Tuesday Trends: Fall in Love with Lilly

Last year I wore bright colors well into September, before my hubs, of all people, told me it was time to switch out the wardrobe.  I keep my fall/winter wardrobe in the attic, and break it out once the weather starts getting cooler.  Well, last year, it didn't start getting cooler until mid-October.  Needless to say, after I received that comment from the hubs (who normally could care less about what I wear, except that it must be conservative), I was surprised to hear his opinion on what I was wearing.  And you know what?  He was right.  I should have changed out my clothes by that point, but I was expecting E last November, so I felt that that was a good enough excuse to be a little late in changing out the wardrobe.

Well, a year has passed, and it's almost fall again!  I'm still clinging on to my colorful clothes as long as I can, but I know very soon that they will soon have to go into hibernation until the spring.  That's what I thought, until Lilly came out with their Fall line!  Although the colors are a bit more muted...with navy added in, you can still sport some bright colors, weaved into that navy.  That's always a plus in my book.  And this year, I may keep out some bright pieces that can be hidden with navy, brown and black cardigans, as well.  Here's to making my fall and winter a little brighter!

And you knew I had to show you some of my favorites from Lilly's Fall line...

Jonah Dress in Don't Be Koi

Blayney Ruffle Dress in Multi Curves

Sophia Dress in Punch Pink

A little low resolution.  It's not on the Lilly website anymore, for some reason.

I thought this would be perfect for the Christmas season.

The back has a low scoop.

Sadie Dress

Norma Fleece Wrap Stripe

Shayna Dress in Black Lace

Simone Sweater in Pink

Do you have any Fall favorites, or other Fall lines that have caught your eye?  Under the Palm Tree, a via Lilly store, has a promotion still going, 30% off of the new Fall Lilly line.  And even if they don't carry your dress, you can still special order it, and receive the same promo.  You know that I took advantage!  Well, I do need some more fall/winter dresses for occasions this year....don't we all?

Now if I could just get Lilly to send some freebies my way to try on and review for you, I would be all set!

Haha!

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P.S. Is Katie Holmes still not as young and beautiful as ever?  She's modeling for J.Crew's Fall Line here.

Monday Manners: Southern Vegetables and Salads

 Fried Okra:  One of my favorite Southern veggies!

I hope everyone had a great weekend.  We arrived back in town from south Georgia yesterday, late afternoon.  Needless to say, today involves laundry, errands, cleaning up and catching up!  After eating some delicious Southern cooking this past weekend, I couldn't resist adding the newest list to my compilation of Southern foods, that I found on Wikipedia.  Here are the Southern veggies and salads.  Are these all familiar to you?  What is left off the list?

• Ambrosia

 We eat ambrosia every Thanksgiving and Christmas at my in-laws.  It's a Southern tradition.

• Beans - often cooked down with chunks of ham, bacon grease, or onions
  • Butter or Lima beans
  • Pole beans
  • White or great northern beans
  • Green beans
  • Pinto beans
  • Baked beans
• Greens - seasoned with some kind of meat or meat grease. The liquid left after cooking is known as pot liquor
  • Collard greens
  • Turnip greens
  • Kale
  • mustard greens
  • Poke salad - cooked pokeweed
• Carrots - often "candied" with butter and brown sugar
  • Carrot raisin salad
• Congealed salad
• Corn
  • Corn on the cob - boiled, steamed, or grilled; usually served with butter or mayonnaise
  • Corn pudding
  • Creamed corn
  • Shoepeg corn
• Hoppin' John - a traditional Low Country dish of black-eyed peas served with rice

• Limpin' Susan - a traditional Low Country dish made with okra, rice and black-eyed peas
• Macaroni and cheese - usually prepared with fresh eggs and baked en casserole
• Mashed potatoes - called "creamed" in some regions
  • Rutmus - potatoes boiled and mashed with turnip bottoms and butter
• Okra - flour-battered and pan-fried or boiled, stewed, or steamed
• Onion - Sliced Vidalia, whole green onion, and onion rings
• Peas - often cooked with chunks of ham or onions
  • Black-eyed peas
  • Crowder peas
  • Purple hull peas
  • Field peas
• Potato Salad - usually made in the South with egg, mayonnaise, prepared mustard and pickle relish
• Purloo - a traditional Low Country dish made with ham, bacon, peppers and okra
• Ramps - wild leeks popular in the mountains
• Red beans & rice - the rice is often some kind of dirty rice, a longstanding favorite in Louisiana
• Seven-layer salad
• Swamp cabbage (heart of palm)
• Summer Squash - often cooked down with onions or fried like okra
• Tomatoes - sliced ripe, also eaten at breakfast
  • Fried green tomatoes (MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE!!!)
  
