19 Seaside Chic & Letters

Shirt // Shorts // Bag // Shoes // Sunglasses // Necklace // Bracelet 

One of my favorite styles is seaside chic. It's my favorite summertime vacation and who doesn't love dressing up for your beach trip? I often dream about Nantucket, and how I cannot wait to finally go there one day. I have many dreams of taking a bicycle down to the beach and gaze at the sea lions.
My favorite look is definitely a lose fitting thin shirt and jean shorts. It's incredibly comfortable and chic. Sandals are also a must. I see these magazines with people walking around in heels on the beach/pool and I am just not that girl at all.
To top off a beach day, don't forget a cute beach towel, some fresh pink lemonade, and a straw umbrella to protect your skin!

Linking up with Long Distance Loving & Two Thirty-Five Designs

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Friday's Letter's 

Dear House: I love you. You are perfect. I love that I have so much space. I love the backyard for Rayne. I love the coziness. I am so glad I found you! 

Dear Mom & Dad: I could not have made this move without you. Your help this weekend was amazing, and we would be lost trying to set things up if it wasn't for y'all! 

Dear Husband: I am so excited to start this new adventure with you in our new house! I can't wait to build an outdoor fireplace, set up more decor, and build things with you this weekend! Thank you for being Mr. Muscle man in our move. 

Dear Rayne: We love you, but you should be a little more thankful for your new house. You are whiney, not listening, and just crazy. You forced your Mom and Dad to buy you a choke collar last night, and we hate to do it, but after you pulled Mama off the doorsteps, making her fall, you deserve it. You are almost One, calm down! 

Dear Readers: Thank y;all so much for giving my guest posters some loving this week while I was gone! I know they were super excited to post, hence, they're awesome posts. I mean seriously, they did it all on their own, and I really enjoyed reading them! I've missed you guys, and am glad to be back!

Linking up with Ashley! 

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! I am so happy to be officially back in the blogging saddle! I missed you guys!

*Don't forget to enter the giveaway from Nicholl VIncent, that ends this weekend!

5 Heating Up A Summer Romance!

Good morning lovelies! Thank y'all so much for giving my guest posters so much lovin' this week! I appreciate their help so much. A little update from me; I have no internet or cable (Big Sad Face). ATT Uverse messed up and now...oh right, the customer suffers. Anyway, plan is that they are coming out today so I'll be in full swing by tonight (hopefully)! The house is looking great, I am really excited about all this place has to offer.


Have you entered the Giveaway from Nicholl Vincent, yet? You could win a gorgeous LOVE necklace! 

Now.. Over to Elisabeth ! She put together a really neat post and I just adore all the fun things incorporated into this post, and I think you will too! Thank you Elisabeth for guest posting today =D 

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I’m Elisabeth from La Vita e Bella. I blog about love and life, which to me are pretty much one and the same. I'm so excited to be taking over Britt's blog today. I've had a slight crush on the Magnolia Pair for awhile now so this is kind of a big deal :) Today I wanted to share some tips to heat up a summer romance: 

Everyone loves a summer romance right? Or, if you already have a man, here are some ways to strengthen that relationship. I know I have great plans for me and Ben after doing a little bit of this research!

Love and attraction may be something that we romanticize over in movies, literature, and daydreams, but science is actually starting to explain a lot of it. The chemistry behind relationships focuses around hormones. They key to successful relationships, is the release of bonding hormones. So, looking for a summer romance? Here are some activities that release oxytocin and vasopressin, chemicals that cause bonding between a couple. 

Do something new:

-find a new recipe and cook together

-visit a new museum/local spot

-learn a new sport (tennis, golf, frisbee, volleyball), take up knitting, or enroll in a ballroom class together

-go camping (even if its only in a backyard)

-build a fort

Do something scary/exhilarating:

-go skydiving

-go on a roller coaster or to a water park

-raft down some rapids

-test drive a sports car 

-watch a scary movie

-go on night hike (maybe I'm a wimp that I think these are spooky)

-take up rock climbing!

(yes, this is a shameless plug for our favorite thing to do together - but given that its probably something new and definitely something exhilarating when you're 20 feet up that wall, I think its a fabulous idea! Plus, it really focuses on trust and support - be sure to let me know if you try it!)

