Happy Friday Y’all!! Today, i’m linking up with some wonderful bloggers to share my Friday favorites! 🙂

One

The weather!! It’s finally showing some sun on the forecast for the weekend which makes me SO excited!  We haven’t seen sun in what feels like forever so we’ll definitely be taking advantage of the somewhat warm weather (high of 60.. not ideal but better than rain and cold!) and hitting the golf course for a quick round of golf!

Two

I just picked up these shorts… but also have my eye on these.  I LOVE all things leopard and after seeing them on Erika I knew I needed to give them a try!  J.Crew Factory usually has additional percentages off so keep an eye out for those if you’re looking to make a purchase!

Three

Charleston, SC!  We are in the beginning stages of planning a fun trip with some friends for later in the Summer for the hubby’s 30th birthday!  I was originally planning a fun Surprise party for him in September but he isn’t super excited about turning the BIG 3-0 so a trip where he can golf on some of the best courses with friends is the plan!

I won’t be golfing but us girls will have fun touring the area and hitting up the beach! Any suggestions for fun places to stay/do in that area, let me know!

Four

This was on my favorites two other times but last night was finally the Beauty and the Beast show at the dinner theater and IT.WAS.SO.GOOD! I had so much fun with my girlfriend celebrating her birthday and enjoying the show!  This was our first dinner theater experience and let me just say.. it was long!! I wish we could have enjoyed our meals during the show instead of before.  We shared a bottle of wine at dinner and I was ready for bed before the show started!  My favorite part was the beginning scene with This Provential Life.. with the whole town! Just love the music and brings me back to watching the movie as a child- it was my favorite!

We enjoyed Grasshoppers throughout the show – so that was an amazing dessert!

It was the hubby’s last week of bowling as well last night (play offs) and while they didn’t win overall, he kicked some serious butt!  Random fact about the hubs: He owns 6 bowling balls…. SIX!! And if we ever go bowling for fun or with friends, he brings ALL six… #mineswellgetyouruseoutofthem #alittleembarassing

He’s been on a bowling league for years- here’s a flashback to celebrating his 26th birthday at the alley! #yesiwasthatpersonbringingincupcakes #yesimadeeveryonesingtohim

Five

This goes without saying BUT it’s almost the weekend… so that’s totally a favorite of mine 🙂 The hubs will be studying a bit for finals next week but we’re hoping to get in at least a few hours of fun time! We were supposed to go visit our dear friends in Lacrosse and their little one but with finals next week- we couldn’t be gone a whole night and/or that far! More on our weekend next week!!

And because Margaritas and fun girlie drinks are my favorite- I included the photos of what i’m hoping to enjoy a little of this weekend…

Hope you all have a wonderful and fun filled weekend! Get out there and see the sun a little bit!

Kristi

I missed all things wedding last week but am here to share some details of our reception!

We got married outside and our reception was indoors in a barn!  The barn had a loft upstairs and we made sure to decorate every piece of the area!  I was a little crazy when it came to our wedding- I mean, mapping/drawing out every little inch of space in the barn and what was going where!  We definitely wanted to make sure our wedding was personalized to us and not generic.

Here are a few pictures of the loft area 🙂

We tried to make the decorations as uniform as possible- at least for the most part!

We did a sign with both states Wisconsin (where we met) and Minnesota (where we live) as our guestbook to hang in our home after!  *We’re still deciding where we should put this in our house!

I loved our cake table- the rustic elements mixed with the glam 🙂 And that cake topper…

I handmade the hot cocoa favors (we also gave koozies!) with lots of wine and some help from friends 🙂 I thought they turned out pretty cute!

We used this beautiful buffet for our ceremony (pics to come next week!) and re-used it for our gifts!

We had a band as our entertainment and let me tell you… a band is the way to go! Seriously, the dance floor was packed the whole time and they played such a variety of songs, it was amazing!  To this day, we still get comments about how awesome our band was!

Our bar area was pretty great as well.. We featured signature drinks #minewasbetter #butithinkeveryoneorderedajohndaly

The night was filled with lots of dancing…

And we ended it with a Sparkler Send-Off!

