north carolina

Things we love about the South.

| cheriarmour

North Carolina, in particular.

I made a single-day trip to Charlotte from Raleigh this weekend (about 6 hours total, to where my parents live), and even though the South isn’t renowned for some things (race relations and state budgets), but there are a LOT of things that make North Carolina totally worth it.  If you’re ever thinking of making a move, let me help you with a few reasons why North Carolina is one of the most beautiful states EVER, and you should move here.

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1.  The pace is perfect.  We’re not as slow as some of the spots in the deep south, but we’re not as quick as say, DC.  We don’t use our horns.  We’re generally not a bunch of assholes when we drive.  Stuff opens when it’s supposed to.  Closes when it’s supposed to.  It’s really nice.

2.  Customer service.  In New Jersey, where I’ve spent a ton of time (and where a lot of my family lives now), you pay someone for a service, and they’re STILL rude to you.  The guy parking your car is a colossal idiot of a jerk, and will yell and scream at you if he deems it fit.  Here in North Carolina, at the Harris Teeter, for example, if you’re looking for an item, the kind associate will WALK you to the item that you’re lost on, and then ask you if you have any questions about it.  Oh, and Harris Teeter!

3.  Northerners (which I am one of,) try and make fun of this, but they are jealous. We get snow days off.  So rude folks, enjoy making fun of us, but we get to sit at home and sip hot chocolate while you slough your way to work.  Boooo.  As a kind of bonus to this reasoning, the weather is amazing here.  We (typically) don’t get much of a winter, have a gorgeous fall, and the summer nights make you want to slap someone they’re so good.

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This is what happens when it snows in Raleigh.  Snowpocolypse.

4.  The food here.  There are a few things here that you can’t get in New York (mah home state), and it’s so sad.

  • Mac and Cheese made right.  Velveeta should not be an ingredient.  And it needs to be baked.
  • Biscuits.  The biscuits down here. Like.  Don’t even get me started.
  • Cookout.  Not like, a barbecue.  There’s a magical place called cookout where you can get really disgusting food and enjoy it.
  • Sweet tea?  That is one thing that I could never really get down with, but people say it’s amazing down here.

5.  The music.  If, for a second, you don’t think some of the best musicians come from down here, you are trippin.  Clay Aiken (okay, kidding!), Fantasia, Chris Daughtry, and the amazing Petey Pablo are all from here.

So are there any North Carolina people out there?  What do you love about this state? 

 

 

Clean eating + the weekend.

| cheriarmour

The weekend was full of a lot of joy.

And a lot of food that was just horrible for me.

Saturday afternoon, after I taught a killer Zumba class, I attended the graduation party of a friend, where there were some amazing sides (life of a vegetarian), and what I ate was not limited to:

  • Two types of macaroni and cheese.
  • Potato salad
  • Guacamole + Chips
  • Pasta salad
  • Deviled eggs
  • Baked beans
  • Diet Sierra Mist

Followed by…

  • A lovely thick slice of cheesecake made by my boss’s boss.

I ate disgustingly – and I kind of want to try something to kind of get rid of the nasty I ingested this weekend.

Before that!

Let’s review my weekend!

photo 1-1

Because I am so beautiful and gorgeous, I did another photoshoot for Headbands of Hope.  Okay, I kid, I kid, but I did another, and don’t worry, I will share those photos with you as soon as they are edited and ready to go!  But I did get this sweet buff that made me feel like a fun hippie all weekend.  I think I’m gonna buy a ton of these, because these are randomly really absorbent too!

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WARK!

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I ran home to my parents’ in Charlotte, and got to see my newly-engaged younger sister.  Everyone thinks that I’m younger because I’m only 5’8″ and she’s like 5’10-5′-11″.  I look SO short compared to her!

