thankful.

we should be thankful all year round, but sometimes we don't get that kick in the butt to remind us until thanksgiving is here.  I feel like every year we forget a little bit more that thanksgiving is even a real holiday.  

I admit that I've already started my christmas shopping and pulled out my decorations from storage. but i'm still excited for thanksgiving.  there is so much to be thankful for this year.

1. health

2. home

3. family

4. friends

5. food

6. job

7. new babies

this may not have been the best year for me (or for others), but looking back some amazing things have happened.  yes, there has been tragedy and heart break...but it's nice to reflect on the stuff we have...while it's still here to celebrate.

my year has been nothing like some of the other blogs I read or like my friends, but it hasn't been the easiest either.  and currently it's still a struggle.  but I just hope that we ALL remember to count our blessings, be kind, give, and have a sense of humor through it all. :) 

mexican wedding: day tres

day 3 of our mexico trip was the wedding day!

we woke up bright and early on saturday...again (that's what going to bed at 8pm will do to you) and set out for a quick breakfast and then straight to the beach.  

there was an abandoned hotel right on the other side of our resort so we ventured over to check it out.  which then resulted in us walking all the way down the beach to "explore."  

we saw a local man "rescuing" baby sea turtles from a nest. 

further down the beach we saw an open beach mansion with no one home (I almost took a dip in their pool), 2 other resorts, and at the end another abandoned resort with a man sitting quietly in the shade. 

luckily, we spotted him and quickly exited.  otherwise, you might hear about my story on a future dateline episode with keith morrison.

then after lunch, another pool hangout, and some heavy rain...it was time to get ready for the wedding.

the ceremony was beautiful.  right on the beach.  

all of the other resort patrons were lined up in beach chairs like spectators.  it felt awkward and weird.  but during the ceremony you could see couples (mostly from different countries) hugging and taking in the whole "love fest."  it was nice to see them all enjoying it.  especially for people they didn't even know.  and they all gave a big round of applause when the ceremony was over.

you can see them behind us in the picture.  more turned up after this was taken.

the reception was just as heartwarming.  

while everyone ate dinner and drank, they ran a slideshow of old photos and videos from friends that couldn't make it to mexico.  

then came the speeches.  so many speeches from friends and family.  but they were all so touching and I might have shed a tear (or 100).  it was overwhelming to hear all of the love and support for tripp and adam.  I wasn't expecting that and I was so touched by it all.

then it was time to PAR-TAY.  the resort "discotheque" didn't open until 11pm so we had some time to kill at the resort bar.  

then we headed to the "disco" and I literally danced my ass off until 3AM.  I have never sweat so much or danced so hard in my life.  luckily, there are no photos because I was legit a HOT MESS!

then, we woke up at 6:30AM to catch our 7:50AM bus to the airport and spend the rest of my day in airports.

p.s. if you ever stay at the Catalonia Royal Tulum in Riviera Maya, you'll get used to seeing these f*ckers every where.  they freaked me out every time.  I was one of the select few that was disgusted by them.  there were just so many and they were little ass stalkers.

mexican wedding: day uno y dos

in late october, after MONTHS of anticipation, I was off to a destination wedding in mexico.

here's some of us sleepy heads at the GSP airport around 4AM thursday morning.

we arrived at the Cancun airport around 10AM local time and still had about a 90 minute drive to our resort.  

our group of 4, met up with 7 others that were in mexico for the same wedding and we piled into a bus that was waiting to take us to our destination.

the driver offered to stop at the next gas station so we could get some beer and start the party early on our way to the resort.  everyone got about a 6 pack of whatever beer we could find.  and we cranked up the jimmy buffet pandora and were on our way.

once we arrived at the resort, we couldn't check into our rooms yet, but we met with the happy couple and they gave us all fun "welcome bags" with all sorts of goodies.

since we couldn't check into our rooms yet, we just enjoyed a lunch outside at one of the resort restaurants.  after lunch, we pulled our bathing suits out of our suitcases and several of us wedding guests mingled around this "kiddie pool" area.  

some of us (ie...me) got extremely intoxicated and ended up asleep by 5pm that day.  but in my defense, I had been up since 3AM.

we were invited to attend a "bachelor party" of sorts for the grooms that night, but declined based on our lack of sleep.  

