Chase me around Charleston

Day Two in Charleston was just as great as Day One.

It was nice waking up without worrying about an alarm clock. We ordered a room service breakfast and then my boyfriend sent me downstairs to Spa Adagio for a massage while he relaxed some more. After I returned, we headed out for another stroll around Charleston. Unfortunately, the weather did not get the memo on our arrival to town and didn’t cooperate. We ducked into Old Towne Grill and Seafood Restaurant– the oldest family owned restaurant in Charleston. It was a combination of Greek and seafood. I got the fried shrimp and indulged some more!

The rain deterred us from wandering around too much that afternoon so we took our time getting ready for the wedding. Luckily, it cleared up just in time!

We headed to Boone Hall Plantation and were in awe as we entered through iron gates and drove up a long driveway under arching trees. Words can not do this venue justice.. The bride and groom were also incredible beyond words. The minister knew them well which is always nice and the ceremony was perfect. The smiles on these two were from ear to ear as they walked back down the aisle together.

I have to admit, I always look at the groom the moment the bride walks down the aisle. I like seeing his reaction- and this groom did not disappoint!

The whole crew then headed to the Cotton Dock, another part of the plantation. Little touches at the reception made a big difference. There were torches lit as we walked down the path and a blazing fire in a fireplace upon our entrance. A live band kept everyone on their feet.

Unfortunately, my boyfriend was not feeling well and I made the mistake of checking my phone and had received some tragic news,  so we didn’t get to slow dance with each other- one of my favorite parts of weddings. We ducked out slightly early and crashed- I ordered a berry tart from room service before my head hit the pillow though! Nice way to cap off the night!

What do you love best about weddings?

Thanks to Cindy at Sleep Spin Research for my latest Liebster Award!

Sunday sipping at the airport bar

It’s Sunday! I am in the airport in Charleston after an amazing, but too short weekend. I’m linking up with Neely and Ashley for Sunday Social and then heading to the airport bar for some final vacation libations before it is back to reality. Since today the Sunday Social is all about the number four, I might just have to have four drinks for good luck!

4 favorite things to do on a weekend

Weekends are my favorite part of the week. You too? Crazy! They tend to either be extremely busy or extremely lazy. I need a mix of the two. When they are busy it is usually because I am traveling or attending some sports event or concert (favorite things one and two). When they are lazy I can usually be found snuggled up on the couch cleaning out my DVR or having a long dinner with plenty of wine (favorite things three and four).

4 favorite things about your best friend

You all got to hear the story of how I met my best friend. She is so special because she is one of the only people I can truly be myself around and sometimes I think she can even read my mind. She and I will drop anything to be there for the other and we can have fun doing anything from a big night out to playing Scrabble in our pajamas.

4 things you would do with $100,000

If I had $100,000, I’d put half in the bank and use the other half to pay off my debts, put a hefty down payment on a condo, hand some over to my family and take everyone I love on vacation. It really isn’t that much money when I think about it that way. The bank might get less than half!

4 favorite books you’ve ever read

There is no way I could pick just four favorites. I’ll recommend four recent reads instead: The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult, Defending Jacob by William Landay, Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and for old time’s sake Summer Sisters by Judy Blume.

4 favorite snack foods

I love Cape Cod Potato Chips, especially the Jalapeño flavor. Potato skins and mozzarella sticks make me happy. And once I eat one clementine I have a hard time stopping- those big bags go fast!

4 things that you must do daily

Every morning, I wake up and make my bed. I hate coming home and having my room a mess and feel like a made bed makes a difference. I always put on my watch and the ring I got for Christmas- feel naked without those two things. I usually crack open a Diet Coke for breakfast (so bad, I know!!). And, of course, check all my E-mails, Gchat, etc. I would have a hard time with a screen-free day!

So honored to have been called out by Jess at Blogging on the Brink in her A-Z reflections post. Seriously flattered! Check out her great blog! I learned so much about music and the industry reading her posts. 

Thanks to Jules at A Dose of Jules for calling me out in her reflections post. This lovely lady managed to write a poem for every day of the challenge. I’m not kidding. AND they were great poems. She is talented!

Also, a big thanks to Creative Mysteries for my latest Liebster Award!

Whatever’s clever

I am very passionate about whatever I am talking about at the moment.

• What!! You have the new Kindle Paperwhite?! I must get it now. I log straight onto Amazon, look at the price in defeat and move it to my wish list.
• We’re going to a hibachi restaurant for dinner?! I LOVE hibachi restaurants!! I devour my meal at the hibachi restaurant and then proceed to whine about how my clothes are going to smell like the food the rest of the day.
• I just heard about another book club!! I’m joining it- you’ve got to join it with me!! I’m currently in three book clubs, but tearing through those books so don’t you worry.
• Drinks after work? Duh, it’s finally nice outside!! Enter next day headache at work.
• Moscow Mules?! I love those drinks! The cups are the best- I must have them! Again, immediately log on to Amazon to see they are $40/each. Don’t even bother adding to my wish list.
• You love college basketball?! I LOVE college basketball!!!  Boyfriend gets tickets to games for every possible occasion likely including Arbor Day. Gift for you, gift for me.
• Newbie bloggers like me can join link ups and blog hops!?!?  Join everything and follow everyone until I realize I need to scale back and focus on what I actually like.
• You want to do a girl’s trip next month?! Count me in!! I attend the trip and then stress about money the entire time cursing my lack of willpower.

