Give Thanks this Thanksgiving

I am so thankful today and every day for my family, friends and this little ole' blog! Enjoy today with those closest to you. Give thanks, eat pie ..and drink wine. Happy Thanksgiving! 

The Great Color Scheme Debate

There is one aspect of our wedding I keep going back and fourth on.. the bridesmaid dress colors. I have narrowed it down to 2 colors, both of which I love! I just cannot make a decision when it comes to the colors. One thing I do know for sure is I want navy incorporated into the wedding party. What I can't decide is if I want navy bridesmaid dresses or navy groomsman suits. Ah! Help!! Here are my ideas so far:

Option 1:
Navy bridesmaid dresses and black/gray/tan, I'm not sure what color suits for the groomsman. see, I told you I need help :)

Option 2:
Neutral bridesmaid dresses and navy groomsman suits. 

What are your thoughts on this? I have parts that I like about both combinations and parts I'm not sure about for both. My favorite color for suits is the navy and I love the neutral color dresses but I know that is a hard color to match for all of the girls skin tones. I also love the navy dresses but am not a big fan of the gray suits or tan because of the brick wall in our venue. You can see the venue here. I'm in a bit of a pickle. Side note- this is a fun "pickle" to be in. I know ultimately we can't go wrong with either color combo because our friends will look great in anything!! Since we have to make a decision though your thoughts are welcomed and wanted! 

Happy Wednesday friends! 

Stocking Stuffers: For Her

I'm linking up today with A Liz Adventures, Cheers Y'all, Miss Dixie and Southern Style today for These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things- Stocking Stuffer Edition! I like to keep things practical and mini for stocking stuffers. I know these are all things that would make any girl, including me, grin from ear to ear hint hint, Justin ;)

1. Worlds Softest Socks I'm not lying about the name.. they really are the worlds softest sock. The adorable pink pattern doesn't hurt either!  You can read this post about my love for these socks!! 

2. Eos Chapstick: You can't go wrong with chap stick! Every girl needs it and Eos is all the rave right now in the chapstick world. (: 

3. Mini Bath and Body Works Candel My go to candle this time of year is Fresh Balsam from bath and body works. If you haven't smelled it- TRUST ME. It will change your life. It is absolutely wonderful. The mini sizes are perfect for stocking stuffer's!! 

4. Kate Spade Coasters:  What girl wouldn't love these adorable Kate Spade coasters? They add the perfect pop of color to any room. 

5. Naked blush I love love love this blush!! ..and you guessed it, it's the perfect stocking stuffer size. 

6.  Mini Champagne Who says you can't add some bubbly to your stocking?! These mini bottles are the perfect size and just in time for the New Year. 

7. Butter nail polish I like to think practical and this my friends is practical. Every girl needs the perfect go to color nail polish. 

8. Pearls Maybe these are on my mind because I need a new pair.. seriously though. Every girl needs a pair of pearl earrings. I wear mine just about every day... actually who am I kidding? I wear the literally every day.

9. Tory Burch Clutch Do you want to make her squeal in excitement? This one will do it(: Take notes boys! 

My Favorite Vegetable and NC's as well: The Sweet Potato

I stumbled across an old Our State magazine back from 2012 that had an article, NC Sweet Potato Queen that caught my eye. You can read the article here.  Sweet potatoes have always been my favorite vegetable. I prefer a good ole sweet potato over a baked potato and sweet potato fries over normal fries any day. As long as I have adored a good sweet potato I had no idea that it was our state vegetable. Who am I kidding? I didn't even know NC HAD a state vegetable. (: When I found out we did indeed have a state vegetable and that it was the sweet potato and read the story behind how that came to be it instantly warmed my heart! We can thank a group of fourth graders in Wilson NC for persistently writing letters demanding legislators to name the sweet potato our state vegetable. After reading the sweet article it inspired me to do a little baking so I made my first attempt at a sweet potato pie. It turned out even better than I imagined and is definitely a new favorite! If you're looking for a dish to contribute to Thanksgiving meal look no further! 

