Happy Holidays

This is my absolute favorite time of the year. With out a doubt! Therefore, I decided to throw a party and invite all my friends over to help celebrate! I had the best time finding fun recipes on Pinterest and getting my house all decorated. I decided that we would have some Christmas cocktails, decorate a gingerbread house & watch Elf! Let me just tell you....it was SO much fun! Here are a few pictures of the party!

My North Pole Cupcakes

These were SO easy to do. All I did was buy a kit at Target and buy recipe mix and there you have it!

The Cheese & Grape Tree

These were just as easy! All I did was buy a block of cheese and use a cookie cutter to make the star. I then just layered cheese and grapes and added some strips of green paper in between. The trunk was a cinnamon stick. All my guests talked about how cute it was and that it was yummy! I served with ritz crackers. 

Candy cane Marshmallows for Hot Chocolate 

These were so fun to make! The first thing I did was hammer some candy canes. I then added the small candy canes into the marshmallows. I melted some chocolate and rolled the marshmallows into the little pieces of candy canes. They were so yummy in some hot chocolate.

Christmas Cocktails 

I cannot speak highly enough about these yummy cocktails. The best part is....they only took about 5 minutes to make! The straws came from Target. 

Ingredients

• 8 tablespoons pomegranate juice 
• 1 pint raspberry sorbet
• 4 tablespoons pomegranate seeds
• chilled champagne

Instructions

1. Freeze your glasses until frosty.

2. Add 2 tablespoons of pomegranate juice to the bottom of each glass.

3. Add a few small scoops of the raspberry sorbet and 1 tablespoon of pomegranate seeds to each glass.

4. Top with chilled champagne. (I continued to top off the glass with more champagne as I drank, because there is more than enough sorbet to flavor several glasses full if you wish.)

My cute little babies!

 Friends <3

My favorites <3

Friends <3

Have any of y'all had any Christmas parties with some yummy recipes? I would love to hear about them or send me some photos at confessionsofasouthernblonde@yahoo.com

The Best Time of the Year

What is the first thing you do once Thanksgiving has ended? For me, I am not a Black Friday shopper. It is just too much for me. Instead, I like to clean my house and decorate for Christmas!! It is seriously my favorite time of the year!! As some of you may know, I am a senior in college this year. This meaning, I was able to go buy my very own Christmas tree to decorate. How does it look?

I absolutely love the burlap craze going on these days. All I did was buy a roll of burlap ribbon and wrap it around my tree. I was able to buy two rolls and use them all to make my tree and the bow. Send me pictures of your tree! I would love to see! I will be posting some of my favorites!! 

DIY Monogram

Looking for a good background for your computer? Well read this! I am absolutely obsessed with my monogram background. You can choose your colors too! There are a few ways to get yours. I think the best way to do this is to start here:

1. For Chic Sake

2. Then pick a color from the ones pictured below

3. All you do is follow the directions & bam! You're all done! 

Hope you enjoy this as much as I do!

Back to School, Back to School

If you are anything like me, you absolutely love back to school shopping. From new clothes to actual school supplies, it's an absolute blast. One thing that is on my list to get each school year is a Lily Pulitzer Agenda. Every girl needs one! This year I chose this patterned agenda:

This particular agenda is the 2104 jumbo agenda. I know that $34 is a little pricey, but there is free standard shipping & will arrive super quick! It even comes with a few stickers for the kid in you. So start this school year off with a little organization in a fashionable way. 

What's something that's on your back to school list each year?

Looking for your summer drink?

Well look no further! I have found the best summer drink & have decided to share it with you all. This drink is perfect for parties or just to cool you down. And they are called...drum roll please....Wine Slush! Here is a picture of all the ingredients that we used.

What you will need:

1. One can of Five Alive (frozen)

2. One can of Limeade (frozen)

3. One bottle of White Zinfandel

4. Gingerale

All that you have to do is mix the Five Alive, Limeade and White Zinfandel in a gallon pitcher and mix. Then you add the Gingerale, but leave approximately 2 inches at the top because this mixture of goodness will expand. After that you let it freeze and get out about 30 minutes before you want to drink. Then slush it up! Here is what they will turn out like. 

Have any of you tried these before? What did you think? Enjoy!

Goooo dawgs! Sic 'em!

