Blue Wahoos Game

Rob and I can officially be considered grownups because we entertained our first real house guests!  Rob's parents flew down from Virginia to visit so the last week has been filled with showing them all of our favorite things about Pensacola.  From relaxing at the pool and beach to eating at our favorite restaurants, I think we sold them on why we are so in love with this place.  When we dropped them off at the airport this morning, they said this was on at the top of their list of favorite vacations; the biggest compliment to this crazy planner who planned/listed/focused on every little detail of the trip ha ha  Now I feel totally ready for our next visitors -- my mom next week, Rob's sister Erin Labor Day weekend, and my BFFs in October!  Any one else want to come visit us in what we consider paradise?!

Is that not the best pool raft?!  This is how Rob found his mom when he got home from work.  Daughter in law of the year right here ;)

Food trucks!





Our first Blue Wahoos game!  I am definitely a fan of minor league baseball games...and moonshine drinks in mason jars!





Our favorite restaurant, The Gulf

Gallery Night

I love happy hour.  I think people at happy hour are innately social.  And happy.  One of the best things about Pensacola is so many happy hours are outdoors and on the water.  Gorgeous locations push happy hour to a whole new level of happy.  I love to try new places and happy hour is the perfect way to get a feel for a place without committing to an entire meal there.  This weekend we tried a couple of new happy hours: The Fish House Deck and Hopjacks.  I loved both!  The weather here has been gross the last couple of days but the storms always seem to pass by the time happy hour rolls around :)



I also love happy hour because I feel like it introduces you to new things.  I am famous for saying "let's just go to happy hour and see what happens" and then bopping from place to place and wanting to stay out all night.  I always seem to find myself in other people's conversations, making mental notes of places to try and things to do.  Our gem of a waiter at Hopjacks mentioned something about being off for Gallery Night on Friday so of course I grilled him for details.  Thank goodness I did; Gallery night turned out to be amazing!



Gallery night is held seven times a year in downtown Pensacola.  They shut down the streets, which fill with people drinking buckets of rum punch and tall boys of beer.  Each restaurant brings their bar outside and tents of food, art, and craft vendors fill the sidewalks.  Bands play on street corners, and restaurant patios and decks.  Anything from marching bands to roller derby girls parade down the streets.  It is insane and I love it.  I am so so glad we heard about it from our waiter and already wrote the rest of this years dates in my planner!


Saturday, Rob had his first golf tournament for the Golf Channel AmTour.  We drove to Foley, Alabama bright and early and spent all day on the course.  While he didn't win (this one!), I am so proud of him for getting out there and can't wait to see what happens at the next couple tournaments.




After spending EIGHT HOURS in the humidity sun, bushwackers were a necessity.  These were from Bimini Bob's at The Wharf and definitely are high on our bushwacker list.  No ice chunks and JUST like Wendy's frostys! (Excuse my appearance in the next picture, my hair isn't quite sure about this Alabama humidity thing yet!)  It was a jam-packed but lovely weekend.  Now we are getting ready for our first visitors....Rob's parents come on Wednesday!

Key Lime Pie Stuffed Key Lime Cupcakes

Rob had duty this weekend so I was on my own for 24 full hours.  It sounds silly, but I just don't do well by myself...even just for one day.  During TBS when Rob was gone, I could spend time with my friends and then sleep at my parents house.  Not anymore.  I was totally on my own for this one!  I tried to take advantage of the time.  I put Real Housewives of OC on both TVs.  I started and finished a DIY project I had been wanting to complete.  I ate leftover pizza for lunch, cold and over the sink.  And then I scoured Pinterest for a sweet forgotten recipe that I could make for Rob and the two other guys he had duty with.

I had something in my mind but couldn't find anything just right.  So I adapted.  And came up with these incredibly delicious key lime pie stuffed key lime cupcakes.  In order to make the cupcakes key lime, I decided to try using greek yogurt instead of eggs/oil with the cake mix.  This was my first time making cupcakes with just greek yogurt but they turned out amazing...the cake is super moist and doesn't have any yogurt taste.  Although I read they don't rise, mine rose just like normal.  The key lime cupcakes by themselves are delicious but the addition of the actual key lime pie in the middle....OMG.  The cool, creamy center is such an unexpected surprise when you bite into them and goes perfectly with the key lime cupcakes.  I was glad to have hungry guys to feed because it would have been dangerous to keep these in the house!  Although Marines are never a tough audience, Rob said the guys were licking their fingers and sighing while devouring the plate of these.  ha ha

