End of the Season Clearance Finds

I love going to the beach in September.  Number one, there's less crowds since school is back in session. Number two, the temperatures are perfect; warm but not too hot. And number three, I can snag great deals on new clothes before I leave because everyone has summer clothes on clearance to prepare for their new Fall lineups.

I always find myself running to Target for last minute toiletries, sunscreen, and other essentials before packing.  Whenever, I'm in Target there's no running in and out with simply the items on my list.  I go through the entire store, and somehow always end up with a cart full of items I didn't even know I needed (I often refer to this as a Target blackout).  The outfit below was a result of my latest Target blackout.  I found the maxi dress and tassel necklace on clearance, and the deals were too good to pass up.

 

 

 

Look: Maxi Dress: Target (similar here), Necklaces: Target (here and here), Wedges: Target (old), Sunglasses: Ray-Bans (here).

To snag more great deals check out the clearance items you can find now at some of my favorite retailers: 

-Loft 

-J Crew 

-Banana Republic 

-Zara 

Below are more photos from my recent trip to Hilton Head, SC.

I love this picture I took as I was walking to the beach. After snapping the photo I looked at it, and thought where did those parasailers come from, but as I looked up from my camera I noticed they were not parasailers they were butterflies. It was very fitting to see because I recently lost two family members who always loved coming to Hilton Head with us. I'm not saying it was them, but it was a sweet reminder.

The trees covered in Spanish Moss and Resurrection Fern. Check out my post, "Loving the Lowcountry" for more pics from my trip.


Yours Truly,

Loving the Lowcountry

I recently returned home after a couple weeks of much needed travel.  I loved getting time to relax and unwind with family.  Our first week of vacation was spent with my family in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. 

I love everything about the low country . . . the Live Oak trees adorned with Resurrection Fern and Spanish Moss, the pet friendly beaches, endless bike trails, and all the beautiful views.  It's become a family tradition to hire Live Oac tour guide, Scott, to take us on boat rides around Hilton Head, the May River, and nearby locations. This year we traveled to nearby Bluffton and Palmetto Bluff.

In the pics below I spotted my puppy in the window. Such a cute distraction.

 

Look: Blouse: New York & Company (similar here), Skirt: Talbots (sold out due to season), Sandals: Jack Rogers (here), Sunglasses: Ray-Bans (here).

For the boat ride I chose a lightweight top and high bun to help keep me cool, and a knee length skirt to keep my skin from touching the hot leather seats.  Since I was in the south I chose to bring out my preppy, southern side with my Jack Rogers monogrammed sandals.  The outfit was both practical and fitting with the tropical print on the skirt matching the local scenery. 

Scroll down to view pictures from our day trip to Bluffton, SC and Palmetto Bluff, SC.

 The view as we traveled along the May River en route to Bluffton, SC.

Pictured above is The Church of the Cross in Bluffton, SC. This church was built in 1854, and is one of the few remaining structures that was built before the Civil War.  In 1863, Union troops burned much of Bluffton in an effort to destroy the area because they heard Confederate troops were stationed there
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A sign at an outdoor art gallery on Calhoun Street in Bluffton, SC.

An adorable chapel in Palmetto Bluff that is used to host weddings. This chapel does not host regularly scheduled church services. Read more about the chapel here.

The Inn at Palmetto Bluff, a Montage Resort. This is a charming resort where the guest stay in cottages scattered throughout the property, and they use golf carts to navigate from the pool, to the spa, and restaurants. The picture above shows the main building where guests check-in and dine.

Two rocking chairs perfectly placed to view the beautiful marshlands at Palmetto Bluff.

Have you been to Hilton Head, Bluffton, or Palmetto Bluff?  What were your favorite things to see and do while you were there?

Yours Truly,

2014 Fall Favorites

2014 Fall Favorites by amyhfaust

Today marks the first day of Fall.  To celebrate I've picked some of my favorite items for the season.  To me Fall means colder temperatures, bonfires, football games, pumpkin patches, hiking trails, apple cider, vegetarian chili, and all my favorite clothes. 

I love getting to pull out my favorite boots and jackets.  With the cooler temperatures it's the perfect time to start layering.  I always feel like plaid button-downs are a staple, and they work perfectly with a vest and faux fur infinity scarf.  My hands down favorite thing to wear is a cape/ poncho with skinny jeans and boots.  This is my go to item, and I love the versatility of the Mango cape featured.  Although my favorite shoes are boots I'm majorly lusting over these Rachel Roy ankle-strapped heels.  What are your favorite fall pieces/ trends?

Yours Truly,

Lust vs. Must

Lust vs. Must by amyhfaust

 As summer is coming to an end I have already started looking forward to the fall season. I love everything about fall, and although I may not be ready to put away my summer clothes yet ( I have a couple of beach trips coming up soon), I am ready to start shoe shopping.  I love shoes, but I never want to break the bank so I went out determined to find reasonable prices on my favorite looks. I found similar shoe styles to all the ones I'd been lusting over for under $100. I'd say that was a success!  I hope my husband agrees.

1.) Oxblood Heels: Those that know me know that my favorite color is red so of course I had to have a shade of red on my list.  One of my favorite shades of red for the fall is oxblood.  It's a darker red that would compliment many other colors in my wardrobe. These stilettos will provide a necessary pop of color into my outfits.

2.) Ankle Boots: Last season I vowed to not buy another pair of riding boots because my closet is overloaded in that department, but I can't say no to boots so I added a flat, buckled, ankle boot to my wish list. This is the perfect pair to transition from summer to fall. These would be cute with a summer dress, and would go great with jeans as temperatures start dropping.

3.) Lace-up heels: These suede black beauties are a fun, welcomed change to the classic black pump, and a great way to dress up a LBD (little black dress).

4.) Open-toe Slingbacks: The perfect shoe for fall! Since it's open-toe it will be hard to transition this shoe into the winter, but just like the ankle boots I selected these are the perfect shoes to transition from summer to fall  Again, these would work well with a dress or jeans. 

What shoes are on your fall wishlist? Let me know by commenting below.

Yours Truly,

Summer Cookout

This Saturday we attended a cookout to help kick-off the long holiday weekend.  I love Labor Day weekend because we get an extra day, and it allows us to see more of our family and friends.   What did you do to celebrate this weekend?

Look: Top: Talbots (similar here), Jeans: Ann Taylor Loft (similar here), Heels: Steve Madden (old), Purse: Kate Landry (old) Earrings: Francesa's.

I brought one of my favorite summer casseroles to the cookout.  I'm a vegetarian so I always like to bring something I know I can enjoy.  It also helps that it's very easy to make. Here's the recipe for my Summer Vegetable Casserole: 

Ingredients:

- 2 large squash 

- 2 large zucchini 

- 1 large onion 

- 3 medium tomatoes 

- butter 

- 1 pkg. of shredded sharp cheddar cheese 

- salt and pepper to taste 

Directions: 

- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees 

- Slice all veggies and start layering them in your casserole dish 

-Use a little butter in between the layers  and add salt and pepper

- Once you've added your last layer of vegetables cover the casserole using the pkg. of cheese. 

- Place in the oven and cook for one hour 

- Allow it to cool a little before serving 

- Enjoy!

 Yours Truly,