Cute & Inexpensive Summer Finds!

Like many of you, I run around at work non-stop during certain times of the year. In higher education events, we work from August until May without taking a moment to breathe. When May finally arrives, we produce the biggest event that the university sees each year by organizing a commencement ceremony for thousands of students, family members, and friends. This is why it can be a bit difficult to slow down, inhale, and exhale when summer arrives.

A few recent purchases have made the transition to summer days so much easier!

1. The Perfect Sunnies - There's nothing better than the way a cute new pair of sunglasses makes you feel. I'm more of a cheap sunnies kind of gal, so for me, this means heading to the accessories section of my nearest Target. This easy summer update cost me $14.00!

via

2. A Fun Oversized Float - Tacos, unicorns, flamingos and my personal favorite, a big white swan - You name it, an extra large float probably exists. Two years ago, I purchased a pink donut float, but this year, I was especially drawn to the swan. Alex and his Dad helped me blow it up, and we had the best time playing around in the pool on both! Target had these for a steal at $16.00!

3. A Fresh Swimsuit - I hadn't planned on buying a new bathing suit this year, but when shopping at a local consignment store this past week, I came across a fabulous Lilly Pulitzer two-piece in my size! It was love at first sight and for a fraction of the cost at $35.00! As you can imagine, this little number came home with me, and made me super pumped for weekends spent poolside with friends and family.

These three easy summer updates have helped me ease into summer super affordably! What helps you relax when things finally slow down?

Love what you're reading?

Follow Sweet Like a Song on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest & Facebook!

As always, Have a Sweet Day!

The Fabulous Holiday Adventure!

When my friend Cameron moved to Washington, DC last summer, we knew the possibilities were endless! What we didn't expect, is that her new home would be the perfect New Years Eve destination for both of us! I've been wanting to visit for months, so the Christmas holiday, (when we both have time off work,) seems like the perfect opportunity!

It was during the planning of this post-Christmas Washington trip that Cameron suggested we also go to New York City. That's right, a few days (including New Year's Eve) in DC, and then make our way north to my favorite city, Manhattan! 

via

We started planning immediately, and yesterday, I booked my flights! We don't know all the details just yet, after all, we do have 70 days until we leave, but who's counting?  What we know for sure is that we'll be DC bound on Monday, December 29th, and then on New Year's Day, we'll make our way to NYC! I can't wait to have coffee and macarons in Soho, ice skate in Bryant Park and simply experience the city during that part of the year! Cameron, of course, is the expert on all things DC, so that part of the trip will be up to her!

via

Two friends, two cities, and six days to do whatever we please! What a fabulous holiday adventure it will be!

…and until then, I'll be shopping! 

Here are just a few things I may have already scooped up for the trip!

This fancy black dress!

This gold sequin romper!

These jeweled gloves!

This precious hat (for ice skating, of course!)

and these two pair of tights for cold nights in the city!

This is going to be another trip for the books. I just know it!

Love what you're reading?

Follow Sweet Like a Song on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest & Facebook!

As always, Have a Sweet Day!

Peter Pilotto for Target!

Just in case you missed the email that Target sent out yesterday, or just haven't heard the news yet, another star-studded collaboration is on its way to Target stores!

via

That's right, Peter Pilotto is coming to Target, and soon! Its official arrival in is this coming Sunday, February 9th. I'm sure many of you remember when the Philip Lim for Target line appeared, sending some stores into chaos, and selling out within a few hours online.

via

The handbags alone were selling for double and triple their original price on Ebay and Instagram the same day it released! Though I was a bit late on hearing of the Philip Lim arrival, when I did, I headed straight to my nearest Target to catch a glimpse of all the action!

...and even picked up this little cutie before it all sold out!

via

I ended up paying around $30.00 for the Philip Lim for Target version, while designer Philip Lim bags in the same style go for more than $800.00. Quite a deal for something that looks close enough to the real thing for me!

This new collaboration is made up of clothing, shoes, and accessories that are sure to "wow" the eye. Peter Pilotto pieces have quite a different look than what you would normally find at Target, featuring "innovative, complex & colorful prints, with a blend of classic ideas & modern vision." Though I know it's not my usual style, after previewing the full collection online, there were a few items that looked too fun not to try!

via

In addition to being in stores, the collection will also be online, though the time it will go live is still unknown. Target is famous for not releasing the exact time in order to avoid a site crash. Hello, Lilly Pulitzer EOS Sale! Can you tell I'm still a bit bitter? Some Pilotto pieces will be online exclusives, and probably sell out quickly as well.

