I move into my grad school apartment on Friday. Friday… It’s fine, I’m fine, everything’s fine. I still have a ton of packing left to do, which is the worst part. I’m just so excited to get my room set up and decorated! I will definitely be posting about it as soon as it’s done.
Okay back to what I got on here to talk about! I was recently in Gatlinburg, Tennessee for work and when I was driving through the main strip, I saw a store for Savannah Bee Company. I first heard about this store from my best friend, Sabrina, who visited the original store in Savannah, Georgia. Check out her post here. This company is all about protecting the bees and they sell a wide range of products all made with honey!
The whole aesthetic of the store is very “me” and I loved every part of it. They had a wide selection of different flavors of honey and beauty products made with honey.
I ended up getting a peach flavored chapstick and a lemon flavored whipped honey. It was so delicious! I plan to put it on biscuits and maybe pancakes.
Today I’m going to be sharing a ton of items that I’ve been loving lately! The list is long so let’s get started!
The first item is the PMD Clean. This is similar to the Clarisonic if you’re familiar with that; however, with the PMD Clean, the bristles are silicone, instead of nylon, so you never have to replace the brush head! It’s also waterproof, so you can take it in the shower with you. I got it from the PMD website with a 30% off code and got the travel case as well. The first two vibrations settings break down dirt and oil, providing a deep cleanse, and leaves your face feeling extra smooth! It comes in six color options and comes with a stand and AA battery. Since it’s battery-powered, you never have to worry about making sure it’s charged, which is definitely nice for travel! This device is actually two-sided – the back can be used to massage in serums using the third or fourth vibration modes. I don’t particularly use it for that, but it’s still a nice feature. I definitely recommend adding this item to your skincare routine! Read about mine here.
Staying in the skincare theme, I also picked up this Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask. I have used this in the past and it is so so so good!! It helped get rid of a dry patch I had on my skin a while back and smells exactly like watermelon. I highly recommend it!
Next up are these anti-blue light glasses from Amazon! I saw these from several bloggers I follow and have always secretly wished I had a real pair with frames like these, so I decided to get them. I don’t necessarily get headaches or anything from looking at a computer or phone screen a lot, but I thought it couldn’t hurt to protect my eyes anyway, right? I partially wear them for looks and partially for what they’re supposed to do. I wear them at night if I’m on my phone or laptop right before bed. I also wore them at the last cheer competition I worked and noticed that the bright stage lights did not bother my eyes as much as when I didn’t wear them. The only thing that I don’t love about them is that they reflect light off of the outside really bad, but it doesn’t mess with you being able to see out of them. Other than that, I highly recommend them! I got them in the leopard print.
Another item I’ve been loving recently is the nail polish Lighten the Mood by Essie. I’ve been loving the neutral nail look lately and this is the perfect neutral with just a hint of pink. New favorite!
I recently purchased two maxi dresses, per the recommendation of one of my favorite bloggers, Sarah Joy Blog. I got an army green one and a white floral one. Normally I would wear a medium for a dress like this, but when I was reading the reviews, a lot of people said that they recommended sizing down. So I went with a small instead and I’m so glad I did! They fit perfectly and both of them have POCKETS!! These are perfect for a spring day, church, date night, or just a casual Saturday. They are both extremely soft and lightweight. I would recommend wearing a nude colored bra and underwear or wearing spandex/a slip under them because they are a little sheer. You can see that the white one is a little longer on me than the green one, but I think both of them are a good length. I am a little over 5′ 7″ so if you’re shorter than that, they would be floor length on you. They look great on their own or paired with a jean jacket.
I also recently just kind of became obsessed with hair accessories like scrunchies, hair scarves and headbands. The shorter white floral hair scarf is from Forever 21. The two longer hair scarves are from a local shop in Lexington called Violet’s Gifts. I got the white floral headband from American Eagle. The light pink headband is from H&M, but they didn’t have a link for it, so I’m linking a similar one from American Eagle. The light blue headband is from Anthropologie. These hair accessories are the perfect way to add some flair to your outfit and take it to the next level.