These are pictures from our last few months of dating and first few months of marriage :) 

“We were given: Two hands to hold. To legs to walk. Two eyes to see. Two ears to listen. But why only one heart? Because the other was given to someone else. For us to find.”

Do you have other ideas for strengthening relationships? I'd love to hear them!

Have a romantic and fun summer all! 

Love,

Elisabeth 

P.S. For more of our fun dates and relationship ideas, come check out La Vita e Bella

9 Kitchen Essentials from Sarah!

Well good day lovelies! Today is our first day "real" day in our house, HOUSE! So weird to say! I don't have internet until late today, so I won't be in full swing for a couple of days. I cannot wait till we are settled and things are all set up. And then, I cannot wait to get y'all pictures! That will be the most exciting thing for me to do! Although, that may be a couple of weeks since we'll be getting our walls painted, and y'all want the full effect right? By the way, light gray or light beige? Get back to me on your thoughts for a color on a dining room/living area color with a white couch and light blue pillows :D 

Okay, so since life is super hectic, and I cannot fathom coming up with a good blog post, the sweet Sarah is taking over my blog today! Isn't she just adorable? I've mentioned several times for you to head over to her blog, and I hope you did, because she is just the sweetest and I love her blog AND her basset hound, Floyd! She prepared a totally awesome post for y'all today, and I'm so excited to share it with y'all ! Thanks again Sarah !!  

***

Hello Magnolia Pair readers!

 I am Sarah from Total Basset Case 

  and I am so happy to be here today filling in while 

Britt is moving into her new HOUSE! 

Such an exciting time!!

I thought it was only appropriate with Britt moving into a new kitchen

 to share with you a few of my favorite kitchen essentials.

I like to cook. 

A. LOT.

(the hubs is 100% okay with this)

so I know the importance of having a good

arsenal of kitchen gadgets.

Here are the 10 of my favorites:

1. KitchenAid Mixer: This one is a given. This was the first thing I registered for for our wedding and the very first item I unpacked in our new house.  I use my mixer for everything from baking to cooking (shredding chicken) to making pizza dough.

2. Mixing Bowls: I have a slight nesting bowl 'obsession'...to put it lightly.  

I love these from Martha Stewart because they are sturdy and are a good range of sizes.

3. Pizza Cutter: We eat a lot of 'za in our house, whether it is homemade or from a box (guilty), a good pizza cutter is vital and makes all the difference in the world.

4. Potato Masher: The Mister loves mashed potatoes so this is a necessary gadget in our kitchen.

5. Zester: I did not know what I was missing when I didn't have a zester in my life.  Not only is zesting fun (watch your fingers!), zest adds an amazing flavor to your dishes.

6. Pyrex Measuring Cups: My grandmother had these, my mom has these and I have them and love them.  They are so great for measuring and so much more!

7. Dish Towels: I love having colorful dish towels in the kitchen- they just make cooking more fun!

8. Silpat Mat: This mat is great for pizzas, cookies, and more.  It creates a great non stick surface and easy clean up!

9. Large Glass Canisters: I have 2 of these in my kitchen that hold my flour and sugar. I love the way the look on the counter but they also provide easy access while baking. 

10. Garlic Press: We go through A LOT of garlic in our house so a press is an absolute necessary item.  I prefer to use fresh, pressed garlic over the jar kind any day.  This gadget makes it so easy to add garlic quickly to any dish.



There you have it, some of my must haves for the kitchen!

What are some of your favorite gadgets?



Thanks again to Britt for having me over today

and best of LUCK with your move!!

7 Guest Post: Nicholl Vincent & A Giveaway!

Well, I am so thankful to have a couple of guest posters for me this week while I am packing up our apartment and moving to a house! As exciting as it is, I am so overwhelmed and busy. So, today I have the gorgeous Nicholl Vincent entertaining you guys while I'm gone!
The girl put together the most adorable post, and I just love all of her outfits, and know you will too! Stay tuned to the end of this post, because she is also doing a GIVEAWAY. And it's awesome. Y'all are in for a treat!

