4 Year Wedding Anniversary

Today Whit and I are celebrating four years of marriage! It really does just seem like yesterday that we were walking down the aisle. He proposed to me on October 19, 2012 in the cutest little tree house at one of my favorite plantations and we got married exactly one year later. I'm so thankful for the love we have for each other and how it continues to grow each year. We just got back from celebrating in Italy, which was amazing! I'll be sharing a recap of our trip soon. In the meantime, I'll be reminiscing over our special day, which you can read about here or watch here. 

Cheers to four years! 

Out of Office...

Photo Credit: Conde Nast Traveler

Vacation time is finally here and I am so excited! This trip will be a little different than normal for us, being that we normally choose tropical places with warm temps. I'm actually looking forward to the change of pace and exploring new parts of the world. I'll be following up with a recap when I return. Italy, here we come!

Have a great week!!

Charleston Dining | Angel Oak Restaurant

But first, brunch! 

Sunday's are for brunching here in Charleston and there is no shortage of excellent places to go. Today I want to share with you a favorite of ours, a place that I feel is a little hidden gem — Angel Oak Restaurant! We tend to frequent this place when Whit's parents come in town. It's a small, quaint little spot, with a rustic and cozy setting, located on Savannah highway near John’s Island. Think good southern comfort food made with local ingredients. From country fried steak, to beignets and eggs benedict, their menu has something that will satisfy all your cravings.They serve lunch, brunch, and dinner, with weekly specials such as a prix fixe menu for dinner on Tuesday's, Wednesday wine specials, and bottomless mimosas on Sunday.

Photo Cred: Angel Oak Restaurant

Their brunch is my favorite! I'm a lover of crab cake benedicts and theirs is hard to resist. And if you're an indecisive person like I am, the trio of benedicts is the way to go. One Low Country benedict, which comes with a crab cake and friend green tomato, one regular egg benedict, and one country fried steak and egg. What more could you want?!

Trio of Benedicts

Low Country Benedict

Oh and don't forget to order a plate of their house made beignets! Dusted with powdered sugar and served with chocolate dipping sauce, they are worth every calorie! I'm getting hungry just thinking about all of this food.

They also offer specials, like these delicious crepes, stuffed with lemon mascarpone cheese, drizzled with honey. If you ask me, this needs to be added to the menu permanently. 

If you're looking for something a little more savory, the Croque Madame is an excellent choice. This toasted ham and cheese sandwich is topped with a fried egg, finished with mornet sauce and served with an arugula salad. It's also another favorite of mine. Speaking of favorites, I don't have a photo of the pimento cheese grits, but...pimento cheese, need I say more? You can't go wrong with anything at this place. 

Angel Oak Restaurant is also just seven miles away from the beautiful, historic Angel Oak tree, so you can have brunch and do some sightseeing. Sounds like a perfect afternoon to me. 

Where are some of your favorite brunch spots in Charleston?

Life Lately July | Coastal Living

Summer may be over, but it sure doesn't feel like it here in Charleston. We are fortunate that our warm weather usually lingers until around mid October.  We had a blast this summer, enjoying much of our time on the water and I'm hopeful that we will be able to take advantage of a few more boat days like this before the cool weather creeps in. 

Whit and I spent Fourth of July weekend here in Charleston and enjoyed some time out on the water.

Several of us got together to celebrate my friend Lauren's 29th Birthday with a festive backyard BBQ.

I brought these yummy strawberry cheesecake bars for dessert. 

We attended a beautiful wedding for one of our family members at Magnolia Plantation. Most of Whit's family was there which was really nice. The last time we were all together at a formal event was our wedding day. 

I loved the vintage photo booth bus that was there. I've seen a lot of booths, but never a bus. It was so adorable. 

We often find ourselves at Angel Oak Restaurant for brunch when Whit's parents come in town. If you haven't been there before, run! Everything is so delicious, especially these house-made beignets. 

I'm obsessed with these oxygen eye masks. I was given them to try and now I'm hooked. I really felt like they reduced the puffiness under my eyes and left me looking and feeling refreshed, which is a win in my book. 

A delicious poke bowl from Beech Test Kitchen that was located at Workshop. I say was because something new has since replaced it. Workshop is a trendy food court with a rotating selection of food options from emerging and renowned chefs. The best part about it, there's always something new to try. Don't worry though, if you didn't make it there in time to try one of these fresh and flavorful bowls, Beech has a permanent location downtown.

July was also the month that we said farewell to one of my favorite items on the menu at Edmund's Oast...

The infamous pickled shrimp toast made it's last few runs and I nearly wanted to cry. This was one of the best things on the menu and I'm so sad that they took it away. On the bright side, the recipe was posted publicly. I'll let you know when I attempt it on my own...but I just don't think I'm ready yet. 

We may have ordered quite a few.

Tracey Lawrence made a stop in Charleston on his tour, so naturally Whit and I had to go. We love a good country concert, especially the good old stuff.

One of my favorite events of the summer- the Beaufort Water Festival! It's a two week long celebration that takes place in Beaufort, SC. The sandbar is where we spend most of the weekend, us and 100's of other people. It's basically like a high school/family reunion for many of us.

