Recipe for Girls Weekend Away

Lord knows I can’t cook worth anything but I can put together a recipe for a 5 star girls weekend that will leave you full of joy. Some of my dearest of dears are a road trip away while others are a mere drop by. Regardless, I find it of great importance to step away from our day to day to be present with one another.

Gathering is so so good for the soul! Sure we text, talk on the phone, follow on social media and video when we can but it doesn’t measure up to the face to face smiles. The dedicated time away is where we really share, learn and grow with one another.

It's also more economical than a couples/family trip as you're only paying for yourself and split across the group!

I get asked often about all my girls weekends (I have at least 6 a year) and since I just hosted one right here in Charlotte I find it’s perfect timing to share how I do it.

Tip: You can simply book a hotel/home right where you live and still get away!

Here’s my recipe for a weekend away with your besties:

PLAN 

Coming together with calendars in advance is key! We all have responsibilities but with commitment and delegation establishing dates & logistics (childcare) solidifies the event. We pick locations based on season, budget and rotation of cities amongst us.

Tip: We share each other’s travel points/benefits.

FRESH AIR

Whether it’s sitting on the beach, hiking a mountain or cruising on a boat being outside together is medicine for the soul.

ACTIVITY

We love to try new things.  We’ve participated in concerts, gym classes, historic tours, rope courses, spa packages, cooking, beading, candle making, and painting classes... the list goes on. Next month we’re getting really adventurous with a helicopter tour of Lake Tahoe! 

GAMES

I’ve shared some of the biggest laughs and heart felt stories over a good old-fashioned deck of cards or puzzle.

SNACKS & SPIRITS

I have a gal pal who loves making snack boards!

Everyone bringing their favorites to share makes for full tummies. 

It also makes being away more comfortable and homey. 

SIGHTS & SHOPPING

It’s always enjoyable to stroll, take in the local attractions and find a few treasures along the way.  I learn quite a bit about people seeing things they like on the shelves.

NIGHT OUT

Getting all gussied up for cheers and celebration of your friendships is some of the most fun! Getting ready together coiffing your hair and putting on make up in preparation is also the source of a lot of fun. 

And while the snazzy outfits are important, your kind and happy heart paired with listening ears will make you so stylish.  I'm not one to typically share, but in a trusted circle it's nice to lean on one another.

Wherever you go, whoever you're with, enjoy! 

Dress Beautifully on a Girls Weekend

XOXO Sarah-Louise

Gal Pal Gift Guide

Tis better to give than to receive!

I have mixed feelings about this gift giving season. I love to bless others but I'm not so keen on the pressure to buy and feel that there are better ways to show your love than gifts.  Like quality time - priceless!

There are tons of gift guides floating around out there, just check your Instagram and Pinterest if you're stuck for ideas. With that I'm going to leave all that effort to all the other bloggers, but what I will share with you what I'm actually gifting my gal pals this year.

It is with great intention that I designed this post around my gal pals.  We all have them and we all need them. Amen?!  My gal pals have been beyond instrumental in my life.  They love me and pray for me.  They are right by my side cheering the good times and drying my tears on the bad times.

Girlfriends are the sisters I chose for myself

 Locket || Picture Frame || Wine Glasses || Candle || Present Over Perfect - Grace Not Perfection  ||

Let's break these treasures down ...

Wine Glasses - Everyone loves to cheers and with their beautiful gold leaf base, these are a unique must have.  They also come from one of my favorite shops ever! #shopsmall 

Locket - A timeless classic bauble that's not only pretty but sentimental.  Place pictures of those who are nearest and dearest to you inside.  I actually own this one and I feel special when I wear it.  I also love the modern design of a longer chain.  Great gift for Mamma's!

Candle - If you've ever had one of these burning in your home then you know why it's such a lovely gift.  It truly is the most amazing smell!

