Beachy Daydreams

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Liberty Bathing Suit  // Seersucker Bathing Suit // Striped Bandeau Bathing Suit // Tory Burch Pink Flip Flops // Tory Burch Navy Flip Flops // Kate Spade Straw Tote // Nautical Tote // Pottery Barn Whale Towel // Essie in Pilates Hottie and Boxer Shorts

My head is totally in a summer beach cloud this week!  I have the whole week off from work for spring break and I'm really regretting not booking a vacay! #teacherproblems

I don't know what it is about booking a vacation, but it somehow always gives me the motivation I need to keep going everyday.  I know, sad right?  I suppose I just LOVE having something to look forward to! ;)  Who doesn't?!

All of these beachy daydreams has gotten me thinking about my swimsuit selections for the summer, and J.Crew just so happens to be having 30% off all of these beauties right now.  

At that rate, I can afford to buy all three! :)  Normally, I'm a sucker for seersucker, but I can't take my eyes off the liberty print! It's so feminine, soft and sweet...just like me! HAHA! :)

How sweet is this Pottery Barn whale towel?!? Sure, it may be for children, but I'm totally diggin' it's preppy vibe!  I may just have to order one for myself!

Do you have your eye on any bathing suits for the summer season? 

Share with me! 

xoxo

Friday Finds!

Really diggin' Tar-jay lately and I'd like to thank all of my Instagram friends for that!  I was never really a Target shopper...at least not for clothes, until only a few months ago. Now I find myself stopping in there once a week for a quick peek! 

Target is notorious for recreating expensive looks for the budget-conscious fashionista.  Take the glitter sandals listed above...don't they look very similar to J.Crew's version for $98 shown here?  Target has this amazing look-a-like for only $16.99! With the way I beat up my sandals during the summer, I'll save the money and buy the Target version!

Or how about the sold out mini cross body from J.Crew shown here?  I love Target's spin off of this bag for a whopping $25.00! That's just about $100 savings!  I'd especially take the save on this item because neon colors are a trend...and we all know how long trends stay around for!!:)

My favorite look-a-like that I'm dying to find in my size are the canvas wedges.  They are a spitting image of J.Crew's Seville Wedge Espadrilles shown here.  Savings...$98.00!  
Note! I have heard that the Target wedges are not very comfortable, but what's a bargain beauty without pain?

My closet is thrilled to have learned about Target's great deals and look-a-likes!
Do you shop regularly at Target?  
What great finds have you found?
xoxo

Wish List Wednesday

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J.Crew Sweater // Gap Jeans // Jack Rogers  // Kate Spade Ring // J.Crew Cupcake Necklace // Kate Spade Tote // Gap Camo Utility Jacket // Kate Spade Bangle

If you follow me on Instagram, then you know I've been a wee bit obsessed with my Jack Rogers since the weather has gotten so nice!  I have been lusting over monogrammed Jack Rogers for a year now and dying to get my hands on the navy and white ones!  My hubby says I'm crazy for wanting $160 sandals, but what does he know! haha :)

I think growing up on Long Island and wearing Jack Rogers goes hand in hand...just sayin'! 

How cute is this Kate Spade Last Straw bag?!?  LOVE!  Kate has the catchiest and cutest saying for her accessories and I'm all on board for it!  I don't know about you, but I use this expression an awful lot :)  It has my name all over it!

Any of these items on your wish list?

xoxo

Chambray, Pink & Navy

This weekend we celebrated my best friend's bachelorette party in the Hamptons at the wineries.  We had such an amazing time.  Wine tasting with friends is always on my list of favorite things to do!  It started warming up this week in NY, so I broke out the open toe sandals!  It reached about 60 degrees on Saturday!! Really psyched to be able to wear sandals, skirts and tanks!

I wanted to plan an outfit that was accommodating to the weather, no matter the outcome.  The chambray shirt (my everyday favorite) paired so nicely with my last season Lilly Pulitzer Worth Straight Jeans and of course my J.Crew look-a-like necklace from Glamour Me Jewels.  

I'm swooning over J.Crew's cork clutch!  It's so perfect for a Long Island summer on the beach.

