Sip of Southern

It's football season, y'all! Although it "officially" kicked off last week, this Saturday means true football for most SEC fans as we all face our first interconference opponent. While my husband is hitting the road to Auburn, I'll be making the trip from Atlanta to Athens to cheer on my Gamecocks. Since this is my first Saturday off since May, I am very excited to tailgate and socialize with my fellow Carolina alum. Tailgating is an art form here in the South and includes a Southerners favorite pastime: the partaking of an adult beverage. While Lexington has it's bourbon and Knoxville has it's moonshine, the rest of the southeastern states are focused on making beer. Really, really good beer. Here's a (very) short list of awesome brewers that are available for most SEC roadtrips and if you're lucky, home games too. Drink local, ya'll!

1. Dixie Brewing Co.; New Orleans, Louisiana (editors note: Due to facilities damage during hurricane Katrina, Dixie Beer is now brewed under contract offsite)

2. Terrapin Beer Co.; Athens, Georgia

3. Palmetto Brewery; Charleston, South Carolina

4. Abita Brewing Co.; Abita Springs, Louisiana

5. Lazy Magnolia Brewery; Kiln, Mississippi

6. Yazoo Brewery; Nashville, Tennessee

The Well Styled Weekend

Now that the temperatures have lowered (read: not 95 degrees), I finally feel Fall Ready! And one of my very favorite things about Fall is the back to school shopping. All of the women in my family are teachers, so there's a big to-do when the kiddos head back to class. While I'm not hitting the books anytime soon, I always like to feel studious, so here are my picks to take you straight to the head of the class this semester:

1. I want to have five of this stacked to my elbow. Art Deco Bangle, Lulu Frost for JCrew

2. Organize your favorite novels (or trashy mags) in style with these super cute poodle bookends, Anthropologie

3. I aim to wear a little bit of sparkle every day. Gold star for this t-shirt! Navy Striped Tee, Top Shop

4. Oh, how I love a palazzo pant. I rocked these back in my highschool chorus days and am not afraid to say that I was, am and will always be a nerd. Aniseed Wide Legs, Anthropologie

5. Oxfords.are.back. These are their Queen. Arelia Oxfords, Tory Burch

6. True story: in elementary school, I once stole my dad's old glasses to wear on a field trip because they made me feel like a scientist. The End. Nerd Glasses, Urban Outfitters (of course...how hipster are these?)

Featured on Southern Weddings

Welcome to Atlanta, y'all! When the lovely ladies at Southern Weddings asked for my Peach State expertise in putting together the perfect welcome tote for my adopted hometown, I was happy to oblige. I enlisted the help of my good friend Joni from Chocolate Butterbean (and Lay Baby Lay for all my prego friends) for the delightful artwork. Isn't it too adorable? I'm pleased as punch at how it turned out. Y'all grab a coke and a late summer peach and check it out!

Carlee's Closet

I am head-over-heels for the September JCrew catalog. So, so many pieces that I want to make my own! So I popped over to my local and picked up what are sure to be some of my favorites for this fall. Flame is obviously the hot color for Fall according to Jenna Lyons (whom I want to be when I grow up) & co. This is very convenient as I want to live in this color. If I could wear something Flame every day I would, so I'll settle for these stripes and painting my nails this Fall bright and be a happy girl. Speaking of happy, I'm thrilled to own a piece of the crew's latest capsule collection: Lulu Frost for JCrew. Her jewelry makes such a statement and since I have no willpower over beautiful jewelry, I got some Lulu while the gettin' was good. Oh, how this makes me miss "back to school" shopping!

We're Moving, Don't 'cha Know?

I am moving to Minnesota. I can't even type that without bursting out into a fit of giggles! If you would have told me 6 months ago that I would be moving to the upper Midwest, I would have called you crazy. Yet, here I am, planning an imminent move to Minneapolis. It's funny the people God places in your life. The timing and purpose of it all is hard to wrap my head around. I'm thankful for my husband and some wonderful friends who will make this transition fun and inspiring. I never, ever thought I'd live in a place where magnolias didn't bloom and sweet tea isn't served, but I'm up for an adventure, so the Land of 10,000 Lakes it is. Y'all come visit!