Fierce Friday

happy Friday lovebugs!
have y'all missed me this week?
I ended up taking an unexpected but very much needed break from the blog world this week.
hopefully I'll be back to regular posting next week.
But for today, you can find me over here today talking about my fall faves. 

So head on over and check it out!! 

btw I'm finally getting ma hur did this weekend and I cannot wait!!

bring on the blonde ;)

xoxo.

Let's Play a Game

happy hump day loves!

Is it me or does it feel like it should be Friday?

then again, I felt like that on Monday.

I'm guest posting over at the Marley Lilly blog today 

so head on over and check it out.

and if you're visiting, welcome :)

I hope you'll check it out and stay a while.

I have a fun surprise for y'all today.
Bethany and I will be hosting a linkup next Tuesday
involving the game we all played as a kid
m.a.s.h.

<center><a href="http://simplysarahchic.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img alt="simply sarah" src="<a href="http://s1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd495/mispris04/?action=view&current=mashbutton250.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1222.photobucket.com/albums/dd495/mispris04/mashbutton250.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>" /></a></center>

It's been like 12 years since I've played this game so I'm sure that
I've forgotten some of the categories but I think I've got the main ones.

All you have to do to linkup is include the following categories in your post:
Guys/Girls
Cars
Car Color
Jobs
Pets
Dress Color
Honeymoon
Kids
His Job
His Car
His Car Color
Live Where

Get a friend to pick the third in each category and then draw a swirl and count the lines
to find your #.
Next week, post your results and include our button in your post and
link back to us. I can't wait to see how creative we can all get! :)

and finally, some pinterest loves lately.

 source: Glitter & Nails via Sarah on Pinterest

source: 9Gag via Sarah on Pinterest

source: Kara's Party Ideas via Sarah on Pinterest

source: c.r.a.f.t. via Sarah on Pinterest

source: You can't hurt a butterfly via Sarah on Pinterest

source: living a dream via Sarah on Pinterest

Source: Atlantic & Pacific via Sarah on Pinterest

Source: houzz via Sarah on Pinterest

Source: Southern Charm via Sarah on Pinterest

source: Just Jared via Sarah on Pinterest

linkup via Michelle.

source

and last but not least, 

big shout out to the Fab Five!

I was 10 the last time we took gold....holy wow.

xoxo.

Katie's Summer Favorites

Happy Thursday lovebugs.
I've got a special treat for y'all today.
Katie is over here sharing a few of her summer faves.
This girl is one of my favorite bloggers because she always has a new
diy project, recipe, or fun decorating tips to share. Not to mention all of the amazing pics
of the beach she lives on. Can we say jealous?!
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Hey y'all! I'm Katie and you can find me over at Miss Dixie where I share tidbits of my life with my hubby and two pups, inspiration for fashion and interiors, cooking adventures, and everything else in between. We live in the South and at the beach=perfection for me! I was so excited when Sarah came up with this post idea to share some summer faves with you all...here we go!

Favorite Summer Meal: Caprese Salad

If this is on the menu, I order it. Hands down my favorite salad! When we were on our honeymoon, our resort served the best version of this- a huge stack of tomatoes and mozzarella. I would just eat that for lunch and be so satisfied! Now, when I have this tasty meal I can't help but think of our honeymoon.

Pioneer Woman

Favorite Summer Beauty Product: Humidity Resistant Anything

My hair is hopeless in the summer with out some serious products that offer control and anti-humidity. Two favorite products of mine are Alterna Hemp Straightening Balm and Sebastian Shaper Plus. Last week I played around with a tutorial on pinterest to get easy beach waves. I can't find the tutorial again, but here is my finished look!

Easy Beach Waves

Step 1: Use a curl defining cream {I used a whole lot of this by Garnier}

Step 2: Diffuse with your hairdryer until dry

Step 3: Wrap small sections around the outside of your curling iron to create more defined curls, doing as much or as little as your hair needs to create loose, yet defined waves

Step 4: Comb out the roots slightly creating volume, and spray!

My hair is on the shorter side, so if yours is longer it will look better! :)

Favorite Summer Drink

 Call me a wino, but one of my favorite things to do is split an ice cold bottle of Chardonnay and spend late Sunday afternoons chatting and relaxing on the beach. My Mom and I love to do this together. Try it friends {even if it's just in your backyard}, you won't regret it!

