Bring on the Holidays + $325 Nordstrom Giveaway

Who's excited for the short work week? I definitely am for one and very thankful we have Friday off since I used to have to go right back to work on the Friday after Thanksgiving. This past weekend was the official start of the holidays around here.

On Friday night K and I went out for dinner and some wine at Cooper's Hawk Winery to celebrate his new job. K's been interviewing for 6 months to get into this new field and he finally landed his dream job so celebrations were in order.

On Saturday we went shopping for some Christmas decorations to get prepared for the holidays although I'm waiting until after Thanksgiving to start decorating the house.

On Saturday night we went to the first holiday party of the year hosted by some friends. They like to host the party early since everyone is usually busy traveling and doing things with family as you get closer to Christmas. It was a blast catching up with the girls and of course my girl Kate.

Sunday was all about relaxing and getting stuff done around the house - laundry, food prepping, blogging and quality time with Lola.

I made this crockpot Mongolian Beef recipe that Meg recommended last week for Sunday night dinner and it came out fantastic.

Don't forget to enter our $325 Nordstrom Gift Card Giveaway hosted by Pamela from Sequins and Sea Breezes. The giveaway ends on Friday, November 27th and the winner will be announced on Monday, November 30th. 

Hosted By:

Sequins & Sea Breezes

The Gorgeous Co-hosts:

Cheshire Kat Blog | B Loved Boston | Champagne & Suitcases | Going The Distance | Love & Bellinis

Green Fashionista | Kids & Cabernet | Pink & Fabulous | From Here To Eternity | Martinis & Bikinis

Pink Persistence | Miss in the Midwest | A Memory of Us | The Sequin Notebook | Birdie to Be

MakeupHER | Christina Lea Loves | The Wandering Weekenders | Medicine & Manicures | Meet @ The Barre

$325 Nordstrom Gift Card Giveaway

 

Disney Blogger Fun

Good morning pretties! Hope everyone enjoyed the weekend.

Can I begin by saying how devastating the news on Friday was about the turn of events in Paris and the amount of people that suffered. I just can't believe these things keep happening. They definitely need lots of prayers right now. I had a drink in Epcot's France pavilion for them this weekend and said a prayer.

This weekend was the perfect mix of catching up on some sleep and having fun out and about with friends. K and I had a low key Friday night after a busy week. We went to Ale House for some dinner and a quick drink before spending the rest of the night relaxing at home.

Saturday was a fun filled day at Epcot for the International Food & Wine Festival.  I met up with Pamela and Kerri to explore some food and wine booths and we had a surprise visit from Kristen who also happened to be at Disney with her hubs. It was so fun running into her and meeting in real life. 

Sunday was all about relaxing and getting things organized for this week. 

How was your weekend?

Joining the lovely Biana for her Weekending linkup. 

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.

Wedding Weekend in Barbados

Hi everyone! I'm officially back in action after spending the past several days in Barbados for a friend's wedding. We had an amazing trip and I plan to post a "Guide to Barbados" next week. Just a little late but I'm joining Biana for her Weekending linkup to recap our (long) weekend trip.

K and I arrived in Barbados late on Wednesday night so we had just enough time to grab some dinner and hit the sack before waking up super early on Thursday to head to the marina where we took a catamaran cruise around the island. We enjoyed the crystal blue waters around Barbados' coast and went snorkeling where we saw a ship wreck, tons of beautiful fish, and also swam with some friendly turtles. I wish I owned an underwater camera to capture our snorkeling adventures.

Thursday night was girls night with the bride-to-be, her bridesmaids, mom and other ladies in the family. The bridesmaids cooked up a local fish dinner, and we had some wine and just hung out since we had to be up bright and early on Friday to start the hair and makeup process. 

Friday morning came quickly and we got started at 8am at the wedding venue which was a beautiful villa that sits on Barbados' west coast. The girls spent the day getting prepped and hanging out with the bride.

It was then time for the ceremony, which was at a beautiful church cathedral and the reception was back at the villa. It was one of the most beautiful weddings I've attended to date and the bride looked stunning!

On Saturday, a friend of mine who lives in Barbados took us on our own private tour of the island. We stopped off at The Crane resort which looks like something out of a magazine to have lunch and check out the amazing views.

We drove around the east coast and checked out a few other beaches and lookout points. Barbados is definitely in my top 5 list of most beautiful Caribbean islands. The color of the ocean and scenery is incredible.

On Sunday we hit the beach by our hotel super early for one last swim and lounge on the beach before meeting up with some family for breakfast/brunch and then packing up to head to the airport.

As I always say after vacation - it was way too short!! But we packed our days and nights full so we didn't waste a minute of Barbados' beauty and spending time with family and friends.

I'm looking forward to catching up on some blog reading this week and getting back into my regular routine.

Low Key Weekend

The weekend was fairly quiet so nothing crazy to write about. We are traveling later in the week for the 3rd wedding I'm a bridesmaid in for the year so most of the weekend was spent shopping for odds and ends (sunblock, swimsuits, gifts for the bride) and organizing what to pack.

One of the things I bought the bride-to-be was this Soft Cotton Bride Sleepwear Set for under $25. I put together a whole gift bag for her with lingerie, perfumes, sleepwear and other bridal things.

On Friday I went to happy hour with some coworkers and then just relaxed at home for the rest of the evening with K and Lola, which was much needed!

On Saturday, K and I headed out to do some shopping and then had some empanadas for lunch at a small Colombian restaurant close to home.

On Saturday night I went to a charity event for the Special Olympics of Florida which I've attended for the past 5 years. The event included live music, Black Jack table games (with funny money), silent auctions, and food tastings from some of the best local restaurants. It was fun walking from tent to tent trying different tapas and I also got black jack on one my hands so I won a gift card to a local sports restaurant. It was a really fun night out with K and some of my coworkers.

 

Sunday was spent relaxing, blogging, food prepping and packing for our trip. I also tried out this Triple Cream Brie with Wild Mushrooms from Trader Joe's which is amazing with pita chips! If you like mushrooms and brie cheese then I definitely recommend it.

How was your weekend? Linking up with the lovely Biana.