We Are Family...Weekend Wrap Up

Once again the weekend has come and gone way too fast :( Some of the best weekends seem to fly by in the blink of an eye, so it's a good thing I was like the paparazzi this weekend to capture all the memories made with my family for my grandma's 80 birthday & grandparents 61st wedding anniversary! We were so lucky to have my uncle Kevin & aunt Terry here from Connecticut along with my aunt Stacey & cousin Jessica from Arizona to celebrate with us. It made the party extra special having everyone together (which doesn't happen very often). We laughed, we cried (happy tears), and we had a great time!

All the family together 

Let the party begin!

Amazing cookies from Cake & Candy Connection 

Fully stocked bar 

Yummy food table

Buffalo Chicken Dip was a success :) 

Guests of honor

My wonderful family :)

Now it's time for WIWW *What I Wore Weekend*

Dress- Lulus
Gold Earrings-Francesca's

New Hair- Ombre Overlay

There you have it, my weekend wrapped up in pictures! Time to enjoy the rest of my Sunday night cuddled on the couch with my man & puppy :)

XOXO, Sara

TGIF... 5 on Friday!

Happy Friday!!! The work week is over, so let the fun begin :) It is time for my "Five on Friday"!

*ONE* MONOGRAM NECKLACE
I have been wanting to order one for a while now & found a shop of Etsy that sales them for a reasonable price. Plus, it comes in silver, gold, & my favorite- ROSE GOLD! Must purchase soon! sNp

*TWO* BUFFALO CHICKEN DIP
One of my favorite appetizers at any get together or party would have to be buffalo chicken dip yummm! I will be making this tomorrow for my grandma's 80th bday/grandparents 61st anniversary shindig & found the easiest recipe for it...

Ingredients

• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese
• 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
• 1/2 Frank's Buffalo Sauce
• 3 cups shredded cooked chicken breast ( I use rotisserie chicken from store to save on time)

Directions

• In large bowl,beat the cream cheese, sour cream, and buffalo sauce until smooth; stir in chicken
• Transfer to 8 in square baking dish. Cover & bake at 350 degrees for 18-22 minutes.

Recipe from tasteofhome.com

*THREE* WINE ANYONE?!

Is this not the greatest BEST idea ever?! I mean could it get any better than a wine sippy cup, I think not. What a fun gift from one wineo to another, a bridal party gift, or bachelorette party! I definitely see one of these in my future ;)  

*FOUR* HAIR TUTORIAL 

Now that my hair is getting longer, I need to spice it up with some style. I went on Pinterest the other day and found a hair dresser who does great hair tutorials for people like me who need to see how it is done in order to attempt the style. The look I wanted to go for was a voluminous blow out look with the round brush, so here it is... LolaMarie7 

*FIVE* OMBRE LOVE

On my last 5 on Friday post, I mentioned that I wanted to change it up a bit with my hair & try the trendy ombre look. I have decided to go for it- tomorrow is the day & I am looking forward to see how it all turns out :) I am going to do the dark to light keeping it mostly blonde. This picture is what I hope to look like after my appointment tomorrow!

Future Me??!

Well, that's all she wrote. Wishing you all a fantastic weekend :) 

XOXO, Sara 

Happy Hump Day!

It's the middle of the week everyone and you know what that means...

Sorry I was MIA this past weekend for my wrap up & WWIW but hey, better late then never right?!

This weekend Jeff and I attended our 4th wedding of the season and it was such a beautiful ceremony & reception. One of my favorite things about the whole night was during the reception there was a special video they called a "same day edit" that give all the highlights of their big day including- guys golfing, girls getting ready, the couples first look, vows, entrance to reception, & wedding party dance! How sweet it that??! That is something they will be able to treasure forever :) Congratulations Rachel & Tyler Petersen! 

The Beautiful Couple! 

Hubby & I 

Duck Face!

WWIW
 Mint Dress- Lulu's
Necklace- Von Maur
Blush Colored Heels- Jessica Simpson

Hope you all have a great rest of the week & enjoy your weekend! I am getting very excited because my family from Connecticut & Arizona will be arriving tomorrow for a fun filled weekend celebrating my grandma's 80th birthday & grandparents 61st wedding anniversary! Many pictures to come :) 

XOXO, Sara 

Weekend Wrap Up & WIWW

Hope you all had a great weekend but the dreaded Monday is here once again.. blah! Jeff and I had a fun filled weekend with our 3rd wedding of the summer & my dad's 62nd birthday.

What I Wore Weekends...

