{Merry Christmas}

Merry Christmas everyone!!!

I love Mariah Carey's Christmas CD, so I thought I'd share one of my favorites from the album. Enjoy!

I hope y'all have a fabulous day with your family, friends and loves ones. Never forget the reason for the season and always count your blessings,

XoXo,

Leslie

{Bridesmaid Dresses}

I'm loving this latest blog post on The Pink Book Blog written by Pink Lady Krista. It's entitled "Do's and Don'ts of Choosing Your Bridesmaid's Dresses," and if you're planning a wedding like me, then you'll definitely want to check it out. I think it's wonderful advice, and I hope you enjoy reading it.

Continuing on the topic of bridesmaid dresses, now that I have chosen my dress (YAY!), I'm currently in the process of deciding on what I want my bridesmaids to wear. Here's a sneak peak at a few -- all the same style -- that I love.

B2 by Jasmine 

Style 1221 by Allure Bridals

Margaux by Amsale

I think this style is so flattering and will look good on any figure. I can't wait to take my bridesmaids to try them on! I'll be sure to blog about which one I choose :)

XoXo,
Leslie

{Our Band: The Soul Shockers}

In the article Wedding Reception Music Basics: Bands vs. DJs, Lori Seto writes, "No doubt about it: Music can make or break a wedding celebration. It's the heart and soul of a reception and can send your guests home with happy feet or pained grimaces!"

Well, our guests will definitely be going home with happy feet because we've booked on of the best bands in Memphis: The Soul Shockers!

Talk about a celebration! These six men certainly know how to bring down the house, and they play a variety of tunes from rock, blues, soul, Oldies and songs from today.

The Soul Shockers are constantly playing in and around Memphis, whether at Huey’s, wedding receptions or special events. We first heard them when they played at Michael's sisters wedding in 2008. They were fantastic, and we know they'll be just as great at our reception. 

I can't wait to cut loose with our guests to songs like "Mustang Sally," "You Dropped the Bomb on Me" and "Hey Ya."

You can listen to song clips on their website, and if you want to book them for your wedding reception or special event, contact Mike Brocato with Resource Entertainment Group at mike@regmemphis.com.

XoXo,
Leslie

{Happy Thanksgiving}

Today I'm thankful for so many things in my life -- wonderful family, Michael, amazing friends, a great job, and the list goes on and on.

But today also marks 5 years that Michael and I have been together. I'm so thankful that we've been able to keep our relationship healthy and strong, even throughout 4 years of long distance dating in college.

It's been such a joy to share major life events with the person I love -- senior prom, high school graduation, family vacations, holidays, college graduation. And now that we are engaged, that list will continue to grow. I'm looking forward to married life and starting a family one day!

Here are some pictures of us from times we've shared and memories we've made over the years!

Spring 2007

Senior Prom 2007

High School Graduation 2007

Destin 2007

Sarah & Matt's Wedding 2008

Spring Formal 2008

Halloween 2008

Destin 2009

Billy & Jessica's Wedding 2009

Christmas 2009

New Years 2010

My 21st Birthday 2010

College Graduation 2011

Destin 2011

Happy Anniversary, Michael! I love you with all my heart, and I'm so thankful you asked me to be your wife. I can't wait to exchange vows with you on October 19, 2012!

I wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! Don't forget to count your blessings.

XoXo,

Leslie

{Hot Trend: Pinterest Parties}

Let me guess, you're constantly on Pinterest, but you've never actually taken the time to make the craft or recipe you've pinned. Well, I've just learned about something fantastic that will solve your problem.

A Pinterest party!

The idea being that you find a recipe or craft item you've pinned on Pinterest, make it, and then bring it to the party.

And since the holidays are fast approaching, now would be an excellent time to plan a Pinterest party with family members or girlfriends.

All the women in Michael's family are thinking about bringing something from Pinterest for Christmas day, and I can't wait! I'm a sweets kinda gal, so I'll probably try my hand at one of these yummy recipes:

Chocolate + Candy Wrapped Pretzels 

Oreo Cupcakes

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Oreo Tiramisu 

Any recipes that you've been dying to try that would be great for a Pinterest party?

