The Book that Could Save My Marriage (before it needs saving)

I've been following Danielle Butler's blog for a while now. She's actually one of the very first blogs I followed and is even one of the inspirations behind The Bright's Side. A while ago she talked about a book called Created to Be His Help Meet by Debi Pearl in this blog post. It sounded like something I might be interested in so I put in on my mental To Do list. Then, about a week ago she posted on Instagram a picture of something from the book and I decided to go ahead and give it a read so I downloaded it on my iPad.


Ya'll, this book has opened my eyes and has changed my entire perspective on my marriage. I'm only on chapter 5 but so far I have gained so much from this book. I knew that I was supposed to "submit" to my husband and "honor" him and "be his crown" and all that, but I wasn't actually doing it.

 

 You see, I've been doing it all wrong so far. I've been letting my emotions and feelings control me, and whenever Tanner does something that hurts me or makes me angry, I've been handling it all wrong. Normally, if Tanner does something that upsets me, my entire mood changes. I pout or say something hurtful to him to let him know that I am not happy with him and I try to cause him pain like he's caused me. Doing this is like saying "God, I know I'm supposed to be patient and not easily angered and stuff, but this is an exception, Tanner needs to know he did something wrong so I'm going to handle this my way, and I'll handle it your way when it's a more minor offense." But the problem with that is that everything becomes an exception and you never learn to handle it God's way, only your way. You practice and practice and practice being angry and giving him the cold shoulder and learning new ways to make him feel terrible about himself all the while tearing him down and making him realize how much you don't respect him. With men, respect is key. Men feel the need to be respected like ladies feel the need to be loved and cherished. They have to have that to feel like they matter. In her book, Debi features a story about a wife that was more her husband's conscious than his help meet. When I read that story, I realized that I am the same way. I am so concerned with what Tanner's doing that when he messes up or does something I don't think he should, I feel this need to tell him what he did wrong. I feel like if I don't tell him, he might not realize he did something wrong and then he'll keep doing it. I am quickly becoming his conscious, and not his loving wife that supports him no matter what.

Maybe it's because I'm a control freak, but I'm struggling with the thought of my husband being the head of this body. I've had this idea that we are equal, that he will work hard at his job, I will work hard at my job and we will both come home and work hard with chores and dinner. But that is wrong. Tanner is not designed to be my equal. I am not designed to be his. Tanner is made to lead me and I am made to follow. I was created to help him in whatever he needs. I am here for support, love, reverence and whatever else he needs me to be. There are not 2 leading roles in a marriage. There is 1. Tanner gets that role and I am the supporting role and I am trying really hard to accept that. Our culture has taught us that we should fight for equality in marriages and that each partner should be equal, but God says otherwise. God's plan for women is to help and support the husband, to be merry, joyful and thankful at all times.

There are so many other lessons I've learned already but this is probably the largest one. I highly recommend this read. It's a bit radical and it's definitely challenging, but I'm gaining so much from it. I can't wait to do a full review on it!

Everyday Face

Hey Everyone! Today I'm trying my hand at a beauty post. Now, as a disclaimer, please know I am in no way a beauty guru. Could I spend hours in Ulta or Sephora? Yes. Have I watched at least 5 tutorials on highlighting and contouring? Yes. Do I die a little every time I get mascara on a freshly shadowed lid? Embarrassingly enough, yes. But trust me guys, I am not that girl. I've yet to master a perfectly concealed pimple, my complexion is not #flawless and I'm done attempting winged liner. This post is for girls like me, who while we dream of spending our hard earned money on nothing but Tom Ford lippies and Mac brushes, we have to settle for mostly drugstore brands and maybe a splurge item or two. So, here's my everyday product list. Subject to change next week. Then again the week after.

I shower in the morning so while I'm in there I wash my face with Purity face wash by Philosophy. This stuff is super simple, mostly all natural ingredients and just smells really clean. After that I'll moisturize my face with another Philosophy product Hope in a Jar. 

After that I prime my face. I have extremely oily skin, and it's terrible in the summer. I first heard about this trick a few years ago. It's a little crazy but it's the only shine control primer that works for me. 

