A Southern girl is a girl who knows full and well that she can open a door for herself but prefers for the gentleman to do it because it demonstrates a sense of respect. After all, every girl wants to be treated like a princess. She knows how to make sweet tea and grits while telling you everything about any football team in the SEC. She picks her battles and fights with the heart of a pit-bull while still maintaining grace and elegance. Her mystique is that of a soft-spoken, mild-mannered southern belle who could direct an army, loves her momma, and will always be daddy's little girl.

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Re- LIlly is having a Giveaway

check it out here...


Now for the GIVEAWAYS!
I am giving away my pink Christmas Tree! The Giveaway is for Tree #3 with all the trimmings! Winner will receive the tree, 2 toppers (1 pink -shown- and a mini green star topper), decorative beads, assorted decorations shown and some of our handmade Lilly ornaments. Winner will also receive assorted Lilly items. I received some duplicate Lilly gifts and I am Re-Lillying them to the winner! Winner will receive a tree with wrapped gifts under it.....a belated Christmas in a box!
READ BELOW ABOUT THE OTHER LILLY PULITZER GIFT THAT IS BEING GIVEN AWAY!
Winner will receive this tree as shown and wrapped Lilly presents to go under it!
HOW TO ENTER:
PLEASE LEAVE A SEPARATE COMMENT FOR EACH ENTRY! I WILL BE USING RANDOM.ORG TO SELECT A WINNER.
1. MANDATORY: You must be a Re-Lilly Facebook FAN/"LIKE" Re-Lilly & a FOLLOWER of this Blog! Leave a comment with your suggestion for what I should wear to meet Lilly or share what you would wear (have worn) to meet Lilly for 1 ENTRY.
ADDITIONAL ENTRIES:
2. VOTE for my "Ugly Sweater" Contest and receive 5 ENTRIES! Just comment with Vote 1, Vote 2, etc.
3. Suggest a new name for this blog. Re-Lilly is kind of boring and the Facebook Page already has this name. This blog covers Re-Lilly topics and beyond so I think it is time for a new name! Receive 1 ENTRY for EACH name you suggest. If the name you suggest is chosen you will receive a special Lilly Gift from me TBD, it will be good and will have a Retail Value of $50 or more!
4. Receive 1 ENTRY for sharing this Giveaway on your blog (please post link in your comment)
5. Receive 1 ENTRY for Tweeting this Giveaway(please post your Twitter name & link for your Tweet in your comment)
6. Receive 1 Entry for posting this Giveaway on Facebook.
7. Receive 5 EXTRA ENTRIES for anyone you recruit to vote for me in the Ugly Swaeter Contest!(Please list each entry as stated above and include the name of the person you got to vote).
Winner will be drawn on Wednesday, January 12th at 11:59 PM EST (after I return from FL) and will be selected using a random number generator (Random.org). Odds will depend on number of entries. Open to US Residents Only. PLEASE follow the rules to maximize your chances of winning. If you have any questions let me know.
Good Luck!
Happy New Year!
XOX Sue

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

A Whale of a Sale!

I am friends with the Vineyard Vines rep at my school and he posted on Facebook today that they were having a sale. I thought I would share it with yall! They have a ton of great things marked wayyyy down, 40% off selected clearance items! Here are a few of my favorite things:
Long Sleeve Whale Rep Stripe T- Shirt
$28.50- 40%

HAPPY SHOPPING!!

Saturday, December 25, 2010

new year

Now that Christmas is over and you have had a few days to relax, it is time to start thinking about what you are going to wear to that New Year's Eve party! To me, this is a time that you can dress sort of wild and get away with it! I believe that sequins are a staple for New Years, they are so festive and totally allowed for this occasion! These are a few things that I found that I absolutely love! What will you be wearing this weekend?

I hope you have a wonderful holiday this weekend!
Today has been a wonderful day!! We woke up a little after 9am and me and the parents made our coffee and then sat down and began to unwrap presents! I am very grateful for all of my gifts and the family that loves me; it is more than I deserve! After we finished with gifts and stockings, we had to begin cleaning and getting the house ready for all of our family that was coming over for dinner. I went for a run and then came back to help Mom begin cooking and getting ready. Our family came over and we enjoyed a nice Christmas dinner! I am so thankful for all that God has provided for me and my family this year! ps. it's snowinggggg in Charlotte!
After the Christmas Eve service at my church!

Christmas morning, ready to open all of the pretty packages we have wrapped under the tree!