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My brother kind of impressed me with his burrito making/folding skills and he made one for a ton of folks.  I told him he needs to open something up and that he could give Moe’s a run for their money.  He’s showing promise in the cooking arena.  Between him, my dad, me, and my sister Kimmy (who cooks like a pro), we could have an excellent little family restaurant situation.

photo 5And my mom is liable to murder me, but there she is, feeling much much better.  Not sure if you remember, but my mom suffered a stroke last year, and this time last year, she was not smiling.  Good to see it this year 🙂 🙂

Onto the gross stuff that I ate this weekend and what I’m going to do about it.  

I’ve been reading this week about clean eating, and to be 100%, I feel like I’m kind of fumbling around blindly with the idea.

I don’t believe in fads, and I don’t believe in cleanses, but I totally believe it eating good stuff, and prepackaged foods like my yogurt and my Fiber 1 bars are making me feel like crap.  For a week, I’m prepping my foods, avoiding alcohol and coffee, and staying away from anything that comes in a wrapper.

My only hope is to alleviate some tummy troubles, and to get rid of this gross stuff that I spent this weekend eating and drinking.

Now….with all of that….what did you do this weekend?  

 

You know you went to Elon if….

| cheriarmour

Elon’s been in the news a good bit.  Remember  the camels out on the yard?  Anyone?  Yep, that was us.

I will never stop talking about what a fantastic school Elon University was/continues to be.  If you’re reading and you’re thinking of attending or sending your kids, do NOT pass go, just do it.  I’m literally not even kidding.  DO ITTTT.  And now, here is my incredible list!

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  • You can’t think of a single ugly person you went to school with.  Even that girl that shows up to your 8am in dirty sweatpants who smells like cigarettes and alcohol?  Have you seen her all cleaned up?  She looks amazing.
  • You know what SURF day is. 
  • Winter Term.  You go to class all day for a month, then go to the bar at night and practice your dance moves for spring break with the help of most of the football team.
  • Instead of being a responsible, global citizen, you spent a SURF Day or a reading day eve out until 4am.  Then you went to a presentation really early. 
  • You had a job on-campus.  In fact, you had like 3.  
  • Overcommitted was your middle name.  You went from meeting to meeting, then to a training and then to dinner with friends.
  • Speaking of dinner, despite the fact that you and all of your friends were disgustingly attractive, you gained like 40 pounds from eating constantly.  Food you ate was not limited to Cookout, Chic-Fil-A sandwiches, and sketchy food from Red Bowl place that’s on special.
  • You’ve been in the line at Cookout at 3am and seen like 40 friends there. 
  • You side-eye High Point University.  It may look like a resort, but we are a botanical garden, dammit!
  • You once (or twice) skipped class to lay out on the “boobs” in a bikini and yet…
  • Somehow, your grades are amazing…
  • Even though the weekend starts on Wednesday night.
  • Ain’t no party like a PiKapp party cause a PiKapp party don’t stop!  Now someone pass the Busch Light!
  • Nike shorts + Big nasty t-shirt + boat shoe = your new uniform.  This will only change on days that you have a presentation.
  • Global citizen?  Thaaat’s me!  Seriously, you studied abroad and found your new outlook on life like three times while you were here.

  • And finally.  You, like everyone else entered college as kind of an asswipe.  Until some amazing professor bitch-slapped you into reality with your first 79 on a paper.  You’re now a successfully working adult because of it.

Thanks, Elon ❤ !!!

Also, just cause I’m nosy, where’d you go to school?

-I went to Elon, my sister went to Duke, and my other sister went to Auburn.  My brother is gearing up for his first year at NC State which means he will be over at our house doing laundry for the next 4 years.

Peachy Keen Fashion Show!

| cheriarmour

So remember back in February when I did the photoshoot for Headbands of Hope?

© Amanda English Photography-6In case you forgot, here’s the reminder!  Shot by my friend, Amanda English, the shoot was done on the one nice day of weather we had before it started snowing again.  Is anyone sad that winter is finally gone?  ‘Cause I’m not…

So anyhoo, the shoot was styled by Peachy Keen Boutique, a women’s boutique and vintage jewelry boutique in Cary, NC, and I was so honored to be a part of their spring fashion show that was built around the theme of Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville.