That's right, ladies, I'm using laxative as primer. I use a flat foundation brush and brush a very thin layer of Milk of Magnesia on my T-Zone and and cheeks. 

While I'm waiting for the primer to dry, I start on my eye make up. For a typical day I go to my Naked Basics palette. I use foxy for all over my lid. I apply that with the Shading brush by Real Techniques. Then I add the color Naked 2 from the palette with the Ultimate Eye Shadow brush from Drew Barrymore's Flower collection. Next I add a little bit of Venus in the corner of my eyelids with a Real Techniques detailer brush. 

For my everyday face I usually skip the eyeliner just because it takes more time than I want to spend every morning so next comes mascara. Right now I'm using two by Too Faced. Mascara is one of the things I like to splurge on, because I feel like you get what you pay for. First I apply a layer of Size Queen then right after that I apply a layer of Better Than Sex. That completes my eyeballs. 

Next comes concealer. I do have some redness and the occasional pimple so I use the 10 color Foundation & Concealer palette from BH Cosmetics and this yellow concealer from Nyx. The palette I use for trouble spots like zits and the yellow concealer goes under my eyes to hide any dark circles.

Foundations comes after concealer. I've been using Maybeline's Dream Liquid Mousse foundation for a while. I really like the coverage. I use the shade Light 5 for the summer when I'm darker, and Light 3 in the winter when I'm a bit more pale. After putting 3 pumps on my hand and dotting it all over my face, I use my sponge to blend it all in. This is a knock-off version of the Beauty Blender, same product but much cheaper. I got mine from BH cosmetics. Then I take a loose powder, right now I'm using L'oreal Hydra Perfecte Powder in Translucent and set my whole face. 

Once that's all set I grab my 6 color Contour & Blush palette from BH (I like them a lot in case you can't tell) and start to contour. I have a pretty round face so I just use enough contour to give my face some shape. I use the middle shade in the bottom row right under my cheekbones, on my temples and under my jawline. I also put a little on both sides of my nose. For the contour I use the Real Techs Contour brush. 

Then, using the same palette I add blush to my cheeks with the  Real Techs blush brush and the white highlighter powder on the bridge of my nose with the ELF fan brush. 

After that, I use Victoria's Secret Shine lip gloss in the color Shine Berry and I'm done!

Feeling the Burn (literally) with Colton Dixon

Hi guys, do I have a story for you today! Last Saturday my best friend, Lyndsay and I, spent our day volunteering at a Colton Dixon concert. Lyndsay is a cosmetologist and one of her clients owns an event planning business. This particular business does a lot of work for the Christian radio station in our town, which is called The Bridge FM. Lyndsay’s client asked us last week if we’d help with Colton’s concert and we said we’d love to. We were instructed to be at the theatre at 11:30am Saturday morning and plan on being there until after the concert was over that night. We were so excited we even went shopping Friday night to find new outfits to wear. We had no idea what we were in for…..

Upon our arrival, we were told to steam tablecloths for the merchandise table and start setting up the items on the Colton’s rider. A rider is a list of requests an artist makes for his performance. We headed to the green room to start setting it all up. Lyndsay filled the steamer and I started putting their snacks in buckets on their table. Within several minutes more volunteers were showing up and more jobs were being handed out. Things got a little crazy and just when I could feel the sweat starting to trickle down my forehead (RIP my foundation) I made the most embarrassing mistake ever. I walked over to the steamer to see if it was hot and it was, finally, so I grabbed the handle off of the hook and pulled it over to a tablecloth. I thought the cord was longer than it actually was, so when I pulled steamer over to me, the entire thing fell over. I dropped the handle to catch it, but as I did that the boiling water started pouring out of the handle and onto my left foot (and my new Jack Rogers L). Ya’ll, I have never experienced so much pain. Not to mention as I’m jumping around like a maniac trying desperately not to cry or say an ugly word, the director of the event walks in just in time to see the boiling water bubbling over my foot onto the ground and the tablecloth being soaked. I could have curled up in a ball and died. I decided right then and there that I was not cut out for this type of work.

