As soon as this blog post is published, Ryan and I are heading off to the airport to catch a flight to Chicago. Kristen, one of my best friends from high school, is getting married in Schaumburg on Saturday and Iām looking forward to a fun-filled wedding weekend that will kick off with a rehearsal this evening. Obviously the anticipation of quality time with friends is the number one thing Iām loving right now, but below you will find a list of some more things that made me smile this week.
As always, please share something youāre loving this week in the comments section of this post. Have a great weekend, my friends!
Things Iām Loving Friday
- Stitch Fix Photo Shoot Pictures
I promised you guys I would share some of the photos from the Stitch Fix photo shoot that took place in San Francisco last month. Here are a few of the pictures where my awkward hands donāt look too awkward (hopefully)!
Just FYI for those of you who use Stitch Fix, everything you see us wearing is from Stitch Fix, so you can request anything you see in a future fix if you something above catches your eye. (Iām actually putting in a request for the pink dress I wore and the denim vest on the above mannequin!)
Doodle is the most amazing website for anyone looking for an easy way to find a date and/or time that works for a bunch of people for a meeting, party, vacation, etc. Iāve used it for everything from scheduling conference calls to bachelorette parties! Itās the best.
- Dinner at 131 Main
Last weekend we grabbed dinner at 131 Main, a restaurant many people recommended to us when we moved to the area. It lived up to the hype and Ryan, Eric and I all loved our meals. Ryan and I are hoping to enjoy some more date nights at local restaurants, so if you live in the area (Charlotte or north of the city) and have restaurant recommendations, Iād love to hear them! (Iām also still combing through your awesome comments and recommendations on my first post announcing our move, so thank you for those, too!)
- Kombucha
The first time I tried kombucha, I thought it tasted like armpit. Horrible! Well, after trying a bottle of Clearly Kombucha a few months ago and actually liking it, I decided to give it a second chance a while back and honestly enjoy it! Who wouldāve thought? Maybe itās one of those things you learn to love? (I hated coffee at first, too!) I am a big fan of carbonation and love the fizziness of the drink. It reminds me of soda but without all the sweetness and crappy ingredients. Iām a fan!
- Eating Well Magazine
I picked up a copy of this magazine at a booth at Wanderlust and as I flipped through it on the flight home, I found myself folding over page after page so I could easily locate all of the delicious recipes in the magazine. Eating Well features tons of healthy recipes, but perhaps my favorite thing about many of the recipes is that they seem easy to make. Iām all about super simple meals!
- Toasted Coconut Chips
These Dang Toasted Coconut Chips were an impulse buy at Fresh Market this week. I thought they might be a good topping for Greek yogurt but once I opened the bag after dinner one evening, I couldnāt stop eating them. If youāre a big time fan of coconut like me, I cannot recommend these enough. Ridiculously delicious!
Past Things Iām Loving Friday
Question of the Day
- What is one thing youāve been loving this week?
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We were just in Charlotte last weekend and ate at La Tagliatella in the EpiCentre – we had heard good things about their pizza and were not disappointed.
Enjoy the wedding weekend!
No awkward hands in sight – you’re safe! I love that pink dress you are wearing and will have to request it in my next fix for sure.
I just discovered Doodle at work. It has made conference call scheduling with busy doctors soooo much easier!
Have a fun time in Chicago!
Great photo shoot pictures!
i’ve been loving a low key schedule this week after a busy weekend out of town! have fun this weekend!
I like the berry kombucha made by Synergy. It was different than I how I thought it would taste. I don’t think the benefits are enough for me to justify buying it regularly. It’s so expensive!
Today is my 3 year anniversary with my boyfriend. I’m loving that!
Happy anniversary!!!!
Have a great trip this weekend!!
Thanks Sara!
The first time I tried Kombucha, it was cranberry, and all I tasted was vinegar. I was determined to like it, though, so I tried it again, but the Trilogy flavor you have pictured, and I really enjoyed that one. I’ve also tried that brand’s Mango version, which is also tasty. I keep meaning to try to make my own, but it’s difficult when you live with people who don’t get it (and pre-bottled Kombucha gets expensive!).
