Monogramming America

Are you ready for the 4th of July? Do you even need that holiday as an excuse to dress to the nines in your best American apparel? Well, luckily for you, Marley Lilly has all your Americana needs for the holiday...and of course, they're monogrammed (as always). i know the 4th is a couple of weeks away, but I want y'all to be able to order these in time to celebrate! Personally, I am going to be rocking all my best American gear (thanks Wally World) at the beach with all of my family on my momma's side and I just can't wait!

Monogrammed Double Wall Acrylic Cup

How perfect is this cup? They have several different styles but the mason jar mug is the best for a hot summer day. Of course now that I'm typing this I am thinking I need to make some of my homemade sweet tea...

Monogrammed American Flag Nautical Rope Bracelet

This bracelet reminds me so much of my favorite Kiel James Patrick bracelet but with a fabulous twist...a monogram! And of course, this one is perfect for the holiday, but why not flaunt your American pride every day?

Monogrammed America Sunglasses

Beach or lake bound? Don't want to take your designer sunglasses? I totally understand. I have been coveting their monogrammed wayfarers for a while, but I am loving these super fun ones! Sometimes you just need a loud pair of sunglasses, and these ones you are guaranteed to keep track of better since they will have your monogram on them!
Monogrammed Nautical Red Stripe Bathing Suit Bandeau Tube Top

Are you going to the pool, lake, or beach? Well then this one is a necessity. Unfortunately, until I get paid, I absolutely cannot buy anything (and still, even then, I shouldn't) but this is too cute to pass up. I love monogrammed bathing suits and this one just happens to be perfect for the 4th! Plus this totally makes you stand out from everyone with a generic American flag bikini (like me).

Monogrammed Medium Patriotic Boat Tote

I live and die by my Vineyard Vines tote for work in the summer, but I had been thinking of getting a monogrammed one to give mine some rest. I love all the monogrammed canvas ones they have and this one is so unique!

Monogrammed 'Merica Hair Bow

I love, love, love hair bows. I love, love, love America. And of course, I love, love, love monograms. So basically this is the perfect accessory for me. These bows are so cute and can be worn whenever. 

Monogrammed Cell Phone Case: American Seersucker

Okay, this is a tad too cute. Ask my momma, I have been debating different cases for about a year or so. I have looked at this one because it has such a cute americana/nautical vibe to it. If you are looking for a phone case, I totally reccomend looking at Marley Lilly because they have tons of options. Of course (in the spirit of this post), I highly reccommend this particular one.

Promo Tank

Okay, admittedly this doesn't have your monogram on it, but it is cute nonetheless. I am obsessed with the chevron of this and if I didn't already have 2 tanks that are perfect for the holiday, I would be totally buying this. 

Are there any other monogrammed goodies you're excited about this summer? What are your plans for the 4th of July?

xoxo,
SSP

Fashion Friday: The Big 1-0-0

Happy 100th Blog Post to Me! Thank you to everyone who reads this, I love writing this and getting to know y'all through feedback and emails. It definitely wouldn't be as much fun to write this blog if it weren't for y'all so thank you from the bottom of my heart.
I am so glad it is finally Friday! Okay, well I am actually writing most of this on Thursday during my break at work, but I know that by tomorrow I am going to be dancing around knowing I survived this week! I feel like I haven't stopped going since last Friday and let me tell you, I need this weekend ASAP (even if I am working on Saturday). Also, there was some technical difficulty with my pics today. I have some of the details up here, but the rest of the pics will be up this evening!