So...How can you prepare for the sale?

Checking out the line ahead of time will definitely help! This will give you an idea as to what's coming, and if any of the new items fit your fancy. By looking beforehand, you can also see if the item will be sold in Target stores, or exclusively online. I found the full line and a lot of other helpful tips here.

 Peter Pilotto for Target. Are you a fan?

Love what you're reading?

Follow Sweet Like a Song on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest & Facebook!

As always, Have a Sweet Day!

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter Review!

A few weeks ago, before being a bridesmaid in my cousin Courtney's wedding, I ran into Target to pick up a few items. Just like any other trip, I left with a cart full of things I hadn't originally planned for, including a tube of Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter!

via

While picking out this new lip product, I knew I wanted something that would bring shine and life to my lips, especially since we were about to have tons of pictures taken for the wedding. I looked through the various shades, and decided on Sweet Tart because it was dark enough to see, but light enough to still have that super fun look!

What a great choice!

I love the Sweet Tart color, but more than that, I love this product! It stays on, it gives life to my lips, and it doesn't feel dry or cakey like old school lipstick! It goes on just like its name, like butter.

Here I am wearing it while playing with Paisley the other day!
It turns out that another familiar face uses the exact same shade! Here's Ashley from Ashley Brooke Designs sporting her Sweet Tart Revlon Lip Butter in a blog post last week!

 View the original post here

With my fabulous Sweet Tart experience, I will definitely be buying more of this product! Next, I'd like to try Lollipop or Raspberry Pie! These cost just over $6.00 per tube, and are probably available at most stores that sell cosmetics, though I purchased mine at Target.

via

If you've been looking for a new lip color lately, this is the one to try!

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

via

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!

via

Merona Emilia Tall Wedge Espadrille in Khaki: $29.99

via

Mossimo Waylon Harachi Cork Wedge Sandal in Black: $29.99

via

...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

via

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!

Sunday Favorites!

On this Sunday morning, as I lay under my Pottery Barn duvet cover, and look up at Carrie Bradshaw (a new piece of art in my apartment bedroom), I thought I'd share a few things I've been obsessing over lately!

1. Girl Scout Cookies
Who knew these little colored boxes could bring so much happiness to a girl's life?! I have to admit, this was my first year ever buying Girl Scout cookies, but I'll be making it a tradition from here on out! For my first time, I decided on one box of Thin Mints and one of the Peanut Butter Patties. For me, the Peanut Butter Patties take the cake! So good and so addicting!

via

2. Sex and the City
Hello, my name is Melody, and I am addicted to SATC.

via
Seriously though, this show is like the single woman's bible. I was given the first season by my good friend Samantha (funny enough,) and have since bought the entire series. Yes, I now own seasons one-six. Though this show is a little out there, and (seemingly) unrealistic at times, I've never been more excited to enter my thirties! Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda and Samantha make life look amazing, no matter what age!

3. Stripes
I don't know what it is recently, but I keep finding myself drawn to stripes. Two dresses, and a shirt later, I may be borderline obsessive, but these cute items are a must-have in my opinion! My latest purchase, this cute cornflower blue/white, boat neck shirt with 3/4 sleeves from Target. They also had it in navy/hot pink combo, but were lacking my size, so I only left with one.

via

What are your Sunday favorites??

As always, Have a Sweet Day!

Finally, An Apartment Tour!

I've been living in my new apartment for just over a month, and I absolutely love it! This apartment is in a great location, and is a perfect match for my working, post-college lifestyle! I'm so glad I ended up here!

This weekend, I finally took pictures for my long-awaited apartment tour! 

Here they are just for you!

As you approach the front door, you're greeted by my pink and green monogram wreath. This project turned out awesome, and it is so me! With this on the door, there's definitely no mistaking which apartment is mine!

As you make your way inside, you come into my kitchen. Since I collect cupcakes, I decided to give the kitchen a cupcake theme.

This apartment is built to be handicap accessible, making everything in the kitchen a little lower to the ground than it would normally be. With me only being 5'2", this worked out perfectly. I'm actually taller than my refrigerator, which is definitely a first!

The kitchen and the living room area are separated by a bar that you see above. Instead of buying bar stools that I probably wouldn't use, I decided to use that space for the kitchen table that I purchased at an auction a few years ago.

