2.27.2013

C. Wonder at Tyson's

Happy Hump Day, babes!

Having good a good week?  

Mine has been going pretty well.  Monday I started a two week sugar-free cleanse as a way to get back on track with my eating.  Between Valentine's Day, family celebrations, and battling a cold I let things slip a bit these last few weeks and am proud of myself for taking back control!

As y'all know I visited my best friend from UVA, AMF, this past weekend.  She lives in Northern, Virginia and when we discussed plans for the weekend my one request was a visit to the new(ish) C. Wonder Store at Tyson's Corner.

Ever since I first discovered C. Wonder last fall I have been hooked!

Their clothing, accessories, home goods, and more are irresistible.  Fun, whimsical, chic, classic, and bright are all words that come to mind when I think of the brand!

I have been dying to visit the store (and also try on some clothing to see how it runs) so I was super excited for the chance!

I knew I was in the right place as soon as I spotted this gorgeous green entry!

I scoped out the store quickly and then bee lined it for the jewelry!



My next stop was the home goods section.  It may have been my favorite part of the whole store...

I loved all these cute dishes that could be used as catch-alls or little trays!

I think I need this orange lacquered jewelry box in my life!

I also was obsessed with all of these blue and white pillows!

I especially have my eye on this one and just might have to order a pair!

Despite my resolution (see here), I had to at least look through the clothing section.  A little window (or dressing room) shopping never hurt anyone...

There were bright colors EVERYWHERE!

I loved, loved, loved this shirt and definitely think they paired it well with the cardigan in the above picture!


Specific attention to detail was paid all around the store--the aesthetics were incredible and I found myself wanting the tables and shelves products were placed on!

This cardigan was GORGEOUS on and seriously tested my resolution self-control!

I also was smitten with these paint splatter jeans!
AMF thought I was crazy for liking them--what do you think?

I couldn't resist trying on some looks in this fabulous dressing room area!
I was pleased to see that the clothing runs true to size, making it easy to order online in the future!

I made sure to check out the shoes and handbags before leaving!

I loved the birdcage chandeliers above the shoes!

I thought these driving mocs were to die for!


They had handbags in all shapes, sizes, and styles:  snakeskin, floral, suede, and more!

This one was my favorite by far!
I am loving mint in a big way this season!

And now for the biggest news of all related to my C. Wonder trip-- I didn't buy a single thing!!  Blog friends, I think I deserve a great big pat on the back, round of applause, and gold star!  It took some major self control and I'm already stalking the website to see if certain favorites go on sale!

Have you experienced C. Wonderfulness yet?

Any favorites from this post?

Have a great week!

2.22.2013

Tiny Prints

Happy Friday readers!

Is it just me or was this a really long week?

All day yesterday I kept thinking it was Friday...only to realize I still had another whole day before the weekend, ugh!

I am at least happy to report that I am feeling better each day.  I still have a bit of a cough and stuffy nose, but I am so much better than I was a few days ago!

I am also happy to report that I am leaving after school today to head up to Northern Virginia and visit AMF.  I was supposed to visit her about a month ago, but had to reschedule my trip because of snow. I am so ready for a great weekend with my best friend!

Today, I wanted to share a new discovery with you:  Tiny Prints.

I recently saw the most beautiful bridal shower invitation and it was from Tiny Prints.  Having never heard of Tiny Prints before, I quickly scoped out the website and knew y'all would love it! 

So without further adieu, here's a look at some of the products Tiny Prints has to offer!

I'm a bit of a stationery junkie and wouldn't this be perfect to write Thank Yous to my students?
Tiny Prints has the most adorable collection of Thank You notes for every occasion and personality!
I am also pretty obsessed with this personalized stationery and think it needs to be mine!

I currently have two iPhone cases and really enjoy switching them out according to the occasion or mood.
I LOVED playing with the settings to make this custom one and just might have to order it!
I think a personalized case with a family photo on it would be the perfect gift for a mama or grandma!
Isn't this one fabulous?

I'm all about trays for entertaining and decorating.  I love how a pretty tray on a table can be a nice catch-all and make your "junk" (aka everyday necessities) look nice!
This one melts my heart!

Isn't this lovely?  A custom embosser with return address takes snail mail up a notch, don't ya think?
I'm also all about this stamp!

So what do you think?

Have you shopped Tiny Prints before?

Any fun weekend plans?

Have a good one!

2.20.2013

Help Wanted!

Hello friends!

Hope you're having a good week.  Mine's been kind of blah so far--those of you who follow me on Instagram,  know that I've been battling a cold.  It's nowhere near as bad as it was this weekend, but I can't seem to get rid of it completely and teaching with a scratchy throat is no fun.

Secondly, I'm having computer issues (again!).

I've known this day was coming, but now I think it's finally here.  I need to take the plunge and buy a new computer.  I've had my current Dell since my first year of college, almost six years now, and it's on its last leg.  Some days it works great, others it's sluggish and finicky.

Today it's sluggish and finicky, thus keeping me from writing my planned post.

So here's where the "Help Wanted!" comes in...I have no idea where to begin when looking for a new laptop.  Here's what I'm looking for:

-I must have a PC
-I'd like something slim and lightweight
-Something simple and user friendly
-Something that's both good quality and a good price

I really only use my personal computer for blogging, internet, iTunes, and pictures (I occasionally use Word).

So now friends...do you have any recommendations?

A particular brand? Store to purchase from?  A specific computer?

Help!

And to not make this post completely boring, I'll give you a quick peek into our weekend!  For Bryce's Valentine's Day present, I gave him a camping night "in!"  I transformed his living room into a campground.  We had an indoor picnic dinner, made s'mores in the fire, and enjoyed a night just the two of us.



Making s'mores!

