Thursday Thoughts: The Blog Dilemma

I feel stuck in a rut. A blog-less, unmotivated rut. I haven't been consistently blogging for over a year now, and it drives me nuts. It was so easy when we had a ton of wedding events happening, and lots going on. But now I battle a lack of inspiration vs. being in the moment. Chronicling things takes a lot of preparation and time. I was going to do a much better job of documenting the cruise for example, but decided once I was there to be more present and not worry about hauling my camera around 24/7. Sometimes I wonder if I should just stop blogging altogether and just do Instagram, but that doesn't feel quite right.

But I like documenting things, too! This is my little diary of sorts so it's important to me to keep a record of what's going on in my world. I have to admit, I'm feeling a little discouraged by the Facebook algorithm changes. I'm finally seeing the effects of it after skating by for so long with no repercussions. And is it time to shift focus? What should I be covering, and what do you want to see? I love creating content. It is so fun to me. But I also want to see results, and create content that people want to engage in. That's the goal-setter in me, I suppose! 

So give me some tips: what do you do when you feel uninspired, or are seeking motivation for a new direction? What would you like to see more or less of in this space? I'd love to hear from you via email, comments below, or through social media! Don't hesitate to reach out!

Let's Conference w/ ATL Girl Gang & Your Social Team

Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending the first ever Let's Conference at Factory Atlanta with my friend Kelly, owner and #BossBabe of Mint in Dublin. It was the "best Sunday ever" full of empowering speakers, yummy food, beautiful decor, and lots of inspiration! The space was designed to be super cool, even though it wasn't due to a lack of AC that made us all glisten throughout the day. 

Jeni Britton Bauer of Jeni's Ice Cream

We started off the day with panels and key note speakers, followed by a delish brunch from Fox Bros. BBQ. There were networking breaks, as well as time for ice cream from Jeni's Ice Cream {the Frosé was amaze!}. The networking space was broken into a couple of sections include the Babe Board which featured Polaroids of attendees and their Instagram handles plus a cute sitting area, two different balloon backgrounds, a beautiful ribbon backdrop, and even a photo booth inside a vintage bus! Everything was absolutely beautiful, and it was a great to see so many strong women together and meet other bloggers--it definitely motivated me to get back into the swing of things!

 

Dress: Buddy Love from Mint, Similar dress here | Earrings: Lisi Lerch Ginger in Gold | Bracelet: Sheila Fajl and Charleston Rice Beads

Four Years a Blog

Surprise! The blog is four years old! Who knew the blog birthday would end up being at such an exciting week of wedding memories, too. To celebrate, I wanted to share a few things about myself that you may or may not know, as well as a few of the most popular blog posts for those who are new around here! 

The top four most popular blog pasts are: Invited to Party {a Pinterest success!}, I never thought I'd write this blog post, Bridal Portraits, and Being a Bride: Lauren. I love that these are the most popular because they were truly lifetime memory milestones for me. Invited to Party displayed the amazing bachelorette and bridal shower invites designed for me by my bestie. This shower and my bachelorette weekend were two of my favorite wedding memories. 

Sandwiched in the middle is the moving to Dublin announcement, and  the post previewing my bridal portraits. Big deals, and big days for me. Deciding to move was hard. Deciding to marry Christopher wasn't. Both were happy times that had special, unique challenges associated with them. One thing the blog does for me that I'm so thankful for is the chronicling of my life: the good, the bad, the scary, the exciting. Highs and lows, life is definitely a roller coaster {which is something I love...roller coasters that is. And life, too, of course!}

The fourth most popular post of all time is my bridal feature on sweet Lauren! Not only has she been a blessing to me as a sweet social media/blog friend, but she's been a warm smile for my own mother when I have been many hours away, and I'm so thankful for the fate that brought us together. If you'd like to share your own unique wedding or pre-wedding event, send me an email and I'll share the questionnaire! 

