Are you Ready?

College Football is less than a week away.

I am ALMOST ready.

I'm super excited about the football party we're hosting, going to Oxford for games (cute clothes!!), and watching the Rebels have the most amazing season ever.

 (Optimism) 

But other than that I am NOT ready for football season. 

Here is why:

I'm WAY too competitive and get way to involved in Ole Miss football. 

It can be a stressful time. Ask my mother-in-law. You can find her pacing inside Vaught-Hemingway Stadium during most games. 

and

My sweet husband, Cameron watches every random college team on TV as long as they're playing football.

Goodbye Cameron. See you after football season. I'll be watching Bravo and the ID channel if you need me.  I love you and I know you love me.

Although, I am not sure where his beloved Rebels fit into our love scale. 

joking...kinda

I have a hodgepodge of Rebel stuff that I am trying to make work for a little football party we are hosting. 

I still need to pick up a few more things before the party.

But I did pick up these cute little Mississippi cups from Fresh Ink in Jackson. Can't wait to use them!

Hotty Toddy Rebel fans!

Hoping for an awesome season. Fingers crossed!

Thanks for reading and good luck to your team of choice! 

Unless they're playing Ole Miss. 

To blog or not to blog?

I have taken time off from Susannah Styles for several reasons.

I felt like I was putting pressure on myself to figure out a way to make my blog more successful.

Obsessing over other blogs and what makes them popular.

Susannah Styles was starting to feel stale to me.

SO I took a break and now I'm deciding if I want to start blogging again in my own way or just stop.

Until I decide, I will leave you with some pics of my summer.

It was awesome.

Except for my wisdom teeth removal. 

That wasn't awesome.

But the pics are hilarious. 

Channeled Jackie-O post-op...

In June, we took a trip to New Orleans and a blurry selfie...

Headed to Austin for a very Texan 4th of July...

Got decked out in our best patriotic, hippie apparel to see the String Cheese Incident at the Backyard...

Three nights in a row...

Not to mention that we rode this crazy school bus to and from the Backyard each night...

We did a little beer tasting in Jackson during July...

And then headed to Amelia Island in August for our last trip of the summer...

We ate, drank, and beached for an amazing, make-up free week...

Gus' love for the beach and ocean grew more and more each day of the trip. Who would have thought that this finicky, mama's boy would love hour long beach walks and SWIMMING in the ocean.

Like seriously swimming. He begs for me to take him out a good ways into the water and then put him down. He swims a little bit and then catches a wave back to the beach.

Yeah I wouldn't believe it either...but he does it every time we take him out there. 

Our little Rosebud ventured out into the water more than ever on this trip. 

Beach dog success!

After that we headed down to Jacksonville for dinner and a Jags game with my awesome parents...

And what trip to North Florida and South Georgia is complete without a stop at Honey Boo Boo's house?

 

 I was so freaking excited!!!!

So, there you have it...my summer.

We came, we saw, we conquered.

Now, I just need to decide what I'm doing with this here blog thang.

 (That's how Honey Boo Boo would say it)

Thanks for reading!

5 Things I Love

Woohoo! I won the $100 Sheridan French gift card giveaway from Morgan of A TREASURE HUNT.

Obsessed with my new Kendra earrings. Looove. 

Seeing Greensky Bluegrass in Jackson with Cameron.

Gimme.

Dying to wear this Shoshanna dress again. 

Lemon Water

image via mindbodygreen

When I find a new blog that I love, I usually start at the very beginning of their posts and go through them until I reach the most recent one.

That's what I recently did with Chelsea Notes. Love-love-love her blog. 

I stumbled onto this post she did on lemon water.

I have seen Catalina Su drink lemon water and recommend it to her readers but I never knew why she was drinking it.

Chelsea wrote that she noticed a little weight loss, clearer skin tone, helped her digestion, and increased her overall feeling of health.

Sounds like a winner to me!

I've been trying it this week and have loved it so far. It's a super easy and healthy way to start your day.

I usually don't eat breakfast. I'll make a midday smoothie and hope I can last until dinner without getting sick (you need to always have food in your stomach post gallbladder removal - just a tip!) 

or inhaling some awful, unhealthy snack that makes me hate myself.

So now I'm trying to drink my lemon water and eat breakfast, small snacks, healthy lunch, and dinner. 

Chelsea recommends adding a lemon wedge to a microwave safe mug, filling it with water, microwaving it for a minute and half-ish, and enjoy!

