Wishlist: Lilly Pulitzer for Target

As we all know, April 19th is the long-awaited debut of the Lilly Pulitzer for Target line and I absolutely cannot wait!  Ever since they announced the collaboration, it has been on my calendar.
Then, the lookbook came out and I have been trying to save my money because everything is so cute and so reasonably priced!  Now I'm wondering whether I'll need to set up camp outside Target...

One of the nice things about this line is that there is going to be a little bit of everything - and a little bit for everyone, except our men.  Sorry, boys.  It would have been nice if they had ties!
There are pieces for women, women's plus, girls, toddler girls, home and beauty.  The prints you see have been exclusively designed for this collaboration, so that makes these pieces even more special!
Here are some items that I have my eye on!

I am loving all of the new prints and ALL of the dresses are under $40!  I can definitely see myself wearing some of these when I go to the beach in July!

There are tons of home items, including plates, napkins and serving trays, that are absolutely adorable.  They even have a HAMMOCK.  Like, I have no place for a hammock, but of course it's adorable.

I'm sure these pieces aren't going to last long, so I would be sure and have an account ready on Target's website if you plan on shopping online!  Some of the pieces are online only so you won't be finding those in the store.  Also, don't forget you get 5% off when you use your Target RedCard :) You can check out the lookbook here! As Lilly would say, "Life is a party. Dress like it!"

Don't forget to visit my post from yesterday to win a wall print from Sweet Water Decor!

Catching Up with Thursday Thoughts

Greetings!
I am well aware of the fact that I haven't blogged in a while.  I definitely hit a blogging wall and just didn't feel very motivated.  However, I have decided that I want to try and continue posting for my own memory's sake.  My mom recently showed me a "memory book", of sorts, that she jots down important dates and memories so that when we say, "What did we do last Easter???", we can look back and see.  That is what I want my blog to be.  A memory book.  Not a collection of posts that I make up just to fit in with the rest of the blogging world, but posts that mean something to me.  And if no one reads them but me (and maybe my mom), that will be alright with me.
So, here goes my thoughts for this Thursday:

Ready for summer!

Tomorrow is the LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!  I don't know about you, but I am ready for summer.  Saturday will be so glorious, I can hardly wait.

Visiting the reception site...holy hometown goodness <3

I don't think I have announced this on the blog yet but my BFSTG (BEST FRIEND SINCE THIRD GRADE) is getting MARRIED in October!!! To say that I am excited is an understatement.  This girl & I go way back to the days of roll-on body glitter & Hit Me Baby One More Time.  I am so honored to be her bridesmaid and support her through this exciting season - and beyond!

Her Bichpoo! via Katelyn James Blog

I have decided, thanks to stalking the amazing photographs of Katelyn James Photography, that a Bichpoo is the dog for me.  Now all I need is a full-time job and my puppy search will begin! Let me know if y'all know anywhere on the east coast to find one!

On Galveston Island

While I was away I visited Houston.  I have now been to Austin, TX & Houston, TX.  I can say that I like Austin a whole lot better than Houston, however I just love Texas in general! 

Lastly, today I am yet again wearing an outfit completely made up from LOFT.  Fact #32 about living in a small town: sometimes all of your clothing ends up from the same 2 or 3 stores (in my case that would be Target, Old Navy & LOFT...aka the only stores we have with clothing for my "age group", whatever that is.)


T.G.I.T., y'all!

Wedding Weekend at The Homestead

On Saturday morning my mom & I hopped in the car and started heading on our "journey" to The Homestead to celebrate the marriage of our dear friend Courtney to his now wife Emily!
Courtney has been friends with my older brother basically since we moved here some 14 year ago.

James & Courtney are the two standing

Anyway, I call it a journey because we made a couple of stops before actually arriving at our destination. The first was our request from the groomsmen - a box of Carol Lee Donuts. If you've been to Blacksburg, you can understand their need.  If you haven't, make sure a trip to the shop is on your to-do list if you're ever in town. SO. GOOD. Our next stop was dropping off my first unit in Roanoke. I've been working on that baby for a while -- felt so good to turn it in! It was a 1st grade math unit. Our third stop was to find gas. In Sketchville, Virginia I might add.  PSA: Iron Gate, Virginia is scary larry central. Beware. After finally finding a station without a line of cars & one that you can actually swipe your card at the pump, we were on our way for real.
Approximately 2 hours from leaving our house we arrived at the beautiful Homestead in Hot Springs, VA.

Been around since 1766. Sooooo beautiful - especially in the fall!

Found James as we walked up and then headed to the Jefferson Bar to watch the Hokie game (sad day) after checking in.

Donuts in hand :)

After lunch & catching up with friends, we did some exploring. Found the Crystal Room where the dinner & reception would be held. There was a smaller foyer area above/next to it where the cocktail hour was held.

