instagram diary - a fairhope weekend

2014 has been off to a roaring start. i've got so much going on in the next few months, and honestly january & february felt like 6 months of my life for so many reasons. whew!

i just returned from fairhope, where i spent a weekend with friends and my parents. it was so refreshing to get out of town for a minute and enjoy the weather by the bay. we attended the KOER mardi gras ball and parade, which was a total freakin' success and amazing time. downtown fairhope was gorgeous, as always. we lunched at windmill market to live music, partied at mcsharry's & my place, sat on the pier at night and enjoyed downtown during the day. i loved getting to show my friends my hometown.

march is gonna be insane y'all. SO MUCH GOING ON! and i can't wait!

oh, tableaux!

proof of my mardi gras veteranhood - and what i wish i could wear to the ball instead.

if you aren't from the south, maybe you've never heard of mardi gras. and even if you are from the south, maybe you aren't lucky enough to live in a part of the south that celebrates.

as you can see, mardi gras was a routine part of my life growing up. my aunt and many of my family's friends were in some of the societies. my dad and his band used to play on a trailer in the parade, and i'd sit on the back. we'd catch moonpies, fight other parade-goers for stuffed animals... there were many times i got hit in the face with beads so hard it bruised.

as i got older, the mardi gras experience changed. i went to new orleans (not home to the original mardi gras, mind you - that's mobile!) and sat wedged between thousands of people on bourbon street, unable to move, for a solid two hours before giving up and leaving. how can you party when you can't extend your arms to hold a hand grenade?

i prefer my home state for an authentic mardi gras experience. this weekend, i'm off to fairhope with three of my good friends to attend some parades, and a ball of course! getting ready is a lot of the fun, but the actual festivities themselves are awesome. if you ever have the opportunity to go to mardi gras, even if it isn't in alabama, GO! it's a totally "norm" thing for me since i grew up with it, but i haven't met anyone who doesn't enjoy the experience. and while this year i won't be donning an awesome purple mardi gras sweatshirt to the parades (i wish i was, honestly), it's going to be a blast.

insta-style {volume 1}

it's no secret that i'm obsessed with instagram. not only is it a seamless & beautiful way to share photos, it has become a fantastic style resource for me. i follow way too many people and i feel like i find new accounts to follow every day! i'm contemplating whipping up a post listing my favorites.

these are a few of my favorites outfits i've posted as of late. as you can see, i'm smitten with my herringbone vest that i got for christmas. i've also gotten really into plaid! i need more of it! and of course, my absolute favorite flats aside from my revas, my j. crew emery bow flats. love it!

4 loves + a recipe! {happy valentine's day!}

 of course i made mini strawberry heart cheesecakes for work this week :) click here for the recipe!

happy valentine's day! as i mentioned in my valentine trinkets post last week, i adore this holiday. it's more so about love and pink things in general for me, and always has been. and y'all know i don't need an excuse to buy pink stuff and eat chocolate. every year since i was 14, i've had a boyfriend for valentine's day (yep, you read that correctly) and this is the first year i haven't. and you know what? i'm stoked about it.

so while i often make posts about my "current obsessions", here is what i'm really loving right now. in the spirit of valentine's day, my true 4 loves:

01. i love my amazing family. my parents are my best friends and my brother makes me laugh like no other human can. i love that they support me. i love cooking with them. i love returning to fairhope, even if it's just for a weekend, and listening to music at restaurants on the bay or visiting the ducks at the pier.

02. i love the most incredible and compassionate friends i have been blessed with. this is the first time in my life i can honestly say i have friends who would do anything for me, who are 100% true and genuine and always have been. quality over quantity. these are people i'd give my life for.

03. i love birmingham! i've written about this so much, and i still feel i haven't found all the right words to say. every day i feel so lucky that i live where i do, that i'm surrounded by a rampant foodie culture, music, art and beauty. oh, and i'm less than a mile from my office.

04. i love my health. it's been a difficult lesson to learn that nothing in life is guaranteed, and that includes your health. i am so grateful for mine. i love that i have the ability to run the color me rad 5k in april, i love that i can wake up every morning and practice yoga with a healthy, able body.

what are your loves? how do you celebrate valentine's day?

valentine raspberry fizz

throw raspberry into anything and i'm a fan. and prosecco too, of course. instead of wine or basic prosecco on valentine's day, throw a raspberry twist in for a delightful pink drink!

• 2-3 raspberries (optional)
• 1 ounce raspberry liquer/chambord
• 2 ounces prosecco or champagne

drop your raspberries gently in the bottom of your champagne flute. pop your prosecco/champagne and pour on top, then drop your chambord. quick & simple! yum!