Picture Frame - We post and post and post. But I like the traditional way of viewing the moments with a hard copy framed picture.  We've become lazy. Snap a pic on your phone and with just a couple clicks, a filter and a few hashtags it's out for the world to see.  It really only takes the same amount of clicks to send it to Target and you can pick it up as soon as an hour.  And y'all let's be real, we're at Target all the time. As for frames, I typically grab mine at Homegoods but at this time of year there are all kinds of specials and sales at all the home decor stores.  

How sweet it is to display those precious memories, filling your home with the smiles of those you love.

Books - I believe it's important to turn off the noise.  I'm talking no phone, tv, iPad, computer; you know all those sites/social media that suck you in for hours.  Gals, you can't get those hours of your life back and more often than not you close out feeling inadequate.  I'm thrilled to be gifting these books (and receiving for myself) this year.  It's not about perfection in the world's eyes but about presence and grace in God's eyes. Comparison is the thief of joy.  Hold on tight to your blessings!

All of these gifts are modestly priced and are great for absolutely any gal regardless of her style or interests.  

I encourage you to give with love this year and challenge you embrace the gift of face to face time.

Dress Your Gift Giving Beautifully

XOXO Sarah Louise

Soiree: SL in the QC

Invitations designed/created by Moi

I've cropped the bottom of the invitation for privacy - No creepers/stalkers welcome

This past Saturday I hosted my first soiree in our new home.

It was a time to gather with my gal pals and a welcoming of my return to the Queen City. 

I also wanted to debut our house and it's interiors as I've been keeping it somewhat a secret.
(Posts to come)

Decorating is an ongoing process and there's always tweaking.  I find myself never quite ready or satisfied with a room but my Mamma reminded me that 'Rome wasn't built in a day'.  You can't do it all.  It takes time.  Sadly, my house didn't come with a money tree in the backyard and decorating isn't cheap!

There's no perfect house nor life, but it's ours and it's perfectly filled with Love! 

I was tickled pink to use these family heirloom crystal glasses and to serve from my antique buffet

My goal for this shindig was not only to celebrate our new home but to also show gratitude for the welcoming our friends and family have shown us.  They are our support and encouragement through our day-to-day and our milestones.  Cheers all around! 

These pink bubbles were a gift and I've been saving it just for this occasion

POP FIZZ CLINK

 And for those driving or expecting a baby some sparkling lemonade & water
Fancy Another Tray: Kate Spade || Ice Bucket: Lenox ||
Zebra Cocktail Napkins: Here ||

Bar carts are essential for serving in the formal room or away from the kitchen

I served heavy hors d'oeuvres and sweet treats

barbecue chicken sliders, orzo pasta salad, bacon wrapped dates, roasted sweet potatoes, 

hummus & veggies, pepper jelly over cream cheese & crackers

Strawberry cupcakes with cream cheese icing & sugar cookies with lemon curd

My co-host all gussied up 

Our moving announcements by Shutterfly 

I have a thing for snail mail :) 

When throwing a soiree remember, it's not all about the decor, food and how fancy the presentation is; rather the company and fellowship that fills the room!

Stay tuned for a peek into my home and design next week!

Dress Your Next Soiree Beautifully

XOXO Sarah Louise

The Wives Club

Are you watching 'The Astronaut Wives Club' on ABC Thursday nights??
If not, get online, catch up and program your DVR.
I anxiously awaited it's premiere along with my neighbor, a fellow military wife.

You see, there is a strong and unique bond amongst the wives of men who bravely sacrifice and embark on dangerous missions.  It is us wives that are left behind to faithfully cheer them on, keep our home together and pray for their safe return.
We truly are steel magnolias wearing our smiles while often filled with fear inside.

This show depicts the wives perspective, a point of view rarely conveyed.  Though it takes place around 50 years ago, there are vast commonalities to today's military wives.
Over the past two years I have grown to lean and rely on fellow military wives for guidance, support and lots of laughter (mostly over glasses of wine)!

I served on a boards of non-profits composed of military spouses and was even president of one this past year. We come together in support of our country, husbands, each other and our community, for we know the great social and service needs.