I also recently just kind of became obsessed with hair accessories like scrunchies, hair scarves and headbands. The shorter white floral hair scarf is from Forever 21. The two longer hair scarves are from a local shop in Lexington called Violet’s Gifts. I got the white floral headband from American Eagle. The light pink headband is from H&M, but they didn’t have a link for it, so I’m linking a similar one from American Eagle. The light blue headband is from Anthropologie. These hair accessories are the perfect way to add some flair to your outfit and take it to the next level.
That’s all for this Friday favorites! Have a great weekend 🙂
Hey friends! It’s been a while. How have y’all been?
I wanted to do a post that’s a little different from my usual – and that’s skincare! This is a bit of a long post, so grab a cup of coffee or a snack and let’s get to it!
If you asked me if I had a skincare routine six months ago, I would have laughed and asked, does washing your face count? My college roommate became obsessed with skincare a while back and tried to get all of the housemates into it as well. For so long, I thought I didn’t need any skincare products – that my skin was fine. However, a few months ago I decided to just try it out.
I think the reason why I was hesitant to get started in skincare was that it seemed like a very expensive hobby. However, it doesn’t have to be at all. There are plenty of very affordable products out there that are still great quality! I’ll share with you the products I’ve been using for a few months now and my daily routine.
This was the very first skincare purchase I made per the recommendation of my roommate. In her words, “it’s one of the best toners ever that’s affordable.” I think she would also say that toner is one of the most important parts of your skincare routine. Toners contain acid which kill all the bacteria and dead skin cells, making room for new skin cells. I originally got this to help get rid of white heads on either side of my chin. This toner completely got rid of all of them in just a few weeks! I was so impressed. The first time I used it I thought it smelled kind of bad, but I think it’s because I wasn’t use to the acidic smell. Now I don’t think it smells like anything. I also noticed a bit of redness and irritation whenever I applied my moisturizer or foundation when I first started using it, but after I used it for a while, the redness went down. I would 100% recommend this product to anyone just starting to get into the skincare realm.
I’ve only been using this for about 2 weeks, but I like it so far! I had previously been using Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser. The texture of the cleansers themselves are similar. The only thing I don’t like about Milky Jelly is that it doesn’t foam like the Neutrogena one; however, that isn’t a big deal. This was another product my roommate raved about.
This moisturizer is so good for such a great price! It smells so good and leaves my skin feeling soft and glowy. I highly recommend this product! When I first started learning about skincare, I thought that if you had oily skin, you wouldn’t need to use moisturizer, because it would just make it worse. However, my roomie informed me that the reason your skin is producing oil is because it isn’t getting enough moisture, so if you start using a moisturizer, the oiliness will stop. WHO KNEW?!
This scrub exfoliates and cleanses pores and smells exactly like cookies!! I absolutely love this scrub. It leaves my face feeling clean and evens the texture of my skin.
I’m absolutely obsessed with the Truth collection from OLE. These products are enriched with vitamin C to help brighten, firm and make skin look younger. All of their Truth products smell like creamsicle! It comes in a pretty small bottle, but you use a very small amount each time, so it will last a long time.
Another item from the Truth collection, this product provides 24 hour hydration while brightening skin as well. I got this as a sample with my points from Sephora (only 100 points to redeem) and have only used it about a week, but it’s OLE and from the Truth collection, so what’s not to love?
This portable pen spot treatment can reduce redness and the size of acne in as little as three hours! I’ve used it several times and have seen a noticeable difference in the size of my acne. This can be used 3x a day.
My roommate gave this to me when she was minimizing her own collection. It is more creamy than most gel moisturizers I use, but I still like the way it feels on my skin.
OKAY… Now on to my daily routine! With skincare, you should have a morning and nighttime routine. I’m no expert, so I probably don’t do everything perfectly, but this is what has been working for me!
I follow that with the OLE Balancing Force Oil Control Toner. Simply wet a cotton round and apply in an upward circular motion all over your face.
Next, I apply the OLE Truth Serum all over my face, followed by the OLE C-Rush Brightening Gel Crème.
I then apply the Peach & Lily Citrus-Honey Aqua Glow Moisturizer all over my face. You only need about a pea-sized amount to get full coverage.
