Swim The Sea

This morning I woke up and just sat on the screened porch and enjoyed a relaxing beach morning. It was nice to be up at 6:30 just because that was when I wanted to wake up, no alarm clock, no spin class, just me and the beach. It is so easy to get caught up in the fast pace of life around us, but for a couple of days it is so important to be able to escape that pattern. I am also a huge fan of taking time to yourself every day to keep yourself from being burned out. I was constantly going last summer and I really didn't appreciate how important taking some time to collect yourself could be. Even if you aren't at the beach, try to take a little time to yourself this week to rejuvenate and prioritize. 

I love doing this when I walk my dog or sit out on the patio after a long day of work. No one has un

Injured time to spend to themselves, but that doesn't mean that the five minutes you can take to yourself are any less important. In my opinion, this is especially true with getting outside for a bit. So take a lunch break outside with a book or enjoy a glass of wine on your balcony after work because you've earned it! Think about it this way, if you totally burn yourself out, are you even producing at 100%? Probably not. Enjoy life because it won't wait around for you to suddenly have time!

Oh, and just because I am at the beach for the week, doesn't mean that blog posts won't be going up so be sure to be on the lookout for those!

xoxo,

Sugar Snap Pearls

Beach Manicures

Good Morning from the road! My family is locked and loaded and heading down to Sunset Beach, NC for a week of family, fun and the sun...and possibly a beach drink or two ;) I got really excited for the beach this week, so there might be a bit of a theme to the blog posts you see this week, but we could all use a little vacation, even if it's just taking a few minutes to escape the work day and catch up on your favorite blogs!

Does anyone else ever wish that they could name nail polishes for a living? I mean, I have to imagine those meetings are so much fun and I love the creative names that people come up with. Since I am heading to the beach, it seemed like Essie's "Bikini So Teeny" was a no-brainer for what polish to wear (at least for the first part of the week). It's not that you have to paint your nails a beach-y named color to sit with your toes in the sand, but it does make it more fun. Here are some other beach-y named polishes that I love!

Bikini So Teeny; Watermelon; Mojito Madness

Los Cabos Coral; Planks A Lot; Party In My Cabana

Turquoise and Caicos; Sand Tropez; Meet Me At Sunset

What are your favorite colors to wear at the beach?

xoxo,

Sugar Snap Pearls

Friday Five: Stand Out

I feel like we spend so much time trying to go with the flow that sometimes we forget how great it can be to stand out in a crowd. I am not saying everyone has to go out there and be the biggest person in the room, but being true to yourself and finding your path is so important to happiness. With this past week of not having work (mixed feelings on that) I have been spending a lot of time wondering what I am going to do, and what is going to make me happy. Of course, the beach makes me happiest, so I am pretty excited that I will be heading to Sunset Beach, NC tomorrow...TGIF, y'all!

One: Lessons For Entrepreneurs from Tory Burch

She tackles the myth of "overnight success" and encourages you to surround yourself with people who believe in you. Sure, I guess this is not exactly revolutionary, but it is nice to hear it from someone who has built an empire as successful as hers. 

Two: Baublebar Earrings

I have been eying statement earrings lately, and while I haven't committed to a pair, this sale they have going on might be the perfect time to try a pair. I so used to be a "pearl necklace and earrings every day, no matter what" kind of girl, but I have loved starting to get more into statement jewelry this past year!

Three: How to Be the Best Intern (Ever)

Many of y'all (who aren't already in the working world) are spending your summer at an internship that you hope will result in a job or at least will be used as a platform to jump into the working world upon graduation. I am sure everyone is kicking butt at their internship, but I love these little tips to take that extra step to be a stand out intern!

Four: Dr. Seuss

"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose." I was thinking about this quote on my walk with Luther last night. I love walking with him at Burke Lake because it is 4.7 miles of time to think about whatever I want and enjoy some time with my dog, all while getting some exercise in!

Five: Which First Lady are You?

Obviously we need the answers to important life questions like this one, so thank you, Buzzfeed. Plus, this is a win-win quiz because I the first ladies tend to be amazing women who take their position seriously and have accomplished some amazing things. I got Laura Bush so I was thrilled because I have always admired her.

xoxo,

Sugar Snap Pearls

Country Club Prep On The Corner

Gosh, I love Charlottesville. Being back there, even for just a quick trip, made me so happy yesterday. I can't help but think that I am so lucky to spend another year there. I am not the only person who loves Charlottesville, and alumni who come back always talk about how great the town is and there are lots of people who never leave. With Charlottesville being as great as it is, it should come as no wonder that Country Club Prep decided to open their first brick and mortar store in this wonderful college town.

