Five on Friday {2/27}

Happy Friday!

I haven't participated in the Friday fun link-ups in a while, so I wanted to join back in the fun today. Thanks for hosting Natasha!

1. Wedding Dresses
Thank you for all of your kind words about my wedding dress shopping. Y'all made me feel so much better! I am going to head out by myself this week and hopefully picking something out!

2. Gym sadness.
So Atlanta has some weather scares this week. I actually saw no snow on the ground, but whatever. I take a snow day when I can get it.
I went to the gym on Wednesday morning, as usual, before the storm started. I went again on Thursday at 6am, despite having no class, and IT WAS CLOSED. I was so depressed that I woke up, ventured out in the cold, and couldn't work out.
You may say "well did you run outside?" and the answer is no. I went to a coffee shop and got a latte. #thecoldALWAYSbotheredmeanyway

3. New planner
I just got the Simplified Planner and I am OBSESSED. It is so pretty! And organized! I love having spots to write my menu planning. It is seriously the cutest thing.

I think the 2016 ones come out in May, so you may want to check it out!

4. Snow day fun
We had a snow day on Wednesday and no snow. It was fantastic. I did tons of craft projects and organization, including working with my photos. I am hoping to finish my photo book this weekend :)

5. Weekend Races
Running a 5k tomorrow. It will be like 20*. So thats good. And I have a 10k next weekend, which will also be freezing. Great.

Happy Weekend!

x0x0, 

Hannah 

Photo Project: Shutterfly Photo Book

Yesterday was a snow day (hallelujah!) and I enjoyed every minute of it. I got some school work done and planned to play in the snow in the afternoon... but no snow came.

That is right. No. Snow.

So, I entertained myself with a movie and some photo crafting.

I am not what you would call "crafty." I can do projects, but it usually takes me 2807084 hours because I am a perfectionist and want it to look just like the picture. Which is why scrap booking didn't work out for me. I was way too anxious about the process and never finished more that 3 pages.  #pinterestfail

But I LOVE taking photos and am so sick of them all sitting on my computer or phone. Enter photo books. I decided to start making photo books online a few years ago and am now obsessed.

After some research, I found Shutterfly had the best options and prices. I pick my book size (usually 8 x 11, but I did a larger one for my mom). Then I upload all my photos and play away with backgrounds, lettering, and borders.

LOVE the cover options now. When I first started making photo books,
they only had hard or soft covers.
The new leather and matte finish covers are beautiful. 

Sometimes I make my own theme, but other times I take advantage of the styled books. These come with a theme of colors, papers, and embellishments, plus idea pages to get the juices flowing. When I did one for my classroom, I used a teacher template, which came with awesome clip art. I used a travel template for a trip to Europe.

Buckingham Palace <3 

Yesterday I started a book with all my 1L photos. I don't want to forget the fun of my first year of law school. This book with be part journal, part photo. I am even trying to scan in ticket stubs and mementos to put in the book. Sidenote: love making photo books on the computer because I can work on it a little bit at a time without a ton of mess. If I try to make a real photo book, it takes me an hour just to set up and clean up. No joke.

I am also thinking of using one of the books as a guest book for AR & I's wedding. I love the idea of putting a bunch of our fun photos in a book and letting people sign throughout!

If you wanna try making a photo book (hello holiday photo dump!), check out Shutterfly. They usually have tons of promotions and coupons. When I ordered my holiday cards last year, I got almost 60% off!

love all the new sizes!!!

How do you preserve and display your photos? 

x0x0, 

Hannah 

Note: This post was not sponsored by Shutterfly. I just wanted to share my fun from yesterday!

Snow Day Fun!

Hump Day!!! It is Wednesday and both AR and I have a snow day. WIN!!!

Atlanta is anticipaiting some bad weather conditions and the snow just started. AR was told that he could work from home and my school sent an email out late last night. Needless to say, we are pretty excited. 

I slept in and started my morning with a long workout. It was way rougher than I anticipated - last night I did 5 miles and I had speed work on the schedule for today, but I could not hold my pace for anything. My legs were just not having it :(

in my cup: soy misto with vanilla syrup

AR and I stopped for coffee and did a late breakfast/lunch post workout. We made scrambled eggs with bell pepper, tomatoes, turkey, and goat cheese. So good. I ate mine with a bran muffins filled with blueberries and cranberries. I used this recipe from Smitten Kitchen any they are fantastic. I highly recommend it. 

I am hoping AR finishes up work in the next few hours so we can go play outside. Until then, I am playing with my *new* Simplified Planner and doings some school work. 

is it SO pretty!!!

Am I awful for hoping the roads stay horrible tonight and we have another snow day???

How would you spend your snow day?

x0x0, 

Hannah 

Weekending {wedding dress shopping}

This was THE weekend. My Mother and future Mother in law both came to Atlanta to help me find THE dress. While I and visited one store with a few friends to start the dress shopping process, this was my visit official visit.

