Life Lately

Hello friends and happy Monday! I know I've said this before but life has been so busy lately that I can't seem to find much free time for blogging. I've settled into my new job and pretty much settled into our new house yet my days seem to be packed full. Quiet Sundays at home have been my saving grace for getting caught up and organized for the week ahead.

I love my new job and the people that I work with. I have the cutest, bubbly intern that cracks me up and the projects that I'm working on are so much more fulfilling than anything before. Last week Wednesday the CEO of our company got tickets to a private event at the Amway Center for the Orlando Pro Summer League so I got to tag along and network with local business people which was really fun.

Since the shootings at Pulse Nightclub, Orlando has really come together as a community and it makes me happy to see all the signs of support and little reminders as I make my way around town.

On Friday evening I made it home from work feeling more than exhausted but agreed to go out for dinner with K to try a new restaurant close to home.

 

I'm so happy we decided to try Canvas because the food and lakefront atmosphere was amazing plus we caught a beautiful sunset while eating dinner. I can't wait to go back to try their brunch.

It started storming as we were leaving the restaurant so we just headed home to have a quiet night. This is how we were greeted by Lola when we got home and, honestly, I couldn't wait to join her! lol
 

Most of Saturday was spent getting errands done and cleaning up around the house. In the evening we entertained some friends and made Fresh Watermelon Martinis with cucumber infused vodka (a copycat recipe from Bonefish Grill) which were so light and refreshing.

Our guests brought us this amazing basket of goodies for a housewarming gift which was so thoughtful and unexpected.

 

The four of us then headed out for dinner at 310 Nona and spent the evening chatting and catching up over a nice meal.

 Sunday was spent relaxing at home and getting all the things in the land organized which was a great end to the weekend. Lola got her tan on in the backyard while I hid in the shade from the unbearable 100 degree heat we've been experiencing.

The countdown is on for our trip to Jamaica - 11 days to go!

Joining the lovely Biana for her Weekending linkup.

Girls Beach Getaway

Being on unpaid vacation really makes you forget what day it is but I'm realizing now this change really happened at the right time because I was able to get a lot done at the new house and be around when different workers needed to be in and out installing last minute things. Other than that I've been really enjoying the lack of a schedule and break from office life to recharge my batteries.

Before starting my new job on Monday, the bestie and I decided to take a quick trip to the beach for a couple nights. We found a dog-friendly hotel and our girls vacay started yesterday with Lola in tote.

The beach is our happy place and the perfect place to clear your mind. I've become certain all of these changes are turning out to be a blessing in disguise allowing me to grow personally and professionally.

So we celebrate one last hurrah with some sun rain yesterday, sea, and sand before starting my new adventure next week which I'm pretty excited about.

Cheers to the weekend!

Weekend Whereabouts

I hope you all had a fabulous weekend. Mine was very productive doing "house things" with a little bit of relaxing and some fun with friends.

On Friday, K and I had our final walk-through/inspection of the new home which went well despite getting soaked by torrential thunderstorms. After we got that completed it was time for some happy hour and dinner at Graffiti Junktion.

Saturday was spent packing up boxes and organizing things at home before heading out for a quick dinner at Carrabba's with the bestie and her mom. After dinner we went to a friend's 80's themed birthday, although some people didn't dress up (ahem Kate and myself).

 

On Sunday I took the bestie and her mom out and about to do some shopping and errands. We literally spent 6 hours shopping between the mall, Target, Michael's and a few more stops. I'm happy to report I didn't buy one thing despite being tempted by all the cute Betsy Johnson things at Michael's.

We stopped at a Peruvian restaurant and shared some amazing ceviche and seafood for lunch.

It was a nice weekend and I'm already counting down to the long weekend ahead.

Joining the lovely Biana for her Weekending linkup.

Weekend Whereabouts

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! Mine was a fairly quiet one since K was traveling for work so I enjoyed lots of "me time" and tried to sleep in but early-bird Lola woke me up at 6 am on both Saturday and Sunday morning.

On Friday night I did a whole lot of nothing other than relaxing at home catching up on some shows.

On Saturday I had a hairdresser appointment which is always a process but I love how my hair looks after getting a trim and some fresh highlights. After the salon, I went to Pier 1 to browse some of their gorgeous mirrored furniture. I talked about some of my current home obsessions on Friday and a pretty mirrored nightstand was on the list - These are the two I have my eye on - one  / two

Kate and I met up on Saturday evening at Brio Tuscan Grille to catch up over some delish Italian dinner and wine. The sweet potato and chicken risotto was amazing even though it looks like mushy baby food in the photo (ha!). The rest of the evening was spent relaxing at home watching the movie Sisters with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler which had some funny parts but altogether not a highly rated movie.

