Tag Archives: best day ever

Jun1

Happy Birthday, Johnny!

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Happy Birthday, Johnny!

Hello everyone! Today is a fantastic, wonderful day because it is my fantastic, wonderful husband’s birthday! My Johnny turns thirty-seven today which kick starts our birthaversary week. His birthday, our fifth wedding anniversary on the fourth, and my birthday on the seventh. I am so excited to celebrate with all of our friends and family! Johnny has been my main squeeze for over six years now and I simply couldn’t imagine going through this thing called life without him. He is my best friend, my pal and confidant, and every second of every day is the best because I’m with him. ❤

Every day when I’m at work, I literally am chomping at the bit to get home to Johnny because I miss him terribly. It is my favorite thing in the world when he opens the door for me, gives me a big hug, and asks me about my day. Then, everything is a-okay because the dream team is back together. Whether we are out on the town or just at home binging our favorite shows, there is nothing better than just being with him, talking, and laughing like crazy. No matter how low I’m feeling, Johnny can always coax a smile out of me and can instantly turn it into belly laughs in a matter of seconds. He is the personification of sunshine and just has that effect on people!

My Johnny is the kindest person I have ever met and it simply radiates. He lights up every room he walks into just by being his charming, goofy self and knows how to make everyone feel special. Especially me! Johnny makes me feel like the most special gal in the world and I am the luckiest gal in the world for it. For more than half a decade, I have never felt more seen or heard than when I am with him and that is the most beautiful gift anyone could ever give. It truly feels like we have been together for forever and, knowing Johnny, I’m sure he would quip back with “it feels like an eternity” before flashing his best smile. I wouldn’t have it any other way. ❤

To my amazing husband and love of my life:

Happy Birthday!!!!!!

I love you so!!!!!!

May14

Wedding Fun

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Wedding Fun

Hello! This past weekend was absolutely fabulous because we got to celebrate my beautiful baby cousin, Anna’s, wedding! The day was filled with love, fashion, and oh so much fun. Anna’s wedding was held at the most stunning church – the Shrine Church of Saint Stanislaus in Cleveland and the ceremony was lovely. It has been a long time since I was in a church and I’m pleased to report that this ol’ atheist barely even sizzled! After the wedding, we checked into the Hotel Indigo for a breather before heading to the Garden Green to party hardy for the reception. It was a nonstop day but it was totally and completely perfect. Check out some pics from the festivities and be sure to tune in tomorrow for a closer look at my wedding ceremony OOTD!

Anna’s wedding reception began with an ultra cool cocktail hour in the basement of the Garden Green. Gin gimlets, champagne, and appetizers flowed while we got to catch up with all of my cousins and their partners. Anna has four other siblings and we actually just celebrated her older brother’s wedding in New Orleans in March. Love has definitely been in the air! After the cocktail hour, we returned to the main floor for speeches and dinner. While we ate, drank, and were merry the dance floor was prepped for an evening of shaking what our mamas gave us and did we ever. 😀

Once dinner was over, us gals made a trip to the bathroom before hitting the dance floor and were greeted by all of the ladies in front of the mirror applying gemstones and glitter. Anna had thoughtfully set out an array of sticky gems and tubes of shimmer for everyone to get creative with. As the word spread, guys and gals alike visited the loo to get their shine on and it was such a blast primping everyone. My sister did the cutest gem and shimmer set for my mom, Anna’s dad had a tasteful few gems by his eyes, and I got to go all out for my aunt who told me to just go crazy! By the time we exited the bathroom, we were all glowing and it looked so divine under the purple dance floor lights. Major kudos to Anna because this was such a delightful, interactive idea that we all had a blast with.

Post bathroom party, my dad picked my mom up to go home from Cleveland while Johnny, my sister, brother in law, and I cut a rug all together. We were dancing our fannies off and didn’t exit the dance floor until it was time to head back to the hotel or attend the after party. Trust and believe we chose to Uber back to the Hotel Indigo and hit the hay because holy WOW were we tired. Big ups to the after party crew for really rallying because I think I was asleep before my head even hit the pillow. A small price to pay for the most wonderful day with my family! ❤

Johnny and I simply come alive at a wedding and we are beyond ecstatic for Anna and her main squeeze. There is one person left in my cousin crew to get married and I think we are all ready for another party ASAP! 🙂

Are you attending any weddings this year? Do you have any special occasions coming up? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Apr30

New Tattoos!

