Snack Staple

There are a couple of snacks that we have at our tailgate (affectionately named "The Bittieboose" after a spin off of the "Cock-a-booses" that Columbia is known for!) almost no matter what. This fabulous, EASY dip is one of them!

When I first heard my friends talking about it, I thought it was called "Norse Dip" i.e. with some relation to the Norse countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden) or someone's Norse relatives. I was VERY wrong.

The name is actually Knorr's Dip named after the Knorr's vegetable mix that you find in dried packets at the grocery store!!

Anyway, I've grown to love Knorr's Dip so much that I actually keep a Pyrex dish of it full at my house for weekly snacking!

When I say that this dip is easy, I mean it's so easy that easy is actually in it's name officially on the website! It's shown to eat with veggies, but thanks to Momma H (one of our tailgate Moms) I've learned that it's absolutely best with Fritos Scoops!

INGREDIENTS

1 package Knorr Vegetable recipe mix

1/2 cup Mayonnaise

1 container (16 oz.) sour cream

DIRECTIONS

Combine all ingredients in medium bowl. Cover and chill 2 hours to blend flavors.

Stir before serving. Serve with your favorite dippers.

I used Hellman's Mayonnaise and Breakstone's Sour Cream but that's solely because I had them both in my fridge! The longer that you let this dip sit, the better it gets! I couldn't help myself last night when I made it so I started dipping immediately, but it's definitely better the next day or overnight!

What are your favorite dips? Are they easy?

xxKatie

I'm Goin' Out With My Boots On

Ladies and Gents, it's their first Gameday out!

Today, our biggest Gameday of the year (and my college career so far...) and I'm finally breakin' out the boots.

We're filling up the Horseshoe, donning our sassiest LBD's, puttin' on the face tattoos, and going out with our best Gamecock attitudes because today is COLLEGE GAMEDAY AT YOUR UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA!

I couldn't be more proud or excited to be a part of such a time-honored sports tradition! It's going to be a big day y'all, and I couldn't imagine it any other way!

See you in the student section--excuse us while we Sandstorm!

xxKatie

ESPN College Gameday

The long-awaited OFFICIAL announcement was made a few days ago by ESPN and College GameDay! They are en route to Columbia, SC!

If you live under a rock (or just aren't of the football persuasion) you wouldn't know that the USC-UGA game will be among the biggest, most important football games that us current Gamecocks will ever attend in our Gamecock careers.

This ESPN College GameDay marks the 5th time that they will be in GAMECOCK COUNTRY!

via

I say this every year because every year there's a BIG game that somehow gets topped the next year, and I swore it wouldn't happen this season, but NO, the Gamecocks are at it again:

Freshman year: USC vs. Ole Miss (biggest upset we'd had until...)

Sophomore year: USC vs. Alabama (officially crushed #1)

Junior year: USC vs. Clemson (I've never been a part of a more energized student section)

Senior year: USC vs. UGA

I love that this series of different games has also been a different opponent each year. Traditionally, we've played UGA much earlier in the season, but I am so excited!

There will be so much going on during the day and weekend and I think I can speak for most Gamecocks in saying that we are SO ready for it to already be SATURDAY! Too much waiting and anticipating (considering we've been waiting for this since oh, last season ended...) to even believe!

If you will be in town here's a schedule of game-related events:

1. Southern Proper & Gridiron Belles/SoLeague Magazine Shows at Pink Sorbet on Devine Street Friday

2. Vineyard Vines Tailgate (location, TBD but check facebook!)

3. Jason Aldean/Billy Currington Concert @ 5:00 day of game at Gamecock Walk

More events to be added as I hear!

xxKatie

Tailgate City, USA: Tailgate Tips

Tailgate Tips

The queen of etiquette, Emily Post, once said, “The joy of joys is the person of light but unmalicious humor. If you know any one who is beguiling and amusing, you will, if you are wise, do everything you can to make him prefer your house and your table to any other; for where he is, the successful party is also.”

We want to share with you some etiquette tailgate tips!

1. Do invite all of your friends—tailgates are not the time to be exclusive. The more the merrier—especially on Gameday!

2. Don’t block the road for other cars or pedestrians. Keep those clear for everyone else trying to tailgate and enjoy the game!

3. Do have a good playlist of songs. You want it to include 90’s music, a few slow dance songs once in awhile, crowd pump-up songs, and lots of songs people know all the words to!

4. Don’t bother other tailgaters around you. Keep your games of cornhole, tossing the football, and chair set-ups within your allotted space.

5. Do plan food. The worst tailgates are the ones where the food has run out. Plan on feeding your crowd plus any unexpected guests that they might have!

