Wednesday Whereabouts: Derby Party!

This is our second year attending the 1919 Mint Jubilee, a fundraiser through a local hospital. At the event last year, it poured rain...but this year the weather was beautiful! We always have a great time with a large group of our friends (some from church and some from various other places). There are lots of hats, bowties, drinks and yummy food.

This year I had the privledge of wearing a beautiful fascinator by the lovely Angela Kang from Atlanta. After last year, I knew that I wanted a fascinator and not a hat...hats get in the way of hugs and conversations...and fascinators are totally on trend now thanks to the royals.

Angela and I began our collaboration by me sending her pictures of my dress. She sent me several options of what could match, but I ultimately left the decision up to her. I was so excited when my fascinator arrived in the mail and it could not be a more perfect match (for me and my dress!).

So, let me tell you a little bit about this great hat designer...in her own words:

"As Atlanta's 'Queen of Hats' my vision is to blend Southern charm and style with Asian practicality and detail in all my accessory designs. My creations - reflected in the hairband-based fascinator line - aim for casual and playful sophistication that is easy to wear."

"I believe that unique and on-trend fashions are easy to achieve with the right accessories. Something fun, something different - a great accessory can make an outfit and make you feel special - like a blooming flower. I want every woman to have that feeling! I hope my hats and accessories do just that."

"Before opening my business, I studied interior and fashion design in Korea and Australia, and have designed women's wear lines for the international fashion market. Fashion has taken me all over Asia and to Europe too, researching trends and overseeing production. Now I want to share some of that international fashion spark with my new friends in the USA."

I love the uniqueness of Angela's fascinators...I also love that she incorporates them into everyday where. Heck, if I could get away with a fascinator everyday, I probably would. I'm totally in love with mine and itching to wear it again!

The fascinator she made me is of beautiful quality and was so comfortable (it's on a headband so there's no pins to drive you nuts). The detail was fantastic and she has lots of other amazing creations.

If you'd like to visit her Etsy page, I encourage you to do so...I'm sure you'll find something just as lovely :)

Thanks Angela...I'm already trying to decide what I'm going to wear next year!

**Photo credit: Blane Marable

Xo,

Tasty Tuesday: Buffalo Chicken Dip

If you're like me, you're always looking for a dip to bring to party or a tailgate. I know it isn't tailgate season yet, but I feel like there are 1,000 parties in the summer that you need to bring something to. This buffalo chicken dip is both tasty and hearty (i.e. I can really fill up on this stuff!). I serve it with crackers and celery, but you could also add fritos or tortilla chips.

Ingredients

2 (10 ounce) cans chunk chicken, drained (I use the all white meat chicken, I'm sure you could also boil your own chicken too)

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup Ranch dressing
3/4 cup pepper sauce (such as Frank's Red Hot®)
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions
Heat chicken and hot sauce in a skillet over medium heat, until heated through. Stir in cream cheese and ranch dressing. Cook, stirring until well blended and warm. Mix in half of the shredded cheese, and transfer the mixture to a slow cooker. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, cover, and cook on Low setting until hot and bubbly. 

**I do not make this in the slow cooker. I actually put this in a dish and bake it at 350 for about 30-45 minutes (when you've let it sit out at room temperature). 

**You can make this ahead of time and refrigerate and then bake it the next day!

I swear this will all get gobbled up!

Xo,

Monday Memories

What a great/busy/beautiful weekend with sweet and wonderful friends! Hope yours was as good as mine!

I did an experiment one day this week with my old foundation (a not so cheap, department store brand). Needless to say I was dying to put my custom Elijana Cosmetics foundation on. Lesson learned.

My sister-in-law sent us birthday gifts a little late this week, but hey I don't mind at all when it involves Kate Spade!

I had my first real Coke in a long time and dang it was good! 

E got some awesome soap from Tasha Hussey and he was thrilled to bathe with it (blog post coming soon). I love when my family gets to test products too!

