Medicine & Manicures

December 30, 2014

Pops of Pink

Old Navy sweater dress (I’m wearing XSP) // Tory Burch Thea satchel // Loren Hope necklace

Lips: Bite Beauty in Violet // Bracelets: Loren Hope & Jenny Bird via RocksBox // Gorjana ring

Sam Edelman booties (similar) // Ray-Ban sunnies // Nails: OPI “In my Santa Suit”

I normally don’t wear this much black all at once, but I was so excited to wear my Loren Hope Sylvia necklace that I thought it would look perfect with a bright pop of pink! This sweater dress from Old Navy is super soft (and under $30!) and I especially love the little zippers on the shoulders. I get pretty excited when I find a good quality item for such a steal so if you’re looking for the perfect black sweater dress, I would jump on this one!

This gorgeous Loren Hope necklace came in my latest Rocksbox and it is STUNNING! A little pricey, but that’s why Rocksbox is perfect when you want to wear the latest designer pieces without dropping that hefty price tag. The fuchsia color is absolutely beautiful so I decided I would get matchy-matchy with my lipstick 🙂

As for the bag- it was a Christmas gift from my momma (which I picked out, of course) and it is the perfect black bag for me. Tory Burch can do no wrong! I’m obsessed with the tassels, it can be worn as a satchel, and also has a cute leather/chain strap when you want to go hands free. We literally grabbed the last one in the store and they’re pretty hard to find online, but you can find the tan & red versions here (and if you want a little larger of a bag, the triple-zip satchel is a great larger alternative)!

SHOP THE POST

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Last but not least, today’s the last day to enter the $25 gift card to The Mint Julep Boutique!!

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December 29, 2014

Weekending: Christmas Recap

Happy Monday everyone and can you believe 2015 is three short days away… say what?!? This year has been one of my very best and I’m so lucky that I got to spend this holiday season with all of my favorite people- friends, family, and my fiancé (I still find myself calling him my boyfriend sometimes hehe)! I was planning on doing a post on Friday but let’s get real- the Christmas merriment & stuffing my face took priority.. so here I am with a weekend recap!

Disclaimer: I look a little scary in this pic but… Ryan & I are heading to The Big Apple in March!! We planned the trip together but he was a sweetie and already got our tickets. We had SO much fun the last time we went and I cannot wait to go back!!

We exchanged our gifts in the morning before we headed to the family gathering. Santa was good, as always, but I have to brag a little bit on my guy for his wrapping skills. His sister talks about how he used to wrap with cardboard boxes and duck tape but over the past 3 years his skills have gotten pretty good… he even adds bows now!

We headed over to Jessica’s for breakfast with the fam and present time (and cheesy family photos, of course)! The day was full of eating, cookie dough shots, watching The Grinch (cartoon and Jim Carrey versions), and lots of delicious food. Playing Catch Phrase and Cards Against Humanity was definitely a great end to the night… especially with Ryan’s parents around. Saying some of those phrases out loud definitely made us blush but they got a kick out of it… sometimes it’s fun to be crude!

Hugh, Erica, Bandit, Ryan, & Jessica

We all had to get a picture with little Santa!

As you can see, it was a successful 3rd Christmas with Ryan and his family (still can’t believe we’ve been together that long)! I hope each and every one of you had a great holiday weekend and as for me, I’m going to soak up every second of my last week off before I head back to school for my next rotation!

Linking with Biana & Meghan for weekending.

December 24, 2014

White Chocolate Oreo Balls

Merry Christmas Eve to all of you in blog land! I’m sure everyone is out and about visiting with family and friends but if you’re in need of a last minute dessert recipe for tomorrow (or the rest of the week), you’re in luck! You may already know about Oreo balls/truffles but I have to say they’re the best thing that my old roommate ever taught me how to make. Baking is not my forte so that’s why these are my go-to items for holiday parties (and always for Ryan on V-Day too!). They are soooooo incredibly easy and extra delicious… gotta add that glass of milk though!

1. Crush up Oreos (the Ninja works wonders!)

2. Add cream cheese to Oreo powder

3. Mix cream cheese and powder until you have a doughy consistency

4. Roll mix into balls and place on wax paper

5. Place in fridge to cool for a few minutes

6. Coat the balls with melted white chocolate

7. Top with some crushed up peppermint or sprinkles

8. Let cool in fridge… and you’re ready to eat!

Now it’s time to enjoy the holidays (and all the treats, of course)! I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and I’ll see y’all back on Friday!

December 23, 2014

Cozy Winter Blues (+ Giveaway)

Merry Christmas Eve eve, y’all! I have to admit, winter is my least favorite season (except for all the fun holiday stuff that comes with it). However, when I get to wear super cozy things like this mohair sweater from The Mint Julep Boutique, I’m perfectly okay with it! As soon as I got my hands on it I was immediately obsessed. It is sooo incredibly soft and I love the crochet detail on the shoulders and hem. I wore it this past weekend to my Christmas party and got so many compliments- that’s exactly why I love getting unique pieces from boutiques. The Mint Julep has so many cute and unique styles for winter that you’ll have a hard time picking out your favorite (be sure to check our their NYE selection too)!