If I need a spot treatment, I use Glossier’s Zit Stick.
This only takes me about 10 minutes to do my whole routine and I’m ready for the day!
Nighttime routine:
If I’m not showering that night, I use Glossier Milky Jelly as my cleanser. Simply wet your face with lukewarm water and apply one pump of the cleanser thoroughly on your face in upward circular motions. Rinse with lukewarm water and pat dry with a clean towel.
I use the OLE Transforming Walnut Scrub 2-3x a week. Wet your face with lukewarm water and apply a small amount and gently rub into your skin, exfoliating in areas that need extra attention, like around your nose and chin. Be careful not to scrub too hard as the micro beads can rip off good skin cells too. Rinse with lukewarm water and pat dry.
Next, I apply the OLE Balancing Force Oil Control Toner, the same as the morning.
I generally use the Mario Badescu Aloe Moisturizer at night.
I finish with the Zit Stick if I need spot treatment.
That’s it! I love starting and ending my day with my skincare routine. It de-stresses me and gets me ready for the day or for bed.
I also wanted to share some ways to save money when buying skincare.
For Peach & Lily, use code: SHARE10 for $10 off any order.
I hope you enjoyed this post. I know it’s a little different from my usual posts, but it’s something I’ve really been enjoying lately, so I wanted to share it with y’all! If you have any questions, just comment below!
Thanks for stopping by!
Alyssa
P.S. if you want more skincare product reviews/suggestions, go follow my roomie on Instagram!
One of my very good friends, Abby, has been blessed with the gift of capturing beautiful moments through photography. Although Abby has been doing photography for almost seven years, she just recently started her own independent business. Of course, as a fellow young woman with big aspirations of my own, I want to support her in any way; so I will be sharing her independent business with you today!
Abby does a variety of sessions from senior pictures, to engagements, weddings and scenic landscapes. Her style is simplistic in that she captures the personality of her subjects by highlighting their natural beauty.
Here are some examples of her work:
You can connect with Abby through her Instagram and Facebook pages. Her rates are listed there as well.
This is what Abby’s packaging looks like
Here’s Abby’s business card!
Continuing to support small businesses and independent business owners is so important because it allows them to continue to pursue their dreams. Shop small 🙂
Thanks for stopping by today, go check out abigail leigh photography!
Classes started on Tuesday, which means a new school year is officially in swing. This is my last semester!! I still can’t believe that.
This year the same group of six girls from last year are living in an on-campus townhouse. It’s similar to the lodges that we lived in last year, but it’s two-story. As always, I had a blast decorating it and I can’t wait to share it with you! Let’s get started.
Unlike the lodges, the townhouse’s entry is on the outside, rather than on the inside like a hotel. Unfortunately, there isn’t a peep hole in the door. Instead there is a long, skinny window next to the door. However, nobody wants people to be able to see in their house all the time, so most people end up covering it. I found some paper with a shiplap design on it at Hobby Lobby, so I covered the window with that! I also purchased this super cute doormat from Walmart for only $8!! What a steal! The RA made the sign on the door.
The outside of our townhouse
I’m obsessed with our doormat!!
The shiplap-styled paper I put over the window
When you first enter the townhouse, the stairs are directly in front, with the living room and kitchen off to the left. Our living room is slightly smaller than last year, but it’s still a pretty good size. We have a similar set up with the couches and coffee table and end tables with the TV on the opposite wall. I put up the DIY drop cloth curtains on the window. If you want to know how I made them, click here.
Couch against the wall with tissue paper tassels on twine
Coffee table, vignette and letter board
I used yellows in the vignette to give it a summery vibe
Side table/bookshelf
Olive bucket with faux lamb’s ear and cotton stems
A sign I painted at Cut and Paste back home
Other end table. I plan to put my blanket ladder in this corner as well. I forgot it at home.
I’ve since added a blue mason jar with flowers here as well.
