The Sweetest Thing

Tailor & Stylist

2013-05-21T08:09:00.004-07:00

Top c/o || Pants || Hat [similiar here] || Shoes [coveting these & these *on sale!*] || Necklace ||Sunnies || Watch || Bracelet || Lipstick

SO, let's talk about this stunning yellow top!

Ever heard of Tailor & Stylist?

Oh-em-gee, you've got to check it out! This yellow top is only $24.95!! You can not beat that! The yellow is such a vibrant, fun summer color and the cut-out in the back is just too cool [literally!]. If you get a minute, visit Tailor & Stylist's website and check out all of other cute things [warning, have your debit card nearby.].
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So who wants the countdown? Okay, I know you probably don't care how many days I have left until I move back to Arkansas but for journaling's sake, I have to blog about it. My dad flies in in 17 days, and we physically get in the U-Haul and begin our journey home in 19 days!

Honestly, it has snuck up on me. We've yet to begin packing, but that's because we want to take in this loft all we can the next two weeks. This week is actually John's last week of Under-served Care, which is exciting. Well, it's exciting until I remember that after this he will be studying like it is a full time job.

Anyway, this weekend the sun decided to show itself so we spent a good chunk of time on Sunday outside enjoying the downtown scenery. The photos were taken in an alley-way across the street - is that not a super cool alley? My friend Becca asked if I'd seen it and I was embarrassed I had not noticed it before considering I can see the alley from our loft window!

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Oh another note, I went through my closet last night to add some things to Poshmark considering when we move we are totally sizing down...

Find my closet: @emilyanngemma

PSS: Enter this FABO giveaway for a stunning tassel bracelet here!

Trend Report [Neons]

2013-05-20T08:26:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite trends this season is neon, so I teamed up with two incredible fashion bloggers, Shannon {right} & Corinne {left} to share with you a few ways we like to wear neon this season! My look was more of a hodge podge of my favorite clothing. :) It's gotten so warm here already that I'm swearing by loose, cool clothing.

I realize people think wearing bright colors is "hard" to do, but I have to say, it really is simple - and adds so much flavor to an outfit! I love how Shannon's is more subtle - she paired a neon top with a beautiful white skirt. And Corinne used powerful pops of neon that really catch the eye and make the outfit complete! And I.... yes, I went full out in neon.

Shirt [40% off today!] || Skirt [similiar here] || Shoes || Sunnies [loving these & these (totally Prada inspired!) as well!] || Necklace

I hope you enjoyed these snapshots and that you check out Corinne's fabulous blog {Pink Avenue Blog} and blog {Style with Shannon} to see where they got the pieces from their darling ensembles!

Follow Corinne & Shannon on Instagram to keep up with their super fun style!
Corinne: @corinneroxanne
Shannon: @stylewithshannon

Thanks for reading!

May Looks

2013-05-17T10:38:00.003-07:00

To see if you were the Groopdealz winner for a $50 J.Crew gift card, click here.

||Skirt ||

I just cannot get enough of this leather bracelet!

For those who asked, the denim jacket can be found here.

Heart ring found here.

See Amy from Coffee Beans & Bobby Pins blog to see a new skirt from Elysian Boutique!

Those wedges... oh-em-gee! I am obsessed!!!

Okay, and a few more I'd like to have:

They can all be found here - yes, I've found a new favorite place to buy shoes!!!

TGIF!

Hana Air Hair Dryer Review + Insta-Update

2013-05-15T14:40:00.003-07:00

Remember this post, where I talked about hair dryers and how I was in desperate need of a new hair dryer? [Ya, the one where I explained that my hair dryer smelt like jalepenos.] Well, I went on a wild hair dryer hunt! Because I needed one STAT, I went to Wal Mart & purchased the one many of you recommended. At the $30 price point, I was thrilled with the quality. [thank you!]

Long story short[ened], my friend Laura put me in touch with a representative from Misikko who graciously offered to send me a Hana Air Hair Dryer that was “far better” than most hair dryers!

Not knowing what to expect this morning as I dried my hair, I began watching the clock [and laughing at John as he snapped a few photos.] I desperately need a hair dryer that will dry this head’o’hair as quickly as possible. You see, I have long, thick hair. Typically, I dry my hair for 3 minutes; rest and cool off, then repeat until it’s fully dry. I usually spend 15 minutes drying my hair fully. As I was watching the clock, I was thinking back on the other dryers I had tried, I noticed it was drying a little more quickly than usual so I turned it off, ran to the mirror, and felt very pleased. Not only did I cut the drying time in half, my hair was voluminous and felt exceptionally softer and shinier than usual. SCORE!