In a Dream sweater c/o The Mint Julep Boutique // Gap legging jeans // Monogram necklace

Old Navy pom-pom hat (similar) // Franco Sarto suede boots, old (similar) // Nordstrom scarf

360 pearl earrings // Clinique chubby stick in Roundest Raspberry

I had to include this present that just so happened to coordinate with my outfit because… I’m back this week with another giveaway!! I’m partnering with The Mint Julep Boutique to give away a $25 gift card to one lucky M&M reader. They probably have one of the biggest selections of any online boutiques that I’ve seen and they have plenty of cozy winter looks like mine (like some of the super cute sweaters below). The giveaway will run through next Tuesday… good luck y’all!

1 // 2 // 3 // 4

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December 22, 2014

Christmas Weekending

Happy Monday, friends and hellooo Christmas week! My weekend was jam-packed full of food, fun, and festivities and it was great to spend some quality time with my friends and family. That’s the best thing about the holidays, isn’t it? Lots of activities means a long post so let’s jump right into the recap!

On Friday, we headed to Jessica’s house (Ryan’s sister) for their neighborhood dirty Santa party complete with yummy apps, desserts, and tacky sweaters. Too bad I left my awesome tacky vest/turtleneck combo at my Raleigh apartment so I wasn’t prepared but at least Ryan & I kept our outfits in the Christmas color wheel. By the way, how stinkin’ cute is Ryan’s dad’s sweater?

My parents came up Saturday and we exchanged presents, had some good sushi at Cowfish (best sushi in Charlotte, in my opinion), and did a little shopping (but failed to take photos, boo). Both of our fams hung out together and made our way through the craziness that is Southpark Mall. Let’s just say I won’t be heading there anytime soon until Christmas is done and over with. All the crowds, lines, and crazy drivers are exactly why I prefer to shop online.

Saturday evening continued with the annual Secret Santa Christmas party with my girls. We usually go out to a restaurant, but this year we had it at Logan’s place because she has a great living room with a super tall tree and a cozy fireplace… the perfect setting, right? We had a delicious meal, had our first cookie exchange, and then came the best part… presents!!! Just kidding, the best part was us playing Evil Apples and getting super competitive during Catch Phrase but the gifts were definitely fun. Kate Spade made a lot of appearances and my friend Lindsay got me a must-have item for any style blogger, the oh-so-fabulous Kendra Scott Rayne necklace– in the limited-edition holiday rose gold. Obsessed!! We stayed up til 1 am chatting about life and wedding plans and nothing is better than nights like these with my best friends.

Ashton – Lindsay – Me

Rachael – Logan – Katie

I’m well stocked on cookies for the next two weeks!

Sunday was spent at Jessica’s with Ryan’s family- we had a nice breakfast and had our gift exchange complete with lots of lounging and football. Ryan’s dad has been loaning me his Canon 50mm f/1.8 lens for several months and it was time to give it back (which we wrapped up to be funny). I told Ryan that if I didn’t get it for Christmas then I was just going to buy it for myself (can’t blog without it y’all!). Well, you could say I was super excited when I opened up the same brand new lens complete with lots of fun accessories for my camera!! We finished the night with some Chinese food and a viewing of Home Alone (hands down my favorite Christmas movie- I can quote every line).

Don’t you love my steak saw? Definitely the funniest gift we got!

Because the McAllisters running through the airport never gets old!

Ps. If you’re getting a Christmas mani and are looking for that perfect holiday red, look no further than “In my Santa Suit” by OPI. It has a hint of shimmer and make me feel oh-so-festive!

By Sunday night I was super exhausted, but friends, family, and good food are why I love the holidays and I wouldn’t have it any other way! Hope y’all had a great weekend too!

Linking with Biana & Meghan.

December 19, 2014

Friday Five!

Another week has flown by and I can’t believe Christmas is just around the corner… where has the time gone?!? I have been quite the busy bee with the wedding planning and getting ready for family to visit so this week was a whirlwind, but I’m excited to share my 5 on Friday (especially #1)!

one // We have set a date! Ryan & I will be married on May 7th, 2016 in uptown Charlotte, where we first met and where we currently live (only a block away actually)- it couldn’t be more perfect! We picked the Foundation for the Carolinas for our ceremony & reception venue and I cannot wait for our special day. The bottom level is an art gallery and the top floor is a venue with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the streets of Charlotte and is very modern and city-esque! So totally us 🙂

two // Ryan’s dad and stepmom got into town last night and we had a nice little dinner at Fleming’s, Ryan’s favorite steakhouse. Not many meals can beat a good medium-rare steak with red wine, potatoes, and mushrooms… oh and creme brûlée for dessert. Heaven.

three // My parents are also coming into town this weekend.. yay!! There will be food, presents, and lots of wedding talk of course. My mom loves coming to Charlotte and getting sushi (that’s our little thing) and I’m excited for both of our families to have a nice lunch together tomorrow! After that, my girls and I are having our annual Secret Santa party and I cannot wait to open fun presents and indulge in yummy cookies with my besties!

A little #tbt from last year’s party (minus Ashton)

four // I shared some of my favorite ornaments in last week’s post, but I wanted to share our entire tree with y’all. I’m still excited like a little kid that I have a big, fat, real tree in our living room and I’m not prepared to take it down in a week. It’s technically okay to leave a tree up until New Year’s right? Ok, that’s what I thought. I also got this mercury glass vase & votives from West Elm a few weeks ago to freshen up our table and am in love (ps. they’re now on sale)!

five // Last, but certainly not least, today is the last day to enter the $300 Tory Burch giveaway (enter until midnight). What could be more perfect around the holidays? Good luck and be sure to check out all of these fab blogs!

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