Oak Island, North Carolina | 2018

I am back from one long weekend at the beach in North Carolina and I am truly exhausted! This past weekend 8 girls traveled to Oak Island, North Carolina to celebrate our best friend graduating Pharmacy school in May. I missed my pups and hubby, but our girls trip was so much fun!

Greece | 2009

In 2009 I was blessed to be able to travel to Greece with my high school senior class. It was a trip of a lifetime! If you are considering traveling to Greece, I would suggest do it 100%! We traveled to different islands in a course of a week, rode donkeys, walked in the footsteps of Apostle Paul and some some breathtaking views! 

Traveling Together

So to continue with the theme of the week, all about my husband and I, since our anniversary is Monday!

My husband and I love to go on vacations and love to travel. While we don't get to travel as much as we would like we are sure to take advantage of every chance we do get to travel. I have actually read that traveling with your spouse is beneficial to your overall relationship. We are constantly adding to our travel bucket list and trying to check them off one vacation at a time.

Bradenton, Florida | 2016

Well, y'all I have been back from Florida for a week now and I miss it already! I took a quick little trip down to Bradenton this past weekend to celebrate my best friends mom's 60th birthday! She has always been like a second mom to me and I am so glad I got to join in on the surprise for her birthday!

52 Week Blogger Challenge { Week 12: US City Bucket List }

WEEK TWELVE: Bucketlist

Your Guide to Packing for a Tropical Vacation

#TheChaseIsOver112115

Talk about a fun weekend!! This past weekend was my bachelorette party and my girls did not disappoint!! We spent Labor Day weekend in Savannah, GA along with every other bachelorette in the South. I could not have imagined a more perfect weekend, I am so thankful for my MOH and my bridesmaids for giving me such a wonderful weekend!

Friday my MOH and I left Raleigh around 10am to start heading down to Savannah, it is about a 5 hour drive and we wanted to get there before everyone else to go grocery shopping and shower before all the other girls got there. We stocked up on plenty of snacks and alcohol for the entire weekend. We only had to go back to the grocery store one time which was right after we left because we forgot taco seasoning...in my opinion that is pretty impressive!

Once all the girls got there we decided to start cooking dinner and get ready for the night. We cooked 3 pounds of taco meat and almost all of it was eaten by 7 girls. Then we had a quick shot before the Uber arrived to take us downtown to go on the Savannah Slow Ride. If you ever visit Savannah definitely go on the Slow Ride it is so much fun. This was my second time doing it and I had just as much fun as the first time.

We went to about 4 or 5 bars and had so much fun! There was a little bit of a problem with the other girls we were riding with...they weren't peddling so we were doing most of the work. At the very end the 2 girls started peddling, but only for like 2 minutes and only because two of my girls took their bench seat :)

After the slow ride was over we headed over to Treehouse for some drinks and bar hopped a little the rest of the night! We had originally planned for a somewhat early night, but of course that wasn't going to happen. We made it home and in bed by about 2am.

Saturday morning came fairly early and everyone got up and got ready for the day. The original plan was to go to Tybee Island and have a beach day but the weather kept going back and forth of what it looked like it was going to do; so we decided to play it safe and so some shopping. Of course it turned out to be a beautiful day. We shopped and grabbed lunch and some frozen drinks at Wet Willies.

I will warn you, the place we went to lunch was in City Market and it was the cafe there and it was absolutely awful! Half of the girls didn't even eat their meals. So we went to Wild Wing Cafe to listen to some live music and so the other girls could grab something to eat.

Saturday night we got dressed up, myself in white and all the girls in hot pink! We went out to dinner at The Olde Pink House, which was absolutely amazing! But of course before dinner we had to take a selfie! You may also recognize the CHEERS banner from my ModParty post, you can find here. 

After dinner it was time to hit the town! We went to multiple bars that night...Wet Willies, Smiles Dueling Piano Bar, Saddle Bags and 309 West.

Saddle Bags was by far my favorite bar we went to. It was a country bar and they ended up having a band called Outshyne and I loved them!!! Then we ended the night at a club, because you know you gotta go to one!

Sunday morning came even earlier than Saturday morning did. Before all the planning began for this weekend I knew I wanted to do something special for my girls and have a photo shoot..unfortunately the only time I could really find any photographer on a holiday weekend was Sunday morning after our big night out. But, we rolled with it and I am so excited to see how the photos turned out!

