Wedding Wednesday!

Business first -My lovely little Brie from Sophistifunk is hosting a pretty awesome giveaway! Go enter that and then come back here to read my first (of probably many) Wedding Wednesday posts! I will wait, go ahead...

Oh, and by the way isn't she so sophistifunky? You can't help but just adore her!

Now on with the show...
My first Wedding Wednesday post! EEK! I feel like I am officially actually legitimately in real life going to be married now that I have booked our venue (and of course because I'm doing a Wedding Wednesday post)! It's quite exciting!

Without further adieu, I present to you Nikki & Skye's wedding venue -- Sequoyah Marina in Norris, TN. AKA our home away from home, our boat dock.

Originally, before I was ever presented with 10 million other options we wanted something on the water. We are water people, we both grew up on the lake, we spend lots and lots of hours here and it's what we love - so it made sense. We want to live here someday, hopefully in the not so distant future. So I ended up finding out perfect wedding place smack dab under my nose.

We will do our actual ceremony outside on the dock. This will not be open to the public so nobody will be walking around the dock photobombing us.

Then we will proceed upstairs for the party reception! A girl I went to high school with recently got married here, and here are a few of my favorite shots from her wedding. This is where we keep our boat so I hope we can get a boat getaway shot like they did! Love it! She and I are having lunch next week to discuss everything she loved and wanted to change about her wedding so maybe I can learn from her.



Source: These photos courtesy of KB Photography

Now I feel like the real wedding planning, the fun detailed stuff, can begin. I feel so relieved now that this part is finalized. So what do you guys think? It fits us, or what you know of us, right?

283 Days until Nikki & Skye Get Hitched!

Yummy Summer Drinks {Sponsor Spotlight}

I really can't believe that July is almost over! I still have a few days left though so now is the time to brag about my fabulous July sponsors. I don't know about you guys, but I think I definitely consume more alcohol in the summer. For me, it comes with lazy lake days when I drink beer after beer and don't even think twice of the calories. No matter if you spend you summers on the water or not - we all love a good cocktail. I asked my July girls to tell me their favorite go-to summer drink.

1. Nikki at My Life My Way - Twitter  Instagram  Pinterest  Goodreads

My NEW favorite summer drink is Vodka and club with lemon and lime! YUM!!!! So light and surprisingly refreshing!

2. Taylor at Goings On In Texas - Twitter  Pinterest  Instagram

My favorite cocktail (no matter what the season) is the Colorado Bulldog.

Here is my recipe:

1 shot vodka
1 shot Kahlua® coffee liqueur
  milk or half & half (if you want a richer taste, go for the half & half or you can do 50/50 of the two or just milk for less fat)
1 splash Coca-Cola®

In a shaker mix Vodka, Kahlua. Pour into a glass filled 3/4ths full of ice and add milk to 3/4th full and then add a splash of Coca-Cola. Stir.

 Read more at: Step by Step How to Make a Colorado Bulldog Cocktail http://www.stepbystep.com/how-to-make-a-colorado-bulldog-cocktail-8197/

3. Brie at Recipe for a Beautiful Life - Facebook  Twitter  Instagram

 Hi Pink Growl Readers! I'm Brie and I blog over at Recipe for a Beautiful Life. I'm just a normal career-minded, 20-something, Navy wife trying to juggle everything life throws my way.  I’m a total gym rat, wannabe fashionista, wino and food lover. I’m on a quest, not to be obsessive, but to be healthy and happy. I blog about my passion for fitness, my love for all things fashion and beauty, my obsession with sports, and life in general.

I love me a good cocktail, especially in the summer, when Maryland's hot, humid weather leaves me craving something cool and refreshing. Since I have been on a little health kick as of late (I've lost over 20 pounds in the last few months), I am all about the low cal options. Right now, my favorite is Coke Zero with vodka and a fresh lime wedge. It's simple, it's easy, and it's only about 65 calories a pop! Yes please! I hope you'll take a minute to stop by and check out my blog!

