Tassels & Poms

Dress | Earrings | Shoes

Need an easy, breezy look for a springtime garden soiree? Then I've got the look for you! Off the should tops and dresses are one of the hottest styles right now, and this light and airy barely-blush pink dress from Tobi.com is perfect for a steamy summer evening event. I especially love the fun flutter sleeves, and the teeny tiny white pom pom detailing along the bottom of the dress. 

Two of my favorite warm weather staples are tassel earrings and my Jacks. These Baublebar tassels are super light weight and come in over 20 colors! I think I'm due for an emerald pair sometime soon. The Devyn mid-wedge Jack Roger sandal is a great everyday wedge. It's not high, but makes the simplest sundress slightly more "fancy" as I like to say. And of course, it still has that traditional "Jacks" vibe that I love. I tend to lean towards the platinum color of Jacks shoes, but this gold is really fun, too, and still what I'd consider a neutral! 

Now to get to party planning! CJM and I keep discussing a housewarming party...pineapple party or low country boil?  

This post contains affiliate links.  If you click and/or make a purchase through certain links on this site or any related social media platforms, I may make a commission from it. This post is in partnership with Tobi.com. 

Skinny Christmas Cranberry Mojito

This blog post is sponsored by Infinity Jars. All opinions are my own. 

I don't know about you, but I like a little Christmas cheer. With a few days of time off right around the holidays, it's the perfect time to kick back, relax, and celebrate with family and friends. I also like to save calories when and where I can, especially with a tray of lady fingers and other goodies covering my kitchen table. 

I'm trying to be better about stocking my bar and refrigerator with all the goodies that really make crafted cocktails pop. I love anything with mint, but absolutely despise how quickly they can deteriorate even in the coolest spots in the fridge. That's where Infinity Jars comes in. Infinity Jars are black, ultra-violet filtering jars of a variety of shapes and sizes that naturally preserve and rejuvenate freshness of any kitchen staple: herbs, teas, flour, just to name a few!

The secret to the jars' impressive preservation capability is found in the deep violet glass. This type of pigmented glass blocks out harmful visible light rays which quickly degrade organic matter, while still permitting two beneficial light rays proven to preserve and extend the shelf life of these temporary and temperamental ingredients.  

Infinity Jars graciously sent me a 250 ml apothecary jar {perfect for storing my mint leaves!}, a liter square oil bottle with spout, and a 5 ml screw top jar. I can't wait to use the mini jar as a travel container for some of my skincare. For my Christmas cranberry mojito, I used the apothecary jar and the oil bottle. 

To make these mojitos "skinny," I simmered water and stevia extract together to create the simple syrup instead of using granulated sugar! I would recommend ten packets of stevia per cup of water, which is the perfect amount for two cocktails for the hubs and me. Simmer together the stevia extract, water, and two handfuls of cranberries for about ten minutes, or until the cranberries begin to burst. 

While the simple syrup is sweetening, muddle roughly 15 mint leaves and the juice of half of a lime. After muddling, toss the lime and some ice cubes into the glass. Once the simple syrup has become a bright pink color, strain the cranberries from the syrup. I then poured the syrup into the liter oil bottle. This Infinity Jars pour spout has a tiny strainer at the tip, which helps keep the syrup even more fine as I pour about two ounces into the glass. 

Top with equal parts white rum and club soda, stir, and serve with a beautiful garnish of fresh cranberries, a slice of lime, and a fun holiday mixer and straw! 

Skinny Christmas Cranberry Mojito {makes two cocktails} 

2 limes

Mint leaves

Fresh Cranberries

10 packets of stevia extract

1 cup water

White Rum

Club Soda 

Simmer 1 cup water, 10 packets of stevia extract, and two handfuls of fresh cranberries for ten minutes. Strain cranberries and set aside. Pour simple syrup into oil bottle for ease of pouring. While simple syrup is simmering, muddle 15 mint leaves per glass with the juice of half a lime. Once muddled, put ice cubes and lime in class. Pour two ounces of simple syrup into glass once cooled to room temperature. Top with equal parts white rum and club soda; stir, and serve with a lime and fresh cranberry garnish. 

Thank you, Infinity Jars, for sponsoring today's post full of Christmas cheer!

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2016 Christmas Cards

Christmas cards are in the mail, and I'm only looking for one more gift with 18 days to spare! I love checking things off  my list, and with December being a busy work month in addition to holiday festivities, the list sometimes seems to grow daily.

Christopher actually picked out our Christmas cards this year. I truly value his input in decisions, even if sometimes it doesn't always seem like it! I also can't tell you how much of a difference it makes to get the return address pre-printed on the back. Life saver!!

