Springtime Fun

It's FRIDAY!  Let's dance!  

I can only hope this coming week is as wonderful as the last. 

Last Saturday, after a wonderful baby shower for one of my best friends, we took Bax to run around outside and enjoy the beautiful weather.  Afterwards, I headed downtown to celebrate my friend's 31st birthday!  This is the top I found at Forever 21 for a mere $18 to wear that night!  

Found the perfect gel nail polish color to match it and it's so nice and spring-y!

I stopped in to get my friend a gift certificate for some pampering when I spied this mascara. 

I cannot believe I'm going to say this…but I'm giving up my beloved Bobbi Brown mascara that I have sworn by for years on end in exchange for this Smashbox Full Exposure mascara.  It is a miracle worker!

After a fun night on the town, I headed home for a good nights sleep.  In the morning, we decided to make a nice breakfast and I wanted to try something new…Baked Bacon.

It was delicious and SO much less messier!  I recommend this highly!

After a nice breakfast, we headed over to Fort McHenry to take Bax for a nice walk around the water.  We stopped in at Dogma and got him an ice cream treat which he loved in the heat of the morning!

We wanted to continue to spend the day outside, as it was beautiful.  We headed over to the Tiki Barge…yup, Bax came too!  He enjoyed his first Orange Crush ;)

We had a nice little cookout on the deck when we got home and headed to bed early with the windows open- my favorite!

Monday, after I saw patients, we headed to Annapolis.  We couldn't help ourselves with the weather!

Of course, since we both came from work, we were in clothes that were not so comfy for the heat and walking around.  I found these cute shorts at The Pink Crab with a navy blue top and had to add a pink and white seersucker skirt to the bag!  Ahhh…felt so much better to change out of work clothes and into these!

That evening, the girls from work came over to enjoy a cocktail on the deck and have some appetizers.

This is by far one of my favorite things to serve on the deck.

Crab dipping chips with Roasted Pepper & Ramano Bruschetta…both from the local grocery store, Graul's Market.

Tuesday, after work, I headed out to happy hour with some old friends from GBMC, the hospital I used to work at a couple years ago.  It was so nice to see the girls and catch up!  I've missed them!

Afterwards, we went to dinner at Bistro RX downtown.  

It was my first time there and even though we were provided with some interesting entertainment (Baltimore's finest), we had a great meal (at least I did).  I got the shrimp and grits salad.  It was different…and delicious.  Salad greens with shrimp on top and grit/cheese croutons!  YUM! 

Wednesday, after work, I decided to stay in for once and get some things done around the house.  I cleaned out all the closets and took loads to the dump, Goodwill, and the local consignment shop (too much with tags still on them!  Whoops!)

Next up…I tackled the refrigerator and freezer.  Took everything out and washed it down with baking soda and dishwashing liquid (a recommendation on Pintrest) and it looks and smells great.

One thing I noticed…I sure have more (adult) beverages then food in here….Hmmm...

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Thursday after work I had my first Supper Club.  It was so nice to meet up with girls on a week night and just hang out.  We all brought something…of course I did a dessert.  One day, I'm going to have to go outside of the box and try something else!  I made these

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cheesecake Bars

Courtesy of Pintrest, Recipe to come next week

One of my favorite things about spring is the fresh fruits, veggies, and beautiful flowers. 

I was given these tulips this week and it puts a smile on my face every morning when I see them!

Hope you all have a wonderful week(end)! 

TGIF!

Wine Down Wednesday

Last Tuesday I went to a wine tasting at The Wine Market with some of my favorite coworkers.  We had a great time and I came home with three new bottles of wine to get me through my on call weekend.  (Okay, to clarify, its not that bad, I did not have to drink three bottles myself to get through it)

Here are some of my favorites from the tasting.

(I stuck to whites after the first couple tastings as I don't think I would have made it home tasting all the delicious reds AND whites)

Charles Smith Riesling "Kung Fu Girl"

There was hardly a bottle left at the end of the tasting.  Everyone loved this Pacific Northwest wine!  I can't wait to share it with my aunt and cousin who love Riesling too!

Taburno Falanghina 

An Italian wine like no other I ever tasted.  I think this calls for a trip to Italy!!!

Peter Lehmann "Layers" White

I don't know if it was because I just made a layered strawberry shortcake or what, but this reminded me of a wonderful wine to have with a nice summery dessert!

