My Chickens

Earnest Lee is a famous artist in Columbia, SC. On my bucket list for college, I wanted to acquire a few Earnest Lee paintings for myself. He's famous for his chicken paintings, and is even dubbed "The Chicken Man" around South Carolina.

These chickens were the ones that ultimately made it home with me! I knew I wanted a chicken with Gamecock colors, and I knew I wanted a pink chicken (to be the Katie chicken) and I figured a palmetto would complete the collection and always remind me of the state of South Carolina.

I was SO excited to start my little art collection with my chickens! They will forever remind me of Columbia and my graduation.

xxKatie

It's a Wrap: The Carolina Ball

So a week ago today, I attended a wonderful event, The Carolina Ball! It was a great time and I ended up running into a bunch of people I knew.

My fabbbbbulous date Hannah and I were able to go to the ball! We both wore floor length dresses, taking the night to get all dolled up! How often does that really happen!?

I got my dress from Tradesy online! I felt like I was channeling my inner Rachel from "Friends" with this 90s-loving choice. I never, ever, ever want to take this dress off. I LOVE it!

 The band, Blind Manifest, was great! They amped up the crowd, danced and interacted and really kept us going. I really enjoyed listening to them, and gave us an awesome variation of music: slow songs, fast songs, beach music, covers, everything!

The decor at the venue was minimal, but it didn't need to be very fancy. The venue, 701 Whaley, is a beautiful spot on its own and really doesn't need much to make it look good. There were simple swags throughout the main hall we were in and it looked perfect.

All in all, we had fun at the event! I hope that this continues to be an annual event and grows bigger and larger for Palmetto Health Children's Hospital! FTK!

xxKatie

LBP loves TCB: The Carolina Ball

We have been working on this partnership for a few weeks and I am SO excited to finally be able to tell y'all about it! I have officially signed on as a media sponsor of the event and it's going to be great! It's a week from TODAY so hop on board.

The Carolina Ball is a gala that is being held next Thursday here in Columbia and I am thrilled to be going! Remember when I talked about all those formal dresses--yep, I've got gala on the brain.

It sounds like it's going to be a blast based on the description alone:

A group of friends collaborated to create a formal philanthropic event for the community to come together in support of an amazing cause. The inaugural Carolina Ball, sponsored by Breakers Bar and Grill, will be held on April 25, 2013 at 701 Whaley in support of Palmetto Health Children's Hospital. With this cause in mind - along with live music and an open bar - this black-tie affair will be a night to remember. 

Anyone remember what I was just involved in with Palmetto Health Children's Hospital? DANCE MARATHON of course! Why not be a part of another big party to celebrate such a wonderful place right here in Columbia?!

The Carolina Ball stands for all kinds of things I love:

1. Helping out a children's hospital

2. Standing up with peers to do something good. Really, really GOOD.

3. Getting dressed up

4. Dancing with live music 

Check out their website to buy your ticket (ASAP y'all, they're filling up fast) and the official event invite to get all the deets! We'll be comin' atcha with more information as the big soiree gets closer!

Be there or miss out big time!

xxKatie

Giveaway: My Capital Letters

Today's giveaway is with My Capital Letters! Right here in my backyard in Columbia, SC, I am SO excited to be doing this fun giveaway!

We are giving away a vine monogram anchor key chain! How cute is this?! Nautical and personalized, this is right up my alley. You can pick any color from their choices too!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy entering!

xxKatie

Posh Pets

I'll be the first to admit that photo shoots are FUN. You get to pretend you're in another world for a few hours with people making you fabulous and showcasing knock out clothes. I was a part of a photo shoot organized by blogger, The Shop Tart, Columbia, SC aficionado for a local magazine!

photo via the Shop Tart

As you can see pets were involved! My animal was a grey cat named Insley, who we joked, had a perfect name to be a contestant (perhaps a VIP cocktail waitress?) on the Bachelor!

I was decked out in merchandise from the store and got the special opportunity to be a part of this shoot with a close friend of mine who works at the store next door to mine!

We were joking that we had great outfits that represented out respective stores but they were also outfits that we'd normally wear in real life!