After several unsuccessful attempts at getting a good picture of the two of us in the tent, we gave up!

Have a great day!

2.13.2013

Valentine's Day Fashion

Happy Valentine's Eve, loveys!

Do you have big plans for Heart Day?

Bryce and I are planning a romantic evening in.  He'll cook me a fancy dinner and I'll make a decadent dessert.  Flowers and candlelight will probably make an appearance.  To me, a night in, just the two of us, is far more romantic than dinner in a crowded restaurant.

I thought for today's post I'd share two Valentine's looks, the first being my exact outfit for our night in and the second, being my dream look for a night out!

Valentine's Day: Romantic Evening In


I'm thrilled to wear my new Candy Heart Elsa (thanks, Daddy!) with my favorite jeans of the moment, Seven's Skinny Crop & Roll (so cute, comfy, and flattering!).  I'll add some nude heels to dress the look up a bit and, of course, accessorize with lots of arm candy (hereherehere, and here)!

Valentine's Day: Swanky Evening Out!

Valentine's Day: Swanky Evening Out! by sundressesandsmiles featuring leather handbags

Now as I said, I'm not big on going out for Valentine's Day, but if I was, this is how I would do it!  A gorgeous dinner under a beautiful chandelier-filled restaurant with some bubbly!  Not to mention, a Marilyn-esque dress and some red Louboutins!  

What are your V-Day plans?

What will you be wearing?

Are you an evening in or out kinda Valentine?

Have a great day!

Sending hugs and kisses and love your way!

2.08.2013

Let's Make Some Valentines!

Happy Friday readers!

Have y'all had a good week?

Mine was great..I am finally getting my groove back and am over the New Year (i.e. end of Christmas vacation) slump!

This weekend, I am excited for a little project:  Making Valentine's for all the little cuties in my class!

I've been searching Pinterest like a nut for ideas and thought I'd share some of the favorites I've found:

Isn't this ADORABLE?
I don't know if it's in the budget to buy $18 shovels, but I might have to make one of these for Bryce!

I have a feeling making all those little baggies would get frustrating, BUT, I absolutely LOVE this LOVEbug idea!

These butterflies would be adorable for the girls in my class!

And this would be perfect for the boys...
I WHEELIE like you!  SO clever!

This could be a good contender for snack time on V-Day!

I like this idea!
I would probably put "Give Me 5, Valentine!" on it!

Again, this isn't in the budget, but I may have to put it together for the B man!
"I've got a CRUSH on you!"

And last, but not least, this is what I've decided on:

I'm excited to look for some cute Valentine's pencils at the Dollar Store this weekend!

I also think I am going to have the kids make these for their parents this week!

My kids have been all about Valentine's Day!  We have been doing all sorts of fun activities:

My students made these lovebugs in a center and then wrote about them!

I hung hearts from the ceiling.
Wouldn't it be nice if hearts really did fall from the sky?

We made these heart men for the hallway!
Again, wouldn't it be nice if hearts really grew on trees?

The kids love "reading" this Valentine's poem!
We've also done some fun shared writing activities where we've changed the third verse so the poem says silly things like "Skunks are smelly, And so are you!"

Are any of you mamas doing any cute Valentine's things with your kiddos?

Are you a fan of Valentine's Day!

Still need to brainstorm what special thing I'm going to do for Bryce this year.  Having a hard time thinking of something to top my "52 Things I Love About You" from last year!  Any good ideas?


Have a great weekend!!!

2.06.2013

Ham & Cheese Pinwheels

Happy Hump Day readers!

I am happy to say that this week is going great!  The last few weeks since returning to school after Christmas break just dragged by.  Fortunately, however, this week I am finally feeling re-energized and back into my routine!

Today I'm going to share a super easy appetizer recipe with you!

To me, the Super Bowl is all about the food and the commercials.

This year I actually cheered on the Ravens, because Michael Oher from The Blind Side, is a Raven (I secretly want to be Sandra Bullock's character from that movie).  I was happy they ended the night with the win!

We attended a party at a friend's parents' house and it was a nice, casual evening surrounded by good people and good food!

I wanted to bring something to share with everyone else and was inspired by this recipe I found on Pinterest. Not having time to make my own pretzel dough and wait 2 hours for it to rise, I brainstormed how I could put my own spin on it and am pretty happy with what I came up with.  So without further adieu, here's the recipe!


Ingredients
1 cup, chopped ham (A good trick for recipes that call for cubed ham is just to grab some from the salad bar at your grocery store and then chop it down to your liking)
Mozzarella Cheese
Poppy Seeds
1 package of crescent rolls

Directions

1. Open the crescent rolls so that they are in two rectangles (4 crescent triangles each).


2. Smoosh the seam of the crescent rolls together, so that the dough is shaped into one rectangle.


3.  Lightly flower the dough and roll it out flat.


4.  Sprinkle mozzarella and poppy seeds onto the dough.


5.  Spread ham on bottom third of dough and sprinkle with more mozzarella.


6.  Roll the dough up tightly.


7.  Slice into wheels.


8.  Bake at 375F for 10 minutes, or until golden brown.


9.  Serve with mustard of choice and enjoy! (Makes 32 wheels)

This Jack Daniels Honey Dijon was incredible with them!

Yummy!

This recipe was really simple and also yummy!  It only took about 20 minutes max!

In the future I may try mixing it up a bit in the following ways...
-Using cheddar instead of mozzarella or a mix of cheeses
-Adding a bit more cheese
-Lightly spreading the mustard on the dough before adding the cheese, poppy seeds, and ham to give it an added kick of flavor!

What were your favorite eats of the Super Bowl?

I'll leave you with a laugh for your Wednesday--this was my favorite commercial!


Have a great week!