Five on Friday: Memorial Day Edition

I feel a little guilty, but I have not had a chance to blog about our mini-vacay to Kansas City yet. Hopefully, after this long weekend, I can get my act together and post it.

For now, here are my Five on Friday for this Memorial Day Weekend!

{One} Bella's new Lilly Collar

Etsy has such a great selection of dog collars and I found a vendor who makes dog collars with authentic Lilly Pulitzer fabric. I loved them, so Bella now has two additional Lilly collars for summer! You can find them here.

This was taken right after we picked Bella up from the groomer's this week; hence the extreme blow out pouf!  She always looks like such a diva for several days after the groomers!

{TWO} Our Memorial Day Party

Since Evan and I were in Kansas City until late Tuesday, I haven't had time to put the finishing touches on the little bit of decor I am putting together for our get-together this Saturday.  I keep telling myself I am not going too crazy this time around, as we are only having about 10-12 people. Sometimes, I tend to get a little carried away with party planning.  Here are some of the pins I am using for inspiration:
 

 

 

{Three} Minute Maid Frozen Lemonade

During my work lunch break, some co-workers and I generally browse all that Speed Street has to offer. I was reminded again how much I LOVE these when they had them at Speed Street. I know it may sound ridiculous, but I love them so much, that in the past I have looked up where you can purchase them and when I could not find them in stores, I seriously debated paying to have them shipped to our door. I know...just a bit crazy. Oddly enough, I was THRILLED to actually find them in Harris Teeter last night. I went ahead got two boxes to stock up!!
 

 

 

{Four} Evan's Baseball Cuff links
 

I found these on Etsy and they made a great stocking stuffer this past year. Now that it is baseball season, Evan has been able to break these out!
 

{Five} Oklahoma Joe's Barbecue Sauce

Kansas City is known for their great barbecue and they definitely did not disappoint! Rated the best barbecue in Kansas City, we snagged a bottle or two (or four) of their magic sauce for our upcoming barbecue! Don't be fooled by the fact they are connected to a gas station, they have ridiculous lines there everyday of the week and people are always willing to wait for their food. Unfortunately, they will not ship the barbecue sauce out of state, so if you are ever in Kansas City, you need to check this place out! 

 

 

Hope everyone has a great Memorial Day!!

 

Five on Friday

This has been a crazy week and until today, had not had a chance to post anything! Unfortunately, things will not be slowing down anytime soon...we have a mini-vacation scheduled for Kansas City this weekend and are hosting a Memorial Day barbecue next weekend! Without further ado, here are my five: 

{ONE} Our new car, the 2014 Honda Accord Sport

On Friday (Evan and I had the day off for), we purchased our second new car! It is a 2014 Honda Accord Sport. We went into the dealership planning to purchase the Honda Accord Hybrid, but quickly realized that was not the car for us given the VERY small trunk (where would we put the running stroller and all things baby in the future!?) and a bit of sluggishness when accelerating. This baby purrs when you accelerate and it has the same interior space (and most importantly trunk space) as the Honda Accord. 

{TWO} Dixieland Clothing Company

This past Saturday we finally made it into this lovely new addition to Davidson. They have been open only since March 2014 and we have been itching to visit ever since!  This little store is STUFFED with all things Southern Tide, High Cotton, Southern Marsh, Southern Proper, Rowdy Gentleman....the list goes on and on. Of course, Evan had to buy a High Cotton bow tie while we were there and a Southern Tide t-shirt for the upcoming Memorial Day. We made friends with the "President" of the store, Tyler Hampton, and made him aware that we would be frequent visitors in the future and he would likely come to know us quite well! Tyler even loaded us up with some free stuff, pictured below. You can find Dixieland Clothing Company on Facebook here.  

Southern Proper heaven!

Their great selection of preppy merchandise.



Who doesn't love free Southern Tide hats and bottle socks!?

 



 

{THREE} Heather and Matt's BBQ 

This past Saturday, we ventured over to our good friends' house for their first barbecue in their new home!

 

Of course, Brooke and I had to break-in our new coozies!

{FOUR} BLoOUT in Lake Norman is now open!!

I have been wanting to check them out from the moment I heard they opened a location in Lake Norman. Finally, this past Saturday, I used the barbecue we were attending as an excuse to try them out. I was not disappointed. Marett, the stylist that did my hair, gave me the best blow-out I think I have ever received. I warned Marett that I would likely be a frequent visitor from now on! The picture of Brooke and I above shows the way my hair looked after the blow out (even with the humidity and rain). You can find their website here.

