Striking My Fancy: A Baby and A Wedding

~BFF since 2nd grade~

It's Friday again, thanks to the holiday making it a short week, and though the Mr is away on a bachelors weekend, I have quite the full schedule! Two of my closest, dearest, and oldest friends are going through major life changes and I'm thrilled to be sharing in such a joyous and momentous time in their lives. The beauty pictured below is due to have a sweet baby girl any day now (which will make me an Auntie) and is unfortunately on bed rest until then, so I'm going for a visit tonight and bringing a romantic, girly movie along with me. Tomorrow involves the gorgeous brunette pictured above, who got engaged almost two weeks ago (her fiancé proposed at the finish line of his iron man competition...how.stinkin'.sweet.). She informed me yesterday of her first appointment to try on wedding dresses (eeeeekkkkkkkk!!!!!!) and lucky me gets to tag along. This will be followed by a girls night slumber party, involving sappy movies, lots of giggles, and sweets; while the hubs is away, the gals will play!

Cheers to the weekend y'all!

~BFF since high school~

~This chevron top is my new fave~

~I got my hydrangeas to sprout back to life!~

Neon + Stripes

Top-Lilly Pulitzer (similar here), Shorts-Gap, Wedges-Steve Madden, Belt-J Crew

I know I've mentioned (on more than one occasion) my desire to find a fun top to pair with my fabulous navy and white striped shorts and lo and behold, I found a winner right in my own closet! As of last week, I still had a few spring/summer items tucked away in storage (living in an apartment with one closet will do that to you, and yes I did say one, and yes that is meant literally, as in it's what MAC and I share and there is no other closet, not even for a vacuum...can you tell this bothers me?!). I dug through the stash to see if anything caught my eye for our trip and I stumbled upon this neon orange tube top that I thought would look so fun and breezy tucked into my new favorite shorts! Apparently my outfit choice was a good one because I was approached by a fashion blog while shopping in a store in Seaside and asked if they could take pictures of my outfit; very flattering, and MAC was even photographed as well!

Hope y'all have a great Thursday!

Bookworm Wednesday

~So wish I was back on the beach reading the day away~

As mentioned yesterday, our first stop in Seaside was the bookstore and that's where I picked up "Saving CeeCee Honeycutt". I found it in the Southern Literature section of the store and to be honest, I mainly chose it because the story takes place in Savannah, Ga; I just love being able to picture the streets and places that are discussed! So far I have loved this southern novel about a young girl who grows up in a disfunctional home and eventually gets the opportunity to live with her sweet, wealthy Aunt, who attempts to give the girl a normal and healthy environment where she can find herself and learn about life. It's very well written with a variety of colorufl characters and that sweet, southern flare that I love. I highly recommend this book and this author, who has a more recent novel out that I believe is based in Charleston, South Carolina; that one is on my list to read as well!

Hope you have a beautiful day!

~Bookworm Nerd Alert: I found a new bookstore in Rosemary Beach that the hubs was hoping I wouldn't see (he spotted it first), but unfortunately for him, I did (sidenote-I'd already dragged him into about 3 other bookstores); he should know better than that by now because I'm like a dog with keen senses that can sniff out a new bookstore a mile away...sorry MAC and thanks for being so willing to snap this goofy pic of me in my happy place :)~

Back to Reality

~Drinks at Bud and Alley's Taco Bar~

How is it Tuesday already? Almost a week ago I was basking in the gloriousness of being at the beach and off work for 5 whole days, and now I'm staring in disbelief at a clock telling me I'm due back to the daily grind in 2 hours! Sigh. I'm already daydreaming of my next getaway and may or may not have done some research into homes for sale off of good ol 30A...

Anywho, the Mr. and I had an absolutely fantastic time, with the most gorgeous weather you could ask for. We ate delicious fresh fish, sipped on Strawberry Mohitos and Margaritas (even popped some bubbly at a night picnic on the beach, that also involved Oreos, and it was divine), sunbathed ALL day, shopped some local boutiques (literally our first stop from the drive was Sundog books in Seaside, which MAC obligingly agreed to, though he was quite hungry), and even met up with some sweet friends from home. All in all it was good for our soul to breathe in that salt air and feel the powdery sand between our toes.

Hope y'all had a fantastic 3 day weekend and took a minute to remember why we were able to have extra time off to spend with loved ones! Thank you to our troops who serve this great country and provide us with freedom!

Here are a few snapshots of our trip and good luck back to work today!

~Spot where MAC proposed a little less than two years ago~

~Food truck row in Seaside~

~Stud of a hubby~

~LOVE these fish paintings~

~Best Strawberry Mohito at Great Southern~

~Random picture, I know, but I loved my view of the flowers and light blue adirondack chairs as I happily waited in line to eat at the famous Donut Hole~

~Where we ate at the night we got engaged, which has now become our favorite restaurant~

~God Bless America~

Beach, Here We Come!

