Best Weekend

Now that I'm entering my 2nd trimester I'm taking full advantage of having some of my energy back (and not feeling queasy all the time). I drove down to Philly this past weekend to visit my BFF, Heather (Hi, Heather!). We had a fun-filled weekend of maternity shopping, wedding dress shopping, and eating out of course! It was such a great weekend and it was also a very successful shopping trip! We shopped till we dropped and closed the mall down but we found maternity clothes for me (I'll show you what I got in a later post) and Heather found the perfect wedding dress- SOOOO exciting!

I left my car at her soon-to-be in-laws house and when I came back to get my car the next day this is what I found:

Her in-laws decorated the side windows of my car...

even my rear view mirror was decorated...

and rear window... 

...and my entire car was filled with pink & blue balloons!

I was so surprised and so touched. How sweet of them to do this for me?!  Maybe it was the hormones but  I actually teared up when I saw this. 

On my way home I met up with an old friend for a late lunch and finally caught up on life. It was such a fantastic weekend. On my drive home all I could think about was how incredibly lucky I am to have the people in my life that I do because I feel so loved.

Big Things are Happening Part II

I'm pregnant! Our little one is due on February 1st and we couldn't be more excited!

I've known for the longest time now and it was so hard for me to keep it a secret but we wanted to wait until we were in the "safe zone" before making any announcements. 

I got this chalkboard for the sole purpose of doing pregnancy updates but I think I  my husband will need to re-do the paint job already. Apparently, the spray kind of chalkboard paint from Lowe's isn't all that great so if you have any suggestions of what brand of paint works, please let me know!

Big Things are Happening Part I

We are just a few short weeks away from vacation #1 and I couldn't be more excited. My husband and I along with my parents, 2 brothers, and my brother's girlfriend are headed to Ocean City, Maryland for a week at the beach. 

via google images
Seacrets- one of my all time favorite places.
They have the best food and the best frozen drinks (Rum Runners, Pina Coladas, and my personal favorite- the Pain in de Ass which is a combo of the two drinks. They also have the best atmosphere- palm trees, sand, and Jamaican music- not to mention  the tables and rafts in the water where you can tan and have your drinks served to you all day long. Then at night it turns into a night club. They don't call this place Jamaica USA for nothing, you truly don't feel like you are in the US anymore once you set foot in this sand.

I can't wait to get my hands on a bucket of Thrasher's fries either. My husband (boyfriend, at the time) introduced me to these on our first trip to Ocean City back in 2004 and the rest is history. I was skeptical at first at the thought of pouring a bunch of salt and apple cider vinegar on fries (no ketchup? really?!) but oh my goodness they are so delish!

via google images
For those of you who aren't familiar with Ocean City, MD it's a long peninsula, kind of like an island. The walk from the ocean side to the bay side only takes like 5-10 minutes, that's how skinny it is. We have gone there every year since we have been together but this year we convinced my family to come along too.

Then when we get back from Ocean City, we have another trip to look forward to. For the first time ever- we are going to be on the West Coast.

Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, CA via google images

We'll be staying in San Fran. for a few days, visiting family in Santa Rosa, and then driving along the coast to hit Monterey, Big Sur, Carmel, San Simeon, and maybe San Jose if we have time.

So yea, big things are happening in our lives- last year we crossed Italy off of our bucket list, this year California will be crossed off the list, and in 2013 another big life event will be coming along our way. Remember this post when I said that I had a big announcement?
Well, I've kept you waiting long enough so it's coming -tomorrow-!

Addictions & Additions

Everyone is addicted to something. I just can't ever have enough shoes, but I've always been that way I suppose. 

Forever- Burlington

Dr. Scholl's- Burlington
with memory foam- not only are they cute but they are so comfortable that they feel like slippers!

This is where my newest addiction comes in... polka dots.
These days I seem to want everything that has polka dots on it.
Left to Right: Charlotte Russe, Old Navy, Old Navy

What's better than a new pair of comfortable sweats? Two pairs!
I found these at Target and I thought they would be perfect for when we go to the beach because I always get cold at night after being in the sun all day. Anyone else get like that or am I the only crazy who packs sweats and hoodies for the beach?

My new makeup brush holder from Ikea. It's actually a planter but it fits makeup brushes perfectly. So if you're on the lookout for a holder, I highly recommend this cute option.

New polish- Revlon Colorstay in Cafe Pink. I love this super-light pink hue and I also love that it lasts me about 6-7 days without chipping.

OOTD & New Accessories!

It has been scorching hot here so I've been keeping it pretty simple. I've had this tank top in my closet for for longest time but I've never really worn it so I'm happy to say that it has been re-discovered.

Ruffled Tank Top- Target (kind of old)
Shorts- Sears
Bow Flip Flops- H&M (old)
Bracelet- yard sale

I went to this community yard sale this past weekend and  totally scored! I two new (really, they are new) pieces of jewelry. 

This mesh link necklace is from Express and it's still on their website for $34.90.
Don't hate me, but I paid $6!

I also got this pretty yellow jeweled bracelet for $6. Most of her jewelry was from Express so I'm not sure if this was from a previous season or if it was from a different store.

Yard sales are really hit or miss but sometimes you stumble upon a treasure.
Do you ever go to yard sales? 

Camera Roll

Revlon Lilac Pastelle
Let me tell you- this nail polish is all the rage!
Funny Story: I borrowed this nail polish from my mom, my sister-in-law fell in love with the color, went  out and bought it, then my friend commented on it the next day. Here's the funny part- at the same time my friend was commenting on it, a text message came in from my sister-in-law saying that she found the polish! Crazy, huh? Maybe you had to be there but I was pretty freaked out.

