Back from the Beach!

It's time for a little Myrtle Beach recap! 


The five days spent with my in-laws were super entertaining and fun - basically, we spent each morning/afternoon laying in the sun, reading, and walking along the beach, then spent each evening eating out at various restaurants, shopping around, and stopping by Krispy Kreme.  


On Monday, we:

Vacation Begins!

* left my in-laws' house in WV at 5am and ventured to Myrtle Beach, 8 hours away. I thought of some of my old Marshall college buds who are living in the Winston-Salem/Greensboro, NC area as we passed through!
* spent a little time on the beach before heading out to Angelo's Italian/Steakhouse, where I tried with all of my might to enjoy a warm, comforting bowl of fettucine alfredo while an annoyingly obnoxious family sitting at the table beside ours forced a little tiny boy with teary eyes and sunburned cheeks to finish his plate before they left. I wanted to steal him and take him away with us! 
* took a stroll on the Springmaid Pier, and saw jelly fish and a huge sea turtle lurking in the ocean - way too close to the shore for me!

I've got mad skillz.

Tuesday, I began my beach reading.  Initially I had planned to read Richard Russo's That Old Cape Magic and Jennifer Weiner's Best Friends Forever, but both were scrapped when my sis-in-law brought along Hello Kitty Must Die and Mennonite in a Little Black Dress! My original beach reads were pushed to the side, and I read the others before our vacation was over.  Hello Kitty was SO fun! Mennonite was a little slower, but enjoyable as well.
Tuesday was Crabby Mike's Seafood night and a crazy long game of putt-putt, too.  I held the lead down until about the 14th hole, then my concentration dwindled and I totally lost control my game! I did manage to make a totally random hole-in-one toward the end. Good times, Good times! We also checked out the new Boardwalk - and I finally got that airbrushed tee I've been wanting!


Wednesday evening we hit up Broadway at the Beach, where we sucked down more italian food, my husband slurped down a beverage from the awesomely fun KISS Coffeehouse, and I chowed on sugary goodness from The Fudgery.  I also hit up Christmas Mouse and Yankee Candle - where I flashed my little coupon for $1 votives and bought a ton in the new fall scents!  Maple Pancakes, Creamy Caramel, and Cinnamon Roll - need I say more? 

Kiss Coffeehouse

Christmas Mouse!

Christmas Mouse finds!

Thursday -

Forget bags - give me Coach shoes!

I scored a pretty serious sunburn on my shoulders - the UV index was about 2300, which was a little more than my SPF 30 could tolerate.  My husband and I also thought it would be a great idea to take the 4-mile hike along the shore, from the Springmaid Pier to the Second Avenue Pier during a heat advisory! In all seriousness, it wasn't that bad.  I'm crediting the Fit-Flops I've worn all year and the Vitamin water we guzzled the entire walk for my endurance. 

In the evening, we ate @ TBonz "Gill and Grill", which was totally my type of restaurant!   We also did a little outlet shopping. I spoiled myself with a new pair of Black Coach Sneakers from the Coach outlet (thanks, Mom!)  My husband and I also played dress up and found some great deals at Banana Republic.  By the end of the day, I was completely beat.  

Our last day on the beach was interrupted by a series of crazy thunderstorms, but I met up with my cousin who lives in SC, so it wasn't a wasted day at all!

  

By Saturday, I was so ready to return home - to my cat, my life in Ohio, and my blog, of course!

I read everyone's comments all week long - I couldn't reply to everyone, and didn't get a chance to check out new blogs/posts, but I'm getting caught up!  I'm glad to be back!

I hope everyone has a good week! Happy Monday... seriously!

Getting to know ME Sunday!

I'm back from vacation!  I kept up with everyone's comments this past week, but didn't get to reply to very many or visit new blogs.  I also lacked in the commenting department - and I'm so sorry! I plan to spend today getting caught up on laundry and the blogs I love to follow - don't worry, I'm still here!  I'll be posting vacation pics and recaps this week, and can't wait to share!

To kick off this week and get back to blogging, I'm participating in Mannland 5's Getting to Know YOU Sunday (of course! what else would I blog about on a Sunday?!) 

1. Do you think mustaches are sexy?
Well... hubby has one, and I've always loved it - so I guess, yes.  :)  But food stuck in a man's mustache=NOT SEXY! 

2. What's the last concert you've been to?
Adam Lambert's Glam Nation Tour!  It was FABULOUS.  I love him - such amazing talent, a perfect voice.

3  What was your favorite 80's sitcom?
Full House - or was that 90's?  

4. Were you named after anyone?
Sort of.  Dad's name was Steve, my older brother's name is Steven, and lo and behold, I became Stephanie the day I was born.