I found my plates, place mats and centerpiece at Target. I think they all bring so much color to the room.

Next is my living room area. Since it's just a one-bedroom apartment, I didn't want to bring in too much furniture, but I did have the perfect amount of space for my couch, new mirrored coffee table and TV stand.

The coffee table was a surprise Christmas gift from my family, and probably one of my favorite things in the apartment. It's another Target purchase that I think was definitely a home run!

I use the newest Southern Weddings Magazine for a little coffee table reading!

The view from the couch!

To the right of the kitchen/living room is my bedroom and full bath.

I came across my duvet cover on the Pottery Barn Kids website earlier this fall, and my pillows are from TJ Maxx and Target!

I also got super lucky with a set of lamps! One of my Mom's friends was downsizing, and graciously gave my a set of acrylic crystal lamps that she didn't plan on using. I use one in the living room and the other on my nightstand.

I love being able to showcase some of the artwork that I've made!

My bathroom is right off from my room, and features a stackable washer/dryer, an open walk-in type closet, and a large amount of counter top space.

These shelves are just begging me to buy more shoes!

For the bathroom, I decided to stick with my black, white, and pink color scheme, along with adding in a little chevron for fun! I picked up this shower curtain at Urban Outfitters. The pink rugs are from Target.

The End!

I hope you love my little apartment just as much as I do! If you ever get the chance to live by yourself, do it! It's amazing, and I would recommend it to anyone!

As always, Have a Sweet Day!

Black Friday Deals!

It's a tradition in my family that we go shopping every Black Friday. That used to entail getting up super early on Friday morning, but since the sales keep getting earlier, we have to continue to adjust our shopping schedules. 

This year, after consulting my right-hand shoppers (my Aunt Robin & cousin Jessica), we decided the only place that we really needed to go to was Target. I had my eye set on a 32" Apex TV that was on sale for $147.00. The TV would look perfect in the living room of my new apartment!

We got to Target about 8:30pm for their grand opening at 9. I bet there were 500 people already in front of us, but this didn't deter our spirit. We were all so excited, and knew that we were on a mission.  My Aunt was to locate a cart, I was to run and find the TV, Jessica had to help me move the box out of the way and my cousin Patrick had to the guard the box once it was secured, so another crazy Black Friday shopper could steal it. We had this plan down to a science!

I think my tweet on Friday night describes it all: 

"I CAME. I SHOPPED. I CONQUERED!!!"

I don't think I have ever had SO much fun! Not only did we score the TV that I wanted (there were only 4 left when I got there), I also scooped up a new DVD player for $20 and The Hunger Games movie for $10. Throw in a bottle of wine and I'm ready for my next movie night!

We met up with a few other family friends that night and decided to share one cart between the 6 of us! This was just enough room for the new Xbox, 24" TV, six foot Christmas Tree, game controllers and flannel pajamas that we were also buying.

Since Thanksgiving is about being thankful and spending time with your family, I am so glad I was able to spend my Thanksgiving night with these wonderful people! It is a memory that I will treasure and never forget!

Did you have this much fun Black Friday shopping?

As always, Have a Sweet Day!

For the Love of Good Lighting!

My new apartment decor is slowly but surely coming together!

Though I'll be filling the entire apartment, I've been focusing on my bedroom. I know this is where I'll spend a lot of my time, and seeing a beautiful room every day makes me so much more energized about getting up and getting things done!

Lately, I've been looking at lighting and bedside tables!

I am a huge fan of symmetry, and I think having a matching lamp and nightstand on both sides of your bed really balances the room.

The only problem, I haven't been able to find just the right lighting. I really like the Signature Lamp from Pottery Barn Teen, but with an $89/lamp price tag, I thought I was better off leaving them at the store.

via

This morning, it came to me. 

Here's my way to get the monogrammed lamp look for less:
 I plan on going to Target and picking up a plain white lamp shade and a base that I really like. It will probably look something like this!

via

Then, I'm going to jump on Etsy and order matching monogram decals to go on the shades! So cute!

Pink Pineapple Vinyl Designs offers a set of matching monograms in your choice of color and style for under $10, and they ship in just a few days!

via

How cute would monogrammed lamps be on top of this mirrored bedside table I'm eyeing?!

via 

...and the matching coffee table! Love!

via

As always, Have a Sweet Day!