Here area a few stills from the day.

photo 1 (9) photo 2 (6)Anybody know what this shade of mac lipstick is?  I kinda love it, but I don’t know how I could pull it off in a setting that was not a fashion show.  Check out Winter’s photobomb!!!

DSC_0372 DSC_0373 DSC_0374 DSC_0376The founder of Headbands of Hope!

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I love love loved this swingy top!

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This one made me feel bridely 🙂

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And last but not least, I had to complete the evening with this cute face that I make when I’m really happy/I’ve been drinking.

As a total side note, I’m getting a teeny tiny bit of modeling work here, and if anyone needs me for anything else, I’ll take it!  Your girl needs all she can get before the big day!

 

 

Is the craft store dead?

| cheriarmour

I discussed this with a few friends this week, but since I decided that I’m taking on a lot of the crafting, painting, glueing, and marrying for my wedding, I’ve spent a good bit of time, and a little bit of money at craft stores.

The past two weeks I’ve hit up some weird little scrap exchange in the area, a JoAnn’s Fabrics in North Raleigh and one in Cary, and a Michaels in Cary, and all of the experiences have been similarly discouraging.

The experience goes a little something like this. I walk into the craft store, and look around for a second before I realize I’m completely lost and I don’t know where anything is.  I contemplate asking one of the old women walking around where the section is for the buttons, for the wedding stuff, and for the ribbon, but they all look pretty busy.

Okay, find someone who can help.  So I look for someone in a smock by wandering for a few minutes before I decide that I’m wasting time by aimlessly wandering, and I head to the register, where I wait for the associate to finish up before I ask where the buttons are, for starters.

“They’re on 18B”

I think to myself, where is 18b.  What is an 18b?  I look at the associate sort of desperately, and I spread my hands out, and ask, “So is that…like 18b, where would you say I should head to find that?”

The associate points, almost wordlessly, and I start to count aisles as I try to navigate the Wal-Mart of crafting.  I repeat this at every big box craft store I go to, until, horribly upset two Saturdays ago, I almost dissolve into tears.  Austin could immediately tell that something was wrong.

What happened to customer service?

I work in retail, so I get it.  You don’t always feel like helping some idiot, but guess what, sometimes YOU are the idiot.  So you treat customers the way you’d like to be treated.  When a customer asks where something is, you don’t point, you don’t ignore them, and you certainly don’t huff and puff like you’ve got better things to be doing.  And yes, I’m talking about you, rude lady at the Michael’s in Cary who couldn’t be bothered to tell me where the floral wire was without rolling your eyes.

Collector’s Corner of NC

So yesterday, totally frustrated, and not completely willing to buy everything online without getting to hold/touch it first, I went to Collector’s Corner in Wendell, NC, where a friend had sent me in order to collect buttons, brooches, and little doodads for my button bouquets.  And not only was it small, the owner/operator, Laura Wagner was actually nice to me, accommodating, and pulled out a bag of buttons, and boxes and boxes of brooches for the bouquets.

photoHere were some of my finds.  Laura is pricing them for me, and additionally, with each paycheck, I will be down at her place to give her business, and to collect little bottles, suitcases, vintages razors and other odds and ends for the wedding.  Michaels, JoAnns, and other crappy big box stores be damned, I found a place where they actually would love to have my business for our wedding.   (Also check this place out, because it’s the tits!)

 

 

I brought my neti pot to work.

| cheriarmour

You may feel as though I’m a very glamorous woman, seeing as how I spent the better half of yesterday and today filming for an ESPN show that primarily airs in Latin American Nations, however, that is not the case, and after spending the better half of yesterday outside with that yellow pollen stuff floating around, I officially feel awful.

