Weekend: Blogger Happy Hour & Sunday Brunch

I'm ready to tackle this week after a fun yet relaxing weekend spent in and around town. On Friday, Pinky was in town so we organized a blogger happy hour with Kerri, Pamela and I at Carmel Cafe & Wine Bar. We had a blast meeting Pinky in person and sipping on some martinis and wine!

Saturday was all about relaxing and getting stuff done around the house plus some blogging and cooking powered by the aroma of pumpkin candles and Lola snuggles.

K and I went out for a sushi lunch date but that was the extent of leaving the house.

On Sunday a friend hosted a brunch at her condo downtown so we started off at her place for a Latino style brunch and Bloody Mary's before heading over to the Fiesta in the Park around Lake Eola to walk around and check out all the local art, entertainment and food vendors.

 Quick reminder that our Kendra Scott + Sephora giveaway ends tomorrow...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Joining the lovely B for her Weekending linkup.

Friday Weekly Recap

I'm excited Friday and the weekend are here but I have to say this week was a pretty good one. You don't hear me say that too often because I'm, more often than not, overwhelmed and stressed out about work. But things this week just went smoothly and my stress-level had a chance to run normally.

The best part about this week was celebrating Kerri's birthday yesterday with the ladies after work. We met up at Parkview to have some wine flights and catch up. Fun times as always with Kate, Pamela and the birthday beauty Kerri!

Some other happenings for this week:

Tried:
I went to check it out a new Asian Boba Tea place on my lunch break. The coffee boba (which has fruit jellies at the bottom) was so amazing and I'm not kidding when I say it's better than Starbucks.

Accomplished:

The second best part about this week: passing my photography exam and becoming a certified photographer!!

Now, I just need to practice, practice, practice and learn my camera's settings 100% before I feel fully confident with my skills. 

Watched:

On Wednesday our team got to leave a little early for Back to the Future Day and head to the movies to watch the trilogy. We also had a work costume contest. Of course, I forgot to dress up. 

Ate:

I just discovered the Teriyaki Chicken bowl from Publix which is made fresh on the spot and, for only $6.99, it's a nice and affordable lunch or dinner. 

Feeling:

Loving:
Dog treats from Chewy.com have been a life saver for helping to train Lola. When she's doing something naughty like jumping on top our patio table. I just say "treats" and she'll go running to the pantry where I store them. It's probably the only way to get her to stop what she's doing because #spoiledbulldog.

Browsed:

The Loft has 50% off this week online and up to 60% in the store. Who doesn't love a good sale, especially for good quality clothing? 

Have a wonderful weekend!

Weekends are best spent with Friends

Another relaxing, productive, and fun weekend for the books. We finally had a few breaks from the crazy rain that's been lingering the last few weeks so took advantage of some outdoor brunching and fun.

On Friday after work I met up with Kerri and some other peeps at The Porch for some happy hour and end of the week unwinding.

 After happy hour, I picked up some takeout Vietnamese dinner and went home to hang out with K and Lola for the rest of the night. We watched the movie The Switch with Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman (2010) and relaxed for the rest of the night.

Saturday was a great day to catch up on some sleep after the busy work week. It was also an exciting mail day. My first Amazon Prime Pantry shipment arrived plus all the fabulous goodies from Amanda's giveaway which were all gorgeous and I got to wear out to brunch the next day!

The rest of Saturday was spent being productive around the house - cleaning, laundry, exercising, food prep, etc. in preparation for our guests visiting next weekend.

On Sunday it was time to celebrate Kate's birthday with some brunch and mimosas downtown at 310 Lakeside. It was such a fun time catching up with friends despite it being a million degrees outside but we were just thankful the rain didn't interfere!

 

How was your weekend?

Joining the lovely Biana for her Weekending linkup.

Weekend Happenings

Before I get into my weekend recap, I just want to shout out the birthday girl Kate...wishing you a HAPPY birthday today and wonderful week ahead! xo

About the weekend...
On Friday after work K and I went out to the new Duffy's Sport Bar & Grill in our area for some happy hour, casual dinner, and light sports watching to unwind after a long week. The firecracker boneless chicken wings were amazing plus you can't beat 2 for 1 drinks.

On Saturday morning I went to my hairdresser to get some highlights and cut a few inches off. Who doesn't love walking out of the salon with a fresh new cut? I took an obligatory selfie which I'm supposed to be trying to master per Kerri's selfie tips but still not quite there yet.

