NUMBER 269

it’s been one of those weeks where watching scary movies and curling up by the fire has taken priority over blog posts, that’s allowed right? however, i'm staying true to my friday gals by linking up with darci, april, christina, and natasha for five on friday! woo hoo! let’s go!

fall is here, and with it has been some gorgeous carolina sunsets. this is one of my favorite skyline scenes in charlotte, and we just happen to drive by it every day on the way to work. there have been several evenings where i'll park the car and walk over the bridge just to get a better shot of this gorgeous city.
andrew’s gotta be commended on his dedication to healthy eating. in the past couple of weeks, he’s lost about 12 pounds just from being conscious about what he eats and working out [mostly] every day. he worked late one night this week, so i got dinner ready while he was at the office. after eating this salad for 2 nights in a row, we’ve declared it our FAVORITE salad!  get the recipe here for the skinny grilled buffalo chicken salad [and don’t forget the homemade skinny ranch – it TOTALLY makes the meal].
ummm… i don’t really have words for this, other than: she sleeps like this ALL the time, and i wish i could sleep this comfortably on the couch.

i decided to give a new local coffee shop a try this weekend and it did NOT disappoint.  i grabbed a chai latte from “not just coffee” in atherton mill and was so pleased! not only is their logo cute, but the chai hit the spot! p.s. would you believe that i've never had one of those pretty latte art drinks? i'm adding that one to the fall bucket list!
lastly, my mom is heading to town tomorrow for a girls weekend! we’re spending the day antiquing, brunching, doing girly things, then wrapping up the day with the michael buble' concert in uptown! i'm sure there will be a good amount of screaming 20-60 year old women in the crowd, and i'm SO excited to be one of them!
hope everyone has a great weekend! stay bundled up, it’s supposed to get COLD [and i secretly love it]!

HAPPY [GIRLS] WEEKEND!

NUMBER 268

finally! it looks and feels like fall outside! this week has been a perfect 10 in my book! here are a few things that are making me smile: we found out mrs. carolina charm is having a baaaby, i had a perfect catch up dinner with a good friend last night, the house is clean, bbq is on the agenda for this weekend, i wrapped up a really cute design for a really cute friend this week, and had some time to work on my own site a little.

you might [or might not] notice that i made some changes this week. not only is laura wyatt designs a separate site now, but i've developed some fun new design packages too! this will replace the long, drawn out a la carte, back and forth estimate routine i was doing before! i'm really excited! blog design is something i really LOVE doing - the creativty involved with making a design, the excitement i get when my code actually works...ok i'll stop before i totally geek out on you. anyway for my five on friday post, i've hand picked some of my recent [and not so recent] favorite designs:

as usual, i'm linking up with these sweet girls for five on friday [darci, christina, april, + natasha]

HAPPY [FALL] WEEKEND!

NUMBER 267

this is the lipstick post for gals who don’t wear lipstick. my lips are pretty pigmented, so i feel washed out with most nudes, and i don’t have the confidence level for a bold red. i can’t count the times that i've swiped a bright hue on my lips…only to end up wiping it off before walking out the door. is that just me? red girls – what’s your secret? i'm slowly getting more comfortable having some color on there, and i've found a handful of creamy natural colors that are helping me make the transition. here’s a quick lineup of my favorites that i've kept on for longer than 10 minutes…(left to right)

maybelline  | color whisper 80 – made it mauve

maybelline  | 245 blushing brunette

cover girl  |  265 romance

revlon  |  613 just enough buff

bobbi brown  |  2 biege

NUMBER 266

happy friday! i'm back with part 2 of “laura spends the whole weekend being super productive” with the much awaited chalkboard and table reveals! yay! along with those fun things, i'm doing the “friday usual” – linking up with my favorites for five on friday! [christina, darci, april, and natasha!]

a little while back, i saw emily from jones design company post her fall wreath on instagram, and i went out of my way to pin it because i knew i wanted one JUST like it! $20 later, i had my own, and i LOVE it!

THIS guy is at our house for the weekend, and i could not be more excited! my parents are visiting arkansas until sunday, so we’re keeping my puppy brother until they’re back. our life is about to get a little more crazy as a 3-pet family!

is there anything better than a man that cooks? i made a HUGE pot of vegetable soup sunday and we’ve been eating it all. week. long. wednesday night, andrew decided to reward our healthy eating efforts by making a batch of his mama’s homemade buttermilk biscuits. that man knows the way to my heart!

drumroll please….

