traditions + boils + friendships

Every year for Memorial weekend, we get together with our besties Joe and Lauren. Each year has been a new adventure on where we go and what we do. The only thing that matters is that we are spending it together.

Here's our tradition so far:
Year one: NC beach
Year two: Charlottesville, VA
Year three: camping/canoeing
Year four: Raleigh

This year, we hung out, biked around town, played cornhole, threw a surprise party for our friend Kyle for getting a new job, went to the pool, the Arrigos got introduced to anchovies on pizza {and loved it}, heard about Kirchgassner adventures, tried to convince them to move to NC and not NY, and stayed up too late {but so glad we did}.

Growing up, I never had a yearly family trip or anything of the sorts. Although at the time I didn't feel like I was missing out on something, I now feel like I would be so disappointed if this tradition stopped or got put on the back burner. It's important to both of us -- so much that Lauren even told her mom I'd be coming on a bachelorette weekend with her if it happened over Memorial Day next year. That's real dedication right there!

This tradition started when Mike and I were just dating.. like super fresh. It is now something I can't imagine skipping. This tradition is something that hopefully will continue with Lauren and Joe no matter how far the distance or how many kids. It will be something our kids look forward to every year. Something that we will make sacrifices for. A guarantee to see our good friends each year.

If there is anything that I've learned about friendships or, really, any relationship, it is that it requires work. Good friends are hard to come by. By good friends, I mean those people you know you can count on, the ones you turn to, laugh with, cry and make up with, the ones that are always there no matter what, that tell you you have a booger in your nose totally visible to the entire world, and ones that are willing to put you before them {occasionally}. Good friendships, of course, have their trials. Times that are tough. Times where the truth hurts. Times where you wonder will we make it through this. You fight for good friendships though. Because good friendships are worth fighting for. You make the time for your friendship. You make the effort to be a good friend. You work to make the friendship work. Just love a romantic relationship, you have to stop being selfish and do what you know fills up their love tank. So long tangent short, Lauren and I have one of those friendships. And years to come, we will still be making this tradition a reality.

Year one: the boys drinking brewskies


Year two: eating dinner at their first home


no idea where year three is and we didn't take any pics this year

Although the locations have always been different, there are a few things that have remained the same.

1) obvi we've been together but
2) we eat low country boil
Ever heard of that? It's so delicious and SO easy!

Low Country Boil
serves 4
an ear of corn for each person, cut in half
1 ib new red potatoes cut in half
one kielbasa cut into 1 in pieces (you will want to use real pork keilbasa.. the fat gives it so much more flavor)
1 ib uncooked shrimp
Old Bay seasoning
1 lemon
Fill a big ol' pot halfway with water. Bring to a boil. Add new red potatoes. Cover top of water with Old Bay seasoning. Squeeze a lemon into the water. Cook for 20 minutes. Add corn. Cook 10 minutes. Add kielbasa. Cook for 15 minutes. Add shrimp. Cook two minutes (or until shrimpies are pink).

Served and enjoy. Pair with some yummy crusty bread and provide Old Bay to dip shrimp or roll your corn in. Best if enjoyed with friends and lots of laughter!

San Fran lovin'

Oh wait, I went to CA?

Wasn't that like last month's news?

Sure it was {well technically no because it is still May}! But, hear me out.. end of new job, beginning of new job, guests visiting, this, that and the other. That's my excuse.

So.. FINALLY.. my California trip is here to make its debut. And no better place to start than San Francisco, where its normal to see a guy walking around naked, where you wait for hours to eat sushi but its so worth it and where walking home from the bar two blocks away is the best workout you'll get all year.

So literately the first day I met Mike, I heard about this sushi place called Sushi Zone that had THE best sushi EVER. Every time we ate sushi {which happens weekly if not more}, Mike would talk about this place - ranting and raving about how good it was. You better bet Sushi Zone was our FIRST thing on the list as soon as our feet hit SF ground. We dropped off our bags and headed straight to the place to put our names on the list.