TV stand area with some cotton stems and a topiary on a wooden stool
The other couch area. You can see the DIY drop cloth curtains here
Directly off the living room is the kitchen. There is pretty minimal decor in here since it’s so small and we have a lot of appliances we need counter space for. However, there is one of my favorite tea towels on the oven door and the “Fresh Baked Pies Served Daily” sign from World Market is hanging above the sink. Of course I have my Hearth and Hand by Magnolia cream and sugar cellars by my Keurig. Off of the kitchen is the washer and dryer. There isn’t really any decor in there, but you could easily hang some signs on the wall if you wanted. Hobby Lobby usually has a great selection of laundry signs.
Such a cute tea towel
These are plant printables from the Magnolia website. It’s hanging on the wall between the kitchen and living room. There’s also a pantry on this wall.
I love this sign!!
My Keurig with cream and sugar cellars from the Hearth and Hand line at Target
Kitchen table
My picket fence napkin holder sits here.
The oh-so-fancy laundry room
Mine and my roommate’s room is upstairs. This year each room gets their own bathroom, and we each get our own individual closet. Last year four of us had to share a bathroom, so that is a really nice change. I hung my “Get Naked” sign again, as well as the “Let’s Roll” sign my friend gave me. My decor for the bedroom is basically the same as every other year. I like to keep my room the same and change out the decor in other areas of the house like the living room.
This architectural arch hangs at the top of the stairs. I got it from a Vintage Market Days this summer
This simple banner hangs between the two bathrooms upstairs
This mini cotton wreath hangs on the door to our bathroom
It’s been a while since I did a Friday Favorites! Today I want to share with you some things I’ve been loving lately.
First up are these baskets from JoAnn’s Fabrics. I have been looking for baskets like these for a while that weren’t going to break the bank. I think these were originally $17.99, but I got them for $14.99. These are perfect for hiding items that may not necessarily be the prettiest. Right now I have one in the bathroom holding bathroom items and one in the living room holding DVDs and games.
Another thing I’ve been loving lately is this vintage-looking mailbox. This has been an item on my decor wishlist for a while. Most of the time they run anywhere from $50-$100; just outrageous. I got this at Michael’s for $24 (with a coupon of course.) It isn’t super heavy and it can hold items too! I’m still trying to find a place to display it, because for whatever reason command strips don’t want to stick to the walls of the townhouse. I plan to have flowers coming out of the box.
I’ve also been loving this grey ticking stripe pillow cover from TwistedBobbinDesigns on Etsy. I also bought a “Hello Fall” that hasn’t come in yet from craftKave on Etsy. I got the inserts from Amazon. Keep in mind when it comes to inserts and covers, you always want to buy the insert a size bigger than the cover. This will create a fuller look and ensure there are no droopy corners. I bought a 20×20 insert for 18×18 covers.
Next is this throw from Michael’s. This blanket is the softest thing that will touch your body. It was originally almost $40, but I got it for 40% off. It’s neutral design will ensure that it goes with every season and any decor theme. I also liked this blanket.
So soft!
It goes perfectly with the pillow!
Something else I’ve been loving lately is this adorable tea towel. I got it from Kentucky Branded back home, but you can also buy it straight from Dishique’s website. They also have mint julep and bourbon ones for my Kentucky folks. Check out the rest of their designs here.
How cute is this?!
Last but not least is a shop I recently discovered. I stumbled upon Love Grows Wild Market when I was looking at Antique Candle Works website under the stores that sell their candles. Love Grows Wild is located in Kokomo, Indiana; about 30 minutes from where I go to school. It’s on the second floor of an antique store called The Original Treasure Mart. I initially thought it was a whole store; but it’s actually a booth in the antique shop. The owner, Liz Fourez, is the author of the popular book, A Touch of Farmhouse Charm. She also has her own blog. There were a plethora of items for sale, including many kitchen items. I absolutely loved everything in the booth! Her book is definitely on my Christmas list. If you are near Kokomo I would highly recommend visiting Love Grows Wild Market!
Ahhhh! So beautiful!
Antique Candle Works fall scents. My favorite was fall harvest!
I was obsessed with all the kitchenware
I was obsessed with all the kitchenware
Build your own fall bouquet
There was also another booth in the antique shop that I loved called Hidden Possibilities Market. Everything in both of these booths were 100% speaking my language. I will definitely be back!
