Charleston Wine + Food Festival

I had a blast at the Charleston Wine & Food Festival this past weekend. The weather was beautiful, with a slight chill in the air but the sun was shining. I spent all of my time in the culinary village which had endless bites to sample and beverages to taste. Although there were no cocktails for me this year, I filled my wine glass up with water and headed straight for the food!

I sampled so many dishes from some amazing and talented chefs from all over. Here were some of my favorites.

I wish I could remember what these yummy little cakes were called but all I know is they reminded me of oatmeal cream pies but better! 

The second thing I got my hands on as soon as I got there was this creamy chocolate chocolate chip ice cream from Republic Ice Cream. My pregnancy cravings took me right to the sweet treats. 

I thought the whole idea of this booth was great. Beer paired with chocolate and cheese, what's not to love about that. I skipped the beer portion but I did enjoy the cheese samples. 

Maybe I'm biased but I think food tastes better when it's prepared in Le Creuset and this dish was delicious. 

A tasty bowl of Pho as the perfect way to warm up as a late afternoon chill moved in. 

My weekend wasn't all play. There was some work thrown in there as well, but the fun kind. Le Creuset had a booth in the Corkyard, showcasing our newest color, Provence. We also sold our new cookbook that launched at the end of last year. 

 I'm loving the new color. It's perfect for Spring and outdoor entertaining. 

We also partnered with Wine & Design as they painted the beautiful fields of lavender which inspired the new color.

The lines were a little longer on day two but that didn't keep us from seeking out the good stuff. 

This asparagus tartine with goat cheese from Chef Matthew Ward of Rutlege Cab Co was so good. I'm determined to recreate these at home for a spring dinner party. 

I may or may not have had two servings of this in less than five minutes. This time I went for the cookies and cream. 

One of my favorite dishes at the festival was this New York Strip from Oak Steakhouse in Atlanta. It was worth the twenty minutes Whit had to wait in line to get a plate. 

Not only was this display from The Harbinger Cafe adorable, the cookies tasted even better than they looked!

La Farm Bakery was in the Artisan Market with a set up fit for the carb lover like me. I couldn't resist buying one of their white chocolate baguettes. These things are dangerously good.

Great food, good weather and even better company! Until next year!

January Life Lately

February is basically over and here I am looking back wondering where January went. 2018 has been going by so fast!

Whit and I started off the year with an exciting announcement!

And also a delicious meal at Early Bird Diner- a great place for comfort food and one of Whit's favorite spots. Of course I had to get a traditional New Years Day meal for good luck!

Our good friends welcomed a baby girl into their family. We immediately went to the hospital as soon as we could to meet Miss Rosie Stokes!

One of the highlights of the year- SNOW! Something we hardly ever see in Charleston and there was a lot of it.

 Whit enjoyed a bourbon cocktail while I sipped on a warm cup of non-alcoholic hot chocolate.

 Oh, and we also found out the gender of our baby!

 The snow was pretty while it lasted, but by about day four, we were ready for it to melt.

 Monster despises sweater weather.

I was asked to bring a veggie tray to a party, so I decided to create a fun one of my own.

I'm obsessed with this lightweight green necklace I bought in Italy.

And Monster is obsessed with only Whit.

We had brunch at Lowcountry Bistro. It had been years since I had eaten there. We went with the mac and cheese, apple and cinnamon french toast and chicken and waffles.

I like the the french toast was served with savory sides.

The mac and cheese with jumbo lump crab, lobster mornay caramelized onions, tasso ham and herb panko.

Restaurant week at Indaco was nothing short of amazing!

Dessert is my new thing now and this salted caramel gelato hit the spot!

A quick visit with girlfriends afterwards.

I've been trying to stick to a regular gym routine throughout this pregnancy. I traded my weights in for my boxing gloves the other day which made for a perfect arm workout.

If you haven't had The Daily's avocado toast, you're missing out. I would have normally topped this with a runny egg but since that's on my cannot eat list, I opted for the tomato.

I've also been trying to incorporate more barre classes into my workout routines. It's a great class to take while pregnant. 

