number 159

this weekend i stopped by buffalo exchange in plaza midwood and sold some clothes that weren’t loved anymore. y’know, that cutthroat process of going through your closet saying “didn’t wear this at all last season, see ya later!!” i've gotten much better at donating/selling items than i used to be. i'd hang on to stuff forever – y’know…just in case? i've parted ways with that mentality since the discovery of b.e., and why wouldn’t i? you get cash – on the spot! instant gratification! this time, i opted to spend some of said cash on an in-store purchase (that you get for 50% off!):

via j.crew

yeah, notice that $98 price tag on the j.crew jeans. i got these EXACT pants for $10, and i'm really excited to work them into my fall wardrobe. here are some of my favorite styles i've found for boyfriend jeans:

pinned here

thanks for stopping by today! i'm hoping to be hiding out/become a hermit this weekend/next week before the craziness of the democratic national convention hits town. yikes! oh yeah, and i'm linking up today with jamie for what i'm loving wednesdsay!

what’s your favorite fall fashion?

number 158

image via

just in case it’s not written down in your calendar/planner or etched in your memory forever: my birthday is exactly 1 month from tomorrow. september 25th. i'll wait while you record that... andrew asked me last night what i'd like for my birthday, and i'm at a loss? i haven’t reached the point in adulthood where you just say “oh i don’t really want anything, just a card”. (honestly, does anyone really ever want just a card?) so i need help! what’s on your wish list this year?

number 157

y’all, get ready for a real game-changer. yesterday, i downloaded a new app, and i just can’t hold my excitement in. i have to share the love! after reading this post from witty & pretty, i downloaded songza. yes, i realize i already have 4 apps for music on my phone, but thought i'd give it a go. songza is a “music concierge” which is a fancy way of saying it blows the pants off of pandora.

you simply choose your activity (everything from “working out” and “drinking at a dive bar” to “getting lucky”…yeah), and select from a few playlists that have that “vibe”. since downloading it for my phone yesterday afternoon, i now have it on my kindle fire and laptop as well. i tried out a few playlists and was really pleased with what i got. oh and i haven’t even gotten to the best part: it streams for FREE and has NO COMMERCIALS! see ya never, spotify and pandora! i'm a little hesitant to share my love with the world because i'm afraid once the wonderful word gets out, they’ll throw in some “catch”. we shall see?

in the meantime, i'll share a few of my favorite stations: buns of steel: ‘90s workout, headbands & legwarmers: ‘80s workout, cowgirl kiss-offs, and feelin’ good in the ‘90s…ok, so i love ‘90s music – we can’t be friends if you don’t too! sorry, i'm not sorry!

so yeah! there ya go! give it a download – it’s free, nothing to lose! and when you decide that you love it too, come back and let me know!

number 156

seriously, y’all! this whole “getting my ish back together after vacation” is no joke! i've been crazy busy at work this week and completely wiped out when i get home. needless to say, the blog has taken a lower number on the list of priorities! i DID put together some photos (2 days ago!) of an unforgettable experience on vacation, and i'd love to share!

my nana decided that she wanted to ride in a helicopter (to check it off her bucket list!!), and my mom and i were the lucky ones who got to ride with her! i got a front seat view of the beautiful emerald coast…and some underwater friends! note: don’t go swimming on that romantic secluded beach!

oh what? you don’t believe those are all really sharks? here’s a close-up for you skeptics:

oh hey, friends! like i said before, we flew down past all of the condos (after sandestin but before you get to santa rosa for those familiar with the area) and saw a TON of sea-life: mostly sharks, some stingrays, and a huuuge sea turtle (sorry, no pic. it really just looked like a huge black blob!).

we couldn’t stop talking about our wild ride all night. so the next morning, my brother, his gf, and my mom (round 2) went back up! i can’t say i'm not a tad jealous because apparently they saw a dolphin and her baby.

so, to sum it up: if you have the opportunity, i'd highly suggest the helicopter tour in destin. the water is SO clear, and it’s just a really fun experience! pandhandle helicopter was the company we used – kim and mike are wonderful and so hospitable!

i plan on sharing some more pics and experiences if time permits later in the week! come back and check ‘em out!

number 155

guess who’s back!? thank you so much, april and alex for holding down the fort while i was gone! you gals are the best! i'm busy playing catch-up today, but i'll be back on the blog tomorrow with a little vacay recap! in the meantime, here's a little preview:

number 154 : guest post!