Your pictures look so great! I LOVE that pink dress, by the way! I may just have to sign up for StichFix just for that!
As a vegetarian I highllyyy recommend Fern and Bean. They are two AMAZING vegetarian/vegan restaurants! You will not be disappointed! (Brunch is the best for both!)
Glad you’re enjoying the QC. I love it!
Awesome! Thanks!
Cute pics! (Though to be fair, you could be standing in a swamp and look super cute so, there’s that)
This week, I’m loving dark chocolate s’mores chia oatmeal. A little sin mixed with the angelic. š
I LOVE that I finally have a job that I can wear flip flops to! I know it sounds trivial, but for a decade I was in suits, heels and nylons all day every day. In the summer months, it’s horrible. So today I have a tank maxi dress with my flippers and I intend to be working on the company patio all afternoon! If I have to be at work, I might as well enjoy the wifi š
Eating Well is one of my favorite places to find recipe inspiration. Also, Vegartian mag is good.
Love the photos of you!
Thanks so much! <3
Those photos of you are so lovely!
Coconut chips sound amazing as does that meal you had at 131 Main!
I am also loving kombucha at the moment!
Haha, I got to the bottom of the post and as soon I saw the coconut chips, I thought “what are those and where can I get them??” I may have to make a run to Fresh Market this weekend!!
You will love them!!
Beautiful photos! I love the first picture. How cool is Doodle, definitely tucking that away for the future. With a huge family, I’ve no doubt it will come in handy. I LOVE Eating Well magazine! So many simple recipes filled with fresh ingredients. Enjoy the wedding weekend with friends, so fun!
I picked up some coconut chips like that from trader joe’s– SO AMAZING! I couldn’t stop eating them either! hmmm this week I am loving my new computer! sooooo much faster than my 7 year old comp! ha š
You look so beautiful and like you’re having so much fun in those pics! I love kombucha and just recently started brewing my own. Blueberry-infused is my newest creation… so good!
Thank you, Jaclyn!
I’ve been loving my golf lessons. Its a great way to be outside with friends!
The Gingerade flavor from the same brand that makes Syngery is awesome. It’s really refreshing in the summer. Some of the other flavors are too tart or too vinegary for me but the ginger one is surprisingly sweet.
mmm the toasted coconut looks so good but it’d be so dangerous for me and my lack of self control over foods that aren’t pre-portioned! this week i am loving the perfect rooftop/outdoors weather we’re having in NYC!
If you like Doodle, I think you’ll like When2Meet too! I like it better because it’s easier to use and get setup!
I’m still pretty scared of kombucha, but as its trendiness grows I think I might try to conquer that fear!
Oh yes. Those cocnut chips are AWESOME! I had salted caramel ones!
Have so much fun at your friend’s wedding! The Stitch Fix pictures of you turned out so great! You look beautiful!
Thank you, Erin. š I must admit I felt quite awkward, so I appreciate it!
LKN restaurant- do y’all like Pho? If so, for a quick, cheap, great bowl of Pho, try Pho Nam! It’s on Catawba ave.
Ooooh we will definitely try it!
LOVE coconut chips! I bought some from Trader Joes last week and oh my word are they delicious!!
Eating Well has grown to become my favorite magazine! Everything they feature looks delicious and like you said, simple enough to make. One of my favorite sections (I think they have it each month) is where they provide a handful of variations on one dish. For the winter months, I have one on chili bookmarked. It’s awesome!
I’m the same way with Kombucha! I spit it out the first time I tried it. Then I tried Reed’s brand, and I ended up liking it. I think Reed’s was a little bit less tart, so once I got acclimated to the taste and smell, I was able to graduate to Synergy brand, which I think is more sour than others. Now I love it and drink once a week! I actually want to start making my own!