Favorite Getaway


Since I live at the beach, I can't use the beach as my destination getaway for the summer time. So...when I'm not doing this...

via

I head inland when I need a break! I love going to my hometown {Raleigh, NC} and I try to get to the mountains each summer as well. I get my shopping fix in Raleigh and my relaxation in Asheville!

What are some of your summer faves? I would love to hear your take on these..come see me at Miss Dixie sometime soon! Thanks for having me Sarah, you sweet thing, you! xoxo.

Don't you just love her?!
Now go show her and her blog some love :)

xoxo.

What's in Her Bag - Lake Edition

Mornin' ladies!

I'm still in recovery mode today so I've got my good friend Nikki talking with y'all today.

She and I have A LOT in common, including our girlyness and our love for the lake. 

(I think we need to have a blate on your boat - just sayin) :)

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Hi y'all! I’m Nikki and I blog over at The Pink Growl. Little miss Sarah asked me to do a guest post for her while she's been busy livin' it up in the ATL, so here we are! A little bit about me…My blog explores the everyday adventures of a Southern belle wanna be. I'm a girly girl, soon-to-be cop's wifey, doggy mama, and Vol for life. If it glitters, is gold or growls then I probably love it. I keep it real on my blog talking about everything from weight issues, the urge to get married & reproduce, planning my wedding and any random crazy ideas that comes into my head. Come on over and help me figure things out, one normal girl struggle at a time!

Our girl Sarah and I both share a love of the lake. A couple weeks ago you read all about her weekend lake adventure. I'm blessed to have grown up on the beautiful Norris Lake in East TN. I live about 20 minutes away now, but that doesn't stop me from escaping there any chance I get. Here's my idea of Heaven - ahhh, refreshing right?

Since Sarah and I aren't the only lake rats out there, I thought I would let you guys get a glimpse at my essentials for my lake bag. I didn't want to bombard you with pictures so I tried to make a collage; obviously my editing skills are sub-par, but you get the idea.

1. Most Important Items - Boat Keys for obvious reasons - we have actually driven all the way up there before and realized the keys were still at home. No! No! iPhone for picture taking and music pleasure. Favorite Koozy because you gotta keep your drink cool on a humid TN summer day. For hydration purposes and all.

2. Clothing Items - Cute Fedora - I'm not really a hat girl, but I love this fedora. It's perfect for keeping your face and head covered. Plus, it's fashionable! Boardshorts - although not the most attractive piece of clothing, I always keep a pair in my bag because I won't wakeboard without them. It's impossible to keep your bottoms in order while showing off your skills so these are just for good manners. *A bathing suit cover up is always with me at the lake, but I use a much of different ones so I don't keep one in my bag*

3. Hair & Body - Wonder Waves - My hair is naturally wavy so at the lake I usually either have it up in a pony or I spray some of this great stuff in it and let it air dry. VS Heavenly Shimmer Lotion - sometimes after hours in the sun, my skin needs some moisture so why not make it sparkly too?

4. Sun Protection - A MUST! SPF 15 Chapstick, SPF 30 Face Sunscreen & SPF 8 Bronzer, I also use SPF 30 spray sunscreen on my body (not pictured because I ran out!)

And that cute lil' Roxy number is the actual bag all this loot is housed in.

I usually have this thing packed full of other items - snacks, magazines, extra clothes, towels - but I tried to keep it to just the basics for this post. So tell me, what are you lake/pool bag essentials?

Thank you for having me, Sarah!! I hope to see some of you guys over at The Pink Growl soon!

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Isn't she just the cutest? 

I want everything that's in your bag!! 

Now head on over to her blog and show her some love!

And make sure to stop by tomorrow for our Atlanta blate recap :)

There may or may not be a vlog (if I can get iMovie to work)

xoxo.

Bikini Bootcamp Week 2

hey hey chicas!
how was your weekend?

mine was good...went by way too fast, but then again they always do.
before I get into my workout post, head on over to Katie's page and check out my guest post while miss thang is soakin' up the sun in the bahamas. J-E-A-L-O-U-S!

Weekend workouts-
 Olivia and I ran sprints early Saturday morning and then did a Jillian Michael's ab video yesterday.
The results - I still can't move
so.much.pain.

This week I've decided to mix it up a bit and do my cardio and weights 3 days/week and then mixing it up with HIIT (high intensity interval training) 3 days/week.
I did tabata last Thursday night and I have to admit, I was breaking a sweat.

here's so motivation for the week :)

til tomorrow.
xoxo.

