An Engagement Party

What a successful weekend, y'all! All month, Will and I have been looking forward to our engagement party which was put together by my mom, my future mother-in-law and maid of honor. Thankfully, my mom was able to come up to Charlotte on Friday and we did some last minute shopping and errand running, and because my mom is so good at keeping us on schedule, we were able to join Will and a few of his family members for a casual dinner at Taco Mac before calling it a night!

Saturday we woke up, picked up breakfast, and while we got ready, my mom, Mary Lou and Emily were at the clubhouse where our party was held setting everything up. Everything and I mean everything turned out so perfect! We had around 40 of our closest family and friends there, the decorations were beyond amazing and all of the little details that were incorporated into the party brought such big smiles to our faces. I mean...take a look at the napkins Emily got made for us and the tree stumps the drink dispensers sat on. I was #obsessed!

All of the food was homemade and perfectly southern. From the green beans, mac-n-cheese, and cornbread, all the way down to the pimento cheese, pasta salad, bbq and banana pudding, everything was lip smackin' good!

One of the most memorable parts of our engagement party, besides having our loved ones there was when we played the newlywed shoe game. Every party needs at least one game played and I loved that some other couples joined in on the fun. Everyone's answers to the questions had be laughing hysterically and I'm so glad that I have a few photos to look back at.

 

Oh and let me take a minute to tell you about the dress I wore to the party, which was from The Palm Tree Boutique. Considering the theme for our day (an I Do BBQ), I wanted to wear something that was comfortable but still felt dressy to me. I know, I know...usually brides-to-be incorporate white or some sort of cream color into their outfit, but this 'All I Could Ever Need' dress in Pumpkin was just perfect considering Thanksgiving is days away! And I honestly don't have anything in this color and was really excited about wearing this dress as soon as it arrived at my doorstep.

Now until the end of November you can receive 15% off when you use the code SSM15% at checkout, and shipping on orders $50 or more are always free! With the seasons changing and temperatures dropping you are bound to find something you love. I have my eyes on this sweater, this adorable dress and this hat!

And a special thank you to Caitlin for taking all of these photos for me! I will treasure them forever.

Kendra's Fashion Challenge: Epcot Edition

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Planning a vacation (near or far) can be a daunting task. Having to make sure your packed everything can really bring on the stress, especially if your like me and always feel like you are forgetting something. But one thing that never gets in the way of the fun in planning is figuring out all the outfits I plan to wear. So when Kendra Thornton reached out to be to participate in the "Kendra's Fashion Challenge", I jumped on the opportunity right away! I mean...who wouldn't want to play "virtual stylist" for the day?!

Who is Kendra Thornton and what is this challenge all about? Let me give you the 411. Kendra (the blonde in the photo below) is a well known travel expert who regularly appears on ABC, NBC and the CW and has made guest appearances on TV shows such as The Tyra Banks Show and The Nate Show offering travel tips and special deals.

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The challenge is focused around her upcoming trip this spring with her hubby and three children to Epcot; Disney's Theme Park in Florida. The task is to put together a wardrobe that will complement Kendra's travel plans, while still allowing her to be fashionable yet functional with a unique twist! My aim is to create a day and evening look that screams Florida "chic". While brainstorming outfit ideas, I did have one goal in mind; to create a look that was both comfortable and put together. The whole point is to have an effortlessly styled look while always being camera ready right? ;)

But before I dive into the looks, I wanted to mention Gogobot, a site that Kendra told me she used to read reviews for planning her trip. I even checked it out and it's quite an impressive site. You should check it out after you finish reading this post!

LOOK ONE: EPCOT BY DAY

One thing Kendra told me was that she and her family would be enjoying a few holes of golf and going to the Circle of Life: Nature Needs Our Help show, and with that information I knew that I wanted to base her look around a wildlife theme. Anyone who has been to Florida knows that the sun sure does know how to shine so the first thing I wanted to do was make sure Kendra has the basics: a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. This safari hat is stylish and the perfect size for all day wear, and the Ray-Ban aviators are a classic and timeless piece. The sunscreen comes in a spray and can be conveniently stored away in this adorable oversize tote.

Now that we have our "must haves", it's time to talk about clothing. For Kendra, I decided to keep things simple. In my opinion, a girl can never go wrong with cuffed jean shorts, a cozy white top, paired with flats (animal print duh!) or little booties. It's so easy to put this look together and allows room for you to have fun when selecting your accessories. And just to be safe, I threw in a jacket and infinity scarf in case it gets windy in the afternoon.

Onto the accessories and finishing touches! This is were I tried to pull together the wildlife theme. I mean really...look at how fab that little safari animal bangle, elephant necklace and Lion King ring are! Don't they just scream HAKUNA MATATA?! And because Kendra and her family have places to go and things to see, I couldn't forget to add a watch so she can keep track of the time!

Epot by Day by mscheek featuring Dorothy Perkins

LOOK TWO: COCKTAIL DATE NIGHT

After a busy and exhausting day, I feel Kendra and her husband deserve some quality time together away from the kids. This calls for a cocktail (or two) date night. For Kendra's evening look, I wanted to come up with something that yelled "Glitz and Glam" and this look does just that. From the sequin embellished top, white jeans, T-strap heels and pretty in pink baubles, Mr. Thornton will be far from complaining. In terms of hair and makeup, I thought that a light perfume, a bright pink lip and a more natural eye color would be most ideal to seal the look. Do you agree?

Cocktails at Night by mscheek featuring Paul & Joe Beaute

 

That's all friends! What did you think of all that I put together? Do you feel that I accomplished the looks I was going for? And a huge thanks to Kendra for giving me the opportunity to participate! I had so much fun being your virtual stylist" for the day!!