Scarlett O'Hara's Restaurant- St. Augustine, Florida

http://www.scarlettoharas.net/home

70 Hypolita St.-  Historic Downtown
St. Augustine, Florida
(904) 824-6535

An entire restaurant themed after one of America's greatest movies? This had to be an awesome place to visit. Just off the beaten path in downtown St. Augustine, you find Scarlett O'Hara's right next to Rhett's piano bar. We weren't adventurous enough to venture into the piano bar, but we got our fill of Southern style at Scarlett's!

True to theme, this classic film inspired dive is decked with all the charm of Tara and Twelve Oaks. Portraits of Scarlett and Rhett are hung above the fireplaces and mantels scattered throughout, while the food is a complete southern menu.

Unfortunately it was raining when we ate here, so we couldn't sit and dine on the large alfresco front porch. If we go back, we're definitely revisiting here and sitting on the front porch in true southern style. The restaurant was really dark inside, so I apologize that the photos are a little bleak.

While visiting, both Clay and I opted to eat off the Twelve Oaks BBQ menu. The food is amazing, especially if you're a fan of true Southern BBQ.  Don't worry though, not everything is coated in butter or gravy!

Big Sam's Smoked Ribs

BBQ Pulled Pork

While you're there, don't forget to try a Scarlett O'Hara. Cranberry and lime juices, mixed with a lotta SoCo, and served over ice. My new favorite drink :)

If you're in St. Augustine, I definitely recommend stopping here. We really enjoyed the atmosphere and loved the food. On the weekends they host live music events, so if you're not interested in loud music while you eat, be sure to get here early!

Harry's Seafood Bar & Grill- St. Augustine, Florida

https://hookedonharrys.com/locations/st-augustine/

46 Avenida Menendez
St. Augustine, Florida 32084
(904) 824-7765

Looking for the best view in St. Augustine? Make sure you sit on the upper patio at Harry's! This restaurant combines all your Southern favorites under one roof. New Orleans fare, cold drinks, and according to Clay, the best seafood in St. Augustine.

With a view of the Lions Bridge and city in the distance, this was our first night out on the town. Clay feasted on the Fried Combo Platter, while I enjoyed their Red Beans & Rice with Smoked Sausage.

Overall the food was pretty good, but not the best we had during our stay. The waiter was pleasant, but nothing to brag about. If you're a seafood fan though and want an amazing view, definitely worth the stop in!

I forgot to take photos of our meals! Sorry, guess you'll just have to stop in and check out the fare next time you're in town!

I Dream of Yogurt- Cocoa Beach, Florida

4295 North Atlantic Avenue
Cocoa Beach, Florida 32931

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IDreamOfYogurt

Clay and I found this place completely on accident. We dodged in to avoid a rainstorm during our beach day, and figured "Hey, how bad can a fro-yo place be?" As Clay puts it, we walked into the most amazing fro-yo place ever! Completely themed after the TV show, "I Dream of Jeannie," it looked like we walked back in time, into a world of pink, green, and genie bottles. (Random thought: Why is it that most fro-yo places are pink and green themed?)

 

From autographed photos of the cast on the walls, genie-looking bottles scattered everywhere, rounded tables, the show playing on a large flat screen, all the way to a Jeannie bobble "wishing" head next to the counter; this place definitely hit the theme spot on.

The location was awesome too, hence why we were able to dodge in. Right up the street from Ron Jon Surf's Shop, its about a block up from the beach and a block west of the free parking lot, on the main drag through Cocoa Beach. The outside is painted pink and green, with a huge sign on top the building. For those looking down due to rain (or just because you look down when you walk), they have signs outside the door too. Overall a great location for a fro-yo place at the beach.

But here is the important part: What made this the most amazing fro-yo place?

Total flavors on tap: 12
Flavors we sampled: 12

Here's the ones we had to choose from:
Cinnamon Roll, NY Cheesecake, Cotton Candy, Original Tart, Watermelon Sorbet, Island Coconut, Very Strawberry, White Vanilla, Dreamy Dark Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Lemon Meringue Pie, and Cake Batter.

