Tuesday Trends: Latest Lilly Love...

I hope everyone is enjoying their Tuesday.  Here's to a short work week, right?  We're back in full swing, after getting back from the beach yesterday.  The laundry is complete, and everything is back in order.  W and I attended one of her friends' birthday parties today, and it was so much fun! Spiderman galore, at the pool.  And what a perfect place to celebrate, with it being 95 degrees here today!  Whew!  E stayed with my mom, since the party was down the street from their house, so it was a nice treat for W and me to hang out and relax.  W is so independent now, and didn't even need me near her in the water, which was great (they hired a lifeguard for the party).  More time for me to socialize.  :)

Photos of our beach trip will come soon, as for now, here are some of my latest Lilly loves...

Lilly Pulitzer Janine Top

Lilly Pulitzer Little Lilly Shift in Cherry Bomb

(Wouldn't these be so cute for any of your minnies, for the 4th of July?)

Lilly Pulitzer Sail Away Necklace

(This would go great with any of Lilly's Heather tanks!)

Lilly Pulitzer Heather Tank in Navy

(Because you can never have too many Heathers)

Lilly Pulitzer Sail Away Sandal

After getting back from the beach, I must be in a nautical mood.

Oh, and by the way, the Lilly Jelly Flip Flops I wore this past weekend were amazing.  No blisters, and so soft, even after wearing them the first time!

Lilly Pulitzer Shelly Jelly Sandals

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P.S. Tart is on Rue La La today and they have some really cute pieces.  Here are some that caught my eye.  Click here for your free invite.

TART "Reese" Coral Reef Dress

Was $194, Now $69.90

TART "Skye" Navy Belted Dress

Was $194, Now $69.90

TART "Claudia" Navy Circle Link Top

Was $158, Now $59.90

Happy Tuesday, Y'all!

Monday Manners: Hugs Should Be Prescribed More Often

We're on our way back from the beach.  I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday weekend.

Bring on the warmth of that sun!  The water is now open for swim, all summer long!

Hug a veteran today...or just anyone for that matter!

"A hug delights and warms and charms,
that must be why God gave us arms."
~Author Unknown

"I have a present for you, but I need to borrow your arms for wrapping paper."

~Author Unknown

"A hug overcomes all boundaries. It speaks words within the mind that cannot be spoken."
~Author Unknown

Photo Credit: .5, 1, 2, 3

Weekend Inspiration: Psalm 25:20

 "Guard my life and rescue me; let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you."

Psalm 25:20

Photo Credit: 1

Fashion Friday: Beach Essentials

Well, we're off to the beach for the long weekend.  I'm hoping we didn't leave anything.  I always consider this my trial run, since it's the shorter of the beach trips we'll be taking this summer, and if anything is forgotten, at least it will prepare me for the longer beach trips later on.  If any of y'all are headed to the beach, as well, I thought I'd prepare a list of beach essentials that are important for any beach trip!  Plus, getting my list together made me get more organized for packing, which is always a huge plus!  If I've left anything out, let me know!  I already realized I forgot to include a photo of my camera, beach toys, hat and iPad.  Anything else?

Bathing suits for the whole family, life jackets for the boat and swim diapers for E.

Sandals and flip flops...to be broken in ;)

And running shoes, if feeling motivated enough.

Croakies, Kindle, Magazines, Books, Sunglasses, Crackberry, Aloe, Suntan Lotion

Water, Lipgloss, Polish and plenty of DVDs for the road trip!

Cover-ups!

Matching dresses for each night.

Cannot wait to get there, and hit the beach!  Friday nights there have always involved a shag band.
I'll be sure and take lots of photos to share next week.
 I hope y'all have a wonderful weekend full of relaxation and fun!