Final Thoughts: The Hana Air hairdryer is phenomenal. If you are looking for a hair dryer than quickly dries your locks, ~~allowing you to push the snooze button just one more time~~, and also leaves your hair feeling full and silky, the Hana Air is for you!

Oh, and a few more things I loved about the Hana Air:

1. the cord is super long.

2. when you push the "cool" button, it stays cool... no holding it down!

3. it's not as harsh on your hair, like most hair dryers!

Here are few photos from this morning as I dried my hair with it:

This is the final result, John took photos as it dried. I didn’t use any products or materials to achieve this look. [Btw, the lipstick is here.]

And leave it to John to catch this photo:

Obsessing over the ‘The Beautiful Mess’ app!

Sunnies || White Pants || Pink Top c/o Lauren || Ring || Watch

Top || Pants [similiar here]|| Bracelet || Shoes [Ebay] || Watch

On another note, how sweet is this cutie bringing me a blueberry donut and coffee this morning!

Mega Giveaway!

2013-05-13T06:30:00.000-07:00

The Sweetest Thing / Gumboot Glam / The Sisters in the City

Sealed With Style / McKenna Bleu / Ladies In Navy

The Other Side of Gray / Salt Style Blog / Walking In Memphis High Heels

Today I am so excited to introduce an amazing boutique out of Fort Smith, Arkansas known as Hazel's Haven. This mother and daughter duo specialize in brands such as French Connection, Mavi, Cult of Individuality denim, Karlie, Sugarlips, Buddylove, Lucy Love, Nick and Mo and so much more! Hazel's Haven carries sizes xs-3x and caters to a variety of price points for all fellow fashion lovers.

Hazel's Haven is kind enough to bring this fantastic giveaway today to one lucky reader for a $150 credit to use at their boutique in-store or online! I have teamed up with 9 other fabulous fashion bloggers to bring you all this great giveaway! Check out the details below to enter for your chance to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Silver & Gold

2013-05-12T20:34:00.002-07:00

VeryJane winners:
Cece from Frugalista Married, Heidi from Home by Heidi, & AZRoberts! Please e-mail me your addresses [emilysweetestthing@gmail.com].

While I am at it, John and I have literally soaked up this weather. We had rain every day this week, until today. A few photos from our weekend!

Insert "is that sunlight" face here:

Saturday's Instagram photo wearing my new cross wrap bracelet from Derng. I have been wearing it non-stop since it arrived. It goes with all of my jewelry and makes the perfect addition to my wrist soiree.

I also wore my new Derng necklace on Saturday. Here's a better photo...

I wore it to church today, also. I just love both of these pieces - they are so wearable and fun!

Bracelet c/o || Necklace c/o

In other news, John and I caught the last day of the Frap Happy Hour and enjoyed our drinks outside. Pure Bliss! These leopard pants were perfect for today's cool weather!

Pants c/o

We just finished watching the Revenge Season Finale... Ah! So good. Not sure we can wait until next fall for more!!!

Hayden Reis + A Giveaway ft. J.Crew & Groopdealz

2013-05-10T09:04:00.003-07:00

Shirt || Pants [J.Crew Sample Sale $10]|| Belt || Bag c/o || Small Bag c/o|| Bracelet c/o || Sunnies

I am L-O-V-I-N-G the Hayden Reis tote bags, lately.
Talk about functional, these bags are phenomenal! Each morning when I am walking out of the door, I toss my iPad, Zumba clothes, camera, lunch, etc. into this bag and jet. I realize it will be much more functional this summer when we are going to the pool/beach/etc. considering it is waterproof. Not to mention it has SIX pockets, and a hanging pocket, and my favorite part is the HAIR TIE that comes with it and has the tag hanging from it. Genius, Hayden Reis.

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BIG NEWS:
GroopDealz wants to give one of The Sweetest Thing readers a $50
gift card to J. Crew!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Insta-Today

2013-05-09T08:33:00.002-07:00

In an effort to answer Instagram [@emilyanngemma] questions more easily, I try to keep it updated on here with links... [cringe] I hope this is more helpful than annoying! Is that a good idea??