Don't fret, there is still time to get your pictures together to order some awesome cards! And of course, you could always send out New Year's greetings to give you a little more time. Shutterfly is one of my favorite places to do additional ordering like wedding albums and gifts to give. They're helping inspire this holiday season by providing an interactive set of 100 Christmas photo ideas. It includes curated photos from photographers and bloggers in addition to helpful filters so you can sort by ages, style and props. I absolutely adore their idea of your Christmas card being an ornament to hang on the tree and cherish for years to come! How sweet. 

Some of these picture poses don't require a lot of props, and could be taken quickly using your local downtown as a beautifully decorated backdrop. Or head out to your local tree farm to find the perfect fir for the season, and take a quick pic as well! In Georgia, you can visit any one of these farms to find the right tree.  Thank you, Shutterfly, for inspiring readers! 

Trimming the Tree with Walker Boutique

This post contains affiliate links.  If you click and/or make a purchase through certain links on this site or any related social media platforms, I may make a commission from it. I will always disclose if a post is sponsored. 

Everyone knows that my absolute favorite place to shop in Statesboro, and maybe in the whole world, is Walker Boutique. They have the absolute best selection of clothing, jewelry, and home goods, that are totally unique. It's one of my favorite places to shop for game day clothes, wedding gifts, birthday surprises, and anything monogrammed, too.

So of course I was thrilled when Walker Boutique approached me about collaborating on a post for the blog! I knew they would be getting some great holiday gear, and was so excited to showcase a piece for them. When I spotted this beautiful Buddy Love tunic, that comes in white or black with the gold polka dots, I knew it would be the perfect top for any Christmastime celebration!

I recently went way out of my comfort zone and ordered these faux leather leggings. I wasn't sure how I would feel about them, but they turned out to be an awesome investment! They're super long, {and make a weird noise when you walk...that's something other "fashion bloggers" won't tell you!} but I was able to just tuck them under to work with my flats. I like the ability to control the length depending on the shoes! 

This shimmer top paired perfectly with my favorite Lisi Lerch gold tassel earrings, which would be a great Christmas gift for the fashionista in your life! The length of the top works great for any kind of leggings, and is loose and flowing, and would be a great top to wear to any party.

Walker Boutique is a one-stop shop to fulfill all the items on your Christmas list! Give them a call today to order my Buddy Love gold polka dot shimmer top, or stop by their website to find the perfect something for everyone on your list. And of course, thank you to Walker for sponsoring today's post!

Outfit details: Buddy Love gold polka dot shimmer top | Faux Leather Leggings | Studded Flats | Lisi Lerch Tassel Earrings | Kate Spade Bow Bracelet 

Staycation with Crane & Canopy

It's officially summer, and vacation time is here...for some people. Others are planning a just as fabulous stay-cation, like myself! Having just come back from our honeymoon in May, we won't be planning another trip until later on in the year.

But I still plan on having plenty of fun, and luxury bedding company Crane & Canopy wants it to be the most relaxing staycation yet! I like to pick weekends where I have absolutely nothing going on, so that Christopher and I along with the pups can enjoy our little house and town together with no pressure. We enjoy cooking at home a lot, and one of my favorite things is making breakfast in bed on Sunday mornings! With beautiful bedding, it feels just like a stay at a bed and breakfast, but better because the dogs are there, too.

For something quick and easy, I'll whip up some french toast using pre-made cinnamon swirl bread from the grocery store. Mix together six eggs, a dash of milk and cinnamon for dredging the bread, then cook on a griddle for two minutes or so on each side. Serve with a side of bacon, a sprinkle of powdered sugar, and enjoy a deliciously quick breakfast in bed on Crane & Canopy bedding like these:

I love the calming and cool shade of blue that the Noe Blue Nova Bedding 

features. The Nova duvet pairs a top sheet and duvet to make making the bed

a quick and easy task! 

I always have throw blankets on my bed and couch. They're the perfect way

to get comfortable when the evenings get chilly, or you just need a good

snuggle while watching TV. I love this beautiful cable knit 100% cotton

Crane & Canopy blanket. It's bright and summery, but warm enough for

wintertime, too!

A pop of color is always fun, and I think this coral trimmed scalloped sheet set would be an exciting summery compliment to the Noe Blue set above. 

What are you doing for your staycation this summer? Why not visit Crane & Canopy to see how you can make your time at home more luxurious! Check them out on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter to learn more. 

See Summer Better with Warby Parker

#seesummerbetter

Warby Parker is back with a brand new collection for Summer 2016! Totally retro with new hues and updated silhouettes, these looks are great for days by the pool, trips to the lemonade stand, and family vacations with styles for men and women.

The iridescent frame is super popular this year, and I love the expanded offerings in the Warby Parker summer collection. Clear frames go with everything for guys and girls alike.

