Scenes from The Weekend

This past weekend was absolutely amazing. I had no plans other then babysitting on Friday night and ended up relaxing, spending time with friends, and best of all enjoying all the amazing weather! 

Friday I got off work and came home to relax for a bit before heading out to babysit. Every once in awhile I babysit for a family in Richmond and the extra cash is always nice. We ordered pizza, watched Frozen, and the kids were asleep by 9 which left 2 hours for me to just sit and relax. 

Saturday morning I was up early and headed to Body Spin at Boho. My class was with Kris and it absolutely kicked my butt. After class they handed out mimosas and Luna bars... perfect way to end the sweat session!

The rest of Saturday was spent running errands and then heading to a friends for an early rooftop happy hour

The weather was absolutely beautiful and it felt so good to sit and catch up while enjoying some wine in the sun. Saturday night was pretty low key spent at home with friends, more wine, and a late night pizza order. 

Sunday I ventured out to brunch at Continental, I had never tried it but heard great things and was so excited when we decided to try it out. I ordered the Stockholm Benedict and couldn't be happier with my decision...

(Source)

The rest of Sunday was spent running more errands, grocery shopping, and then a beautiful walk to Belle Isle. The weather again was amazing and our walk ended up being about 5.5 miles, a perfect way to end the weekend!

How did you spend your weekend?

Yours truly, 

Emily 

5 on Friday

Happy Friday friends! I could not be any happier Friday has finally arrived, this week was long and rough and with almost no plans over the weekend I am looking forward to a lot of relaxing! Here's a look at this week...

{one}

Spring is in full bloom here in Richmond and this past week was beautiful! The weather was in the 70's and these beauties are blossoming right outside my door.

{two}

With all the warm weather it was finally time to break out some dresses and put away the tights and boots! You can find the above dress at Old Navy, its a peachy colored chambray style and I absolutely love it! I paired mine with a navy sweater and gold metallic flats and received so many sweet compliments.

{three}

On Tuesday I took a mental health day and can't even describe how needed it was. It had been a long time since I hag one of my Barnes & Noble dates and it was way over due. Before grocery shopping /i decided to pick up a coffee and a stack of mags and just disconnect for a little bit. 

{four}

Earlier this week /i received my grade on my midterm and immediately texted my grandma, aka Gram to let her know the good news. I've talked about Gram before on the blog but she really is the sweetest and someone I consider to be my best friend. I am thankful for her every day and so glad we are so close!

{five}

This quote is perfect for this week and things to come. Lately I have found myself being pulled by things from the past and dwelling on them. Rather then stress and worry, I have decided to move on and look forwards the future. I have so many fun trips coming up- San Francisco, lots of weddings, 4th of July with my girlfriends, beach trips with my family, and this just in- a new girls getaway in Charleston! I can not wait for all the fun and exciting things in the next few months and have decided to let go and just be happy and content with the here and now. Cheers to Friday y'all! 

Yours truly, 

Emily

Gwyneth Paltrow Strikes Again In The Kitchen..

I haven't been much into cooking lately and have been pretty much living off of almonds, avocado, or yogurt... loads of fun. Tuesday I took a mental health day and I can't even put into words how helpful it was. I slept in, did 3 loads of laundry, went grocery shopping, and actually cooked meals for the week. Today I wanted to share a new recipe I tried, one adapted from Gwyneth Paltrow's cookbook. I used her recipe but also added a bit of my own touch and could not be happier with the outcome. If you are looking for a healthy, quick, and tasty lunch to throw together for the week look no further!

Chickpea and Tuna Salad with Arugula

1 can of chickpeas drained and rinsed
2 cans of tuna fish in oil ( I used Trader Joes brand)
1/2 of a small red onion chopped
3 scallions chopped
2 handfuls of arugula chopped
1/2 of a fresh squeezed lemon
Olive oil
Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper

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I wish I could say I had a method for the way I mixed all of the above ingredients but I honestly chopped everything, added it to a bowl, and combined. I didn't exactly measure out the olive oil or the dijon mustard and pretty much relied on taste and what I thought would be a good amount. As mentioned above, this is not Gwyn's exact recipe but definitely an inspiration from hers. So far I have been thoroughly enjoying this during my lunch this week and am looking forward to making it again soon!

Yours truly,
Emily

Currently Coveting...