I am so lucky I get to do life with this guy 🙂

Kristi

Can we just talk for a minute about my favorite brand and store… Lilly Pulitzer?? I have had a love affair with Lilly for the last 10+ years and will no doubt be passing it down to my children #girlorboy #hubbymighthavesomeissueswiththat #theyhaveboytiesrandomly

If anyone knows my hubby or myself, you know that we LOVE vibrant colors and have no shame in wearing neon orange, pink or green! #myhusbandwearsallorange #asmuchaspossible #wearingdarkcolorsisboring

 

Lilly just released their summer prints and they are to die for!! #likeidexpectanyless #morecolorthebetter   I picked up a few pieces when I was in FL two weeks ago and already have my eye on a few more dresses to add to my wardrobe!  They are so easy to just throw on with wedges for work or flip flops for a more casual day!

And if I lived closer to the beach i’d be all over these tote beach bags 🙂

And for your own entertainment- I’ve added a few pictures of myself in Lilly over the years!

Any of you as crazy about Lilly as I am?!  If you love the colors as much as I do but don’t love the price (who does?!) Lilly has a major SALE two times a year (normally August and January) for two days where the prices are slashed drastically! Definitely a good time to stock up 🙂 Don’t worry, follow along on my blog and i’ll be sure to give you all the details when the time comes!

Join me back tomorrow for Wedding Wednesday where i’m showcasing all reception details from our special day!

Kristi

 

How I wish it was back to Friday and we had another weekend to just stay home?! I left for Chicago on the tail end of our 20 hour drive home from FL and flew out Tuesday through Thursday for a work conference so I welcomed a weekend home 🙂

Chicago was nice but I will take a weekend home with the Hubs and Pups any day 🙂

Friday night we met friends at the driving range to hit some balls since the weather finally hit over 60 degrees and the sun decided to come out and shine!  After attempting hitting the bucket of balls and socializing watching the boys putt, it was time for drinks and dinner on the patio!

After getting home, the hubby worked on homework and that was that for Friday!  Nice and easy 🙂

Saturday ended up being a beautiful day- weather wise!  While the hubby went golfing, I did some Spring cleaning.  I don’t have many pictures from this day; as they would literally be of the windows and screens and while they all look beautiful now… not very entertaining!  There’s something about Spring cleaning with windows open that just makes the day so much better; and the cleaning part!  We worked on our yard after the hubby got home from golfing and now I have an urge to plant flowers!!

After the fun day around the house, it was time for Jess’ birthday party!  She had a little backyard BBQ, lawn games and s’mores! Oh and some ice cream cake from DQ!  Definitely my kind of party 🙂

Sunday was a relaxing day of getting more done around the house and getting ready for the week!  I’m headed to Kansas for work next week so i’m hoping for a quiet week this week!

That’s it for the weekend- not too exciting and not a ton of a pictures but it sure was relaxing!

Kristi

Happy Friday!! I am teaming up with some lovely bloggers to share some favorites this week!  I’ve been traveling for work this week- with that and our trip to FL, I am just exhausted so this post is going to be pretty short!

One

I love love love this sweatshirt!!  It just looks ridiculously soft and comfy- and I ag

Two

These drinks are so good! I am a BIG fan of Malibu and pineapple juice but I don’t want to have to buy both and mix them myself – lazy huh? #illtakeapremademargarita #orwine  These are so easy to just grab and bring with you anywhere; boats, beach or friends houses. I’d recommend the Malibu mixed with pink lemonade- So so good!

Three

I mentioned this before as a favorite BUT the week is finally here for Jess and I to go see Beauty and the Beast for her birthday! It’s on Thursday night and I cannot wait!!

Four

I have been in need of a new phone case and this Kate Spade one is so darling!  Plus it’s additional 20% off sale items with code SMILE.

How about this laptop bag?!?! So cute!!

Five

I was in Chicago for work this week and walking down Michigan Ave (umm girls trip to shop ASAP??) and seeing the abundance of bloomed tulips was definitely one of my favorite sights to see!  These pictures aren’t the best- but you can get the picture!