Now for a few things about me that you might not know....My dream concert would be Rod Stewart and Fleetwood Mac, followed by Hootie & the Blowfish. I love all things sweet, but will eat sour candy until my tongue hurts. I have really terrible print handwriting, and write almost exclusively in cursive. I dream of traveling to Greece someday {my people! Maybe...}. I love the smell of cold in the freezer section at the grocery store. I love roller coasters, but am terrified of heights. My biggest fear is definitely snakes, followed closely by pretty much anything else without legs. My hidden talent is making my eye squeak similarly to how people can squeak their arm pit. I also taught myself how to do that flower thing with my tongue. 

I love the Backstreet Boys, cake, gin, and hot dogs. I'm not really a shoe person. I collect clothes, deviled egg plates, tubes of lipstick. I bite my nails, and can fall asleep almost anywhere. I love trashy reality TV {have you seen Mama June?!}, hot fudge sundaes from Dairy Queen, and pictures. Instagram is my favorite social media platform, and Snapchat is probably my least favorite. I sleep with too many pillows according to my husband, and drink four cups of coffee each morning for breakfast. 

So to help me celebrate four years of sharing my little life with the world, would you do something for me? Would you help me grow the blog in one {or all!} of four ways?

1. Like Starting Out Southern on Facebook
2. Follow me on Instagram @piperellice
3. Follow me on Twitter @piperellice 
4. Subscribe to get email notifications of new posts and other updates {box to the right of this post!}

Your support not only encourages me, but also the awesome brands I've been so lucky to work with over the last year or so! I love hearing from you, and have been surprised so many times lately with new friends and acquaintances reaching out and letting me know how much they enjoy my content. Always feel free to leave a comment, share a post you enjoy, pin an idea, or chat me up!

Most Popular Posts of 2016

2016: what a year! I know the world is ready to see it go, but I really liked 2016 for the most part! Christopher and I really had a lot of great things happen to us and our families this year, and it was such a year of growth. For us, 2016 was a great foundation for good things to come in 2017. I love that feeling of something huge coming up over the horizon.

Here's a quick look back on my 2016, through the lens of my most popular blog posts! Thanks as always to my faithful friends, followers, and readers, you really helped this blog make some huge strides this year! I set a lot of personal goals for myself and Starting Out Southern this year, and without you, they wouldn't have been reached. I'd love to hear some feedback in the comments about what you'd like to to see more of in 2017 or any questions you have about me/the blog/the life!

January: Being a Bride | Megan     My first "Being a Bride" post featured Megan, one of my Phi Mu sisters. The popularity of her post in January immediately helped me land more posts on the topic, and solidified the wedding theme for this year on the blog.
February: Being a Bride | Emily     Emily's post was another popular "Being a Bride" feature. I think it speaks to the fact that people come to blogs to get to know other people! It's a social setting, so don't hesitate to comment, email, reach out on social media, etc. If you'd like to be the next bride, click the connect tab at the top of the page to email me today!
March: Invited to Party     By March, the wedding festivities were in full swing. This post featured the best friend designed invitations to one of my showers and my bachelorette weekend. I have been blown away all year at the popularity of this post. It's literally been pinned over 100 times--that's amazingly high for a personal pin from my blog!
April: Prom 2k16     I'm not surprised this was the most popular post in April; with a prom dress like that, of course it would be!
May: Bridal Portraits     My first true peak into our wonderful wedding was my bridal portraits post. Shared just after our honeymoon recap, this popular post in May set the tone for the chronicling of our wedding weekend as a faithful summer post.
June: Wedding Video     I'm so glad our wedding video was so well received because I LOVED it. I sometimes go back and watch it randomly just to get some lovey-dovey feels for the day.
July: Our First Look     We did a non-traditional first look at our wedding, which I think aided in the high readership of this post. It was a truly unique moment! If you missed out, here's your chance to find out what it was all about!
August: Black Transitional Dress     This was one of my first true styled outfit posts. How scary! As much of myself as I put out there on the Internet, doing a self-styled post was truly nerve wracking. But the positive response encouraged a few more throughout the year, and I look forward to including more looks in 2017's post line-up.
September: Christmas List     I would have been sad if this one hadn't been a hit, as one of my top five posts of all time is a Christmas list! I guess I know how to pick good gifts!
October: Hurricane Matthew     A "real-life" blog post, Hurricane Matthew was a hot topic for a few weeks. I'm thankful we didn't sustain any structural damage to our home, and that all of our friends and family were safe through the storm.
November: Being a Bride | Lauren     One of my favorite "Being a Bride" posts was my sweet friend Lauren's. Isn't she stunning?!
December: Trimming the Tree with Walker Boutique     This post is one that I'm probably the most proud of from 2016. It had been my goal this year to develop relationships with some of my favorite businesses and to work with them to bring their awesomeness to the blog. I'm so grateful Walker Boutique was excited to work with me too, and I can't wait to do more posts like this in the future.