We are often lonely, scared and wishing our husbands were home. I can count the number of days Mr has been home this year and that number isn't high. I know this next year will be a challenge but thank goodness for my 'wives' to get me through!

No matter your circumstance, we all need gal pals to cheers our good times and stand by our sides for the tough times.  If you aren't already, get together with your gal pals and form your own club (we're not too old!) single, married, mammas, what ever suits your fancy.

Book clubs are a great way to get together (supper clubs are great too but we all know the kitchen is foreign territory to me). I failed to share with you my summer readying list a couple months back - but honestly I read all year (the scenery's just better by the beach - Amen?!!)

The Astronaut Wives Club is a non-fiction book (the bases for the tv show).  I haven't read nonfiction since undergrad and surprisingly this was far from boring! It was on my book list as soon as I found out about it.  I read it in just a few days and found myself relating immensely to the astro wives.

I read almost every night before bed ... I find it to be a calming routine.

Here's what's on my list to read ....

I've read all of her books - great beach read

This one is trending on the book scene - I'm anxious to read

I recently met Kristy at a book signing! 

She's a delight and graciously gave me encouragement!

Several of my gal pals enjoy reading Elin's books - It's about time I join in

 Coming 8/4/2015

Jen is HILARIOUS! I literally LOL 

Coming  8/11/2015

Consider adding 'The Astronaut Wives Club' to your reading and watching list :)

Dress Beautifully at the Next Meeting of Your 'Wives' Club

XOXO Sarah Louise

Swizzle

Last Monday I went to my very first ever concert!  - at 32!!!

I get the mouth open wide/concerned face when folks find out - allow me to explain.  I LOVE music, in fact I can play the piano and have played the flute for 20 years.  Simply put, I never had a group of friends that were huge concert goers and honestly there wasn't an artist I was such a huge fan of that justified the expense.  I've learned that concerts can be pricey. 

Now, Taylor Swift, she's my FAVORITE! I have every single one of her albums.  She's amazing!  She's a true artist in that she plays instruments, writes, produces, and performs her songs.  And let's confess, she's gorgeous too!  I'd kill for her grandaddy long legs.  T. Swift sends a positive message to her fans and to me is a genuinely lovely gal.  Oh and she's a kitty lover #winning.  In my mind we're besties :)  She loves crop tops as much as I do - sadly they're not appropriate in my line of work but hey, keep rockin' girlfriend! Coincidentally, the day of the concert was national best friend day, how fitting!  

I got to go with fabulous gal pals!  I've been away from Charlotte for over 2 years now but we're as thick as thieves and in a few short weeks I'll be returning as a Queen City resident & homeowner - y'all I CAN'T wait to share our new home with you as soon as we officially close the deal. 

I've been jamming out to the 1989 album since it's debut and now I'm officially a fan of live, loud concert sounds! 

Ready for the Show! 

Julie - she's moving to Charlotte too (we've purchased our new homes on the same day!) 

Me - I'm Tickled Hot Pink with Excitement!

Hadley - this gal's a trooper!  we didn't know she was preggo when we bought tickets - her new baby is an instant fan

Laura - our event planner and avid concert goer!  She was equally excited for my inaugural experience  

Prior to the concert Julie, Laura and I hit the makeup counter for the perfect shade of classic red lipstick.  

When it came to outfits we all went with a casual chic look that was comfortable and cool!

All 15,000 of us wore bracelets that lit up in colors flashing to the beat of the music

Laura & Julie 

Me & Hadley 

I sung every word and danced to every beat of every song!!!

Romper: J Crew Factory || Earrings: Kendra Scott || 

Dress Beautifully and Dance to T -Swizzle!

XOXO Sarah Louise

32 & Dancin Like I'm 22

My 32nd birthday was this past Saturday and was such a blessing that I just have to share.

Mr's been away for a month :( he's coming home on Thursday and I can hardly stand it!!! I plan on squeezing the stuffins out of him and basically kissing his face off!! I only have him for 3 days then he's back out but I'm going to cherish each moment.

