happy friday & fun finds...women, royalty, & road trips

Happy Friday sweet friends!!

Today is going to be a good day…I can just feel it!!

This particular Friday is unlike any other for me, and I'm loving all the fun that's in store!!

I {of course} woke up early so I could watch all the Royal Wedding excitement, and I'm glad I started my day off with such a monumental occasion.  It was quite moving, and I've been glued to the TV all morning!

{via cover it live}

It keeps getting better too…In a few short minutes I'll have to peel myself away from the royal wedding bliss and head out of town…It's road trip time, and I'll be making my way to Charlotte, NC with all my girls to celebrate the Bachelorette Weekend of one of our best friends!

{via ascot friday}

{my road trip buddies}

My friends mean the world to me, and I cherish every moment that I have to spend with them.  It's even better when we get to share a whole weekend together, and I'm pretty pumped about some quality girl time out on the town.  I'm all smiles!!

{via tumblr}

{via saltanatlas}

As I packed my bags and strategically picked out my outfits and accessories, I couldn't help but be inspired by some super cute spring and summer looks hitting the streets in 2011…Here are a few of my faves, and I could definitely rock this in Charlotte with the ladies!! ;)

{via polyvore}

{via college fashion}

{via polyvore}

Wishing you all the best and hoping you have a fun weekend that is filled with good friends and lots of laughs…See you on Sunday!

xoxo,

Katherine 

{what i'm loving on wednesday}

It's about that time…Almost 5:00 pm on Wednesday {not the beginning but still oh so far from the end of the week}, and I find myself in need of some "Katherine Time".  Ahhhh yes…I do believe I'll retreat to my laptop since all things computer-related are actually pretty soothing to me.  I know that may sound crazy to some {like my husband}, but it's really my favorite part of the day on many occasions.

As I traveled through cyberspace today, I found myself being drawn {once again!} to sea-inspired designs, colors, pics, etc., and here are a few things I wanted to share to hopefully shed some light on your day in the midst of all this rain…

First things first…

A big smooch to welcome warm weather and sunny skies! :)

{via the beauty department}

{via side by side}

I AM pretty excited about pulling out all hues of pink now that summer fun is around the corner…Clothes, accessories, beachwear, makeup…you name it, I've got it, and it's coming out to play soon!!

These summer and sea color palettes have peaked my interest, and I do believe I may just have to incorporate them into my blog design {if nothing else}. 

{via la belle vie}

{via house of turquoise}

One last thing that I did on my early-afternoon internet escape {shall we say} was a little bit of graphic designing…I wasn't kidding when I said I wanted to use those color palettes somewhere, so I started today and created some new blog buttons!  I'm still learning, but it sure is fun!

And finally, I'll leave you with a quote for today…These words are so true for me right now {since I have embarked on my new ventures}, and I say AMEN to never giving up! :)

{via ffffound}

Happy Wednesday!

xoxo,

Katherine

{happy easter}

GOOD MORNING FRIENDS & HAPPY EASTER TO ALL!!

I hope you are all doing well and enjoying time with your friends, family, and loved ones on this beautiful and blessed day!

I couldn't help but smile when I woke up to an amazing sunrise and reflected on the true meaning of this special day, and I'm looking forward to all of the Easter celebrations that we have planned.

Forrest and I are off to church in Conway, and then we're heading to Charleston for a fabulous Greek Easter Celebration with the Leventis Fam!  CANNOT WAIT!!

Before I go, I thought I would share this picture with you that I took while I was at the beach yesterday.  Isn't this awesome?

{beautiful cross in the sunlight...sunrise service site}

Now this is true bliss to me, and I find it so peaceful and comforting.

Have a lovely day, and happy egg hunting!!

xoxo,

Katherine

chasing my dreams & exciting news

The long awaited post about my exciting news is finally here, and I can't wait to fill you in on everything!!

