Dining Room Tour

If you follow me on Instagram, you spotted a live tour I gave today of our dining room.  When I talked about our garage organization, I spoke of how tidy our house felt.  I offered to do two tours, and after taking a poll, I was requested to do both the den and the dining room.  I gave a tour of the den two weeks ago, and this morning it was time for the dining room. 

Sweet Tea Sangria

Doesn't that sound magical?  As in, maybe the drink of summer?  I sure thought so the second I read the recipe on Pizzazzerie.  As Courtney shares, it is easy to make, serves a crowd, and is delicious.  That is absolutely all I need to hear. As a tea drinker, I think this is truly a fabulous idea and perfect for summer BBQs where you make tea for a crowd and make a grown-up version for others. Tea + fresh fruit + wine, yes, please!! I am calling Sweet Tea Sangria the drink for summer.

Preppy Summer

My friend Anna Louise and I were chatting yesterday on the phone, and one of the things she shared with me was her recent trip to Belk.  Her words, "I was just going to pop in, but there was no popping in; it was straight-up shopping." I knew I had to check it out with that review as we have similar styles, both of us loving a timeless preppy style. So this morning, over coffee, I sat down and decided to shop online and what I found was share-worthy.  It is indeed so good, and the sale they have now is kind of crazy, crazy good.  I found some precious pieces to purchase and even more to share. 

How To Set A Table Like A Southerner

Well, if this topic isn't perfect timing?  My friend Nicole Letts is a freelance writer, in case you didn't already know.  She contributes to a number of magazines in both print and digital and her repertoire is growing daily.  She is an excellent writer and we have used her to help our 17-year-old form ideas for a number of papers this year.  She is a willing participant, with her extensive teaching background, and we pay her in eats and drinks. 

Seersucker Memorial Day

T minus 7 sleeps until Memorial Day arrives, is anyone else a bit in shock?  With Memorial Day being the unofficial beginning of summer I am partially 100 percent ready and 100 percent not ready for another school year to end.  Next year my daughter is the dreaded s word and I am not ready for that adventure one single bit. But ... I digress.  Memorial Day, the pools open, the flags come out of storage, and we fire up the grill for burgers, hot dogs, and all the goodies. 

Emily McCarthy Collection

As you may know Emily McCarthy expanded her lifestyle brand to include clothing a bit over a year ago.  It was a longtime dream of Emily's to create clothes and I was absolutely thrilled to see her dream come to life.  She has just released her 11th collection and with each and every one I say it is my absolute favorite.  I stopped into her Shoppe yesterday on my way to St. Simon's Island and had a bit of time to hug her, shop, and catch up on our respective lives.

Serena + Lilly Sale

One of my favorite stores, Serena + Lily is currently on sale!!  I love shopping a great sale, this is the time I usually purchase something I have had my eye on for a while.  Serena + Lilly is so good about keeping their new collections cohesive with their older ones which means anything I buy now will pair well with something I had purchased before. If you are feeling the Coastal Grandmother vibe the collage above is definitely going to be for you.  Can you even with those darling striped towels and that scallop cart?

Bathing Suit Season

It's about that time.  I plan to take some time this summer to soak up my family, which will most definitely include the beach and the pool.  I am a Florida girl, and we love to be outside this time of year, no matter how hot it is, so being near water is a must for us. So ... a bathing suit and a darling cover-up are a must-have. As I was shopping yesterday, I realized I am not the only one who craves pretty and coverage-appropriate cases, so it seemed perfect to share this week.  A great bathing suit + coverup combination is hard to beat when you are poolside or at the beach. 

Coastal Grandma Aesthetic

If you haven't heard, the new buzzword in clothing and lifestyle would be the "coastal grandma."  The definition of this term is... "based on the clean and classic style of middle-aged, wealthier women living in luxurious oceanfront properties, similar to that of Diane Keaton in the Nancy Meyers movie, and Something's Gotta Give, set in the Hamptons. Coastal grandmothers wear cashmere and linen; they love to garden, take leisurely walks on the beach when slightly windy, and sip white wine while reading on their wraparound front porch. They cook fresh meals with goods they picked up at the farmers market in their open concept kitchens accessorized with neutral and natural elements like butcher block and rattan. And, naturally, they listen to soft jazz and the oldies while doing so." (source)

Being a big fan of all Nancy Meyers movies and their sets, I am very intrigued by this concept and its appearance in society.  The short story ... I am here for this. And before I type any more, you must read the blog post that goes with the image above, it is so perfect and I am in love with her kitchen!!

The Summer Edit

Y'all. Summer is almost here.  My girl gets out of school in exactly 15 days.  I am not ready, yet I am prepared to soak up some serious quality time.  I am working very hard the rest of this month, so I can take some real time off this summer and spend it with her.  She is only home one more school year before life really changes, and I am absolutely soaking up every single second. 

Six Things I Bought + Loved Vol. 15

Happy happy Monday!  I hope your weekend was terrific, and if you are a mother, you were spoiled rotten.  I had a wonderful weekend with many things to do, including time with my friend Mary Huddleston. We were at both etuHOME + Dillard's, and it was the most fun. Two events, lots of friends, chatting, eating, and some shopping. I have a great new release of your favorite blog post, and it is perfect for a Monday.

Let's start the week with the good stuff. 😉

Spring + Summer Uniform

For years my summer uniform was a pair of Lilly shorts and a polo.  While I have not entirely abandoned that look, especially for the beach, I seem to be in a dress moment of late. The ease of one-piece vs. two, plus the beauty of a dress, has me almost converting full-time.  I have recently purchased and been gifted such unique dresses that I have loved wearing.  It has become apparent that I am leaning more dresses than anything else in my closet.  

So, let's talk about what makes a dress perfect.

Garage Organization

image source

I shared the other day on Instagram that I am working on organizing our garage.  It is a long process and a really hot one, but I absolutely love every step.  Our garage was a hot mess and in major need of some sort of organization.  Honestly, this is something I should have done when we first moved in or any year since, but I finally got to the place where I could no longer deal with any of it.  Running a small business from our home needs organization and it had been spilling into the garage one too many days.  So, I finally made the decision I was done with the clutter and dove in to get it organized. 

Dillard's Event + New Dresses

Mary is coming!!  You read that right; Mary Huddleston is coming to Alpharetta for an event at our local Dillard's.  I am so excited to see my sweet friend and cheer her on while she shares her Southern Living Collection, talks all about table settings, the specific pieces of the collection, and shares her tips and tricks with us all.  Mary has a long history with event planning and setting a fabulous table and has so much knowledge it would take days to share.  I am thankful she will be meeting and greeting for a few hours and genuinely getting to hear all the fantastic feedback from her friends and followers in the area.  If you are local, please plan to go; it will be fun. 

Laura Ashley For Derby

The Kentucky Derby, attending is a bucket list item for us, and one day it will happen, but until then I choose to celebrate at home.  Every year I grab the yearly Derby bottle of Woodford Reserve, stock up on the mint, and make sure I am ready with all the fixings to watch the race and enjoy the day.  It may be the fastest race at just 2 minutes, but I am sure to enjoy it all afternoon with yummy food + all the juleps.