I can't wait to see the final choices from the shoot. I was able to snag a few for my own Instagram--you can even see Insley poking out of my bag--too cute! Sweater, tote, cuff, and shoes all still available. I'll post the fish critter jeans as soon as they're live online!

Big thanks to Columbia Metropolitan Magazine (see you in March!), The Shop Tart and Pawmetto Lifeline and Pink Sorbet!

xxKatie

Winston's Wish

To say I'm lucky at my job is a MAJOR understatement. I've met some of the most interesting people, learned so much about the city of Columbia, SC and what it has to offer and even more about the state of South Carolina. Among the most special opportunities I've had at Pink Sorbet was being a (very small) part of Winston's Wish.

Winston's Wish is a very special support organization for those with autism and their families. I didn't know anything about Winston's Wish until I got to Columbia, and even more specifically until I worked at Pink Sorbet.

This year the store has paired up with Winston's Wish AND Lilly to create the coolest, "most awesome" (that's one of our favorite phrases in the store) scarves that you've ever seen with some of the proceeds going to Winston's Wish:

Not only can you see the store and children playing throughout scenes in the scarf, but you get to see Winston himself too:

Famous for his bowties, he's featured prominently in the scarf:

Can you spot him? Look towards the top in the middle! You'll see him smilin' away in his darling seersucker suit and bowtie!

Here's even more of the story to go along with the special scarf!

I am SO excited to even have the chance to be associated with this awesome foundation, cause, and store. It has truly opened my eyes and I couldn't wait to share it with y'all!!

xxKatie

(All photos from Winston's Wish and pink sorbet facebook pages respectively)

Sweet Treats From Lady Antoinette's!

I had the special treat a few weeks ago of trying one of Columbia's newest bakeries, Lady Antoinette's!

They had TONS of fresh desserts, and y'all know that's right up my alley. For those of you who may not know, I have a HUGE sweet tooth! I also had never had a macaron before. I feel like they're the favorite food of most bloggers you talk to. Now I know why!

Lady Antoinette's is nestled inside a bridal salon actually. I got the grand tour by a friend of mine who works as a consultant in the bridal shop. It's beautiful, full of gold leaf wallpapered rooms and beautiful decor. There are marble floors, grand staircases and dresses galore! After making my way around Bella Vista, I made my way into Lady Antoinette's, the real reason for my visit.

I chatted with the friendly staff and they made their recommendations and told me what had been popular. Beignets and macarons were the hot ticket so I ordered a beignet and 2 vanilla and 2 lemon macarons. I couldn't help myself but to eat a vanilla macaron the MINUTE I got into my car!

These macarons are different than most because they're kinda big, but MAN OH MAN are they delicious. (As I type this, I'm thinking to myself about my next trip back...) I at the pink vanilla one first, naturally, and loved it! They're not too sweet and the cream inside is light and fluffy. I then ate the lemon one. To. Die. For. That was actually my favorite thing that I got! It was yellow, but not scary-highlighter-yellow. It was GREAT!

For those of you who are in Columbia, be sure to make your way down to Lady Antoinette's soon! 

xxKatie

Columbia Style Week 2012: Finale

Saturday night was the finale for CSW!

This MayaQoba dress was my favorite piece in the entire show! I was breathless when I saw it and squealed to Mikelle who was sitting next to me! I REALLY need it!

Both of these Lauren Devaughn designs were also among my favorites. I liked everything in this material really. They were great pieces that I loved!

This Luis Machicao set has my name all over it. That coral liner was such a fun pop of color and I was just thinking how much I want a white work-appropriate shift dress. Adorable!

This was another LM dress that I really liked! the ruffle was cute and that hidden color was fabulous!

There aren't many photos of me at the Finale event, but you can see me and the crew I was lucky enough to hang out with right there!

I loved Mikelle's Instagram caption of "Carolina Fabulous"!