Hand painted wall scrolls
How freaking adorable is all of this?!
When friends take unsuspecting pictures of you. And I was in heaven!
That’s all for this Friday Favorites! Have a great weekend 🙂
This past Sunday I hosted a jewelry party on behalf of an organization called Destiny Rescue. Their mission is to save young girls from the sex trade. Once girls are rescued, they are brought into a home with other survivors and taught skills such as jewelry making. I became an advocate for Destiny Rescue two years ago when they came to my school and spoke in chapel. As an advocate, one way to help support Destiny Rescue’s efforts is through hosting a jewelry party. I hosted a party last year and wanted to do the same this year! You can read about last year’s party here.
The whole process is super easy and requires very minimal work for the host. Just email a rep here and they send you a ton of jewelry and all the materials free of charge! The host’s job is to make food/desserts and invite people. Once the party is over, you send back all the unsold jewelry and all the proceeds. Super easy!
The box they send you with all the materials!
For the desserts I made some similar ones to last year: dessert kebabs, buckeyes, fruit pizza, chocolate chip cookies and raspberry lemonade sherbet punch. They were all delicious!
I had six people come to the party this year (triple my attendance from my first year!) so I was happy with the turnout. I’m thankful to have such amazing friends that support me!
All the jewelry!
You have a week or two after your party until you have to send back the jewelry, so even if some people weren’t able to make the party, they can still buy something!
Check out Destiny Rescue’s two websites! (The first one is the link to their shop, which has some of the same jewelry that I had available, if you’d like to purchase them online or you can donate on their main website.)
Again, thank you so much to everybody who prayed for this event and invested financially. Your support is going to help so many young girls be rescued and introduced to the unconditional love of Christ.
Let me tell you, the last few weeks have been a complete whirlwind!! My wonderful friend, Emily, asked me to be a bridesmaid in her wedding on June 2nd in Chicago so I spent a few days there for that. She also asked me to be in charge of all the decorations, which was a complete honor. I enjoyed every single minute of it. Thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your big day and congratulations Sean and Emily!
The beautiful bride, Emily!
Unfortunately, I had to leave the reception a little bit early because my friends, Sabrina and Betsy and I had planned a trip to Hilton Head, SC and we had planned to leave the day after the wedding. I left the wedding around 8:30pm and arrived in Lexington around 4:30am, where Sabrina, Betsy and I left for Hilton Head immediately. I attempted to sleep as much as I could while Sabrina drove the first leg of the trip, but I didn’t get much rest. It’s about a nine hour drive from Lexington, but it took us about 10 hours with stops.
We chose to rent an Airbnb to help save some money. When looking for Airbnbs to rent, be sure to check the reviews, photos and amenities offered. Our host was very nice and easy to communicate with. We had an extremely good experience and would highly recommend going this route for your next vacation!
Our Airbnb was located inside a private beach and tennis resort. The ocean was just a short walk away! Since we had our own full kitchen, we chose to make our own breakfast and lunch meals. We bought nonperishable groceries before we left and went grocery shopping for perishable items once we arrived on the island. We had bacon or sausage, eggs and donuts each morning for breakfast and PB&J sandwiches with chips and fresh fruit for lunch each day. We chose to go out to eat each night for dinner.
The kitchen of our Airbnb
Shortly after we arrived on Sunday, we went to the beach to relax after a long car ride. After soaking up some sun, it was time for a shower and dinner. We were going to go to a restaurant called A Lowcountry Backyard, but they were closed on Sunday. We looked up another place called Crazy Crab and headed that way, but when we got there it said they were closed for renovations! So we tried one final place called Chow Daddy’s. I ordered grilled chicken tacos with avocado and they were delicious! Sabrina got fried chicken tacos and Betsy got a chicken sandwich with pimento cheese.
Right when we got to the beach!
My grilled chicken tacos with avocado
Sabrina’s fried chicken tacos
Betsy’s chicken sandwich with pimento cheese
After dinner, we came back and watched a movie for the remainder of the night. Well, Sabrina and Betsy did. I passed out because I had literally been awake for almost 40 straight hours from the wedding and driving.
