12 Happies du Jour

Happy, happy Tuesday!  As you are reading this I am on my way out of town for a fun few days.  A work trip with three fun girls that we are most definitely treating as a girls getaway.  I was truly so very excited to get away, even if it was just two days.  I truly get so energized being around incredible creatives and girl bosses and these girls are such amazing women.  I packed up my new travel bags and added some snacks and off I went ...

The Perfect Summer Bag

I have had my eye on this bag for a while ... I first spotted it in the J.McLaughlin catalog when it came in the mail.  It is the perfect size and literally is the best bag for all things spring and summer. I dog eared the page in the catalog and set it aside on the corner of my desk adding it to my every growing wish list of all things incredible.

A Great Sale ...

my favorite tunic from last summer

One of my new go to retailers is having an amazing friends and family sale and everything is 30% off.  I have to be honest, for many years I thought Talbots wasn't a store for me, but I was wrong.  More and more I find amazing classic pieces that truly stand the test of time.  As my style has always been preppy I love to choose classic pieces that are really timeless and I have found more and more to add to my closet from Talbots.  Either their clothes have changed or I just opened my mind to the possibility, but either way I am really happy about it. 

Botanical Giddy

As we all know I love supporting the small businesses, the ones who support me, and all of them. Since I am a small business I  understand the demands and worries and fears and excitement that comes with it all.  I have heard many times that every single time a small business makes a sale, whether it be a purchase or a service, a real person does a dance and this is so very true.  When I get an email asking to work together I get so excited and do a little dance myself.  I am sure now you are picturing me in my Joy pajamas, hair up, glasses on and coffee cup in hand doing the jig in my office.  You would be 100 percent correct.

A Spring Breakfast Room With Mohawk Home

I have to get a little creative when adding some spring touches in our home since it is already full of color.  For me spring means color, but since I have so much color all over the house I have to do a little more to garnish the feeling of the new season.  For our breakfast room which is filled with color I had to work extra hard but the results were so very worth it.

Cancer ... A Year Later

Taken the weekend I told the kids

It has been exactly one year since we went to the doctor to talk about a "small spot" found on a cat scan and heard the word cancer.  I don't think I will forget the first time our doctor said he would be referring us to an oncologist or the feeling I felt at that moment in time.  I honestly had such a good feeling about the time in between when they spotted this "small spot" and the doctor appointment and the news and truth hit me like a brick wall.  We were just four months in with our son's medical crisis and I needed the doctor to tell me this spot was fine so we could focus once again as a team on the plan we had. I was in shock, stunned, sickened and every single thing he said after the word oncologist was a blur. As I look back over that doctor appointment I realize how in shock I really was.  It was not expected at all and when I tried to process the words he was saying it was a lot like Charlie Brown's teacher.  I knew he was speaking but yet I could not make out one single word he spoke.  The hours that evening and the weeks to come also went by as a blur and I tried to make sense of all the doctors were speaking to us.  There wasn't a "small spot" but instead a large and inoperable tumor that would need to drastically reduce in size before surgery.  Lots of chemo and then major surgery and then we would see where we were.  They all kept saying the same thing and I clung to the positive of every thing they shared.  I was desperate for something good and as the shock wore off the reality began to sink in, but all in all I was clinging to the good.

Orange They Cute?

It's that time ... time to think about comfy dresses, darling shirts and white jeans with espadrilles and sandals on repeat.  It is most definitely my favorite time of the year, I think it reminds me of my Florida roots.  I love a good sunny day, one that isn't too hot and just breezy enough to be considered perfect weather. It's those days I plan cute outfits with darling shoes which I found in my Easter basket this year, aren't they so cute?

Oh Happy Easter!

I honestly think Easter is my favorite holiday.  It is the perfect reason for a holiday,  as we are celebrating the risen Savior.  It also comes at one of the prettiest times of the year when the outside has gorgeous new growth after months of death.  So many colors, blooms, flowers and life.  I can't seem to get enough of spring this year as it gets prettier each and every day.  Yesterday it was cold and rainy and today it was much warmer and once again sunny and glorious.  As I was setting the table this morning the sun poured through the windows filling the kitchen. It was one of the prettiest mornings we have had this year.

