gym hours logged this week, i thought this week's fit train post would be better directed to other things i do in the name of vanity health.

sunscreen. a daily must.  i've worn some form of spf on my face, neck, decollete, and back of hands religiously since i was 14 or 15 and i'm hoping that pays off in lack-of-botox dividends someday.  i was a devoted olay complete gal for years and years and years, but as i become more concerened with purchasing products that aren't tested on animals and are all-natural, i've switched over to burt's bees radiance day lotion and haven't looked back.

multi-vitamin. another daily must, although this has only been in the past year.  my doctor told me these were basically a form of health insurance.  not to take the place of eating a wide variety of fruits and veggies, but a back-up for those day where the only fruits and veggies i eat are in the from of milkshakes and burger toppings.  ahem.  i've been a flintstones complete girl, but after alice + gwynnie's recommendation, i may be switching over to the new chapter prenatal vitamins.  good thing these are kept at my office or else the beau may panic...

omega-3s. the newest addition to the team.  after reading this article in my winter 2011 martha stewart weddings, i was a believer.  i take 2-3 omega 3 supplements a day {i take the sundown naturals brand, since kroger, cvs, and/or food lion ALWAYS seem to be running a buy one, get one special}. helpful hint:  if you take them at room temperature, you will get a mean cause of the fish burps.  store them in the freezer, and the fish burps disappear almost completely.  i've also been grinding flax seeds to sprinkle over my breakfast {either a homemade smoothie or kashi go lean! crunch}.  i will say i haven't seen a huge difference in my skin yet, but my hair is so much softer and shinier.  so i'm sticking with it!

water.  another fairly new addition.  i've had a BAD diet coke addiction since college.  i'm down to maybe one a day, sometimes none at all.  i've replaced the caffeine with a morning cup of tazo awake black tea and spend the rest of the day chugging water like it's my job.  right now my goal is to drink 60-65 oz. a day.  so yeah, i use the little girls' room pretty frequently, but i can tell a huge difference in how i feel.

what about y'all?  what do you do in addition to diet and exercise to look and feel prettier? i'd love to know your secrets!

convalescence

pardon my absence while i recover from the sick bug going around the office.  the beau is away on business, but the puppy boy has prescribed a steady diet of tarragon mint tea, barefoot contessa and french food at home marathons, and sweatpants and l.l. bean mocassins. back on our feet and to regular posting tomorrow.

paradise {potentially} found

so antigua has been marked off the list of possible honeymoon destinations after we learned that the murder rate is steadily increasing there and a pair of honeymooners were murdered in their villa in 2008 at the resort we had planned to stay at.  no, thank you.

but i think i have found THE destination and honestly, i can't believe this wasn't always at the top of my list to begin with.  the round hill resort in jamaica.  jack and jackie spent part of their honeymoon there, babe paley had a villa there {now owned by ralph lauren, who also decorated the hotel rooms}, and ian fleming was known to frequent it when he was in jamaica.  and to top it all off, preppy-fabulous designer meg braff designed villa 8, which you KNOW i will be trying to get my grubby little paws on.  did i mention the villas come fully staffed, complete with housekeepers and a cook to make you breakfast?  the beau literally giggled when i told him that juicy little detail.  with this kind of pedigree and the fact that it meets our only requirements {warm in december and a country neither of us have ever been to}, i think round hill is going to have to be our honeymoon destination!

meg braff villa 8

meg braff villa 8

meg braff villa 8

ralph lauren designed oceanfront room

jfk, as if i needed to clarify for you

the famous slim aarons photo of babe paley

*all photos courtesy of coastal living and round hill resort

menu monday

happy president's day, y'all!  you would think that since i work for a place named for a certain illustrious leader of this country we would have today off, but nope.  just a regular ole workday for us.  waaaaaaaahhhhh.  on the plus side, this weekend was truly fabulous.  we had our annual black-tie fundraiser for our junior league chapter at the tres gorgeous boar's head inn.  our committee has been working so hard since july and to see everything come together with everyone having a fabulous time {and the beau in a suit!} was worth it.  we had some silent auction success: the beau won a full collection of hardback john grisham books autographed by the author himself.  the beau is a HUGE fan so he had his eye on that item all night.  we also won a doggie spa getaway for the pup and a selection of treats from his mommy's favorite, sammy snacks.  a bodo's breakfast, west main brunch, and an afternoon of napping and entourage season 2 capped it all off.

