'Laine Blogger Award'

So this weekend I was nominated by Polos Pearls & Bows and Style Me Preppy for the "Laine Blogger Award." This is a fun way for fellow bloggers to get to know each other a little bit better by sharing their answers to a few random questions! Since I am a relatively new blogger this is my first time doing one of these type posts. Thanks so much for nominating me y'all!

Rules:

-Tag the blogger who tagged you

-Award five more bloggers

The 5 Questions:

1. What is your current beauty obsession?

2. What is 1 beauty item you wished you owned?

3. What kind of posts are your favorite posts to write, and read?

4. What inspired you to become a blogger?

5. What color nail polish are you wearing right now?

My Answers:

1. My current beauty obsession is...

It's hard to pick just one! I guess I'll say that right now I'm loving my Lilly Pulitzer "Beachy" Perfume. Since Lilly quit manufacturing perfume well over a year ago the only places you can find it are on eBay or the occasional TJ Maxx. I never had any Lilly perfume when they were originally making it so I was super excited to find this perfume at TJ Maxx about a month ago. The scent is sooo perfect for summer and the bottle is absolutely precious. I previously included this perfume as one of my Friday Favorites.

2. One beauty item I wish I owned...

I would have to say a magnifying mirror with a built-in light. One that could travel easily would be a plus! Surprisingly I don't own a magnifying mirror and when I used one that was at my best friend's beach house a couple weeks ago it occurred to me that it would be nice to have one of my own, rather than having to lean against the bathroom mirror.

3. My favorite posts to write and read...

Definitely fashion and style! I love to share my favorite items from my closet and how I put outfits together, as well as my top picks from the current collections of my favorite preppy brands (especially Lilly Pulitzer!), and my favorite examples of current trends. And I love to see style ideas and favorite items from fellow bloggers!

4. What inspired you to become a blogger...

Fashion has been a passion of mine that has really grown over the past two years or so, and I am definitely known as a fashionista in my circles of friends. I have a couple friends who often tell me they admire my sense of style. And I love reading magazines like People Style Watch that share the editors' favorite clothing and beauty items. So I had the idea to start a fashion blog where I could share my favorite clothes and accessories as well as fashion advice. I wanted to blog as a hobby for myself as well as an outlet to share my thoughts on fashion with others-both friends and others who happen to stumble across my blog. I launched this blog in October 2011 but for the first six months posted VERY sporadically (approximately once a month or even less often). Then in late April 2012 after reading the blogs of dedicated preppy bloggers (especially Katie at Let's Be Preppy) I became determined to post regularly! And since then I have blogged at least 3-4 times a week! Although this originally started out as a fashion blog I have branched out from just clothing and accessories and have also enjoyed sharing some of my favorite beauty buys, music, quotes, books, and foods!

5. The nail polish I'm wearing right now is... 

"If You Moust You Moust" from the new OPI Minnie Mouse collection. I love it so much I just devoted a whole post to it!

Awarded Bloggers:

I am awarding these lovely ladies with the 'Laine Blogger Award.'

1. The Kennedys Amongst The Kardashians

2. For All Things Lovely

3. A Preppy in Paradise

4. The S Chronicles

5. Life, Love, and Bargain Labels

-L

xoxo

Amazing New Beauty Buy

Hope y'all have had a great weekend! I absolutely LOVING the new OPI nail color I bought at Ulta this weekend and wanted to devote a post to it. Saturday afternoon I went to Ulta because I had a coupon. I knew I wanted some OPI polish and at first I was planning to buy the Strawberry Margarita color that Let's Be Preppy had blogged about in a recent post. As I walked back towards the nail polish a display featuring the new OPI Minnie Mouse collection caught my eye. I love all things Disney, and Minnie is my favorite (I have dressed up as her for Halloween twice) so of course I stopped to take a look. A pretty pink shade similar to what I had been looking for caught my eye, so I decided to buy it instead. The color is called "If You Moust You Moust." Too adorable! While I like OPI colors, the clever names are definitely the icing on the cake. The OPI Minnie Mouse collection is (not surprisingly) a selection of different pinks and reds. Some colors have sparkle in them as well. You can check out all the Minnie Mouse colors on the OPI website.

"If You Moust You Moust"

Of course I had to try it out ASAP!

On my fingers...

...and my toes!

What are your favorite nail colors? Are they are an old standby or a new discovery?

-L

xoxo

Recipe: Zucchini Bread

I have decided to start featuring favorite recipes on my blog. I love to cook and bake, and trying out new recipes is one of my favorite hobbies. Today's recipe is for zucchini bread and is from my mom. I can't even remember how old I was when I first ate this zucchini bread, but it was definitely a favorite treat for breakfast and snacks growing up. The other day I baked it for the first time in awhile and it was just as good as I remembered! Hope y'all enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 cup oil

2 cups sugar

3 eggs, well-beaten

2 cups flour

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 cups raw grated zucchini

3 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Mix sugar, oil, and eggs 

2. Sift together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt

3. Add to egg mixture

4. Add zucchini and vanilla

5. Pour into 2 greased and floured loaf pans

6. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes

*Be sure to let bread cool completely before removing from pan. This bread freezes well so you can eat one loaf now and freeze the other for later. 

Happy Baking!

-L

xoxo

Friday Favorites

It's that time again-here are this week's Friday Favorites! Hope y'all have had a wonderful first week of June!

Shift Dress:

Lilly Pulitzer Dolly Dress Novelty Lace in Lemon Sorbet. This (from Spring 2011 collection) is one of my favorite Lilly dresses and I was lucky to grab it when it was on sale at the end of last summer. Whenever I wear this dress, I think of myself as a Lilly-fied Belle from "Beauty and the Beast." In addition to the gorgeous yellow color, I love the lace applique detail of this dress.

