Football and Fashion - Garnet/Maroon/Crimson

I know it's getting cooler outside, but I had to post this.  Such a pretty dress for you garnet/maroon/crimson loving ladies!

Vestique Blank Slate Dress

Gameday Picture Link-Up Week 9

Happy Halloween!

Today is our 9th Gameday Picture Link-Up! If you link up, feel free to grab our icon below so that other people will know where to go to link up as well.  With the exception of those in the south, our days of wearing dresses on Gameday are sadly done for this year.  It's time to bring out the boots and scarves.  We'd love to see what you're wearing to your games now that it's getting cooler. 

Tailgating Pumpkins

A friend's pumpkins from his tailgate last year! 

(Not the greatest quality of pictures, but I had to share!)

Frosted Peanut Butter Football Cookies

Super cute and easy football cookies!

Ingredients: 
 

1 pouch Betty Crocker® peanut butter cookie mix

Oil, water and egg called for on cookie pouch mix

1 container Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy chocolate frosting

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1 tube Betty Crocker® white decorating cookie icing 

 Steps: 

 
Make cookie dough as directed on package. Shape dough into 1 1/2–inch balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheets; press each ball into ovals, 1/4–inch thick.

Bake at 375° F 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown around edges. Cool; place cookies on cooling racks. Cool completely.

In small bowl, stir chocolate frosting and peanut butter until blended. Spread frosting over cookies; pipe laces with white frosting.

Makes 2 1/2 dozen cookies

 

 Recipe courtesy of Betty Crocker

Gameday Picture Link-Up Week 8

We can't believe this past week was week 8 of college football.  Thanks to all of you who have linked up with us, we've really enjoyed your Gameday pictures! If you link up, feel free to grab our icon below and link back to us so that other people can link up too.  And even if you didn't go to your game celebrated another way, we'd love to see those pictures as well!

Can't wait to see your pictures!

ACC Weekly Feature - Charlottesville, VA - Go Hoos!

University of Virginia

Town: Charlottesville, VA

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Head Coach: Mike London

Stadium: Scott Stadium

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Mascot: Cavalier, Wahoos

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Colors: Orange and Navy Blue

Biggest Rivals: UNC, Maryland, and Virginia Tech

Traditions

{One}

Wearing coats and ties/sundresses to games.  UVA was an all-men's school at the undergraduate level until 1970, so football games were big events around Grounds.  Women from nearby Mary Washington and Randolph-Macon were bused in for the weekends. Coats/ties took a bit of a hit in the 2000's with Al Groh, because he implored the student body to wear orange rather than dressing up.  But to spite Groh and his fault in our program's fall from relevance, many more students are bringing back the old tradition.

{Two}

Good Ole Song {sang to the tune of Aude Lang Syne} is the fight song.  Whenever UVA scores, everyone puts their arms around each other and sway, singing "That Good Ole Song of Wa-hoo-wa, we'll sing it o'er and o'er, it cheers our hearts and warms our blood to hear t hem shout and roar, we come from Ole Virginia where all is bright and gay, let's all join hands and give a yell from Dear Ole U-V-A...Wa-hoo-wa! Wa-hoo-wa! Uni-V Vir-gin-i-a! Hoo rah ray! Hoo rah ray! Ray Ray UVA!

{Three}

Secret Societies

{Four} 

Streaking the Lawn

Top Tailgate Spots

The Lawn and The Range, where top 4th year (instead of senior) undergraduate housing is located.   It is the original Grounds (referred to as the Grounds instead of Campus) that TJ designed.  Fraternity tailgates are popular due to their proximity to Scott Stadium.

Where to Celebrate

The Corner, the main bar strip, or back to the Lawn.  An older grow will gather at the Downtown Mall

Where to Watch if You Don't Have a Ticket

Any of the bars on the Corner - Biltmore, Boylan, Heights, Trinity, and Mellow Mushroom

 

SEC Weekly Feature - Baton Rouge, LA - Geaux Tigers!