The dress I wore to the wedding was from another one of my favorite stores called Apricot Lane. This store is similar to Francesca's with unique styles and trendy looks, so of course it is right up my ally. There is a location about 30 minutes away in Bloomington, IL and every time I'm in the area I have to stop by and "just look"- ha who am I kidding, I always end up purchasing something :) I also just received news that they are opening another store in Champagin, IL, and I can't wait to check it out!

Hubby & I at the wedding reception
Dress- Apricot Lane
Necklace- Francesca's

Yours truly singing "Stop in the Name of Love" for
our table in order to get our food from the buffet

On Sunday, I got to enjoy lots of sun & pool fun with my parents for my dad's birthday! He may be 62 years old but he has the heart of a teenager. My dad is seriously one of the funniest people I know, he is always making everyone laugh even when he doesn't realize he was being funny. He is the one who got me addicted to sugar with our "candy runs" we use to make when I was younger if we were out of "goodies" he would say. My dad has always given me great advice & I love him more and more each day. I am so proud to tell people I am his daughter and hope for many more birthday celebrations together :)

Love You Dad!!

These weekends just keep going by faster & faster now that the summer is half over :( Time please slow down! Enjoy the rest of the week everyone!

XOXO, Sara 

Five on Friday

Hello Blog World! This week sure flew by fast (thank God), now it's time for the weekend & my 5 on Friday...

*ONE* CRAZY COUGH
So I have had this constant cough that just won't go away & it's driving me crazy bonkers INSANE!! It all started a little over 2 weeks ago with a sore throat and stuffy nose, then I lost my voice for a few days (which was not fun because I am a chatter box but you know that didn't stop me), & now the annoying cough of death that sounds like I've been a heavy smoker for years (non-smoker here)! I feel bad for my hubby because it gets worse at night when I lay down in bed. Good thing he sleeps like a rock and only told me "I could stop that cough anytime now" about: 4 times before he finally passed out. Overall, I am looking forward to being cough-free anytime now :)

*TW0* BDUBS 
AKA Buffalo Wild Wings! Our home away from home! It is a blessing and curse at the same time living so close to the restaurant. Last Christmas, Jeff and I got over $200 worth of gift cards to bdubs and I think they were used within 2 weeks time (sad but true haha). On Monday, we met our friends Chase & Lindsay there to hear all about their honeymoon in Jamaica. Let's just say we had a little too much fun and paid for it the next day, especially Jeff. All I can say is you can never go wrong with tall drafts & wings!

Jeff & I with The Newlyweds (don't mind our scary eyes) 

Married Life Bling!

*THREE* SURPRISE!
On Wednesday, Jeff and I attended my bestie Mallory & her fiance Cody's surprise going away party. I talked previously about her leaving in my weekend wrap up post & this party made it real- she is moving and it's not going to be easy when I am use to having her be a 15 minute drive away :( Her mom Lori put together a wonderful night for those close to the couple to say good bye and enjoy some good food. Even though I will get to see them next weekend for wedding; after that I don't know when we will see each other again (cue waterworks now). 18 years of friendship, we have been through it all, so a little distance will be nothing!

We Will Miss You, Mallory & Cody!

Adorable Cake

*FOUR* MOVIES
I don't know about you but I love animated movies! It doesn't matter how old you are, they are just so cute & fun (plus they add plenty of adult humor for our entertainment). I saw Despicable Me 2 & Monster University, both were great! So whether you have kids or not I would recommend both movies for your viewing pleasure.

*FIVE* OMBRE HAIR, DON'T CARE
I have been trying to pin new looks for myself in preparations for my hair appointment in a few weeks. I am always changing my hair, I just get bored after awhile with the same cut/color & I'm ready for something fun! I am kind of loving the ombre look and now that I have been growing out my hair, this could be the look I go for, let me know what you think :) dark to light or reverse it with the light to dark?!

And that's a wrap folks!! Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend & check back in for my "What I Wore Weekend" post :)

XOXO, Sara

Weekend Wrap Up

Here is a quick wrap up of the weekend's festivities via pictures. I also wanted to start a new weekend post called "What I Wore Weekends". I got this fun idea from another blog I follow 3 Ladies and Their Gent, with her WIWWednesdays outfit posts. What a great way to share my love for fashion & Pinterest inspired ensembles :) 

*Saturday* Wedding reception number two! Congratulations to Matt & Jeana Griffiths!

As for the outfit- I have loved the bubble necklace trend that's been going on for a while now, so I finally purchased my first one at Von Maur the other day. I'm all about the maxi dress this summer! I feel like I am wearing pajamas they are so comfortable. I got this black chiffon maxi dress from one of my favorite stores, Francesca's, it is simple enough to dress it up or down and will go great with many different colors of jewelry and shoes!