YAY! TABLE! ok, so it’s not all that crazy and exciting, but it’s beautiful and perfect to me! i spent the better half of the week sanding, staining, and polyurethane-ing, and i'm so happy to see the final product looking beautiful in the dining room. our $30 bought the table and 2 leaves that will accommodate more friends! now on to the chairs…i'm thinking of these beauties from world market or these…or these…[on major major sale, obv. you know how this lady does shopping.] sidenote: should i chalk paint my china cabinet?

can you spot the big kitty?

and finally…my chalkboard! i'm not going to show you my freehanded attempt [definitely not my best work], but trust me - darci’s tutorial on chalkboard art truly saved the day!  my artwork is from clarendon lane – i just love it! i still think andrew thinks i've lost it, wanting a chalkboard in our living room, but i think he’ll become a fan soon: he has free reign over the board at the end of every month. how nice am i?

it’s supposed to be goooorgeous this weekend [i think?!], and i'm looking forward to being home in charlotte for the 4th weekend in a row! hope you have a good one too!

HAPPY [FALL] WEEKEND!

NUMBER 265

this is part 1 of a 2 part series called "laura spends the whole weekend being super productive". it's a rarity. i'm seriously coming off of some sort of DIY high right now. my weekend activities included: thrifting, priming, painting, thrifting [round 2], sanding, washing, cooking, sanding [round 2], staining, weeding, designing. quickly followed by sleeping, and not enough of it. here’s a wrap up of the before shots of this weekend’s projects:
 

i know andrew thought i was certifiably crazy when he came home thursday to see this lovely swan portrait hanging in our entryway. no girl nowadays can resist a good gold frame, and i wasn’t going to let this beauty at the salvation army go to waste. i spent some time this weekend saying goodbye to the swans and jumping on the chalkboard bandwagon. the finished frame is back in the entryway, now decorated for fall! after pictures to come!

saturday morning we grabbed some iced chai lattes and headed down the road to charming gastonia. the backstory: i've had my heart set on a round pedestal table for our dining room for some time now – spending too many hours on craigslist for the cause. i like to think that i'm pretty frugal when it comes to spending, so i've been holding out for the best deal possible on this table [under $100]. after passing up a pretty perfect antique table for $140, we took a chance and stopped at a hole in the wall “discount alley” on the way out of town. after being directed to the basement [no joke] for the furniture selection, i spotted it. andrew and i both couldn’t believe he only wanted $40 for the table. i honestly could have passed out, my hands were shaking i was so excited! we walked out of there with a new table and $30 lighter. yes, even at $40, i still negotiated!

 this is the before shot – before any sanding or staning. i've got 2 coats of poly to go before it’s finished, and i'm so excited to show you the final product!

NUMBER 264

friday is here friends! hopefully this weekend will bring us some cooler temps. eight degrees just doesn’t say “october”, am i right? this week has blown by, and i can look back and say it was a pretty good one! i'm participating in my favorite link up today with darci, christina, april, and natasha for their weekly five on friday!

1  |  some poor target marketing intern probably got fired yesterday. they’re buy one get one coupon was available for a short period of time yesterday afternoon, and i was able to score this gorgeous necklace for free [with the purchase of my $8 earrings]! you can bet i'm sporting it today [and maybe all weekend]. i feel like such a jerk – of course i was so excited about the incredible deal, sharing it with my friends, only to have target take down the coupon almost immediately! sorry for getting y’all’s hopes up! maybe another intern will screw up sometime in the near future!

2  |  andrew and i are BACK on the weight loss/get fit wagon. this happens about 3 times a year, if we could up that to 12 times a year, i think we’d be in good shape! after eating well most of the week and doing some sort of physical activity every night, i think we’re on the right track! keep up with my progress and cheer us on here, on my fitness pal.

3  |  i'm on the hunt for a new dining table, and i'm not afraid of a little diy project if it comes with a low price tag! i love this table makeover by kristen davis designs.

