Bursts of Pink!

I'm a junk food junkie. Through and through. I love snacks, candy, chips, all of it! I especially like jelly beans. 

Jelly beans are often elusive, especially when it's not Easter season! Many years ago, circa my middle school years, I discovered Jelly Belly Cotton Candy pink jelly beans. As soon as I mention "cotton candy" I'm sure most people gag. I actually think cotton candy is a misnomer. Being the self-proclaimed candy connoisseur that I consider myself, I believe that these would much more aptly be named "Pink". 

If you could embody the flavor of pink and yummy, it is this jelly bean! Even my mom agreed with the flavor. I've gotten TONS of my friends and co-workers on board with the Jelly Belly Cotton Candy jelly beans!

My sister, knowing how much I love these jellies, got my a redneck wine glass filled to the BRIM with pink jelly beans! It was one of my favorite gifts. She adorned it with the best pink and green ribbons and raffia and it just screamed "Katie"! I've managed to limit myself to only a few every so often so that they'll last me as long as possibly while I'm here at school.

Does anything say "pink" to you like these jelly beans do for me? What are you favorite candies?

xxKatie

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas 2012!

(This photo is our Christmas card picture this year! I figured you were probably wondering why it's not red and green with a Christmas tree in the background!)

Enjoy your holiday with family, friends, and loved ones! I will be thankful that we are all safe, sound, and snug together for the holiday season this year. It is certainly a time of reflection and relaxation and also important to remember the special reason for the season. 

Let your Christmas overflow with love, happiness, appreciation and a full heart today!

xxKatie

Merry Christmas Eve!

Tonight is when my family does a lot of our celebrating! We'll head to mass around 6, have a late dinner (plus my grandparents now that they've arrived in town!) and head to bed to get snuggely before Santa comes. This is one of the pictures we snagged last year!

We all get a dressed up for Christmas Eve mass and dinner. My Christmas outfit will consist of the following:

Lilly Pulitzer Mallory dress that I snagged on a HUGE sale this summer!

My gold circle monogram necklace

Libby Edelman Booties

Last but not least, my Old Navy ruffle coat (which is now like 1/2 price!!)

Does your family do a big night for Christmas Eve or Christmas or both? What party frock will you be donning for the big day?

xxKatie

Christmas Wardrobe Staples

I wear very similar things most of the time. I stick to shapes I like and colors and textures that I'm used to. That being said, my Christmas outfit is usually along the same lines, although it does differ every year! There are a few holiday staples that you'll want to keep handy as you run from soiree to event to dinner during this Christmas season!

I am starting at the bottom, but these are actually my Christmas shoes this year! I found them at a clearance sale at the beginning of the summer at the most fun accessory store next to the store I work at, and there was one pair left in my size. I took it as fate and snagged them! I've been saving them for something special and Christmas seems perfect. They are Libby Edelman "Nalini" Suede Bootie. Find a pair of shoes that will work with multiple outfits. Stick to black and nude patent or suede!

Finding your frock is always a tough decision! I usually like to go with metallics or jewel tones. This year, my dress is royal blue and emerald (to kick off the color of the year!) but last year I wore a gold shift. I like this strapless one especially if you're on the party circuit (and it's on sale!)

I am still a big fan of my metallic Christmas dress from last year and I always look for more occasions to wear it!

Find a fun and festive statement necklace! I love this BaubleBar gold bib necklace because it can jazz up an LBD or work great with a red or green party dress! (Not on BaubleBar yet? Get your invite today!)

Top off your look with the perfect Christmas color for your nails! Tons of people RAVE about "Bordeaux" as a go-to holiday color, so clearly this is the winner!

Do you have your holiday outfits picked out? Are there certain colors or Christmas items you stick to?

xxKatie

Break O'Clock

As of today, I'm officially on break time!

I am done with the stress of finals (3 finals in 3 days is a WILD ride, let me tell you!) and looking forward to really getting into the merry spirit!

We actually found ourselves in the middle of a cold snap yesterday, and I even had to dig out my rain coat from the chilly drizzle that accompanied the colder temperatures. This is definitely the winter that we're used to--not the very mild stuff we've had all December!

I also wrapped up my internship for the semester working for the American Red Cross. I had a great experience and it was crazy to be leaving my office for the last time! So much has gone on this semester, it really flew by!

I'm going to head home early next week and get a chance to spend time with my family and start decking out house out in pink and green decorations like the ones above I started to put up at work as soon as Thanksgiving was over!

Hope you're getting into the Christmas and holiday mindset as we start to get SO MUCH CLOSER to the big day!!

xxKatie

Giveaway: Invitation Consultants

Christmas Cards are always high on my Mom's holiday to-do list. Both my parents have a list of their people that they want to send cards to and stick to a "schedule" to make sure they all get done and get sent out!

