Sex and the City

Hi dolls! My name is Samantha and I blog over at Hooah and Hiccups! I'm usually writing about my favorite fashion trend or accessory, my wildly adorable little man, or spilling my heart on some random subject. I'm open, I'm honest, and I would do just about anything to put a smile on someone's face :) 

Anyways! Today I'm going to be talking to you about how Carrie Bradshaw and I are basically twins separated at birth.

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Let's start out with our curly hair. Until puberty, my hair was basically pin straight except for one random wave near the bottom. It was horrific; I cringe looking back at pictures. But once I hit puberty (and after two perms) my hair just stayed curly! Granted hers is a lot curlier than mine but hey, I'll take this over what it was any day!

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We love fashion! So no, I've never spent $480 on a pair of shoes like she tends to do frequently, but that doesn't mean I can't drool over them. I take expensive looks like that and do it for much cheaper. I ran a Reality Chic series a few weeks in a row and you'd be amazed how much you can save when you really take the time to look. Take inspiration from Pinterest, magazines, celebs, etc and then give it your own frugal fashionista twist!

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I'm a lover; I absolutely love to be in love. I'm a hopeless romantic and luckily for me, my husband is too most of the time. We fell in love through snail mail letters while he was away at basic training and well, the rest is history. Carrie went through her share of men on the series but it was ALWAYS Mr. Big. Always.

We love to write! Writing has always been my biggest passion. I wrote for my student newspaper in college and started blogging when my hubby deployed to Afghanistan. Although I don't write about sex like she does, I'm still going to count that as a similarity. She shares her life through her writing and well, so do I. 

I was meant to live in a city. Due to the military lifestyle dictating where I live, I don't really have an option to move to a big city. However had my life gone a different route, I would have been living the dream in the middle of Manhattan or Chi-town. I guess there's always my next life..

So there you have it! Carrie and I are basically twins! I'd love for you to stop by and say hello! And a big thank you to Aileen for having me today! xoxo

Just Stay Lovely

 My name is Candice & I blog over at Just Stay Lovely!

I was flattered when Aileen asked me to guest post for her! Isn't she just the sweetest? And lets be honest I am real jealous for her trip to Europe and I can't wait until she gets back to hear all about it! (Not that I am trying to rush you girlfriend.. but we will miss you!)

So, I am originally from South Jersey but fell in love with New England after attending college in New Hampshire. I fell in love with the cutest boy from Maine, and was accepted into graduate school at Boston University for deaf education (yes I talk with my hands!) So I am packing up my stuff and moving myself into the most adorable apartment next Friday the 24th!

Ahh cute huh? You can see the initial inside tour here

• I am a huge tea drinker. cold, hot, room temp -- you name it -- I love it
• I can't have nice earnings, I always loose them, so I stick to Forever21
• I tend to get emotionally attached to TV characters
• Hate seafood it freaks me out!
• I love wine.. and a total wino 
• Coffee shops.. love everything about them, the smell, the feel, the drinks.
• Obsessed with Law & Order SUV (How cute is detective Elliot?)
• I hate to drive but am always that friend who ends up driving
• 4 people in my 'real life' know about my blog
• & yes I am totally that person who hugs someone they just met 'hello'

One more very fun thing I want to share with you! Four bloggers and myself are hosting an instagram challenge! Its called #piclove365. The rules are pretty simple, post a picture everyday (or try to!) for the next year and dont forget to use the hashtag! Its just something fun we decided to do to get to know each other more! You can read more about it here here or here! 

I really hope you decided to join us!

Well thank you so much for reading & thanks again to Aileen for letting me be featured!

Be sure to come over and say hello! 

Fair Trade Fashion

I have been slowly getting through 7: A Mutiny against Excess. It is definitely a hard read, not because it's difficult to physically read, but it's extremely challenging and thought provoking. Through this book, I have been challenged to think differently about how much I have been blessed with in life.

I've been challenged to start making purchases that support fair trade and women and wanted to share three businesses for today's Wearable Wednesday.

FashionABLE works with women in Africa helping to create sustainable business to fight against poverty.  Purchasing a scarf is a great investment in others' lives, and I'll be making my first purchase when we get home.

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Noonday supports raising money for adoptions and providing funds for orphan care. They have fabulous jewelry as well as bags, scarves, and home decor items.

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I am in love with Better Life Bags and have my eye on the "Molly" bag that can be customized. It is the perfect size and shape for around town, traveling, or for going back and forth to work. And this bag is made all the sweeter because it supports low income workers in Detroit with other giving to entreprenuers in developing countries.

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You should check these shops out and support their causes!

Limited Space Organizing

Hey everyone, I'm Sarah and I blog over at Limited Space Organizing! I'm a 20-something newlywed, accountant by day, blogger by night.  I love to blog about anything organizational, DIY, or recipes.  My true love is organizing.  If I could go organize for a job, I totally would!

Here are some things you may find on my blog:


1. Recipes-

Healthy Hummus Turkey Wrap

Homemade Pizza

2. DIY Projects-

DIY Painted Curtains

DIY Wreaths

3. Organizational Tips

How to Clean Out Your Closet

How to Hang Curtains Without Putting Holes in the Wall

Some other bloggers and I have just started an Instagram challenge called #piclove365, we are taking a picture a day for the next YEAR! It's not too late to join in, we will be having a link up at the end of every month so you can show off your favorite pics! Please come by and say hi! I would love to meet you!!

