NEWSFLASH - I Survived Finals!

Hello? Is anybody still out there?

I know I've been MIA lately... I wish I had a better excuse than school... We all know I'd much rather write, shop, eat, bake, pretty much do anything other than study, but I had to bunker down and study for exams last week.

Since then, I have been soaking in some much needed relaxation. I've been enjoying my sweet time sleeping, online shopping, and spending time with Dutch and our temporary foster dog, Jake. What a sweetheart. He came from Nassau county, I believe as a stray. Jake just wants to be petted and loved on. He is SUCH a cutie.

My plan for the blog this summer is to be less random and have a more direct focus - FOOD. While I love to bake and cook, this school year I haven't been able to do as much as I would like. I'm hoping that this summer I can take over the kitchen like I used to do in high school and just bake all the time. So while I hope to post more recipes and such, I will also post random shopping things (and dog posts, too) and probably random life events as I have been doing.

Now, this certainly isn't much of a blog post, I just wanted to make sure that the World Wide Web knew I was still alive & haven't forgotten my blog {yet}.

OOLW (outfit of last week)

My intention was to post this last week during finals because I really liked my outfit, but clearly time got away from me & I didn't post. Well friends, you can love last week's outfit just as much this week.

Colorblocking is the not-so-new trend whose train I just boarded. This top is my first colorblocking piece. I went to lunch wearing this outfit and the cashier at Panera said, "I love your top...Nice colorblocking." Needless to say I felt very on-trend. 

{blouse: karlie, jeans: true religion, bag: similar, shoes: similar, watch: swell caroline, snail bangle: j.crew, pearl bracelet: from childhood}

Fun Summer Outfits

Fun Summer Outfits by sglewis featuring Chloé flats

I just ordered both these tops from Topshop for summer! I can't wait to have fun making more outfits with them!

Statement Necklaces

Statement necklaces are great! They've come and gone through the years, but now they're back and better than ever {at least in my opinion}. I love the selections below and am coveting them! I just ordered some cheap-o "J.Crew" necklace off of ebay...not sure how it's going to look, but it is the new J.Crew bubble necklace that's all over Instagram. Well, supposedly that's what it is... it's coming from China, so we shall see... Anyway, I think statement necklaces are great! My mum has always been a chunky necklace person - she pulls it off well. What are your favorite necklaces this season??

Statement Necklaces by sglewis featuring J.Crew necklaces

Wednesday Words

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The Liebster Award

I was delightfully surprised when I logged onto blogger this AM!

My new blog friend, Lauren, has passed on the Liebster Blog Award to me. Thanks, Lauren! "Liebster" means darling or beloved. It also means we've got a "new fancy word to throw around!" (That's what Ashley said just a few days ago).

The Liebster Blog Award criteria:

The Liebster Award is for up-and-coming bloggers (200 followers or less) that you think deserve recognition for their fabulous blogging abilities.

How the process works...

Each nominee should:

● Choose blogs to give the Liebster Award to.
● Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them.
● Post the award on your blog.
● List the bloggers you gave the award to with links to their sites.
● Leave a comment on their blogs to let them know they's received the award.
● Share five random facts about yourself.

Who I am passing the Liebster Award on to...

Liz at According to L

Ashlie at Golden & Lovely

Jess at Livin' on Sweet Tea

Ashley at Loving Life and Lilly

dWa at Prep In Your Step

FIVE RANDOM FACTS ABOUT ME:

1. I'm left handed. Rumor has it we have a shorter life expectancy than right-handed folks.

2. I love dogs. Surprising, no?  ;)

3. I have Patellar Tracking Disorder. 

4. Today is my birthday...I was born on Good Friday, nbd.

5. Online shopping is my kryptonite. 

currently

Afternoon, y'all! Just for fun, and in an effort to make more blog friends, I'm participating in:

current book(s):

current playlist:

Chicago - Sufjan Stevens

If Your Love Is Real - David Gray

The Seine River Waltz / Anna William's Reel / The Newfoundland Reel - The Duhks

Boom (feat. T-Pain) - Snoop Dogg

Beautiful - G. Love featuring Tristan Prettyman

current color:

essie's mint candy apple

current food:

current favorite show(s):

current needs:

motivation to study for final exams... pretty sure you can't buy that

current triumphs:

I blew dry my hair all on my own. This is a big deal, people. My hair is long & thick & takes forever to dry.

current banes of my existence:

school. if I could snap my fingers and have a diploma in my hand, I would. 

current celebrity crush:

I know I'm late boarding the Alexa Chung train, but I just realized how much I love her style.

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current #1 blessing:

Life. Family. Dutch. Health.

current indulgence:

Anything by Talenti... it's over $4 per pint, but soo worth it.

current outfit:

Yoga pants & a LSE tee... it's lazy Sunday, don't judge.

current excitement:

Interning at Over Under Clothing this summer! So.Pumped.

current mood:

tired.

current favorite quote or verse:

truth.

Jesus Culture

current wish list item(s):

Design Darling's Monkey Candlestick

Tory Burch leopard flats

wish list: To Be This Chic

current favorite product(s):

iPhone 4s Case

Woohoo! My Pretty Smitten iPhone case came today! How beautiful is it?? Elizabeth is so stinkin' creative...

