#EasyCturns30 - the details

Well, hello there, strangers.  Sorry for my absence, but y'all,  life is full right now to say the least.  For the last 6+ months I have been planning a surprise 30th birthday party for my sweet hubs.  The big shindig went down Friday night, and I think C and I are both still recovering.  More professional pics to come, but for now here are some iPhone pics I took prior to going to retrieve the birthday boy.

Naturally I went with a navy and white theme.  Who would have thought? 

But, you should also notice the camo centerpieces featuring cattails and duck calls.

Sadly, this lighting is pretty awful, but the party featured a bourbon bar (one of C's favorite things). I provided a variety of brands for mixing and sipping.  That adorable silver bowl is filled with cigars and camo lighters. :) 

Custom cups for said bourbon.

Cocktail table centerpieces.  More cattails, wheat, burlap, and camo ash trays for the cigars. 

Dessert table (minus the cake and cupcakes). 

There's my (I mean his?) adorable bourbon-themed cake!

The birthday boy!

More to come soon. 

xoxo 

SVH

Wedding Wednesday : Alex's Portraits

I know, I know, I know. Worst blogger of the year award goes to me.  Sorry for my radio silence, but y'all, life if very full right now.  So, I have been a little MIA while trying to keep up with areas of my life that do not include blogging -- like being a bridesmaid in a beautiful "white wedding" over the weekend.  To hold you over until I can wrap my head around a full recap, please check out Alex's Bridal Portraits here.

Dana Cubbage shot Alex's engagement session and her bridals here in Charleston, and she did an AMAZING job.  I had the privilege to accompany Al to her makeup session on the day of her portraits, help her shimmy into her dress, button all of the buttons, rig her belt to fit her, and assist Dana during the session.

This was the portrait Al chose to display at the reception, which made me feel extra special because... in case you were wondering who Alex is staring at with those loving eyes... .its me! hiding just past the hydrangeas... where I ran after fluffing her veil to perfection (if I do say so myself....). Now go check out the rest of these gorgeous shots!

xo, 

SVH

Five on Friday

Happy Friday people.  Thank goodness next week is a short one; leaving town sometime Thursday afternoon for Alex's wedding! In the meantime, here are five things I'm thinking about/want to tell you about/you probably don't want to hear about/but I'm going to tell  you anyways. WOO.

1. I have finally established my bridesmaids' luncheon attire for next Friday. I know you were all stressed about it.  And I know Paige especially was worried that I was going to choose the seersucker dress. To her delight, I have decided to go with the original Lilly ensemble.

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Why you ask? Well, that brings me to item number 2. 

2. Because these bad boys popped up on RueLaLa for a mere $99 buckaroos. SO I bought them, and they should be on my doorstep by Monday afternoon.  #PTL.

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3. In other news, I finally got a haircut.  It is pretty important to note that I had not had a haircut since FEBRUARY and things were really getting out of hand.  I chopped approximately 3-4 inches off and NONE of my coworkers noticed? What is wrong with these people?  Here, you can enjoy the car selfie I sent my mother post cut. You're welcome. 

I will have you know that is THE selfie I make. 

The only one I know how to make. 

Sorry about it. 

4. While getting my hair cut by the FABULOUS Melissa at Gibson Hair and Makeup, I learned about her newest beauty secret,  Tarte's BB tinted treatment 12-hour primer.  I know how much my girl Paige is obsessed with everything Tarte and I know how obsessed I am with everything about BB creams so I am dying to get my hands on this stuff. Hopefully I can pop by Ulta this weekend. 

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5. Somehow I don't think I have a five.  So for today, I will leave you with just these four gems and cross my fingers that it is enough to keep you coming back for more.  Have an awesome weekend! 

xo, 

SVH

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Wine About It.

Thank heavens for little sisters because they introduce you to the greatness of all things like Matt Bellassai. 

More importantly, they introduce you to Matt's series "Whine About It".

Today's series topic : "THE WORST THINGS ABOUT BEING AN ADULT", to which you must direct your immediate attention.  You can thank me (and Sally) later. Enjoy!

You can enjoy more Matt at the following websites: 

www.literallymatt.com

www.mattbellassai.tumblr.com

And until we meet again, I hope you will all pencil in sending me a crisp five dollar bill on October 8th.  K. Thanks!

xo, 

SVH

Dressing Up Seersucker

Paige and I recently had an airport layover conversation about seersucker.  

Mostly about Paige's disdain for it.

Although I do feel comfortable saying "I like seersucker", 

I can see (rather clearly) where she is coming from.  

I mean it can be a little much. 

I give you Exhibit One. 

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Alright, maybe it is just too much when paired with obnoxious bows?

 Because, the idea of a simple dressed up seersucker dress is really appealing to me.