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Gift Ideas for Mom

So as Christmas approaches, we all have a certain person in our life that we have tough time deciding the what the perfect gift for them would be. For me, that person is my mother! She is extremely picky and knows exactly what she wants so for me, I have to pick up on certain things she says and hope I got it right! Well this is what I have decided for this year, these are a few general ideas that I think every mother would love {and at a reasonable price, too!} Also, her birthday is late January so I never worry if I got it all for Christmas because I can just make it up in the next few weeks!

Lilly Pulitzer Paley Cardigan--> $88.00


Lilly Pulitzer Daisy Critter Keyfob --> $28.00

Kate Spade gold Knot drop earrings --> $65.00


These are just a few simple examples... I was also considering getting a "Maid for a day" to help her out around the house but I think that I will wait on that until her birthday because it is kind of pricey and I am running out of time until Christmas is HERE... 2 DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My Weekend

This past weekend, I took a semi- spur of the moment trip to Greensboro on Friday evening and returned early Saturday morning. I don't usually do this kind of thing but mBa just BBMed me Wednesday and asked me if I wanted to go. I actually had a lot of fun; who knew unplanned adventures and spontaneity aren't such bad things after all...
Well when I got home Saturday, I had to get ready for a cookie exchange with some sorority sisters. We had a lot of fun snacking on everyone's delicious treats and catching up. Some of us had been home almost a week so we had a lot to talk about! I made peppermint bark.

Picture Time

December is such an eventful month! Amidst all of the parties, cookie exchanges, shopping for presents, work, and making time to catch up with old friends, we have to find time to squeeze a few pictures in to send to friends and family for Christmas Cards. So my parents and I finally made time and took some pictures last night, late- I know, but here are a few of my favorites...

Family picture...surprisingly, we are all satisfied with this one!

Just me

I'm a true Daddy's Girl!

Love this one of the fam, it's so cute

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Crafting

Being home puts me a crafty mood! Recently online, I saw some ornaments made this way but they used a napkin, where as I used wrapping paper. Things you will need:
  • paint brush
  • paper Mod Podge
  • wrapping paper or napkins
  • glass or plastic ornament
  • rubber band
I put a band of Mod Podge around the middle of the ornament and then placed the strip of wrapping paper, centered and secured it with a rubber band. Then I cut slits in the paper to make it easier to wrap around the circular ball. Coat the inside of the ornament with Mod Podge and smooth down the pieces of paper with your fingers. After that sticks down, remove the rubber band and coat the top with the Mod Podge, don't worry- it will dry clear!

The finalized ornament should look like this! I finished it off with a pretty pink bow!


Monday, December 13, 2010

Getting Tacky

We decided to cancel Chapter Monday due to the Blizzard since no one was able to get to our meeting place. The girls on the hall decided to continue without them and have a our "Tacky Christmas Tea". We had lots of fun doing an ornament exchange and taking a much needed break from studying for exams!These are the girls I am living with next year so we decided to take a Christmas Card picture with our chapter letters. This really got me in the holiday spirit!!

Winter Wonderland

If you are wondering where I have been...

I have been stuck in the Boone Blizzard of 2010. It was not this bad when we woke up but as the day progressed, it just kept on snowing! All of the girls on our hall didn't leave for three days, it was just too cold and blustery!The Blizzard happened the day before exams started so it was a prime time to be stuck inside. This is where I sat ALL day writing an 8 page paper. Whew!! That was tough! I have my planner out so I know how to manage my time, my phone always by my side, I made some coffee for warmth and to keep me up, notes and books for research and my computer to write the paper. Exams are finally over and I am home now but it was one long week!

OOTD...day 3

Yes, I am actually wearing cords! I bought these at Jcrew before Christmas last year and this is the first time I have worn them. I love the color, they are an olive green; I paired them with a plain white tank from Jcrew and a simple navy cardigan. The pants are so comfortable because they are not fitted so to "feminize them", I my staple jewelry and a necklace from Jcew as well. jDe and I were on our way to tour apartments for next year.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Mac or PC?