Every flavor was bursting with flavor and taste. Seriously- They tasted EXACTLY like actual food they mimic. The Dreamy Dark Chocolate tasted just like sneaking a spoonful of chocolate frosting from the can without being caught as a kid :) It was extremely difficult to not put every flavor in the bowl, but I'm pretty sure Peanut Butter- Lemon Meringue Pie would not be a magical combo. The only flavor I was not over the top for was the Island Coconut. I felt that it could have had a little more flavor to it. Most of the flavors are low-fat and the Very Strawberry is lower in sugar. The Watermelon Sorbet is their non-dairy option. SO which ones did we end up choosing?

Flavors in our bowls:
Gretchen- NY Cheesecake, Dreamy Dark Chocolate, Peanut Butter
Clay- Cake Batter, Cotton Candy

The Topping selection was OUT of this world! So many to choose from, including: Nerds, Cocoa Pebbles, Brownie Bites, Vanilla Wafers, Trix, Cookie Dough Bites, and all the tradition toppings found at most fro-yo places (fruit, sprinkles, candy pieces, etc). I am way more about a topping in every bite girl, while Clay is more about the fro-yo. Since this was our 'date' day, we went all out.

All in all it was an amazing accidental drop in. The prices were fair (we paid about $11 for our combined) and the staff was super friendly. After the rain cleared, the place started filling up with both locals and tourists. Everything was super clean and well stocked, so no chance they'll run out of nerds while you're there. We'll definitely be stopping in again on our next beach day, though we are going to pray for no rain and plan on the trip next time :)

Restaurant Bucket List- Orlando

New city, new restaurants to explore, so here are the restaurants on our bucket lists. If you're coming to visit, pick some places to explore with us! We try to only eat locally when in Orlando. 

The Pub Orlando

9101 International Dr

Orlando, FL 32819

http://www.experiencethepub.com/

Oblivion Taproom

5101 E Colonial Dr

Orlando, FL 32803

obliviontaproom.com

Willow Tree Café

205 E 1st St

Ste C

Sanford, FL 32771

http://www.willowtreecafe.com/

Fiddler’s Green Irish Pub & Eatery

544 W Fairbanks Ave

Winter Park, FL 32789

http://fiddlersgreenorlando.com/home.htm

Thats only the beginning, more to follow :)

Reception Playlist Planning

One part of planning the perfect wedding needs to be a playlist you provide to your DJ. This should include songs for all planned functions of your wedding, as well as additional songs you want played during both dinner and the dancing parts of your receptions. 

Don't forget to pick a song for all planned events, including the introductions and cake cutting. These are areas to have tons of fun with. Clay's college mascot is the Tigers, hence our bridal party introduction song, "Eye of the Tiger." Our bridal party had so much fun pumping it out Rocky style as they were introduced at our reception. We walked into the Batman theme song, because both of us love superhero movies and Clay called himself Batman for the majority of his childhood. Our cake cutting song came from my favorite Disney movie, Sleeping Beauty. On our first dating anniversary, Clay sent me a bouquet of flowers with a note that read "I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream." Our cake topper was also an antique Aurora and Prince Phillip salt and pepper shaker Clay gave me for my birthday one year. All these small details in our music selection made the day so unique and memorable for both of us.

Here is our complete planned event song list:

Planned Events Song List:

Introduction of Bridal Party	Eye of the Tiger- Survivor
Introduction of Bride and Groom	Batman Theme Song (Animated)
First Dance	Everything- Michael Buble
Father/ Daughter Dance	Rainbow Connection- Muppet Movie
Mother/ Son Dance	Love You Like a Rock- Paul Simon
Cake Cutting	Once Upon a Dream- Sleeping Beauty
Bouquet Toss	All the Single Ladies- Beyonce
Garter Toss (Removal & Toss)	Sharp Dressed Man- ZZ Top
Anniversary Dance	Stuck with You- Huey Lewis and the News
Last Dance	History in the Making- Darius Rucker

Make sure you talk to your DJ about all your planned events. Our DJ had never done an anniversary dance before, so needed a quick breakdown from our wedding coordinator right before the reception started. Unfortunately in my final meeting with him, I assumed he knew what an Anniversary Dance was and failed to go into detail about it. Other planned dances could be a money dance, different song for the removal and tossing of the garter, and a dance where the bride dances with the grooms father and the groom dances with the brides mom. Talk to your parents and your fiances about dances they had at their wedding or traditions in your family.

