The Carolina Inn

I love the fact that Jeff & I both went to Carolina... The college and town of Chapel Hill hold so many memories for us.  So it's fitting that we're celebrating our two-year wedding anniversary there.  Jeff's sister is graduating from college on Saturday, so we're heading up on Friday night.

I am beyond excited to be staying at the Carolina Inn!  It is a historic inn right in the heart of the college town, just steps from campus and Franklin Street.  At one point during Jeff & I's engagement, my mom & I even went up there for the day to consider it for our wedding venue.

We're planning to catch Fridays on the Front Porch, hosted every Friday in the summer by the Carolina Inn.  The website describes it best:  This fun event features live bluegrass music, a picnic, drink specials, and comfortable seating on the shady front porch and lawn.

And walk around campus and grab dinner on Franklin Street... It will be a short trip, but I already can't wait!

6 Years & Counting

I've been feeling a little sentimental lately, and last night started sifting through the box where I keep little mementos from the beginning of our relationship... a Pittsburgh Pirates baseball card from a game we attended, a John Legend concert ticket from one of our first dates (one of my favorite stories now is how a couple beside us at dinner that night asked if we were married)

I also found a wedding program from April 30, 2005.  Jeff & I had known each other for a long time, and I had a huge crush on him from middle school on... asking my friend Erin (her older brother just happened to be friends with Jeff) all about him and dragging my college roommates to the parties at his house.  At one point, we even went on a double date while we were dating other people. 

But Jeff called me the day after that wedding and asked me out on a date... Making it 6 years that my sweet hubby and I have been together.

{at Jeff's college house on McDade, my junior year & his senior year}

{Top of the Hill}

{Pittsburgh, while Jeff was in grad school}

{my college graduation dinner at La Rez}

{moments after getting engaged at Pops in the Park on July 4, 2008}

And now here we are... six years later and ready to celebrate our two-year wedding anniversary in less than two weeks!

Bossypants

Whoo hoo!  I'm officially done with grad school for two weeks... Until the summer session, which will be my last class of the program and is still unbelievable to me!

I've already decided that I must read Tina Fey's new book, Bossypants, over break while I have the time.

My love for this woman knows no bounds.  And as if I need to prove to anyone that she is the funniest woman person alive, check out her prayer for her daughter.

Tuesday's Facts

Jeff & I are heading to Ikea after work on Wednesday to check out their desk offerings.  But interestingly enough, my need for a desk at home will drastically decrease in the next few weeks... why?

Because I am presenting my final graduate project (my capstone project) tonight!  So that ::shriek:: of excitement you hear at about 9:30 pm this evening will be me!

We have been working on our projects, among a few other deliverables, throughout the semester.  And tonight we present them to a panel of faculty, fellow students, and really anyone else who is interested. 

{images via}

Then we submit our final projects at the end of this week, have 2 more weeks of other classes (theory for me)... And graduate on May 6th!

Although I'll still have 1 more class to finish up this summer, I cannot believe I am just weeks away from graduating!  The last 3 years have flown by, and I am nervous, excited, sad...

But for the moment, mostly feeling lots of butterflies about this presentation!  Wish me luck!

Sneak Peak

We have a ton of little projects around the house right now, and I just can't help but share a 'sneak peak' into the goings-on in the Whittaker household....

Repainting rooms:

Thrifting furniture:

Painting furniture:

Rearranging rooms:

And building furniture:

On a similar note, although we disagree over my love to continually completely redo tweak the rooms in our house, I am so thankful to have such a supportive husband!  For the most part, he puts up with my requests to install new towel racks, pick up or move in thrift store purchases, hang pictures, and move furniture outside so I can paint (or repaint) it... Oh, and add on a sunroom. 

Whoever said 'patience is a virtue' must have been referring to my home project ideas... Thank you, Jeff!

Mardi Gras Recap: Part 2

Now on to Mardi Gras day (Fat Tuesday)... Jeff was up at 3:30 am to secure our spot with his brother, Uncles Glen, Barry & Eric, and a few others. The rest of us headed into town around 8:00 to catch Rex and the truck parades, which last through late afternoon.