Our good friends welcomed a sweet little baby boy into the world. Emmett James, five days old and just as cute as can be. I was so excited to meet him.

Round two of the Beaufort Water Festival did not disappoint.

I took a quick 24 hour trip to Nashville for work but managed to squeeze in some good food while I was there. We had an amazing dinner at a new spot called Henley. I loved everything about this place, from the food to the decor. I'm hoping to find time to check out a few other places when I go back next week.

Shrimp and Orzo Salad

We had friends over for dinner a while ago and I was in the mood for a light and simple meal. Whit had been bugging me to make this shrimp recipe he found online so this seemed like the perfect time to do it. There were a few things I would do differently the next time around, so I decided to put those modifications in this recipe post! This salad is very light and fresh and can be served as the main dish or a side. It would be perfect to take to a dinner party or the last of the outdoor BBQ's before winter creeps in.

Did I mention I love orzo? It's good served alone, added to soups, salads, casseroles, you name it. The versatility is great!  What are some of your favorite orzo recipes?

Shrimp and Orzo Salad

Ingredients

2 lbs. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp. smoked paprika

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp. sea salt, plus more to taste

3 cups orzo (cooked)

1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves, chopped plus 4 to 6 whole leaves for garnish

4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Instructions

1.     Peel and devein and rinse shrimp

2.     In a bowl, stir together the shrimp, 1/4 cup olive oil, paprika, red pepper flakes and the 1/2 tsp. salt. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.

3.     Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the orzo, stir well and cook according to package instructions, until al dente.

4.     Meanwhile, in a skillet over medium-high heat, warm 2 Tbs. olive oil. Drain the shrimp, discarding of the marinade and add them to the skillet. Cook about 1 to 2 minutes until the shrimp are opaque throughout.

5.     Transfer the shrimp and any juices to a bowl, cover and keep warm.

6.     Drain the orzo and transfer to a warm serving bowl. Add the cooked shrimp and their juices and mix together well.

7.     Top with chopped basil and feta cheese and gently stir. Garnish with the whole basil leaves and serve immediately. 

Serves 6 to 8.

Recent Purchases

Happy Sunday! It's a gloomy day here in Charleston due to the effects of hurricane Irma that are headed our way. We are so fortunate that the path changed slightly but we are not completely in the clear. The lowcountry is still preparing for flooding and strong winds. Prayers go out to all of those that have been in the path of this awful storm. 

There has been so much going on lately that I haven't been able to give much time to the blog. This afternoon consisted of sitting inside with my favorite candle burning with the windows open, enjoying this fall like weather — which may be the only bright side to this hurricane. It seemed like a good time to work on a post.

I've been on a mission lately to find a few new outfits to take with me on my upcoming trip to Italy. Sadly I haven't had a whole lot of luck. I love everything I've ordered, but some things were the wrong size and others just didn't fit my petite frame, so there will be some returns. My bank account is happy about that — me, not so much. Here are some of my recent  purchases, plus a few other things I've got my eyes on.

Reflecting + A Giveaway with Jord Watches

Do certain times of the year ever remind you of specific memories and big milestones in your life? It happens to me all the time. That and well my Timehop app quickly reminds me daily of what was going on in my life in previous years. This time four years ago, I was attending the last of my bridal showers, finishing up my wedding plans, and my husband Whit and I were moving into our very first home together. 

It's hard to believe we bought our house four years ago. I thought Whit was crazy the day that he told me he wanted to put an offer in, as I quickly realized that would mean we would be moving in just two months before we said "I do." It was a bit chaotic at the time, but I'm so thankful we did it. It was so nice to come home after our wedding and honeymoon to a home that was ours. 

We've done little projects here and there and still don't have everything exactly how we want it, but rumor has it we never will. Who knew owning a home would be so much work? But on that same note, who knew that turning a house into a home would be so rewarding. They say time flys when you're having fun. And on that note.....

I have an awesome giveaway for you. Today it's one for the the guys! I was so excited for the opportunity to partner with Jord watches. Whit loves a good watch and I couldn't wait for him to get one of these versatile beauties to add to his collection. 

These are very unique men's watches because the band is made out of wood. This particular watch is made out of dark sandlewood and looks so sleek with the emerald green face. Don't worry, if you aren't into the emerald green, there are other color options to choose from. 

I also love that Jord offers engraving. An engraved wooden watch makes for the perfect gift! They have so many beautiful options to choose from. The full selection can be seen here. The watch itself also comes beautifully packed in a nice wooden box. I'm a sucker for good packaging. One thing to note if ordering one of these, specific measurements of the wrist are necessary in ensuring they send the right size for a proper fit.

In case your wondering, Jord also offers a unique selection of women's watches as well. I'll be adding one of these to my wishlist! 

I'm excited to share a giveaway with you for one a $100 E Gift code to use on of these dapper men's watches! Click here to enter!

The giveaway will close September 10th at 11:59pm. As a reminder, winner receives $100 E Gift Code. All other entrants receive a $25 E Gift Code. The $100 and $25 Gift Codes will expire October 31st, 2017.

Watch Gift Ideas