Music on Repeat

Music. It warms my soul. I always do a little happy dance anytime I discover a new artist, album or song I like. I like all generes; from pop, rock and hip hop to yes, even a little country. LITTLE is the key word there.

You know I really like an artist when I buy their entire album. I may be one of the few who actually do that now a days but if it's good, I can't help myself. There's also something about riding in your car, having the volume turned waaaay up, and listening through the entire length of the album, from start to finish. I love it! And luckily, my drive to work happens to be way too long, leaving me all the time in the world to listen to my favorites on the road.

In the past few months, I've had new music overload and I love it! These four albums (along with Jason Mraz's Love is a Four Letter Word) have been on repeat in my car, iPhone and playlists all day, every day.

1. Tristan Prettyman (Cedar + Gold). This album is unbelievably good. Tristan went through a breakup and put all of her emotions into this one album. That breakup just happened to be an un-engagement to my favorite, Jason Mraz. Although the songs are sad and you feel for the girl, I love that you can hear the raw emotion in her voice. In my opinion, it's her best album yet. She's on tour and stopping in Charlotte at the end of the month.  I am SUPER excited and can't wait to get a Peace, Love and Tacos t-shirt. It takes some guts to write an album like she did and I applaud her for it.

2. Imagine Dragons (Night Visions). I discovered Imagine Dragons early this year while I was watching a promo video for the Color Run. As I was watching, I ended up loving the song more than the video. I stumbled upon their EP and, you guessed it, loved every track. August rolled around and they released a full album of tunes I can't get enough of. Hopefully I'll be able to see them on tour soon! I'm just waiting for a Charlotte date to pop up :)

3. Mumford & Sons (Babel). Confession. I haven't bought this album yet BUT I have listened to the preview tracks and I love what I hear. There's just something about Mumford & Sons that I love. You get lost in their music (and that's a good thing). I can't wait to get my hands on this album and listen to it's entirety.

4. Christina Perri (lovestrong.). I'm not sure why I held out so long on buying CP's album. I'm also not sure why it took me so long to become a fan of hers either. I guess sometimes it's that push of seeing and hearing them live that makes you fall for them even harder. I was lucky enough to see and meet Christina Perri last month while she is on tour with Mraz. Christina sings effortlessly and I looooove the entire album. I'm waiting patiently for her Christmas album to release this winter!

I leave you with a question. What music are you all listening to? As I mentioned earlier, new music makes me all giddy inside. Don't you want to see me do a happy dance? Leave me some of your favorites and you just might!

Photo A Day September

Football, weddings, and trips to the mountains. September wasn't so bad after all. There were a few days that felt like summer but with cool, crisp mornings that have made their point to join us, I know that Fall and boot-wearing weather is right around the corner.

Every day that goes by, I make sure to snap a picture that follows the Photo A Day list. I love that this months list started with a photo of you now and ended of a photo of you then. Clever.

1. you, now. This photo was taken at the Matthew's Alive Festival.  Downtown Matthews shuts down for the weekend and comes alive with irresistible food, ferris wheels, and local crafts to celebrate the end of summer.
2. father. A throw back picture of my dad and I on the beach.
3. far away. DNC week finally arrived to Charlotte!  Jeremy, Reuben and I decided to check out all the excitement and walk around uptown to see what all was going on. After walking around we decided it was probably best to stay as far away from uptown as possible.
4. in my mailbox. mail, of course.
5. bright. There were many bright lights from police cars as we drove past the Ballantyne Hotel where the president was staying during his time at the DNC.
6. every day. Every day, Apollo greets me when I come home. I love him, drool and all.
7. natural. my curls :)
8. at night. Jeremy, Reuben and I (we are all 3 now proud alumni) headed to Boone to watch our beloved Mountaineers beat Montana State during the home opener. We were lucky to witness an amazing sunset along with a rainbow that overlooked the stadium.
9. something you do most weekends. COOK! That morning, us Singletons got together with my sister and her family to have a yummy breakfast of pancakes, bacon, and eggs. My stomach just growled thinking about it.
10. black and white. I loved the black and white signs that I stumbled upon while walking around downtown Boone.
11. hero. One of my good friends, Greg, passed away unexpectedly. I don't think he ever knew how much I looked up to him and admired him. He will always be a hero of mine.
12. together. So happy together :)
13. table. My grandma's china on my mom's dining room table.
14. favorite. My favorite nephew, Keegan. How cute is he?!
15. first thing you see. I was on my way to the mountains for the weekend and those were the first mountains I spotted. Breathtaking.
16. strange. Witch finger nail clippings? No thank you. My friends and I found this in a little shop while exploring downtown Brevard.
17. in my fridge. Corn from the farmers market that we desperately needed to eat before they went bad.
18. price. The price of gas makes me depressed.
19. underneath. Kernels of corn peaking through the stalk. And yes, that was the corn we needed to eat earlier that week!
20. man-made. Wooden steps along DuPont Forest leading us to and from Triple Falls.
21. sometimes. Sometimes Jeremy and I go out to eat during the week. Thumbs up!
22. up. We're going up, up up, we're flying away (Jason Mraz song). I snapped this while Jeremy and I were waiting for Sianneth and Jason to exit the church after they got married.
23. before bedtime. Before bed, I like to prepare lunch for the next day.
24. three things. Three things? How about three buttons.
25. frame. Oh, how I would love to go back to the Bahamas and swim with dolphins.
26. near. I keep my jacket near with these cool mornings and evenings.
27. love/hate. I hate running on the treadmill but I love that it keeps me on pace.
28. a good thing. We are in the process of hanging an App State flag outside our home. Does anyone have a drill that can handle and go through brick? We'd love to borrow it so we can hang our flag :)
29. errand. I saw these vintage Campbell Soup cans while running errands at Target. So cute and fun!
30. you, then. Hey, we all go through phases, right? I mean Lisa Frank whales, cats, and overalls? I was pretty cool.

