Piper Ellice : Love

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Valentine's Day Gifts for Her

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Valentine's Day is a little less than a month away, and I'm already seeing some jewelry designers and monogram places posting their deadlines for delivery! That got me thinking; I've done a little bit of scoping out for guy gifts, but hadn't give girl gifts too much thought. So today I present to you, my Valentine's Day Gift Guide for the ladies, featuring gifts to fit in any budget.

First up, La Marca Prosecco personalized bottle. For only $15 more, you can get a bottle personally engraved with a sweet message to your loved one. Maybe an important date, a special phrase, or a funny nickname that is just between the two of you. This really takes the gift of wine up a notch.

Usually February is still cold, although if you've been living in the South this year, it looks like spring may already be here...I had pollen on my car this morning! Valentine's Day is the perfect time to pamper the lady in your life, so wrap her up in this super soft Turkish Terry Cloth robe. It comes in white, red, or this beautiful raspberry pink, and has a monogram option, too. And...it's on sale!

One product I consistently buy from Avon {shop with me! www.youravon.com/piperellice} is perfume. Their newest scent is Little Red Dress, after releasing the super popular Little Black Dress in 2016. I love Little Red Dress. It's light, feminine, and a little fruity with top notes of yummy raspberry. And, it's only $25! The perfect V-day gift for your gal pals, mom, etc.

Looking to be a little more sentimental? Why not splurge a little on a really nice frame and picture of the two of you from a special day: a wedding or engagement, first photo, or any picture of your significant other that you truly love! The Kendra Scott collection of frames includes super trendy marble styling, and a variety of colors/metals to match any decor.

Of course jewelry is always the way to a girl's heart, and I love this rose gold and sterling silver linked bracelet. It has just a hint of sparkle, and would be a great daily wear to stack with other bangles and bracelets. The "bolo" feature allows you to put it on using just one hand, which is super convenient. There are so many other styles and metals in this "bolo" look which would be a great go-to "collection" kind of gift for future holidays and occasions.

It just wouldn't be Valentine's Day without something sweet to end the evening. Champagne gummy bears are a fun, unique treat that will make your Feb. 14 memorable and delicious!

What gifts are you giving your girls this year?

Marrying McAfee | The Ceremony

Some of my absolute favorite pictures of our wedding day came from the ceremony. I'm thankful, because that is truly the most important moments of the day. I had been getting teary eyed at every wedding we'd attending leading up to our big day, thinking about the importance and meaning of each word spoken of the vows.

I'm thankful that I didn't sob down the aisle like I thought I would, but the tears were still there. It's funny to think back about which faces I remembered seeing in the crowd while walking towards my groom...I honestly couldn't look at Christopher that much, because I knew between him and my crying bridesmaids, I'd be a total mess!

One of my favorite memories of this part of the day are the delay of the start of the ceremony due to a train which decided to stop across the tracks in the middle of town, delaying a good majority of our wedding guests. People were so worried about me freaking out, that by the time I was told all I could think was, "Thank goodness for a few more minutes in this air conditioning!" We started ten or so minutes late, once everyone arrived.

On the walk down the aisle, I stopped and gave my mom an impromptu hug right before my dad gave me away. It's some of my favorite pictures of the day. Christopher walked down the stairs of the platform to greet my dad, and escort me up after my walk down the aisle. That was a really special thing for me, and was a great visual of what was happening as I became his wife.

Two "embarrassing" moments: I got a coughing fit once under the microphone. The kind of coughing fit where every breathe of air feels like a knife sharp and deep in the back of my throat. Never saw that one coming. Luckily, it subsided quickly. The other was the lipstick left on Christopher's face after our planned first kiss...I did not want our arms blocking our faces so I made him practice with me weeks before, to keep our arms low. On the day of, I had to wipe the pink of his lips before we came back down the aisle, but again...loved those pictures and the video of it especially!

Photography by Ari Merritt Photography; Videography by Zac McLendon.

Sneaking a peek during the prayer!

Month-In Musings

It's official: our first month of marriage is in the books. Even if he claims "it's the same!" I totally think being married is way better than not. The month has flown, and we've laughed a lot and learned a lot as well!

What's Different
We see each other every day. For years, we've only seen each other on the weekends, and the occasional mid-week meet up for dinner {usually at Cheddar's...buff chick wrap, yum.}. We've also never been very good phone talkers, so actually catching up each evening is refreshing. Some days, we even have lunch together at home, which is lovely. Some of this will change as Christopher starts his real job in a few weeks and is commuting more, but it's been a great way to start off the married life.

There is honestly a lot more cleaning than I expected. Another person means more dirty clothes and dishes, and as "the clean one," it can sometimes feel overwhelming. But we've done pretty good about working together to get organized and stay on top of the house chores.

What's the same
We still cook together. This is something I have always loved: that Christopher is an excellent cook, and that it is something we both enjoy doing together. We also still grocery shop together; these are two things I hate doing by myself, so it's wonderful to have the regular company.

Our habits. Of course those don't change overnight, and I didn't expect them to! But it is funny to see them a little more up-close and personal than before.

