Come Hell or High Water

This phrase took on a whole new meaning for the  Beckett and Joyner families this past weekend. My sister had planned a beautiful outdoor wedding at Old Wide Awake Park in Charleston SC. Due to get married at the Citadel Summerall Chapel on Saturday, mother nature made other plans and we spent the morning scrambling (and crying, i think there was a lot of crying). Phase one of this mega rain event had hit Charleston, and the water was rising everywhere.(Another phrase came to mind - God Willing and the Creek Don't Rise? Yeah, the Creek rose.)

 I got a text at around 11:45 from my sister with an address - I was to be there around 1, and to bring my wedding gear - the wedding was back on.  It seems my sister and her fiance found a family friend that had a home on the Charleston Harbor (James Island side) that was willing to host her wedding. That's right, host an impromptu wedding...during what felt like a hurricane. We loaded up the Subaru (which by the way - handled the water like a CHAMP) and headed over to the house. It was the perfect venue and the day was saved! We all got ready together, and had the ceremony in the living room.  After the ceremony - the rain stopped and the clouds broke and we took gorgeous family photos (and  I forgot to get the baby #momfail -- I think he was still asleep with his Nana..or at least I hope).

one of the few pictures I got with Beck

Rehearsal Dinner

Rehearsal Dinner

Rehearsal Dinner

Rehearsal Dinner

Rehearsal Dinner

Pre Ceremony Shots

Pre Ceremony Shots

Pre Ceremony Shots

Her husband is a DNR officer, so of course we had to get some shots in a DNR life vest...(notice, almost no rain! It started again later...)

Cutting the cake in galoshes

We partied the night away, and then almost had to row home (literally, the water was SO DEEP on the roads) but we all got home safe and sound. The bride and groom are honeymooning this week! 

While our experience was stressful and harrowing, it is nothing compared to what Columbia, SC is going through right now. Please keep them in your hearts and prayers. If you'd like to donate to the flood relief, please go here and give to the United Way. 100% of donations will go to flood relief.

Presidential Series

To start off my Presidential series, I opted to first highlight the one and only woman in the GOP field. Carly Fiorina has rocketed toward the front of the very large pack after a rather successful performance in the Republican Debate 2 weeks ago on CNN. This is rather impressive considering the stage was full 12 hard hitting and loud men -- and that it lasted 3 hours.  Despite the drama ridden line of questioning that the CNN moderator spewed at the candidates, Fiorina managed to get her voice heard in a clear and impressive manner. Despite whether or not you might agree with what she had to say, she said it rather well. So, who is Carly Fiorina? Here's some info:

Education: She has an BA in Philosophy from Stanford, MBA from University of MD, and an MS in Management from MIT.

Home State: Born in Austin, TX although has lived abroad. She attended high school in NC.

Age: 61

Previous Work Experience:

AT&T : At 25 she started off in sales, selling services to federal agencies.  She quickly rose through the ranks, and by age 35 she was a Vice President for the company. In another 5 years, she was overseeing North American operations.

Lucent Technologies:  Lucent technologies was a spin off company of AT&T, and Fiorina was placed in charge of Corporate operations. Fortune Magazine listed Fiorina as the Most Powerful Woman in Business in 1998.


Her claim to fame is her 'Secretary to CEO' status and her role as the only woman in the GOP race has many thinking she might be able to help the party in a demographic it has failed to reach in past elections...women. However, recent statements made about doctored/false tapes made to incriminate Planned Parenthood have many women wincing.

To read her platforms on issues, here is here Campaign website.

Here are a few of her top recent headlines:
Inside Carly Fiorina's California Meltdown
Liberal Feminists Ponder Friends, Foes and Carly Fiorina
Jeb Bush Opposes Shutdown over Planned Parenthood, Fiorina doesn't

Despite a strong debate performance a few weeks ago, Carly's momentum seems to be waning some on a national level - albeit her conservative base is most likely still in tact. While this might not seem like an issue to most -- candidates (especially GOP) have to realize that during the general election the ability to woo the center moderates and those on the party fringes is the key to winning the Presidency.  If Fiorina continues down her current path, she will struggle to garner support from women or those who don't believe Planned Parenthood is a worthy reason to shut down the government.

Weekending...

This weekend my husband went to my future brother - in - law's bachelor party and I was left on my own. It. Was. Glorious. Not quite like the old days in which I might have eaten a pint of ice cream and a bottle of wine for dinner - but as close as a mommy to a 6 month old could get to that.