After a good night’s sleep, we ate breakfast and headed straight to the beach. We had packed lunches to eat there as well. Everyone knows that when you go to the beach, sand gets everywhere. One way to help minimize this is by taking a fitted sheet and setting up four objects in the corners. It creates a “boat-like” sheet to sit on, keeping most of the sand out. Another great tip to get sand off your body is applying baby powder to the sandy site. While we were sitting on the beach, a man was fishing and caught a baby shark! He eventually released it, but it kept us out of the water for a while. We also saw some jellyfish in the water as well.
Fitted sheet trick
After cleaning up, we headed to The Salty Dog Cafe for dinner. The restaurant is located inside a private resort so you have to pay $6 for a daily pass. We arrived around 6:15 and there was an hour and 45 minute wait. However, we were okay with waiting because we really wanted to eat there. However, the wait really was not that bad because there are so many shops and things to do nearby. The hostess gets your phone number and they text you when your table is ready. They had a little convenience store in one of the shops so we bought a snack to help hold us over until we ate. We also went to the famous Salty Dog T-shirt Factory. I bought a purple t-shirt and teal koozie. Sabrina bought a navy hat, and Betsy bought a blue t-shirt. We only ended up waiting an hour for our table, so that was nice. We got seated by a huge window inside that looked out to the water; it was beautiful.
The view from our table
The Salty Dog is known for their seafood, which Sabrina and I aren’t huge fans of, but they do have other food as well. I was planning on getting the “Jake-zilla” burger, but I saw a picture of it in a catalog and there was no way I could eat all of that; it was ginormous!! So I ordered the kid’s version, “puppy-zilla.” It was still extremely big, especially for a kid’s meal, but I ate the whole thing because I was so hungry. It was so so good. It was a burger with pulled pork, onion rings, bacon and pimento cheese, topped with a pickle spear and hush puppy. I got fresh fruit as my side. Betsy got island-style shrimp and Sabrina got hush puppies and fresh fruit. After eating, we walked around Harbour Town and headed back to the Airbnb for an early bedtime because we planned to watch the sunrise the next morning.
My “puppyzilla” burger. It was still huge!
Betsy’s island-style shrimp with rice and vegetables
The lighthouse at Harbour Town
5:45am came awfully early, but the view was so worth it. There were so many jellyfish washed up on shore; it was crazy. After walking along the beach for a while, we headed back to the room to eat breakfast.
Beautiful sunrise
Jellyfish that had washed up on the shore
We went back to the beach until lunch time and then ate back at the room and explored some of the shops around the island. There was this super cute shop called Branches that had some home decor items as well as a flower shop. They even sold macarons! It was definitely my kind of place. Y’all know I gotta get my home decor fix, even while on vacation.
We were dead tired from being up so early so we went back to the room for a short nap before dinner. We chose to go to A Lowcountry Backyard for dinner and let me tell you, this please is AMAZING!!! Not only the food, but the over-all atmosphere is fantastic as well. The environment is just like the name suggests: a backyard. They have indoor and outdoor seating, but the outdoor is under a giant umbrella with string lights. The ground is covered in mulch and you sit at picnic tables and chairs. There is even a little spot where families can play games. A live performer plays music during your meal as well. It is so darn cute!
The huge umbrella that covers the outdoor seating area
The live performer
The game area
Cute little area to sit while waiting to be seated
We all shared an appetizer of pimento cheese with flatbread and tortilla chips. Y’all. I don’t know what it is, but South Carolina is obsessed with pimento cheese. Literally every restaurant we went to had pimento cheese somewhere on the menu. It was sooo good!! For our main meals, Sabrina and I ordered their homemade meatloaf (made with potato chips instead of bread crumbs) and Betsy ordered a crab cake sandwich. Our food and overall experience was so fantastic that we decided we were going to eat there the next night too.
The meatloaf Sabrina and I got
Crab cake sandwich Betsy got
After our bellies were full, we decided to play a round of putt putt golf. When we got there it was pretty crowded. We had to wait to take our turn on the first couple holes, but after a while it wasn’t bad at all. I did terrible; scoring a 71 on a 56 par. Betsy got a 62 and Sabrina won with a 58! We headed back to the room for a good night’s sleep before another full day at the beach.
