This month started out on a beautiful note - not only was April 1st the day of Easter, but it also was an amazingly gorgeous day in Charleston, SC.  Over the past few months, our weather here has been flip flopping all over the place, so it was nice to have the beautiful sunny and 75 degree weather reflect the beauty of Easter.  With this in mind, my inspiration for April has focused on revitalization and refreshment.  Springtime obviously brings up themes of newness and starting over as the flowers begin to bloom and everything just feels born again after a cold, dreary winter.  Through this idea of refreshment, here are things I've been inspired by for April:

Fashion

I started off this month by cleaning out my closet with my sister (and by "we" I mostly mean "she did a lot of the work because I have the hardest time giving/throwing clothes away").  After just having my son in January, not only am I dealing with things not quite fitting the way they used to, but also figuring out how to "mom-ify" my wardrobe but also not looking like a... well, mom.  I've been on the hunt for sophisticated but still fun pieces, and so far this is what I've found.

Cute Spring Shoes from Target

Target is my go-to for pretty much anything cute and affordable, and their spring shoe selection did not disappoint.  I picked up a pair of these white Kona Slip On Loafer Mules and these Velma Slip On Pointy Toe Mules in pink.  They are both from the "A New Day" brand now at Target.  Both pairs are so comfy and go with so many things!

 New Spring Dresses

I love love love dresses.  It's a whole outfit in one piece which is perfect for this busy season.  I recently picked up this Naked Zebra Leah Flounce Sleeve dress from StyleDwell and it is adorable.  It comes in this great moss green color and I can't wait to wear it (again with that flip flopping weather).  I love the pretty ruffle sleeve detail and it's a great length for spring without being too short for my new "mom status".

Skincare

Aside from taking care of my wardrobe, I've also wanted to focus on taking care of myself and my skin.  It's still hard for me to wrap my brain around the fact that I'm in the last few years of my 20s, but I do know that now is the time to make sure I'm taking care of my skin so I have great skin as I get older.  Here are a few things I've been loving lately:

Beautycounter 

Just recently I was offered a chance to try products from Beautycounter.  I've tried what seems like millions of skincare products over the years, so I'm always super skeptical about any products and their effectiveness.  When my friend Heather reached out to me to try some items for free, I figured there was nothing to lose.  I'll be honest, when I saw the prices of most of the items I had a bit of sticker shock.  I am a discount queen and besides trying ProActiv back in the day, I've never been one to spend a lot on skincare or makeup.  However, in just a few days of using some of the Beautycounter products, my skin actually did look and feel better. 

Best of all, Beautycounter's mission is to provide skincare that is free from harmful chemicals which seems like a no-brainer.  I love the Nourishing Eye Cream and the Lip Conditioner in peppermint (it smells SO good).  I also went ahead and signed up for the Band of Beauty membership - you get money back on each purchase, and I received a free full-size version of the Balancing Charcoal Mask, which is seriously my new favorite thing.  I placed my second order about a week later, so safe to say I'm a fan.  

Charleston Candle Co. Signature Goat Milk Soap

Yes, this is a shameless plug for my own product, BUT in that same vein of wanting to better take care of my skin with healthy products, I feel like our soap fits right in.  I've thought about making soap for a while now, but I've never wanted to stray too far from what we're good at, which is obviously candles.  I started experimenting with making soap using some of our classic scents, and oh my goodness did I love what came out. 

Our goat milk soap base is amazingly moisturizing and has so many great benefits for your skin, including tons of vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats.  It comes in five of our classic, Charleston-inspired scents including Southern Magnolia, Pineapple Fountain, Spanish Moss (perfect for men), Sunday Brunch Mimosa, and Sweetgrass Basket.  I've been using a bar of the Sunday Brunch Mimosa for the past month and I love the light, citrus scent and that it doesn't leave that gross soap residue feeling.  My skin has felt super soft as well, and has stayed moisturized during this cold spell we've been having.  Get your first look of our soap collection at the Pacific Box & Crate Farmer's Market this Saturday from 9:00 am - 1:00 pm before the collection goes live on the site Monday!

Baby

Texture Design Co. Baby Book

I couldn't forget some baby inspiration for you - I've finally been ordering prints of Charlie's first 3 months of life in order to work on his baby book.  We have Texture Design Co.'s "A Charleston Baby's First Year Book" and I LOVE it.  I always hear so many people having good intentions to make or fill out their kids' baby books, but let's be honest, when does any new (and especially repeat) parent have time to create a perfectly adorable baby book for their kid?  Texture Design Co.'s baby book makes it so easy - the illustrations are amazingly cute and it has short prompts to fill in important details that will be so fun to remember when Charlie is older.  I've had no problem keeping his book up-to-date each month.  Whether you're expecting or looking for the perfect baby shower gift, I'd definitely recommend it!  Get yours here.