14 Days of Love Instagram Challenge!

There are a few very tall Pine trees that were swaying like crazy last night! We didn't get a big storm or any tornadoes, just a ton of wind and a cold front. 

It has been at least a year since I have completed a photo-a-day challenge. When I saw this on created by Mandy of Miss Indie, I felt inspired! As everyone knows, Valentine's Day is coming up and she thought it would be fun to do a photo challenge all about the things you love! 

Each day will have a different theme, and you just have to take a picture of that item that you love (movie you love, favorite possession you love, quote you love, etc), and use the hashtag #14DaysofLove.

I'm really excited about this photo-a-day challenge! You can see my photo each day by following me on Instagram (@eeelishalynn), starting Feb 1st and ending on Valentine's Day when I will post a collage of my photos for those who do not have Instagram (Hi Grandma, Hi Grandpa!). 

I can't wait to share the love!

My Weekend, In Snapshots

to see my weekend, on instagram (follow me @eeelishalynn)

Left to right, top to bottom:

1) We spent some time on Saturday touring the grounds of a possible wedding venue. Apparently even though we have 13 months until our wedding, we are already behind on booking a venue!

2) Picking up dinner from Moe's in Briar Creek. They have a fancy soda machine that will mix any soda with a fruit flavor syrup! I got Strawberry Lemonade. 

3) So much baby kitten love.

4) The temp so we turned off the A/C and left the sliding door to the balcony open when we were home. When the door is open Skwisgaar is glued to this spot. He loves watching cars and people go by.

5) I made an 8am run for Pumpkin spice coffee and wedding magazines.

6) I made a pitcher of kiwi pineapple spa water on Sunday afternoon with left over fruit.

We had a relaxing weekend with some wedding excitement tossed in. We are looking forward to spending next weekend in Virginia with friends to celebrate my best friend Kristin's wedding!

My Weekend, in Snapshots

 To see my weekend, on instagram (follow me @eeelishalynn)

Left to right, top to bottom:

1) Dinner at The Remedy Diner! Mom and Dana looking pretty.

2) Aaron, Me and Dad!

3) Taking in some fine art at a gallery on Fayetteville St. during First Friday.

4) On Saturday we went to the Farmers Market Restaurant for breakfast then walked around the farmers market. We picked up some peaches, a cantaloupe and honey sticks. Mom spotted these beautiful flowers. Later in the afternoon, Mom, Dana and I went to cool off at the pool while Aaron and Dad watched the Olympics and snoozed with Skwisgaar. On Saturday night Mom, Dad, Dana and I went to Target to pick up a few new items for our apartment and then enjoyed dinner at Lynnwood Grill.

5) Family lunch before Mom and Dad left to drive back to MD.

6) Skwisgaar being the cutest!

7) Dana and I made dinner on Sunday night. The menu included seared polenta cakes with goat cheese, caramelized onions,  sauteed spinach, and Trader Joes' ravioli.

8) After dinner we popped over to Citizen Yogurt for Frozen Yogurt goodness and brought it home to enjoy while we watched Big Easy Express, it was so good!

My Weekend, in Snapshots

To see my weekend, on instagram (follow me @eeelishalynn)

Left to right, top to bottom:

1) We were invited to a pot luck dinner at our friend's house on Friday evening to watch the Olympic opening ceremonies. On the way, we stopped at Food Lion to pick up beer and discovered this beauty already on shelves!

2) Everyone at dinner happy to be together, confused about the opening ceremony presentation, and waiting to see team USA!

3) Saturday morning was nice and lazy. I cooked brunch, we played with Skwisgaar, and we watched a few Olympic events. After lunch we decided to check out a few thrift stores that I had bookmarked on Yelp. I found a dish, a mint julep cup and a mason jar at the Durham Rescue Misson's Bargain Center and this amazing vintage table at Father & Son's Antiques downtown. It was out of my budget though :(

4) The top floor of Father & Son's Antiques is an art gallery. I was oddly drawn to the telephone with the antlers...

5) After all of our treasure hunting we walked over to The Raleigh Times for a late lunch/ early dinner.

6) On our way home we stopped at the Cupcake Shoppe. They were celebrating their 5th year of business and were giving away free mini cupcakes! We tried a few at the shop (these were Mimosa and maple) and bought two regular size cupcake for later. Yum! There was a huge thunderstorm Saturday night so we decided to stay home with Skwisgaar, enjoy our cupcakes and watch more Olympics.

7) On Saturday we video chatted with our families, cleaned the apartment, took on the laundry, and ran a few errands. Obviously this jar of magical deliciousness found a new home in our refrigerator. I don't know how I had gone so long without it...

8) We went to see and afternoon screening of Ted at the Raleigh Grande. Aaron liked it, but I was not so impressed.

What did you do this weekend?

My Weekend, in Snapshots

To see my weekend, on instagram (follow me @eeelishalynn)

Left to right, top to bottom:

1) On Friday night we went downtown to celebrate with a friend of a friend who had won a Luau Party at Rum Runners. There was a tasty free BBQ chicken buffet and a dueling piano show! Our group enjoyed making song requests, dancing and singing along! I snapped this photo of the sassy half off shots menu.

2) A duel to the death? Don't be so dramatic! After Rum Runners we stopped by The Big Easy and The Hive.

3) Shining Hollywood stars in the floor of our local movie theater. Aaron and I went to a matinee of The Amazing Spider-Man.  After the last round of Spidey movies, I was a little skeptical, but I am glad that we decided to go see this one. (Cinema Sunday review coming next week.)

4) Awkward bathroom mirror shot of what I wore around town and to the movies on Saturday. I love this scarf! It was only $4 at Walmart. After the movie we drove across town to have lunch at the Hibachi China Buffet. 

5) Our first time going to the Crabtree Mall. We went to the Apple Store to get Aaron's iphone fixed, and then we took a lap around the mall to see what stores and restaurants were there. The mall was very quiet since we were there before noon on Sunday morning.

6) A beautiful bright red plane hanging up in the mall outside of Red Monkey. We took a peek at their menu that was posted outside of the front door. I can't wait to have dinner there with friends or family!

7) The key rack/ mail organizer/ chalkboard that I ordered on Etsy arrived! I hung it up in our entry way as soon as I picked it up from the office. The mason jar is holding our spare change until I buy pick some flowers to pop in there.

8) Oh yeah, and we adopted this guy from the Wake County SPCA on Sunday afternoon. Meet Skwisgaar!

My Weekend, in Snapshots

To see my weekend, on instagram (follow me @eeelishalynn)

Left to right, top to bottom:

1) On our way to meet a few friends downtown we stopped to have a chat with the Trolley Pub driver. After that we continued on to the Raleigh Times where the street was closed off for a First Friday celebration. We didn't make it to any of the art galleries, but we did enjoy drinking $2 PBR in the street and dancing to the live music!

2) Tail end of the big 4th of July sale at Mattress Firm. We bought a new new bed for our guest room. Come visit Raleigh and stay with us! No creepers.

3) After driving all around Raleigh on Saturday we stopped for a snack at Citizen Yogurt. They had more toppings than I have ever seen at a frozen yogurt shop!

4) Yum! Aaron and I both got peanut butter frozen yogurt swirled with pomegranate/berry sorbet, just like an ice cold PB&J.

5) Spending some time in the Wake County SPCA kitten room.

6) Nap time for a pair of cute pups.

7) On Sunday we went to Trader Joe's and Food Lion in the morning and then I spent the afternoon building a vanity table for our bedroom. 

8) Success! Now I have the perfect place to store and apply makeup!