DIY Mai Tai Cocktail

Wooohooo...it's Friday!!!

Is it just me, or has this week seemed like a month crammed into just 7 days?  Monday feels like ages ago.  I am thrilled to have made it to Friday and a three day weekend!

Today I bring you a guest post from Kendra Thornton, travel expert, TV spokesperson, PR businesswoman, and a mama to three kiddos to boot!

When Kendra contacted me asking to post, I was thrilled!  A woman whose traveled to 28 countries and 6 continents and been on TV wants to post on my little blog?!?  "OF COURSE, you can post on Sundresses and Smiles!" I exclaimed.

So without further adieu I'll let Kendra introduce you to her take on Hawaii's Halekulani Hotel Mai Tai!

Sprawled over the luxurious white sandy beaches of Waikiki, the Halekulani Hotel is an upscale island resort with sapphire blue water, clean ocean air, beautiful Pacific scenery, and friendly people.  Located at the heart of the beachfront city of Honolulu, the resort offers an excellent view of the Pacific Ocean and its islands, proximity to golf courses and swimming pools, and access to some of the finest hotel restaurants on the Hawaiian island of Oahu.

Halekulani Hotel

One of the best dining experiences I had during my stay at the Halekulani Hotel was ordering the delicious tropical Mai Tai cocktail, served with class and expertise.  There is nothing like a delicious Mai Tai to represent the perfect taste of the tropics.  While the weather in the northeast may be frigid or warm, the right Mai Tai recipe will allow you to enjoy these tropical flavors all year long.

Whether you choose to visit this fabulous Honolulu resort or not is up to you; however, until then, the following recipe can bring the best of Hawaiian taste right into your own home.

To perfect this delicious recipe you will need:

-1/3 ounce of Orgeat syrup
-1/3 ounce of orange curacao
-1/3 ounce of rock candy syrup
-3/4 ounce of Bacardi Gold Rum
-1/2 ounce of Bacardi 151 Rum
-1 and 1/4 ounce of fresh lime juice
-3/4 ounce of Bacardi Select (float)

Directions:

-Shake the rums, lime juice, curacao, and syrups together briefly in a basic cocktail container. Pour this cocktail into a large tumbler server over cubed or crushed ice.  For garnish, add a lime wheel, sugar cane stick, mint leaf, and Vanda orchid.  You may also opt to add a drink umbrella if desired.

Enjoy this tropical treat and bring the flavor and taste of Hawaii right into your own home!  It is the perfect party cocktail or even something fun to try with you and a loved one.  Malaho!


Thanks to Kendra for sharing this yummy recipe!  I might need to make a Mai Tai this weekend!

Be back Wednesday!

Have a good one!

Favorite Beauty Products of 2012

Happy Wednesday!

I am glad to report that since last posting, my week surely turned around!  My new phone arrived; I had a busy, but fun weekend; and I'm wrapping up PALS (formal reading testing) with my kiddies and am ecstatic over their growth since the fall!

I do have a bit of bad news though...my Chapel Hill post is delayed YET AGAIN!  I am having major technology issues (you already know about my phone and the USB ports going out on my laptop):  Well sweet friends, yesterday after taking forever to add and edit all the pictures from Chapel Hill on my school computer, they wouldn't load onto blogger for some reason.  Whenever I would try to upload one of my pictures to Blogger, the computer would either restart or the screen would act weird and my picture would appear distorted, as a double image, etc..what the heck?

So, today I am posting about something else with hopes that by next week I will have the computer issues figured out and can share our wonderful trip with you!

With that said...onto today's post!

Y'all know I rarely post about beauty products...I tend to stick with what I like and leave it at that.  But every now and then I find something really great and decide to share it with you.  Today I'll be sharing the favorite beauty products I discovered in 2012!

Charleston Soap Chef Lemon Sugah Scrub

When I treat myself to a spa day, my favorite treatment is always a body scrub.  I love the way it feels to scrub away dead skin and also love how smooth and fresh my skin is afterwards.  I've tried lots of different scrubs at home, but wasn't "wowed" until I discovered Charleston Soap Chef's "Sugah Scrub."  The smell is incredible and I can't get over how soft my skin feels after using it.  This would make a great gift for a friend (or yourself) who deserves some pampering!