The founders of the retailer attended the University of Virginia for Law School and now, almost ten years later, have decided that it is the perfect place to open its doors in a historic building on The Corner.

Last week I got an email with an invite to their soft opening and I just couldn't pass up the chance to check out one of my favorite shops and an evening in Charlottesville. One of the best parts about the founders being from UVA is that they understand the UVA lifestyle and want to be a part of it. This is more than just a store on the corner that will be everyone's tailgate go-to, they are going to become a staple of the community. They have tables out front and they will readily provide wifi to anyone who wants to take advantage of that great location. When you go in to shop, you will never leave empty handed, even if it means just with one of their complimentary koozies or a sticker. 

Right now the store takes over the first level of the building, but they have plans to renovate the second floor to add more of their merchandise that is only online right now. If you haven't checked out their website, I highly recommend doing so. They carry everything from Jack Rogers to Smathers and Branson, and from Lauren James (please, someone buy me a tailgate dress!) to Southern Tide. 

Their store is sure to be a hit for locals, and if you ever find yourself in Charlottesville, this is just another reason that you should venture over to The Corner...this and Bodos, of course!

xoxo,

Sugar Snap Pearls

20 Sunglasses Under $20

Klutzy people don't do well with expensive things. White clothes, for example, tend to have a shorter lifespan and phones seem to be made for dropping. I am absolutely one of these people. No, seriously, ask my Momma and Shannon, who witnessed me trip over a laptop cord in my kitchen and completely bite it as they couldn't help but laugh at the total ridiculousness of the situation. Since I don't have great luck with the finer things in life, I tend to try to find cute items that I am worried about ruining at a fraction of the cost of the designer prices. Yes, I also engage in this because I am a broke college girl and unlike Carrie Bradshaw, Vogue does not feed me more than food does...

Recently I have been on the hunt for a cute pair of sunglasses that won't break the bank. I had a pair of Ray Ban Wayfarers but a few years of rough wear on those have resulted in me being back in the market for some sunnies. This time, I decided I would rather have a cheaper pair that I was less concerned about ruining, though I do still need to invest in a case!

If you are on the hunt for affordable glasses, look no further because I have done the hunt for you and here are some of my favorite, affordable pairs:

Nordstrom (L-R): Fantas Eyes 'Rewind' Sunglasses; Icon Eyewear Glitter Wayfarer Sunglasses; Fantas Eyes 'San Juan' Aviator Sunglasses; Icon Eyewear Butterfly Sunglasses

From Target (L-R): Women's Vis A Vis Sunglasses; Xhilaration Tortoise Surf Sunglasses; Aviator Sunglasses- Grey; Merona Plastic Square Sunglasses

H&M (L-R): Sunglasses; Sunglasses; Sunglasses; Sunglasses

Forever 21 (L-R): Classic Round Sunglasses; Heart Shaped Sunglasses; Iconic Aviator Sunglasses; Retro Cat-Eye Sunglasses

Which is your favorite pair? I bought the Rewind Sunglasses from Nordstrom but these are all great choices! Happy Shopping, Barganistas!

xoxo,

Sugar Snap Pearls

The Girl Behind the Blog

Happy Monday! This time next week, I will be in Sunset Beach, North Carolina enjoying a week with family in the sun. Knowing that vacation is just a short time away makes it easier to wake up early and work because I'll be getting a break so soon!

This weekend was largely unproductive for me because I hadn't been feeling great and I was just exhausted the whole time. However, sometimes you just have to tell yourself to buck up and avoid wasting more time with Netflix. What was I watching on Netflix? Well I actually talk about it in this video. I decided to do a random about me survey that I found online and while the video is a bit long, I did have fun making it and even if you skip around, you will learn some new things about the girl behind the blog! So if you want to know more about me, check it out, and check out my new About Me page. Also, I kind of like changing it up like with a vlog, so maybe you'll see some more in the future!