4  |  speaking of diy... i know i totally missed the boat on the chalkboard trend, but i got an awesome deal on a gold frame at the salvation army store yesterday. planning on some chalkboard action this weekend – pictures to come!

5  |  one of our favorite brunch spots in charlotte, zada janes, has this jam on every table. after the first bite, i was hooked! i left thinking that i would surely have to order it online [and would inevitably forget about doing it], so i was so surprised to find it in my local harris teeter in the produce area [on our little local rack]. looks like andrew will have to make a few of his mama’s biscuits this weekend…

HAPPY [FALL] WEEKEND!

NUMBER 263

DISCLAIMER: i’m a total coupon amateur, but i saw this deal and couldn't pass it up! maybe i'm late to the party on this one y'all, but i had to share the news before it's TOO LATE for you to get in on it too!

i got the 2 items above for $7.99 plus tax. [disregard my basmati rice purchase]. i used target’s mobile coupon for buy one get one free on jewelry, watches, and sunglasses. here’s how you score:

1. download the target mobile app
2. sign up for the mobile coupons under “deals and coupons”
3. pick your 2 jewelry items of choice [the cheapest can be a clearance item, the most expensive can be up to $58.99]
4. have your cashier scan the barcode for this week’s mobile coupon [expires tomorrow]
5. your most expensive item will be the FREE one!

like i said, i’m very green when it comes to couponing. i chould have scored a $50 new watch with a $2 clearance item, but instead i got two items that i know i'll wear. another amateur move: i didn't get a picture of my full receipt. my final total was $11.11 because i needed rice for lunch...so there's that.

HAPPY COUPONING!

*update: i've had mixed messages from some iPhone users saying they can’t see the coupon. i can still view mine which makes me think target may be trying to take this down to save themselves a little $$

NUMBER 262

i'm well aware that i've been neglecting my little blog, but i am still alive, well, and busy! here's a little recap in pictures of the last whirlwind week. not pictured: me + the boo celebrating our 4th wedding anny eating ice cream straight out of the carton.

new birthday boots! y'all might remember my wishlist post a while back. well, andrew came through in the clutch this year!
i think i’m good-to-go on shoes for the next 17 years.

playing dress up in the cliché birthday sombrero at cantina 1511 on friday night.

too much mexican food = pj party with anni-mal after din.

me, whitney, mason, and alexa.
saturday morning blogger brunch at toast with some lovely ladies!
i'm so so glad whitney put together this little outing! it was wonderful meeting you gals!

cute little coordinated family at mellow mushroom saturday night! [only ate 1 dinner at home last week, oops]

lastly, our weekend project. and by “our” i mean, the men. my dad and andrew spent saturday [and most of sunday] routing the gas line and installing new gas logs! we broke them in last night during the finale for breaking bad [which was ahhmazing]. our living room is quickly becoming my favorite place in the house!

HAPPY MONDAY, Y’ALL!

NUMBER 261

image via

today i am 28 years old! in the past few years, i feel as if i've been struggling with some sort of quarter-life crisis. i wasn’t feeling like the happy, carefree, girl i had known in years past. i was insecure, moody, and just not very fun [in my opinion]. late in my 27th year, i've truly felt a transformation. i'm on the rise again! my heart is happy, and i am content [and no, i'm not pregs]. here are just a few things that are keeping my spirits high:

• think positive!
  only i am in charge of how i feel.
• stop comparing.
  there will always be someone prettier, smarter, more talented, etc. be thankful and enjoy the many gifts and blessings that God has given me.
• count your blessings.
  [they greatly outweigh the negatives that can seem so huge at times]
• keep a clean home. 
  am i crazy? having a clean house makes me genuinely happy!
• stop putting happiness on a pedestal.
  i'm starting to realize that i don’t have to have 10/10 items checked off on my “list” in order to be happy. i have a good life.
• just do it.
  [not like nike] for me, this doesn’t mean going skydiving or moving to nashville to become a country music singer. it means going to coffee with a new friend or picking up the phone to call an old one. i walk around with the fear of rejection so often and don’t realize the opportunities that can pass me by. once i just “do it”, i'm so happy i did.

and a few goals for the next year:

