7.29.2016

Lilly Pulitzer for RMHC

Happy Friday readers!

I hope you've had a great week! We are still adjusting to life as "puppy parents" so excuse my blogging absence!

Today I am excited to be sharing an upcoming event with my local readers: A Lilly Pulitzer shopping event to benefit the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Richmond. Mark your calendars for Saturday, August 13th from 11 am - 4 pm. 10% of all sales will benefit RMHC of Richmond, AND, for those that aren't local, you can call in to place orders for the event at (804) 396-6139. I'll be there to shop alongside with you, and help you to style the pieces!

To prepare for the event, Allison, RMHC of Richmond's Director of Development, and I did a little "market research" earlier this week. It was so fun checking out Lilly's newest arrivals, before they even launched online...and let me tell you friends, they won't disappoint!

Here's a peek at some of my favorite pieces from the new line, with sizing details!

First up, I have been dying to try on a pair of Palazzo Pants for the longest time, but shied away from them, certain they'd look ridiculous on my petite frame. When I tried them on, I immediately wondered what I'd been waiting for...not to mention, isn't the Multi Garden Exotic print to die for!? They are so flattering! I styled them with a classic white Elsa Top, tucked in, the Coastal Tassel Necklace, the Knotty Clutch, and finally the Kristin Leather Wedge.


For sizing reference, I sized up to a medium in the Palazzo Pants. I had room in the waist, but needed some extra room for my rear. If you're a bit curvy like me, I'd recommend sizing up, but, if you have a straighter figure, trust them to be true to size! In the Elsa, I am wearing a small, and liked the bit of extra fabric to flounce. Elsas are pretty forgiving. I own both an XS and M and love them both! The XS I wear more for work, and the M, I love to wear with skinny jeans and boots for more of a loose, flowy vibe in cooler months!





Next up, was my favorite piece in the entire store: the Celyn Romper! I eyed it immediately on a mannequin and it was love at first sight! Needless to say, I couldn't resist bringing it home with me!


I thought the neon color paired best with flashy gold accessories like the Bask in Wicker Clutch and Kristin Leather Wedge. The Lexy Aviators with pink lenses give the look a very Miami vibe, right? Knowing that my other two Lilly rompers run on the small side, I grabbed the next size up in this romper. I am a pretty true size 6 right now, and am wearing an 8 in the romper.





Shorts with wedges and a fun top are another favorite look of mine in the summer months, so I couldn't resist styling an outfit with the Buttercup Shorts. The Pink Pout Too Much Bubbly print was speaking to me, and I thought they would go perfectly with the Fifer One Shoulder Top that Allison and I both spied when we first got into the store. I decided to switch to the Bridgette Wedge for this look and they turned out to be hands down my favorite shoes in the collection! So sweet and very me, with a pop of gold! Finishing touches for the look were the Lexy Aviators, Flamenco Pineapple Tassel Necklace (love, love, love!), and Tiki Palm iPhone Wristlet.


I loved this outfit and am thinking of getting the top when I am back for the event on the 13th. For sizing, the shorts are true to size. I am wearing a 6. Sizing of the top was a bit more ambiguous. I am wearing a small, but still had some extra room in the top elastic. I may try an XS when I am back. 




In hot weather, I always gravitate toward comfy "throw on" dresses, so I immediately eyed the Ophelia Swing Dress. It would be perfect for a day of errands or shopping, but is nice enough to dress up for a date night or work, as well.


With shopping in mind, I threw on some comfy McKim Sandals. I'd say this dress runs, true to size. I am wearing a small.




And last, but not least, you can't prepare for a Lilly shopping event, without trying on a classic shift dress. I picked the Lynn Shift Dress and absolutely loved it! The Multi Out to Sea print is gorgeous, and I love the lace detailing and flattering neckline. The sweet Bridgette Wedges were the perfect complement to the dress, as was the Bask in Wicker Clutch.