The ceremony started at 5:30 in the Grand Ballroom. It was absolutely beautiful! Then it was on to the cocktail hour, dinner & dancing!   Caught up with James during cocktail hour. I don't know if you can see his boutonniere, but it's baby's breath...which I love! I was so happy to see so much baby's breath everywhere. 

I though my Lilly dress was perfect for the occasion & it was super comfortable!
The next morning we had the most amazing brunch in the world. Chipped beef, biscuits, hash browns, bacon, grits, fruit, the whole nine yards.  Definitely capped off a great wedding celebration!
I definitely would like to find my way back to The Homestead at some point in my life. Beautiful history, architecture and there is tons to do! We didn't get to make it to the natural hot springs but it's definitely on my bucket list :)

Congratulations Courtney & Emily! We love you!

Five on Friday

Happy Friday, y'all.
1. Weekend Plans

 

After 4th grade, Mama & I are off on a mini road-trip. We're both headed to the D.C. area -- I am going to meet Steven at his place & Mama is visiting some old friends & doing some shopping/enjoying some time out of town.

2. iOS7

 So far I'm loving iOS7. I've heard mixed reviews, as well as some people who aren't upgrading at all. Personally I love the new sounds & clean look. Your thoughts? I found this site that has some neat tips if you're still a little lost.   3. Essie I'm need of a good neutral nail polish.

 This is "jazz" which I'm not sold on, but I like. What's your favorite neutral shade for fall? *I'm currently wearing "twin sweater set" from the fall collection, which I love.
4. Pom Poms

I'm loving this Lilly print. Still incorporating bright colors into fall :)
5. It's been 28 days

Ready to have a break from school & see this guy.

<3

Have a great weekend :)

Five on Friday!

Happy Friday!

{one} On Monday morning I set the alarm, had my computer charging overnight, and woke up to tackle the Lilly Pulitzer Endless Summer Sale. You might be asking, "Why did you even bother to wake up early?!" and that is exactly what I'm asking myself too since I could barely see anything on the site until 1:00 pm! I, like other Lilly lovers, wish the Pink Palace would find some other way to put on the ESS that wouldn't crash the website each year but in the end, I am just thankful to have the opportunity to buy new Lilly at such awesome prices! This is what I ended up getting:

Murfee Scarf in You Gotta Regatta

Boardwalk Bikini Top in Bright Navy Swim Party Polkadot The picture is of a different top but the same print! The boardwalk top has a cute ruffle that I love! I didn't get bottoms to match because the site was being so crazy so I'm just going to mix-n-match with a solid bottom.   {two} About a week ago we had our family dinner at work to celebrate the end of summer! I pulled off a Pinterest-inspired cupcake that the kids LOVED. There was almost a fight for the last one. (#1 teacher right here...)

  {three}  Yesterday was my last full day of summer with Steven before he heads back up to school! Bittersweet for sure as he only has one more semester and is excited to be graduating and moving on to grad school. I'm just ready to have him back in Virginia! I'll take a 3 hour drive over a 6 hour drive any day :)

We went out to Beliveau Estate, which is a local winery/bed & breakfast, for a wine tasting and lunch! We were the only ones there, which isn't so weird on a Thursday afternoon, but it was nice to have the space to ourselves! We did a tasting of six wines and then chose Discovery to have with lunch.

  {four} I hope that my fellow teacher/future teacher bloggers are going to be participating in Teacher Talk with Nicole and Jamie!
Although I'm not in my own classroom quite yet, I'm excited to read and connect with other teachers - or future teachers like me. I'm going to tweak the posts a little bit to fit me, so if you're a future teacher don't be afraid to join in! :) Monday's post is "about you - where, what and why you teach"!   {five}  I finally caved and bought a chalkboard yesterday at TJMaxx! I had a gift card that was burning a hole in my pocket and have been wanting a chalkboard for some time.  I was tempted to make my own, but I found one for a good price and couldn't pass it up! I think I'm going to put it in my room. Now I'm looking for inspiration for what to write on it!

This is cute!     Have a great weekend!

Friday Five

  1. Hallelujah! It's...

It's been a LONG week & I am so happy to see ya, Friday! 2. Doubling Up

Higher Ed Center where I have class

Tomorrow I'll begin my second graduate course. It's held on 3 Saturdays from 9:00-3:30...not exactly what I want to be spending my weekend doing, but it's only 3 times so I guess it's not that bad??? This one is Inquiry in Mathematics - hopefully I don't have to do a lot of math because I am pretty much terrible at anything over geometry or basic algebra... :)
3. Lilly @ TJ

I was so excited to find some cute Lilly stuff at TJMaxx last week! Our TJ rarely has Lilly, although I've found some stationary-ish things in the past.  In addition to this, they had organizing bins & a tray and plates in another print! It was hard not to snatch it all up! I wish our TJ had clothing. 4. Running + Yoga

I know yoga and pilates are different, I just thought this was funny!