Banana Bread Pudding

I honestly don't think I have ever been more proud of myself in the kitchen.  I baked something and it was incredible ... and turned out perfect the very first time.  If you know me in real life you understand this is a major feat for me.  While I was preparing it my oldest walked in the house and asked me if I was planning to bake something and the commented ... "who are you"?  It isn't his fault, I am not accomplished in any way at all in the baking department.  I have burned many things, had cakes fall and once even baked a cake for a family member for their birthday only to be asked not to do it again.  It was awful and bless her for even trying it. 🤣

Pink + Palm

As we all know I am completely obsessed with all things pink + green and have been almost my whole life.  I think it is the girly part of me paired with the prep + a little bit of growing up in the 80s and 90s when preppy was at the highest point.  Add in some navy and gingham and grosgrain and I might just dance all day.  When I spotted Barrington Gifts newest patterns I knew immediately that I needed some palm print in my life.  I travel a lot and I always have a Barrington bag (or two) with me.  I absolutely love my plaid tote, but I was sure this palm print would make all my spring and summer traveling even more fun.

Callie's Hot Little Biscuits

I have told you many times I am not one who feels confident in the kitchen.  I have plenty of things I make and know they are great, but all in all I am not a kitchen master.  My husband, however, is fantastic at every single thing he does in the kitchen and outside on the grill.  When we first started dating I told him I would make him dinner thinking I would make lasagna, the one meal I knew I could make and do it well.  He, instead, insisted he would cook for me and honestly, the rest is history.  He is an amazing cook and finds it so relaxing to cook for all of us.  The man makes homemade bread, the best pizza dough, can grill chicken and fish like a pro, and even makes the most incredible cupcakes.  We have been married almost 24 years and he still does most of the cooking in the house.

Towels For Mom

When I was asked what I wanted for Mother's Day I quickly responded with three things ... my porch cleaned for summer, my car detailed (it has pollen in every crevice), and new monogram towels.  As you can see I am a person who prefers things done for her versus gifts on Mother's Day, but who can resist a set of Weezie Towels? 

12 Happies du Jour

image by Angie Webb Creative

I think I say this every single week, but this is my favorite blog day.  I collect little tidbits all week long to share with you today and I am usually bursting with excitement when I sit down to compose this post.  It may seem silly, but to me it feels like I am sitting around with my besties sharing a ton of new things I found or fabulous things I just purchased.  I do really Tuesday blog posts!

Easter Basket Shopping

I love Easter.  Not only is it the first real holiday of spring, but we are celebrating the resurrection of our Savior.  Is there any better reason to celebrate?  Since the children were very little we have always separated Basket Saturday and Easter Sunday for a number of reasons. First ... they always had egg hunts on Saturday and would need their baskets and secondly, it made it easier to separate the two events for us and for them.  There is nothing harder, or crazier, than finding a basket full of happies and candy and hidden eggs hours before having to pull yourself together and head to church.

Masters Ready

Anyone else love watching The Masters?  I love watching the rounds with Lawyer, the golf is so good, the grounds are impeccable and the people watching is so fun.  I have never had the pleasure of going, but it is most definitely on my bucket list to attend one year.  Lawyer has been twice and loved it so much and I really would love to go with him maybe next year.  It is only a two hour drive from Atlanta to Augusta making it a great full day trip.  The Masters for next year ... I think I need to put it on my wish list for sure. 🏌

Add To Cart Please!

shoes sold out ... similar pair

image by Angie Webb Creative

Weekly Wellness ... Plastic Purge

I think it hit me maybe a week or so ago that I was still using way too much plastic.  I know it may seem silly but I was unloading this dishwasher and putting all the "tupperware" pieces away and realized they were all plastic.  Not only were they plastic but they were stained and burnt in spots and it occurred to me that we were using a lot more plastic than I realized.  Even more, the plastic pieces we had with the stains and marks were really unhealthy.  If we could stain something than it must be porous meaning it was holding all kinds of things I didn't want my family exposed to.  And worst of all, the microwave + plastic issue is bad.  How did I not think of this before?

Gingham Goodness

original post 

You say spring and I say gingham!  It is no secret that gingham is one of my favorite patterns and I really think the warmer months are its perfect season. My love affair with gingham started many years ago with my grandmother's yellow gingham wallpaper in her kitchen and truly never ended.  I wore many gingham dresses as a small child that my mother made for me.  I remember just loving them all. In the time since my childhood my love for all things gingham has only grown and grown.  Since the weather is warm and sunny I am wearing all my gingham and loving it so.

12 Happies du Jour

Happy, happy Tuesday!  I am sad that spring break is over and the grind has started once again.  I just love having all kinds of family time and with our unplanned stay-cation it turned out to be a perfect week.  We did what we wanted to, watched movies, ate out, went on walks, read, hung out with friends and even headed to a Braves game and ran back to our cars in the rain.  It was such a great week which ended with two birthdays (always a great week for us) and lots of sweet treats to celebrate!  The perfect ending to an amazing, relaxed week.