Bright and early on Sunday the bestie and I drove out to Cocoa Beach for some sunshine and fun. We stopped at Ron Jon Surf Shop first to do some shopping and I bought my first floppy beach hat.

 It's so lightweight and comfortable which is perfect for the Florida heat!

Once we got to the beach, we went to Coconuts for some much needed frozen cocktails to sip on while we relaxed on the beach for a few hours. After getting some sun we went to Jazzy's Mainely Lobster & Seafood Company for some local seafood dinner and then made the drive back home.

The weekend was capped off with some food prep and house staging on Sunday night to prepare for the week ahead.

Joining the lovely Biana for her weekending linkup.

Weekend Whereabouts

 

What a nice little break this weekend was.
I indulged in some of my favorite things ~ sleeping in, snuggling with Lola, quality time with my bestie, and some outdoor adventures.

After posting the recipe for Paleo Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos last week, I was craving the real deal so it was an easy decision to have our Friday night dinner date at Bonefish Grill.

The rest of the night was spent relaxing and catching up on some shows at home with my favorite snuggle bug.



Saturday was a Home Depot and Bed, Bath & Beyond type of day, except we didn't go to BBB. Instead laundry, grocery shopping, meal prep, and garden shopping at Home Depot happened before we headed out to continue the search for a new home.

We found a house with the perfect floor plan and it happens to have the most gorgeous kitchen! This week we are going to work on confirming all the details and possibly putting an offer on the house.

Hours of house shopping definitely leaves you feeling exhausted and hungry so we went to the new Buffalo Wild Wings in our area for some dinner and a cold beverage.

 On Sunday, the bestie and I spent the day laying out, chit chatting and canoeing on the river at Wekiva Island. We had so much fun and it was the perfect way to end the weekend

Linking up my girl Biana for her Weekending linkup.

Weekend Whereabouts

Good morning lovelies!
I hope this Monday treats you well.

I thoroughly enjoyed the break over the weekend to mentally and physically rest from work. On Friday evening, K and I went to Nona Blue for dinner to get my favorite Ahi Tuna Salad and a Moscow Mule for "dessert". We cook healthy dinners during the week so Friday nights I prefer to go out for dinner so somebody else can cook and do the dishes.

On Saturday I had an appointment to get approved for TSA Pre-check so we don't have to wait in the horrific security lines at the airport. K recently got his mainly for work trips so I wanted to have it as well so we can bump ahead of the line for our personal trips. After that appointment we headed to Graffiti Junktion for some lunch and a couple cold beverages. Our server was a trip and had us cracking up the whole time.

On Sunday it was time to meet up with my bestie for some sunshine at the beach. The weather was perfect! Sunny and cool, not 100+ degrees like it gets in the summer. The ocean was very rough so we just basked in the sun for a few hours (of course with lots of SPF) chatting, laughing and catching up on our life's happenings. We ended the day with a nice seafood dinner at a restaurant on the water.

 How was your weekend?

Joining the lovely Biana for her Weekending linkup.

Easter Weekend Getaway

So Monday may not be my best friend but recapping a fun-filled weekend definitely makes up for it. K and I had a lovely yet short getaway spent in St. Augustine, Florida. It's an enchanting little city with lots of history and sites to see. It kind of reminds me of Savannah, GA but with it's own different appeal which comes in the form of antique shopping, cute restaurants, and the Castillo de San Marcos fort which is the oldest American fort built in the 17th century.

K and I both had Good Friday off of work so we headed north to St Augustine after dropping Lola off at Kate's who kindly agreed to puppy sit. We arrived around lunchtime which was perfect to grab some Spanish/Cuban style cuisine at the famous Columbia Restaurant. Their Mojitos are on point and the 1905 Salad is a must!
 

 

I plan to recap all the wonderful things St. Augustine has to offer for our Wanderlust Wednesday travel link on April 13th. Don't forget to join Kate, Kerri and myself with your favorite travel adventures whether it may be new or old.
 

We spent all of Friday walking around and exploring the historic district. It was an overcast and rainy day but we didn't let that ruin our fun.

 

For dinner we settled at Harry's Seafood Bar & Grill for some amazing New Orleans style food. This place is a must if you're ever in St Augustine.
 

After dinner we capped the night off with a dirty martini from the Tini Martini bar and had a relaxing night after that.
 

Saturday morning came too soon but we started the day with some amazing Brunch from Casablanca Inn after checking out of our hotel. We walked off the food by exploring the bay front and some other historic sites.
 

On Saturday evening we picked up Lola from Kate's house and we all headed out for an early dinner at 4th Street Bar & Grill. I didn't manage to get many photos but it was fun catching up with Kate and her hubby.

I hosted Easter dinner yesterday for close friends and will post the details and yummy recipes tomorrow.

Joining the lovely Biana for her Weekending linkup.