Lipstick || Dress [crazy comfy, free shipping & only $36] || Necklace || SUNNIES || Shoes [Coach, Ebay]

Sidenote: these sunnies are sold out in most stores!

Summer Love

2013-05-08T10:05:00.000-07:00

Worst weather ever, lately.

I just shop around online thinking of what I will wear when I am battling the Arkansas heat + humidity.

Dress [$22]|| Shoes || Necklace [$13]|| Clutch|| Sunnies [$38]|| Polish *my j-a-m*

Is that dress not totally adorable? And for $22? Hello!

I think most everyone knows I am a sucker for a unique pair of wedges. I am the wedge-wearing-queen. No joke, I prefer wedges over flats, any day.

And OH, those sunnies are to-die-for...
A couple of my favorite bloggers wear Karen Walker sunnies & I can't help but lust. I searched high & low for a good pair of "replicas" and had no luck. Let's face it, the med-school budget does not allow for those kinds of splurges so I made it my mission to find Karen Walker replicas... and suddenly, I found these at Anthro late Sunday night. John was not nearly as thrilled as I was...

Instagram Lately: [I've started doing this in each post because of questions that I forget to answer on Insta.]

Loving this Chanel-inspired tweed top from Elysian Boutique! Also, I am wearing this lipstick.

Today I'm wearing my favorite plaid shirt and my lucky find clearance cardy from J.Crew... find it here.

SIDENOTE: The Very Jane giveaway ends on FRIDAY! Have you entered to win one those 3 J. Crew Inspired necklaces?!?!!

Weekend Shenanigans

2013-05-06T08:53:00.002-07:00

Linking up with my gal-pal Sami from Sami’s Shenanigans… I love that she does this each Monday! I always mean to link up but don’t end up actually posting.

So here’s a replay of our weekend:

First off, John finished peds on Friday morning. Thank. You. Lord. This week was so-not-cool. I pretty much ate dinner alone each evening! John was stressed to the max, yet thoughtfully surprised me on Friday by telling me we were taking a trip to Boone, NC on Saturday. So, a day-date it was – but it was not the best. We left Bristol wearing spring attire, arrived in Boone an hour later to weather that was nearly 20 degrees cooler with rain. Okay, I realize talking about the weather is boring, but the point is – Boone is 38 miles from Bristol, and 20 degrees colder. Totally not expected… between the weather and the construction – we only stayed there maybe an hour and came back. I had to return some things to J. Crew so that was one thing we knocked out.

A few shots of the weekend:

My “spring” attire, lol. This is hands down one of my favorite dresses – I think it is sold out at most Gap’s so find it here online (sizes are limited). I purchased this dress months ago and I seriously wear it like it's going out of style. Oops.

This dress comes in GREEN, PINK, & NAVY! You must go one size down when you purchase!

Leave it to us to be “twins”… Seems this has become a common occurrence for us, lately.

We stopped for a quick lunch on our way out of Boone. Grilled cheese + Mug’O’Soup was in order for that nasty weather!

Before grocery shopping on Sunday, we took full advantage of the Starbucks Frap Happy Hour… I also took advantage of the Very Berry Hibiscus packets that you can make at home. Seriously, BEST DRINK EVER. I tossed a few frozen blackberries/raspberries into mine, making it feel a little more like the actual Starbucks drink. Not to mention, it has green tea extract which is supposedly one of the top 15 foods we should be eating each week!

PS. Before I publish this blog and start Season 1 of Scandal… Have you entered to win a necklace from VeryJane.com??? They are giving away THREE of these beauties… chances are high, people ;)… Details here.

PSS. My Monday was MADE when I read the following blogs – you need to add them to your reads!

Marta + Jessica

May Happenings... Ft. Very Jane (It's a Giveaway!)

2013-05-03T10:06:00.001-07:00

The countdown is on, 38 days until I move home. As thrilled as I am, I am not too anxious. I’ve made so many wonderful friends here, some of which turned into family. While in Blacksburg, Celina (pictured below) became like family to me. We refer to each other as long lost sisters. I am almost positive that we were twins in another life! Our personalities are so much alike it is unreal!

She came to see me at work yesterday then we went out for dinner last night. We sat outside and enjoyed downtown Bristol & laughed, a lot!

Last night on Instagram: Shirt || Pants || Necklace (Currently on BrinaBox!)
Sidenote: the shirt I am wearing in my profile picture (pink with gold buttons) is back online at Forever: click here!