As most of you may know, nonprofit work is a passion of mine, and I have worked as a Fund Development/Corporate Relations Director for many years now.  Although I have loved and am very proud of the work that I've done and the successes I have achieved, I have a passion that has outweighed that of my current position…That passion is my family and their love of the healthcare field.

Here it goes…

I have recently retired from the nonprofit world, and I'm thrilled to announce that I will be working full-time as COO for Leventis Consulting Group {our newly formed family business} and Southern Bliss Designs {my new arts & crafts Etsy shop}.

Leventis Consulting Group is a Physician Recruitment and Placement Firm, and we are led by my amazing dad…Our fearless leader who is extremely knowledgeable, wonderfully kind, and overwhelmingly smart and who also has over 30 years of experience in all facets of the healthcare industry.

After his success with Physicians Unlimited in Greenville, SC and the grand accomplishment of my sister becoming a Family Medicine Physician last summer, we decided to expand the business in order to utilize the skills of every family member.  I like to think of us as "The Dream Team", and I'm absolutely ecstatic about the work that we will be doing.

I know this is just a tidbit about my exciting news, but I just had to spill the beans to all of you who have been so supportive!  I'll definitely be posting more fun details about my new company endeavors, and please be on the lookout for new, fun paintings and projects in my Etsy Shop.

I have been on cloud nine since I have made these changes in my life, and I can honestly say that I've never been happier!  Stay tuned for more, and I'm off to chase my dreams!!!!

xoxo,
Katherine

{Family Fun in the Kitchen + One Cool Cookbook}

I love making weekend {and sometimes mid-week if I'm homesick :)} road trips to Columbia, SC to visit my parents and my sister, who {in addition to my husband} are the loves of my life and my very best friends. The second I arrive and step foot in their front door, it's like I instantly feel content, relaxed, comfortable, and safe. Their house will always be "home" to me, and there is no better feeling than being back at my "Mama" & "Daddy's".

{my sweet family on our wedding day}

I even love the drive to Columbia, and I get excited every time I see my exit sign for Mom and Dad's. They are always outside in the front yard ready to greet me, and I can never get out of my car fast enough to hug them when I pull into the driveway. Once I'm finished squeezing them to death :), Dad alway insists on unloading my car, carrying {lots of} my bags inside, and helping me get settled in my room {which truly warms my heart...He is such a true gentleman, and, no matter how old I am, he always takes care of me just like he did when I was a little girl}.

The weekend routine for my visits has actually become like clockwork, and it starts the same every time...In the kitchen. Once I'm unpacked and settled in, we always naturally gather around the bar in the kitchen, and we'll be there for hours before we make our way into the living room. Wine is poured, toasts are made, and then the cooking begins.

Tori {pictured below} and I assume our barstool positions on one side of the island, and mom and dad begin cooking on the other. We love watching our parents cook {always have}, and it is one of our favorite things to do when we're home...They make such a great team, and they always have so much fun preparing meals.

{Tori and I celebrating Christmas in Columbia}

Seeing them cooking together always brings back wonderful memories from my childhood, and I'm so thankful to have been blessed with amazing parents who have instilled in me such a special love of cooking and spending time together in the kitchen.

In honor of my love for family and cooking, I thought this would be the perfect time to introduce this fab cookbook that I discovered online...

Communal Table - a series of self-published books about sharing the love of eating and gathering together. With recipes from bloggers, chefs, and foodies, the first in the series is based on the theme of A Casual Setting.

{Communal Table}

I hope you all enjoy food, fun, and fellowship with your friends and family, and BON APPETIT!!

xoxo,

katherine

{happy friday & fun finds for our furry friends}

My favorite thing about this Friday is the fact that we're about to jump in the car and head to Charleston, SC for one of our best friend's wedding! So excited!!

The only thing I don't like about leaving town is leaving our sweet pets.  Callie, our beautiful black lab, always gets the most pitiful puppy dog eyes the second we bring the suitcase out, and our little Bernie {I know it's crazy, but that's our chicken...Click here to read more} will probably be wondering where in the world we've gone.

