National Grilled Cheese Month

I know it's the last day of April, but I cannot let this month end without acknowledging that it's National Grilled Cheese Month. I am a grilled cheese fanatic.  Although I am trying to work on this, I eat one about 4 nights a week...

 

Butttt I don't like just any grilled cheese.  I am kind of picky about them.  I DO NOT like Kraft Singles and haven't since I was a small child (I don't think they taste like real cheese and have a plasic-y texture...)  While all other kids actually  preferred their grilled cheeses with Kraft Singles (remember those commercials?) I was a bit of a grilled cheese snob and preferred mine with real cheddar cheese off of the block or sliced deil cheddar cheese (yes, bless my mom's heart...) Some may say this was absurd for a child, butttt I was an extremely picky eater and my parents were grateful that I hadn't slashed grilled cheeses off of the list of foods I would eat.  They saw it as a way to get some calcium into my poor bones (I wouldn't drink milk either..)

 

and on top of all that weirdness, I also, still to this day, cannot hardly eat a grilled cheese without salt n' vinegar chips. They just go hand and hand to me.  I rarely order grilled cheeses at restaurants because I'm scared they'll have the dreaded fake, plastic-y cheese in them (yes, you can laugh at this.) 

 

So, after 20-something years, I have my grilled cheese down to a perfection now.  I use a little bit of butter on the bread (Lord knows as much as I eat them, I can't use a lot) with a piece of Sargento cheddar cheese.  I LOVE Sargento brand cheese! If you haven't tried it you should!  But instead of cooking the cheese with my bread, I put it on after I've cooked the bread (yes, I know this is weird, but melted cheese and un-melted cheese has different flavors...) Oh, and I use Sara Lee pumpernickel bread. I LOVEEE it!  and then, of course, to go along with my divine sandwich are my trusty Lays salt n' vinegar chips!

 

 

 

 

So even though I have probably shown you how weird I am in this post, only about food of course ;-) you should indulge with a grilled cheese on the last day of this fabulous month.  I know you want to...

Friday's Fancies - Royal Wedding Edition

 Today's Friday's Fancies with {av}, of {long distance loving}, is all about the royal wedding!  We are picking out our dream outfits to "wear to the royal wedding" if we were going. When I think wedding attire, I normally wear a sundress for day weddings and a cocktail dress for evening weddings (ok, so not a real cocktail dress, just more of a dressy sundress...ha)  and actually, the past 342 weddings I've been to, I've had a bridesmaids dress on.... I will do a post one day with my whole collection. I actually have some really pretty ones!   

But anyways, needless to say, the whole idea of picking out an outfit to "wear to" the royal wedding sort of intimidated me.  But when all else fails, I turn to my favorite colors, coral and navy! I chose this classy Philip Lim shift dress, a coral a-line coat, and Louboutin pumps. (Might be a little brightly colored for England, but hey, it's very me!) I went with a gold fascinator and I actually really love it! And for the crown ring, I threw it in for a royal touch! 

Royal Wedding Outfit by jlmoss721 featuring pave diamond rings

3 1 Phillip Lim embellished dress
$620 - net-a-porter.com

A line coat
265 GBP - karenmillen.com

Christian Louboutin nude patent pumps
375 GBP - matchesfashion.com

Alexander McQueen studded handbag
1,975 GBP - net-a-porter.com

Pave diamond ring
$5,900 - shopkikionline.com

John Lewis fascinator hat
30 GBP - johnlewis.com

While the royal wedding has grown on me in the past 24 hours (thank you Lindsay, at Vineyard Loveknots!) I still am also very interested in the NFL Draft... haha My team really needs some help!

I hope you all have a great weekend. I am praying for everyone affected by the tornadoes yesterday... my heart is very heavy for them.  

Sea It...Love It... - ModCloth

Love these new pieces from ModCloth!

ModCloth Ship to Shore Dress

ModCloth Veggie Medley Dress

ModCloth Memory Lane Top

ModCloth Joint Grad Party Dress

Vestique Fashion Show

Tonight I am going to the Vestique fashion show and I am super excited about this for several reasons.  