4. Allyson at Cupcakes and Candycanes - Facebook  Pinterest

Hi! I'm Allyson, and I blog over at Cupcakes and Candy Canes.  I  love pretty much everything about summertime.  To me, there is  nothing better than laying on the beach with a icy Coca-Cola Classic.  This is sort of a cop-out as it's my favorite year-round drink, but I can definitely indulge a little more at the beach!

5. Lauren at Our Hiding Place - Twitter  Facebook 

My favorite summer cocktail is a glass of cold white wine sangria! Nothing like yummy fruit and wine to toast those warm summer nights with!

6. Sarah at Notice the Dirt - Twitter  Facebook

My favorite summer drink is White Sangria. To make it I combine a bottle sparkling white wine like Vinho Verde, 1 sliced orange, 1 cup of sliced strawberries and 1 ½ cups of Sprite.  Let the sangria chill in the refrigerator overnight and enjoy – drink umbrella optional!

7. Suzanne at The Wineabe -

my fav this summer is a Pinot Grigio. Light, citrusy, chilled, and totally refreshing for a hot summer day {by the pool, or beach, or backyard...}

8. Kelly at Messy.Dirty.Hair -

Hiiiii The Pink Growl readers! Some of you might already know me, but I’m Kelly & I have an OC Fashion & Lifestyle blog called Messy.Dirty.Hair.

BLOG // TWITTER // FACEBOOK My  Favorite Summer Drink would be The Starbucks Refresher Drinks!!! I know that its hard for a lot of us to break out of our normal starbucks drink but I highly recommend trying them. Not only do they have caffeine in them, but they're only 50-80 calories! They seriously are the best & they really do quench your thirst.

via

9. Sarah at Simply Sarah - Twitter   Pinterest   Bloglovin'   Instagram

I'd have to say my favorite summer cocktail is a tie between a frozen

margarita & a daiquiri. There is nothing like sitting by the pool or laying on the beach 

with a cold drink in your hand. I live a couple hours away from the beach and 

there is this one mexican restaurant that I always stop in before hitting 

the sand. They have the best daiquiris and after just one, you're

good to go for hours if you catch my drift ;) 

And sometimes if you're a baller like me,

you have both :)

frozen deliciousness. 

10. Sami at Sami's Shenanigans - Twitter   Instagram   Facebook

My favorite drink is a Moscow Mule!

Special Shout Out to my other 2 gals who are not featuring in this post (but you can find their pretty faces on my sidebar!) Laura at Fancy This - Her sweet hubby is preparing for deployment she's spending as much time with him as possible! Love to her! And Brie at Sophistifunk - She just got back from a fabulous vacay in South Dakota so she's still playing catch up. Hugs!

CHEERS!

Weekend Update

Technically the weekend ended Sunday night, but I had an extended one so I'm just getting back into the swing of a normal work week. Yesterday was the last of a mini series of 3 day weekends that I had planned off to coordinate with Skye's ever changing schedule. I'm sad to see them go! That means going forward I will be working normal 5 day work weeks, and right now that just sounds shitty!

Business first around here today - I am being featured TWICE today! I'm guest posting here for my lovely girl Taylor while she's on vacay in Maine.  Then here Kelly is showing me love  since I'm one of her sponsors for the month of July. Not gonna lie, I feel kinda special today! Thanks to these two for supporting my blog too! They are good friends of mine! :)

Stay tuned Thursday of this week for the post where I show off my July sponsors and we're all talking about our favorite summer drinkys! You won't want to miss it!

Here's my weekend update via Instagram pics - you can always find me hanging around there {nikkib918}!

Spent Friday night pampering myself. Love this Wild Shine pink glitter!

BFF/maid of honor was in town again from NashVegas (not sure what's up with my hair, I realize it kinda looks mullet-ish)

FINALLY tried this! YUMMMMMY! For those of you who commented on Instagram that you can't find it, I live in TN but I found this at WalMart.