What I did expect
A fight. Maybe that's really negative of me, but I just assumed that moving in together and figuring out life together would instigate some kind of fuss. Of course there has been a few times where we've gotten annoyed at each other, but I've seen both of us take a step back, breathe, and reevaluate how to handle the situation. It's refreshing to see how far our communication and problem solving skills as a couple has come.

What I did not expect
Having to figure out how to incorporate my phone time with friends/family. I hate coming into the house on the phone when he's already there waiting on me. It just feels rude in a way. And my commute is literally three minutes long, so there isn't much phone time in the car. Before getting married, I would spend hours a day talking to friends and family at night when I got home. I'm definitely working on learning how to balance all that.

The Bachelorette. Well, not really The Bachelorette per say. But I guess how easy it has been to spend time together every day. Again, going from doing 100% my own thing everyday to incorporating another person, 100% into my daily life...I just wasn't sure how it was all going to work out!

The first week back from the honeymoon, there was one evening where I said, "Is this what we're supposed to be doing?" as we're sitting on the couch looking at our phones. And there are nights where Christopher {my little social butterfly} says, "So what do you want to do?" and I'm thinking, "Go to bed at 8 p.m., what do you want to do?!" But we've really gotten into a great rhythm, and have enjoyed just watching TV together {like The Bachelorette...I've finally convinced him to watch it with me! And Fresh Off The Boat...go. Watch it NOW. Hilarious, and I am the mom.} and weekly dinners with friends, and working on projects around the house together.

I know we have a long way to go, and a lot to learn. I know there will be hard days and trials, and days that are just days. But I love that we both are on the same page, working towards the same goals, putting 100% into our relationship each day. We are incredibly blessed, and love being married. It truly has been great for us individually and as a couple, and I am thankful for this relationship everyday!

Love Home

I am becoming somewhat of an over-decorator {if there even is such a thing} for Christmas. What can I say? It runs in the family.

But after putting away the Christmas decorations in early January, I always get a little sad. My house just doesn't look as warm and inviting as it does filled with sparkle and lights. In the past, I've usually just hunkered down through dismal January and February, waiting until March arrives to decorate for Easter.

This year, I've taken the time to decorate just a little bit for Valentine's Day! Pink is my favorite color of course, but I really don't have a lot of it in my house as I'm trying to make everything a little more 'gender-neutral' in preparation of living with the future husband.

Luckily, Valentine's Day is the perfect excuse to bring on the pink!

My bridal shower hostess graciously gifted me with the cutest of the event's decor, which totally inspired me in terms of V-day decorating. I crafted my dining room centerpiece using a pink serving platter and pink pearls from the shower, four crystal candlesticks from around the house in varying heights, and some pink, white and gold candlesticks from Hobby Lobby.

I updated my bar/china hutch for the holiday with a cute pink and gold vase filled with black and white paper straws, and the cutest 'CHEERS' picture frame that was a shower gifts as well. Totally appropriate at the bar!

I've become somewhat proficient in making the trendy tissue paper tassel garland I've seen on Pinterest, so I made two strands of minis from light and dark pink, and gold tissue paper. I strung them across both the TV and the china chests to add a pop of pink to the rooms.

The glittery 'XO,' ampersand, and arrow were all used as a part of the centerpieces for the shower. I love how they look in my living room! There's even a pink 'HAPPY' hanging out in my kitchen.

I actually found the glowing heart light at an after Christmas Target sale two years ago for like $7, and am just now pulling it out. It definitely gives off that warm glow like a Christmas tree!

Happy February!

V-Day Her Way

I'm in major countdown mode right now. 95 days until I get married. 144 days until Christopher graduates from pharmacy school. And 18 days until Valentine's Day!

So what to give those girls in your life? The Hotty First Impressions Lilly Pulitzer pattern is one of the most popular patterns in recent years. Why not a floral scarf that is truly better than a bouquet? If your sweetie is obsessed with all things Breakfast at Tiffany's and Audrey Hepburn, this inspired eye mask along with some Lisi Lerch tassel earrings will do just the trick. I just got my earrings in a few days ago, and I can't wait to wear them this spring and summer!

Continuing with the gold trend...Lucite gold and sparkly Kendra Scott bangles. I think I would wear these every. single. day. I love them! I'm also loving all of the marble looking covers coming out right now for iPhones, Macs, etc. I really like this case because it's got protective edges and I'm forever dropping my phone.

Lilly Scarf--First Impressions | Breakfast at Tiffany's Eye Mask
Kendra Scott Bangles | Lisi Lerch Tassel Earrings | Marble iPhone Case

Hugs and kisses from the soon to be Mrs.!

V-day His Way

Gift giving is my number one love language. As much as I love to receive pretty presents, I get so excited about the hunt of the right thing to give to someone I love. I may put a lot of undue pressure on myself during the holidays to get the right thing for my special someone, but this Valentine's Day, I knew well in advance what might work!

