Charleston, SC

One of our favorite wedding gifts was an awesome gift certificate to a B&B in Charleston, South Carolina. With all the craziness of consulting, work travel, moving and wanting to wait until the weather was good in SC, it took us a while to take advantage of the gift certificate. But we finally did this past weekend and it was awesome!

Charleston is such a beautiful city - in some ways it actually reminded me of Antigua, Guatemala ... Beautiful architecture, kind of a quaint, colonial feel to the city, fun colors on the houses, gorgeous flowers, some cobblestone streets, etc. It really is beautiful and a great city to walk around - especially when the weather is so beautiful like it was this past weekend!

Not only did we do a ton of walking but we also took a fun horse carriage ride which took us around downtown Charleston and pointed out a lot of the interesting history of the city. Like the fact that Charleston was originally only a 60 mile sandbar and the rest of the city was "man-made"! The city is right on the waterfront - we actually saw dolphins the first morning! - with part of the city actually below sealevel.

And one of the other stops on our tour was actually our B&B (we felt kinda famous when the passengers on our tour ohh'd and ahh'd over our B&B!!). Our B&B was a wedding gift from a father to his daughter - she woke up on the morning of her wedding with a $75k check pinned to her pillow and a note telling her to build the house of her dreams on the B&B's lot. What she built is now sometimes referred to as the Wedding cake house (and happens to be 3 houses away from her dad's house - guess daddy wanted to keep his little girl close by!). The B&B was awesome ... Always nice to be pampered and to have afternoon tea and crumpets on the veranda ;)

We also went outside of Charleston one day to take in some of the sights outside of the city. We toured Magnolia Plantation (another wedding present from father to daughter!) where there are some gorgeous gardens - unfortunately, the magnolias were not in bloom, seeing those reminds me of my grandparents - but there were lots of other gorgeous blooms and Brad and I enjoyed some photography.

The other major activity of the weekend was definitely eating! I guess Charleston is known for some great restaurants and we certainly enjoyed ourselves in that department. We ate some awesome meals at FIG (Food is Good) which is focused on locally sourced and sustainable ingredients, Cru Cafe (a lunch cafe whose main chef was trained at Le Cordon Blue, and note that "Cru" Cafe is on Motley Ave .. hee hee), SNOB (Slighty North of Broad - definitely our best meal, just outstanding Southern style cooking) and finally Hominy Grill for southern style b'fast including grits, of course! I'm pretty sure Brad and I aren't going to eat for another week!



All in all, it was a great weekend and well worth the wait!!

Some much needed time off

As many of you have heard, I recently quit my consulting gig and accepted a new job with Duke. More to come on the new gig but in the meantime, folks keep asking me what I did while I was happily in between jobs so I figured a blog post was in order!

So, besides just recuperating from consulting - which was desperately needed - I tried to recall what else I did for ~2 weeks. Besides the trips to Myrtle Beach and Williamsburg for Easter, the rest of the time seemed to slip by without me knowing it ...

- maybe it was those HGTV marathons or made for TV movies that I kept on getting sucked in to?!

- Maybe the shopping sprees which eventually caused Brad to say that I needed to go back to work asap so that I would stop spending money and start making it again?!

- Perhaps it was finally having time to deal with my car - new brake pads, safety inspection, quality time at the DMV transferring my title and plates to NC and getting my NC license (umm, which may have taken 2 separate trips to the DMV .... new NC drivers have to retake the written test and that is NOT easy to pass without reading that pesky DMV booklet about points and random traffic rules!)

- perhaps the opportunity to finally do some crafting (which I love!) .... A new birdhouse and lamps ensued from that exercise :)


Who knows. All I know is that I LOVED the time off and it went way too fast. Can't wait for retirement ... Only another 30+ years to go!

Happy Easter

Happy Easter everyone! Brad and I spent the holiday with my family in Williamsburg. It's fun to have Natalie around because it gives all the adults excuses to do "kid" activities like decorating Easter eggs and hiding plastic eggs outside. The weekend was a blast - enjoy some pics!

Thank goodness for actually having a security system and not just the sign!

Someone tried to break in to our house this morning! Who knew that we moved to the ghetto (and that the ghetto has street names like Curriculum Court, Scholastic Drive, etc!)?!

Anyway, we awoke this morning to the dog barking bloody murder at the foot of our bed. Unfortunately, we told him to shut up and go back to bed (what can I say, he's the dog that barked wolf! Let's just say he's woken us up many other mornings to point out the passing cars or squirrels in the trees!)

Anyway, a few minutes later our security alarm starts blaring and that we couldn't ignore. We jump out of bed, turn off the alarm, look at each other and then are like, "what the heck do we do now?" .... Seriously, what do you do? Apparently, in our case, you yell "is anyone there?", hear some dude breathing really heavy downstairs and then hear him scurry off through the backyard.