One night after a long evening of blogging, I decided it was a good idea to just lay my laptop at the end of the bed when I went to sleep. Note, my bed is lofted and I have to use a step- stool to get in it! So needless to say, my computer slid off the bed and was met by an early death. It was an HP and I only had it for one year, it was my first college computer. When this happened, I was forced to use my old high school laptop that was about 5 years old. This was very slow and I was in desperate need of a new one! After begging my parents when I was at home this weekend, they finally broke down and bought me a new one! You are looking at the proud new owner of a MacBook Pro, and I couldn't be happier!! Although, I must say, I was quite a bit skeptical of Macs last year when I showed up to college and everyone had one, I thought they were extremely overrated. After doing some research I realized that they lasted much longer and were more reliable than a PC. My favorite part? well of course the light body weight, and the lightening fast speed, last night I discovered iPhoto! This is such an amazing program!! You cam import pictures from your camera or memory card, edit them with a quick touch of a button, and even tag them like you do on Facebook! Now I will never have an ugly picture again!! I can't wait to play around with it some more and discover new an exciting programs! So what do yall think? I know it will take some getting use- to with the programs and everything but do you have preferences over Mac of PC?

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

OOTD.... day 2

My second ever Outfit of the Day post! This was my Thanksgiving outfit, a sweater dress with brown tights and detailed boots. I added some personal touch with a chunky necklace and pearl earrings!

Frattin' My Life Away


This is one of my new favorite websites! I just recently was introduced to it and I really enjoy reading the article! Read on and tell me if you feel the same way! It is basically all of the manners my mother tried to instill in me, all my life and all of the chivalry to look for in a man!

ps. The article I connected the link to is just a little funny, I think it describes a lot of people I know!!

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

In All Things, Give Thanks

Thanksgiving is such a fun time!! I love cooking and love my family!! I am so thankful to have such a wonderful family! I absolutely live by traditions too, they are very important to me. Because most of our extended family lives in different states within the South, we have recently started the tradition of all gathering at my mom's cousin's house (dWp) and bringing a few dishes each, per family. This year my parents and I brought sweet potatoes, loaded mashed potatoes, and I slaved over the stove all Thanksgiving morning a cranberry apple pie. It was a huge success, or so I like to think!! The pan was empty at the end of the night, so I like to think I did well!
One of our yummy turkey that Brad cooked in the steamer, it was different but delicious!

Me and daddy, right before we sat down to eat!


The Cranberry Apple Pie that I made, I think it turned out pretty!





The kids table was so cute! dWp went on Etsy.com and downloaded some cute decorations that the boys loved to play with, and isn't the adult table set beautifully as well?!

Silver Bells

You can already hear it, Christmas music is in the air. Boone has already received it's first snow, I have been to the Southern Christmas Show and tasted the apple cider, I drove through my neighborhood tonight and half of the houses already had their lights up! I am soooo excited for Winter and everything that it brings! The sights of perfectly wrapped presents and elegantly decorated trees, the smells of pine and cinnamon, the taste of warm homemade pies mom just pulled out of the oven, and the feeling of being close to the ones you love. This makes me so happy, and although it is frigid outside and some days it seems like there is no end to the blustery wind, you can always run inside and curl up under a blanket and grab a cup of hot chocolate and watch Christmas movies! Just thinking of it makes me happy! I can't wait to be back at home for a month and experience all of this! oh... and did I mention that it's not even December yet?! Tomorrow is Thanksgiving!

Big/ Little Revealing

I was sooo pumped to get my little! I made her soooo many things, by the end of it all, I was totally crafted- out! My Little's name is Morgan, so we are now 'Morgan Squared'! I am sooo glad that she is part of our family now! I love her so much. The girls did an Amazing Race to find their Bigs and at each stop she received something to wear. First was the shirt that said "Little", next was the crown, pink and sparkle-y, of course, and the last stop was wings and then she had a riddle I had made, and I was holding the answer. This is how my sorority did our revealing and it was so much fun!! Some of the things I made include the following: a stool made to look like a bar- hat in teal and black, to match her room, some Lilly wrapping paper letters for her monogram, painted letters (KD & AOT), a mirror with our motto on it ("Let us strive for that which is honorable, beautiful and highest"), and several plaques and canvases with quotes on them. I cannot wait for the deep bonds of sisterhood to tie us together, as well as developing a long lasting friendship! I know that she is in our family for a reason and I can't wait to see the things that she will do in our chapter!

OOTD... day 1

November 15, 2010
Okay, I never thought I would do this but I will be starting an Outfit of the Day post for my blog!! I am so excited to see how this turns out, we will see where it goes and how I change over time! We had Formal Chapter tonight and this is what I wore, a navy and white striped cotton dress, nautical theme with two anchor buttons on the shoulders. I wore Nine West nude pumps to match. Of course the staples: pearls, DY bracelet (bought on a college girl's budget), and gold chain necklace! **Pardon the mess in the room, we have been studying hard lately and slacking on the room cleaning!