Monday

Monday was my first day of work at my day job this summer. I worked here with J last summer and am missing her desperately as I work here now. The pay is great and the work isn't too bad, but I am looking forward to the twins starting here so that I have some company! Since it was my first day at this job, naturally I wore Lilly. Also, that night was the boys' lacrosse party. I spent the whole evening playing with my little cousin and then prepping for what I knew was going to be a crazy Tuesday-Thursday.

dress: Lilly Pulitzer // belt: Gap // shoes: Steve Madden // nail polish: Essie Madison Ave-hue

Tuesday

Tuesday was actually my only relaxing day. I worked all day and then we cooked out at the new house after Momma and B met with the architects. I also had a bit of an outfit crisis when I realized that basically all of my office appropriate clothing was at the new house. Luckily I have a couple of those Lilly shifts at my house right now. Seriously, I wish I had bought this dress in every color it comes in.

dress: Lilly Pulitzer // necklace: Etsy // shoes: Target // watch: NY&Co.

hanging out with N on the patio at the new house

Wednesday

Double Trouble! I worked a grand total of 14 hours on Wednesday. I needed to make up for the time I was going to miss leaving early for K&N's graduation and was closing at Talbots. It actually wasn't as bad as I thought it would be because I was a bit thankful to be on my feet after sitting at a desk all day!

cardigan: Francesca's // cami: Ann Taylor Loft // pants: H&M // shoes: DSW (momma's--old)

Another pic that didn't post but not on instagram :(

Thursday

Double Double! Another 14 hour day, but hey, I am making money right? I loved everything about this outfit and everyone was praising it when I went in to Talbots for work, but then I realized I made a fundamental retail outfit mistake...I had nowhere to clip the walkie! Luckily my manager just had me borrow a belt so I could remedy the situation, of course, now I totally want that belt (figures)!

dress: Macy's (old) // cardigan: Target // shoes: DSW // earrings: Target (old)

Friday

I can't believe it is finally here. The twins are graduating High School and I am so proud of them. I actually have a whole post dedicated to them and their fratastic style, seriously, they're part of the "Fratastic Four" at their High School coming out soon. Unfortunately I have to work today, I actually have to leave really soon so I won't be adding hyperlinks to this post until tonight. I went with jeans for casual Friday since I didn't want to wrinkle my Lilly dress for the graduation this afternoon.

dress: Lilly Pulitzer // earrings: J. Crew // watch: Target (old) // shoes: Target
Okay, so the picture doesn't want to post, but it is on my Instagram and I will add it to the post this evening!

the graduates and I

What are y'all's weekend plans?

xoxo,

SSP

Wednesday is for Work

Hey y'all!

So I know I have been super MIA but life is a bit hectic right now. My brothers' graduation party and state lacrosse championship was on Saturday and we had family in town for all that. Plus, this week I started my day job and really underestimated my to-do list. I have hardly had any free time! Seriously though, after I finish here today at 4:30, I have to bust a move over to the mall for a 5pm-close shift at Talbots! Oh, and I am still juggling my internship with all of that. Since I am so busy, it got me thinking about how this is pretty standard for a lot of people. I don't know about y'all but I sure am glad that I love planners and to-do lists as much as I do because I am pretty sure that I would just fall into a panic attack if I wasn't on top of my game right now.
Don't get me wrong, I am thankful that I am lucky enough and that I worked hard enough to have these opportunities, but it is hard to remember that when you are praying to fall asleep at 10:30 (normally, I'm a night owl) so that you won't be too exhausted the next day.
So, I am sorry that I am so MIA and I fully plan to be on top of my blogger game next week by writing posts ahead of time. One nice thing about this day job is that I have a ton of time to brainstorm, I've researched and thought about a dozen blog posts for this summer! I actually have it on my schedule to start my Fashion Friday post tonight so that I will have it up before work Friday since I have to go right from work to the twins' High School Graduation (still can't believe it)!
How is everyone else's week going?

xoxo,
SSP

Fashion Friday: Working Girl

my cousin, the unofficial Madison Lax mascot

Happy Friday! How is today so busy when I don't actually have work or anywhere in particular to go today? At least tomorrow is Saturday (even if it is busier than today for me). I am so excited for some of my family to come in town tonight. K and N's graduation party and state lacrosse championship game is tomorrow (anyone else going to be at Westfield HS, preferably cheering for Madison). 
This was a fun week for me because I started my job at Talbots and everything else is really kicking into high gear. So this summer I have a day job, an evening job at Talbots, oh and an internship. I might have overcommitted a tad, but I need the money and the experience, plus all my close friends have deserted me for their college towns this summer.

