My Easter weekend.

Friday night some of my family from Birmingham came down to visit and I was super excited to see them! My aunt, uncle, and their grandbaby, Sarah-Mae, came. :) I was so excited to see Sarah Mae! She turned 6 months old on my birthday. I've gotten alot of "baby practice" with her. She's a very well-behaved baby and doesn't cry a whole lot; she just giggles and smiles at the littlest things. She mainly smiled at me all the time because for some reason babies just LOVE ME. And so do animals... which is kind of strange. haha We were pretty much attatched all weekend long... except when she "poopied", then I passed her on to someone else! haha

Saturday we all went shopping. Josh came along and endured our long hours in the mall- bless his heart! He said we basically counted inventory in every store. However, I thought we had a pretty productive day of shopping. :) I went into Kirklands and found the cutest jewelry organizer that I really needed. Only $24!! I saw some at TJ Maxx prior to this and they were $40 and I knew I'd find them cheaper elsewhere. So if you want one go to a Kirklands store or kirklands.com!

Then I made my way to Dillard's and found the most adorable one-shoulder top! (I'm a sucker for one-shouldered dresses/blouses.) I will have to post a picture of it once I wear it!

Then, I found the dress I've been so desperately looking for. It all started when I saw a big blue sign in front of Gap that had "40% OFF SALE" in big bright red letters! I was immediately drawn into the store. I looked around a little. Josh complained because one of the guys working there kept checking him out or something, so I browsed really fast and found THE DRESS!

This is a picture of our Easter attire. :) It's a taupe/grey dress with gorgeous ruffle details! It also has a cute little bow on the left side. Bows + Ruffles = <3 I was in love the moment I saw it. And Josh was looking great with his black suit, soft pink shirt, and houndstooth tie. :) Oh, and I found the cutest shoes at Shoe Station for like 20 dollars! I had a 20% off coupon. I needed some high-heeled wedges for summer!

Our church had two morning services, one at 8:30 and one at 11. Josh's family was going at 8:30 and mine at 11, and my wonderful boyfriend went with his parents and then went again with me! I told him I really wouldn't mind if he didn't go with me, I understand his suit wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world and he would probably wanna go home and spend time with his family. But he said "I've spent the past three years' Easter services with you and I don't wanna miss this one." How sweeeeeet. And then after church we both went and ate with our families. I just love Easter. :)

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. -1 Peter 1:3

How did you spend your Easter?

<3 Erica

Easter Dress Hunt!

I went shopping in my closet the other day (I always find things I forgot I ever had) and I believe I found my Easter dress. I've only worn it once, so I think it'll be okay to wear it for Easter Sunday. :) However, I have been on the hunt for an Easter dress just in case I change my mind. If you're a busy college student on a budget like I am and still on the hunt for a dress, here's some helpful money-saving ideas!

I started looking at Dillards.com and of course the majority of their dresses were around $100. I found a gorgeous Jessica Simpson one-shoulder dress for $148 (Pictured on the left.) And then I found a similar dress at Forever 21 for $27.80 (Pictured on the right).

Instead of getting this pink strapless from Dillards for $178 (left), you could get this pink strapless with a gorgeous bow detail for $66 dollars from Lulu's.com (right).

 

Instead of spending $128 on this white one-shoulder Juicy Couture dress (left) you can spend only $42 on this white beautifully-detailed dress from Lulus.com (right)!

 

It's obvious you don't have to spend hundreds of dollars on your wardrobe for any special occasion. All it takes is some looking to find the perfect dress for half the price! I hope this helps!

<3 Erica

Erica + Electricity = Danger

So I bought a "Herstyler" straightener about a year ago and I absolutely LOVE(ed) it! A few weeks ago I dropped it and a piece of the stone plate came off- no biggie. (Let me start off by saying I have had so many near-misses with being electrocuted... but today I outdid myself.) This morning I decided to dampen my hair with a heat protectant... and then I proceeded to straighten my hair and BAM! My straightener popped so loud in my ear and my hair was smoking... literally smoking! That's what happens when water meets electricity (my damp hair touched where the stone plate was missing). So tonight I plan to make a trip to Ulta to get a new straightener.

In case you were wondering about my other near misses with electricity:

1. When I was little I stuck my thumb in a light socket and thought it felt so weird. It kind of vibrated my thumb and tingled at the same time. I did this about every day for about a week. And I wanted to show my mom my "new trick" and she nearly had a heartattack!!

2. I use a heater while I take a shower (even in the summertime!) and I always catch myself reaching to unplug it with wet hands. Yeah, I only let that mistake happen once.

3. My power strip in my room makes it so hard to unplug anything. One day I got tired of yanking on the cord and decided I'm gonna unplug it from the metal prongs... Mistake. I have my moments, don't judge me. ;)


I'm not going to buy a Chi because the last Chi I had started smoking out of the on/off switch.

So, what is a good hair straightener brand?

<3 Erica

My first award!