For the photo shoot I had all the girls wear a bright colored top with white pants or shorts while I wore a patterned top! {POST TO COME ON PICTURES}The plan was to have all the girls wear their TEAM BRIDE pins in the photo shoot, but I forgot to have them wear them so they didn't wear them until after and I rocked my loud and crazy Bride pin I received from Peturnias and Lace!

After the photo shoot was over, we were all starving. We decided we needed grease so we went to BD Burgers and the burgers were pretty good! After we finished eating we went to River Street to do a little more shopping, but we were exhausted so we were back at the house by 2 and all napping by 2:30. We all started waking up around 5:30-6 and once again were starving. Sunday night we were staying in and cooking dinner and having a lingerie party. Leslie and I had gotten Stouffers Lasagna for dinner, but didn't pay attention to the time it took to cook frozen and realized it was going to take 2 hours and we wouldn't be eating until late. But, we had games to play and jello shots to eat!

We had a lingerie party and a guessing game of who gave me which underwear. The cards had a saying on them and from that I had to guess. I must know my friends pretty well because I got every single one of them right! They also got us a kissing game to play, kind of like pin the tail on the donkey. 

Finally it was time to eat...we had Caesar Salad, garlic bread and lasagna...it was delicious and much needed. After we ate we played some more drinking games...we played my new favorite game..Slap Cup. If you haven't played before go look up the rules right now and play it the next chance you get! 

After playing so many games we were hungry again and it was cake time! I absolutely LOVED this cake! It was perfect!!!

Then before we knew it, it was time to go home on Monday. This weekend went by way too fast and I am even more excited for the wedding now, as if I ever thought I could be more excited than I was!

Phew, if you made it to here congrats!!  To see more pictures from the weekend search #TheChaseIsOver112115 on Instagram!

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Atlanta, GA | 2015

This past weekend my dad, sister, Timmy and I went to Georgia to see Kenny Chesney perform at the Georgia Dome. Well we got there and realized Brantley Gilbert and Chase Rice would be there as well...we already knew Eric Church would be there. This got us even more excited...since Brantley Gilbert is Timmy's absolute favorite country singer and I got to meet Brantley Gilbert when I went to California in 2013! 

Cruisin' { Guest Post: Jessica @ Wifesticated }

Hello Girl-Talk Readers.. 

I am so excited to be here today while I am secretly jealous that Ashley is on a cruise to the Caribbean. 

Just in case you don't know me, my name is Jessica and I blog over at Wifesticated 

Since Ashley is in the Caribbean probably having the time of her life, I thought I would take you back to my first carnival cruise where I fell in love with the Caribbean and since than been dreaming of moving there to live on a white sand beach. 

Welcome to St. Maarten or also known as St. Martin 

Let's go back to October of 2013

Yes it's true, Princess Juliana airport exist. Yes people are crazy enough to "ride" the fence, my husband was one of those crazy people. 

What is riding the fence? It's where the planes land or get ready to leave and people hold onto the fence to with stand the jet blow. I saw people go tumbling, hats go flying, many cameras left their owners and cars went crazy. At the end of the day though, it's one of those things you have to see to believe and say you did it! 

The people of St. Maarten are super nice. The weather is perfect. The white sand beaches and blue waters are always inviting. Not to forget, the cold beer doesn't hurt either. What's not to love about the Caribbean? 

I sure do miss this cruise and really any vacation. If you want to find out where else I've visited in the Caribbean go here! 

Ashley, I hope you have the time of your life, take too many pictures and enjoy it. It goes by quickly. I can't wait to see all your pictures and hear your stories. 

Thank you readers of Girl-Talk! Let's stay connected 

Cruising Tips { Guest Post: Kate @ Green Fashionista }

Hey Girl Talk readers! My name is Kate and you can find me blogging over at my little corner of the internet Green Fashionista where I blog about everything from fashion and beauty reviews to fun recipes to travel recaps, and weekend shenanigans which are typically shenanigans. While Ashley is away cruising the Caribbean, I offered to come on over for the day and talk about how much I love cruising. Nope, I'm not jealous at all that she's sipping on umbrella drinks while looking out at the gorgeous blue water...

