Bar Carts

Bar carts have become a recent trend, and while I was planning to stock my bar with something other than wine, I thought it would be the perfect addition to our apartment! We have a lot of underutilized space in our current apartment due to the layout, and because we're renters, that means we have a lot of white walls.

I took to Pinterest for some inspiration as to how I wanted to decorate my new bar cart, and these were some of my favorites:

{all images via}

It took me awhile to gather a collection of liquor (essentials include vodka, rum, gin, tequila, bourbon, and whiskey) plus some extras, so now we're ready for a party at a moment's notice!

The bar car is still a work in progress, but it adds a nice flair to our place!

And in the meantime, I happened to find my signature drink, too: a moscow mule!

Lauren gave me a copper mug for Christmas so I can have my favorite cocktail anytime I want!

1.5 ounces vodka
1/2 ounce lime juice
1/2 cup ginger beer
Lime wedges for garnish

Enjoy!

(Disclaimer: This post has no other point other than to say I've been working 65 hours a week and need to drink heavily to otherwise survive.)

{Recipe} Homemade Soft Pretzel Bites

One thing I've always wanted to make from scratch is homemade soft pretzels. So much so that I even added it to my 101 in 1001 list. When Lauren and I were hosting our friends for the Orange Bowl (Go Tigers!), I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to a) use my new kitchenaid mixer to make the dough and b) cross something off my list. Plus, mini soft pretzels make the perfect snack!

However, that will probably be the first and last time I ever make soft pretzels! The first batch turned out great, but the remaining batches, not so much. I think I needed to use a bigger pot for the baking soda/water bath, because it kept boiling over and the last batch of pretzels tasted like pure baking soda! I also attempted to make a cheese dipping sauce but with the arrival of guests and the distraction of the pregame show, I let it overheat and it quickly became inedible. But I will say that people were quite impressed that I made them from scratch (even if it did take all afternoon and left a HUGE mess in the kitchen)!

Soft Pretzel Bites
from What Megan's Making

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 package active dry yeast
3 ounces unsalted butter, melted
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
Vegetable oil
3 quarts water
3/4 cup baking soda
1 whole egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon cold water
Coarse sea salt

Directions

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the water, sugar, yeast, and butter and mix with the dough hook until combined. Let sit for 5 minutes. Add the salt and flour and mix on low speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium and knead until the dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the side of the bowl, about 3 to 4 minutes. If the dough appears too wet, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. Remove the dough from the bowl, place on a flat surface and knead into a ball with your hands.

Oil a bowl with vegetable oil, add the dough and turn to coat with the oil. Cover with a clean towel and let rise in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 425. Bring the water to a boil in a large pot over high heat and add the baking soda.

Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a flat surface. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces and roll each piece into a long rope measuring about 22 inches. Cut the dough into one inch pieces. In small batches (about 15 at a time), boil the pretzel bites in the water solution for about 30 seconds. Remove with a large slotted spoon and place pretzel bites on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Make sure they are not touching. Brush the tops with the egg wash and season with coarse sea salt. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove to a baking rack and let rest 5 minutes before eating.

These are best warm, but are still good at room temperature. They are best served the day they're made.

Weekend Update

With Thanksgiving being so late this year, Christmas has snuck up on me. I'm generally less excited for Christmas in recent years just because I know that immediately following Christmas is busy season, and I have to say goodbye to my life outside of work (which, who am I kidding, isn't very exciting) for the next 4 months.

But I made an effort the past week to get into the holiday spirit. I took an afternoon off to do all my Christmas shopping and wrapping, I finally got the tree decorated, I attended my work Christmas party and a holiday party for United Way, and now I'm feeling significantly more festive than before.

1. The United Way holiday party, where I bought shoes for a child in need
2. My lovely roomie and I before our office Christmas party
3. One of my clients sent me a GIANT container of pecans. Time to start baking!
4. Some of my favorite girls getting our hair blown out before the Christmas party
5. A delicious festive cocktail (recipe below)
6. Lauren, Holly, and me at the party
7. Our cute little baby Christmas tree
8. My dear friend Whitney turned 30 the night of the Christmas party, and we celebrated in style (and also met Floyd Mayweather at Waffle House at 3 am!)
9. Stovetop potpourri - if it smells like Christmas, we're halfway there!



