Cute Face Masks Part 2

Since I first posted about cute mask finds (see that post here), it seems as though the mask market has continued to boom, and rightfully so. With cases rising across the country, it should come as no surprise to anyone that more masks are being purchased and used. We had a mask rule in effect about a month ago, which was eventually lifted, but as of last night, it is back and hopefully for good for a while in order to combat the south’s rising numbers of cases.

Despite not necessarily showing photos of myself in a mask on here, I wear one pretty much whenever I am out in public. We are required to wear them to work, I don’t know that last time I went into a store without one, and I’ve continued to wear mine in places that don’t necessarily require them in an attempt to do my part. So, just because I’m not showing that doesn’t mean it isn’t happening. And since I’m wearing them so often, masks have become as much of an accessory as the jewelry I wear but obviously with a more important and health-conscious purpose. Because of that, I wanted to share a second installment of the cute face masks I’ve found. While they aren’t medical-grade, they do a whole lot more than not wearing one at all, so why not do your part and wear one?

I’ve been wearing the blue and white floral mask that I purchased from Mi Golondrina and washing it frequently. Sadly, it’s not currently in stock, but I got mine during a restock, so hopefully, that means they will be creating more soon! I wish I had been fast enough to scoop up this precious pack of masks from one of my favorite clothing brands, Crosby by Mollie Burch, but this pack from them is still available if you’re looking for a bright and cheery pack. In the meantime, the masks below are all such cute options as well. If you see some you like, you can click directly on them in the image below to be taken to where they can be purchased!

Step Into My Week 6.29

This week has already started off strong, accomplishing a lot of items on my to-do list that it took until I sat down to eat lunch for me to finally write today’s post. I’ve found that these posts continue to be harder to write than usual because of the lack of routine that comes with splitting my time working from home and going into the office. Sometimes it is hard to keep it all straight regarding what I’ve been up to. But as per usual, I will do my best to fill y’all in! 

On Monday morning, I went to a true40 class before work. After showering, I worked from home for a bit before running several errands for the lifestyle shoot I had planned for the week. The shoot was initially supposed to take place on Wednesday but moved to Thursday, which gave me some additional time to prepare. After running those errands, I was at the office gathering supplies and making sure I had what I needed. I finished my work from home that afternoon, which ended up being nice since we had lots of thunderstorms in the afternoon this week. Once the workday was over, my roommate and I both made dinner and sat down on the couch to watch a movie.

On Tuesday, I went and got flowers for the shoot and was back in the office for a while preparing. I left a little after lunch and worked from home in the afternoon. Once I had finished that, Nell and I went on a walk, and that evening I made dinner with a friend and watched The 100. I started my Wednesday morning with another true40 class before coming home to arrange flowers for the next day’s shoot. I spent my afternoon at the office doing some final prep work before heading back for the day. That evening I read for a while before our weekly bible study. 

Thursday was the day of the shoot, and I was lucky to be under a balcony since it rained off and on most of the day. It went well, and I was excited about the finished product and was thrilled to hear that the editor of the magazine it was for was as well. I came home and took a much-needed shower thanks to how humid and hot it was outside all day and then did some laundry and made dinner. I had plans to head out of town for a wedding over the weekend, so I packed as well before going to bed early to read.

 

I went to another early true40 class on Friday before showering and working from home all morning. I was given a plus one to the wedding and brought a friend who also went to Furman along, which made it especially fun to be heading to Greenville, SC, where Furman is located. Because Greenville (along with a lot of the south) has had an uptick in Covid19 cases, we were a little hesitant and overly cautious while in town. Our drive there took about two hours longer than it should have thanks to traffic, but we made it with enough time to change and make it on time to our dinner reservations at Jianna’s. We sat on the second-floor balcony outside, which gave us a nice view of Falls Park. Once we finished dinner, we met Sophia and her husband for drinks on the patio at Foxcroft. After leaving drinks, we grabbed ice cream from a local favorite called Spill the Beans before calling it a night. 