Hey y'all! My name is Alex from Pink & Prosperous and I am filling in for my dear LauraLeigh while she is basking in the Florida sun :)  Let's take a look into my beach bag essentials( that I will be packing up next week--eeeeek!) 

I CAN'T WAIT TO GET MY TOES IN THE SAND!

  

First things first: Gotta have a stylish, durable, BIG bag. These three requirements are NOT optional ;) 

Now...what the heck goes inside?

 iPod: Gotta have good beach tunes. Extra points for sand-proof portable speakers :) 

Reading Materials: Emily Giffin books always make great beach reads. I also would recommend Andy Cohen's Most Talkative and/or any of the 50 Shades books along with a stack of fashion mags. My beach read rule is it has to be light and fun--who wants to think that much on the beach? 

Hair Ties/Bobby Pins: Just because it's the beach does not mean you can let your hair go wild. Plus....the beach is full of tons of shirtless hotties ;) 

Bumble & Bumble Surf Spray: Helps with the beachy-wavy look...both on the beach and on the boardwalk;) Trust me when I say this little bottle is well worth the price tag. 

Jumbo Beach Towel: Go big or go home. Both Costco and Target have amazing (and cute!) 7 ft. long beach towels. The extra 2 feet are essential when laying out. 

Sun Protection: DO NOT FORGET YOUR SUNSCREEN! I have porcelain skin so lathering up often is necessary. I like Neutrogena's Fresh Cooling Spray in SPF 45 for the body, Coppertone Oil Free SPF 30 for the face, and Burt's Bees Lifeguard Formula for the lips. Also...if you hair is up don't forget to put some sunscreen in your part-trust me when I say it is painful! 

Ample supply of diet cokes & koozies: Do I really need to elaborate? I didn't think so. (extra points for cute koozies-I love the Lilly ones!) 

Sunglasses: Again....this one doesn't need elaboration. Plus....it's always safer to check out the hotties behind a pair of shades ;) 

Well there you have it.....everything I pack in my beach bag. I know it seems like a lot, but my girlfriends can attest to the face that whenever they think they have to go back inside to get something...I usually have it....which makes me feel half as crazy ;)

 Hope y'all are having a WONDERFUL week and please stop by and say hi! 

 xoxo Alex

number 153 : guest post!

Hi all!  I am April and I blog at A. Liz Adventures.  I'm so happy to be guest blogging here for my fellow neighbor in our beautiful Queen City, Laura!

The great thing about Charlotte is that we are a very close road trip to the beach.  Throw a bag in the back of the car and you'll be at your destination in about three or four hours.  Not too shabby.

For the most part, I pack simply when I'm at the beach -- evenings consist of a breezy sundress, an easy updo, and minimal makeup.  Shoes are, for the most part, optional.  That all makes for light luggage.  My beach bag, on the other hand, is stocked!

  My essentials in my beach bag are:

{1} A good lip balm with SPF.  Right now I'm on the eos train.  Honeysuckle honeydew is my jam.

{2} Aviator sunglasses are my go-to shape.  These Banana Republic shades look like the pair that I love.

{3} I am a Kindle lover.  Right now I'm reading this great book.

{4} A cute coozie is absolutely necessary!  I'm also a Woozie fan.  :)

{5} Beach snack of choice = Swedish fish!

{6} I never go anywhere without my Canon camera.

{7} Sunscreen is a must when you want to be able to stay on the beach for hours.

{8} My favorite magazine is Real Simple -- I'm always excited when my subscription comes in before a beach trip.  I put it into my beach bag straight out of the mailbox and don't let myself open it until I'm beachside!

 

One other item that has recently been making its way down to the beach with us is our Bocce Ball set (like this one).  I picked up a brand new set earlier this Spring at an estate sale.  It's the perfect game to play on the beach, especially with a glass of white wine in hand!

