Life Lately

Happy Friday, y'all!  Mike's family is headed into town this weekend, and we can't wait to do all of our favorite Charleston things with them.  Here's my five on Friday:

1. Running: Over the last few weeks, we participated in a few 5ks for great causes.  The first race was actually a walk, organized by Water Mission, to raise awareness for the global water crisis by carrying buckets of unfiltered water in solidarity with women and children across the world who make walks like this everyday.  We saw firsthand how water filtration systems work to help distribute clean water around the world.

The following weekend, we participated in the Doughnut Dash 5k for the Race 4 Achievement Scholarship Fund.  We ran a mile and a half down the greenway to Krispy Kreme where we ate a dozen donuts as a team, and ran back.  That's my kind of race! #caloriesburnedcaloriesearned

The final race, to benefit the Lowcountry Food Bank, was the Food Truck Rally 5k.  I really enjoyed this trail run through Middleton Place Woodlands, and afterwards, we were rewarded with a finisher's medal (that doubles as a bottle opener!) and tons of food truck food.  Mike met me at the finish line with delicious sandwiches from Cory's Grilled Cheese and Bac'n Me Crazy. I received complimentary entry into this race to publicize the event on my blog.

We don't have any other races on the horizon, but I'm really hoping Color Me Rad or one of those color-throwing races makes its way down here.  It's been forever since I did one of those in Connecticut!

2. Golf: I almost had a hole-in-one a couple of weeks ago, which was cool!  I heard it hit the flagstick, but it just popped out.  We also went down to Hilton Head earlier this month for the Heritage golf tournament.  It's one of the best Lowcountry parties of the year, and I love when the event overlaps with Easter, because they have the most fantastic sunrise service on the 18th green on Easter Sunday morning.

3. Charleston Blog Society: This month's event was at the Escapada Living Signature Store, and I am seriously obsessed with their summer line - give me all the OTS looks, bright colors, and tassels!  I got a couple of pieces while I was there (helloooo awesome discount) and can't wait to share them soon.

4. Unicorn Frappuccino: Of course, I tried it.  It was...fine.  I honestly had no idea it was supposed to be mango until I read a Buzzfeed article hating on it.  Mike and I split one (so much sugar), I thought it was some super sweet berry.  I'll stick with my unicorn toast!

5. Springtime: If you checked out my Wednesday post, you know I'm having a serious love affair with spring.  We've been spending all the time we can outside: lunch at Vintage Coffee, happy hour at Revelry, walks on Folly Beach, reading books (check out my Blogging for Books review below), and fire/outdoor movie night with friends!

This month, I read Our Man in Charleston with Blogging for Books - phew, it's been a while since my last review!  I was a history major in college and as y'all know, currently live in Charleston, so I thought this would be a perfect choice for my next read.  Now that spring is here and weather is perfect for reading outside, I finally got around to finishing it, and I'm so glad I did.  The book centers around a British consul before and during the Civil War named Robert Bunch.  Even taking an American history class focused on The South in college, I had never heard of Bunch, but his story is amazing.  It truly shows how instrumental slavery was to the Southern states' economy and how the Confederacy would go to any lengths to preserve this terrible institution.  The book is very informative and keeps you engaged with the story.  Here's a link if you'd like to check it out for yourself!

Linking up for Oh hey, Friday, Five on Friday, High Five for Friday, and two doses of Friday Favorites

Wordless Wednesday

Truth be told, I've had a bit of writer's block recently.  That paired with a busy schedule, and I thought it would be a great excuse to share some of the photos I've taken this spring around the city.  Charleston is just full of color right now, and it couldn't be prettier!

Fried Chicken & Waffle Sandwiches

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #EggoMyWay #CollectiveBias

I think it's pretty obvious that I love living in the South.  The weather is beautiful, the people are kind, and the food is amazing.  Recently, I had someone ask me what my favorite thing to do in Charleston is, and without hesitating, my answer was going out to eat.  There are so many fantastic restaurants here, but part of the reason I like going out so much is because I'm not exactly a Southern chef... yet.  However, with a little help from Eggo, I have created my own easy and delicious version of chicken and waffles.

Eggo can be versatile and isn’t just for breakfast!  There are endless possibilities to make mealtime, snack time, or anytime fun through creative recipes.  On my most recent trip to Target, I picked up Eggo Thick and Fluffy Waffles and Chocolatey Chip Waffles.  Eggo is now made with ‘No Artificial Flavors.' and 'Colors from Natural Sources.’  Look for the packaging with the green banner!

From April 16th through May 13th, all Eggo products are only $1.99 each at Target.  Keep an eye out for this great deal, as well as the Kellogg in-store end cap.