*Sunday Funday* Can't believe this was my first time at my best friend Mallory's pool this summer. With all the busy weekends and rain, I'm so glad we got the chance to catch up and enjoy some sun. I am also trying to spend as much time as possible with her because she is moving to Texas next Saturday to live with her fiance, who plays football for the Houston Texans, go Cody White!! I am very excited for her to start this new chapter in her life with Cody but I am going to miss her soo much :( Mallory has been my bestie since 3rd grade and she is like the sister I never had! I found this quote that is perfect, "Though miles may lie between us, we are never far apart, for friendship doesn't count the miles, its measured by the heart!" On the plus side, Texas will be a great place to visit :) 

Enjoying the sun and wedding planning with my bestie Mallory

Sangria Sunday with Mama Leggs :) 

That's my weekend wrapped up for you :) 

XOXO, Sara 

Five on Friday...

So excited to post my first 5 on Friday! It's a fun linking party some of my blog friends came up with where you can share 5 things your loving or obsessed with that week :) I think it's a great way to wrap up your Monday to Friday, so here it goes...

*ONE* Fourth of July! obviously =)

Not only is the 4th one of my favorite holidays; this 4th of July marked 6 years with my sweet husband Jeff since we officially started dating back in 2007 :) We had a family cookout over at Jeff's grandma's house with TONS of great food as well as fun games in the yard such as badminton & bags. It was so nice to be with his side of the family along with his aunt, uncle, & cousin visiting from Wisconsin for the holiday weekend! What food did I bring to the cookout to share you might ask? Well none other than my favorite cook out food ever... PASTA SALAD! and to make it taste even more delicious, I use the Olive Garden Salad Dressing to give it that extra touch. Later that  night, we were able to watch fireworks on Lake Decatur, which I have never been boated on by the way because I have never known anyone with a boat to take out until now with Jeff's grandma Barbara (hostess with the mostess I might add). Jeff & I had such a wonderful 4th of July! Can't wait for next years, until then.. Merica!

On the boat & ready for fireworks!

*TWO* Blogging!!!

It's been a little over 2 weeks since I created my blog & I might be just a little TOTALLY obsessed!!! My husband even wants to get on here and have a little segment to share the man's point of view on different topics (that should be interesting haha, love you babe). So I guess the first step to confronting an addiction is admitting it.. Hello! My name is Sara Neisslie and I am a BLOGaholic. 

*THREE* Pretty Wicked Moms 

 Okay, so I can't believe I am admitting this but the show, Pretty Wicked Moms, might be my new guilty pleasure. It's like a knock off version of Bravo's Real Housewives but with smaller children, bigger earrings, and meaner streaks, and of course, crazy moms! I actually watched 3 episodes in a row yesterday on demand because I can't get enough of it even though I'm probably losing brain cells as I watch it. You be the judge and check it out on Lifetime network at 10/9 PM Central Tuesday nights. 

*FOUR* Spray Tans

I use to be one of those girls who had to fake bake 3 or more times a week! Yikes, what was I thinking?! I can proudly say that I have been tanning bed free for over a year now and I couldn't be happier with my new way of achieving that gorgeous glow, SPRAY TANS! I finally gave them a shot and I love them. I get amazing color that looks real, it doesn't come off all gross, and lasts as long as a week or more. I get mine done at Solar Tan in the mystic booth. Don't be a fool and sunless tan! 

*FIVE* Michael Buble
I love listening to my Michael station on Pandora when I am getting ready for my day! It just puts me in the best mood to hear his oh so lovely voice :) and yes, I might imagine he is singing to me but that's another story haha. New bucket list item: go to a Michael Buble concert! 

There you have it! My 5 on Friday :) Have a fabulous weekend everyone! 

XOXO, Sara

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun...

What a FABULOUS weekend! I haven't seen some of my college girlfriends in months (which is rare for our group because we always seem to have a girls trip planned). I'm so  lucky blessed to have met these amazing girls my freshmen year of college. We were all in the same sorority, Sigma Kappa, and have continued the friendships years after our good ole' college days. Our wonderful hostess for the weekend, LaDonna, planned for us to do an Art Studio Painting Party in downtown Champaign, Illinois! Some of us girls were more excited for this activity than others- that would be ME :) but we were all looking forward to trying something new. I would highly recommend it; we had such a great time drinking wine, chatting with each other, and following the instructor as we created a beautiful masterpiece! 

Love You Girls! Me, Heather, Shannon, LaDonna, & Kelsey 

Artists in action :) 

Finished Product, Future Bob Ross?!

Can't wait for our next girls weekend, hopefully in August! 

Cheers to another memorable weekend with my BFFs :) 

XOXO, Sara