It was so overcast when we left to grab breakfast at Sully’s Steamers on Saturday. We took our bagels to go and were hoping to walk around Furman’s campus, but unfortunately, it was closed to the public. Instead, we wandered through the farmer’s market in downtown Greenville, and I have to say that with all the precautions in place for social distancing I was able to enjoy it so much more than normal given that things were spread out and everyone had to walk on the “proper” side of the road. When people zig-zag across the farmer’s market, it used to stress me out and make it less fun, so even with masks on and no samples, I’ll count it as a win! We then went to a new outdoor space built from shipping containers to meet Sophia and Judson for snacks and drinks. If you’re in Greenville, I can’t recommend Gather GVL enough, and I wish I could open something of a similar concept in Birmingham as I know it would do so well. We stayed there for close to three hours before eventually getting ready for the wedding. We arrived at the wedding location and were given additional masks to wear (giving the ones we had been wearing a break). The ceremony was small but beautifully done, and the reception was in the same location, which was convenient. Most people wore masks the entire time, aside from when eating, drinking, and taking a few pictures. We left around 9:15 before the bride and grooms’ departure and walked to Spill the Beans again for ice cream.

 

 I purchased this dress on sale from Neiman Marcus Last Call last year, so I'm guessing it's a few years old but found that you can rent it here, buy it here (at full price), and purchase it in green (on sale) here. Plus my go-to event earrings are available here! 

Sunday morning, we packed up and grabbed breakfast again at Sully’s Steamers before hitting the road back to Birmingham. Our return trip was so much shorter with no traffic, which felt like a win! Once I arrived home, I unpacked, showered, and took an hour-long nap. In the afternoon, I talked on the phone with my parents, ate dinner, and watched a movie with my roommate before getting in bed early to finish my book. 

This week is shaping up to be a bit different than I initially expected since my parents made the call to put off going to our family’s beach house for the long weekend since my grandparents would also be in attendance. While I’m bummed about the change in plans, I think it’s the right thing to do as case numbers in the south continue to increase. I hope that we may be able to do a socially distant beach weekend with them at some point this summer since they have two houses next door to one another. Instead, I’ll likely be staying put in Birmingham trying to come up with some way to make the holiday festive here! I hope that you are all doing well and staying healthy as we continue to navigate all the unknowns to come this year. 

Saturday Shopping vol. 48

Happy Saturday! It's a very happy one for me since I'm getting to see one of my best friends from college this weekend. When we got drinks together last night we couldn't help but laugh that I almost wore the same shirt as her. It was a lot easier to not make that mistake when we lived together! When putting together this round up I instantly thought of her when including this pajama dress (that looks like something you could easily wear at the beach) since we both got the same one that is similar when in Charleston together last year. The brand also released day dresses made for leaving the house so I've included my favorite one of those in this roundup as well. Ass most of you already know, if you see something you're interested in all you have to do is click on the item in the graphic below to be taken to where it can be purchased. I hope that a fun Saturday is in store for each of you!

Summer 2020 Bucket List

I think it comes as a surprise to no one after this spring that summer is going to look a little different for all of us. Although most states have begun their phases of reopening businesses, summer favorites like going to baseball games or outdoor concerts are likely going to have to wait a year. Even knowing that, I am making it a priority to still make this summer a fun one!

How fun is this illustration by Lyubov Dmitrieva!? You can see more of her illustrations here.

I haven’t had a true summer break in years and feel that statement applies to most of you not in school. But still, there’s something about this season that always seems to be a bit more fun and more relaxed than other seasons. I know I’m counting down to a couple of beach trips to my family’s place on the water and look forward to getting creative with activities to do in Birmingham. I hope that y’all are still planning to make the most of this season as well! 

I'd love to hear what other activities you're adding to the list! 

Patriotic Pieces for the Fourth of July

I don’t know about y’all, but I am already counting down to the Fourth of July. I have plans to head to our family’s beach house for the long weekend and am ready for a bit of tradition amidst a summer that’s particularly challenging to plan ahead during. While we tend to keep things pretty casual when it comes to attire while at the beach house, I couldn’t help but notice all of the cute patriotic pieces out there that would make an outfit extra festive for the occasion. From bathing suits to pullovers and even shoes, I think I pretty much covered it all, no matter what you may want to wear or accessorize with for the holiday weekend. 