Sunday Funday

spent some of yesterday hanging out with my favorite love bug!!

12 Summer Must Haves {Sponsor Spotlight}

Since today is officially the first day of Summer, I thought I would put together a little Summer Must Have list for you! I asked all my June Sponsors if they would help me out and give me their #1 must have summer item this year. This is an amazing group of fashionistas (excluding myself) so I think we should all run out and get these products. This is not a sponsored post by any of these brands, just the things that we love!

1. Brie from Recipe for a Beautiful Life - My favorite summer product is the Tan Towel. It's a towelette with self tanner built right in! It's so easy to apply, goes on streak free, smells great and dries quickly! The color is awesome and so natural! 

2. Kelly from Messy.Dirty.Hair -  Hi loves! I'm Kelly & I blog over at Messy.Dirty.Hair, a fashion & lifestyle blog! Nikki is one of my favorite bloggers so of course I wanted to sponsor her fabulous blog! So today I am just touching on my favorite must have summer product! One of my favorite products to use during the summer is The Body Shops Vitamin C Skin Boost - it creates instant smoothing radiance with a silky smooth finish. It's an ideal skin pick-me-up to enhance your glow. It is not a lotion. It's more of a serum. It's really great when you have a nice tan on your face because it adds such a pretty shine. I highly suggest going & checking out all their Vitamin C Skin products this summer! Hope to see you around Messy.Dirty.Hair.

3. Laura from Fancy This - Yes to Cucumbers Facial Towelettes - I like them because if I have a late night {barbecuing or just spending time with friends} and I don't feel like doing my whole nighttime routine when I get home, I can just give my face a swipe with one of these little guys and it leaves my skin feeling clean, soft, and refreshed. there's no residue left behind at all, and they're hypoallergenic {for realz. I have super-sensitive skin and I don't have any issues with them!} so you know you're not leaving lots of harsh chemicals and whatnot on your face. win-win!

4. Brie from Sophistifunk - Maybelline Color Sensational Lipcolor in Fuchsia Fever - i think her picture speaks for itself in saying how cute this color is on her. Perfect pop of color for the summer time!

5. Sarah from Notice the Dirt - My must-have summer product is Frederic Fekkai Summer Hair Beach Waves Spray.  I have the kind of hair that poofs up and kinks into the kind of random waves that actually look like hat head if you even mention the word "humidity".  Basically I look like a ridiculous poodle whether I'm sitting by the pool or walking along the beach or just walking outside in my southeastern U.S. climate.  And forget spending time on a boat without both a hat AND a pony tail!  Then I met Beach Waves spray.  I keep this spray with  me when I'm going to be outside - a couple of spritzes and a comb and my hair will settle into some nice beach-y waves.  Bonus:  the spray smells so nice and summery, it's bound to improve your mood!

6. Lauren from Our Hiding Place - My MUST HAVE piece of summer clothing is colored skinny jeans! They are a great way to add a pop of color to your wardrobe, especially paired with a neutral top!  I've been posting pictures of them all over Instagram (@lpmcbride) because I'm OBSESSED with my pale pink and pale yellow pair from American Eagle. Every girl should own a pair this summer! :)

7. The Pink Growl (me!) - My must have product this summer is the Garnier Fructis Wonder Waves Spray. I'm a girl with semi-wavy hair, but it's really not cute to wear like that daily. You all know I spend all my free time at the lake so when I'm up there I can just spray this in my hair and scrunch. Easy as that! It smells great and makes very cute waves. This is a lake bag must have for me!

8. Sami from Sami's Shenanigans - My favorite summer must have product is a cute cover-up for the pool/beach! I love this Tory Burch one from ShopBop.