since we went to sleep at 5PM, we were up at 7AM on Friday ready to start our first full day in mexico.  we had breakfast and caught up with some of our friends who had flown in for the wedding.

then we took it to the beach...

and spent most of our day there...it rained around lunch time, so we broke up our beach day for food.  

after lunch...more beach, drinks, beach, drinks...

then later that afternoon we joined all of the other wedding guests (there were around 65 total in attendance for this wedding ) at the pool

celebrating with one of the grooms

friday night ended early for us as well...many drinks by the beach and the pool...meant another early night full of sleep.

next up: wedding day

sc flood (and how to help)

The state seal says "Dum Spiro Spero" which means "While I breath, I hope."  so fitting for South Carolinians.

The devastation of the historic flood has been felt throughout the state (and beyond).  The Midlands, particularly Columbia, have been hit the hardest.

It was heart breaking to watch my 2nd home, a place where I lived for 6 years and visit often be completely submerged under water.  Or see people I knew in college posts photos of their own homes damaged by the flood.

While the tragedy can be felt throughout the state, the support can be felt even more.  As I scroll through social media there are different stories about where to donate, families that need help, trucks and cars full of items, posts of hope or good deeds being made.

Greenville, SC t-shirt company, Loggerhead Apparel, has produced a shirt where all proceeds will go to help flood victims.  you can purchase here.

Also, proceeds of the shirt below will go towards flood relief.  you can purchase here.

sugar boutique is donating 100% of sales from their Lauren James SC garnet and SC orange baseball caps and any Lauren James "SC Lovely State" tees to the American Red Cross.

click here to shop the tees and here to shop hats.

you can also check Salvation Army, Amercian Red Cross, and United Way's websites if you would like to give a monetary donation.

you can see and feel the prayers at work.

today is a big day!

9.28.15 marks the day when my best friend, Sandi moves her "sweet" boutique, Sugar into a newly renovated, bigger, "hot" spot.

Can I just brag on her for a second? Or more like 120+ seconds because this post might take a while to read.

I remember the day that Sandi called me and said she had put in her 2 weeks notice at her current job to start her own business.  She had gotten engaged a few months before so she was in the middle of planning a wedding.  She opened her store in April of 2008.  Her dad suddenly passed away in July, a month before her wedding.  She got married and her store still thrived.  She thrived...she persevered through it all and the smile on her face stayed the same.  

She has always worked in retail/sales.  Ever since she was able to get a job, she's been working.  Legit.  I have never known this girl to NOT have a job.  And it's always been a job where she has to have a smile on her face and kind word on the tip of her tongue.  Retail and sales are not easy fields to work in and I commend all those that do.  You're special people.

And just like in 2007-2008 when she decided to start Sugar...2014-2015 was an even bigger time.  Her family of 3 was working on building a new house and the opportunity for a bigger retail space for Sugar came up and because Sandi likes to YOLO the hell out of something...she answered that door when opportunity came-a-knockin'.  THEN she found out she was pregnant with baby #2.  So she was moving into a new home, planning a career move, AND planning for a baby.

And today...she moves into that new space. 

I couldn't be more proud or excited for you, Sandi.

In the last 8 years, your world has been turned upside down more times than I can count, and you're still here.  Not just "staying afloat" but you're on a f*ckin' yacht just enjoying the ride.  You're always busy planning something.  And you may not know what you're gonna be doing tomorrow, but you know that every detail will be taken care of.  I don't see how you do it.  You say "yes" and just worry about everything else later.  That's one of the many things I admire about you.  

You are the true definition of an entrepreneur and i'm so proud of you.  You're the busiest person I know, but you always take time to thank God for your blessings, spend time with family, take vacations, and answer my daily text messages (err..rants).  Thank you for letting me be a part of your journey.  Can't wait to see what the next 8 years old.

Now, y'all go visit her store in person or check out their website!  You won't regret it.

20 questions.

I always love doing these types of posts...I'm sure everyone already knows all my answers (if anyone even still reads this thing) but here goes anyway...

1. Favorite food:

chicken. pasta. chicken with pasta. bacon. sausage. #1, #3, #5 at Chick Fil-A. mexican food.  country fried steak.  basically I enjoy meat & carbs and no veggies.