Cider Pomegranate Smash
from Clara Persis

2.5 oz bourbon
1 tsp lemon juice
6 oz sparkling apple pomegranate cider (Martinelli’s make this)
1/2 tablespoon pomegranate seeds

Fill a tall thin (or short and wide) cocktail glass with ice. Pour in the bourbon and stir to chill. Pour in the lemon juice and sparkling apple pomegranate cider and stir well to combine. Top with fresh pomegranate seeds. Serve immediately.

Stovetop Potpourri

Slice an orange or two, throw in a cup of fresh cranberries, as many cinnamon sticks as your heart desires, and a dash of cloves, cover with water, and simmer on the stove to fill your home with the smells of Christmas. Enjoy!

Making a List, Checking (Things Off) It Twice

Since it is now December and 2013 is almost over (excuse me while I freak out for a second about how fast this year flew by), I wanted to sit down and reevaluate my goal list of 101 things that I'd like to accomplish in 1,001 days.

I've crossed a few more things off my list, and I want to make sure this little journey gets documented along the way! Here's what I've been up to lately:

3. Host a dinner party. CHECK!

I'm assuming having 11 people over for Thanksgiving counts as a dinner party, right? I, however, admit that I didn't cook the entire meal, but I did cook to turkey, so that counts for something.

19. Stay in bed all day and watch an entire TV season.

Sometimes you just need a lazy day to yourself. I've gotten mindlessly sucked in to Gossip Girl on Netflix, and it's just that it's so bad, it's good. And also, can I be Blake Lively? Please and thank you.

28. Visit 3 new states.

I crossed off New Jersey while I was up north visiting my friend in Philly (still working on that trip recap, I promise). I can't say I'm dying to go back anytime soon; the roads are really strange and confusing up there, at least in the twon where I was staying (no left turns, what the heck?!).

68. Start a collection.

I've always had a love for coffee mugs, and when Starbucks introduced their "You Are Here" collection, I knew I had to pick up a mug from every city I traveled to this year.

My Los Angeles mug is sitting on my desk at work..

Now can someone just tell me how I can display all these new pretties?

80. Get a blowout at a dry bar.

Happening this weekend before my office Christmas party. Having someone straigthen my curly hair for me while I sip champagne sounds utterly fantastic.

85. Adopt a child from the Angel Tree at Christmas.

We do this every year at work, and this year I adopted a 9 year-old girl, Vanessa. I'm hoping she's going to like the hot pink sneakers I bought her (all girls like pink at that age, right?)!

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In other news, follow along with me today as I hold the Blog Baton on Instagram! I loved this idea when Mason introduced it, and now my day is finally here! I'll try not to bore you with too many pictures of my accounting day job; I promise accountants can be fun people, too!

Have a happy Wednesday!

Weekend Update x 4

After an unintentional hiatus from blogging, this weekend update will be a long one (spanning a entire month, obviously).

First up:

My dad's 60th birthday surprise in the mountains! My sister flew in from California and then my parents' supper club all came to the mountains to celebrate my wonderful dad turning 60!

Next up:

Gameday came to Clemson for the second time when we played FSU, but we don't really need to discuss the outcome of that one...

Other mentionables in the past month:

Clemson beat Georgia Tech on a chilly Thursday night. I traveled to Chattanooga for work. I took a day off. I got a sinus infection. Mom and I visisted a Southern Living design home in the mountains. I sat through 8 hours of CPE. I visited a brewery. Mom and I visited a Southern Living design home in the mountins. And I stole a puppy (wishful thinking).

Come back tomorrow for an update of my trip to Philly to visit one of my besties!

What all have you been up to lately?

Linking up with Sami

Weekend Update

It seems like I only have time to show up on Monday morning around these parts.  Honestly, all of these recruiting events for work are kicking my booty. I got home after 10 pm three nights in a row last week, after leaving the house before 8 am. Woof.

This weekend, I got to cross another item off my list (visit a food truck!), celebrate the engagement of two great friends (except I managed to not take a single picture of them), and get my life organized before I hop on a plane to California on Friday (more on that later)!

