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 :)

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!

Oh My Essie!

Nothing says summer like a fresh mani!
I have been loving Essie's spring, resort, neon & summer collections so much! I wish they weren't so darn expensive and I would buy them all. I've recently discovered that our Walgreens sells Essie...I thought only Target did! Score!
Here are 4 of my faves for summer:  

The "rock the boat" is actually a little more blue than it appears here.
I'm trying to branch out with my polish color. I'm very much a PINK girl, or I go with a classic french. I've done a lilac before and red, but I typically go for a bright pink/coral color. I need to just GO FOR IT and remember that if I hate it, that's why they made polish remover :)
What shade are you currently wearing? Please inspire me to branch out to blues/greens!

Prepping for Travel!

I have two trips coming up in the next two weeks that I am so pumped about! This Thursday-Sunday I'll be heading to Richmond with Steven for a super fun weekend! Of course we'll be hitting up Short Pump, but also will make it to a Flying Squirrels game, Busch Gardens and...the first annual bacon festival! That should definitely be an experience ;) Then, next Friday, I'm headed to the BEACH! I'll be relaxing on the North Carolina shore for one week. I absolutely cannot wait!

 Got all the goods! Sunscreen, a good book, eye protection, Jacks and pretty nails are all essential!   My iPad will be nice to entertain me on rainy days, or when I run out of books I have one on there! Plus, I'll have to keep up with my school work...WOMP!   Starbucks is needed in the car. Always.
Running shoes are coming with me since I'm training this summer for two big races in the fall!
I just got a new striped beach tote that I lovvvve...I'll be sure to share a picture of it!     What are some of your summer travel essentials?

Mani Mania :: Spring Nails & Happy Birthday Sadie!

I am ALL about springtime :) Spring clothing, spring colors, spring activities...and spring nail polish! After all, I only have one more week until Spring Break ;)   Essie's Spring 2013 line is SO beautiful.

From l-r: Madison Ave-Hue, Go Ginza, Avenue Maintain, Bond With Whomever, Maximillian Strasse Her, Hip-Anema

My top faves have to be Madison Ave-Hue, Bond With Whomever and Avenue Maintain!   I cannot get over these shades! I want all of them!   Right now my nails are painted "dim sum plum" by OPI:

A little messy. Oh well! I'm also trying out the Sally Hansen Mega Shine Top Coat. It's supposed to keep your manicure for 10 days -- we'll see! I wish I could keep up a shellac mani, but that is expensive!     I'm off to celebrate my pup's 3rd birthday!! I can't believe she is 3! Happy Birthday Sadie :)

Baby!!

Christmas nap!

We put her through a rollercoaster this year adding Belle to the mix!

LOVE THIS SWEET PUP!

She has turned into the best snuggler!

Happy weekend!

Nude Nails

Y'all probably know by now that I'm a nail polish fanatic -- like a lot of you, I'm sure!

I'm always picking up new polishes, but I'll be honest, I usually stick to essie & O.P.I. I know they're more expensive (still not the most expensive) but I find they have the best coverage/last the longest when applied right.

No matter what the season, I think a good nude nail can be gorgeous. In my opinion, it looks great with any spring or summer outfit that may be filled with color, but can also be a refreshing change from the darker tones of fall and winter.

 

When I say "nude", I personally mean a nude pink. I'm very much a PINK girl when it comes to nail polishes! I have so many and I typically choose nudes with a pink tone rather than a beige tone.

Here are my three favorites:

{from my instagram, so you may be familiar!}

essie: miss matched

O.P.I.: Bubble Bath

 my current polish...I love it!

 

essie: petal pink

What are your favorite polishes when you don't want to stand out but still want a hint of color?

Off to study for my "abby normal" psych test tomorrow...yippee!

My Life...

Y'all probably think I've fallen off the face of the earth. And you would be right.
I knew as soon as school started blogging would be on the back burner, but it seems like every chill moment I have, I find myself either a) painting my nails, b) watching something on Netflix, c) cleaning my room or d) getting into shenanigans with my roommates. That is, aside from my normal hobbies such as shopping at Target and sleeping a lot.
I promise I haven't abandoned blogging completely, but it definitely isn't my top priority. It's my senior year and I'm living every moment to the fullest and taking every opportunity presented to me.
Anyway, here's a little recap!  

