It's a great day when you win a giveaway!

I was recently surprised by an email from Melanie of the interior design blog, My Sweet Savannah, stating that I had won the Designs My Tahra necklace giveaway. It wasn't long after that I received an email from Tahra herself regarding specifications for my new necklace. Days later, I received a beautifully wrapped box.

I chose the oxidized pendant over a bright silver one for a more vintage look. She also included a pearl in this design.

You must check out the Designs by Tahra Etsy shop if you love unique necklaces, bracelets and earrings. I also recommend My Sweet Savannah for those who enjoy interior design inspiration. Melanie even has a My Sweet Savannah Etsy shop filled with many different home goods.

A special thanks to Melanie and Tahra for hosting this wonderful giveaway. It totally made my day!

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Delicious Donuts and Another Fabulous Dessert

Two weekends ago, I visited one of my best friends from college for her birthday. In honor of her birthday, we decided to forgo healthy eating and devoured many yummy recipes. One of my favorites recipes is a tradition in her family: homemade donuts. 

Homemade Chocolate Donuts

Believe it or not, you create these donuts simply by using a roll of refrigerated biscuits dough. Just use a bottle water cap to push a hole through the center of the biscuits. Then cook the rings of dough in a pot of boiling oil, flipping often. Once they are golden brown, remove them from the pot and allow them to slightly cool on a plate. Finally, finish with your topping of choice: chocolate sauce, powered sugar or cinnamon and sugar. 

 
Donut Supplies: 

• Roll of Refrigerator Biscuit Dough
• Oil 

Chocolate Sauce Supplies: 

• Confectioner's Sugar
• Cocoa (to taste - approximately 1 tbsp)
• Butter (3/4 stick)
• Milk (a dab)
• Vanilla (only a slight bit - approximately 1 tsp) 

I wish I could provide you with actual measurements, but the Dickens family only eyeballs everything for this recipe.

Cookie Dough * Reese's Cup * Brownie 

3-in-1 Recipe

We also made this 3-in-1 recipe that I found on Pinterest. It looked easy, so we figured we would give it a try. Just fill the bottom of a cupcake pan with refrigerator chocolate chip cookie dough. Add a full size Reese's Cup and top with brownie batter. Doesn't it sound like a dream? Well, it most definitely was! 

Supplies:

• Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
• Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
• Box of Brownie Mix

To top things off, we also had this chocolate, peanut butter, ice cream cake from Dairy Queen...

Talk about a weekend of sugar overload. A celebration with my best friends is totally worth the calories though. Happy Birthday, Megan! 

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August Birchbox Update

July was the first month of my Birchbox subscription. After using these products for a month, I would say my favorites products were:

• Blue Ming Nail Polish by Color Club
• Stay All Day 10-in-1 Beauty Balm by Stila
• 2-in-1 Lip and Cheek Stain by the Balm

As a typical pink and red toenail polish girl, I found myself pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this teal hue. I would look down at my toes and think, "Who is this girl?" The color was so unexpected. I often receive compliments from family and friends, and sometimes even strangers, about the polish color.

I also really enjoyed the 10-in-1 beauty balm. They advertise this as a product that will give a sheer, photoshop look and they are right. I was very pleased with the finish. I would like to buy the full size version of this product.

Lastly, I enjoyed the 2-in-1 lip and cheek stain. Although, I do only use it on my lips. I tried on my cheeks with little success.

It's the Birchbox time of the month again! This month the products and packaging centered around a "back to school" theme.

I received five products in this package and am currently putting them all to use, testing them out.

Hand Soap by Caldrea

Viva la Juicy La Fleur perfume by Juicy Couture

Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner by Stila

Moisturizing Skin Cream by Yu-Be

Hydro Silk Razor by Schick

Do subscribe to Birchbox? If so, does your box look the same? Two of my friends have signed up for Birchbox and received completely different products this month.

Interested in joining Birchbox, click here for information on the $10 monthly membership.

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The Art of Gift Wrapping

 
Today was my sister's birthday, and oh, what joy does it bring me to buy and wrap presents. Seriously, I think I could be one of those professional wrappers at Christmas time. I would love every minute of it. I would also love getting paid to shop for other people. Now wouldn't that be a great job? For this package, I used pieces from my wrapping stockpile housed in the guest bedroom closet:

• neutral wrapping paper from TJ Maxx
• paper dollies from the dollar store
• baker's twine purchased half off from GroupDealz
• an "n" from Michael's

I love having these things on hand. Seriously, neutral wrapping paper can go a long way. I typically have a roll of kraft packaging paper in my closet. You can dress it up or down depending on the occasion. It can also be suitable for a male or female. Unisex wrapping paper is actually pretty hard to find, so that is why I always have kraft paper on hand. 

Do you have any great go-to wrapping supplies I should know about? 

To wrap up, I wanted to send special birthday wishes to my sister, Nikki! 

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Pinterest Roundup: Nifty Household Tips

I feel Pinterst has made me such a well-rounded person. I can pretty much learn to make anything simply by typing a prompt into the Pinterest search feature. I also stumble across unexpected, brilliant ideas. Check out some of my favorites...

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Pretty cool, huh.

 

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One Girl with a Blog (and Pinterest) Problem

I have started to realize that I have a true blog stalking reading and Pinterest problem. I feel like I am in high school again and need my mother to tell me that it is time to get off the computer and go to bed. It's like an addiction. It's late at night and I can't force myself to close that internet browser window and hit the hay. I feel like my best ideas come to me at night. Night is the time when I decide I'm going to start a new home improvement project, write a new post or just spend time browsing blogs and Pinterest.

I am a true night owl and a true design junkie. I get excited when I see pretty design. It inspires me to make changes in my home decor, throw a fabulously decorated party or just pin some more things to my already saturated Pinterest boards.

These sayings pretty much some up my world...

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Am I the only one with this problem? 

 

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The wait is over! The necklace has arrived.

Last year, I blogged about my love for Michelle Money's monogrammed necklace. Ever since she wore it on Brad's season of the Bachelor, I was in obsessed with it. I even blogged about the necklace again this summer. 

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I started seeing the monogrammed necklace everywhere...

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So gorgeous!

The wait is finally over thanks to my sweet cousin, Betsy, who gave me this necklace for my birthday. It was a wonderful surprise! This is officially my first item with my new initials (and Ben was delighted to see his last name initial show up in my monogram). While I am so excited about this, I will have to be patient and wait to wear it until after the wedding next April. None the less, I am thrilled to add it to my jewelry collection. 

So what do you think? Wear it solo or layer it with some other necklace? What's your style?

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A Button Swap

I have space available for additional sponsors. Is anyone interested in a button swap? I would love to exchnage spaces with lifestyle, design or style bloggers.  

Don't have a blog, but still interested in ad space? Space starts at just $5 per month. Ad size can be negotiated. 

Insterested? Email sarah@simplysarahstyle.com. 

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Housewarming Gift Giving

 
This past weekend, Ben and I spent some time visiting a dear college friend who just built a new house. What gift do you get someone when you don't know the colors in their new home? I feel in love with this huge, white, porcelain pitcher. White goes with everything. Plus, you can use this for drinks, kitchen utensils or flowers. I put bottle of sparkling lemonade inside for an added bonus. It's simple, but practical. What is your go-to housewarming gift? 

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Pinterest Roundup: The Summer to Fall Wardrobe

Fall is my absolute favorite season! I adore fall clothes. What is better than a pair of skinny jeans and flat riding boots? For me, it's hard to beat. I have found that many of my summer clothes can still work in the fall just by layering them. Here is some inspiration to get your "summer to fall" brain into gear... 

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Which look is your favorite?

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