I've Picked a Giveaway Winner!

You know I wish I could reward all of my fellow blogger friends, but unfortunately, I haven't won the lottery...yet!  So I'll leave it to the luck of the draw, and the winner of my giveaway is...

Whitney from The Preppy Pink and Green Puppy.  

Congratulations!

If you didn't win, no worries.  Since I've already made it to my next goal of 100, I'll be having another giveaway, sometime next week.  I've already got the cute goodies for it, so I'll post about it soon!  One hint, more Lilly!  :)

 Stay tuned for the next giveaway!

Fashion Friday: Lilly Pulitzer: Unusually, a No-Go this Time

 Lilly Pulitzer Ashley Dress Lace

You can imagine my excitement when I got an email informing me to check out Lilly's latest dress, the Ashley Dress.  Unfortunately, I will not be wearing this dress.  Haha.  It's not exactly my favorite design, and it looks like a bit too much Lilly fabric for my taste.  No offense if you like it.  But one thing I must say I DO like, is the description:  "As she swept down the long grass lawn the party came to a hush. NOTHING says summer like a long strapless Lilly dripping in color and print."  Sounds fun, doesn't it, except maybe without the lace?

Now, on to the Lilly dresses that have caught my eye lately.  Which one do you like best?  #1, #2, or #3

Blossom Dress Printed in Multi Fresh Picked Patch

Tori Dress Lilly Pad in Prep Green Hip Hop Hooray

Adelson Shift Gold Lace in Pink

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Oh, and sorry to disappoint some of you, but I actually returned the two pairs of Miss Trish sandals from Target, that I ordered about a week ago, and blogged about here.  I really loved them both; they fit well and looked so cute, but I decided to order a pair of Bonanno's instead.  I only have Jack Rogers sandals in neutral colors, so when I found out about the great deal this week, $20 off, I knew I needed to order a fun, colorful pair that I'll probably wear more often than the Target sandals, and will hopefully last longer too.

photo credit

Because of the high volume during the annual sale, my sandals won't be ready for 15 weeks!  They'll be worth the wait for sure.  At that point, I'll probably have forgotten I'd even ordered them, and they'll be a great summer surprise.  Cheers!  Oh yeah, I was racking my brain trying to decide what color combination to go with.  So naturally, and with a little help from Beth Dunn's personal opinion, I chose a Lilly green base (citrus) with a Lilly pink whipstitch (arbutus).  Oh, and if you haven't read her book, you should, Social Climbers.  It's available on Kindle now too.  So genius!  Gotta love her tag line at the end of each blog post too:  Collars Up!

Social Climbers at Amazon

And an extra thanks to The Tale of a Southern Belle and All Things Southern and Preppy for help with sizing.  Hugs to my wonderful blogger friends!!

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!  

TGIF!

Thirsty Thursday: The Mint Julep

My giveaway has ended, but no worries if you didn't get a chance to enter.  I'm having another one pretty soon, once I have 100 followers.  Um, I'm at 99 now!  I'm going to draw the name today, and announce the winner tomorrow.  Good luck!  Thanks to all who entered.  Don't forget about ordering a pair of Bonanno's.  Only 4 days left.  Trust me, your feet will be so happy you did.

The location yesterday was:  Capri, more specifically, Anacapri (at the top of the island, very private).  Great guesses everyone.  Y'all sure know your locations!

To celebrate the upcoming Kentucky Derby this weekend, I decided to choose the cocktail of the Derby, the Mint Julep.  So refreshing and tasty!  I found the recipe here.

For starters, if you have a Mint Julep cup, this concoction will be perfect for it!  Make sure it is chilled.  My husband's grandmother gives him one every year, as part of his birthday present, so we have many!  I use them for all sorts of occasions, from decorating, to serving drinks.  One year I bought miniature Chrysanthemums, and put them in all of them, decorating the mantle, bathrooms and all over the house one Christmas.  One day I hope to get them monogrammed, just haven't gotten that far yet.

Ingredients:

2 cups Water
2 cups White sugar
1/2 cup Roughly chopped fresh mint leaves
32 fluid ounces Kentucky bourbon
8 sprigs fresh mint leaves for garnish

Directions

1. Combine water, sugar and chopped mint leaves in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. Allow syrup to cool, approximately 1 hour. Pour syrup through a strainer to remove mint leaves
2. Fill eight cups or frozen goblets with crushed ice and pour 4 ounces of bourbon and 1/4 cup mint syrup in each. (Proportions can be adjusted depending on each person's sweet tooth). Top each cup with a mint sprig and a straw. Trim straws to just barely protrude from the top of the cups. Serve juleps on a silver platter.

