GO!! STATE??

So we're going to our first football game of the season tomorrow. If you don't know, I'm a UNC girl all the way (my childhood team, alma mater, and current employer), but alas, our little Aiden has become an N.C. State Wolfpack fan, so this one's for him. I'm not one to trash our competitors (except Duke, puke), but I'll always root for State if Carolina's not playing. Either way, Aiden will be happy when he finds out we bought tickets. It's going to be beautiful out in the mid-60s tomorrow, plus we've got some friends tailgating before the game, so I'm looking forward to an ideal football weekend. GO PACK! (Not.)

Fall Floral

While shopping at Harris Teeter the other day, I had to pick up some of the fall-colored floral bouquets they finally had in stock. "The Teet" has great 3/$12 deals for mix-and-match bouquets; so, red, orange, and yellow it was! I love walking in and out of the house with these greeting me each way. First day of October tomorrow!

What Makes a Good Husband?

Answer: Bringing me home fresh seafood. 
(Clams courtesy of Saltwater Seafood Market and Fry Shack.)

Just steam and serve with warm melted butter. Brilliant!

The Head and the Heart

About a month ago I was introduced to the band The Head and the Heart, courtesy of my lovely friend Lauren (aka, my musical soulmate). And I fell in love. Coincidentally, the band was scheduled to play at Raleigh's Lincoln Theatre last week, so cha-ching! Two tickets were bought. An indie folk-pop band from Seattle, the Head and the Heart have a unique Americana-ish sound full of vocal harmonies and intoxicating melodies. I feel so lucky to have discovered them in the nick of time so that I could witness them live; it really was an amazing performance and one that hit you right at the core. These are talented musicians, passionate about music and passionate about life. Check out a few of their videos below, and maybe you'll be attending a show next time they're in your town. :)

Mmm...Warmth

Somebody enjoyed mommy's heating pad the other night.
(Fifteen minutes of nonstop purring.)

Good Friends, Good Wine

This weekend my girlfriends and I headed out to Yadkinville, North Carolina for a little taste of our state's wine country in honor of my friend Tara's upcoming nuptials in November. There's really nothing like a bachelorette weekend in the middle of nowhere! On Saturday we made our rounds to three wineries in the area (we needed a week to cover all of them), all within a 10-minute drive from the cabin we rented. Let's just say that getting to the cabin at 11 pm on Friday night was an adventure within itself. After turning off the main road into our "driveway," the word "roads" no longer came into play. There were little grassy/rocky paths that we navigated in the dark, not completely knowing whether we were getting closer to the house or burying ourselves deeper and deeper into the forest. It was a long muddy, bumpy, and terrifying ride, but we couldn't do anything but laugh about it. We fully creeped each other and ourselves out before screaming with relief when we saw the house before us, but it was definitely a memorable and "rustic" experience. :)

Our first stop on Saturday was at Raffaldini Vineyards & Winery, a lovely Italian winery in the most beautiful location. The seemingly never-ending rows of grapes, rolling green hills covering the horizon, and Tuscan-like landscape filled with flowers and stone made this winery a breathtaking sight. It really you feel like you were in another country. After our wine tasting, we picnicked with sandwiches and a bottle of red wine on one of the courtyards before heading to our next destination. I hope to return here with Ryan for a couple's weekend one day.

Our next stop was Dobbins Creek Vineyards, located in the beautiful Swan Creek area. We went into their charming cabin to taste a variety of reds and whites, the hands-down favorite of the group being a blackberry-infused Cabernet. We secured a bottle of it and enjoyed it on the winery's awesome front porch, complete with dining tables and rocking chairs... not to mention a spectacular view. Here's the bride-to-be enjoying the warm sunshine, a cool breeze, and her blackberry wine.

Our third and final winery stop for the day was Shadow Springs Vineyard, located just five minutes from our cabin. Despite how much we enjoyed ourselves at the first two stops, I think this one was our favorite. As a family-owned vineyard, we all immediately felt like we were tasting wines with a large extended family. The spectrum of wines ranged from deep reds to finishing with a delicious strawberry (yum!) and chocolate wine. Mix the strawberry and chocolate half and half, and voila! Chocolate-covered strawberries. :) After the tasting, we ended up going out to the back patio to help the owner film a promotional piece for the winery, so we got to taste some of their sparkling wine, just as the sun was starting to descend. What a lovely way to finish our tour.

Outside of the wineries, we had a fabulous girls' weekend, complete with homecooked mac and cheese (thanks, Katie!), a lingerie shower, and a game of "Who Knows the Bride Best?" Just having a weekend to fully appreciate and spend time with your close friends is priceless within itself. Tara's been one of my best friends since 7th grade, and it's amazing that we've been able to see one another grow up and stay such close friends as we've grown into adults and ultimately different people; that root core of friendship will always be there, and I thank my lucky stars that I have girlfriends who have been with me through thick and thin. Amen!