My fiance loves a vest. He also loves shorts, even in the winter. I think I see a theme developing here...anyways. I really love this Southern Proper All Prep Vest in cream. It's fuzzy warm, with a patriotic plaid pocket, but the best part is that its REVERSIBLE! Watches seem to be trending more among the man-set as of late, and this personalized carbon fiber watch box would be a big hit with the man who likes to be punctual--or just likes to wear a watch.

The Yeti Rambler was super hard to find during Christmas, and will continue to be a popular gift for Valentines Day. I've even seen a few local places that will do engraving! These cups of course keep your ice cold, but rumor has it that they don't sweat, either. This is definitely the more affordable Yeti gift.

I'm really picky about men's fragrance. I really just like the way soap and/or laundry detergent smells on a guy. But this Avon Luck for Men is amazing--clean, but manly, and my man loves it! He's gone through two bottles in the past year. Oh and P.S. you can buy it directly from me through my Avon Representative site {linked below}.

Southern Proper All Prep Vest | Carbon Fiber Watch Box
Yeti Rambler | Avon Luck for Men

Happy shopping!

The Sweetest Shower

Eliza J dress from Nordstrom

On Saturday, I was honored to attend my very first bridal shower! I've been looking forward to this season of life for so long, and when Kim asked to throw me my first event, I was elated. Kim and her family live in North Georgia, and were my second family during my time up there post-college. Her four children are actually all in the wedding as junior bridesmaids, the ring bearer, and an usher!

Kim and my mom initially discovered each other as bloggers. As I got older, and began blogging, we discovered each other on Facebook, too. It's actually kind of funny...Wendy over at The House of Qs also followed my mom and knew of Kim. We started chatting too, and now talk every day. I was so excited she was able to come to my shower so we could finally meet in person!

When the shower planning began, we tossed around a couple of ideas, but when she suggested hosting the shower at a local candy store, I knew that would be perfect! I have such a sweet tooth, and the whole store is decked out in pink and white which of course I loved. It was especially exciting to discover that as the first bridal shower held at the shop, we would be featured in a regional wedding magazine!

Kim, her girls, and Karen, the owner of Liberty Candy Company in Flowery Branch, truly outdid themselves. Pink and gold balloons adorned each festively decorated table. In addition to an assortment of sweets, we enjoyed Chick-fil-A nuggets {of course!}, delicious sandwiches, fruit, and wine to kick off the evening.

After eating, guests paired off to play a game about who knew the bride best. Apparently, I don't know myself at all! My friends all identified similar "favorites" of mine, that I hadn't listed as the answers. It was hilarious listening to their answers and seeing the confusion on their faces at what I had answered. The winners were two of my bridesmaids, of course! Next time, I'll have one of my best friends fill out the answers for me!

The cutest freebie bridal shower game,
found here.

The big surprise activity of the night was making our own chocolate bars! There were a few differently shaped molds, and we chose from dark, milk, and white chocolates before putting in different nuts and candies. It was so cute! While we took turns being creative in the kitchen, Kim's daughters had a candy ring-toss game set up in the hallway where we had three tries to toss a glow necklace over a pink or clear mason jar filled with pink saltwater taffy. It was so simple, but got really competitive and fun.

It's such an honor to spend time with friends and family members who took time out of their weekends to celebrate my upcoming marriage. Most memorable of all was the sweet toast my mother gave in my honor. I don't think there was a dry eye in the house. This is such a special time for the two of us, too, and I'm so glad she could join us for the party.

To finish the evening, I opened all of the beautiful gifts my sweet friends blessed me with. Christopher and I are both so very thankful for all the love and thoughtfulness showered upon us as we start our lives together. It's of course a blast opening the gifts at the shower, but I loved showing off everything to Christopher once it was unloaded when I got home. We've made the decision to wait and save all of our gifts until after we're married and living together, so it will be like a second Christmas in the summer when we get to rediscover all of these sweet gifts again in May!

The yummiest and prettiest white chocolate
covered Oreo's I've ever had!

Aren't my twinning junior bridesmaids just
the cutest?!

Favors for the guests featuring pink
candies, and our hashtag:
#marryingmcafee

All the thanks to Kim and her sweet family for showering me with so much love and fun! If you're interested in learning more about Liberty Candy Company, visit their Facebook page, or order some treats on their website.

Celebrating the Carters

After a very fun evening preparing for the big day, November 1 came rather early. We all thought that since the time change was happening that morning, we'd be getting an extra hour of sleep. Unfortunately, my body clock is pretty well tuned and I was awake at 5:30 a.m. due to my summer sleep schedule of waking up at 6:30 a.m. Bummer.

The day went smoothly, and although it drizzled throughout the day, there was a break in the rain during the ceremony. The pictures all probably turned out even more stunning because of the overcast skies. Ashleigh Dees Photography took all of the professional shots throughout the day--they were a joy to work with. You can check out the profesh pics here, which are way more exciting than my iPhone shots!

We had a blast at the reception, dancing the afternoon away. I gave my first ever wedding speech, and managed to not sob through the entire thing, which I was worried about. We sent the couple off to the the Dominican Republic {which was a surprise for the bride!} before heading home. I'm so thankful I was able to be a part of such a perfect day!