I need to incorporate some yoga stretches into my routine because my hips have been hurting & I read that "yoga for runners" really helps! Anyone have any tips? 5. Bubblecake

ABSOLUTELY PUMPED to announce Bubblecake is coming to the NRV! There are already 2 locations in Roanoke (that I visit as frequently as possible) and they recently announced that they are opening one in Christiansburg. So excited for this! My favorite cupcake is the Tiffany:

Shown on the right - in Tiffany blue frosting w/ pearls!

Happy Friday!

Friday's Fancies :: HELLO SUMMER!

Happy Friday & Happy SUMMER! & Happy Birthday, Dad! & Happy National Wear Your Lilly Day!
There are lots of reasons to celebrate today, which is good because today we leave the beach -- WOMP WOMP. This past week has flown by and I seriously feel like I just got here.  I ain't tan enough to go back home yet!! (is it just me or does tanning feel so much more legit at the beach? I feel so lame in my backyard...)   I'm excited to be back in the Friday's Fancies groove & share my summer faves :)

|one| I absolutely love my monogrammed hat from Crystal Faye! Mine is navy blue with white thread. I wore it this past week to go to Bodie Island Lighthouse! Crystal is such a sweet girl to work with, too! Team #shopcrystalfaye all the way! |two| My vineyard vines hat is my all time fave! I don't know what it is about it. I think I've just worn it in and it is so comfy! I have the exact style shown - color is: slate. |three| Where would I be without colorful chino shorts? 4" or 5" are my go-to length because they're perfect for me to wear to work! I love J. Crew and Old Navy. I just got a hot pink pair from J. Crew on sale -- only $15! Holla! |four| I am trying to get better about wearing sunglasses. My eye doctor somewhat scolded me for not ;) Although I don't have these Ray Bans, I would love a pair! |five| Is there a time of year more American than summertime? I think not. I am absolutely stoked for the 4th of July which is my second favorite holiday! This bow must be in my hair. Another cute one from Devon Alana! |six| No better way to kick off summer and make your tan pop than with a fresh mani! |seven| Just like life in general, summer is always better in Lilly. I am loving the Dock Hopper print! |eight| Of course, my Jacks are my go-to summer shoe! My platinum pair literally go with everything. I am going to wear them down til they're nothing! |nine| Summer purse essentials? Phone, wallet, KOOZIE! I was the koozie queen at the beach! Lilly koozie found here :) Also love these!! |ten| Last but not least, I spend many days during the summer in my classic norts. No matter how cute I want my outfit to be, you can never go wrong with norts & a comfy t-shirt! I swear by it!

Celebrate summer today & join in on the FF fun here at {long distance loving}!
Onward to Virginia! Back to the real world! :/ Have a great start to your weekend!

Summer Reads!

Althoughhhhhhh I'm in grad school this summer & have plenty to do for that (boo!), I'm still dreaming/hoping of getting in some FUN reading. I am getting to do a little bit of that at the beach this week...hey, that's what vacation is for, right!?

Here's what's on my list currently...

Read any of them? I love getting on goodreads and seeing what everyone is reading! Although, I'm bad at updating mine. I need to do that. However I love looking at what people rate books...that's how I find a lot of my reads! I heard from several 6th graders that suggested The Fault in Our Stars so hopefully they don't let me down ;)
Let me know what you're reading so I can add to my list!

Beach Bum :: OBX

We're on day 4 of our beach week in Avon!

I am absolutely in heaven. If you've never been to the Outer Banks, you are missing out!

Sadie got to come and let me tell you...she is a beach dog! She would run up and down the beach all day long if we let her. She enjoys biting at the foam and running from waves!

Of course my week has been/will continue to be enjoyed in Lilly! Nothing says summertime better!

Our house has an ocean view which is absolutely wonderful! It takes 60 seconds to get your toes in the sand. Perfect!

Speaking of which...I need to go get my toes back in the sand!

I'll update more later!

Until then, if you know of any OBX hidden treasures that I should visit before I leave on Friday, let me know!

Have a great week!

Lilly Pulitzer for Estee Lauder!

True story. This was my conversation with the lady in Belk: "Hi, can I help you?" "Yes! To be honest, I really just want the Lilly gift with purchase. I've never bought Estee Lauder before!" "Okay! Let's see..." She then proceeded to find me something basic that would put me at the limit! {I ended up with some bronzer which I actually do love!}
No shame here. I couldn't pass up this ADORABLE make up bag. It came with some fun products inside, such as a mascara, a lipstick, some lotion and day creme, & a matching Lilly mirror!  

I love the size and shape of this cosmetic bag. Definitely cute to throw in your tote with your every day essentials!
Anyone else grab this GWP? Or one similar?