First off, let me start by saying, I am so sorry that I have been MIA recently. Life has been a little crazy. Nothing bad, all good stuff…just super busy. I’ll be sure to do a life update post soon but today’s post is all about my weekend in the cape with some of my besties.

Fun fact: I LOVE traditions. Honestly, who doesn’t? They give you something to look forward to, something to count on, and they make it easier to plan out your year. My friends and I started this awesome tradition last fall: Our plan is to get together every fall for a weekend no matter  where we are in the United States or world. Last fall we got together in the Cape for a weekend and we did the same again this year but who knows where will end up next fall {possibly Georgia, Savannah, or Charleston?!}.

We came, we saw, and we conquered. Although we only had around 40 hours on the Cape, we made sure to make the most of it. We disregarded our normal bed time and stayed up past midnight, we walked a lot, and we barely stopped talking for a minute or more. We went to the beach, we “popped tags” {I scored a Tory Burch Tunic, a Vineyard Vines Shep Shirt, Theory Pants, a Miilla coat, and a Lionel crossbody}, we ouued and awwed at the stunning Cape houses, and we visited Chatham.

Me and my friends are all about the food. We’re not super picky but two of my friends have dietary restrictions so it’s important that we take that into account. Atmosphere and menu variety are two things that I really look for.

When we made it to Chatham on Saturday afternoon, after a long morning of thrift shopping, we knew that we needed to find some place to eat ASAP. During my other trips to Chatham I had walked by this beautiful large white inn and thought about how I would love to eat there. This time we did! The restaurant is called the Wild Goose Tavern. It’s located at the Wayside Inn and claims to be Chatham’s only outdoor dinning {which is somewhat surprising}. The restaurant reminds me a lot of Patio American Grill in P-Town, which is a restaurant that’s definitely on my list of places to eat. At the Wild Goose Tavern, they didn’t have as many gluten-free options as we first suspected when we viewed their menu. I would recommend the Cape Cod margarita, the fish tacos, and the pumpkin martini!

On Sunday morning, before leaving town, we decided to do brunch at one of the local hot spots. The nice cashier at RingBros Marketplace {a wonderful market full of fresh organic food} suggested a few places to us the night before. We tried The Red Cottage Restaurant first but unfortunately it was too busy. Then, we went to The Breakfast Room and we were very happy that we did when we took a look at the specials. Most of the girls got the lobster omelet but I opted for the Lobster Benedict! Although the restaurant looked like a time warp and was kind of one of those hole-in-the-wall place, the service was really good and the lobster dishes were very affordable. Overall, we ate really well last weekend!

My friend Analiese did an amazing job finding us a place on Airbnb and organizing our arrangements.  We stayed at an adorable 3 bedroom cottage in Dennis in a quaint neighborhood. It was centrally located, check-in was super easy, and the cottage was decorated perfectly. If you’re looking to find a good, clean, private house at a really good rate I’d definitely suggest using Airbnb.

Travel tip: On Airbnb you can each pay separately. I would recommend doing this if you’re booking with a group. You receive a link/email from Airbnb and pay your part of the bill separately so you don’t have to worry about reimbursing a certain person.

I am obsessed with tiny humans and this beautiful little ball of joy is no exception. It was such a pleasure to spend the weekend with her. She is full of life, only cries when she’s hungry or wants her mama, and is soooo easy going. This little one really makes me excited to become a mom some day.

My best friend Victoria is a licensed foster parent, as is her sweet husband Logan. Together they have made the wonderful decision to help raise kiddos who need a responsible parental figures. They open their house and lives to these young ones with very open arms and hopefully work to reunite them with their biological parents. To read more about their inspirational journey visit her blog, Sanity before Vanity.

I am so thankful that our paths all crossed. If it wasn’t for our journey at Westbrook High School we definitely wouldn’t all be together. These girls are so positive, inspiring, intelligent, and loving. They understand where I came from, embrace where I’m going, and cheer me on along the way. We sadly don’t live within a 3 mile radius anymore but every time we’re together, we pick up right where we left off. I am so lucky to have them.

If you have any questions about our Cape trip or have any Cape Cod recommendations please email me or comment below!

XOXO ~

Let me start by saying: I wish that you could smell my shoes through the computer! They smell SO amazing. It’s kind of the craziest thing ever & definitely my latest fashion obsession…Scented shoes…like are you kidding me…how awesome is that?!?!

So, my scented shoe story begins at one of my favorite stores: Nordstrom Rack. I had been on the look out for a professional, good looking, comfortable, affordable {under $50} shoe that I could wear to work. Keep in mind, I spend 8 hours on my feet in the pharmacy. I wish that I could wear sneakers to work {I do sometimes on the weekend} but I feel that it hinders my professional look so I was looking more for a flat or clog.

