Weekend Recap

Friday evening was beautiful. Jon and I enjoyed some wine on our back porch while the dogs ran around the backyard.

Outdoor canvases here, here, and here. Adirondack chairs.  Outdoor rug. Wicker screen. Garden hose reel.

I updated our chalkboard sign. Everything was great and I was looking forward to doing some yard work over the weekend. Looking back, it was the calm before the storm.

Scrollwork lantern, Tealight lantern

5 pack seed kit, Jalapeno pepper seeds

We had terrible wind and rain all weekend! It was so bad I never left the house. To keep from going stir crazy I decided to reorganize one of our extra bedrooms that we use as a big closet. I'll be doing a full post tomorrow. In the meantime, here is a sneak peak... I need to find a way to organize my handbags. Does anyone have ideas on this? Something that won't take up much space. I was thinking maybe a coat rack like this one.

I ended the yucky weekend with a quick pedicure at home. All I have to say is I'm happy to see Monday and the sun in the sky!!!

XoXo

Five on Friday

TGIF!!!

1. Spring/Summer shopping! I got these cute sandals from DSW for $34.95 + $2.10 (tax; shipping was free) = $37.05 I had a $25 gift card so I only spent $12.05 for these. I also went through ebates so they paid me $1.40 back. AND I earned 350 points on my DSW rewards account #winning

2. Quality time spent with my man! I hate when he has to work at night so the nights that I do get to spend with him, I cherish. We like to cook, watch "our shows" (The Walking Dead and Dexter right now), hang out with our dogs, and this night we played JENGAAAA

3. Spring decor! I got this mini welcome sign from the dollar store a few years ago. Alone it is a bit boring, but I added my homemade wreath (less than $10 from Michaels) and now it looks perfect for my back door. 

4. MORE Spring/Summer shopping! I got this Ted Baker tote in nude pink and this Socialite dress in coral from Nordstrom for $102.00 + $6.12 (tax; shipping was free) = $108.12 I had a $75 gift card so I only spent $33.12 for both. I went through ebates so they paid me $6.12 back #smartshopping

Considering this for my bridal shower dress

5. This Sunday marks exactly five months until Jon and I say "I do"!!!

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XoXo

My Home, Tour My Dining Room

This might just be my favorite room in my house! And I'm sorry but I can't for the life of me remember where I got the curtains from. I thought it was Touch of Class but I can't find them on the website... maybe they discontinued them?

Curtain rods

Rug from Rugs USA

Pillar Plate, Aspen Candle

Curtain rod, Kitchen Cart

Table Runner

XoXo

Wedding Wednesday: Meet my Bridal Party

You may have seen this on my wedding website :)

Maid of Honor: Jessica Ball
Jessica is my younger sister. She attends West Virginia University where she studies biometrics.

Bridesmaid: Brandy Wert
Brandy is my older sister.

Bridesmaid: Lauren Jenkins
Lauren is Jon's sister.

Bridesmaid: Angelena Vicari
Angelena is my best friend.

Flower girl/ Junior bridesmaid: Londin Wert
Londin is my niece.

Best Man: Michael Ciemny
Mike is Jon's twin brother. He is a docket processor at a law firm in Timonium, Maryland and he studies at Towson University. He has a 4 year old son, Logan.

Groomsman: James Ball
James is my brother.

Groomsman: Tom Jenkins
Tom is Jon's brother in law.

Groomsman: Josh Roesler
Josh is Jon's best friend.

Ring bearer: Logan Ciemny
Logan is Jon's nephew.

This Sunday marks exactly five months until Jon and I say "I do"!!!

*Attention bride-to-be's: I just found out if you go through ebates to shop online at theknot wedding shop, you will get paid 6.5% back. Plan on ordering favors, bridal party gifts, personalized napkins, etc? Go through ebates (It's free to sign up, they give you a $10 gift card, and you earn bonuses when you refer people)!!! You're welcome ;)

XoXo

DIY Olive Oil face mask

As a follow up to the Egg White Facial which tightens pores and acts as an instant mini face lift, the olive oil face mask is a quick instant moisturizer. This is beneficial during any time of the year, whether your skin is dry during the brisk winter, or if you spend hours out on the beach during the summer exposing your skin to the dry sun. The olive oil facial will add a glow to your skin that you won’t be able to get otherwise and is much more affordable than expensive facial lotions or bronzers with shimmer, and will give you a natural glow. It’s simple to do, after your egg white facial once a week just add a little bit of olive oil (I like to use Bertolli because it isn't expensive but you can use any brand) to a cotton ball and leave on your face for five minutes, and rinse with water. Doing this once a week will make your skin shimmer without leaving an oily look or feel to your face.

Egg White Facial

Another way to keep your skin glowing is to simply hydrate it. This is easily done by drinking lots of water. Often times people worry about retaining water weight and feeling bloated, however water is very important to the body in many ways. Water can actually aid in losing weight because it helps your body digest food and flush out your system, and drinking more water during the day can make your body feel “full” and prevent over eating. Water is essential for many organs to work properly, and we need to make sure to take care of our body and organs as much as possible, and is the most natural way to rid your body of toxins. Implementing more water into your daily routine will also improve the look of your skin, hair, and nails by hydrating. You always hear to try and drink at least 6-8 eight ounce glasses of water a day. Some people find this difficult to do especially when first transitioning because it seems like all you are doing all day is gulping down water. However it is most important to just make an effort to incorporate more water into your daily routine at first and you will eventually be able to hydrate your body effortlessly, especially with the summer season approaching.