There were multiple grills going with hamburgers & hot dogs, snacks, and King Cake under a couple tents... Along with speakers for music and a platform for catching beads. It is seriously the most deluxe set-up!

{grills going}

{platform dancing}

Everyone dresses in costume for the Fat Tuesday parades, and we were 'Boeuf Gras' (a float in Rex). It was so fun to see our crowd of 30+ dresses as cows!

{cows up close}

{Jeff giving a little cousin a lift to catch beads}

{full view of the platform}

There is something that is so much more than the good time to be had at Mardi Gras... There is so much love in the Whittaker family, for each other and for their city. I don't think I could ever do the feeling justice in a post, but New Orleans is so alive and the pride that New Orleanians (including our family) have for it is palpable.

I am truly blessed to be part of it all.

Mardi Gras Recap: Part I

We're back from our Mardi Gras trip to New Orleans!  Here is a recap of the fun and festivities... Stick with me, because this is a two part-er...

After arriving in the city about 3 am our time, we slept a few hours before the girls headed to a bridal shower for Jeff's cousin.  The shower was in an old house (turned restaurant).  The food was delicious, and it was so great to have a chance to see the bride-to-be before her wedding in May!

{opening gifts}

{Jeff's mom, me, Jeff's sister Laura}

{we were under a tornado watch during the shower & the rain flooded the street in front of the restaurant}

Due to the rain, Endymion was postponed to Sunday evening.  We spent the night visiting with family and cheering on the Tarheels to victory over Duke!

The weather cleared overnight, and Sunday morning we were up early to head to Uncle Bruce's house for their annual party.  Their home is in a beautiful neighborhood with historic homes and tons of cute shops and restaurants within walking distance (aka my dream).

They are also right off the parade routes for Mid-City and Thoth.  We took in both parades and enjoyed one of my favorites, Aunt Laura's red beans & rice.

From there, we headed uptown to see Bacchus and Endymion (two of the largest parades).  The crowd was packed!  Fortunately, Jeff's cousin scored a prime condo rental right on St. Charles Avenue, which is part of both the parades' routes.  We were so lucky to have that set-up, since they didn't ended until around midnight.

{crowd at Endymion, extending all the way to the opposite side of the street}

Monday (Lundi Gras) was spent taking in the sights of the French Quarter... And there was much to be seen that cannot be shared on this blog!  We went to Pat O'Brien's, Johnny White's (a bar that has never closed it's doors, even during Katrina), and the Carousel Bar at Hotel Monteleone.

{Pat O'Brien's}

{French Quarter balconies decorated for Mardi Gras}

Up next... Mardi Gras day!

Happy Weekend!

Hope y'all have a great weekend... And do something extra-fun to celebrate Mardi Gras! 

I'm heading down to New Orleans for the real deal... And couldn't be more excited for lots of time with family, King Cake, and all the Mardi Gras festivities!

Just for fun, here we are 2 years ago in the Big Easy.  Everyone dresses up in costume to watch the parades on Fat Tuesday.  We were clowns then... This year: cows.

It should make for some pretty interesting pictures to share when we get back!  As they say in New Orleans, laissez les bon temps rouler (let the good times roll!)

Baby Shower & Snow Day

Happy Snow Day!  For those of us in Charlotte, it is a rare one... A snow day with snow that actually covers the grass!

Hubby's office is closed for the day, so he snapped a few pictures and has taken the pup out in the elements (which she loves!)

{further proof of why our next project is remodeling the front of our little ranch house}

Backing up to the weekend, the weather fortunately held off long enough to make the trip to Durham for my college roommate's baby shower.  Lindsey is the first one of us to take the plunge into parenthood, and she was absolutely glowing!  Her and her husband's happiness and excitement is so fun to see...  Not to mention all of the other roomies' excitement over the next generation of Tarheels!

The group of girls who threw the shower did such an incredible job!  The food & decorations were perfect, and I should have snapped pictures of the hostess' home... I'm still talking about how perfectly decorated it was (in lots of neutrals with antiques and modern furniture mixed together... total goodness)

More importantly, I feel so blessed to be able to celebrate Baby V!

{all shower pictures shamelessly stolen from Kaylie}

Now to shake off this recent bout of baby fever...

