Medicine & Manicures

October 3, 2016

10 Things to Know Before Getting Eyelash Extensions

Alright y’all, this post has been a long time coming but I’m finally getting around to sharing my experience with eyelash extensions with you guys. The popularity of lash extensions is on the rise and of course I was curious. I wanted to know what it felt like to have super long lashes every day while saving time getting ready. Today I’m sharing 10 things you should know before getting lash extensions and also how mine turned out over the course of a month.

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September 30, 2016

Fall Outfit: Tassel Swing Top

Oh hey, Friday! I’m currently at my very first dermatology conference which happens to be at the Grove Park Inn in Asheville. This is my first time back since Ryan proposed almost two years ago and I could think of a few worse places to have a conference. It’s absolutely beautiful here and the fall weather is in full effect. Today I’m sharing a fun outfit for fall featuring the most comfortable booties. Seriously y’all, they’re amazing.

I recently picked up this swing top from Anthro when they were having a 20% off sale and let’s be honest, I couldn’t resist those tassels! It does come up a little high on the sides so perfect for us petite girls but if you’re taler, I’d suggest sizing up. The material is super soft and lightweight- perfect for tucking into skirts or layering under vests as the weather cools down.

Y’all may remember that I posted about these peep-toe booties on Instagram and trust when I say they’re the perfect transitional shoe. They are incredibly comfy and super light. They also come in a black suede and brown leather version and will be on serious repeat this fall.

tassel swing top (comes in 2 other colors)// DL1961 jeans // Vince Camuto ‘Lavette’ booties

Rebecca Minkoff crossbody (similar version) // similar hat

So, who else is excited for the very best month of the year to start tomorrow?! I’m traveling the next two weekends, have the in-laws coming to town, and then celebrating one of my best friends weddings. Whew! Busy, busy but I wouldn’t have it any other way! Hope y’all have a fabulous weekend and thanks for reading 🙂

September 28, 2016

Our Wedding: The Ceremony

Ahhh… the ceremony. How sweet and special it was. First of
all, the space was gorgeous. Sunshine filled the room from the floor-to-ceiling
windows and the floral arrangements were gorgeous. The string duo sounded so
beautiful as the guests were arriving to the venue. This was definitely the part of the day I was most
anxious for. All eyes on the bride & groom as we said our vows and promised to spend forever with each other. We lined up in the back and I still couldn’t
believe it was all about to happen!

The parents, groomsmen, Ryan & our officiant walked out
to “The Prayer” by Celine Dion & Andrea Bocelli. My bridesmaids came out
to “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri (gave
me chills!) and my grand entrance was to “Canon in D.”

If anything was a bit of a
blur, this was it.

The walk down the aisle- which wasn’t that long, mind you–
was amazing but went by SO fast! I even remember telling my dad at the
rehearsal to walk really slow, and I think I did at first, but then I was just
ready to get to my groom!! This is another reason why I’m so glad we had a videographer, so we can relive all of these moments again.

We wanted our ceremony to be special and intimate so we asked Ryan’s stepdad Wayne to officiate our wedding. This was his very first
wedding ceremony and he did such an awesome job. He got a little choked up as he was
about to pronounce us husband & wife- it was the sweetest thing! Our ceremony was so very special and meaningful and that moment when Ryan officially become my husband… it was absolutely perfect.

After our first kiss, we turned around to see all of our friends and family cheering for us and it was the best feeling in the world. Then, the groom & I exited to “Wedding March” and headed off to take more pictures and then get the party started! All of the love and happiness that we felt that day was more than I could’ve asked for and I was so glad to finally be Mrs. Sapel!

Photography: CaptureMeCandid Photography | Hair: Mirror Bomb | Makeup: Erin Ashley Makeup

Wedding Dress: Ladies of Lineage | Veil: Hayden Olivia | Tux: Combat Gent

Flowers: Lily Greenthumb’s | Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew | Venue: Foundation for the Carolinas

September 26, 2016

5 Tips for Planning a Bridal Shower

On Saturday, I helped to host a bridal shower for one of my very best friends, Logan. It was held at Amelie’s, an adorable French bakery in the NoDa neighborhood of Charlotte right outside of uptown. We gathered with her closest family and friends to celebrate her becoming a Mrs! I’m certainly no expert on throwing a party but today I’m sharing just a few tips on throwing a shower for that special bride in your life.

MAKE A BUDGET AND STICK TO IT

Throwing a shower can get a bit pricey (depending on how many people you invite) so make sure everyone who contributes is on the same page. If you have it at a restaurant or some other type of venue, you may have to cut some costs when it comes to decorations. If you have it at someones home, however, you may have more to spend on decor since you’ll likely be preparing the food but remember that means more cleanup too!

TAILOR IT TO THE BRIDE

Bridesmaids usually plan the bridal shower but I would say most brides would like at least some say in the planning process. The shower is kind of a big deal so make sure it’s what she wants. Does she want a formal sit down lunch or bite-size appetizers? Just girls or a couples shower? Does she want a lot of games or just mingling? These are all things to consider when planning a shower because it’s all about the bride after all!