Lyndsay and I picked up the steamer and tablecloth and she started to steam desperately. By this time Colton and his crew were arriving and we were under a lot of pressure to get things finished for their green room and get lunch set up. My foot was still on fire and I’m pretty sure I know what it feels like to have someone trying to cut your leg off with a chainsaw. Seriously, if childbirth is worse than boiling water on your skin, Count. Me. Out.

After that, we hung the tablecloths over a couch in the lobby and started to set up lunch. Colton and his band came in and ate, then headed into the auditorium for sound check. Lyndsay and I ate and I ranted to her about how embarrassed I was. The director came in and asked to take a look at my foot (she used to be an EMT) and said she thought they were 2^nd degree burns. She told us we could go home for a little while but to be back by 3pm. The break was much needed, as we were sweaty, shiny, ill and hungry. We went back to Lyndsay’s and took a quick 15 minute rest, touched up our hair and makeup, then went to my mom’s house to get some cream for my burns. Luckily, she had something to put on my foot and once she did the pain went away almost immediately. We decided to head back to the theatre and tough out the rest of the afternoon and night.

 

We got there around 3 and watched the end of Colton’s sound check. After that the director gave us a rundown of the ticket booth that we were in charge of and gave us a few more duties. We had a meeting at 4pm with all of the volunteers then ate a really quick, but delicious dinner. After dinner we headed back to the ticket booth and lines were already forming outside. People who bought VIP tickets were allowed to come in at 5:30pm for the meet and greet. After getting the VIPs sorted and in line to meet Colton, we opened the doors and let the rest of the concert goers in. There was a mad rush of tickets, cash, and children for about an hour then things quieted down. The opening band started at 7pm and we let the last people in at 7:05pm. Lyndsay and I headed upstairs to watch the concert from the volunteer section in the balcony. The opening band was the praise and worship team from Covenant Church, based out of Washington, NC and they did a great job. There was about a 10 minute intermission while Colton’s people set up then he started right at 7:50pm. He opened with a few rock-ish songs and he had a great energy. In about the middle of his set he did one of his singles on the radio right now “More of You”, and then he said a few words about faith and what it means to be the church verses going to church. He did a few songs on the piano, one of which was “Through It All”. I could feel the energy change in the crowd and I think everyone really enjoyed that time of worship. It was really wholesome and pure and I think God touched a lot of people during that. Lyndsay and I headed back down to the ticket booth to get ready to start selling tickets for the next event before all of the people came out of the show. We sold several tickets for October’s event, which is the “Time of My Life” tour featuring Chris August, The Afters, Unspoken, and Among the Thirsty. Colton came out to the merch table and signed a bunch of autographs and took a lot of pictures with the fans. He was kind and made lots of jokes, so he was an instant hit with the tween girls. Overall I think everyone really enjoyed the show and he seemed like he genuinely had a good time. After he went back to the green room, Lyndsay and I grabbed our things and headed home. I haven’t been that tired in a long time, but it was a great experience and although my foot still burns if I touch it, I’d definitely do it again.

 

 

 

 

Nexplanon: Week 3

So it looks like this is going to be an every other week update type of thing. Nothing really changed except my incision is itching constantly. I know this is just where it's healing but it's been so hard not to scratch. I'm making a valiant attempt at keeping lotion on it. The only other thing is that I'm feeling a bit sluggish, but I'm not sure if that's related to the birth control or that we've just had a very busy summer that seems to be flying by (2015 is halfway over, y'all). Over all, so far, I would say my experience has been pretty positive with the Nexplanon implant. Part of me is still a little worried that it could change after this first month, but I'm hoping all of the review I read where just written by really dramatic women. Have any of you guys tried it? What type of BC are you using? Any tips?

Nexplanon: Week 1

Hey ladies! So I've had my Nexplanon implant in for a week now and fortunately I don't really have anything to report. The bruising looks much better and is almost completely healed and the cramps have eased up a lot. I'm having PMS symptoms (acne breakouts, cravings, bloating and my emotions are on a roller coaster) but that's because it's about that time for my cycle. No spotting or anything yet so it's looking good so far!

Oh, Say Can You See!

 

What a great Independence Day weekend!

 

There is nothing like spending time with family and friends to remind you how blessed you are.