on to this week's meals.  we've entered the time of year where i am a work widow for dinner most nights of the week, thanks to the beau's job.  so pretty much from now until may, the meals are going to be a breakdown of meals i cook for the two of us and meals for myself, heretofore referred to as chick meals {or maybe chic meals?}.  my chick meals are normally one of the following:

roasted sweet potato {seasoned with mrs. dash and a wee bit of butter} + roasted broccoli or cabbage or brussel sprouts or kale {seasoned with tony chachere's and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice}

some ripe, stinky cheese from my local cheese monger {faves include, but are not limited to, bucheron, camembert, bonne buche, and kunik}, a hunk of crusty french baguette from the local bakery, and fresh fruit

alice's BIG salad

pw's pasta with roasted red pepper sauce

occasionally, a piece of roasted salmon or a bowl of kashi honey almond flax go lean! crunch {if i can pry it from the beau's hands...he's developed quite the obsession with my go-to snack} will make an appearance, but when you see chick meal, it's safe to assume it's one of the above.  here's what we'll be noshing on for the next few days:

monday: chez megane's white bean, kale, and sausage soup found via cupcakes and cashmere, featuring yummy chorizo from my cheese monger.  also pw's buttered rosemary rolls, specially requested by the beau.  these things are addictive!

tuesday: chick meal

wednesday: chick meal

thursday: barbeque stuffed potatoes a la kate and rachel {i'm doing them twice-baked style like kate and using greek yogurt instead of sour cream like rachel}.  i have a feeling these are going to be a big hit.

friday: chick meal

saturday: chick meal

sunday: TBD based on the beau's schedule, but i'm hoping for a date night dinner out...

bon appetit, friends!

fit train friday

let's talk a little nom-noms today, shall we?  i think everyone knows that the basic equation to lose weight is eat less + exercise more.  i have no troubel with the exercise more part, in fact, i enjoy that quite a bit.  but the eat less part? not so much.  the good news is that you don't necessarily have to eat less in quantity {in fact, in some cases, you can eat MORE}, just less in calories. 

i am pretty much hungry all of the time, and i love anything cheesey, salty, and/or crunchy.  i don't really have trouble coming up with healthy meals, but snacktime can be my downfall.  so i'm always on the lookout for some yummy, non-flabby snacks.  i was flipping through the january issue of shape last week and bingo!  check on this amazing list of snacks! i am already completely obsessed with the sonoma snack and the peppery pear crunch is next on my must-try list.

what about y'all?  any yummy, healthy snacks you depend on that i should know about?

attention brides-to-be {or if you just like pretty stuff}

some FABULOUS sales happening right now!

beyond the rack is having a wedding day.  you can find badgley mischka shoes, vera wang silver frames, tuxedos, AND bridal jewelry!  if you're not a member of beyond the rack, you can sign up using my link here: http://www.beyondtherack.com/member/invite/B2B56B21

rue la la has the most darling nordicware sale going on, including my beloved beehive cake pan. stock up on some fabulous bakeware and impress your dinner guests. if you're not a member of rue la la, you can sign up using my link here: http://www.ruelala.com/invite/sgess811

hautelook has getaways to the st. james's club in antigua and the silverado resort and spa in napa.  hello, honeymoon! if you're not a member of hautelook, you can sign up using my link here: http://www.hautelook.com/invite/SGess499

joss & main has beautiful noritake china if you're looking to add a few pieces in your pattern. if you're not a member of joss & main, you can sign up using my link here: http://www.jossandmain.com/store/myinvite/4lz

and yes, i may be shamelessly hoping to get a few shopping credits out of this post.  so sue me.  let me know if you get anything good!