At Nordstrom Rack I was sort of striking out, which doesn’t happen to me often. I had found a pair of Sam Edelmen Felicia nude flats that were on sale for a pretty good price {around $60 I think} that I was going to settle for {they didn’t exactly fit properly, the definitely run small, but had a soft sole that was comfy}. However, right before giving in I decided to go look at the designer clearance section just in case there was any amazing Cole Haan, Kate Spade, or Tory Burch deals and that’s where I found my Melissa flats!

I chose the shoe first and foremost for comfort. It’s made of a very flexible plastic material that molds to your foot. It also have a very cushy sole that feels somewhat like memory foam. I also liked that it was a durable material that I could wear outside in the rain and not have to worry about ruining them. I then realized that they were scented and that just sealed the deal.

They smell is hard to target exactly what it smells like. I’ve heard it describe as strawberry, tutti frutti, and bubble gum. To me, they smell exactly like a scented bouncy ball that I had when I was about 3 years old…sweet & slightly vanilla-ie…brought me right back to my childhood!! I’ve heard that they scent does wear off after a few months but luckily the shoe has this anti-fungal coating that keeps away any bad smell. Additionally, other than the smell and comfort, these shoes are also so lovable because of their ecofriendly and sustainable materials!

The strange this is I feel like I’ve hardly ever heard anything about these shoes before and I’m so surprised. They do run at a higher price point but you can usually find them on sale for under $50. Most of their styles are a little “out there”/contemporary but they’re different & unique. They’ve actually been around for over 20 years and were the infamous jelly shoe of the 90’s! The only time I’ve heard about these shoes but never really looked into them was on Jade Scott’s Instagram/Blog. Her daughter Andi is always rocking the sweetest Mini Melissa styles.

Sadly, I’m not able to insert shoppable images in this post {long story short: my laptop is broken and I forgot my account info that was saved on my laptop to log into the app that helps me facilitate those images+links} but here are some Amazon links to help you shop my favorite Melissas.

The flat that I have – Melissa Maisie II

Big bow flats – Melissa Doll Fem and Jason Wu

I always love a good d’Orsay flat! – Melissa Angel d’Orsay Flat

These may be my favorite – Melissa Doll Fem Flat

I think I’m going to get these in Bronze…They’re so much like the ones I already have – Melissa Maisie Flat

Bow Sandals – Melissa Harmonic Bow IV

Love the Navy one…looks so nautical chic – Melissa Ultragirl Sweet XIII Flat

A great alternative to a Birkenstock – Melissa Cosmic Slide Sandal

XOXO ~

*Some of the links may be affiliate links *

Sarah is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to styledbysarahhopkins.com

Raise your hand high if you can’t stand it when your lipstick finds it’s way on to your teeth, or your wine glass, or your Starbucks cup…yup well same here! It’s honestly a big pet peeve of mine and one of the reasons that I didn’t wear lipstick all that often. However, now that I’ve tried LipSense, a smear-proof, kiss-proof, donut-proof, taco-proof,  ice cream-proof, and water-proof lipstick, I want to start wearing lipstick as much as I can now.

If you’ve been wanting to try LipSense or want to know more about the product I’d highly suggest reaching out to Brooke Flaherty, an independent SeneGence (the company that created LipSense) distributor. She showed up at my place with her wonderful bag of goodies and made the process of choosing a color so easy. She let me try on as many as I wanted and helped walk me through the application process.

Depending on how you prefer to shop there are a few different ways to purchase the products. You could personally reach out to Brooke on her personal SeneGence Instagram account (@sassysexystunningcosmetics) or you can visit the SeneGence website and enter in Brooke’s ID 433751. Brooke also hosts parties, can help you sign up to start your own LipSense business, and she does giveaways on her Instagram account so I’d highly suggest following her!

During my session with Brooke I learned quite a few things (I’ll list below) about the LipSense product and even became the new proud owner of the Gloss Topcoat, the Ooops! Lipcolor Remover, and Beige Champagne lip color.

• You can layer the color to create the perfect coverage ~ Brooke suggested applying the color in 3 layers to build a vibrant color that will stay for a LONG time.
• The lipstick is soooo easy to apply ~ You can’t really mess it up but Brooke did suggest going from one side of your lip to the other (in other words don’t overlap or go back and forth before letting it dry).
• Let each coat dry in between applications ~ about 1 minute.
• It will sting a little when you apply the product and it has the tendency to dry out fast if you don’t apply the gloss. As soon as you apply the gloss (you can choose from matte, glossy, or a pigmented gloss) your lips feel buttery smooth.
• You can create many different color combos by choosing a fun tinted gloss!
• The product is made to meet pharmaceutical grade standards, it’s GMO free, and they don’t test on animals.
• It lasts for around 18 hours on average.

Well if there’s anything else that you want to know about LipSense or SeneGence please feel free to reach out to Brooke or I & I’m telling you…you need to try this stuff especially if you are a lipstick fanatic or hate when it rubs off!

XOXO ~