 

{FIVE} Our mini-vacay to Kansas City 

Instead of the traditional beach vacation this year, Evan and I opted to go a somewhat different route. My two main requirements for this year's mini vacation were to go somewhere with: 1) great shopping and 2) great restaurants/bars. Check and check! There are so many great boutiques and stores in Kansas City that we do not have in Charlotte. Given the somewhat overwhelming shopping and restaurant options in Kansas City, we have a packed itinerary. Evan is on notice of the tremendous hit his credits cards are going to take in the next four days! I have deliberately packed extremely light for this trip (something I am not very good at doing); so that I have plenty of room for all of the loot that I plan on buying while in Kansas City! We fly out very early tomorrow! I can't wait!

HAPPY WEEKEND TO ALL!

Five on Friday: Shoe and Bath Products Edition

Sorry y'all, I think I have lost my mind this week; I totally forgot to actually post my five!

This week has been super busy and subsequently has flown by! So glad it's Friday though! My "Five" today are all products/shoes that I have been loving lately.


I am in love with these. I am only 5'2 1/2," thus as much as I love my Jack Roger flats, in the summer with sundresses, I could really use some extra height! You can find them here at Zappos.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are thinking about ordering these, make sure you order a half size up from what you order in the flat Jack Rogers sandals (i.e. I wear a 6 in the flats, but wore my normal size a 6.5 in these).

In regards to Zappos, I am kinda in love with them as well...the whole free shipping (even if you want to exchange or return shoes) and basically overnight shipping is pretty fabulous. Example: I ordered the shoes above in a size 6 and they were a little too small. I went that evening to the Zappos website, submitted my exchange, and the next day the size 6.5 shoes were waiting on my doorstep...It can't get any quicker than that! I was very impressed!



{TWO} Kate Spade Small Square Stud Earrings in Tortoise/Gold

They are back! They are back! I was so excited to see that these were back in stock as they were sold out around Christmas.I desperately wanted them then, but could not find them anywhere, until now.  I ADORE anything tortoise and I love the small square stud earrings by Kate Spade (in all colors), so I had to have these. I just received these two days ago. You can find them here at Nordstrom. 

{THREE} LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics is coming to South Park

 

 

  

One of my good friends, Brooke, told me just yesterday that Lush is opening a store in South Park Mall (in Charlotte, NC for the non-local individuals).  Apparently the store will open sometime in May. For those who are not familiar with Lush, it is essentially a high end version of The Body Shop, but much more creative with their products, more diverse (they carry makeup), many vegan/organic products (great for someone like me who is allergic to many products), and MOST IMPORTANTLY their products are cruelty free. If anyone needs any recommendations on products, I can probably help...I have sampled (and bought) a TON of their products. You can find their website here. 

{FOUR} Fekkai Brilliant Glossing Shampoo and Conditioner

I have seen others blog about this and I am jumping on the bandwagon. I actually received a sample of this shampoo and conditioner months ago in a Birchbox and loved it so much that I finally decided to get it. As I have mentioned previously, I have very sensitive skin and am allergic to a lot of products (especially shampoos and conditioners). These products (so far) do not cause any sort of allergic reaction for me and they make my hair shiny and soft. You can buy the shampoo here and can buy the conditioner here. I have also tried the Frederic Fakkai Au Naturel Dry Shampoo. I liked it and thankfully do not seem to be allergic to it, but I am not sure I would readily recommend it to anyone, given the bit of flakes that it left in my hair (even after a good bit of brushing as instructed).

Anyone else tried any of their products? Thoughts?

{FIVE} Factory Demi-Wedge Sandals from Jcrew

 

 

 

I LOVE these sandals. Not only are they stylish and I can wear then to work in the summer, but they are probably the most comfortable sandals I own.  Jcrew makes them in black (pictured above) and nude. The nude color was back-ordered  and I was able to snag a pair, but unfortunately they appear to be completely sold out now. The Black are still available in several sizes. You can find them here. 

 

Happy Friday Everyone!

 








Five on Friday:

{ONE} Bourbon and Bowties

I have known about these lovely bangles for quite some time, but have been lazy about actually making it to one of the boutiques in Charlotte that carries them or trying to find them online. I finally searched today and was excited to find a store that carried them online and quickly ordered one. Unfortunately a lot of the more neutral ones I was looking for are currently sold out, but I am going to keep checking back. So excited! You can purchase them online here.

{TWO} Kayce Hughes Jordan Dress

I am thinking about possibly wearing this dress for professional pictures that Evan, Bella and I are finally getting in several weeks. Thoughts!? You can find it here.



{THREE}  Bow Tie Thursdays

Evan has decided (randomly) to dub Thursdays "Bow Tie Thursdays." Did I mention I love this look on Evan and I wish that he would wear bow ties more often (hint hint)!? This beauty is from Brooke and Michael's wedding last spring (purchased from High Cotton).  You can also find Brooke's Blog here.  

{FOUR} Our first game in the new Knight's Stadium  

We had a blast and can't wait to go again! 