And again, thank you to my full time life photographers {the hubs and the bff}, the consistent Facebook promoters {you know who you are!}, and those newbies who have just started stopping by. I appreciate every page click, Facebook like, or post share--they really do make a difference in helping this grow!

Being a Bride: Lauren

all photos by Jesse Nichols Photography

Bride: Lauren Kirven Snipes
Groom: Forrest Snipes
Wedding Date: August 20th, 2016
Total number in wedding party: 18
Total guests: 250
Ceremony: Greenwood Baptist Church in Florence, SC
Reception: The Hellenic Center, Florence, SC


How you met, and the proposal: 
In the Spring of 2014, I was teaching a Bible study of women in my town. A sweet friend of mine was participating and mentioned one evening that she knew the perfect man for me. At the time, she was serving on a team with Forrest at our church, and flat out told him one Sunday morning that he should meet me. We met on Good Friday after a church service and the rest is history.

Our proposal was almost derailed by me coming down with a horrible sinus infection the day before. I stayed home from work and, to my surprise, so did Forrest. He waited on me hand and foot, took me to the doctor and tried his best to nurse me back to health. Little did I know, he planned to propose the very next afternoon! {I suppose that’s why he was so relieved when my flu test came back negative!}

Forrest told me that he’d like us to go to our local state park to spend some time enjoying the Fall weather and reading our Bibles together. While this may sound out of the ordinary to some, it seemed completely normal to me! Forrest is known for being quite the romantic- and one of our favorite things to do is spend time in the Word together. This place was also so very special to us- we had one of our very first dates there- a canoe excursion!

We walked to the very end of the suspension bridge and he pulled out his Bible, then handed me a brand- new one. He explained that he wanted to get me a surprise, and he already planned what we should read together. Again, this wasn’t out of the ordinary. Forrest knows my love for the Word, and for surprises! He opened the Bible to 1 Corinthians Chapter 13, The Love Chapter. Written at the top and highlighted in pink were the words “Will You Marry Me?” As soon as I read the words, Forrest was down on one knee. The next moments were fuzzy- lots of tears and squeals and giggles- and of course, a loud, resounding “YES!”

We spent the next hour by ourselves enjoying our engagement, then traveled to Forrest’s parent’s home in a neighboring town to celebrate with both of our families. It was a precious and joyous time we’ll never forget.

What was the best bridal/pre-wedding event you attended, and why?  
I was absolutely blessed beyond measure to have seven gorgeous bridal showers. While each of them were precious and so very sweet, my bachelorette was one for the books! My best friend and MOH, Katlyn, hosted us for the weekend at her stunning home in Bluffton, South Carolina. It was a picture perfect weekend and so special having all of my best girls under one roof.

What was something  that made your day special?
One of my favorite weddings traditions in the South is the Cake Pull. My sweet aunts hosted a bridal brunch for myself and my maids on the day before the wedding and incorporated this sweet tradition for us to enjoy. For those not familiar- a cake was baked and small charms, attached to individual ribbons, were inserted in the sides. Each bridesmaid, friend and family member present at the brunch pulled a ribbon, exposing the charm that “predicted their future.” In my opinion, a cake pull is like a Southern Girl’s fortune cookie. We had the best time laughing over each charm pulled.