For one, I am pumped to see some of the new pieces they haven't put on the website yet.  I stalk their website daily, like I mean at 8am on the dot every morning, I am on there, and have noticed they haven't put a lot of new stuff up this past week.  Sooooo I am figuring that they are saving it for tomorrow night and I can't wait!   

For two, I might get to meet Sarah from We're Just Like You, Only Prettier if she goes. We had planned on trying to meet at the NCSU Spring Game a few weeks back, but that was the day the tornadoes came through here and we had to leave the game early.

For three, I am excited to be social on a work night... If you haven't gathered, I like to socialize and like to talk even more...   I might even get to see some people I haven't seen in a while.  

and while we are on the topic of Vestique, I had a lot of people tell me they liked my coral branch necklace that I wore to Kristen's rehearsal dinner (picture below) in my post on Monday.  Welll I got it from Vestique and while they don't have the gold anymore, they do have it in silver.  I have seen it in person and it is be-a-utiful.  I am still trying to decide if I need it in both colors...

 

 p.s. - Although I talk about it a lot, I am in no way affiliated with Vestique (except for being their #1 stalker of one-shoulder dresses) I just truly love it and everything the company represents.  The two girls that started it are two of the nicest people you will ever meet and I really like the clothes.  Just had to throw that in there :-)

Kristen's Wedding Weekend - Part II

Here are pictures of some of the nautical decorations from Kristen's wedding weekend.  (Please excuse the not-great quality of these pictures... My camera is great for nights out, but not so much for taking decor pictures...)

{Rehearsal Dinner}

{Reception}

 It would be an absolute understatement to say that I was OBSESSED with this coral patterned furniture... I couldn't stop talking about it.  I want. this. chair. in. my. living. room.

 Looook at all the coral!

 I absolutely LOVE these pictures. I would love to have every single one of them for my house.

 I thought this was a neat and very simple decoration.

This was the room off of the ladies room. I assumed it was some type of lounge since this was at a country club type place. But I love how beachy it is!

Kristen's Wedding Weekend - Part I

I know I'm a little late, but I wanted to share some pictures from the wedding I was in a couple of weeks ago.  Kristen has been one of best friends since we met at our first job out of college and I was honored to be her MOH!  We stayed in a fabulous house right on the beach (I had an ocean view room!) and we had a GREAT time the entire weekend.  I am super sad it's over...but excited for many more fun times to come at the beach with her and her new husband (he has a boat!!)

 

{Bridesmaids Luncheon}

{Rehearsal/Rehearsal Dinner}

 

{Wedding Day}

 For all of you who read my post about feeling like I looked pale in pictures, I think I solved it here... I might have went a little overboard on the bronzer, but hey, my face didn't  look pale!

 

Congrats Kristen and Dyckman!!

 Part II will be all the nautical decorations from the weekend. I was LOVING them!!

Friday's Fancies - Happy Easter!

 Today for Friday's Fancies with {av}, of {long distance loving}, I am doing a look for church on Easter morning. If money grew on trees, I would love to rock that Kate Spade necklace with that Nicole Farhi pink dress.   In actuality, I will be getting up super early to be at sunrise service by 6:30 (earlier than I get up for work...) and will be sporting some Panthers sweatpants and a fleece to that... If only I could really wear the look below when I go back for 11:00 church service....I would blow their minds!

I hope you all have a wonderful and blessed Easter!

Happy Easter! by jlmoss721 featuring a gold bead necklace

Nicole Farhi dressy dress
360 GBP - nicolefarhi.com

Peep toe high heels
$725 - rupertsanderson.com

Kate Spade gold bead necklace
$295 - nordstrom.com

Sea It...Love It... - Pottery Barn

Pottery Barn always has the best nautical stuff.  It's always so classy and beautiful and never has that "tacky beachy look" to it. {I am thinking you all know what I mean when I say this...}  I went in there last week and had major anxiety seeing all of the nautical greatness that is filling their store right now.  I know you've probably seen stuff from their new collection on lots of blogs, but below are a few of my favorite of their newest pieces. 

All images and items found at potterybarn.com