Outfit Details

Shoes // Popover // LP jeans (sold out in this color) loving this color // Necklace // Bracelet // Clutch // Watch

We had a fabulous time!

xoxo

 

Linking up with The Pleated Poppy, Because Shanna Said So, Style Elixir

Cabela's Story: Canine Meningitis

I haven't been much of myself this past week.  A week ago from today, my husband and I found out that our two-year old border collie mix, Cabela, is suffering from canine spinal meningitis, which can be just as dangerous as meningitis in humans.  

I've decided to share Cabela's story with all of you as a means of spreading the word about canine meningitis and it's potential for fatal consequences if not caught in the early stages.

  

Cabela's Story

My husband and I have been watching Cabela grow up since she was born, on Christmas Eve 2010.  Her mother was a rescue dog and had been taken in by New Spirit Aussie Rescue Group.  She was pregnant with a litter of 10 puppies.  From birth, the rescue group provided a webcam of the puppies that was available for us to watch whenever we wanted.  It was wonderful to be able to watch her and her siblings grow.  At 6 weeks old, we were able to finally take Cabela home with us.  We initially thought it was too early to be taken from her mother, but the rescue group assured us that it was time because the mother was no longer feeding them.

Cabela was a rambunctious, wild little puppy.  She gave us a run for our money day after day.  It was a ton of work to train her.  We brought her to puppy kindergarten classes and my husband was very diligent about teaching her commands and tricks.  After a few short weeks, Cabela knew just about every trick in the book.  Sit, speak, roll over, lay down, stay, paw, play dead etc...  She was by far the smartest, most adaptable dog we both had ever owned.

More importantly though, she brought so much love and joy to our little family.  Cabela brings laughter, love, hope, and compassion, and life without her is unimaginable.  She has the most uplifting personality and funny, yet warm smile (yes, she smiles) that would make the worst day seem better.  When I look at her, I feel as though I can see right into her soul...I always say she has soulful eyes.

Diagnosing Cabela's disease did not come quickly for us.  We had been noticing a lot of different symptoms that led us to different conclusions about what may have been wrong.  Initially, we thought she may have had Lyme's Disease.  Overall, a dog who is usually highly energetic and lively, was lethargic and depressed at just a month over being 2 years old.  I knew something wasn't right.  

We first noticed something was wrong when Cabela started to struggle with getting up from a sitting position.  It seemed very difficult for her to get her back legs to work, so she was using an extreme amount of effort from her front legs to pull herself up to a standing position.  At this time, we ran tests for Lyme's Disease, which came up negative.  We continued to monitor Cabela, some days were better than others.  We felt that maybe she was just a bit out of shape, so we started to exercise her more thinking that maybe she had just gained a few pounds. When we saw little improvement from this, we brought her into the vet again for an X-Ray to look for inflammation or tumors in her back.  The orthopedist examined her and found nothing alarming in her examination, but they seemed to notice she had some sensitivity in her lower back. 

At this point, we began laser treatments 3 times a week for 20 minute sessions and started her on an anti-inflammatory medication.  Initially, it seemed to work well, but on week three of treatments, she was still struggling.  I brought Cabela back into the vet for another examination, where at this time it was noticed that her muscles in her back seemed to be seized up and very stiff.  She was beginning to get very rigid in her movements.  Our next step from here was to put her on a muscle relaxer and continue the anti-inflammatory medication and look into getting acupuncture and other treatments on her back. 

However, the next morning when Cabela woke up, she couldn't move her neck without squealing in pain.  We rushed her to the vet again, which is when we finally got referred to see a neurologist for an MRI and spinal tap.  Unfortunately though, we couldn't get an appointment for 2 days since it was the weekend.  Needless to say, we all had a pretty miserable Easter.  All we could do was try to keep her still and pray that she would be OK.  

My husband and I were convinced that she must have had a bulging disc in her back.  She is after all a border collie who loves to leap and fly through the air catching Frisbees and sticks.  She could have easily thrown something out of whack with all the jumping she does.

Meningitis was the furthest thing from our minds.  I didn't even know a dog could get meningitis!  After the MRI came out clean, the spinal tap was done, which showed high levels of white blood cells and therefore leading us to our diagnosis.  After weeks of not knowing what is wrong with our typically spry little pup, we finally had a diagnosis...but I didn't know whether to be happy that we finally knew what was wrong, or horrified at what was actually wrong all along.