5. When you buy new clothes, do you wash before wearing?
Depends on the items.  I try to buy clothes that are not hanging on the front of the rack.  I wash underwear... don't wash anything else, really.  Ironing it off is enough hassle!

6. If you didn't blog, what would you do with your spare time?
I would read a ton more - when i started blogging a few months ago, it cut into my reading time, but that's ok - i love both!

7. What is your favorite department store?
This is difficult since I live in an area where the only department store I can regularly shop at is flipping Wal-Mart.  But my favorite places to browse online are Macy's and Target.

8. If  you were to get Laser Hair Removal..where would you get it?
Everywhere that I have to shave on a daily basis, plus my eyebrows to lessen the pluckage frequency. I would probably de-fur my arms, too!  




Have a great Sunday, everyone!  I missed blogging while on vacation (even though I pre-scheduled a few posts), but needed to give my brain a little break.  GLAD TO BE BACK! I missed you!

Bath & Body Works Addicts Anonymous (Meeting #2)

It's time for our 2nd BBWA meeting!

Today, I'm reflecting on the Bath & Body Works products that I've either been using religiously summer after summer, or just recently fell in love with this season!

B&B Works Summer Top 10

10. Caribbean Escape home fragrance oil

9. Forever Sunshine wallflower fragrance bulbs

8. True Blue Spa Hold it Right There tan extending lotion

7. C.O. Bigelow Pomegranite Lemon Body Scrub

6. loofah sponges - so bright, huge, and soft!

5. True Blue Spa Need a Margarita? citrus body wash

4. Vanillas* Lemon gentle foaming handsoap

3. Forever Sunshine body lotion

2. C.O. Bigelow Lemon lip balm

1. True Blue Spa 29 & Holding sunscreen

I truthfully would die without 1, 2, 6, and 9 - I've used them daily this summer and will be very angry should the powers that be @ B&BWorks hq would for some reason discontinue any of them!

#1 is my biggest beauty secret - the way to tan pale, freckled skin but prevent sunburn during those hot, sunny afternoons when the UV index is 1532. 

The best way to treat an addiction is to talk about it, ya know... so what are your favorite products to use in the summer?  Not everyone is addicted to the same substance, so if you're frequently using another brand of product, feel free to share! I want to know everyone's beauty secrets!

Have a happy, beautiful day!
P.S. I'm linking up at Welcome Wednesday!

Myrtle Beach Wishlist

Greetings from Myrtle Beach, S.C.!

I'm on vacation with my awesome in-laws this week! 

I haven't been to the beach in half a decade, so of course there are some things on my wishlist of beach-related "to-do's":

*Read.

And I'm talking A LOT.  I want to read both Jennifer Weiner's Best Friends, and Richard Russo's That Old Cape Magic before I leave on Saturday!

* Tan.

Nothing makes me feel as fresh and beautiful as a nice summer glow!

*Walk.

Along the shore, for at least a couple hours each day.  Since this is the first time my husband and I have gone on a week-long vacation with our family, we might need some alone time. I think a long daily walk will be the perfect way to reconnect!

*Quality Time

with my mother and sister-in-law.  They are fabulous, fierce gals with fun personalities - I'm hoping there will be lots of girl-talk while the boys are gone golfing.

*Eat.

But not too much - I've busted my buns this past spring and summer trying to lower my cholesterol with diet and exercise.  I'm going to try not to blow it all away on those melt-in-your-mouth donuts from the Krispy Kreme up the street!  Good luck with that, right? I'm counting on my husband to keep me in check.

*Movie.

I am hoping for a family night out at the movies - there are so many great movies I would love to watch!  I'm hoping for Dinner for Schmucks or The Other Guys.

*Take Photos. 

For some reason, I have problems taking time out for a few good photos.  I am also hesitant about asking others to "pose" for me. I'm crossing my fingers that I remember to take my camera out during those long beach walks, and I'm hoping I get the guts to arrange some family group shots!

*Airbrushed Tee.

It may sound lame, but I really want to get one of those cheesy 80's airbrushed t-shirts made while we're out and about, hitting up the gift shops.  I want one that's Marshall themed - just to wear when I'm chilling out at home :)

Hopefully, I'll get to do all of these things - they seem pretty obtainable, no? 
Happy Monday to all of you - thanks for reading, and have a great week!
Come back tomorrow for my favorite summer songs by male artists!

Sweets for the Sweet

<a href="http://snyder1418.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img alt="Stephanie S Button" src="http://i611.photobucket.com/albums/tt193/snyder1418/sweetsforthesweet.jpg" width="180" /></a>

Today, I'm sharing my favorite summertime drinks from America's Drive-In, SONIC!