In honor of my furry little friends, I thought I'd show you this cuteness that I discovered on Oh Joy, one of my fave blogs...

{via oh joy}

{1. Ancient Industries cat bowl, 2. zebrawood bend bowl, 3. you bake 'em dog biscuits,4. cat grass from Branch, 5. sky blue pet bowl, 6. Fishs Eddy ceramic bowl.}

I'll be away from my computer most of the weekend, but I'll be back Sunday for some super fab blog posts.  I have a great week planned next week, and here's a little tease at what's to come…Fun finds from EmersonMade, my fab post about one of my fave bloggers and new fun friend-Lindsay from Aisle to Aloha, my exciting news that I mentioned here, AND we're moving into our new house {read more here}!!

I get excited just thinking about all of this, and I can't wait until next week!  In the meantime, I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!  I miss you already…

xoxo,

Katherine 

{wedding season: southern style}

Wedding season is fast approaching, and our calendar is packed full of upcoming celebrations. My husband and I both have numerous friends getting married throughout the year, and it is always such an honor to be a part of one of the most special days in a loved one's life.

{via style me pretty}

I'm especially excited about this year's wedding line-up since they are all taking place in some amazingly beautiful locations.  Here's our wedding run-down…

We're kicking off the marriage marathon this weekend in Charleston, SC, and we couldn't be more excited!!  My dad was born and raised in this beautiful city, and it holds a very special place in my heart.  I have also lived there for a few summers during my college career, and I love any chance I get to make a trip back.

As we prepare for our trip to watch one of Forrest's best baseball friends {fellow USC pitcher pictured here} embark on such a memorable journey in his life, we can't help but get excited about the festivities ahead.  The reception will be held at this beautiful waterfront plantation, and I just adore any setting that is surrounded by blissful, moss-draped, oak trees…Ahhhh so, so fabulous!!

{via pinterest}

Next up on the wedding agenda…A riverfront ceremony on the peaceful Waccamaw River {here in Conway, SC}, exchanging of vows on a country plantation, a palm tree party in Hilton Head, and we close our 2011 wedding season in my hometown-Greenville, SC.  Whew we have some fun times ahead, and we're ready to hit the road around South Carolina!!      

{a little "hump day" humor}

One of my favorite things to do on a daily basis is my Pinterest perusing…It always brightens my days, and it has become a bit of a ritual for me.  For those of you who haven't discovered Pinterest, please check it out...You'll be hooked in no time!!

I just couldn't resist posting this {Thank you Pinterest for leading me to Little Minch Art}...I totally agree, and I love, love, love that this made me laugh...out loud, to myself, for more than a few minutes!!  I'm still smiling! Enjoy!!

{via LittleMinchArt}

{diy: wine cork board}

When I was in college {& after I turned 21, of course}, I was a beer-drinking, vodka-loving kind of girl.  I'd have an ice cold beer when I was tailgating at sporting events or outside enjoying the sun somewhere, and I loved nothing more than a tasty {usually fruity} vodka concoction when I was bouncing around 5 Points with my friends.

Then I moved into a beautiful house off-campus with 3 of my sorority sisters who became my dearest friends, and it was then that I acquired a taste {which has grown into an obsession:)} for wine.

My new found love was for chardonnay {I liked my wine chilled, so red didn't agree with my palette}, and some of my most favorite nights at that humble abode {just miles away from my college campus} were spent sipping on some {cheap I'm sure} wine and venting about the new jobs we were trying to hold down as college grads.

That porch has gone down in history, and many a bottle of wine were consumed, amazing conversations were had, and long-lasting relationships were formed {one of my best friends actually met her boyfriend, now husband, on this fab porch}.

Enjoying a glass of wine, to me, is an absolute treat {at times a stress reliever} and I have now acquired the taste for a nice, smooth red as well.  After all these years of consuming this delicious wine, I have also acquired quite the collection of corks.

