Mysweethomecarolina, Author at My Sweet Home Carolina

Everything’s Coming Up Roses

March 27, 2014 by Mysweethomecarolina

Old Man Winter keeps hanging on, doesn’t he? Thankfully, Macy’s 40th Annual Flower Show is giving us a beautiful glimpse of spring! The Macy’s Flower Show theme this year is the Secret Garden and the main attraction is the gorgeous Lady in Red Dress! She stands over 12-feet high, has a very modelesque persona and she is dressed in a ruby floral gown! She was definitely the show-stopper!

The Secret Garden features over 30,000 flowers and each day a different florist creates a ‘Bouquet of the Day’ to be showcased. Macy’s store locations featuring the Secret Garden Flower Show include New York, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, Chicago, San Francisco and the Cherry Blossoms in Washington, DC! If you’re in the area, come out and smell the roses!

: I love the look of wonderment on this child’s face

Weather Channel Interview about allergies and makeup tips

Lady in Red

I decided to bring spring home with me!

Hello Cupcake!

March 26, 2014 by Mysweethomecarolina

Hello, my sweets! Do ya need a sugar fix?

Exciting news for all you cupcake lovers! Sprinkles Bakery just opened their first NYC based Cupcake ATM! Cupcakes are available 24 hours a day! The grand opening took place yesterday, so today I decided to see what all the hoopla was about! When I arrived, there was already a decent line and a film crew taping customers go through the process. Everyone was kinda in amazement and laughed every time the ATM door opened with cupcakes! Basically, the Cupcake ATM is the most convenient way to grab a yummy treat on the go–how the futuristic Jetsons would do cupcake shopping! You walk up to the Cupcake ATM, select your flavor preferences, swipe your card, and presto–out pops your cupcakes! Pretty niffy, huh?

The Cupcake ATM dispenses up to four cupcakes per order, priced at $4.25 per cupcake, and they even have doggie cupcakes for your canine companions! Yep, it was Diesel’s lucky day! The doggie cupcakes are sugar free and made with unbleached flour, honey, vanilla and topped with yogurt “frosting”. Diesel LOVED his cupcakes!! As for me, I ordered the Red Velvet cupcake and I was skeptical about the freshness of ATM cupcakes but mine tasted delicious!

Overall, I think it’s a pretty neat concept, especially for a walking city like New York! I’ll definitely be stopping by this place again!

Located on Lexington Avenue between 60th and 61st near Bloomingdales

Another satisfied customer

Rachel Zoe Book Signing

March 25, 2014 by Mysweethomecarolina

Yay! Fun day in the city! Fashionistas from all over the city came out for the Rachel Zoe book signing event at the Barnes and Noble Bookstore (Tribeca). Girls came decked out in fur vests, bangles galore, and the highest of high heels! Rachel Zoe is a fashion stylist, designer, editor, author, and star of Bravo show ‘The Rachel Zoe Project’. Her new book ‘Living in Style: Inspiration and Advice for Everyday Glamour’ hit stores today! The book covers fashion, makeup, entertaining, travel and even a day in the life section! I met three fantastic ladies at the event and thoroughly enjoyed seeing all the fashionable ensembles that Rachel’s fans put together!

Rachel came out in a beautiful black dress and very high heels. She is one skinny-mini!! Especially, since she just had a baby just 3 months ago! Wowzer! Once Rachel reached the platform, she thanked everyone for coming and spoke a little bit about her new book. Overall, Rachel was very gracious to each person she met, yet seemed somewhat reserved.

Press getting briefed before her entrance

Rachel’s husband Rodger took photos with fans

Southern Roots

March 24, 2014 by Mysweethomecarolina

Oh My Word! New. York. City.

As a southern gal moving above the Mason-Dixon line to the concrete jungle of the Big Apple, you are bound to get lots of southernly advice and forewarnings. It was quite entertaining and comical to hear genuine concern about us venturing to such unchartered territory filled with “Yankees” and “City Slickers”. Surely, we would be mugged or hit by a taxi cab or never sleep again due to “all those ambulances, honking cars, and fire trucks”.

The one piece of reoccurring advice we received was to “Remember where you came from” and “Remember your Southern Roots”. I did heed this advice and thought the urban metropolis could use more Southerners that are proud of their heritage, rather than shying away from it. Even though we had to downsize before moving, I still managed to bring a few of my favorite Southern pieces to NYC!

ONE // TWO // THREE // FOUR // FIVE //

My mama gifted me subscriptions to every southern magazine she could think of…here are a few of my favorite issues.

My new southern favorite is this Stephanie Creekmur ‘Bless Your Heart’ top! This southern saying is usually associated with a sugar-laden insult, however I LOVE how this shirt turns this statement into a positive one!

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God (Matthew 5:8)

Giveaway Winner Announced!

March 21, 2014 by Mysweethomecarolina

WOW!!! We exceeded our goal and received over 100 entries for my very first giveaway!! I want to extend my BIGGEST ‘Thank You’ to each and every one of you that entered the giveaway! I’m SO grateful for all my readers!!

Congratulations to Samantha C. who won the Full Grain Leather bracelet!!! An e-mail is on the way to you regarding your prize!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don’t lose heart, if you missed out on this giveaway! Remember the 20% off coupon code ‘MYSWEETHOME20’ is good on all orders placed before 4/1/14 with Full Grain Leather!!!

Spring in the City

March 20, 2014 by Mysweethomecarolina

Hello Loves! Happy Spring to you ALL!