It's Thursday and this girl is still in bed attempting to get as much rest as possible to ward off this cold before it's time to hit the road for our anniversary/Memorial Day trip; I'm desperately trying everything, ie-hot tea, warm baths, medication etc. to fight off whatever is trying to attack me! What are the odds of this happening right before a vacation?! Oh well, I'm putting on my big girl pants, have my mind set that I'm not going to complain and quite determined not to let this minor setback rob me of joy for my much anticipated beach trip. Good luck cold, because I'm a fighter when it comes to you and ain't nobody got time for that! Plus, a bit of sunshine and saltwater is good for the soul, no?! Crossing my fingers nature works its magic on me!

 Hope everyone has a sun filled, relaxing, cold drink sippin' Memorial Day and I'll be back to regular posts next Tuesday! Au Revoir, Sayonara, Peace Out, or as we southerners like to say, Bye Y'all!

P.S. Follow me on Instagram for pictures of our travels (laurinashley15)!

P.P.S These pictures are from Seaside a year ago on our honeymoon and I seriously can't wait to have this be my view for the next four days..."heaven on earth"is my lil nickname for this beachside town.

Bookworm Wednesday

As you may have noticed in my picture from Monday, I am currently reading "Where'd You Go, Bernadette". If you're in the market for a light, entertaining read, then this is your ticket! It is utterly hilarious characterized by a very dry, witty humor and is written in quite a unique style. And let's be honest, if you're like me and judge a book by its cover, this one's a no brainer right?! 

Since I am most likely going to finish reading this gem tonight, I plan on stopping at one of my favorite bookstores in Seaside (Sundog Books) on our way into town tomorrow to pick up a new read! I was toying with starting the mystery series by Alan Bradleystarring an 11 year old detective by the name of Flavia, but am open to any suggestions y'all might have of a great beach read! Don't be shy now and please share if you have a good recommendation!!

Cheers to the last full day of work for me this week and here's to hoping I am not coming down with a cold/allergies right before our anniversary trip! Prayers welcome :)

Chocolate Chip Blondies

There's really no need for me to express my love affair with sweets, because everyone that has read this blog for a bit should know that is a well known fact about me (hence the reason my blog name captures the word sweet in its title). When we had company over the other night, I decided to bake a little something to satiate the dessert lovers palette by way of a Chocolate Chip Blondie. I typically keep ingredients for cookies/brownies on hand and at the ready for those unexpected times you have an impromptu get together (or in my case, when you have a craving and need to satisfy it right that minute), so rather than running to the store and purchasing a preservative filled dessert, you can offer your guests a scrumptious, fresh treat. 

Sweets that involve simplicity and ooey, gooey goodness are a necessity in my book folks! Try this recipe the next time you're scrambling around for a simple dessert to whip up (it only calls for a handful of ingredients that you most likely have in your pantry).

P.S. I have a weakness for dark chocolate, so those are the type of chips I used, which gave the blondies a slightly less "sugary" feel and more of a rich, decadent taste.

Weekend Goings On

~My new fave nail color, Essie-Bikini So Teeny, and a hilariously fun new read~

Good morning y'all! Hope everyone had a lovely weekend! We sure enjoyed ourselves by catching up with my parents when they returned home from California (after a slight scare with an emergency landing in Dallas), watching an NCAA golf tournament, visiting with my in laws who were in town to watch MAC and I get baptized (more on that later), celebrating our first year of marriage (the real celebration begins Thursday as we head out of town for vacation), and lastly, with a fish fry (fresh from MAC's successful fishing trip last weekend) with some sweet, dear friends. Whewwwww...quite the busy weekend, but so enjoyable and so special. 

Happy Monday and hope the week gets off to a great start!

~Wine brought back to us from Napa Valley~

~The man of my dreams/apple of my eye of a WHOLE year~

One Year

I had no idea that my life would change forever when I met Michael Alan Crosby Jr on a fishing trip back in 2009 shortly after moving to Savannah. The past 4 years of dating, being engaged, and now married have been absolutely incredible. It still blows my mind that this Sunday marks our one year wedding anniversary, so I guess the old adage is true, time sure does fly when you're having fun. 

Marriage is an indescribable, complete blessing and I thank God daily that He created the perfect man for me in my life. MAC is incredible, loving, thoughtful, selfless, fun, Godly, uplifting, encouraging, funny, and in all ways, just amazing. I am one blessed wife and could not be more grateful for the gift of marriage to this man. Happy Anniversary Mr. I love you to infinity and beyond and look forward to living life with you and 70 more anniversaries!