Crazy! We went outside and were greeted by half of the neighborhood (especially the ladies around here who love some gossip!) Turns out that one of our neighbors had seen a man on our front porch, called the cops and drove in to our cul-de-sac to get a closer look. At which point our apparent burglar became all helpful and took out garbage can out to the street (I guess, trying to appear that he worked for us or something) and then headed to the backyard where he busted open a window in our kitchen. The window is what set the alarm off, it doesn't appear that he got much - just my iPod which was by the window (and which I am PISSED about but it certainly could have been worse and now its a good excuse for me to get a new one ;)

Anyway, it's nice to know that the neighbors were looking out; the alarm company called immediately (which was funny to listen to as Brad told them "I don't think anything is missing, nothing seems disturbed ... well, except that it looks like someone took out the garbage." I'm sure the security company was like, what?! Ha!); the Durham cops came quickly; a very nice forensic CSI-type guy came and dusted for prints (no joke! he talked about ridge detail and everything and then determined that the culprit wore gloves).



All in all, it made for an exciting morning!

Just what the Doc ordered

Oh, how I love to vacation. Seriously, I'm good at it ... now, if only I could make a living vacationing, we'd be all set.

Anyway, I had some much needed vacation time and decided to impose on my parents. They were heading to Myrtle Beach, SC for a few days and were kind enough to let me crash! It was an awesome beginning to some time off ... just what the Dr ordered - sleeping in, reading books, watching tv and outlet shopping. Loved it!!

They're back!

The next weekend was one that Brad and I have been waiting for for a long time ... wohoo, Phish is back!

One of the things that Brad and I LUV to do more than anything is go see live music. And our favorite band to see play live is Phish who "retired" almost 5 years ago. Well, they're back! For whatever reasons, they decided to unretire (sound familiar, Dad?!) and had their comeback shows in one of our favorite venues, Hampton Colliseum, VA.

We drove off to Hampton, VA for the weekend full of anticipation and the weekend did not disappoint. Not only was the music ridiculous, but the scene was amazing, the weather perfect and the tailgating before the show so much fun. Can't wait until the summer shows, we're basically going on tour for a bit and CANNOT WAIT!!!

In the meantime, here are some of Brad's pics from the Friday and Saturday night shows ...

Slacking again

Oh, we've been slacking again - I admit that its either feast or famine sometimes with me and the blog. Well, we're backing to feasting! Let the recaps begin ...

After the fabulous weekend hosting my mom and sisters in our new house for Girls' Weekend '09, we were back at hosting duties the next weekend as well. This time, Brad's parents joined us for a great weekend - of course, it POURED all weekend long making it tough to show them around.

But we still had a great time - lots of great food, relaxing at Casa Worsham (watched Slumdog Millionaire, which was awesome!) and even getting together with Debbie and her family (who were here to visit Debbie's son Tommy, a student at nearby Elon college). We were supposed to meet up with all of them at Tommy's baseball game but unfortunately, it was rained out. Instead, they all came to our house to hang out and, of course, get in some Wii action :) It was a great weekend and we can't wait to have the Worshams back (hopefully to experience some better weather!)

Wahoo!

The official e-mail has been sent ....

All,

As many of you are already aware, today is my last day at the firm. I'll be leaving after 3 very rewarding years for a position within Duke University's business school. Starting in April, I'll be the Associate Director of a program called the Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship (http://caseatduke.org/).

Although I am excited about the new opportunity that awaits me, I am sad to say goodbye and am incredibly thankful for the experiences I've had here. I have learned so much and appreciate all the support and friendship that I've gained along the way. It has been a privilege to work with and learn from all of you. Best of luck in the future and please do keep in touch!

Best, Erin

Girls' Weekend!

Just had an awesome weekend of girl-time. My mom and sisters and I try to do a girls' weekend once a year. We've failed miserably the last few years so were determined to make it happen in 2009.

So, this past weekend Mom, Sharon and Kiera headed down to Durham for a weekend of exploring in NC. It was nice to have them all see our new home and for me to have a chance to explore the area - with all the craziness of moving, holidays and lots and lots of work travel, I haven't had a chance to do touristy things yet in town so this was a really nice excuse to finally start exploring.

We had a nice mix of shopping, relaxing, eating, drinking margaritas and taking in the sights. My favorite part of the weekend? The Segway tour of downtown Raleigh. Still not sure how I convinced everyone that a Segway tour was a good idea but it turned out to be awesome! After an initial hesitancy on all of our parts (Segway-ing takes a bit of getting used to!), we zoomed around Raleigh, pretending to pay attention to our tour guide as he explained things but really being more infatuated with the Segway manuevering. I must say - we were pretty darn good on those things!