Staying in the freezer section while I was at Target, I also picked up a bag of breaded chicken breast fillets to make my chicken and waffle sandwiches even easier to put together, as well as some fresh produce to add flavor and color.  I love the variety that the grocery section at Target now has.

To make two delicious sandwiches at home, all you will need are:
- 2 frozen, breaded chicken breast fillets
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon sriracha
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- 4 Eggo Thick and Fluffy Waffles
- lettuce
- tomato (sliced)

To make these sandwiches:
1. Cook the chicken in the oven, according to package instructions.
2. While waiting for the chicken to cook, whisk together the mayo, sriracha, and syrup to create the sweet and spicy maple sriracha aioli.
3. Once the chicken is done, toast up the waffles until golden brown.
4. On one waffle, assemble the first sandwich: lettuce, tomato, chicken, aioli, and top waffle.
5. Repeat for a second sandwich and enjoy!

These sandwiches are the perfect weeknight dinner or brunch meal.  They're sweet, spicy, savory, and crispy all in one!

And, if you're still hungry after your sandwich, I highly suggest a waffle sundae piled high on an Eggo Chocolatey Chip waffle!

To see even more ways to top, stack, and dip your Eggo waffles, check out the Eggo social hub!

What's your favorite Southern food?

Lust List

Every once in a while, you just see that item (so far out of your price range) that you would just love to have.  For me, there's a full folder on my phone of Instagram, boutique, and blog post screen shots of these (insert heart-eye emoji).  So much so that I thought would be a perfect round-up for this spring Friday.  

1. I have been in love with Mason Hosker since Charleston Fashion Week, and I just need somewhere fancy to wear this Raiah Hi-Lo dress to.  The design reminds me of a Charleston sunset, and of course... pockets!

2. Everytime Chassity over at Look Linger Love puts up a post filled with outfit inspiration, I am in love.  Recently, she did one around blue dresses.  Even though this Mara Hoffman dress only has a little blue, it just screams summer to me.  Oh yeah, and pockets.

3. Changing directions just a tiny bit here, but I have been dreaming of an espresso machine for so long.  This one from Bloomgdale's looks so compact, and the stainless color would be great in our kitchen.  It'd pay for itself eventually in what I'd save at Starbucks... right?

4. I have been a fan of Gray Malin for so long.  His perfectly curated pieces from the Amalfi Coast and Rio are so perfect, but when I saw his Hawaii collection, I was more in love than ever since it reminded me of our trip this past winter.

5. Last but not least, my ultimate lust: Tropicana Embellished Suede Sandals.  The beading, the tassels, the color - obsessed.  I win the lottery and these little ladies are mine!

What are you lusting after right now?

Linking up for Oh hey, Friday, Five on Friday, High Five for Friday, and two doses of Friday Favorites

DIY Gold Striped Vase

This post has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and The Coca-Cola Company, all opinions are mine alone. #NewWayToSparkle #CollectiveBias

Springtime spent outside is just the best.  My favorite spot right now is our back screen porch: away from the bugs but still out in the fresh air.  We have the cutest little table and chairs, which has turned into my main warm weather DIY and craft spot.

My shopping adventures recently have been filled with fresh blooms, so I thought it would be fun for my next DIY project to be a pretty vase to display my favorite flower right now: tulips.  While at Target grabbing supplies for my vase project (a clear cylindrical vase, gold paint, washi tape, and paint brushes), I also headed over to the grocery section to pick up a case of new DASANI® Sparkling White Peach.

In addition to White Peach, I also found other new DASANI® Sparkling flavors that I can't wait to try: Strawberry Guava and Blood Orange.  Right now, you can find all of these varieties at Target for only $2.99 per 8-pack.  The slim cans are great for on-the-go, too.

These sparkling waters are so refreshing and perfect to enjoy ice-cold while crafting.  For my vase, I decided on a design with gradually bigger gold stripes down the vase.  To do this, I started by laying rows of tape together at the top of the vase.  As I continued to the bottom of the vase, the rows of tape got farther and father apart.  Anywhere I placed the tape would be an area where the vase would stay clear.

Once the vase was taped, I painted it with gold paint, making sure my brushstrokes overlapped with the tape to create crisp, straight lines.

For this project, I used three coats of paint.  When the paint was close to dry, I carefully removed each row of tape.  Not allowing the paint to dry completely allowed me to touch up any small areas where the lines were not perfect after tape removal.

I filled the vase three-quarters of the way with water and arranged my tulips, making sure to diagonally cut off the end of each stem and peel off the bottom leaf.  This will allow the tulips to thrive in the vase and last the longest.

Isn't this the perfect spring afternoon project?  The gold paint was the ideal sparkly addition to go along with my DASANI® Sparkling!

See how others make springtime sparkle with even more fun and fresh ideas by clicking here.