2. Flip flops or high heels:

high heels.

I do wear flat sandals and flip flops occasionally, but high heels make me feel pretty and make me feel like I don't have short, tree trunk legs.

3. Favorite places to shop for yourself:

nordstrom. old navy. target. ulta. sugar. 

4. Standard Coffee order:

I don't drink coffee. so my standard coffee order would be "no, thanks."

5. Road trip must have snack:

I'm a sucker for junk food...my ultimate road trip snacks are kettle cooked salt & vinegar chips, Cheez-Its (or Gold N Cheese if you live in the south), Slim Jim, and Gardetto's.

6. DIY or hire it out?

when you're a single lady on a budget you typically DIY it...or buy it cheap.

7. Top 5 TV shows:

currently: Bachelor in Paradise, I Am Cait, Real Housewives of Any City, Teen Mom 2, Big Brother

of all time: The Office, Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, Bloodline, The Real World (Seasons 1-25 only) 

8. Favorite Book: 

honestly? I don't read. 

9. Favorite Form of Exercising:

does dancing in your bedroom alone count?

10. How tall are you?

5'4"ish

11. Do you try something new at restaurants or stick to your favorites?

if I know what I like, i'll stick to my favorites...but I do like to branch out from time to time.

12. One make up item you can't live without:

mascara.

13. What's on your nightstand?

14. What's one thing motherhood has taught you?

and this is the point in the survey where you realize you didn't read these questions before deciding to play along.

15. Music that reminds you of high school:

Juvenile - Back That Azz Up.

N'Sync - all songs.

S Club 7 - Never Had A Dream Come True (Prom theme 2001).

Britney Spears - the early stuff.

Master P - Make 'Em Say UHHHH.

16. If you could live anywhere in the world besides your current city where would you live?

in state: Charleston, SC

out of state: Charlotte, NC

out of region: Boston, MA

17. Tell us something about you we might not know:

I still sleep with my baby blanket. it's pink and ratty but it's always in the bed with me.

18. Websites you read/browse (besides blogs):

buzzfeed. pinterest. and I'm always online shopping but never buying.

19. Morning person or Night owl?

night owl.

20. Favorite Breakfast meal:

sausage. bacon. hashbrowns with ketchup. waffles or pancakes with LOTS of butter.

#HeyHadleyDay

last saturday, I hosted a baby shower with some girlfriends for my sweet friend Kelly.  she is due to have a baby girl, Hadley Day at the end of this month.  

it was so good to get the crew aka "sharkriders" (inside joke) back together.  we live all over the state and it's hard for us to all get together very often, but when we can we definitely like to soak it all in.

we decided to just serve desserts, so that would make it simple and it went perfect with the special baby girl poem "sugar, spice and everything nice"

our menu:

decorated cookies

cupcakes

strawberries and grapes with fruit dip

vanilla wafers and animal crackers with funfetti dip

pink lemonade

and as a favor, I found this champagne idea on another blog and HAD to steal it for our baby girl shower too.

can't wait to pop my bottle in celebration of Hadley's arrival!  hopefully it's any day now.

phobia.

a friend and I were just texting each other about irrational fears we have.  

my fear is that whenever I turn the lights off in one room to walk to another, like down a dark hallway to my bedroom, that someone is lurking in the shadows ready to stab or shoot me in the back.

i'm 32 and still have this fear.  it's so bad that sometimes I walk backwards into my lit bedroom to make sure no one is behind me.

or the fear that someone is in my shower.  i'll pull the curtain back to check...but what if someone really WAS back there? i'm instantly killed.

or the fear that something is under my bed.  has anyone ever seen Ernest Scared Stupid? (Ernest Goes to Camp is the best "Ernest" movie by the way).  this scene forever traumatized me and if I ever need to reach under my bed, i'm convinced there will be a troll and/or murderer waiting when I come back up.

also...I NEVER let my feet hang out off the bed or out of the covers.  that would be silly...because what if the monster that is chillin' under my bed decides to tickle my feet...or pull me under.  i'm just afraid I would feel SOMETHING and then lose my mind.

do you have any irrational fears?

a new little baby love.

sandi's sweet baby charlie was born on thursday july 2nd, 2015 at 2:38 pm.