 I might even go as far as to say I'm contemplating wearing an oldie from my closet instead of a Lilly dress for my girl Alex's bridesmaids' luncheon. 

(Calm down, Paige, I said contemplating.)

I give you Exhibit Two.

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Not so bad when it is done right, right?

I'm thinking a plain strapless seersucker number paired with gold jewels and simple nude pumps.

 Tell me your thoughts! 

xo, 

SVH

TMAIT : The Perfect Metallic Wedge and Why It is Impossible to Find a Decent Pair...

Is that title too much? No? It's just right? 

Ok, great. 

But, really, why is it SO difficult to find a decent pair of metallic wedges? Let me be more specific. Why is it SO difficult to find a decent pair of metallic wedges for less than approximately $170 buckaroos? I'm not trying to spend that kind of money on occasion shoes. 

I work at the College of Charleston.  A place with treacherous bricks waiting to kill you around every corner. Hence, the reason I do not wear heels to work any more.  For my own safety. 

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So, yeah, not trying to wear these sought after wedges to work. And majority of my summer activities are enjoyed whilst wearing a bathing suit (so need for wedges then); basically I need these puppies for a few dates nights and most importantly to wear with this cute ensemble for Alex's bridemaids' luncheon. Since I first introduced the predicament of needing some new wedges, I have trolled the internet for countless hours hoping to find the most perfect pair (at the most perfect price). So far, I have come up empty handed, but I am really hoping to make a purchase by the end of the week.  

Here are my best options to date.  

I'm very confused by the fact that these are made by Sperry.  And that I think they are kind of cute.  

I am not confused by the fact that they are currently on sale for $41.16 at Belk's.

These are Ralph Lauren and pretty cute, although a little too chunky for my taste. 

They too are on sale at Belk's.  These bad boys ring in at just $52.50.

That brings me to these. The shoes I actually want, but refuse to pay for. 

Jack Rogers Luccia Wedge. 

Also available in a cork and metallic option which really gets me going. 

So, what are we thinking? Should I lower my standards and just grab those Sperrys on discount? Or should I bribe someone to buy me the Jacks? Are there other options I am missing? 

You tell me. 

Please. 

xo, 

SVH

Five on Friday : Things I Can't Stop Thinking About

Linking up with the lovely ladies of Five on Friday  for another addition of brain purges with Shannon. Today I'm telling you about five things I CANNOT stop thinking about this morning.

1. Leon's Oyster Shop

via Garden and Gun

I visited this diamond in the rough with a couple of my girlfriends last night for a late dinner. I have heard rave reviews over and over again from countless people including local blogger Natalie's list of top Charleston Recs so I was super excited to try it. Y'all it did not disappoint. I wanted to be sure to get a nice sampling so I bullied my girl Claire into sharing FOUR things with me.  Yes, four. It was necessary. That being said, I can tell you with great confidence that you wouldn't being going wrong in trying the raw oysters, the hush puppies, the siam salad (my fave item?), or the fried oyster sandwich.  Check out the whole menu here.

2. Chick-Fil-A Chicken Biscuits

Following that delicious late night girls' dinner, I am suffering from what I have best identified as an embarrassing hangover from two glasses of white wine.  I'm thinking this is something I need to discuss with a medical professional because it just doesn't seem right. Maybe I'm just tired? Who knows.  Anyways, said embarrassing hangover led my happy little ass straight to Chick-Fil-A this morning for a life-saving biscuit. 

3. Weekend-ing 

Sadly, our favorite two Montana ladies head back to Big Sky soon and this is our last weekend with them. I'm looking forward to as many baby snuggles as possible. And no white wine. 

4.  Wedding Prep 

As I have mentioned before my gal pal Alex is getting married soon.  Soon is starting to really sneak up on us.  Like 3 weeks soon, I think? Anyways, I am at the point of anticipation where the wedding is all I can think about.  I may have already picked out all of my outfits and packed a few items? #Casual 

Here is where I could use your help.  What shoes do I wear with this dress?! 

I think I will rock this oldie but goodie for the bridesmaids' luncheon. But what shoes?!

5. Haircuts

Loosely related to No. 4, I am in desperate need of a haircut prior to Alex's nuptials. Split ends like woah happening over here right now.  I am a little nervous to cut too much off and not have enough for a substantial up do.  Here is what I'm thinking for said haircut and said up do.  Please share yours thoughts on these right after your shoe recommendations.  Thanks, you're a doll.

Obviously, I will never look this cool, but I like the haircut. 

But, I would still like to pull off something similar to this. Is it possible? Will I have enough hair?

 Do I need to take hair pills? Who knows. 

Well that is literally everything I am thinking about today. 

