One Classic Shoe Four Ways ...

White jeans, White Smocked top, Preppy Clutch, Mother of Pearl earrings, Glasses + Natalie Flats

Monday Thoughts ...

Happy Monday ... I hope you are safe from this bad storm and enjoying a slow start to your week, we all could use it. I can't believe September starts in two days, August drug on forever ... but it was a good one.  We celebrated our 26th anniversary last week, my parents their 45th, lots of special memories for August.  With the exception of school starting it may be one of my favorite months in the year.  I don't think I am ready for September, but it is coming in fast so here we go ...

Iced Coffee ... on repeat

With the late summer weather here in the south hot coffee has become a little hard for me to have.  I love my first hot cup every single morning but I have found myself not wanting a second one ... just because it is really hot outside. Every single time we travel I always love a great iced coffee, so I decided to try and make a great one at home. I tried just making hot coffee and then icing it and found I didn't love it.  Then I tried buying a premade iced coffee, and same.  With some trial and error and actually a conversation with a guy at Whole Foods I settled on a cold brew and love it. I have been making them once a day for a few weeks and I love it so very much.  

Needlepoint Finishing

Last Tuesday I took my stash of finished needlepoint projects, well most of them, and coordinating fabric I had chosen for the backs to my local shop to be sent off for finishing.  Most of the items were ornaments and I also requested two door hangers and one coaster.  It was a huge pile and when it returns it will cost me some dollars.  I am sad I waited to have something finished, I think the excitement of working on the project is definitely in the rush to have it finished to be able to enjoy it.  I had this pile of ornaments for over a year and I just kept adding to it and now I will have a pretty stash when they return and also be paying a pretty penny, but it is all worth it for the work involved.  I am counting down the days until my work will return, and that may be a bit with the back up. 

Giving Back ...

Waking up this morning I think a lot of us are heavy from all the news in the past few weeks.  It is hard to process, hard to fathom it is real, and even harder to decide what to do. I know for me I have found that finding a great place to donate money or items to help others makes me feel so much better than just sitting at home staring at an unbelievable screen.  The news is hard to watch and it is literally everywhere on social media, so finding peace in the storm is also a challenge.  If you are feeling anything like me I hope today's post helps and gives you a resource for doing good in the hard.

Back To Projects ...

Happy Monday ... isn't this month just flying by??  I am completely in shock that its the four week of August.  We have an anniversary later this week and the month feels like it will be over.  Why does time fly??  I am excited to get back to a few projects this week, and to share it with you.  I am ready to do some fun things on IGTV and to just embrace the week, even though I am hoping it goes slowly and I can really just soak it all up.  I love August, well except for school starting, and next month my daughter has a birthday and I am 1000% not ready for that at. all.  

All The Dresses ...

I think this is the first summer I have worn dresses on repeat.  Usually summer consists of Lilly shorts + polos with dresses mixed in but this summer I have completely dove into the dress uniform.  It is so easy to pull on and pair with sneaks or slides.  In the past few weeks it has been so very hot in Atlanta and a dress is the only thing I even want to think about wearing. As we start school I realize that fall is coming, even though I always dread it.  I am trying to embrace a new season and I thought window shopping for fall dresses would be so fun. 

My Beauty Routine 2021

I have had a surprising number of requests lately for my skin care and makeup routine ... and so I figured it was time to jot it down. It has changed some since the last time I posted about it ... so why not update that.  The number one question I get is ... are you still using Beautycounter? ... and the answer is a firm yes. I am using BC plus some new fun add ins, and swapping it up some in the summer, but all in all I am still very focused on clean beauty, products that really work, and finding things that work for and are great for my skin.  Add in daily sunscreen and you have it.  

Weekend Review

Happy, happy Monday!  I will confess that Monday used to be a day I dreaded, after a few days with just my people it was hard to start a week knowing it was back to regular scheduled programming.  Somewhere along the way that idea shifted and I now embrace Monday as a clean slate, a new beginning, and one that needs to be loved and embraced.  This week was so good for me.  I did a lot of thinking about last weekend's inability to relax and reset and made it a mission to really dive in this weekend.  I turned down not one, but two, friend invitations to go shopping and really just stayed in and tackled the mess that was my life.  There were piles, and there was a list of things I needed to do.  I can say as we ate dinner last night with me newly showered and ready for the evening I felt so much better about so many things.  I don't relax well, I have learned that about me, but I forced it and when 7 pm hit yesterday I was relaxed. I am proud of myself.  Do not misunderstand me, I got so much done this weekend, but it was all things I had wanted to do at the house, lots of tidying and organizing, and lots of things on my "that needs to be managed" list.  I will say it again, I am very proud of me. 

The Preppy Podcast ...

I am super excited today to share that I have recorded a podcast with the darling Preppy Podcast. Patricia, the incredible host, had been asking for a while to have me on and the timing just never worked out.  When she asked again a few weeks ago it turned out to be ideal timing for both of us.  I am thrilled to share the episode went live today ... and is ready for all to listen. 

Weekend Review

Wow, last week was a lot.  We did not arrive home from our vacation until Sunday late afternoon and then Monday hit hard.  It is such a shock to the mind to go from complete relaxation to a huge list.  I feel like it should be banned maybe.  Tuesday evening my girl was injured ... and the rest of the week was trying to manage my list and help her and by Friday night I was burnt out.  Bless that sweet girl, she worked so hard to be able to make the varsity team, and although she did may it (thank you Lord!!), she is out for a number of weeks.  Praying so hard this passes quickly and she is strong when she gets to play. I made the decision that I would not take on too much this weekend and really relax.  Try to decompress and stay off my phone and chill.  I did a fair job of both, but I think I need some work in this area, I seem to have a problem not adding things to my schedule, something I seriously need to address. But ... here we are, it's Monday and it is a brand new, clean slate.  

North Captiva Island

I still can not believe that the family vacation we planned for months is now over and behind us.  It was everything we wanted and more and I loved, well almost, every single second.  Being in Florida is just always so good for me, but also we were celebrating and that ... was the very best part.  This was our first family vacation since my husband was diagnosed with cancer in April of 2018.  We did spend a long weekend in May of that year at his best friends lake house to begin the journey and think about our new normal with chemo and cancer ... but since then we have not traveled together for obvious reasons.  It was hard.  I tried my darnedest to take the kids places, to make memories, to make sure their lives didn't completely stop ... but this trip was so good.  We watched him have fun, relax, take photos (one of his loves), play games, prepare meals, and just be.  I cried so many happy tears and just tried my best to take it all in. 

Six Things I Bought + Loved Vol. 10

While I was prepping for our vacation, which I think went on longer than I needed, I found some amazing things to add to my collection.  I pulled both some old and new items to take with us and, while I wore only half of what I took, I am now enjoying all the dresses I bought and am loving them transitionsing back into real life.  When I buy things I try to buy items that I know I will use again and again and what I keep becomes exactly that.  I am having a major dress moment right now ... they are so easy to wear, put on, and can be styled so many ways ... so this post is most definity dress heavy in the best way possible. 

Introducing Holly Shae Design

I honestly do not remember when I met Holly Jarvis ... I just know the months since we met online I know I have come to respect her and adore her immensely.  She "slid" into my direct messages introducing herself to me and I am so thankful she did.  She is not only an incredible designer, but also a strong and wonderful woman, mom, and second grade teacher.  I am blessed to have met and get the opportunity to work with Holly and to introduce you to one of my favorite new brands ... Holly Shae Design.