Comfort and Joy

My favorite holiday of the year is upon us, and what is even more special this year is Khaner and I are sharing the season with our sweet puppy. With our third Christmas in the house, we got the tree and house decorated in record time. I also found the steal of a lifetime with ginger jars from Home Goods yesterday. I was literally skipping to the register and hadn't even checked the price until the cashier rang me up. Tell me if you believe they were $14.99 each.

My sweet Carter and I after putting up the tree.

Nothing makes it feel like Christmas more than a fresh tree. I  have loved our tradition of collecting ornaments from all the places we travel to as a couple. As we start our family we plan to keep this tradition alive with seeing more places throughout the world.

I got these gorgeous gold bowls from Marshalls while in Charlotte a couple of weeks ago and went a bit hog wild with gold and silver pine cones and ornaments. Note the adorable Mr. and Mrs. cocktail glasses Kendall gave us!

Nutcrackers from Germany Khaner's parents gave him.

Love the gold combination.

My favorite wreath we hang.

My new Ginger jar finds from Home Goods - I styled them with some berries from Michaels.

Santa's sweet helper!

The hubs and me at my office Christmas party.

What are some holiday traditions that are meaningful to you?

Cassandra's Kitchen

Anyone that knows me is fully aware of my love affair with all things Ina Garten. She understands the simplicity of food, entertaining and all the preparation that goes into each. Her cooking reminds me of my own childhood and my mother's cooking - all ingredients you normally have in your kitchen.

One of the vendors she has partnered with is Cassandra's Kitchen -cassandraskitchen.com. Looking at Ina's gorgeous home and kitchen, you assume all her equipment is on the high end side, but it's actually tremendously reasonable.

During the holidays I often like to prepare something homemade and share with friends and family. Presentation with any gift is always key, but at the same time, it's a task to not break the bank.  Cassandra's Kitchen supplies Ina with fun glassine bags, trays, platters and more. I made my first order this week and can't wait for them to arrive!

Gorgeous flat bottom glassine bags - I ordered gold stripe and clear for holiday treats.

These stunning HOTEL silver bowls are reproductions but the price is still hefty at $295. I may bite the bullet and save for a few.

Love the idea of glass on basket trays - I  have two french basket weave trays that are hard to balance food on. Sadly, Cassandra's doesn't make custom glass.

Christmas Card 2014

Definitely not the "clearest" picture or the best lighting, but with a 5 month old puppy, you take what you can get.

Merry Christmas!!

Birthday weekend

I had such a wonderful kick off to 28 years old this weekend. It started with lunch with the hubs and some quality time with our sweet Carter, followed by wine and then dinner and drinks with our friends. I was lucky enough to have Sarah travel from Charlotte for the celebration.

Thank you Khaner for coordinating everyone and making my start to 28 so wonderful. I love you!

My sweet family of 3 on my birthday

SAS gave me Tory Burch's new In Color book - obsessed and read it to cover to cover that afternoon. Highly recommend it as a great Christmas gift!

Thank you for planning everything and making it so special!

Sweet friends!

Great company and great birthday!!

Michael and Emily's wedding weekend

Khaner's best friend Michael got married last weekend, and it was so nice to kick back after a really long month at work.

Michael's fiance Emily is an incredible artist and very creative, and I sadly didn't take enough pictures of her gorgeous place cards, centerpieces and cake toppers.

Delicious rehearsal dinner at the Pit

Alison and me

House guests for the weekend

Will, Ric, Alison, Allison and Josh

Best friends

Mother of the Groom and Michael

My Best Man

It was perfect from start to finish - we love yall!

Graduation Weekend

A little over two years ago Khaner and I closed on our house and he immediately started the Executive MBA program at UNC's Kenan-Flagler business school. The past two years feel like they flown and also dragged on, if that even makes sense? We have come such a long way from the weekend we closed, getting married, going on our honeymoon, me changing jobs, traveling to Europe, doing home renovations and most recently, adopting a puppy. I am ready to live with my husband seven nights a week versus five, however.

I am so proud of how hard he has worked and how committed he has remained to our marriage, our home, family and friends throughout the entire process. Upon return from his most recent business trip to Singapore, he flew in Thursday evening and woke up Friday morning to make it to the last class before Graduation. There are no words to describe the work load full-time students maintain  while continuing with their full-time jobs. It is so difficult it's almost unbelievable.

With the end finally here, we kicked off the weekend with a few couples Friday night for burgers and beer at Raleigh Times and then welcomed family into town Saturday and Sunday.

Khaner, I can't thank you enough for taking this on while also being a wonderful husband to me and a wonderful Daddy to Carter. We are so lucky to have you and know that all your success is driven by the love for your family.

Graduation Gala at the Rizzo Center

Daddy, Mom and me with our graduation

With my in-laws and parents

A happy grad!

The interim diploma with Dean Shackleford of Kenan-Flagler

All done!

Class of 2014!

Weekend Recap and Beloved Bar Cart

We had a much needed getaway weekend to Atlanta for a friend's wedding, and I feel so recharged after taking a day off from work, dropping the dog off with my parents, and spending quality time with Khaner and our friends.

Kendall found a cute crepes restaurant off the beaten path

Outside Ritz in Buckhead headed to reception in Marietta

Great reunion with these girls!

College friends enjoying the beautiful bonfire and weather

With the beautiful bride in her gorgeous backyard

Katie was sweet and captured K and I dancing

My parents fell in love with Carter over the weekend and by the walks and play time he had, it showed.

My beloved bar cart - finally! Natalie had found this at the TJ Maxx here in Raleigh and I sent my mother out in Charlotte to locate it, and locate it she did! Absolutely love it and am so happy with the quality and price!