Thrifting Haul (Disney, Victoria's Secret, Forever 21, and more)

Time for another thrift haul y'all!!  These are items I have gotten over a few weeks.  Here you go:

Disney Rain Jacket Pullover: So I have a pretty awesome job where I happened to go to Disney four times last year.  I have been packing one of those Dollar Tree travel ponchos for unexpected rain/Splash Mountain rides, but this is definitely a step up.  I found this pullover rain jacket for less than $5 and it is from Walt Disney World so it was just meant to be.  I can't wait to bring this on my next trip!   

Victoria's Secret Pink 1/4 Zip Sweatshirt: I love a good sweatshirt and this one was an awesome find!  Super soft and lightweight quarter zip that is perfect for throwing on.  

Forever 21 Denim Tunic Top: I love a good tunic top and this one is perfect for throwing on over leggings, pairing with a vest or layering up.  It is a great basic.  

Old Navy Plaid Tunic: Another tunic top that is basic and perfect for throwing on over a pair of leggings and some boots.  I'm not in love with the ruching detail on the top but I love the cut of this top.  

Liz Claiborne Sweater: I love a good oversize sweater and this one is a little different.  It is chunky and croppy.  I can't wait to pair it with skinny jeans and boots.  

I love the thrill of the hunt and finding a great deal!  I hate paying full price for something I know I can find at the thrift store or on the clearance rack.  

Have you found anything great at the thrift store lately? 

Starbucks Cascara Latte Review

If you follow me on instagram you know I am a big coffee fan.  Starbucks is one of my guilty pleasures.  They recently released a new drink the Cascara Latte.  It has the dried fruit of the coffee bean, lending subtle notes of brown sugar and maple.  I decided to go ahead and give it a go.  In the picture I saw online it had a stripe of the Cascara sugar over the foam...obviously mine was missing.  

Honestly I was really unimpressed with the flavor of this one.  It was bland and plain, tasted like a basic latte.  Mine had a really weird aftertaste that was slightly bitter.  

Definitley not something I would reorder.  

Have you tried this new latte?  What did you think?

5 Books for $5: Dollar Tree Haul

If you have stuck around you would know I love the Dollar Tree.  Stock is constantly changing and you can find some really good stuff.  I have recently loved checking out the book section.  Don't overlook it they get good books and for $1 you really can't beat it! 

My last trip I ended up with five books:

Landry Park: I was drawn in by the cover and then I saw "Gone with the Wind meets The Hunger Games" on the back I had to have it.  

The Invention of Wings: I am familiar with this author and was excited to see it at the Dollar Tree.  

The Bondwoman's Narrative:  Story of a young slave and her escape for freedom.  

Ramshackle Glam: I love flipping through cute books like this.  This particular one has tips for moms and how to get your life together with kids.  Even though I'm not a mom I thought it looked cute.   

Over You: This book is by the author of The Nanny Diaries and I loved that book.  This one is another chick flicky story about a girl getting over her ex.  

I love finding books for cheap!  Have you found any good things at the Dollar Tree lately?  

Five Things Friday

New Year, new favorites and these are my first Friday favs of 2017.  Can you believe it is 2017??

Oversized Cableknit Sweater: I mentioned before that the girls I work for recently opened an online boutique.  I picked up this sweater from there and it has definitely become a favorite piece in my wardrobe.  It is super comfy, easy to throw on and looks pretty.  What more could you want?  It is also a dupe for the super pricey Free People version for mush less.      

Nike Juvenate Sneakers: These were a Christmas gift and I am so in love with them!  I have been wanting a pair of simple black tennis shoes for a while and these are perfect.  I saw them on instagram and loved the simple design yet they still have cute feminine details.  They are also super comfy.  

Satchel Crossbody: This was a gift from my mom and has become my go to purse.  I love the layout, it has three separate sections, two open and one zippered in the middle and then the whole purse zips closed.  The size is great for wearing crossbody, something I have really grown to love.  There is also a pocket on the outside to add detail but also hold things for easy access.  She got it from K-Mart, and y'all its less than $20, go get one now!  

Floral Booties: I spotted these on a trip to the Atlanta Apparel Market on a random girl.  They looked so effortlessly chic, unique and I loved the neutral floral print.  I searched and searched for these guys and finally found them online.  My Mother-In-Law was awesome and got them for me for Christmas and I was so excited!  It's been fun to see what all I can pair them with and I love the feminine flair they give an outfit.  

Amazon Echo: We got an Echo for Christmas, technically Kyle got one, but it lives in our living room and what's yours is mine and all that... This thing is pretty cool.  I love that I can ask it questions when I'm cooking (measurements, substitutions, etc.).  I also like to check the weather, news and have her play music when I get home.  It's super easy and we have only just started using her.  

What have you been loving this week? 

DIY Customized Disney Magicband

With four Disney trips this year, my Magicband was becoming a well worn accessory.  For those of you new to the Magicband world, they are your ticket, room key, and money for the parks.  I have the basic gray one that is a good neutral, I just felt like it needed a little extra sparkle to make it more Disney.  This was such a random project and takes five minutes or less but the results are so cute!

I started out ordering a castle sticker with a cute Minnie on it, I got it from etsy.  I love the color combo and Minnie's little bow.  I wanted to make sure it stayed put on my Magicband (we Disney hard) so I put a clear coat of nail polish over it.  After that dried I figured why not add some sparkle to the rest of the band and cover it in glitter nail polish.  It was super simple I just coated the band and let it dry.

My glitter polish did end up cracking a little bit when I put it on for the first time so try painting it when it is wrapped around something to limit this.  