Pureology Precious Oil Versatile Caring Oil

My hairdresser has been using this in my hair for a while now, but I didn't take any home with me until a few months ago.  I am so glad I did!  This oil can be used as a masque for your hair or for daily use.  I usually put 1-2 drops in my wet hair before blow drying.  It helps cut flyaways, keeps my hair healthy, and even smooths out my cowlick a bit!  On top of that, the smell is wonderful!

Clinique Chubby Stick in Chunky Cherry

I am all about red lips...BUT, my lips are not!  I have the smallest lips and in the past whenever I've tried red shades of lipstick I look ridiculous.  It just hasn't worked for me.  After a friend recommended Clinique's Chubby Sticks though, I decided to give them a try.  I'm hooked!  Chunky Cherry is the perfect pinky red that accentuates my lips' natural color and I also love how its application is easier than your typical lipstick.  I'm planning to try out "Pudgy Peony" next!

Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Moisture Cream

I'm not sure if I've mentioned my struggles with poison ivy on the blog, but Bryce loves yard work...I do not.  On top of that, every time I've tried doing yard work with him, I've wound up with horrible poison ivy.  Well long after my first bout of the poison ivy had healed, in one spot my skin remained super dry, so dry that it was painful!  I tried slathering Vaseline on it with hopes it would curb the dry skin..no luck.  I decided maybe a baby lotion would do the trick and picked Aveeno for two reasons: 1) I like that their products are all natural and 2) It was unscented and I am very particular about not having scented lotion in addition to my perfume!  I started using the Aveeno a few times a day on the dry spot and it was gone in no time!  Since then I use this as my everyday body lotion and love it!

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment

I received this as a freebie for my birthday from Sephora and really like it.  As I've mentioned before, I'm partial to Rosebud Lip Balm, however, being the germophob that I am, Sugar is perfect to keep in my purse! Rosebud comes in a jar, meaning you have to use your fingers to put it on...therefore I only use it at home when my hands are clean.  The issue is that when I'm at school or on the go I sometimes need lip balm.  I've tried tons, but hadn't found one I liked until discovering Sugar!  On top of that, they have tinted versions in six different shades!

Laura Mercier Cosmetics

Once I started teaching, I began to notice that my old concealer wasn't quite cutting it and on the days I went with no make-up, my under eye circles were a bit scary!  During my search for a better concealer I discovered Laura Mercier products.  I was matched with Shade 2 of her Secret Concealer and have been very pleased with how much more awake, rested, and bright it makes me look.  I also ended up buying her Second Skin Cheek Color in Rose Bloom.  It makes my look a bit more dramatic, while also keeping a natural look.  I haven't tried any other Laura Mercier products, but I have a feeling I will be checking more out!

So there you have it, the best beauty products I discovered in 2012!

Have you tried any of these?  What are your favorites?

Come back Friday for a yummy Mai Tai recipe!

And come back again next Wednesday for (fingers crossed) a post on our trip to Chapel Hill!

Have a great week, chickies!

ALEXANDRA and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Happy Hump Day friends!

How is your week going?  Mine is dragging along very slowly--going back to school after two weeks off has been exhausting!

Did you ever read Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day as a child?

It was a part of my personal library growing up.  It tells the story of lovable, believable Alexander who is just having one of those days where nothing seems to go right.  Well, my friends, yesterday THIS AlexandRA had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day!

Let me take a minute to just vent- we all need a good crabbing session every now and then don't we?  

I'll set the scene...it's Tuesday morning (I personally think Tuesdays are the WORST day of the week), my alarm goes off and wakes me from such a good, deep sleep.  UGH!  I then allow myself just five more minutes, of course, which then puts me into a hurry.  I don't have time to fiddle with makeup or hair and at the last minute decide to slip into my comfy Uggs, thus turning my cute outfit into a frumpy one.  

I spill my cheerios as I'm quickly dumping them in my to-go cup (putting your cereal in a cup and eating it in the car is a great way to add some extra sleep time to the mornings, by the way).  I glance at the clock...6:55!  My day seems to be looking up!  Despite having to rush a bit, I am actually on time, until...