The Whirlwind They Call life

School is in full swing! It is hard to imagine it but this is the point that I have been waiting to get to ALL SEMESTER...Thanksgiving Break!! I am unbelievably excited it is here!! I have been in a whirlwind since I moved back in to school, first was Recruitment, then there was Lipsync and Homecoming, next was Big/ Little, and I had to find time to fit in Midterms, but now that Thanksgiving is here, I have almost a week to relax and spend with family. This comes just in time for FINALS! I am so glad that teachers think we don't really need a break, and decide to give us projects and tests on the day we come back... Good Gracious, I am ready for a new set of classes next semester! Well now that we are nearing the ed of the semester and Seniors are beginning to graduate early, it is time for our Senior Date function, in honor of those who will be leaving in December. The theme was Caddy Shack because this was their first mixer when they were in the sorority so it seemed to fit! This was one of my favorites! I am so happy we did it, because of course the preppy style is right up my alley! Here are a few pictures from the night. I wore a vintage Lilly skirt with a pastel yellow Lacoste polo, and a white Ralph Lauren cable knit sweater over my shoulders... and of course, the Staple pearl necklace, earrings, and bracelet!

My Vow

Wow, So as you can tell, I haven't been on since Halloween! I have been quite the MIA Blogger! But much to my surprise, I was greeted by 3 new followers, this puts me up to 5! Whoa buddy!! I am hitting the big time, haha! Well I am glad to see this because it actually gives me the motivation to keep up with this since I know people are actually reading it now! So I solemnly swear to keep up with the posts and try to improve with every entry!!
-mTa

Lust


Is this not the most gorgeous thing you have ever seen! I think I am in love!!

Friday, October 29, 2010

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Boo! to you...

Well Halloween is this weekend!! I am super excited! This is probably one of my favorite times of the year- second only to Christmas!! I am so excited for this weekend! I just love everything that this time of year has to offer! The air is cooling off and the crisp winds make the pumpkin lattes taste even sweater! The leaves are turning and everywhere I look, I just fall more and more in love with Nature! Carving pumpkins is a family tradition that me and my Daddy do every year at the beginning of October. Since I have been away at school we haven't been able to do this but I will always have the fond childhood memories of standing on a chair in the kitchen reaching my hands down in the cold, slimy, gooey guts of the pumpkin and deciding on a pattern to carve. This year we had a sisterhood to decorate pumpkins and everyone was painting theirs so I decided to use some puff paint and draw my monogram on it! It turned out SUPER preppy and SUPER cute!! I must say, Martha Stewart has so many intriguing ideas for clip art crafts and decorations! I love how these butterflies just pop! They are not so spooky butt hey do add a mysterious touch to this library!

This is the inspiration for my Halloween costume! I am going to be a flapper girl! I purchased the dress at Forever 21 (first ever purchase from this store!). It is completely black sequined with a giant key- hole cut out in the back. I attacked some fringe to the bottom hem for and added touch. I purchased most of the accessories from Party City. This is such a girly costume, it's perfect for me! I can't wait for this weekend, I am so excited!

I really love all of these decorations!! The flower centerpiece is absolutely gorgeous! I can't wait to have my own house where I can entertain people and have parties to make all of this for!









Boots

I have this obsession for BOOTS!!! It is a terrible thing!! I already have 4 pairs of cowboy boots, 2 pairs of rain boots, a pair of snow boots and still feel the need for more!! Well I just ordered a new pair of black Justin boots and they are supposed to be here any day now!! I am so excited!! I wear boots almost every day whether I wear them with a cute sun dress in the Summer, with leggings and tights in the Fall, or with cute jeans in the Winter! I feel like you can never have enough! They are a true necessity, especially here in Boone!

I recently saw these on Re- Lilly and was a few hours late, someone saw these precious things and swooped then up quicker than anyone else! I am really jealous!! I would kill for these "Swellies"! I hate that I missed them a few years back but these pink elephant print boots would be perfect me!!

I have been in search for these Bean boots from L.L. Bean! I am so excited to add these stylish things to my collection!! Their website notes that they are great for wet, muddy chores or for running errands because of their low- cut slip- on style. I am having trouble figuring out what size to order because they run big! They also run naturally wide but they come in narrow, medium, and wide. I will definitely be consulting the sizing guide before I make any purchases but the Customer Service Reps at L.L. Bean are always nice!!