Monday

First day at Talbots, and since it was a first day on the job...I wore Lilly. Big shocker there, I know. I don't actually have any Talbots stuff yet but I have managed to stay in their color line without it. I love everything about this job. It is so fun to interact with the customers and the staff is great. I am really looking forward to working there this summer. If you didn't catch my cute and easy summer craft, check out my Pots that Pop post!

dress: Lilly Pulitzer // shoes: Target // necklace: Etsy // purse: Callahan's in Calabash (old) // nail polish: Essie Sugar Daddy

Tuesday

Back to Talbots for me! It was a pretty boring day overall. I really just kind of hung out and said goodbye to one of my last friends here. (K-Soms, I know you're still here girlllll, thank god). Oh and I prepped Wednesday's Self-Tanner post. Go read it my fellow working girls (we deserve a tan too!)

dress: Momma's closet (Ann Taylor) // shoes: Steve Madden // purse: Callahan's // bracelet: Fornash

Wednesday

On game day, we wear black or red. I love this skirt, but boy was it not meant for wind. Seriously, the multiple parts of it gave me a couple of Marilyn Monroe moments.

top: H&M // skirt: Target // shoes: Simply Vera (old) // necklace: Forever 21 (old)

Also, the game was at 5pm and thanks to that glorious Northern Virginia traffic, we had to leave at 4:15 for the game. Basically what I am saying is that I wasted a cute outfit on a nothing day. Well, it wasn't a nothing day, the boys did kick butt in that lacrosse game and K had five goals. Typical lax boy wearing whatever he wants in this interview  with the Washington Post. I am going to miss these lax games. I love sitting with F and eating hotdogs and M&Ms (he gets all the blue ones) and cheering on "our" brothers. 

K post-game interview; N is 00 (action shot in video)

Thursday

I had an internship meeting, a meeting with someone else, and work at Talbots. So yeah, busy much? I wore this all day and changed into jeans and red flats for work. It was a great outfit for a warm day but was so easy to transition to work appropriate (we have a nautical line right now, hence blue and red).

top: H&M // shorts: J. Crew // shoes: Jack Rogers // watch: NY&Co. 

Friday

Well I just typed this post in hour 3 of sitting in front of my computer. I had a bunch of work to get done this morning and I still have some paperwork to mail out this afternoon. Oh, and I have to clean and finish decorations for the party tomorrow and the family comes in town today. Mother Nature, can we nix the rain for tomorrow, please? 

top: Old Navy (great sale find) // shorts: J. Crew // shoes: Jack Rogers // bracelets: Fornash

Finally, the biggest of big good luck to my brothers in the State Championship Lacrosse Game tomorrow. Y'all are the bees knees and I am so proud of you. 
Have a great weekend, y'all!
xoxo,
SSP

50 Shades Of Orange

It is that time of year again: bikini season. Basically it is that time of the year where we all do some crazy diet and exercise plan that ends with us binge eating a pint of Ben and Jerry's on the couch watching Friday Bride Day on TLC. Now, while I don't have the perfect solution for that, I do have some solutions for the other problem with bikini season: paleness. I am Irish so, yeah, I know a thing or two about burning turning into a lobster. I am also 1/4 Italian so that does end up helping a bit, but tanning is a gradual process for me.
These past two summers I have been working all day so I don't have the luxury of laying out all day, every day. Plus, I cannot tan my face at all after a bad sunburn a couple of years ago. Seriously, my entire face peeled, it was horrific and now wear tinted moisturizer with SPF every day and wear a hat all day on the beach. Since I don't want to be pale and I really don't want resort to a tanning bed! I have tried spray tanning and I really liked it, but it gets expensive. So can you get tan without breaking the bank, hitting the bed, or laying out all day?

YES!

There are so many products out there today that are great ways to tan without damaging your skin or breaking the bank. Admittedly, I have not tried all of these, but I did my research and talked to people about what products they like. I reviewed a lotion, towelette, and spray on. I didn't include bronzers because I don't know them that well and I normally just go up a shade in my tinted moisturizer over the summer!