• wake up earlier.
  i'm usually up by 9 on the weekends which is definitely progress. now if i could just swing 6:30 on a weekday, we’d be in good shape.
• eat better.
  i think i've eaten enough taco bell in my lifetime to feed a small village for a year. i wish i were kidding when i say that i love fast food and think it tastes really good. time to make some changes.
• be active.
  for me, this is a more realistic goal than “work out”. let’s start with a walk around the neighborhood a few times a week. baby steps.
• show love.
  i want to make a more conscious effort to think of others more often: call someone when you’re thinking of them, send more birthday cards, help out a friend who’s going through a hard time. i spend a lot of time thinking about doing these things and saying “i don’t have time”, when the reality is…. if i didn’t surf pinterest for 17 hours a week, i could spend more time doing meaningful things for other people!
• know God.
  learning to not think of God as some abstract being but rather someone who is actually in my life - day in and day out. our relationship is definitely something that needs tending in the next year [and then some].

the past year has brought a lot of enlightenment for me, and i know 28 will continue along the same path. thanks for reading and following my little journey!

NUMBER 260

last weekend we traveled to smith mountain lake to spend some time celebrating our sweet friends, marc and lori beth, and their engagement! we were fortunate enough to have our engagement party here just 4 short years ago, so it was so much fun to go back and relive the excitement with our good friends! the girls were too busy gossiping about the bachelorette party to snap pics, so these were stolen from marc+lb – which explains why they’re awesome, and not cell phone photos. thanks so much to their families for hosting this perfect event and for including us!

this view never gets old.

soul sisters/best friends
my dress is from francescas, lb’s is from gap

beautiful bridesmaids

the happy couple

my handsome groom – almost 4 years and counting!

dad and I being sweet.
andrew, brad, and mom perfecting the photo bomb.

we’re so lucky to have such great friends…who throw great parties…and invite us to them! can’t wait for that beautiful wedding in june!

NUMBER 259

it’s friday!! i haven’t been the best blogger lately, but i'm staying faithful to my favorite post each week – five on friday! i'm linking up with some of my favorites: april, christina, darci, and natasha for their weekly link up! you should too – all the cool kids are doing it!

1  |  earlier this week, alex was raving about pottery barn’s mercury glass pumpkins. what’s a girl to do when you don’t want to pay the pottery barn price tag? find them cheaper at kirklands, duh. and you can light these up if you’re feeling extra spooky.
2  |  although the weather isn’t quite cooperating with my state of mind, i put together a little fall crockpot meal this week. one of my go-to favorites is red beans and rice. i've been using this recipe for years, and it never fails. the only bad part? my hands smelled like chopped onions all day.
3  | we’re headed to virginia for the weekend to celebrate our good friends’, marc and lori beth’s, engagement. the party will be at marc’s parents’ picture perfect home on smith mountain lake, one that andrew and i have been lucky to be guests at too many times to count. so excited to celebrate the beginning of married life for these two love birds!
4  |  last weekend, mom took me on a little pre-birthday shopping trip and just couldn’t leave francesca’s without this gorgeous dress. i'm wearing it to the party on saturday and can’t wait to sport it when the weather gets cooler with some tall boots!
5  |  lastly, being in danville for the weekend wouldn’t complete without some niece snuggles. these little girls are growing so fast into young ladies, and our time with them is so so precious! looking forward to some delicious home cooking and a beautiful virginia weekend!

HAPPY WEEKEND!

NUMBER 258

it’s always so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day routine. take a minute today to reflect on the event that rocked our world 12 years ago. my thoughts and prayers are still with those who lost loved ones on 9.11 and who continue to hold strong today. we’ll never forget where we were on this day, and we’ll never forget the sacrifices that have been made since.  image via.

NUMBER 257

so i'm full of empty promises and haven’t had a sec to put together my vacay-wrap-up post! instead, i'm dropping by today for a little five on friday action with darci, christina, april, and natasha!

1  |  alex and i received a little surprise text yesterday from our good friend emily with some very valuable information. apparently we’re the carrie underwood fanatics in our group – who knew?! mrs. fisher is coming out with her very own opi nicole line which debuts in january 2014. can’t wait to try some of these new hues!

2  |  yesterday was my dad’s birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD! we’re driving up to greensboro tomorrow for a little beer brewing [and beer drinking] in honor of the birthday boy! i love this old throwback picture of my dad and me! it’s so fun/creepy to look back at old pictures of him and see the extreme resemblance to my brother now!