I open the door to head outside and see my windshield is covered in frost!  I quickly blast the defroster and decide to head on to school.

Well, by the time I get to my first turn, I realize my windshield is way too blurry to drive safely.  I pull over, and hop out of the car.  Only to remember I have no scraper...I had taken everything out to have my car cleaned and hadn't yet put it back.  I hop out of the car, credit card in hand and quickly scrape...on the side of the road!

Now here's the kicker:  I get to school and realize my beloved iPhone is gone!  I KNOW I had it in the car with me and realize it may have fallen out during my scraping pit stop.

I borrow a friend's phone and frantically call Bryce over and over (hoping to wake the sleeping bear).  He finally answers, double checks my phone isn't in the apartment, and then drives to the pit stop location to find it in pieces!  Here was the picture he emailed me of my phone:

At least the cover got by unscathed...

I try not to let it get to me...I have insurance--I'll get a new phone, no big deal (right?).  I also said a silent prayer that my contacts could somehow be recovered.  I continue on with my day- I am responsible for 18 kindergartners after all!

2:45 comes around...my weekly blogging time!  Remember my recent resolution to blog more and give myself time every Tuesday afternoon?  I have been looking forward to my time all week- Tuesdays are my day to leave school early and have some me time.  Well, this week's me time is spent at the Verizon store, where I find out I have a $169 deductible to replace my phone and all my contacts are lost.  (I had tried to back everything up to iTunes JUST last week, but had computer issues...grrr!)

By now, it's 4:30.  I think to myself:  "Well I still have about an hour and a half or so to blog before I have to get ready for dinner with Bryce's parents.  Chin up!"  

I pour myself a Coke (a treat, because I very seldom drink soda now) and head to my apartment's clubhouse for my blogging sesh.  I soon learn my computer is working sluggishly (again!), the wireless is spotty, and it appears that ALL FOUR of my USB ports aren't working (which now explains why my phone wouldn't hook up to iTunes last week) meaning I can't upload pictures from Chapel Hill.  

What a day!  

I will say I can share a few positives though--

• My kiddies have been SO good these past few days and I'm loving their smiling faces each day!
• Even though my computer seems to be near death's door, I am fortunate enough to have a school computer that I can also use for personal things, like blogging!
• I have been sticking to my resolutions!  I've been going to cycle classes; have been squeezing Bryce a little tighter and thinking before I speak; I tried a new food in Chapel Hill; AND, despite my terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, I still managed to write a post! 

 Thanks for bearing with me.  Please excuse this blabbering mess of a post, I know it's filled with run-on sentences and grammar errors--but that's just the way life is sometimes!

Hope your weeks have been to a better start than mine. I guess it can only go up from here for me!

Have a great Wednesday!

Holy Chic Guest Post

Happy Monday readers!

I hope you all had wonderful weekends.  Mine was bittersweet as today is the first day back at school.  I'm happy to be back with kiddies and into a routine again, but getting up this morning was TOUGH!  Bryce and I enjoyed a long weekend in Chapel Hill though, our Christmas present to each other, which was a great finale to my break.  I will be posting all about Chapel Hill on Wednesday, but until then feel free to check out My Instagram for pictures from the weekend.

Today, I am sharing a guest post with you from Martha, blogger of Holy Chic.  After reading my post about New Year's Resolutions last week she decided to share one of  resolutions with you as well:  Going to church more in 2013.  I know this is something I could work on myself.  So without further adieu, here's Holy Chic!

Church More by marthasusan featuring quilted leather handbags

Top / Pants / Sperry Top-Sider glitter flat / Rebecca Minkoff quilted leather handbag / Bracelets bangle / Lauren Ralph Lauren faux pearl jewelry / C. Wonder tortoise necklace

Hi all!  I'm Martha and I blog over at Holy Chic.  I recently moved from Washington D.C. to South Carolina.  Love for you to stop by, our style is preppy with a hint of big-city life...we don't cringe at the site of leggings as pants--there we said it!  And while we had quite a few resolutions this New Years (including drinking 8 glasses a day + nail biting) our big one was attending church more regularly.

Anyone still keeping any of their resolutions?

