A Blogcation

 
My dear blogger friends - I have decided to take a little break from Simply Sarah Style. I'm going on a blog vacation to focus on wedding planning. While I enjoy sharing all my thoughts on here, I sometimes feel I let people down if I unable to blog daily due to other obligations. Therefore, I thought I would take a little time off.

Until next time, my loves!

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A Sneak Peak to Our Engagement Session

 

A very special thanks to Sherri Barber for an awesome photo shoot!

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Posting on Social Sara

Today, I'm guest posting for a dear blogger friend, Sara from Social Sara. You can check out her blog and a week's worth of guest bloggers by clicking here.

 
Sara was actually vacationing in New York City when Hurricane Sandy hit. Please keep her in your prayers. I am hoping she makes it back to Georgia very soon!

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How One Pair of Shoes Restored My Optimism

Lately, I have been feeling discouraged about wedding planning mainly due to the amount of money we are spending on this one day. Being a person who loves to throw a good party, one would assume that planning my wedding would be a joy and delight. Unfortunately, when it is your money and you are forced between item A and item B, instead of having both, it is not so fun. 

Fast forward to this past Saturday... My mom and I were shopping when she suggested we go into a local consignment shop. I resisted since I had just visited that store in a different location in town with no luck. (We ultimately had plans to go to Hobby Lobby. I was eager to get there and get my centerpiece shopping on.) Something inside me made me change my mind, so I pulled in the shop parking lot to make her happy. 

Once inside, I discovered a very glamorous pair of brand new champagne-colored high heels by Nina. I have been eyeing many Nina shoes for the wedding and thought this pair couldn't possibly be in my size. That would be too good to be true. Shockingly, they were a size 7... just my size! Even more shocking was the price. Only $10.99 and they fit!

I was so delighted to find such a fabulous deal at an unexpected place. It gave me hope that Ben and I can get through this planning period and throw a fabulous wedding without spending everything we own. It felt like a sign from God. I eagerly shared the news of the $10.99 wedding shoes with Ben. His response, "Only you would find God in a pair of shoes." (Lol. He knows his fashion-loving fiance well.)

It was truly a blessing that restored my faith in the fact that things are going to be okay. We will have a lovely wedding. We just need to shop around until we find the best deal on (almost) everything. And, shopping is one thing in which I definitely excel!

In closing, I thought this quote was only appropriate...

via Anchor of Hope

Cheers!

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Address Stamp Delights

Wedding guests - Pretend to be surprised when you see this lovely design stamped on the back of our wedding invitations! I discovered this stamp while browsing Pinterest and have been eyeing it for months. I would say it's a great match for our preppy southern chic theme.

"Spiffed" Custom Address Stamp by Cartolaio

Some of my other favorite designs include the following...

Big Sur Design Custom Address Stamp by Chatty Press

Custom Address Stamp by Jessica Bishop Paperie

Faux Calligraphy Custom Address Stamp by Stephanie Creekmur

Custom Address Stamp by Sweet Paperie

Oh, how I love stationary! Any pretty paper makes me so happy.

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Little Pumpkin Birthday Party

Hello, friends! It has been quite a busy week. I had engagement pictures, helped with a one year old birthday party and judged a cheerleading competition out of town... but, I am back and excited to share pictures from the party with you.

My dear friend, Lindsey, did a wonderful job pulling together a darling collection of pink and orange pumpkin-themed goodies for her daughter's first birthday party. She took tons of pictures, so enjoy the inspiration!

The Drink and Dessert Stations
(The dessert station isn't fully populated in this shot.)

Brooklyn's Adorable "Smash" Cake

Pumpkin Cake Pops

"Keep Calm and Birthday On" Paper Goods

Delicious Taco Dip

Deli Wraps

Pumpkin-Shaped Cheese Ball

Fruit Skewers

Veggie Cups with Ranch Dip

"Boo Chew," a White Chocolate Trail Mix
You can find the recipe here.

Sugar Cookie Party Favors for the Kids

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffin Favors for Adults

Progressive Birthday Banner

Lindsey, the Birthday Girl and TJ

Me fulfilling my event planner duties all while entertaining the birthday girl!
(I learned a cell phone is the key to engagement.)

Hope everyone is having a wonderful week! 

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Fabulous Fall Exchange Gift Reveal

 
A special thanks to the bloggers who participated in the Fabulous Fall Exchange! I hope everyone enjoyed shopping for their exchange partner.

My exchange partner was Emily from the blog, Dirt and Pearls. Emily is also a Kentucky blogger, who is the mother to one adorable boy. Her lifestyle blog is such a delight! You can check out her blog here.

I opened my package from Emily to find so many lovely goodies. I was impressed with all the items she managed to fit into the box. I received chocolates, Bath & Body Works hand soap, Jelly Belly candy corns, a cheetah-print mug, a stylish ring, three fall-scented candles and a personalized takeout tumbler (She must of read my mind, because I just blogged about my love for takeout tumblers.) I have already put my new items to use. Thank you, Emily!

