Medicine & Manicures

July 11, 2016

Dressed-Up Casual

Hi, friends and hello Monday! I take it everyone had a good weekend. The most eventful part of mine would have to be our in-home massage on Saturday. It was quite the experience- the massage therapist came straight to our condo with a fold-up table, sheets, and tranquil music playing on her iPad and we each got an hour long Swedish massage. Ryan had found a Groupon deal so we decided to try it out and while it was a little different than going into a spa, it was super convenient- the hubs was especially happy that he could take a nap right after his massage. We kept it pretty low-key this weekend but I’m counting down the days until Friday when I head to Tybee Island/Savannah for a friend’s bachelorette party!

I recently picked up this Topshop lace skirt because I honestly don’t have enough skirts in my wardrobe. I wanted something I could dress up or dress down, and this fit the bill. One thing to note with this brand is that you have to size up (I’m wearing a US 4). We had a cookout to go to on Saturday night so I kept it casual with this super soft tee. Seriously… amazingly soft and under $10. Target wins again.

I had been looking for some black sandals to wear to an upcoming bachelorette party (this weekend!) and came across these block heels. Yes, it was hard for me to break away from my nude shoe obsession, but a little shoe diversity is a good thing. I’d say block heels are giving wedges a run for their money this season and I fell in love with these as soon as I got them. I love the soft suede and the fact that they lace up. Give me ALL the lace-up heels 🙂

blush drapey tee (under $10) // Topshop lace skirt (on sale!) // Topshop ‘Nadra’ lace-up heels

Kendra Scott ‘Rayne’ necklace // sunglasses // Loren Hope cuff // Urban Expressions handbag, c/o

On a side note, Ryan & I started watching The Night Of on HBO last night and it is SO good. Did anyone else watch?! It’s a mini-series about a murder in NYC and I loveee a good murder mystery. Thanks for reading & hope y’all have a great week 🙂

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July 5, 2016

4th of July Recap

Hi, friends and helloooo workweek. I’m not going to lie, I’m a little sad that our 3-day weekend is over but it was so nice to have an extended break. The hubs and I kept this 4th of July pretty low key due to several trips coming up. He got not one but two games of golf in over the weekend while I did some reading for work… and caught up on Mistresses and UnReal. Let’s jump right in to my short but sweet weekend recap!

I sleep like a rock (one of my best qualities) and logged a total of 11 hours on Friday night. Whoops! I know, I know… it’s a bit much but I guess that’s what a long week and a tough FlyWheel class will do to you. On Saturday we did some things around the house and later that night we headed back to the City Lights rooftop bar. Their signature drink is amazing -the sparkle & pop- and I highly recommend the strawberry lemonade. Because a popsicle in prosecco is such a good idea!

On Sunday we squeezed in some pool time and stocked up on grilling essentials. We also drove by our townhouse construction site to see the progress of our new place. We were supposed to be moving in fall of this year (but you know how these things go) and now they’re saying it may not be until first quarter of 2017. Meh!!! I just have to be patient but can’t wait to share progress updates with you guys. I know that foundation is just waiting to be poured!

Yesterday I ran a few errands, grilled out with some friends and caught the fireworks show uptown. They recently moved the show to the baseball stadium and O.M.G. the whole city was packed!! I have seriously never seen so many people in uptown at one time. Please see photo below.

I felt sorry for the poor people trying to drive out of here but thank goodness we just had to walk a few blocks. Perks of city living, right?! Instead of facing the madness in Romare Bearden Park, we took an elevator to the 7th floor of a parking deck and watched from there. Much less crowded and much better view! The show was amazing and watching fireworks is always a great way to end the day 🙂

I hope everyone enjoyed their long weekend and hopefully we can all easily transition back into the workflow today. With a large cup of coffee, of course!

June 23, 2016

My Top Sunscreen Picks for Summer

Now that I work in dermatology, I am super picky about what I use to protect my face and body from the sun’s harmful rays. I’ll admit it… I spent some time in the tanning bed in college. YIKES!! I know. For some reason, I felt the need to be tan before sorority functions or holiday parties (before spray tans got so good/I could even afford them). As we get older, most of us realize that baking in the sun isn’t the smartest idea.

I see at least one skin cancer every day at work and assisting with MOHS surgery (used to remove skin cancer from the face) has truly been eye-opening to the effects of years and years of unprotected exposure. Older generations didn’t have sunscreen readily available and used things like baby oil and iodine to get their tan. I’m thankful that with technology and increasing awareness, we are more educated about our skin and have the tools to protect it. While I can’t undo the slight damage that has been done, I am way more serious about protecting my skin now and for the years to come.

