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Sneak Peek: Sieana’s Headshots

 

Hello, Beautiful!

 

I hope everyone had a beautiful Easter weekend filled with love and family. The weather in North Carolina couldn’t have been better. Hubby and I took our pups to the dog park Saturday, then had a little dinner date together at a quiet, casual yet sophisticated place here in Charlotte you may know as O’Charley’s.

On Sunday we loaded up our pups, the camera and camera hiking pack Thomas gave me for Christmas and Valentine’s Day, and some snackies, and off we went to Crowder’s Mountain State Park, my favorite hiking spot around here.

 

 

It was my first time hiking in about 9 months – due to a combination of planning my fall wedding while studying for the bar last summer and then encountering major back problems this past winter – and Lord did it feel amazing!

 

 

 

Every aching muscle in every step taken just reminded me that I’m out walking in God’ beauty instead of being bedridden, and I fully embraced “the burn” that came with it. The trail we took is a serious little b, a constant incline that zigzags around the mountain to the very top . . . and the view was beyond worth it.

 

 

Good Friday, however, was its own special little gem of a day, too. I got to spend time shooting head shots for my  #1 girl boss friend, Sieana Robinson. I met Sieana a few years ago when I finally got up the courage to ask the prettiest girl in class who colored her hair (hi, Maryellen!).

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Quick & Savory Whole30 Breakfast

 

Hello, Beautiful!

I hope you’ve had a lovely weekend, filled with rest and relaxation. I spent my Sunday afternoon battling my allergies (they won for a bit, and I took a two hour nap – oops) and spent my Sunday evening saying things like, “Does it really have to be Monday tomorrow?” (Mature, right?)

I did manage to be productive in a few ways (if you count getting your golden retriever a touch-up shave for his lion cut), one of which was accidentally creating the most delicious, savory Whole30 compliant breakfast. I say “accidentally” because when it comes to Whole30, I’m better at abiding by the full-length approved shopping list than working with a specific recipe. I much prefer to throw whatever I’m craving into a pan and just go with it. And this time . . . oh, man. Talk about a major weekend win and me falling in all kinds of love with sauteed kale.

 

 

Whether you’re on Whole30 or just want to keep it simple and healthy in the morning, keep on reading for my new favorite breakfast recipe.

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All About The Origins #MyPerfectWorld VIP Event

 

Hello, Beautiful!

Let’s treat our face to the most natural, earth-friendly products, shall we?

 

 

You’re never too old for a Friday night spent with your girls at the mall!

Okay, well that might not be entirely true, but it’s definitely true THIS Friday night from 5PM – 8PM in sunny (for now) Charlotte, NC! That’s right, you’re going to want to grab your besties and head to the SouthPark Mall tonight for some major pampering and relaxation, courtesy of the Origins “My Perfect World” VIP event.

 

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Hair Masque Must-Have: The Kenra Brightening Treatment

 

Hello, Beautiful!

I hope your week is off to a fantastic start. It’s hump day, so we are already halfway through the week . . . and that, my friends, is a beautiful thing!

I recently tried the new Kenra Brightening hair treatment for @Influenster – a neat little app that sends complimentary new products in exchange for honest feedback – and fell in love with the way it helped me #KickThatBrass and brighten up my ash-blonde hair. Whether you’re strawberry or silver, us blondes know how tough it can be to keep the color-treated portions of our locks from turning brassy on us.

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Leukemia & Lymphoma Society + Lexi’s Fundraising Campaign

 

Hello, Beautiful!

Let’s make a difference, shall we?

Last week at a Legal Department breakfast, my colleague Lexi Andresen announced that she’s raising money from now until June 2017 as part of a Leukemia & Lymphoma Society campaign. Lexi spoke briefly about how she did not have anyone in her family or friend circle impacted by cancer, but “God forbid if that were to ever happen one day,” she wanted there to money for research, medicine, and treatment.

I was immediately intrigued and wanted to find out more for several reasons. First off, I really was blown away by the fact that she just truly wanted to raise money for an incredible cause, no strings attached. Another reason was because of something else Lexi mentioned at breakfast:

 

“Blood cancer intersects with other types of cancers, including pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, and lung cancer. Blood cancer impacts everyone and has a far reach, whether we realize it or not.”

 

Having lost my father to pancreatic cancer 10 years ago this summer, I knew I had to find out more and see what I could do to help. If you want to know more about how you can make a positive difference in the lives of so many kids – and even have FUN while doing it – then read on for more on LLS & Lexi’s partnership with this organization.

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DIY Decorative Letters for Around $10

 

Hello, Beautiful!

 

This weekend I had the honor of co-hosting a bridal shower for one of my best friends (who also happens to be one of my bridesmaids and my ADPi little sis), Randi-Carole! She is going to make THE most beautiful bride in just 37 days (eek!) when she marries her soulmate, Josh.

