Life lately...

Life has been pretty hectic lately now that we are down to less than a week before the wedding! Between work and doing last minute wedding projects, I haven't had much time to do anything... I've mentioned before that I've been MIA this summer and I owe my friends an apology. I can't wait for Fall and to have my life back :) ... can you believe I still haven't gotten to the beach yet?

Thank you all for understanding and hanging with me! When you are out of the house 50 hours out of the week for work, it is really hard to juggle pets, life chores and errands, a fiance, blogging, and planning a wedding in just 8 months. It doesn't help that I'm OCD and decided to scrub all the walls in my house this weekend... not like I had anything better to do, right!? ;)

Anyways, I'm glad Jon and I got to squeeze in brunch at Maggie's Farm this weekend. We will definitely be back... it was simply delicious.

This week I finished putting together gifts for the bridal party and parents. I hope everyone likes what we got them... I truly put my heart and love into each gift. It was so important to me for everyone to know how much I appreciate them!

Do you remember my post about the WeddingMix app? If not, you can see it here. I decided to put together this cute little sign which will be displayed on the guest book table.

That's about it folks. I don't have much more in me so this will be my last post before the wedding! Thursday is my rehearsal and rehearsal dinner, Friday is the bachelorette party, Saturday is my day of rest and pampering, Sunday is the big day, and Monday- Wednesday we will be at our family's beach house with our dogs (our honeymoon isn't until December and we will be going to Jamaica). I will be back next Thursday to start sharing all of the details!!!!

XoXo

MissionCute Box, August 2014

This months MissionCute box is benefiting Ekubo Ministries. If you don't know about MissionCute yet, let me explain! It is a monthly subscription box that costs as low as $29 a month. Each month, 50% of proceeds go to a different non profit charity. So whats not to love about this? YOU get a box full of cute goodies every month and A CHARITY gets a donation!!!

More about Ekubo Ministries- Ekubo Ministries is a Jesus-exalting and gospel-centered ministry working to reach the lost, disciple the saved, and socially develop different villages in Uganda, Africa.

I loved August's box... here's what it contained:

A bracelet made in Uganda by Ekubo Ministries. How cool is this bracelet? The fact that it was made in Uganda is amazing. I can't wait to wear this! I think it'll look great with outfits this Fall.

A gorgeous gray head wrap. I've been meaning to buy one of these for a while now so I was so happy to see this when I opened my box.

A mini Proper soap. Love, love, love bars of soap for my bathroom. I have the cutest soap tray for it to sit on!

A resuable cap for wine bottles. Um hello this is simply adorable and will get lots of use in my house.

A wall sparrow key holder. This is cute and doubles as a wistle :)

Haven't joined MissionCute yet? Well what are you waiting for?

XoXo

Friday Fall Favorites

Favorite home decor- This hanging pumpkin just $13 from The Rustic J.A.R Primitive Crafts

Favorite DIY-

and

Favorite drink- Apple Cider Slushies from Weber's Cider Mill Farm If you are local to Baltimore you HAVE to try it. It's simply amazing and yes, it does not even compare to Pumpkin Spice at Starbucks.

Favorite thing to do- Go to a Ravens game!

This is me a few years ago tailgating before a Ravens game. Someone held a babyshower in the parking lot. Only in Baltimore people, only in Baltimore.

Favorite food- Crab dip in a bread bowl. Warm, creamy, and the perfect dish for a football party!

Favorite front porch inspiration- I want garland over my door this year!

Favorite date- October 27th... because it's my birthday!!!

Okay so when do you all think it's appropriate to break out the Fall decor? I'm thinking early September!

Joining two link ups...

XoXo

Restaurant Review, Cunningham's Towson

I just want to start out by saying that I loved this spot and I can't wait to go back... it's perfect for both dinner and drinks with the girls and date night with the hubs.

Name: Cunningham's

Location: 1 Olympic Place Towson, Maryland 21204 It is located in the tall Towson University building (they provide complimentary valet if you park in that garage) that you can see from the Towson circle. It's right across from the mall and a block from all of the local bars so it is basically situated perfectly... and only 20 minutes (tops) from downtown Baltimore! 