No congestion just yet, but my throat is on fire, and I want to die a little bit.  All of this is going on three days until Rock ‘n’ Roll Raleigh.  Ah well.

So anyhoo, when I’m feeling terrible, I pack up my plastic Neti Pot.

imgresAnd I pack the little saline packet that comes with it, pack an extra water bottle (so it’s clean water that I’m using), and head to the secret bathroom on the third floor to get to work.

I flush a few times a day when my throat is really sore, in hopes that I can at least get some of the yellow powder out of my nasal cavities, and because the warm water feels amazing on the back of my throat.  Fun fact: someone once walked in on me and looked disgusted with me, but jokes on her, cause it made my throat feel amazing and now I will never share my pot with her.

I’m not a doctor, but I”m convinced that this this totally heals.

Anyone else neti? Know what I’m talking about?

 

If this were Elon…

| cheriarmour

I came to Elon Univeristy, about an hour from Raleigh, in the Fall of 2005, when my father read an article about this up-and-coming school in North Carolina that I just had to apply to.

I was the first of my parents’ four to apply/go to college, so not really knowing any better, I applied to 10 schools.

  • UNC
  • UNC Asheville
  • NC State
  • Brown University
  • Carnegie Mellon
  • University of Pittsburgh
  • Ithaca College
  • Cornell University
  • Brown College

And finally, at the last minute, I applied to Elon University.  Long story short, on the way back from a beautiful visit to Pitt, my dad pulled us over and stopped us at Elon, at which point, we decided I would go to this beautiful place that was sunny, where the swans were walking around and where it wasn’t snowing (At that point, in April, it was snowing in Pittsburgh as we left).

So I went, and it literally changed my life.  You would not be getting this absolutely phenomenal blog if I hadn’t gone there, I can guarantee you that ;). So it’s gorgeous out, and it got me thinking about Elon (plus it’s Elon’s 125th anniversary so Happy Birthday, beautiful school!)

If this were Elon…

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  • I would be sunbathing, similarly to the way I’m doing above, except I’d be in a bikini. 
  • I’d  be pretending to sunbathe, but I’d really be watching these cute boys play volleyball.  I was always too scared to talk to them.
  • I would have napped at least once by now, because of the fact that I stayed up til 2 am doing homework the night before instead of using my time efficiently.
  • I would have run into our handsome President, Dr. Leo Lambert on the sidewalk, and gotten really flustered, too much to do anything but utter an unintelligible greeting. 
  • I would have Twisted Measure practice that evening, that usually would consist of us doing actually singing for an hour and a half or so, with half an hour of us pulling pranks on each other or singing things in the wrong key on purpose to peels of laughter.
  • After practice, I’d go get a grilled cheese from Varsity with these greasy chip things, and chase it with a coffee from Acorn, our local sandwich shop.  At this point, I was just starting my coffee addiction, but I’d adopted the awful practice of drinking coffee at night, and a 5-hour energy mixed with a Sunkist in the morning a lot of times.  Quite obviously, I took my health quite seriously.
  • I would have hit Belk Library to “study”, which really means socialize with boys and kinda work on stuff.  When I got sick of that, or when I felt like walking home by myself would be too creepy, I’d leave, watch Nancy Grace, and come home.

What was the culture at your school like?  

Oh, and Long Live Elon!

 

The worst date ever. [Reader Discretion Advised]

| cheriarmour

So this post is part of a link-up with Life of Bon – and I love love love this idea!

Granted, I have not been on a date in some time, as I’ve been with the same guy for a while, and I didn’t date a whole whole bunch before that.

But, even without a ton of experience with bad dates, when my close close friend, we’ll call her Tina, called me 20 minutes after this truly awful date, I knew that this had to be, hands down, the worst date in history.  Shall we?

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So Tina was spotted by Creeper one day in her building.  He informed her that she was the most beautiful women he’d ever laid eyes on and that he’d like to take her out to dinner.

Her reaction.

