Packing

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This upcoming week is a four-day work week for me! Early Friday morning I'm jumping on a plane for a mini-vacay to Maine! My sister-in-law is graduating from college and I'm so excited I'm able to make it up there for her big day! And I'm also super excited for some cooler weather and the beautiful landscape of Maine (I love Maine!). 

Since it's going to be a short, weekend trip, I'm skipping the checked luggage and just taking a carry-on. I have a little anxiety about this as I tend to thrive on over-packing and knowing I have everything I need and more. This weekend I'm only taking what I need. 

I'm starting today with planning - or else Thursday night will sneak up on me and I'll be doing this in front of my empty bags. Any help from you all as far as packing a carry on, packing liquids and makeup, and any other traveling tips you have would be amazing! Please share! Please! 

Autism Awareness Month

April is Autism Awareness month and I've teamed up with Katie Androff, a Stella and Dot Stylist, to share with you what Stella and Dot is doing to help raise awareness. To learn more about autism, you can check out the Autism Speaks website for anything from what autism is to ways you yourself can get out and advocate.  

You can also help shed light on autism by purchasing one of three (or all three, if you'd like) Support Autism Speaks bracelets from the Stella and Dot e-boutique! How does this help? I'm glad you asked! 20% of the proceeds from the bracelets will be donated to Autism speaks for research and awareness - pretty awesome, right? Even more awesome is that when you check out, if you enter "Autism Speaks" when you're asked who your hostess is, Katie will personally donate an additional amount! Everyone that purchases will be entered into a drawing to win a Stella and Dot gift card (check out their other pieces - amazing! I could definitely build some outfits around some of their statement necklaces!)! 

Revival Bracelet   |   Sole Bracelet   |   Toujours Bracelet

The month is quickly ending (I can't believe it either...), so if you want one of these amazing bracelets and you want your money to go towards more than just a purchase, be sure to order before Tuesday! 

We hope that you'll purchase a bracelet! You'll get to support Autism Speaks, raise awareness, and add a new piece to your arm party! Not just a new piece, but a bracelet that represents great things! Thank you for supporting supporting autism and Autism Speaks! 

Life Lately

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Hello!

Sorry for the recent blogging hiatus. When my parent came to visit during Easter week I took some time off work to spend with them. I spent last week getting back into the swing of work and also taking an online, two-week course to prepare for the course I went to over the weekend. That's right - a course to prepare for a course. I had lessons, quizzes, and assignments - the whole sha-bang! It was intense, but I'm proud to say I am now certified to used Vitamstim during dysphagia therapy! I won't spend a whole post talking on it (unless I receive a surprisingly overwhelming amount of requests to do so), but Vitalstim is basically just a brand of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES or estim) and I can now use it in conjunction with dysphagia therapy. It's pretty cool. 

So I spent the weekend up in Birmingham, sitting in class all day Saturday and Sunday. It was weird, but refreshing being back in a classroom. I enjoyed the learned and continuing education part, but not the testing so much. I jumped right back into work on Monday and needless to say - I am exhausted. And I'm working this weekend. And then I'm flying to Maine the next weekend. I need a break already. 

I definitely feel bad to have neglected the blogging world for this length of time. I thoroughly love blogging and reading other blogs, but I've had a busy schedule lately. Free time has been nonexistent. Lack of free time and exhaustion appear to be a recurring theme in these upcoming weeks - so bear with me! 

Life Recently

via my iphone

  

01. my two favorites, supporting the USA

02. besties hanging out for the week

 

03. new blooms by the front door

04. new bulbs on the patio

 

05. cupcakes too delicious to describe

06. homemade turtles

  

07. mint, horse-print blouse

08. mint, striped tank

 

09. favorite, non-dairy chocolate milk

10. favorite, non-dairy ice cream

Follow along on Instagram @linleyshea

White

top: Express (similar here and here), shorts: Gap, heels: UO

necklace: c/o Kraftshop, watch: Michael Kors, bracelets: David Yurman

I love wearing white - so fresh and clean. 

Pastels

dress: Blu Pepper via Kinnucan's, heels: Belk (similar), sweater: Liz Claiborne (similar), purse: thrifted (similar)

necklaces: c/o Jess LC, c/o Kraftshop, watch: Michael Kors, bracelets: David Yurman

I hope you all had a great Easter! Mine was wonderful as my parent are here for the week and we were able to visit a local church that I really like and hope to attend more in the upcoming Sundays! I'm so happy and excited my parent are here for the week and that I get to spend time with them! I'm even taking my own {mini} spring break from work! Which is much-needed. Mom actually took these pictures after church. Yes, this was my East Sunday dress. I'm kind of in love with it too - the colors, the pleats, and the bow at the waist all make me melt. It was love at first sight. 

A Traveling Scarf

top: F21, pants: TJ Maxx, shoes: Tory Burch, scarf: Scarves.net

It's almost too warm here in Alabama for scarves; however, since we're still in the early days of spring, it's still cool in the morning and evening - so a scarf is actually perfect. This particular scarf is traveling the US from one blogger to another. Scarves.net set this scarf into motion to travel to different ladies and called it The Sisterhood of the Traveling Scarf and Liz sent the scarf my way! (check out her post here)

Each blogger has not only styled it in her own way, but also added something to the scarf and the box it's being shipped around in. It was a treat to open the box and not only find the scarf, but little glimpses into others' lives. In addition to these things, each blogger also writes down something interesting that happened to them while having the scarf. On April 1, Chris and I celebrated seven years that we'd been together. We've only been married just under two years, but we've dated for a while - so that was something Nice to add!

I just wore the scarf over the weekend, in something easy and casual. The scarf actually pulled the whole look together, in my opinion, so it was a perfect addition to my wardrobe over this particular weekend! 

The scarf is currently on it's way to Illy of Much Love Illy - so be on the lookout to see what she does with the scarf and where it goes after that! Here are the ladies that have already had and styled the scarf:

Stacie, Sarah, Maggie, Sarah, Tieka, Amy, Kelsey