The Java Chiller & Watermelon Slush

I will happily drink the Java Chiller in any flavor - Mocha and Turtle are my favorites.  The Java Chillers aren't coffee-strong - just a little coffee flavor added into a milk-shake inspired treat.  I also love the Watermelon Slush, which is way too sugary but reminds me of Watermelon Jolly Ranchers (which I love as well!)  

To make Homemade Java Chillers, Blend a shot (or two) of expresso with a couple generous scoops of vanilla icecream; pour into a glass, top with whipped cream and drizzle with chocolate syrup.

Now, it's your turn: Grab my Sweets for the Sweets button, stick it on your sugary post somewhere, and share your favorite summer treat - then link it up below!  Make sure to check back and read some others' posts - you may find a recipe or treat you would like to make or go out and buy! :)

It's a Beautiful Day

Several things made me happy today!

• This was my Friday for the week... I'm taking a vacation day tomorrow!
• We celebrated a birthday at work, which means... CAKE. and Brownies. Yum!
• The Hallmark card contest judging crew "flurried" on Facebook (I will post my entries on here as soon as I get them all finished)
• I came home @2pm and got a healthy dose of vitamin D by the pool
• I received a special UPS package from a friend with lots of GREAT summer beauty goodies!

I have quite a bit of vacation time to use before I get a crap ton of additional time on my anniversary of hire in July, so I scheduled some random days off during the next two months. Tomorrow is my first random day off, and for some reason, I am so excited - I think it's because our landlord finally decided to open the pool this past week, and it's going to be a perfect day for relaxing beside it with Todd - we did that a little bit today, and I got a beautiful glow! I'm excited! I have been walking around, white as a milk jug, for too long. Of course, I'm sort of boycotting tanning beds - in a peaceful way. I'm not trying to talk others into joining my efforts, and I certainly do not "look down" on those who use tanning beds - it's just that after seeing so many people, a couple of which are personally close to me, go through cancer treatment this past year, I felt like I had to take a stand in some type of way. I know that laying out in the sun isn't exactly the smartest thing to do, but i always always ALWAYS use a high quality sunblock, and I've been using self-tanning lotion when i "need" a quick glow. I am fair-skinned, red headed, and freckled... there's a melanoma target on my back!

Speaking of sunblocks and self-tanning lotions, I have to share with you my two very favorite summer products, both of which i've been using for the past four years. Bath and Body Works' True Blue line is loaded with awesome, healthy skin-boosting products. I love all of the sunless tanners, so that counts as "one" product - seriously, try any of them. NO ORANGE. Just apply evenly and wash your hands - definitely the most natural glow i've ever found in a self tanning product. Number two is the "29 and holding" Sunblock, which

smells AH-MAAAAZING (kinda like a dreamsicle) and has tons of great moisturizers/vitamins for your skin. I love 29 and holding because it blocks out the sun effectively (SPF 29), but does not prevent the user from getting a great tan. It makes your skin look so soft and beautiful the very second you apply it. So, there's product #2. My story about these products is not finished:

I am nearly out of both the self-tanning lotion and the sunblock. The products are around $12 a piece, which I don't look forward to forking over each summer - I go through the sunblock really fast, because i love it sooo much. (did i mention, you can put it on your face and it will not cause breakouts?) I received a package today from my great friend, Cary - I was excited to get the package in the first place, but when I opened its contents, I was completely ECSTATIC!

(The sign says, "Steph, Hope you enjoy this!")

My *prezzie* consisted of a summery basket full of Bath and Body Works True Blue Spa "I Need a Margarita" Body Wash and Jar of Body Scrub, an eco-friendly water bottle, a cute little bag to tote my goods around in, and... AND.... My two very favorite products - the sunless tanner & my best friend, 29 and Holding! I am still super excited, and am so thankful - it was so thoughtful of my friend! Which makes me ponder this: why don't people perform more acts of kindness? It can truly make one's day - whether you are nice to a friend, a stranger, a co-worker... sometimes, even a smile can turn someone's upside-down day "sunny-side up". Even though I always try to be nice and polite to others, I'm really going to start making more special efforts to show those i love and care about how much I really appreciate them.

So to my followers, here is a challenge: do something unexpected and nice for someone before you go to sleep tonight! Make someone's day :)

I hope you all have had a great Thursday! I will be spending the remainder of my day with fat cat-bag Diego, and my super terrific husband. We're drained from the sun, so I think we're going to chill out, chit chat on the phone with our families, and maybe put on a good movie for background noise while we hang around.

Until next time...