If you see anything that you’re interested in shopping, click directly on the item in the image below to be taken to where it can be purchased! 

Step Into My Week 6.22

I am very happy for a fresh start this week after last week was a bit of a doozy for me. I know many people really dislike Mondays (and I see where they are coming from), but I like having a fresh start and knowing I’ve got a lot of time to get my to-do list tackled. I woke up energized this morning with just that mentality! 

My past week started with a photoshoot on Monday, which meant grabbing some flowers on the way into the office. As I mentioned briefly in my last Step Into My Week post, I had a bit of a spill at the lake due to passing out (which was more than likely caused by a drop in my blood sugar which happens on occasion) and then hitting my head getting into the boat later in the day. I felt fine most of Monday morning, aside from being really tired, which was good since I was able to get my shoot done without any issues. I started feeling worse in the afternoon, which pretty much continued the rest of the week. Tuesday, I didn’t have a shoot, so I worked from home and then Wednesday when I was still not feeling great (symptoms likely related to the combination of passing out and potentially having a concussion, not COVID) I went to urgent care and got some blood work done. The shoot I was supposed to do on Thursday got rescheduled, and I was able to take my second sick day in nearly two years of working with my company to rest and recover. My appetite was finally coming back, and I felt more normal by that afternoon, which was such a relief after feeling washed out the rest of the week. I ate dinner with a friend that night, and we watched The Sound of Music before I eventually went to bed.

 

Friday morning, I was feeling much better, which was good timing as I had another shoot that day. We were able to get the cover shot we needed by around 1:00, and then I got a haircut before coming home. I made lunch, showered, and took a nap that afternoon. That evening my friends and I had plans to grab dinner at Taco Mama with drinks afterward on the outdoor part of the Grand Bohemian Hotel in Mountain Brook. It was nice to see them and catch up before many of their clinical rotations start back this week. I think I was back home and asleep before 10:30 that night! 

 dress

On Saturday I had plans to go to the zoo with a friend now that it has opened back up. The indoor exhibits were closed, but it was nice to explore the outdoor areas and see the animals since I had never been there. We were there for about an hour and a half before deciding to grab lunch and eat outside in Homewood. We hung out watching Jeopardy most of the afternoon before getting ready to head to my friend Macy’s housewarming/birthday gathering. We sat out on her screened porch eating burgers and cake bites before heading home for the night. 

I took it very easy on Sunday, sleeping in and then working on blog posts in bed. I was able to make it to Trader Joe’s in between rain showers, and Nell came to my house, later on, to play Monopoly Deal since it didn’t seem like our walk was going to get to happen with all the rain. That evening I went to dinner with a friend’s family and then watched Blades of Glory with a few friends as part of our summer Sunday night movie night tradition. 

I hope that y’all had a nice week and are looking forward to the work week ahead! 

Sunday Styling vol. 4

The summertime heat is in full force, so dresses are becoming a staple when putting together outfits. Today's looks piece together cute flowy finds with various accessories to create ensembles you'll want to wear even when the weather begins to cool.

Look One

A breezy maxi dress like this one (with the cutest bow back tie) goes effortlessly from daytime errands to dinner out and drinks on a breezy porch. Scalloped navy details on these $15 shoes don't go unnoticed however you choose to wear them, and rattan accessories solidify this outfit as a summertime style.

dress // sneakers // bag // sunglasses // hat

Look Two

Purple and teal are a complimentary combo spanning from head to toe, thanks to a detailed flowy dress. Edgy gladiator sandals and a dainty gold ring make this outfit both sassy and sweet.

dress // sandals // headband // ring // bag

Look Three

Buy into the pleated maxi skirt trend with an appliqued white top, scalloped statement bag, and gold jewelry make for the perfect dinner time ensemble to beat the heat and look stylish in the process.

top // skirt // watch // earrings // necklace // bag // sandals

Look Four

A white eyelet dress serves as a blank state for statement shoes with a bold print and cute design. Paired with a summery bag, this is an easy look to take from day to night. 

dress // bag // sandals

Look Five

Blue and white is a timeless color combination that allows this dress to transition easily from spring through fall. Paired with white accessories and a monogrammed tote, it's fit for plenty of summer activities.

dress // sandals // headband // bracelets // bag

I'd love to know which look is your favorite! 

