Happy Birthday Taylor!

Happiest of birthdays to the one my soul loves! Taylor you are my very best friend and favorite person in the universe and I could not be more grateful that YOU were born 26 years ago. Here are 26 things I absolutely adore about you:

Over the Weekend

This past weekend was one for the books. The weather was perfect, we ate good food, we drank good drinks, and we spent time with some of our favorite people. Oh, and we celebrated T's birthday.

gifted

Even though my birthday was last week, I have still felt showered with love by friends and their thoughtful gifts! Candice got me these retro earrings (while on her honeymoon!) and I am digging the mint color.

Kristen gave me a soft infinity scarf that I haven't taken off since Tuesday and Jenna gave me a precious mug that will be my color palette inspiration for the kitchen re-do (more on that later).

I still haven't planned an official birthday outing with friends, but I'm thinking of hosting a harvest dinner at the end of the month. Is it kosher to plan your own birthday party? :)

xoxo

twenty four

Yesterday was my 24th birthday and I'm not sure how I feel about it. Don't get me wrong, I love my birthday and I love that it takes place in October, but turning 24 just feels weird! Like who-am-I-what-am-I-doing-with-my-life weird. Instead of rambling on about my almost mid-life crisis, I will decide to be optimistic that this 24th year of life might be the most exciting yet :)

// I love a good squirrel card via Red Cap Cards //

Mad Men Party: Part Two

After dinner, we went back to Lauren & Dan's house for drinks, music, and a little dancing... I had my first Manhattan and loved it! [Side note: the pin curls didn't come out quite like I thought, so I went with a high bun instead.]

It wouldn't be a Mad Men party without martini shakers and bottles of Heineken.

And now for the wonderful (and hilarious) group shots:

Don't we all look straight out of a television show? Lauren planned such a great party and her friends can't get over what a great idea it was! I hope this has all inspired you to throw your own Mad Men themed party soon too!

// All photos by Alison Hood of SilverLocket Photography //

Mad Men Party: Part One

I am excited to finally share some pictures from Lauren's Mad Men-inspired 21st Birthday Party! Lauren did a fabulous job decorating her house with vintage type writers and suitcases while her sister-in-law, Alison, captured some incredible photographs.

We all met up in downtown Watkinsville at Chops and Hops for dinner and good conversation. I think people were pretty impressed with our get-ups, although one woman asked if our theme was "The Help"...?!

I thoroughly enjoyed dinner with my hunk of a husband. I joked with Taylor that he looked ready for the White House in this picture. Lauren was also really happy with how the place cards came out!

It was fun to see everyone enjoy themselves, but especially the birthday girl! Check back soon for pictures from the after party.

xoxo

// Photos 1, 3, 6 & 8 by Alison Hood of SilverLocket Photography. All other photos courtesy of Dan Davis. //

Mad Men: Attire

To finish up my Mad Men inspired posts for the week, I've saved the best for last - the wardrobe. Nothing on the show (besides the drama) has captured my attention more than the classy dresses and dapper suits. The costumes have even inspired the world's most famous fashion designers- not to mention a collection at Banana Republic!

It shouldn't take long to learn how to dress like a Mad woman, but if you're looking for any ideas, here is what I'm wearing:

Both pairs of earrings are from Agora and I'm still trying to decide which pair I want to wear to the party. Which one do you like more- the flowers or the art deco?

I adore these little orange pumps from Urban Outfitters and I think they add the perfect pop of color!

My dress is also from Agora! I bought it a few years ago for $20 but it was in rough shape (sequins falling off, uneven hemline, you get the picture...). Eventually I took it to an incredible seamstress in Atlanta called TK Designs. The alterations came with a hefty price tag ($80) but once the dress was on I knew it was worth it. I have only worn it one other time so I am trilled at the chance to don it again. Taylor already has dress pants and a white button down so all he needs is a skinny tie!

You can find my whole Mad Men inspiration round up right here! I'm looking forward to sharing the details of the party next week :)

Mad Men: Hair

Lauren's birthday party is only 2 days away and I'm still working on my Mad Men look. One of my favorite parts of watching the show is seeing all their fabulous hair styles. And not just the ladies- the men of Sterling Cooper have serious sophistication.