Nursery furniture shopping with the Mr. I think he secretly enjoyed although it wouldn't appear that way in this photo.

I picked up these adorable light weight tassel earrings at Celadon (while furniture shopping.)

I received a free week of Hello Fresh so Whit and I tested out some of their recipes. I still think it's a great concept and it did save me lots of time in the kitchen having everything readily available, but my only complaint is not having leftovers. We typically cook enough to last us a few meals and that's my only issue with Hello Fresh.

22 Week Pregnancy Update + Baby Purchases

21 Weeks

22 Weeks

How far along? 22 weeks and 1 day

Baby’s size: He is the size of a spaghetti squash and is almost one pound.

Weight gain: I've gained a total of 10.2 lbs.

Energy: Still holding strong with my energy levels, although some days more than others, but overall I can't complain.

Appetite & Food Cravings: Still enjoying sweets! I never pass on the dessert menu when we're out to eat. I just can't so no to ice cream and gelato right now! Which by the way, I had the best strawberry goat cheese ice cream by Cirsea! It has such a unique, tangy and rich flavor. On that note, my next doctor appointment in three weeks is the glucose test...which means I've got to get myself under control before then!

Things I Miss UPDATE: I hope I'm not judged for saying this but a nice cold beer would have been great this past weekend. It's beginning to get warm here in Charleston which means time to put the boat in the water. And an ice cold adult beverage goes hand in hand with that. But it's all worth the wait!

Workouts: Last weekend I had one of the best workouts since being pregnant. I had so much energy throughout the entire red zone class and it stuck with me the whole day. I'm not sure if it was my breakfast choice that fueled the workout or what, but I would love for it to continue. Meanwhile, I'm still getting my fair share of time on the treadmill, which can be boring at times but I feel so much better afterwards. 

Sleep: I've decided to forgo a pregnancy pillow but we will see if that decision remains the same in the coming months. Two king size pillows and three regular sized ones seem to be doing the trick at the moment.

Movement: The best feeling ever and I love it! It's really hard to put into words. It's so comforting to feel those sweet little thumps in my belly. 

Wardrobe: I'm now the proud owner of three pairs of maternity jeans. I must say, being petite throws an extra layer of issues in the shopping for clothes department. The jeans I bought are way too long, but I'm rolling them for now to make due. Other than that, they are pretty comfy. And in the meantime, I'm determined to find petite white jeans for spring. Preferably some that I don't have to get altered. Suggestions welcomed!

Baby Items Acquired: My mom came in town last weekend and we took advantage of some of the President's Day Sales. Here's a peak at some of the things we got.

These onsies are so simple and cute. I figured I can probably never have too many of them. My mom also couldn't refrain from buying him a sweet little stuffed animal, similar to this one. When I was born, I was given a stuffed animal and named him "baby." I ended up taking that thing everywhere with me, so I'm hoping to find a similar stuffed animal for him as well. I also purchased a cute sail boat I found at the Mt. Pleasant Mall to go on the non-existent bookshelf I've yet to purchase. This one is similar.  It was just too cute to pass up!

I also finally got the glider that I've had my eye on for a while now, similar to this one. Oh, and I'll be sharing some nursery inspiration photos soon. And I couldn't do all that shopping without purchasing some things for myself. I bought this soft PJ set and this over sized night shirt. There's nothing better than being comfy when going to bed. And these are actually not maternity, but I figured the over size fit would work perfect for my growing belly. And last but not least, as I mentioned, it was time to move on to maternity jeans. I didn't want to invest a lot in these with warm weather just around the corner, so I found a good light and dark jean wash and also a  black pair. I've linked some of the same or similar products I bought below.

22 Weeks

21 Weeks

Previous Updates: Pregnancy Announcement | 16 Weeks & Gender Announcement | 18 Weeks | 20 Weeks

For the Love of Blush: Valentine's Gifts for Her

Give me all the blush things, please! There is something so pretty and calming about this color. It also gets me really excited for Spring! And what better time to compile a list in this color scheme than with Valentine's Day right around the corner. Husband of mine, if you're reading this, you have plenty of things to choose from. : )