Sushi Zone is a TINY spot -- two tables and a bar to eat at. TWO tables. That feeds two groups at a time. Small. small. small. So, you walk in, put your name on a white board and wait. While we waited, we headed over to Orbitz {highly recommend} where we grabbed some of the best and more interesting drinks I've ever had. They were made with natural herbs and plants they grew at the bar. Mike got the bourbon and basil {bottom left}. Mine was something that reminded me of horse racing and citrus trees {bottom right} and his sister's husband got the 'Tree of Life,' which was like garden in a cocktail. They were so good & so worth the $10 price tag.

 After our first drink, we headed back to Sushi Zone. Mike met and became best friends with this group that was in line ahead of us. For those that don't know, Mike could make best friends with a brick. He loves talking and talks to anybody, any time, anywhere. After another hour or so of waiting {you have to wait a loooong time}, we finally got a seat. The menu isn't extensive and, to be honest, I was bummed at how few options they had. But holy crap - every single roll was SO amazing. This old Asian dude in a 70s hippie-T was cranking those suckers out. He has magic fingers and can make one hell of a sushi roll. It is great sushi {not the best I've ever had but top 3}. I def suggest going but be prepared to wait.

The next day we headed to Golden Gate Park, which unfortunately you now have to pay to see things like the Japanese Tea Garden and the Botanical Gardens. I completely understand the whole having to pay thing but we're on a budget -- I'm not paying to look at flowers. So we just walked around and it was still a great place to spend time and take in some beauty.

 After walking around, we headed over to Blazing Saddles to rent bikes and bike over the Golden Gate bridge. I loved it. It was a bit chilly but the ride was nice and flat and had beautiful views.

 After our 'workout' we treated ourselves to the most delicious thing ever - a 'Gold Rush' from Ghirardelli. Oh.my.goah. That sucker was heaven in ice cream form. It was so yummy. I mean like never-in-my-life-has-something-been-so-yummy good. Just looking at this picture makes my mouth salivate, my pupils get big and my knees weak.

 If you haven't noticed yet, our vacation consists of food and physical activity. To top off the day, we headed over to Fisherman's Warf where we indulged in some amazing chowder.

After our bellies were stuffed and our muscles sore.. we made the trek 'home.' Here is our sweet view from our rental. The whole place was windows. It was amazing to just wake up and look out on the city. After all the chaos of running around with family doing this, that and the other, it was so peaceful to just stare out these windows in the still of the morning. I would live in a glass house. Give me the scenery. I'll just pretend no one can see in when I'm walking around in my skivies.

next stop-- wine country

trade in for a salmon burger

Memorial day weekend is usually filled with sunshine, friends and grilled goodies. As much as I used to love a good ol' juicy hamburger right off the grill{I don't really eat meat anymore}, sometimes you just want to throw something different on the grill every once in awhile. This may not be as relevant at the beginning of the summer but I guarantee come September and your 46th cookout, your taste buds will crave a little something different.

So, how about trying a salmon burger? Not only are they delicious with a bun but they make a tasty recipe without too! And, they are pretty easy, require few ingredients and easier on the hips.

You'll need:
a pound of salmon - take off the skin and cut into small pieces
1/4 sliced scallions
zest of a lemon
1/2  tsp salt
olive oil
buns, lettuce, tomato

yogurt tarter sauce {see below for recipe}

- throw the salmon pieces into a food processor and pulse until chopped up, stir in scallions, lemon zest and salt
- form mixtures into patties and chill for 30 minutes or so
- drizzle patties with oil and throw on the grill {2-3 min each side}
- top patties with yogurt tarter sauce, lettuce, tomato, etc.

to make the yogurt-tarter sauce mix together:
1/2 Greek yogurt (plain)
1 tbsp capers
2 tbsp fresh parsley
pinch cayenne


I will admit, I am questioning my willpower when it comes to grilling out. I love burgers but am obsessed with hot dogs. Like, literately, crave them when I smell charcoal and my heart skips a beat when I see someone pulling up the top of a grill. There is just something about unidentifiable meat that gets me going. I love it. smothered. covered. plain. with slaw, chili and onions. at a baseball game. in my backyard. anywhere. any way. any day.  But I just have to remind myself, the way I will feel afterwards {meat makes my belly hurt} is not worth the delicious party that will go off in my mouth during... or is it?

