Monday, April 30, 2012

Guest Post: Sarah from Simply Sarah

hey there Miss Dixie readers!
I'm Sarah and I blog over at simply sarah.

I have the most adorable pup, 
Toby Jack (I may be a bit biased)

and I love me some margaritas

I was thrilled when Katie asked me to guest post for her while her little booty was on vacay!
She is one of the sweetest girls I've met and her blog is definitely one of my daily reads.
While she's soaking up some sun in the Bahamas, I figured I'd share some of my fitness goals and inspiration with y'all.

I'm currently in the first week of what I am calling 'bikini bootcamp.'
In just under a month, I have to fit my not-so-little booty into a bikini.
Yikes!!
Fear itself is what is motivating me to get my workout on.

First thing I did was create a plan.

It's not a super hard plan....but it does require me to be more disciplined.
I already workout on a regular basis but I'm adding sprints into my routine to help shed the pounds faster. I'm also cutting out some of my favorite foods we'll see how long that lasts.

I found this awesome site the other day while on Pinterest.
42 Ways to Lose Stomach Fat Fast

uhhh, sign me up!!
I love this site because it's actually realistic steps that you can take instead of crash dieting and taking pills. Trust me, I've tried those. I've incorporated 5-7 of these steps into my week 1 plan and then I'll add some new ones next week.

My 5 steps this week-

* Drink lots of water - I do this all day at work anyway so it's not a big change
* Cut out fast food/soda/sweets - I don't really eat a lot of fast food but I eat mexican a lot! And fro yo....and sweet tea. So that stuff has got to go if I wanna get in bikini shape in a month.
I eat fro yo like a 5 year old....so what?!

* Don't starve- I'm famous for not eating during the day and then binging at night. I learned on day 1 that I have to eat during the day or I won't have enough energy to get my workout on
* Drink a full glass of water before meals - this actually does work to make you less hungry.

* Give yourself 20 minutes to feel full after meals


Easy enough :)
So now it's your turn to share what you've done to get bikini ready.
I need some more tips!!

Thanks for having me!!
I hope you'll stop by and say hi :)
xoxo.
Photobucket

Friday, April 27, 2012

Guest Post: Pam from Simple Details

Hi there, I'm Pam from Simple Details,
  I was thrilled when the adorable Katie, one of my favorite bloggers, invited me over to
 share a Friday find with you today. 

Actually, this is probably the easiest find ever,  right out of your very own closet...
a simple white t-shirt! 

Here are some ideas to take your t-shirt from basic to classic!

Paired with flowing wide leg pants.
Elin Kling
A bright maxi and blazer and it's a work ensemble.
seejaneworkplaylive.blogspot.com
Gold chains, a jacket with fabulous detailed buttons and your jeans!
(Anyone else thinking about a trip to the fabric store for some amazing buttons to jazz up a jacket) 
indulgy.com
Roll up your sleeves and toss on a light gauzy scarf.
luxe-shop.com
The always classic navy blazer and white t shirt.
Navy blue blazer with jeans and a white t-shirt - a great classic combination.
sequinsandstripes.com
A light summer scarf with fun details.
white t-shirt, scarf and jeans...will prob. be my fall look.
everythingfab.tumblr.com
A bold necklace makes quite the statement!
White t-shirt with statement necklace
pinterest (sorry, unable to locate source)
A crisp white blazer, dress it up or down!
This look would be so cute with shorts!
I love the pairing of the white blazer with the white t-shirt, casual jeans, tan shoes, and the necklaces.
jseverydayfashion.com

Whatever your style I hope you're inspired to give some new life to a basic t!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone and Katie,  I hope you're
enjoying that fabulous resort, and your time away, sweet friend!



Thursday, April 26, 2012

Guest Post: April of A. Liz Adventures

Hi ya'll, and a huge thanks to Katie for inviting me to guest post while she is on vacation! I'm April and I blog at A. Liz Adventures, where I write about everything from newlywed life to recipes to DIY ideas ... and other fun tidbits in between.

Living in Charlotte is pretty dang wonderful, if I do say so myself.  There is never a shortage of fun, interesting, and exciting adventures to explore.  If you've never been to our "Queen City," let me give you a little tour of the place I am so proud to call home. 


Charlotte is right above the border of South Carolina, where I grew up and went to college.  The location is wonderful -- just over one hour from my parents, two hours from the mountains, three hours from the beach! 

Here's a glimpse at my "perfect Charlotte day."

When it's warm out, there's nothing that I like to do more than start out the day at the farmer's market.  Fresh flowers galore, homemade jams and pickles, and produce that will make your heart sing.  No need to get gussied up -- just throw on a baseball cap and a little lip gloss, and you're good to go.


After the farmers market, I'll come home to arrange the flowers and then sneak in a little trip to the gym or a walk around the block with our dog, Drake.

What do you know, it's time to get ready for brunch with girlfriends at Pewter Rose!  Of course, I'll have the quiche with the fresh fruit and a pomegranate mimosa.


After brunch, we'll head over to Phillips Place where we can visit a few boutiques, walk into a nice jewelry store to gaze longingly at the sparkling jewels, and then maybe grab some Pinkberry or a glass of bubbly at Dean and Deluca.


As much as I love the eye candy at boutiques, we'll then head to my FAVORITE shopping spot in Charlotte -- Sleepy Poet Antique Mall!  Don't let the picture below fool you -- it's not tiny.  It is 55,000 square feet of antique treasures.