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New Tattoos!

Hi! This past weekend was so super fun because Johnny’s Aunt Eileen was in town and we had big plans… To get tattoos together! As soon as she texted me a while back ago with this idea, it was an automatic YES and I was able to schedule an appointment for all of us with my amazing tattoo artist. It is always exciting to get some new ink but this was an especially thrilling tattoo session because Johnny’s aunt is seventy-three and this would be her second tattoo. We were so honored to take part in it! Johnny and I opted for quick and easy tats while Aunt Eileen went big and didn’t go home. Check it out:

When we made these plans with Johnny’s aunt, I knew exactly what I wanted. Something to honor my beloved neighbor and best friend who passed away in February, Tony. I decided on getting his handwriting thanks to an abundance of birthday and Christmas cards and am so beyond happy with out it turned out. I brought my tattoo artist, Emily, one of these cards that had “Love” and his signature and requested that she add in “always” the best she could. Tony would always sign off his texts with “love always” and a heart emoji and it never ceased to make me smile! In an ingenious move, Emily pieced together “always” from the other letters in the card and it is absolutely perfect. This tattoo took barely ten minutes to complete but it is so special to me and I love having a piece that makes me feel close to my ride or die. ❤

Johnny also went the short and sweet route with his tattoo so the focus could be on Aunt Eileen’s leg blaster. To fill in a spot that was driving him crazy on his wrist, he got a scythe with a crescent moon that was just right to plug the gap. Then, it was onto Aunt Eileen! Pansies and butterflies would make up her tattoo but she also had a hilarious idea… Prior to this appointment, her husband made a joke for the skull she was getting to not look too cartoony. So, she decided to have Emily add in a little skull to her flowers as a gag. I genuinely cannot with her!!! 😀

Aunt Eileen’s tattoo took a little under two hours and I think everyone in the shop was impressed. She sat like a rock! Not once did she complain or show any discomfort whatsoever and all we had to say was, you go girl! During the entire afternoon we were talking away and laughing constantly that, before we knew it, Emily announced that she only had five minutes left to go. My tattoo artist is a true master of her craft and we were blown away by the end results of Aunt Eileen’s pansy piece. It turned out so beautifully and that skull is everything. I have a feeling we will be in Emily’s chair every time she comes to visit!

A tattoo tradition started last weekend and I am one hundred million percent there for it. I wonder what we will all get next!!

How old were you when you got your first tattoo? Do you have an upcoming tattoo appointment? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan31

Surprise Snow Day

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Surprise Snow Day

Hello! This past weekend was christened “snowmagedden” in good ol Akron, Ohio. We had a huge snow storm on Sunday and are now treated to single digit temperatures. It sucks. What didn’t suck, however, was getting a surprise snow day on Monday! The neighborhood one of my clients lives in literally never gets plowed so they let me know that I had the day off because safety first. It was so sweet! For the duration of winter, I would jokingly ask where the adult snow days are at and I finally got one. I rarely take a day off for myself and while I was disappointed to not go to work, I decided to make the most of the me time and had an amazing time. 😀

After working on the computer for the first part of the morning, my day was wide open to do whatever I would like from the comfort of my heated blanket. So, I opened a book and power read the last one hundred and thirty pages or so of the one I was working on. Peep a brand new Lil Red’s Book Club for the review tomorrow! I still had several hours to spare once I was done reading before Johnny got home from work and my next order of business was to play some Vampire Survivors. Johnny purchased this game over our holiday break for a whole two dollars and it has been an endless source of entertainment. And, rather than have to switch off to Johnny when my level was over, I just got to keep playing. It was freaking awesome!