We went to a UGA baseball tailgate and game with wonderful friends! E loved his JV Clothiers outfit...especially the belt! 

Saturday we want to E's "girlfriend's" birthday and they dressed up as princes and princesses...E couldn't help but go in for a kiss! 

E loved decorating his crown!

We had so much fun at the Derby party Saturday (sans child for almost 24 hrs). Post will me up about it and my amazing hat by Angela Kang!

Have a great week and soak up this beautiful springtime!

Xo,

And the Winner Is...

And the winner of the beautiful Sara Ward Designs pearl wrap bracelet is...

Andrea Nugent!

Congrats!!

Thanks to everyone who entered...there will be plenty more contests in the future!

**If you are a business that would like to have a review/contest posted on this blog, please e-mail me at georgiapeachmommyblog@gmail.com

Xo,

Friday Faves: Brazen Design Group

Bullet jewelry is super trendy right now...especially in the south where bullets seem to be everywhere :) Brazen Design Group has done lots of fun pieces some made with bullets and some without...but all of her pieces have a great story behind them:

"It all began with a girls shopping weekend….I would pick up odd ball items like keys, buttons or dominos and say 'This would look cool in a necklace' or the classic 'I could make this' while rolling my eyes. That was three years ago. In those three years, one sentiment has remained constant: upcycling and recycling. It was important to me to create unique and fashionable jewelry that had a greater purpose. Whenever possible, I reuse existing material; right down to the clasps and the jump rings! I am not a formally trained designer. But that did not stop me from taking that fateful leap! Designing and creating jewelry quickly became a creative outlet for me and sourcing the raw material gave me a purpose. Thrift shops and consignment stores have become my favorite haunts. I am constantly looking for ideas and material for my creations."

So why bullet casings you ask? I love her explanation of this one:

"Today, my focus is on spent bullet casings. I am intrigued with the rough & tumble perception of

bullets versus the sparkle & shine of our inner fashionista. The concept for my current work and this installation stems from that dichotomy that exists within each of us: the light and the dark; the ying and the yang. This Functional Art display explores and celebrates the diversity within each one of us while challenging you to think about old things in a new way!"

Here are just a few ways I've worn my amazing necklace that Nanci designed for me :)

I like how my necklace has a bullet casing emphasizing my strength but also has delicate beads which show femininity. She included shells to add a summery and beachy touch. The necklace is light-weight and goes well with anything (it's girly enough to wear with Lilly but also edgy enough to wear with a leather jacket). The colors are bright and cheerful and this really is a great go-to necklace.

Other fun pieces Nanci has designed? I'd love to add these two to my jewelry collection for summer! (here and here)

You can shop the Brazen Design Group on Etsy and read more about the amazing pieces here!

Xo,

Last Day to Enter for Sara Ward Designs Wrap Bracelet!

Today is the last day to enter for the beautiful Sara Ward Designs pearl wrap bracelet! Enter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thoughtfulness Thursdays: "Mommy, Somebody Needs You"

If you haven't read this post by now, you should: http://yourbestnestindy.com/2014/02/27/mommy-somebody-needs-you/.

Once again I found a post that sums up so much of what I think about. Maybe one day I'll have a post that goes as viral as this one :). I actually pulled a ton of quotes out of here because I couldn't have phrased it better if I tried. I started a post a while back (which hasn't been published yet) about if I make a difference. This article helped remind me that I completely make a difference. 

On days that I'm home, I'm not a public relations person or a graphic designer...I'm mom and I'm 100% needed all day long. Sometimes by 8:00 a.m. I think to myself "how am I ever going to get through my day?" By 8:00 a.m., I have fed the cat, the dog and E. I've also changed the TV show a thousand times, changed a diaper (or tried to put E on the potty), pulled snacks out and responded to E's constant "Mommy, sit sofa with me." 

Sometimes I feel like my head may explode because of how many requests I get. I'm a pretty patient person, but sometimes I just have to take a deep breath. 