First let’s talk about the 2 different types of sunscreen: chemical and physical. Most of what you’ll find in the drugstores are chemical sunscreens in that the chemicals absorb the sun’s UV rays. They technically need to be applied 20 minutes before going out and if you go this route, make sure to look for the words “broad spectrum.” Just remember this- UVA rays contribute to aging and UVB rays contribute to burning so make sure to find a sunscreen that covers both.

You have to look a little harder, but physical sunblocks are the gold standard of sunscreen. They use zinc oxide or titanium dioxide to reflect the sun’s rays. The upside with these is they don’t degrade as quickly in the sun, are made up of natural minerals and tend to be less irritating to the skin. Back in the day, this was the thick white sunscreen that you would see on a lifeguard’s nose (or at least that’s the visual I get), but now they make formulations that are much easier to apply.

Whatever type of sunscreen that you choose, it’s best to use SPF 30 or higher. SPF 30 blocks about 97% of rays and SPF 45 blocks about 98% of rays so as long as you reapply every 2 hours when you’re outside, you’re good. That being said, SPF 100 isn’t doing much more good than a SPF 45. But in all honesty, any sunscreen is better than no sunscreen at all.

cover-up (on sale) // hat // bracelets

In the true spirit of summer, I decided to compile a list of my current favorites in the sunscreen department, both chemical and physical. I’m starting to grow quite the collection but hey, it comes with the job!

BEST TINTED SPF

This MDSolarSciences mineral tinted creme is the newest addition to our skincare store at work and I’m obsessed. I first tried it when I was on my honeymoon and it was perfect for giving a little bit of coverage with a lot of protection. It feels so silky and smooth but not greasy- giving that nice matte finish. And you can find it at Sephora!

BEST DAILY MOISTURIZER

EltaMD is a top contender in the sunscreen world because their products offer high percentages of physical blockers (this one has 9% zinc oxide) and have easy application. I just finished up my first bottle of the UV Daily moisturizing sunscreen and it’s a winner in my book. It gives you great protection but is lightweight and sheer. It gets bonus points because it contains hyaluronic acid, which increases skin smoothness and can help decrease wrinkles by helping your skin hold on to water.

BEST FOR REAPPLICATION

If you saw my Instagram a few weeks ago, you may know that this brush-on SPF is my new favorite. The ColoreScience Sunforgettale brush makes reapplying sunscreen so stinkin’ easy- no need to mess up your makeup. You simply brush it in circular motions onto your face so it’s pretty much fool proof. I like to use it on my face and hands in the car when driving. You can learn more about ColoreScience here.

BEST CHEMICAL SPF FOR BODY

I have used the Neutrogena UltraSheer sunscreen for years and it works very well and has a nice, non-greasy application. It’s lightweight and doesn’t smell like a sunscreen- which is a huge factor for me. Some people like the tropical/coconut-y smell but for me, I’d rather not smell like I’m wearing sunscreen. It’s super affordable and you can find it at any drugstore or Target.

BEST PHYSICAL SPF FOR BODY

I recently picked this up from our skincare store and it will likely replace my Neutrogena. The UV Shield from EltaMD is also lightweight and barely has any scent, but provides better coverage because it is a physical block and has a higher SPF. I also like how it has a pump instead of a squeeze tube.

BEST LIP BALM

Believe it or not, it’s hard to find a good lip balm that contains SPF. It’s just as important to protect your lips from the sun and I always keep one of these in my beach bag. I love the pomegranate scent of the Sun Bum SPF 30 lip balm.

Last but not least, don’t forget to pack that big ‘ol sun hat! I like to be outside a lot during the summer and it’s natural to pick up a little bit of color, but just be safe about it. If the thought of skin cancer doesn’t scare you, then maybe wrinkles and leathery skin will. If you’re like me and want to age gracefully, the easiest and most cost-effective thing you can do is simply protect yourself from the sun. Do you have any favorite sunscreens? I’d love to hear and thanks for stopping by!

June 20, 2016

My Favorite Off-the-Shoulder Top

Oh hey Monday, we meet again. We had a beautiful weekend here in Charlotte and I had a few fun things on my agenda. On Friday, Ryan & I went to see Now You See Me 2 and y’all… you have to go see it! It’s easy to be skeptical about sequels but this one was just as good as the first and the cast is amazing. On Saturday I had a girls night and we checked out City Lights, a new rooftop bar in uptown Charlotte and finished out the weekend with a pool session yesterday. Now, it’s back to the grind and time for an extra large cup of coffee. Who’s with me?!