We traveled to the lake to surprise Holly the morning after Trent proposed! I definitely think she was shocked when she came up the stairs to find over 30 of her closest friends and family (2 of her college roommates had driven over 10 hours)! A champagne brunch followed while everyone "oohed and aahed" over the ring. The cutest part was Trent had bought an "engagement ring" for Holly's dog Riley, too!

After raining the entire day Saturday, the sun came out for a mere 30 minutes to show off a magical sunset.

Happy days celebrating friends! Linking up with Sami this fine morning!

Weekend Update

Visiting an apple orchard was probably one of the items on my 101 in 1001 list that I was the most excited about. When I found out it was going to be 70 degrees on Saturday, I grabbed 2 of my best girlfriends and up the mountain we went.

We visited Sky Top Orchard, about 45 minutes from Greenville, and had the best time! I can't believe I've never done this before, but it'll definitely be a yearly tradition from here on out! Now to decide what to cook/bake with all these apples!

The rest of the weekend was filled with the usual, football, friends, a baby shower for a coworker, and a Sunday afternoon nap!

Linking up with Sami

Mumford & Sons

Not going to lie, pretty excited that it's Friday. This week has flown by but also took forever, but maybe I should stop going to concerts on a school night Wednesday.

My favorite people and I saw Mumford & Sons in Greenville, and while I can't say it was my favorite concert (Is it just me or do all their songs sound the same?), they put on a great show. The pretty sunset beside the stage didn't hurt either!

Bonus: I crossed off #61 again!

Weekend Update

Weekend recaps can start on Wednesdays, right? The beauty of being the author of this little blog here is that I can make my own rules!

Two friends of mine and I decided spontaneously to travel to Charlotte on Wednesday night to see John Mayer. I've seen him in concert 4 times now, but neither Kirby nor Sarah had, so I was more than eager to share with them the amazingness that is Johnnie May (yes, that is his official nickname).

We jammed to his new CD and all of his oldies on the drive up, and didn't get home until 2 am, but it was most definitely worth it. I'll see him a million times more...(crossed #61 off the list)!

Unfortunately, our girl Sarah moved to Philly on Friday morning, so we also spent Thursday night celebrating her last night in Greenville. That of course included cheering on her beloved Ravens (even if they did lose). I'm going to miss her like crazy! Can't wait to start planning a trip to Philly to visit her though!

The remaining theme of the weekend was football, as that's all I did Saturday and Sunday. Cheered my Tigers onto victory again (#3 in the nation baby) and won my first week of Fantasy football against Lauren!

I love when my mom surprises me with little goodies! I've been wanting this J.Crew bracelet forever!

Happy Monday everyone! Linking up with Sami!

101 in 1001

This list has taken me a lifetime to write! You can read more about the Day Zero Project if you're interested! For me, this list is a happy medium between a bucket list (a lifetime worth of goals) and New Years' resolutions. I technically began this goal on my 25th birthday, so I'm already 2 months in! I've even created a new tab in my header to keep me accountable for the next 2+ years!