That’s all for today, folks! Sorry for the short but sweet post 🙂 I’ll be back posting next week! Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Kristi

I can’t believe I’m already back sitting in our living room and our trip to Florida seems like it’s in the distant past!  The hubby and I drove down Wednesday afternoon (20 hours… which let me tell you.. does NOT go by fast!) and got back into Minneapolis around 4:50 this morning!  It was such a whirlwind!

Unfortunately we picked the ONE time that it was gross weather… Pouring rain on Thursday all day and overcast and windy on Friday. It never rains in FL, right? Ha! Finally, the sun came out Saturday in time for the wedding day – luckily and it was a beautiful day!

First things first, we hit up Waffle House on Thursday morning- per the Hubby’s request 🙂

We lounged around the condo for a little bit to try to relax a little bit- the 20 hours of driving plus only 3 hours of sleep was not ideal for us! So we did what any normal people on vacation do in the rain… play Sorry and Yahtzee and have some drinks! #andapparentlyplaygolfinthecondo

*on a side note- these little Malibu drinks were so so good!  The pink lemonade mix?? So good and so nice to just be able to stick a straw in it and sip away 🙂 Would have been PERRRFECT for the beach!

Oh yeah… and of course we stopped by Tropical Smoothie in the pouring rain so I could get my smoothie on!

Finally, the rain stopped around 5:30 and the hubs and I set out to get some drinks and seafood before I met up with the girls for some bachelorette festivities.

*We realized we were done asking the servers their favorite appetizer when all said their best appetizers were the fried seafood… #grilledplease #sauteedisfine #givemealltheseafood

I met up with the girls at McGuire’s for ladies night to get our dance on!  #freedrinks #keepemcoming

Friday morning we woke up to overcast skies and what seemed like 50 mph wind!  #seriouslyflorida #its70degreesinMN #theressomethingwronghere

Certainly not my beach day I was hoping for.. so I headed over to the new Lilly store in town to check it out. OH.MY.GOSH. This was THE cutest store in the world! No joke.. I forgot to take pictures of the actual store- and only took pictures of the fitting room but let me tell you…

After Lilly, I picked up the hubs and we went mini golfing at the putting course.  It went quickly but I only lost by 5 strokes so that’s a win in my book!

Afterwards, we ate and drank some more.. #thestruggleisreal #bringonthesangria #missingtheamberjackpicture #whencanwegoback

The rehearsal and rehearsal dinner was on Friday and it was insane!!  The rehearsal dinner was at Tradewinds in Valp – there was SO much food it was unreal!  We had family style portions and I wish I had taken pictures of just how crazy it was!  We had four appetizers to try and four entrees family style- oh and some bread! #andofcoursemorewine #whereisallthebread The hubs doesn’t usually like any type of Italian food and he was even amazed!  After being more stuffed than comfortable we headed on back to the condo and passed out immediately! #foodcoma #whereistheicecream

Saturday morning I woke up and had the hubs drop me off at the Bay House with the ladies to get ready and have some Mimosas!  It was great getting to know the other girls in the bridal party and hope to keep in touch with quite a few of them 🙂  The day ended up BEAUTIFUL! The sun was shining and warm and the wind had died down- perfect!  The wedding decor was simple but so gorgeous!!  And dancing under the lights and stars that night was amazing!

It was so nice seeing old friends (girls, let’s please catch up more??? And not let so much time pass?!) and meeting new ones!

Once the music stopped and the dance floor cleared, we helped clean up the venue and then headed back to the condo to bed!  I am SO glad I was able to stand by Megan’s side as she said “I do” to the perfect guy for her! 🙂 Congratulations newlyweds!

She stood by my side 4 months ago and I’m so glad I could stand by hers! 🙂

It’s such a bittersweet feeling as we packed everything up the next morning to start the long drive home!  It was such a quick trip and so many people I would have LOVED to spend time with that I didn’t get a chance to.  Niceville and Destin will always have a big piece of my heart and I already want to plan the next trip down 🙂 Any takers??

Kristi

 

Hello and Happy Friday! I’m linking up with some of my favorite bloggers for another edition of Friday Favorites!

I’m currently on a mini-vacation back home in Destin, FL for a girlfriend’s wedding tomorrow and wishing I was blogging from the beach! The weather hasn’t been the best unfortunately but that won’t keep us from enjoying our time!  I’m here sharing some of my favorite things and places about good ‘ol Destin!