Thanks to Martha for sharing this guest post...be back Wednesday, y'all!

Have a great day!

Happy New Year!

Happy 2013 sweets!

Is it just me or does it feel like Halloween was just yesterday?  How has Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's passed already?  Each year time seems to go by even faster than the one before.  I am hoping to take advantage of every second of 2013 and hopefully enjoy time, even if it seems to be zipping by!

A few nights ago I couldn't sleep....my  mind was racing with New Year's Resolutions!   As I tossed and turned trying to sleep, I couldn't stop myself from reflecting on 2012 (a new job, new apartment, new friends, and more) and also thinking of what I could do to make 2013 even better.  I came up with 3 solid resolutions and am going to share them with you now, hoping that putting them in writing will also give me an added push to stick with them.  Please bear with me in this lengthy post!

NUMBER ONE:

BLOG MORE

I say it all the time:  I miss blogging!  I'm at the happiest point in my life- I enjoy teaching more than I ever could have imagined, each day I fall in love with Bryce a little bit more, I am surrounded by wonderful friends, I am having a blast living in the apartment- but in the process of all this LIVING, I seem to have lost time to blog.  I put nearly all my free time into family, friends, and Bryce and usually spend the little bit of extra time relaxing.  That being said, I miss the way blogging allows me to be creative, to share and learn with others, to connect with all of you.  I've realized I need to simply MAKE time to blog again.  The way I am going to achieve this resolution is by adding time to blog into my schedule! I have decided that Tuesdays will now be my blog day.  Tuesday afternoons will be reserved solely for Sundresses and Smiles.  I will write a post for the week and take time to read and comment on your blogs. This way, I will guarantee that I publish a post every Wednesday morning.  I hope to find more time than just this for blogging, but am also being realistic and working to ensure I post at least once a week!

NUMBER TWO:

GRIPE LESS

I tend to be a very bubbly, positive, glass half full kind of girl.  However, I've found that sometimes with Bryce I can be negative and too hard on him about little things.  When I think about all the jerks I dated before him (and all their crap that I put up with) I laugh at myself for the little things I nag Bryce about.  In 2013, I resolve to treat Bryce better and choose my battles.  I couldn't ask for a better boyfriend...he's there for me, even when I'm an emotional mess; he spoils me, even when I don't deserve it; and he truly loves me unconditionally.  

Shells Bryce recently brought back to me from his recent hunting trip on the Eastern Shore...how could I nag someone so sweet and thoughtful?

NUMBER THREE:

GET FIT...again

In college, I worked out 4-5 times a week and was very active.  I was a bit of a cycle fanatic (see my tips for beginners here) and loved the energy and feeling I got from regular exercise.  Since college, I've had a harder time making exercise a part of my routine.  During the school week I have eighteen 5 year olds in my room starting at 7:20 am.  By the end of the days I'm exhausted and the thought of going to the gym is anything but tempting.  On the weekends, the thought of sleeping in, seeing a friend, shopping, relaxing with Bryce, reading....just about anything, seems better than lacing up my tennis shoes and exercising.  I know, however, that once I commit to regular exercise I will crave it- it will be enjoyable again and I will be happier, healthier, and more confident.  I've come to the point where enough is enough- I'm tired of fighting with my closet because nothing fits as well as it used to (or doesn't fit...period) and am ready to make a change!  In order to stick with this goal, I've added an additional catch.  I will pay myself to work out.  Each time, I workout I am going to put $2 in a jar...AND...I'm not allowed to buy any clothes until that jar contains $100!  Once I reach a hundred, I get to go out and buy something fun and new...and hopefully I will be quite happy to buy something that is in my old size again!

I want to look like this again!

And last, but not least, I have one addendum that Bryce suggested:

TRY ONE NEW FOOD A MONTH

Bryce has introduced me to a lot of new foods and is bound and determined to make me less picky.  Well my friends, when I was sharing my resolutions with him, he threw me this curve ball as a resolution and I agreed!  I never agreed I had to like the new foods though, haha!

I'm planning to share the progress of these resolutions at the end of each month to give myself some added accountability!

Did you make any New Year's resolutions?  What are they?

Have any tips for me?

Be back next Wednesday!

Have a great week!