When I had my fill of Vampire Survivors after two rounds, I wound my afternoon down with a viewing of MTV’s Teen Wolf. One of my clients got me addicted to that show and I can’t stop watching to save my own life. It’s surprisingly well done, has a fair share of gross out and scary moments, and a strong cast of actors. My favorite character is Stiles, hands down, but I love Lydia too! I usually like to watch documentaries when I have the TV to myself and it’s really nice to have a show to put on that’s just for fun. Teen Wolf is that for me to the T and I always look forward to the next episode. I’m hoping to find the MTV Scream series on streaming at some point so I can watch that next. If it’s as good as Teen Wolf then I know I am in for a treat. 🙂

Life handed me lemons with a snow storm that kept me from work but lemonade was made with my snow day. Once I got the text from my client’s family to take the day off, I considered it a sign from the universe that a day off was just what I needed. And you know what? It really was! I got to spend the whole day doing all of the things that I enjoy. I was snugly warm in my blanket, had the space heater blasting, and was in a cocoon of comfort. The following day I woke up feeling well rested and so excited to get back to work and that sealed my snow day success. Hey, everyone needs a day off sometimes!

Instead of braving the winter wonderland, I spent an entire day in creating my own fun. The January blues were definitely getting me down and I felt like a brand new Lil Red!

What is a perfect day off like for you? What is winter weather like in your neck of the woods? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec30

In Laws Holiday Haul

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In Laws Holiday Haul

Hello! Johnny and I celebrated on Christmas day with his parents and it was so lovely. So much so that we are going to have Little Christmas in January to continue the festivities when his aunt comes to visit. I can’t wait because Christmas just wasn’t the same without her! Our day was full of laughter, amazing food, fun games, and wonderful gifts. Johnny’s family is always so sweet to spoil us and I can’t wait to use all of my prezzies! Check it out:

Yowza! My gift bags and stocking was filled to the brim with the most thoughtful gifts. Johnny’s dad is the king of the practical gift and we had our minds blown by the portable sealing machine. My main squeeze and I are most fond of a salty snack and if our chip bags can be sealed after digging in then life will never be the same. I also deeply appreciated the tiny Lowe’s bucket which my father in law has quite the collection of. It’s so classic him and will have a shining spot to be proudly displayed on our knick knack shelves! ❤

Johnny’s mom, on the other hand, loves to find those unique little somethings that we normally wouldn’t buy for ourselves. I love the gorgeous sketchpad that I received complete with a set of colored pencils so I can craft amateur masterpieces. I have zero talent for art but, hey, it’s exciting to create and Johnny’s mom requested a Lil Red Original to hang up. I’m looking forward to giving it my best shot! Also included was a stunning pair of earrings as well as goodies in my favorite scent from Bath & Body Works – Champagne Toast. Or as Johnny would call it, “Champagne & Toast” lol.

The piece de resistance of our presents has got to be the National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation Monopoly board. Johnny’s family has watched this movie on every Christmas day since it came out in 1989 and it is our favorite tradition. It is never not funny and we basically recite the entire movie every time we watch it. This year, we will watch it together with his aunt on Little Christmas because we need her vocals for the “Hey, Santa Claus” song! In lieu of watching the flick, we played Monopoly instead and had a blast. Johnny ran away with it but I am confident we can band together and beat his butt next time!!! 😀

Christmas day with my second family was absolutely fabulous and I can’t wait to do it all again on Little Christmas!

How did you celebrate the holidays? What is your favorite gift that you got? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep7

OOTD Surprise

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OOTD Surprise

Hello! This past weekend was a glorious one because it was a three day weekend, baby! Very rarely do I take a holiday like Labor Day off but I went for it and I am so glad I did. Minus a visit with my sister and sweet nieces and a video chat with my blogging bestie, this was the first weekend Johnny and I had zero plans since our birthaversary at the beginning of June. All of the summer activities and get togethers were so lovely but we were long overdue for a few days of doing nothing. Of course, other than doing an OOTD shoot. A shoot that got cut short from the most adorable surprise! Check it out:

Johnny and I decided to walk through the path that goes behind some of the apartments in my community for this shoot as it features a lot of pretty greenery. It was the perfect place to post up and the picture taking commenced. Everything was going as normal until I heard a rustling behind me. I turned around and was able to see a cat bolt it into the foliage. I figured it was long gone and then it came back seconds later and I realized it wasn’t a cat at all but a KITTEN! Johnny and I named her Tiger and she was as friendly as can be. Stick a fork in that photo shoot because it was SO done lol.