Today on Instagram: Shirt (old, H&M)|| Skirt c/o || Shoes (EBAY)

**You’ve GOT to “Like” Elysian Boutique on Facebook!**

(!!!!!!!) And the best news ever….

VeryJane.com has contacted me and graciously offered to giveaway THREE of these necklaces to my readers!

Want to win one of these stunning J. Crew Inspired Necklaces???

DETAILS (you must do ALL of the following):

-Be a GFC follower. *SEE RIGHT SIDE BAR*

-“LIKE” VeryJane.com on Facebook.

-TELL A FRIEND: Tweet a link to this giveaway -or- Instagram the photo above.

I.e.: "I just entered to win a J. Crew Inspired Necklace from @veryjane on @emilyanngemma blog! http://bit.ly/ZsI6mU"

*please leave a comment telling me which color you'd like!*

Coffee Beans & Bobby Pins Collaboration

2013-05-02T04:00:00.000-07:00

I am excited to collaborate with Amy, thewriter of Coffee Beans & Bobby Pins. Not only do Amy and I have a love forclothing/styling in common, but we also share the whole medical school/marriagething. Her husband is a fourth year and she’s moving to North Carolina… so sojealous!

Anyway, we’ve decided to do an ongoing collaborationwhere we style items we have in common and share what we have done.

Today we are sharing a pair of Targetsandals that are simply amazing and super affordable! I love how Amy wore themwith a black maxi and a tan belt that matches the sandal! Her style never failsto impress me!

Dress (similiar, and much cuter here & only $39.99, here) || Sandals ||Necklace

If you have not visited Amy's blog - it is must! Go visit her now!

On Instagram today: Lipstick || Necklace c/o || NailPolish || Ring c/o John :) <3

And the Winner is...

2013-05-01T10:13:00.004-07:00

And the Rivet & Sway Winner is: SARAH ELIZABETH from Belle in the City! E-mail emily@rivetandsway.com to get your glasses ordered! Very excited for you!

Now that that giveaway is over, I am thrilled to announce that two other companies are hosting giveaways here in the next couple of weeks! Details to come soon!

Here's a sneak peek into our lives this week:
John is finishing pediatrics (he loved it!). The kid is so stressed with school that he falls asleep studying in front of his computer!

April Showers... ft. Elysian Boutique

2013-04-30T08:17:00.001-07:00

Bring cool weather. Seriously, it is chilly here after a weekend of monsooning!

Lately, I've found myself looking for light sweaters to put on before we go out for dinner or in the mornings when I am out running errands before work. These "light sweaters" that I am thinking of are probably better known as spring sweaters. Ya know, light yet breathable and loose. Point is, I finally found a spring sweater that not only I adore, but so does John!

Elysian Boutique

I was recently turned on to a boutique in Northwest Arkansas {boutique capitol of the world,duh}, called Elysian Boutique. I may be slightly obsessed! It's located in Bentonville near the square. I think I am most intrigued by this store because unlike so many other boutiques, this one has a good selection of different clothing! Having worked in retail for 8+ years, I am familiar with all of the boutique brands and prefer not to shop in a store where I know I will see myself "coming and going." (aka, everyone will have the same clothing!) Not to mention, out of the 5 pieces of clothing I got from Elysian,the quality was excellent, the price: phenomenal, & most importantly, all of the clothing fit like a glove and was so flattering! Clearly,the buyer is well aware of what she is doing!

Nonetheless, I will be sharing with my blog readers a few of my favorite clothing items from Elysian Boutique! Today's is the "spring sweater"which I paired with gingham (surprise!!), worn out jeans, & booties. I wore this last night to get some pizza with John but I am thinking I will wear that sweater again today, but in a different way.... you'll see below!

Sweater c/o || Gingham || Denim (wishing I had these, too!) || Booties (best fall/winter shoe, ever!) || Necklace

How I wore it TODAY:

Sweater c/o || Jeans (coveting these) || Shoes (old, find them on Ebay here)

Do you love my mirror? It's an old one of my Moms & she re-did it for me!

Have a great day!

The Gemma's Do Bristol

2013-04-29T19:23:00.001-07:00

Happy Monday. (!!!)

This weekend John’s parents came through to visit. They live in Columbus, OH and were driving to Charlotte, NC for a wedding and stopped to stay with us for a couple of days. We did lots of eating, chatting, & showed them around Bristol.