Have a wonderful memorial day! Wear sunscreen, eat well and laugh often! 

Memorial Weekend + Friday Fancies

Heck yeah, it's Friday! And, we've got a three-day weekend {thank you Memorial Day!}. What better way to kick-off the weekend than to coordinate an outfit for your weekend's adventures!

bbq, beer & babes by charrigo featuring denim shorts

One of my bestest friends ever and her husband are coming to stay the weekend with us. We've celebrated Memorial Day together for the past three or four years. I've lost track. Either way, it's our tradition. SO much so that Lauren and Joe HAD to come back from their year traveling in New Zealand and Asia JUST to spend Memorial weekend with us... right??!! You should check our her blog.. her travels are awesome {and hilarious...}.

I can't wait to see them! The last time we hung out was at our wedding back in September -- too long ago! I am secretly going to con them into moving back to Raleigh. Lauren, ignore I just said that.

Lauren taught me what true friendship was -- what it meant to be able to depend on someone, confide in, trust, be loved unconditionally by, laugh uncontrollably, tell deep secrets to, be completely open and honest with. Our friendship is rare and awesome. And, if I haven't mentioned this yet, I am SOOOO excited to see her this weekend!

Here's the first three photos I could grab off Facebook :)

How will you be spending your long weekend??

getting used to the transition

Oh, how I miss mornings with you. I'm still getting used to the new job, catching up on stuff from the trip and figuring out my new schedule. I forgot how long it takes to adapt to change.

With that said, I LOVE the new job. Today is the start of day four but every day seems to get better and better. I think it will be a much more challenging job, which is good -- I like giving my brain a workout. But it also has so many other wonderful things about it, like its culture, people, benefits, etc.

I've got more time on my hands now but at different times so I'm just trying to figure out where things fit best. This whole transition has just really reminded me of how blessed I truly am. I think I buried that truth months ago but it is front page news now. P.s. this makes getting up every day so much easier. It's so easy to get caught up and let evil prevail sometimes but it is just not worth it!

Alright, off to day four. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about Cali either... the pictures are taking much longer than I thought {I may just forgo being picky and any editing}. And, thank you all for your sweet words of encouragement throughout this whole process. You all are such amazing individuals. I am so blessed to have your support and kindness. If I could, I would just squeeze you all to pieces but that might result in a broken computer.

Ciao bellas!

endings and new beginnings

Today was my last day at my old gig, which means tomorrow is the start of a new beginning! I am excited, nervous, sad, happy and all sorts of emotions. Pretty sure excitement is number one though--way up on the top of the list.

As I wrapped everything up today and said my goodbyes, things felt so strange. This is my first 'real' job transition. Don't get me wrong, I had about 10,000 jobs in college but leaving them and moving on wasn't much of anything {plus I liked to have as many jobs at one time as possible}. I just wasn't sure how to feel, what to say or what to expect, I guess. My mom actually referred to me a nomad yesterday when I told her I wasn't sad. I guess that's what happens when you go to four colleges, live in three towns and have 10,000 jobs in seven years. Moving on becomes normal.

But today moving on wasn't normal. It felt sad. My heart broke a little bit as I packed up my things, turned in my keys and said my real goodbyes. I felt human. It was sad but it felt good to miss it. It felt good to think of the things I've learned, the things God has taught me through my experiences. To realize it was just a piece of the puzzle.