The Art of Manliness featured a Man Men Guide to a Manly Haircut filled with tips to tell your barber and how to style. The signature look? Tight on the sides, a sharp part on the left side of the head, and a healthy looking shine. No matter if you identify more with Don than Pete or Roger it's all in the confidence of pulling off the part (not the role- literally the part in your hair)! My biggest task will be convincing Taylor to clean shave...

How do Betty, Peggy and Joan perfect those waves and curls? The key is the pin curl and some volume. And to think you can have soft coif waves without the heat of an iron or rollers is such a relief. For Lauren's party I'm hoping to pull off Joan's up-do since my dress has some-what of an open back.


There are tons of pin curl tutorials available on YouTube but I found these two to be most helpful - here and here.

Photo sources: Top three photos from here // Bottom three photos from here.

Mad Men: Make Up

Since yesterday was Lauren's official birthday, a few of us went out last night to celebrate with her new ID :) Even though I've been fasting for the past 2 1/2 weeks, it was great to go out and laugh with good friends.

For today's Mad Men post I'm excited to talk about make up! My hope is to channel Joan Halloway and her simple, but seductive beauty come Saturday.

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I found Beauty Blitz's Insider Tricks to be extremely helpful. For eyeshadow they recommend caramel and velvety taupe; for cheeks a peachy cream blush; and for lips a racy orange-red lipstick. My only addition would be liquid eyeliner, perhaps with a subtle cateye.

Here is the make up I am working with:

From the top: 1. MAC blush in Early Morning  // 2. Mary Kay sensational effects eyeshadow // 3. MAC eyeshadow in Patina // 4. MAC fluidline in Dipdown // 5. Laura Mercier hydratint in Crimson.

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If you're more of a Betty Draper kind of gal, you can play up the look with light blue eyeshadow, creamy pink blush and a light peachy lipstick. Either way, I'm sure all the girls at the party will look flawless.

If you want a more throughout tutorial on 1960's makeup, check out this video by Pixiwoo. Stay tuned for tomorrow when I share inspiration for Mad Men hairstyles!

P.S. Be sure to check my other Mad Men inspiration - place cards and cocktails!

Mad Men: Drinks

As I shared yesterday, this week is filled with inspiration for Lauren's 21st Birthday Party on Saturday. Today I thought I would feature classic drinks of the time period (most of which haven't gone out of style). After dinner at Chops & Hops, we're headed to Lauren & Dan's place for drinks. AMC's website has a complete Mad Men cocktail guide and I can't decide which ones I want to try most!


Old Fashioned
Ingredients:
- 2 dashes aromatic bitters
- ½ tsp sugar dissolved with water and bitters
- 1½ oz of bourbon
- 1 cherry
- 1 orange slice
- 1 lemon wedge
// Fill glass with ice; add cherry, orange slice, and lemon wedge; pour in bourbon; serve in a rocks glass over ice //



[source]


Classic Martini
Ingredients:
- 2½ oz gin
- 1½ oz dry vermouth
- 3 green olives
// Rinse martini glass in dry vermouth and pour out; shake gin with ice until chilled; pour into martini glass; add olives //



[source]


Bloody Mary
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 oz. Vodka
- 2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp horseradish
- Tomato or Clamato juice
- 4 dashes Tabasco sauce
- Celery salt
- Fresh ground pepper
- Salt
// Put all ingredients in a mixing glass; shake briskly; pour into pint glass over ice; add a celery branch to garnish //

[source]

Manhattan
Ingredients:
- 1¾ oz bourbon
- ¾ oz of sweet vermouth
- 1 dash of aromatic bitters
- 1 Maraschino cherry
// Pour bitters, liquors over ice in mixing glass; stir and strain into martini glass; garnish with a Maraschino cherry //

[source]

Brandy Alexander
Ingredients:
- ¾ oz cream
- ¾ oz brandy
- ¾ oz dark crème de cacao
- Nutmeg
// Pour the liquors and cream into a mixing glass; shake and pour in martini glass; garnish with a sprinkle of nutmeg on top //

[source]

Stay tuned for an update on the place cards! They came out even better than I thought they would...

Update: And here's the final product...

// Top image from AMC //