Charity Event & a Wedding Weekend

This past week, I attended an event called Wine, Women, & Shoes that benefited Make-a-Wish foundation. There was a silent auction, a live auction, and a fashion show. 

Frances Weller of WECT was the host of the evening and looked gorgeous as always. 

Harrison Sasser owns Gentlemen's Corner which is right next door to my store, Blush. It's my favorite men's store and Harrison helps me keep my husband, Lee, in style.

Monkee's also had a booth at the event and auctioned off shoes in the silent auction. 

This weekend, Lee and I attended the wedding of Kenny, one of Lee's best friends (Lee was the best man). It was a gorgeous wedding on the bride's parent's property located on the Intercoastal Waterway.  The weather was perfect, the food was great, the decorations were adorable (the groom made DIY light fixtures he found on Pinterest!) and it was great seeing old friends from high school. 

While Lee was busy with his best man responsibilities, my best  friend, Alena, and I had a great time. 

Congratulations to the bride and groom to a beautiful wedding! Lee and I had a great time and are so happy for you two!

Chic Chat

Hair color done the right way is crucial. 

Listen to my Chic Chat from Tuesday for tips and tricks for great, lasting hair color. 

On Being a Momma... (and getting it all done)

This weekend was full of family time, something that I cherish so much. A lot of people ask me how I do it all. I own a store and salon, work a lot, volunteer, cook dinner every night, and still make it to t-ball games, ballet class, and parent teacher conferences. I may not sleep much at night, but I have three good kids that keep me motivated to make it all happen.  

Sutton is my baby and 17 months old. This past weekend we went out on our boat for the first time and she wasn't happy about it as you can tell. 

Piper will be three in August and is my sweet, but sometimes feisty, little girl.

Zander, the best big brother, is my first baby. He is sweet to my little girls, most of the time, and will be going to kindergarten this year. I can't believe how fast time has gone by. 

How many mother's are out there they work full time? Any advice on getting it all done? There seem to never be enough hours in the day!

quote from Dilly Dallas blog

The Year of the Bun

If you look around, you may just notice a trend that won't be going away for a while. Whether it is a  messy bun, a top knot, or a sleek chignon, buns are in this year! 

 Buns are so easy to do and look great on almost anyone. If you wearing something sleek, go for a messy bun. If you have on something flowy, try a sleek top knot. I love to contrast my hair and clothes to create a balance. What's your favorite bun?

images via

Chic Chat

Every Tuesday morning I go on z107.5 for Chic Chat with Foz and Jocelyn. It's something that I look forward to every week. This week we talked about how to get healthy hair. I see a lot of blond hair, brown hair, and curly hair, but I don't necessarily always see healthy hair. My favorite products to ensure healthy hair are Shu Uemura's art of hair ceremony or a Kerastase conditioning treatment. 

After my radio spot, I had a few minutes to grab coffee with a girlfriend before I had to head to the salon for a full day of clients. I always try and dress my best and you won't catch me often in flat shoes, even if I am on my feet all day long.

Sunglasses * Earrings * Belt *Dress * Wedges 

If any of you have questions, feel free to leave a message in the comment section and I will respond to you!

Azalea Festival Weekend

This weekend was a whirlwind between Garden Party and the Patron's Gala. After a long weekend of parties and socializing, I may just have to double my dose of Diet Sundrop today!

Steven, my partner in crime, and I on Friday before the Garden Party

Me with some of my Blush beauties including Kelly, Patt, Rachel, Steven, and Tess

Me and Steven's shoes at Garden Party

 On Saturday, Lee and I dressed our best to attend the Patron's Gala. We are Patron's every year and the Gala is one of our favorite events of the season!

The 1940s theme was a fabulous inspiration for hair and make-up. 

Me and Lee at the Patron's Gala

Blush girls!

I hope that you all had a great weekend as well! I'm already looking forward to next year's Azalea Festival weekend!

Patron's Party

Azalea Festival is well under way and today has been a great start to the weekend! (Photos to come of Garden Party!) 

The Patron's Gala is tomorrow evening at the Wilmington Convention Center with the theme being the 1940s, one of my favorite eras for hair and make-up. 