 I won't miss my long commutes but I will miss talking to my mom every single day at 5 o'clock for an hour. I will miss my boss always answering things with 'that would be nice' when she wanted you to do something but wasn't going to tell you to do it. I will miss getting to play with crafts and little kid toys {I worked with early childhood education}. I will miss my coworkers and my little desk.

Tomorrow, however, is a brand new adventure. An adventure that I anticipate will be full. Full of new friendships, new experiences,  intensity, laughter, brain boggling predicaments. A new adventure that will stretch my brain and teach me a slew of new things. An adventure I can't wait to begin! AHH I am so excited!

Endings are bittersweet. But new beginnings are too exciting to miss.

Wish me luck ;)!

home sweet home

We're home! And, oh how good it feels. Don't get me wrong... I love being on vacation... in fact, I already miss it... but there is something that is so comforting and exciting to be back with my husband in our little house, with our wonderful friends, growing our babies plants big and strong, doing our stuff. I used to dread coming home from vacation but now it's nice. I like how perfectly imperfect our lives together are. It makes me smile.

But the vacay is over and it's official, I have gained what feels like 25 pounds, a massive sweet tooth and lack of self control. Ten days of eating tons of things I don’t normally eat {icecream, baked goods, butter, etc} and quantities I don’t normally eat {sure I’ll have thirds} does that to you.  Now I've just got to figure out how to kick the sweet tooth and get back to normal, yummy, veggie eating {as I sit here eating icecream and a half eaten supersized blow pop}.

California was awesome. I wish I would have had time to blog while we were there because now I feel like I have too much to tell but I didn’t… so I’ll have to give you some recaps...

that is after I go through and edit the ..oh... 1000+ pics we took...

Here are a few to tide you over until then!

cruisin' down Pacific Coast Highway

Monterrey Aquarium {I have never seen my husband more excited for something}

Farmer's Market at The Ferry Building

California Lovin'

We're here! After 14 hours of traveling, three planes and a lot of snacks, we made it!

I won't be posting much here but you can follow our travels on Instagram and Twitter - username is ckhurtig.

the big news

Have I made you wait long enough for my big news? Or, have you completely forgotten about it ;)?

So.. my big news is that I finally got a new job! WOO HOO! Some of you are thinking, so what? And, most of you had no idea I was even looking for a new job. And the rest of you, well you were there when I cried on your shoulder about needing a new job and celebrated with me after the big news... so you were in the know.

I needed to keep the entire process on the DL during the search. But I wanted to share it with you all now because having a job and looking for a job has completely consumed all of my time in the past few months. Hence, my absence here and on getting to know you all more through your wonderful blogs. Ugh.. how I've missed catching up on your day, learning something from you or just getting to know a little more about you. But alas, now that I've landed a new job... hopefully life will go back to having much needed free time.

Previously I worked about an hour away. I had made the commute every day for the past 2 years, plus some. It really started to break me after Mike and I got married. I started seeing the precious time I was losing with him. I made it worse too -- I would add up how much I was spending on gas, how much time I was losing by spending in it in my car, etc. etc. There were other things but the commute was the straw that broke the camel's back. I grew bitter, angry, frustrated, hopeless.

BUT.... that time is over. And now I am on my way to a new adventure. One that I anticipate will be exciting yet challenging; will open doors for new friendships; will surround me with lots of intelligent, hard working peeps. And not to rub it in, but they blow bubbles... have a ping pong table... and pop a cold one during the day. AH... I can't wait!

My sweet, sweet friends took me out Saturday to celebrate the exciting news. Mal, Anna and our hubbies ventured out to a somewhat new place in Raleigh called Babylon. The drinks were delicious, the atmosphere was fun and the food was edible but not the greatest. {Their veggie options were slim pickins} The night was so much fun and reminded me how blessed I am to have such wonderful friends and husband in my life -- but that's another blog post for another day! Yay for best friends and awesome husbands!