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Hi beautiful people! I am Nicholl over at Nicholl Vincent, and I am so honored to be a guest for Britt at The Magnolia Pair. She is one of my daily reads because she is funny, intelligent, sweet and very welcoming.

In a nutshell, I was born in Colombia, South America and moved to Memphis, TN at an early age after my dad passed. My mom remarried who I now call dad, and after getting through the awkward stages of middle and high school where I didn't know what an eye brow wax was, I began college at The University of Memphis. My freshman year, I met the love my life, Kyle.

After telling him he was not the guy for me several times, he persevered and proved me wrong. That summer I went to Los Angeles for an internship, where Kyle wrote me a letter every day I was there, and on one of the days, after opening my letter for that day, he showed up by surprise and proposed.

Fast forward two years and we are married living in Miami. We are learning to embrace the change all around us, because more than anything, it has been amazing, and we have seen the Lord's hand in it all.

So after a longer introduction than I anticipated, here is the good stuff:

Amongst the many loves I have, one is fashion. I love playing dress up everyday.

With that said, with the help of the hubs [modeling and photography ;)]I put together five looks for the ladies and gents that will hopefully inspire you to play dress up in yours and his closet!

Date Night

Shirt: Express/ Jeans: Urban Outfitters/ Shoes: Toms/ Watch: Fossil

 Dress: ASOS / Shoes: Charlotte Russe- Nude Jane heels / Watch: Michael Kors/ Bracelets: Cartier/ Bag: Louis Vuitton

A Day at the Mall

 Shirt & shorts: Ralph Lauren/ Shoes: Sperry's

Pants: Zara/ Shirt: Cotton On/ Bag: Fossil/ Hat: Forever 21

 Poolside

 Shorts & sandals: Charlotte Russe/ Tank: Forever 21   Swim wear: Hurley/Tank top: Pac Sun

Girl's Night Out

Blouse: Agaci (local)/ Pants: Pac Sun/ Shoes: Aldo/ Purse: ASOS/ Belt: Aldo Accessories/ Necklace: Forever 21/ Sunnies: House of Harlow

 Guy's Night Out

Black V-Neck: Express/ Jeans: Urban Outfitters/ Shoes: Nike airforce one's via Journey's.

 At the Office

Skirt: Zara/ shirt: TJ Maxx/ Shoes: Target              Shirt, & pants: Express/ Skinny tie: Urban Outfitters

And there it is! Five looks that can take you anywhere from fun in the sun to a meeting with the boss. For more fashion doses, life stories and everything in between, visit me here!! This has been such a fun opportunity! Thank you Britt for hosting me, and a huge thank you to her lovely followers for reading! 

Blog //Twitter // Instagram:@nichollvincent

xoxo

-Nicholl 

*****

And now for Nicholl's awesome GIVEAWAY ! Nicholl is giving away this gorgeous LOVE necklace that is often seen on Kourtney Kardashian! Isn't it so pretty? Don't you want it? Cause I do. You people are so lucky to have this chance, because I've been wanting ALL of the giveaways people do on my blog. Well here's your chance to win! 

All you have to do is: 

Follow Nicholl Vincent via GFC 

Follow The Magnolia Pair via GFC 

*There are many extras listed for you to increase your chances of winning! Good luck! 

The giveaway will end on at 12:01 est July 1st !

a Rafflecopter giveaway

0 Sponsor in July?

Thinking of sponsoring in July? 

Visit the Advertise page to get all the updated information! 

+ Only a few Large spots left & the feature Ad is already sold out! 

 Email me at britt{at}themagnoliapair{dot}com to reserve your spot today! 

The giveaway ends soon, so be sure to enter !! 

25 COLOR Blocking

{Outfit Links}

I think most can relate to how much they appreciate the color blocking trend right now. It's a very fun and bold look, that will definitely get some head turns. I love this look mostly because it's so fun to add a pop of color to any outfit, but to have your whole outfit "pop" really makes one stand out. I don't always like to stand out, but there are times when I'd like my outfit to be recognized. 

Many of these dresses, shoes, and clutches are from my favorite store, Zara! I purposely narrowed it down that way, because you know I love affordable chic styles! 

