While Rob and I were in Roanoke last weekend, my friend Erin came over for an afternoon of Halloween crafts and wine! She and I went to college together and have barely had a chance to catch up since she moved back to the United States from Wales this past year, so it was really nice hanging out with her. 

With Halloween right around the corner, I wanted to do something easy and fun with pumpkins that didn't involve carving them, so I set us up with some glue, glitter, spray paint, and jewels. I don't usually make time for any crafty projects, and every time I do, I'm always amazed by how fun it can be to get creative and try something new. It really does make for a terrific friend date, so grab a girlfriend this weekend, pour a couple glasses of wine, and glitter yourself a little pumpkin!

The only downside to this method of decorating pumpkins is that you don't get to roast the seeds after you're done! But it was really fast and super easy to clean up, so I think it's perfect for a last-minute Halloween idea. I'm sharing detailed steps and instructions today on The La Crema Blog, so head over there next to make your own!

This post is brought to you in partnership with La Crema.

Photos by Sarah Gatrell of Photo + Love.

Last week I visited my parents' house and had some friends over for a s'mores party! My brother built a campfire and I created a quick and fun menu of different s'mores for us to try. We made PB&J s'mores, bacon s'mores, salted caramel s'mores, and even a bananas foster s'more!

La Crema sent several bottles of their Pinot Noir and we had such a great time by the fire, drinking wine and eating way too much sugar. My friend Chad was even in town from Connecticut, so I got to see him for the first time since my wedding--and I hadn't seen my friends Matt or Tony since then, either. The whole thing felt like a big, awesome reunion (with roasted marshmallows). 

This post was sponsored by La Crema. Thank you so much for your support as I continue to work with brands. Visit the La Crema blog to get the recipes for all of our s'mores creations!

And for La Crema, the end of summer also means wine grape harvest! Now you can participate in this exciting time of year in Wine Country by signing up for La Crema's Virtual Vintner program. Join the virtual winemaking community and set the course for a totally new crowd-sourced creation from La Crema.

Photos by Photo + Love for Freckled Italian.

One of Rob's college roommates got married in Williamsburg over the weekend, so we left a few days early to spend some time in Roanoke. Our flight from Charlotte got cancelled and we ended up renting a car and driving the quick three hours up 81 so we didn't have to wait any longer to be in Roanoke. Before leaving Charlotte, we stopped at Tenders, an awesome little chicken restaurant that my friend Shawna would take us all to when we visited her at Davidson for Spring Frolics every year. Then we were on the road, enjoying the gorgeous scenery that North Carolina and Virginia always has to offer in the spring and summer.

We finally made it to Roanoke and spent some time gathered around in my parents' kitchen, which is one of my favorite places to be. Our neighbor's dog (and Rocky's old best friend), Bentley, came over to say hi and it made me happy and sad at the same time. It's pretty hard to believe that Rocky's been gone almost half a year already. But it was lovely to spend time at home that didn't involve wedding planning. Rob and I each invited one friend over for dinner the next day and we all had such a great time catching up.

The next day I got my hair cut and hung out with my mom. We did some grocery shopping after lunch--it's not a Roanoke visit without at least one stop at Beamer's! My current favorite is the Reuben burger.

This weekend was one that was happy and fun and full of nostalgia--so many college friends, so many hilarious stories and memories shared over beers and glasses of wine on Saturday night and a hotel breakfast on Sunday morning. On our way to Williamsburg, we stopped for just a few minutes to see my friend Emma in Charlottesville.

It's always so nice to be home.