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.

Cabin Fever

It's Monday, friends! I hope you enjoyed your weekend. In honor of Thanksgiving (and my golden BIRTHDAY) coming up, I've been spending some time thinking about all of the things I have to be thankful for, and this past weekend was one of the many things on my list! The individuals in the photos above our Will and I's close group of friends. All of the guys were on the soccer team with Will at NC State and have known each other for years. Because we all moved in different directions after college and started to "settle down" in life, we (mainly the guys) came up with a plan; every couple of months we get together and go on a trip that one of the couples plans. 

The last trip we did was a weekend at the beach. This time we headed to a city called Brevard in NC, a place I had never heard of but fell in love with once we arrived. I seriously want a mountain house after spending a few days in this precious little town. We ate to much delicious food, drank a fair amount of wine, sat around the fire and made smores, hiked to the top of a mountain and even visited one of the waterfalls where The Hunger Games was filmed. But no matter what we did or where we were, we always had fun together.

On another note, I have to mention the sweater I wore in the pictures above. I received this ahhhmazing piece from the Palm Tree Boutique and it's hands down my favorite item in my closet right now. It's not only the softest sweater I own, but also the perfect piece to wear when you want to bundle up and stay warm. Pair it with leggings and tall riding boots and you're all set. I wore it all day on Saturday and may have even slept in it that night....#dontjudgeme. And you just can't beat the pop of pink, the little pocket detail and the patterns which make this sweater very unique.

From now until the end of November you can shop and save 15% on their site! At checkout use the code SSM15% and viloa! You have new pieces to add to your winter wardrobe :) 

Game Day Ensemble

Is it really November, y'all?! I can't believe how fast the months have been flying by. Before we know it, we will be ringing in the New Year...and that just blows me away. In other news, I've had football on my mind recently. Why? Because my fiance is obsessed with the sport and I love cheering on sports teams, the Panthers in particular. Ever since I moved to Charlotte, I have been dying to go to Panthers games. I've only been to ONE when they played against the Green Bay Packers and have been wanting to go back to another one ever since.

There is something about attending football games that gets me eeeexciteeeedd! First there are the tailgates. Every where you turn you'll see crowds of people grilling hamburgers and hot dogs, playing corn-hole and drinking ice cold beverages. But the first thing I always notice is the sport fans "game gear".

Whether you're in the stadium cheering hooting and hollering, snuggled up on a couch or gathered around a restaurant table with friends rooting for your team, it seems that everyone has some sort of team spirit to showcase! And for me, this is key and all starts with a jersey. Lucky for us ladies, a company called Fanatic's has sport related clothing for both men and women and my favorite; a wide selection of NFL jerseys to choose from!

I don't know about you but I like to be both comfy and put together when attending sporting events. The time of year for football season is when you can likely expect colder temperatures so it's important to dress warm. But how do you dress warm and maintain your sense of style at the same time? I personally like to style my outfit around my top first, and in this case, a Carolina Panthers jersey.

Not only do I like the color scheme (Black, Blue, Silver and White), but this jersey is made to fit a lady. To compliment the jersey, I would pair it with jeans. You can also expect to do a lot of walking and standing so it's important to wear shoes that provide just the right amount of comfort and support.

The last time I attended a sporting event, I brought an oversize handbag with me. BIG MISTAKE! Not even halfway through the game was I sick and tired of carrying it around and regretted the decision immediately. Keep that in mind, y'all! Carrying a smaller handbag will be a blessing in disguise!

And then there are the final touches to the outfit that you can't forget about. These are the little things like nail polish to match the teams colors, a touch of color for your lips and small jewelry to bring out your feminine side to your football-inspired outfit.

What sports teams do you pull for and how do you dress to showcase your loyalty to a sports team? Don't have any attire or accessories to show your team spirit? Even if you do, I highly recommend checking out Fanatics! They can help with your game day style and have a wide variety of options to choose from when it comes to all things sports apparel and fan merchandise.