Remember this maxi dress I blogged about last month?  You guys loved it so much that now I’m back with a giveaway from the shop I got it from, Fabulous On A Dime!  It’s seriously one of my fave online shops… the items are way cute and they won’t break the bank.  And of course, there’s a giveaway below so make sure and enter!

{MEET CAMILA}

1) Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got started?
After many years being a buyer from another company and managing my husbands business (He has 7 companies) I decided that was time for me to open my own business. I have always been passionate about fashion and want to provide to others chic, trendy pieces for an affordable price.

2) What are your favorite trends for this year?
Printed pants

3) What are you looking forward to this summer?
A warm summer in Seattle

4) What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
Don’t have it

{GIVEAWAY}

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway is open to U.S. readers only and closes on May 24, 2012 at 12:01AM EST. Good luck!

Don’t want to wait?  Use code “SANDYALAMODE” for 20% off full-priced items at Fabulous On A Dime!

 Today marks me and Marvin’s three year wedding anniversary!  Let’s take a trip down memory lane (photo shoot style).

Wedding

Ann Arbor, MI Engagement pictures taken by Venture Photography

Taiwan Engagement Pictures taken by Sophia Ritz

Wedding Day picture taken by Venture Photography

Year 1

One Year Anniversary shoot by His & Hers Photography

Love Shoot by Leila Brewster Photography

Year 2

Maternity Photo Shoot by Ria Photography

Year 3

Family Photo Shoot by Ria Photography

Marvin,

I love how amazing of a father you are to Austin.
I love how you can always put a smile on Austin’s face when he sees you.
I love that you know how to cook, bake, grill, saute really delicious foods.
I love that you are my outfit pics photographer.
I love your kisses and cuddles before bedtime.
I love how intelligent, witty and confident you are.
I love how we can be so silly together sometimes (and Austin too).
I love it when you call me a goofball.
I love how you are always there for me when I am down.
I love how great of a gift giver you are.
I love that you are so handy around and outside of the house.
I love the way I feel when I am in your arms.

Love,
Sandy

P.S. The winner of the $50 credit to Avon by Kemi is Danielle S. of See, Shop, Love!  Congrats!  Email me at sandyalamode(at)gmail(dot)com and I’ll get you hooked up with Kemi!

I am back with a super yummy giveaway!  Mile End Bakery is an online cookie shop started by two girls!  They’ve got regular cookies and gluten free options as well.  Let me tell you, their cookies are DELICIOUS.  I was sent a sampler pack and my husband and I seriously ate them all in 2 days.  I have to say, they really travel well to and are packaged up in nice little boxes.  So now… three of you luckies will get a chance to win some for yourself.  If you ever see the #eatmorecookies hashtag on twitter, just know, that Mile End Bakery started the trend, and I totally agree!

{MEET MALLORY AND ANYA}

1) Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got started?
Stemming from our mutual love of baking (and eating), we (Mallory and Anya) decided to try and start a business making what we love most- cookies! Anya has Celiac disease, meaning she can’t eat gluten, which is found in wheat, rye, and barley- and therefore most baked goods. It is for this reason that Mile End Bakery offers cookies with regular wheat flour and also gluten free.

2) How did you two become friends/business partners?
The two of us met during college up north at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. We actually weren’t all that close during school itself, but had a lot of mutual friends- and we both ended up living and working in the NYC area afterward. After meeting up a few times when our mutual friends came to town, we started to realize that we had a lot in common, in particular, our love of food and baking. It was after a fateful dinner date at Risotteria in NYC that we decided to launch Mile End Bakery, named after one of our favorite neighborhoods in Montreal, where we originally met.

3) What are you two looking forward to this summer?
Mallory: I’m looking forward to sunshine, flip flops, and a lot of outdoor grilling… and of course, making ice cream sandwiches with Mile End Bakery cookies
Anya: I’m looking forward to weekend picnics in Astoria Park.

4) What are your favorite ice cream flavors?
Mallory: My personal favorites are cookies ‘n cream and mint chocolate chip!
Anya: I’m not a big ice cream person. As native Vermonter, we have something called creemees. My favorite creemee flavor is black raspberry and vanilla twist with rainbow sprinkles. Otherwise, I’d rather eat cookies than ice cream

{GIVEAWAY}

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This giveaway is open to U.S. readers only and entries for this giveaway close on May 22, 2012.

Don’t want to wait?  Take 15% off your order with code SANDY15! 

Lace Top: Forever 21 | Cardigan: Forever 21 (similar) | Skirt: LOFT (similar) | Shoes c/o Shoetopia | Necklace: David Yurman

If I could wear pencil skirts every day for the rest of my life, I would.  Seriously guys, pencil skirts are the new colored denim for me.  Even better is the fact that they aren’t a trend.  They are totally a classic piece and if I could just own every color of the J.Crew line I think I’d be set for life, in terms of bottoms.  Any skirt that is long enough for work, cute enough for a date with the boy, or fashionable enough for a night out with my girls is kind of perfect.  Watch out blog, you will be seeing many more pencil skirts in the near future.

Oh yes, and I finally jumped on the cage shoe bandwagon.  Sorry if I’m late on this one, but for me, it’s all the rage in my closet right now thanks to Shoetopia!

As a child growing up, I always thought that college was going to be the biggest change in my life.  It meant leaving my parent’s house and taking on more responsibilities on my own.  As I was finishing up college, I knew that the next step of finding a real job was going to be another turning point in life.  It was the end of school and it was time to really start making my own money and pay my own bills.  For me, it also meant leaving the state where I grew up (Michigan) and moving to Missouri.  I was truly going to be on my own as my parents wouldn’t just be a 15 minute drive away anymore.  As I moved to Missouri and started my first real job, I knew the next stage in my life would be to find a life partner, and that was a big deal.  I met Marvin when I was 21 years old in our company’s cafeteria.  We met through a mutual friend and hung out a lot over the next few years.  Three and a half years later and he was down on one knee proposing to me.  And half a year later we were married.  After so many years of learning to be independent, marriage is about compromise, compassion, and consulting one another about decisions.  We worked to make our marriage strong before the next stage in life, kids.

Pregnancy and the birth of Austin was truly a breeze for me.  I never once got sick, I ate well, Austin was a very active baby in utero, and labor pretty much happened just like I hoped it would.  But as everyone says and I believe is the truest statement ever “A baby changes everything”.  And it does.  Going through months of recovery for an after labor body, sleep deprivation, trying to figure out cries, poopy diapers, breastfeeding, and hours of rocking and shushing can take a toll on you but I wouldn’t change it for the world.  Becoming a mother is by far the biggest change and reward that life has to offer.  I am so lucky to be the one to bring precious little Austin, a big smiler, a belly laugher, a real talker, and an active kicker, into this world.  I look forward to holding his hand through life’s many changes as he grows up.

Happy Mother’s Day to my mom who has always been there for me and is even here for me now to help take care of Austin while we’re at work.  Happy Mother’s day to my mother-in-law who has raised an amazing father for Austin and who will be back soon to help raise Austin as well.  And Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there who are simply amazing.