  
  
  
  
• Sweet potatoes - often "candied" with butter and brown sugar
• Tomato aspic
• Vidalia onion - a sweet onion grown only in the state of Georgia, sold and popular throughout the South (Of course my husband's grandmother would say that they should really be called Metter onions because that's where they truly originated - Metter is one small town over from Vidalia, and that's where she's from.)  :)
• Wilted lettuce- with dressing, an Appalachian speciality
• Yams: see Sweet Potatoes

Happy Monday!  Hope it goes well for you!  We meet W's preschool teachers for the first time this week, and I get my permanent cap on Thursday, FINALLY!  This temporary one is about to drive me crazy! 

Article Credit: 1

Photo Credit: 1, 2, 3, 4

Weekend Inspiration: Matthew 5:5

"Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth."

Matthew 5:5

Photo Credit: 1

Fashion Friday: 8 Questions, Answered

High-Heeled Life came up with 8 questions for her recipients to answer. Then we are to come up with 8 questions and tag 8 people to answer them. After you post the post, make sure to let them know that you tagged them!  You should definitely read Falling Off a High-Heeled Life.  I just found her a couple of weeks ago and she is so inspiring.  She was in a terrible accident that almost took her life, but since that day she has striven to make her new world brighter.

Here are her questions for me:

1. What three words would your friends outside the blogging world use to describe you?

Optimistic, Intuitive...and Stubborn!

 
2. What 5 people dead or alive would you like to invite to dinner and why?

My deceased grandparents (my fathers' parents), my two daughters and my father.  I would love to see the connection between my grandparents and my girls!  I would to have my dad there too because I know that he would love to be there to watch them interact.  Plus, I miss my grandparents at time, especially my grandmother (Mimi) since she's been gone longer - and especially when my daughter, W, plays the piano and sings.  I'd love to see them together, although I do know that she watches W from heaven, and sings along with her.  :)
 
3. Who wrote the last book you read and what was the title?

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (I'm actually still reading it!)
 
4. If a movie was made about your life ~ what would the title be?

Wow, that's a tough one.  Hmmm....With Six You Get Eggroll (grammar is correct here).  Does anyone remember this movie with Doris Day and the dad from the old Parent Trap?  I watched it a million times when I was younger, and it was even old back then - but I loved it, with all the kids, being from a big, crazy family (six girls), I could relate!  Plus, I just love the dad from the movie so much.  I'm glad the hubs doesn't read this, but he knows I'd love to have a big family too, if we're lucky enough - but maybe not THAT big.  :)  Haha.  At least I didn't say, Cheaper By the Dozen.  :)

5. What is your favourite hobby?

Caring for my girls (okay, super cheesy), so maybe I should say tennis.  I'd love to play more than I do, but at least I'm on a league now....and we won on Wednesday night!
 
6. Are you a coffee or tea drinker?

Both!  Coffee in the morning, sweet tea with other meals.

 
7. If you had to choose wine or champagne? and why?

Probably wine.  Beth Dunn, author of Social Climbers, called it "chardonnay psychology."
Champagne is more for celebrations.

 
8. How do you order in a restaurant ~ look at the dessert then order main, or just order main and don't worry about having room for dessert?

I never look at the dessert - the hubs hates desserts, and that's actually fine with me.  I'm usually too full for dessert anyway.

So here are the 8 questions I'm tagging you with, a FAVORITES theme:

1.  Food?

2.  Book?

3.  Movie?

4.  TV Show?

5.  Designer?

6.  Actor?

7.  Actress?

8.  Place?

I'm tagging the first eight people that commented on my post yesterday, that have blogs:

Hannah

Shannon

Ashley

Fashion Meets Food

Flip Flops and Pearls

Same Sweet Girl:  Memoir of a Southern Belle

Cool Gal

Miss Southern Prep

Photo Credits: 1, 2, 2.5 3, 4, 5, 6

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Happy Friday, Y'all!  Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!

We're in Georgia, visiting the hub's grandmothers until Sunday.
At least I brought my computer this time!

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Just a reminder, the items on my blog sale that are listed on ebay, end on Sunday!
New items were also added.

I've Picked a Winner!

Congratulations, Little Miss Can't Be Wrong, for winning my By Tillie giveaway!

Thanks to everyone who entered my giveaway!  If you weren't chosen, no worries!  I've surpassed 450 followers, so I'll be having another giveaway very soon.  Here's a hint:  It's jewelry, by a designer many of us know and love.  So stay tuned!