The ladies of 401 Green Street. LOVE them to the moon and back.

HOKIE FOOTBALL! I have missed it so much...and I will miss it so much next year! We're 2-0, woo!

I miss my pets so much. I had to have Baby Belle over to visit. Of course she snooped around and then slept!

we're essie snobs. Painting nails is a weekly, sometimes daily, occurrence in our home.  
I will come up with an apartment/room tour sometime this week if y'all would like! There's not much to it, but I do have some DIY things up and I actually have my closet organized!

I've also started my internship at the school where I also work! I'm in a kindergarten class and I am LOVING it! The kids are so sweet and my host teacher is amazing. She also has a student teacher who is wonderful! I feel so lucky to be there three days a week -- I'm learning from the best!   In addition to my internship and work hours, I also have a service learning position at a daycare center...now you see why I'm so busy/exhausted!
I promise I am still trying to keep up with your blogs, though. Even if I don't have time to comment, I am reading!   Thanks for sticking with me :)

Friday's Fancies: Wedding Guest

First off: life lately. I feel like this week has been stressful, for some reason. The weather has been much cooler with rain showers and I just feel like I've been dragging my feet. On Thursday we had our walking field trip (total of 4 miles) and the kids complained the whole time. It was both physically and mentally painful.

I also have had terrible luck seeing Steven pitch recently. I haven't seen him throw since June. It's sad for me to not be able to make it to the games he throws in...such as today's! I would be there if I could in a heartbeat.Lastly, this weather has been giving me a headache every morning! There is almost nothing worse than waking up with a headache. I'm ready for some sunshine.
Okay, enough with the blabbing :)Time to return to Friday's Fancies!

Friday's Fancies: Wedding Guest by slryan3

 I just love this dress from ModCloth! They have adorable pieces for reasonable prices!I really want to get into some of these statement necklaces. I found an adorable one shopping last weekend but decided against it! I love BaubleBar's pieces and (again) their prices! This White Bead Bib necklace would be a great starter to my collection! Plus - if you create an account, you get $10 off your first order! And they have free shipping. I'm sold. FYI - that Essie polish is: delicacy :)

What are you wearing to this summer's wedding festivities?

Celebrating Reading Day with a GIVEAWAY!

Thank y'all SO much for helping me reach 200 followers!

I will say what every other blogger has said - how many followers you have is just a number. Some of my favorite blogs have anywhere from 50 followers to 2000 followers.You have to start somewhere! I never thought I would get 100 followers, let alone 200.
To thank you, I decided to do my first giveaway!It's nothing too fancy...just 3 simple things that you might want to kick off summer!

One person will win:- A Lilly Pulitzer koozie in Chum Bucket. What is summer without some Lilly? My koozie collection is always growing - you can never have too many...especially Lilly ones!- EOS lip balm in strawberry sorbet. I absolutely love this stuff! The blogging world introduced me to it and ever since I'm hooked. Plus the pretty pink color of this particular "flavor" is so fun.- A bottle of essie polish in a crewed interest. Seriously, this color is amazing! I have it myself and it's currently on my toes - was on my hands previously as well. It's perfect for summer and looks great with tan feet!
Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter!Giveaway will run May 3 - May 10.Winner announced May 11!

Obs-essie-d

Okay, I know from reading other blogs and from looking at Pinterest boards that I'm not the only one who takes painting my nails seriously.

Let's be honest, it is serious business! I believe your nail color can tell a lot about you. When I'm perusing Target I find it a challenge to try and leave without a new Essie bottle. Recently, I found an Ulta store (something that SWVA is lacking) and spent 30 minutes trying to pick out a color...not because I didn't like any of them, but because I wanted all of them.

So, I admit. I am obsessed. With Essie.

Equals: "Obs-essie-d"

Here are some of my favorite spring colors!

movers and shakers

luscious lips

a crewed interest

haute as hello

looking for love

barbados blue

Later I'll have to do a post on all my favorites pinks!

Such as this one, pink-a-boo, from their new resort collection:

What's your favorite spring Essie color?

Happy Thursday!

xoxo,