What was the best wedding gift you received?
During my bridal brunch, my mother presented me with a tiny box. Inside the box was a safety pin with a delicate gold heart attached. She explained that, on the day I was born, my Granddaddy purchased a necklace containing the charm. She saved it for 24 years for me to wear on my wedding day. Since we lost my Grandfather to Alzheimer’s years ago, it was incredibly precious to wear a piece of him on my special day. We ended up pinning it to the crinoline underneath my dress- it felt like he was right there with me!

What inspired your wedding day?
I love all things pretty- including- but not limited to-  all shades of pink, navy blue, gold and glitter. We wanted our wedding to feel deeply personal, yet welcoming. The rich pink of our flowers and elegant gold accents on the tables felt pulled together, yet warm. It was a dream.

What is something you couldn’t live without for your wedding day?
There is absolutely NO WAY our wedding could have gone on without our biscuit bar.   As a southern girl, biscuits are a part of my heritage! No gathering is complete with a warm plate full of buttermilk treats and jams to match. We felt that our heart for hospitality was displayed by our carefully selected menu. We wanted everyone to feel like they were sitting down for a large Sunday afternoon lunch with us.

Wedding décor/planning/survival/DIY suggestions:
Comparison is the thief of joy! Utilize Pinterest, magazines and other resources, but never let yourself get lost in someone else’s dream day.  Decide what your dream day looks like and go from there. Remember- it’s YOUR wedding day, not everyone else’s.

 I also recommend purchasing a Southern Weddings Planner- it was an invaluable resource for me throughout our entire engagement. If you’re a fan of spreadsheets, lists and checklists, this is an essential item for you. Inside the planner, there are so many truths and snippets of encouragement in regards to planning your marriage, not just your wedding. Focusing on this thought got us through stressful decisions and moments of impatience.

Connect with the Bride
Facebook: Lauren Snipes
Instagram: @laurenkirvensnipes
Pinterest: Lauren Kirven 
Email: lakirven at gmail dot com
Blog: www.blushandbashful.cc 

Want to be the next featured bride? Or are you a MOH with a story to tell? Email me at piperellice at gmail dot com to get all the info! 

Being a Bride: McKenzie

Bride Name: McKenzie Fussell
Groom Name: Pearce Fussell
Wedding Date: May 26, 2014
Total number in wedding party: 19
Total guests: 150
Venue: Walkers Landing, Amelia Island Plantation

How you met & the proposal: Pearce and I met in high school. He was that super cute senior I had a mega crush on and I was a freshman. Thankfully I was really bad at math and ended up needing a tutor. My mom hired Pearce for the job. I was obviously thrilled but (plot twist) ended up firing him just a few weeks later because I had THE hardest time focusing and really did need to pass math. The next year we connected again, and a few years later we started dating. His faith in God’s goodness and genuine love for people led me to the conclusion that he was in fact the one.

 He proposed in Nov. 2013 at a Christmas tree farm in Douglas, GA. We were walking around looking at trees when I noticed one of them already had an ornament on it. That was strange but I didn’t investigate much further. I could however, tell that he wanted me to. When I took a second look at the ornament it read, “Marry Me.”I noticed that in addition to the ornament, there was a gorgeous engagement ring on the tree. In the midst of my confusion and shock, he popped the question. How did he know I’d always wanted a Christmas proposal? It was one of the best days of my life! Now every time we visit a Christmas tree farm to cut down our tree, I get to reflect on that happy moment. And yes, I still have the ornament!

What was the best bridal/pre-wedding event you attended, and why? I had two amazing bridal showers thrown by my favorite people. They both made me feel so incredibly loved and I feel like that’s when “it” hit and I realized I was really the bride. My bachelorette weekend was incredibly fun as well! All of my bridesmaids came to town and we did ALL the girly things: they threw me a lingerie party, we lounged by the pool, and I enjoyed every second of relaxation before the big day.  But I think my favorite pre-wedding event was the bridal luncheon for all of my girls and the special women in my life. It brought me so much joy being able to shower them with love and express my gratitude for all they had done for me, right before the wedding. I highly encourage throwing one!

