Victoria's Secret Swim 2014!

Every year at about this time, I start to feel the pull…

The pull toward sunshine, warmer weather, the pool, sand, and beach! It starts getting really chilly where I live around the middle of October, so by January, I've had my fill of winter coats and snow. With that said, I'm lusting for warmer temperatures and the always perfect, Victoria's Secret swimwear line for this year. I couldn't help but take a peak this week, and there may or may not be one fabulous suit coming my way!

How cute are these swimsuits?

The Lei Bandeau

The Push-Up Triangle Top

The Pink Wrap-Around Halter

...and my new swimsuit for 2014!

The Leopard Bow Bandeau!

I'm a sucker for a big bow, especially on a bathing suit, and this one takes the cake! A perfect bow paired with leopard print is right up my alley! I didn't care for the bottoms that VS had with it in the photo, so I ordered the ruched hipkini bottoms below, offering a little more coverage for half the price!

Ruched Hipkini Bottom in Little Leopard

I know it might seem a bit early to be thinking about bikinis and fruity drinks with umbrellas, but you never know when a spur of the moment trip could pop up, and this way, I'll be completely prepared!

Anyone else already bathing suit shopping?

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As always, Have a Sweet Day!

The Perfectly-Packed Beach Bag!

After many summers of going to different beaches up and down North and South Carolina, I think I've finally mastered the perfectly-packed beach bag!

For years, I've packed way too much or two little, but this year, I've got my perfect pool/beach bag down to a science, and thought you'd like to see it as well! Keep in mind, I didn't take all of this to the beach at the same time, but switched out items as I needed them!

The Bag:
I'm using a Lilly Pulitzer insulated tote bag in the Chiquita Bonita print that I got for Valentine's Day! It's meant to keep things hot or cold, but holds all your beach essentials perfectly. It has two handles, one outside pocket, insulated material on the inside and a came with a cute pink wine opener on the handle.

Cups/Koozies: 
For this trip, I packed a couple different items to use for drinks on the beach: koozies to keep things cold, two fun tumblers, a Lilly wine glass and a full-size wine opener. You never know what you're going to need!

Hats: 
I despise sunburn, so having a hat for beach days is a necessity! This year, I brought two different hats to match each of my bathing suits. 

Beach Reading: 
The beach is my absolute favorite place to read because of the sun, sand and that fabulous breeze! This year, I brought along two books that I've been trying to find time to read.

Fly Away by Kristin Hannah
The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell

Swim Suits: 
A beach trip isn't complete without a great bathing suit, which is why I brought three! I also made sure to pack sunscreen and my favorite chapstick for the week.

This back ruffle two-piece is from Old Navy earlier this year, and is so fun & comfortable. Now, I wish I'd ordered it in a few colors!

Catch-All: 
For all of those items that I don't want rolling around in the bottom of the bag, I packed this LaRoque Lobster catch-all bag! This is what I use for my phone, sunglasses, hair bows, etc.

On my way out the door, I make sure to grab a beach towel and my chair, and I'm ready to go!

What are your beach bag essentials?

As always, Have a Sweet Day!

Medium Lands' End Canvas Tote Review

Last summer, right before going to Hilton Head Island for our annual Miller Family vacation, I bought my first Lands' End Canvas Tote. I fell in love with this bag, its five-star quality, and the endless number of uses it has, so I knew when I started looking to buy a new handbag, one of these totes would be a top contender!

After scanning the Lands' End website, I quickly decided the the size Medium tote was the one for me. The Large is great for a weekend getaway, but the Medium would function perfectly as an everyday bag, as well as a tote that I could use for work and to take to the gym. Bags that transition like these are essential for a busy twenty-something like myself!

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Once I knew the size I wanted, the color and monogram were easy picks!

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I decided that the Natural Canvas/Azalea Pink combination was way too "me" to pass up! I also decided to use the circle monogram style again, so that this bag matched the large tote that I originally purchased.

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My pretty, new monogrammed bag arrived at my apartment in less than a week, ready to take out of the package and carry, which is exactly what I did! 

Did I mention that this bag was a gift to myself for reaching my five-mile running goal? This made me all the more excited to finally use it!

Just like on the larger tote, the front has one pocket in the center for quick access.

The inside offers four pockets of varying sizes and a lobster claw key clip, to keep your items safe and organized.

Here, you can easily see the difference between the large and medium totes.

 I'm so glad that I decided to go with the circle style monogram on both bags! When I'm traveling, you can easily tell that these two cuties belong together!

 I will definitely continue to order/recommend the Lands' End Canvas Tote!

*I was not compensated in any way for this post.

As always, Have a Sweet Day!

Target Shoe Love!

Among just about anything else in the shopping universe, we all know that Target is the perfect place to find cute shoes! Especially ones that you don't want to spent an arm and a leg (or a foot) on!

