South Florida.....my true love!

I love everything about south Florida....the hot + humid temperatures, the breeze blowing off the ocean and the smell of the ocean. I always have a hard time adjusting back into real life.

We flew into Miami Wednesday afternoon and stopped in Coral Gables to drive around and take in the sights. Barrett is from Coral Gables orginially (my Miami boy!) and so we stopped in to see his home growing up. His brother and sister-in-law still live in Gables. Then being the tourist I am, I made him take me to the Biltmore because I actually had never stopped in to see it. It was beautiful! I can see why so many people decide to get married there. Coral Gables is in my opinion one of the prettiest cities in Florida.

Barrrett's house growing up...

 



 His street.

 

The famous Biltmore.

 

 

We finally made it down to the Keys which is about 2 hours away from Miami and we stopped in to unload our bags at the condo. This is the view. Nothing short of incredible.

 

 

We then went to my Dad's favorite restaurant, Lorelei which is a bar/restaurant that sits on the water outside. They have the best shrimp quesadillas and cocktails. This boat pulled up and it was pretty cute. A car on the ocean! You don't see that too much.

  

 

The next morning I attempted to sleep in but I only made it until around 6:30am. What is wrong with me? I know. It's called my golden retriever, Charlee B. He wakes up so early and even though he was not with me I still wake up. So I went for a long run which I really do enjoy sans Charlee and then parked our towels out by the pool even though no one was there.

 

 

Phyllis had these in the condo. They are great for towels ladies!

 

 

And then I parked myself in the pool. Quite literally friends!

 

 

I think I turned about 4 shades darker while in the Keys.

 

 

We laid out during the day, drank cocktails and I read The Wolf of Wall Street by Jordan Belfort. I read all the time and normally I'm always reading at least 2 or 3 books at one time and this one was incredible. It's his true life story of the firm he created, Stratton Oakmont and the craziness that ensued. Leonardo DiCaprio is starring in the film that comes out I think around Christmas. I was so upset though because it ends on a cliff hanger and of course you have to buy the next book. Needless to say no one in the Keys sold it.

 

We ate at Lazy Days twice with the views below. They have stuffed crab shrimp that I get everytime I'm there. To die for girls. So delicious!

 

 

We shopped as well. One afternoon we drove down to Key West and I stopped in at Coconut Retriever which is a shop on wheels that sell dog collars to buy Charlee a collar. It has become somewhat of a yearly tradition. The collars are handmade and the just cutest! Think bright and tropical!

And they have an online store. You will always find them on the corner of Duval and Eaton streets if you are ever looking for them.  

 

And we walked the dock most nights. Sometimes you'll see nurse sharks or even mantees come in.

 

 

 

 

 We also spent some time with the 4 cats that live on site. Don't they have the life living by the sea?! Only 2 are super friendly, Junior and this sweet girl.

 

 

 

 Yes, I'm a cat person. Those sweet little paws and face just get me every time.

 

 

We had a wonderful time and I did not want to come back. We're traveling again this weekend and I'm getting my hair a much needed highlight on Saturday.

 

See you on Tuesday friends!



Hello from the Keys

I'm in the Keys and having the BEST time. Just wanted to post some photos thus far! I love coming down to my Dad's condo down here. Islamorada is the best Key in my opinion and so relaxing. 

 

 I've been laying out in the pool all day every day working on my tan and reading the "Wolf of Wall Street." It's a must read and Jordan Belfort is hilarious.

We've been drinking cocktails, eating out and shopping. Charlee B on the other hand is at Camp Bow Wow having a big time but refusing to eat while I'm gone See his two new collars below. The top one is from my favorite dog collar cart, Coconut Retriever in Key West. Charlee is one prepster of a dog.

 There are four cats that live on site and they feed them daily. Every time I come down they know me. This is my little buddy. Such cutie pies!

 That's it friends! I'll do a full re-cap next week! Happy Friday to all.

