Dressed For Summer Sale

Holy fun ... one of my favorite retailers is having a two day Dressed for Summer sale.  You can most definitely bet money on the fact that I made some purchases.  Lilly is timeless for me, something I collect and wear year round.  In the summer there are days and weeks I wear only my Lilly pieces, it makes me feel closer to my home state and brings me such joy. This sale is only two days and ends tonight at midnight, so shop fast.  

Summer Travel

palm caftan dress || shoes || bag

Last week I headed out of town for two days with a dear friend to St. Simons Island ... and it was truly bliss. After months at home I really needed a change of scenery for my sanity + creativity.  I had most definitely hit a rut where I seemed to be floundering and the simpleness of two days away in a place I really love shook it all up.  I did a ton of research before I booked the trip, checked into the status on the island and made sure it was a place I felt safe and secure.  It wasn't easy to pull the trigger (so much anxiety before), but when I did and let it settle in I began to feel the excitement of getting away. 

Celebrate Summer

Can you even believe it?  I swear it was the first day of spring just a week or so ago. The weather this spring in Georgia was sooo good I never wanted it to end.  It has been so mild and so perfect ... and the ideal time to be outside.  As the temperatures get warmer (last week was HOT!) I am still spending so much time outside ... more than I have before.  The times are slower ... the days are more precious.  I think this may be the sweetest summer we have had in years and I can't wait for each and every day. 

Mirrors + Pendants Galore

When I posted about our bar area last week on Instagram I got so many requests for the source of my mirror (Homegoods) and the lights (sold out from World Market) and I was unable to deliver on your requests.  I did, however, do some research and find some beautiful options for pairing in a similar area or for separate places.  All of the mirrors are sooo pretty ... and I love each one.  The lights are all so different, I like them paired in groups or by themselves.  I might even have purchased a mirror that I decided would be ideal in a guest room.  

Normal ...

Normal is not my favorite word ... and honestly shouldn't be part of my vocabulary.  I remember when I first heard the quote above from one of our middle son's therapists.  I was sitting in their office trying to make sense of all they were sharing and all the delays he had and everything he would need to catch up.  I remember saying, which I completely regret, I don't understand how to process all of this, it doesn't seem normal.  Her response ... normal is just a setting on the dryer, it doesn't define anything else.  It was profound and helped me so many times when I was walking the path with a child who needed intervention (a lot of it) and had so many feelings.  I was young, I was unsure of how to handle it all, and most of all I was dependent on my faith.  

Sweet Gifts

Anyone else baking a little bit more than you normally do?  There isn't a week that goes by that we don't have either fresh baked cookies or brownies here at our house.  I am not a baker, but my daughter is and I love watching her create and share her delicious creations with us and her friends.  Watching her bake got me thinking that a box of something freshly baked would be a great way to love on our best friends that we don't get to see enough.  Can you picture it ... a box with warm baked goods, ice cream, and a little something extra to enjoy?  

Beautycounter Sale

It is that time of year where I stock up on all my makeup + skin care during the Beautycounter friends + family 15% sale. I buy what I need all year long, but since I joined and started using BC during the summer months I always seem to have a stack of empties that I can refill this time of year. To be completely honest, I wait for this sale as it is the perfect time to get what we all need and save money doing it.  I have told you many times how thankful I am that I switched to safe skincare two years ago and I can see and feel a huge difference in my skin.  Since I am 50 I can not just use anything and think it is going to do what I need it to do, nor do I need to be spending money on products that are unsafe and not going to work.  I can not say it enough ... Beautycounter is hands down the best! 

Summer Outfit Crushing

The official first day of summer is just two days away and even though I have been in a summer mindset since Memorial Day, I am most definitely going to be doing all things summer come Monday.  My outfits daily consist of shorts and a top, I have fully embraced dresses + flip flops, and I even have not one, but two beach trips on the books.  It is still a very different summer for all, but summer is most definitely not cancelled.  

Organized Bar

We have a wet bar area off the kitchen and open to the den.  Since our home was built in the 80s it is a normal thing to have this wet bar area where your guests would be gathering in the den and walk up to the bar to serve themselves or be served by you.  When we first bought our home I wondered if we would keep the space as it was, and with some upgrades, we have done just that.  A number of years ago I added wallpaper, we have since painted our den white, I added some fun lights and a mirror and also played with styling the glass shelves.  I would still love to replace that silly sink with a beautiful brass one I own and trade out the counter top ... but that is a project for another day.  I have a long list of these little to dos!

Table Talk With Freshly Set

By now you have seen the table I set with the amazing pieces I "rented" from Freshly Set.  I thoroughly enjoyed working with them and can not wait to do so again. The tablecloth + place mats I rented I wanted to purchase immediately and keep forever!  When Domino Media reached out to introduce me to this fabulous company they asked for a Q+A for their blog Table Talk.  I was more than happy to oblige and I have discovered it is live on their site.