We usually have a photo of some sort and add our little greeting. I'm not exactly sure which picture it is, but I'm excited to see Christmas 2012's choice! Last year's was preppy pink and green and will always have a special place in my heart--it was TOO cute!

On that note (stationery pun...wink wink) this giveaway comes at a great time! We are giving away $30 to Invitation Consultants that you can use for stationery of your choice, Christmas or holiday cards, and anything that fits your bill on their site!

Using the Rafflecopter widget, feel free to enter! Woo hoo! Happy Giveaway Monday!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

xxKatie

An Ode to My Favorite Boots

Now that football has ended and we're slowly creeping toward colder temperatures, it's about time I finally said thank you to my favorite boots.

I have had my Frye Billy Pull-On boots for about two years and they still look brand new. Finally having broken them in, I wear them all the time!

If you're looking for an awesome Christmas gift for someone, or if you need another great item to add to your own list, I highly suggest these boots! They are a little pricey, but I know that they are going to last me way longer than most of my other shoes and you are absolutely getting what you pay for. 

They are great for Gameday, but I often wear them with jeans, especially as it gets colder. I don't have very many shoes that manage to look cute with black dresses and still keep me warm when I need them to. Am I right?!

Recently Frye added a new color, Charcoal, that I am OBSESSED with:

I love the more distressed look of the charcoal color and it's different than most boot color options that you see out there!

What are you favorite boots? Are you asking for some for Christmas? (If not, snag a pair ASAP or add these to your list!!)

xxKatie

Giveaway: Capitol Letters Makeup Bag

What's perfect for the girl who has everything? Something to put it all in!

A great choice for a girly gift is a makeup bag!

Capitol Letters on Etsy is giving away a makeup bag to a lucky winner!

Not only is this a great gift, but a good makeup bag is a holiday essential for anyone traveling. Do you spend Thanksgiving with your maternal grandparents and Christmas with your dad's parents? Do you go from coast to coast? Do you fly or drive? 

SO MUCH TRAVELING around this time of the year! That's certainly one major thing I've learned since traveling a lot to and fro college and home!

I love the fun, whimsical details on the bags too!

In order to qualify for this week's Giveaway Monday giveaway just use this Rafflecopter widget:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Giveaway Monday!

Safe travels to anyone heading home or to their Thanksgiving destination if you're leaving today!

xxKatie

Christmas Shoes

Everyone's heard the very sad Christmas song, "Christmas Shoes"...but this is MUCH happier! For me this year, it was the Christmas of Shoes. I got a bunch ranging from dressy to outdoorsy:

BCBGeneration Tedolie

Enzo Angiolini Elaya Pumps (These I actually got myself to wear on Christmas Eve)

Jack Rogers Collegiate Colors Navajo

L.L. Bean Duck Boots

Jack Rogers Platinum Navajo

Did you have a "theme" to your Christmas? Were there any similarities in your gifties?

xxKatie

There are Macys coupons available for shoes.

OOTD: Christmas Eve

December 24 by letsbepreppy featuring fine pearl jewelry

In my house, the way Christmas works is that we do Christmas Eve mass at 6, dinner at one of our favorite restaurants and then have all day on Christmas to lounge around and cook our Christmas dinner. We get really dressed up for Christmas Eve Mass and spend all day Christmas pretty much in our jammies! I wore this dress that I LOVE for Mass with sheer black tights from Target and heels that I just got from Nordstrom Rack. (LOVE N-Rack! So many good finds there if you're willing to look!) I added my cream colored quilted Lilly coat which worked well since it wasn't too too cold for Christmas Eve!

Thankfully we didn't get any snow or slush like we have in years past. I'm NOT a snow fan by any means and I can remember one year when my Dad had to escort all of us ladies from parking lots to restaurants or inside Church...yuck! I couldn't have asked for a better weather situation this year!

I also curled my hair, which didn't turn out as well as I had hoped! Here's for more practice with that!! I wore it pulled back in a beige headband that I've had for a few years and just seems to match everything.

What did y'all wear for Christmas? Do you usually get dressed up or is it more casual? Do you do all the big stuff on Christmas Eve or Christmas?

xxKatie

Roadtrippin'

The rest of my break is pretty much scheduled and set! With the exception of 3 days until I go back to school, I will be in states other than MD! Today we leave to go see my Mom's side of the family in New York. We'll be there today and the next three days.

This picture was taken a million years ago, but this is the older half of the cousins that we'll be seeing!

I have about half of the day on the 30th, all of the 31st and then the next day, at 7am I leave for Orlando for the Capital One Bowl to cheer on the Carolina Gamecocks!