Sweet Potato Pie 

1 pound sweet potato
1/2 cup butter, softened 
1 cup sugar 
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
1 9 inch unbaked pie crust 

Boil your sweet potato for 40 minutes or until done. Run cold water over the potato, remove the skin and break apart in a bowl. Add your softened butter and mix together. Stir in sugar, milk, eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until the mixture is smooth. Poor the filling in your unbaked pie crust and bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes. Enjoy! 

Five on Friday

I'm linking up this Friday for five on Friday. Thanks to the host: A.Liz Adventures, Carolina Charm, The Good Life, and Hello Happiness. Can I just say how excited I am that it is FRIDAY. To top it off it's jean day at work.. it's the little things. (:


One. Thanksgiving 

I'm so excited for Thanksgiving coming up in less than a week! I've been brainstorming what to bring to J's family Thanksgiving and have narrowed it down to cooked carrots or sweet potato casserole. I don't think you can go wrong with either. We are spending Thanksgiving day with Justin's family and then making the drive to Reidsville to spend the rest of the weekend with my family. I'm so excited for all of the cooking, a little black Friday shopping and time with our families! 

Two. Guest bedroom

I planned on starting to paint our guest bedroom this week but geez, I just have no energy after work! It didn't help I had appointments after the school day three times this week which caused me to get home even later. Anyways, I'm hoping, fingers crossed, to start painting this weekend. Right now there is no room in the house that is finished as far as decorating so I would like to at least get one room done. The guest room seems like a do-able task because it only requires a little paint, a night stand and some decorative pieces. 

Three. Flannel Sheets 

It has been so cold around here lately!! I found these adorable holiday flannel sheets at Target and knew I had to have them. Warm, cozy, soft.. I might not be leaving my bed after I get these on. 

Four. Ebates 

Have any of you ever used Ebates? I was skeptical of the sight for a while until one of my friends told me about their success. Now I LOVE it! It's free money and who doesn't like free money?! How it works is Ebates pays you cash back every time you shop online. For example a while back I bought a pair of Jack Rogers from Nordstrom online. Ebates sent me a check in the mail for a percentage of the purchase. I was going to buy those shoes whether I joined Ebates or not so why not get the free money?! If you want to try it out click here. ..and no, I was not asked or paid to say this. I just really love how it works! (: 

Five. Magazines 

I've always loved to pick up a good magazine but have never subscribed to any myself. I get all of the old Southern Livings and Southern Lady from my grandmother and mom but when they come in a month or two late it's just not the same. I finally signed up for a subscription to Southern Living. Yay for exciting mail days ahead! 

Wedding Wednesday: Engagement Photo's

I am so excited to share our engagement photo's I can hardly stand it! I love how all of them turned out. The hard part is trying to narrow it down to just one favorite for Save the Dates. [feel free to share your favorite!] Justin and I had our engagement pictures scheduled for back in October on the most perfect sunny 70 degree weather day. Truly, the PERFECT weather day. I guess that just wasn't in the cards for us though as our photographer came down with a bug and had to reschedule. Of course the day we picked to reschedule it was raining in Southport, where we wanted to take our pictures. After a little bit of panic and research we realized about an hour the opposite way it was nice and sunny in Murrells Inlet.  We talked to a few people and finally decided on heading to Huntington Beach State Park state park and to the marsh walk in Murrells Inlet. It ended up being the perfect location and the perfect day! We had so much fun taking the pictures and even got to sneak Henson into a few. 

I'd love to hear which one is your favorite! We just can't decide!

My Favorite Things: My Christmas Wish List

I'm linking up today with A Liz Adventures, Cheers Y'all, Miss Dixie and Southern Style today for These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things aka my Christmas wish list! 

1. Custom address stamp: New house, new last name (come August), new address stamp! It's only right to add this pretty stamp to my stationary collection! 