Watermelon Margaritas

I told you last week I made the yummiest margaritas and today I am sharing the recipe.  I don't know what sparked this idea but the recipe started with a conversation between a friend and I.  I think we started with pink cocktails and it just sprung from there landing on a watermelon margarita.  Since a number of fruits are so fresh right now, watermelon being one of them, I thought it was a fabulous idea and immediately heading to the market for supplies.  Watermelon, limes, some ingredients from the bar and within an hour I was sipping the yummiest Watermelon Margarita!

Aperol Spritz Caftan

As you know I am madly in love with every single dress August Morgan creates.  I love her style, her eye for detail, the fit, and the way the dresses make me feel when I wear them.  In my opinion I have not met one of her designs I did not fall in love with.  As you can see by my collection, I am not kidding one single bit.  I own almost every single piece Kate has created with the exception of one or two that I missed snagging.  I think they are best described as the perfect preppy dress.

Introducing Freshly Set

Anyone else so ready to entertain and have all their friends and family over?  I know for me I am itching for a big dinner party, all our favorite people and long conversations late into the evening with glasses of wine and all the laughter.  I am craving some serious fellowship with those we hold dear.  With our new outdoor table I am ready to hold 6 to 10, depending on how snuggly we wish to be.  Since we both know I love to set tables, way more than cooking for sure, I happily set our table last night for just us ... and it was glorious.

Stitch Goodness

For the weeks my right thumb was in a brace I missed being able to needlepoint so very much. It is so relaxing to me and is the perfect thing to do while watching TV, sitting on the porch, and waiting for doctors, kids, and life.  I love to be able to pick it up, stitch for a while and then put it down when I need to.  With a brace, and a broken thumb, it was impossible.  I even tried once without the brace and my whole thumb was swollen in minutes.  It was a bad idea, but I really wanted to be able to stitch.

Things I Love From Amazon

tote + scarf + shoes

I think the Amazon truck comes to our home at least twice a week, some weeks even more.  I think it is crazy (crazy good) all the items you can find from this one source.  We order everything from coffee, household essentials, clothing, items for school and sports, and even books + TV series.  If I had only purchased Amazon stock when it first began, can you imagine the soar it has experienced since day one?  Since beginning our quarantine the amount of things we order on Amazon has most definitely increased to make our social distancing easier.  I know just in the last two days we have four orders on their way.  We ordered toilet paper, a summer reading book, a part for the coffee maker, and some kick a*# mascara.  That was just two days.  Since what we order and receive has changed quite a bit in the last three months I figured this would be a great time to share what we order time and time again.

Father's Day Gift Ideas

We are just short of two weeks from Father's Day ... and this year I am spoiling our daddy!  I have watched him navigate life recovering and working like a master these months since coming home from the hospital with little or no complaint.  He never complains, keeps his head down and works hard and I could not be more proud.  I see the same work ethic in our oldest who just took his first real job and I am thrilled to see it being passed down. I am one proud wife + mama!

Mom Approved Teen Swim

This is the first summer in four years I have not had Anna Grace as my assistant and the adjustment is a really hard one.  I love that sweet girl, her amazing heart, and the energy she brings.  She is ready to move on and the virus is most definitely changing how we are doing summer.  I am so proud of her, but I miss her quite a bit.  When thinking about summer it became apparent that my girl was needing a Covid safe job and so she volunteered to help me.  We finished one week working together and are starting a new one and I love having her around to help me.  The best part about having a side kick is the energy and ideas they bring.  A conversation between us about bathing suits turned into a blog idea ... and here we are with great swim wear and accessories for teen girls. 

Sunscreen

dress + tote + sunnies

I know for our family we are spending a whole lot more time outside than we normally would have this time of year.  With so many things closed the daily walks began, plus reading outside, yard work, some gardening, and now trips to the pool.  Soaking up Vitamin D in a healthy way has been a life saver for the last few months and will continue during the summer for us.  Camps are closed, church trips are cancelled but the days outside and by the pool are definitely happening and quite honestly, more often than normal for me. Since I have fair skin and we have already had cancer touch our lives being safe in the sun is extremely important.  I wear sunscreen daily and keep it in my purse and in every single tote bag that could be taken to the pool, outside with friends or on a walk.  It is most definitely not optional for us at all.

Great Inspiration

This is a heavy time in our world.  We are navigating a pandemic, we are coming face to face with a race conversation that is way overdue, people are sick and out of work and struggling.  We are all trying to navigate the days and weeks and moments.  It is heavy, heart breaking, and a lot to manage.

Be The Change

Last week was hard and it was heavy and it was dark.  For me I think the fear and stress of the virus and how to "re-engage" was weighing on me along with enormity of the senseless death of another black man.  Then came the weekend with protests and looting and our city being destroyed.  It was so much and I was and still am very brokenhearted over it all. I finally just had to retreat, read what I could, pray and talk to my children.  All in all, none of this is right, it is all so very wrong and we need to most definitely become the change.

I think Andy Stanley summed it up perfectly for me when he said this ...