There is nothing that us southerns look forward to most other than football season! With this fabulous occasion just around the corner, y'all need your tailgating essentials. Corn hole boards being very high up on that list! I know I posted about my corn hole boards before, but I had to post a picture of these amazing Georgia boards! My boyfriend and I are making & selling these bad boys for $260! That includes everything you see above (2 boards, 8 bags, & your monogram or school logo!). Email us at ConfessionsofaSouthernBlonde@yahoo.com to place your order today!

Meet Bailey!

Meet my precious little bundle of joy, Bailey! This coming August, I will be moving back to the classic city, Athens, & will be living all by myself. Therefore, I adopted me a little kitten. I think she is the perfect thing to keep me company.

As some of you may or may not know, Petsmart does adoptions from local shelters every Saturday! That is where I met my little Bailey. I knew the moment I saw her that I had to have her. If you are thinking of getting a new puppy or kitten then please check your local shelters! I had no idea how many cuties there were! I also had no idea that the shelter in my county is a kill shelter. Can you say heartbreaking? The adoption fees are really reasonable and most of the time will include all of their first shots & to be spayed or neutered. Petsmart also gave me a little booklet filled with coupons & I got everything a kitten could ever need for $17!

Bailey and I hope you have a fantastic Sunday and consider getting a furry friend from your local shelter very soon!

Social Media Frenzy

Confessions of a Southern Blonde is now on....

Check out all of these sites and check us out! We are so excited about finally being up and running and would love for you to be apart of it!

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Pinterest

Monogram & Pink

A few weeks ago, I was perusing the website "Etsy" which, if you aren't familiar with, is a site where small businesses can make and sell specific items. I stumbled upon a store called Sew Wonderfully Jamie. This is where I fell in love with the monogram & chevron stickers for your iPhone chargers. I mean, what a neat idea! Everyone has an iPhone now so chargers are always getting confused. Well, problem solved! And for only $6.00 which includes the shipping fees. Jamie has lots of colors to choose from too! Make sure to check out the rest of her store and tell her Sydney sent you.

Belle Bottoms

Pictured here is myself and my sorority big sister, Cassie! I knew we were destined to be best friends as soon as she cried to me on the Kappa Delta blacktop, begging for me to pledge Kappa Delta. Three years later & we are closer than ever!

The reason I am posting about Cass today is because she just started her own business. It is called "Belle Bottoms" and they are all one of kind high-waisted Levi's. I am wearing one of her creations in the picture above.

This is one of my favorite trends of the season. Who doesn't love something that gives you legs for days? High waisted bottoms in general are amazing to pair with a flowy top or a crop top, which is also in style this season!  I know I will be ordering a pair like the pair picture above VERY soon! Head to www.Facebook.com/shopbellebottoms and like her page!

Red, White & Blue

Looking to add a little fun to your fourth of July celebration? Well then you have come to the right place. Check out what I made for our bash tomorrow.... Fourth of July Jello Shooters!

What you'll need:

• 3 Cups of Vodka- I used Skinny Girl, but you can use whatever you prefer.
• 3 Cups of Boiling Water
• 14 oz. Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 4 Envelopes of Knox
• 3 oz. Berry Blue Flavored 
• 3 oz. Strawberry or Cherry Flavored 

Make Blue Jello
Pour 1 cup of vodka into a bowl or container. Sprinkle 1 envelope of unflavored gelatin over the vodka. Let it stand for about one minute. Add berry blue flavored Jell-O and pour 1 cup of boiling water. Stir until the gelatin completely dissolves. Pour the blue jello into your clear shot glass container and place it in the refrigerator. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes or until the gelatin is firm enough to add the next layer.

Make White Jello

Pour 1 cup of vodka into a bowl or container. Sprinkle 2 envelopes of unflavored gelatin over the vodka. Let it stand for about two minutes. Add 1 cup of boiling water and stir until the gelatin completely dissolves. Pour the sweetened condensed milk and stir well. Pour the white jello on top of the blue jello. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes or until the gelatin is firm enough to add the red layer.

Make Red Jello

Pour 1 cup of vodka into a bowl or container. Sprinkle 1 envelope of unflavored gelatin over the vodka. Let it stand for about one minute. Add strawberry flavored Jell-O and pour 1 cup of boiling water. Stir until the gelatin completely dissolves.Pour the red jello on top of the white jello. Refrigerate for about half hour or until the gelatin is firm.