3  |  i'm feeling incredibly thankful for my little fur babies this week. it’s a well-known fact that i'm approaching the “crazy cat lady” title [if i'm not there already], so it’s no surprise that andrew and i both got really freaked out [ex: me, in tears] when we almost OD’d our cats on flea treatments this week. lesson to be learned: don’t just go for the cheapest brand of flea prevention [hartz, sergeants], they can be incredibly hazardous to your pet’s health. go ahead, splurge on the good stuff at the vet if you want to keep fido and fluffy around for a while.

4  |  i'm not a tried and true PSL gal. *gasp* i know! i'm more of a chai latte lover. i'd love to whip up this homemade chai vanilla latte creamer! i think it would be a nice little transition into fall!

5  |  although i'm not crazy about a PSL, i do love a great spiced donut! i had my first little pumpkin muchkin from dunkin’ donuts last week, and i know it won’t be the last. i've never made homemade donuts before, but i'm thinking i might add that to my fall bucket list! image via

HAPPY [ALMOST FALL] WEEKEND!

NUMBER 256

phillip lim for target (coming soon!)  |  naked 2 palette |  frye paige boots | essie cashmere bathrobe, skirting the issue, after school boy blazer

according to pinterest and every blogger/instagrammer out there, fall is in the air! nevermind that it’s currently 86 degrees outside. it’s definitely by far my favorite season: the season of football, hearty crockpot soups and chilis, chai lattes, boots and leggings, and MY BIRTHDAAAY! i've already started compiling a little wish-list. last year, i [we] got a house for my birthday, so i'm not sure this year will pack as big of a punch [or pricetag]!
i'll be back later this week with a vacay recap! we had a perfect time – i could not have asked for better weather, food, and company!

NUMBER 255

IT’S FRIDAYY! i thought this day would never come! y’all know the friday-before-vacation feeling? oh yeah, i'm there! i can only imagine how productive the rest of my day will be. for starters, i'm linking up with christina, april, darci, and natasha for their weekly five on friday link party! here’s a roundup of my week and couple of things i'm looking forward to…

1  |   as we discussed last week, i'm headed down south tomorrow for our annual family vacation to the florida panhandle. mom and i usually take a girls day to explore 30A – everywhere from grayton to rosemary beach! my favorite is stopping in seaside for lunch and perusing the shops! buy the jersey here
2  |  we gave a new restaurant a try last year and wanted to eat there every night after! stinky’s fish camp in santa rosa beach is our new go-to favorite! i've spent the past year trying to replicate their shrimp and grits! if you’re in the 30A area, it’s well worth a little bit of a drive to get there!
3  |  i put our jeep in the shop on monday for some maintenance before our trip, and chrystler set me up with a pretty badass rental. we’ve been cruising the queen city in a 2014 jeep grand cherokee – fully loaded, black, with a killer panoramic sunroof. it almost makes up for the fact that they’ve taken all week to get 1 stinkin’ part in stock. we’ve lovingly dubbed it the “batjeep”. maybe it wants to join us for family vacay, yes?
4  |  last night, april hosted christina and me for a little girls’ night action! we enjoyed some delicious little appetizers, a few bottles of wine, and a whole lot of laughs and girl talk! i'm always on cloud 9 after i get home from a night with these gals – everything is just so easy and natural! christina brought us both a little bottle of the organix coconut milk shampoo that darci’s been raving about, and april tied the cutest little nail polishes on our wine glasses as a little treat. i can’t wait to give them both a try next week!
5  |  last but not least: my best friend from high school, lauren, is being induced for labor today! she and her hubby, adam, are having their first little baby boy! it’s such a surreal thing, when friends start having babies! i could not be more excited for them, and i can’t wait to meet their new addition.
as of tomorrow, i'll be off the radar and on the beach! follow along via instagram, and try not to be too jealous!

HAPPY [VACAY] WEEKEND!