Bloggers, please share a link to your Fabulous Fall Exchange posts in the comment section below. I would love to check out what everyone received.

Happy fall, my friends!

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Shop for Free by Hosting a Swap Party

For the past couple years, I have had a yearning to host or attend a Swap Party. If you are thinking, "What is a Swap Party?" This is a party concept based on the idea that every guest brings five or more items they no longer use to swap with other guests. Essentially, everyone shops for free! As a guest, you are able to get rid of items you longer need, while coming home with fabulous new things. You can narrow the collection of items based on a category (e.g. clothing, books, accessories, home decor, etc.) or have a free for all.  

I recently hosted a Swap Party for friends from work, and thought I would share some of our ideas, so you too can host a swap of your own.

Menu 

Everyone brought a side dish to share. As the hostess, I provided chocolate-covered pretzel party favors and chocolate-covered strawberries. I planned on making mini lasagna cups as a hot appetizer, but Ben purchased the wrong supplies. So, instead we had Papa John's pizza. (So classy.)

I also provided a spiked lemonade bar. Cocktail options included regular lemonade, strawberry lemonade or raspberry limeade with Little Black Dress vodka. Red and white wines as well as bottled water were provided as alternatives.

Shopping Supplies 

Party guests were welcomed to fill up shopping bags with their new goodies. I purchased a set of plain white gift bags and pink and black ribbon at Michael's. (Use the coupon here to get 40% off one item. They will even scan it from your phone.)

Shopping Center

I designated areas of my home as shopping zones for the different categories. Here is a snap shot of the "home" store.

Fabulous Finds 

Below, party guests, Kate, Carrie and Betsy, show off their shopping bags and fabulous finds.

Through the swap, I scored some pretty incredible pieces...

1. LOFT Jacket (new with tags)
2. Infinity Scarf
3. Athropologie Top (new with tags)
4. JCREW Bangle Bracelet
5. LOFT Wallet

 
Does this get you wanting to shop somewhere for free? I encourage you to host a Swap Party of your own!

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You deserve some eye candy today!

Here you go... 

Zac Posen via Waiting on Martha

Mohammed Ashi via ASHI Studio

Giambattista Valli via Fashionology

Can you say STUNNING? If you were attending an ultra formal event, which one would you choose?

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Wedding Countdown and Venue Reveal

174 days to go until the big day!  Here is a sneak peak to our reception venue, the Bell Event Centre. It's 162 year old Catholic Church, re-purposed as an event venue. This place has major WOW factor. I can't wait for our guests to experience this!

source

Now, onto centerpiece planning...

I'm thinking something southern chic. Mint julep cups, maybe? We'll save that talk for another day though. Happy Saturday, my friends!

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An Every Day Must-Have

Takeout Tumblers are one of my favorite "must-have" items, because they are so convenient. I use one everyday. Add a monogram to it and it gets even better! 

 
Here's one I recently gifted to my cousin, Hannah, for her birthday. This look is so Simply Sarah Style! Polka dots and a monogram are right up my alley. So, what's your must-have item for everyday convenience?

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The House This Month

Fall is in full swing in the Simply Sarah home!

After pulling out all my items to decorate, I noticed that almost every piece I own for this season is fall-oriented and not Halloween-themed. It just seems like a more sensible approach. 

Have you ever thought about how much holiday decorations cost? I have a love/hate relationship with holiday decorations. At the end of the day, I see holiday decorations as "an extra." I hate spending money on these types of things, but love the festive feeling they evoke when you see them around the house. 

I've concluded that investing in fall pieces is smart, because you can leave them up for longer. If I had a large Halloween collection, I would have to switch it out for Thanksgiving and buy even more decorations... so, fall it is! 

Happy fall, my blogger friends!

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Celebrating All Things Pink This Month

This weekend marks the ninth year my family, along with friends, has hosted a horseback ride to raise funds for Susan G. Komen. Ten years ago, we lost a family friend, who rode up horses with us, to breast cancer. In her honor, the Trail Ride for The Cure was born. This ride takes place at a local state park and typically consists of 125 riders who come out to pledge their support for breast cancer research. Here is a picture from last year. My cousin and I froze, but this year, the weather was much more pleasant. 

In honor of breast cancer awareness month, I thought I would share some creative party ideas. I always find myself forwarding these to my mom and aunt who work to make the Trial for the Cure extra special for breast cancer survivors and participants each year. I think each and every one of these are so lovely.

via Sweet Designs, a blog by Amy Atlas

via Jenny Cookies

via Celebrations at Home

via My Cake School

via Bird's Party Blog

Do you have a tradition for honoring this special observance month? I would love to share them with the ride committee to make next year's event even better.

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