The Must List, The OBX Special

This week's Must List is dedicated to the Outer Banks, my favorite place to vacation!!

1. New York Pizza Pub Restaurant
My favorite place!!! Delicious pizza! Amazing strawberry smoothies! Garlic knots that make you want to die in caloric heaven!! It's the perfect mix of NYC and the beach. Half the restaurant is decorated with billboards about fish or the ocean. There's even a gigantic wall mural of the Wright Brothers flying. Then, the other half is decorated to represent New York with subway stop signs and other trinkets. You have to try this place. Make sure to ask for booth seating.

2. Driftin' Sands Motel
Hey, it's cheap and it's really clean!! It has a TV with cable, a bathroom with the most powerful shower ever invented, a comfy bed, and not so ugly carpet. And, the price was totally worth an extra, stress free day at the beach! Peace!

3. Duck Donuts
Yum, yum, yum!!! This place is amazing!! Homemade donuts never got better. Definitely try the cinnamon sugar one. Plus, a decent price for some taste bud-melting, warm and snuggly, sugary sweetness. I'm not a big donut fan, but I would happily shell out cash I don't have for more of these treats!!

4. Sunscents Candles, Body, and Bath
Buy a candle or maybe three. I bought one with a bejeweled seashell pattern on the outside. And once the candle has burned all the way, it turned into a drinking glass!!! What fun!! Kate got herself a behemoth of a candle that was sprinkled with crushed coffee beans. They also had lampshades that fit over large glass candles made of stained glass to cast beautiful shadows of colored light. The lampshades also redirected heat so that your candle burns slower and lasts longer!!

5. Kitty Hawk Kites
You can't go to Jockey Ridge without getting a kite from Kitty Hawk Kites. I bought a sleepy kitten-shaped kite from them long ago, and I still love it and try to use today! They have every imaginable type, shape, and color of kite one could possibly desire!

My kite is on the right

6. Sunset Bar and Raw Grill
The perfect place to see the sunset!!! Plus, karaoke and open mic nights with good fun and crazy drinks! Personally, I've only had a virgin strawberry daiquiri, and it was delicious! They have a large pier and a gazebo situated in the Sound for the most amazing sunset you'll ever witness.

Taken from the Sunset Bar's website

7. Outer Barks
There had to be a number 7 for this one. It's the Outer Barks store - a store catered to dogs... and a little bit to cats. Bring your dog into the store and shop with your pet until you drop! There are treats, toys for you and him, welcome mats, even something for the deceased pet in your life. For animal lovers everywhere, Outer Barks is the place to be.

The Must List, July 15

This week's Must List has a little Christianity, a little book reading, and a little romance.

1. Bethlehem Baptist Church podcasts
I couldn't get by without these!! I still haven't found a church for me in my new community, but I can always rely on these podcasts. Rev. Dickie Spargo preaches nearly every Sunday at the church where I found the true meaning of Christ and through these podcasts, I never miss a sermon. They download directly to my iTunes every week. I would definitely, definitely recommend the "Why I..." sermon and my absolutle favorite "Marry Well" from September 2010.

2. Surprise flowers
Yesterday, I had a down day. I was consumed by this horrible mood swing that lasted all day. I got nearly nothing done and basically spent my entire time rebuilding my unhealthy relationship with my Instant NetFlix account. I sent Stuart a warning text that I was having a horrible day and that to bring home something nice would be very much appreciated. And, that boy delivered! I got a small Cherry Berry Chiller, Bojangles for dinner, sliced watermelon for dessert, and a beautiful, vibrant bouquet of flowers!!! :)

3. The Devil Wears Prada, the novel
I can't put this book down! It took me a few pages to get into it, but once I did... it's addicting!!! I even had a dream that I had an evil boss who called my cell phone constantly with absurd and rude requests on her behalf. You definitely want to read this. Then, go out and rent the movie even if you've already seen it.

4. Homemade pizza
Stuart and I made homemade pizza the other team, and it was DELICIOUS!! Get yourself a can of Pillsbury pizza dough in the refrigerated section, mozzarella cheese, whatever toppings you want, and sauce. Since the official "pizza sauce" is usually too sweet, Stuart tried our usual spaghetti sauce: Ragu Robusto! Parmesan & Romano. It's the perfect spaghetti sauce, and I say that with the full knowledge that Stuart enjoys it and he knows that it comes out of a can. Still, I was skeptical that it could work as a pizza sauce, but hey...  it did! It had a familiar taste with a restaurant pizza that I can't place. Success!

5. A-Team on DVD
Both Stuart and I were skeptical about the quality of this movie, but once again, Liam Neeson didn't let us down!! It was incredibly witty, intense, action-packed, and surprisingly intelligent. Even Stuart had very few criticisms about the weaponry use and tactics that occurred on-screen. Check it out!!

6. Wii Sports Resort game
This is the latest purchase Stuart and I plan to make!! Our choices of Wii games have grown a bit stale, and two of them cannot be played by more than one person, and one has games that are only single player as well. So, we have decided to pool our money together for the action-packed, intensely fun, and gets-you-off-your-butt game of Wii Sports Resort!! We haven't been this excited about spending money since purchasing a hamster... and I do believe that excitement was mostly one-sided. But seriously, how can you not be excited about a video game that lets you throw a Frisbee to a dog? That's just awesome!! Stuart and I desperately want a dog, and here's a video game that lets us have one for as long as we want to play without making our landlord upset. Plus, archery!!! WOHOO! Seriously, we're excited!! Wii party at our place!