Weekend recap: Part 2

My friend Rachel got married on Sunday and she was such a beautiful bride!

Rachel & Caleb's first dance

The wedding was so much fun! And guess who caught the bouquet?

This girl! 

And Elizabeth, you did a fantastic job on your MOH speech!

Shannon, Elizabeth and I

Caleb and Rachel, I wish you nothing but the best! I'm so happy for you two as you start your lives together. 

Weekend recap

There's nothing like kicking off the start of summer by going to a local beer and wine festival! 

Yummy sangria

Leah and I

Josh, Julia, me and Leah

Julia, me and Leah

Michael and I

<3

There were bands playing and a ton of different wineries and breweries had tents set up. It was super hot out, but we all had such a great time!

Check back for tomorrow's post about the rest of my weekend at my friend Rachel's wedding!

Beach trip update

Last week's trip to the beach with my family was much needed and very relaxing. We stayed in a beautiful, oceanfront house with amazing views and I was so glad to catch up on my reading. I was a little sad, however, that the weather did not cooperate with us. 

Three days of rain and clouds, and another day of 40 mph winds. Sigh. Not a single beach day. But like my dad kept saying, a day at the beach is better than a day at work, right?

One of the highlights of this trip was the wild horse tour we took on Friday. 

We stayed in Corolla, which is located in the north part of the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Years ago, wild horses roamed free around the area, but for safety reasons due to the huge influx of tourists over the years, they now have the horses confined to an area near the North Carolina/Virginia border. And the only way to get there to see them is to go off-roading with a 4-wheel drive vehicle on the beach. 

It was a fun, bumpy ride. Once we went beyond the sand dunes, it felt like the beach version of an African safari. But instead of lions, we were just looking for some horses.

People actually live in this area, which is called Carova Beach, year-round. 

Talk about solitude.

This was the view over the Currituck Sound. Pretty, right?

The tour lasted two hours, and we finally spotted a small herd of wild horses grazing in someone's front yard. Our guide told us these horses are the descendants of the horses that Spanish explorers first brought to America hundreds of years ago. 

How cute is the mama and her baby?

It was such a fun experience! If you ever vacation down in the Outer Banks, I highly recommend taking a wild horses tour. 

Carova Beach on Dwellable

Oh no...

So the J.Crew Matchstick jeans that I picked out in the store were my size, but they only had them in a short fit. The sales assistant was super helpful and ordered my size in regular fit (same style) from a different factory store and then had them shipped right to my house. 

I go to try them on today and .... they're baggy! Has this happened to anyone else? It's the same size and style that I tried on in the store, but they fit so differently! Do you think regular sizes are different than short sizes in the width of the leg as well as the length? Does anyone have any tips to help my jeans shrink up a little? 

I really don't want to go through the hassle of sending them back and trying my luck again, so any help would be much appreciated! 

Monday motivation

&

Couldn't have said it better myself.

Shopaholics anonymous

Oh, J.Crew Factory store ... you get me every time.

Here's what I scooped up while I was at the beach:

Ikat tunic

I've been searching for a cute tunic-style coverup forever and I finally found one I love! 

Classic ballet flats

These might be the most comfortable ballet flats I've ever worn. Seriously. Now I want them in every color. 

Matchstick jeans

Buying a pair of Matchstick jeans has been on my to-do list forever, and I finally nabbed a pair for a great price!

Here's what else I'm loving from J.Crew Factory: 

Boatneck tee

 How cute would this be with navy chino shorts and gold Jacks? Very 4th of July cute to me!

One-shoulder ruffle top

Love this one!

Cotton lace mini.

Lace = love.

Double-serge cotton pencil skirt

This skirt would bring such a fun pop of color to a work wardrobe. 

Ankle skinny jean

And finally, I'm seriously lusting over these. 

Obsessed: Travel-size products

Travel-sized beauty products are so much fun! 

Not only do they make packing so much easier, but they are the perfect size for a week away or even an overnight trip somewhere. 

I'm even more grateful they've started making my favorite brand-name products in a travel size. 

From left: 

Dove Deep Moisture Body Wash

TRESemme Fresh Start Dry Shampoo

Cetaphil Facial Cleanser

Vaseline Cocoa Radiant Body Lotion

TRESemme Extra Hold Hairspray

Skintimate Shaving Cream

Up & Up (Target brand) Makeup Removing Wipes

I'm most excited about the Cetaphil and the Vaseline being made in the travel size. Both regular-size bottles are so inconvenient to pack. And best of all, I can refill the travel-size Cetaphil when I run out. 