On Saturday I ventured over to a store called Roots - a magical place with tons of greenery, plants, and decorative accessories that would send a more artistic and creative person into a state of bliss. For the rest of us, its amazing because I can walk over to the designers and say, " I need something pretty that I can't kill." And, voila! Just like that, you have a gorgeous pot full of plants for your living room.

For you locals that are interested in seeing more of what Roots can do, check out their IG Account -- Rootsonaugusta!

You can go into the store and buy each of these components and make this yourself...or they will make it for free (you just pay for the supplies). #nobrainer

On Sunday, I made a Lemon Rosemary roasted chicken with potatoes, carrots and mushrooms. It came out perfectly - but unfortunately I sort just threw things together. I'll try my best to give the ingredients, but I have NO amounts (sorry).

2 Lemons

2 sprigs of fresh rosemary

1 3.5 lb organic chicken

1/2 stick butter

salt/pepper

olive oil

Chicken Broth

white wine

2 celery sticks

half of an onion

2 cloves of garlic

4-5 carrots

6-7 red potatoes

1 carton baby bella mushrooms

I started off by putting oil, rosemary (whole sprig) onions, celery 1 lemon (sliced, squeezed out, toss the lemon in the pot) in the bottom of a Le Crueset pot. Next, I washed, buttered, salted/peppered the chicken and placed in the oven at 425 for 15 minutes. At 15 minutes, I squeezed the other lemon on the chicken and tossed those lemons in. Next I added potatoes and some broth, lowered temp to 350. I threw in a splash of wine (maybe 1/4 cup?) and added liquid as needed and covered. Later, i added carrots and any extra liquid. Continue to  butter/baste as necessary. I had about 50% of the chicken submerged in liquid. About 20 minutes before serving i tossed mushrooms on top and recovered. (Just add after carrots softened). When the mushrooms look slightly cooked, I uncovered to brown the top (butter is key for this). Throughout this try to pull potatoes up and push new veggies down into the liquid to help them cook. And, thats about it. In total, I cooked the chicken 2.5 hours and it was literally falling off the bone and perfect!

Five Things You Need This Fall

Five Things You Need this Fall

I've been controlling my disdain for this chilly dreary (read: UGLY) weather by looking at fun cozy items for fall. Here are my top 5 "needs" for fall!

{one} Booties

Dolce Vita Gwynn Wedge

Vince Camuto Harlin Fringe Bootie

{two} Fisherman sweater

LL Bean Cotton Fisherman Sweater

J.Crew Cable Crewneck Sweater with Fringe (on sale!)

{three} Outdoorsy Gear

Women's LL Bean Boots, 8", Bison

LL Bean Upcountry Waxed Vest

 {four} Cozy Loungewear

L.L Bean Moccasins

These are my FAVORITE slippers!

{five} Leggings, Leggings, Leggings.

I live in Leggings. And I believe they are indeed, pants. If you don't, then I entice you to try these.

J.Crew Pixie Pants

These pants fit like a legging, but are the thinkness of a ponte knit type pant. I just bought my first pair, and I can tell that they will be a favorite this winter!


Enjoy your weekend!

Weekending: Catching up on New York Fashion Week Spring 2016

I didn't get a chance to watch my favorite presentations this year...nap, feeding and play time kind of got in the way. However, I was able to catch up on the replays on Fashion Week Online over the weekend! i loved seeing all the presentations.

Here is a glimpse of some amazing shows and looks from my favorite designers. I love to watch the more commercial designer shows because those are the ones from which I might actually purchase something. Watching Prada and Alexander McQueen is breathtaking - but I'm not about to drop that kind of cash. It's much less depressing to watch the shows with "accessible" fashion :) Enjoy!

Diane Von Furstenberg

Rebecca Taylor's Spring 2016 Look book

In true Rebecca Taylor style, she created a collection full of feminine frills, ruffles and floral prints. I can't wait to add some to my Rebecca Taylor collection!

                        

J.Crew 

They sort of beat stripes and gingham to death, but here are a few pieces I loved...

                          

Halston Heritage

Since Sarah Jessica Parker left Halston as creative director, I've wondered how the brand would change. Ever a fan, I've kept an eye on the new director, Maria Mazelis. I'm not overly in love with this line (I t hink it gets repetitive) but there are some real showstoppers and gorgeous pieces. Inspired by Havana, Cuba the flowy gowns and jumpsuits make me want to hop a plane to the Island. Or maybe just back to South Florida.

                           

 Milly

I ADORE Milly. And I love the structure of this collection. It isn't her traditional girly look, but it still so effortless and cool. Can't wait to see what makes it into stores this spring!