galentine's day brunch

Decor: Target + Hobby Lobby | Food and Drink: Hy-Vee

Happy Galentine's Day! Last year I talked about how to host a successful Galentine's Day and this year I actually hosted a successful Galentine's Day! I had so much fun setting up for this brunch and had even more fun celebrating that I just had to share all the deets. Below are my essentials for a successful brunch.

WHAT TO WEAR:
I'm all about a theme, so I told my girls to wear pink, red, or whatever color they thought would fit the theme. My besties know how to humor me, and they did not disappoint! Read this post here for some adorable Valentine's Day dress ideas!

WHAT TO EAT:

In my post last year I rounded up some great breakfast ideas that you can see here. This year I had a pretty simple but amazingly delicious menu, and the best part is that it was so easy! This was the menu:

Cherry Donut Holes (available at your local grocery store's bakery)

Fruit Pizza

Sausage and Goat Cheese Egg Bake

White Chocolate Covered Strawberries

White Chocolate Covered Pretzels

Brach's Jube Jel Cherry Hearts

WHAT TO DRINK:
Mimosas - duh!

Bellinis made with Izze Sparkling Peach and champagne

Cranberry Cocktail with Club Soda (for my pregnant bestie!)

(Also see last year's post for more cocktails and mocktails!)

DECOR:

Heart shaped plates, candles, paper straws and the cutest pink pitcher - I found the BEST decor in the Target dollar section and also in the holiday section at Hobby Lobby. Between those two places, decorations were pretty easy, and they looked great! I got the plates for my wedding from Crate and Barrel, and the gold champagne flutes are from World Market.

GIFT BAGS:

I made my girls some Caramel Crispix (recipe here) and put them in adorable little Valentine's Day bags from Target for my friends to take home. I also got some cute little straws from Target that I taped to the Izze bottles with gold foil heart masking tape from Hobby Lobby. Honestly it was so inexpensive but so cute - and everyone loves a goodie bag!

Did you have a Galentine's Day brunch this weekend? I'd love to hear about it! Thanks for reading! XO!

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valentine's day gift guide | for her

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

February is moving right along and Valentine's Day is right around the corner. Even though I love Valentine's Day and fully support gift giving for any holiday, normally the hubs and I don't do gifts. But sometimes it's nice to surprise your loved one and get them a little something anyway. If you're one of those people that love to give or receive gifts, I've put together an amazing gift list for you! Tell your S.O. what you want, buy it yourself (and put it on his CC) or if you're a single lady, #treatyoself!

I got a robe similar to this one from a friend who's wedding I was recently in and I love to put it on when I'm getting ready for a night out, or if I just want to lounge around the house. (I'm a huge supporter of #nopants, so robes are amazing!) I will never say no to gummy bears, ESPECIALLY if they are infused with champagne... say what? These gummy bears are the easiest way to a girl's heart. This bracelet I've talked about many times before - I have it in silver but really want it in gold as well. I love a pop of color and this pretty pink purse is perfect for spring! I got to pick this watch out when I won a giveaway with my Style Collective peeps, and I love it - rose gold hardware, white face and light grey wristband that can be swapped out for other awesome colors - not mad at it. These shoes... there are no words. If I don't own these by summertime I'm going to be very disappointed. They're the perfect shade of pink and I'm obsessed with the gold heel. Like, OBSESSED. I like to think that spring is near, but let's be honest - it's not. The groundhog saw his shadow so we have a good six long weeks left of this dreaded winter. These Ugg boots are adorable, I love how the fur detail gives the classic Ugg boot a little twist. If you're looking for something a little sexy, this lace bodysuit is so cute, it comes in peach and black and has the prettiest lace details. And these wine glasses are my fave - I use them all the time. Ok, not all the time, just like, Thursday and Friday... maybe Wednesday too. And occasionally Saturday. And maybe during The Bachelor on Monday?

Hope you guys like this gift guide! You can find a Galentine's Day look here and a cute Valentine's Day look here! Thanks for reading! XO

Facebook: Blonde Style Blog | Instagram: @blondestyleblog | Twitter: @blondestyleblog | Pinterest: @theblondestyle | Snapchat: stephmcclure

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white blazer + fringe skirt

blazer | tank, similar here and here | skirt, similar here | purse, similar here and here, also love this one | shoes, also love these | earrings (get one month free w/code THEBLONDESTYLEBLOGXOXO), also love these | bracelet

Happy February! Who is celebrating Galentine's Day in a couple weeks!? Last year I posted how to host a successful Galentine's Day here, but I was never actually able to host a party. This year since I'm back in Iowa, I'm excited to host a brunch for a few of my close friends. One of my goals in 2017 is to actually have more get-togethers with my friends instead of just thinking or talking about it. I went to Target and scoped out the dollar section and found all sorts of cute Valentine's Day goodies, and I know the hubs won't appreciate them, so why not celebrate with my bests!? They probably won't appreciate them as much as I do, but at least they'll humor me!

I'm currently in LOVE with this blazer and obsessively trying to figure out multiple ways to wear it, so be prepared to be seeing it styled tons of different ways. (You can get some behind the scenes styling over on my Snapchat - @stephmcclure, or IG Stories - @theblondestyleblog.) I bought this skirt last year but have never worn it, but it's the first thing I thought to pair with this blazer. Since it's old and no longer available, I linked an almost identical one above. I wanted to do all white for this look, but instead added the pop of red to be festive. This tank is also old but it's a pretty standard tank so I linked some similar looks. For accessories you can do gold or silver - I chose silver because I wanted to wear this Kendra Scott bracelet and these icicle earrings from Rocksbox are giving me life - plus I want any excuse to wear these silver pumps! This purse is an oldie but a goodie - my sister bought it for me for my wedding, so it's no longer available, but I linked some other super cute options because I believe every girl should have a pretty little beaded number in their purse collection - so classic!

Check back for a recap on my Galentine's Brunch - I'm hoping it's a success! Thanks for reading! XO

Facebook: The Blonde Style Blog | Instagram: @theblondestyleblog | Twitter: @blondestyleblog | Pinterest: @theblondestyle | Snapchat: stephmcclure

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