A few photos from the weekend:

{twins!}

Mr. & Mrs. Gemma

Mr. & Mrs. Gemma, again. :)

We walked downtown for dinner! We had to show the Gemma’s how we live in two places at one time!

John’s parents had never played Jenga!!!! So of course we pulled the Jenga blocks out for a game. John & his dad played –John always beats me with his “surgeon like skills”… He met his match when he played his dad, who also has surgeon like skills.

{John lost.}

Mrs. Gemma is a dietitian and constantly stays on top of the family in regard to eating fruits + veggies. We were proud to teach her something new, green smoothies!

Happy 29th Wedding Anniversary to the Gemmas, cheers!

**HAIR TUTORIAL COMING SOON!**

Blow Dryer Blues

2013-04-26T14:25:00.002-07:00

First off, TGIF!

I treated myself to a blonde roast this morning. Don't worry, it's full of creamer + Splenda. I feel most caffeinated when I drink blonde roasts.

Blow Dryer Blues:

So long you hot, purple hair dryer…

The past month or so I have noticed that when I blow dry my hair, I smell jalepenos. Don't get me wrong, I love jalapenos but the smell of jalepenos in the morning is not ideal. Nor is it ideal when I'm fresh out of the shower! Okay, so this morning I thought "I should tweet about how my hairdryer smells like jalepenos." A few seconds later my blow dryer just shut off and my hand suddenly got really hot. I dropped the blow dryer because I realized it was literally smoking. Smoke was coming through the crevices and the smell of jalepenos was gone - it smelt horrific - like rubber and plastic burning.

I tried to film it to send to John (in an effort to convince him I need a good, quality dryer next!) I tried to screen shot the video as smoke came out but you really can't see it in the photo. Anyway, I posted the following photo on IG asking for recommendations on hair dryers that:

A.) are affordable

B.) are powerful enough to dry my thick hair, quickly.

So evidently, I have the best Instagram followers ever.

I received tons of recommendations, which has proven to be both good and bad.

Eight different brands were recommended. The top 3: ConAir Infiniti Pro, CHI, & Hot Tools. Now I'm at a loss... the Conair one had the most recommendations & it's the cheapest

1. Conair Infiniti Pro

2. CHI

3. Hot Tools

4. Babyliss

5. Bedhead

6. Rusk Speed Freak

7. Paul Mitchell

8. Solano

Here’s where I need your help, if you are familiar with any of these, give me the scoop! I want one that gets super hot and will dry my hair very quickly!

Shirt || Vest || Pants|| Shoes (Ebay) || Necklace

#Instalately

2013-04-25T15:23:00.001-07:00

Updating via Insta Life!

This morning one of my besties (Hi, Ray Ray!) sent me a text asking if I had reproduced (lol!), followed by this:

I totally knew where she was coming from once I got a good look at that little fashionista, then I realized we really do have similar outfits… John's in a lot of trouble if we ever have a daughter - I just know we'd have a lot of fun together!

If you have not shopped Sira & Mara, you have not lived. Okay, okay… that’s exaggerating, but you’ve got to look at her jewels! A friend of mine loves the Stella & Dot Renegade (spikey) bracelet & I'd been wanting to find one to gift her without breaking the bank! The med-school budget requires much thriftiness so I had to shop around for a good knock-off! Fortunately, Sira &Mara had for it for $13.50! Can’t beat that!

New Favorite Place to buy Jewels: Sira & Mara

Bracelet c/o

Fave Sunnies

New Favorite Lippy

What I'm Wearing + Weekending

2013-04-23T12:15:00.002-07:00

Shirt {only $40!} || Pants {old, similiar here}|| Shoes {last spring} || iPad Mini Case

*On Instagram today*

I typically work on Saturdays, which isn't ideal, but it works for us because John has a full day alone to study. The photo above is from Saturday morning - John stopped by to bring me breakfast! That being said, I get Mondays off - it's not a bad arrangement at all. Yesterday, John got off work a few minutes early so we went out for a walking, made smoothies & played Jenga. If you saw my IG post, I mentioned that we played Jenga on our first date. It ended up being a common theme between John & me, in fact, Jenga blocks were used as our guest book at the wedding. While we were playing Jenga yesterday, we spent time reading the little notes written on our Jenga blocks. And because I think I'm an amateur photographer, I photographed all of it! :)

I loved the little note my Mom wrote! She and mysister had really sweet blocks.(pictured above) My brother, on the other hand, let's just say next time I see him I'll have plenty to say about his Jenga block! (pictured below)

See, I told you I think I’m an amateur photographer.

