Piper Ellice : August 2015

Off the Cuff

My favorite accessory has got to be a good stack of bracelets. I won't leave the house without earrings on, but when getting ready every day I am rarely seen without multiple bangles stacked up behind my watch. I've gotten questions about why I only wear bracelets on my left arm--if I don't, they get banged up and are noisy when I'm writing with my right!

When I think of cuff bracelets, I think of huge costume jewelry not suitable for every day. But lately, I've stumbled across a couple of beauties worn by my favorite Instagram-ers, or on Pinterest.

The Coordinates Collection is so cool. There are rings, bracelets, and necklaces that come in a variety of metals, with tons of different finishing options. I'd love to have one with the location of a very special place on it, like where Christopher and I met or got engaged. With the many different design options, this line could easily become your go-to for special events like weddings, amazing vacations, births, etc.

Kendra Scott is so trendy right now. I love how you can customize the stones to your liking. My favorite is the Andy Bracelet in Ivory Pearl. The unique shape is eye-catching, and I like the "mother of pearl" light reflecting and color changing qualities the stones give off.

KJP and Sarah Vickers, need I say more? Of course this is the perfect bracelet. Part of the KJP Atlantic Pearl Collection, this Classy Girl bracelet is a little reminiscent of the David Yurman look, but way more gold and way more pearls--always a good thing. Need more reason to snag this pretty? One of my favorite classic prep blogs can give you plenty: Classy Girls Wear Pearls.

I've been telling everyone that my birthday/Christmas list is my wedding registry this year, but these could be great non-wedding related gifts, right?

Wedding Wednesday: Let Me Eat Cake!

Since we are getting married at a semi all-inclusive venue, there are very few large details to worry about. One of the most important though is the cake. I love cake. Always have--it's the best {*said in my best Nacho Libre voice*}. I just crave the cake texture sometimes.

The wedding cake is very important! It needs to work with the theme, but also be delicious. I honestly would be thrilled with a plain white Raspberry Elegance cake from Publix, because that is my absolute fave. Cakes have gotten very artsy in recent years with tons of shows on TV highlighting different skills and designs. But what cake would be best for the wedding?

These are a few of my favorite cakes found on Pinterest:

I love simple cakes. The gold polka dots make this cake
stand out just the right amount.

I prefer buttercream over fondant, and like the natural
look of this cake. Plus, the more flowers, the better!

This cake looks so elegant. I definitely want
my cake's color scheme to work with the overall
feel of the wedding.

All the different textures and colors make this
one a stunner!

A peony and glitter, what more do you need?

I love this pink cake! A part of me wishes I had a
pink wedding dress, so maybe the cake should be pink instead

Of course, I love ugly cakes too. Need a daily dose of fun? Check out Cake Wrecks--I do, daily!
*all cake pictures via Pinterest

The Lilly After Party Sale or The Most Manic Monday of the Summer

One of only two annual Lilly Pulitzer sales is rumoured to be happening this Monday and Tuesday, August 17 & 18. Even though I swear I won't every time, I am one of the thousands registered and ready to go at 8:00 a.m. on Monday morning. Now have I ever gotten anything from this sale? No. Do I end up paying full price at the store where I don't have to kill people or pull my hair out? Yes. It's fine. But would I really like for this summer's sale to be successful? Yes, absolutely.

Here are a few pieces I've already saved {in my size}:

Gabby Shift
Obsessed with this beauty!

Mizner Tote

Marlowe in Multi Toucan Play
Great transitional piece!

Are you ready for Monday?

National S'mores Day

S'mores pizza from Papa Murphy's.
The oats make it healthy, right?

I missed my favorite holiday.

Apparently National S'mores Day is August 10th. I love s'mores. I have a whole Pinterest board dedicated to recipes. I had no idea there were even so many different kinds of s'mores.

Personally, I really enjoy s'mores made with Peeps as the marshmallow. During the 'firing process,' the colored sugar on the outside of the Peep gets a caramelized creme brulee type of coating that makes the s'more even more magical.

Here are five amazing recipes I love, or would like to try:

Dark Chocolate Raspberry S'mores via Cooking Classy
Chocolate and fruit? Yum.

S'mores using Ritz instead of grahams.
Sweet & salty is the best.

Deep Fried S'mores via SugarHero
speaks to the fair-lover in me.

I love cheesecake. I love s'mores.
Obviously together they would be great.
Via Will Cook for Smiles

S'mores French Toast via the Jekyll Island Club
I will definitely be trying these at the end of the
month during my trip to the Club!

August's Agenda

August is by no means my favorite time of year. It's hot, and school starts back so town gets too traffic-y again. But with school comes one of my favorite things--school supplies! There is something so exciting about new school supplies. In high school, every year I would make intricate binder decorations using scrapbook paper and pictures of my friends.

Now that I'm not in school, I have to be careful not to go crazy in the colorful aisles of pens and markers that I don't need. I'll always be a sucker for bright Post-Its and a new planner. Since I started college {five years ago now...craziness!} I've used a beautiful Lilly Pulitzer planner to organize my very busy life. Confession: last year I made a switch to a cute, gold polka dotted kate spade planner. Not for me.

This year's planner

I look forward each year to the new designs and the fun stickers included inside. This year, I was particularly anxious to pick mine out at Walker Boutique so that I could write in all the fun wedding-related activities coming up throughout the year. Finally, I'm able to use that wedding cake sticker! I really like the hard covers of these planners which make it easy to write in anywhere, and there is something about the thickness of the paper that makes my writing so much neater.

I save my planners year after year. This is helpful for work things, now that I'm in my second year at the Chamber, so I can reference back to things I was doing at this time last year. I have never been able to keep a diary, but I write down every event in my planner {and cross it off even if I write it in after it has happened!}. But it's also a special type of tracker for me. For the past almost four years, I've drawn a little heart next to each day I've spent with Christopher. Since we have almost always had a long-ish distance relationship, our days spent together are super special to me. I guess once we're married and living together, I'll have to stop drawing hearts, but for now it's a fun little thing that always makes me smile.

These are a few of my favorite prints and dates in the upcoming year:

September 2015--The beach or a football game, please!

April 2016--Wedding month, and it just so happens
to be in my favorite Lilly print.

Can't wait for this fun weekend!

May 2016--Seems appropriate for celebrating marriage and
going on a Mini-Moon before our honeymoon,
which will be after....

...Christopher's graduation in June 2016!

December 2016--Christmas, navy, and pink are my favorites.
Can't wait for our first "merry"ed Christmas!

Monograms & Mimosas

On August 1, I had the pleasure of throwing a bridal shower for my future sister-in-law. Planning a shower remotely can be kind of tricky, but with great bridal party support we planned and executed a super cute "Monograms & Mimosas" themed event. I love monograms so very much, which spurred the idea of holding the event at a pottery painting studio--why not make the bride some monogrammed items while celebrating together!

Painters were able to pick out pieces like platter, spoons rests, and coasters, paint them in a color scheme that works with her home, and add a monogram with the help of transfer paper. Her gifts were also monogram-themed {hello, engraved deviled egg tray!} and were an array of home-made beauties, monogrammed registry items, and unique 'themed' gifts like a key holder with the couple's names and initials.