Kate Spade Friends & Family Sale

Kate Spade is having a Friends & Family Sale with 25% off your entire purchase!!  Just use the code "S14FFUS".  You know I love a good sale and there are so many cute things to chose from!  What are you going to scoop up?!  Click HERE to head on over to the site!

Tan-In-A-Can

The sun is out. The weather is warming up. Spring has sprung.  April is here. I'm as pale as Casper the Friendly Ghost.

IT'S TIME TO BREAK OUT THE FAKE TAN, BOYS AND GIRLS!!!  WOOOHOO!  As a general rule, I don't/can't tan when I go out in the sun, I freckle and burn.  Therefore, fake tan and SPF 100, no joke, are my best friends.  This is my favorite of all my fake tan best friends...Banana Boat Summer Color Self-Tanning Lotion in the Deep Dark Color.

Click here-->Banana Boat Summer Color Self-Tanning Lotion at Drugstore.com

I've found that Banana Boat Summer Color has the most natural color and doesn't wash away or wear off as quickly as others.  I always buy the Deep Dark Color, rather than the lighter shade, because it saves time having to build up your desired "tan" color.  The quicker the amount of time it takes for me to not look like Casper, the better.  Also, this brand doesn't smell as bad as the others.  In college, my friends and I found a brand that actually smelled like fish food when it started to work.  That was unfortunate.

Pro-Tips:

1. Exfoliate first:  I don't have a favorite exfoliant (sorry, friends, you're on your own), I just use whatever samples I have on hand or I just scrub, scrub, scrub with a washcloth.

2. Try to apply even amounts: if you put a blob of fake tan in your hand to rub onto one leg, put the same size blog in your hand to rub onto the other leg.  I'm a Libra, we like balance.

3. Use sparingly around your knees, elbows, ankles, and eyebrows.  Those areas tend to suck up the fake tan the most and we don't want you to look like you rubbed yourself with a sweet potato or like you're having an Oompa Loompa breakout of some sort.

4. We're almost done: Try to let your tan dry as much as possible before putting on your clothes, or if you're fake tanning at night, before you go to bed.  Your clothes will stick to the fake tan and that means that precious fake tan will come off on your clothes.  Sad for you, sad for your clothes.

I hope this has been helpful to you!  Now, slather on the fake tan and go have fun outside!

Fake-tanily yours, 

Carolina Brunette

Lilly Pulitzer on Rue La La

Hi there!  Lilly Pulitzer will be on Rue La La starting March 27th at 11 AM!  Rue La La is such an easy to use website and they have a great app for smartphones.  I love any chance to buy Lilly Pulitzer on sale!  Click HERE if you aren't already a member and would like an invitation! Happy Shopping!

Monogram Monday: Totes M'Goats

Happy Monday!  I hope you all had a great weekend.  It was sunny and warm and then the cold weather decided to come back today. Bleh. And the pollen.  Double Bleh. 

So, to pep things up and to keep our sights on the warm weather ahead, I thought I'd share my favorite monogrammed beach bag/travel bag (well, all purpose bag, really)....my Lands' End tote.  Here she is.  Isn't she a beaut?!

My favorite part about Lands' End is that they will monogram just about anything (ok, maybe not anything) and the turnaround time for orders is pretty quick.  They also have great monogram designs and options.  I have the Medium Natural Open Top Canvas Tote Bag and I like it because the strap is long enough to carry on your shoulder and the tote part is big enough to put a towel, sunscreen, magazines, water, etc. for the beach or toiletries, hairdryer, flat-iron, makeup, etc. for travel.

Beauregard, the cutest Scottie Dog in the World, has the red version of the one I have and his has "BEAU" monogrammed on it.  He saw mine and demanded that he have his own bag to put his food, bowls, toys, treats, and carpet cleaner spray (this is key) in for when he travels.  I was like, "Ok, ok, I'll get you one for Christmas.  For a dog, you are so smart and have great taste!"  

Click here to check out the totes and be sure to look at the cute Easter ones that would be the perfect, sturdy Easter basket for the kiddos....or the adult-o's who still demand that the Easter Bunny bring them an Easter Basket... ;)

...Carolina Brunette

Instagram Roundup aka What's 'a Happenin', Hot Stuff?

Carolina Brunette has it's own Instagram account, @carolinabrunette.  I post pics from the blog, as well as fun and random things I see throughout the day.  I thought I'd let y'all see what's been happenin'.

Meet Beauregard.  We call him Beau for short and he's our Scottie Dog.  He's a little over a year old and so incredibly cute.  He just got a haircut yesterday so he's proudly showing it off (aka, most likely staring at a delicious piece of doggie bacon that Fiance' is holding).  He's wearing his new plaid collar with detachable bow tie.  He ate his last plaid collar...while wearing it...talent, I tell you, talent.