What was something your bridesmaids or family members did for you that made your day or pre-planning experience special? Let me start by sharing this, my MOH was the greatest MOH in the history of MOH’s. Seriously. We joked throughout the planning process that she deserved a new car for all of the work she put into our big day. I couldn’t have done it without her. I was in college at the time, four hours away from our wedding venue (aka our home) so she was a saving grace when it came to site visits, etc. She and my bridesmaids gifted me the sweetest handwritten notes during my bachelorette party, and I still look back on those. I’m a sucker for a handwritten note! They mean so much more to me than material gifts, so it was extra sweet when Pearce wrote the most thoughtful letter for me to read right before walking down the aisle.

What was the best wedding gift you received? One of my sweet bridesmaids, Taylor, gifted me the most beautiful punch set. I love that she chose something so unique and special, knowing I would actually get some use out of it! I love entertaining! I’m actually hosting a bridal shower for my best friend later this month and can’t wait to show it off. I smile everytime I see the set in my cabinet!

What inspired your wedding day (theme/look/feel)? It was Southern and classic with a few preppy and vintage splashes. I love history and wanted our wedding to have that old South feel but still be very comfortable and playful. I think we achieved our goal! The venue was gorgeous without a single decoration up, so we pulled a lot of inspiration from the location itself.

What is something you couldn’t live without for your wedding day? The perfect menu. My dad’s catering company took care of the food which made the day extra special because we were able to customize every detail of the menu. A few food favorites from the big day: our biscuit bar with the most delectable spread of jams and toppings, pulled pork, shrimp and grits, banana pudding, and of course - boiled peanuts during the cocktail hour! It was all kinds of yummy.

What is something you could have lived without/changed for your wedding day if you were to do it over? I definitely would have hired a wedding planner. I decided to go without because I thought hiring a planner would mean giving up some of the “control” we had. I’m rather picky, especially about details so I thought I’d lose the personal touches by hiring a wedding planner. I was wrong! Hiring a planner would have been a huge help!

If you have any wedding décor/planning/survival/DIY tips or tutorials, or money saving suggestions, please share: We DIY’d a ton of things for our wedding but I wouldn’t recommend it. DIY a few things of course, but budget so you don’t have to do everything yourself. There are plenty of affordable Etsy shops, websites, and vendors with great rates. Sometimes a few extra bucks isn’t worth the stress of having another thing on your pre-wedding to-do list. I’m a hobby calligrapher so I enjoyed lettering the invitations and paperie for our big day. If you have a talent yourself (and I’m sure you do!) use it. Oh, and get your friends involved! Our wedding party helped out in so many different ways - one of the groomsmen (who’s ridiculously talented) captured our engagement photos, one of my bridesmaids (also ridiculously talented) sang our first dance song, and everyone else chipped in to help make the big day special. So basically, make sure you’re wedding party is full of talented friends. Kidding, kinda. 

Connect with the Bride
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/winsomeandgolddesign/
Instagram - @McKenzieFussell 
Pinterest - @McKFussell 
Email - McKenzieFussell at gmail dot com
Blog: http://somethinsouthernblog.com/


Interested in being the next featured bride? Email me today for the questionnaire!

a note to my readers...

Thank you. Thank you for faithfully pausing your mindless scrolling through your various social media accounts to click on a link to a post on my blog. Thank you for checking back each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to read up on me and my life. Thank you for pinning, or sharing, or commenting on my posts.

I've had this blog, Starting Out Southern, for just over three years. It was a way for me to begin documenting my adult life as I graduated from college. It's been a place for me to document my DIYs, my date nights, my heartaches, and my celebrations. There are some of you that have been here since the very first post {hi, mom!}, and some that have just discovered me in the last few months.

In January, a few of my very close friends and now husband encouraged me to really begin to focus on the blog and invest in a future with it. It's been hard at times, coming up with consistent content and learning the ins and outs of a DSLR camera during my spare time, but it's been one of the most rewarding things I've done in a really long time. My readership has tripled in the seven or so months, and I've begun making a few dollars here and there which is surprising added bonus! I couldn't have done it without the constant support of my close friends and family, and the random "Oh, I love your blog!" comments and posts from those I don't see every day. 

