St. Patty's Weekend in Columbia

I can honestly say that driving a total of 1,000 miles and being in a car for almost 16 hours is well worth a weekend in Columbia, SC. Especially if that weekend happens to be St. Patty's Day in Five Points. Not to mention, I got to spend some time with my fam. It was much needed and much appreciated.

On Friday, we left DC at 8:30 a.m. This was an accomplishment in and of itself. With the Starbucks and conversations flowing, we made it to SC in about eight hours. Not bad at all considering the stops we made and the little amount of rain we encountered. I dropped Christa and MK off in Columbia and headed to L-Town.. what?*

Then, I got to meet this guy. Love at first sight. His name is Cooper and he is one year old. My parents rescued him from the pound and he is a big ball of love. He loved to pose. :)

I could have stolen Cooper and never given him back; I love him so much. He is the sweetest, most adorable puppy ever. He is a Petit Griffon Basset Vendeen, which means small, low to the ground, rough or wire coated and from the area of France called Vendeen. I can't wait to see him again!

After the love fest with Cooper, we went to dinner and then came home to relax. It felt nice just to be in my parent's house, since I hadn't visited since Christmas.

On Saturday, I drove downtown to Samantha's apartment. We had Chick-fil-a bisquits, mimosas and bellinis while everyone finished up getting ready to head out. We went to a few friends' houses before making it down to the actual festival, and we had a blast! I feel like I saw alot of people, but there were still so many friends I would have liked to have spent time with. It's so hard to see everyone in just one day. And, the friends that I did see, I definitely wished I could have visited for longer. Hopefully I will make it down to Columbia again in the next few months. Here are a few photos from the day.

And, here is a little throwback. So glad the weather was better this year!

On Sunday, I woke up pretty early to drive back home. I wanted to spend just a bit more time with my parents and Cooper before heading back to DC. My dad surprised me with a carwash, which was much needed. All the snow we've had this winter has taken it's toll on the cleanliness of my black car. It has been caked in salt from the roads for months now. So, thanks Dad, even though I ruined the surprise!

The drive back was not bad at all. It took about the same amount of time, and was filled with lots of funny stories and moments that are all too ridiculous to mention on my blog. If you know Christa, you know it was an entertaining ride. Just ask poor Keith, who rode back with us. The only guy, riding in a car with three girls, talking about God knows what for hours. You get my point.

On a separate note, I am excited to mention that I have a few friends getting married this summer and fall! A big congratulations to Megan R. and Megan H., whose weddings are in July and Lauren B. whose wedding is in October! I know I'll (hopefully) be able to participate in at least two more of these traditions below.

This is Meredith's wedding to Paul last August. It's a ZTA tradition. Love you Merey!

Y'all have a great day! I'll be posting about homemade pizza later on. A big thanks to Mom for surprising me with my very own pizza stone! Can't wait to try it out!

*Get it? L-Town.. what? OK, you really only get it if you went to LHS. Or ever went to a sporting event associated with the school. Or town, for that matter. Alright, let's move on.