NUMBER 254

romper  //  wedges  //  knot bangle  //  w. bangle  //  bellini recipe

it was so fun seeing everyone’s lilly sale picks yesterday! admittedly, my only shopping was of the “window shopping” variety. too bad too because this adorable romper could have been accompanying me on my upcoming vacation next week! if you’re shopping the sale today, you’ll see that the majority of the best lilly items are sold out, but if you look hard, you’re sure to find some lingering sales at other retailers. i found this romper for sale at zappos and a smaller LP boutique.

speaking of sales, piperlime is has a HUGE selection of wedges on sale now! i spotted quite a few steals for around $30-$40. there’s definitely something to be said about planning a vacation at the end of summer – end-of-summer sales = great trip wardrobe!

NUMBER 253

this week BLEW by, and i'm so thankful for that! it seems as if fall is here already – we’re in the high 60’s/low 70’s all weekend [but in my mind, it’s 85 and sunny, and i'm at the beach already]. linking up today with april, darci, christina, and natasha for their weekly five on friday! here we go!

1  |  i scored the cutest cover-up that i've ever seen a new bright bikini for vacay at marshall’s this week – all for $37. i was completely giddy over the fact that the original pricetag for the cover-up said $96 and it only cost me $10! don’t you LOVE when that happens!
2  |  this time next week, i'll be packing my bags for vacation. if that’s not reason to celebrate, i don’t know what is! my family is originally from arkansas, so we’ve been traveling to destin,fl for vacation since i was little. we moved to the east coast when i was in middle school,but  it only took us 2 vacations to the atlantic to decide there’s nothing like that white sand and emerald waters of the gulf! we’ve decided the 12 hour drive is worth it!
3  |  last weekend we celebrated my mom’s birthday. i stopped by the farmer’s market and grabbed these beauties for the birthday gal! $10 will buy you this gorgeous bouquet, and 20 will get you one twice this size! can’t beat it! i'm planning on heading back today for more to brighten up the abode for my little houseguest [see #5]!
4  |  we’ve lived in our house for 10 months now and i'm JUST now getting pictures hung. i used wrapping paper to map out my little “gallery wall” and hammered away! it’s not a perfect science, but it gets the job done! this project took about an hour from start to finish!
5  |  andrew’s away at a golf tournament which means i'm having a girls’ weekend! one of my best friends, lori beth is bringing her skinny bootie to charlotte, and i couldn’t be more excited! on the agenda: makeovers at laura mercier [along with free champs], cowfish [duh], bridesmaid dress shopping [she’s a bride-to-be!], ikea, and forever 21. looking forward to spending some quality time with this gal!

HAPPY WEEKEND!

NUMBER 252

in exactly 10 days, i'll be headed to the florida gulf coast for our annual family vacation! we’ve taken a family vacation every year as long as i can remember, and it’s a tradition i look forward to year-round! this past october, my parents bought a brand new house, WE bought our first house, and my brother wrapped up his first year living in the big city – we were all feeling like vacation was going to be put on the back burner this year. lo and behold, my dad decided in may that he just couldn’t settle for a beach-less summer, and we all agreed that it’s something we'd rather not miss out on either!

*tip: waiting until the rates drop in mid-august is our go-to saving secret! we might have to fight a hurricane or two, but it’s worth it to save at least 50% on a condo….right?

so since i've obviously got this beach trip on the brain, here are a few essentials that i'm adding to my beach bag this year:

1  |  a monogrammed beach towel: i'm obsessed with this bright and funky ikat print from haymarket designs. pop a monogram on it and it’s that much better, in my opinion! beach towels should be going on sale any day now, if you’re budget saavy like me, score one of those, and drop it by your local monogram shop. you’re likely to score a custom monogrammed towel for under $20!

2  |  an insulated mason jar: i have my trusty tervis prepped and ready for the beach, but this cutie looks like she needs a home too! i would love to make a big batch of cucumber water to sip on all day, and the insulated plastic would make sure that beverage is coooold – a MUST!

3  |  c.wonder tortoise shell sunglasses: traditional tortoise meets glam goddess. these oversized shades would look great on anyone!

4  |  ihome portable speaker: if you invest in anything for the beach, this would be $20 well spent. andrew got one of these portable speakers for christmas this year, and we’ve used it so much! smaller than a coke can, the ihome plugs right up to your cell phone or ipod [using the headphone jack] and pumps out HOURS of music – and high quality sound too! it’s easily re-charged through a usb cord! you can bet this guy will be spending a LOT of time by me!