So in return, I ask that you keep reading and checking in. If you are a regular reader, but haven't commented before, please do! I love keeping in touch with friends {new and old}. Subscribe with your email in the box to the upper right side of the page to get posts delivered to your inbox. Follow me on Twitter, Instagram Pinterest {all social media accounts are @piperellice} so that I can follow back and keep up with your life and see what inspires you! You're an active part in helping me grow this hobby into something bigger, and I appreciate it!

Happy weekend, everyone!

4 fourth of july memories

My family moved around a lot throughout my childhood, which meant I got to experience holidays in many different places with different traditions and events. I've always loved Independence Day due to my emotional obsession to fireworks and all things sparkly. Also, hotdogs, cotton candy, funnel cake, watermelon, boiled peanuts, etc.

This year, Christopher and I will be hanging close to home after have a couple really busy weeks apart and I'm looking forward to attending my first ever Firecracker Fest with friends. Some of my favorite memories surround the fourth of July, in some way or another!

1. When we lived in New York, we went to watch the fireworks shot off over the Hudson River. The weather is so very different there: much cooler, and no humidity compared to Georgia. I distinctly remember being told to bring a light jacket as it would get chilly once the sun went down {I also remember the atrocious silver wire glasses I wore at that time, but that's another story}. Over the next year, we moved back south, and when the fourth rolled around and it was time to go see fireworks, I ran to get a jacket much to the amusement of my parents. Needless to say, it took me a while to assimilate back into the warmer weather.

2. The summer after I graduated high school, we moved from north of Atlanta to Florence, SC, where I was born. My mom, who at the time had a very popular blog, invited the daughter of one of her bloggy buddies to come stay with us the week of the fourth. Brooke and I were close in age, and both of us were starting college in the fall. We spent the week together exploring Florence and we all went to Myrtle Beach on the fourth of July. We beached at the Myrtle Beach State Park, which is a great place to go for the day, and then watched fireworks that evening while eating dinner which was so much fun. Brooke also has a blog, and it's been a great way for us to stay in touch...check her out, here!

We had bought the same dress in different colors for Easter
and wore them together--weren't we the cutest?!

3. Two or three years ago, I went with my mom and brothers to the Darlington race track for the fourth. They have a huge event with turkey legs, race cars, and amazing fireworks. It was quite the people watching event, that's for sure!

4. Last year, Christopher and I spent the day on Hilton Head with some of his pharmacy school friends. We had a great time at one of the hotel's private beaches, and a lovely dinner at the Westin. But truly the best part was when we were coming back into Savannah over the bridge, just as the fireworks began over the Savannah River. We were higher up than the entire town, and could see sparkling explosions from every square, too. It was absolutely beautiful, and I so wish I had pictures from that night!

Happy fourth of July to you, and yours; here's to making new memories!

Monday Blues

Do you ever just wake up and go, "Today is going to be one of those days?"

Now to be honest, I could anticipate this last night, so I tried to combat it by getting up early to do some yoga in an attempt to feel better about my day. Good intentions, followed by spilling my coffee all over me as I sit down at my desk at work this morning. Is it Friday yet?

I'm exhausted and emotionally drained at the moment, and truly don't feel like dealing with the day, or today's blog post unfortunately. I had planned on a lovely weekend recap of Christopher's graduation from pharmacy school, but I have yet to finish uploading pictures and am feeling relatively uninspired to do so at the moment.

So instead, I'm going to share this picture of Layla Claire {she's not really sad, just doesn't like taking pictures}, and this recipe of eggless cookie dough that I made last night in an attempt to eat my feelings.


Emotional Eggless Cookie Dough 
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
4 tablespoons salted butter, softened
1/8 teaspoon of vanilla
1 1/2 tablespoon of milk {or heavy cream if you're really sad/that's all you have on hand}
1/3 cup flour
A pinch of tears

Beat {and I mean really beat} the sugar and butter in a bowl, before adding the rest of the ingredients. Mix in chocolate chips if desired, or not because I like just the batter best. Or, just throw it all into a too small bowl and attempt to mix with a fork because you're not feeling like following directions/why not make things harder than they should be. It's just that kind of Monday. YUM!