Shower for Baby Keaton

A couple of months ago I helped plan a baby shower for my dear friend Samantha. I absolutely LOVE planning parties so I was over the moon to help out with this one.

The first part of the planning process, for me at least, is selecting the invitations. I believe they set the tone for the party and also help with tying colors/theme together. For this party I used Em & N Designs again (they also did the killer invites for Jackie's Bachelorette Party) and I was not disappointed. We decided on a yellow and gray damask theme 1. because Sam is crazy about Damask and 2. because they weren't 100% sure if they were having a boy or a girl (Keaton was very shy at his first ultrasound). The custom invitations and wishing tree cards turned out AMAZING!

My friend Linda from Linda Lou Photography in Ft Walton Beach took all these fabulous pictures for the shower. I aimed high and decided to make a photo booth backdrop. This was pretty easy but I decided to make it hard by finding custom fabric instead of a sheet. In my opinion it turned out better but it was a tight squeeze in the picture with more than 2 people. My insanely awesome boyfriend made the fabulous chalk board speech bubbles and they were the hit of the party. I also added a little fun with the mustache and lip props.

The awesome "Baby Mama" and "Baby Daddy" props were done by my fabulous graphic designer friend Jill. {TO DIE FOR!}

Hello Keaton? Are you in there?

The food was fantastic! Suzy and Cindy really did all the work on this part and everything turned out so great.

Overall this was a great party! So good to have everyone in the same state, if only for the weekend.

Happy Friday!

Beer Review Wednesday ~ Stoudt's Pils

The BF and I made a trip to the beer store this weekend and I'm excited to say we got a ton of beers that I am dying to try {YIPEE}! This week I am reviewing a German Style Pilsner from Stoudt's. So the first thing I noticed (after the label) was the spelling of Pilsner, they spelled it Pilsener. This of course drove me nuts and I had to research it. There apparently are two spellings of the word and either is acceptable but I prefer PILSNER so that's the way I'm going to spell it. I know...but some details drive me nuts.

I went to the Stoudt's website and I must say this isn't just a brewery, these people have a small compound! There's an antique shop, a restaurant, market, event space for weddings and such, oh and of course a brewery. Impressive. But anyway, back to the beer, here we go with the PILSNER review.

 

Stoudt's Brewing Company, Pennsylvania - Stoudt's Pils
Serving type:  Bottle poured into an  ALABAMA NATIONAL CHAMPIONS pint glass. I know I should have used a Pilsner glass but I'm working on that.

Appearance: Light gold/straw color. Clear with medium head. It didn't produce as big of a head as I'm used to seeing in a Pils.

Smell: A slight sweet smell with a hint of hops. This Pils doesn't have much of an aroma.

Taste: Light, crisp with a slight hop flavor with a slight bitter aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Great carbonation, light body with a dry finish.

Overall: Very easy to drink and a pretty good Pilsner! This is another great beer for the summer and I'm glad I ventured out to try some new brands. This isn't my favorite Pils EVER but I would definitely drink this one again. So far Sam Adams Noble Pils is my fav American Pilsner but I'm looking for new ones to try!

I bought my Stoudt's Pils at Stone River Total Beverages in Murfreesboro, TN. I went to Stoudt's website to find other locations but apparently they haven't updated it lately because it's showing no distribution in TN.

If you find Stoudt's in your area please leave a comment and spread the love! Also let me know of any other great Pilsners I can try!

Happy Wednesday!

Getting Game Day Ready!

It's NEVER too early to think about what you are going to wear on Game Day! Here in the South, getting dressed up for a football game is kinda a big deal, at least it is for the girls. Some schools like to go ALL out and some keep it more casual but the main focus is representing your team colors!

As an Alabama fan I definitely dress according to who we are playing. For instance if we are playing Ole Miss you better believe I am going to go all out! Those girls take their Game Day attire SERIOUSLY. A couple of years ago I went to the Ole Miss/Bama game in Oxford and it was a sight to behold. It was a rainy day and I saw numerous Tory Burch flats and plenty of Jimmy Choo boots being ruined by the mud! 