It actually reminded me a lot of mine and Jon's favorite restaurant, Linwoods, because of 3 things: 1. It was absolutely beautiful inside 2. It's located in a business building 3. The kitchen is open so you can watch the chefs cook.

Prices: We thought that some things were priced too high and others were priced accurately. For instance we got the scallops appetizer ($12) and it only came with 2 medium sized scallops! Eek- definitely won't get that again, although the flavor was on point.

A glass of Albarino wine was $9 and Jon's beers were $7 a piece... a dollar or two more than I would have liked to spend (take note: Tuesday's are their half priced bottle of wine nights) 

Food: Like I said, we split the scallops as an appetizer (I forgot to take a picture of it). The scallops tasted fantastic and the green curry vinagrette was to die for. The only thing that I didn't like was the broccoli that comes with it, is served cold... oh and the fact that they only give you 2 freakin scallops!

I went with the local greens salad and mac and cheese. Okay ya'll the salad was absolutely amazing and I want to go back just to get that! It changes seasonally but this summer salad had watermelon, strawberrys, radish, pistachios, and goat cheese... mmmmm!

The mac and cheese was of course home made and they used white cheddar cheese topped with bread crums. Talk about melt in your mouth.

Jon got the "Creekstone Farms Cheeseburger". He enjoyed it but it was cooked as well done when he asked for medium well. No bigge... he still ate the whole thing in 10 minutes ;) oh and those fries- the best fries I've ever had. Similar to Thrashers (in OC)

Ambiance: We sat outside in the dining section. They also have a self seating section outside with lounge seating- it would be perfect for drinks and appetizers with friends (umm friends when would you like to get together?)! 

Inside was absolutely gorgeous... remember I said it reminded me of Linwoods? This is the perfect spot for dates and anniversarys!!! They have a separate room with the bar which is just as gorgeous and also a cool spot where you can sit "high-top" style and watch the chefs.

Wait... I almost left without mentioning the wine cellar right next to the hostess stand. This place was gorgeous people.

Want to remember this restaurant for the future? Pin it to Pinterest!

XoXo

Wedding Wednesday, WeddingMix App

Just 11 days until my wedding! Woah that's scary. And yet exciting all at the same time! I'm anxious to see all of my hard work pay off. I've spent lots of thought and hours on little details like my handmade programs, memory table, and welcome bags for overnight guests. Not to mention the money our families have put into this thing. One thing Jon and I decided not to include in the budget, was a videographer. It just wasn't important to us when we started planning. But then sometimes when I think about it, it would be nice to be able to see real footage from our wedding day- years down the road.

Not to worry though, I have the WeddingMix App. This is an app (free) that I will have my friends and family download onto their smart phones. (Ahem if any of you are reading this, please download this now and then ask me for my code :) Follow this link if you are an apple user, Follow this link if you are an android user) All they have to do is upload pictures and videos that they take at the wedding. Then I get a custom video made of everything. Something like this...

See how they put together all of the video clips and pictures that the guests took... Pretty cool huh? The best part is, packages start at just $99 to get the custom and professionaly edited video made (Don't forget, the actual app itself is free). One of the features that I LOVE is that I can specify what parts of the wedding that I want people to capture. Of course I want it all but this just lets people know what things are most important to me. Like, I better have a picture of our first kiss (hint, hint)!

For just an extra $50 you can get a web upload link and auto instagram feed. What this means is, you would come up with a custom hashtag (mine would be something like #BallCiemnyWed or #CiemnyWedding or #JonandJustine... you get this gist), you would tell all of your guests to use that hashtag when they upload pictures and videos to social media sites like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. THEN those pictures and videos will automatically be uploaded to your WeddingMix account. You won't have to worry about guests forgetting to download the app or forgetting to upload their pictures and videos to the app.

Their most popular package though is the "App & 4 cameras" which means you get everything that the first 3 basic packages offer plus 4 WeddingMix cameras to hand out to guests. 