It's not too late to start Photo A Day October! You should join in on all the fun! Keep up with this list below and you'll be good to go!

And They Lived Happily Ever After

More friends of ours tied the knot this weekend! It was lovely seeing Sianneth and Jason finally say "I Do". Their wedding was elegant, sophisticated and full of love. We were grateful to be a part of their special day and were tempted to break out the worm on the dance floor :)

The beautiful bride and her father

Husband + Wife

Best Friend!

On the dance floor :)

Gotta love a photo booth!

Sianneth will be packing her bags and moving to New York to be with her husband after their honeymoon. The Narks may not know this yet, but we plan on visiting NYC in December and hope to meet up with them while we're there! Watch out, New York, the Singleton's are coming! Save us some snow, will ya?

Girls Weekend in Brevard, NC

I've always had an interest in photography and my fascination has been building over the years with easy access to some of my favorite local photography blogs. I'm no professional photographer by any means but I was thrilled when a good friend of mine, Aimee, asked me to help shoot her first wedding she had booked. We were fortunate enough to escape to the mountains of Brevard, NC to capture the love and joy of Lindsey and Wyatt get hitched.

It was a long day but I have a new appreciation for wedding photographers. I was always grateful and mindful of the long hours photographers put in but to actually experience it is a whole other ball game. Wedding photographers are with you from the very beginning. From the first minutes of getting ready, to "I Do", to the last wave goodbye. Although it can be exhausting, it was fun to be a part of those moments and witness two people head over heels for each other. You can't help but think of your own wedding day and reminisce on those special moments.

We ended the night with some great shots and positive feedback from all of their guests. Aimee did an amaaaaaazing job for her first gig and I know she will do nothing but flourish as a photographer from here on out. I also need to give a shout out to Lindsay! We couldn't have done our jobs without her by our sides. She did a great job assisting us for the day as we switched out lens' and needed this and that every minute. Using walkie talkies was pretty fun too :)

After getting a full 8 hours of sleep, the three of us were excited to explore Brevard's cute little mountain town. I fell in love with their downtown area as it offered quaint little restaurants and the cutest boutiques a girl could ask for. If I had money to spend, I'd be in trouble.

We had brunch at Mayberry's where I happily ate a Baconwich that my stomach approved of. And yes, I ordered the sandwich simply because it was called a Baconwich. My husband taught me well. He would be proud.

From there we enjoyed walking the streets as we quickly learned that white squirrels, cyclists, and having your dogs welcome anywhere were the norm in this town. We loved the soda shops, local chocolates and Hunger Games memorabilia we came across.

Speaking of the Hunger Games, did you know that parts of the movie were filmed in DuPont forest which was right around the corner? Of course we went and checked it out. We were interested in going on a tour but $75 felt like a bit much to walk in the woods. We opted out on the tour and decided to go on our own journey. We had fun hiking up the mountain to get a glance of the now famous, Triple Falls.  Scenes where Katniss was rock hopping looking for Peeta, Peeta camouflaged among the rocks, or where Peeta and Cato battled in a swampy area were some of the few shots that were filmed where we walked among the forest. Having no cell phone service amongst the waterfalls was actually kind of nice. The break from technology was much needed.

I couldn't have asked for a better weekend to start off the Fall season. A big THANKS goes out to Aimee and Lindsay for taking me along for the ride!

Greg-O-Glyphics

Three years ago, I landed my first full time job. I was a little nervous coming into a corporate atmosphere but I was lucky enough to share my cube walls with Greg; the nicest, most kind, light hearted man that would later become one of the bests of friends.

Greg and I just clicked. It's crazy to think how much we had in common even though we were years apart. I like to think I kept him young with my music, tv and movie talk and he kept me wise with his stories from the good ol' days. I'm not one who pours my emotions out easily but I could tell Greg anything like I'd known him for years. We got to know each others families through countless stories and I quickly learned that he was a man who would do anything for them. He kept me sane at work through the dull and boring times with his Greg-O-Glyphics (similar to pictionary) that he created and passed over the wall. That man always knew how to make me smile and he taught me that work doesn't have to be so serious all the time. He had me (and many others) laughing every day with his stories.