I was so pleased with how they turned out!! This will be a fun, cool treat for our Fourth of July bash! I think next year I will try using berry flavored vodka like a strawberry vodka, blueberry vodka or raspberry vodka for the white jello recipe. Have any of you made these before? Let me know if you try them and how they turn out!

Chevron & Monogram

I mean can a corn hole board be any cuter? Head to Sherrod Sisters' website and get you one of these! They are custom made so you can use whatever colors you want with whatever color monogram you want. How much more girly and southern can you be? (They can do sporty chevron ones too if your significant other, like mine, wasn't into the pink theme). 

My Summer Reads

I haven't always been much of a reader. However, this summer I have so much free time that I decided to do some research on some good books! I came across this one, The First Husband...

...and boy is it good! I can't put it down! Although I have not finished it, I highly recommend it! It's about a woman who had her heart broken, but found someone and married him all within a 3 month span. It says that her old lover comes back and puts her in a little predicament. We will see how it turns out!

I also ordered this book off of Amazon, Girls in White Dress ....

Has anyone read it yet? How about The First Husband? 

The Hangover Part 3

My boyfriend and I hit up $6 movie night yesterday and chose to see The Hangover Part III. I feel like this is the same story different movie because sequels are never as good. However, Alan made me chuckle, as usual, Bradley Cooper was beautiful to look at, Stu was Stu and Doug was, like in the past 2 movies, the man in distress. Obviously not as good as the first movie, but it was still worth seeing!

Anyone else seen The Hangover Part III yet?

Victoria's Secret- The Semi Annual Sale

25%-40% OffBras! Up to 50% off Swim Wear! Up to 50% off clothing clearance!! And 20% off any single clothing item (ends tomorrow). Use the code 20FASHION. HOLY SALE!! I had a birthday a few months ago and I have been saving a gift card that I got just for this occasion. I have had my eye on this bathing suit and I think with this sale and my gift card...it's mine!

Those little ruffles have me written all over it! What are you going to get from the Victoria's Secret Semi Annual Sale?

The Manly DIY

Trying to come up with a creative idea for  your dad for Father's day or a boyfriend/husband for a birthday? Well try this!
                                        

I made this for my boyfriend for his 21st birthday and he absolutely loved it and it was super easy! I just picked up a few things and two cases of his favorite beer. I went to Michael's and bought a pack of 8", 10" and 12" cardboard cake circles. You can make your own, but I didn't have anything laying around I could use and I was already there getting ribbon. I had to get 2 cases of Stella and you will also need some tape. You can add your own topper, but i just made the 21 out of paper and colored it and then taped it to two straws. 

So recap of what you will need:

3 Cardboard Circles- 8", 10", and 12" 

Around 30 beers

Ribbon

Tape

Your own topping

How to make the Beer Cake:

1. Starting with the bottom layer, I just lined up my cans in a ring around the outer edge. I added a few cans in the middle for structural support. I didn’t need to transport my cake so I opted to NOT use tape to stick my cans to the cardboard circles.
2. Add the second cardboard circle and ring of beers. This time I didn’t use a center can though. Wasn’t necessary, but you can if you'd like!
3. Add the third and final cardboard circle with the last beer on top.
4. Add a ribbon around each layer. You can use double sided tape or just tape the ends on the back of the cake.
5. Add your cake topper! Some ideas that I have seen are lottery tickets, ribbon, "Super Dad" on scrapbook paper, and so many more. 

How easy is this? I know it's been done before, but I had so much fun making it and my boyfriend loved it so much that I thought I would share with all of you! Have any of y'all made one? Comment with your tips, tricks and ideas!

essie is love

I have a slight obsession with nail polish. As sad as this is, I cannot paint my own nails so it tends to become an expensive obsession. I discovered Essie last year and have fallen in love. I now own 4 different colors and love each and every one of them. The spring and sumer colors are endless!!

This one is my favorite summer color! It's called Tart Deco and is described by essie as "sassy, stylish and darling, just so south beach. chic and modern, this dreamy coral nail lacquer is an artistic burst of color that creates a manicure masterpiece". I could not agree more. Embarrassing as this is....I got a pedicure with this color and it lasted for a whole month. 