I would love to hear something about you so if you want to pick any/all of these questions and comment or email me with your response. Or you can just pick a random fact to share!

xoxo,

Sugar Snap Pearls

Disney Princesses Make Things Happen

I am sure we have all read those articles about how the Disney Princess movies of our childhoods have given us a false sense of romance and reality. We all want to be damsels in distress and have a prince come save us or we are totally willing to sacrifice anything to get the man of our dreams, blah, blah blah...

Sure, there might be a bit of validity in that, but I prefer to focus on the positives, like the fact that Belle passed up Gaston and loved to read. Last night on Pinterest I came across a quote that made me giggle and at the same time was a great motivator. 

Before this I had never heard of Kiera Cass, but I absolutely love this quote she gave. Heck, even the Disney Princesses had to make their fate happen. It also made me think of one of my favorite quotes from White Christmas.

(disclaimer: I am not encouraging you to "plus" honesty...strictly referring to the pushing haha)

So go out there this week, and for the rest of your lives and make things happen for yourself! Carpe Diem, with the help from a cup of coffee, naturally. Speaking of coffee, check out my new About Me page! 

xoxo,

Sugar Snap Pearls

Snail Mail Correspondence

Today we communicate through texting, snapchat, phone calls, and emails. Everyone is always engaged. Handwriting skills are being replaced by speedy typing and a card is being replaced by an evite. I am far from complaining about this because I absolutely love having everything just a click away, but I do sometimes miss the seemingly lost art of snail mail correspondence. Actually, I miss it so much that I wanted to make a conscious effort to write some cards and I put it on my 22x22 list! 

Recently I got a couple of cute stationary sets at Target since I brilliantly left all of mine at school and this morning I decided to take advantage of the rain keeping me inside and watching sportscenter  to write a couple of cards. 

It doesn't take a ton of time, and it is always so much fun to get a letter in the mail. Stationary prices and style selections have a broad range for however formal, colorful, etc. you want it to be. In addition to loving cute packs of stationary, I am a huge fan of fun, individualistic cards. I have a few that I got from Harriet's General in Culpeper, one of my favorite little shops ever, especially for their paper goods selection. Individualized cards are great to add an even more personal touch to a correspondence and I sometimes have one or two on hand for close friends who don't live close by just in case they need a card or a pick-me-up one day. 

Does anyone else love snail mail correspondence?

xoxo,

Sugar Snap Pearls

How to Rock Summer Booties

You know that moment when you get water on your new leather shoes and you basically want to cry? No? Yeah, me either... Seriously though, I had a "my favorite new shoes are drenched in water and this is tragic, plus it's ruining my outfit and making me late for work" moment yesterday. Good news though, the shoes are a-okay and with a touch of leather conditioner are going to be even better! 

What shoes deserve all this love? My new booties from DSW that I got a couple of weeks ago while on the hunt for the perfect leather, non-pump, non-sandal to wear to work. I was actually inspired to look for these by a Michael Kors wedge and decided that I really wanted a bootie because it had longer seasonal wear. Objectively, I think everyone should get this shoe because the leather is buttery soft, it is a perfect neutral and the stacked heel is comfortable for walking around and wearing all day.

For some reason, people think that a bootie has to be worn with a pair of pants, but you can absolutely wear them with shorts, dresses, etc. Today I am wearing it with this great dress from TJ Maxx (super comfy) and this weekend I might throw them on with a romper! Here are some of my favorite booties from around the internet!

Crown Vintage Avery (the pair I have!)

Vince Camuto Maizy

Dolce Vita Shandy

Dolce Vita Yuri

Nine West Jarrad 

Oh, and since Pinterest helped inspire the beginning of my love of booties, here is a little inspiration for you!

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How do you rock your booties in the summer? Also, little anecdote: when I was talking to my Grandma on the phone and said "summer booties," she thought I meant my butt! haha

xoxo,

Sugar Snap Pearls

Instagram Shots

Happy Monday, y'all! I say that, but I am seriously struggling today. Two weeks until the beach means that my head is off in Margaritaville, not the office. Oh, and it also means that I am sort of regretting having bagels for breakfast over the weekend (but not really, because I love bagels...oops). Anyways, I got an email over the weekend about doing a blog post with my Instagram outfits, and I realized that I hadn't done one in a while, so here is a fashion roundup of what I've been wearing over the last couple of weeks!

shirt: Loft // skirt: J. Crew Factory // bracelets: Fornash // necklace: Purple Peridot

shirt: J. Crew Factory // skirt: Target // necklace: Loft

shirt: Old Navy // shorts: J. Crew // shoes: Jack Rogers // bracelet: C. Wonder

shirt: J. Crew Factory // necklace: Loft // nail polish: Essie

shirt, shorts, bracelet: J. Crew Factory // shoes: Jack Rogers

Have a great start to your week!

xoxo,

Sugar Snap Pearls

Friday Five: GOOOOAAAAALLLLL!