Jergen's Natural Glow: 

Price: $8.69

Quality of Tan: good; some people have natural coloring that favors this product

Speed of Tan: Slow

I love this product. Now, I have heard some people say it is too orange on their skin tone, but it works for mine. It takes a couple of days to show, but it has a natural sheen and goes on evenly with just a light application of the lotion. People comment on how tan I look and tend to be surprised when I say it came from a bottle! I just put it on after a shower in place of my normal lotion. It has about the same moisturizer as a normal lotion so it won't dry your skin out too much! There is both a light and dark skin tone tanner, as well as one made specifically for faces! Now keep in mind, this is not a heavy moisturizing lotion so don't treat it like one, it only takes a light coat to make an even tan.

L'Oreal Sublime Bronze Self-Tanning Towelettes:

Price: $9.29 (6 towelettes)

Quality of Tan: good; again some people have better natural coloring for certain products

Speed of Tan: Medium

I have heard so many great things about this product, so many that I am thinking of trying it for myself. While you will have a bit of an instant glow, you really need to do it a couple of times the first week to build a tan and then just once or twice a week to maintain it from there. These wipes have quicker results than the Jergen's, but the ultimate tan still takes longer. The only other thing about these is that they do not moisturize and sometimes dry skin out so make sure you have a good lotion to go with it.

Neutrogena MicroMist Airbrush Sunless Tan:

Price: $8.10

Quality of Tan: good color, especially for instant, but not very dark

Speed of Tan: Instant

Some days we just need an instant tan. Whether it is a hot date or a family barbecue a tan can increase our confidence and happiness with an outfit. This is the best instant tanner I have heard about. While it does have the typical tanner smell, the color is more natural than the standard bottle orange color. This product can streak a bit if you don't use it correctly, but it is very easy to correct! This spray on is cheap and you don't lose any of the quality by saving the money.
What are your favorite summer tan solutions?

xoxo,
SSP

"Make This" Monday: Pots that Pop

"I think yellow pots would be cute out here." And just like that, I had my first crafting project of the summer. We are in the process of moving right now and we got new cushions for the patio furniture. There seems to be a general consensus at this new house to go with bright and happy colors everywhere and that extended to the outdoors. We went with lime, orange, and yellow for the patio and while we found an orange pot at Home Goods that we liked, we didn't have any yellow. I decided that instead of dropping a bunch of money on pots and searching for a bright yellow that we liked, I would do them instead.\
This project cost $16 for both pots and took hardly any time at all. It is so simple and a great way to spice up your outdoor space or indoor storage (small pots).
1) Supplies: I started with 2 terracotta pots from Home Depot and got white and yellow spray paint with primer built in. Most spray paints can be used indoors and outdoors, but make sure when you are buying it.
2) I primed the pots with white so that the yellow would really pop. Even if you think the color will cover the base, a white coat first will make the next layer extra bright!

3) Spray them with the yellow paint. At this point I was just planning to leave both as solid yellow, otherwise I would have taped off the pot that was going to be white and yellow stripes. 2-3 coats works best depending on how bright you want the paint. Don't forget to get the top rim of the pot when you flip it over!
4) Tape it off and spray stripes on. Taping on a pot is difficult since it is both tapered and round. The best advice I can give you is to get it as straight as you can and then correct it with small strips of tape afterwards or to just use paint and a brush.

5) Let them dry. You don't want to mess up the paint or get the chemicals in your plant!
6) Pot the flowers. Momma loves her bright pots and they are such a bright addition to our (under construction) patio!

xoxo,
SSP

SATC: Church Zagat?

"Charlotte: So, which church does his mother go to?

Carrie: Park Avenue Presbyterian.

Charlotte: Good church! It's one of the best on the East Side!

Carrie: What? Are you rating churches? Is there a Zagat guide for that?

Miranda: Four stars. Great bread. Disappointing wine selection."

Hope this made you laugh. Have a great start to your week! I start at Talbots tomorrow and instead of Monogram Monday look for a "Make This" Monday for a project I did this weekend!

xoxo,
SSP