Weekly Roundup and Some Faves

This week has been draining so I'm excited Friday is finally here and I can get a little break. Although I'm not sure how much R&R I'll actually get since my parents arrive today and, like any visitors, they want to get out of the house and do stuff. At least I'll get a break from the damn alarm clock. 

Things I did this week:

~ went to lunch with my team at a favorite Korean restaurant.

~ completed a module or two of the online photography course every night. I've really been pounding them out over the weekend and in the evenings so I only have 3 more modules before becoming certified!

~ started planning out the details of our trip to Barbados and my friend's bachelorette while there. It's about time since we're heading there in 4 weeks and I can say we may or may not have a fun boat cruise planned.

photo credit

~ ordered an iPhone case from Amazon for my new rose gold 6s phone only for it to arrive and then realize I accidentally purchased the 6s Plus size case. #Fail

~ stuck to our meal plan and cooked healthy dinners every night.

~ organized our house and the guest bedroom for our visitors. 

~ had the best cheat treat from Wawa. The pumpkin cheesecake smoothie is amazing!

So the week wasn't terrible but days without work is always needed. Now some random faves and joining Amanda for her Friday Favorites linkup. 

I saw this quote on Instagram and love the message it sends.

This Chicken Enchilada Casserole recipe I found on Pinterest looks out of this world!

I posted about some of my Fall Fashion Finds earlier this week which includes faux fur vests and I found these four beauties at Forever 21 for under $50.

One of my friends posted this joke on social media yesterday and it had me laughing on and off for 30 minutes straight. I don't even know why but I have the weirdest sense of humor.

Go enjoy the weekend you pretty thing!

Happy Friday

Friday is here and I'm thankful this week has come to an end. A fairly relaxing weekend ahead with some plans on Saturday if the weather holds up and I also hope to get a bunch done with my online photography class. I got a couple modules done this week but I'm usually too tired in the evenings to really get into it plus that's when I try to focus on writing my blog posts. It's always a struggle to find balance so I'll probably need to take blog breaks on Wednesdays or Thursdays until I complete the photography course.

I took a girl friend out for lunch on Wednesday for her birthday at a new Thai restaurant in town called Pop Thai which was amazing! It was nice catching up with her over an amazing lunch.

Yesterday afternoon work threw a tailgating party. Everyone wore their team jerseys/shirts and we mingled over some beers, tailgating games, and the typical non-healthy football party food. I didn't manage to take any fun photos.

Since it's (finally) Friday, it's time to join Amanda for some weekly favorites and funnies.

These Slow Cooker Shredded Buffalo Chicken Sliders look perfect for Football Sunday dinner. Planning to make them this weekend.

For those who cook often, wouldn't it be nice to have a live growing spice rack in your kitchen? I would need to pay someone to keep them alive but one can dream.

I saw this T-shirt in New Orleans and was tempted to buy it but then I remembered kids do exist in public and their parents would probably hate me for promoting bad words.

Thank the Man above for spell check! That is all.

 Because it's Fall...Seriously, what next?

The older I get, the more this becomes a reality. At least it's the weekend and bras and responsibilities aren't always required.

I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!

Weekly Recap: All The Cute Things

Hi everyone and happy Friday! The long weekend is finally here. I've been awaiting this weekend for months because its not only a long weekend, but it's also K's birthday and we're heading to New Orleans to celebrate and explore. I will probably be MIA for the next few days but you can follow me on instagram and snapchat (emilyalisonb). Hopefully I'll actually remember to post my whereabouts.

This week I ventured over to Woof Gang Bakery to get some treats for Lola. This place is seriously the cutest pet bakery and grooming place in Orlando. I wanted to buy all the treats but I managed to walk away with the one treat I had in mind.

We celebrated Lola's birthday last night. She got lots of healthy grain-free treats from Chewy and Amazon so hopefully they will last her a while but the Happy Birthday cookie I bought at the bakery was the cutest.

It is also K's birthday this weekend so I got him a Milky Way cupcake from Jillycakes in Winter Park. That makes two cute stores I visited this week.  

We had some dinner and pumpkin beer at home last night and that was the extent of his birthday celebration until we get to New Orleans tonight.

I'll leave you with a quote that I love. Enjoy the long weekend everyone!

With Monday being a holiday, our Recipe Swap scheduled for next week Tuesday (09/07) is cancelled until Tues 09/15. 

Our Wanderlust Wednesday travel linkup is still on for next week so please feel free to share and linkup your travel-related posts!

Linking up with Amanda.

That Feel-Good Day

Friday is always a feel-good day that brings some light at end of the tunnel knowing that relaxing days are ahead. With it being the end of the month, I've been swamped at work so my energy has been low for everything else but hopefully the weekend will be a good recharge.