I had a wonderful time being a part of Columbia Style Week 2012 and I look forward to working again with them in 2013 if I'm still in the area! A huge thanks to all volunteers, organizers, models, designers, VIPs, and everyone who attended CSW2012 and made it such a fun week for people like me!

xxKatie

Columbia Style Week 2012: Wedding 101

Wedding 101 was held on Saturday morning and I left work for about an hour to make it! I love all things wedding and figured this would be IDEAL for yours truly. After interning at Bayside Bride last year, I felt like I learned SO much, so I really knew what to keep my eyes out for!

Wedding 101 was also held at Tapp's and converted into wedding wonderland!

The showcase itself was presented by Weddings 101, a local wedding planning service. They did a wonderful job showing us all some great designs! (Minus the clamps used to secure dresses! I wish they found a different way to make them work because they were a teensy bit distracting!)

We got a chance to see designs for the Mother of the Bride, Bridesmaids, Brides, Grooms, Groomsmen, and even a ring bearer! My favorite options were the bridal dresses we saw!

This boatneck dress was my FAAAAAVORITE of all the dresses we saw--LBP loves a boatneck wedding style!

The white dinner jacket look was my pick among all the groom looks! This guy ROCKED it too!

In front of me, so technologically savvy, was The Fat and Skinny on Fashion--a blogger I was lucky enough to meet because of CSW! She's totally a local fashion blogger worth checking out. I also got to meet Josh Ratliff, a stylist who's gotten the chance to work in a TON of places and Mike Kelton, one of the US Weekly fashion police! I was lucky enough to get the chance to hang out with these guys for all of the events on Saturday!

Wedding 101 was a great event and I had a blast yet again getting to cover Columbia Style Week!

xxKatie

Columbia Style Week 2012: Kick Off & Beautiful People Party!

The first night of Columbia Style Week was a kick off and "Beautiful People Party"! The night's events included a panel of industry experts which was one of the highlights of the entire week for me!

Left to right: Katie Kern, Sonya Barnes, Anthony Simmons, Sonia Hendrix, and Alicia Zeigler (who organized the entire week!)

Some of the panel highlights included:

Alicia: "I like to make other people feel fabulous..."

Sonya: "An educated consumer is best.", "Net-work equals net worth!", "Great brands are built on trust, [it becomes] whether you build a great brand yourself or [risk an] image by default..."

Katie: "INTERN! Make sure you secure internships.", "Be professional at all times.", "YOU SHOULD GET PAID!"

What I enjoyed most about the panel was that most of the experts had to say was very business oriented. It wasn't all about fashion or all about the fashion industry but more about their business and entrepreneurial what-I-wish-I-knew kind of advice. I learned SO much at this panel and was excited to be able to network with these individuals and hear what they had to say! 

The venue was Tapp's Art Center which I had never been to and was excited to see!

There was a pre-panel meet-and-greet where everyone could socialize and schmooze. It was enjoyable--I got time to see the different rooms of Tapp's and what artists they were featuring. After social hour, we all headed into the room for the panel and announcement of the 25 Most Stylish People of Columbia awards!

I wore this one shoulder dress and crazy shoes to the first night! I was comfortable and definitely among the preppier attendees at the event--gotta show my preppy pride!

I wanted to thank all of the panel members for their advice and time to chat, I hope they enjoyed the night as much as I did!

Tomorrow's post is all about "Wedding 101" which was one of the Saturday events!

xxKatie

Outfits of the Days: Columbia Style Week

Today begins the first post of a few recapping Columbia Style Week!

I had a wonderful time with all the folks who attended the first CSW! I'll have the first run-down of this series of posts about CSW events posting tomorrow--get excited!

June 5 by letsbepreppy featuring a one shoulder long sleeve dress

This was the first night of CSW! It was a kick-off party and crowned Columbia's Top 25 Most Stylish People! I had a blast and even got to network a little with the panel of industry experts. I don't want to give much away, but the industry expert night was DEFINITELY a highlight for me! I, of course, had to wear Lilly since I was representing the preppy population of Columbia!

June 9 by letsbepreppy featuring kenneth jay lane earrings

The second event I went to was called "Wedding 101" hosted by a local wedding planning company--Wedding 101--on behalf of CSW. It was really fun and the crowd was a bit different than the usual CWS event crowd. I got a chance to meet a few bloggers whose blogs I've been reading for awhile and was a bit starstruck when I met them! It was a blast!