Over at the Diamond

mornin' lovebugs

today you can find me over at miss Katie's blog talking about spring prep :)

weekend recap tomorrow.
xoxo.

Inspiration Friday

happy friday lovebugs!
notice anything different?
the blog has had a bit of a mini facelift....
I'm working on a brand new design to launch sometime this month so stay tuned for that :)
in the meantime, let's share some inspiration, shall we? 

It's been a little hard for me to focus on this here blog lately and I'm attributing it to the fact that I feel so bogged down in other areas of my life right now. So for today, I'll leave you all with this little gem :)

Now I'm gonna turn it over to my very good friend, Kara, whom I've known since I was a kid. She's got a little something to share with you today about someone very important in her life. So show her some love :)

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Hello everyone! My name is Kara and I blog over at Once There Was a Tree! I've known Sarah since we were in elementary school, and it's been such a blessing to watch our lives unfold together! Obviously, I was honored when she asked me to be a part of her Inspiration Friday series... especially since this week I have been incredibly inspired by some one very, very special in my life. I think we could all learn a little from my God-Brother, Mitchell, whom I donated my kidney to almost 2 years ago.

Yesterday I wrote a post about Mitchell, because he is only 18 years old and already needing a third kidney transplant. In fact, he is having trouble finding a third match, so he starts dialysis this month. He never complains about not being able to go to a regular school, the constant pain he is in, the weekly trips  to and from the hospital, where sometimes he has to stay for weeks at a time. He can't eat some of his favorite foods, and doesn't even have the luxary of taking a hot shower. But I have never heard him say a negative word about his situation. In fact, whenever I see Mitchell he's a pretty happy person! He's always laughing, making jokes, and gives off an incredibly calming and positive vibe. At times it's hard for me to remember that he's human, because to me he's a super hero.

Mitchell's medical history is pretty complicated, because he needed his first transplant at a very young age and hosplitals all over the country are still trying to figure out what exactly is wrong with his body. It may be easier for you to hear the words directly from Mitchell, which can be found on his website here (http://savemitchell.com/2012/02/14/mitchells-story/#more-134)

So how has becoming a part of Mitchell's journey continually inspired me and changed the way I look at life? Such a loaded question. Mitchell has taught me that we are each responsible for how we handle any given situation -- we can sit and dwell in the negative, or we can choose to be positive and find other, often times more unique, ways of enjoying each moment. He's taught me the value of family and the importance of cherishing those close to you, because I have never met a family closer and more supportive of one another than his. And he's also inspired me to be a better person, and to do whatever my body is capable of doing to help those around me.

I feel so incredibly lucky to be a part of Mitchell's life, because every time I see him or hear about him I am inspired all over again. He really is an amazing person, and I hope you will take the time to learn more about his story (http://savemitchell.com/) -- I promise you will be inspired by my favorite super hero :)

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If that doesn't put things in perspective, I don't know what does. 

I am so proud of Kara for doing something that not many people would have the courage to do. 

I hope you head over to his page to see what you can do - whether it's spreading the word, helping to raise money, or even just saying a little prayer for Mitchell. 

And this weekend, remember to be thankful for the little things, and for those around us.
happy weekending!

xoxo.

shhhh.....dayna's got a secret

good mornin' lovebugs! 

we made it to friday!! 

what. a. week. 

seriously. 

let's just get through these next 8 hours and we're home free :)

today I've got my girl, Dayna, sharing one of her biggest secrets with you guys. 

now, if you don't know who she is by now, shame on you! I'm sure she's mentioned in about, oh i don't know, like 10 of my posts ;P 

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Happy freakin’ Friday ladies! Was it just me or did this week just seem to never want to end?! Oh wait, that’s every Monday – Friday.

Dayna here from Pearls, Curls and All ThingsSouthern, formally A Bama Belle and A Bucket List! Sarah told me she was having a week of guest bloggers and asked if I wanted to post on one day.  Of course, Sarah being my main bish, I had to say yes!

It took me about a millisecond to figure out what I wanted to talk about., and then debating telling you guys this really big secret I have.  It’s so big, I bet y’all won’t even believe me.

Ready for it?

Jake Gyllenhaal is my lover.

You laugh. You think I kid.