Miss Dixie in Heaven

This week is quite crazy as I'm flying out to Miami and headed to Coral Gables first and then on to the Florida Keys. I've still got to pack tonight and other odds and ends to tie up but I thought I would do a short blog today because I had the most vivid dream last night of my sweet Dixie girl who was my first golden retriever that I adopted when I moved to Atlanta six years ago. Dixie died back in March and went to Heaven. I've had dreams of her before but last night was so real that I wanted to put it down on record for myself.

 

Her friend, Dryfus that was in Heaven with her.

 



I have always firmly believed that animals go to Heaven when they die because they are so good and innocent. To me, they are the closest we will ever see to God's character here on this Earth: unconditional love, joy, and goodness.

Last night I had a dream about Dixie running through a large meadow that had the greenest grass with huge cascading waterfalls. It was so unlike anything you see on earth that all I can compare it to is the terrain of Colorado and Oregon. Dixie was young, skinny and absolutely beautiful. She was running with another dog that was a german shepherd mix, Dryfus we knew in real life. He died several years ago and as they came towards me I began to call out to them and it was SO real that I was trying to reach out and touch them but there seemed to be a barrier. They stopped and began barking. There eyes were so vibrant and excited! It was like they were getting ready to go on an adventure somewhere.

There were people walking all around in a lodge up ahead on the mountain and birds flying through the air. It was a beautiful sunny day with the sun high in the clouds. I've had dreams like this before but this one was so vivid that I like to think that God is reminding me that he is taking good care of her. She's been in Heaven for 5 months and I sure do miss her. I was glad when she passed that she was no longer in pain and was free of all that but it was still so heartbreaking.

We miss you Dixie girl. Love you sweet girl! See you in Heaven some day.

Isaiah 11:6

^"The wolf will live with the lamb,
the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling^[a] together;
and a little child will lead them."

 

 

Miami Essentials

Miami Essentials by gawhitfields featuring a ray ban aviator

 

I'm in the process of beginning to pack for Miami > Coral Gables > and Islamorada (aka "the Keys.") Here are my essentials for this trip. I'm quite OCD so making a list is always a must!

 

Also, are any of you dog bloggers having issues with your dog and allergies this summer? Charlee was on steriods for about 2 weeks due to constant itching that my vet diagnosed as allergies and now we are dealing with the horrible no good itching returning now that he's off the meds. We are going to the vet again Friday for his annual shots + vaccines and to have these allergies checked out again. Send me any advice if you are dealing with this too!

 

 

ONE///

These Ray Ban sea blue Aviators. I'm going to do a little shopping this weekend before we fly out and I'm in dire need of new sunglasses. C has stepped on mine and whenever I go for long runs they are so loose that they are constantly moving down my nose and falling off.

 

TWO///

Australian Gold is probably my favorite sunscreen ever. It seems to protect me the best and sometimes I even spray some on C's snout when we are on the coast.

 

THREE///

It is no secret that I love Victoria Secret. My Dad's wife, Phyllis got me hooked on VS when I was in high school. She always received the magazine and I started ordering my bathing suits then. It's a love has never died throughout the years. I buy all my undergarments, bathing suits, clothes and even shoes from VS. This body butter is the best lotion in the summer in my opinion. It's light and moisturizes completely!

 

FOUR///

VS again...I ordered 2 bright pairs of the Eva Shorts this summer and they are amazing.

 

FIVE///

Tory Burch. I love her and yes her line is ridiculously expensive but last Christmas my Mom bought me the Ella tote and it's one of my favorite bags for flying with. It's a wonderful carry on and they have a mini version as well.

 

SIX///

My running shoes. They are a constant staple in my bag that I take everywhere. I love to run and especially in new places. These Nike Dual Fusion running shoes from Nordstrom's are super cute.

 

That's it friends. Happy Tuesday!



He's Turning into a Fish!

 Swimming, to me is the best exercise you can do for your body. It doesn't put the strain on your joints or knees that running does. I love to run but swimming laps is definitely my preferred exercise.  As a little girl I grew up swimming on the swim team at our country club and started lifeguarding when I was in high school. Nothing beats a good swim!