 

Sarah, the sweetest Grandma in the whole world and I playing around with the selfie stick while we waited for Susan and Alyssa to meet us

 

Thursday, after my doctor's appointment, my cousin, Sarah, who was visiting from Indiana, and my aunt Susan, cousin Alyssa and I headed to Nags Head for a day at the beach.

 

A ridiculously oversized chair we had to snap a picture in

Despite all of the shark attacks, Sarah was determined to swim. I waded in about mid-calf deep but the water was unseasonably freezing. I decided to stick to the sand and not take my chances with hypothermia or Jaws.

 

Is that a shark behind you, Sarah?

About 1:00pm I got a call from Tanner's mom saying that we had a new addition to the family. Carter Jerome Hardy was born at 11:19am at 7 pounds and 11 ounces. He is so precious and has so, so, so much hair and bright blue eyes like Mommy and Daddy.

So Sweet!

 

Once we got back from the beach I took the quickest shower of my life and met Tanner at the hospital to meet our nephew. We grabbed a quick dinner at Cheddar's and got home around 10:30, Thursday night.

Friday mom, Sarah and I went to a few stores in Greenville and had lunch at McAllister's. After that it was time to head back home to get ready for the streetdance in Belhaven. Tanner was a trooper and agreed to drive 5 crazy ladies to the streetdance and we all had a blast. We ended up going to a restaurant called The Tavern that turned out to be a really neat spot.

Lyndsay and Sarah

Tanner and I

Saturday we woke up about 8:30am and headed to the river to celebrate the 4th. We had a great day laying out, swimming and eating with all of our friends and family. Around 4 a storm looked like it was heading our way so we packed everything up and headed back up to the house. Sarah snapped this picture just as it was getting cloudy. God is an amazing artist.

Beautiful!

 

 

Saturday evening we met up with the girls again and headed Downtown Washington to catch the fireworks. There were a ton of people downtown. We found a good spot and got the hear the band finish.

This weekend was chaotic, busy and wonderful. The 4th of July is one of my most favorite holidays!

My Nexplanon Experience

Hello, ladies! Last week I ventured into a new territory with birth control so I thought why not take you along with me?

(Men, not sure you'll care to read this one.)

First, I must make a confession. Because I am the world's best procrastinator, I had been putting off visiting the lady doctor for quite some time. I know, I'm married, therefore obviously sexually active, and should have taken care of lady business a while ago, and I've learned my lesson.

Now, the main reason for my visit was a pap smear, with the intention of talking about birth control. Not only do I need something to make sure that Tanner and I do not bring an unplanned little one into the world (not that there's anything wrong with that, we are just not ready), but something to regulate my cycle. Since the 7th grade I have never been regular and it's time I get a handle on this.

After the whole pap smear, which was cringe worthy but not as bad as I expected, my doctor came in and talked with me about birth control options. There are 4 basic options; the pill, IUD, Depo shot, and Nexplanon. I knew right away that I did not want an IUD (too many horror stories) or the depo shots (a shot every 12 weeks, no thank you) so basically I had a choice between the pill and Nexplanon. My hang-up with the pill was that I knew I would probably forget to take it every day and I knew there was a possibility of weight gain. The doctor gave me a pamphlet about Nexplanon and said she thought that would be a good option for me. We talked a little more and I was on my way out. When I checked out, they gave me an appointment exactly 2 weeks away for my Nexplanon implant.

 

 

Nexplanon is a small bar that goes into your arm, between your shoulder and elbow, that releases hormones which cause your ovaries not to release eggs. You can leave it in up to 3 years, or if you decide you want children before then, you can schedule an appointment at any time to have it removed. I did a lot of research about Nexplanon and it seemed that the reviews were about 75% positive and 25% negative, so I decided to go for it. I arrived to the doctor’s office at 8:20am on July 2^nd. After check-in I peed in a cup, had my vitals checked then was put in a room. My doctor came in and asked me to lay back on the table with my left arm up. I had two small bug bites in the area where they normally put the implant so she put it about an inch lower than normal.

 

 

I wasn’t super nervous about the implant but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t hurt a little. The worst part was the Lidocaine shot they gave me to numb the area. After that, I could feel the gun in my arm, but there was no sense of pain or anything like that. The whole process took maybe 2 minutes. The medical assistant in the room put a steri strip and band-aid on my arm then wrapped gauze around it. The doctor said that I would probably bruise and be sore for a day or so.

