Black Friday: Wheels Up

Hello, friends! Hope you all had a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving! For those of you Black Friday shopping, I'm keeping my fingers crossed you all get what you were looking for. This morning, I am putting in a few necessary unnecessary hours at the office and then heading to the airport to join sweet E in Charleston.

Tonight is the annual E family Black Friday Oyster Roast. This is my second year joining in the festivities and am beyond excited! Ashton of Soulshine will be joining me. Aside from oysters and drinks with good friends, I'm uber excited for live music at the roast. An absolute perfect end to a great week!

For this week's Friday Fancies, we are celebrating the Black Friday craziness. While I love the way black trims me down, I can't help but include a pop of color! Even though I will be in the air, I hate to look like a bum in the airport. Flat boots and tights are the perfect addition for a skirt while traveling. The flat boots are a promise of blister-free feet and tights will ensure the goosebumps stay away on the plane.

Why travel looking pitiful? I say, travel in STYLE!

What will you be wearing for Black Friday? Be sure to link up with {av} for this week's edition of Friday Fancies!

Until next time, may your weekend be full of magnolias, bourbon and continued days of family, feasts and shopping!

Give Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!

As you gather with friends, family and loved ones remember the true meaning of THANKSGIVING.

May your day be full of magnolias, bourbon and all of your Thanksgiving wishes.

XoXo

What I'm Loving Wednesday, Thanksgiving Edition

I can't believe it's already the Wednesday before Thanksgiving day! How did holiday season sneak up on us soo fast? Regardless, I'm thrilled to finally spend time with family, eat good food and prepare for a full month of Christmas activity. Today, I share with you all of the things I am loving about this week and all that follows!

I'm beyond excited to have my parents come visit me for Thanksgiving. All that would make it better would be having my sister in town. Luckily, she and her husband will be in to visit in one short month!!!

Friday I am flying to Charleston to join sweet E's family for the remainder of the Thanksgiving holiday. One of my favorite things about Thanksgiving with them is the annual Oyster Roast. This year I'm excited to have my favorite blogger/gchat friend, Ashton from Soulshine join me! A new addition to this year's oyster roast is live music. It is sure to be epic!

I love how easy it is to keep up with friends and keep my sanity throughout the day by using gchat. Thank heavens for my friend's humor and honesty. The conversations this week have been unforgettable and i'm sure will only get better as holiday activity progresses.

I'm loving my rain boots this week. They have saved my sweet tootsies from being drenched in one of the many puddles accumulated around Music City. While I don't have these boots, I need to know where I can get them. Mine are a bit too snug!

What are you loving this week? Be sure to link up with Little Daisy May to see what everyone is crushing on this Turkey day holiday!

Nashville Blogger Blitz

Have you heard the news? {av} of Long Distance Loving is coming to town! December 28th, Nashville bloggers will unite at Sambucca for  great food and drink all while getting to know our favorite blog hosts.

Be sure to secure your spot. This is an event you won't want to miss!!!

Channeling McQueen

Another week has passed and I've failed to blog...although I did help out Belles of Saturday with their Vanderbilt post. None the less, I hate missing out on Long Distance Lovin's Friday Fancies.

This week's theme, mix and match, had me excited to step out of my comfort zone. I think I did just that. I LOVED the McQueen clutch and found that my mix of feathers, sheer texture and snakeskin blended quite well. McQueen if I've ever felt it. Be sure to head over to the Friday Fancies link up to check out all the creative sets!

Channeling McQueen by ssophisticate featuring a skull clutch

Until next time, may your weekend be full of magnolias, bourbon and a mog podge of fun!

Channeling McQueen

Channeling McQueen by ssophisticate featuring sheer tops

Can't Get Enough...

I had my first macaroon yesterday. Now, I CANNOT stop thinking about another. Thank goodness for self control. I don't know how long it will last though. 

I'm thinking these little sweets might be the perfect packable holiday treat! Candy Cane macaroons, perhaps?!

Have you tasted this DELICIOUS treat? Have you tried making them? If so, PLEASE give me advice and ideas!

Until next time, may your night be full of magnolias, bourbon and tasty macaroons!

What I'm Loving Wednesday

 Another Wednesday is here. I honestly still feel like it's Monday. While I may feel like Garfield, let me share some of the things helping me through the week. 

I love that tonight I will FINALLY get to catch up with sweet E. He has been working like a maniac.

Excited for the CMA Awards tonight. Nashville has been crazy in preparation for this event!  personally cannot wait for CHRIS YOUNG to perform! I love his new song, You.

  

LOVING my new wallet. Isn't this yellow lovely?

Footloose! Finally! I'm looking forward to seeing this with Aunt Faye on Saturday!

Lastly, I'm loving that my best friend from home is having her second little boy this week. She will be welcoming Cory Lee into the world any moment. I am VERY excited to be heading home and giving him a personal hello!

Be sure to head over to  Jaime's blog and see what other bloggers are loving this week.