As is typical for me, I sized up in this shift dress. Even when I was a 2/4, I often wore a 6 in Lilly shifts, and am wearing an 8 here. 




Do you have a favorite look?

Have you shopped Lilly lately?

Don't forget to mark your calendars for August 13th at the Short Pump Lilly Pulitzer Store. You can see the Facebook event here.

Have a great weekend!
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7.20.2016

Richmond Musts with Deep South Details

Happy Hump Day, readers!

Today is actually my "Friday" as I am headed to Charleston tomorrow for one of my best friend Anna's bachelorette party! I am feeling really sad about leaving our Millie girl, but know she will be in good hands with Bryce. I let him know that I expect lots of pictures of the baby throughout the weekend.

Today I am excited to share a recent interview I did with the Dana and Kendell of the podcast Deep South Details.

I first met Dana in April while at the Southern C Summit in Charleston. We had a great chat over cocktails at The Striped Pig Distillery. She was so down to earth and had me laughing while we talked. That being said, I was thrilled to hear from her partner in crime, Kendell a few weeks ago, asking me to come on the podcast to talk about Richmond. Since getting to know Kendell, she is just as much fun as Dana, and the two are certainly a dynamic duo.

Their timing was also perfect, as I am planning to launch a new series on the blog called "Richmond Musts" later this summer. So much is happening in my hometown, and I regularly get emails asking for Richmond recommendations. I thought a series devoted to all the fun happenings would be a great fit for the blog. In the interview I covered Must Eat, Must Drink, and Must Do as a sneak peek of what's to come in the series.


Click here to listen to my interview..I guarantee after listening to one episode of the Deep South Details you'll be hooked and wanting to listen to more. I love listening while I'm getting ready in the mornings.

You'll hear me spill all the details on the following favorite spots:
MUST EAT
Shagbark (blog post here!)
MUST DRINK
MUST DO

I always find it funny hearing bloggers actual voices for the first time!

So tell me, what are some of the musts for YOUR hometown?

Have you listened to Deep South Details before?

What else would you like to see on my Richmond Musts list? So far the plan is to cover Must Eat, Must Drink, Must Do, and Must Shop. Anything else I should add?

Have a great day!

7.18.2016

Winner, Winner!

A sleepy Monday over here, readers!

Those of you that follow along on Instagram know that we recently got a puppy!

I'll likely devote a full post to Miss Millie sometime soon, but. needless to say, our first weekend with the little sweet thing wore us out! We got her last Monday night, but dropped her at the trainer's for a little crash course. The trainer brought her to our house Saturday morning, spending 2 hours training us, and since then it's been full speed ahead! She is so sweet and well behaved already, but has a little spunk which I love! 


All things Millie aside, I am excited today to be announcing the winner of my Southern Proper Summer Fun Giveaway. I appreciate your patience and understanding regarding my A Day of Silence post on Friday. The news from Baton Rouge yesterday was certainly heartbreaking again, but for now, in this corner of the web, I'm ready to move ahead and focus on the positive...and winning a giveaway, is certainly positive! 


So congrats to Amanda! 

I hope to see you enjoying your new SoPro gear on your blog, Anchored to Sunshine and on your Instagram!

Thanks to everyone who entered! If you haven't yet, be sure to check out the new Southern Proper Women's Line

What will you be doing for fun the rest of the summer? We still have 7 weeks to enjoy the season until Labor Day!

Have a great day!

7.15.2016

A Day of Silence

Good morning readers!

Today I'd like to put a pause on normal content, as a day of silence, to take some time to acknowledge the tragedy and turmoil that seems to be overtaking our world lately.

I woke up at 3 am this morning, unable to go back to sleep; so of course, pulled out my phone. The news I discovered, of last night's terrorist attack in Nice, sucked me in and tugged at my heartstrings.

For the most part, I like to keep this blog upbeat and positive. There is so much negativity in the world, on top of just the stress that daily life can bring, so aside from the occasional deep or philosophical post, I like to keep this as a light place that can be an escape and hopefully bring a smile to your face.