Our last full day at the beach was definitely an interesting one! We were out in the water when all of a sudden I heard a little boy scream. I turned to look in his direction and I saw a SHARK in the water about 20 feet away from us!! Okay, it wasn’t a full-size, jaws-type shark; it was a baby. However, it was still probably 3 feet long and very close to us, so we high-tailed it out of the water. The shark was probably less than 10 feet from the shore and we were deeper than that. The lifeguard said that they had seen another one about 50 yards from the shore, which was probably the mom. Needless to say that definitely kept us out of the water for a while! It was a little scary, but also exciting for sure! We enjoyed a nice lunch on the beach while soaking up as much sun as possible. Maybe a little too much, because we all got burnt, despite using five bottles of sunscreen the whole trip!
After we got cleaned up, we headed back to A Lowcountry Backyard for our second meal there. This time we got to sit outside and enjoy the beautiful weather. We all loved the pimento cheese appetizer so much that we all got our own with all flatbread instead of tortilla chips. We were in HEAVEN. It’s so good y’all I can’t say enough about it. We each ordered a side to go with it as well. Betsy and I got side salads and Sabrina got a fruit cup. They are also famous for their banana pudding so we each got our own and it was BOMB. We were so happy. If y’all ever go to Hilton Head, you HAVE to eat here!! 10/10 highly recommend.
Our individual pimento cheese appetizers
Our delicious banana pudding
Earlier that morning I noticed that I couldn’t find my Salty Dog t-shirt or koozie anywhere. We searched the Airbnb and my car and it was nowhere to be found. So I called the restaurant to see if I somehow accidentally left it there. After a little bit of waiting they told me they had it!! I was so happy. So after we ate dinner we headed back to Salty Dog to go get it. Yes, we had to pay the $6 to get in again, but I didn’t care at that point because I got my shirt and koozie.
We headed straight to the beach to see the beautiful sunset. We took a few pictures and some people walking by were kind enough to take a picture of all three of us. After the sun had gone down we headed back to the room to relax for our last night.
In the morning after we finished packing we headed to the beach for one last walk before we headed home.
I’m so glad I got to go on this girls trip! It was just what I needed after a crazy-hectic few days before. Relaxing on the beach just does something good to the soul.
If you’re a regular around here, you know what Vintage Market Days is and my obsession with them. See my posts about their previous events here and here.
VMD of Lexington had their third event over Memorial day weekend two weeks ago. In case you’re unfamiliar with VMD, they are “an upscale vintage-inspired market featuring original art, antiques, clothing, jewelry, handmade treasures, home décor, outdoor furnishings, consumable yummies, seasonal plantings and a little more.” There are over 100 vendors from 19 different states, so there is bound to be something for everybody! A portion of the proceeds go to Old Friends Farm in Georgetown, KY where they rescue old racehorses and give them a home.
The theme for this event was “Old Fashioned Summertime.” This was the display that was set up when you first walked in. I helped work the event on Friday taking people’s tickets and giving them wristbands. We even got to wear these adorable aprons!
I worked the event Friday
Sabrina, Betsy and me on Saturday
As usual, Friday is the “early buying event”. Tickets are $10 and are good for all weekend if you want to come back. Tickets for Saturday and Sunday are $5 and are also good for the remainder of the weekend. Friday and Saturday hours are 10am-5pm and Sunday is 10am-4pm. VMD is hosted at the Kentucky Horse Park in the covered arena, so even if it rains, it’s still on! Parking is $5, but is free if you come back and show your wristband.
I attended the event with my two best friends and my boyfriend, who was visiting Lexington for the first time. Eric and Mimi Griffith, the owners of the VMD Lexington franchise, were so kind to give me two tickets as a “thank you” for working for them the day prior. They put so much work into this event to make it amazing!
Each day the first 25 people in line get a bag full of coupons and other goodies. We were a part of the first 25 this time so we were excited to get those!