Hope you enjoyed this random addition of Five on Friday! 

xo, 

SVH

Wedding Wednesday : Invitations

Nothing sets the tone of a wedding better than said wedding's invitation suite.  It is the first glimpse at what is to come for your anxious guests.  That is why it is so important to make sure you pick the most perfect thing.  Chances are you'll have at least part of the suite on display in your home (or your parents') for years to come. See here how sweet Paige has hers displayed in her living room.  

Given the importance of an invitation jiving with the details of a specific event, I can't exactly throw random invitations at you today. But, I can show you some ideas that floated around my head in narrowing down the perfect thing for #AlmostAustin.  To save the surprise for Lauren's guests, I won't share the final product until after the big day! 

For reference my brainstorming for this suite sounded a lot like this:

gold, foil, peach, mint, lace, pocket, banded, natural, elegant

And here are a few of the top contenders:

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Every single one of these suites possessed something we loved.  There were few that we loved everything (minus the price point). But, don't you worry your pretty little heads.  The one we ended up choosing is everything we could have hoped for (and at an excellent price). I can't wait to show y'all next Spring! Stay tuned next week for a peak at how I intend to address these bad boys. 

xo, 

SVH

Tell Me About It Tuesday : Difficult People

Disclaimer: When egging our dogs on (to eventually annoy the shit out of us), we urge them to "tell us about it". They then bark and bark and bark until we freak out and tell them to hush...I'm wondering how they learned this trick in the first place...

Following the Tuesday trend where I just talk at the computer screen about whatever it is that's irking  me at the moment, I thought "Tell Me About It Tuesday" would be a perfectly good blog title.  We can shorten it to TMAIT.
How do you feel about that? You feel good? Ok, great, me too. 

TMAIT. 

Today I'm telling you about dealing with difficult people. 

More specifically I'm going to tell you about how horrible I am at dealing with difficult people. 

I'm so bad that, this morning, a coworker handed me this pamphlet. 

I wish that was a joke, but indeed it is not.
That is an actual photo of an actual pamphlet found resting on my keyboard this morning.
Y'all. I can't.

I have to note the attention drawn to the "Express Enrollment" portion.
 I think these people are trying to tell me something?

Some pamphlet highlights:

1. "You'll understand the difficult people in your life... Understanding difficult people makes dealing with them less frustrating."
I'm feeling frustrated by this statement? Somehow I don't think understanding that people are stupid will make their stupidity less frustrating? Wait... maybe I just found my problem -- I'm substituting difficult for stupid... hmmm...

2.  "You'll be less of a target for difficult people. Look at the difficult people in your life. Chances are, at least one person manages to get along with them. You can, too. Learn how to derail problem people and teach them to how treat you with respect." 
I'm still having a hard time with this. Why do I feel like I'm the one with the problem? Shouldn't it be the difficult people who have to go to a seminar... they can learn how to deal with normal people? 

3. "You'll bring out the best in people. Let's face it -- nobody is difficult all of time..."
This is where I draw the line... I'm pretty sure I could name a few. 


Excuse me while I go burn this pretty little pamphlet. Feel free to comment on your thoughts (but only if they align with mine, I can't deal with anymore difficulty today).

xo,
SVH

Weekend Roundup : FOJ 2k15

Happy Monday? 

I don't know about y'all, but for me, Mondays are always the worst. Throw in a three day weekend spent in the sun, and Monday just go a whole lot worse. Unfortunately, I'm in the midst of my Monday morning commute. (On the bus, have I told y'all that I am one of approximately 4 bus commuters in Charleston?), but I figure a dreadful time like this is the perfect time to share some snaps from our FOJ weekend. 

Let's start from the top. My BFF Lucy was down for the weekend from NYC, so I started of Friday with a much needed beach day. Frank joined me. 

He was totally loving how well the colors of my La Croix can complimented his skin tone.

Things were off the a great (read: windy) start. 

It was super overcast so I wasn't really concerning myself with sun protection. 

Idiocy is a sad symptom of Tanorexia Nervosa. 

Despite the comfortable temperature and bronzed skin you see above, things quickly out of control. Enter most epic cloud formation I have ever laid eyes upon. 

It should be noted that Lucy, Whitney and I were a part of the max exodus of sun-addicted girls you see in the photo above. Whitney and some of Lucy's other college friends had rented a house for the week just a few blocks back from the beach. We gathered our shit and promptly made a run for it. CougarFitter or not, it is damn hard to run with a beach chair on your back, a packed to the brim bag on your arm, and rain pouring down on your head. 

After airing out a bit, I headed home. C and I had some friends over for dinner. Made Jell-O shots (causal thing to do at our age, right?), and shot a few fireworks before heading to bed. 

Our Forth of July included this scene. 

See the beautiful dock out there? Sticking out into the harbor? That's where we spent our Fourth. Complete with BBQ, booze, and keg stands, it was a perfect day. 

