Wedding Wednesday

Since it's wedding season and all, I couldn't help but notice that much of what I have my eye on would look just lovely on a new bride. For those of you planning and packing you honeymoon, check a few of these pieces out. I myself have always gravitated toward white dresses making it particularly difficult to choose a something from my closet to wear as a wedding guest, but I think I could rationalize a few more in the closet as I don't have many weddings to attend at the moment. I think they'll be perfect for my upcoming trip (more details tomorrow)!

Most of these pieces are from Publik. I was recently informed they have a refer all program for all purchases. It's definitely worth a look around! They offer 7% to the purchaser and free shipping for purchasing through the link. After your purchase, you can share your own link!

Yumi Kim

During the Saks Off Fifth sale last week, I stumbled upon this gorgeous floral dress. It was the last one left and luckily my size! It was the perfect dress for Easter and warm weather. The designer is Yumi Kim. I've searched and searched but can't find this exact dress but did find some others that I adore.

The pups were feeling left out, so we snapped a picture together.

Left | Middle | Right

Weekend recap

I was happy to spend the weekend doing absolutely nothing. I had a half day at the clinic and headed home afterward to relax. For dinner we headed to Vineyard 55 for some flatbread pizzas. I've never been a big fan of pizza, but I sure do love their Mediterranean. After dinner we went for drinks nearby and retired early.

We headed to yoga early Saturday morning, and I spent much of the day reading in the sunshine. Saturday night we dined at my favorite Mexican place. Afterwards we took these pictures on the dock.

Dumbledore used to love lying on the dock with me, but for some reason he's pretty mortified of it now. Jared decided to carry him all the way. No cats were harmed in the making of this post.

Once he was there, he seemed pretty content, as long as the dogs didn't bother him.

Sunday started with the hardest yoga workout ever, followed by some french bakery breakfast, and more reading in the sun. At least my outfit was pretty.

Sweater | Factory J.Crew

Shorts | Factory J.Crew

Five on Friday

One
Travel Photography Tips | Am I the only one who feels like they never capture all the excitement from their travels? Well here are some great tips to help those of us who aren't very photography savvy.

Two
Low Cal Breakfast Recipes | Beach season is coming. That means it's time to start consciously making better decisions in the morning. I'm usually not that bad, I love some greek yogurt and it helps you stay full longer. I plan on looking into a few more of these recipes for when I want to switch it up.

Three
This Restaurant | I'm literally counting the days until I visit this place! But more on that next week!

Four
This Romper | These vibrant colors and exotic pattern are perfect for the sunny days ahead! Just when you think it can't get any better, a little peep of open back!

Five
This maxi | This is the epitome of beach chic. There's just something about it that reminds me of some of the great flowy dresses on Game of Thrones. This is obviously better because it's blue!

Don't forget to follow along to keep up with all the fun!

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A special thanks to Natasha, Darci, Christina and April for hosting fabulous Five on Fridays! Also linking up with Lauren Elizabeth and Lauren for their Friday Favorites.

Opinions Wanted

I found some really gorgeous goodies that would be fantastic in my closet this summer. One problem, I've never ordered from SheInside, and I'm a little nervous about it. I'd love to hear your experiences, good or bad! Here is what I have waiting in my basket now.

Egdar's Grille

Edgar's Grille is a tapas restaurant in Augusta with a "southern flair." Not only is the place delicious, but a portion of every dollar spent at Edgar's goes towards job training and education. It was named after Edgar Helms, the founder of Goodwill industries.

We started dinner with a fantastic She Crab Soup. Jared and I are pretty picky about this soup, but it was surprisingly one of my favorites.

My younger sister ordered the bacon potato leek soup. I personally like my potato soup creamy and without chunks of potatoes. This soup is everything I love in one bowl. I could have been absolutely content with a bowl of it and she crab for dinner. 

After the soups, we ordered something we never have before, rabbit. Fried rabbit that is. These tenders were marinated in buttermilk and served with tasso ham gravy. It was some of the most tender meat I've ever eaten, and boy was it tasty!

For my entree I ordered the rack of lamb. Sadly the best part of this dish was the cumin glazed carrots, turnips, and brussel sprouts. The lamb itself was a little insipid. My brother-in-law enjoyed his though so I may been being picky. The vegetables served with it were very good though, so it was ok. 

It was finally time to move on to my favorite part of any meal, dessert!

It was an easy choice for me, creme brûlée with a hint of orange.

My sister went out on a limb and ordered the balsamic infused frozen mousse. It has the most unique flavor that I find hard to describe as anything short of delectable. I imagined it would be somewhat tangy, like balsamic vinegar, but was surprisingly wrong! All I can say about this is try it! I'm actually craving some right now.

Next time you're in Augusta, head on over to Edgar's for a meal and enjoy some fine cuisine while doing a little good for others. 

Easter Weekend

We had such a lovely Easter weekend. Saturday we headed to Augusta to shop a bit since it was such a dreary day. 

My sister and I often get each other's opinion on clothing. What do you do when you can't shop together? It looks a little something like this...

Saturday evening my sisters, brother, and brother-in-law ate dinner with some of our friends who live in the area. We dined at Edgar's in Augusta. I can't wait to dedicate a whole post to that tomorrow, but for now you can have this teaser.