Here's is another great post from La Jolla Mom on the benefits of drinking lemon water in the morning.

It's a list so it's easy to read. I seriously recommend it.

There are tons of articles on the benefits of lemon water so just google it if you want to know more.

I'm really enjoying my daily lemon water and think it will become a normal part of morning routine/ 

Easily Cauliflower Mash/Puree

Mashed Cauliflower. 

You don't really mash it but the word "puree" can scare people. 

I am here to tell you that if you prepare it correctly, it will taste almost exactly like mashed potatoes.

I know you don't believe me. That's fine.

I didn't believe it until I made it myself. 

My husband Cameron ate it if that tells you anything. 

Give it a try!

Here's what you need:

Cauliflower florets, washed 

Garlic

Salt & Pepper

Butter

Milk

1. Add the florets to a pot of boiling water. 

I pressed a couple of garlic cloves and added them to the pot as well. 

2. Boil until they are soft enough to be broken apart with a spoon. Drain in a colander. 

3. Once they have drained and cooled down, dump them into a dish towel and squeeze out the moisture. 

It may be hot. Def stand over the sink and be careful not to burn yourself with the hot water.

Some recipes say this step is necessary to make sure the cauliflower get light and fluffy like a cooked potato would.

Other recipes don't even include this step but it worked well for me so... 

4. Next, I tossed the dried cauliflower bits into my food processor. I added a splash of milk, good bit of butter, salt, pepper. I just kept pulsing it until it had the consistency I wanted. 

5. Finally, I poured the mash/puree into a baking dish and heated in the oven on 350. 

Super easy. 

Much healthier than mashed potatoes.

Cameron ate it.

What more can I say?

It's cheap, easy, and tastes good.

Enjoy!

Monday's Must Have - Fashion Star's Hunter Bell

Girl Crush - Hunter Bell should be the name of this post.

I am obsessed with her.

Like completely obsessed.

I possibly added the name Hunter to my girl baby name list on my iPhone.

She's southern - from Florence, South Carolina

She's tiny - I looove little, itty bitty, skinny girls. 

ADULT skinny girls not children. 

Always want what you can't have.

She's an amazing designer on NBC's the Fashion Star.

She's doing very well!!

My mom turned me onto that show and I am really enjoying this season. 

Last weeks episode was intense. Almost killed me. 

Watch it here

Here are some of my fave Hunter Dixon by Hunter Bell pieces...

Courtney Kerr in the Justine Jumpsuit. 

I have a love-hate relationship with Courtney Kerr. Right now I am loving her and I am DYING over this jumpsuit.

I need it now!!

Tulip Dress. LOVE. I'd literally wear it everywhere. 

I'll also take the Temple Skirt.

I can think of so many different ways to wear this skirt for all sorts of occasions.

So go check out Hunter! ASAP! She's fab.

her amazing line Hunter Dixon by Hunter Bell.

her blog.

Pinterest, Twitter, Insta.

A TREASURE HUNT - Sheridan French $100 Giveaway

Go enter this giveaway RIGHT NOW!

Then go look at how gorgeous Morgan is and how precious her son's nursery is. 

You're crazy if you don't.

Mattress Heaven

I just had to share this.

As you may know, finishing our bedroom is an ongoing battle.

If you are new to my blog, you can read about the bedroom mayhem here, here, and here.

Never ending...

Well...Ladies & Gentlemen, I AM OVER IT.

This is not how I normally do things.

I get stuff done efficiently in a timely manner.

Well at least I think i do :)

Since the bedroom is still flooding anytime we have a heavy rain, we are getting quotes on adding another french drain.

I usually don't discuss money on my blog but I'm doing it now. The french drain quote is over $3,000.

Kill me. 

I AM SO TIRED OF PUTTING MONEY INTO THIS HOUSE THAT I CAN'T SEE.

So we are waiting on another quote.

Today was day one of being fed up with this situation.

So I decided to get on craigslist and look at things that I CAN afford for the bedroom project.

No look on finding a vanity, but I stumbled upon a listing for a wonderful place I call Mattress Heaven.

Well slightly damaged but MAJORLY discounted Mattress Heaven.

Cameron, my mother-in-law, and I loaded up and headed to Affordable Mattress Outlet aka Mattress Heaven.

PS Thank the sweet LORD that we brought my MIL. It was def a team effort.