Hope you enjoy this style post & have a beautiful weekend lovelies! 

Linking up with Long Distance Loving 

22 House Dreams

So, today I am going to show you all of my favorite Pinterest finds for our new home, that we get to move into in less than a week! I can promise you that I will definitely take pictures and try to decorate everything quickly so I can show y'all! Everyone has been so sweet with their kind comments in being excited for our move! Thank you so much! And, thank y'all for hanging in there with me while I get through this hectic week. I promise I'll be a better blogger once we're settled in!

Moving and packing is no fun, but once we get settled and all our stuff is moved, decorating is SO fun, and I cannot wait for that! My mom will be here with her sewing machine, so she's bound to make some neat things for us!

Wanna see more of my Pinterest finds? Go Here to check out the rest!

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I love the bamboo shades! We have all white furniture as well, so I just love the look they have compiled here.  

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I love this shelving. We have a similar look in our apartment, so we've already got the materials to make this cute display happen! 

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Gorgeous China Hutch! I just love everything about this hutch. I've been on the hunt to find one similar on craigslist and to give it a makeover so it will look similar! 

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Love the ladder idea for hanging towels! I'd also love to hand other things on there too! 

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A gallery wall. I am dying to get this started! I've got to collect some more frames though! 

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We have a built in book case in our new house, and I can't wait to change some things up to give it a similar look. I just love the bird cages. 

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I just adore the curtains above the shades! How gorgeous is this look? This is exactly the look I'll be going for. 

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Love the side tables and the decor on top. So pretty.

Linking up with Michelle!

And here are a few things that I am loving: 

I am loving how supportive and uplifting my husband is with a certain situation going on in our lives. Our life is not rainbows and butterflies, and the news we are hoping for may not come. He has been so positive and made me feel so much better about it all last night, and I am so grateful to have him. Knowing and being reminded that we are in this together made me feel so happy that I am with him forever :) 

I am loving that we get to move in less than 5 days! I am so ready to start a new life there and decorate a new house! 

I am loving that my parents are coming in town to help us with our move. We will really need the help and are so thankful for it. Also, it will be great to spend time with them again! 

I am loving that Rayne puppy is so cuddly lately and just wants to nose into my blanket next to me. She must know she is getting a yard soon :) 

I am loving that Joel and I have almost been married for a year now! July 16th will be here before we know it! 

Linking up with Jamie! 

& Don't forget to enter the awesome Giveaway! {Click below} 

  

Happy Wednesday Y'all ! I hope your day is so lovely ! 

3 A Giveaway!

 Today, the lovely Sarah from Total Basset Case is giving away something really special that you'll definitely want to enter! If you haven't checked out her blog yet, you must! Sarah is an incredibly sweet girl with the cutest sidekick (her basset hound) named Floyd!

She is giving away a $15 gift card to Target and a bottle of Essie Nail Polish! What more could you ask for with summer being here? I am totally wishing I could enter, so you guys are very lucky to get this chance.

 


To Enter, you must: 
Follow Total Basset Case via GFC
Follow The Magnolia Pair via GFC
*There are plenty of Extras for you to multiply your chances! 

Please fill out the raffelcopter form to complete your submission!

Good luck and have fun!
The Giveaway will close on 6/25 at 12:01am !

a Rafflecopter giveaway

26 One Week.

In One week from today Joel and I will be packing up our first home and moving to a bigger and better place! We are so very excited for this next chapter, we can hardly stand it. We find ourselves dancing with Rayne and telling her how great her yard will be and how she will be able to run wild free. Joel even mentioned how this is the house we will probably raise a family, and that to me just melts my heart.

Our new house is very cute and reminds me of a beach cottage. It really is just perfect for us. We couldn't be more thrilled to move to a family friendly neighborhood with cupcake, ice cream, vintage, and food shops just a few blocks away. A couple of our friends live just blocks away too, so we can't wait to have BBQ's with them!