I remember the night she told me she was pregnant.  we were having dinner before our movie date to see Gone Girl...towards the end of the dinner she looks at me, reaches in her purse, and throws out this picture at me "um...look at this!" it was an ultrasound picture.  it was a complete shock. 

she told me her due date was july 8th and at that moment, she knew her dad had a hand in this and so did I.  his birthday was july 3rd.  he passed away on july 6th, 2008.  so we both knew that her dad had a part in creating this baby.  along with her late grandfather, who had the same july 3rd birthday.  

then when she found out she was having a boy and was throwing names around, charlie was one of the names...after her dad and grandfather.  no other name would do.

a few days before she was scheduled to be induced I told her I thought charlie would come out with a head full of dark, curly hair.  just like his mama and "pop pop" charlie.  well, he did.  he has the softest black baby hair that I hope never goes away.

and the sweetest cheeks just like his mama...that she inherited from her dad.  

he's perfect.  

God knew exactly what he was doing when He surprised them with this baby.

big brother cade loves him more than anything.  and it's so sweet to see him interact with his new baby brother.  

i'm excited to spoil this new baby love for the rest of my days.

and I hope sandi never stops sending me pictures like this...because I will never get tired of seeing them.

treat yo self.

for well over a year, I've been eyeing these Tory Burch sandals.  but no matter how hard I try, I can't justify spending almost $200 on a pair of shoes.  

last week, I turned 32...and with the birthday money I was gifted, I could buy a pair of those sandals that I've lusted over forever.  but I would rather stretch my money and buy lots of things.  because in the scheme of gifts...more is more.

happy birthday to me!  here's what's on my list...

my old iPad mini case is shot to hell and when I saw this Dabney Lee case at target for $20 I knew I had to have it.  

this Fallon Timberlake 2016 campaign tee was the first thing I checked off my birthday wish list.  I will wear it with such pride.  they haven't officially announced their nomination, but I have high hopes they get the majority vote.

for the past 2 years, I've bought canvas espadrilles from target. only to have them not fit properly and be awful to walk in.  but I loved them so much, I tried my hardest to get insoles, stuff tissue paper, look up YouTube videos on how to get them to fit.  I've searched for similar shoes on amazon, 6pm, and zappos and never had any luck.  I happened to peruse nordstrom rack this morning saw these Michael Antonio wedges and thank you baby jesus they had them in my size.  I will wear them with EVERYTHING the rest of summer...and spring/summers to come. 

the heat these past few weeks has been ridic and I typically don't like to sleep in shorts...i'd rather sleep in sweats, but that ain't happening when it's 95 degrees at 10pm.  so I got these light weight sleep shorts from target.

i've had this pineapple print in my etsy favorites for months...time to buy, frame, and put on display in my bedroom.  it will match perfectly with my aqua throw pillows and gold accents.

do I need a reason to buy this shirt?

like my iPad mini case, my iPhone case (that I got for $5 from target) is cracked.  so that's a great excuse to get this cute unicorn phone case from look human.

and a girl can never have enough jewelry.  love this necklace from J Crew Factory (especially since it's 40% off).

and if truth be told...i'm saving the rest of my birthday loot to buy some anti-aging cream.  not joking. gotta get started on these wrinkles some time.  so if you have recommendations on creams, serums, and/or eye de-puffers then let me know!

charleston strong

we all know by now what happened in charleston, sc last wednesday night.

I can't believe a massacre of this magnitude happened in my state.  

I can't believe it happened in a city that I personally believe is the best city in the entire world.  

I can't believe it happened in a city where friends that I love reside and  where they grew up.  

I can't believe it happened in a city that I just visited 3 days before.

the victims that lost their lives that night were talking to God, talking about God.  they welcomed this boy into their bible study with no judgement.  opening their hearts to a stranger.  I could never imagine what came over them once, after an hour of study, he stands up to open fire on all of them.  all because of their race.

all of my thursday morning was consumed in finding out who this killer was, then focusing on his whereabouts and would we be able to catch him?

but the thing that overwhelmed me was the sense of community that I could feel from charleston.  from seeing it on the news and social media. how people weren't rioting with fists in the air.  people weren't marching angrily through the streets.  there wasn't a racial divide.  instead, people were praying together.  they were holding hands, singing, embracing, and crying together.