 

Charlee love, love, loves to swim. In fact, he's starting to turn into a fish. Yesterday afternoon we took him to the Chattahoochee River for a couple of hours for a good long swim. He never wants to leave. This is a mindless post but little C is awfully cute!

 

 

It's all about the tennis.ball.friends.

 

Miami> Coral Gables>Islamorada

are on the agenda for next week and I'm trying to get everything situated before we fly out so this week posting may be quite low. See you soon friends!

 

 

 

Five on Friday!

Y'all I'm so glad that it is Friday finally! It has been the longest week and I've been swamped at work and my sweet golden retriever, Charlee B, has been on steriods for allergies so he's been sick all week. So I am thrilled the weekend is here. Linking up with Miss Christina today for five things I'm loving this Friday.

ONE.....My Delta Skymiles

When you travel enough for work (like me), these fabulous babies kick in for free trips that you actually want to take and I'm almost there! Atlanta is the hub for Delta and when I'm traveling for business I constantly fly Delta. Nice perk of flying friends!

 

 

TWO....Halloween Cards

 

I love Halloween + Fall... Second to summer it's my favorite season. Like it's August and my Halloween cards are already ordered + shipped to my house to mail to friends and family. See what I mean?

 

Halloween was always such a fun holiday growing up and it was always a big deal dressing up and trick-or-treating around my neighborhood. My Aunt Phyllis loves it and so do I. We even included my collie and dressed him us as "Alf" one year. Normally I either order from Minted or Shutterfly and this year I ordered them customized from Shutterfly. I probably shouldn't post them but you can't see the back which is super cute as well but here's the front. It's the little things friends!



THREE...Ghiradelli Fudge Brownies

 

My Dad's wife, Phyllis made these the last time I was down in the Florida Keys with her and I have been making them ever since. It's officiall....I'm addicted! So tasty and I doubt I'll ever go back to buying regular Betty Crocker brownies.

FOUR...New Desk!

 

I have a white bamboo desk in my house that I've had for years and I've been on the lookout to upgrade. I saw this on Pinterest and I'm thinking if I don't find what I'm looking for I could paint that baby and call it a day!


FIVE....Charlee + Zeke

It's no doubt I love my golden retriever, Charlee B like a human. We frequent the dog park here in the city so often through the week and one of my best friends, Megan has a catahoula ranch dog named Zeke who C just adores. We joke that they are BFF's for life. I took this the other day and it just makes me smile.

Happy weekend friends!  

New York City....

In my opinion, there is truly no better city than New York City. After college I moved up to the area as my ex-fiance lived there. He was a Jersey boy that I met on vacation with one of my sorority sisters at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina one summer during college and it was a relationship that blossomed over the year. Marc was amazing and the thing I loved about him the most was how much he made me laugh! Sadly I ended the relationship as I was just clearly too immature and not ready to get married. I know I made the right decision because in life you have to get out there and experience it independently (at least for me) but sometimes I always wonder what my life what be like had I stayed. Living in the city and the fast life. I opted to move to Atlanta as my Dad said "I'm not paying $2500 a month for an apartment, Sarah."

So recently one of my best friends from Atlanta, Heather moved up to the city a couple months ago and I'm going to visit. I.cannot.wait.friends!

 

 

The Highlands...

This past weekend, Barrett, Charlee and I traveled up to the Highlands, North Carolina for the weekend. Barrett, who is from Coral Gables, Florida grew up going to his grandparent's home in the Highlands in the summertime. It's always funny to me because growing up, we always went to the beach for vacation but I guess if you live at the beach you have to go somewhere else!

This was my first trip to the Highlands and suffice to say it did not disapoint. The mountains were beautiful, the weather was in the 70's and the shopping was splendid!

It was a small town that definitely had that southern charm "Steel Magnolia's" feel. Loved it! 

 

  

Charlee and I at the very tip of the mountain. C was enthralled and thoroughly enjoyed the trip. He loves to hike and see anything new.