It was an awesome weekend - I'm blessed to have an amazing mom and rad sisters who are super fun to hang out with. I'm also blessed with a husband who was willing to hide out the whole weekend, making himself scarce so that we could have quality girl-time but then heeding the occasional calls for help (the ice machines is broken! How do I work the DVD player? etc) :)

Mom, Sharon and Kiera - can't wait til next year!!

Too funny

Someone left a comment yesterday on the blog that cracked me up so had to bring it up to its own post ...

Check out: http://despair.com/bittersweets.html

Introducing Bittersweets® - The Valentine's Candy for the Rest of Us.

Like the ubiquitous candy conversation hearts, Bittersweets® are made of flavored, chalky-tasting sugar and sport a message on their face. But unlike other candy hearts, ours are stamped with bitter musings and mockeries perfectly suited to the dejected spirits of those who will spend the holiday alone, or wishing they were. Now available in THREE unique collections- "Dejected", "Dysfunctional", and "Dumped".

Some of the sayings?
"Table for 1"
"Just a Friend"
"U Left Seat Up"
"Russian Bride"

According to the website, the candies are available in six delicious flavors .... Banana Chalk, Grape Dust, Nappy-Citric, You-Call-This-Lime?, Pink Sand and Fossilized Antacid. Too funny!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

I have to admit that I’m not a huge fan of this particular holiday. The times that I didn’t have boyfriends on Valentine’s Day, I always boycotted the celebration, hung out with girlfriends and talked about what a Hallmark-created holiday it was. Now that I am happily married, it feels kind of hypocritical to suddenly be all about celebrating the day!

But, I do love the tradition of Valentine’s Day candy. And nothing says V-day more than those chalky, nasty tasting, heart shaped candies with the little sayings on them … “Marry Me” “Love You” “Be Mine”! I learned today that those candy hearts came in to popularity in the early 1900s and that this year alone 8 BILLION(!) will be made.

Yikes. Hope everyone is ready for some chalky tasting fun :)

Karma

I think that being a good manager is one of the hardest things that you can do. Understanding your teams’ strengths and weaknesses; creating an environment where they feel supported but not micro-managed; being a friend but still having authority. I struggle with it constantly and know that I have a TON of room to grow to better manage myself and those that work with me.

But the conclusion that I’ve come to recently is that a critical part of being good manager is about sincerity. I can sincerely say that I want the people that work with me to be happy, to grow and to be successful. Of course, that needs to be balanced with producing a high-quality product but when we produce that, I want my team to feel appreciated for their efforts and to get the credit that they each deserve. Why is it that not everyone thinks like that?

I (of course) have someone in mind, someone whose actions prompted me to write this post. It's not that something major happened today, just another day of small things that cause me to doubt this person's sincerity and morals. But, you know what's making me feel better about it all? Karma. I believe in it. I believe it’s a bitch. I believe it might take some time but it always come around. ;)

I live in a hotel ...

I just checked in to my fourth hotel in one week.

The other day, I stepped off a plane, walked in to an airport and honestly had no idea what state I was in. It literally took me a minute to figure it out.

I'm just finishing up work, it's after midnight and I have to meet my team at 6:45 tomorrow morning (actually, technically I guess it's this morning. sweet).

Work is SO much fun right now ;)

Are we officially Suburbanites?

In the last few days, Brad and I may have officially become Suburbanites...

I baked cookies and we went around and introduced ourselves to all of our new neighbors on our cul-de-sac. (I mean seriously - we live on a cul-de-sac!?! Doesn't get a whole lot more suburban than that!)

Brad bought a rake and raked all the leaves in our backyard. It then snowed a couple of inches covering up all of his hard work! But the dog loved it - he gets such a kick out of playing in the snow.

We went furniture shopping for the 3rd time (in about a month, ugh!) to High Point, NC which is like furniture capital of the world. It's actually a bit of a sad place right now as many of the stores have shut down, assumedly due to the economy, but we did our best to keep them in business and furnish our new home!

Final Thoughts

Ok, one last post before my obsession with inauguration day comes to a close. I was just reading some articles online and re-read the letter that Obama had written to his daughters Malia and Sasha. Regardless of whether his Administration is a successful one, I think these words are inspirational and will stand the test of time...

I hope both of you will take up that work, righting the wrongs that you see and working to give others the chances you've had. Not just because you have an obligation to give something back to this country that has given our family so much—although you do have that obligation. But because you have an obligation to yourself. Because it is only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you will realize your true potential.