Key Lime Pie Stuffed Key Lime Cupcakes

Adapted from: Quick Dish and Craft Cravings

Ingredients:

1 Box Lemon Cake Mix

2 Key Lime Greek Yogurts

1 Cup Water

Mini Frozen Key Lime Pie (I used Marie Callenders minis)

1 Can Plain Frosting

1 Packet Key Lime Frosting Flavoring or 1/2 packet Lime Jello

Graham Cracker Crumbles

Cupcake liners

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350.
In a bowl, mix together greek yogurt and water.
Add to cake mix and blend until smooth using mixer.
Place a dollop of cake batter into the bottom of each cupcake liner/tin
Using a melon ball scooper, scoop a ball of frozen key lime pie and place in the center of each cupcake.
Fill batter around and on top of pie ball.
Bake 16-18 minutes at 350.
Mix frosting and lime flavoring.
Once cupcakes cool, frost and top with graham crackers and lime slices.

D O :: Pensacola Air Show 2013

While it is a well known fact that I suffer severely from FOMO, I learned the hard way that I also suffer from another equally painful disorder, PVB: Post Vacation Blues.


When we got home last week, I just could not shake this weird funk I was in.  No matter how late I slept in, I still felt tired.  I was bored yet had no energy to do anything.  Nothing was wrong, I just wasn't in a good mood.  I just felt...off.  Rob diagnosed it as Post Vacation Blues and I immediately felt relief.  I wasn't dying...this weird mood was normal!  We had been surrounded by people 24/7 for the last two weeks; celebrating and overindulging.  I was exhausted, but couldn't admit it because I wanted the good times to last.  It was painful to say goodbye and come back to our quiet apartment and quiet routine.  Not to mention it was raining, and would continue raining for days!

Notice me in the reflection of Rob's sunglasses? ha ha

Now that I had been diagnosed, I decided to allow myself to embrace my vacation hangover - just for one more day.  I laid in bed and read (this), Rob and I ordered pizza, pulled out all of our blankets and pillows and watched Netflix.  The next morning I forced myself to go to the gym.  We went to Pensacola Beach for the air show and I saw the sun again.  I even penciled in our next visitors and got excited making plans.  I was back to normal!  Post Vacation Blues -- consider yourself beat (this time!)



As I post this I can see how silly Post Vacation Blues are...especially since I practically live on vacation.  But just like FOMO, there is no talking me down from the blues.  Please tell me I am not the only one who suffers from PVB?!?

G E T A W A Y :: San Jose

The last five days have been spent surrounded by family in sunny San Jose to celebrate Pat and Dena's wedding.  Pat is Rob's cousin and was in our wedding so of course we were thrilled when we found out we were able to make it to his wedding!


Days were spent brunching and lounging by the pool, drinking straw-ber-ritas.  Nights were filled with fun wedding festivities.  This was my first time in San Jose so I loved taking it all in!  It has such a cool west coast vibe, while still feeling a little east coast familiar.  The views of the mountains were just breathtaking all over the city.


I am just a total sucker for weddings and this one was no different.  I love when weddings completely fit the personality of the bride and groom.  From music to venue, details to overall vibe, I want to be surrounded by things the bride and groom love, ignoring the idea of what weddings "must look like".  This wedding was the perfect example of that!  Their readings included a poem by Shel Silverstein and Cowboy Junkies lyrics, and Mumford and Sons (below!) blasted after they were announced as husband and wife.  At one part in the ceremony, Pat and Dena surprised everyone by playing the ukelele and singing.  They had 40 dozen cookies as their wedding sweets and even brewed their own beer for the reception!  The beer had such creative names such as "Hoppily Ever After", "Something Borrowed, Something Brewed", and "Wear White Wheat"

 Pat and Dena wrote their own vows and when they read them, there was not a dry eye in the crowd.  Their words were so personal yet easy to relate to and their stories just showed how real their love is for each other.  Rob said something to me that was exactly what I was thinking: I like hearing people's vows because I mean all those things, I can just never find the words to say them.  Being at weddings almost feels like committing myself all over again.  And I think that is always a good thing.



Rob was absolutely smitten by this precious baby Mila all weekend.  He could not put her down!  But with those cheeks, can you blame him?

We had a great time singing and dancing the night away, and even got the DJ to play Wagon Wheel for all of us southern folks ;)  I am so lucky to have married into this wonderful family (almost a year and a half ago!) and am excited for Dena to be the newest "newbie"!  Now we are home just long enough to catch our breath before we are off to Richmond for wedding number two!