 

This was when we stopped at Tallulah Gorge which is still in Georgia on the way up. The Tallulah Gorge is a gorge that is formed by the Tallulah River cutting through the Tallulah Dome rock formation. The gorge is approximately 2 miles long and features rocky cliffs up to 1,000 feet high. C kept trying to go past the fence to see the bottom. He's my little adventurer! 

View of the Highlands from the tip...

We stopped to see Dry Falls which is a 65 foot waterfall in the Highlands on the way into the town.

 



The neat part about this waterfall was that you actually walk down under it and take pictures. C did not know what to think. I tried to capture his picture when he first saw it but I was not able to get my camera out in time. Needless to say it was like Christmas morning in his big brown eyes!

 



 

 Disregard his bad homegrown "hair cut." He has allergies and has been on steriods the past couple of weeks to fight them and the poor little guy gets hot!  

 

Saturday afternoon we were walking on Main Street and this beautiful but very sick dog came out of nowhere and begin to sniff Charlee and follow us down the street. The poor little thing looked like he had mange and was starving. He had a collar on and he kept following us and I knew we just couldn't leave him to fend for himself. I don't know why but this kind of thing seems to happen to me all.the.time. It's like stray animals know that I'm always willing to help.

 

So we stopped at the Ace Hardware store to get him food + water and the wonderful employees helped us look at the tag on his collar to call the owners. Of course the owners said they didn't own a dog and so I began calling the humane society, shelters and finally we had to call the neighboring county's animal control to pick him up. You could tell he was scared to death because he was nipping at people when they tried to pet him.  Had he not been so aggressive and us not being in a convertible car I would have just packed him up and taken him home to Atlanta. I kept praying that the good Lord would help him get a good home and second chance at life. You can't save them all but you do what you can to help.

 

I kept telling Charlee when we got home what a lucky dog he was.

 



 

Five on Friday

This morning I decided to link up with Christina whose blog I just love and is naturally one of my daily reads! Her lab, Charlie reminds me so much of my own little Charlee and she has the best DIY projects.

Here are five things that I'm loving this week.....Happy Friday friends!!

 

ONE..Charlee's Lifejacket

We are loving the water this summer and as you can see, he is just loving (I kidd) his new pink lifejacket (it was on sale and I couldn't resist a good deal) from Paws Aboard. If you're in the water as much as we are or at the ocean quite a bit, these are great.

Charlee is not thrilled and hates wearing it but in strong currents, it is a MUST.

 

 

 

TWO. Watermelon Mojitos Recipe = YUM

 

 

Ingredients

• 1/2 small seedless watermelon, cut into chunks
• 1 bunch mint, tough stems removed, 6 sprigs reserved for serving
• 1 tablespoon superfine sugar
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• 1 1/4 cups white rum

 

Directions

 

Step 1: In a blender, in batches, puree watermelon. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a liquid-measuring cup, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible (about 3 cups); discard solids.

 

Step 2: In a large container, combine mint, sugar, and lime. With the back of a wooden spoon, crush mint and lime until sugar is dissolved. Add watermelon juice and rum, fill container with ice, and stir to combine. Serve over more ice with mint sprigs.

 

THREE. Summer Tea Towel

 

My summer crab Swoozies tea towel is my new favorite decor in the kitchen. In Atlanta, we have this fabulous store called Swoozies. It's a party store that has all the great items you need for throwing the cutest parties and all the details that go with that! Not to mention all the cute home decor they have. I grabbed the crab tea towel for my kitchen and I'm loving it.

 

FOUR....Vacation!

We are headed to the Highlands, NC this weekend and I'm super excited to see those beautiful mountains because I've never been there before. In a couple weeks, I'll fly to Miami and head to my Dad's vacation home in the Florida Keys and I just can't wait. I love the keys. It's my happy place.

 

FIVE...Hoss
And because well I'm just the biggest animal lover out there, I had to include, Hoss, my grandparent's golden retriever. Love him!