5  |  vineyard vines gingham whale hat: i love a white ball cap at the beach. there’s just something about a salty ponytail and a baseball hat that makes me feel effortlessly beach-chic. ok, maybe not “chic” maybe just like a college gal again. hah!

6  |  tory burch flip flops: something to slip on, so the sand doesn’t sear the bottoms of your feet. there’s always that 1 time when i attempt to make a mad dash to the pool/trashcan/my towel and end up gracefully skipping leaping in strides like a mad woman across the sand to get there. flip flops, laura – not to be neglected!

7  |  neutrogrena cooling sunscreen: i was immediately intrigued by this when alex blogged about her beach necessities a few weeks back. i'm hoping to score some of this on sale at cvs soon to test it out myself. this might be my first summer ever that getting a black bear tan isn’t a number 1 priority. the older i get, the more i'm thinking about my skin. it’s by no means perfect at this point, but i've gotta keep the good stuff in place! it’s the only skin i've got! this vacation it’s spf 35+ all.week.long.

what are you favorite beach essentials? anything i left off my list?

NUMBER 251

happy friday, friend!!! i'm linking up for five on friday with christina, darci, april, and natasha. [you should too, because these gals are awesome]. let’s begin, shall we?
1  |  TODAY is my mom’s birthdayyyy! my mom is the sweetest person i know and has a southern accent that sounds like she “just fell off the turnip truck” –as my dad says. if you’re in town, you’re welcome to stop by and tell her happy bday. she’d like that. tomorrow, she and big john are headed into town to celebrate! plans include: getting our hair beautified at t.reid, dinner at cajun queen, and drinking my dad’s home-brewed keg beer all.weekend.long. whew! happy birthday, indeed! in lieu of a birthday cake, i'm planning on making a lemonade pie….with a candle on top. alltogethernow:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

2  |  my new fancy curling iron arrived on tuesday! i've been prepping for this occasion by watching as many youtube tutorials as humanly possible. i think it’s paying off. and in case you were wondering, i'm getting really good at snapchat seflies. you’re welcome.
3  |  cookie butter. it happened. as andrew so eloquently put it, “i'm gonna demolish this whole jar on the way to get another jar at trader joes.” i'm eating it now, and i'm not ashamed to say it.
4  |  there are weeks when i really have my ish together and make meal plans and adorable printables. and then there are weeks when i go to the grocery store 3 times and we have turkey burgers with eggs on them and it rocks.
5  |  i just got even more excited about this top from target, for the fact that it’s $18 online, but i scored it for $5 in-store wednesday. naturally, i sported it to work yesterday and it might be my new favorite. it’s super soft, long enough to cover my booty, and it’s got shoulder studs which automatically make me a badass. no? mk.

HAPPY WEEKEND!

NUMBER 250

every 5 years or so, i through one of those "chop it all off" hair funks. about a month later, i'm totally regretting it and longing for my long locks again. my hair is longer now than it's been since high school, and i attribute its health and happiness to a few of my favorite products [and my awesome stylist, chelsea].

emijays  |  loreal repair system  |  biotin  |  mythic oil

i'm really hard on my hair - i rarely have one of those natural, i-just-woke-up-and-my-hair-is-gorg days. so, constant heat and frequent washing were, and is still my go-to routine. heat and bleach had dried out my ends so so bad. last fall, i decided to hop on the ombre’ bandwagon, and i'm so glad i did. we went with a subtle gradient so the blonder locks on the end blend seamlessly with my natural root color. since my initial ombre-ing last september, i've only been to the salon 1 time for color, and that was only to get it a bit brighter for spring/summer [i’ve been in for a few trims in between]! i've never been happier with my hair, and it's never looked healthier, in my opinion.
chelsea introduced me to the loreal intense repair system and mythic oil combo last fall and i havent looked back since! i use the shampoo and deep conditioner once every 3 washes so it lasts longer, and i've barely put a dent in the mythic oil. both products smell like sunshine and kittens [aka: AMAZING] and make my hair so shiny and soft! i'm not totally convinced of the biotin game, but hey, it can’t hurt! and the emijays ensure that i'm not doing any irreparable damage to my tresses on those rare days when i sport a hoodie and ponytail to work. [sad but true]. so there ya go!

what are you favorite tips/products for growing long, healthy hair?