2. This blanket scarf has been on my wish list since LAST year. I have one with a similar plaid print but it's just not long enough to wear the way I would like to. This blanket one is PERFECT.

3. Naked eyeshadow: I am normally VERY cheap when it comes to eye shadow. Think $1 ELF brand. I don't like to splurge on eyeshadow so it would be the perfect gift! I've almost bought myself this pallet a few times and always ended up putting it back. 

4. Flats!:  For some reason I have had NO luck in the flats department this year. I wear flats to work almost every day. My shoes from last year are completely worn out so I have been on the hunt for a new pair. I have ordered {and returned} SO many pairs of flats this fall. I just can't find any I like. I need help! 

5. Pottery Barn Mercury vase: I'll make it easy and just say any home decor from pottery barn will have this girl smiling. We still have lots of decorating to do in our house! I do love these PB Mercury vases! 

6. Matte Hunter boots in dark green or black. I can't decide on the color but I have decided I want a pair! I have held out on the Hunter kick for a while but now with all the rain we get at the beach and all of the extra time spent outdoors with Henson I'm really wanting some rain boots! 

7. Camera: This is my biggest wish list item and also the one I want the most! It always works that way doesn't it(: I'm still researching brands to decide what would be best for me. I would love to have a nice camera to use when my I phone just can't do the trick. 

8. Socks: No, this is not a boring gift. I NEED/want socks!! My dad and I had a little miscommunication last year when I was moving my things home for summer that ended with ALL of my winter socks/hose/gloves, etc. to be donated to goodwill. I'm glad those things went to people in need however now I am also in need- of socks! (: 

9. Gloves: Those that know me know cold weather is NOT my thing. When the temperature falls below 50 I pull out the gloves, scarves, ear muffs, etc. I especially love these cute ones from Anthropologie. 

What's on your Christmas wish list? I'd love to see!! Link up and join the fun! 

Whiskey Punch

If you have a bourbon loving crowd I can assure you this drink is sure to be a hit. Even better it's easy to make. Dump it all in a jug, chill and serve. Easy enough! We served this Whiskey Punch at our engagement party and it's safe to say there was not any left at the end of the night! 

'

Whiskey Punch

1 (12 ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed and undiluted 

1 (12 ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed and undiluted 

1 cup lemon juice

1 quart bourbon 

1 (2 liter) Sprite 

Combine all ingredients except Sprite and chill. Stir in Sprite and serve over crushed ice. Enjoy! 

Five on Friday

I'm linking up this Friday for five on Friday. Thanks to the host: A.Liz Adventures, Carolina Charm, The Good Life, and Hello Happiness. Let's jump right in(:

One. Guacamole- get in my belly now 

I am majorly craving some homemade guacamole right about now. I have a busy wedding weekend coming up so it may be Sunday before I can fill this craving. ahh.. that seems too long! I've never made it myself but I'm tempted to try. Does anyone else make their own guac or am I better off heading to our local Mexican restaurant?

Two. Henson

Please look how much Henson has grown! If you don't know what he looked like before read here. He has been waking me up every morning about 5 minutes before my alarm goes off. I can't complain because waking up to puppy breath is heart warming!! (The sound of my alarm.. not so much) He has been doing this thing where he lays his head right on my neck when he wakes up and oh.my.goodness MELT my heart. I can't get enough. Love that little man(: 

Three. Christmas 

I know, I know... I'm one of those people talking about Christmas before Thanksgiving but I just can't help it. I went to a couples shower with a Christmas ornament theme a few weekends ago. As I was browsing a Christmas store in hunt of the perfect ornament I officially caught Christmas fever. How could you not when you are surrounded by Christmas trees, ornaments, Christmas music and Christmas potpourri.  