6. Don’t intimidate other team fans. The occasional jest is OK, but stick to cheering FOR your team!

7. Do remember that the goal is to make it to the game. Tailgates are a great pregame custom, especially in the South, but you also want to be able to cheer your team on once the game starts! Remember there would be no tailgate without a game!

8. Don’t make your tailgate hard to find. If you’re inviting new tailgaters or people unfamiliar with the area, give them directions that are straightforward and easy to understand!

9. Do start your tailgate early enough to enjoy each other’s company! You want ample time to park, get set up, and get the grill going. This can be especially important if you live in a college town that has different traffic patterns on Gameday!

10. Don’t forget your tailgate essentials: pop up tents, tables, cutlery, sound system, chairs and your spread are all things you’d hate to forget at home!

Keep these etiquette tailgate tips in mind while you’re prepping for Gameday!

Tailgate City, USA: The Spread

For the next few days, I'm kicking off this Tailgate City series!

Thanks to Swoozie's, we had a FULL tailgate spread over the weekend. The spread is the most important part to your tailgate. The spread is any and everything including tables, food, plates, cups, platters and everything in between!

Swoozie's sent us SO much fun Gamecock stuff! We had plenty to use, share, and keep using for the rest of the season!

Before we set up our official spread, I was playing around as we unpacked the car. Here's the best Heisman I could come up with with that HUGE Gamecock burlap football!

Not only did we have an awesome, full spread, but it was ALL Gamecock Gameday themed!

These buckets were a HUGE hit along with the Gamecock 1801 platters! Since it was LBP's birthday, I got some cupcakes that people enjoyed munching on all day long!

Ever seen a redneck wine glass? Our whole crew was sporting them all day!

Swoozie's even included a personalized one for me!

This was DEFINITELY the most fun I've ever had at a tailgate! I love being a Swoozie's Sweetheart and I can't wait to bring y'all more fun things as a partner with them!

MAJOR thanks to Swoozie's, Ashley with Swoozie's and the entire crew for helping me host, organize, and work our entire tailgate! Happy tailgate season y'all!!

xxKatie

Cup Dress Week: Katie's Dress

I'm officially announcing MY CUP DRESS!

I will be donning this Lilly Pulitzer Isabel Dress to the one and only Carolina Cup! It's yellow seersucker and has teeny pink horseshoes embroidered on it! It. Is. PERFECT! I'm IN LOVE. Best part: online the description of this dress says, "Tailgate Responsibly"!! How cute is that?

With my announcement, however, I would like to kick off Carolina Cup Dress Week! I'll be showcasing a special dress everyday this week since you have LESS THAN A MONTH until the big day! Hopefully with that, you'll be feeling a little inspired to snag your dress early!!

What are you wearing to Cup? Do you have it picked out yet?

xxKatie

Giveaway: The Sassy Palmetto

I am SO excited to announce this giveaway! It's been in the works for a little while, and Jennifer was so sweet for finding me! I hope all my Gamecocks and USC fans out there are excited!! Go Gamecocks!

Perfect for tailgating!

Jennifer is the head honcho over at the Sassy Palmetto! They are a family owned company located in South Carolina. A few years ago, Jennifer began making specialty items and traveling around to local craft shows. A few local boutiques became interested in her work and she began working with them. Constantly coming up with new ideas, they decided they'd open our their online specialty shop to keep the cost down for our customers. Thus, The Sassy Palmetto was born! They have gifts and accessories for the South Carolina enthusiast. Tailgate Centerpieces, Beverage Tubs, Carolina Yard Stakes and darling Tutus are just a part of our vast offering. We hand make many things you see so we can personalize just about anything, upon request. New products are added, almost daily, so you are sure to find something you love!

The FABULOUS Sassy Palmetto and Let's Be Preppy Giveaway:

A Gamecock Gameday Essential Basket. Includes Mini Black Basket with Steel Gamecock, Gamecock Acrylic Wine Glass, USC Spirit Button and a set of Gamecock themed Wine Charms.

How to enter:
1. For 1 entry become a fan of The Sassy Palmetto on facebook
2. For 1 additional entry (2 total) become a fan on Let's Be Preppy on facebook
3. For 1 additional entry (3 total) follow The Sassy Palmetto on Twitter
4. For 1 additional entry (4 total) tweet about this giveaway!
5. For 1 more additional entry (5 total) post about this giveaway on your blog!
6. Leave all your entries in ONE comment on this post below to enter!

Enter by midnight on Sunday night to be qualified to win this gift basket! Winner will be posted on Tuesday!

Best of luck and GO GAMECOCKS!

xxKatie