I don’t kid. He’s my main squeeze, my one squeeze, and only one I like to squeeze.

Hey-o!

Just look at his luscious face. My heavens, it should be illegal to look THAT good.  Pick your tongues up ladies.

Give me a moment to gather my thoughts again…

Okay. We have an understanding that he’s to parade around town and have fake relationships with these broads you’ve seen lately…Reese, Taylor,  Anne…but we both secretly know who belongs to who..

Oh, you need proof?

Here he is talking to me on the phone, telling me how lucky he is to have me, how much he worships my body. I tell him I’m the lucky one, but he’s too modest to believe that.

Not enough?

BAM!

Here we are taking a lovely stroll…look at him admiring me. I know what you’re thinking, what a lucky bitch.

And you’re right, he is.

And as I was typing this, the handsome fella himself dropped me line..

..asking if I wanted to come spend some time with him.

Hellz to the yeah I do.

Hard to believe it that someone famous and as unbelievably sexy such as him would be in a serious, loving, committed relationship with a chick from boondock, Alabama…I assure you, it’s true...

So, now that that’s out in the open, tell me who your celebrity crush is!

http://talesofabamabelle.blogspot.com/

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now go check out her blog....and tell her I sent ya!

happy weekending!!

xoxo.

Lessons from the Backstreet Boys

Backstreet's back, alright!

I know you're all chompin' at the bit to figure out what lesson you could possibly take away today. And I hope Katie doesn't mind that I sort of gave away the topic but I was so excited when I read it!! 

Anyway, if you haven't yet you need to go check out her blog. We became fast friends after we discovered our shared love for baseball. Love her!! Anyway, Katie did something pretty awesome last weekend so read on to hear about it :)

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Hi ladies! Katie here, I blog over at His Diamond and Mine! I am so excited to be blogging for Miss Sarah today; she has quickly become one of my best blog friends! I apologize in advance if I sound a little delirious, I just finished dancing in a 46-hour NO SITTING, NO SLEEPING dance marathon that raised over 10.6 million dollars for pediatric cancer! I mean how awesome is my school? Anyway, enough about mushy blog love and my adventures in la la land…let’s get started with my post!

{that is me in the middle, yep! i have on a FANNY PACK. and yes, it is cool to wear them at THON}

I thought long and hard about what I wanted to blog about, and finally decided on a “theme” sort-of-speak: “quit playin’ games with my heart.” You know, like the Backstreet Boys song? Call me cheesy (or delirious, can’t say I didn’t warn ya!), but seriously one too many of my friends have been overanalyzing their relationships and specifically playing games with the guy they are interested in.

So here is my take on playing games in relationships…to give me SOME credibility I did just get engaged, so I like to think I have a few things figured out with relationships. I am by no means perfect or an expert, but in the many years I have been with my fiancé I have learned some invaluable lessons! And I won’t lie, I did play a game or two back in the day…but I have slowly learned that playing games can be a downward spiral that you don’t want to visit!

1. Texting/phone calls/Facebook: For some reason, us girls seem to think we need to wait (and I am not talking about 5 minutes, I am talking about 5 hours) to respond to any form of communication from a man. I am all about leaving people hanging, but come on…is it really necessary to make them worry? I have found that responding to people as you normally would works best. You don’t want him to get so discouraged he finds another lady friend, do you? Just be you…I think this is going to be a common theme throughout my post. Ya hear me?
2. Actin’ a hoe: Just don’t do it. It isn’t you. It isn’t going to make you more attractive. You girls are classy, this probably goes without saying ;)
3. Flirting with other guys in front of HIM: WRONG. Jealousy does not work wonders in any relationship, whether you are dating, married, or on the path to becoming more serious.     
4. Communicating with the best friend: Everyone is tempted to find out what the guy is thinking, so what better way to “get into his head” then talking to the best bud? This sounds like a good idea, but too many times the best bud ends up falling for you. Then the guy you want to date has a decision to make, and lets just say they usually follow bro code.

At least 10 of my friends have had these problems in the past year, YEP 10. So I just wanted to share the wealth and knowledge that I have learned from their experiences. In the end: just quit playin’ games with his heart. 

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hm, I'm pretty sure we can all confess to doing at least one of these at some point. 

maybe all of them?! ahem...

anyway, I think these are good tips and she may have a point. I mean, she is wearing the ring :)

now head on over to her blog and share some love!

xoxo.