As we were giving Tiger all the love, her darling calico kitten companion watched from the sidelines as well as the mama cat which we didn’t even notice was on the apartment side of the path the whole time. We must have spent a solid half an hour playing with Tiger and it was so hard to tear ourselves away. We were worried that they didn’t have a home and were blessedly able to confirm with someone who was walking to their apartment who the owner was and we confirmed with them too. Had they not had an owner and if we didn’t have bunnies, I think they would have been as good as ours!

This is the first and cutest time an OOTD shoot as ever not gone accordingly to plan and I am so not mad about it. Our little afternoon with Tiger is easily one of mine and Johnny’s favorite OOTD memories!

Have any of your blog posts or pictures not turned out the way you wanted? What happened? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug29

Columbus Zoo Babies

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Columbus Zoo Babies

Howdy! This past weekend was a super great one because I went to the Columbus Zoo with Johnny and my big bro, Andrew. We decided to do an end of summer hurrah with a little road trip and had the most wonderful day exploring the gigantic and beautiful zoo. We also had the perfect weather for it – cloudy and barely eighty degrees. That’s what I’m talking about! We saw so many incredible things during our day trip but perhaps the most exciting was seeing all of the baby animals that have recently been born. A brand new baby elephant, gorilla, orangutan, and mandrill. Baby girl gorilla, Mara, was feeling shy and tucked away with her parents but we had excellent views of the other three! Check it out:

Baby girl elephant has yet to be named!
Baby Clementine!
Baby Link!

Miss Baby Elephant was born about a month ago and weighed in at two hundred and fifteen pounds. Since then, she has gained eighty and is getting bigger by the day! The elephants had a massive exhibit at the Columbus Zoo and a special area for viewing the new baby girl. My crew arrived at the viewing station at just the right time. She was laying down beneath her parents for a few minutes but then got to her feet! She walked a bit with her mom and dad, walked by herself for a while, and was getting used to moving her trunk around. It was SO amazing to see and I seriously could have watched this little big one all day. It was absolutely majestic and I cannot wait to find out her name after the zoo hosts a contest to select it. ❤

The buzz on the baby elephant was so strong that I had no idea we would be seeing other babies too. Three precious baby monkeys, to be exact. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get a picture of baby gorilla, Mara, because she was safely tucked away in the shade with her parents. We did get fleeting glimpses of her, though, and oh baby was she a cutie! Miss Mara is a little over one year old and is still tiny as can be. We got to see her roll around and get comfortable away from all of the hubbub and I bet she was ready for a well earned nap after finding that sweet spot!

In the orangutan exhibit was darling little Clementine and I legit can’t get over how adorable her name is. Just thinking about it now has me distracted from cuteness overload! Clementine was born in late November of 2023 and was the first baby of her mom, Khali. Like our viewing of the baby elephant, we got to see Clementine right in the nick of time. She got out of her mom’s embrace for a few moments and explored the grass before Khali scooped her up and took her into the tree house. Had we arrived at the exhibit any later, we wouldn’t have got to see Clementine at all and I am SO happy we did. It was one of my favorite parts!

Finally, was a baby boy mandrill named Link. As avid Legend Of Zelda fans, we were all about that name! Link is a little over a year old and was so totes adorbs. He was having some solo time when we got to his exhibit and was digging about in the dirt, playing with sticks and leaves, and carefully examining tree bark. It was so neat because he was literally right in front of us and I was on pins and needles to see what he did next. After his play time, he sat down and I melted into a puddle when I saw his great big eyes. I think he is going to be a handful for his mom and dad in the best way possible. ❤

A day at the Columbus Zoo is a ball no matter what but these babies made it so much better. Stay tuned for more from this fabulous trip!

