Giveaway | Southern Living Weddings

You know it’s paradise found when my two favorite things, southern culture and weddings, collide into one beautiful, perfectly edited package. Dreamers and brides-to-be unite and run, don’t walk, to pick up Southern Living Wedding's latest issue. Goodness gracious, is it chock full of moss-draped, heavily accented southern hospitality. The pictures alone are enough to secure a copy, but between the DIYs, signature cocktail recipes, shopping guides, and ideas galore, it’s truly a steal. I think my favorite part, though, has to be the gorgeous, real, southern weddings. There's something for everyone, whether you're traditional, modern, or something in between. It’s one thing to dream, but it takes it to whole new level when the dreaming’s in your own back yard. Now, pour yourself a mason jar of sweet tea, curl up with a copy of Southern Living Weddings and dream a little.

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The most wonderful DIY ever. 

Signature cocktail, anyone?

How unique is this?!

To make your dreaming a little easier, Southern Living is giving b e l l e s & b o w s readers a chance to skip the shopping trip and have your own copy. Leave me a little something in the comment box, and I will draw for two winners at random. Comments will be considered until 12:00am on Friday morning, and I will announce the winner later in the day. If you can’t wait to see if you've won, I’ll understand; issues are on newsstands now. 

charmed, I'm sure.

Issue of Southern Living -$3.99

Monogrammed Stationery- $20

Realizing you've known everything in "How to Write a Charming Thank You Note" since you were old enough to hold a pen -Priceless

Thanks, Mom. :)

Going back through old issues of SL. September 2010 was one of my favorites, featuring a section on everything a southerner should know..of course, you probably know it already..

While we're on the subject of thank you notes, what greater thanks do we owe than to the One who saved us from our sins. Thank you, Jesus. All to Him we owe, especially on this Good Friday.

don't be a sucker, don on.

Perfection.  Photo courtesy of Bippity Boppity Boo.

Growing up in the heart of the Deep South, it’s almost a given that gentleman of all ages will put away the cords and heavy tweed on Easter Sunday and dust off their seersucker finest.  Like clockwork, Easter Sunday marks the beginning of the donning of this puckered fabric, almost as a canvas for gentleman to pair with their new pastel accessories—

—from pastel, patterned bowties to baby blue and pink button downs, you can’t go wrong when your base is this cool, stylish fabric.  

While you're sipping mint juleps at Churchill Downs in the spring, throw on a Southern Proper beau with your seersucker stripes.

With my adoration of seersucker on full display (note the profile pic—yep, there are a myriad of options for women, too), I was ecstatic when my July issue of Southern Living arrived at the end of June with a great little feature on my favorite fabric.  Detailing the happenings of Seersucker Thursday, a Capitol Hill tradition in D.C. during June, this article was just what the seersucker lover ordered (you can read more details about Seersucker Thursday on Vogue on the Range, one of my favorite stops every day).

Even in the sweltering summer heat,
this fabric kept me cool and collected at my brother's wedding rehearsal this past June.

Seersucker was created in 1909, entitled the “Wash and Wear Suit,” and this puckered fabric is the perfect complement to those lazy, hazy days of summer.

All good things must come to an end, though, and that end comes every Labor Day when it’s time to put away the seersucker.  
Well, thanks to my handy dandy Southern Living, I now have an excuse to keep on keepin’ on—

“Like white shoes, seersucker has a season:  Easter to Labor Day.  However, because Southern weather doesn’t always heed the calendar, one editor’s dad amended the rule to ‘Easter to the Alabama vs. Tennessee game’ (traditionally the third weekend in October).”

Game day is fast approaching--
what better way to support the Samford bulldogs
than with seersucker slacks and a Southern Proper beau.

Thanks, SL.  I’ll don my seersucker proudly at our first home game and think of you.  

One thing is for sure—whether you're at a spring horse race, a summer wedding, or an early fall tailgate, seersucker is your one safe bet.  

Bowtie photos courtesy of Southern Proper.  

when life gives you lemons...

Lemons never looked so good. Photo courtesy of Tumblr.

...take them and turn them into a delicious summer cake.

Lemon Pound Cake with Mint Berries and Cream

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

•                1/4  cup  sugar

•                1/4  cup  loosely packed mint leaves

•                3/4  cup  butter, softened

•                3  cups  powdered sugar, divided

•                3  large eggs

•                1 1/2  cups  all-purpose flour

•                2 1/2  cups  whipping cream, divided

•                2  teaspoons  grated lemon rind

•                2  tablespoons  fresh lemon juice

•                1  (12-ounce) jar lemon curd

•                1  quart fresh strawberries, sliced

•                Garnish: fresh mint sprigs

Preparation

Process sugar and mint leaves in a food processor until blended.

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes or until creamy; gradually add 1 1/2 tablespoons mint mixture and 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, beating 5 to 7 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow disappears. Add flour alternately with 1/2 cup whipping cream, beginning and ending with flour. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in lemon rind and lemon juice. Pour batter into an 8 1/2- x 4 1/2-inch greased and floured loafpan.

Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pan, and cool on wire rack.

Beat remaining 2 cups whipping cream, 1/4 cup powdered sugar, and 1 tablespoon mint mixture at medium speed with electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Fold in lemon curd.

Stir together remaining mint mixture, remaining 1/4 cup powdered sugar, and strawberries.

Serve pound cake with lemon cream and strawberries. Garnish, if desired.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Southern Living.

And for more delicious, lemony recipes, check out the August issue of Southern Living.