The Target closest to my house started putting out their summery wedges around the end of January, along with the first shipment of bathing suits for 2013, and though it was difficult to see myself buying them when Boone's still getting a couple inches of snow a week, it doesn't mean I didn't want to!

Here are a few of my favorite pairs for this Spring!

Mossimo Lindsay Jo Wedge Sandal: $29.99

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Mossimo Patricia Fabric-Covered Wedge Sandal in Cognac: $29.99

I love that these are two-toned, so you can wear them with brown or black!

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Merona Emilia Tall Wedge Espadrille in Khaki: $29.99

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Mossimo Waylon Harachi Cork Wedge Sandal in Black: $29.99

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...and just because I'm a little behind the bandwagon, and don't own any yet, I'd love a pair of classic nude flats. Of course, Target has them!

Mossimo Ona Patent Scrunch Ballet Flat in Blush: $14.99

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Find yourself loving these cute shoes too?

You can get free shipping when you spend $50 at Target.com, or if you have a Target Red Card like my Mom and me, you'll get free shipping and 5% off on every purchase! 

Happy Shopping!

As always, Have a Sweet Day!

My Wallet Thinks It's Summertime!

From the looks of my bank statement this month, you would totally think it's summertime!

No matter how hard I try, whether online shopping or in the actual store, lately I've been drawn to summery items, like chino shorts, tunic style tops and bright colored koozies!

Regardless of the snow, sleet, and freezing rain that my little town may be getting, I've got summer on the brain, and I think I like it! 

Here are a few of my recent summertime purchases:

1. Lauren by Ralph Lauren paisley blouse
I can't wait to pair this with white pants and cute sandals!

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2. J.CREW blue gingham chino shorts

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3. Lilly Pulitzer Koozie in Chiquita Bonita

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4. Old Navy ruffle bandeau swimsuit
I ordered the black top & matching bottoms!

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5. Sex and the City: Season 4
Hearing the ladies of SATC talk about tanning in the Hamptons makes me so excited for summer!

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...and another pair of items that I've been eyeing:

6. Lilly Pulitzer Chiquita Bonita croakies 
(to match my new koozie!)

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7. Lands' End medium tote in Azalea Pink! 

 I bought my first Lands' End tote last year and loved it! This one would be the perfect size bag to use everyday (with a circle monogram of course!)

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Does your recent shopping have you dreaming of summertime?

As always, Have a Sweet Day!

Summertime Essentials By Day & Night!

I've been throwing around the idea of doing a summer essentials post here on the blog, but as I waited to decide, more and more people had already done them. I did end up putting one together for you all today, but I decided to change it up a little bit! 

Since I work at one place on Monday & Wednesday during the day and then at another place on Tuesday & Thursday at night, my summer essentials vary for certain days & times.

Images courtesy of Polyvore

On Monday and Wednesday of each week, I drive into the downtown area for work at my internship. I almost always have these five items with me!

1. My Planner: I was given a brand new planner for graduation by my little Katy and I use this thing every day. Before that, I was using one of the large Lilly Pulitzer planners, but it just wasn't cutting it!

2. My Watch: If there's one thing that I've learned in the wedding business, it's that being on time is essential! Let me be completely honest, in this line of work, if you're on time, you're late! Jake gave me a Hello Kitty watch (my favorite) for our anniversary, and it has really come in handy this summer!

3. My Macbook: During the work day I spend my time building inspiration boards for clients, researching marking ideas & writing posts for the wedding blog, which you can see here! The most-recent post was about yours truly, so make sure to check it out!

4. Jack Rogers: These are the best shoes to match any outfit! I have them in 3 colors and they always look great. Now that they have the glitter and rhinestone option, I may have to give them a try!

5. My Lunch Box: My Mom has been so sweet and helps me to pack my lunch in the mornings when  I don't have time. I have a lunch bag from school, but she's been using her cute Very Bradley one, and  I'm not complaining!

Images courtesy of Polyvore

On nights that I'm not working and I get to enjoy my time at home, my essentials are a little different!

1. J.CREW Chino Shorts: These are my favorite type of shorts for summer. I love that you can dress them up with a cute blouse, or stay casual with a t-shirt! I love throwing these on when my family is going out to dinner.

2. Summer Reading: Currently I'm reading The Help, but this changes almost weekly. My book is always nearby, whether I'm sitting on the couch or throwing it in my car. You never know when you'll have those few extra minutes.

3. Nike Tempo Shorts: A lot of times my Mom and I have been riding over to the local park and walking or running right before sunset. It's nice to throw on a pair of these shorts and be ready to go!

4. Puppy things: Since I don't have time to research dog things at work, I usually do this before bed. This includes, how-to videos on training or comparing product prices. Lately, I've spent a lot of time looking at dog crates!

5. My Family: I love nights when I'm able to go fishing with my Dad and Brother or run a few errands with my Mom. Sometimes it's nice just to be able to relax and spend time with the ones you love!

What do you think of my go-to summer essentials?