While Affordable Mattress Outlet may not the finest looking store around
(Albritons Jewelry in Highland Village is :) )
they have the best deals!


We got a name brand king size mattress and box spring for $189.

I knooooow. Insane!

They don't deliver, we had to strap it onto my MIL's car, and drive slow as molasses across town but it's totally worth it to me.

Now I can spend more on the bedding :)

The moral of this story is that there amazing deals out there.
They just require a little bit more effort and hard work for the buyer.

Don't be scared away from Craigslist completely.

Yeah I know, I saw that Lifetime movie too.

Def take friends with you and be smart.

If you want more info on this store email me - Susannahstyles@gmail.com or comment with your email address.

Anyone know where I can get a cheap king size bed frame?

like right now?

Almond Encrusted Trout with an easy Beurre Blanc Sauce

Sounds fancy right?

Sounds like something on a menu in nice restaurant?

Mmmhmmmm

But it's NOT!

I made it!

So easy and soooo delicious.

Here's what you need:

White Fish - I used Trout that Cameron caught last summer in Louisiana

1/4 cup of Dry White Wine

2 tablespoons Heavy Cream

Butter

1 Egg

1 cup Sliced Almonds (crushed by hand or in a food processor)

1 cup Breadcrumbs

1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

Salt and Pepper

1. I began by washing the fish, putting it into a ziploc bag and covering them with milk.

Takes away any fishy taste.

2. After about 30 minutes, I took the fish out of the bag and dried them with a paper towel. Get a good size, nonstick skillet out and melt two tablespoons of butter in it.

3. I beat the egg in a small, shallow dish. Add one piece of fish to the egg and cover it thoroughly. 

4. Now, combine the almonds, breadcrumbs, and cheese to another shallow dish. 

Toss the fish in the mixture. Make sure it is thoroughly covered.

5. Add the fish to the skillet with the melted butter.

You don't want the skillet to dry up so make sure it stays wet and buttery. 

*I only used two pieces of fish so we had a lot of the "crust" left over.

Once it's looking nice and crispy on the bottom, flip it.

You want crunchy outsides with a flaky inside.

Done. Too easy.

For the sauce:

*You want to time this with the fish. 

1. Add the white wine and 1 tablespoon of cream to a saucepan. Cook GENTLY until it has reduced by half.

2. Once reduced, add 1 more tablespoon of cream and 4 tablespoons of butter. Whisk and keep warm until the fish is plated. 

IT'S SO GOOD.

I served it with a cauliflower mash and steamed green beans.

We both cleaned out plates.

I will def be making this again very, very soon.

It was delicious, quick, SIMPLE, and looks/tasted like it came from a nice restaurant.

I'm really proud of this dish.

  

Bon appetit! 

Original recipe here.

Lily Pulitzer

Lilly Pulitzer passed away this week. 

So sad to lose such a visionary and inspiration.

I wrote this post last week before she died. Kind of weird.

Lilly Pulitzer, herself was truly a fashion icon who started with nothing but oranges...

literally.

Amazing story...

via www.lillypulitzer.com

"Soon she was selling more dresses than juice."

Lilly Pulitzer the clothing label was born. The "classic shift dress" shot to international fame and demand when Lilly's old schoolmate Jacqueline Kennedy née Bouvier, now the First Lady, was photographed wearing a "Lilly" while on vacation. "Jackie wore one of my dresses – it was made from kitchen curtain material – and people went crazy. They took off like zingo. Everybody loved them, and I went into the dress business." –Essentially Lilly, A Guide to Colorful Entertaining

Honestly, I love a Lilly dress. I really do.

I know it's very fitting for the Ole Miss/preppy part of me.

But the rest of me is like "Are you sure you want to wear that?"

I just love the shapes and prints of the brand.

It's happy clothing.

While the shapes are still very retro, the brand does a great job of updating the "Lilly look" to feel more modern and current.

Right now, you can see how the designers combined the current neon trend with classic Lilly Pulitzer shapes and styles.

Love that they always stay true to Lilly's original style.

Here are my favorites from this season.

These dresses fun, fresh, and scream Southern wedding.

Who doesn't love a 60's look?

I know Rachel Zoe and I do.

So...

I'll take one of each.

If y'all are buying...

1/2/3/4/5/6

lilly pulitzer

lilly pulitzer by susannahstyles featuring a pearl dress