As I grapple with the back to back violence, here, and across the world (including in the non-Western world that experiences tragedy, but does not get the equal news coverage and support it deserves), I'm left a bit speechless and very sad. I hate that tragedy seems to be around every corner leaving us with a feeling of "What next?"

Today feels awfully somber to me, so I want to take some time to focus on all that I have to be grateful for and hug my loved ones a little tighter. I hope you'll join me, doing the same.

I'll announce the Southern Proper giveaway reader on Monday.

Enjoy your weekend friends, and try to find light in this dark time for our world.


7.12.2016

Triple Chocolate Cake

Happy Tuesday readers!

Did y'all have a good weekend?

Ours was low-key and involved some pool time, which was so nice after the rainy 4th of July weekend prior! It also involved some exciting news that can be seen on my Instagram here...more to come on that next week!

Today I am excited to be sharing a decadent dessert recipe with you: Triple Chocolate Cake. A recipe that was so rich and delicious that we actually made it two weekends in a row, for both of our mom's birthdays!

Where does the "Triple" chocolate come in, you may ask? First in the trifecta is the moist cake itself, second is the rich chocolate mousse filling, and third is the chocolate ganache icing poured on warm! We knew it would make the perfect birthday cake for my chocaholic mom, and being that it was so good, we made it again the next weekend for Bryce's mom as mentioned above!


Before sharing the recipe, I will warn that this recipe is time intensive, but it is served refrigerated and therefore can be prepared ahead. Make sure to carve out about two hours start to finish, before refrigerating the completed cake.

Triple Chocolate Cake
(Recipe credit here)

Ingredients
For the cake layers:
2 c sugar
1-3/4 c all purpose flour
3/4 c cocoa powder
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1-1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 c milk
1/2 c vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 c boiling water
For the chocolate mousse filling:
1/2 c hot water
4 tbsp cocoa powder
1-1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 c heavy cream
2 tbsp sugar
For the chocolate ganache icing:
6 tbsp milk
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 c butter (one stick)
3-3/4 c confectioners sugar

Directions
For the cake:
Heat oven to 350F and grease and flour two 9" round baking pans.

In a large bowl, mix sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla, beating on medium speed for two minutes. Stir in the boiling water.

Pour the (very thin) batter into cake pans.

Bake for about 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let cake cool in pans for 10 minutes, and then remove from pans, allowing to cool completely on wire racks.

While the cakes bake and cool, you can prepare and refrigerate the chocolate mousse filling (recipe below).

Once cakes have cooled, use a sharp serrated knife to cut each 9" cake in half, horizontally so you have four, thin 9" cake pieces. (We skipped this step the first time around due to time constraints, and the cake was still scrumptious!)

Place the first cake layer on your cake serving plate. Place a big dollop of mousse on the center and spread, filling the top. Repeat with remaining layers, adding the mousse filling between each of the four layers.

Spread any remaining mousse on top and outside of the cake. (The first time we had extra for this step, the second time, when we layered the cake into four layers, rather than two, no extra mousse was left over for this step.)

Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.

While the cake refrigerates, you can prepare the chocolate ganache icing (recipe below).

Remove cake from fridge and pour chocolate ganache icing on top. Use a spatula or knife to spread icing evenly, over the top and outside as you pour. Refrigerate until ready to serve. (I find this icing step to be very tricky and have yet to make a "pretty" cake. I want to try this tutorial next time!)

Enjoy!

For the chocolate mousse filling:
Add the cocoa powder to the hot water, stirring until the powder has dissolved.

In a double-boiler, melt the chocolate chips just until smooth.

Add the cocoa powder mixture to the melted chocolate chips, stirring well to combine.

In a separate bowl, beat the heavy cream and sugar until stiff peaks form.

Combine the melted chocolate mixture and whipped cream, folding with a spatula.

Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the chocolate ganache frosting:
In a medium saucepan, add milk, cocoa powder, and butter. Bring to a boil and remove from heat.