One

Tropical Smoothie has been my jam since forever and we don’t have that around Minnesota unfortunately.  Strawberry Beach please 🙂

Two

Mmmm I can almost taste the fresh seafood 🙂 My family and I went to Dewey Destin quite a bit – the original location is the best!

Three

This goes without saying but of course the beach is on my absolute favorites list!

Four

Fudpucker’s… this has to be on my Friday Favorites due to their Voodoo Magic bucket 🙂 I worked at Fuds for 2 years in high school and every summer in college. I had some of the best days and met some great people while working there- including my girlfriend getting married this weekend! 🙂

Five

No words needed 🙂

Six

And of course, Harborwalk 🙂 There is always so much going on in this area and is nice to walk around a bit- and there’s a Tropical Smoothie down there as well in case you didn’t notice it in the picture!

Of course there’s plenty more and i’ll be back recapping my weekend next week!

Have a great weekend!

Kristi

 

I’m back much like every Wednesday talking nothing but wedding festivities 🙂 If you missed my bridal shower recaps you can see them here, here & here. Just a forewarning- this will be a LONGER post with quite a few pictures. Read on with caution 🙂

Today’s topic is all bachelorette madness!  My bachelorette party took place in Mankato, MN and consisted of lots of drinking with some of my favorite girls!  A girlfriend and I headed down Friday night from the cities and met up with my Matron of Honor, sister and other bridesmaid for a night of fun!

The girls got the room ready while I went down to find my Sister in the parking ramp.  The hotel we stayed at was nice and had a huge King suite that we were able to use for the first night- we had more than enough room for the 5 of us!  We drank a bit before dinner then walked over to an Irish pub for dinner- it was a little crazy with the hockey games going on but we didn’t mind having a drink or two while waiting for a table!

After dinner, we walked back to the hotel and played a little “Shot Roulette” and let me tell you… coconut water mixed with raspberry vodka.. not good!! We played this a little long and then went onto do a “wine tasting” with a few bottles of wine.  Needless to say, the first night was SO much fun and I’m so glad these girls ventured down a night early with me 🙂

The next morning we were all pretty slow to get up… it was definitely a rough morning and we were all a little anxious to see how our day of wine tastings was going to go!

We cleaned up the room and headed to another room (the hotel messed up our reservations!!).  The other girls arrived and we headed out on the shuttle to our first winery! Chankaska was up first and Oh.My.Gosh did the girls pick the best winery to go to?! It was already all decked out for Christmas (my obsession) and was just so beautiful! The view was amazing too 🙂

The next winery we stopped at was Indian Island Winery in Janesville, MN.  This winery wasn’t decked out in Christmas decorations but was still fun to try!  They also had some food here so that was a nice score for the girls (anyone hungry with all this drinking??).

After we finished at the last winery, we headed back to the hotel so we could freshen up a bit and hang out before dinner.  Did I mention we were drinking Mimosas on the shuttle AND taking shots out of our rings?? Ugh I was not feeling good at this point! Between the night before, not getting much sleep and all the Mimosas and wine, I was done for.  Luckily the girls all brought TONS of snacks on the shuttle so we ate some of those at the hotel as well!

We ate some dinner at none other than Mexican 🙂 And I of course thought this..

And then moved on from thinking this because I don’t need that kind of negativity in my life!  We then headed out to a few bars… this is where I didn’t last long.  One thing to know about me is I LOVE TO DANCE- like go out and just dance frivolously around with my girls to some Lady Gaga and Kesha! #papapappokerface #ticktock It was my favorite thing in college and one of the things I miss most.  Now, I could never hang until bar close.. umm I’m in bed at 9 pm on week nights and 10:30 pm on weekends! So I was bummed we only made it to one actual dance (somewhat) bar before I needed to go home and puke my brains out! My Matron of Honor made the sweetest “Suck for a Buck” holder and I made $75 with about 30 suckers! I’d say that’s a win 🙂

We got back to the hotel around 10 pm- I wasn’t kidding when I said I clearly can’t hang anymore- or at least do the day drinking and drinking all weekend thing! #whyaminot21anymore #takemeback And the next day all the girls got ready to head out!