Don't worry, we took a few (more respectable) photos too. 

There were some outtakes from the Hodges' attempt at taking a decent photo. 

I think this one (where we are fixing our hair together) is really the best. 

But this one is cute too. And worthy of being my new FB prof pic. 

After a day full of sunshine and booze, Lucy and I promptly ran away looking for more food. We found ourselves on the patio of Wild Wings when gnarly storm number 3 of the weekend rolled in. They lost power for a bit. I may or may not have panicked that my food would never come due to the lack of electricity. I'm obviously very concerned about the greater good of humanity.  We somehow made it home in time for showers, ice cream and more fireworks before hitting the hay. 

Sunday was a bit calmer. A boat ride with my hubby and my bestie was just what I needed. 

I hope everyone had a happy and safe FOJ weekend! 

xo, 

SVH

Thursday Thoughts: Fitness Edition

I can basically say that, until about 3 months ago, I had never exercised. 

I mean, sure, I've had a few short-lived relationships with a barre DVD or with my beach cruiser, but I have never actually participated in a regular exercise regimen. 

I'm sure you're wondering what spurred the sudden interest in fitness, and to be honest, I'm sitting here wondering the same thing, but here is the story of how my less-flabby-than-they-used-to-be-abs came to exist. 

I told you all a week or so ago that I started a new job back in January.  A job I love at my alma mater (Go Cougs!).  Well, come to find out, working for a higher education institution comes with some perks. Like really-super-cheap fitness classes (and free bus rides, but I'll save that for another post). 

Enter here: "CougarFit".  

Yes, it is called CougarFit. 
And no, it is not a class filled with older woman 
hoping to tone things up for the younger men in their lives.  

It is class filled with College of Charleston faculty and staff members getting their asses kicked by a ridiculously-awesome Exercise Science major. (Side note: CofC's mascot is Clyde the Cougar for all of those wondering what the hell the Cougar reference is all about.)

We meet three days a week for an hour and participate in HIT training. HIT is the exercise guru acronym for High Intensity Training.  According to the keeper of all knowledge, Wikipedia, "the fundamental principles of High Intensity Training (HIT) are that exercises should be brief, infrequent, and intense." If any of you crazies out there have ever experienced CrossFit (it should be noted that I have not experienced CrossFit), CougarFit is sort of the same idea, but way less hard (while still being really hard?). 

Over the course of three months I have strengthened muscles that I honestly didn't know I had, watched as the tiny lines that seem like they might insinuate the formation of abdominal muscles appear, planked for longer than any normal person should, and actually nurtured what I think might be a fondness for fitness. Weird, I know.  

The one thing I cannot say about this experience, is how much weight I have lost since March because, well, I don't own a scale.  Until now, I have never monitored my weight, and usually I only stepped on a scale once a year at the doctor's office, but now after noticing some small changes in my body, I can't help but wonder what the magic number is. I keep meaning to pick one up while I am at Target.  Maybe if I remember one day I can report back on my progress (then again maybe not that sounds a little embarrassing). 

xo,

SVH

Wedding Wednesday: Let them eat cake.

By this point you all know I suffer from a severe wedding addiction, but I'm not sure how serious you all realize it is. You see, I am currently planning my first wedding professionally and while that sweet couple's pending nuptials are always on my mind, I often slip into a coma of random wedding-related items.  This week it is cake.  

Why? Lauren and I haven't even really delved into the dessert arena yet (although I do have something very specific in mind for her big day), yet I find myself daydreaming about red velvet, buttercream and beautiful flower toppers.  Today, I share with you my latest cake obsessions, including - but not limited to - the direction I am hoping to take with #AlmostAustin. 

First: Naked Cakes

These cakes are so not my style, but something about them is so...enchanting? They make me think of little sugar plum fairies? (I'm crazy?) I'm hoping I will eventually be able to talk some poor, un-suspecting bride into having one of these beauts for their after dinner treat. 

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Second: The Traditional 

This is more my style really (then again, I think if my wedding had a theme at all I would call it "The Traditional" as well). Pure, under-stated beauty. 

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My cake was actually fashioned after the one above. Minus the fondant (because fondant tastes like poo?), add buttercream, minus the lace and minus the flowers. So, pearls and a monogram. So, my cake was sort of like this? 

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Third: Rustic Elegance

I like to think of this third category as a nice mix between the previous two.  Rough icing on a well structured and beautifully adorned cake fits perfectly with the feel of  #AlmostAustin.  You  hear that, Lauren? :) 

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But, no cake without a little glam will do my little Lauren.  These toppers are my top contenders for her: 

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Ah, I'm feeling much better after having had the opportunity to spill some of this cake-themed brain clutter out into the internet. Which is your favorite?!

xo,

SVH