Ok, so I have a thing for jewelry.  Here are some of my favorite Kate Spade earrings that my friend gave all of her bridesmaids and we wore them in her wedding.  The wedding was at the Legare-Waring House in Charleston and with the ceremony outside under the avenue of oaks and the reception at the house and surrounding gardens, these were the perfect floral earrings for a classic, Southern wedding.

These are my favorite sunglasses decked out in Lilly Pulitzer and ready for Spring!  Purple and Pink are two of my favorite colors so when I saw this sun glasses strap, I was like "Boom, you're coming with me."  I actually said that to them.  True story.  This pattern is called "Booze Cruise" and it has anchors and rope in the design.  

I went into C.Wonder for the first time about a month ago and it has quickly become one of my favorite stores.  On King Street in Charleston, it's where the Puma store used to be, across from Jim 'N Nicks.  I saw this initial necklace with the matching earrings in the sale section (yippie!) and snatched it up.  A cute necklace and earring set for cheap? Bingo!  Check out C.Wonder online, the website is awesome! 

Town & Country magazine is one of my favorites and The Masters is by far my favorite golf tournament.  I found this blurb in T&C's "Social Calendar" section.  Fiance' and I went with some friends to one of the Practice Rounds last year and had a blast.  We actually got about 10 feet away from Adam Scott, last year's winner in the picture below.  But more importantly, I think we tried almost every sandwich they had to offer. The egg salad was my favorite.  I want to replicate the peach ice cream cookie sandwiches they had.  They were heavenly.  I'll do a Throwback Thursday post of our day soon.

J.Crew has been doing an awesome job with their jewelry lately.  I found this necklace at the J.Crew Factory store the day after Christmas and it was an incredible deal.  I like that they're making awesome looking bling at affordable prices.  Kudos, J.Crew, and keep up the good work!

Well, that's a little taste of what's going on in Carolina Brunette Instagram Land.  I hope you enjoyed it and be sure to follow along and say "Hi!" @carolinabrunette

Alright, Alright, Alright

With all of the Matthew McConaughey hoopla going on lately, its really got me thinking about him as a person. Like, who is he really? Well, I have a sneaking suspicion, deep down, that the modern day version of the character he plays on "True Detective," Rustin Cohle, is what he would look like in real life if he wasn't a famous Hollywood actor.  I'm not talking about the flashbacks of him looking slightly "A Time To Kill Matthew McConaughey," with his PERFECTLY coiffed hair.  I'm talking about THIS GUY...

Pic from True Detective Instagram Account

....swiggin' Lone Star Beer, a pack of cigs in his pocket, scuzzy beard, scuzzy hair, scuzzy clothes, wrinkles on his face because he's not slathering Creme de la Mer all over it.....

Pic from True Detective Instagram Account

 ...ponytail (tied with a strip of bandana, nice touch!), forearm tat...

Pic from True Detective Instagram Account

...sitting on an old wooden chair, outside of a metal building, in the middle of a parking lot, with a cooler from 1985 next to him.

Basically, this is alternate universe Matthew McConaughey.

Thoughts?

Special Shout Out: I would like to give a special shout out to the Chevrolet Caprice Classic that Matthew and Woody Harrelson drive on the show.  

Pic from True Detective Instagram Account

My first car was a maroon 1991 Caprice Classic and it was a beauty.  Affectionately named "The Boat," because it was the size of one, it could hold all of my friends and made the everyday drive back and forth to 11th Grade what some would call a luxury experience.  I miss you Boat, wherever you are.

Spring and St. Patrick's Day Green

The highs in the low 70's that we've been having the past few days has gotten me ready for Spring and warm weather!  The Daffodils are blooming, the grass is turning from brown to green, and the covering of snow and ice from a few weeks ago has been replaced with the ominous yellow dusting of pollen on everything that you see (break out the Zyrtec)!

In preparation for the warmer weather and St. Patrick's Day, I did a little online shopping that, of course, features the color o' the Irish, green!

I am a big fan of tunics.  Depending on the length, they're great over a pair of jeans, for a more casual look, or if they're long enough, they can be worn simply as a dress.  In the warmer months, I skip the pants and stick with the longer dresses.  Sail to Sable has lots of cute tunics and dresses and I pretty much want one of each item on their website.  The two tunics featured below would be perfect for a warm St. Patrick's Day of fun!

Cheers to Chic Tunic in Green Flash

Garden Party Tunic in Peacoat Navy

Then, of course, you have to have some fun, warm weather shoes so I picked out a pair of Jack Rogers wedges in gold.

Hamptons Mid Wedge in Gold

Remember to wear something green and have fun this St. Patrick's Day!

Side Note: Speaking of Daffodil's, today is National Plant a Flower Day, so I hope you all celebrated by planting your favorite flower or flowers.  If you didn't, the night is still young, most Walmart stores are open 24 hours, and let's be honest, you never leave a late night trip to Walmart without a good story!  Pick up some flowers and get to planting!