More loft photos… see last week’s photos here.

Our couch is not ideal, but I know one day wewill look back and laugh. When we first moved in we used an air mattress as a couch… then we found thiscouch on Craigslist for $75. I will never forget the joy I felt when I foundthat couch cover!

It wouldn’t be my couch if it didn’t have Arkansas memorabilia on it!

Happy Tuesday!
Don't forget to enter to win glasses valued at $199 from Rivet & Sway HERE!

**Do the local chapter of ADPI by clicking here and simply hitting "Like"!**

EYE Have A Surprise For You...

2013-04-22T07:28:00.000-07:00

I am SMITTEN over Rivet & Sway, lately. Rivet & Sway is an online boutique that sells designer eyeglasses exclusively for women! The frames are top of the line quality and style, you just can’t beat that!

R&S frames are only $199, this includes Rx lenses, coatings, & shipping. And GET THIS, they have graciously offered to giveaway a pair to one of The Sweetest Thing Blog’s readers! Yes, one of you will win a pair of these stylish eyeglasses with YOUR prescription for free… a $199 value! Hel-lo, AMAZING!

Really quickly, let me fill you in on one of the perks of working with Rivet & Sway… So if you are anything like me, you a.) want glasses as an accessory or b.) actually need glasses, right? Well, I need & want them, I like to coordinate them with outfits and I love having a pair on my nightstand and a pair in my handbag. The problem is, I just don’t have the time to go out during the day to hunt down a good pair of glasses. Luckily, Rivet & Sway has a unique system where the shopper can go to their website, select THREE pair of frames, have them shipped to their FRONT DOOR and “play” with them. (It’s called a Take-Home Kit!) You see, when I am investing in a pair of super cute, yet functional glasses, I want to know that they will look good. I am talking, stand in front of the mirror swapping them out and maybe even snapping a few photos in them in the privacy of my own home.

Hungry Heart (Tortoise)

Poetic License (Tortoise)

Poetic License (Black)

THE DETAILS:

Want to win? You must do the following:

{YOU MUST BE A Google Friend Connect FOLLOWER TO ENTER. See right side bar.}

1. Visit Rivet & Sway to view the entire collection and then leave me a comment letting me know which frames you’d like to have!

2. Tweet or Facebook: “I just entered to win @rivetandsway glasses! Enter & RT to win http://bit.ly/17SDGw6” (Make sure to tag @RivetandSway so your vote is entered.)

**Contest runs 4/22-4/29. I will announce the winner 4/30.**

What I'm Wearing...

2013-04-19T11:58:00.005-07:00

Top c/o || Shoes || Glasses|| Necklace

Ifyou saw my Instagram post this morning, you saw that steal-of-a-deal around my neck! This necklace is identical to the($148) J. Crew Necklace, but it only cost $20. {!!!!} Anyway, more importantly, the striped shirt featured above has become my go-to top. It’s ah-mazing. If you haven’t noticed, I love stripes, in all colors, variations, etc. I found this top on Oasap.com and knew I couldn’t pass it up! It’s nice and long so Ican wear it with leggings/jeggings… but thin & light enough that I can tuckit into trousers. Today, I did the “ shame-tuck” and wore it with skinny jeans & heels. John and I are meeting another couple (hey Lauren!) for sushi after work so I am a teensy bit overdressed for work.

If you haven't yet, you've got to go check out Oasap.com - its a favorite site of mine!

April Weekends

2013-04-16T09:24:00.000-07:00

Sundays are usually the only day out of the week John & I get to spend together. Unfortunately, John has to dedicate a few hours each Sunday to test prep so I usually nap! This weekend I started working on taking photos of our “first home” together, lol. We move back to Arkansas in 6 weeks so I want to take it all in! We’ve loved living downtown and more importantly, in this loft – it’s been such a great experience. When we started looking for a place to live last spring, I remember people telling us how cool it is to live in a loft! At the time, I said there was no way I’d live in a downtown setting and definitely wouldn’t waste money on a loft! John found the listing for our loft on Craigslist (yes, true story!)and we decided we’d just go look, ya know, to see what all the talk was about… The minute I walked in I was sold, I loved the brick, the bathrooms, the kitchen, etc. When we got back to Blacksburg and sat down to discuss all of our options, I was surprised to see that the loft wasn’t out of our budget, considering we wouldn’t have to purchase a washing machine/dryer/etc. Not only that, but the location was central making it easy for us to get to our jobs. More than anything, we decided that since it was our first year of marriage, we had no children, no real obligations, and that this would be the only time of our lives that we could live in a downtown setting and enjoy all of the perks. Nonetheless, we’ve not regretted it at all – we love our neighbors, we love walking down to restaurants for dinner/breakfast/brunch, the concerts/festivals, parks, etc. I actually found a job simply because of our neighbors being so well networked. Plus, we knew that during John’s fourth year of medical school, we were going to be separated and living in less than ideal situations.