Ole Miss @ Bama 2008

Then there's some schools that play it casual. FSU is one of those schools. These girls are more of a T-shirt and jeans crowd but they definitely don't have any shortage of team spirit! A couple of years ago when Bama played FSU in Jacksonville, I kept it casual with a jean skirt and a Bama T-shirt.

Bama vs FSU in Jacksonville 2007

Even though it's not really considered the "South" my friends at the University of Oklahoma also like gettin' dressed up for Game Day!

You've got to show your team spirit because you never know who you might run into!

So whether your team gets all gussied up or goes low key, the thing all these school have in common is an immense passion for their teams.

Tell me about your favorite college team! Only 5 more Saturdays with out college football!

Happy Monday!

Feelin' the Bacon Love!

I got the best present last week from my friend Delish Diva, Janeen! Thanks to my sis-in-law, Sam, for transporting it all the way to the Dominican Republic.

This little puppy will be hanging on the rearview mirror by this afternoon. Muchas Gracias Janeen!


Happy Friday!

Beer Review Wednesday ~ #9 Not Quite Pale Ale

I spent last week being lazy on the beaches of the Dominican Republic. Yes, it was HEAVEN, but the DR has much to be desired when it comes to beer selection. I pretty much had two choices, Presidente the local DR brew or Bhrama a Brazilian import. Both beers were typical beach beers like a Corona, etc but ANY BEER was REALLY refreshing lying by the pool and beach.

Anyway, enough of the vacay pics. So need less to say it was nice to come home to the good ole US of A and have a great beer. I've heard a ton about Magic Hat from various people and I thought I would give this one a whirl. Of course the packaging caught my eye and one of the coolest things was that there was a fun saying underneath the bottle cap {LOVE}!

Magic Hat Brewing Company, Vermont - #9 Not Quite Pale Ale
Serving type:  Bottle poured into a chilled ALABAMA NATIONAL CHAMPIONS pint glass

Appearance: Copper/orange color. Clear with small head.

Smell: A little fruity with a hint of hops. I think I might smell a little apricot?

Taste: Bitter hops taste with a very slight sweet flavor. It actually has a slightly spicy taste. This is different from other beers I've tried. I can't put my finger on the exact flavors.

Mouthfeel: Good carbonation, medium body with a crisp finish.

Overall: Very easy to drink and again I love the bottle cap thing! Even though this is not the best beer I've ever had I would definitely drink this one again. I can't wait to try some of the other Magic Hat varieties!

{NOTE} I did not realize this was classified as a Fruit/ Vegetable beer until after I did the review. I honestly was shocked to come across that piece of info. Not sure if I would have classified it that way but I guess you'll just have to grab one and judge for yourself.

I bought my #9 at Kroger in Murfreesboro, TN but here's where you can get one in your neck of the woods. http://www.magichat.net/

Have you tried Magic Hat? Let me know which varieties you've tried and what you thought!

Happy Wednesday!

I'm outta here!

I'm taking the week off and going to the beach! Hope everyone has a great week and I'll be back with another beer review and some fun Game Day posts coming up!

Beer Review Wednesday ~ Lucky Bucket IPA

This week I enjoyed the beer I reviewed on the 4th of July! Granted my senses were probably dulled by the fact that I was surrounded by Bar-B-Q smoke and fireworks going off but what a great way to enjoy a beer. I hope you guys had as much fun as I did!

Lucky Bucket Brewing Company, Nebraska - IPA
Serving type:  Bottle poured into a pint glass

Appearance: Copper/orange color, cloudy with some particles floating in it. Small head.

Smell:  Faint smell of hops and citrus? The smell isn't very prominent.

Taste: Bitter hops taste with malty flavor. Not at all what I expected from an IPA

Mouthfeel: Good carbonation, medium body.

Overall: I am a HUGE IPA fan and this beer not at all what I was expecting. I LOVE the bitter hops flavor of an IPA and this one just had something missing. Overall it's an average beer, nothing special.

I bought my IPA at Stones River Total Beverages in Murfreesboro, TN but here's where you can get one in your neck of the woods. http://www.luckybucketbrewing.com/buy

I would love to hear your input. Pleas let me know what beers YOU want me to review!

Happy Wednesday!