Sunday morning we woke an celebrated the resurrection of Jesus! What a happy day! Even the sun decided to come out from hiding!

For those of you without siblings, let me give a bit of an idea how it typically goes on holidays… It starts out nice enough and ends with someone getting bitten.

Then, of course, we make up and end on a happy note (we're missing two brothers in this picture, but it's one of the most complete ones we've taken in a little while).

I hope everyone had a happy Easter and was able to spend it with the ones they love!

Five on Friday

Happy Good Friday! I'm lucky enough to have the day off so I can pack and prepare for a trip home to my parents'. My grandma cooks an enormous lunch and I've been craving her good food for weeks!

One
Watermelon Mimosas | If this doesn't scream summer, I don't know what will. I tried some watermelon mojitos last summer and loved them. I can't wait to try this!

Two
Cobalt | I've said before that I love cobalt. These shorts are perfection. I'd love a pair of these for spring and summer. The precious scallops take these beauties over the top!

Three
Bracelet | This bracelet was given to Jared when his grandmother passed away last summer. I recently found it and can't get enough of it. I've always been a huge fan of antiques, and this one holds such a special meaning.

Four
Berry season | This was my lunch from earlier this week. I threw together some strawberries, blueberries, watermelon pieces, and roasted walnuts. This combo was surprisingly filling. I've always liked the combo of salty + sweet.

Five
This Hair | I'm planning on trying this for my Easter hairstyle. I haven't yet accomplished a great french twist, but it's such a timeless look. I'm bound and determined to figure it out.

Don't forget to follow along to keep up with all the fun!

GFC :: Bloglovin :: Instagram :: Twitter

A special thanks to Natasha, Darci, Christina and April for hosting fabulous Five on Fridays! Also linking up with Lauren Elizabeth and Lauren for their Friday Favorites.

Face It

I have very sensitive dry skin. I've struggled with it for years, but finally found a routine that works. For years I wouldn't wear sunscreen, not even the Neutrogena Sensitive Skin. Any sunscreen I tried would make my face burn within minutes of applying. I knew I would be risking sun damage but wasn't willing to suffer the burn. All this changed when I found Origins A Perfect World SPF 25. This is seriously the only thing with SPF that I can wear. Secondly, my skin is dry. Even after rinsing with water, my skin feels tight afterwards. For years I tried all the different acne products to no avail. Having dry skin and using harsh cleansers and toners only strips the skin of oils. Skin that is too dry will overproduce oil causing more acne. A quick tip I learned a while back to tell whether you have dry skin is to notice how it feels after washing it. If it feels very tight, even after rinsing with just water you probably have dry skin.  It's a vicious cycle, and after finding this routine I don't stray from it.

Origins A Perfect World SPF 25 | Featuring white tea and antioxidants, this moisturizer is free of paragons, sulfates, synthetic fragrances or dyes, and other fillers that I'm sure were culprits of burning my sensitive skin. This pleasant smelling lotion will help prevent signs of aging thanks to its UVA/UVB sunscreens. This miracle moisturizer is a lifesaver if you have sensitive skin like mine.

Equate Rejuvenating Perfecting Cream | This lotion is the Walmart brand of Olay Regenerist Deep Hydration Regenerating Cream. I've tried both and I still prefer the Walmart brand. This is like a fresh glass of water for my skin. It is non-greasy and contains Vitamin E, an antioxidant that helps reduce wrinkles. I use this more in the morning before applying makeup, but I also find that it's good to use around my period in place of coconut oil.

Proactive Renewing Cleanser | I've tried Proactiv over and over again. For the first few years I did exactly as they said and used all three products as directed. The problem with this is that everyone's skin is different. Mine was too dry to use all the products twice a day, and it didn't help at all with my acne. I completely quit using it for several months, and when I started again I only used the cleanser once at night. In the morning I rinse my face with warm water. I don't use a cleanser in the morning as it strips too many good oils that my dry skin needs.

Organic Coconut Oil | This is such a great oil to use for almost anything and can be found in most grocery stores. I love using it as a moisturizer at night. After using my cleanser, my skin is begging for moisture. This oil is clean and light and contains medium-chain-length fatty acids. These make it great as an antibacterial agent as well as moisturizer. Unlike many cream moisturizers, it doesn't contain any water so it won't leave you feeling dry over time. And it's great for deep moisture. I know you may be thinking, "Oil? Won't that make me break out more?" What I've found is that when my face is happy and moisturized, I have less breakouts. I'm not saying it will clear everything up forever, but I have seen some serious reduction in breakouts. I typically don't use this the week before and during my period as my hormones make me produce more oil, therefore I don't need an added source.

Hope in Jar Night | I've only recently begun using this product, but I am very happy with it. I use it once or twice a week after cleansing and before applying the coconut oil. This product helps "plump" fine lines and wrinkles with glycol acid. Surprisingly this product doesn't irritate my skin, maybe it's because I only use it a few nights a week. I would definitely recommend this product for any sensitive skin ladies out there. Just start with a little and slowly increase it over a few days.

These are my favorite products that I've been using for the past year (exception of Hope in a Jar Night). I've seen a great improvement in my skin and my breakouts. The key is to finding the right routine for your own skin, but hopefully some of these products will help you out!