I see now that God put him next to me so that I could learn how to raise a wonderful, warm, loving family like his. Greg will be missed by many and I hope that he and my Grandad meet in heaven and become fast friends. We'll miss you, Greg!

Goodbye, Summer

Labor Day weekend came and went and it is now time to say goodbye to summer. We celebrated the weekend by going to Matthews Alive, a Labor Day Festival that lasts the entire weekend, watching the start of college football, and taking our moms on a date to see the Charlotte Knights finish the regular season.

We're not quite sure how we missed out on Matthews Alive last year but we were excited to see what our little community put together for the weekend. They closed Trade Street and replaced it full of vendor booths full of crafty gadgets, rides, music and food. Yummy, delicious, greasy food. Our stomachs managed to contain themselves as we took our seats on a ferris that had seats that rotated 360°. We made the wise decision to eat after riding. It was quite the ride but enjoyable nonetheless.

The next morning we enjoyed the parade with friends and their little ones. After walking around and drinking our yummy lemonade slushies, we were excited to get back home for the start of college football! Appalachian's season opened up in Greenville, NC against ECU. The game started out promising but we ended up losing. We are excited, to say the least, to head up to Boone this weekend for our home opener and cheer on our boys against Montana. GO APP!

It was also the 5 year anniversary of our beloved Mountaineers beating Michigan. Jeremy and I were lucky enough to actually be AT The Big House and witness the madness in person. That is a trip we will never forget. We're a part of history for crying out loud!

We ended the weekend by spending a night out with our moms at the Charlotte Knights baseball game. Baseball isn't my favorite sport, but each weekend they have fireworks and that, my friends, is the best part in my book. It was a long, slow game that ended up going 2 extra innings making me wait extra long to see my fireworks. Fortunately, they were worth the wait, as always.

Oh, and as we were exiting the game, we ran into some good friends of ours! It's always great seeing these faces!

Photo A Day August

Oh, August. In the end, you turned out to be quite lovely. August brought in my extended family as we celebrated the remembrance of my Grandad, the 2012 Olympics, Jason Mraz, and a fresh start with Charlotte STYLE Magazine. This month was also my favorite Photo A Day list to come.

1. outside. Is late summer the time for Cherry Blossom trees to bloom? I sure did notice their little blossoms fall to the ground everywhere I looked. I don't know why, but I love this picture.
2. one. Oh how I miss the Olympics. That night we watched Gabby Douglas win All-Around GOLD in Gymnastics. Gold = #1 in my book.
3. coin. We collect our loose change in a mason jar.
4. somewhere you sat. I sat with family all weekend reminiscing my Grandad and the great man he was. I can't wait to see them in November for Thanksgiving!
5. logo. I stumbled upon this old Mountain Dew logo at a Mom & Pop shop in Salisbury.
6. writing. My mother-in-law wrote a sweet note to Jeremy and I at the beginning of summer. I couldn't ask for a better MIL :)
7. 8 o'clock. I walked into my cube that morning to find a little box on my desk. It turns out my sweet friends at work surprised me with a necklace in remembrance of my Grandad. They are seriously the best.
8. glasses. Time to run the dishwasher...
9. messy. Time to do some laundry...
10. ring. The 2012 Olympics came to an end that day. It was a fun ride with USA coming out on top!
11. purple. I came across this purple flower while walking Apollo.
12. spoon. Mmmmm Shrimp and Grits. If you haven't tried it, you should.
13. simple. This one was SO HARD for me! This key was amongst all of our junk mail so I just went with it and snapped a picture.
14. arrow. Keep right.
15. ready. READY to see Jason Mraz live for the 7th time!!!
16. food. I often get home late so Jeremy prepares dinner so we're not eating at 9pm. I love that man with all my heart.
17. faces. These are the faces of Charlotte STYLE magazine, the online magazine that I work for.
18. inside. Walls full of paintings inside Painting with a Twist. I had a blast once again!
19. hole. Knock. Knock. Who's there?
20. today. Oh you know...just waiting until the next day for my date with Jason Mraz!!!
21. cool. Having front row seats and Jason Mraz singing less then 10 feet away from me. I can dig it.
22. home. I'm one of the few born & raised Charlotteans and I'm proud of it!
23. pair. Salt + Pepper.
24. path. The crosswalk at work.
25. fresh. Fresh berries from Providence Produce!
26. dream. Dreaming of everyday being a pool day.
27. tap. Tap water.
28. clock. Alarm clock from a friends house. They probably think I'm crazy for taking a picture of their clock...
29. down. Looking down out of my car window.
30. card. Got my Charlotte STYLE business cards earlier that week!
31. hidden. The start of Matthews Alive was hidden amongst all of the DNC hype around Charlotte. Jeremy and I enjoyed our little town festival the entire weekend!