Okay, I had to stop somewhere so those were my three I allowed myself that night.  

BUT, next time I will have to pick up this bottle too!

Alexander Valley Vineyards Rose

PERFECT for a spring/summer evening on the deck with a nice salad!

And just to run in how spoiled I am…

I had one of the greatest experiences recently.  I was able to have the opportunity to precept a nurse practitioner student.  Lordy knows why they would want me to precept, but I was excited and we had a great time!  She's such a wonderful girl, and will be an AMAZING nurse practitioner soon enough!  Yesterday was her last day with me (tear) and she wrote me the sweetest note and spoiled me with this bottle of wine!

Phantom by Bogle Vineyards

Petite Sirah - Zinfandel - Mourvedre

OMG!  I CANNOT wait to try this!!!  

Thank you, sweet Emily!!!  I already miss our Tuesdays together!

And yes, it seems as though my profession causes a wine addiction!  :)

What are some of your favorites?!

Jack of All Trades...

VINEGAR!!!!

Did you ever know all the wonderful things this condiment can do? Take a look...

1. Cure for jellyfish stings
2. Stain remover on clothes
3. Fights foot odor and athlete's foot
4. Great for a bad sunburn
5. Pour on unwanted grass on sidewalks to kill
6. Add 2 Tbsp vinegar and 3 Tbsp sugar to each quart water to freshen cut flowers.
7. Eliminate animal urine stains from carpet by blotting up urine with cloth, apply mix of equal part water and vinegar. Blot up, rinse, and let dry.
8. Clean rust from tools: soak in vinegar overnight.
9. Relieve itching from mosquito bite by dabbing a little on the site.
10. Add 2 Tbsp to bath to relieve dry, itchy skin.
11. Soothe a sore throat by mixing one tsp vinegar in water, gargle, and swallow
12. Rub hands with vinegar to get rid of fruit stains.
13. Remove grease from suede by taking a toothbrush and dipping in vinegar, then rub on site.
14. Mix salt and vinegar to remove coffee and tea stains from china
15. Keep boiled eggs from cracking by adding 2 Tbsp vinegar to boiling water.
16. Deodorize kitchen sink: Pour a cup vinegar down the drain once a week. Let stand 30 minutes and then flush with cold water.
17. clean eyeglasses with drop of vinegar on each lens.
18. Deodorize a room full of smoke or paint fumes with a bowl of vinegar placed in the room. Or use as an air freshener and spray in room.
19. Clean windows with vinegar and wipe off with newspaper.
20. Get stains out of pots by filling pot with 3 Tbsp vinegar and pint water and bring to boil.

...AND SO MUCH MORE!!!

My Southern Weekend Away!

What a wonderful Memorial Day weekend I had! I was lucky enough to spend it with my adorable cousin in South Carolina! She was the absolute best hostess ever! It was such a wonderful trip, I never wanted to leave!

My cousin lives in Columbia, SC where she went to college and what a cute little town that is! We were able to shop in all the little boutiques, have a nice lunch at The Gourmet Shop, and spend some quality time. Then, she took me to Cupcake, where we got these delicious treats! The store was so cute!

Later, that evening we went to dinner at Blue Marlin, where I had a delicious dinner of tilapia with green beans and a very southern side of grit cakes. Yumm!

The following day, after a nice morning walk with our Starbuck's coffee, we spent in Charleston, SC. What a BEAUTIFUL place! I wish I could live here!

The shops were all so cute and the scenery was to die for! To keep up our energy for some more shopping later, we stopped at Blossoms for lunch. What a cute little place that was! We were able to get a table outside in the beautiful, green courtyard.

We did a little more shopping and then my cousin introduced me to pralines...Mmmm! And in this cute little candy shop, we also got some Bear Claws for a sweet treat snack!

In between all of our shopping, we walked along the water...where my cousin and I decided we must have a boat one day!

We then took a break from shopping and stopped at a roof top bar that overlooked the city. Sipping on a mojito, looking over at all the beautiful buildings, shops, and houses, and calm water was just the perfect ending to our visit to Charleston!

Later that evening we went to dinner at a fun little place outside, Flying Saucer. This place had more beers than you could ever imagine, and even had their own menu, front and back, of just beer!