But I wasn't worried, just as Mr's missed almost all my birthdays for the past 9 years - result of long distance love, my gal pals swoop in every year to celebrate!

It started Friday night with dinner and a sleepover - We watched movies and painted nails - Perfect TGIF!

Lemon Cake with Pink Frosting and Little White Candied Pearls #Perfection

Make a Wish!!!

Check out that candle we had to borrow from the neighbor's kid :) 

I can't tell you how grateful I was not to have to wake up by myself (sorry Scragley but you lack thumbs and ability to respond with words - meow doesn't count) 

I got a surprise FaceTime in bed - BESTEST present!  I hadn't seen his handsome face this month and barely have spoken.  

Then there was the delicious birthday breakfast - belgian waffles, fruit, and black coffee.  If you don't have a waffle maker, go get this one! It's amazing and perfect for hosting brunch as it makes 2 at a time - ultimate crowd pleaser for adults & kiddos. 

I was spoiled rotten with pretty pretty presents!  Even my gal pals from far away sent me love xoxo

Yes I FINALLY got a lemon tree - I've been asking for one for years but my history for killing plants has Mr refusing.  So a gal pal stepped in ...

Last year I spent 31 with my fellow Navy wife gal pals on a trip to Charleston and this year I got to celebrate with them again but this time we were feeling sporty and adventured to try Curling!!

Confession: I've never ever played a sport - unless you count dancing or the marching band and no one ever does. 

I LOVED IT!!!!!

It was so much fun!  And learning together, cheering each other on was the best part.  We even got to play each other in a game once we mastered the basics.  

Yes my birthday #ootd was neon athletic wear!  

We finished the night with pizza and a birthday song! 

When I got home I found my front lawn decorated with a fleet of ships & balloons from the Naval Hospital

Thanks to all my friends near and far for the cards, messages and wishes!  

April 25th really is the perfect date!! - one of my all time favorites! 

Birthdays are special as they are a celebration of the blessing of another year of life.

God still has a purpose and plan for me and I'm looking forward to the adventures 32 has in store! 

Dress Beautifully - Like it's Your Birthday! 

XOXO Sarah Louise

Ladies Who Lunch

Today I hosted a luncheon for a group of lovely ladies and fellow military wives.  We are all members of 'Gourmet Club'. We meet once a month to enjoy a 5 course meal and great company.  There is a rotation amongst the members to host and cook (I clearly host!)

Hosting a dinner party can be intimidating to some, for me southern hospitality is in my blood.  Welcoming others into my home is a way to serve and extend love.  My home isn't grand nor do I have the fanciest of serving ware. Here's the truth: the company is what matters! (and maybe the food, hence I leave that to someone else)

We vary the cuisine each month sampling the delicious flavors of different cultures from all over the world.

I joined this club over a year ago to meet other women and in great hopes of learning to cook.  Regretfully, I still dread the kitchen but I do have a new appreciation of a delicious meal and friendships I cherish.

This month our luncheon captured the cuisine of New Orleans in celebration of Mardi Gras.

For my tablescape I kept it simple but with vibrant colors.  I filled glass cylindrical vases with ornaments I already owned and strung beads throughout.  I added a few masks and used gold for the place settings.  

For the cocktail I made a King's Cup.  It's tangy and includes a topping of champagne and colored sugar! And if that wasn't enough, I was able to use my new bar cart, Cheers!

Tip: to add sugar to the glass rim simply coat a paper napkin with coconut syrup and apply to the rim, then dip into a plate of sugar. I used a mix of purple & green for extra fun!

For the appetizer we nibbled on Muffuletta Skewers and Spinach Balls with Creole Mustard Sauce 

We sipped on a White and Rose Wine. 

Spring Salad with Spicy Sweet Pecans & Strawberries 

Oyster & Artichoke Soup

Shrimp Étouffée with Rice

Banana Foster 

Cheers! 

Tip: straws save your lipstick ... and they add extra fun :) 

Host Gracefully

XOXO Sarah Louise