We aren't even sad about leaving our apartment, we are just looking forward to all of the benefits of this new place. It's one of those things where we'll move on and never look back. I do plan to keep the key and turn it into a Christmas ornament to put on our tree each year. I definitely want a reminder of our first home because it's where we shared our first year of marriage. We made many memories there and will not forget them. Some that I blogged about are:

• When Rayne chewed through the carpet and carpet padding
• Sleeping on the couch for a week after our apartment flooded 
• Disturbing our neighbors on accident at 3am. 
• Accidentally blowing a fuse on our oven. 

                         And so many more! 

Here's some of our progress we've made thus far! I cannot believe how bare it all looks now. 

Plans are almost finalized with our move, but please keep us in your prayers today that we get some good news we are waiting for. Things will be 10x smoother once some things get settled. So we are still accepting those well wishes :)

Thanks y'all !

3 fathers day.

Dear Dad, I am so lucky to have you in my life. I am so thankful for all you do for me. You have given me the best life that a girl could ask for. I'll never forget the day you taught me how to fish with a Disney princess fishing pole. I was the best softball player because you taught me how to be great. We've had some of the best memories and I know there are so many more great ones to come. I really wish I could see you today, but we will celebrate in one week! I love you so much, Happy Father's Day to you!

7 All My Friends Say...

Thank y'all SO much for linking up yesterday with Jessica and I for the From Blog Life to Real Life party! I am almost halfway reading everyone's posts and cannot wait to finish reading them! I have already been introduced to some incredible ladies that I am so happy I found! It is still open for the next 5 days, so join the fun if you still want to. I really hope to continue the link to monthly or bi monthly since so many loved it! So stay tuned :) 


Also, Miss Rayne has something to tell y'all..... 

"I'm really not a fan of you bloggers. My Mom spends too much time talking to y'all and I don't like it. Can't she just pick up my slobbery ball and throw it to me instead? I thought standing in front of the computer would make my Mom stop, but she's still ignoring me. Until these cool peeps start sending me free dog toys/bones, then I'm not impressed with the Hana hair dryer my mom is getting in the mail." 

Literally, I blogged with our dog in my face while I typed this entire post. That's skills people. But, really, she probably wishes she could chew up this laptop without getting in trouble. I mean look at that stank eye in the picture on the right... Diva... 

Now time to introduce y'all to my sponsors!! They are so incredibly sweet too, I literally adore each one and love reading their blogs! You will love them, so go introduce yourself :) 

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Meet Britta! She is so incredibly sweet and I just recently fell in love with her blog! Her life is so adventurous, you will want to trade places with her! 

      Blog //  Pinterest // Twitter

Hello, The Magnolia Pair readers! My name is Britta and my blog is The Boots Parade. I started my blog last year after I had made the really big move from New Jersey to Costa Rica. I moved to Costa Rica to be with my boyfriend after doing the long distance thing for a while. Now I am a first year teacher of 7th and 8th grade English and definitely learning just as much as I am teaching! My blog reflects a little bit of my work, a little bit of my life in Costa Rica, and a lot of other little things in between. I would love to have you stop my my blog and introduce yourself! 

                                                        

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Next up is the adorable Sarah, and I just love her blog! I mean seriously, she is so cute! I wish we were neighbors so we could share our love for dogs! 

Blog // twitter // facebook // instagram 

Hi Magnolia Pair readers, I'm Sarah and I blog over at Total Basset Case! On my blog I write about all sorts of things that I love and that make up my life.  These things include (but are certainly not limited to) our crazy basset hound, Floyd, the hubs (Mister), recipes, meal planning, DIY projects around the house, and fashion. And wine. And diet coke- you know, the necessities. 

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Heather is the beauty behind Diary of a Simple Life, and she is so sweet! She is from Louisiana, so of course she is just a charm! I visit her blog to get a taste of home :) 

Stella & Dot // Blog // Twitter

Hey Y'all! I'm Heather, and I blog at Diary of a Simple Life.  I'm a HR Director and Stella & Dot Stylist from Louisiana (like Britt!) I blog about my outfits, my love for shopping (for a good deal), beauty reviews, my adorable pups, and a few healthy recipes!  Stop by and leave me a note!

I seriously love these ladies and follow their adorable blogs, so I know you will like them too ! 

Y'all have a wonderful weekend and a lovely Friday :)