St. Lucia!

St. Lucia was our next stop on our southern Caribbean cruise with Carnival! St. Lucia is so gorgeous and lush! It's different than any other island that I've visited. It's very mountainous and it even has a drive-in volcano (which we definitely visited!)

If I had one word to describe St. Lucia it would be majastic. If you ever visit, you will see what I mean. 

I couldn't wait to see the pitons! As soon as I spotted them I excitedly asked the tour guide to pull off of the side of the road. The pitons are located between Soufrière and Choiseul on the western side of the island. The pitons overlook the deep blue Caribbean water and the colorful village of St. Lucia. 

Our tour guide (a local) took us to some of the the fishing villages in St. Lucia. The island is definitely one of the poorest islands that I've visited. Tourism to St. Lucia is vital. Hopefully tourism will continue to grow and St. Lucia will flourish.

The drive-in volcano in Sulphur Springs was incredible. You can see the middle of the crater of the volcano, which emits steam and sulfur with boiling mud and water bubbling away, It's kind of crazy! Yes, it does smell, but luckily we weren't there for very long.

You can also take a "mud bath" in the springs. The water is not too hot, but hotter than your average bath water. The mud contains volcanic minerals which is suppose to make your skin feel super soft. Since we were here for a tour, we skipped this part. I would want to try it if we ever go back!

Q: Would I visit St. Lucia again?

A: If I ever go back I would stay at Sugar Beach - A Viceroy Resort. It's located between the two pitons!

Q: Would I consider buying a condo in St. Lucia?

A: As of now, I would not consider buying a condo in St. Lucia since it's not very developed. 

St. Martin and St. Maarten!

A lot of people have been asking me about my most recent cruise with Carnival. I decided to write about each island that we visited. All of the ports were amazing. We did the southern Caribbean. It was my favorite cruise I've been on yet and this was my fifth cruise!

The awesome thing about cruises is you get to decide which islands you would like to come back and visit. My husband and I would love to pay off our house early and purchase a condo in the Caribbean. A cruise is the perfect way to explore that idea! ;)

St. Martin (French side) and St. Maarten (Dutch side) is an island split between two nations! A tour of the history of the island is a MUST if you visit! 

While I enjoyed both the French side and the Dutch side, my favorite was St. Martin (the French side). It's more known for its tranquil beaches and fashion boutiques while St. Maarten is more known for its nightlife and casinos (still lots of fun!) 

I will start with the French side, St. Martin! 

The open air market in St. Martin was breathtaking! There were local artisans selling art, jewelry, pottery, clothing, you name it! The open air market was located right next to the water which made it even more breathtaking.

Our next stop was Bikini Beach. It was like a dream and I didn't want to leave! Although this was located on the French side, it was not a nude beach. (as some of the beaches are on the french side)That is definitely something to keep in mind when booking an all inclusive resort on the French side.

Bikini Beach was such a lovely quiet beach. I loved the contrast of the purple and gray umbrellas with the turquoise water and bright blue sky! 

Next: St. Maarten (Dutch side)

We stumbled upon this gem of a cafe! It's called Cafe Chocolate & Vanilla. It was complete with checkered board flooring, a vintage crystal chandelier, ghost chairs and an ocean front view of the Caribbean! We shared a delicious cookies & cream waffle cone while we enjoyed free wifi! :) It was a dream!

We randomly stopped on the side of the road to take a picture of the view in St. Maarten. There isn't a bad view on the island!

Question: Would I come back to visit St. Martin/St. Maarten?

Answer: Yes! I would visit this island again in a heartbeat! I would love to go back to St. Martin and stay in an all inclusive resort. 

Question: Would I possibly buy a condo here?

Answer: Yes!! This port was definitely my favorite (if not my favorite, St. Thomas was high on the list too!) I love that you have a low key part of the island and also an upbeat part of the island. It really is the best of both worlds!

Top: TJ Maxx

Shorts: Charlotte Russe 

Crossbody: DSW 
Handsome Stranger bag: Kate Spade

XoXo Mini Note!

I usually don't like refrigerator magnets because I prefer a clean and sleek look, but this magnetic mini note was definitely an exception to the rule! I picked it up at my local Barnes and Noble. I can't find it on their website, but I did find it from the maker's company, Knock Knock, here!

I thought it would be a sweet way to leave little notes for each other. We've already used it several times. I came home to this one today! 