 

Mint Apple Candy- One I just got and cannot wait to try!

Full Steam Ahead- Another one that I cannot wait to try. I think this will be next choice for my upcoming and long overdue mani/pedi.

I will continue to share the colors I try out (because there are 266...I counted). Feel free to share your favorite summer time colors. I would love some great suggestions. Check out all the essie colors at www.essie.com. I promise it will not disappoint you.

Update-

I tried the purple! I think it speaks for itself...obsessed.

Bachelorette Fanatic

I am a lifelong Bachelor and Bachelorette fanatic! I am completely obsessed with Emily Maynard and wish I could steal her whole closet. However, I have not been looking forward to this season because Des was not my favorite last season. As the Bachelorette, Emily Maynard was rumored to have a quarter million dollar wardrobe budget, with all the gorgeous Herve Leger bandage dresses and Christian Louboutin stilettos that money can buy. I was constantly researching what she was wearing and where I could find it. Luckily, Emily has made finding out where she got her clothes and what makeup she wears a little easier....SHE HAS A BLOG. I know, it is an unhealthy obsession. 

Check out her blog at www.EmilyMaynard.com

The new Bachelorette Des Hartsock seems to be taking an entirely different approach. Des has been buying clothes from places like Old Navy, Target, Guess, and Express. Some cute, some not so cute items. However, on last night's episode, I spotted a dress that I thought was beautiful and really flattering. This dress is from Guess, but can be found at Macy's for only $138. I have a feeling that this will not be in stock for long. 

I cannot wait to see the rest of the fancy vacations, the fun clothes, and to see which guy Des will choose! Stay tuned, friends.

The Bauble Belles

Blog post number 2!! Wohoo, I am on a roll! 

I know I told everyone a little bit about myself yesterday, but today I want to tell you a little about what I do for a living. Besides being a full time student at the Harvard of the South (The University of Georgia), I make my very own handcrafted jewelry. I hate to say Sherrod Sisters started by accident, but it kind of did. I made a few bracelets for myself, which led to making a few bracelets for my friends and then my sisters friends and now 12 sassy and fabulous boutiques! We also have our very own website at SherrodSisters.com. I make all the jewelry and my sister, Lindsey, helps me keep up with our social media sites and our website. She is currently in the middle of working with a company to get us a brand new logo! We are very excited about that! We really want to keep our business between the two of us because it is something special that keeps us connected. Like I said earlier, I am a senior at The University of Georgia and she is an upcoming freshman at Mercer University. Even though we both have a million things going on and are in two different places, it is nice to know we have something to keep us connected. 

Here is Lindsey and I before her senior homecoming court!

Some of the jewelry we make! 

Long necklace - 18' necklace - Cross Studs - Bracelet Set

That is also, my mother and me :)

Visit our website at www.SherrodSisters.com

and check out our Facebook page for giveaways and upcoming jewelry at

www.Facebook.com/SherrodSisters

Lastly, you can find out jewelry in these chic stores:
The Red Dress Boutique- Athens, Georgia
Merle Norman- Oxford, Alabama

Lizard Thicket- Newnan, Georgia
Lizard Thicket- Carrollton, Georgia

Lizard Thicket- Peachtree City, Georgia

Lizard Thicket- Chandler, Arizonia

Lizard Thicket- Columbus, Georgia

Blue Moon Boutique- Newnan, Georgia

Vinyl Chatter- Newnan, Georgia
ShoeBeDo- New Orleans, Louisiana

The Mint Julep Boutique- Foley, Alabama

Fab'rik- Athens, Georgia

Camille & Company- Hilton Head, South Carolina

Camille & Company- Gainesville,Georgia

I'm Officially a Blogger, Y'all!

  As I’m sitting here writing my very first post on my very own blog, I am overwhelmed with excitement and eagerness! I am a twenty something, southern born and southern raised gal. I absolutely adore fashion and have a life long dream to own my own boutique. Until that wonderful and joyous day arrives,  I’m going to be writing about anything and everything that pops into my brain a long the way. I hope you find this blog entertaining, inspiring, and somewhat educational. Thanks for following along! I hope you enjoy this adventure as much as I do.