I started this trend in college when I popped open a bottle of wine to celebrate New Year's Eve.  All of my best friends were there, and I decided to write on the cork all the special details about the night…Who, what, when, and where of the New Year's celebration were documented right there on my cork.

I continued doing this for all special occasions, and my cork collection has now become quite a special treasure to me…Whether it was a bottle opened to celebrate Spring Break in the Bahamas with my girls, weddings of friends, finishing my thesis in grad school, the birth of a beautiful baby, or {one of my faves} celebrating my engagement with my family, they all represent a very special time in my life and are special memoirs to me.

The corks are piling up in my collection jar, and I know I need to do something special before it overflows.  I thought about using them to make a frame, maybe a photo album cover, and then I saw this…A cork board…Perfect!!  I'll be making this, hanging in a prominent location, and using it for my daily notes so I can be reminded everyday of the amazing times I've had {so far} with my family and friends.

{via apartment therapy}

You can find step-by-step instructions here...This project just makes me smile, and I hope you enjoy it too!   

Have a great day!

xoxo~

Katherine
p.s. Please excuse the few missing links showing on my blog...Photobucket is conducting a little maintenance, but all photos will be restored soon.

{monday motivation}

Hello friends, and happy Monday!  I hope you all had a fabulous weekend and are having a great start to the week thus far.

Part of my weekly ritual is starting my Monday off by identifying some quotes that inspire me and get me going as I embark on a new week.

Here are two quotes that really touched me today, and I hope they inspire you as well.

{via rhonna designs}

I have recently made some amazing changes in my life {more exciting details to come in future posts}, and the following quote really hit home for me today.  It's never too late to go after your dreams…I sure am, and I hope you do too!

{via brydie brown}

Have a great day!

xoxo~

Katherine

{USC Baseball Bliss}

I know I've said this before, but I just have to say it again...I love Spring and all that it brings!!  Everything about it makes me so happy, and I feel like my mood is instantly enhanced with the first hint of warmer weather and lingering sunlight.  I can't help but smile when I think about suntans, pretty pastels, and spring wardrobes, which will always go hand-in-hand with this season for me.

That's not all though...There's one more thing that really makes it official for me, and that is...Baseball Season!!

I have always been a baseball fan {grew up going to Atlanta Braves games}, but my love for the sport grew tremendously when my husband and I first started dating many, many years ago.  Forrest {who has played baseball all his life} was a proud member of the USC Baseball Team, and he served as a left-handed pitcher his entire college career.

Baseball was his life and his passion, and it soon became mine as well. He loved being on the mound, and I loved seeing him light up when he played the game. Every Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday afternoons/evenings were spent at the field, and I didn't miss a game on the road.  It was definitely a major part of our relationship, and it will always represent something very special for both of us. Those baseball days were wonderful, and I will never forget them.

It's hard to explain unless you're living in the moment, but there is a special bond formed on that USC field, and the team, their families, and their other loved ones, truly became one, big happy family.  It was like a reunion at every game, and we will always remember the amazing times we have had with our USC Baseball "family".

Here are a few of my favorite snapshots of Forrest on the field, and the memories rush back just seeing them...I still remember every game, and I can almost feel the action in the stands when I look at these. :)

{Pitching and Practice}  

{USC Gamecock Baseball}

Forrest and I were both born into USC families {with garnet in our blood}, and we have always been true, passionate, and loving Gamecock fans.  As proud graduates of the University of South Carolina, we feel a love for our university that can't even be explained and Gamecock Baseball will forever hold a special place in our hearts.

Sarge Frye Field felt like our second home for so many years, and we're so thankful to have these special pictures to honor the memory of those great days...

USC Baseball will always be pure bliss to our Beverly Family...

So here's to Spring, USC Baseball, and all the things that make the season special to you.  Enjoy your day, and have a great weekend!

xoxo,

Katherine