 

{FIVE} Fidler Family Reunion

I am very much looking forward to seeing everyone on Evan's side of the family for an Easter weekend

get-together with lots of food, beer, and corn hole!  Also, as silly as this may sound, I am excited to have an event for Bella to wear her Easter "outfit," even if it will only be for twenty minutes or so (depending on how long she will let me keep it on her). Bella loves going up to Virginia because she gets to play with several other doggy friends of hers (namely a Red Bone Coon Hound named Bessie and a Black Lab named Sui (pronounced Soo-ee)!

Happy Easter Weekend!  



 

Five On Friday: All Things Bella

Happy Friday! It wasn't planned, but it appears for the most part, that this week's five is focused primarily on our dog, Bella.

{ONE} Bella's Easter "Outfit" from Old Navy
 

It was only $5 and it has the cutest little bunny tail and ears! It is on clearance and only in the stores.

 

They also had this pink and white striped polo as well (also on clearance). I couldn't resist buying it.

 

 

 

{TWO} Girl's Best Friend Tee by Lauren James 

 

 I absolutely had to have this t-shirt when I saw it! You can find the T Shirt here.  Lauren James has a whole assortment of adorable T Shirts (plus: they all have pockets).

 

  

{Three} Bella's New Dog Trainer  

Although Bella generally is a dog owner's dream (even at 9 months), she has a couple problem areas that we would like to work on, namely: not pulling while walking on the leash and staying by my side when she is not allowed to play with other dogs (all problems while she is on the leash oddly enough).  We are very much looking forward to working with Bella's new trainer, Ruth Wenzel, who lives in Huntersville and is an ABC Certified trainer!  We chose to do six one hour private sessions and Ruth will come to our house (or another location since most of Bella's issues pertain to being in very public places).  We start in two weeks...can't wait!  You can find her website here.

 

 

{Four} Bella's New Dog Bed

 I got this one from Joss and Main and I am very pleased with it.  It goes very well with our family room decor and most importantly, it's machine washable! Although this particular dog bed is not currently available, they routinely have a pet "event" where you can find similar pet beds.

 

  

 

 

  

 

{Five} Our Trip to Atlanta This Weekend

 Somewhat last minute, but Evan got great tickets to a Brave's game (11 rows back from home plate)  this Saturday and so I quickly booked a hotel room in Buckhead for the night. I have a surprise for Evan (potentially a wardrobe item) that I ordered this week for the game! I am looking forward to some good meals and quality time with the hubby!

 

  

 

 

 

HAPPY WEEKEND TO ALL!! 

Five on Friday

So thankful it's Friday (although I wish I felt better)! Guess I have to take the good with the bad (warm weather (love) =awful allergies for me (hate))!  Without further ado, here are my five things for the week:

{One}  Old Navy Women's Suspended-Neck Jersey Dresses

I just love these dresses from Old Navy. They are so comfortable and stylish! They are on sale now for $15.00! They even have petite sizes (which I have to get...I am only 5'3''). Additionally, all of Old Navy's dresses are currently on sale! 

   

Here is the sailboat print dress. I wear an XS petite in almost all of their dresses (just to give you an idea of sizing). 

{Two} Crafty Beer Guys Beer and Wine Shop

 

Located in Huntersville, North Carolina, this is one of our favorite places to go in the evenings and on the weekend. Crafty Beer Guys is a craft beer and wine shop that also serves beer and wine on their premises. The bartenders are extremely knowledgeable and can always recommend the best wine/beer for your tastes. Additionally, they offer beer tastings every Tuesday and wine tastings every Wednesday. And to make it even better, they are dog friendly. They will even bring a water dish to you for your dog. We have LOVED having CBG down the street from us this past year...it is unlike any other beer and wine shop or bar! You can find their website here. 

{Three} Bella climbing up our attic ladder

As promised earlier this week, here is the video taken in Bella climbing our attic ladder in an attempt to get to her Daddy. Pretty hilarious!!

{Four} Harrison Blackford Art

A co-worker of mine mentioned using this artist to have a piece painted for her and I looked her up.  She lives in Greenville, South Carolina. You can find her website here. You can choose what you would like to have painted (either use a personal picture or a picture found somewhere) and she will paint it using your picture!  I love her use of colors and brush strokes. Evan and I definitely want to do this in the next several years.

{Five} Weekend Gardening and Mulching

It is time for the annual planting of our flowers and refreshing our mulch....ugh!  I dread the actual planting of flowers in our front and back yard; it is hard work!  Don't get me wrong, I love picking out the flowers and I love the end  result; I am just not a fan of the actual planting!  Thankfully, this year Evan and I took a vacation day this Wednesday to get a head start on the planting.  Thus, we have already completed the flowers in the front yard and now just need to complete the back yard this weekend.  Hopefully it won't take us too long to complete the back yard this weekend...fingers crossed!

 

Have a great weekend!!