Louisiana State University

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Town: Baton Rouge, LA

Stadium: Tiger Stadium

Coach: Les "Mad Hatter" Miles

Mascot: Tigers, Mike the Tiger

Colors: Purple & Gold

Biggest Rivals: University of Alabama & Ole Miss

Famous Alumni: Pete "Pistol Pete" Maravich, Bill Cannon {1959 Heisman Trophy winner}, Shaquille O'Neal, and James Carville

Gameday Traditions

Victory Hill

A pre-game ritual for many Tiger fans is to line up down North Stadium Drive in the hours before kickoff to see the Tiger Marching Band in its walk from the band hall to Tiger Stadium

LSU Fight Song

Hey, Fightin' Tigers, fight all the way Play Fightin' Tigers, win the game today

You've got the know how, you're doing fine, Hang on to the ball as you hit the wall

And smash right through the line

You've got to go for a touchdown, run up the score

Make Mike the Tiger stand up and roar

ROAR!

Give it all of your might as you fight tonight and keep the goal in view

Victory for L-S-U!

White Jerseys

LSU is one of the few college who traditionally wear white jerseys for home games.  The tradition originate in 1958, when head coach Paul Dietzel changed the home uniforms to white jerseys.  Subsequently the Tigers won the National Championship in 1958 and the home jersey color was never changed.

Saturday Nights in Death Valley

Saturday nights in Tiger Stadium started in 1931, when LSU beat Spring Hill 35-0 under the lights.  It is said that night games were to avoid heat and humidity, to avoid scheduling conflicts with Tulane and Loyola, and in turn giving more fans a chance to watch the Tigers play.  Night games at Tiger Stadium are so electrifying that they register on the Richter scale.

Tailgating

Tiger fans arrive as early as Thursday night to start setting up for Saturday morning.  Setting up their motor homes, tents, TVs, tables, flags, kegs, and of course, FOOD...jambalaya, gumbo, potato salad, and boudin!

Where to Celebrate

Whether you don't have a ticket or you are heading somewhere to celebrate a Tiger Victory, the hotspots are The Varsity, Walk-On's, or any bar in the Tiger land District.

Geaux Tigers

Big thanks to my friend, Ashlie, who attended LSU and provided all of the insider information and pictures.  She is the biggest and truest Tiger fan I know.

xoxo,

Ashton

Recipe - Buffalo Chicken Dip

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uffalo Chicken Dip Recipe

10 20 30 Ingredients

• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup Louisiana-style hot sauce
• 1 cup ranch salad dressing
• 3 cans (4-1/2 ounces each) chunk white chicken, drained and shredded
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
• Corn or tortilla chips
• Thinly sliced green onions, optional

Directions

• In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, hot pepper sauce and salad dressing. Stir in chicken.
• Spread into an ungreased 11-in. x 7-in. baking dish. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20-22 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with green onions if desired. Serve with chips. Yield: 5 cups.

Nutrition Facts: 2 tablespoons (calculated without chips) equals 69 calories, 6 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 15 mg cholesterol, 156 mg sodium, 1 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 3 g protein. 

Prep/Total Time: 30 min.

  Recipe courtesy of Taste of Home

Gameday Picture Link-Up Week 7

Today is our 7th Gameday picture link-up! I can't believe we are about halfway through the season....How is your team doing?  Feel free to grab our icon below if you link up and be sure to link back to us so other people will be able to link up as well.

and, as always, if you don't blog and have pictures to share, email them to us!

Football and Fashion - Florida State, Boston College

Vestique Two-Toned Necklace

ACC Weekly Feature - Georgia Tech

School: Georgia Tech (Georgia Institute of Technology)

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 Town: Atlanta, GA 

Head Coach: Paul Johnson

Football Stadium: Bobby Dodd Stadium “The Flats” is the oldest on-campus stadium in Division I FBS football

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  Mascot: Yellow Jackets (Buzz)

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 Colors: Old Gold, White

Traditions: The “Ramblin Wreck” leading the team onto the field before kick-off. The fight song:  “I’m a Ramblin Wreck from Georgia Tech and a helluva engineer…” Singing of “The Budweiser Song” between 3^rd and 4^th quarters. The steam whistle blowing after every first down and victory. Players walking down Yellow Jacket alley before the game.

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  Famous Alumni: Jimmy Carter, Jeff Foxworthy, Calvin Johnson, Mark Teixeira, Chris Bosh, David Duval

Biggest Rival: University of Georgia Bulldogs “Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate rivalry”

Where to Stop for Food: Since Bobby Dodd Stadium is located in the middle of Atlanta, parking is a premium, which in turn cuts back on some of the tailgating. If you are one of the unlucky few to not find a spot to tailgate, many fans swing through “The Varsity” for their pregame meal. The Varsity is located a few blocks from the stadium and is an Atlanta landmark that was founded in 1928. Today it is one of the world’s largest drive-ins and serves nearly 30,000 Tech fans on game days.