Start date ~ July 10, 2013
End date ~ April 6, 2016

1. Fly first class.
2. Own a Le Creuset dutch oven.
3. Host a dinner party.
4. Have a social media-free weekend.
5. Make my bed everyday for a month.
6. Ride on a sailboat.
7. Find a signature drink.
8. Find a signature scent.
9. See a movie in theaters alone.
10. Stay at a bed and breakfast.
11. Invest in personalized stationery.
12. Have a picnic.
13. Send Christmas cards one year.
14. Eat Texas BBQ in Austin.
15. Send snail mail to friends for birthdays and holidays.
16. Buy a coffee table book.
17. Go to a drive-in movie.
18. Donate blood.
19. Stay in bed all day and watch an entire TV season.
20. Read the entire NY Times Sunday paper and attempt the crossword.
21. Visit an apple orchard.
22. Host a Super Bowl party.
23. Have my diplomas and CPA license framed.
24. Visit a food truck.
25. Take a cooking class.
26. Prepare a meal using only ingredients found at a farmer's market.
27. Take a road trip.
28. Visit three new states.
29. Visit Cape Cod/Martha's Vineyard.
30. Visit a new country.
31. Go hiking.
32. See all the "Best Picture" Oscar nominees one year.
33. Host a wine & cheese happy hour for my girlfriends.
34. Sleep under the stars.
35. Watch the sunrise and the sunset in the same day.
36. Don't eat fast food for a month.
37. Take a hot yoga class.
38. Run a half marathon.
39. Update all the pictures in my room/at my desk with recent ones.
40. Visit NYC at Christmas.
41. Participate in a Color Run 5k.
42. Pay for someone else's meal in a drive-thru or restaurant.
43. Volunteer with Habitat for Humanity.
44. Make soft pretzels at home.
45. Participate in a charity run/walk.
46. Meet with a financial planner.
47. Buy something from Etsy.
48. Buy flowers for someone.
49. Make my own spaghetti sauce.
50. Floss everyday for a month.
51. Eat breakfast for dinner.
52. Buy a set of luxurious bath towels.
53. Buy nothing new for one month.
54. Read ten so-called classic novels.
55. Get a massage.
56. Leave a 100% tip at a restaurant.
57. Compile a list of inspiring quotes.
58. Donate my old Mac laptop.
59. Write a "Day in the Life" blog post.
60. Take a home-cooked meal to someone.
61. Attend an outdoor concert.
62. See a play or musical.
63. Stretch every day for a month.
64. Update my resume.
65. Own a decent set of kitchen knives.
66. Stock my "bar" with something other than wine
67. Organize/upload photos from my iPhone (and then delete them).
68. Visit a brewery.
69. Start a collection.
70. Purchase a "Where I've Been" map.
71. Throw out twenty things and don't replace them.
72. Create a beauty routine and stick with it.
73. Buy a bicycle.
74. Eat the recommended serving of vegetables every day for one week.
75. See ten so-called classic films.
76. Try five new foods.
77. Learn how to change a flat tire.
78. Discover five new restaurants in town.
79. Have friends over for brunch.
80. Get a blowout at a drybar.
81. Stop drinking coffee for one week.
82. Go gluten-free for a month.
83. Leave a friendly note in a public place for a strange to find and smile about.
84. Organize my recipes.
85. Adopt a child from the Angel Tree at Christmas.
86. Read a book that intimidates me.
87. Make biscuits from scratch.
88. Pay off my car.
89. Buy a lottery ticket.
90. Watch a meteor shower.
91. Attend a festival.
92. Pop a bottle of champagne, just because.
93. Wake up and work out every morning for one week.
94. Re-read the Harry Potter series.
95. See all seven Harry Potter movies.
96. Watch the past ten years "Best Picture" winners at the Oscars.
97. Make five recipes from Ina Garten's cookbook.
98. Go kayaking.
99. Make another 101 in 1001 list.
100. Put $10 into savings for every goal accomplished.
101. Donate $10 for every goal not accomplished.

New Beginnings

Sometimes a fellow blogger will write something and the entire time I'm reading the post, I'm nodding along. Does anyone else do this?

Apparently both Anna and Jess were reading my mind last week.

While I don't think I'm quite having a quarter-life crisis (don't worry, I already had one of those back in grad school), I am definitely feeling a little...lost.

via

Maybe it has something to do with turning 25 or being newly single?

Either way, I decided a while ago that I needed a goal. Something to work towards so I can feel that sense of accomplishment again. Even though I just got promoted (and got a raise !!!!), I still don't feel like I really earned it. Our accounting firm has a natural progression of staffing, so it's almost the norm to get promoted after a certain period of time (all the staff who started the day I did also got promoted).

My point in all this rambling is this: I've decided to register for half marathon #2. While my first half was pretty disappointing and training for one last fall didn't end so well, the sense of accomplishment I felt when crossing that finish line was pretty unreal. And I want to know what that feels like again. To have a goal and then reach it. So that's what I'm going to do!

And while that goal is in the near future, I've also been working on some not-so-distant goals. Several months ago, I stumbled upon The Day Zero Project, which encourages people to make a list of 101 things they'd like to do in 1001 days (roughly 2.75 years).

I've been perfecting my list for a while now and will be posting it soon! I meant to post it on my 25th birthday, seeing as 25 seemed like the perfect milestone to begin such a project! I'm looking forward to crossing things of this "bucket list" of sorts, and to chronicle the journey along the way!