RC was so sweet to offer to throw me a bridal shower BEFORE I was even engaged (like, the second I texted her that Thomas was acting funny, hehe), and I couldn’t wait to do the same for her! RC & I met in college in 2009 in Clarksville, TN, so it made sense for the showers we threw for each other to take place there. We each had our own hometown showers where we grew up, but we wanted to make sure we got to celebrate the moment with the ladies who’d been there for us throughout our college years and beyond . . . Lord knows we “kissed some frogs” back in the day, but I digress!

 

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My Whole30 Experience

 

Hello, Beautiful!

 

“A beautiful day begins with a beautiful mindset. When you wake up, take a second to think about what a privilege it is to simply be alive & healthy.”

 

“The best part about life? Every morning you have a new opportunity to become a better version of yourself.”

 

Today I’m talking about my experience with the Whole30 program, which (no exaggeration, for once) was life-changing. When I would tell others I was on the program – whether it was family, best friends, coworkers, or anyone else really (I’m realizing I bring up food a lot in daily conversation at this point, lol) for the most part, I’d get the “I have no idea what you’re talking about” stare in return. This same stare greeted me back in law school when I’d tell others I was planning to study abroad in Lithuania – a lot of people just hadn’t heard of the country before, and I feel like a lot of people likewise haven’t heard of Whole30. Or, maybe you’ve heard about it but don’t know the full deetz. Maybe you know every detail, but like me love wine and cheese more than life itself and, also like me, couldn’t possibly imagine giving them up for 30 days.

Regardless of your familiarity-level with Whole30, my goal for this post is to fill you in on the basics of the plan and share my personal experience with you. My husband and I will be starting our second-ever Whole30 next Monday, March 27th, and we would LOVE for you to join us so we can offer you support, encouragement, and accountability! So, if you’re interested in learning about the Whole30 program and potentially trying it out for yourself to make a healthy lifestyle change, keep reading below.

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5 Tips for Travel on the Cheap

 

Happy Saturday, Beautiful!

 

I’m so excited about the first WANDERLUST post! *Waits for you to ask me why.* Well, I got to make a list, and boy do I love making lists! I also got to talk about one of my very favorite things in the world and half of the namesake of this blog: traveling.

After all, as every Pinterest pin ever said:

Travel is the only thing we buy that makes us richer.

(I like to imagine that we all just said that together in our sorority voice while holding hands.)

 

 

Honestly, who doesn’t love to travel? There’s nothing quite like placing yourself in an entirely new setting and watching yourself grow through the memories you make. Likewise, there’s nothing like returning to a place you’ve been before – that, too, will show you how you’ve changed since you were there last. I believe it is imperative to see and experience new places and people, to get out there in it + maybe realize just how small we really are compared to this big wide world we’ve been given.

So, if that’s all true . . . why the heck does it cost so much money to travel?! I mean, for all of us ballers on a budget out there, how do we still make this dream happen without being some professionally-paid-wanderlusting-model-goddess?

“I just want to travel, get paid for doing something I love, be around genuine people, and find new ways to love the same man over and over.”

If I could pick one mantra to live by for the rest of my life, it’d be that one. So, if your heart is always yearning for adventure like me – but your bank account isn’t the unlimited kind (Black AmEx goals, amIright?) – then keep on reading this post for some quick tips about how to travel on the cheap!

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Hello, Beautiful!

 

Hello, Beautiful, and welcome to the Weddings & Wanderlust blog! My name is Elle, and I’m so glad you’re here!

 

Weddings

Whether you’re a recently engaged bride-to-be (if so, CONGRATS, WIFEY!!!), a bridesmaid going on the ultimate planning journey with your bestie, or a Southern girl like me who’s completely obsessed with romance and in love with all things “weddings,” I hope this blog brings you inspiration, ideas, advice, & most importantly: leaves you with something meaningful and useful by making your life brighter (and, hopefully, easier!).

Wanderlust

Honestly, I love the word “wanderlust,” which means “a strong desire to travel.” What 20-something human being doesn’t have wanderlust? My heart aches for travel experiences like hiking, exploring new places, trying new foods, seeing new cultures and understanding different ways of living . . . sayings such as Lewis Carroll’s, “Actually, the best gift you could have given her was a lifetime of adventures….” resonate with me and remind me that what’s important in life is feeding your soul through new experiences. I hope this blog can spark creativity (I loooove crafting everything from canvases to cocktails, but more to come on that later), advice (including everything from recipes to travel), and most importantly: speaks to whatever illuminates your happiness by lighting up your daily life.

“You’re only given a little spark of madness. You musn’t lose it.” – Robin Williams

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