XoXo,
Leslie

{Heartwood Hall: Gooder Than Grits, Y'all}

Set a wedding date. check
Book a ceremony venue. check
Book a reception venue. check
Ask close friends to be members of the wedding party. check
Book a wedding coordinator. check
Book a caterer. check
Book a florist. check

Whew!

Well, we've been engaged for a little over three weeks now, and as you can see we've been hard at work planning for our big day (there's still so much more to be done). Michael cracked me up the other week when he said, "Man, I didn't think we'd be doing all this until next summer." Ha! I'm a very organized and planned out person, so I've hit the ground running. I can't tell you how many emails I've sent and phone calls I've made recently. It's been quite crazy, but so much fun.

I'll save some of the smaller details for another blog post, but right now I want to spill the beans on the gorgeous wedding venue we've chosen. So let's jump right in.

The venue is Heartwood Hall, and this place is gooder than grits, y'all! It's quickly becoming one of the most sought after venues in the area. Booking a date there was quite a challenge, but we've decided on October 19, 2012. This date is extremely special to us because it's exactly a year to day we got engaged.

When you pull up onto the property the first thing you see is this amazing manor house.

The Manor House

The house was built in 1840 and was part of a 5,000 acre cotton plantation. Today, the property is much smaller at only 25 acres, but it's still breathtakingly beautiful. Here's some interesting history behind the house -- it was used as a makeshift hospital by the North during the Civil War as they were making their way into town to fight the Battle of Collierville. They also used the property as sleeping grounds at night. So cool! Oh, and can I just say, this place is going to make a gorgeous backdrop for photographs.

We'll be having both our ceremony and reception at Heartwood Hall. The ceremony will be held in the Four Season Garden and talk about stunning. The garden sits to the left of the manor house and it makes quite the statement. It has an 80 foot walkway for the bride to walk down. We love it and we know guests will too.  

The Four Seasons Garden

Our reception is going to be held in The Barn -- my absolute favorite part of the property! It was renovated this past April and it's the epitome of rustic and charming. Everything inside this barn is just fantastic -- the chandeliers, the bar, the fireplace, the side porch, even the bathrooms!

Outside view of The Barn

Inside view of The Barn. WOW :)

Well, that's all the beans to spill. I'm so happy with this location and I'm more than thrilled to be getting married here. I can't think of a better place -- it's perfect.

XoXo,
Leslie

*NOTE: Photos courtesy of Heartwood Hall. 

{The Look for Less: The Pink Blazer}

The Look for Less on the Style Network used to be one of my favortie shows. Unfortunately, they took it off the air a few years ago, but I've decided to bring the idea back on my blog! I'll tell you where I got my inspiration for the look and where I actually went to find the piece or outfit :)

This week, I was inspired by People StyleWatch Magazine (my favorite!). They told readers to break out of the all-black rut and try a high-impact solid colored blazer instead of a traditional black one. They suggested this $179 Fushia Flannel Tuxedo Blazer by Talbots:

It's super cute, but I'm sorry, there's no way I'm spending that much on a blazer.

So I went out shopping this past weekend to see if I could find the look for less.

My first stop was Kohl's. They've got great, trendy designers including Vera Wang, Daisy Fuentes, LC Lauren Conrad and most recently, JLo, so I figured it would be a great place to start.

I love Lauren Conrad's everyday style, but sometimes her clothing line can be a hit or miss. Luckily, this weekend it was a hit! I saw this cute LC blazer that resembled the Talbots one and instantly loved it.

It's simple and sophisticated, and best of all, you can dress it up or dress it down. It's got ruched insets on the sleeves for a feminine touch and it fit me like a glove. It's a little more cropped than the Talbots blazer, but I almost like that more. With my coupon I was able to get it for just under $40. The color is mauve pink, and it also comes in a pretty dark gray.

Thanks for reading and be sure to check out this blazer and the rest of the LC Lauren Conrad collection here!

XoXo,
Leslie

{Beauty Review: Favorite Drugstore Products}

We all know looking good doesn't have to cost a fortune, so I thought I'd share five of my favorite drugstore beauty products and why I love them so much! Enjoy :)

1) Maybelline Super Stay 24 Hour Color in Wear on Wildberry 

I discovered this amazing product this past summer. I picked it up on a whim and it quickly became my go to lip color. It's by far the best long lasting lip stick I've ever used, and it comes in 30 different shades. The Wear on Wildberry shade is the perfect combination of dark pink and subtle red, and it's probably the shade I will wear on my wedding day :)


Helpful tip: After applying, be sure to immediately correct any mistakes because the formula will dry quickly and it's very stubborn to remove after that! Wait two minutes, then use the attached conditioning balm to give your lips a soft, smooth feel.