I love cruising because you're on a floating resort that takes you to several different countries/islands all in one trip without having to unpack more than once. All your meals and onboard entertainment are included, and you can't go wrong with dressing up and going to dinner and a show every night. 

I've been on six cruises now (my husband has been on ten!) which have included:

Two 7 night Western Caribbean cruises

One 7 night Southern Caribbean cruise (my favorite!)

One 3 night Bahamas cruise to celebrate a friend's 30th birthday

One 3 night Western Mediterranean cruise

One 7 night Eastern Caribbean cruise

I wanted to share with you my top tips for when you're booking a cruise and/or are about to set sail:

1. Don't forget your passport! Anything else you may forget at home can be re-purchased (bathing suits, toiletries, even formal wear) on board. But you'll need your passport to get on board (some cruises only require a birth certificate, but it's always best to bring your passport).

2. Spring for the balcony stateroom, it is worth every penny! Once you go balcony you can't go back, and it's so true. You get a lot more room in the stateroom, plus a sitting area, and your own private veranda which is great for enjoying room service breakfast in the mornings (always free) and a night cap in the evenings.

*Our stateroom on the Norwegian Epic*

3. Don't over pack, especially if you're on a Caribbean cruise or any cruise going somewhere warm and tropical. You'll live in bathing suits and cover-ups by day and sundresses (cocktail dresses on formal nights) by night. They also provide bath towels in your room (replenished daily) along with beach towels for the pool and on the islands which you can change out for fresh ones as much as you need.

4. Order as much food as you want! When at dinner, if you want 3 appetizers, 2 entrees, and 3 desserts... go for it! Sometimes it's hard to choose just one thing, and you're able to order as much as you want and the servers love it!

5. Cruise with friends! We've been on several cruises just the two of us, and we've also cruised on a 7 night cruise with another couple, and a 3 night cruise with a group of 10 of us which was so much fun!

6. If you're on a short cruise like a 3 night itinerary to the Bahamas, purchase the beverage package especially if you're traveling with a group. When 10 of us sailed to the Bahamas for a friend's birthday it was nice to just order drinks or a round of champagne for everyone at dinner without worrying about it all adding up. It also worked out great on the private island in the Bahamas that all of our food and drinks were included there as well since it was owned by the cruise line.

7. Practice safe sun! Don't forget to pack sunscreen, aloe (in case of sunburns), and a beach hat to further protect your face. Of course you're going to come back beautifully bronzed, but you don't need to burn or cause skin damage by not protecting yourself on the trip.

8. HAVE FUN! I have the best time, when I get up and dance with the entertainment crew during deck parties and at the night club. You'll hear the same line dance songs over and over, but you'll be a champ by the end of your cruise.

9. Enjoy all the fruity umbrella drinks, this is the time to indulge!

10. Enjoy the fun amenities on board like the Broadway style shows, ice bars, karaoke, jazz lounges, comedy clubs, themed deck parties, and specialty shows such as The Blue Man Group.

Can't wait to hear all about Ashley's cruise when she gets back!

__________________________________________________________________

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Savannah, GA | 2014

I am in love with Savannah, Georgia! Has anyone else visited Savannah? This past weekend Timothy and I went with another couple friend of ours to Savannah, GA and we had a blast! The first day/night started off pretty slow because we were still getting used to the town but by Saturday afternoon we knew exactly where to go and what to do!

Friday, we all took off work, we left around 9:30am and hit the road to Savannah. It wasn't a bad drive about 4.5 hours from Raleigh, NC and you stayed on one highway the entire time. We got there a little earlier than our hotel check in time so we decided to hit River Street (one of the streets in downtown Savannah by the river). Our first stop was Wet Willies. This was my first time ever going to a Wet Willies so if you have never been I would suggest finding the closest one to you and going right away. Wet Willies is a restaurant/bar that serves alcoholic frozen drinks..they were delicious. I got the Baha Mama but I was hoping to get the attitude improvement but it had no taste.

After we got our drinks in our Togo Cups we hit the street..yep that's right you could walk on any of the streets in historic district with drink in hand. It was amazing. Just don't go past Jones Street. That is what everyone kept telling us because that is where the historic district ended. It was huge so I don't think we ever came anywhere near Jones Street. After we walked around for about an hour or so we decided it was time to head to the hotel check in and get ready for dinner. 