Here are some of the things I've had my eye on for spring! Loving bright colors and  mixed with neutrals like those amazing Steve Maddens!

Yours truly, 

Emily

Weekend Recap + Mental Health Day

This past weekend I made the trip down to Raleigh to spend the weekend with some of my best friends. Since going to school in North Carolina and living there a few months after graduating, I will always have a love for passing over the NC line. It was a great weekend spent with great friends, catching up and I am already looking forward to my next trip. Unfortunately I did a terrible job of taking pictures but did manage to snap these two...

One of my best friends, Allan and I enjoying a few cocktails at Raleigh Times

My roommate, Katie made the drive with me as well and was the perfect road trip partner. Luckily we have a lot of the same friends and ended up spending a majority of the weekend together!

Like I said, I definitely wish I would have taken more pictures but that just means I was having too much fun to even think about it! 

Today I have decided to give myself a mental health day from work. Maybe it was lack of sleep over the weekend or coming down with something but I was not feeling my best this morning and decided to stay in give myself a day to rest and recuperate. Fingers crossed I am not coming down with anything but I will be spending the day drinking tea, napping, and relaxing. 

Hope everyone has a wonderful start to the week!

Yours truly, 

Emily

5 on Friday

So happy to see Friday is finally here! My weekend officially started last night and I am so happy to have the day off before heading to Raleigh tonight to spend the weekend with friends! This week was long long and like I mentioned yesterday started off with a viewing and a funeral... not exactly how I wanted to start the week. However I was able to end the week on a much better note that included a trip to the nail salon, wine, sushi, and catching up with friends. Here's this week 5 on Friday...

{one}

This week started off on a great foot because Sunday my mom, gram, and family friend all traveled to Richmond for the day. We grabbed lunch at one of my favorite spots, shopped, and ended the day with dinner at another amazing restaurant. I've been pretty stressed lately and being able to spend time with them meant the world to me and I am already missing them and looking forward to my next trip home!

{two}

 March is Child Life month and this week I was overwhelmed but the sweet things I received from both coworkers and patients. I absolutely love my job and would not change it for the world and am so blessed to be able to work with amazing patients, their families, and my amazing Hematology/ Oncology team!

{three}

 Tonight I will be making my way down to Raleigh to see some friends and spend the weekend. It has been way to long since I have seen some of them and I can't wait to catch up and enjoy their company!

{four}

Last night when I got off work I headed out with a friend to get manicures, it was the perfect treat to end the day and we were even able to bring our own wine and snacks. Afterwards we went to a sushi place I had been dying to try, Osaka and met Allie from Alexandra Bee Blog. Allie has quickly become one of my good friends in Richmond and I am so thankful to have met such a genuine friend through the blogging world. Fortunately for me, her boyfriend Bryce will be heading out of town next week and we already have lots of fun girls nights planned!

{five}

This quote jumped out at me for today and I've decided it will be the theme of the weekend!

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Yours truly, 

Emily

Thoughts for Thursday

Thursday Thursday Thursday... this week has been long. My week started off with a viewing on Monday and funeral on Tuesday and honestly, it has left me feeling drained for the remainder of the week. While I feel like the days flew by, the hours have seemed to drag. Fortunately for me, tonight starts my weekend and I will be off tomorrow! Here's a few thoughts on my mind currently...

- I am anxiously checking the clock today because come 4:30 I will be off and heading to get a manicure accompanied by wine and one of my girlfriends. After we plan to try out a sushi place that I have been dying to try... review to come!

- My sleep has been completely off for the past few weeks and I am having the hardest time getting it back! I've been going to bed way later then I normally would around 11/11:30 and waking up around 4 or 5... needless to say under eye concealer has been necessary. 

- Yesterday I went into Walgreens to grab lotion and walked spending close to $50... typical.

- Buttery oaky Chardonnays have been my treat this week... it's an obsession.

- Last night I had an impromptu dinner date with a friend that included laughs, catching up, and wine... perfect way to end a stressful day.

- My work celebrated Child Life month this week and I have been blown away by the amount of sweet comments and goodies from coworkers, more details to come tomorrow!

- Gwyneth and Chris splitting... I can't even. 

An array of randomness but thankfully only a few more hours until the day is over and the weekend begins!

Yours truly, 

Emily