2) Maybelline's Master Drama Eyeliner in Midnight Master

This eyeliner is great! It's smudge-proof so it stays on great throughout the day and doesn't give me a raccoon eye. It's a creamy eyeliner, so it glides on nice and smooth. When you're ready to remove it, it comes off well with a gentle eye make up remover. It's about $6, so I definitely recommend trying it out.

Helpful tip: This particlar eyeliner has a twist top sharpener and once you've twisted it up, you can't twist it back down!

3) Covergirl Lash Perfection Mascara in Very Black

My best friend (and maid of honor!), Allie, told me about this great product a few months ago. I decided to try it out, and I love it. It gives me great volume and length and it doesn't clump up. 

4) Physicians Formula Gentle Cover Concealer in Green 

This product is amazing! I think I've been using it for 5 or 6 years now and I won't use any other concealer. Unlike liquid concealers, this covers my blemishes really well. The green helps hide the red (love that trick!) and the formula is smooth so it glides on nicely. Definitely pick this up if you're looking to conceal flaws and blemishes.

5) Hard Candy Mouthing Off Sheer Lip Shine in Sweet Treat

I discovered this lip gloss a few years ago after finding out about this brand at Wal-Mart (that's the only place they carry it). The color is really natural and it's one of my favorites to wear during the fall and winter seasons.

Thanks for reading! Have a lovely weekend :)

XoXo,
Leslie

{Engaged!}

Hello blog world!

I'm back!

Well, it’s been exactly a week since I got engaged to the love of my life, best friend and high school sweetheart!! I’m still shocked, but extremely excited :D

A lot has been going on in the past week with wedding planning, so I figured I'd start back my blog and document it all. I know I'll want to remember as much as possible about my experience as a bride-to-be. So here we go!

First and foremost, I find it incredible that such a large market exists for weddings. There are so many useful resources and tools that it's a bit overwhelming. My amazing manager at work suggested I start a wedding binder and also mentioned The Knot had a really great resource for wedding planning. It's called The Knot's Ultimate Wedding Planner and it's written by Carly Roney, the editor of The Knot. 


The planner got great reviews, so I reserved my copy and went to pick it up at my local Barnes & Noble after work on Friday. So far, I can definitely say tit's been one of the most helpful resources I have found. It’s basically a heaven sent guide to anything and everything you need to know about wedding planning. If you’re a bride-to-be, you'll want to get this! For $17, you'll get everything from checklists and worksheets to ideas and etiquette rules. Whew! Such a life saver. Here’s a picture of what it looks like:

Like I said, it can all be quite overwhelming at first -- there's so much to think about and so much to be done. The one thing I've realized is that you have to move quickly in order to get everything you want. It almost feels like a race to the finish line and I'm competing with all these other brides, except I have no idea who they are. It's silly, but true. I would hate it if the things I wanted were snatched out from under because I didn't make a quick enough move.

The most important thing to nail down right now is the date and the venue(s) for our ceremony and reception. My fiance, Michael, and I have been toiling with the date issue for the past week. We have a narrowed in on a possible date, but nothing is set in stone yet. I will reveal, however, that it will be a fall 2012 wedding. Once a venue has been booked, I will announce the special day on here! :D

As far as venues go, we’ve looked at two places – my favorite was Heartwood Hall. It's comfortably nestled in Piperton, TN, which is just 10 minutes from the heart of Collierville. The venue sits on 25 acres of beautiful land, and Michael and I absolutely fell in love with the place. If this turns out to be the venue where we get married -- I really hope it will be -- I will spill more details!

One of the most important things for me to remember throughout all of this planning is to have fun! Michael has been a great planning partner, and I know he will continue to be. He's very interested in what's going on, which is wonderful and helpful!

Lastly, I got a very sweet gift from Michael's parents tonight. They gave me a Waterford Crystal heart ring holder for my engagement ring and wedding band. It was such a sweet and thoughtful gift and it's absolutely gorgeous. Here's a picture of it :)

Well, that's all for now!

XoXo,
Leslie