2016 Favorites

Can you believe it is 2017?  I feel like we just started 2016, anyone else feel like this year flew by?  2016 brought lost of adventures and new experiences, check out my recap here.  

Poldark: I completely fell in love with Poldark this year.  I wish I could go back and rewatch it for the first time.  The characters are so good, the storyline draws you in from the beginning, beautiful locations and Aidan Turner isn't bad to look at either.  

Fitbit Charge HR: Kyle got this for me for Christmas last year and I love it!  I love how it makes me aware of how much I am moving during the day and really holds me accountable.  I also really like seeing my sleep patterns.  Want to know how to make money with your Fitbit, check out my post here.  

Archer Farms Coconut Chai: This was a random Target find and it was delicious.  It is the best chai I have ever had.  It has just the right amount of sweetness, spiciness and just a hint of coconut.  It is hard to find and my Target doesn't always have them in stock so when they do I stock up.    

Coffee Mate Coconut Creamer: Apparently coconut was a thing this year.  This creamer is my absolute favorite.  It is not too sweet and not overly coconuty, it is the perfect blend of smooth flavor. 

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah: This book is the best book I read all year, it is in my top five of best books ever.  It is one of those books that sticks with you and one that I will probably reread in the future.  It is one that I want to share with everyone because it is just that good.  Check out my review here.    

OPI Dulce de Leche: This nail polish was the color that adorned my nails 75% of this year.  If I went on a trip this was what I chose.  It is a long lasting polish and the color is a perfect nude.  It is one of my top nail polish colors that I own.  

Aldi: I am so happy to finally live near and Aldi and see what all the fuss was about.  Well that fuss was well deserved.  I used to be a Walmart grocery girl, now I do 90% of our grocery shopping here.  It has the best prices around and I have saved a good bit of money making the switch.  If you have been on the Aldi fence go ahead and jump over it's green on the other side.  

Starbucks Iced Coconut Milk Mocha Macchiato: I discovered my absolute favorite Starbucks drink this year.  Over the summer they came out with a new iced coffee drink with coconut milk.  I decided to try it and see what I thought, I completely fell in love with the smooth, creamy and rich taste of the combination.  This is my Starbucks guilty pleasure.  Wanna know more check out my full review.    

Crockpot: This little guy has been such a help in making sure we eat dinner on weeknights.  With both of us working late we don't always have time to come home and cook a meal.  With the crockpot I can throw things in before I leave for work and dinner is ready when I get home.  It's super easy and I love finding new recipes to try.  What is your favorite crockpot recipe? 

Ipad: My Mother-In-Law gave me her old Ipad and I had no idea how useful it would be.  I love mine!  My main use for it is to setup and watch shows, youtube videos and movies while I get ready, do chores around the house, etc.  I love the bigger screen and the portability.  Whenever this one dies I will definitely have to look into a replacement.   

What were your favorites of 2016? 

2016 in Review...it was pretty Awesome!

It's the beginning of the New Year and I've been reflecting on the past year.  2016 was pretty awesome!  

I got a new job in November of 2015 so 2016 was full swing.  I got to travel and see lots of different places.  I'm so thankful for this opportunity and all the things I got to experience this year.  

In April I got to experience Playlist Live Orlando for the first time.  It was a crazy experience seeing all the fans, creators and be a part of it.

While at Playlist Live I had the chance to have dinner at the Four Seasons!  It was such an awesome experience.  The food was amazing and being on Disney property we got to watch the fireworks from the balcony.

Universal Studios was another cool thing this year.  We got to go to Universal Studios one night after closing and have free range for three hours.  It was my first time and it was awesome!  I even got to try some Butterbeer!

My brother graduated in May and he was commissioned as an officer.  Kyle and I really enjoyed celebrating this special day with him and family.  The night before graduation we went out with my siblings to celebrate.  We ended up at a Karaoke bar and had so much fun hanging out.  We don't get to see each other very often so time together is always fun.  

At the end of May Kyle and I had the chance to go on a cruise to Bahamas with his mom and stepdad.  I had never been on a cruise before so I was super excited!  It was so much fun to spend time with everyone and experience the ship.  Check out my blog post here!

June ended with my first trip to California!!  I was so excited to see the West Coast and experience California life.  We went to Malibu, the Santa Monica Pier, Hollywood and Venice Beach.  I also had my first In-N-Out experience :)  We ended the trip going to VidCon!

July brought a trip to San Francisco and I had such a great time!!  We had a sweet friend who lives there and he showed us around like a local.  We saw the Golden Gate Bridge, the Full House house and other Full House things, Alcatraz, Muir Woods and so much more.  It was a really awesome trip!

Travel slowed down a little and my bosses decided to venture into opening an online boutique!  I was really excited to be a part of this new adventure.  With that being started we made trips to Atlanta for the Apparel Market.  It was such a neat experience to see all the vendors and participate in the buying process.  P.S. Check out the store here.

Living in Alabama it is always exciting to go back to North Carolina and visit our family.  We love spending time with everyone and getting back to our roots of where we grew up.

Kyle and I also found a church we have really fallen in love with.  The people are so sweet and inviting.  We love worshiping and fellowship and look forward to Sunday mornings.  

The last big trip of the year was to New York.  I had been one time back in college and was really excited to go back.  This trip was filled with awesome experiences: we stayed in a downtown townhouse, went on a helicopter ride around the city, and ate at really neat places (including Shake Shack). 

This year ended with not one but FOUR trips to Disney!!  One of those being Disneyland which was such a cool experience!
  

2016 was such an awesome year!  I am so thankful for all the things I got to experience and the places I got to travel to.  It was definitely a year for the books and one I won't forget.
I hope you all had a great year and I wish you all the best as you start 2017!