Going in I didn’t have anything specific in mind that I was looking to buy, just whatever popped out to me. Walking in, all of the booths were so beautiful! Here are some photos of the types of items the vendors sell:
Taken from the VMD Facebook page
Taken from the VMD Facebook page
Taken from the VMD Facebook page
Taken from the VMD Facebook page
Taken from the VMD Facebook page
Taken from the VMD Facebook page
One booth sold a wide variety of different flavors of coffee cakes that were absolutely delicious! Another sold worm castings as fertilizer (haha) and another drew pictures of your pets on the spot by simply looking at a photo.
I ended up buying a gorgeous studded white glass jar for $6.50 and a weathered wooden wall accent with metal detailing for $15. I should have bought more than one of those jars, they were so cute!
There were plenty of fantastic items for sale for everyone. All of the vendors were amazing and put so much work into getting set up. I would love to have my own booth at something like this one day! VMD of Lexington will be back in the fall for their fourth event October 26-28! I can’t wait to go for the fourth time!
Hey y’all! Long time no see! Sorry about that; I just finished up my second-to-last semester about a week and a half ago and am now back home (I won’t be home much of the summer though.)
As summer is starting to kick off, I thought it would be fun to make a post about my favorite places to go hiking in Kentucky. Hiking is one of my favorite activities to do with my friends. You get to enjoy the beautiful nature that Kentucky has to offer as well as being active!
A couple things to keep in mind when going hiking:
Be mindful of the level of difficulty of trails offered as well as approximately how long they will take you to complete. Always overestimate the amount of time you block out for hiking by at least an hour. Something always seems to happen that makes it take longer than expected.
Be aware of what the weather has been like around that area from the past few days. It’s probably not a good idea to go hiking after it has been rainy. A lot of trails have hills and if they are muddy, it can be dangerous!
Dress appropriately for the weather and wear shoes with good tread. If it is hot outside, always pack plenty of water as well as snacks/lunch for along the way.
Always pick up any trash you may have. The slogan for most Kentucky State Parks is to “Leave No Trace.”
It’s best to always hike with a partner. You never know what could happen and if you’re by yourself with bad cell service, it won’t be good.
Okay now that we got that out of the way, let’s get started!
Natural Bridge
Location: 2135 Natural Bridge Rd. Slade, KY 40376 (just about an hour outside of Lexington)
This is one of my favorite places to go hiking! I don’t always get to go here very often since it’s an hour away, but I would definitely recommend it! There are plenty of trails for all levels. Pets are not allowed except for two trails.
Sabrina and I on Devil’s Staircase
The Natural Bridge
Pinnacles
Location: Highway 21, Berea, KY 40403 (about 45 minutes outside of Lexington).
I will say that the address is very vague; when I went before, it was difficult to find. We had to stop at a podunk grocery store to ask for directions. Just be on the lookout for signs! This hiking spot is very nice, but there aren’t as many trail options as there are with the bigger parks. Pets are allowed, but must be kept on a leash.
Location: Stanton, KY 40380 (a little under an hour outside of Lexington).
The Red River Gorge also has a pretty vague address. If you look up the address online, it says it’s on Robbie Ridge Rd, but DO NOT go on this road. It’s at a very steep incline and it’s not even the correct entrance. Keep driving on Compton road until you start seeing signs for “Nada Tunnel-Red River Gorge” and follow those. You can read about our adventures at the Gorge here. There are plenty of trails to choose from here with a variety of difficulty levels. Pets are allowed, but must be kept on a leash.
This is a nice little spot in Lexington to get away from all the hustle and bustle. There are several trails to choose from Pets are not allowed on the trails.
Location: 740 Shanty Hill Rd. Wilmore, KY 40390 (about 20 minutes outside of Lexington)
If you aren’t paying close attention, you can easily miss the turn for this as well. You have to follow a very narrow road down to the trailhead, so be careful! This is also a nice little hiking spot right outside of Lexington. Pets are allowed as long as they are kept on a leash.
Sabrina and Betsy by the Kentucky River. We didn’t take my own advice and went hiking when it was muddy. We had to slide on our butts down a muddy hill lol
Thanks for stopping by y’all! Go out and enjoy the beauty that is Kentucky.
akentuckygirlsthoughts 