Puppies: The Good, The Bad, & The Hilarious

As any dog-owner knows, there are many things that come along with getting a new puppy. You gain a wonderful companion, some very sharp teeth and a whole lot of patience. These are just a few of the things that Paisley has taught me over the past month.

I've divided some of my new experiences into three different categories: The Good, The Bad and The Hilarious (you know those times you can't help but laugh)!

The Good:

-I love that Paisley knows I'm her owner. I can call her name once from the other end of the house and she will come running to me! Even though I hate leaving her to go to work, it's worth her excited reaction as soon as I get home! 

-I love that when she's not quite sure about something, (like loud noises) she hides behind my legs. It's like she knows I'm there to protect her.

-I love how she looks when she's sleeping! How could you resist this little face?!

-I love that she loves to lay in my bed with me and she wants to be right up against me!

-I love knowing that someone is depending on me and needs me.

The Not-So-Good:

-My normal sleep schedule is now non-existent. To tell you the truth, sleep in general is non-existent.

-She doesn't like to listen to me when we're outside.

-When she tears a huge hole in the living room carpet.

-When she uses the bathroom in the house when you're trying to tend to said hole.

-When she bites your legs, arms, hair, etc...basically anything she can get her mouth on. I know this is a puppy thing, but it's painful!

-When she tries to get into the cat's litter box

The Hilarious:

-When she wrestled my Mom's topiary tree to the ground. I found her in the living room with fake leaves all over her mouth.

-When she runs up to our cat and licks his face

-When she wants to watch TV with my Dad

Paisley has only been with us for a month, but has already made a huge impact on our lives, especially mine. She's my little princess! Happy 3 month birthday to my sweet girl today!

Lands' End Canvas Tote Review!

Two months ago, I took the plunge and finally ordered my very own Lands' End Canvas Tote! I had never had one before, so I was a little overwhelmed as to what color, size and style to order. I was also nervous about the quality of the bags in general. Now that I've had time to try mine out, take it on vacation and really evaluate the quality of the bag, I wanted to share my thoughts with you!

*I was not paid in any way for this review

via

The bag that I ordered was the exact same as the one shown above. More specifically, it was the Large Natural Open Top Canvas Tote in "Shock Blue". It can be found here.

You may have seen my post in May about some fab deals I had found. This Lands' End tote was one of them! I was able to go online, order it, add my monogram, have it shipped and use a 30% off coupon, all in about 15 minutes! I got everything for just over $35.00 total. I was so excited!

It arrived on my doorstep in just a few days, ready for my next trip or excursion! When my family headed off to Hilton Head a few weeks later, this was the first bag I grabbed! It held a ton of stuff and functioned perfectly as a beach bag for the whole day! The large tote gave me enough room to put bottles of water, extra clothes, towels, books, etc. Everything I needed for the beach fit in this bag!

The only down side...it can get a bit heavy, so you may want to enlist someone to help you out when it's full!

When the website says large, they're not kidding, this is a big bag! Take a look at the size difference beside of my large Longchamp bag.

This is also what most people mentioned in their review of the tote on the Lands' End site. It's hard to tell from the computer just how big the bag is!

I would describe the L.E Tote as more of a weekender bag. The inside features five pockets of varying sizes, one button closure on the largest pocket and one lobster claw clip for your keys.

There's also one large pocket on the bag's front, which works perfectly for quick access!

Overall, I have thoroughly enjoyed having my new L.E Tote. Its great quality material and beautiful turquoise color really turn heads at the beach, plus you can't beat that price! I would definitely buy this bag again (in another color of course), and it's the perfect gift for friends! Who doesn't love a great monogrammed tote for $35.00!

Are you a fan of the Lands' End Tote?

Looks I'm Loving Friday!

Happy Friday Everyone!

Today, I'm heading up to Boone, to move the rest of my things out of my college apartment. Since I'll be so close to Blowing Rock, a trip to the Tanger Outlets or King Street (where our boutique-like stores are located) may be in store. It would be a shame not to go, right?! Right. With that said, I want to share with you some looks that I'm loving right now! I would love to try some of these outfits!

The Lace Shirt

via

via

I love this look paired with a nude cami or a bright bandeau top, either would be super cute! I've seen girls of all different body types wearing it, and it looks good on everyone! The lace shirt is classic and timeless, pairing it with a bright-colored bandeau top underneath adds just the right pop of color.

The Maxi Skirt

via

via

These really stood out to me after The Bachelorette finale the other night. Emily wore a few maxi skirts paired with different tank tops. So cute! I'm only 5'2", and have never owned anything floor-length, so this would be a stretch for me! Recently though, I've seen women of all shapes and sizes trying this look, so I figured why not?

Mint Clothing

Love it. Cannot get enough!

Maybe it's just me, but I feel like the stores where I'm from don't offer many mint clothing items. You may find one or two things at Forever 21, but that's it! I guess I'll have to resort to ordering online because I love all these looks!

via

via

via

What do you think?

