Sunday Six!

Hello there! It's that time of the week again... Sunday Six!   This weeks edition: six things I loved about this week.

1.  Week 3 of camp!  My week days lately have been filled with sunshine, children, and fun.  It is unbelievable that tomorrow starts week 4....

2. Outdoor fun:

Yesterday, I talked a few friends into spending the day outside hiking.  We drove up to Crowder's Mountain State Park and had a blast hiking up. It was absolutely beautiful!

3.Animal fun

This week has been full of animals.  Dogs, cats, and even pigs! Considering I've been allergic to cats my whole life, I have never had the opportunity to play with a lot of cats. Thankfully, I've seemed to grow out of that allergy lately.  Some of my friends are out of town, so I've gotten to play with their cat while they are gone! Seriously, how cute is Max?

 Piggy play time on Friday night

 Topaz and her cousin, Zola!

4.  "Lame" Friday nights.

 I didn't go out much this weekend--but I did get to catch up on some rest! Friday night was spent with friends, drinks, and board games (that may or may not have lasted until 5AM...) We all need a chill night every now and then.

5.  Family time

I think this picture pretty much sums up my family.  Never a dull moment with a 4 and 6 year old brother! 

6. House decorating

After seeing many cute posts on Pinterest, I decided to make my own gallery wall! I know there are a couple empty spots, but I'm really liking how it is coming together so far. Look for more about the gallery wall later on this week!

I hope everyone had a wonderful week!

-Cam

New Layouts!

Summertime definitely called for a new blog layout.

Refreshed blog = a happy blog! 

:)

Weekend Fun

Lazy summer weekends are a favorite of mine.  After a long week of working outside, there is nothing I love more than relaxing with a good book. 

Friday night I had the chance to do just that!  I have finally had some  free time to pick back up in reading A Game of Thrones (thanks to Steph!), and I am so addicted.  Naturally, I stayed in on Friday night to catch up on some reading!

Saturday I slept way longer than intended (even through ten alarms I had set...oops) but enjoyed an afternoon of watching Fringe and eating pizza for breakfast in bed! If you haven't seen the show Fringe yet, I highly recommend it!

Late in the afternoon, some fun visitors stopped by my house! My dad, step mom, and little brothers came over to help out with some stuff around my house.  As always, I am so thankful for them. After they left, I spent a little bit of "me" time shopping and getting a pedicure before a night of fun!

A good friend of mine is back in town for a week, so he took me and my sister out to dinner and drinks at Alexander Michaels before heading out for a night on the town.  We made our rounds at Dandelion Market, Roxbury, and Sip before I was a little too tired for all the fun.

The birthday boy

 

We love JB!

 

Summer Essentials

In honor of the first day of summer (helloooo summer solstice), here are some "must haves" for my summer.

1. Fun Wedges

There is nothing I love more than to pair some nude or camel wedges with a fun summer sundress! I am always on the hunt for a cute and comfortable pair.  I got these not too long ago while wandering in the mall, and I have loved finding new outfits to wear them with! 

 [Wedges: Rack Room Shoes]

2. Monogrammed Swimsuits

If it makes me the typical "girl," then I don't care! I love my monograms...even on swimsuits! 

 [swimsuits: Victoria's Secret]

3. Nautical Accessories

Nautical things have been popping up all over the place lately.  Anchors and starfish have been on my radar! From jewelry and phone cases to clothes, I have been getting everything nautical possible!These are some of my favorites...

 [Ring: eBay, Shorts: Vineyard Vines]

4. Tervis Tumblers

All summer, I work outside all day! My newest addiction has been finding cute Tervis Tumblers to keep my water cold!  I do have the tendancy to set them down and leave them everywhere, but they are still my favorite. I love that they don't leave water spots everywhere they sit. Some of my favorites are my ASU, Batman symbol, Anchor, and monogram! 

5. Essie Nail Polish 

Who else is loving the summer neon collection? I know I am! These are some of my favorite summery colors.  I always have such a hard time deciding which color to do my nails.

What are you loving for this summer?

Sunday Six: Father's Day Edition!

First off, Happy Father's Day to all the father's out there reading!  I am so blessed that I had the opportunity to spend the evening relaxing with my dad and the rest of my family.

I decided to mix it up a little today and make a post with 6 of my favorite pictures/memories of my dad!  

Warning before you begin: My dad HATES taking pictures. Lots of these are selfies:)

1.Vacations. Over the years, my dad has taken the time to go on trips with just me or with me and my sisters.  Over the years, we have been to Paris, Washington DC, Maryland, Florida, and the beach several times.  One year, we went down to Amelia Island in Florida for a long weekend.  Dad and I drove down together and my sisters met us the next day.  One night, we walked around in the city before eating and found this fun statute. 

2. Aubree's Wedding.  Back in 2009, my sister got married!  While the actual ceremony didn't go 100% as planned, daddy was there throughout the entire process.  Here are some pictures from the rehearsal and ceremony!

3. High School Proms! Thankfully, throughout high school, my house could be a place where everyone could meet/hang out.  My dad was pretty chill about that.  We met here to take pictures for prom both years.  Clearly he doesn't like to smile for my pictures, but here we are senior year! 

4. Spontaneous trips. Freshman year when I came home from college for winter break, my dad asked me one morning if I wanted to drive down to Daytona Beach with him for two nights.  I jumped at the opportunity and it turned out to be a blast! We got to relax on the beach, see family members, and even tour the Daytona Race Track! 

5. Now, I know my dad isn't in this next picture.  But without him, graduation wouldn't have been possible! As much as I whined and complained throughout high school and college, my dad was always there to push me through to do my absolute best. 