In addition to the music you want played at specific times during your reception, make sure you also provide your DJ with a playlist for dinner and dancing times. Do not give them a complete list equaling the length of time as long as your reception. Instead give them suggestions of songs to play and general genres to cover. You should also include any music or type of music you do not want played. Unfortunately, this is one area I was not firm with our DJ about, and songs on our do not playlist were played due to guest requests.

Tip to all brides out there: 

This is your day, not your guests. Even though you want them to have a good time, if you don't want certain music played, make sure you are specific with your DJ about this. You are paying him, not your guests.

If you want to allow them to play more modern music, that may offend grandma, give them a specific time during your reception to play this music. It should not be played during the first part of the reception while grandma is still present and wanting to dance. Wait til she's tired or gone in for the night to let your DJ be open to all guest requests. If you're having an afternoon reception, grandma and the other old folks probably are not planning on leaving before you do, so don't let the DJ have at it if you feel like that type of music will be offensive to them (or the younger kids at your wedding).

If you don't want specific music played any time during your reception, make sure your DJ is aware that this is a hard line for you. Have them tell your guests who request it, that the bride and groom have requested that that type of music not be played.

For our wedding, Clay and I wanted everyone to have an awesome time and be out on the dance floor. We provided the following list for our DJ to follow. Like I said above, we had a few issues with our DJ honoring our guest requests before our own. Aside from a few songs on our list, we requested nothing modern, specifically no rap due to the time of our reception and guests we knew would be offended. We still had an amazing time, but in my opinion "I'm too sexy" is never an appropriate song to play at a wedding.

Here is our dancing playlist for all those interested. In addition to the list, we asked our DJ to only play music from the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s. We had a few pretty spectacular 90s throwbacks, where everyone was belting Backstreet Boys, Spice Girls, and N*Sync. I mean "Everybody." 

For dinner, we had the DJ play Frank Sinatra, Michael Buble, Harry Connick Jr, etc. We also included a few typical 'lovely dubey' wedding songs here. 

Here is our dinner playlist, which was also used to cover guest arrival and cocktail hour:

Guest Arrival Music/ Dinner Music:

Viva La Vida	Coldplay
Fly With Me	Frank Sinatra
Empezar	Incendio
What a Wonderful World	Louis Armstrong
Summer Wind	Michael Buble
Georgia on My Mind	Michael Buble
Thinking About You	Norah Jones
Not on Your Love	Jeff Carson
Then	Brad Paisley
Stealing Cinderella	Chuck Wicks
My Wish	Rascal Flatts
It Had to Be You	Harry Connick Jr.
All the Way	Harry Connick Jr.
Lucky	Jason Mraz & Colbie Caillat
1, 2, 3, 4	Plain White Ts

**Any music by Darius Rucker, Michael Buble, Frank Sinatra, Fred Astaire, Harry Connick Jr, etc

And finally, our dancing playlist:

Dancing Song List:

Party in the USA	Miley Cyrus
Billy Jean	Michael Jackson
Move Like Jagger	Maroon 5
Thriller	Michael Jackson
1999	Prince
Do You Love Me	The Countours
Sweet Home Alabama	Lynard Skynard
Don’t Stop Believing	Journey
Accidentally in Love	Counting Crows
Summer of ‘69	Bryan Adams
Dancing in the Dark	Bruce Springsteen
Living on a Prayer	Bon Jovi
Only the Good Die Young	Billy Joel
Grease	Grease
Tik Tok	Ke$ha
Footloose	Kenny Loggins
Chicken Fried	Zac Brown Band
Brown Eyed Girl	Van Morrison
Jessie’s Girl	Rick Springfield
Wagon Wheel	Darius Rucker
Sweet Angel	Half Jeffersons
Free	Zac Brown Band
Africa	Toto
Overjoyed	Match Box 20
Respect	Aretha Franklin
Twist and Shout	Beatles
Do Wa Diddee	Manfred Man
Walking on Sunshine	KC and the Sunshine Band
Singing Sweet Home Alabama/ Werewolves of London	Kid Rock
Beat It	Michael Jackson
Build Me Up Buttercup	Foundations
Leather and Lace	Stevie Nicks
I want it that way	Backstreet Boys
We Are Family	Sly and the Family Stone