Miss Colleen and I will be some of the Gamecock fans traveling to see the Gamecocks in their last game of the 2011 season! I can't wait to see them for the last time as a junior!!

I get back around noon on the 3rd, and I will be leaving for school most likely on the 5th or 6th (can you believe we're already talking about JANUARY!?) to head back down to South Carolina! 

Then I'll be so lucky as to be reunited with THIS crew for my big day shortly after that!! I can't wait to see them again and celebrate my birthday!

When does everyone else go back to school? I'm definitely on the earlier side of things!!

xxKatie

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to the entire LBP family!

xxKatie

Christmas Eve!

I got such a kick out of the Santa and Siri Apple iPhone commercial about Christmas Eve!

This was an old Christmas card from our family! My mom always crafts up cards to send out and this one was from many a year ago. We made that sand/snowlady at our beach house in Bethany Beach! I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas Eve that is safe and happy! Today is a great day to be thankful for health, family, being together, friends and everything else that we're privileged enough to have!

Merry Merry Christmas Eve y'all!!

xxKatie  

LBS

LBS: Little Black Shoes

If there's an LBD, there sure can be LBS too!

Cole Haan: Violet Pump 90

Kate Spade: Elate

Sam Edelman: Portney

Me Too: Jeanette

Cole Haan: Eve Air OT Pump

Elizabeth and James: Lilly

Nine West: Escher

Kate Spade: Gillian

How much fun are they? The holiday season is the PERFECT time to don some black shoes that steal the show!! Hopefully inclement weather doesn't impact your shoe wearing plans! One year it was so slushy and cold my dad had to escort all the ladies through the muck to the sidewalks to church and the restaurant! I hope that never happens again!

Do you have a great pair of LBS?

xxKatie

Outfit of the Day: Christmas Party

December 4 by letsbepreppy featuring a metallic mini skirt

I attended my first Christmas party on Sunday night! I stayed for only an hour in order to get back home to study, but I was thrilled to have been included! A wonderful new friend that I met this year held the gathering at her BEAUTIFUL apartment and introduced me to all her close friends! Everyone looked great and she served to DELICIOUS desserts! One was a French Silk Pie which I had never had before and was to die for. The other was a cheesecake that I was too full to try after eating the Silk dessert. I was able to chat with one other girl from work as well as the new girls who all welcomed me with open arms. We talked about friends getting engaged (and how far away some of us are from even thinking about that!), how yummy the dessert was, where to get parts of our ensembles, our host's newest pets, and how beautiful our surroundings were.

All in all it was a great break from life for a little while and allowed me to have a fabulous Sunday night to enjoy! Thanks MC for a great Christmas Party!

xxKatie

Summer Braids (Formerly Titled: "Long Hair Don't Care")

Let's get one thing straight: I have never ever ever liked having my hair in my face. It drives me nuts. When I take tests, I automatically put it back in a ponytail despite any straightening or styling I've done. I get so distracted by having my hair in my face that it is almost always tucked up or pinned or half pulled back in some way (excuse all the awkward self shots...I raided my profile pictures album):

Tucked back take 1...from Bayside Bride (if I wear my hair down, it typically means just like this)

Half up...from Christmas

Pulled back...at a party

Restrained with a headband...at a football game (I KNOW for a fact this day I put it in a pony because it was SO STINKIN' HOT, but we beat Alabama so naturally my hair-do/overall looks were NOT my priority that day)

Case in point, this summer I've been rocking the braid. Whether it's french braided or a regular fat braid in the back, it has been the perfect way to wear my hair without looking like I just got back from the gym.

I want to master this side/french braid because it's so put together! If only LC wasn't in every "good hair" picture everywhere. Whenever I look for good haircuts she ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS pops up!

I may or may not have googled how to french braid your own hair or something along those lines so I'm not a seven-year-old asking my Momma to help me with my hair...

Anyone else out there rock the Summer braid? Any tips for french braiding your own hair? This girl could use some tips!!

xxKatie

Lilly Spring Dress Arrivals

Here are my picks for my favorite Spring Lilly items! I have a corporate gift card from Christmas that I've tried my BEST to save, but it's DEFINITELY going towards one of these beauties:

Wyatt Dress Printed (the belt's included!)

Sandra Dress Printed (if this is like last year, it runs big!)

Dolly Dress Novelty Lace

Adelson Dress Printed Dobby

Chloe Dress Printed (Any UA readers...this could totally be my Spring Banquet dress possibly!)

Stephanie Shift Engineered

Kiki Dress Printed 

Del Mar Dress Printed

It's clear which styles of dress I like and in what color schemes, but I'm really loving the Spring Collection! I can't wait to see this all in person, and I'm sure it'll be just as good as the photos! What are y'all fans of? Anything I missed?!

xxKatie