Saturday Shopping vol. 47

Happy Saturday! After sharing what should have been last week's Saturday Shopping post on a Tuesday, I wanted to be a bit more timely with this one. This is good considering I think it may be my favorite I've created in a while due to the bright pieces (most of which are under $100). If something catches your eye you can shop it by clicking directly on the item in the image below.

Cute Tabletop Entertaining Accessories

As some of you may know, I am continually putting together tablescapes for my job as a magazine photo stylist. I share those occasionally on Instagram and eventually would love to redesign my site so that I could also feature those shots on here, but it leads me to discover some really really cute pieces. I am not always able to fit the pieces I love into the shoots I have planned but have been lucky enough to include some items from newly discovered sites as time goes on. In a dream world, the solution to not being able to use the pieces I love in shoots for work would be to use them when setting my own table, but I think my friends would be a little thrown off if the next time they came over to my house for dinner I had a fully set table. So instead, I thought sharing them with y’all may make it so that someone I know gets to use and love these pieces as much as I love looking at them! 

All of these pieces are from The Avenue, the cutest boutique that combines clothing and entertaining pieces that I rarely see anywhere else. I have a really cute vase from the shop that I find myself constantly using thanks to leftover flowers we have sitting around when shoots wrap. The vase is so versatile that I even ended up using it in one of my shoots that will be in print later in the fall.

Below you can find some of my favorites from the “new arrivals” section of the site, and it really has me itching to put together more colorful tablescapes. If you see something you like, you can click directly on the items in the image below to be taken to where they can be shopped. 

Saturday Shopping vol. 46 (On A Tuesday)

Hi, yes, I know it is Tuesday and not Saturday (one could dream), but I meant to get this live on Saturday and didn’t end up opening my computer over the weekend. That has become a trend lately, and the escape in a lot of ways has felt much needed. It also means that I’ve failed in sharing some of the cute clothing pieces I’ve found online with y’all. So, to get back on track, for the time being, a Saturday Shopping post on a Tuesday is going to have to do. If you see something you like, you can click directly on the item in the graphic below to be taken to where it can be shopped.

Step Into My Week 6.15

Given my lack of posts lately, I’m sure it comes as no surprise to many of y’all that blogging has been a bit of a struggle lately. Now that my friends are back in town and we can socialize a bit more with one another, I haven’t wanted to turn down that time to write since many of them are about to start back with school, which will look more intensive than it did previously. Also, in light of all that’s going on in the world, I still don’t know what the proper balance is when it comes to posting or spending that time learning through resources that others are posting. I know there isn’t necessarily a right answer given that everyone is so different, but I never want to come across as insincere. I really do hope to be back in the blogging groove soon but certainly don’t want to force it upon myself since that’s when I tend to lose inspiration. I’ve been back in the office more, too, which means that maybe it’ll feel more normal to get to just work on blog work while at home. 

My week began with a photoshoot on Monday for a couple of fall place settings. I went and got a few more flowers before work so that I could have those arrangements done by the time the photographer arrived. The shoot lasted until around lunchtime, so I was able to eat and finish my days work at home. I took a true40 class in the afternoon and came back home after that. Once I got showered, I made dinner, watched the news, and got in bed to read. 

On Tuesday, I started my day with a 6:00 am true40 class before showering and getting ready to work for the day. I worked at home for a bit before running some errands for a shoot and going into the office. I left the office early afternoonish after reclaiming my desk and getting packages returned. I continued to work from home until 5:00 and eventually went to a friend’s house for dinner and then went on a walk. 