Anyway, that being said, I was snapping photosaround the loft this weekend, I will share a few of them with you. I am hopingto make a little video at some point. Here a few photos from this weekends shenanigans:

Of course I had to sport my new My Happy Placejewels while we were out exploring! Here's a better photo...

Yes, I probably should’ve cleaned before taking these… oops!

Until then, John and I feel accomplished thatthe following happened (insert fruits & spinach!)… Neither of us likefruits or veggies thus watching ~~our~~ my weight is not easy! For the pastyear, my sister and her husband have been into making green smoothies. This wasof no interest to me until just recently. I feel like John and I are alwaysgoing 90 to nothing! I am just so exhausted when I get home! I have foundmyself requiring 10 hours of sleep per night!! Anyway, we bought a single serveblender and started practicing green smoothies, in an effort to staysemi-healthy. I am proud to announce that we both found green smoothie recipesthat we love! (Mine may or may not have had a couple of pack of Truvia… oops!)

I don’t spend much effort caring for my hair butI’ve recently grown fond of the L’Oreal EverPure Shampoo/Conditioner. I don’texactly need it, but I love it, the smell, the way it makes my hair feel, etc.I don’t cut my hair often enough and I am trying to grow it out so I felt likea deep conditioning treatment would be good. I ended up purchasing the L’OrealEver Pure Moisture Restorative Masque. I cannot give you enough reasons why youshould go out and buy it RIGHT NOW! No kidding. You know how your hair feels just after you’ve just had it trimmed? That’s what my hair feels like today! Plus,it has a mint scent and it is so nice to use in the shower!

I realize you can’t see the ends of my too hair well, but you can see how well it curled and is holding volume.

On another note, who is wearing purple today? I've got my purple accessories on. My heart broke the minute I found out about the explosion in Boston. One of my friends from high school, Jessica, recently moved there to be with her boyfriend (he's also from Arkansas!). I saw tweets saying "pray for Boston" and thought of Jessica - I checked Facebook quickly and saw that she had just left the marathon 15 minutes before the bombs went off. I thank God she is safe but I am still praying for all of those affected by the tragedy and this country.

Happy Tuesday, everyone.

Pink + Pearls

2013-04-12T09:28:00.004-07:00

Shirt || Jacket || Skirt || Shoes || Anchor Ring

If you haven’t noticed, my love for the J. Crew “mini” skirts is growing with each color they produce! The length is perfect – not too short, not too long, the colors are vibrant, & they can be worn at Disney World one day and the next to church! I told John I needed to “invest” in a couple of these for the Arkansas heat this summer!

John’s first week at Peds (pediatrics) has been very exciting. Every single infant/toddler/child he sees is “so cute”! I was going through our photos from our Disney trip and found some evidence that leads me to believe pediatrics could be his calling… what do you think?

PS. Have you joined Social Bliss yet??? It's too fun. Honored to be in the Spotlight today! Click here to see.

Loving Lavender

2013-04-09T09:19:00.000-07:00

Oxford Popover (I wear this top at least once a week!)|| Cardy (similar here) || Jeans || Shoes || Necklace c/o|| Belt || Lipstick

My obsession and love for VeryJane has grown immensely over the past few months. All of the beautiful, unique, affordable jewels they offer never fail to grab my attention… & my debit card number. (Ahem, let’s hope John’s not reading this.)

More importantly, I love VeryJane because they feature a variety of designer inspired products (J. Crew, Tory Burch, etc.). The lavender necklace I am wearing in the above photos is a J. Crew inspired necklace that was $17.99 on VeryJane (compared to $100+ at J. Crew!!).

So do yourself a favor and head on over to VeryJane and get signed up to receive their daily e-mails so you don't miss out on any of these deals!