"Some days never seem to end, and the monotony of being “needed” can really take its toll. Then, it all started to hit me, they need ME. Not anybody else. Not a single other person in the whole world. They need their Mommy."

What a blessing it is that E needs ME. An exhausting blessing, but a blessing nonetheless. When I come home from a run or a meeting and E screams "Mommy! You're home!" and comes running towards me at full force...that makes it worth it.

"The sooner I can accept that being Mommy means that I never go off the clock, the sooner I can find peace in this crazy stage of life. That ‘Mommy’ is my duty, privilege and honor. I am ready to be there when somebody needs me, all day and all night."  

Being a mom is constant. When I leave my office at 4:00 on Tuesdays and Thursday (and Wednesday at noon), I leave my work there. I leave (for the most part) files and e-mails to work on the next day. When I'm at home, I can't leave any of that. Even when I'm at dinner with girlfriends or a run, I'm not really leaving it. My brain can stop thinking about work easy...my brain never stops thinking about E. On nights that I'm at a late meeting and can't be there to tuck him in, I think about him. On the nights he has slept at my parents' house (not many), I wake up in the middle of the night thinking about him.

There's no denying being a mom is tough and I just have one kid. I know that every child brings their own challenges and every additional child makes it a little harder.

This quote is so true to me, "Mommy means I am surviving on coffee and toddler leftovers. Mommy means my husband and I haven’t had a real conversation in weeks. Mommy means I put others’ needs before my own, without a thought. Mommy means that my body is full of aches and my heart is full of love." I live off of coffee...if you follow me on Instagram, you see that I'm drinking coffee all day long (really only 4 cups a day, but still...). It takes coffee and Motrin to get me through most days. But dangit my heart is so full of love for that boy that sometimes I think it may explode.

"Can I enjoy being needed? Sometimes, sure, but often it is tiring. Exhausting. But, it isn’t meant to be enjoyed every moment. It is a duty. God made me their Mom."

God made me mom to E...sometimes I think it's crazy that he trusted me to raise that sweet boy up. I always pray that I can do it and that his life will be blessed because of me. But that's a huge responsibility and exhausting just thinking about it.

One thing I will say, is that I still do take time for myself...not as much as I used to, but I find it important to spend a little time on myself. "Once upon a time, I had time. For myself. Now, my toe nails need some love. My bra fits a little differently. My curling iron might not even work anymore, I don’t know. I can’t take a shower without an audience. I’ve started using eye cream. I don’t get carded any more. My proof of motherhood. Proof that somebody needs me. That right now, somebody always needs me."

Finally, I will end with this quote...one that made tears well up in my eyes. "One day that little boy will be a big man. There will no longer be any sweet words whispered to me in the wee hours...I will sleep peacefully through the night, never a worry of a sick child or a crying baby. It will be but a memory. These years of being needed are exhausting, yet fleeting. I have to stop dreaming of “one day” when things will be easier. Because, the truth is, it may get easier, but it will never be better than today. Today, when I am covered in toddler snot and spit up. Today, when I savor those chubby little arms around my neck. Today is perfect. ”One day” I will get pedicures and showers alone. ”One day” I will get myself back. But, today I give myself away, and I am tired, and dirty and loved SO much, and I gotta go. Somebody needs me."

I've thought about E growing up one day and it makes me want to cherish every second I have with him now. E will soon be taller than me and bigger than me. One day he may not want to kiss me or hug me (this will break my heart). Gah, I love when he comes in our bedroom in the morning and snuggles up next to me while I drink coffee. He lays his head on my chest and I can hear his breathing and feel the warmth of that little body. Then he looks at me with those little eyes and that sweet smile and says "Mommy pretty. Mommy, I love you." and I melt. That boy knows that way to my heart. He is my heart.

So remember that even when times get tough and you've been needed a million times in one day...this day is perfect because that sweet child needs you.

Xo,