**Any 90s music would be awesome, including Backstreet Boys, NSync, Blink 182, Spice Girls, etc

**Also Classic Rock from 60s-80s, especially CCR, Commodores, Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel

**Please no rap or many modern songs

Enjoy our list and our insight! Please let me know if you have any questions in the comments below. 

Much love to all,

Gretchen (& Clay)

Happily Ever After: July 6, 2013

Thank you to all our friends and family who were able to join us as we started our happily ever after. We had an amazing day! More pictures will follow soon, including ones of all our personal touches. Here are some of our favorites from our guests. Much love to all, G&C 

 

Cheers to the Weekend

I am so excited for this weekend! Here's why:

1. Fredericksburg Bridal Shower with some of my favorite peeps
2. Finishing invitations (Thanks in advance to my fabulous MOH and future sister-in-law!)
3. Moving the first load of stuff to my parents house :)
4. Spending quality time with my family and friends (Most definitely consuming some bottles of wine)
5. CINCO DE MAYO! (Which means Tex-Mex is definitely happening on Sunday)

24 for 24

Happy Birthday to ME!

In this 24th year of my life, I have compiled a list of the 24 things I'm going to do while I'm 24. This list was inspired by the Duchess of Plumewood, who posts her birthday to do list on her blog every year. Check her out here: http://duchessofplumewood.blogspot.com/

1. Buy a new car- Chevy Traverse or Ford Explorer?
2. Visit all the historic homes in Virginia I haven't been to yet
3. Dedicate time to call one friend a week
4. Read 24 new books
5. Re-learn to ride a bike
6. Spend more time volunteering
7. Write at least one letter a week- everyone loves snail mail :)
8. Start a new career (Its been an amazing 6 years MBC!)
9. Workout everyday for a solid month
10. Run a half marathon
11. Make at least 2 Pinterest projects a month 
12. Launch my Etsy store- named after my blog
13. Learn a new sport 
14. Check off every item on my Virginia bucket list
15. Spend a girls weekend with my mom 
16. See all Academy Award nominated films before the Academy Awards 2014
17. Watch all the HP movies in order for an entire weekend
18. Be more creative in the kitchen- hope Clay is ready :)
19. Spend my 25th birthday doing 25 random acts of kindness
20. Do as many DIY projects for my wedding as possible- #11 will be handy
21. Take more photos with my favorite people
22. Move to Orlando & Gretchize our house
23. Get married- Come on July 6th
24. Change my last name- Gretchen Louise Parker has a nice ring to it <3

Anybody who wants to help is more than welcome to join in the fun :)

Registry: Scan, Check, Update, Repeat

Its an exciting time. You and your fiance walk into a store, maybe you did some research and know the things you want to register for, maybe you didn't, but without fail you get the scan gun, and all of a sudden you need everything in the store. Its chaos. How could you possibly live without those individual dessert trays not even big enough for a scope of ice cream? Or you live in a shoe box apartment, but have to have formal china, casual china, and everyday dishes. And to top it off you know you'll have more than 12 people to dinner at a single time, so you need 16, 20, 24 of each!

Calm down, and breath. On your initial visit, scan everything you think you could want. Its okay to scan a million different toothbrush holders and those individual dessert plates. Let your fiance have control of the gun, ask his opinions on different things. Chances are he won't care about the soap dish for the guest bath, but at least you asked him and included him in the making of your home. Trust me, your initial registry will not be the final one.