What is your favorite animal? Do you have a favorite zoo to go to? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul20

Cleveland Zoo Adventure

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Cleveland Zoo Adventure

Howdy! This past week, I enjoyed a wonderful day trip to the Cleveland Zoo and had a ball. Not only were a lot of the animals very active, but the whole zoo was decorated for their spectacular Asian Lantern Festival. After talking about it for years, my family finally went last year and it was awe inspiring. I assumed that a lot of the decorations and displays would be reused and I was dead wrong. Everything about this Festival was different and it is so cool to me that you will never experience the same Asian Lantern Festival twice! Take a look at some pics and be sure to follow me on TikTok for videos from this adventure:

^^^ Look at that lil face! ❤

The Cleveland Zoo is an amazing staple in my neck of the woods and is a joy to visit. It’s a sprawling, beautiful park that boasts six different areas and a seventh soon when their rain forest is done being remodeled. There is the African Savanna, Wilderness Trek, Australian Adventure, African Elephant Crossing, Waterfowl Lake, and a section of Primates, Cats, and Aquatics. Every exhibit is a sight to see and there were plenty that I simply couldn’t tear myself away from!

While the entire Cleveland Zoo outing was fabulous fun, there were some definite highlights. My top favorite has got to be in the Australian Adventure at the Kangaroo exhibit. I was able to see a tiny baby Joey outside of its mom’s pouch and that was something I had never seen before. I joked that I didn’t realize they had legs because you usually only see the top half of them lol! It was SO incredibly cute and I could have watched the mama/Joey duo all day. Speaking of babies, the Koala at the zoo recently had a little one and you could just make it out while they relaxed in their tree. The Australian Adventure was bursting with new babies and that was really cool to see.

Bear Hollow was also an exciting place to visit as the bears were all up and moving. We saw them snacking, one climbed to a high up net in the exhibit and was hanging out there, and the Grizzly Bears were play fighting in the water. One of them totally bitch slapped the other! And, last but not least, I absolutely adored being able to feed the giraffes some romaine lettuce (Just like my bunnies!). So much so, that I did it twice! Hey, when at the Cleveland Zoo amiright? 😀

Sans the decor of the Asian Lantern Festival, the Cleveland Zoo is a very scenic park. However, it transforms into somewhere magical when the Festival is in full swing. The decorations were astounding and it felt like walking in a fairy tale. I was mesmerized by the colors, the artistry, and the enormity of each and every display and felt so lucky that I could see a second Festival as I now know that it’s totally different each year. If you thought the pictures alone were jaw dropping, just wait for when you see the displays at nighttime. They light up and a lot of them have motions too. It is an absolute MUST if you find yourselves in good ol’ Cleveland, Ohio during the summer!

From start to finish, my day at the Cleveland Zoo was the best. I cannot wait to see their remodeled rain forest because construction was underway and it is HUGE!!

What is your favorite zoo to visit? What’s your favorite animal? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar20

Treat Day Birthdays

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Treat Day Birthdays

Howdy! Johnny and I are the proud Fun Aunt and Uncle to five amazing kiddos – four girls and one boy. We value our time with each of them so much and they bring us such an immeasurable amount of joy! Johnny and I coined the phrase Treat Day for our outings with the kids because that is exactly what it is: A day where we get to spoil them rotten. Our typical Treat Day MO is a lunch at whatever restaurant they would like and an outing somewhere fun like the zoo, an indoor amusement center, or trampoline park. We will give options or will go with whatever our little has in mind. This past weekend, we celebrated our niece’s sixth birthday with a Treat Day bonanza and she knew exactly what she wanted to do: Dinner at Chipotle, a Target shopping spree, and a slumber party. It was a blast!!