Camera Case:

Lilly Pulitzer Camera Case in Scarlet Begonias. I love to document my life in pictures and take my camera everywhere, so a cute compact camera case is essential. This Lilly case is perfect and the detachable wrist strap is a nice feature. And it's only $15!

Handbag:

Longchamp Le Pliage large tote. I carry a Longchamp Le Pliage of some sort as my purse at least 90% of the time. The large one can hold a lot of things without weighing you down, since the purse itself is lightweight and not bulky. If you live near a Saks Off Fifth outlet, be on the lookout for Longchamp Le Pliage bags-they frequently have discontinued colors at a reduced price!

Printed Top:

Lilly Pulitzer Cassie Top in Starry Blue Drama Queen. This three-quarter sleeve Lilly top from the Fall 2011 collection is one of the most versatile pieces in my closet because I can wear it year-round. It works with skinny jeans and cowgirl boots in the fall/winter and with shorts or white skinny jeans and Jack Rogers in the spring/summer. I love the cotton slub texture too!

Food:

Trader Joe's turkey corn dogs. I have been a fan of Trader Joe's frozen foods for awhile, and I recently tried out these turkey corn dogs. They are so delicious and one dog has just 150 calories and 4.5 grams of fat. With a side of oven-baked fries and a green salad, they make a reasonably healthy meal, one of my new faves.

Book:

Winning Balance by Shawn Johnson. I was never a gymnast, but have always loved watching gymnastics, especially in the Olympics. When Shawn Johnson, member of the 2008 USA Women's Gymnastics team, released her memoir this past Tuesday I had to read it ASAP. I just finished it today, and was not disappointed. I really enjoyed learning more about her start in gymnastics and training leading up to the Olympics, as well as her account of her experience at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. I especially loved that she openly talked about her faith throughout the book, and the importance it has played in the various stages of her life. I highly recommend reading it and adding to to your personal library!

Have a great weekend!

xoxo

Closet Cravings

I have seen other bloggers periodically post about what is on their wish list. One of my friends on Pinterest has a wish list board entitled "Closet Cravings." I thought that was catchy and I'm a fan of alliteration (as y'all can probably tell from some of my other post titles). Every so often I will blog about what is on my wish list. Here are some items I hope make their way to my closet eventually :)

Lilly Pulitzer Franco Dress in Multi Summer Plaid-Summer 2012 collection. It was sooooo hard to try this dress on knowing I wouldn't be able to buy it, but I wanted to make sure I knew what size I would need in hopes of snagging it when it goes on sale at some point. Plus I wanted to take a picture for my blog so my lovely readers could see what it looks like on a non-Lilly model. This dress combines some of my favorite things: Lilly, plaid, and seersucker!

Tory Burch Reva Ballet Flat in Royal Tan. Let's be honest-I would love to have a pair of Tory Reva flats in every color! However, I must prioritize and my next pair of Revas will definitely be tan. They are so practical since they can be worn year-round and would go with so many outfits.

UNC Spring Breaker Bikini. As a huge Tar Heels fan I am loving this UNC two-piece swimsuit! And at just $45 for both pieces it's very reasonably priced.

Ariat Crossfire Cowgirl Boots. My next pair of cowgirl boots will definitely have some pink accents! And Ariat boots are so comfortable-I love my basic brown ones so I know I'd love these too!

Tory Burch Modern Square Logo Sunglasses. Tory is the ultimate accessories guru and I would love to own a pair of her sunglasses someday.

Trina Turk for Banana Republic silk one-shoulder dress in electric teal. The color of this dress is absolutely gorgeous and I love the one-shoulder style. It would be absolutely perfect for summer weddings and parties!

What are your current "closet cravings?"

xoxo

Lilly Returns to Rue La La June 7

Hope everyone is having a great week so far. I want to make sure y'all know that Lilly Pulitzer will be featured on Rue La La again this Thursday, June 7. I blogged about Rue La La earlier, but here's a refresher for those of y'all who aren't familiar. Rue La La is a members-only sale site that features different designers every day. Boutiques open at 11:00am EST each day and usually stay open for 48 hours. I recommend logging in right when a boutique opens because stuff sells out really quickly. This is especially the case with Lilly! I suggest setting up your account right now and saving your billing and shipping information so that you can utilize the "buy it now" feature. Putting an item in your cart on Rue La La does NOT reserve it for you and with the Lilly boutiques, whatever you have in your cart is  very likely to be gone by the time you check out. Buy It Now alleviates this issue by submitting your order as soon as you click this option. The good news is once you buy something, shipping is free for the next 30 days, so you don't have to worry about paying multiple shipping costs if you submit multiple orders. The Lilly items on Rue La La are usually at least 50% off suggested retail. All merchandise is first quality and new with tags in original packaging. Rue La La is one of the best ways to snag Lilly Pulitzer at significantly reduced prices. It is free to join Rue La La-just follow this link for your invitation to join. Here are some Lilly items I have gotten from previous Rue La La sales:

 Shauna Tunic Dress in Big Bang

 Cotton Elsa Top in Hotty Pink

 Avery Skirt in Cherry Begonias

Stephanie Shift in In The Conservatory

Happy Shopping!

xoxo

Featured Outfit

Hope everyone has had a great weekend! Here is another favorite outfit from my beach trip over Memorial Day. I love the way all these pieces look together and will definitely be wearing it many more times throughout the summer!

Cardigan: Lilly Pulitzer Caroline cardigan

Camisole: Banana Republic outlet 

Shorts: J.Crew outlet madras shorts

Belt: Lilly Pulitzer Sullivan Belt in natural

Shoes: Jack Rogers Navajos in Gold

Necklace and Earrings: Honora Pearls

Watch: Geneva Platinum silicone band