Thanks to "Life in the Sweet Virginia Breeze" for giving me the One Lovely Blog Award!

This award entitles the recipient to share 7 fun facts and pass the award on to other bloggers... So here it goes!

1. I'm obssessed with any kind of glitzy stud earrings.
2. I've always wondered what it's like to live in New York City- taking taxi's everywhere, working in the corporate industry, and living in a townhouse/condo. I know it's kind of stereotypical... but it's the complete opposite of living in a small town and i'd LOVE to experience it!
3. I'd be lost without my iPhone.
4. I love to decorate... and I can't wait to decorate my own house one day!
5. I'm determined to have a Bachelor's degree less than 2 years from now.
6. Since I'm in college and have a job, summertime means nothing to me! The only thing I look forward to are the beach trips.
7. I do not like wearing high heels at all! I've yet to find a comfortable pair of heels, and I don't see how some people wear heels all the time.

Now I'd like to pass on this award to these lovely blogs:
Laura@Cowboy Boots, Savvy Spice, Southern Dwellings, WhatMissLoves, Kept Prep At The Seashore, Escaping the Single Life, Southern Cinderella, Sarah Lynn's Life.

Have a great Thursday!

<3 Erica

I found a miracle product!!

Okay so I've been dealing with stubborn pimples lately. I cleanse, tone, and moisturize every single day and never sleep with makeup still on my face, so I was a little confused as to why I kept getting pimples. I've been freaking out trying to get rid of them- I tried peroxide, isopropyl alcohol, and proactive... none worked. Considering I get a pretty good discount where I work, I decided to try Merle Norman's Clarifying Clay Mask.Just apply it to clean skin and keep it on for 5-10 minutes, then wipe off with a damp cloth. It can be used 2-3 times a week. It burned a little when I first used it, but all of my blemishes were dried up and gone by the next morning (I applied it at night). It has Kaolin Clay in it which is supposed to draw out impurities and clear up the skin. I seriously recommend this product if you're having breakouts! It's is $20 dollars regular price which is pretty reasonable considering it will last a long time. *Be sure to moisturize afterwards otherwise your skin will get too dry.

 

I've been using Cetaphil, and it is a great facial lotion for all skin types! I've been applying this after wiping off the mask and the two seem to pair well together!

 

Have a great night!

<3 Erica

Monday Blues.

Let me catch you up on my life.

Wednesday: I spent the day at work and then planning on what I was going to wear for my BIRTHDAY dinner the next night. Me and some friends had plans to eat at a Japanese restaurant, I was so very excited.

Thursday: I wake up and think "I'm 19 today! Bring on the presents and cake." Then I realize I feel absolutely horrible. In the hopes I was only dreaming, I fell back asleep and woke up to a fever and chills. Seriously? The one day that is MY day I'm sick? Way to start off being 19. Dinner was cancelled and I layed around all day watching episodes of Real Housewives of Miami- which made me feel worse because they are all the most annoying people ever.

Friday: I woke up feeling bad again. And I had to go to work because it was prom and we were pretty much booked up. So I was breathing into girls' faces for about 3 hours while doing their makeup. Hopefully I wasn't contagious.

Saturday: I felt SO much better, but was still very weak at times. My town holds a "Crawdad" festival every year and I decided to go. It is basically a big festival where everyone sets up booths and sells stuff, there's food, and of course plenty of live bands. The whole area smelled of crawfish and beer. I'm not one to encourage public drinking- but watching drunk people dance is quite entertaining! On top of that, I witnessed a KID smoking a cigar. I swear I have never seen so many hillbillies in my life. Calling them rednecks would be a compliment.

Sunday: Typical Sunday. I actually managed to clean my vanity area. My vanity gets so messy. I should have taken a before and after picture! I'm beginning to think I need some sort of train case to store all of my makeup in. I'm pretty excited to head to TJ Maxx sometime next weekend to get some storage pieces, they always have the cutest stuff (with great prices)!

Now: I'm on the hunt for an Easter Dress. I have no idea where to look.

What are some websites with cute dresses?

<3 Erica.

Spring Break '11!

Between work and school it was time for a little vacation. Josh, Lindsay (southerncinderella), Josh's cousin, and I decided to stay the weekend in Panama City Beach, Florida.

And of course the majority of the time was spent shopping at Pier Park. The first dress I bought is pictured above, I bought it from "The Florida House" in Pier Park. I was so excited to see $10 Judith March dresses! They are usually around $100 dollars. I really love the JM line, mainly because the designer is local. The two dresses below are Judith March, they are obviously Fall dresses but I just had to buy them! :)

 The dress below is another dress from "The Florida House" and it is super cute. The fabric is very lightweight and it will look cute with some flats.

I am so glad I was able to get away for a weekend. I'm actually looking forward to work tomorrow, that should show how refreshing my beach vacay was. Plus, my birthday is in four days! :) 

 

Have a good Monday!

<3 Erica