Three's Company

Early Saturday evening, Tre and I were able to catch up and enjoy the company of one of his former chiefs (whom over the years has become more like family) at a relaxed home dinner. Afterwards, we went to watch the movie, “The Help” which was one of the best movies I have seen in a very long time! It was an especially enjoyable evening during which I became aware of the complimentary hospitable personalities Tre and I have. While generally similar, our styles are distinctive-- he’s especially great at steering conversation and provides precision in balancing conversation between politics and humor, and I love playing the role of dinner hostess and creating atmosphere! We had been looking forward to spending time with our dear friend for a while so it was great that we were able to see her!

When hosting a dinner with a specific guest in mind, it’s always courteous to keep in mind the food preferences of your guest. In this case, Tre had reminded me that Ms. Shelia was from the Carolinas and enjoyed your typical southern/homestyle foods, which helped me determine what dishes to prepare. I am happy to say that before, during, and after the meal I received compliments on all the dishes. With the exception of the Stovetop stuffing, everything was prepared from scratch down to the chicken gravy! Below is a list (and pictures) of the 3 course meal!

Appetizers:

Thin Crisp Triscuits with Creamy Spinach & Red Pepper Dip

Sliced Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Seedless grapes

Main Course:

Stuffed Pepper Onion Whole Chicken wrapped in bacon

Sweet Potato Casserole topped with marshmallows

Whole Cut Southern Style Green Beans

Stuffing

Fresh Green Mix tossed Salad

Cornbread

Dessert:

Fudge Brownies topped with Tin Roof Ice-cream, Chocolate Syrup, drizzled with caramel and sprinkled with whole peanut M&Ms

Beverages:

Peach Orchard Juice

Wine

Sweet Tea with fresh sliced lemon 

New Style Series Coming!

As anyone around me knows, I love finding and sharing a great bargain. When it comes to beauty and fashion related purchases I especially love using products and styling outfits whenever I’ve found a jaw dropping ‘design deal’ that looks like I paid more, when really I paid less….waaaaaay less! My fellow beauty bargain fashionistas will know that when shopping on a budget it’s the thrill of the hunt through discount stores, and the clearance racks of designer department stores that makes the job of stealing high priced style truly an adventure!

Below you’ll find pictures of several clothing/accessory items I picked up during several shopping trips at the mall during the month of July. Virtually all of the items were either sale, clearance, or just reasonably priced. Because I am a huge advocate of beauty on a budget, I wanted to not only show you pictures of items I picked up during shopping hauls, but go one step further in showing how easily and effortless it is to style these items to achieve trendy, chic looks. Over the next several weeks as I incorporate these items into my existing wardrobe, I’ll show how I styled the item(s) using the blogpost title, “How I styled it” to give you an idea of how these items can be styled according to occasion, season, body type, and personal style preference. So, if you’re curious about how to recreate fashion trends, need some style inspiration, or slightly curious about how to find and style ‘looks for less’ items stay tuned!

(purchased at H&M, $7.00)

(purchased at Wet Seal, $4.99 buy one get one free)

(purchased at Forever21, $ 4.99)

(purchased at Charolette Rouse $0.99)

(purchased at H&M $10.00)

(purchased at Forever 21, $5.99)

(purchased at Forever21, $1.50)