I was then off to Marshall's to pick up a few things and lunch was had at Pom Pom's Teahouse for an amazing turkey & cranberry chutney sandwich and lavender iced tea. Saturday afternoon was spent at home relaxing, blogging and attempting to take Lola for a walk.

It started raining and storming again on Saturday evening so it made for a quiet night at home. I used the time to start researching and planning our trip to NOLA. Thanks to all the ladies who gave me some awesome suggestions! I now have a game plan of places to see, restaurants to eat at, and we also have a historic ghost tour booked for K's birthday.

We did a ghost pub crawl in Savannah, GA for my 30th birthday a couple years ago which was a blast (Savannah trip recap) so I can't wait to learn more about the history and spookiness of New Orleans.

We also tried out Key West Southernmost Wheat beer on Saturday night which is delish!

Sunday was a great day for sleeping in and then being productive around the house. We had some eggs, bacon, and cantaloupe for breakfast, took Lola out for a walk, and then I finally made use of my Conair Foot Bath and did an at-home pedicure while watching Orange is the New Black.

It was the perfectly relaxing Sunday to recoup for this work week!

How was your weekend?

Joining the lovely Biana for her Weekending linkup.

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday!

If you read my post on Tuesday you might have seen there's a new link party on the block called Share The Love hosted by Pamela from A Little Glitter which takes place every other Tuesday. I think it's a great way to feature other bloggers and share their posts that are worth reading. This week I posted about some Selfie Tips from Kerri at Cheshire Kat.



Speaking of Kerri, we met up for happy hour yesterday at Marlow's Tavern. Marlow's was throwing their 2nd anniversary celebration with some great happy hour deals. They gave us some cotton candy (cotton is the tradition for 2nd year anniversaries), we had some drinks and appetizers, won some door prizes, and also managed to walk away with some free cupcakes too. Fun times but blogger fail for not taking a selfie with the pro herself!

Favorite Jewelry & Accessories Shop: 
I just stumbled upon Earrings Nation jewelry this week on Etsy and they have some gorgeous pieces along with beautiful earrings and such for brides and bridesmaid gifts.

 

Favorite Recipe:
This Thai Chicken Salad with Spicy Peanut Sauce recipe sounds amazing. I'm a fan of anything with peanut sauce.

Cutest Social Media Post:
I've been following Boo for a while now and I still can't get over how cute he is.

Free Money!
Love getting paid to shop from Ebates. I've made a total of $235 since signing up a couple years ago. This check isn't as big since I haven't done much shopping recently but it pays off nicely around the holidays when I do most of my shopping online. Who doesn't love free money?

Joining Amanda for her weekly Friday linkup and hoping she's having a blast in Charleston with two of my other favorite bloggers.

Enjoy your weekend pretties!

Best Friend Shenanigans & Some Faves

This week I got to spend some quality time with my BFF from Monday night to Thursday. I still went to work while she got errands and shopping done during the day but we hung out in the evenings, cooked healthy dinners and drank wine. On Wednesday which was her last night, we went out for some happy hour drinks and sushi at our favorite sushi spot downtown. After dinner we went home and, in true form, killed a large bottle of wine while chatting on the patio and cracking up over old memories. Let's just say, Thursday morning was a rough one heading out for work. lol I also blame that on the super strong martinis they served us at dinner.

I was also really sad to tell her goodbye on Thursday morning since we may not get to see each other for another year. On a brighter note another girl friend and her boyfriend arrived late last night from Trinidad and we're going to spend the weekend entertaining them so I'm really looking forward to that!

Now on to some of my favorites for the week and joining the lovely Amanda for her weekly linkup.

Favorite Recipe:

Biana's Naan Pizzas look beyond amazing and the perfect way get your pizza fix without the major guilt factor. 

Favorite Shopping Finds:

Clearly I have a thing for bows...

Floral Bow Back Dress

Black & Mint Bow Bikini set

Favorite Quote: 

More Finds:

Trader Joe's Triple Cream Brie with Wild Mushrooms is to die for!

I've been on a serious salad kick over the past week and my BFF picked up Marzetti's Light Balsamic Vinaigrette (which is gluten free) to make dinner on Monday night. So good! 

Favorite Funnies:

Every. Single. Time. We end up having scrambled omelets. lol

Happy weekend lovelies!!