Topshop off-the-shoulder top (love the striped version too!) // white jeans // coral wedges

Kendra Scott turquoise bracelet // tassel bracelets // Kate Spade bag // Burberry watch

I normally wouldn’t think to wear all white, but there’s something great about having a blank canvas where you can add any accessory that you want. I have been wearing this ruffle off-the-shoulder top nonstop and I’m fully embracing this trend this summer. Sure, your arms aren’t as functional as they could be, but I love the feminine look of the bardot neckline. Ps. It comes in a striped and pink version too!

I added pops of color to this monochrome look with my super comfy coral wedges and my trusty Kate Spade bag (now on sale) for an easy date night look. If you’re having one of those “closet-full-of-clothes-but-nothing-to-wear” moments, just pair two white pieces and add some fun accessories. So simple yet chic!

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June 15, 2016

The (Not So Dreaded) Seating Chart

Happy wedding Wednesday! Today I’m sharing a fun post that I wanted to write before the wedding but you know… life got a little hectic! I’m still patiently waiting for my wedding photos to come back but until then, I wanted to tell you about an awesome site that I used for my seating chart. Listen up, brides!

The RSVPs flooding in was one of the most exciting things of the wedding planning process. I’m kind of crazy about mail- as in I have to check it pretty much every day- and these particular pieces of mail were extra special because we got to find out who would be joining us on the most important day of our lives. As soon as those little cards started coming in, I started researching ways to create a seating chart because let’s be honest- I don’t think many people get excited about figuring out where to strategically place friends & family at dinner. I was just doing a Google search and was super excited when I came Allseated.com.

One of my friends did her whole seating chart on poster board with multi-colored sticky notes but I knew that wasn’t for me. I wanted something easily accessible online where I could combine the floor plan and guest list and easily rearrange things if need be.

First things first, I searched my venue (Foundation for the Carolinas) and BAM! there it was! The site has floor plans of tons of major venues and if your’s doesn’t happen to be on there, you can manually upload it. I was able to design the layout of my cocktail hour and reception with the exact dimensions of the rooms. Pretty sweet!

One of my favorite features is the layout feature where you can add tables, chairs, and text descriptions. As far as the guest list, you can easily import an Excel document with all of the information or manually enter your guests. You can then easily check their name and assign them to a table. Easy as that! The color coded feature was nice to see what tables were full and which ones still had room. Easy to assign and easy to change!

You are also able to add vendors to your event, like your planner or caterer, so they can see your vision and get an overall feel for the event. As soon as I started this project, I added my month-of coordinator so that she could see changes I made on the floor plan so we would be on the same page. Communication is key!

I was so glad I came across Allseated and I highly recommend it to anyone that is in the tail-end of wedding planning. It will make your life SO much easier! Thanks for reading and hope y’all have a great day… we’re halfway to the weekend!

June 13, 2016

Summer Casual

Happy Monday, y’all! I have a confession. As I write this post, I can’t help but miss my long hair. Sigh. Here’s my PSA to all brides out there- do NOT to the post-wedding chop. Just resist the urge. Maybe get a trim and get used to it? I didn’t even want mine this short but it kind of just happened and let’s just hope it grows sooner than later. Anyways… moving on!

I hope everyone had a great weekend. I went to food truck Friday (a must-do here in Charlotte), attended my friend’s bridal shower, caught up on some TV shows, and got in lots of pool time. It was almost 100 degrees here this weekend so I think it’s safe to say, summer’s officially here!

When temps get that hot, I always opt for a light and easy outfit that will keep me cool. I recently picked up this printed top at Old Navy and knew it would be perfect to pair with my denim shorts or white jeans. And you know I’m all about that palm print right now! This top is almost sold out but they also have a sundress and jumpsuit version that are equally as cute. Old Navy for the win!

palm print tank (dress & jumpsuit version) // cuffed jean shorts // panama hat

GiGi New York tote // Tory Burch “Miller” sandals // tassel bracelets

Ps. I’m a little upset that there won’t be any Bachelorette tonight but I’ll definitely be tuning into the NBA finals game with the hubs. I love learning random facts about the show and if you do too, check out this article. Oh and in other news, I just found out that Nashville is coming back and will be airing on CMT and Hulu. Yay!! So we WILL get to find out what happened to Juliette on that plane and see Scarlett and Gunner live happily ever after… hopefully! Hope y’all have a great Monday 🙂

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