 But the opaque pink ones are of course my favorite, per the usual. The Roland {first, below} also comes in a pink Rose Guava color. The Tilley {last, below} comes in a tortoise shell too, but the pinkish color is called Grapefruit Soda--how cute! Plus, the hint of cateye adds such easy elegance to this ladies look!

The Hattie sunglasses {middle, below} are also very intriguing to me. It almost looks like wood grain in the premium cellulose acetate which provides such interesting texture to the frames! Something to consider when picking out your summer sunnies is both UV protection and scratch resistance for those days in the sand. Warby Parker provides both, in addition to a polarized option for certain styles.

Check out the entire Warby Parker summer collection, here. And don't forget about their wide variety of glasses, too!

Roland

Hattie

Tilley

The Black Tux + Piper's Pantone Picks

Last week,  I was introduced to a company I had never heard of before, but definitely wish I had! The company is  The Black Tux, which is your "not so traditional online suit and tuxedo rental company." Their website is so cool: you go online, pick out the desired look for your wedding or event, and in put all of the measurement and payment information right there. I think this is a great option for wedding parties where most of the groomsmen live out of town. They can just login once and be done!

The Black Tux inspired me to pick my favorite look on their site, and pair it with complimentary details in this year's Pantone colors: Rose Quartz and Serenity.  I was super excited, because while planning my own wedding, I've also mentally planned about a half a dozen more! This collaboration was the perfect excuse to dream up what I might do differently if I were planning a different look for my wedding.

Floral prints are a big trend for 2016, especially in bridesmaids dresses. I love how this one encapsulates both the Rose Quartz and Serenity colors in a muted and pastel way. The soft floral pattern of this Plum Pretty Sugar Couture Billy dress adds depth and a touch of romance to the dress without the possibility of competing with the bride!

Dress | Pumps | Earrings | Clutch | Gloss

The Black Tux

Complementing the dress are these soft pink Coach heels {I love the scalloped edges--what great detail!} and these pendant Kendra Scott earrings in the same color. This metallic blue clutch coordinates nicely with the colors in the dress. I think a clutch is a great addition to the bridesmaid ensemble, as it provides a cute way to carry all the wedding day essentials without the hassle of hauling around your normal purse with such a pretty gown.

A great way to finish off the look is with this stunning, sparkly lip gloss. While bridesmaids may not mind wearing the exact same dress, they may not all want the exact same make up style. Consistency is key, in regards to amount and formality, and the same lip color is a nice way to tie it all together. I love lipstick, but know a lot of ladies are fearful of such a color commitment. I love the soft hue of this Milani gloss, and all the glitter in it, too!

Be sure to check out The Black Tux suit and tuxedo rentals if you're planning a wedding, and want an easy option for the men in your life! I really loved their navy tux with the black lapel, but my favorite was this one, the notched lapel tuxedo. The sheen in the lapel and the pant-stripe adds such a glamorous touch which is totally my style!

Get in touch with The Black Tux: Facebook | Instagram | Website | Twitter | Pinterest

P.S. We are exactly one month away from the big wedding day! Yippee! 

Warby Parker Spring Collection

Do you know about Warby Parker? The eyewear company that allows you to try on frames in the comfort of your home and also has a 'Buy a Pair, Give a Pair' approach to their business?

Today I am partnering with Warby Parker to share the launch of their spring collection, inspired by the bold colors and excitement of the circus.

I've admired their clean, classic designs for a long time {see Game Day Get Ups, here}, and will now be a devoted forever fan with the inclusion of a design named Piper! It almost feels like this look was made just for me. I typically choose tortoise shell sunglasses because the mix of colors not only provides texture and depth while wearing, but also coordinates with a wide variety of outfits.

The Piper frame features updated color combinations, as well as crystal embeds along the bottom rim for an added touch of flair. That peony pair...of course I like anything that sports a little pink!

Of course, sunnies aren't their only staple. For me, eye glasses is where the 'try on at home' feature becomes so important. Just last year, I was sitting at the eye doctor, trying on dozens of frames, looking into tiny, horrible mirrors. But never again! Warby Parker lets you try out up to five frames in the comfort of your home...using your mirrors, under your lighting, and near your closet to see if the style is something that works for you. 

I think this clear design is very unique! I never would have thought to try clear frames, but it intrigues me. I tend to gravitate towards darker glasses of any type, but the brightness in this spring collection is definitely inspiring. 

Playful polka dots complement all of these fun spring styles. This white cashmere pom pom sweater is beautiful, even if the price tag is not! Check out all of the Warby Parker spring collection here, and use the hashtag #WarbyHomeTryOn on Instagram or Twitter to easily find photos and comment on the styles you think suit you the best! 

Want to collaborate with me on a future post? Check out the Connect page to find out how!