Check out all of the packages here for more details!

If you can't already tell, I am very excited about this and I can't wait to share my custom video with you all after my wedding. As always, stay tuneddddd!!!

Want to remember this app for your upcoming wedding? Pin it to Pinterest!

XoXo

Do It Yourself Detox Drink

Okay so I'm kind of cheating... I don't have a food recipe to share today but I do have a drink recipe. A recipe for a detox drink to be specific. I'm getting married in less than 2 weeks and I wanted something to help me slim up... ya know, get rid of the extra bloat in my stomach. This simple drink will do just that while also ridding your body of all it's toxins. I've been drinking this every morning just because of the upcoming wedding but afterwards I will probably go down to a couple of days a week.

What you'll need:
1. Hot water
2. Half a lemon
3. Cayenne pepper

Monogrammed Mason Jar

What to do:
1. You'll need hot water so I have done this 2 ways- 1. When I have been in a rush in the morning I have turned my kitchen sink to the hottest it gets (mine in particular gets really hot) for a minute then I fill my glass up. 2. I boil water then pour it my glass until it's half full. Then I fill it the rest of the way with room temperature water.
2. Immediately after filling your glass with hot water, squeeze 1/2 of a lemon into it. Sometimes when I'm done I even throw the remaining lemon right into the water.
3. Sprinkle with cayenne pepper. Stir. (You can sprinkle as much or as little cayenne pepper as you like. I personally just do a little bit because it can get pretty spicy)

It is said that "Lemon juice and cayenne pepper both have anti-fungal, immune boosting, and detoxification properties. Lemon juice is great for digestion, destroying bacteria and cleansing the system - it supports the liver and kidneys to get rid of toxins.

Cayenne pepper increases metabolism, stimulates the circulatory system, aids digestion, helps regulate blood sugar and more. Put them together and you have a very powerful cleansing drink!" Source Enjoy :)

Want to remember this? Pin it to Pinterest!

XoXo

Weekend Recap

Ugh I am so sad that Monday is here. I had a great 3 day weekend and I never wanted it to end. Let's jump right into the recap!

If you follow me on here, instagram, or facebook you may have seen that on Friday I helped move my "little" brother into college (I say little in quotations because he is 6 years younger than me but, as you can see, A LOT taller than me... and I'm 5' 4"). He's going to WVU- the same college my sister currently attends (as a "super senior") and the same college I attended 7 years ago for a semester before I transferred to Towson University. As you can see WVU kinda runs in the family ;)

(Baltimore Bully Crew shirt. Please excuse my sweatpants and t-shirt... we left the house at 4am and I wanted to be comfortable for the ride. Don't worry, I changed after we got settled in!)

Look at the line to move into his dorm! 

We had his farewell lunch at Primanti Bros (known for their amazing sandwiches and I have to say their veggie black bean burger was to die for)

I really enjoyed helping James move in and being a part of his big day. Today is his first day of classes and I pray it goes smoothly for him!

Saturday Jon and I had brunch at Freddies Ale House before he had to work. That evening I wasn't feeling so hot so I took that opportunity to catch up on all of my recorded shows on my DVR. I was craving guacamole and chips but didn't have the normal guacamole mix that I use... so I improvised. How many of ya'll love Tastefully Simple products? And specifically the Simply salsa mix? I know I do and I always have some on hand. So I took 1 avocado and mixed in 1/2 cup of the simply salsa mix, plus a spoonful of sour cream. If I had lime and lemon juice I would have added some of that too! It was SO good and I definitely suggest trying it.

(mirrored tray similar here)

Sunday morning I was up bright and early to run some errands (tanning, a trip to the pet store, and ikea for a small haul). I found a great bedspread set at ikea for just $39 and I couldn't pass it up because we have been needing a new bedspread for a while now. I just love how it looks on my mix match bed! What do you think?

(headboard, monogram sheet set, throw pillow, bedspread set)

Joining this link up today!

XoXo