Thirsty Thursday: SkinnyGirl Margarita

I don't know if it's because I've been watching too much Bethenny Getting Married (love that show, by the way!) or that I'm sad I can't enjoy my usual chips and salsa (I've still got my temporary cap for another week), but I've really been wanting to try Bethenny's SkinnyGirl Margarita.  Have any of you tried it?  I'm usually the one to order a margarita at Mexican places, but I'd love to save some calories, while enjoying the drink too!

Here's Bethenny's recipe:

Fresh lime juice (about 1 tbsp.) and wedges for garnish

2 oz. white tequila (100 percent agave is very important--Patron Silver is my favorite)

A tiny splash of triple sec, Grand Marnier or Cointreau (about 1 tsp.)

Read more: How to Make a SkinnyGirl Margarita | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2275222_skinnygirl-margarita.html#ixzz0xiE2MBEw

Fresh lime juice (about 1 tbsp.) and wedges for garnish

2 oz. white tequila (100 percent agave is very important--Patron Silver is my favorite)

A tiny splash of triple sec, Grand Marnier or Cointreau (about 1 tsp.)

Read more: How to Make a SkinnyGirl Margarita | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2275222_skinnygirl-margarita.html#ixzz0xiE2MBEw

Fresh lime juice (about 1 tbsp.) and wedges for garnish
2 oz. white tequila (Patron Silver is her favorite)
Tiny splash of Cointreau or Grand Marnier
Ice

Rim the glass with salt, add ice.  Add 2 ounces of white tequila, the juice of four lime wedges, and a splash of Grand Marnier, Cointreau or Triple Sec.  It's that simple!

And while I imbibe, I'd love to be wearing this!

T-Bags String Halter Dress

K. Jacques Delta Thong Sandals

Vanessa Mooney Filigree Earrings

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thursday!

The pool is calling our name today.

 Photo Credits: 1, 2

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Yesterday's location was Alaska.  My parents are on an Alaskan cruise there this week.  I know they're having so much fun.  I can't wait to see pictures!

P.S. I'm drawing the winner of the giveaway today!  Thanks to all who entered!
 

Yesterday's Alaska Photo Credits: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Wednesday Whereabouts

My parents are visiting here this week.  Can you guess the location? 
(Sisters, no guessing...although it is a little obvious.)

Happy Wednesday, Y'all!

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Don't forget to enter my giveaway.  It ends at midnight!

Tuesday Trends: I've Been Tagged

Thanks so much to nMa at Miss Southern Prep for tagging me.  She just got back from Charleston, and provided photos from her trip.  Now who doesn't love Charleston?  Seeing the photos makes me want to visit again...soon!

1. What's your signature color? 

Green....then pink!

 2. What's your most embarrassing moment? 

Hmmm, probably when I was carrying W, and was eight months pregnant with E.  I tripped going up the sidewalk to the library, and fell into a bush with a lot of people around.  Still have the scar to remember it by, not sure if it was more scary or embarrassing...okay BOTH!  W and E were okay, by the way, but my knee wasn't so fortunate.

3. Would you ever get anything besides your ears pierced?  No.

4. Are you a social butterfly or homebody?  I'm both.  Sometimes when an event comes up, I feel like staying all warm and cozy at home, but by the time I get there, I have a blast, and am so glad I chose to attend.

5. Are you done having babies, or do you want more?  I'm the oldest of six girls.  The more, the merrier!

 6. Are you loyal to your hairstylist or do you try every salon in town?  

I usually stick with the same hairstylist, but then when he/she starts getting in a rut, I usually move on to another one.

7. How many times have you moved in your life? Four growing up - Georgia, to South Carolina, to North Carolina (moved twice).  After marriage, we've moved twice, but in the same city.

8. If you could plan a vacation with just you and your love, where would it be?  After watching The Bachelorette this season, I've got to get to Bora Bora.  How I'd love to be there now!

I tag the last three friends to comment on my blog:

Marcie at Lemons and Laundry
Pink PolkadotAA at Pink Cashmere Cardigan
Elizabeth at Kentucky Mama

Happy Tuesday, Y'all!

Photo Credits: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Monday Manners: White Party

I hope that everyone had a wonderful weekend!  My mouth is finally getting back to normal after all the drilling that happened, on Friday.  We attended a friend's first birthday on Saturday, and the girls had a blast.  Here are just a couple of photos from the party.  Can you tell how much W enjoyed her cupcake?

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I'll be back to bring you more Southern food next week, but this week I've been invited to a White Party by Desperately Seeking Seersucker.  She has a real White Party coming up next week, but she didn't want to forget all of her blog friends, so head on over and check her out for all of the info.  Here are some white images that I've found.

I hope everyone has a great start to the week!  Happy Monday!

Photo Credits: 1, 2, 3, 4