Where to Watch the Game if You Don't Have a Ticket: STATS, Taco Mac, Hudson Grille

Where to Party After A Win: Rocky Mountain Pizza, Atlantic Station, Buckhead

Big thanks to my friend Elizabeth's brother, Will, for giving us all the inside information for this post! We really appreciate it!

SEC Weekly Feature - Starkville, MS - MORE Cowbell

Mississppi State University

Town: Starkville, MS

Head Coach: Dan Mullen

Stadium: Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field

Mascot: Bulldogs, Bully

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Colors: Maroon and White

Rivals: Ole Miss, Alabama, and in recent years Auburn

Famous Alumni: John Grisham (author), Johnie Cooks (NFL and Super Bowl Champion), Jonathan Papelbon (Boston Red Sox), George Bryan (Bryan Foods), Toxey Haas (Mossy Oak)

Traditions: Cowbells, Dawg Walk, Dawg Pound Rock before football team takes the field, "Hail State," "That's True Maroon," singing "Go To Hell Ole Miss" at the end of the fight song (harsh but true  - sorry Rebs!), Cowbell Yell, Bulldog Bash (Fall), and Super Bulldog Weekend (Spring)

Where to Watch the Game if You Don't Have a Ticket: The Veranda, Grumpy's (biggest outdoor TV!), Cowbells

Where to Celebrate: If MSU wins a big game, most fans stay in the Junction tailgating for hours.  The Cotton District has a ton of bars that are also popular to celebrate at

Tailgate Spots: The Junction! Everyone from families to fraternities tailgate in The Junction, which is basically all grassy areas surrounding the football stadium.  Most students tend to take up most of the field right in front of the stadium, while families stretch out towards the bookstore, the union, and the cheese stop.  (If you're every on campus, stop by the cheese shop and try some homemade Muscadine Ripple Ice Cream! Amazing!)

MSU is an amazing place to be a student.  I wish I went to undergrad here!  State Pride is all over town from the M-State symbol painted on intersections to carving Bully into Halloween pumpkins.  I've also never seen anything quite like the loyalty MSU fans have for the teams, no matter how the season is going.  It's great to be a Bulldawg! 

BIG Thanks to our follower, Ashley, who is a graduate student at MSU!

Recipe - Loaded Baked Potato Dip

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I found this recipe on Southern Living.  I have not tried it for myself, but anything I can serve with waffle fries is going to be a winner in my book.

Loaded Baked Potato Dip

1 package of fully cooked bacon slices

1 (16 oz) container of sour cream

2 cups freshly shredded cheddar cheese

1/3 cup sliced fresh chives

2 teaspoons of hot sauce

Garnishes: cooked, crumbled bacon; sliced fresh chives; freshly cracked pepper

1. Microwave bacon according to the package directions until crisp; drain on paper towels

2. Cool for ten minutes and crumble

3. Mix bacon with next four ingredients

4. Cover and chill for up to an hour or longer if needed

5. Garnish if desired

6. Serve with crispy, warm waffle fries

Yep! Trying this this weekend.

Enjoy!

Gameday Picture Link-Up Week 6

Today is our 6th Gameday Picture Link-up! Where is the season going?!  Even if you didn't go to your game and watched the game at home or at a bar and took pictures, we'd love to see those too!   If you don't blog and have pictures, email them to us and we'll get them posted on here.

If you link up, be to sure to link back to us so others can link up as well.  Feel free to grab our icon.

Red River Rivalry

I know we focus on SEC and ACC football, but this week we are serving up a special feature on Big 12 football at its finest.  The Red River Rivalry is played between Texas and Oklahoma.  These schools may not be completely "southern," but they take their football just as serious as any school in the SEC/ACC.  This game is played at a neutral in Dallas, TX during the Texas State Fair.  Football and fair food?  I'm sold!  Check out Taylor Tailgates full coverage of tailgating at the Texas State Fair during the TX/OU game. {Beware lots of pictures of mouthing fair goodies}

We have two lovely ladies guest blogging about all things Texas and Oklahoma.  Ashley {Texas Prep} attended the University of Texas and a die hard Longhorn.  My sorority sister, Jes K., attends the University of Oklahoma School of Law.  She is a passionate Sooner, but her heart belongs to the Gamecocks.  Take it away ladies...