Tibi Dress * J.Crew necklace * 1st Dibs Earrings * J.Crew bracelet * Jimmy Choo Sandals * Kate Spade Purse

Garden Party Surival Kit

With Garden Party just days away, I am stocking my purse with a few essentials that are key to surviving the all day event. I will fluff and puff Friday early morning and kick off the Garden Party starting with the ribbon cutting and won't be done until late that night when we are sure to end up at Dockside with friends.
 If you see me, come say hello and I can give you a fluff and puff too!

Kiehl's Super Fluid UV Protector * Bumble & Bumble Thickening Spray * Mason Pearson Brush * Hair Tie Set

Minimergency Kit * Paul and Joe Polish * Sun Bum SPF 50 * YSL Rougue Pur Couture * Rosebud Salve

Garden Party

Each April, a full week of beautiful flowers, entertainment, galas, family events, and Southern hospitality come together for the North Carolina Azalea Festival!

 Six years ago, I got engaged the morning of the most popular event, The Garden Party. Lee proposed at 7am that morning. The ribbon cutting was at my boss's house and was a whirlwind of hosting and showing my diamond off. By the time the party started at 11am I was standing at the gates to Airlie Gardens thanking everyone for coming to my party!!! That is why you shouldn't pop a bottle of Dom before breakfast! 

Six years and three kids later, Lee and I still look forward to going to the Garden Party every year. It's a fashion show as much as a social event, which is one of the many reasons I love it so much!

This year, I am wearing a Rebecca Taylor dress from Spring 2011. I haven't worn it yet (it still has the tags on it), and I am really looking forward to finally wearing this dress!

A hat is a must at the Garden Party and I am so excited about wearing my Polly Singer fascinator hat. Because the dress and the hat are so bold, I'm going neutral on the shoes and the earrings.  

The foundation to any good outfit is great hair and pretty make-up. To compliment the orange dress, I'm going with a bold lip in  YSL's Rouge Pur Couture in soft fuchsia. To accentuate my eyes, Paul and Joe's color palette will be a soft palette to compliment the bold lip, and then of course, YSL's shocking mascara is a must! The hair will be poker straight parted on the side for a dramatic contrast for the fascinator. 

You can find all of these items at my store, Blush. 

Easter is here and it's one of my favorite holidays because it's all about family, church, and food. Every Easter we got to my Aunt's house and I take country ham biscuits and make Orange Julius.

 Two southern favorites!

Ham Biscuits

Orange Julius

My three kids, Zander, Piper, and Sutton are just old enough (Zander at least) to understand what the Easter bunny means. I fill their baskets with candy and one special treat. 

 Kate Mack Bubble //  Crayon Apron // Toy airplane

After 9 seasons, another locally produced show, One Tree Hill, closed on its last episode. The creator, Mark Schwahn, is a genius,  and the actors have come into their own! I am so sad to see One Tree Hill go, but am thankful for the opportunities I had while they were filming. 

Bethany Joy Lenz, who played Haley James Scott, was a client of mine in the 9th season. She was such a pleasure to work with and her hair looked fabulous!

I was lucky enough to do hair  on set and was able to meet many of the crew and actors of One Tree Hill. This is Brian Moss and Joannie from the hair department for Warner Brothers.  Joannie took me in as a fill in for her assistant. 

One Tree Hill, we will miss you! Thank you so much for letting me be a part of your team!

United Way PJ Party

We love a great party, especially one that benefits a great cause. The United Way asked the Blush team to come and support their "Where Will You Sleep Tonight" PJ party and we couldn't have been more thrilled! 

To prep, we first created a face chart based on a Victoria's Secret runway show. It was a softer, smokey eye with a pink lip and soft cheeks. 

This is me and Michelle Li, a local news anchor for WECT. 

 Blush staff at the party including Elizabeth, me, Tess, Rachel, and of course, Steven. 

We can't wait for next year's PJ party to support such a great cause! 

Thank you again, United Way, for including us in such a fabulous event!

Lipstick cures anthing...

A headache, a heartbreak, and even a black eye, my little girl, Piper, has already learned the magic of make-up and how it can fix almost anything.