9. Suzanne from The Wineabe - Here is my favorite...Benefit Ultra Shines lip gloss in {So Frisk Me} It is just the right combo of shine and color {and a little sparkle} for the summer!  AND...it is not sticky!  {I hate sticky lip gloss}

10. Taylor from Goings On In Texas - My go to product for summer (and really all year round) is City Block Sheer SPF 25 by Clinique. It's a great tinted face protector that can be used by itself or as a makeup primer. I love it!! I don't wear foundation so this is a perfect primer for me. :) And it's got SPF to protect my face. It also comes in a 40 SPF.

11. Nikki from My Life My Way - my Maui Jim sunglasses because skin cancer runs ramped in my family. I do not go out of the house without these things EVER!

12. Sarah from Simply Sarah - My all time favorite summer product would have to be this True Blue Foaming Body Buff from Bath & Body works. I put this on after I wash my body and it makes my skin really soft. I hate using lotion and I never have to when I exfoliate with this stuff. It's amazing and I always get compliments on how smooth my skin is. (Ps- totally works even better if you apply it with exfoliating gloves or a loofah)

Now you know what we love! What's your favorite from the list??

{Sponsor Spotlight} April/May

As I've mentioned recently, we have some changes in the works going on over here at The Pink Growl. My new blog design will make it's appearance next week! Yippee! I also briefly mentioned here the fact that I have some new bloggy buttons hanging out in my sidebar. Sponsorship is very introductory for me, but these ladies are going to be hanging out through May so get to know them!

Brie @ Recipe for a Beautiful Life
I did a quick intro about Brie for you when she did her guest post for me a couple weeks ago. She is a fun loving Maryland girl, military wifey, fur mama to Penny (who is too cute for words) and just a very positive person. Some of my personal Brie favorites are her Workout Wednesdays, she gives great and realistic tips that seem easy to conquer in your workout. I feel like she and I have a lot in common and she's one of my bloggy BFFs!



Taylor @ Going on in Texas
The lovely Taylor has also been kind enough to do a guest post for me in my 6 week series too, you can read her post here. Taylor comes from a fitness background, and her post was all about how to get your body bikini ready. She's a southern girl, like myself, and she's so creative, unlike myself. She hosts a weekly link up Unveil  Your Genius, if you are into DIY/craft projects then you need to link up with her!


Lauren @ Our Hiding Place
Sweet Lauren also agreed to be part of my guinea pig group with my 6 week guest post series - Who Do Ya Love Wednesdays. She told the story of her perfect engagement - read it here. As I mentioned in brief intro for her on that post, she is quite the inspirational person! She loves antiques, DIY home projects, and her faith is very important to her. She's a Connecticut coastal girl. And even though we are so far away in distance, I feel like I know her as a good friend!



Sarah @ Notice the DirtSarah is a girl after my own heart with her sassy personality! I love her sense of humor! She is also a military wife currently located in North Carolina, but found out recently that she is soon being relocated to Hawaii! Let's all take a moment to feel sorry for her :) She is gearing up to run her first 10k, and keeps us up to date on her training tips & tactics. Soon we will be living vicariously through her with her amazing Hawaii pictures!

Mrs. Monologues
Mrs. Monologues is a snarky soul, and I truly love that about her! She is down right hilarious! She just so happens to also host my very favorite link up, Fur Baby Friday! If you have a little furry one that you just can't stop posting pictures of you, then come over on Friday and link up with us to show off. She's always willing to poke fun at herself, and if you know me at all then you know I'm my favorite person to make fun of.


Suzanne @ The WineabeSuzanne is a Mid-Western transplant in Northern Cali aka Wine Country. She's a self proclaimed wine lover, and who doesn't need a dose of that everyday now and again. She also takes us on a journey of her design projects - which are fabulous! She definitely makes you want to redo every room in your house - or better yet, pay her to do it!   

Amanda @ The Mayor's Wife

Amanda is also a Connecticut girly girl. She loves her fur babies, her new-ish husband, and her tattoos. She seems to be a tell-it-like-it-is person, which I adore. Her blog details the daily joys of her life, including lots of pictures. I love bloggers who really let you into their world via pictures.