Attitude Adjustment

I love a quote I recently read on Twitter: “I don’t believe in resolutions, only to-do lists."

{via Pink Wallpaper}

For the first time, I'm making a 2011 to-do list, instead of resolutions. With one exception… I am giving myself a break this year.  Meaning my resolution is not to do it all (or think that everyone else does, or feel bad that I don’t). 

If our sweet dog tracks in leaves and sawdust from the sunroom addition, I am not a bad housekeeper if I don’t clean it up right away.  If we eat frozen pizzas, breakfast for dinner, and Chinese take-out in one week for dinner, I am not a bad wife.  If I have a guest room closet full of half-finished home projects, I am not a bad person.

This will be my year to focus on school and not worry about the rest. 

{via i suwannee}

So, to make a long story short, my to-do list for 2011 looks like this:

• FINISH MY MASTER'S DEGREE!
• Celebrate. Breathe deep. Repeat.

Top of 2010

Happy (almost) New Year!  2010 was an incredible year for us... We celebrated my dad's 70th birthday, toasted our one-year anniversary with a trip to San Francisco and Sonoma, visited NYC for the first time, enjoyed tons of beach trips, started our long-awaited sunroom project, and were fortunate enough to be part of so many friends' weddings too!

We are so thankful to have our little blog to document all our adventures in being newlyweds... and to all of you for actually reading it!  According to our stats, here are the top 5 Wedded Whittaker posts from 2010...

Honorary mention (aka 6):  Kitchen Cabinets
Even if Jeff will never agree with me, I had to include this fabulous idea for creating a custom cabinet look and adding open shelving.  It just barely missed the top 5 mark, coming in at number 6 (so you readers must have liked the idea too!)

5:  Beach Breakfast Casserole

This is still one of my favorite recipes... And I actually just made it for Christmas morning this year!  So easy and a must-try for serving overnight guests!

4:  Holiday Inspiration: Christmas Mantels

I loved having a holiday inspiration week!  Glad that so many of you found the ideas helpful in getting your homes ready for the holidays.  I am still having a hard time taking all my decorations down!

3:  Holiday Linky Party

Our first ever linky party made number 3 on the list, and I couldn't be more excited!  I have to admit that I was worried about hosting, but it was really fun to link to other bloggers and see everyone's gorgeous decorating ideas!

2:  NYC: Part 2
I was shocked when I saw that part 2 of our New York City trip was the second most-read post this year!  Looks like everyone really does love the city!  Now to convince Jeff that we need a part 3 for next year...

1:  Framed Map Series

Definitely my favorite project of the year too!  I love how the final product came out, and it could not have been easier to pull together.  This is a great solution for a larger wall and can be made with such sentimental value (like ours of the city of New Orleans!)

Here's to 2011 being as happy and as full of family & friends and travels as the past year!

Thanksgiving Wrap Up

Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!  Hope that everyone enjoyed a long weekend filled with friends, family & fun!

Every November, Jeff proclaims that Thanksgiving is his favorite weekend of the whole year... and this year, I have to agree with him!

We started off Thanksgiving Day with the Turkey Trot... and ended with tons of food & family!  I am so thankful that we were able to eat with all the Whittakers and visit with my family (including my sister, my brother & his family, and the DesNoyers!)

Friday morning, Jeff hit the early-bird sales... While my sisters and I waited to hit the mid-morning ones.  After checking several people off my Christmas list, we prepped for camping. 

Jeff headed to the annual Thanksgiving camping trip (10th year in a row for him and his friends) early Saturday morning.  I joined a little later in the afternoon, and must admit that I had a great time!

We ended up with 16 people total - providing lots of friends, food, and comforts even in the cold outdoors.  The guys had a battery hooked up to a computer with satellite... Still not sure how, but we watched football in the woods.  And grilled hot dogs and burgers, played corn hole, and rode ATVs... Definitely a deluxe campsite!

{image via the Morrisons}

Sunday night I headed over to my Yiayia's for the first round of Christmas decorating!  Jeff and I are planning to get our tree some time this week... Can't wait for a chance to get our house in the holiday spirit!

Less than 4 weeks until Christmas... Let the countdown begin!