*This post is courtesy of my wonderful sister :)

XoXo

Restaurant Review, B A Bolton Hill Bistro

Name: B A Bolton Hill Bistro

Location: 1501 Bolton Street Baltimore, Maryland 21217 In a residential neighborhood of lovely large row homes. Just steps from the MICA and minutes from the inner harbor! Jon and I fell in love with the area so much that after our dinner we decided to walk around and dream about living there one day ;)

Prices: Our total bill was about $112 and we got one 8oz glass of white wine, 2 craft beers, tuna wonton appetizer, 2 entrees priced around $30, and the bread pudding dessert. Our appetizer was $13 and it was served with 3 wontons; I felt like for the price it should have been served with 4. 

Food: They bring fresh bread and olive oil to the table. The bread was so good, moist, and served warm but the olive oil had an odd flavor to us. The tuna wontons were nothing short of amazing... First there is a bed of seaweed salad and then 3 crispy wontons. On each wonton is a slice of tuna that was perfectly cooked and topped with wasabi aioli. Mmmm so good!

I got the swordfish entree which was a special that night. It was served on a bead of white beans in a roasted red pepper sauce with artichokes and topped with pesto. I'm not sure if you can tell from the picture but there are two nice sized pieces of fish on top of each other and it was enough for me to take home for lunch the next day.

Jon got the rock fish entree which was a special that night too.  D-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s is all I can say. Like always, he picked the better entree.  Not that I didn't enjoy mine, but his just had the most amazing flavor. It was cooked in a clam broth and was served with clams, broccolini, cloves of garlic, and whipped potatoes.

For desert we went with the bread pudding which was recommended to us by our server. It was served with vanilla ice cream and it was melt in your mouth good! The couple next to us asked how it was and then told us that they read about it in a magazine. Um there's a reason they talked about it in this so called magazine, people! If you go to B Bistro and you don't get the bread pudding, you are simply doing yourself wrong.  That is all.

Ambiance: It is a casual restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating. It's a very small spot so I would recommend making a reservation on the weekends. Tables are set with white table cloths, linen napkins, and a candle. The building has large windows so you almost feel like you're outside even when you're not. Our server was nice and asked us if we would like tap water or bottled water with our drinks. He gave great and honest recommendations for our food selections!

Side note: I wouldn't say that my fiance is picky but he definitely appreciates good food. One of our all time favorite restaurants is Linwoods; he said that B Bistro was just as good as Linwoods and that he looks forward to going back!!!

XoXo

Five on Friday

alleluia! I never thought this day would come ;) This week started out with my dog, Corrado being sick and is ending with me being sick. I am so ready to use this weekend to rest up and also get some errands done. Here are the top 5 things going on in my life at the moment:

1. It's beginning to look a little like Easter 'round here!

Easter chalkboard printable, Picture frame, Striped paper straws, Kitchen cart, Flower napkins, Clear napkin holder

2. Can't wait for lunch with my best friend tomorrow. That can always make a girl feel better, right?

3. And I might just treat myself to a mani pedi while I'm at it!

4. Looking forward to date night at B A Bolton Hill Bistro this weekend. Doesn't the menu sound delicious? You can bet I'll have a restaurant review post ready for Monday! And just a heads up for any of you who may want to try out this cute spot... make your reservations a few days in advance because they book up.

5. How adorable is my baby? He has alopecia caused by either allergies, anxiety, or genes. We have tried different diets- He has been on a strict salmon diet for a while now- so we think we can rule out the food allergy option. We have found that simply throwing some clothes on him, stops him from itching (which is helping his hair to grow back). Maybe it helps him to feel secure? It was that easy, who knew!? 

American Apparel dog hoodie

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XoXo

Home Solution: Keeping Bugs Out

As today is the official first day of Spring I wanted to share a home solution for keeping bugs out. We do not have a screen door at our back door but we love to keep it open when it's nice out. The dogs have the freedom of running in and out of the house (which they love) and we get lots of fresh air in the house (which Jon and I love). The thing I don't love about it: bugs flying into the house- particularly flies and they make the most annoying sounds especially when you're trying to sleep at night!

To fix this problem I used a cheap tension rod from walmart at the top of the doorway. Similar here.

Then I took sheer curtains (found here) that were in one of my spare bedrooms. I LOVE shopping in my own house. It doesn't cost anything and you are finding better ways to utilize items. Why should I have curtains hanging in a room that is only filled with boxes? No one is going to see them in there. They are getting better use now. I hung them from the tension rod in the doorway. The dogs can easily run in and out, fresh air blows through, and bugs STAY OUT.

(View from outside, looking into the house. Duke photo-bombing)

(View from inside, looking into the backyard. Duke waving to his brothers)

XoXo