Add confectioners sugar and beat with an electric mixer to remove lumps.

Let cool for 1-2 minutes. Pour icing on cake.


You can see that both of our beautiful mamas enjoyed it!


And last, but not least, I can't resist sharing a photo of the tablescape I created on our patio for Bryce's mom's birthday!


What are your go-to dessert recipes for special occasions?

Have you celebrated any family birthdays recently?

Have a great day!

PS: Have you entered my Southern Proper Summer Fun giveaway yet? If not, check out the post here!
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7.08.2016

Southern Proper Summer Fun Giveaway

TGIF, my friends!

I hope this post finds you well. Still in the summer blogging swamp a bit over here, but I am enjoying staying connected through Instagram!

Today's post is an exciting one, though, that certainly pulled me out of my slump a bit: A collaboration AND giveaway with Southern Proper!

I've been a longtime Southern Proper fan for Bryce, but more recently have been loving their new women's line. It is full of classic, preppy pieces with the utmost attention to detail. You may remember I first mentioned the line in this Five on Friday post back in March.

Well, after that post, I had the pleasure of meeting some of the Southern Proper ladies, and seeing the line in person, while at the Southern C Summit in Charleston.

Let me tell you, the pieces were just as fabulous in person as they had looked on my computer screen! That being said, you can imagine I was thrilled when Ashley of Southern Proper reached out wanting to collaborate. Ashley was sweet enough to send some goodies for both me AND you!

When it came to me, I knew I had to have the Chambray Dessie Skirt...I have been eyeing it for months, y'all! Wanting to provide you with a full Southern Proper look, I decided to also feature the White Ansley Blouse and the oh so fun Striped Caroline Flats. I also accessorized with the SoPro Sunglasses that are a part of the giveaway!


I paired my Southern Proper look with a red lip, and coral necklace to provide a little pop!


My Clare V clutch is always a favorite and you know I love some pattern mixing! I thought it went great with the chambray and stripes!


Please tell me some of you fellow bloggers feel as awkward as me when taking fashion photos? I tip my hat off to the real fashion bloggers out there. It isn't easy! This is just one of many outtakes! Bryce is a great sport!



These SoPro sunglasses are so fun! They are made in Italy by Red's Outfitters and have fabulous gold detailing, while also being eco-friendly. They also came with a great protective pouch!


You can shop  my entire look here:



To talk fit and detailing, I'll share that the clothing fits pretty true to size. The top is made of a durable eyelet, that's breezy for the summer heat! I am wearing a medium, as I typically size up a bit in button downs to avoid the dreaded gaping that can happen in the bust area. The skirt is a great lightweight chambray and I am crazy about the buttons and scallops! I am wearing a 6. The flats run slightly large. I am a true size 8, but wear a 7.5 in these.

And now friends, the moment you've been waiting for...THE GIVEAWAY! I titled this giveaway the Southern Proper Summer Fun Giveaway and timed it after the 4th for a reason. I think I've mentioned here before that I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with the July 4th holiday. The hate piece comes in because I always feel like after the 4th, summer flies by! Can any of y'all relate? That being said, a full 8 weeks still stand between us and Labor Day, so there is still plenty of time for summer fun! Not to mention the fact that, those of us who live in the South can still enjoy summer weather through September, and sometimes even into October! The fun is just beginning!


For this giveaway, I worked with Southern Proper to come up with all the essentials you'd need for some summer fun. I had hoped to photograph the pieces while at the river this past weekend, but the weather had other plans. The giveaway, valued at $180.50 includes the SoPro Sunglasses, Party Time Beach Towel, Embroidered Coozie, and a Seersucker Hat. To enter the giveaway, use the Rafflecopter widget below. The winner will be announced a week from today on July 15th. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A HUGE thanks to Southern Proper for providing all of the pieces featured in this post!

What summer fun do you still have in store these next 8 weeks?

Have a great weekend!
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