University of Texas

Town: Austin, TX

Head Coach: Mack Brown

Stadium: Darrell K. Royal Texas Memorial

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Mascot: Longhorn {steer}, Bevo

Colors: Burnt Orange and White

Biggest Rivals: Oklahoma Sooners, Texas A&M Aggies, and Texas Tech Red Raiders

Famous Alumni: Matthew McConaughey, First Lady Laura Bush, Jenna Bush, Lady Bird Johnson, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson, Farrah Fawcett, Janis Joplin, Mary Lou Retton, Roger Clemens

Traditions: Eyes of Texas, Texas Fight, Hook'em Horns, Big Bert, Bevo, Smokey the Cannon, "Godzillatron," lighting of the tower, torchlight parade

Places to be Seen: The "Drag," 40 Acres, University Co-Op, Cain & Abels

Best Food Near Campus: Willie's Bar-B-Que

Every year come October marks the most anticipated game of the regular season; the Red River Shootout between perennial powerhouses Texas and Oklahoma.  I make the annual trip to Dallas for the Texas State Fair and the Cotton Bowl game.  What makes this game the best rivalry in all of college football, if not all of sports, is the winning tradition both schools share.  Nearly every year, the showdown between Texas and Oklahoma determines the winner of the Big 12 South and usually predetermines the winner of the conference as a whole.  Not to mention, both football teams are competing for a national championship year in and year out.  The state fair is the most wonderful place to be in October; the atmosphere is incredible at the Cotton Bowl with the stadium split perfectly 50:50 in crimson and burnt orange.  The endless amount of fried food, corn dogs, and beer at the State Fair is a can't miss event before or after the game.  TX-OU is definitely a must for anyone's college football bucket list.

Hook'em
xoxo

All pictures were courtesy of Ashley


University of Oklahoma

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Town: Norman, OK

Head Coach: Bob Stoops

Stadium: Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium (aka Memorial Stadium)

Mascot: Sooner Schooner, Boomer & Sooner

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Colors: Crimson & Cream

Biggest Rival: Texas {Red River Rivalry} & Oklahoma State {Bedlam}

Famous Alumni: Sam Bradford, Adrian Peterson, Blake Griffin, Wayman Tisdale, Lee Roy Selmon, Olivia Munn, Jake Hagger {aka WWE superstar Jack Swagger} & several more

Traditions: The Sooner Schooner, Heisman Park, Campus Corner, the RUF/NEKs, the Texas Bet, "Beat the H*ll out of Texas" written in and around campus, firing of the shotguns, and lots more

Jes in Heisman Park

Where to Watch the Game When You Don't Have a Ticket
Tickets can be hard to come by; the stadium has sold out every home game since 1999.  If you happen to be one without a ticket, you can go up to a tailgate {it's certain they'll have a TV broadcasting the game} or to any of the bars/restaurants in the town of Norman.

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Where to Celebrate
Anywhere on the historic Campus Corner: Seven47, Louie's, Fuzzy's, Logan's, O'Connells, anywhere.  the open container laws are relaxed on gameday, and you can buy beer on the street.

Tailgate Spots
Tailgating is anywhere you can find a spot to put your tent, fire up the grill and plug in the big screen.  Most of the tailgating for undergrad is on Lindsey & Jenkins - the prime spot since the stadium is just across the street.

However
For the Red River Rivalry, things are a little different.  Due to the rivalry between OU and Texas, the annual game is played in a neutral spot each year in a halfway point in Dallas, TX.  The Texas State Fair is always during this time - fried butter anyone?  The state fairgrounds surround the Cotton Bowl - the site of one of the best games of the year.  And, it's this week's Gameday site!

Boomer Sooner!
"We're going to beat the hell out of you, and you, and you, and you, and you!"
Tuck Fexas

All photos courtesy of Jes


BIG thanks, ladies!
This game is definitely on my college football bucket list, as well as, The World's Largest Cocktail Party and to visit all of the SEC stadiums.

Happy Gameday, belles!

xoxo,
Ashton