Belated Birthday Post

{with my sweet hubby on his actual birthday... at Sarah & Ryan's wedding!}

To my husband,

The enforcer of the budget, endless to-do list tackler, Carolina fan despite the season, outdoor enthusiast, DIY extraordinaire, Ellie’s obvious favorite… You are so many things to so many people, but I am most grateful that you are my husband. You continue to surprise and amaze me, and I am always touched by your never-ending support. You challenge me to try new experiences & stretch my comfort zone, debate with me on everything from how to cook scrambled eggs to politics without actually arguing, encourage me to be independent… you make me a better person.

I am thankful for you every day, and can’t wait for many more birthday celebrations to come! Happy 28th birthday, Jeff!

Fueled by Loukoumades

This weekend was another amazing preview to fall!  And we took advantage of being outside and having one of those fleeting weekends were nothing was really planned.

Friday night, we hopped on our bikes and headed up to the Yiasou Greek Festival.  The festival is one of my favorite times of the year, and I could probably eat there all three days.  It was perfect weather and our bike ride took us through Freedom Park and along the Sugar Creek Greenway.

We met Jeff's parents, his sister Kelly & her husband Nick for delicious eats!  I had the pastistio, spanakopita, and a greek salad... but the real star of the night was, of course, the loukoumades for dessert!  Our entire bike ride home, Jeff kept telling me was, 'fueled by loukoumades!'

{Kelly & Karen at the Greek Festival}

Saturday morning I woke up to the most incredible feeling... I had nothing planned for the day!  I cleaned a little, bought myself some new tennis shoes, and got ready for a cookout at my dad's house.  My brother's step-daughter was in town from Seattle, along with several of her friends.  We had a great time catching up... and for the second time in two weeks, I made blue cheese coleslaw for the crowd!  My dad really can't get enough of that side dish!

On Sunday, Jeff's office had a party for the Panther's game... and to showcase their incredible new facility!  The building is LEED-certified, has amazing modern decor, and overlooks the Panther's stadium & downtown Charlotte.  We had lunch (catered by Mac's Speed Shop - yum!), watched the game, and toured his office.

{office view}

Sunday evening, we hopped on our bikes again (the weather was too nice not to!) and headed to the grocery store for our weekly essentials.  Now it's back to my birthday the work week!

Labor Day Weekend Update

Where to begin… We had such a great long weekend!  Friday night was spent relaxing before the crazy day of errands, yard work, and a quick home project on Saturday.  And for the first time ever, I was the one who initiated the yard work!  After accomplishing amazing fetes for a long-weekend Saturday, we tuned in to the amazing effort of the Tarheels against LSU.  Although we didn’t come out with a win, we were so proud of our team!  Definitely looking forward to some UNC tailgating in the coming months!

Sunday morning I was feeling a little under-the-weather, and sadly opted to miss the lake day.  Jeff headed to Lake Norman with friends, and even took out the newest edition to the Whittaker fleet for its maiden voyage!

{co-owner of our second boat, taking the wheel}

By Monday night I was feeling rested and ready to go for our family cookout.  We had my parents, Jeff's parents, my grandparents, Jeff's sister & her husband, my sister & her boyfriend, Jeff's brother, and Kelly's brother-in-law over!  In typical bad blogger fashion, I totally forgot to get pictures of the incredible spread… It was more along the lines of a potluck feast than a simple cookout!

We started the evening with my sister-in-law Kelly’s homemade spinach & artichoke dip for an appetizer and wine, courtesy of my sister.  Then moved on to the main course: burgers and dogs (by my grill-master hubby), my grandpa’s homemade hot dog chili, blue cheese coleslaw, Kelly’s macaroni & cheese, my mom’s baked beans, my grandma’s potato salad, and my mother-in-law Karen’s black bean & corn salad.

{pre-cookout set up}

And, if all that food wasn’t enough, we rounded out the night with two desserts!  Karen made a delicious coconut cake, and I'll be posting the cake recipe I used from Smitten Kitchen later this week (stay tuned!)

It was a perfect night to enjoy the amazing food & great company outside...

{outside set up}

{Ellie with her toys}

... and a great end to our Labor Day weekend!  Hope ya'll enjoyed yours too!