If it's a Sunday in June, you can most definitely catch me at Pops In The Park.  The Charlotte Symphony plays themed music into the evening hours as you listen from your quilt and picnic set-up.



Sounds like a pretty fun day to me!

Another great thing about Charlotte is the proximity to lakes.  If you venture slightly north of the city, you'll arrive at Lake Norman.  This pretty lake will always guarantee you a good time, and maybe even a few sightings of a Nascar driver's home.



You can probably see why I'm so wild about this city.  Never a dull moment, and what I've shown is just the tip of the iceberg! 

Thanks, Katie, for letting me brag on Charlotte for a bit.  I hope ya'll will visit me at A. Liz Adventures soon!

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Consumed

Hey friends! How is everyone's week going? I have to tell you I have been completely consumed by crossing things off my list in order to get ready for our trip. Here's a little fact about me- when I have something like this to look forward to, every other hobby or enjoyment takes a backseat- so I haven't been searching for a single new thing for my home, the house is dirty and we have been semi slack on cooking lately. A few weeks ago when our dear friends came in town all I did was think about getting the guest room ready and didn't think twice about clothes or prepping my closet for Spring. 
So, right now...this is all I can think about...


And this is what I feel like.

{via}

But I did want to be totally caught up before I leave, so here's a few photos of things lately.

{a new suit}

{tucker on his 4th birthday!}

{some pretty flowers from my mother-in-laws garden- called mock orange}

{successful try at making crab cakes! anyone else like them?}

{good thing I remembered my passport! Such a thrill for me to get it stamped, by the way}

{one of my pretty roses blooming, a gift from friends for our first anniversary}

{blurry but a good representation of our bed this week!}

 The reason I post these pictures is because I love seeing them on other blogs, I hope you don't mind! What have you been up to lately?

And for some great news, I have several amazing ladies who will be posting while I am on vacay, so make sure to check back for some really fun posts! I'm hoping this vacation will leave me refreshed + inspired. Y'all have a great rest of the week!! xoxo.

Monday, April 23, 2012

The Look for Less: J. Crew Factory Jewelry

Morning y'all! How was everyones weekend? I hope plain fabulous! We headed to Raleigh for the weekend and since Stephen was tied up with watching NCSU's spring football game, I was able to conquer some shopping with my Mom. Always a good weekend, right? AND, on our way home yesterday my cooperative husband not only agreed to, but suggested that we stop by the J.Crew outlet. I always knew he was a keeper. You will be seeing lots of what I bought when I return from my trip, but I had to share this steal first.
 If you follow me on instagram you already saw it :) Seen this necklace before?


{J. Crew Bubble Necklace $150 in stores and online}

Well ladies, here's mine from the factory outlet...



She became mine for $41. Seriously, it's almost the exact same necklace.

Since I love y'all, I already checked to see if it's available online- which unfortunately, I am so sorry but it is not. I did pick some other favorites of mine from the factory- all available online!



The jewelry at the outlet was all additional 40% off yesterday, which was why I was able to get such a good deal. Even if you don't make it by a J.Crew outlet anytime soon, I think whenever you visit you will be happy with the baubles that they offer at such great prices! 
Have you found any great jewelry buys lately? Have a great start to your week! xoxo.



Friday, April 20, 2012

Friday Finds: Hats Off








1 2 3 4 5 6

My newest obsession may be accessorizing with a hat. A few favorites I've seen so far...


Wishing you a wonderful weekend! xoxo.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Guest Post at A. Liz Adventures

Hey friends! So happy it's already Thursday, aren't you? I am so excited today because I am posting at one of my favorite blogs, A. Liz Adventures. You might have seen her on my sidebar, or chances are, you might follow her already. This gal is right up my alley- she's a newlywed, loves fun, wine and shopping, and even designs her own jewelry for her shop {to name a few!}


Here's a little sneak peek of what you will find in my post over at A. Liz Adventures...
it involves the essentials for days like these!




PS- I was told last night I am officially a full fledged resident of this county {for those of you new, I moved to the beach a few years ago before we got married} because I adapted a popular saying "blowing a gale"...a term for a windy day that is common around here. I sort of felt like a child who said their first bad word, unknowingly spoken only because they were simply repeating something they had heard many a times! It slipped and I didn't even think twice. So yes, you can count on me for these genuine tips coming from the beach girl. Head on over and show it some love!
 Hope you ladies have a fab day! xoxo. 

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Weekend Recap

Last weekend, one of my best friends, Seldon, and her fiance, Mark, came in town to stay with us and attend a friend's wedding on Saturday night. This is no little occasion- my friend and her fiance actually work on a yacht that is booked and busy most of the entire year. She spends her summers in the Mediterranean and her winters in the Caribbean. Crazy amazing, I know!!! {I'm begging her to start a blog!} We had the best time and it was so, so good to catch up with them. Here are a few snapshots from our weekend.

Friday night after dinner with this lovely lady


We shopped Saturday morning and then had lunch on the waterfront...after this we took a boat ride but we neglected to take pictures!


And at the wedding...





We had the best time! The weekend flew by, as great times often do. I was absolutely worn out after fun with friends, but it was so worth it. This couple is so amazing and we are anticipating even better times ahead at their wedding next year! 

Can you believe it's already Wednesday? PS- I am guest posting tomorrow for one of my favorites, make sure you come back to check it out!! Hope y'all have a great day! xo.