PS. Look at this cutie headed out for Day 2 of Peds! Dinner convos are so much more fun during this rotation!

This Week...

2013-04-07T11:23:00.002-07:00

Between all the working & studying that goes on around here, we hardly ever have time to do much else! Luckily, for documentation sake, I've not slacked on the picture taking.

I know one day, we will look back and laugh... until then, here's a good photo of John the night before his big Family Practice exam that went down Friday morning. Yes, he's in the zone, so much so that I went to Cheddar's (alone) to sit and have a house salad and simply be out of his way! (And maybe I really love their House Salads?) Anyway, that exam is done and pediatrics begins Monday.

On a different note, I recently was introduced to a very cool eyewear company, Rivet & Sway. Their eyewear is beautiful and unique, & the company is just "with it". They have a variety of styles, colors, etc. but the neat part is that if you see a few styles you'd love, but don't want to risk ordering them and not loving the way you look, you have the option of ordering a "At Home Kit". You can select up to 3 styles to be sent right to your front door!

Below you can see the 3 styles I selected. The black one is called the "Hungry Heart" (my fave!), in fact I think I will be ordering them soon. It never hearts to have an extra pair of glasses around. The middle pair is the "Umami" and the pink pair is "Punchline".

I have to admit, because I am sucker for marketing, when I saw the packaging I immediately knew I would love the products!

And on a totally different note...

I have a sad, yet delicious obsessed with Starbuck's Very Berry Hibiscus Refreshers!

Last time I was there, I asked for a cold tea that had lots of caffeine and was a little fruity... instead the guy insisted I try a Refresher and mentioned that it was loaded with caffeine (count me in!).

I've been spoiled the last few months because John's mom & dad sent a Starbucks gift card for our Florida trip and as a congratulations on the Lauren Conrad feature. Soon thereafter, Groupon ran a special where for $5, I got a $10 gift card! Nonetheless, I added all of the credit into my Starbucks App. and I quickly reached Green Member! (It's the little things in life, ya know?) Anyway, if you aren't using the Starbucks App, you need to! It makes checking out super easy and you earn rewards!

Remember when I bought the green bow pumps a few months ago? Well, since then I've become crazy over the color green! I recently received these two bracelets courtesy of My Happy Place Shop. It's no secret that I love neons, so the neon green cross matches a majority of everything I wear! The store I manage has sold out of these bracelets 3 times - we can't keep our hands on them! I love the ones in Nicole's shop because they come in such vibrant colors. I think it would be cute to layer several of her plain bright bead bracelets with a cross one!

Last but not least, a Zara package. When I was in college, I would spend spring breaks in Miami with my roommate, Jordan. That's where I was first introduced to Zara. My love for Zara has only grown more and more... you'll be seeing what was inside of this box later this week!

Happy Sunday!

I'm off to Crossville, Tennessee with a girlfriend for a Fashion Show!

Thanks for reading!

Red Punch

2013-04-02T10:40:00.002-07:00

Gingham || Vest (FYI: mine is a large... it was all that was left!) || Skirt (similiar here & I just got this one!) || Pearls

When I checked the weather this morning and saw that it would be sunny and beautiful, I immediately busted out my “Spring Booties”! These shoes are amongst my favorites! For one, they are not easy to find and two, well, two is more of a story. When I was in college I worked at a large retail store. We carried these booties… I say “carried” because I can’t say “sold”… that’s right, they didn’t sell. I don’t know that we ever sold one pair! I hate to admit it but even I thought they were hideous! Shortly after college, one of my best dressed friends came home from Germany vacation with a stunning pair of these boots, yet they were real leather and very nice quality. She wore them all the time and they always looked fabulous! I quickly regretted judging those booties back in my college days! I saw them in People Style Watch last spring... I couldn’t believe it! My sister and I eventually hunted them down online and found them for $20. I’ve had people approach me in airports, malls, etc. asking where they could find them and even offer me cash for them. So, there ya have it, the story behind my “spring booties”!

In other news, John finishes his Family Medicine rotation this week and begins Pediatrics next week. I think he would make an amazing Pediatrician because he is so loved and adored by my our nieces and nephews. (He likes to remind me that they are not just mine anymore.) Only two more rotations before he completes his 3rd year. Okay, 2 rotations and one really big exam. Yikes. Outside of working and studying, we are trying to soak up all we can of this area and our lives here. Bittersweet, but I can not wait to get home with my family!