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P.S. Head on over to my sisters' blog (#2 of the 6), Mama Messages.  After a couple of bumps along the way, she has some AWESOME news to share with y'all!!  Also, while I'm at it, one of my other sisters, Amy (#5 of the 6) has a blog too.  She and her roomie share recipes they make, while in graduate school.  Head on over to Heads in the Books, Still Time to Cook.  Still can't believe she eats such diverse food now.  Seriously y'all, she grew up eating strictly hotdogs (do NOT toast the bun) and choco tacos (when we'd head to Mexican restaurants) because she was such a picky eater.  She swears studying abroad in Florence changed her.  I'm glad it did!

Thirsty Thursday: The Pink Tutu

Thanks so much to Trish, over at Pink Preppy Lilly Lover, for supplying me with an array of cocktails to serve up for y'all this summer, for all of my Thirsty Thursday posts!  They're all fabulous, and I would love to try and make every single one!  This week, I bring you the Pink Tutu.  Hope you enjoy!

Also, if you haven't linked up to Trish's Pink and Green Thursday, you should!  If you're a fan of all things preppy and the colors pink and green, you'll fall in love with all the blogs that link up each week!

Speaking of pink and green, my minnie, W, got this Little Lilly Shift in Hotty Pink a couple of days ago, and it's so sweet.  I'm thinking Mama needs one now, to match.  Maybe in the Josie Tunic, perhaps?

 And how great are these Sam Edelman 'Gigi' Sandals?

They're pink, but still channel a pretty, neutral vibe.

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Yesterday's Wednesday Whereabouts was Ocean Isle Beach!  I am so ready to plant myself there for a couple of days, and RELAX!  We head out first thing in the morning.  Do y'all have any fun holiday weekend plans?  I'd love to know!

Photo Credit from Yesterday's Post: 1, 2, 3

Wednesday Whereabouts

Can you guess which beach I'll be at this weekend, celebrating Memorial Day?

And no, it's not Jamaica.  But if you know this place, you know where we're headed!

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Just received these cute beach towels for the girls, for this weekend...with their names monogrammed in hot pink.  Bet you can't guess which one is W's.  :) 

Fish Beach Towel

Hula Girl Beach Towel

After seeing them, I had to order one of my own, except mine wasn't from PB Kids, just one step up, PB Teen.  :)  And right now, PB Teen is offering 20% off all beach towels, through the weekend.  These towels were marked down from $24, to $19, with free shipping.  They have seven different fonts you can choose from, as well.

Tie-Dye Stripe Towel

I'm thinking the towels will fit well in my extra large turquoise, monogrammed L.L. Bean Boat and Tote, that should arrive tomorrow, just in time for the beach this weekend!

L.L. Bean Tote - Extra Large

Hope y'all have a great rest of your Wednesday!

Tuesday Trends: It's a Girl Thing Giveaway

For Girls Who Want to Give the Perfect Gift

Hope y'all are having a wonderful Tuesday!  I wanted to share a great business with y'all that specializes in custom monogramming and many other girlie items, called It's a Girl Thing.  Although they're located here in town, and locals can pick up their items, they'll ship anywhere.  Kristin and her daughters Katie and Caroline have a love for all things monogrammed, preppy, and personalized, so it's no wonder they created such a cute business that embodies all three.  It's a Girl Thing is the perfect shop for finding great, quality gifts, for graduates, bridesmaids, birthday girls or even just for you!  They will also custom-design pillows and shirts, as well.  The ladies are in the process of creating pillows for W and E, and I cannot wait to see the results!  I seriously love it all, as I'm obsessed with anything monogrammed, so it was hard to choose my favorites.

Here are just a few of them...

So in love with these sweet, applique pillows.  They'd make a lovely addition to any child's bedroom.

Their pillows range in price from $40-70.

You get to pick the font size and fabric used (Lilly prints are available) - same for the applique shirts!

Monogrammed Towel Wraps

These would be perfect for any girl graduating from high school.

I used mine so much, while living in the dorm.

The shop also has monogrammed bath slippers to match.

Wall Monogram

Not only is this room gorgeous, but how well does the wall monogram pull it together?