I usually use Neutrogena makeup removing wipes, but I've fallen in love with these Up & Up wipes. Since its the Target brand, they're so much cheaper than Neutrogena and they remove my makeup so much faster. I also think they retain their moisture in the package longer than the Neutrogena wipes. 

What are your favorite travel-size products?

Big blog news!

I finally reached 100 followers! Thanks to Kelsey at Beauty without limits for being number 100, and thanks to followers 1-99 and everyone else who reads my blog and makes this experience so rewarding and enjoyable.

While I work on getting my first giveaway together, I have other big news! I was just asked by Shabby Apple to become an affiliate of theirs. I'll be given some great offers that I can pass along to you, and it also means if you purchase anything from Shabby Apple by going through my site, I make a commission on it.

Here's my promise: Any money I make through this affiliate program goes into my blog budget, which means money for giveaways! If you haven't heard of Shabby Apple yet, you should definitely check it out! They have adorable, vintage-inspired clothes that are reasonably priced.

From their "About us" section: "We started Shabby Apple because we saw a need in women’s fashion that was not being met. A need to make women feel feminine and beautiful for what they wear, not what they bare. We offer flirty, stylish dresses a woman can wear just as comfortably in the office, at a family dinner, or on a date. Shabby Apple is a fashion company for women, by women, and of women. Because serving women and families is a core value at Shabby Apple, we devote a certain percentage of our net proceeds to charitable causes serving women and children."

How can you not love a company with a mission statement like that?

Right now, you can get free shipping and 10% off when you use the code "MAY" at checkout! Happy shopping!!

Monday motivation

Friday's letters

Dear Friday, 

I thought you'd never get here. Thanks for finally showing up. 

Dear Elizabeth, 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! I so wish I was there to celebrate with you. My wish for you is that Adam Levine flies to NYC tonight and serenades you. 

Dear Michael, 

I hope you win your game tonight! Thank you for my beautiful flowers that made my whole week brighter. 

Dear bags, 

Please go pack yourselves. You are the worst part of getting ready for a vacation. 

Dear beach, 

I can't wait to be soaking up the sun and catching up on my reading. Please, please, please have nice weather! 

Dear everyone, 

I hope you have a wonderful, fun-filled weekend! 

Photo dump

skyline.

something i wore.

fun with friends at devil's backbone brewing company.

birds.

oh hi.

my parents inspire me every day. xo

smell i adore: fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies

another smell i adore: fresh flowers from the bf

Let's talk about armpits

Does anyone else have a love/hate relationship with deodorant? Do you ever feel like when you use a certain brand for too long it eventually stops working for you? 

Well, I know I do. I had been using Secret deodorant, which I've always liked, when I realized it just wasn't working for me anymore. 

So I hightailed it to the drugstore and headed straight for the deodorant aisle. I should say, it's very important to me that a deodorant passes my sniff test — I will stand there and smell every deodorant until I find one I like. 

I came across Dove Clear Tone Skin Renewal deodorant and not only did it pass my sniff test, but I thought I'd give it a try based on its claim to help reduce those annoying dark marks many of us have in our underarm area that we get from shaving irritation. 

The verdict?

I've been using it for about a month, and I can honestly say I've seen a vast improvement in the appearance of those dark marks, which is something to celebrate considering summer is practically here and I'm beginning to wear all of my dresses and sleeveless shirts. 

Not only am I thrilled with the way my underarms look, I'm also super happy with the wetness and odor protection from this deodorant. This deodorant gets an A+ in my book, and I'm crossing my fingers that it continues to work for me.

Here's to happy armpits,

Happy

What's making me happy today?

First, I'm finally done for the semester. 

Thank. Goodness. 

Second, I just pre-ordered True Blood Season 4. 

It can't get here soon enough! 

And third, I'll be at the beach so, so soon! 

Woooo!!

What's making you happy today?

Photo a day May

Chantelle at Fat Mum Slim is hosting another fun photo-a-day challenge. 

I loved doing this in February, but fell off the bandwagon in March and April. 

But here I am ready to do May! Wanna join me? 

Find me on Instagram! 

@megan_1138

Today, my source of peace is the Piano Solo station on Pandora. I swear listening to this quietly in the background helps me knock my papers right out. 

I'm going back to finish my paper. 1,174 words down, 326 to go.