Today, New York City was showing off for us! It was a simply glorious day and every part of the city was boasting bright beautiful colors, celebrating the first day of SPRING! The city was ruffling it’s feathers, shaking off the remnants of winter and welcoming the warm sunshine with open arms!

I am SO thankful and appreciative for the changing seasons!

The Campbell Apartment

March 19, 2014 by Mysweethomecarolina

Last night we explored Grand Central Terminal to find the rather secretive Campbell Apartment. Located near Vanderbilt Avenue, you certainly would pass right by it unknowingly unless you are looking for it. The Campbell Apartment is also pretty high on my NYC Bucket List, so I was really excited to go exploring!

Historical appreciation of Campbell Apartment should also be noted, as the space served as the private office of American financier John W. Campbell starting in 1923. Following Campbell’s death, it was briefly a small jail. Luckily, in 1999 the space underwent an extensive restoration costing upwards of 1.5 million dollars.

As we climbed the red carpeted stairs, the atmosphere and ambiance transported us to an Old School NY scene reminiscent of a Gatsby favorite!

Dim lighting, rich wood paneling, ornate ceilings, a stately-sized stone fireplace and the most beautiful stained glass windows serve as a backdrop to the bar. The scene was a throwback to 1920’s glamour with jazz music playing. Even the waitresses wore strands of pearls! The Campbell Apartment is definitely a CLASSIC New York experience!

Paint it Black

March 18, 2014 by Mysweethomecarolina

Hey New Yorkers!! What’s the deal with all the black clothing? Today, I’m attempting to debunk the mystery of why New Yorkers have such a strong affinity to dark clothing. Or is this a stereotype? Well…Yes and No!

When we first moved to NYC, I became fascinated with New Yorkers LOVE of dark clothing. I mean really–why is everyone always wearing black? Is everyone in on some secret fashion rule and I never got the memo? Maybe everyone is depressed because the weather is so cold here? Honestly, if New York fashion had a theme song, it would be ‘Paint it Black’ by the Rolling Stones!

Don’t believe me? Proof below 🙂

So, do New Yorkers even wear color? Absolutely, they do! But they also have good reasons why black is a staple in their wardrobes!

1) NYC closets are tiny— We only have room for the essentials and therefore, we have to be very selective in our clothing choices.
2) Practicality trumps the color wheel– New Yorkers are exposed to the elements of city life daily- subways, sidewalks, weather, etc. Black hides dirt like no other color can. So, when a taxi sprays you with street slush or when you stand against the dust covered subway doors- you want to be wearing black.
3) Classic Black– Black is timeless, slimming and unlike patterns- black never goes out of style.

So, have I gotten the bug? Did I join the crowd?

Truthfully, I’ve grown to appreciate the sensible approach New Yorkers have mastered in regards to clothing and I have added a handful of black pieces to my wardrobe.

Yet, I still believe that life should be lived…colorfully!

Rachael Ray Show

March 17, 2014 by Mysweethomecarolina

Happy St. Patty’s Day! Hope everyone enjoyed the festive Irish holiday!

My sweet friend, Emily and I decided to celebrate the holiday by attending the Rachael Ray Show! We braved the cold NYC temps and headed over to Chelsea Television Studios.

The Strypes band from Ireland kicked off the show! Rachael even told us that Elton John recently flew to Ireland just to watch the Strypes play in an Irish pub. I must say, they were pretty fantastic! Especially for their young age; ranging from sixteen to eighteen. Comedian, Joey Kola kept the audience entertained between tapings. He was very high energy and hilarious! Next up, was celebrity chef Bobby Flay. He had several cooking segments and the studio smelled delicious! Bobby was also promoting his new restaurant Gato located in Nobo. The final guest of the show was Katheryn Winnick from the Vikings television series. Katheryn is beautiful and has such an impressive background. She is a martial artist and received her first black belt at age thirteen.

The only bummer was the strict ‘NO photography rule’ in the studio, so we weren’t able to snap any pics of Rachael or the guests. Overall, it was a fun experience and each of us received a copy of Rachael Ray Magazine!

Rachael Ray Show Info:
1) Sign-up online for tickets at http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/show-info/be_in_the_audience/
2) Guests can only attend once per season
3) Cameras are NOT allowed in the studio (no pictures of Rachael or guests)
4) Tapings are Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays
5) Guest are encouraged to wear bright colors
6) Free Swag–copy of Rachael Ray Magazine

My FIRST Giveaway

March 14, 2014 by Mysweethomecarolina

Oh Happy Day! I’m Super excited to team up with Full Grain Leather for my very first Giveaway! It’s a GOOD one, y’all!

Scrolling through my Instagram feed recently, I noticed a friend making handmade leather goods and the products immediately caught my attention! The ‘Inspired By’ Tory Burch and Madewell products are spot on! I quickly scooped up the handbag and bracelet! I’m LOVING my Tory Burch inspired bracelet and find myself wearing it everywhere! I ordered the Gold on Gold but now I want ALL the colors! It’s the perfect stacked bracelet! The handbag is super lightweight and great for the grab & go easiness I gravitate towards on the weekends!

What I’m digging the most about Full Grain Leather?? The products are Handmade, Made in the good ol’ USA and the colors are fully custom! A rainbow of possibilities!

Double Wrap Leather Rivet Bracelet// Winner can select the leather and hardware color

Feeling lucky? Enter to win using the Rafflecopter widget below and the winner will be announced next Friday. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

P.S.— Place an order with Full Grain Leather before 4/1/14 and receive 20% off when you use the code “MYSWEETHOME20” at checkout!