And if I were at the Derby, this is what I would be wearing...*sigh*

J.Crew Taffeta Bow Monde Dress in Tropical Aqua

J.Crew Crystal Patch Earrings

BCBGMaxAzria Haisha Heels in Gold

 photo credit

And instead of a hat, I'd go with a fascinator.  More particularly, this one.  LOVE it!  Wouldn't it match so well with the ensemble too?  Such a shame this wonderful ensemble has to go to waste.  Ha!

If you are attending the Derby, have so much fun!  And an extra special good luck to Sara at Southern Comfort.  Her husband's best friend has a horse that is racing in the Derby.  So exciting!
We all much cheer on Mission Impazible.  Fingers crossed!

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P.S. I wanted to wish my sister (#2 of the 6) a Happy Early Birthday!  She turns 28 tomorrow!  Because I have so much to write on my post tomorrow, I decided to celebrate it early.  Hope that's okay with you.  :)  The four oldest sisters will be in town tomorrow to help celebrate it with her, and we're also running in a race together on Saturday morning.  The two youngest will still be in school, enjoying their last few weekends before heading home for the summer.  We'll miss y'all tomorrow!  The birthday girl and I are the closest in age of the sisters, only 16 months separate us.  Needless to say, she only lives two and a half hours away, but that's still way too far!

This is all 6 of us at Sister #4's bridesmaid luncheon last January 2009.  My mom had all of us in 9 1/2 years.  Basically, it was just one long pregnancy.  Haha.  I've included the order number at the bottom of the photo.  And I know Sister #2 would like me to add that she was pregnant in this photo.  You're welcome, A.  :)

This was taken at my house, at our Annual Summer Backyard Barbecue last summer.  We were both pregnant, she was two months further along.

Here she is with the love of her life, W, taken when we visited her about a month ago.  W is now 7 months.

Happy Birthday, A!  Cannot wait to help you celebrate tomorrow!

Sorry I didn't choose older photos, but I don't have any stored on this computer.  

That's probably a good thing, right?  Haha.

Wednesday Whereabouts

Today's the last day to enter my giveaway.  And don't forget to check out the Bonanno's, as well.

Good luck!

Now, on to one of the most beautiful spots ever!  If I could travel here, even at least once a year, I would be in heaven.  Here's the hint:  It's not exactly the easiest spot to travel to, and would be quite a task to visit that often.  In my dreams, right?  Unfortunately, I've only been here once, but hope to visit it again, at least one more time.

Can you guess it?

P.S. For a challenge, for those who may know this location:  Can you guess the specific area I stayed?

Happy Wednesday!

Congrats, you're halfway through the week!

Tuesday Trends: Board Games

First off, a big heads up, thanks to Deals, Steals and Heels!  The Target fave necklace, that looks much more expensive than it is priced, is back in stock at target.com.  Get it while it's still there, but hurry!  I see it going with a simple white t-shirt or completing an ensemble with a cute summery dress.  Very, very versatile.  Might explain why it's so popular.  Happy Shopping!

Starfish Beaded Multi Strand Necklace

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My husband and I are big fans of playing board games and word games.  Some of our favorites are:

Apples to Apples

 Bananagrams

Scrabble

Scattegories

Trivial Pursuit

Our only problem is that lately we're a little burnt out on these games, and we're on the hunt for some new ones.

Of course you know I'd love to get Lillyopoly, but first, my hubby would never play such a girly game and second, everyone knows that Monopoly is a long game, and it's usually never-ending.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!  Thanks so much!

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P.S.  Don't forget about my giveaway, it ends tomorrow.  And order some Bonanno sandals too. 
It's such a great deal!  I ordered a pair yesterday, pink and green, go figure.  :)

Monday Manners: Rules for the Southern Belle

These are just a few rules I found from ashandbelle.com, about Southern Belles.  Please add more rules because I know there are so many out there.  I thought these were cute though.  Hope y'all had a great weekend!

A Southern Belle...

- Never wears white before Easter, and after Labor Day, except if it's a bride.

- Knows that thank you notes are a necessary component of being gracious and appreciative.

- Never chews gum or smokes on the street.

- Never shows anger in public.  She smiles and acts like a lady.

- Acts helpless and confused when it's to her advantage (never let them know how clever and capable you really are).  Love that one!

- Charm! Charm! Charm!

- Is elegant and graceful.

How many of y'all nailed almost everyone?  There are a couple I need to work on, but that's fine.  Always room for improvement, right?

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tacky - a common word used most often by Southern women describing someone's behavior or appearance.

Look at those tacky clothes she wore to the funeral.  (As quoted by www.ashandbelle.com)

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Yes, even her Play-doh matches.

Happy Monday!