After you've scanned to your hearts content, go home and think about the things you really need. Check out my Registry 101 post for a complete list of registry items. See what you and your fiance already have. Have a really nice blender you got for your 21st birthday? You probably don't need a new one. Also, make sure your items fit a variety of price points. Your registry will be used for more than just your wedding. Showers, engagement parties, and holidays; expect items from your registry. Once you've decided exactly what you're going to need and how many of each, view your registries online. Make sure you have your check list handy :)

Next, stores are so user friendly to their shoppers now. Almost all allow consumers to post reviews on their products. If so, read the reviews on the products you registered for. Love that comforter set? How much do love it? What if 180 people out of 200 gave it a 1 star? Would you love it after its shredded to bits before your 1st anniversary? Reviews are a great resource, but should be taken lightly. As a personal principle, I tried not to register for anything with a less than 3 star review. There are so many products out there to choose from, chances are you'll find something similar that's much more user friendly. If you absolutely love it, and other people didn't give it the best reviews, go ahead a try it. Maybe you'll be the lucky one it works out well for. 

Fourth. Give your registry some time to grow on you. Check frequently to see if any items are discontinued or on clearance. Chances are guests won't be able to purchase them for you. Its  okay to update and change your registry often. Think about the place you'll be living. Do things flow with the space? If you're renting, its okay for things to not flow. But if you own your home, think of your little pet peeves. My fiance just bought our first house (Merry Christmas to me!). Our bathroom registries were all for rubbed oil bronze accessories from a variety of sets. Our house has chrome fixtures in all the bathrooms. Knowing myself, I immediately changed the registry to chrome accessories. Changing the registry was much easier than trying  to change the faucets in all the bathrooms.

Fifth. Its also okay and often preferred by your guest to have options with your registries. Registering at more than one store has major advantages for you. Your selection increases and you get to have exactly what you want. I love JCP Home Brand towels. To me, they are simply the best. I also prefer their bed linens. So I went ahead and registered for most of my linens at JCP. Whereas, Bed Bath and Beyond has a greater selection of kitchen items. So my kitchen will be decked out from BBB. Look around at different stores and see who has the items you like best. Your family and friends will most likely thank you for registering at a variety of places. It gives them more options, especially if you have out of town guests. Check to see what stores offer free shipping, in store pickup, or layaway for weddings. Proper etiquette suggests never showing up to a wedding gift in hand. Instead, you're supposed to ship them to the couple or have them available for them to pick up. Of course, expect people to show up with gifts in hand, but some may follow proper tradition! 

Sixth. Once you've registered and are comfortable with your registry, check on incentive programs. Some companies offer free items if you've registered for or receive certain items on your registry. Even though you may not need a Calphalon Cookbook, I bet a friend is getting married, having a house warming party, or needing a quick gift soon. Re-gift it at her with some cute kitchen towels or gadgets. Always take advantage of "free" items- I store the ones I don't need in a box as quick gifts :)

And finally, tell people about your registry! Its actually poor etiquette to stick the registry announcements in with your invitations or shower announcements. This almost sends the signal that you're inviting people to your wedding, but only if they bring you a gift. Instead, spread the word by creating a wedding website and utilizing small talk to tell people where to go. Almost all wedding websites have a section for you to post your registry information. This gives your guests a handy place to find it, without demanding the bring you the $200 a plate china set. Even after you spread the word about your registry, its okay to change your mind and update it. If you have some technologically challenged people, like I do in my family, stick the registry announcements in their invitations. This is a favor to them, and chances are if they know you well enough to let you know they don't meld with technology, they're probably going to get you a gift anyways :)

Ideas on Places to Register:

Bed Bath and Beyond: www.bedbathandbeyond.com
Kohls: www.kohls.com
Target: www.target.com
JCP: www.jcpenney.com
Macy's: www.macys.com
Pottery Barn: www.potterybarn.com/registry/
Williams Sonoma: www.williams-sonoma.com
Crate&Barrel: www.crateandbarrel.com
Amazon: www.amazon.com
Local shops and stores- most of them will set up an account for you :)