Here are my social media sites if you would like to follow along:

Twitter/Facebook/Instagram/Pinterest/Bloglovin

Yummy Goodness

Hey guys! I’m Lindsey and the handsome devil to my right is my fiancé, B. I started my little blog, Follow the Ruels, right after B and I got engaged over Memorial Day weekend last year. It originally started as a way for me to document my wedding planning journey as well as some of my other hobbies.

One of those hobbies, and something that you will probably find doing on a weekly basis, is baking. I do a lot of baking. Which is kind of an unfortunate hobby for a girl that needs to fit into a wedding dress in six months.

If you have read my blog for any length of time, you can probably guess what my favorite thing to bake is - muffins. Muffins are kind of a big thing in my family. My stepmom makes incredible muffins and I have been lucky enough to get some of her recipes. Most of the time, however, I try out my own flavor combinations.

The last muffin recipe I tested was a Strawberry Toasted Coconut muffin, which was delicious. Sweet and tropical.

Print recipe here.

Another sweet favorite of mine is the Raspberry Dark Chocolate muffin I made for Valentine's Day. 

View recipe here.

But I also like to make healthier muffins. I tried out Gordon Ramsay's Whole Wheat Blueberry muffin not too long ago. 

View recipe here.

And I have also gone a little outside of the box and made muffins using quinoa, like in these Quinoa Blueberry muffins. 

View recipe here.

I hope that I have given you some muffin inspiration for the next time you get in the baking mood! I would love it if you would stop by and say hi over at Follow the Ruels. Or you can find me on Bloglovin, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram!

Happy baking!!

Southern Cities

Hey there Sparkly and Sweet Readers, I'm Laura Beth and I blog over at Table For One. While our girl is gone I'm taking over for the day!! Something that initially drew me to Aileen's blog was her and The Chef's love for traveling, which is one of my top favorite things to do! Today I wanted to share with y'all some of my favorite southern cities.

Nashville, Tennessee.

October 2009 - UGA vs Vandy

Bluebird Cafe. Country Music. Pancake Pantry. And Boots Boots Boots!!! Three pairs of cowboy boots for $300! Essentially you and two girlfriends all get a pair of boots for $100....can't beat that! Not to mention that might just run into a country star while in town!

Savannah, Georgia.


It could be the moss covered squares. It could be the rich history. It could be the ghosts or that my favorite book of all time - Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil - is set in this coastal Georgia town. Quite possibly it might the open container law.... I don't know which one it is, but this is one of my favorite cities to escape to! I spent my 21st birthday, NYE 2010, and most recently Erin's Bachelorette Party in Savannah. Here are my favorite places to go.... Belfords, The Olde Pink House, Bernies Oyster Bar, Savannah Smiles and Bohemian Rooftop Bar.

Atlanta, Georgia

I might be a little partial to this town seeing as how it is only a mere 50-60 minute drive from Athens. If you want to shop til you drop, dine a like a queen, see sights like a tourist and relax in the lap of luxury this is the city for you!! I could write post after post on what to do, where to go, where to stay but I've narrowed down pretty much my favorite places for you to visit. Best Brunch - Einsteins. Favorite Bar - Buckhead Bottle Bar. Shopping - Lenox and Phipps. Stay - W Midtown, Loews Hotel, The Georgian Terrace or The Glenn. See A Show - Fox Theatre. Tourists - The Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola, Piedmont Park, Fernbank and Atlanta Botanical Gardens.

Last but not least......

Charleston, South Carolina

The first time I went here it was a spur of the moment, crazy fly by the seat of my pants decision to go. You see the night before we left was my first date with Brad....the next day I was packing my bags and taking off to Charleston with him. Crazy? Yes. Insane? Absolutely. But I have never taken a trip that has stuck with me like Charleston has. A friend of mine who knew I was going said..."You'll never want to come back" and she was right. The rich history, the food, King Street shopping and all the walking made me a little sad to come home that Sunday night. You can read about that crazy weekend here and here.

I love Athens. If I could stay here forever I would. But if the opportunity presented itself for me to move to God's Country, I would. In a heartbeat. Hands down no questions.

Speaking of Athens - Athens, Georgia - Home of UGA, REM, B52's, Widespread Panic, The Tree That Owns Itself, Georgia Theatre and 60 - yes sixty - bars within a four block radius! Home Sweet Home!!

What are some of your favorite cities?? Better yet got any Northern cities to recommend? I've always wanted to go to Boston and Chicago! Share with me! 

Thanks for letting me takeover today Aileen! I hope that you are having a great vacation :)

hello from Vienna

I thought I'd check in, see how you all were, and to tell you I can't wait to fully share about our trip!

The Chef and I have been having the most fabulous time sight seeing, stuffing ourselves, and soaking up time together. We have packed so much in already, and I wish that time would slow down. So far, we've done London and are coming to the end of Vienna before heading to Salzburg, Paris, and Frankfurt.

Unfortunately, you'll have to wait for photos because I can't upload them. And I'll have plenty of eats, sights, and packing tips when we get back.

Now to wake up the Chef from his nap, so we can keep going! I hope you've been enjoying the fabulous guest bloggers! Be sure to stop by their blogs and leave them some love.

Cheers!