My new oh-so-healthy morning obsession.

Greek Custard
So we found this ammaaazziinngg Greek restaurant along our travels and fell in love with their food but unfortunately, it's about 2 hours away from home:( They were so excited that we sat outside (in a traditional Greek fashion, I guess) that they brought us a free appetizer- pita bread with a delicious olive dip. We both ordered a gyro platter which was enormous, so enormous that my husband couldn't finish his either and we both had enough for a full lunch the next day. After packaging up half of our meals they brought us another gift- Greek custard, on the house. Neither one of us have tried it before but we have both discovered a new dessert favorite because it was amazing. How sweet of them to bring us complimentary dishes?! I can't wait to go back!

I'm Skipping Fall this Year because....

...the Fall 2012 trends are Ridiculous (that's right with a capital "R"). I paged through my August issue of Glamour last night and I nearly threw it right in the garbage after seeing the "Glamour Fashion" section. Don't get me wrong I love Glamour and it's not their fault that next season's trends are a disgrace little less than favorable but come on!  

Western Wear
-Western Jeans & Rodeo Tops, No Thanks!

Brogues
Ok, so the menswear trend was cute and I really like the whole menswear watch thing but this is just taking it to the next level. I don't even like these shoes for men.

Now this is more like it. Take the trend and put a feminine twist on  it and I'm all in.

Denim on Denim
How long has this been a fashion no-no? Forever? Yes, that's what I thought and it should forever remain that way in my book.

Floral Pants
I know this post has a lot of ranting and raving in it so I'll end on a positive note. This is the one trend that I don't mind at all. I think these floral pants are fun, unique, and a reminder of the early nineties (which isn't such a bad thing).

You know, following trends isn't for everyone. You have to do what works for you and I've noticed that my style is pretty classic with a few select trendy pieces worked in. That's really what fashion is all about in my mind- wearing what works for you, your body type, and personality.

So spill...what trends are you despising?

You can find me over here...

I'm guest posting for Brie today about my vacation to Italy. I know many of my long-time readers have probably had your fill of Italy by now so be sure to check out Brie's blog, Sophistifunk while you're over there. She's so sweet and she has great style too! 

Living on the Lake

Where have I been?!

Yes, that's me.

BBQ's - Brunches - & Birthdays Oh My! 

Oh and spending countless days at the lake jetskiing, lounging, and grilling on the islands/beaches.

I've been so bad at updating this little blog of mine and I guess it's because I've been so busy spending every last free moment that I have enjoying this beautiful weather. I don't know what has happened to me but I've been forgetting to take outfit photos (and there have been some good ones too). I guess I've let summer take over but I promise to re-connect with my camera and iPhone to update you all more often. 

In other news, I have a pretty big announcement coming up in a couple of weeks and I think I know making that announcement will get me back on my blogging track. So stay tuned...

What I've Been Reading: June 2012

Can you believe June is over already?! While part of me is happy because I am that much closer to my upcoming vacations, another part of me is like what the heck? - a third of my summer is over!

Question of the month (from Noelle): Why do you blog? Has the reason changed over time, and if so, in what ways?
Let me just first start off by saying that this is the best question. ever. I always wonder this about other bloggers. I actually started blogging in 2009 after I graduated from college. When I graduated I was still so uncertain as to what I wanted to do with my life. I can't believe that I'm going to admit this but I actually missed writing papers (which by the way is insane because as a Communications major, I wrote a lot of papers in my time). That being said, I was also ready to read things that I wanted to read as opposed to things that were required for a certain class. I had a lot of free time after graduation and that's when I stumbled up You Tube beauty gurus which then led me to the wonderful world of blogging. One of the first gurus that I followed was Dulce Candy and she is really the one that sparked my interest and inspired me to start blogging.
I am, always have been, and always will be a complete girly-girl and I could talk about hair and makeup all day if someone was willing to listen but another passion of mine is interior design. So initially I created "Schnelle Couture" with the hopes of sharing beauty, fashion, and home decor inspiration. Later, I dropped "Couture" and stuck with "Schnelle" as my blog developed into more of a lifestyle blog. I don't have a Facebook page or Twitter account, nor do I share my Instagrams or Pinterest pins. I like my blog just the way it is, and honestly I just don't have the time or energy to maintain any other form of social media. Also, another factor is my privacy. While I admire those bloggers who can do it all and put it all out there, that just isn't me. That doesn't mean that what you read here isn't totally and completely me because it most definitely is; I just haven't warmed up to the idea of constantly showing my face in my photos because I don't want my pictures all over the internet. My feelings may evolve over time but for right now, this is what is right for me.

So...basically to sum it all up I blog today because it is my creative outlet to share things that I love, things that make me happy with people who have similar interests. I continue to blog because of my readers who leave me such sweet, encouraging comments and because of the amazing bloggers that I have connected with and become close to over time. So thank you all for being to warm, friendly, and kind-hearted.

...and now I'd like to know why it is that you blog. Have your reasons changed over time?

Leave your thoughts in the comments. I can't wait to see your answers.

• Beautygirl24 - Noelle has enjoyed styling outfits using unexpected color combinations. Mint and hot pink are surprisingly versatile!
• Ella Pretty - Ella's "What's in my Bag" post features her new Marc Jacobs Single bag.
• Lilly's Style - Lilly is mixing bright colors.
• Pearls and Green Tea - Jiye's back from Paris - and she has a "mini" surprise.
• Saltwater Dreams - Andi's reviewing her recent beauty purchases, check out what makes the grade here.
• Schnelle Couture - Danielle is embracing her love for all things nautical.
• Sequins and Stilettos - Skylette is sporting leopard as a neutral here with bright yellow pants!