And our last day (tear!) we went for a nice walk along USC's campus where my cousin took me to "Greek Village." I am used to only having "Frat Row" at University of Tennessee, where we were not allowed to have sorority houses, so this was so exciting! And here is the beautiful Tri Delta house! The detail was amazing!

We then went to lunch at a cute little restaurant that is inside of an old train station, however, for the life of me, I cannot remember the name at this time. I will have to get back to you with that. It was so cute and the salads are huge and very tasty! I think after this trip, I should have brough elastic pants to wear home!!

I wish I took some more pictures, as these don't even begin to justify the wonderful weekend I had in South Carolina! We will have to make this an annual trip as I already miss them dearly!

My Favorite Cleaning Supplies

Well, the entire house is clean!!! Oh it feels so wonderful to be in a nice clean house! But I couldn't have done it without these products...

Tide plus Febreze Sport:

This stuff is wonderful! The first time I used it on our sheets, I could not believe how wonderfully they smelled when I was lying in bed. So fresh and so clean! I actually got all the laundry done (including towels, sheets, bath mats, rugs) except for one load that I will finish up tomorrow!

Pledge Wipes:

This may be because I'm lazy, but I just love these! I hate using reusable cloths to dust, as I feel like I go through them like crazy and end up with more laundry. These are wonderful and disposable!

Handi Wipes:

My dear Handi Wipes, what would I do without you?!?! I use them just about everyday. I have one I use in the kitchen and then keep the rest of the stack in the cleaning bin for days like today. They do a great job and don't fall apart, yet can still be tossed away when you are done with them-no more laundry involved!

Well, it's been a great Saturday! I got all the cleaning done in the house, ran with the hubby outside at the park, went to the store and stocked up on some fun goodies for a mini-cookout with my parents, baked a Sweet Treat for dessert, and took care of our recovering pup. Hubby got to play golf, I have a nice clean house, and we were able to spend some time with family...wonderful day for all!

Spring Cleaning

I'm going to try to be all domesticated and everything this weekend (starting today). It is my first weekend "on call," so being the new nurse practitioner I am, I plan to stay close to home where it's fairly quiet. Since I'm going to be home all weekend, I plan to have a constructive weekend!

I plan to do some serious cleaning. I love this book by Martha Stewart, as it helps break down what you should do daily, weekly, monthly, seasonally, and annually to keep your house clean and up to date. I'll keep you updated on what I do this weekend, as I love to "check" things off my list!

Girls Night Out at Boordy Vineyards!

(This image here)

Boordy Vineyards has been around since the 1940's and is located on a historic 240 acre farm in Long Green Valley. Even though I've lived close by to this beautiful winery my whole life, this weekend was my first time there, and boy am I glad we went! This weekend, Boordy hosted a "Girls Night Out" and had many different vendors including Pampered Chef, Tastefully Simple, Tupperware, and other jewelry, chocolate, craft, and handbag vendors. There was even a cupcake vendor with multiple flavors of cute cupcakes!

And of course there was plenty of wine tasting and great music! Here are some of the many wines to taste. We didn't taste the Chardonnay Blush, but how cute is that bottle with the little crab on it?! Great for a little hostess gift!

Our first bottle that we shared was this Chardonnay.

(I wish I had gotten a better picture with the beautiful horses in the background. The atmosphere is breathtakingly beautiful here.)


The cute little barn where the actual wine tasting is located.

Two of my favorite girls that spent "Girls Night Out" with me. Thanks girls! I had a great time!

Preakness

In honor of the Preakness today, I thought I would add a recipe for a Black Eyed Susan cocktail.

1 oz Vodka
1 oz Rum
1 oz Triple Sec
2 oz Orange Juice
3 oz Pineapple Juice

Mix together and stir. Serve with garnish of orange or lime and a cherry in the drink.

ENJOY!!!

Flower Mart

What a beautiful day it was for Flower Mart on Saturday morning! There were so many gorgeous flowers and plants, and just look at that blue sky! Just perfect!
Tulips in a big mint julip cup! I loved it! Plus, this was my favorite stand, as it had the most adorably decorated cupcakes ever!

And of course we had to have a couple treats. Hubby was torn between the Boardwalk Fries or the Fried Dough. Fried Dough won!

And then I got my treat, the reason I was dying to come...Lemon Sticks!!! YUM, now it really feels like spring to me!

For more information on Flower Mart you can click here.

Tanning Time!