Like meningitis in humans, early diagnosis is VERY important for recovery.  I'm glad we were persistent in finding a diagnosis, but praying we found it early enough to make a full recovery. 

Cabela is currently on an aggressive dose of steroids to treat her autoimmune disease.  She will be on these medications for 10+ weeks, treating aggressively and weaning slowly.  We've since learned that there is a large chance of relapse once she is off the steroids and we'll have to monitor very carefully for signs of deterioration.  

Since we've began the steroids, we've noticed a lot of improvement.  She is no longer struggling to get up, her limping has greatly subsided and we barely see it anymore, she is more perky and lively and even trots outside when we go for a walk.  Every night my husband and I have been praying for her recovery, and we'll continue to pray for her recovery.  I truly believe in the power of prayers and am so appreciative to the large support group we have in helping Cabela to recover.  

I know that this post is not about fashion, but I felt I had to share my dog's story with you to help prevent any more cases of this disease.  If sharing Cabela's story helps just one person diagnose their dog earlier, then it did it's job.

Now we're impatiently waiting for the day when our pup will be back to her normal, funny, sweet, energetic, crazy self!
 

*Prayers for a full recovery for our sweet pup*

xoxo

  

Candy Stripes!

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J.Crew sweater/J.Crew sweater/Striped sweater/knit cotton sweater/ Sheer Sweater

I have fallen in love with this season's candy stripe craze!  I love how fun and cheery it looks, plus it pairs well with just about any color bottom.  You can chose to go neutral with a blue or white jean, or you can get a little risky by coordinating it with a colored jean! I personally would stick to neutral bottoms, as seen in most of these outfits, but I love how Forever 21 paired theirs with pink shorts! 

I actually own the J.Crew Factory sweater...picked it up in this haul for $15! It was marked down in the store to $30.00 with an additional 50% off!  Again my bargain hunting ways come out. When I first saw this sweater, it immediately reminded me of the J.Crew Candy Stripe Sweater, but I knew that came with a hefty cashmere price tag.  So, knowing it was so close to not being sweater season anymore, I decided to save and purchase the sweater for $15....It was a no-brainer!

I so hope you all were able to make it into the factory store for their 50% off sale...it was amazing!  If not, there will always be another sale! :)

How do you like the candy stripes that are EVERYWHERE in stores? Is it color overload for you or can you not get enough colors?!  

xoxo

Bargain Hunters Rejoice!

Have you ever experienced hitting the jackpot on an unexpected item while out browsing for a gift for someone else?!?

Over the years, I've hit it big on so many items at TJ Maxx that I've made it a weekly ritual to stop in to my local TJM for a quick browse.  

I've talked to many friends who are unsure how to shop at discount stores such as TJ Maxx or Marshalls.  The large amount of unorganized clothing is overwhelming, making those "jackpot" items in racks and racks of clothing difficult to find.

Not to worry!  I am a pro at bargain hunting (my momma taught me well) and I have some tips to share!!

1. Always browse the jewelry counter!  TJ Maxx has surprised me numerous times with the amazing jewelry they get in stock.  I've even scored Kate Spade earrings once for $15! Hellooo bargain!
2. Shop the perimeter of the store for clothes.  I always find that they put their best items on the outside...yes, this is definitely a marketing gimmick!
3. Take a glance over at your shoe size aisle.  I've found gems as wonderful as Jack Rogers and Sperry's in this section for a fraction of the price than they'd be at a regular retail store.
4. Browse the bags!  I cannot stress this enough!  My local TJ Maxx carries tons of Kate Spade bags! I've also come across Dooney and Bourke, Michael Kors, and Badgley Mischka.  The trick is to have an eye for the type you are looking for.  I can scan an aisle and find a Kate Spade bag out of a large crowd of bags because I recognize her prints and materials.

A few days ago I went into TJ Maxx to pick something up for a friend, stopped by the jewelry counter and TADA!!! The most perfect look-a-like to the J.Crew Double Tassel Necklace that I've ever seen for only $16.99! 

Not only did I save $51 on this, but the J.Crew Tassel is on back order until May 27th! I will take the save on this beauty, made by Jessica Simpson by the way.

Stay tuned for future stylings with this piece!

Have a lovely day!

xoxo