Are there any looks that you're dying to try?

A Puppy/Melody Shopping Trip: Second Edition!

With all the working that I've been doing lately at Sam's and my internship, I haven't had much time for retail therapy (insert sad face here). I mean, a girl's got needs! On Tuesday, I couldn't stand it any longer, so I grabbed my Mom and off we went!

First thing that morning, we hit Pet Supplies Plus! As you may know, this is my favorite pet store. The people are seriously so nice! I talked about my first shopping trip for Paisley in this post. Picking out things for Paisley is almost as much fun as buying clothes for myself, so we had a great time looking around! 

Paisley's new things:

1. Flower print collar by Pet Attire

Paisley had a collar that she was wearing when we got her from the breeder, but it was getting a little small, and had gotten dingy, so we picked her up a cute new one that's white with yellow and pink flowers.

2. Pink pet ID tag
For some reason, I hadn't got around to buying one of these yet. Since Paisley spends a lot of time running around our house outside, we thought it was best if she had one. My Mom was nice enough to buy this for Paisley. Oh the joys of having a grand-dog!

Here's Paisley modeling her new collar and ID tag this morning!

3. Small flower print harness
I had been thinking about buying Paisley a harness to wear when we're out in public with other dogs. She does well on her leash, but I thought this would give me some extra support if I need to hold her back for any reason. We actually tried it out around our house yesterday and it worked really well! It also matches her new collar!

4. Pink retractable leash
A retractable leash is something that I've heard both good and bad things about. I ended up buying a 16 foot Flexi leash for a medium to large dog (there's no use buying more than one). Around my house, we have a lot of trees, tall grass, and other things that I don't feel like exploring that Paisley goes crazy over. Hopefully this will give her a little more room to run, without me having to go with her! We'll see how it goes!

via

5. Smell good spray

This isn't the actual name of what we bought, but it's what I'm calling it! My Mom picked up a can of pet spray that's supposed to decrease her puppy smell. It seems to be working so far!

Then we were off to get the things that were on my list!

1. The new Emily Giffin book
I love Emily Giffin and own/have read all five of her books! They are some of my favorites! In May, I heard that she had a new book coming out this July, and I've had the release date on my calendar ever since. Luckily, I had a Barnes & Noble gift card and was able to get it pretty cheap!

2. Craft Supplies
I saw a cute craft on Pinterest the other day that I wanted to try, so I picked up the supplies for that! The best part, it only cost me one dollar! I'm making it to sit in Jake's apartment, so if you can guess what it is, sssshhh! It's a surprise! There will be more on this later!

3. Forever 21 Dress
For me, Forever 21 is always hit or miss. More often than not, if I'm on the lookout for something, it's a miss, but on Tuesday, I got lucky! I found the cutest navy and pink dress for just over $20. Had to have it! I'm thinking about pairing it with a gold necklace that belonged to my Grandma! Did I mention is has pockets! What do you think?

I'd say it was a pretty good shopping day!


interested in seeing more pictures of Paisley and what I'm up to? Follow along with me on Instagram! 
Username: sweetlikeasong

Another Year with an Amazing Woman!

Last night, my family and I had the pleasure of celebrating my Grandmother's 84th Birthday! 

Weasie, as we call her, has done some amazing things in her life, and I am so proud to call her my Grandma.

(You may notice the mashed spot in the front of the cake...Paisley got a little excited in the car on the way!)

In 84 years, Weasie has accomplished so much! She was a school teacher for 35 years, visited all 50 states, countless countries and many exotic islands. She was the President of the Ladies Auxiliary where she lives, a member of the church choir and a Sunday School teacher.

 One of her most-recent accomplishments was in 2008, when she was presented with an award called The Order of the Long Leaf Pine at her 80th birthday party. 

Here's how Wikipedia describes it:

The Order of the Long Leaf Pine is presented to individuals who have a proven record of extraordinary service to the state. Contributions to their communities, extra effort in their careers, and many years of service to their organizations are some of the guidelines by which recipients are selected for this award.

Weasie shares this honor with people like Maya Angelou, Andy Griffith and Oprah Winfrey. This woman has seriously done it all, and I look up to her so much.

She's definitely a trip!

 We enjoyed dinner last night from a nearby diner and a birthday cheesecake from Artist's Way Bakery. It was really nice to spend time as a family and celebrate this special day.

Paisley even made the trip to Weasie's house for the occasion! 

Happy Birthday Weasie! We love you!

Check It Out!

Happy Friday Everyone!

If you haven't already, please go and check out my guest post on Emily's Blog today!

I'm talking about blogger business cards and you won't want to miss it!

What I Love Wednesday!

It's been a while since I've participated in the "What I Love Wednesday" link-up with Jamie at This Kind of Love, so I thought I'd tell you girls what I've been loving lately!