Here are a few photos of the unique cabin that Katie found for us to stay in. It was full of antiques and had such a rustic charm to it, surrounded by trees as far as the eye could see. Also included was an attic loft with ladder access, which I was more than happy to sleep in. I definitely felt like we had our own little treehouse and needed a "Keep Out!" sign or something. How cool is that?!?

The ladder leading up to the attic loft.

The attic. I slept in the bed in the back right corner.

Other side of the loft area.

One of the second-floor bedrooms.

And here's a few quotes that sum up my weekend with words that are much more eloquent than my own. Enjoy. :)

The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart.  ~Elisabeth Foley

A loyal friend laughs at your jokes when they're not so good, and sympathizes with your problems when they're not so bad.  ~Arnold H. Glasgow 

Friendship isn't a big thing - it's a million little things.  ~Author Unknown

DIY: "Mason Jar"

This weekend I completed a mini-project involving two things: an empty Classico pasta jar and some spray paint. After having spaghetti one night, I noticed how pretty the shape of the empty jar was, inscribed with some of the classic mason jar elements. So I thoroughly washed the pasta jar and soaked it for a couple hours in warm water and soap. After a little more scrubbing, it was clean as a whistle. I got some farmhouse red spray paint and painted the cover, let that sit for an hour, and voila! I ended up using this particular jar to hold rice, which is a great replacement for the messy plastic bags that it's normally stored in. I'm definitely planning to keep my Classico jars from now on to store more goodies in the future!

Ready for Fall

Friday Pick-Me-Up

Cuddle Buddies

Ryan babying our ewok cat the other night. Yes, that's his leg straight up in the air. Ryan's apparently a really good scratcher.

Chicken Enchilada Night

I made this delicious chicken enchiladas recipe last night, courtesy of Southern Living. Perfect meal for a night when Ryan comes home starved! I've included the recipe below the photos, along with a few tweaks I made. A serving is technically two enchiladas, but trust me, one will do the job.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients: 

• 3 cups chopped cooked chicken
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with peppers
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 8 (8-inch) flour tortillas
• Vegetable cooking spray
• 1 (8-ounce) container sour cream
• 1 (8-ounce) bottle green taco sauce
• Toppings: diced tomato, chopped avocado, chopped green onions, sliced ripe olives, chopped cilantro

Directions:

1. Stir together first 5 ingredients. Spoon chicken mixture evenly over each tortilla, and roll up. Arrange in a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Coat tortillas with vegetable cooking spray.
2. Bake at 350° for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown.
3. Stir together sour cream and taco sauce. Spoon over hot enchiladas, and sprinkle with toppings.

Apparently green taco sauce is nowhere to be found, so I replaced it with red taco sauce (thus the pinky appearance). I also just used an 8-ounce bag of Mexican cheese mix instead of the Monteray Jack with peppers. I also added some tomatoes into the filling. You can put whatever toppings on you want, so I added some fresh avocado, tomatoes, and green onions (there's no way I could get Ryan to eat olives). I served Goya yellow rice on the side, which was the perfect compliment, especially to use with any excess sauce. Next time I might try pouring some hot white queso sauce on top of them and really fatten Ryan up. :)

The Weepies

I saw my favorite band play for the second time last night (woot!). I know, twice isn't much, but they rarely tour, nonetheless play in North Carolina. Steve Tannen and Deb Talan are a husband-and-wife pair that comprise The Weepies, an indie pop-folk group that has a mesmerizing sound, full of sentimental lyrics and deep storytelling. I first saw them play full band, and I was lucky enough to see this rare acoustic show last night at Cat's Cradle in Carrboro, NC. We were only a few rows back from the stage, and despite the broken air conditioner (and dripping sweat), we had a lovely experience with this funny and amazingly talented group of musicians playing in what felt like our "living room." Here's the official video from one of the songs they played last night, "Can't Go Back Now." I love Steve's voice, and this is an amazing song, but Deb's voice and songwriting is what originally hooked me. I'm just as big of fan of her solo stuff, pre-Weepies. In the second video, you can hear her sing "Nobody Knows Me At All." One of my all time favorites. She actually opened the show with this last night... Can we say chillbumps?

(I discovered last night that she actually has the tattoo that's on the muppet. Yes, a muppet video? Awesome.)

The House Began to Pitch!

After having multiple tornado warnings yesterday, I snapped this photo of the sky in front of our house. I was pretty sure I was going to be paying a visit to Munchkinland, but alas, I'm still here.

What's up with this crazy weather?!