beauty bargain

i've already blogged about my go-to perfume, bodycology gardenia. 4 bucks at wal*mart and you'll be beating men away with a stick.  i decant mine into a crystal perfume bottle so no one can question me when i say that it's chanel gardenia.  they also sell it at ulta if you feel the need to go somewhere slightly more highbrow. {no judgement from princess picky pants here.  it's just that wal*mart is all we have.}

but i've got a new bodycology obession: vanilla cupcake lotion.  now i am normally not a big fan of anything that smells like food.  i get nauseous within a 2-mile radius of yankee candle at christmas because of that icky christmas cookie scent they have and i still don't quite understand my sweet cousin's borderline obsession with bath and body work vanilla bean noel, which she stocks up on with abandon at their semi-annual sale.  so god knows why i picked up a bottle of this and took a big ole whiff, but i LOVED it.  there's just something a little bit different about it, it's almost lemony.  and after you put it on and the top notes {if there is such a thing as top notes in bargain basement lotions} disappear, you're left smelling like buttercream.  which is awesome.  unless, of course, you have a major sweet tooth, in which case you will be left craving cupcakes all day.

you, sweet readers, are such a great source of beauty info, so tell me, any beauty budget buys i should have on my radar?

wedding wednesday

say hello to my wedding shoes!

christian louboutin joli noeud pumps. i die.

i just ordered these, so this is wedding shoes take one, but i'm hoping they will be perfect and no more takes will be necessary!

menu tuesday

via we heart it

sorry it's a day late, but yesterday was all about the love! the beau spoiled me with a homemade dinner {details below} and tickets to see my girl, tay swiz {taylor swift to the uninitiated}, in atlanta this summer.  such a lucky gal!  without further ado, here is what we're noshing on this week:

monday: beau's choice! he made pan-fried chicken breasts, fettucine with a white wine mushroom cream sauce, and tossed salad with berry balsamic vinaigrette.  we were too full for dessert!

tuesday: i've got {yet another} junior league committee meeting tonight, so i'll be eating there and the beau is on his own with leftovers.

wednesday: pw's beans and cornbread.  although i'll be using my grandmama's {very similar} cornbread recipe.  the beau has NEVER had beans and cornbread, which is my family is basically sacrilege.  we will probably have some sauteed greens on the side as well.  or maybe roasted brussel sprouts.  TBD.

thursday: leftovers!  we need to clean the fridge out, big time.  birthday lasagna, chicken with white beans and tomatoes remnants, and the assortment of food we froze post-engagement party.  it's either getting eaten or tossed.

friday: dinner at the beau's boss's house. i love it when someone else does the cooking.

so this is a one-night week for me!  not much fun for your reading pleasure, but a lot of fun for my schedule and my wallet.

cavity-inducing sweetness

i heart katy perry

xoxo

happy valentine's day! i am feeling the love today, as we have started to plan our honeymoon!  our only requirements were that we go somewhere warm and somewhere neither of us have ever been, so right now it's looking like we'll be headed to sunny antigua.  since i've got warm weather and cupid on the brain, i thought i'd put together a little tropical date night outfit.

french connection

tory burch

gucci

valentino

antigua!

never say never

hope on over to shasta's site for a clarisonic mia giveaway! y'all, i normally do not do posts in order to win giveaway, but you know how badly i want one of these babies.  so i'm breaking my rule just this once.  it's all in the name of bridal beauty, right?  the giveaway ends tonight at 9pm EST, so hop to it!

fit train friday

i find that i am always more motivated to do things when i can figure out a way to work shopping into the picture.  i've signed up to run a 10-miler at the end of march.  which, with my pitiful current mile time, means i'll be running for somewhere around 2 hours.  not OK.  time to kick the training into high-gear.  and new shoes ALWAYS motivate me to kick it into high-gear.  so i bought myself some new kicks {bonus points because i bought them on sale}:

the asics gt 2150. 

