I'M OFF TO CHURCH!

I'm out the door to church and "HERE'S WHAT I'M WEARING"...

The dress is the Diamond Head Patch Pattern Shift by Lilly. I'll take my Land's End white cardigan sweater throw just in case I get chilly in the sanctuary. Since I'll be in church, I'll wear a pair of nude stockings with my white Tory Burch Revas...a perfect church-y shoe for Lilly shifts in the summertime!

I'll accessorize the outfit with my silver monogrammed pendant necklace and the matching monogrammed earrings. I'll also wear my silver Return to Tiffany's bracelet and my Cartier roll ring wedding band. I'm wearing clear nail polish today *gasp* and my fragrance will be Lilly Wink. I'll be carrying a white Bermuda Bag and my ponytail will be adorned with a white ribbon bow. Of course, my stylish Chanel sunglasses will come off before I enter the sanctuary.

After church, I'll stop off at one of my favorite lunch spots--Panera Bread. I'll get my usual Pick Two-- salad and soup. For those of you who follow me on Twitter, you know that I'll be tweeting from Panera Bread about dining etiquette.

On the way home, I'll stop off at Joann Fabrics to try to find a nice coordinating pattern to a toile fabric I'm using for valances.

Thank you so much for stoppping in today. I hope you have a wonderful Sunday!

LILLY PHOTO OF THE WEEK

This week's photo was sent in by Rose at AHintofHome. While shopping at an antique store in Boone, North Carolina, she spotted the owner wearing...Lilly! That's Rose on the left standing next to the Lilly Lover--Charlene Headley. Thank you so much Rose for being on the lookout for Lilly...Y'all stop over and visit with Rose. Also, if you are ever in Boone, North Carolina, take a stroll through Antiques on Howard Street.

LILLY PHOTO OF THE WEEK--CHARLENE HEADLEY, BOONE, NC

Y'all don't forget to e-mail me your Lilly photo...send it to me at Miss Janice {at} Miss Janice {dot} com. Thank you for stopping by today.

ROAD TRIP Y'ALL!

My mama's in town and we're taking a road trip y'all...over to Sarasota, Florida. Mama's sister lives there and I'm excited for mama to see her only surviving sibling. I'm also excited to visit with my cousins.

But first, we're starting the day with scones, jam, and a glass of Florida's Natural Ruby Red Grapefruit Juice...from the Lilly carton. To celebrate their 50th Anniversary Jubilee, Lilly Pulitzer teamed up with Florida's Natural to issue 1 million Lilly-fied juice cartons--a portion of each carton sold will go to BreastCancer.org.

A simple breakfast of scones, jam, and Lilly-fied grapefruit juice. The polka dot breakfast plates and linen napkins are from the Paula Deen collection.

I'll be using my weekend garment bag and carryall...the Elizabeth pattern--by Vera Bradley...monogrammed, of course.

My summer laptop bag is by Land's End, now y'all know it also has my monogram! I always laminate my business cards and tie them onto my bags with cute bows...just in case!
In case you don't know, one of my favorite bloggers, Nancy at SouthernLady-Nancy is having a "Shoe Show." Everything Nancy does is Very Stylish...Very Southern. In fact, I awarded her blog with "MISS JANICE'S FIVE SILVER SPOONS AWARD" awhile back. Stop over and visit her today.

I'm featuring shoes today that I'll be taking on my road trip and, of course, "What I'll be Wearing"...

The first pair of shoes are by Christian Dior. I first saw these sport shoes several years ago on the feet of a shoe-aholic celebrity in People magazine and just had to have a pair of my own. Christian Dior had one pair left in a size 7 1/2 B...in Hawaii! They flew them to Beverly Hills and I got in my car and drove from Palm Springs to pick 'em up. $375 for a pair of tennis shoes...I must have been out of my mind!So, I wear these shoes about once a year with this outfit. The pink linen comfy blouse is by Ralph Lauren and the white jeans are also by Ralph Lauren.
The pink cap says "BAD HAIR DAY." Of course, my ponytail will be adorned with a pink ribbon and I'll carry this white Christian Dior saddle bag.