Four. Piko tops for the win

They (meaning all the important fashion people out there) have finally figured it out. I just bought 2 new piko tops because I've decided I could wear them every day. They are loose and comfortable but with fitted arms that flatter and so so soft. I currently have them in 5 colors and am still on the hunt for an olive green one. 7 days of the week calls for 7 colors right?! (; 

Five. Wedding Weekend 

Happy wedding weekend to this sweet couple! I can't wait to see Adam and Sam tie the knot this weekend. Justin is a groomsmen in their wedding so we will be attending the rehearsal dinner and wedding this weekend. Let the good times roll! (: 

The search for the perfect chair.

My mission last weekend was to find the perfect chair for our living room. Right now we have a couch and a love seat in our living room. It was very nice to have both and SO comfortable but I just didn't think we had quite enough room to fit both couches without looking cramped. Every way we would move them one of the arms of the couch would always overlap with the other. I was puzzled at what to do but thanks to my mom she had the great idea to move the love seat to Justin's man cave which needed more seating anyway and invest in a chair or possibly 2 for our living room. There are so many options out there for chairs it was hard to pick just one! I started out thinking I wanted a colored pattern to add some color. Right now our living room is mostly taupe, you know the same color all of my furniture/ decor and even shoes. (: I think that must be my favorite color. Ha! Anyways that brought me to a Bassett store where they have TONS of fabric options for their furniture. 

My favorite ended up being the red hounds tooth in the left corner. After lots of consideration though I decided to keep looking but this time at the opposite- a neutral color non pattern chair and ottoman. So the search continued and led me to these beauties.

Whitmore Wing Lindy Chair from Overstock here

 PB Arm chair from pottery barn here

After lots and lots of thought and consideration and discussion with Justin we knew we needed a chair that is comfortable to sit in after a long day of work and we could use for years to come. So ta da... here is our chair! It is the Bennington Chair and matching ottoman (not pictured). It should be arriving to our home in about a week! 

Wedding Wednesday

I can't believe it's already Wednesday! Having the day off work yesterday has me mixed up on my days of the week. Speaking of yesterday I hope everyone had a chance to thank a Veteran! Justin and I actually took our engagement pictures yesterday! I absolutely cannot wait to get them back and share!! 

I'm way late on this post but that is okay. Better late than never right?! When Justin and I got engaged I really wanted an opportunity to celebrate in my hometown with my close family and friends. It's rare we are able to get all of my childhood friends and bridesmaids together and I truly cherish the moment when we can. My parents threw us an "I Do BBQ" back in September. My mom and I worked together to plan all of the little details right down to invitations and a signature drink (which was bourbon lemonade and turned out to be the hit of the night.. recipe to come)  We had SUCH a good time celebrating with everyone! I would have more pictures of the set up but like I said I was just so excited to see everyone and celebrate that by the time I started taking pictures of the food and decorations it was getting dark. My mom was able to light up our back deck and yard using string lights and lanterns. I'm sad I couldn't capture that in a picture but the laughs and conversations with old friends makes it worth it. I did get lots of pictures of everyone though so I'll let those do the talking. (: 

My little in ZTA, my big and myself were all engaged when this picture was taken(: 

So what happens when this many girls get together? Oh you know, just a little Shania Twain, TLC and Spice Girl song and dance session. I am so thankful for such a loving group of family and friends! Thank you for making this night so special for Justin and I! 

Pineapple Cheese Ball

I'm always on the lookout for appetizers that are not too complicated and not over original. With the holiday season coming up I know there will be lots of opportunities for parties and small get togethers. Today I'm sharing my moms pineapple cheese ball recipe that is just perfect if you are looking for a simple but delicious appetizer! 

Pineapple Cheese Ball 

2 eight ounce packages cream cheese (softened) 

1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper 

1 teaspoon seasoned salt (optional) 

1 8 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained 

2 tablespoons finely chopped onion 

3/4 cup chopped pecans 

Combine all ingredients but pecans, mixing well. Shape mixture into a ball and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Rollin chopped pecans and serve with crackers. Enjoy!