1. I'm loving this cute cupcake package that I picked up this morning!

I visited Maxie B's Bakery shortly after nine this morning to check out there cupcake selection. My boss' birthday was on Sunday, so I grabbed a "18 Carat" cupcake for her their version of carrot cake, and a "Classic Chocolate" for me! If you've never been to Maxie  B's in Greensboro, you definitely need to stop by! This place is so cute and the desserts taste amazing!

2. I'm loving Moo business cards! 

That's right, Moo business cards at MOO(dot)COM. My boss at my internship just got brand new business cards and they are so nice! Great design, color scheme and paper! I've been looking into blogger business cards for a little while and would love to order them from Moo!

3. I'm loving the date that Jake and I had on Monday! 

We hadn't seen each other in just over two weeks, so we decided to spend the afternoon at Concord Mills, eating, shopping and seeing a movie. We had lunch at Chili's, shopped for a bit and then headed to the theater to see Ted.

via

4. I'm loving my sweet Paisley!

It has been such a pleasure watching Paisley grow and learn. She's already 10 weeks old and up to 11 pounds! I can't believe it! I'm crossing my fingers that she is completely potty trained very soon!

5. I'm loving my parents!

If my parents weren't around to help me right now, I seriously don't know what I would do. I work two jobs, a combined 25 hours throughout the week, and about 35 hours if I have a wedding on the weekend. My parents have been so wonderful about watching Paisley if I have to work, etc. Thank you thank you, Mama & Daddy for all you do! I love you!

What are you loving this Wednesday?

Awkward Moment!

Happy Friday Everyone! I hope you've had a great week!

I don't think I've ever mentioned this on the blog before, but I am the queen of awkward situations! I don't know what it is, but I swear the crazy things that happen in my life only happen to me! Last night, I had another one of these occurrences while I was waitressing at my work. It was so funny I had to share it with you!

Last night when I was waitressing, a table came in and sat in my section. It was what looked to be a dad and his two children, a boy around 7 years old and a girl about 11. I took their drink order, went to get them and didn't think anything of it. Afterward, I got their food order and then started cleaning something else in the dining room. This is when the little boy at the table yelled at me "My daddy thinks you're cute!" Keep in mind, he had his mouth full of something, so I couldn't really understand him. In reply, I looked at him and said "What was that?" and he said "My daddy said that you're cute!" What am I supposed to say to that? The dad was sitting right there! After being put on the spot like (and turning red I'm sure), I finally said "Awh. Well thank you". Not only did the other waitress hear the little boy, but I'm sure everyone in the dining room did. The dad was obviously in his thirties! He had two kids with him!

After that, I kept waiting on them as if nothing had been said and the next time I went to the table, the dad said to me "My kids were trying to figure out how old you were and we just couldn't decide. How old are you?" The whole time I'm thinking, you're using your kids to find out how old I am?! Wow. They guessed between 22-24, which was pretty close. I'm 21. The other waitress and I were still laughing about this long after the table had left! 

Only me. Only at Sam's Pizza.

Am I alone here? Has anything like this ever happened to you?

A Custom Made Kind of Girl!

If there's anything that I've learned about myself over the years, it's that I prefer things that are different from the rest. Ever since I was in middle school, I hated if someone copied me, absolutely hated it! My Mom always told me that imitation was the sincerest form of flattery, but I just couldn't get over it! I'm sure a lot of it had to do with most 7th graders shopping at the same few stores, but this just wasn't for me. I love finding a product that's different from something you've ever seen before, whether it's at a consignment shop, yardsale, boutique, where ever! Another great option is having something custom made! The past few years, I have been lucky enough to have a few items custom made. They are definitely something that I will treasure for years to come.

Here are a few of my favorite custom made items!

1. Carolina Cup dresses!

The first year that I went to Carolina Cup (a horse race in Columbia, SC) I wore a Lilly Pulitzer dress. It was so pretty, but a lot of girls had on the same dress. I decided that if I got to go again, I wanted to try something completely different. I ended up finding a store that made dresses just for you. It turned out great and I would definitely recommend it!

2. Longchamp Bag

I fell in love with the Longchamp tote bags during my junior year of college and for Christmas that year it was the number one thing on my list. I had seen my friends with some of the different colors, but explore a little more, I hopped online. After visiting the Longchamp website, I saw the option where you could make a bag and pick two different colors. I thought this was so neat!

I made this one online just for fun!

For my own, I chose a pink handbag with a lighter pink strip down the center. It turned out great and I have never seen another bag like it!

3. Stationary

I love good stationary! I usually get some for my birthday and Christmas each year and my Mom has it personalized. I would love to have custom drawn note cards! I fell in love with Ashley Brooke Designs through blogging and can't wait to have some of my own. The awesome thing about ABDesigns is that she can take a picture of you, your husband, pets, etc. and draw it onto your stationary!

Here are a few of my personal favorites!

All Via

Aren't they just too cute?!