These are the things I want for you—to grow up in a world with no limits on your dreams and no achievements beyond your reach, and to grow into compassionate, committed women who will help build that world. And I want every child to have the same chances to learn and dream and grow and thrive that you girls have. That's why I've taken our family on this great adventure.

Words that I hope to live up to in my life and, if I ever have kids, a world that I hope will exist for them.

And I would be remiss if I didn't close my inaugural blogging with my favorite image of the day.....

Wow, Aretha Franklin - where's a stylist when you need one? The internet is abuzz discussing Aretha's "large hat festooned with an enormous rhinestone-studded bow." Awesome.

Inauguration Day

I don't really care what your political persuasion is, today you should feel proud.

I'm watching the news coverage of all the inaugural events and am overcome with a sense of pride in our country. Seeing the Obamas arrive at the White House and be greeted by the Bushes for a peaceful transition of power is amazing. So many countries around the world are steeped in civil wars or political uprisings but we watch our political transition on tv as pomp and circumstance, not violence, surround the day...... Seeing millions of people on the DC Mall braving the bitter cold to participate in the political process is inspiring..... Witnessing Obama take the oath of office nearly 46 years after Martin Luther King stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and uttered "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." A true moment in history.

Again, regardless of political leanings, you have to appreciate the magnitude of the day. It reminds me once again of how lucky we are to be Americans and of all the rights and luxuries we are granted as a result.

I also realize that the expectations being put on Obama are ridiculous and hope that America can continue their enthusiasm despite the many bumps in the road that are sure to come. We as a nation and a world, certainly face a tough road ahead and I hope that the faith and enthusiasm that surrounds today continues on.

Happy New Year’s! (ok, a little late!)

Every year, I make New Year’s resolutions and barely ever adhere to them. I’m thinking that maybe this year if I put them down in writing on this blog, I’ll feel more obligated to follow through? I doubt it but here goes …

· Get Healthy (get back in shape despite my job that takes up way too much of my time and eat healthier including more organics and local food)

· Never Stop Learning (learn how to play the guitar; take a religions class (or at least read those books I bought years ago!); just read more in general)

· Keep Giving (donate more of my time to charities and do some good; give more of my time to friends and family to make sure they know how much I love and appreciate them!)

Hopefully, I'll at least keep some of the resolutions! But in any event, here's looking forward to 2009 - I think its going to be a great year! Excited to see what adventures are to come!

Christmas Part Deux

More Christmas presents to open at Mom and Dad Layburn's house! This time there was the added benefit of having a 2 year old around to tear through wrapping paper which is always fun to watch.


It was so great to have the whole family together. My parents' new house is gorgeous and we enjoyed spending the days with the girls shopping and the boys golfing and then the nights eating delicious food and, of course, sipping on fabulous margaritas!

Opening presents is fun! ...

But eventually we all get tired! ;)

Merry Christmas to everyone!

This year has been a bit of a whirlwind so Christmas has snuck up on Brad and I a bit. We didn’t have a chance to decorate the new house or even get all of our Christmas shopping done until the (very) last minute. But none of that mattered once Christmas came around.

We spent nearly a week outside of Austin, TX with Brad’s family. As always, there was a ton of food and a ton of fun. Myself, Brad, his parents, brother Todd, Uncle Tom and grandmother Patsy all celebrated together. We had a great time and the week seemed to just fly by.

The house was beautifully decorated and we feasted on Le Anne’s fantastic cooking for our Christmas feast (including my special request of cranberry sauce “with the lines still on” – in other words, straight from the can! My mom is still abhorred that when my mother-in-law asked what special Christmas tradition/food did I want, that cranberry sauce from the can was my request, but its just SO good! ;)

I know that Christmas is about spending time with the ones that you love and we certainly did that. But the piles of Christmas gifts sure were fun to open!

I also think it’s funny to note that we played card games one night and while playing a particularly heated game, Brad ended up making a play that caused Patsy to lose the hand. So his 82 year old, sweet-as-can-be grandmother, turned to him and called him “satchel-ass”. We’re still not sure what that means but it was hysterical and Brad will forever be called Satchel. Get used to it buddy, it ain’t going away!

Airports are fascinating

I love people watching. I used to think the mall was the best place for it but now I'm leaning towards airports. In the last week, I have spent quality time in the Raleigh-Durham, Charlotte, Tampa, Washington-Dulles and Atlanta airports and have to say that people are just flat out ridiculous.

Makes me thank my lucky stars that my parents and Brad's parents raised us to be polite (most of the time, we try!) human beings. I can't say the same about everyone else out there.

And - most likely to both of our parents' dismay - airports are also a great form of birth control. The child that is currently screaming bloody murder, flailing on the floor and (oh!) being smacked (hard!) by his mom right in front of me is making sure of that ;)