It's a Girl Thing offers an array of monogrammed decals, from walls to cars, even license plates!

Personalized Storage Buckets

How great are these?  They'd be perfect for a bedroom or playroom!
As we all know, organization is key!

House Flags

You know I love my pineapples!  There are an array of flags to choose from,

but these definitely scream hospitality for anyone's home.

They would make a wonderful house warming gift!

Gretchen Scott V-Neck Print Dress

Not only do they offer personalized items, they also have beautiful tunics and dresses available.

Love this one, by Gretchen Scott!

And the best part?
It's a Girl Thing is giving away a personalized applique pillow, with Lilly fabric, to the lucky winner!

Here are the many ways you can enter the giveaway:

1 Entry:  Become a follower (or let me know you already are)
Extra Entry:  Grab my button (or let me know you already have it)

Extra Entry:  Blog about the giveaway on your blog

Extra Entry:  "Like" It's a Girl Thing on Facebook

Extra Entry:  Tell me your favorite item from It's a Girl Thing
Extra Entry:  Tweet about the giveaway (make sure to tell me your name on Twitter)
Extra Entry:  Add my giveaway to your sidebar

An extra entry each for every time someone refers you in their comments, about how they found out about the giveaway (I'll keep track of this.).  Endless entries!

Please let me know in ONE comment, how many entries you get.  The easiest way would be to list it on your comment, 1., 2., 3., etc in one comment box.  That would help organize it for me a great deal.  There are lots of ways to get extra entries.  The giveaway will end on Wednesday, June 8th, at 11:59pm.  I'll choose a winner on Thursday, June 9th, and announce the winner the next day on Friday's post.

Good luck, y'all!  And thanks again for reading!

Tuesday Trends: Stella and Dot Earrings

Starfish Earrings

How cute are these earrings?  My friends hosted a Stella and Dot show the weekend of the Kentucky Derby, and I had to miss it because I attended the Well-Fargo golf tournament that day in town.  Although I hated to miss their party, thankfully I was still able to order these afterward, and can't wait for them to arrive.  They'll be perfect for the beach this Memorial Day weekend.  And my friends that hosted know me so well, they knew I'd pick these, of all the things Stella and Dot offers. :)

Stay tuned...the giveaway will be announced this afternoon, just working on a couple more things!

Hope y'all have a wonderful Tuesday!

Monday Manners: Remember to Charge Your Battery

I know that doesn't sound like a manner or rule, but it's something important, that I forget to do sometimes.  In this instance, I'm talking about my camera battery, but in many of our cases it's remembering to do just that, charge your life battery.  When things get stressed, it's so important to slow down and take it easy.  Easier said than done, right?

Well, after all my talk about lobster on Friday's post, I was so excited to share my lobster, crab cakes, oysters, etc. dinner with you at the in-laws, but after the second photo of the night, my camera's battery died.  Sigh.  But I did manage to get it charged before our neighborhood's Spring Fling the next evening...so you'll see some of those photos.  The girls had a blast, and the hubs and I did too.  The barbecue was delicious!

My father-in-law (Let's count his fillings, shall we? Just kidding.)

Even W enjoyed the lobster, such refined taste. :)

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P.S. Our neighbors, that I babysat consistently from when the son and daughter were about 9 months and 4 years old and are now going into sixth and eleventh grade, are moving away.  They lived across the street, from the side of our house, growing up.  The parents are both from the northeast, New Jersey and Connecticut, so they've decided to head back that way for the husbands' job, to Westport, Connecticut.  I'm going to miss them so much.  They were the best kids!  I even managed to take a summer trip with them to Nantucket, and absolutely fell in love with the town.  Still have an ACK flag on my car to prove it!  The husband only allows one sticker on my car, so this says a lot!  I'm hoping we'll make it up someday to visit. 

And even worse?  It will be hard to remember their house because the new buyers are tearing it down, and rebuilding.  :(  Here are some photos from last week, saying our goodbyes.

Happy Monday!