Over Under {again}

I know I just posted about Over Under, but I thought I would add my favorite items!

and, of course, I love the logo:

Over Under Clothing Giveaway

My friend, Bryan, launched Over Under Clothing in December 2011. We're working very hard to get the word out and tell everybody about Over Under! What makes Over Under different from other "preppy" brands is the fact that every item is made in the USA. The cotton for t-shirts, for example, comes from Georgia and Mississippi. The leather comes from Ohio. It is very important to Bryan to support the American economy - especially in the tough times that we {as a country} are facing. What's even more special about Over Under is that 5% of each purchase goes to benefit Lab Rescue shelters and Ducks Unlimited North America. Every Jacksonville purchase goes to LRROF - District 4 {Northeast Florida}. And, if you've been following me from the beginning, you know LRROF is very important to me. As the company grows, Bryan wants to be able to give to Lab Rescues in the area where the purchaser lives. 

Dutch wears his Over Under collar with pride!

This month's photo contest is called, "Water Dog Photo Contest." Want a chance to win free Made in USA apparel and accessories? Send a photo of your 'water dog' to info@overunderclothing.com Contest ends April 29th. Check out the Facebook page to see other entries!

Dutch's Water Dog Photos:

fill in the blank friday

I was reading Livin' On Sweet Tea today and discovered a brilliant thing called 'fill in the blank friday'.

This show is hilarious!

I love Arrested Development, so when I saw Will Arnett was doing a show with Maya Rudolph created by Lorne Michaels, I knew it would be fabulous. It's apparently just like real life {according to my parents}, haha! It's hysterical...so I'm re-watching some episodes today.

Since I'm sick and just sitting on my tush watching old Up All Night episodes, let's give this a whirl!

1. Today is a good day because I got my pillow in the mail {see previous post} & since I'm sick, I can eat ice cream & it doesn't count...right?

2. The best thing I did all week was see my sweet friend, C, get married {does Saturday count as this week?} If not, the best thing would be GEMS. On Wednesday nights at RCC, my friend, Audra, & I lead a group of girls {K-2nd grade}. They are crazy - and sometimes you need a glass of wine after being in charge of some sassy gals, BUT I so enjoy hanging out with them & watching them learn & grow. They're funny & they just love us... What? I like attention, ok?

3. The current weather is partly sunny & it makes me feel annoyed. I'm sitting in the sun porch so that I can get some sunlight, but it's cloudy & therefore annoying.

4. The best thing about spring is my birthday in T-4 days. Does that make me narcissistic?

5. A fashion trend that I'm dying to try out for spring is bold prints.

6. A person who made me smile this week was AK, a 1st grader in my GEMS group. She said, "Woah. You're not married yet?!" Ha! At the ripe age of 20, I'm not too worried yet, AK! ;)

7. The most delicious thing I ate all week was a Chocolate Duet cookie from Panera. 

I'm linking up over at the little things we do.

Friday The Thirteenth

Do you believe in superstitions? I used to Google "superstitions" to find out all the things I was supposed to believe... and stood by those beliefs for a full 60 seconds before I completely forgot about them. Turns out, ADHD isn't such a bad thing after all ;)

This Friday the 13th, I find myself sick {congestion, cough, scratchy throat - fun stuff} & cozy on the couch with my blanket &, of course, Dutch. Due to swollen glands and one persistent cough/sore throat, the only food I seem to be consuming is Häagen-Dazs® ice cream, preferably chocolate.

I'm totally going to gain 50lbs this weekend...

I got some great mail today! Today, my Decorative Dress-shaped Pillow from wamozart12 that I won on Miss Southern Prep's giveaway arrived! Check it out:

Grab yours now!

Look at that amazing ric-rac on the pocket!

I decided to get crafty with the Camera+ and Frametastic apps

Catherine's shop is so lovely and I cannot wait to put this pillow in my room at the beach house!

Want a chance to win something from Miss Southern Prep? She's got a great giveaway going on now from an Etsy shop that I love: My Pink and Green Garden. I'm entering and so should you! :) 

These are a few of my favourite things from My Pink and Green Garden's shop:

pillows galore and memo boards

What's your favourite piece from My Pink and Green Garden?

Four Word Wednesday

Good Night. Sleep Tight.

Weekend Adventures

Wow. What a weekend! One of my dear friends, C, who is like a big sister to me got married this weekend in Palmetto Bluff. Palmetto Bluff is SUCH a pretty place! I had not been there before this weekend, but C goes there with her family every year & I have been hearing about it & its awesomeness for a while.

(photo by Haley)

K & C got hitched in this beautiful, intimate chapel. It was the sweetest wedding I have been to - the couple really wanted it to be like a worship service & it certainly was. During the service, there was a time where the wedding party laid hands on the couple & prayed for them as they enter into their new life together.