Tupelo honey cafe in south end is amaazingggg. It’s southern comfort food but has plenty of veggie options. I had the veggie plate last time (you can pick between about 20 options) and it was awesome. They have a great outdoor patio too! Oh and the free biscuit w blueberry jam that they give you before your meal is to. Die. For. Basically my fave place in charlotte.
Beautiful pictures. Hope you have a great time at the wedding.
Yay for giving kombucha another chance! I love the stuff and can’t leave the grocery store without one. Love the Stitch Fix pics! Your hands look totally normal, I promise:)
I am loving Kombucha this summer! So delicious!
Oooohh, I really want to try those coconut chips! I’m a big fan of coconut, so I have a feeling I’ll be in heaven with those. And I just tried Kombucha for the second time yesterday and loved it! I have a feeling it was because the first one I tried was Chia Seeds and I hated the texture not the flavor haha. Have fun in Chicago :)!
I don’t even really like coconut, but those toasted chips are dangerously delicious!
I know!! So, so good.
I absolutely love Doodie, I use it all the time! Have a great weekend in Chicago, hopefully the rain stays away tomorrow for the wedding!
So jealous that your moving to Charlotte, it looks so beautiful! I’m not sure if you have ever read the blog: simplytaralynn.com but she is another one of my favorite bloggers and she also recently moved to Charlotte North Carolina! She has been posting great restaurants, coffee shops and a bunch of other cool things you might be interested in š
I’m going to float the river tomorrow with some of my girlfriends!
Fun!!!!
You’re pictures are adorable! I love doodle and kombucha! I hated kombucha at first, but it grows on you. Have you tried the chia ones? I recently discovered those and drink them all the time now.
I am right there with you on those coconut chips. I LOVE them. So addicting!
That is my favorite kombucha!!! I love that stuff but it definitely is a treat. I have been loving the slightly cooler weather we’ve been having. We’ve been trying to get in extra long dog walks and al fresco meals because to enjoy it.
Kombucha is like the best thing EVER! Love it!
Girl, you should be a model! You look gorgeous!
Hey Julie-
Great pictures !! Some of our favorites in Lake Norman :):
Breakfast – Toast Davidson or the Egg in Davidson
“Fast Food” – Tenders on 21 (owned by the same people as 131 Main)
Brixx Pizza in Birkdale
Prickly Pear – In Mooresville – exit 33 (on the lake)
and Port City Club in Cornelius – also on the water – off of Catawba Ave š
Hope you are loving LKN so far š
Thank you!!!!
If you like Kombucha, you should try Kevita – it’s made differently and has probiotics. I think it tastes much better than Kombucha even, and is great from a nutritional standpoint.
We love 131 Main! Other great places in Charlotte to try include Luna’s Living Kitchen (vegan and delicious!), Savour has great Southern food, as well as Lupie’s Cafe, Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar (if you are craving the perfect burger), for Italian: Vivace and Dolce are wonderful! Luce is great Italian too, but pretty pricey – it’s downtown (uptown). Perfect for an anniversary or special romantic occasion! 5Church is also up town and has a great atmosphere and yummy food! For Indian food, we like Cooper. Have fun trying new places in Charlotte! Restaurant week is coming up so it would be the perfect time to try new restaurants! 3 courses for $30 at a lot of Charlotte’s nicer restaurants.
Thanks so much for all of these recs!!!
I think of you every time I see the coconut chips at TJ Maxx & Marshalls!
Red Rocks and Dresslers, both in Birkdale (and locations closer to the city). Their food is amazing and a go-to for a nice date night!
We walk by those all the time! Glad to hear they are good! They’re always quite popular. š
I’m loving all the photos from the StitchFix photo shoot! How fun! You look beautiful.
I just tried kombucha for the first time at Blend Retreat last month! I tried a green one that tasted TERRIBLE to me. But then I tasted the trilogy one that you are showing above, and I really liked it. I think, for me, it totally depends on the flavor. I love the fizz too!
Yeah the trilogy one is one of my favorites!!
Today I’m loving the Sugar Ray station on Pandora…it’s taking me back to the 90’s AND getting me through a long workday!