It's a sweet way to let the other person know you are thinking of them! :) It always catches me off guard and leaves a smile on my face! I apologize for the evening lightning in this photo ;)

This cute little magnetic mini note is also perfect because one of my husband's love languages is 'words of affirmation.' If you're in a relationship you and your spouse or boyfriend/girlfriend should take the test here! It was definitely a turning point in our marriage and I highly suggest it! My main love language is gifts… I bet you didn't see that coming! ;)

Back to the subject! :) What do you all think? I love it this because it's so simple, yet sweet at the same time! What are other ways that you all do to let your boo thing know that you are thinking of them? 

A Quick, Easy and Pretty Summer Treat!

My husband had been working outside on the yard all day and he came in and I offered him some Breyers strawberry cheesecake gelato. It's almost impossible for me to put a scoop of ice cream into a bowl without adding a little something special; even it's putting the ice cream in a nice bowl and presenting it with a pretty napkin. haha I love details!

I went into the kitchen and I remembered that we picked up lemon wafer rolls at HomeGoods the night before. (LOVE HomeGoods!!)

Don't you think it looks like a brilliant idea!

I went to my buffet full of cute glassware and plasticware and got these out!

I, of course, picked the turquoise one out because it's my favorite color.

Two scoops and two lemon wafer rolls….

Drum roll… Voila! A very fun and extremely delicious (yes, I had a few bites!) dessert served in seconds!! A quick, pretty easy dessert that tastes like summertime with zero prep?! Count me in! 

My husband loved it so much he asked for a second round! :)

I've also spotted different flavors of wafer rolls at Target and Harris Teeter. I've bought hazelnut and dark chocolate before. You could also use vanilla bean ice cream or gelato with dark chocolate hazelnut wafers. Yum! The ideas are endless! Have fun with it!!

The adorable cups came from Oh Joy's line from Target located here! 

Budget Friendly Valentine's Day Bracelets and Bangles!

Since Valentine's Day is right around the corner I have been eyeing a few (okay a lot!) of bangles and bracelets! I don't know about you, but sometimes Valentine's Day is too soon after Christmas as far as the budget goes! (Yikes!) Luckily, my top five favorite finds are well under $100! Three of them being under $40. Say what?! I'm loving it! 

Without further ado, here are a few of my favorites for under $100! Click the photo to go directly to the site! Budget worthy bracelets and bangles… I'm in love!

Bradshaw Bracelet

Any fellow Sex and the City lovers out there? This would be perfect for you! I just got back from NYC a few weeks ago so of course Sex & the City is on my mind! I think this bracelet is so chic! And the cobalt blue… yum! This beauty is $88.

Hot to Trot

Anyone that knows me knows that I have a weakness for Kate Spade bangles! I think this hot pink Hot to Trot bangle is perfect for a flirty Valentine! ;) This cutie is $32.

Valentine's Day Idiom Bangle

I don't know what could be more Valentine than this Kate Spade bangle! It features the text "Cutie pie", "main squeeze", "hot stuff", "sweetheart", "baby cakes","darling", "sugar" and "love bug" engraved on the exterior. "Be Mine" is engraved on the interior. Perfect, right? :) The color comes in gold, silver and rose gold. This sweetie is $58.

Alex & Ani Birthstone Charm Bangle

Alex & Ani is one of my favorites! I bought one earlier this summer and have been smitten ever since. I love that their bracelets are simple and chic at the same time! My husband's birthstone is emerald and I think it's beautiful. I think it would be sweet reminder to have his birthstone for a Valentine's Day present. The bangle comes in all twelve different birthstones. The color of the bangle comes in Russian Gold and Russian Silver. The price is perfection at $28!

My Other Half

Another one of my favorite Alex & Ani bracelets that would be perfect for Valentine's Day is called "My Other Half." I love it! The rose detailing is gorgeous! It is also $28 and comes in Russian Gold and Russian Silver. 

I hope you enjoyed and found something that caught your eye! What are your favorites? Have you spotted any great Valentine's Day finds? Do tell!! :)

xoxo,

Melissa :)

Apartment Photos

Hey everyone!! Guess what?! We bought a house!!! Let the renovation commence!! I can't wait to share pictures with you all!!! In the meantime, I attempted to brighten some of our apartment photos for you all! I will be back soon! If you have any questions, email me at melissakbennett@hotmail dot com :)

Apartment Photos!

Hey everybody!! So it's been a hundred million years since I've updated, but I'm back with a bang!!! Here is a ton of apartment photos!!! Hopefully they don't overwhelm you! If you are anything like, you want to know what a room looks like from every angle possible! :) 

I just downloaded the blogger app and I got an iPhone 5, yay!!! Can't wait to get back blogging!!! If you want to know he source of anything, don't hesitate to ask! Iovw answering questions!!! :)

Love and smiles,

Melissa :)