 

Boy, was she right. By the time I’d gotten home, I had a huge purple welt wear the implant was. It was little freaky to look at and if I touched it very gently I could feel the implant in my arm. By the end of the day my arm was pretty sore but it wasn’t until Friday that I started cramping. While shopping with my mom and cousin, I started having small cramps. I’m still having them today, but not as bad or often. Several reviews I read said they experienced heavy spotting and bleeding for the first month or so, but I haven’t experienced that, yet. So far, I don’t have anything very bad to say about the Nexplanon implant. Aside from the cramps and bruising, I forget it’s there. I’ll keep you all updated!

 

 

We Moved!

Whoever decided to move the same week as Vacation Bible School has absolutely no sense at all......

Oh wait, that was me. And what a week it was!

Tanner and I were scheduled to move in Sunday, June 21st, but plans changed and we had to wait a day. I had to work Monday so my sweet husband took the day off, recruited some family and friends to help and by Monday evening almost all of our belongings were moved! Have I said how amazing he is lately? He is one hard working man.

Vacation Bible School started Sunday night so we spent every night that week at church until about 8:30pm. Although we were swamped when we got home, I managed to unpack a few boxes every night. My mom and stepdad were lifesavers Saturday, June 27th. Michael hung the new blinds at the old house, mom helped me clean up a little and then she helped me unpack at the new house. My family rocks!

As of right now (July 6), I have about 6 more boxes to unpack, but other than that we're settled. I've made a few trips to TJ Maxx and gotten a few little things but other than that I haven't gone décor crazy.

 

The couch came with the house and the pillows were pretty dated so I found these 3 at Wal-Mart. I'd like to get another blue one if I can find it. The throw I found this past week at TJ Maxx for $14.99! It was meant to be.

 

Here's a shot of our bedroom currently. The bed is pretty plain so I'm in the market for some silver-y pillows and maybe a throw similar to the wall color.

 

This is just a close up of what's on our dresser. I love candles!

 

 

This is just a shot of the house from the front before we moved in. Super cute, right?

We are beyond blessed to have found such a great space. Monday night we prayed over the house that we would make great memories and that it would be a place that harbored love. I can't wait to see what the future holds for this new Bright household!

 

Movin' On

It’s almost that time! We are so excited to be moving at the end of this week. The lease is signed and all of our belongings are in boxes, well almost.  I still have a lot left to pack. It’s amazing what you can accumulate in just 2 years of being in one place. Here’s a list of a few thoughts I’ve had while packing over the last 2 weeks:

 

How many golf tees does one person really need?

When did we get this cake pan?

What’s a radioactive food warmer?

We have 2 griddles? Why aren’t we having French toast more often?

I’m going to need more boxes.

Where are we going to put all of this stuff?

8 camouflage hunting coats?

We have a ridiculous amount of bowls.

How necessary is this pizza stone?

I’m going to need more boxes.

So many wreathes.

There is no easy way to store Christmas ornaments.

What if Jaz doesn’t like the new house?

Don’t forget to buy some Clorox spray.

When did we take this picture?

If I find one more golf ball….

MORE BOXES.

 

 And so many others. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t just a little sad. I always loved coming down the dirt driveway and seeing the old, little yellow farmhouse with acres of beans, corn or wheat behind it. It became home us as soon as we moved in and we’ve made so many memories there. It’s where Tanner proposed, where we had our first garden, and where we had our first Christmas as a married couple. I’ll miss the low ceilings, that heat and cool so well. I’ll miss the gas heat that somehow seems warmer than electric heat. I’ll miss the way the rain sounded on the roof. I’ll miss the stuffy upstairs, with its original bead board walls and the sight of Jaz sitting in the second story window waiting for us to get home.

But I’m also extremely excited. Our new place is sure to be filled with lots of laughter, the letter B and, yes, more golf balls. I’m also looking forward to having two bathrooms! Though I love Tanner more than anything, private time is something I cherish. (TMI?) I’m also looking forward to having a real laundry room, woo hoo! Tanner is especially thrilled to have a dishwasher, since that’s his chore of choice.