I made appointments at 3 stores and ended up returning to one of the stores for a second visit.

Let me tell you ladies.... wedding dress shopping is not all it is cracked up to be.

Maybe I watched one too many episodes of "Say Yes to the Dress," or maybe I am just silly. I really thought I would put a dress on and "know" it was my dress. I didn't expect to cry or yell or anything like that, but I thought I would know when I found my dress.

But I didn't. Instead, I found tons of pretty dresses. I thought I had narrowed it down to two, found another dress and narrowed it down to two again. And nothing. I still didn't know which one was "the one."

I tried the whole "jack 'em up" thing with the veil and jewelry and the whole nine yards, and it didn't complete my decision. Finally, it was the end of the weekend and I had to be done. We were sitting at the bridal salon and my mom's flight was literally leaving in 90 minutes, so we had to be down for now.

The weekend wasn't a wash, but it wasn't what I expect. There were tears. Believe me, there were tears. I am not sure what comes next. Maybe I go by myself to the store? Maybe I put those two dresses back on with a friend? I don't know.

AR met us for an ice cream break...

...at Jeni's

I needed two flavors: brown-butter-almond, and dark chocolate

What was it like when you went shopping for your wedding dress? How many visits did it take you?

Hannah 

Linking up with BLovedBoston and Champagne&Suburbs! 

5 on Friday {3/20}

Linking up with Natasha at Hello Happiness for some Friday fun!

1. Back home.
After being gone for 9 days on a trip to Chicago/Milwaukee/Madison, it felt so good to wake up in my own bed on Tuesday morning. I love to travel, but I miss the routine and comfort of my own home. I get sick of living out of a suitcase and miss my own bed, my shower, and my closet full of clothes :)

2. Favorite dinner this week. 
I have eaten this meal twice this week and I am obsessed. We sautéed jalapeños, peppers, onions, and garlic, then added ranchero beans and crushed tomatoes. On monday, we ate this in tortillas and last night, I enjoyed it as a burrito bowl, topped with sautéed zucchini sour cream. '

I plan to try this recipe for a grain bowl this week. Love Smitten Kitchen :)

3. Not favorite dinner this week. 
I shared earlier in the week that I was doing a juice detox following my indulgent trip to Madison. This was not my favorite. It ended with exhausted hunger and an allergic reaction. Not fun. The next day I modified and added fruits, veggies, and almonds. Thank god that is over.

If you are looking for some new snacks to add to your diet, check out my post from this week - I even shared where to score the best deal on organic snacks and baking needs!

4. Bridesmaid dresses. 
It wouldn't be 5 on Friday if I didn't share something about my wedding preparations (will this become 4 on Friday after August? I don't know). Anyways, while in Chicago, two of my bridesmaids and I had a blast trying on dresses at Nordstrom's Wedding Department and Bella's Bridesmaid. I am heading to Bella's in Buckhead this afternoon to narrow does our dress selection and hopefully place an order!! Ahhh!

5.  Weekending. 
My weekend plans are not too exciting. Tonight AR and I are exploring the Streets of Buckhead with another couple. I am hoping the line at the new Georgetown Cupcake is not too long. While I have been to the original, I have not visited the new location here in Atlanta. And we all know I love a good cupcake! I am helping host a conference tomorrow that I am really excited about and then studying all day Sunday. What are your weekend plans?

x0x0, 

Hannah 

Weekend Moments {2/16}

Happy Monday y'all!

I am a little late to the party, but better late than ever, right? Here is a peak at my Valentine's Day weekend. 

Friday:

My partner and I submitted our 40 page brief at 8pm on Friday. We were SO glad to have finished and immediately headed to a bar that is literally 10 feet outside my front door. We shared some cocktails and then she headed home. I stayed with AR and had an enormous chicken biscuit for dinner. Health food at its finest, my friends. Cocktails, biscuits, and fried chicken. #whatweddingdiet?

Saturday:

Valentine's Day! Our day was full of love and relaxation. We had a quiet, I-slept-for-ten-hours kind of morning. AR brought be coffee and breakfast, which is clearly the way to my heart. Then we spent the afternoon at the Fernbank Museum. I love this place and it was the perfect activity. We knew we wanted to avoid the restaurant scene (which is always crazy on Vday, imo) and were so happy to cook dinner. AR made a blackened fish and roasted asparagus, I made garlic mashed potatoes and brought prosecco. Perfect evening. 

Sunday:

I woke up early and made a batch of almond-cocoa granola. AR and I went for a very cold (21* eeek) run, and then I headed to school. I was stuck working on school until almost 10, but oh well. At least we got to enjoy a lazy Saturday. 

How did you spend Valentine's Day? Do you have any fun traditions?

x0x0, 

Hannah 

Linking up with BLoved Boston and Champagne&Suburbs! 

Last Minute Valentine's Day Ideas

Sometimes, things do not go as plan.