So, that Friday, he sent a box of bagels to her office and told her something to the effect that he was so so excited to go on this date with her.

Date night.  They go close to work, to a local Mellow Mushroom to have dinner.  And within 10 minutes, he tells her that he’s into feet.

As in, feet are something that turn him all the way on.

45 Ridiculous And Amazing GIFs Of Nene Leakes For Her Birthday

Tina told me at this point, she was really perplexed, and asked him a few questions out of ignorance about the topic.

“So like, in the spring time, when everyone is wearing flip-flops, what do you do?  Are you just going crazy with all the feet?”

He explained to her that it didn’t work that way, and continued on to explain that additionally, he was into some more interesting stuff. 

And finally, as if she wasn’t looking horrified enough, he explained, on the first date, at the dinner table, without any prompting, that he was into something called breath play, where he fashioned for the lady in question a suit made out of pantyhose, and asphyxiated them while they got down.

Tina, obviously horrified at the very definition of oversharing on a first date uttered, “Isn’t that dangerous?  Like can’t you pass out from that?”

“Well, yeah, it happened to my last girlfriend and it really turned me on.”

So all of that said, after the date was over and Tina was safely stowed at home, the texts began.  And Tina didn’t answer a single one.  He wanted to explain, that he wasn’t a monster, and that she should give him and his plastic grocery bags a chance.  He begged her for 5 more minutes of her time.  He sent her his rap music in hopes that this too, would win her over, and finally Tina asked that he never contact her again.

And that, my friends, was the worst date in history.

[Now a little disclaimer, what everyone does in their personal time is really their own business, however, within the first 10 minutes of a date at Mellow Mushroom is not the time to share your deviance.]

What was your worst date ever? 

My memorial service.

| cheriarmour

Okay, before we get into this post, can I just tell you how many times I have wanted to punch the router at my parents’ house?  I think I said this yesterday, but it must be federal law that if you are an old person, that that wireless at your house must suck, because trying to blog here?  I have been tempted to tear each and every one of my locs out.

Moving right along.

So the reason I’m here at my parents’ house in the first place is actually kind of somber.  A friend of mine, of ours, mother passed away after a long, long battle with cancer.  Her two daughters are me and Debbie’s age, so the whole family made it out to a beautiful, beautiful service.  Seriously, this church was packed.

As soon as we walked in, displayed was a beautiful picture of Wendy and her two daughters.  As we entered, we entered to beautiful singing, and were handed the most fun program I’ve ever seen.

And the service was great.  Full of friends, the service was more singing than talking (as was Wendy’s wish,) and the talking that was done was reflecting on Wendy’s life, her smile, and most of all, her love for Christ.

The service had me thinking, what would my memorial service be like?  What do I want to be remembered for?

I haven’t gotten as far as thinking of how I want my service to be done, or where, but I do know what I want to be remembered for.

photo (23)When it comes to this, I want to be remembered for:

  • My ability to love.  I’ve always loved love.  I love so much.  I love my family.  My family-to-be.  My home. My animals.  Writing.
  • My love for animals.  I am the proud Mama of two animals, and the stepmama to a third.  That is really more than enough but I love love love them all so much.
  • My love for music.  I was named after a Stevie Wonder song.  There’s no way I wouldn’t love music.  I love it all, I sing it all, and I dance to it all.
  • My love of laughter.  Ladies and gents, I love to laugh.  I love to laugh at myself, and more importantly, I love to make fun of others.  All in good fun, of course, I’m not gonna like, make fun of someone’s cockeye or something, but I love a laugh.
  • The right thing.  I think above all, I want everyone to know that I always tried/will continue to try to do the right thing.  I may not always.  I’m human, and I’m gonna screw up, but I really, truly have always tried to do what I thought was the right thing.

Now I hope all this wasn’t too morbid for you, but you have to understand, my mind has been on this, especially with the passing of my grandmother, and now Wendy.  If you’re comfortable with it, how would you like to be remembered?