When I was new in my last role, I had lunch at my desk one day feeling lonely and wishing I had insta-friends in the office. My wish came true because a few minutes after I threw my trash away, someone came over and invited me to lunch. Of course I said yes! And I devoured my second lunch with the energy of someone who has made a new friend. Sometimes it is okay to say yes. even when it doesn’t make sense.

However, lately, I have been trying to rein it in a bit and have been making myself say no more often. It sure isn’t easy! Obviously, I am a very enthusiastic person. I am a joiner and hate saying no. I wouldn’t want to miss out on anything fun. Maybe that is what growing up means.

Is anyone else a passionate yes person to “whatever”?

I’m also passionate about all my Liebsters. Thanks to Bradley at Pass the Sour Cream for my latest.  Make sure you check his great blog out! He managed to take the A-Z Challenge and actually make me think when I read his posts.

Also check out my other Liebster Award mentions (see 1-2 here , 3-6 here, 7 here and 8-9 here). I just need to get passionate about responding to them.

Today was Day Twenty Three (or Day W) of the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge. 

I am also linking up with the ladies for Finish the Sentence Friday:

Inspiring Blogger… who me?!

The lovely lady at Things That Happen Everyday has honored me with the Very Inspiring Blogger Award. It sounds so impressive, right?

The rules are as follows:

1. Display award logo on blog.

2. Link back to the person who gave you the award.

3. State 7 things about yourself. Getting to that…

4. Nominate 15 other bloggers for this award and link back to them. Easy enough!

Seven Things About Another Clean Slate

• I grew up being called Katie, but at some point started going by Kate because it sounded more professional. I can tell what phase of life people know me from or how close they are to me based on what they call me.
• I still sleep with the teddy bear my dad gave me when I was first born in the hospital. His name is Teddy. Very fitting, I think.
• I got glasses when I was three years old and was allowed to get contacts when I turned 13. I considered it the best gift ever at the time and don’t understand people who wear fashion glasses by choice now.
• You all know my first gig was babysitting, but my first real job was working in a fish market that one of the family’s owned. It was a smelly first job.
• I have a younger sister and a younger brother. We would all do anything for each other, but definitely still have our sibling moments.
• I played soccer as a kid, but eventually I quit because the coach required me to take out my earrings. I obviously loved the sport.
• My mom is one of my best friends. There are many times I would have been completely lost without her- and not in the “I’m just saying this to be nice” way, but in the totally serious way.

And the nominees are…

Two Bored Housewives

Here I Go With All My Thoughts

Kiss My List

LB in Wonderland

Mama, Schmama

My Little HEA

Just Stay Lovely

Keeping it Stepford

Julie You Jest

Helen Jameson: Scribble Girl

A Dose of Jules

Scribblings

My Life in High Heels

Rewritten

I know the bigger blogs don’t usually participate in these types of things and some of my  fave new blogging friends belong to those, so please feel free to snatch this award for yourself if you want- you know who you are!

ALSO, if you haven’t heard the news, two of my blogging mentors My Life as Lucille and Something Clever 2.0 convinced me I need a Facebook page, so go check it out 🙂 (Update: I’ve hidden this page for now- still trying to figure it all out!).

And thank you for the two new Liebsters I received from Reflex Reflections and Just Another Blog. Make sure you check these great blogs out! Also check out my other Liebster Award mentions (see 1-2 here , 3-6 here and 7 here). Appears I have a lot of catching up to do responding to these awards.

Questions- ask away!

When I was in college, my favorite drinking game was Kings. Some people call it Circle of Death; some call it King’s Cup. I am sure there are other names, but for the sake of this post and because this is my blog, we are going to call it Kings.

Any ways, you play by arranging a deck of cards in a circle around a cup facedown. Each person draws a card and each card corresponds to a rule. Drawing a King requires you to pour some of what you are drinking into the middle cup and the person who draws the fourth King has to drink what is in the cup. The other rules range from having to drink in waterfall order to busting a rhyme. However, one of my favorite rules is Question. The person who draws this card has to ask any person at the table a question. They have to respond with another question- related or otherwise- to someone else at the table and so on and so forth until someone is stumped or is laughing so hard they can’t answer.

I always won at this rule (if winning means coming up with the most absurd question to stump my friends).

We played so often that the apartment which was our main meeting spot had a standard set of rules I’d made hung on the fridge. People soon became sick of playing Kings. Or maybe they just stopped wanting to play when I was around because I always “won”! Occasionally I manage to get an unsuspecting group of friends to play with me now, but the victims players are catching on.

I know it’s not because people just want to avoid me altogether, because I’m obviously popular. I say this because I was just nominated for my 7th Liebster (See 1-2 here and 3-6 here)! This is crazy! I’m beginning to think I am doing something right. Everyone check out Two Bored Housewives. Thanks ladies!

Side Note: I thought it would be fun if you all asked me questions which I can respond to for my R post. Get it? Questions for Q and Responses for R? Ahhh… this is going to make my life so easy if people actually participate. If nobody asks a question I will be forced to come up with another idea and now that we are more than halfway through the A-Z Challenge I am running low on those.

PS: That wasn’t really a side note. It was actually a plea for help. I told you I was officially out of my mind.  Help me! Ask questions!

Ask away- Happy Friday!!

Today was Day Seventeen (or Day Q) of the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge. 

Hoping you’ll follow me on Bloglovin or Twitter! New victims friends make me happy!