Weekend Inspiration: Luke 18:15-17

People were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them; and when the disciples saw it, they sternly ordered them not to do it.  But Jesus called for them and said, "Let the children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.  Truly, I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it."  Luke 18:15-17

Watching my daughters take in every aspect of their environment, with such innocence, is such an amazing and awe-inspiring thing.  Even seeing geese floating down a stream is such a thrill for them.  Being so young, thankfully nothing has damaged their beautiful souls, and every parent prays that this little protected world would remain intact, but unfortunately it will not.  We must pray everyday that we continue striving for this innocence that our Lord wants us to have, trust that he will lead us in the right direction to teach His children, and share this innocence and love with the children in our lives.  For without this innocence, we will not inherit the kingdom of God.  Look into a child's precious eyes, you will see their sweet innocence.  Only the Lord is capable of blessing us with such miracles.

Fashion Friday: Work-Out Wear

So after all of these lovely posts about the spring season arriving, and the wonderful outfits to go with this spring weather, one must remember to work on those bodies that go with those wonderful outfits, right?  And what could be better, than to show off some great work-out attire, that I absolutely LOVE!

VV98 Sail Hat

Tennis or running, I always wear a hat.  My go-to ones are VV.

 Women's Racerback Pocket Tank in Black

I think you cannot go wrong with Old Navy tank tops.  They're cheap, yet they work well for working out.  

I have yet to have one fall apart, so that's always good news.

 Nike 'Tempo' Track Shorts in Anthracite/Cyber

In the warmer weather, I cannot work-out without wearing these.  

I probably have them in ten different colors.  Okay, I'm addicted.  :)

Nike+ Ipod Sport Kit

I use this every time I run because it keeps track of how far and how long I run.  When I plug it into my computer, it keeps track of all of my runs.  Awesome!  Even better?  I can still listen to my music at the same time too.  Love it!

C9 by Champion Women's Seamless Racerback Bra in Blue Burst

Although I heart Nike sports bras, I cannot always afford their price tags, when the ones I get at Target are almost just as great.  I can usually get two for the price of one Nike one, and there are so many vibrant colors (turquoise, light blue, purple, yellow, jade, etc.), that look great under any tank.  

Nike Air Max Moto+ 7

These have been my favorite running shoes for the past three years.  

No blisters or sore limbs from wearing them.  Gotta love that!

And after all of this working out, I celebrate with one of these delicious drinks.  

Grape is my favorite favor!  YUM!

TGIF, Y'all!

Thirsty Thursday: The Pomegranate Martini

I'm sure by now you've heard that the pomegranate is the new "it" healthy fruit, and various people are incorporating it into many things; cuisines, juices, smoothies, and best of all, cocktails!  The pomegranate martini is actually not really a martini at all, no vermouth or gin, but it looks lovely in a martini glass, garnished with a lemon or lime peel.  So refreshing, right? And preppy colors, to boot!

This Thursday, I decided to create my own concoction.

2 oz. citrus or regular vodka
1/2 oz. fresh lemon or lime juice
2 oz. fresh pomegranate juice or POMM juice

Shake all ingredients well with ice, and strain into a chilled martini glass.  Garnish with a lemon or lime peel, or for fun, if you used a fresh pomegranate, garnish with the seeds.

And my ensemble, while sipping this fun martini?

Lilly Pulitzer Sandra Dress Printed Poplin in Starfruit Yellow I Dahlia

Mystique 1805 in Gold

 J.Crew Crystal Devote Earrings

Banana Republic Alethia Cuff

So summery and fun!  Happy Sipping!

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Yesterday, the National Park was Acadia National Park.  Congratulations to some of you who guessed correctly!  I'm impressed, even the ones who guessed Maine.  I thought some would go for the West Coast.  :)

It seriously is one of the most beautiful parks and places I have ever traveled.  You must go!  It's located in Maine, near Bar Harbor.  To read more about it, click here.  Ron Cloer gives a brief synopsis of how Acadia came to be, and why it is so special.  Cadillac Mountain is where you are, in the photo of the sunrise over the water, it is said to be one of the first places you can see the sunrise in the U.S.  I'd have to agree, and it is simply breathtaking.  Another photo with the big splash is Thunder Hole.  At certain times, depending on the tide, the caves below make the water splash very high, and it is so neat to see!  I think this was actually in the news last year because a child fell in, and drowned.  Such a tragedy!  There are signs EVERYWHERE, about not getting too close.

You can actually hike the cliffs right under Bass Harbor Lighthouse, which we did.  The photos were amazing.  Didn't have digital when we went about five years ago, so unfortunately no personal pics of it.  And the photo with the Adirondack chairs is pretty dead on, at Jordan Pond House Restaurant.  It's the only restaurant in the park, but worth the wait.  Their popovers are divine, and how beautiful is that scene?  We also biked up to the top of one mountain, which took your breath away, figuratively and literally.  Haha.  The ride down was a breeze!  And we also canoed, didn't realize how much of a work-out that was.  Alright, I think I've written too much about Acadia.  But I can't say it enough, a must-see in everyone's lifetime!
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W, anxiously awaiting to pop bubbles from the new bubble machine!

When E gets up, she doesn't cry...I like that.

The smile I get every time I get her out of her crib...Love that!