 Either way, boy are we blessed! I forget sometimes what a loving and perfect God I serve, and that there’s no reason for me to worry when He’s in control.

World's Worst Blogger

So obviously I totally stink at blogging. I have good intentions, I promise!!

I really want to make this blogging thing work, if not just for the sole purpose of having some type of scrapbook to look back on because, like sticking with something, I am terrible at scrapbooking. (Who has time to arrange all those tiny pieces of paper, anyways?)

 Here's a little recap of what's been going down on The Bright Side:

Early March: Tanner and I attended his cousin's wedding in Savannah and it was totally perfect.
Seriously the sweetest couple in the world and the bride was gorgeous.

End of March: Tanner's birthday and our 1 year anniversary!! My sweet man turned 24 and we had a great one year anniversary. He gave me a gift certificate to have my toes done (they needed it, badly) and I gave him a framed copy of our vowels. Can't believe it's been a year since we said "I do".

April: Not much happened in April. Had an Easter Egg hunt for the younger kids at church, attended an amazing Easter Drama in Kinston at Tanglewood Church (seriously, amazing. I cried.) and it was my bfffffff's birthday!! Weren't we the cutest??

May: was a blur!! We had a shower for Tanner's sister the first weekend in May. She got lots of great things and we're so excited for Baby Carter! Mother's day was a success, my brother, stepdad and I bought my mom a patio lounge she'd been not-so-subtly hinting at for a while. She was super excited to see it! (Note to self: much assembly was required). We also celebrated two of my cousins' birthday, both born on May 28th. Love those goobers!

 

So far June looks like it's gonna be a little crazy. At this end of this month we're moving to Goose Creek and I'm going to miss our little Maggie Lane house so much. We've made some of the best memories there. Sarah, the oldest cousin, will hopefully be visiting around that time and I'm so looking forward to spending time with her and hopefully by July 5th Tanner and I will have a little nephew to love on! This year is proving to be just as insane as last year but somehow, I don't think I would trade it for anything. We are so blessed!!

Thanks, Mom

-for  dance parties in the kitchen
-for always knowing what to say
-for giving me self confidence despite my big nose and teeth
-for always coming to the rescue
-for being yourself
-for your sense of humor
-for your love of musicals
-for teaching me to be myself
-for giving me independence
-for chocolate molten cakes
-for Celine Dion
-for your hard work
-for your love of crafts
-for our ESP
-for my brother
-for your voice
-for taking me to church
-for supporting me in everything
-for loving Tanner
-for accepting me
-for being hard on me when I needed it
-for Mexican pinwheels
-for letting me have meltdowns
-for listening to my rants
-for being honest with me when I didn't want to hear it
-for the gift of gab
-for not being afraid to get dirty
-for your round face
-for not letting me take myself too seriously
-for laughing at me when I accidentally shave my eyebrow off
-for movies like Practical Magic & The Holiday
-for letting me do your hair/makeup
-for watching all my plays and musicals
-for loving me even when I disappoint you
-for understanding me
-for telling me when something is unflattering
-for shopping with me
-for being my +1 at uncomfortable events
-for beach trips
-for James Taylor
-for not letting me cry over stupid boys
-for not letting me settle
-for your love of trivia
-for vanilla bean frappes


I want to be you when I grow up.

East Bound & Down

Last weekend Tanner and I took our first vacation as a married couple to Hilton Head Island, SC. Tanner plays in an amateur tour in Eastern NC and each year they hold the tour championship in Hilton Head. All of the GolfWeek tours from all over the country come together and have a major tournament with luncheons, club demos, etc. We got to meet some really cool people and even though I don't golf, it was actually pretty interesting. Overall there was about 800 golfers in the tournament, the youngest being only 12 years old! We left Thursday and it took us about 7 hours to make the trip down; we stopped a few times and really tried not to rush, we wanted to take our time.

 

Once we got checked in to the hotel, we unpacked and I started on my hair and makeup. I'd left fresh-faced and wet-headed that morning since we left at 7am. Ain't nobody got time to go full glitz for a 7 hour drive. Once I looked half-way decent we drove over to Port Royal golf club to register and check out the competition. I begged Tanner to let me take his picture and he finally agreed.