It's spring time and you know what that means- shorts, sundresses, and short sleeve shirts! So, who doesn't want a nice tan when you have bare arms and legs?!?! But who does want wrinkles, blemishes, and even worse, cancerous lesions?!?!

Well, I have an answer! Self tanning lotions and spray tanning are my lifesavers! I used to bake in the sun and go to the tanning bed on a regular basis. I've had second degree burns that almost landed me a trip to the hospital while vacationing in Florida. So, although I had these bad habits as a teen (and tween), I can only hope, I set a better example today in my late 20's and beyond. So no more "fake and bake" for this girl!

I love to spray tan, and even did this the day of our rehearsal dinner and it was flawless! However, spray tanning can become expensive, so I have a couple products that I love, that also won't break the bank.

First, make sure to put a hair cap on if using a spray tan. And you can put some vaseline on your nail beds to prevent the orange lines around your cuticles. Also, you can spray your hands with an aerosol deoderant. This helps minimize any over exposure to the tanning creams/sprays, but also allows a little color so you don't have the "white glove" look!

This tanning "gelee" is amazing! I put it on after showering and exfoliating, while minimally covering my hands, elbows, knees, ankles, and feet. It turns out great, and looks very natural! After you apply it, it only takes a couple minutes to dry and then you can put on your clothes and go about your day (or night). A couple hours later (or the next morning) you will see you look like you have just been in the sun. I absolutely love this product, although it is quite hard to find more recently. There is a lotion, but the results are more orange looking to me.

Towelettes! What a great idea! These are super easy to use and look very natural too! Great for traveling, as they are easy to pack and won't spill or leak. I just used these this past weekend and my arms looked tan in my dress, however, no one said anything about being tan, which in my opinion is a good sign, as I don't to look like I just got back from Hawaii for a week.
And by all means, don't let these products fool you...you can still get a bad burn if you don't continue to apply your SPF daily (or more often if at the beach and such). This is my all time favorite sunscreen, as it does not make me breakout, it is light weight, and not greasy by any means.

And if you so happen to have any of those lines from a little too much self tanner, you can always use body hair bleach to clean it up. Please only use this in less sensitive areas such as nails and feet, though. And if you have a big overall mess, you can always soak in a baking soda bath to calm it down!

I hope these tips can help keep your skin glowing all year long, without the harmful exposure to the sun or artificial rays.

Baltimore's Farmers Market

OK, so this picture is NOT in Baltimore and this is NOT a farmers market, however this IS one of my VERY best friends who introduced me to farmers markets! "E" and I have been best friends since 5th grade and will always be best friends, I'm sure of it. She is probably one of the most amazing women I know who is incredibly strong willed and super creative. (You should check her photography...its absolutely beautiful and breathtaking!) Anyways, to get to the point, this picture was taken in San Diego when I had the opportunity to visit "E" and she introduced me to farmers markets. We went to two or three different ones while I was out there, and what a great time it was! To be able to buy local produce right down the street at any day in time is a dream to me! "E" always has fresh flowers in her house and tasty fruits from the markets, which is something I just idolize! Of course, the weather in San Diego is a little more conducive to outdoor farmers markets than Baltimore.

So, now I have to make do with what I can in Baltimore. Yesterday was so exciting since it was the first day of the Baltimore's Farmers Market for the season! It was a very warm (almost summer like) day here in Baltimore with some thick humidity. The place was packed! There were so many great sites; two in particular I will share.

One was the steel band ( I just LOVE steel bands!!!). I thought I took a picture, but I must have hit the wrong button (tech savvy, huh?). They were great and added such a nice touch to the morning.

The other tent I loved was this smoothie stand. You want a smoothie? Well, pick out your ingredients, jump on the bike and peddle your way to a refreshing drink! It was just so fun to watch and everyone said the smoothies tasted great!

For all of my Baltimore friends, the market started this past Sunday and will go through December 19th. It starts each Sunday morning at 7am and goes until 12pm. They have a great selection of everything including fresh fruit, flowers, herbs, pit beef sandwiches, homemade jams and honey, coffee, seafood, jewelery, even donuts. My hubby's personal favorite...the nut tent! He loves the Old Bay Peanuts! Unfortunately, they were sold out this morning, but I will try to get there earlier next week for him. In my opinion, no better way to spend a Sunday morning. Hope to see you all out there for the future Sunday's to come!