I had my hair and makeup trial on Sunday in town, since this was near our wedding location and a few of the girls came!  It was a bit of a struggle.. no lie!

After deciding on a hairstyle and make up, it was time to hit the road back home! I seriously had SO much fun with all the girls and am so thankful for all the girls who drove down for me! I truly cherish all of you and wish we could re-do this weekend- and make it a little longer out to dance 🙂 But i’m not going to lie… I missed my hubby-to-be and puppies so it was nice to get home to them!

Next week we’ll be discussing the actual wedding day and all the fun details 🙂

Kristi

I have to say without a doubt, that I am so unbelievably excited to see Southern Charm back on TV!!  Charleston has been on my top places to visit the past few years and watching this show makes me want to visit even more!  I love the “old southern charm” of the town and hope to cross it off my list in the near future!

#lifegoals

I have a confession to make – I might have a small girl crush on Cameran Eubanks- she is so down to earth, has a love affair with Lilly Pulitzer and says the funniest things!  Oh yeah and she has no shame sharing her love for McDonald’s and Wendy’s 🙂

I love the dynamic of the show and all the relationships amongst everyone.  Watching it makes me want to buy a cute little house right there and live the South Carolina lifestyle 🙂

The quotes below are from Cameran- tell me how you can’t love her after those?! She’s too funny!

• It tastes like… drunk! – regarding the “punch” Whitney makes.
• Typically polo is associated with ostentation- but I think it is so silly that people feel the need to get decked out when you’re walking around in horse shit!
• I really don’t know Kathryn [Dennis] that well. There’s definitely a little bit of naiveté, but she’s beautiful and she has lots of eggs. And men, they can smell that.
• He doesn’t even know what world he’s in- that man does not know where he is- he is a stumbling damn mess! Straight up!

• “Here comes the Hot Mess Express- all aboard!”

• “God… clap your hands, stomp your feet, Thank you Lord, it’s time to eat!”
• In the south- all babies are beautiful.. So when you see a baby that’s downright ugly you say- awe, it’s precious! Look at that baby…. Ugly!!

• I am on my way to cast my vote.. Because my voice matters, damnit!
• Drama doesn’t just come into your life- you either create it or you surround yourself with it.
• I did not grow up with butlers and chefs- I grew up eating Happy Meals.. that is what nourished us as kids..

 

Do any of you watch the show? It’s definitely one to try if you like “reality” TV shows!

Thanks for stopping by 🙂

Kristi

I wish it was Sunday..!! I hope you all sang that with me 🙂  Today i’m featuring two of my favorite stores to find monogram pieces at!  Swoozie’s is my go-to for all party planning and football watching parties! Their store embodies all my loves; Lilly Pulitzer, vibrant colors and all things Southern!  Definitely check out their store online- and sign up for their emails!  They often have 20% off your purchase so if you find something you like keep it in mind!

I love these bath wraps- I have yet to buy one for myself but DID purchase these for my bridesmaids as part of their “thank you” gifts! The ones I gave them were pink with green polka dots- and monograms of course 🙂 Keep an eye out – they have 20% off sales going on all the time!

This tunic is adorable and I love how vibrant it is! You can add a monogram to it for an additional $10 which makes it even better 🙂 I wish I lived in a place that I could wear a beach cover up all the time- I would purchase a number of these if that was the case!!

I love love these hand towels! My aunt showed me this cute little shop when I mentioned I wanted all monograms on everything 🙂  It has just the right amount of sophistication but still adds a monogram to the perfect pieces! I want one of everything that’s monogrammed!

I got these at my bridal luncheon and love that they’re for outdoor use!  We are planning to add a patio to our backyard this summer, so it’ll be great to use these when we’re out there grilling or playing bags 🙂

One more that would be perfect for all of your fun summer parties 🙂  I love this so much and think it would be so sweet to have out on the new patio!

Thanks for stopping by for another Monogram Monday 🙂 What are your favorite stores to find monogram pieces at?!  Hope y’all have a great week- I’m ready for some Southern Charm tonight! 🙂 Tune in tomorrow for my take on my new favorite show!

Kristi