How great is the World Cup? I mean, I am not a huge soccer fan, but all the hype of the World Cup definitely gets me into the game. It isn't as though the entire concept of the sport is foreign to me, I just don't enjoy the event as much as I do others (i.e. the Spurs whooping some Heat butt). While I am not a fanatic of the sport, my friend, Meghan, is, and has been blowing up my wall, twitter, and life with little soccer facts to get me ready, so in honor of that, here is a bit of a belated Friday Five: World Cup Edition. And, don't forget your vuvuzela...just kidding, those were banned this year (thank god).

One: A Beginner's Guide to the World Cup

Gotta love Buzzfeed and their articles. This is helpful for understanding just how the World Cup is set up and how the teams ultimately reach the championship game!!!

Two: 16 Things That People Who are not into the World Cup Know to be True

This is basically me halfway through any given game, but I will continue to watch games that the United States plays because, you know, AMERICA. Oh, and they flop, but unlike a basketball player, they don't get a $5,000 fine, instead they get a penalty shot (significantly more important than a bball foul and a pair of free throws)

Three: 11 Reasons to Root for Team USA in the World Cup

Just in case number two caused you to rethink if you should be wearing all things red, white, and blue while cheering for a form of football that is not played on a gridiron...

Four: The Sexiest Player From Each World Cup Team

Is an explanation really necessary for this one? You're welcome. This is Mat Ryan...yes, Mat with only one "t" for reasons that I don't totally understand, however he is quite attractive so it's not really any points against him. Oh, and Croatia's coatch looks like Joseph Gordon-Levvitt so that's cool.

Five: This Awesome Infographic

Thanks to Meghan, Buzzfeed, and random links on my friends' Facebook walls for introducing me to all of this!

xoxo,

Sugar Snap Pearls

Inspired Horoscopes

from Levo League's Instagram

I have never really been one to pay any attention to my horoscope. I mean, I look at it now and then, but I just kind of want to see if it is ever close to reflecting the kind of day I am having. Today was one of those days where I took a peek at my horoscope and absolutely loved what it said. 

"You may encounter a new idea or perspective that changes your life today -- so get ready for something really new! It's likely to be almost all positive so don't fret or worry about the consequences!"

I am a firm believer that creating opportunities is just as important as capitalizing on them, and this might just be a reflection on that. My mind is in overdrive with all these new ideas I have had sitting at my desk today for some reason. I love days like these, those days when you are so inspired and are pumping yourself up for no particular reason. Of course, this does not mean things are about to fall into my lap or that I am about to stretch myself thin in 1,000 different directions, but knowing that there is a world of possibility at my fingertips is enough to get me going!

I hope all of you have an inspiring day and are as pumped for the weekend as I am!

xoxo,
Erin

Karlie Kloss x Warby Parker

Last week I was contacted by Warby Parker to preview their new collaboration line with Karlie Kloss and I had a total fan girl moment. I absolutely love this brand and everything they do. Their frames are a modern twist on classic, feminite styles and for every pair they sell, they donate a pair through one of their non-profit partners. 

Today they are launching a collaboration with Karlie Kloss and a portion of each sale of this collection will benefit Edible Schoolyard NYC. Edible Schoolyard NYC provides low income schools with gardens and kitchens to help encourage and teach students healthy habits that will last a lifetime. 

"Collaborating with Warby Parker on this capsule collection was an amazing experience. I've always admired their commitment to social enterprise and am so excited that our partnership is supporting Edible Schoolyard NYC's inspiring work," Karlie says. 

The collection features three styles, the Clara, the Marple, and the Julia, and are all available starting today in stores and online and all styles are $145. 

Personally, I am absolutely loving the Clara, but all these styles are amazing. What's your favorite?

xoxo, 

sugar snap pearls