 

 

 

 

Once we registered we headed to Savannah, GA to have dinner with Tanner's cousin Hannah and her fiancé Jackson. Savannah was only about 40 minutes away and wasn't a bad drive at all. I really wanted to get more pictures of that night but all I got was a picture of the sunset while we were coming over the bridge. Maybe next time I'll remember to take more pics...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Friday was the first day of the tournament. We woke up at 6, met some of the other golfers at a diner for breakfast and I dropped Tanner off at the course he was supposed to play. I headed back to the hotel to take a shower and get dressed then off to the Tanger Outlets I went. I'd planned an entire day of shopping in each of the 132 stores and couldn't wait to get started. I'd even made a list of things I'd wanted to find: pants, sweaters and a new purse. Little did I know as soon as I walked into Kate Spade I would find exactly what I was looking for. I'd also picked the right day because everything was 40% and I got a 30% coupon from one of the employees at the door. For those of you who can't do math, that's a 70% discount. The bargain queen inside of me was doing cartwheels when I saw this porter bag. I ended up buying it for a total of 75% off of the original price. Yay bargains!

 

 

After Kate Spade I went over to Gap and got a sweater and, surprisingly, wasn't in the mood to shop anymore. I think I was still on a high from the deal I got at Kate Spade that I felt like I should maybe stop while I was ahead, because I probably wouldn't find a better bargain that day. Now that my bargain queen self was happy, I decided to take a walk on the wild side. I headed back to the course Tanner was playing and hopped on a golf cart while no one was looking (after giving myself a pep talk to do it in the women's lobby) and jetted off to find my golf lovin' husband.

 

 

I found him on the 7th hole and followed him for the last 3 (he started on 10, so he'd played a full 18) and managed to get some really good pictures of him! Once his round was over we headed back to Port Royal for lunch and to check out everyone's scores. Tanner didn't play his best, but he had such a good time and is already practicing for next year.

 

 We went back to the hotel after lunch and he took a nap while I freshened up and watched a little tv. For dinner we went to Giuseppi's Pizza & Pasta (thanks for the suggestion, Hannah!) and it was so good that we actually ended up going back Sunday night for takeout.

 

 

Saturday Tanner played a different course so after I dropped him of there I went to explore the beach. The sand was hot and the water was warm. I couldn't believe how great the weather was for mid-October. I'll definitely make a point to spend a whole day at the beach if we come back next year.

 

Tanner called around 2 and I picked him up so we could go check out the scores. After that it was getting close to dinner so we decided to walk to an Asian restaurant from the hotel. It was an Asian buffet that had Thai, Chinese & Japanese food. It was pretty good for the price, nothing spectacular.

Sidenote: Why do Asian buffets always have jello on their dessert bars?

 

After dinner we walked another 2 blocks down the street to a Pirate themed Putt-Putt course. We played both courses and I can say with confidence that I kicked his butt on the first one. I got 3 hole-in-ones! By the second course I was over it so I goofed around while he worked on his putting game. We met a really nice couple from the UK who were both here on internships at golf clubs. They said so far, they loved the states, go figure!

 

 

 

Sunday was the last day of the tournament and I let Tanner take the car to breakfast and the club. I spent the day packing most of our stuff and finishing the second season of America Horror Story Asylum on Netflix. It felt so great to just relax and not do much of anything. Tanner picked me up around 2 and we went to see the final scores of the tournament. We hung around until about 5:30 for the closing ceremony where they passed out all of the trophies. After that we picked up our pizza and headed back to the hotel to chill out and finish packing.

Monday we hit the road around 8:30 and started the trip back. Instead of going down I-95, we decided to take the scenic route through Charleston and Myrtle Beach. We stopped for lunch in MB and Tanner went to a few golf stores but wasn't really impressed. We made it back about 6 that night and had dinner with my mom.  I started some laundry, and went to bed, only to get back to the grind on Tuesday.

 

Overall, we had a great time. Even though I didn't do much while Tanner was golfing, it felt wonderful to just be away from work and the stress of every day life for a few days. I'm so thankful that we had the means to take our trip, especially because it made Tanner so happy. Now that it's over, time to start Christmas shopping!!