We've had our eye on tropical storm Erika which could be hitting Florida by Monday but I'm hoping it turns out to be nothing too serious. A work-from-home day would be nice though. Nobody wants to be driving in 75 mph winds/rain.

I've been on SnapChat for a couple months now but failed to actually use it. I'm terrible with keeping up with ALL the social media out there. I can't even keep up with Twitter which is terrible for a blogger, I know. Anyways I finally got around to doing my first SnapChat post this week. Let's just say it was a test run.

 #WTFfortunecookie (and it was stale too so I'm calling this prediction null and void.) Feel free to follow me - emilyalisonb - and hopefully I'll get the hang of it in time for NOLA next weekend.

I also posted this photo of Lola on Instagram earlier this week not knowing it was National Dog Day on Wednesday. I didn't bother to post another photo on Wednesday cause this one was cute enough to last the week. 

Favorite Recipe:

I shared this Shrimp Scampi Zoodle recipe on Tuesday. A light and healthy meal for summer.

Favorite Funny:

Favorite Giveaway:
Enter the Rafflecopter below to win a $25 Jamberry Gift Certificate so you can try out some fun and fabulous nail designs.

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Enjoy the weekend!

Get Happy, Be Happy

I'm always happy when Friday makes her appearance.

I don't mean to sound like a broken record but we had another extremely rainy week which seems to be continuing into the weekend to interrupt any fun outdoor plans. The lightning storm last night had me seriously scared our house was going to get torched. I'm an outdoor person and really in need of a beach break or something!

On Monday, some awesome news came my way when I found out I was the winner of Amanda's giveaway with some awesome goodies. The Gigi NY clutch is gorgeous (love the color) and I've been eying those Kate Spade glitter stud earrings since the Nordstrom sale was trending all over the blog world but I've had to limit my shopping since my goal at the moment is to save for two upcoming trips. I love that the earrings match the purse perfectly!

I hardly ever get to eat ceviche and never attempted to make it but this Ceviche recipe looks fantastic for a light and healthy summer treat.

I really like this quote for motivation considering the career I've fallen into. #alwaysneedmotivation



My only purchase for the month arrived in the mail last night - Mac's Flat Out Fabulous lipstick. The raspberry color is gorgeous! Of course I had to try it on right away and since I had no where to go, I walked around the house in my PJs with bright raspberry lips for the rest of the night like a crazy person. K even asked "why are your lips so pink?" haha

Since I've been full on planning our trip to New Orleans, I ran cross this article about Unbelievable Dishes Found Only In NOLA. I've spoken to a few other bloggers who are also going to New Orleans in the near future so thought it might be helpful for planning your trip.

And let's end the week with some funnies...

Have a great weekend!

Linking up with Amanda for Friday Favorites.

Not So Sunshine State + Friday Favorites

Happy Friday everyone! 

We had another hot yet rainy week here in Central Florida and you know what rain does? Yup, it makes people forget how to drive... which then causes major traffic and just when you're running late, the train decides to go by. The struggle is real but I know it could be worse. Much worse.



Yesterday consisted of sitting in the car outside of Trader Joe's for 20 minutes while it poured and then finally taking a run for it. All for the love of wine and cheese. Both of which I'll be enjoying this weekend.

It looks like the rain is going to continue for the next few days so it should make for a fairly low key and relaxing weekend. OK enough bitching about the rain and getting into some fun favorites for the week.

Cutest Article:

Loving this article about 21 Things Only a Bulldog Parent Would Understand. All very true!

Vacation Planning:
I should actually say vacation lack of planning. Our trip to New Orleans is coming up in a few weeks and I've done nothing. We do have a hotel booked so that's a start. I'm usually a big planner and have a loose itinerary to follow so I really need to get on this. Maybe I can start off with some suggestions from you... restaurants, tours, sites & scenes? I'm all ears here.

The last time (and only time) I went to NOLA was for a bachelorette last year (recap here) and as you can imagine, we really only covered the bars and party areas. I want to cover a lot more ground on this trip and learn the history, go site-seeing, indulge in some good food, and do a couple of tours.

Shopping Finds:

I've actually been on a shopping freeze since we're saving up for said trip but my mom generously gifted me with some new blouses for work. All light and airy tops yet professional looking.

1. High Low Bow top (pictured below)
2. Burgundy V-neck Top
3. Floral Peasant Top

Everyone knows I'm a sucker for anything with bows.

Healthy Recipe:
This Chickpea Avocado & Feta salad looks delish and a perfect salad for the summer.

Some Friday Funnies:

Cheers to the weekend! May 5 o'clock come sooner than later :-)

Linking up with Amanda over at Meet at the Barre.