June 9 by letsbepreppy featuring print dresses

For the finale event, I wore this dress that I've been lusting over! I added a pink crossbody for both events on the 9th and it was great! I didn't have to hold a purse and could still take tons of photos so easily! I snapped 100's of photos and even a few videos to put together for everyone to see! It was a wonderful night and I was able to hang out with the same crowd from Wedding 101! 

All in all, Columbia Style Week was a BLAST, and I hope y'all are looking forward to the rest of the detailed posts--you're in for a treat! 

xxKatie

My Summer Grind

My summer seems to have a decent pattern as of these last few weeks! My current summer essentials are:

Costa Del Mar Isabela: My absolute go-to pair of sunglasses

Lilly Pulitzer Agenda: I mistakenly thought that summer meant less plans. Nope!

Pinch: Our favorite place to hang out, Wednesdays are my fave!

CeraVe lotion: This is SAVING my skin from all my new acne medicine! I would recommend it if you have dry skin--it's TOTALLY worth every penny!

Wedges: What if I'm as tall as my dad? I've been all about the wedges and don't even care if they make me like 6'4''. That rules!

Pink Nail Polish: "Off the Shoulder" will be my next color! I bought it and I know I'm already going to like it. Wanna know how? When I got that pedicure, I got it in OTS! I tested the color out and it's a 100% match. Talk about a stylish subconscious! 

While it's a motley crew of summer staples, this is what I'm living off of these days! What are your summer must-haves?

xxKatie

P.S.: If anyone is heading to Columbia Style Week events tonight, I'd love to meet up--tonight is a meet and greet anyway! Snap a few photos for the facebook page ;) Send me an email (katie AT letsbepreppy DOT com) or tweet @letsbepreppy and let me know!!! I know some of my Columbia readers are in town and it's gonna be an awesome week of festivities!

New Do, New You

I have SUPER short hair now!!

This is the last tagged photo of me from my friend Jami's 21st birthday! This was a few days ago so my hair was at the longest and most recent pre-haircut:

I'm sure most of y'all saw my tweets about the haircut yesterday! I went to a great salon in Columbia called Ashley's Alley, and my stylist, Keri, was wonderful. She was recommended to me by a friend and did a great job. She was SO speedy too--I was washed, cut, and blow-dried all in less than 45 minutes. The location is moving, but if anyone in Columbia needs a new hair stylist, shoot me an email and I'll forward you her details!

You can also see a bit of my new house in the background--a very small bit! Our AMAZING pink couch! One of my roommates had a HOT PINK COUCH that's now happily residing in our living room!

I am so excited about my new hair and can't wait to really see how it feels once I'm the primary stylist!

Have you ever made a DRASTIC haircut? Did you like it or did you want your old hair back?!

Posh & Panache

A few weeks ago, I was invited to Posh & Panache, one of the media events for Columbia Style Week! CSW is in it's inaugural year and is doing a great job to get the word out for the events happening June 5-9. We had a blast and it was at a beautiful boutique in Columbia's Vista district. 

There was an awesome fashion show!

The owner, Carissa, was happy to speak to everyone who came! We even got a minute to chat and we learned all about her business. She offers and AWESOME shopping experience if you want to attend after hours with a group of friends! As long as you spend a minimum amount (~$100) you all get 20% off! 

M2 Boutique is a lot like a store most of you will be familiar with--Francesca's Collection--but imagine it with all the top of the line pieces and a RIDICULOUS selection of designer jeans. Add that with a posh space and you've got M2.

Carissa started from her living room years ago and her fabulous friends encouraged her to get a storefront! She first went to Atlanta and then packed up and moved to Columbia and is really helping out our major lack of shopping in the city. 

I got to snap a photo with her and we had a great time!

I spent most of the night with Julia, a model and senior editor for our student magazine Garnet and Black, and Hallie, of Garnet and Blog! See her take on the night there too!

xxKatie