Feeling like a Zombie in... Beirut

Hello friends! Hope you all had a fabulous weekend. Sorry for the lack of / late night posting.

Yesterday, I went to a concert unexpectedly. I saw a group called Beirut. I honestly didn't know who the band was, but I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised.

 According to Wikipedia, their music is a blend of Eastern European, Balkan Folk and Western Pop. To me, it was worldly, indie music with jazz influences. Of course, I am not a music genius. I saw brass (lots of brass) so I thought Jazz. Regardless, I really liked their tunes and hearing something I am unaccustomed to.  

Tonight I am babysitting for sweet E's past intern advisor/current boss who owns Gasoline Studios. Him and his Mrs. are at the BMI awards for his hard work this year writing for the likes of Toby Keith, Keith Urban, Tim McGraw etc. As I sit here at 12:45 a.m, I am fighting my urge to drift off and feeling like a zombie, but know becasue of that they will be able to remember this night for years to come.

Wishing you all a night of sweet dreams. I'll be back tomorrow later today to share what I'm loving this week!

XoXo

Friday Fancies: Lilly Resort 2011

If you haven't heard, {av} of long distance loving is having an EPIC giveaway. She has teamed up with Lilly Pulitzer for a major giveaway. Because of the giveaway and the release of the new Resort collection, this week's Friday Fancies has a
Lilly-ified theme. (LOVE)

After checking out the new items, I've easily, difficultly selected my Friday Fancies dream outfit.

Lilly Pulitzer Resort 2011 by ssophisticate featuring gold sunglasses

Don't you LOVE this pink? The jewelry details make me swoon! Is it really just the beginning of winter?

What are your favorite pieces from the new Resort collection?

On another note, today is my Great Aunt Faye's 78th birthday. Happy Birthday to the best aunt, friend and role model anyone ever could ask for!

Happy Birthday, AUNT FAYE!!!

St. Jude Country Music Marathon

Every year I tell myself I am going to train for the Country Music Marathon. Each year, January comes, I print off a training program and before I know it, the race is a week away and I've ran once. FAIL.

This year, the Country Music Marathon has taken on a new name: The ST JUDE Country Music Marathon. If anything can motivate me to run, it's St. Jude Children's Hospital.Since high school, I've been a big supporter of SJ. St. Jude is unlike any other pediatric treatment and research facility. Discoveries made there have completely changed how the world treats children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. With research and patient care under one roof, St. Jude is  more than just a hospital, it is a world class research facility changing the face of modern medicine.

 I've always wanted to run a 1/2 marathon, but more than anything, I want to run a St. Jude 1/2 marathon.  Now I can do it in MY city. I want to start now, so when ice, cold January rolls around I'm already knee deep in my program.  I know I will need motivation through the cold and pain, a running group and lots of prayers and advice. I'll be starting as a new (used to be) runner and need the most basic training program.

Where do you suggest I start? I need reassurance that I CAN do this.

HELP! Eeeeek!

A throwback sorority picture of a small group visit to St. Jude Hospital. Please excuse the OVER ABUNDANCE of eyeliner!

Until next time, may your day be full of magnolias, bourbon and a night full of Friday Fancies Lilly Preparation!

WILW-Late Night Edition

I'm posting later than usual, but I wanted to share my weekly list of what I'm loving!

Only TWO more days until the match-up of the season! Cannot wait to watch Bama (hopefully) beat up on LSU!

Coffee-mate's Peppermint Mocha creamer has made its seasonal come back! I'll be enjoying this through the end of the year.

Have you been over to {Long Distance Loving} yet and checked out her AMAZING Lilly Resort giveaway? If not, go NOW! This is a giveaway for the books...and hopefully, I'll win!

I'm thankful Southwest has a direct flight to Charleston. Now I can easily join sweet E and the fam the day after Thanksgiving for the annual oyster roast! Even better--Southwest has $59.00 one way flights! Double bonus!

 It's official, the holidays are HERE! (Starbucks says so), and I LOVE everything about that!

Happy Hump Day, y'all! Two more days. WE CAN DO IT!

Have you ever...

Have you ever.......

Throw back? For sure! One of my favorites? Yes, but I'm m not talking about the song by Brandy.

 I'm talking about have you ever felt like the stars were aligned just right? Everything was starting to come together? I woke up feeling like this at the start of the week. I can't think of a better way to begin a week, a month, and a holiday season than feeling this way. I'm hoping to use this positive energy to get me through another work week and through 2011. Many great things are to come in 2012, I JUST know it-- and nothing could feel better than the end of my 2011. Two short, but sweet months left!

How do you plan to use the rest of your year? Will you follow up on new year's resolutions or start aiming for new goals?

Until next time, may your day be full of magnolias, bourbon and lots of positive energy!

P.S. here is a picture of my halloween shirt and socks. Please ignore the background, sweet E brewed his own beer and had it on display for a man gathering.