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE DETAILS

Make it pretty, y’all! We decided to have a mimosa bar because we were in a French bakery and well… champagne! I made a little mirrored sign and picked up some fun drink stirrers from Etsy. Have photos of the bride & groom scattered around the room or maybe play a game on how well you know the happy couple. If you want to get really fancy, print out menus or make place cards for the tables.

INCORPORATE PERSONAL TOUCHES

If the bridesmaids are planning the shower, don’t forget to ask parents and other family if they’d like to be involved or do something special for the bride. In this case, the groom’s father used to be a florist so his parents were in charge of the floral arrangements (which turned out so beautifully!).

HAVE FUN (AND TAKE LOTS OF PHOTOS!)

In my opinion, every wedding-related celebration should be photographed. I mean, these are some of the happiest and most exciting days of your life so we all need to remember them the best that we can. Make sure you have a designated picture-taker (oh hi, that’s me!) to capture all of these moments because friends and family will definitely want to see them! Mingle with all of the guests and make yourself available to answer questions, fill up drinks, and make that lovely paper plate bouquet that we all know and love!

All of us ladies had a great time and I cannot wait for Logan’s big day that’s just over a month away. What are some of your must-do’s when it comes to planning a shower? I’d love to hear!

September 23, 2016

Fall Bucket List

TGIF!! My favorite season is officially in full swing and I couldn’t be more excited. And yes, I had a love for fall wayyyy before blogging. I still remember when my dad would rake all the leaves in the front yard and jumping in them was the highlight of my day. Trick-or-treating was my favorite and I still remember dressing up as a “southern belle” and wearing one of those frilly dresses from Dollywood (did anyone else have one of those?!). Dressing up in college was a huge deal with so many costume parties to go to and over the years, the season has become more about taking long hikes, going to fall festivals and just spending time with friends & family. I thought it was only fitting to share this years bucket list on the second day of fall!

Hopefully I can cross most of these items off the list, which is a little short because somehow almost every weekend in October is already booked up. So basically I need to get to planning STAT! I also wanted to share a few fun moments from last fall with you guys.

Traveled to Tennessee for a wedding and made a pit stop in Gatlinburg on the way back home

Finally bought a faux fur vest

Spent a relaxing weekend at a friend’s mountain house

Did a fun collaboration with Southern Weddings sharing my “cozy fall style”

Traveled to Niagara Falls (and rode on Maid of the Mist)

Took lots of ring selfies 🙂

Took a day trip to Blowing Rock & Linville Falls

Made a tasty appetizer for Thanksgiving dinner

Dressed up as pirates and rode around the streets of Charlotte in a giant pirate ship for Halloween

And on a site note, y’all may have seen this on Snapchat (khendley) but I had to share on here. This coffee and caramel corn from Target are the bomb. Go stock up now… you’ll thank me later 🙂 Hope y’all have a fabulous weekend and thanks for stopping by!

September 22, 2016

#DietCokeinCLT Party Recap

Last Friday night, I joined some local Charotte bloggers at City Lights rooftop at Le Méridien for an end-of-summer bash with Diet Coke. I thought I’d share a few photos and show y’all my favorite accessory of the night!

Since I started blogging during PA school when I was living in Raleigh, I wasn’t able to attend many blogger events here in Charlotte until recently. Now I try to go to as many as I can because while blogging may be about writing and photography, it is also about building relationships and networking. Not to mention, it’s always a good time when bloggers get together. It’s nice when you don’t feel guilty asking someone to take a picture of you, right?!

So the first order of business to get ready for the event was a mani/pedi sesh at Modern Nails South End. I just found out about them through a friend and started following their Instagram account for ideas. Unlike many nail salons, they are big on social media and you can even make appointments online. They post so many pretty nail colors & designs so I wanted to get my first “fall” manicure with a little twist. Cue the glitter! Of course my mani is my favorite accessory, hence the blog title 🙂 A big thank you to Lauren and her staff for doing such an awesome job getting me ready for the event!

Nail color is OPI “Squeaker of the House” (the whole Washington DC collection is amazing!)

After taking some blog photos (see my full outfit here), Ryan & I headed to the event. We were greeted with this little welcome bag- my favorite item was the flash drive that looks like a lipstick!

In addition to mingling with other bloggers, we got to enjoy some delicious food and beverages. Some of my favorites were the Bloody Mary shrimp cocktail and ahi tuna. And let’s not forget the dessert bar.. SO good!

If you’re planning a trip to Charotte, a stop by City Lights is a must. It is a new rooftop bar on top of the Le Méridien that has killer views of the uptown skyline. A bar that serves prosecco pops (y’all know I’ve talked about these before), plenty of lounge areas and great music make this the perfect spot to meet up with friends. I’d say this end-of-summer bash was a success and thankfully we had beautiful weather- that is slowly cooling down, I might add.

That being said… happy fall, y’all! There are lots of fun things coming up this season which reminds me, I need to officially make my fall bucket list. Bring on the apple cider, Halloween candy, and fall foliage!

*** I’m sure many of you tuned in to CNN to see the shocking things that were going on in our city last night. These peaceful protests turned violent were literally two blocks away from my condo and it’s scary to think that our beautiful city has turned to this violence and hate. Hopefully things will turn around ASAP because I know Charlotte is better than this. Breaking into businesses, looting, and assaulting media are not the answer. Let’s pray for peace. ***

Photography by Paige Winn Photo

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