just a few more days on my trusty nikes, circa summer 2009.  now if only someone would come up with a supportive {read: absolutely no movement from the girls} AND stylish sports bra for those of us who are overly endowed, i'd really be getting somewhere.

bon weekend, my dears!

home pretties

feeling very blah this frigid tuesday and lacking in inspiration, so i thought i'd leave you with a few images of what i have FINALLY decided on for our master bedroom.  we already have the bed, the coverlet, the mirror {which hangs above the bed}, and two of the chests of drawers {which are quite a bit darker than pictured here}.  i'm hoping the shams {my big splurge} will be purchased in the next month or two, along with the duvet cover.

these shams {LOVE!}

lulu dk for matouk charlotte in ocean 

this coverlet

jcpenney jaden coverlet in haze

this duvet cover

target simply shabby chic cutwork duvet set

this bed

target valencia nail button bed

these chests of drawers

carolina furniture common sense cherry 5 drawer chest

this mirror {bought at target several years ago, so it's not online anymore}

we also have the most gorgeous burnished brown bedside lamps {that i got for a total of $7 at the goodwill!}.  now all that's left is to find bedside tables {easier said than done}, some art for the walls, and all of those little extra details that make a house a home.  what do you think?

menu monday

well, we just had the BEST weekend, but i am still in full-on recovery mode.  our engagement party was an absolute blast.  it was so wonderful to spend time with friends and family and celebrate.  i bought my wedding dress on saturday morning {more to come!}, so between that and the party, this whole impending marriage thing is starting to feel real.  we're thanking our lucky stars that the packers won the super bowl last night, but with not going to bed until around 4am on sunday morning and staying up for the game last night, i am running on fumes.  so here's my week of easy peasy recipes to help me regain my energy and flush out all of the bacon i ate this weekend!

monday: chicken with white beans and tomatoes.  roasted broccoli on the side.  this recipe just looks so comforting in a french bistro sort of way. 

tuesday: salmon with kale salad.  i had planned to make this 2 weeks ago, and it just didn't happen.  after all the eating and boozing we did this weekend, i'm looking forward to this uber-healthy meal.

wednesday: the beau's birthday! pw lasagna, pw caesar salad, and chocolate peanut butter pie {recipe from a family friend} for dessert. he's going to LOVE it.

thursday: i've got a junior league meeting, so the beau will be on his own with birthday dinner leftovers.

friday: chipotle burrito bowls.  i've been wanting to make these for ages.  the beau and i love chipotle, but the nearest one is over an hour away from us and it's not exactly the healthiest food on the planet. i can't imagine this is going to be anything other that amazing.

we're spending the weekend on the chesapeake bay with the beau's sister, so i'm off the hook for cooking saturday and sunday nights.

chin chin!

i'm off to maryland for an engagement party hosted by my future in-laws.  i absolutely cannot wait for our first official celebration with friends and family!

bon weekend, my darlings!

wedding wednesday

so after last week's poll, it seems like my readers {most of them!} are going to be a little disappointed to learn that we've hired a DJ, not a band.  bands seems to be a VERY southern thing, so i guess it's a little odd that we're not going that route.  but DJ's are less expensive, take up less space, and play the songs we want to hear the way they were originally recorded.  we want our first dance to actually be sung by otis redding, not a guy singing an otis redding song.  we want to shake our booties to br*itney spe*ars and wh*itney h*ouston, not a band trying to recreate our favorites.  we've both heard some wonderful wedding bands, but for us, a DJ was the obvious choice.

the last big thing for us me to decide on is a florist.  i'm meeting with several different florists in a few weeks.  i'm 99.9% sure that i want an all-white bouquet.  the look of bay leaf garlands is really growing {no pun intended} on me.  i'm thinking blue-ish bouquets for the bridesmaids. and i ADORE the idea of incorporating apples into our floral arrangements. here are some pictures i'm bringing with me for inspiration:

the knot

martha stewart weddings

the knot

the knot

the knot

the knot

the knot

better homes and gardens

the knot

so what do you think?