Like this Valentine's day, for example. AR and I had planned a day long hiking trip, complete with a picnic lunch. We even had a back-up plan: Renting bicycles and exploring Atlanta for the afternoon, should I get caught up in work.

But, the weather report shows that it may be 19*, so we may have to rethink this plan. This Chicagoan-moved-south does not do 19* and outdoor activity. Nope.

Regardless of how you are spending your Valentine's Day weekend, here are some adorable, last-minute ideas!

1. These chocolate covered strawberry cookies.
I baked these for AR's office the last two years and am making another batch for him tonight. The best part? They start with a boxed cake mix. WIN!

2. This beer case.
This is adorable. I think so Abita strawberry beers or some Sweetwater blues would be so cute in here.

3. Handmade card.
I love holiday cards, and these are so simple and sweet. Side note: this link has printables to save you from a last-minute card run.

What are you doing for Valentine's Day?

x0x0, 

Hannah 

Weekending {2/9}

Happy Monday!

Im changing the format of my weekend posts a little bit and just going to give you some highlights for your Monday. Let me know if you like the change :)

Friday: I dragged AR to start looking at Registry goodies and took him to dinner at Bhojanics, one of our favorite Indian places. My meal was so spicy, I drank 3 glasses of water with it. Have your created a registry? How hard is it? I don't even know where to start, honestly.

Saturday: Brunch with girlfriends. Much MUCH needed :)

Saturday: Atlanta Junior League Placement Expo! It was so exciting to learn about all of the things I could volunteer at this year. I cannot wait to share my final placement.

For those who don't know, the Junior League is an awesome organization that trains women for leadership in the community, raises thousands of dollars for local charities, and donates millions of hours throughout the year to local non-profits. Each member must work a minimum of 50 hours are their placement - this might be the zoo, a hospital, an after school program, or food bank. There are so many ways to get involved. You might have some negative stereotypes from movies (ahem, The Help), but that has not been my experience at all. You should check it out!

Much of our work in ATL focuses on wary childhood education. I am hoping to volunteer in a placement with children this year because this topic is so important to me!

Saturday: Long walk on the ATL Beltline. I got home from the expo and AR and I went for a walk. We grabbed smoothies and walked 4 miles though Piedmont Park and around the Beltline. The weather was fantastic - over 60 degrees and sunny.

Blueberries, banana, almond butter, and almond milk. Yumm!
Follow me on instagram - hrw1126

Sunday: So much school work. Can't even talk about it.

Sunday Sunny run through midtown with AR. We got in 6 gorgeous miles in the afternoon and once again, enjoyed that stunning weather. Now its raining, so I guess we paid for it.

Looking forward to: Tastings this week - so much good food to come!

What is your favorite smoothie combo? 

Do you volunteer with a local organization?

x0x0, 

Hannah 

Thanks for hosting, BLovedBoston and Champagne&Suburbs!

Friday Confessions {2/6}

Lots to confess this morning with the lovely Leslie!

I confess... that I am just now eating my first meal of the day. At 11am. I woke up at 6 and drank coffee while I finished a brief. By the time I finished, there was no time for breakfast. I had to run to a meeting with the wedding planner! Of course, we met at a coffee shop, so I had more coffee. :)

I confess... I interrupted AR at work to tell him Nashville came back on t.v. this week. Poor man, my phone calls are always riveting for him. Bless his heart, he even responded with "really? well we better watch it this weekend than!." #keeper

I confess... I asked my bridesmaids this week! Read about it here :)

I confess... I bribed AR to go to the mall tonight by offering to take him to dinner at his favorite Indian spot. He said yes. He gets some paneer and I get Pottery Barn. Win-win.

I confess...  I am going to three catering tastings next week. I better budget some extra gym time into my schedule I think...

I confess... I had a Vega nutrion shake for like three meals this week. I count this as a fail-win. Clearly, my meal planning is getting lazy, BUT I am getting all my veggie servings and lots of protein. I do not know what I would do without this stuff.

Well, that is all! Have a great weekend!

How are you spending your Friday night??

Hannah

Bridesmaids: how I asked!

Hey ladies! Checking in this morning for a few minutes - cannot even talk about how crazy this week has been. But here I am to share some wedding fun!

I asked my bridesmaids!

I read about 100 ideas on how to ask bridesmaids (love this one by Lauren Conrad) before I asked. I wanted to do something fun and surprise them, but I also needed to mail it because my bridesmaids live in GA, DC, IL, and the UK. This was certainly not going to be an in-person moment for all of them.

I started with these adorable cards I found on Etsy - they are scratch-offs!

I wrote notes to each friend inside the cards and simply said "be my bridesmaid?" under the ballon. 

Then, I grabbed the cutest dotted Kate Sade notebooks to send with them. 

To keep on with the gold and pink theme, I picked up this gold and pink heart confetti at Paper Source (<-- that store is like a black hole for me. I want it ALL). 

I've loved hearing from my girls when they opened their packages! It has been so much fun!

How did you ask your bridesmaids?

x0x0, 

Hannah