6. Random silly-ness.  I love to joke around and have fun, and I definitely get my sense of humor and sarcasm from my dad.  

Thanks for always being there for me, dad.  No matter what the problem, I know that I can always call you.  Thanks for showing me what good parenting looks like. I hope that one day (waaaaaay in the future) I can pass along some of the unconditional love that you have shown me.

Happy Father's Day! 

Memorial Day Weekend!

I know, I know--I'm a few days late.  I have barely had a free moment to sleep, let alone blog about my wonderful escape to the beach.

It all started Friday night when a few friends and I piled up in the car and left Charlotte for the beach...along with about half the city. Aside from me forgetting my credit card AND my debit card therefore forcing us to turn around, we made the first part of the trip pretty smooth.  It was when we arrived in Myrtle Beach that we realized that it was black biker week--and our hotel was right Grand Central Station! 

Ali and I were not happy about sitting in traffic

Apart from taking 45 minutes to drive 2 miles up the block and another 30 minutes to get checked in, Friday was pretty uneventful!  All of our friends (16 total) arrived soon and we spent the night playing a nice game of trash-ketball in the room.

Saturday we were up bright and early for a fun filled day on the beach including football, giant beer pong, and sunbathing.  After venturing out of the hotel for some seafood dinner, we ended up going to bed early to rest up for Sunday Funday.

(Here is where I remembered to take some pictures)

On Sunday, Ali, Rob, Brittany, and I all decided to get up early to hit the aquarium.  I was shocked that out of all 16 of us at the beach, only 3 others shared in my excitement! I am such a kid at heart! :)

 

I made friends with the sharks, and even touched a bamboo shark!

An adventurous morning and a delicious lunch at my personal favorite--Hamburger Joe's definitely called for a relaxing afternoon.  We headed back to meet up with everyone for a day on the beach! 

While the boys played beach volleyball, the girls entertained themselves with our own games and tanning.

After a gorgeous day on the beach and relaxing in the hot tub, we all got ready and headed to Broadway at the Beach.  We had dinner and drinks at Hard Rock Cafe and celebrated the long weekend at some of the bars and clubs.

Unfortunately, it was time to head home on Monday.  I, however, opted to extend my vacation by a few hours and met up with my parents at their place before leaving.  Skipping a chance to hang out with my baby brothers is not something I do often! 

 

How cute is my brother?

My dad, uncle, and I all rode back from the beach together and I finally got home late Monday night.  After picking up my sweet Topaz, I was worn out!  I am so thankful for great friends and the best family to spend the long weekend with. Traveling is always a blast, but it is good to be home!

How did you spend your Memorial Day?

Sunday Summer Six

This weekend went by in a blur...how is it Sunday already?! 

This week, here are 6 things I am thankful for...

1. NASCAR races with good friends.  Last night, was the All-Star race.  Even though I missed the morning festivities due to camp training, I still managed to squeeze in enough fun to break my shorts, lose my keys, and prance around in the rain. Stories all for another time.

   

2. EOGs being OVER this week! In North Carolina, all students 3rd grade and up take "End of Grade" tests and ours are coming up starting tomorrow.  Seriously--this will be the best feeling ever! 

3. EOGs being over mean... only 14 school days until summer! Anyone who teaches knows how restless kids are this time of the year.  I'm not sure who is more ready for a break--them or me!

4. Lazy Sundays.There is nothing I love more than not having anything to do on Sundays but lay on my couch and watch movies.  Today's lineup includes some of my favorites: The Little Rascals, Law Abiding Citizen, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. 

5. Cute phone cases.  I bought this one on etsy a few weeks ago! Not only is it super cute, but it was very affordable.  I have seen some of them for $30-40 but these were only $13!  I love it but I am already ready to order more!  Check out some of these cute cases!

6. Family time.  I am thankful enough to only live about 15 minutes away from my family.  Today is my little brother's 4th birthday so we are celebrating tonight.  It is hard to believe that it has been four years since this little nugget joined our family! 

(one day he may kill me for this picture...)

What things are you thankful for this week?

"So we beat on..."

Last night, I finally got to see one of the most phenomenal movies I have seen in a long time, The Great Gatsby.  I have to admit, from the moment  I saw the trailer, I was counting down the days until the movie was released.  I mean, a movie with Leonardo can't ever go wrong. (Ever since Titanic, I have been a little bit obsessed.)

I have to tell you, the movie blew my expectations out of the water.  Not only was the acting amazing and the setting breathtaking, but the movie was very similar to the book.  I am always impressed when a director can take the picture in my mind and make it a reality without distorting the original author's work.  The movie left me with a longing to see it again as soon as possible.  I definitely would recommend this one!

  

  

Have you see The Great Gatsby? What did you think?

"Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that's no matter—to-morrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther. . . . And one fine morning——

So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.”

Sunday Summer Six

The sun is out, pools are opening, kids (and teachers) are getting restless, and summer is definitely in the air! 

Here are six things that I am loving about summer coming up:

1. New Essie colors.   How cute is "Bottle Service?"

2. Cocktail parties with my cute boyfriend.

 

3.  Upcoming beach trips.  There is nothing I love more than a great day laying on the beach

4. Camp! Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE camp season.  Training starts next weekend and I am so excited! 

5. Vineyard Vines summer clothes.  Their Daytimer shorts have quickly become some of my favorites.  And this dress was such a hit, I can't wait for another opportunity to wear it! 

6. More daylight time to spend with this sweet girl!  While she may be sleeping at my feet now, this little one has endless energy when it's nice outside.