 

I'd love to hear what some of your "must haves" are for your beach bag.  What's your #1 essential?

number 152

“the sun and the sand and a drink in my hand…with no bottom”

image via

yep! y’all, we’re heading to the beach! today at 2, family vacation officially begins! we’ll be getting on the road with my parents, bro, and his gf, and traveling just outside of atlanta (just for a pit stop) tonight. back on the road in the morning to head down to the emerald coast. we’ll swing through and pick up nana at the airport, and then hit the beach! we’ve been going to destin, florida since i was little. growing up in arkansas, florida was the default vacation spot, and upon moving to virginia, we just can’t seem to shake our love for the gulf! i love that soft, white sand!

so, i'll be signing off for the week, but i've got some great gals who are going to hold down the fort while i'm gone! y’all have a lovely week, and try not to get too jealous of my tan when i return!

number 151

if you know me in real life, chances are you’ve heard me brag about my family. i do it often. now, obviously my opinion is biased, but i really do believe i have the best of the best! not only was i born into an amazing family, but i married into one as well! i could go on and on…but this post is for one family member in particular: my mom. she deserves a post every day of the year for being so awesome, but today especially! why? it’s her birthdayyy!

her nickname around our house is “happy girl”. she always has a smile on her face – and not in the stepford kind of way. she genuinely is happy the majority of the time! she’s not high maintenance or hard to please – just what you want in a best gal pal. my mom and i are extremely close. a day that i don’t talk to her at least twice is a rare occurrence. i'm sure my phone calls will double when the day comes that we have kids (still far away). she’s definitely in the top 5 list of my favorite people  - i'm sure most who meet her would say the same! she’s a great friend, mother, wife, sister, advisor, and margarita buddy! i love my mom. today, on her birthday, and every day.

 

number 150

maybe i'm late to the party on this one, but recently (?) lilly pulitzer announced that they would be releasing custom prints for every state! although i'm not a huge lilly girl, this is SUCH an adorable idea! i'll definitely be including something featuring my favorite states on my birthday list.

today they released the full preview of the north carolina print on facebook, but you have to solve the little puzzle to view it in its entirety. lucky for you, i've done all the hard work already:

i spy…the beach, the mountains, tar heels (boo! go duke!), dogwood blooms (our state flower), a cardinal (nc state bird), the wright brothers’ first flight, crowns (QUEEN CITY, represent!!), grapes for our many vineyards, and something that looks like donuts (anyone know what this is about?)

fun fact: virginia and north carolina share the same state flower and bird. crazy coincidence!

anyway! if you’re on the lookout for your state, be sure to follow lilly on facebook to get all the updates on the newest releases, or view the small state swatches here.

apparently lilly is a little biased towards georgia. at this point, they’re the only state being sold online, but i'm sure local lilly stores will have the murfee state scarves in shortly after they’re released.

nc girls, what you think? does it sum up our great state enough for you? and what about those donuts?

number 149

hi friends! i'm still around -- just taking a bit of a break. it's been a busy week, and i haven't felt that anything has been blog-worthy. same ole routine! be back soon!

number 148

hey y’all! i was sick yesterday and took the day off work. so needless to say, i'm busy playing catch up today in the office and can't squeeze in a sec for a real post. BUT, i do want to invite you to join me in fatmumslim’s photo challenge for august! i've never done one before and had already vowed to take more pictures, so here's my chance! follow along and see how long i stick with it: @lauraleighwyatt on instagram!

number 147

it’s no secret that alex loves the olympics, so it shouldn’t be too hard to guess today’s friday five theme. the OLYMPICS! today, we’re spotlighting 5 things i'm digging from around the globe to celebrate this huge worldwide event!

1  |  2  |  3  |  4  |  5

1  |  i've seen so many vintage-inspired prints around the interwebs, and i'm especially loving this one!

2  |  butter london has gorgeous metallic polishes in all shades, so get your olympics on with the full monty, diamond geezer, and the old bill – lbh, the USA only knows how to go for the gold!

3  |  i've always loved her state necklaces, but would you sport the USA around your neck? maya brenner has definitely found her niche with these adorable pendants. you can even have the diamond placed on your hometown! …wonder if i could get away with layering 3 states?

4  |  i'm really loving this american flag scarf. wouldn’t you pay $200+ for it? pshhh. it’s too hot for that mess anyway! at least it’s cute!

5  |  how adorable are these ballet flats from j.crew? the elastic is similar to the carolines by tory burch, which are super comfortable. and i would assume these are as well!

so that’s it for me, ladies and gents! i hope everyone has a great weekend and enjoys the opening ceremonies tonight! i'm linking up with my favorite, alex and sweet lauren today for “friday five” and “high five for friday”.

 

USA!! USA!! USA!!