The second pair of shoes are not quite as pricey as the first...they are these darling pink thong sandals by Lilly. I will carry this cute straw bag by Queen Bea Studio and my ponytail will be adorned with hot pink ribbon bow.

This is the outfit I will wear with the Lilly sandals. I love these overalls and the pink Lilly tee shirt. These overalls were hand-painted by Patricia Sofia of LaJolla, California. Ms. Sofia's gardens were featured several years ago in Better Homes & Garden Magazine. She was posing in her garden wearing these overalls and I just fell in love with them. They have such a happy look, don't you think?

Closeup shot of the hand-painted overalls...

The third pair of shoes I'll be taking are not pricey, but they are just my style. These cute little black and white flip flops have my monogram and are the perfect summer shoe to coordinate with this black and white monogrammed, toile tote bag. Here's that same "BAD HAIR DAY" cap, but in black with the black and white gingham ribbon bow for my pontail.

Yes, I love overalls...These little black linen capris overalls are from Fresh Produce and I'll be wearing a simple white tee shirt with them.

The fourth pair of shoes are just like the flip flops above...only they are pink and green. They totally fill my preppy needs, along with the Lilly Bermuda Bag in the coveted Shrimp Cocktail pattern, the totally hot green cap--monogrammed in pink, and the pink ribbon bow for my ponytail.
Very summery and very comfy white linen blouse and green linen capris from Chico's...Kind of plain on it's own, but with the above accessories...Definitely Preppy!

Do you ever pack a just-in-case outfit? Just-in-case you don't feel like wearing the other stuff you packed...Well, that's what this outfit is for! The shoes...Aqua blue flip flops by Ralph Lauren, with a yellow Lilly Pulitzer Bermuda Bag, an aqua blue Ralph Lauren cap, and a yellow gingham ribbon bow for my ponytail.

Yes, just in case we get a blizzard here in Florida, I'll need this yellow Ralph Lauren sweater to wear with these khaki shorts and white tee shirt...
So, I hope y'all have a wonderful weekend. I'm off to spend time with family--Making it Southern...Making it Memorable!

LILLY PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Mother and daughter in Lilly...how beautiful are they both!? This photo was sent in by Ms. Amy Oppenheim, the wife of 12 years to Steven, and stay-at-home mama to her 8-year old son Jack and 4-year old daughter Rachel.

She is pictured here with Rachel. Amy is wearing the Lovell shift by Lilly and carrying the fabulous Lilly Metallic Mizner Clutch. Rachel is wearing the Cabanarama Lilly shift...it's waaaay too cute and one of my fave Lilly patterns. This photo was snapped Memorial Day weekend 2009 when her family was vacationing in Aruba. They are posing on the grounds of the Hyatt Hotel, their posh vacation spot in Aruba! Amy said that..."a vacation would not be a vacation without Lilly....she feels carefree when wearing Lilly--she thinks of fruity drinks, warm sun, palm trees, and all the fun that goes along with those things!! I totally agree Amy!

THE LILLY PHOTO OF THE WEEK
Thank you Amy for sharing this darling photo...y'all look so classic and preppy!

Y'all don't forget to e-mail me your Lilly photo...send it to Miss Janice {at} Miss Janice {dot} com. Thank you for stopping by today!

Make it Preppy...Make it Personal

I haven't joined in on the fun with Susan over at BetweenNapsOnThePorch in awhile, so I'm sharing a casual tablescape I created recently for a summer lunch on the porch. Most of the tableware was purchased at Target in the $1-ish section.

Here's the tablescape...

The pink plaid melamine plates and coordinating placemats are from Target. I found the lime green charger plates on Ebay.

The solid white napkins are adorned with a lime green dotted ribbon and I love the little flip flop placecard holders, which I found at Claire's in the mall.

I also used monogrammed decals, all from 2PreppyGirls to help to make it a little more preppy and a little more personal. I love 2PreppyGirls...Margaret has the cutest products y'all. The decals are easy to use and add personalization to everything! She carries the cutest monogrammed clogs, checkbook covers, caps & visors, laptop bags, and all sorts of cute, preppy items. Please stop over and visit her store and also check out her blogsite here.

I love the acrylic wine goblets, personalized...

After spraying a yucky, silver-colored bucket a preppy lime green color and adding a monogrammed decal, I think it made a nice wine bucket to hold the Trader Joe's famous Two- Buck Chuck Chardonnay. The darling pink and green wine bottle stopper was a gift to me from SouthernAndPreppy for a recent swap.

I love this pink plaid melamine tray and coordinating beverage pitcher, which also came from the $1-ish section at Target. I also love the plastic tumblers, holding the cool summer Peach Tea Coolers and labeled "Drinks Well With Others"--yes ma'am, I do!

PREPPY LUNCHEON MENU
Peach Tea Coolers*
Seafood Salad with Lime Vinaigrette**
French Baguette
Two-Buck Chuck Chardonnay
Orange Creamsicles***

SEAFOOD SALAD & BAGUETTE...

ORANGE CREAMSICLES...
A little Monogramming Etiquette:
Mongramming is a personal expression that adds an extra touch to anything! Make sure that you follow monogramming etiquette--don't commit a monogramming faux pas.

Your initials are your monogram. For an example, I will use my name and my husband's name. My maiden name was Janice Kay Sessums. I married Kenneth Craig Gibson. Following Southern tradition, my name is now Janice Sessums Gibson. Here are the guidelines for our monograms:

~For single lady--Janice Kay Sessums--jSk
~For a married lady--Janice Sessums Gibson--jGs
~For a gentleman--Kenneth Craig Gibson--KCG
~For a married couple--Janice and Ken Gibson--jGk (The ladies initial always comes first in the monogram; never separate a gentleman's first name from his last name)
~If you want to use only one inital, use your first name initial for pocketbooks and accessories--J. Use your last name initial for home products--G.
~Using your married monogram before you are married is an etiquette faux pas; it's okay to use your married monogram at your wedding on napkins, favors, runners, cake, etc.
~Using "His/Hers" as a monogram is tacky y'all!

So, "What Did I Wear?"...Pink and Green, and monogrammed, of course. This is the fuschia pink linen Lilly shift and I wore my darling Jack Rogers fuschia and lime green sandals. The colors appear off here, but they were perfect together!

Here's the recipes from this summer luncheon, I hope that you try them, they are simply delish!

Recipe for Peach Tea Coolers
9 oz. iced tea
3 oz. peach schnapps

Mix and serve over ice

**Recipe for Seafood Salad with Lime Vinaigrette

1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1 1/2 cup olive oil
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 lb. crabmeat
2 avocados, pitted, peeled, and cut into small cubes
1 pint grape tomatoes, sliced
2 tblsp. green onions, chopped
Herb lettuce

Sautee shrimp in 1/4 cup olive oil and 1/4 tsp. dried thyme for about 3 minutes. Cover and refrigerate the shrimp until chilled.

Combine crabmeat, avocados, tomatoes, green onions. Drizzle with 1/3 cup Lime Vinaigrette, and mix gently.

Place desired amount of herb salad on plate and drizzle a few tablespoons of Lime Vinaigrette over lettuce. Top with the seafood mixture and enjoy!

Lime Vinaigrette:
In a medium bowl, whisk together 6 tablespoons fresh lime juice and 1 garlic clove, and 2 tblsp. chopped green onions. Slowly whisk in 1 1/4 cups extra-virgin olive oil.

***Recipe for Orange Creamsicles
1 cup vanilla-flavored yogurt
1/2 cup frozen orange-juice concentrate, thawed
1/4 cup water
1/8 tsp. ground ginger
In a medium bowl, combine yogurt, orange juice, water, and ginger, stirring well. Fill ice-pop molds. Freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Well that's it...a Pink, Preppy, and Personalized Luncheon Tablescape! Thank you for stopping by today.

How Dirty Are Your Shoes?

Goodness gracious...What would you think if you arrived at someone's home, dressed to the hilt for a party, and saw with this sign?


While watching a rerun of Sex and the City, I saw the hilarious episode when Carrie was asked to remove these darling silver Manolo Blahnik shoes while attending a baby shower. Fast forward to the end of the party, she's shocked to discover the shoes were stolen!

Of course Carrie spends the entire episode tracking down who may have mistakenly walked out in her beloved Manolos. Because Miss Carrie never married or had a baby before this episode, she felt she had never been on the receiving end of a "shower gift" and was definitely due to be...so she registered...for these Manolos! Of course, the hostess gasped at the outrageous price tag and then purchased them for Carrie, who lived happily ever after in the land of shoeaholics!

Was the hostess etiquettely correct in asking her guests to remove their shoes at the door?

There are several benefits to removing shoes at the front door:
~Children play on floors...think about all the dirt, pet excrement, insects, pesticides and others chemicals that are tracked in with shoes; it's disgusting!
~You will not have to clean your floors as often.
~Shoes can scratch wood floors.

What do the experts say about this subject?

I was interviewed by Good Morning America for a segment "How Dirty Are Your Shoes" and you might want to read my advice about the subject.

How do y'all feel about asking guests to remove their shoes in your home? Do you ask them to "take 'em off please," or do you let 'em track on in? I'd love to hear from you.

Lunch at Neiman Marcus...an obviously "Prissy Day"!

Me dressed in Lilly, a fancy mall, my favorite department store, lunch at my favorite department store...a very Prissy Day, yes ma'am!

Today I had so much fun...lunch at one of my favorite places--Neiman Marcus. But it was even more special because I dined with a friend from waaay back...over 25 years ago. Gloria and I met when we both worked on the S.S. Norway--back in the day when people actually dressed up for dinner on a cruise ship! Today we had so much fun reminiscing about our ship days and Gloria actually brought along some photos of us...when we were young:)

Miss Janice and Gloria...during our S.S. Norway days.
Miss Janice and Gloria at the Mariposa, Neiman Marcus, Boca Raton, Florida


"Here's What I Wore"...
I was going to get "all decked out," but with the rainy weather we've been having, I decided to go casual. I wore this cute little Lilly skirt--Sweet Blue Crabby Pattern, with the scalloped hemline...just love this skirt. The tee shirt is from Target or somewhere else, I can't remember. I wore a light blue cotton Lilly cardigan sweater, buttoned up. So Lilly...so summertime!
Closeup of the fabric pattern...

I accessorized the outfit with my pearl necklace and matching pearl stud earrings. My typical ponytail was adorned with a light blue ribbon. My shoes--blue-thongs, Flapper Scuba w/Havana, by Lilly--I bought these in Palm Desert, California about six years ago. I wore my Oyster Perpetual Rolex, my Cartier roll ring wedding band, and my "Return to Tiffany" silver bracelet. My nail polish was Palm Tree, by Christian Dior, and lipstick--Laser Pink, by Chanel. Fragrance of choice...Lilly Wink! Oh, my pocketbook...one of my favorites for the summer...it's by Billie Ross of the Palm Beaches.
I love this little summer pocketbook...
There's the Lilly Pulitzer store...

What a wonderful day! I have always loved dining at Neiman Marcus and lunch today at The Mariposa Restaurant was just beyond delightful. It's a great spot for "Ladies Who Lunch"! I simply must award this fine restaurant with my "Five Silver Spoons Award"!


MISS JANICE'S "FIVE SILVER SPOONS" AWARD--MARIPOSA RESTAURANT, NEIMAN MARCUS, BOCA RATON, FLORIDA!


I hope that everyone has a safe and enjoyable July 4th holiday. I'm off to prepare for a small dinner I'm hosting on Sunday evening. Thank you for stopping by today!