I don't know what kind of reaction I expected, but what happened (and what continues) to happen has blown my mind and makes me extremely proud to call South Carolina my home.  yesterday as I spent father's day with my dad, this shooting was the main topic of conversation.  we were both so impressed at how people have reacted with maturity, respect, and love...especially given the circumstances of the crime.

the forgiveness that the survivors and members of the victims family gave this person is nothing short of amazing.  they looked at this killer and with no animosity in their voices, they were able to say the words "I forgive you."  they are better people than me...I'll tell you that.

I hope other communities can learn from this tragedy and realize that hate and violence isn't resolved with more hate and more violence.  the biggest defense is love.  and love is winning.

this tragedy is not indicative of the great city of charleston, the beautiful state of south carolina, or the historic south as a whole.  it's about this person.  this person is not us.

I heart planning: sandi's spa day

Recently, I planned a spa day for my BFF Sandi to celebrate the upcoming arrival of her 2nd baby boy, Charlie.

Last year, I was constantly planning or attending surprise birthday parties, bridal showers, baby showers, bachelorette parties, etc, and while at the time, I complained about having so much to organize/plan I really enjoyed doing it.  This year the party planning is slim and I was aching to plan something.

When Sandi was pregnant with her first baby, she had a prenatal massage that she said she loved.  So I thought it would be fun to have a girls day at the spa to get massages, mani/pedi's, etc and relax before Charlie arrived.  

Once we nailed down a date, I emailed all the ladies with the details and everyone decided on spa treatments. Since most of the details were laid out in the initial email, I decided not to mail invitations.  But I still wanted to create something that was personalized for the occasion.  I used Paperless Post to create a simple "announcement" to use in a follow-up email once all the appointments and reservations were finalized.

Sandi is 110% girly girl and one of her favorite "colors" is glitter/gold.  I chose a gold painted polka dot Kate Spade design and dark blue font to compliment the new baby boy. 

Even though it wasn't a "shower", I still wanted to make the day special for all the girls that came...including the guest of honor.  Gift giving is my favorite thing.  So my favorite part of the whole planning process was putting together little favor bags for everyone.  I was lucky to find some gold and dark blue tissue paper to match the online invite.  Looking back...i'm kind of sad I didn't make myself one.

To go along with the "spa" theme, I included bath/body related items in each of the bags.

Nail File

Nail Polish

Loofah

Burt's Bees Lip Balm

Que Bella Peel-Off Mask 

Travel Size Jergens Lotion

Kleenex On-The-Go Tissues

side note: i'm obsessed with the Que Bella Peel Off Masks.  I don't think they help my skin, but I have a weird obsession with the whole peeling process.  There are several different masks in the line.  Perfect for bachelorette favors, birthday packages, etc.

It would have been good to add mini champagne bottles with cute straws for the ladies to enjoy at the spa.   But since our spa offered wine and champagne, I didn't include those in our little bags.  We had two pregnant ladies in our group, so I did bring some La Croix sparkling water that I thought they might enjoy an adult beverage substitute.  However, NOTE TO SELF La Croix is actually disgusting and I'm glad that the girls declined the offer.  Next time, I'll just ask everyone what drinks they prefer.

The first thing I knew I wanted to do when I started planning this day was I wanted to add cookies as part of the favors.  A fun treat we could enjoy after brunch or while we mingled at the spa.  There were several different ones from gold polka dot onesies to bow ties to ones like these with his monogram.  All still matching the gold/dark blue color scheme.  

After brunch, we were able to walk around downtown and do some window shopping/browsing.  Then we headed a few blocks down to the spa to end our day.  

Everyone at the spa was friendly and accommodating.  They were a huge help for me with coordinating everything.  And answered all of my questions and made any changes I had up until the day.

and can we please talk about how amazing my two pregnant BFF's look?  If I'm ever pregnant, I hope that I look as great as these two.  

their first official "meeting"
Hadley Day Woodward (left) due August 28th

Jack Charles "Charlie" McClain (right) due July 8th

It was a fun and perfect day and I would totally plan a day like this all over again.