Treat Days are amazing, but Treat Day Birthdays just hit different. It creates not only a celebratory atmosphere but a day where it is literally all about your little and anything goes. This could be a great option if you have a kiddo, niece, or nephew with a birthday on the horizon so let’s discuss a few key components to make it the best day ever:

Gifts:

For our niece’s Treat Day, shopping was the move so we were able to gift her with whatever her little heart desired. I did, however, make a sentimental gift for her to be able to physically open up: A photo album filled with pictures of me and her, her and Johnny, and all of us together. It was a huge hit! Chances are high that the Treat Day location you end up at will have plenty of opportunity to make purchases there as extra presents on top of the gift of experience. This formula served us well this time around because our niece was able to make her own choices and select toys and crafts that she knew she would play with. It also eliminated the possibility of her parents taking on the task should anything we picked out need returned.

Follow The Leader:

Our eldest niece is such a little planner and she simply comes alive during Treat Days because of that. Johnny and I are literally making her plans happen and use the Follow The Leader approach to solidify that it is “her” day. Whether it is the order in which she wants to do things or changing plans on a dime like an impromptu craft break during a viewing of Moana 2, it’s all good! During the birthday extravaganza, I couldn’t help but utilize the “Yes, and?” model of improv back in my theater days. Kids change their minds, you might end up doing something completely different than what you had in mind, and? You just go with the flow!

Prepare Accordingly:

For our niece’s outing, weather wasn’t a concern because we were simply going in and out of different places. If you are having an outdoor based Treat Day, then I cannot emphasize this enough: Plan it well! This seems like a no brainer, but there really is nothing more disappointing than a plan falling through that you were looking forward to – especially for a kiddo. Schedule your outing on a day with no weather surprises and should the unexpected happen, explain an equally fun Plan B a few days before and the promise of Plan A happening when weather permits. Springing a Plan B after disappointment might make matters worse and we can’t have that.

And, of course, if you are having an outdoor adventure – pack accordingly too! Prep a bag with sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses, snacks, drinks, and items of comfort if needed. Don’t forget to bring some cash too as you might need it to do a wagon rental, photo booth, or activities at the location itself like feeding animals at the zoo!

Johnny and I truly have Treat Days down to the T and we cannot wait for our next adventure with our favorite littles!

What is your ideal Treat Day? How are you celebrating your little’s birthday? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep4

Lookout, Cookout

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Lookout, Cookout

Hello! Every summer Johnny’s job has a company picnic with food trucks and raffle prizes. He has worked there for five years and has never won squat until this year. There were plenty of great prizes to be had and, unfortunately, Johnny got the one thing we can’t use: A mini charcoal grill called the Smokey Joe lol. Any type of grill is grounds for eviction in Timber Top because it is such a huge fire hazard in our wooded community. So, the Smokey Joe found a new home at my in-laws’ house. When Johnny took his winnings home from the picnic, we had no idea when we were ever going to use it. Then, it pulled through in the clutch for a Labor Day cookout with Johnny’s mom and dad:

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Johnny had the brilliant idea of arranging our cookout get together and using the new grill to make my veggie burgers and hot dogs to avoid contamination. He is so thoughtful! After working a little shift on Monday morning, we headed over to chez parents to start the festivities and it was just the best time. Johnny’s mom manned their grill, Johnny’s dad handled the Dutch oven peach cobbler, and Johnny and I worked together on the Smokey Joe as it was my first grilling experience. By the time we were done at our respective stations, we had a delicious meal in store for us. The veggie burgers and hot dogs hit the spot but top marks definitely go to the peach cobbler. I have been asking Johnny’s dad to make it for forever and he deemed our cookout as the perfect occasion. It was as heavenly as I imaged it to be!

After we were beyond full, we retired inside because it was getting kind of chilly out. This was a nice change of pace from the ninety degree days we were having last week but it was still a shock to the system! As we warmed up, we chatted away and got all the doggo snuggles from the precious Odie. It was about all we could muster while being in a full blown food coma lol. Before we left, Johnny’s mom loaded us up with leftovers and an amazing surprise – some gorgeous vintage lamps that belonged to Johnny’s grandma. I can’t wait to show all of you. 😀

This was the first time Johnny and I have actively made Labor Day plans and our cookout was the most wonderful way to spend it. Even though we can’t use the Smokey Joe at our apartment, it proved to be an awesome prize after all!

What do you like to bring to a cookout? How did you spend Labor Day? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah