Do you have a graduation party, wedding, bridal shower, or other big event coming up in the next year or two?! If so, I have a little secret to tell you…there’s a new company in Southern Maine here to help you have a fun, trendy, and unique event! Personally, I LOVE planning parties and supporting local businesses so I’m really excited that I recently had the chance to work with Jeff, Patrick, and Teryn of The Pour Trailer. With a catchy name and aesthetically-pleasing design, this new business is bound to be a hit.

The Pour Trailer is a luxury mobile bar rental out of Cumberland, Maine. The three business partners just started accepting rental reservations this winter and I predict that they’ll book up super fast. They offer a lot of information regarding pricing, logistics, and frequently asked questions on their website but I’ll try and give you a brief overview of the services that they offer and what to expect when working with them.

So, in order to provide options and flexibility, there are a few different packages that you can rent. There are three different rental options depending on whether or not you want to hire a bartender separately and four different beverage packages depending on whether or not you want to have an open bar, a bar stocked with only beer & wine, etc. The owners are super easy to work with as well. They’re very attentive and easily accessible.

The trailer itself went through a wonderful transition. I saw pictures of what it looked like when they had just bought it in New York…it was a plain black horse trailer that looked straight out of Amish country. Now, the trailer is a crisp white color with lovely tin detailing and beautiful wood accents. The trailer features two serving windows (yay for smaller lines/shorter wait times for guests!!), one on each side. As for storage, there’s a wine fridge, a beverage cooler, and three taps with room for three different kegs. One of the other highlights that I can’t forget to mention is the LED lights that line the trailer can be set to a certain color or set to light-up to the beat of a song…I mean how cool is that?!

If you have any questions about renting The Pour Trailer please feel free to visit their website (they have a contact page on their website) or reach out to me and I’ll get you connected. You can follow along on their Instagram for updates and event inspiration or save their page on The Knot.

Thanks for taking the time to read this post! I truly appreciate your interest & support.

 

 

Tis the season…well almost. Now that it’s snowed here in Maine I feel like it’s somewhat okay to post about my Christmas tree! This year Christmas is coming a little early: 1. because winter is coming a little early but also 2. because it’s our first winter in our own house. I’m so excited to decorate for the season but I’ve been trying to keep myself to a budget. Hopefully some year soon I’m able to go all out but for now, this will have to do. I’ve already received SO much feedback on my tree! So much so that it compelled me to write a blog post. Picking out a tree and theme can be a little stressful but hopefully, you’ll find this post helpful.

When it comes to picking out a tree there’s a few decisions you’ll have to make:

• Real of fake?
• What size?
• What shape?
• Pre-lit?
• Flocked or green?

So, to start, we decided we will probably stick with fake trees until we have kids. As much as I love the tradition that comes along with cutting down a live tree {my family went to Merry Christmas Tree on River Rd in Windham ever since I can remember} we want to stick with a fake tree because they’re easier and the most cost-effective option. I decided to go with a 9-foot tree because we have vaulted ceilings now but I’m worried that we’ll have shorter ceilings in our next house. My dream is to have a 12 foot {or taller} tree one day! I also went with a slim tree and a non-lit tree because that’s how mine came and I’m happy with both of those decisions. One option that I wasn’t really flexible about was the fact that it had to be flocked. I’ve heard all of the horror stories about a flocked tree {flocked = fake snow basically} but I was set on getting a good quality flocked tree. As of now, I’ve had zero issues with my flocked tree and absolutely love it. Now a non-flocked tree looks like it’s missing something to me.

As for buying a tree, you can get carried away. It’s insane what some people will pay. However, as a recent grad, my budget was $150 or under. My biggest tip and takeaway from this whole post is look on facebook marketplace or shop the sales! I bought my tree, brand new still in the unopened box, for $150 but it was a $570 tree. I actually just found a 7-foot King of Christmas flocked unlit tree with an almost perfect rating on Amazon for $160 which is an amazing deal!

The decorations are probably my favorite part. You have so much creative freedom when it comes to this part. I always loved my sentimental, mismatched tree growing up but this year I was super excited to have a “themed” or coordinated tree that was simply just pretty. I looked up ideas on Pinterest and have been inspired by the infamous trees that Emily Gemma of The Sweetest Thing has put together over the years. This year the Dollar Tree was on point. The ornaments and other accessories are so on-trend. I bought most of my pieces from there including the tulle, garland, and ornaments. I did, however, buy one kit of 28 ornaments on amazon {linked here: shatterproof amazon ornaments} and I would have returned it if it wasn’t so dang cheap. I’m still hoping to add more ribbon and bling to my tree. It already sparkles from every angle but I want more. My big tip when it comes to decorating is find a picture of a tree that you love and try to recreate it. For example, search “buffalo plaid christmast tree”, “blue & gold christmas tree” or “glamorous christmas tree” on Pinterest or google images and look at the different trees people have already put together.

Okay, so I’ve always loved lights. They’re like the finishing touch on a tree…the cherry on top. My parent’s had our tree lighting up all the time when I was a kid and there’s just something about seeing that tree lit up when you pull into the drive way. It’s that “ahhh I’m home” moment.

Well, this year lights have taken on a whole new meaning to me. I invested in a string of LED lights from amazon and they’re just the most amazing thing ever! You NEED these. For $30 they spruce up any tree. They come in both warm white {I wish they came in cool white  but that’s okay} and colored. You get 300 lights spread over 105 feet for $32 with 8 different modes.

The last ingredient to the perfectly decorated christmast tree is the tree skirt. Again, I have another tip for you! Please don’t invest in a skirt if you can help it {unless you find the perfect one}. I’m frugal and like to find peices that I can reuse so a skirt is just like a waste of $20 – $50 to me. My Styled by Sarah hack is to find a blanket and make that work. That way you can use it throughout the year and it’s not sitting in a clear plastic tote taking up space in your storage area for 10 – 11 months out of the year. I was lucky enough to use a blanket that we already had and it works better than a skirt for me. The blanket that I used is an oversized fluffy blanket that I bought at Marshalls for $20 a few months ago. The skirts that I looked at on Amazon, at Marshalls, and at Christmas Tree Shop were cute but they weren’t even big enough for the effect that I wanted. 

To conclude, I really hope you found this post helpful & I wanted to give a shout-out to my friend & co-worker, Nancy Williamson, for taking the amazing pictures featured in this post. She is the talented owner of Nautics Photography. I’d highly recommend her for your christmas card photos, professional potraits, or whatever your needs may be.

So, over a month ago I did this little thing…I got lip fillers.

I have never been anti-cosmetic enhancements but I always thought that I would wait a little while before getting fillers or Botox. However, I entered this giveaway that just appeared on my Instagram one day and guess what…I WON! I was so excited and I was even more excited when I found out that my friend Cara also won a similar giveaway. So, we booked our appointment at Rejuvinations Medi-Spa in Falmouth with one of the coolest, friendliest, and most down-to-earth injectors in Southern Maine.

Nurse Mia is wonderful! From the beginning, even just over Instagram messenger, I got such a good vibe from her. She’s prompt and very out-going. She was so excited for Cara and I and very willing to fit us into her busy schedule. She took her time with both of us, did a thorough assessment, and did not rush at all. We chatted for a while and she made sure that I was comfortable and fully understood the process. Some people may have the misconception that cosmetic injections have to be given by a plastic surgeon or a specialized practitioner but that is far from the truth. Aesthetic nurses who administer cosmetic products are just as capable. One fun fact about Mia is that she is going back to school to be a nurse practioner {major kudos to her!!}. She’s a hoot and so much fun to follow on Instagram – click this link to see what she’s all about and to see some of her work!

We started out my appointment by discussing what my goals were and what I envisioned. Personally, I wanted to start slow and price was a consideration for me as well {even with the giveaway}. I decided to go with 1/2 a syringe or 0.5 ml. Mia suggested that I go for the Juvederm Volbella because it’s subtle and very hydrating. Since my lips are ALWAYS wicked dry and I wanted a natural look, this sounded like a good idea to me.

People can have these opinions and misconceptions about fillers but I feel like not everyone does their research or truly understands what it is. Volbella is just hyaluronic acid which is a natural component in our skin. It is so effective because it holds up to 1,000 times its weight in water {which is also the reason you’ll see it in many different skincare products – ex: it’s in my Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Moisturizer}.

The injection process was slightly more painful than I expected. Mia does use a gel numbing product that works within minutes but there’s still a tiny pinch when the injection is given. The injection contains lidocaine which helps but also causes a sting upon injection. I found that when Mia used the insulin syringe to perform a technique known as “tenting” I could feel a pinch more than when she used the larger needle {but it’s well worth it}. I also made the mistake of only eating an English muffin with peanut butter the day of my appointment {my appointment was at 2 pm and I had eaten around 8 am so that was a very poor decision}. I did get quite light-headed and sweaty {side effects of local lidocaine} during the process but it was warm in the room and I’m pretty sure that wouldn’t have happened if I was smart and had eaten lunch that day.

As far as healing and downtime goes, there was basically no sign of injections either directly after or the next day. I didn’t really bruise at all but my lips were definietly swollen which honestly made them look even  better. I did ice my lips on and off the rest of the night but the next morning I had my 6 hour NAPLEX {national pharmacy board} exam at 8 am and didn’t have any pain or brusing by then. So, here are the results:

I’m overall very happy with how my lips came out. It was subtle enough that even my parents really liked it. I hope to get them done again soon but between loans, rent, and saving for a house & a car, I’m forced to put that on hold for a little while.

If you have any questions or are thinking of getting yours done feel free to message or email me!

XOXO – Sarah