Dutch got to come to Palmetto Bluff, too. He had so much fun! The Inn at Palmetto Bluff is very pet friendly. The dogs are allowed everywhere except the pool area & inside the restaurants. Haley & Bryan of Over Under Clothing brought their chocolate lab, Lottie Grace. Lottie & Dutch are great friends. Palmetto Bluff's access is limited & where the cottages are {where we stayed} there are no cars allowed - you get everywhere by bike or golf cart. It is really neat. Dutch was off-leash a good portion of our time there & I was not worried about him. He & Lottie Grace would run while Haley & I rode our bikes. The entire staff was very friendly & easy going, especially when it came to the dogs. They provide orthopedic beds for the dogs & even have a menu you can order off of it you want.

Mr. Dutch in his orthopedic bed.

Haley & I are both blondes & our dogs are both chocolate labs. When Haley checked into the Inn, the staff said, "Didn't we already check you in?" Haley laughed & told them that it must have been me they checked in earlier. She & Bryan recently watched Tea Partay. I had completely forgotten about it. They kept 'rapping' {if you will} "We might be vanilla, but our labs are chocolate." It's so great. Since the line pretty much sums up our lives, we've been obnoxiously repeating this all weekend.

Weary Wednesday

Wednesdays are my craziest days of the week, by far! I feel like a real adult... a real "working person." My Wednesdays begin (& end) early with a walk with Dutch. Shortly followed by being on-time (at 9:45) to babysit at church while the moms get together and get a break from their youngsters. 

I definitely enjoy Wednesday mornings - they kids are 2-4 years old {I don't do diapers} and they are full of spunk. There's one boy, B, who used to think I was soo mean because I put him in time-out when he bit another boy... The other girl I babysit with is the good cop. That makes me the bad cop. Anyway, B is not been a fan of his mum leaving him- much less leaving him with such a mean person ;) Last week B and I bonded just being goofy and sharing. You can really see our sinful nature in children... especially with sharing. Today B was still upset by his mum leaving him, but guess what? Everything worked out just fine... he just never wants to believe me when I tell him that. Silly boy. My whole point of this rant is to say - I got my first voluntary hug from B today - it.was.awesome.

Chocolate Duet Cookie from Panera

As I sit here in Panera, I'm trying to think of lots more to write... if you can't tell I am procrastinating...again. I'm slightly annoyed at my professor - whom I emailed this weekend - who announced yesterday that our exam is tomorrow. I guess I'm annoyed because she cancelled class last week and I emailed her asking her if the exam would be this week so I could study, ya know - get ahead for my week, and I received no response. Blerg. 

Well folks, though it has been lovely ranting, I guess the only way I'll do well on my exam tomorrow is if I actually study... How unfortunate is it that osmosis via book through pillow to head while sleep doesn't work? Incredibly. 

What are your favourite websites to visit whilst procrastinating? Not that I need them or anything...

I've got plenty of tabs open already

Sizzling Sunny Sunday

It is a B-E-A-utiful Sunday today.

"Play in the sand; splash in the water; get dirty; get wet. The beach is the only place my mom doesn't get mad at me about doing that stuff. Of course I love the beach!" - Dixie Dykens, age 5 (source: Beach Quotes)

Look at all ze people on ze beach

Mr. Dutch thinks so, too. However, he is saddened that he cannot go out to play until 5 pm. Take a look at Dutch-dog - he just wants to go swim and play with his buddies! Unfortunately for us, there aren't any "Dog Beaches" in the area. The majority have the before 9 am and after 5 pm rule - which is fine, as it is usually pretty hot during the day anyway.

"oooh look - I see a seagull I can chase"

Dutch-dog {sometimes} will get antsy and want to go out RIGHT.WOOF.NOW.WOOF. So on those rare occasions, we get to deal with some lovely barking until he can go out on the beach at 5! Usually though, that only happens on the first day we get down here... For example, say Dutch and I get here at 3, well Dutch wants to go out on the beach ASAP, but he can't. He whines and barks until he gets what he wants... Uh-oh, I guess he's learning from his {spoiled} master ;)

"hmmm...I wonder if I'll see my neighbor, Jedi, today"

One of Dutch's beach buddies is a golden retriever/labrador mix. His name is Jedi and his last name is Knight. Jedi Knight! So funny/clever! Jedi's mom & I love when we're on the beach together - Dutch and Jedi have very comical play moves. Dutch likes to do circle upon circle upon circle- I don't know how my crazy dog doesn't get dizzy! I've seen other dogs do Jedi's move, but Jedi was the first one I saw to just lay down like a lion going to pounce on his prey. Jedi lays down and just waits for Dutch to get nearer to him and then he runs to Dutch and they run off like maniacs. 

I'm going to do my best to get a video of Dutch doing his spins and he and Jedi playing...they're so humorous! 

"that water sure looks nice!"

The Dutchster loves to swim, too. He is after all a labrador retriever. But some of the dogs we get in LRROF aren't big swimmers. It's interesting to see the different personalities and individual quirks of the dogs that come through Lab Rescue. 

"I guess I'll just settle for a sunny spot on the grass until then"

Head over to BowlLicking and check out Nicole's Paw Print Dog Biscuits. I have been eager to make them! Hopefully I'll get to make these this week during non-dog-beach-hours! These biscuits are "Pepper Approved"! Check out Nicole's adorable photo:

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