Denim Jacket For Spring

I had the best denim jacket in college and wore the heck out of it on a regular basis during and after college.  Since I lived in Florida I didn't need a heavier jacket so it was my jacket.  It was a great one I snagged while working for The Gap and honestly I am not sure what happened to it.  Maybe I donated or sold it years ago since it stopped "giving me joy" but truthfully I am not sure.  For years after I owned a white one, but it never fit quite right and wasn't cute so I know that one went to a good home, leaving me denim jacket deficient once again.  But all of that changed a few months ago when my sweet friend Beth gifted me a perfect denim jacket in the fall of last year.  It fit like a dream and I wore it a few times, but it then sat in my closet for a few months during the colder weather just waiting for its debut to happen once it became spring.

Paper Mache Egg Perfection

Happy, happy Saturday to you ... I hope your day is beginning with french press coffee and the sun shining!  I am so excited to share a fabulous Easter happy with you as we are all starting to fill our home and baskets with Easter decor.  When the kids were little we dyed hard boiled eggs and I loved it, and still do, but I was so sad when we ate the eggs or at times, forgot about them and they had to be discarded.  I think there is something so precious about a few eggs gathered together in a basket of grass.  Not only perfect for Easter weekend, but also just a lovely sight of spring.

Easter Elderflower Cocktail

When Mary Huddleston and I planned out the Easter tables from this post I told her I would take care of our signature cocktail.  I love to plan out and put together a special drink for time together with family and friends.  It is most definitely not a necessity but I really enjoy planning out a fun drink to share.  With a number of signature drinks you can mix up the ingredients and serve it for all ages and then allow adults to add something extra in if they like.  If you have a number of children in attendance it is the easiest way to serve drinks, one drink for multiple age groups.  You can even use a decanter for your drink and then leave mixers off to one side for easy mix in, making it all very user friendly. 

Weekly Wellness ... Progress Update

Happy Thursday to you!!  I had to change up today's post which I planned a few weeks ago to share two things with you ... our new grill + replacing plastic containers in the kitchen. The Hubs birthday is Saturday and we are replacing his charcoal grill with a pellet grill but he is so cute deciding which one he wants.  I picked out the one I wanted to get him and then he got involved and now it is more complicated.  He is so funny when he purchases something, he has to check them all out, talk to all his BBQ friends and then we have to see them in person.  I am a ... this is the one I want girl and its done.  So ... we are still shopping and the post got moved. 

Delegating Easter with Mrs. Southern Social

Oh friends ... this post is one I have been so giddy to share for weeks and I had to wait.  Anyone else think waiting is so hard when you have something exciting on its way??  Last month I headed to Nashville for a few days to work with the darling Mary Huddleston of Mrs. Southern Social.  Mary and I met at The Southern C Summit and immediately hit it off. Mary is wicked talented and oh so smart when it comes to what she does best, delegating to others.   Grab a coffee or a glass of wine and be ready to dissect this post, its a long one but it was needed,  because I have so many great things to share with you!  💙

12 Happies du Jour

So, this week was not at all what we had planned.  Lawyer had a scan last week and the plan was to wait until Friday to get the news then to take a train yesterday to DC for the week.  We were planning on coming home on Friday to be able to spend the weekend with the birthday boys.  After the results appointment the stress of the week and the exhaustion from working for two weeks straight (so many great deadlines) and I hit the wall. The kids decided going to DC on a train for a week didn't sound as amazing as sitting at home and having day dates with their friends, a lot of which didn't have plans for the week.  Honestly, it turned out to be the best plan.  I can already feel the exhaustion lifting and I know that a great week at home without specific plans will turn out to be the best thing for all of us.  Lawyer isn't feeling his best (a little worse than normal at the moment) and being near him just feels like a great idea.  So ... a week at home with no plans it is for all of us.

Seersucker For Spring Break

I have been telling you for a few weeks that you need to shop at Walmart, and today I am here to make sure you do so immediately.  My jean purchase a few weeks ago once again reminded me of how much you can find and shop at walmart.com.  I first dove into the goodness on the website when I was Christmas shopping and happened to find some amazing prices for items I had previously decided to purchase at a different source.  I did some research and learned very quickly that the Walmart I shopped for years was not the same Walmart that existed online.  It was a new and even more fabulous Walmart where so many brands could be shopped with incredible prices. They are quickly becoming a one stop shop for everything from hammers to Ray-Ban sunglasses and every single thing in between.  I have purchased so many darling things off the site, and have bookmarked even more to check out.  Buckle up for some fabulous things you will want to add to your cart as soon as possible.