Before we knew it, it was time to get in the cab and head to dinner at the Olde Pink House. This restaurant was absolutely amazing! While we were in Savannah we wanted to have a nice dinner and this went above and beyond all of our expectations and our price range but hey...it was totally worth it. They have literally anything you could think of to eat, from lobster tails to a cheeseburger. We all got steaks, scallops, lobster tails and oysters. Oh and we can't forget about the bottle of wine that Elizabeth and I split..yea we ended up spending well over $60 in drinks. The restaurant was in an old house that was pink (hence the name) that was built in the 1700's and it was beautiful. We took some pictures at dinner and when we left we asked the YOUNG hostess to take a picture of all four of us outside the house but every picture she took she cut our heads off..so we had to delete those.

After dinner we were stuffed and felt like we were going to explode. So we decided to walk around and find a bar to go to. There were so many it was hard to pick so we decided to just bar hop that night. We started off at City Market at a bar called "Bar Bar' where you could play board games while you were drinking. Greatest idea ever! We played heads up, which we had played the whole way down to Savannah in the car on Elizabeth's phone. Then we went to this bar that had a band and it was really neat at first but as it got darker the crowd became more sketch and I totally saw a drug deal go down directly in front of the bouncers and after that I told Timmy I was ready to move on. We ended up at this last bar called Tree House and it was pretty much. It was a rooftop bar so it was nice because all the other bars I was so hot in. We ended up leaving the bar pretty early about 12:30 and went back to the hotel and went straight to sleep. 

Saturday morning we woke up and went to eat Chick-fil-a for lunch (we were done spending money on food) and then went to downtown Savannah and walk around some of the squares and the cemetery there. The trees all in Savannah were gorgeous!

After we did some sight seeing we decided to do a little day drinking with our togo cups and shopping. Let me tell you..day drinking and shopping is never a good idea so luckily we didn't find all the good shops until the last 30 minutes we had to spend in downtown. I did pretty well though, I only bought Bailey a new collar, myself 2 new scarves and one of my friends Christmas presenets. We walked River Street again to watch some of the boats and headed to Broughton Street to get some macaroons and continue the shopping and drinking. This was my first time ever having macaroons and I got vanilla because I was scared to try anything else and I did not enjoy it. 

After we were done shopping we decided to stop at Moe's grab us some togo drinks and togo food for dinner. We headed back to hotel and ate our Moe's and played a little heads up. Then it was time to get ready for our last night in Savannah. Saturday night we had reservations for the Savannah Slow Ride - pub crawl. It was a big bicycle that fits 16 people and you pedal it to get to your destination. Yes...it is hard. But it is so much fun! We did the pub crawl one so you pedaled the huge bike to different bars. There was another group of 8 on the bicycle with us and we all had so much fun together! They were from Florida so it was fun to get to meet new people! We stopped at about 5 bars and could bring out togo cup back on the bike with us. After the first stop we learned our lesson to grab lids and straws because our drinks kept spilling. By the time we were at the last bar no one wanted to leave and the driver had to come drag us out of the last bar! 

By the way the creepy guy in the gray hoodie was our driver..he was great! So funny and such a trooper for dealing with all of us!

The Slow Ride was over and it was time to hit the bars one last night. It was about 10:30 when we finished with the pub crawl and they dropped us right off by Tree House so we went there. We had a blast and met a whole bunch of new people. Before we knew it, it was time to go. We had stayed out until 2am..I couldn't believe it. Obviously we were hungry after we left the bars and so of course we hit up Moe's...again...because they stayed open until 3:30am and waited for our cab to come pick us up. We went to bed and when we woke up it was time to pack up and go home. 

We were all ready to go home but it was sad to leave such an amazing place. I will definitely be visiting again and am thinking about going there for my bachelorette party!

I was especially excited to get home and go pick up my little fur baby from the kennel. I know she was super happy to be home as well.

I am so glad this week is such a short week! I only work today and tomorrow and then I am off for the Thanksgiving holiday until Monday. Wahoo!!

Joining Biana for Weekending

and

Lisa and Bella for Weekend Recap

and

Leeann and Kimberlee for Monday Morning Gossip

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