I had the first of this summer’s Christmas food shoots on Wednesday, so our set was filled with holiday cookies. It always seems unreal how early we start to work on holiday content, but honestly, I should just be surprised I haven’t had to set up or decorate a Christmas tree just yet. I really hope I’m not jinxing myself with that one. The shoot ended mid-afternoon, and I was able to make it to a true40 class with Nell when it wrapped. We decided to go to Taco Mama for dinner afterward and sit outside, which felt really normal and summery. Since we had a bit of time to kill before our plans later that evening, we went on a stroll through Mountain Brook. Afterward, it was off to a friend’s surprise birthday gathering with our bible study group. We stayed until close to 9:00 before everyone called it a night. 

On Thursday, I had another food shoot, which surprisingly ended around 1:00. Had I known that Nell and I probably would have joined our friends in leaving for the lake this day, but it was nice not to feel rushed to pack and head out. When I got home, I showered, finished my work for the day, and packed my bag for the lake. The weather was surprisingly pleasant for June, so a friend and I decided to get drinks at Freddy’s Wine Bar in Highland Park. Afterward, we decided to go to dinner at Blueprint on 3rd and check out the Jeni’s Ice Cream that had opened the day before in Pepper’s Place. Somehow despite all those stops, I was in bed before ten, which was good given the next morning’s early alarm.

 

Nell picked me up to head to our friend’s lake house in Louisiana around 6:00, and we made our way through the backroads pretty painlessly. It was lunchtime when we arrived, so we made pizzas before getting suited and sunscreened up for the afternoon. We spent the remainder of the day in the lake, on the dock, and riding on the boat. We had Mexican food for dinner and hung out outside for a while before eventually turning in for the evening.

The next morning started out a bit clumsily with me taking a bit of a spill and hitting my head, so I tried my best to take the rest of the day relatively easy. We spent the day on and off the boat, in the pool, and in the river. I even got to take a nice nap on the dock in a swinging chair, which felt like a relaxing win. We ended the day with jambalaya by a bonfire and even had everything ready to make s’ mores. I went to bed a little earlier that evening since my head wasn’t feeling great, but I’m pleased to report that all of my friends and I made it home sunburn free. 

 

We left Lousiana around 9:00 on Sunday morning, which had us back in Birmingham close to 3:30 after a couple of stops. I was able to nap some in the car, and we even played MadLibs to pass the time, which felt like a throwback. Once I was home, I showered, talked on the phone to my parents, and unpacked my bags. By the time that was all complete, it was time to get ready and dressed to head to my dinner plans that evening. It was another surprisingly comfortable night heat-wise, so after we ate, we all sat outside for a while watching the sun go down. After such a busy weekend, it was unsurprising that I was asleep before 9:30 that night. 

Father's Day Gift Guide 2020

Since I haven’t had the chance to say it yet this month, how is it already June?! I probably sound like a broken record this year with how fast the months are passing by (although some days feel incredibly slow). That means Father’s Day will be here before we know it, and now is the time to find the perfect gift. 

I’ve said it in year’s past but will repeat it; I feel like dad’s get the short end of the stick when it comes to the gifts they receive. Typically, the gifts they end up with are relatively practical since if your dad is anything like mine, then he goes ahead and buys anything that may be on his wish list. I don’t think I’d be overly excited to receive a tie or a pair of socks, but somehow dads seem to be pretty ok with it. I did my best to find useful items your dad may actually need and pair them with more fun items that would be entertaining to give as a gift.

 I have included several great ideas below to make your lives a bit easier. To shop a product included in the image, hover your mouse over it and then click. It should take you directly to the site where the item can be purchased in a new tab. Best of luck!

Step Into My Week 6.9

I keep putting off writing and publishing this post since I don’t want to jump back into “normal” posting without acknowledging all that has been going on in the United States. I took a break from posting both on the blog and social media in an attempt to take in all of the information being shared while also allowing myself time to process what I was learning. I’m the type of person who takes a while to process things and ultimately make decisions, so it’s not surprising to me that my processing of the injustice in our country and beyond has taken some time. I recognize that my blog has always been more frivolous than what is portrayed on the news, and in many ways, that’s very intentional. Much like everyone has their own escapes, often this blog is mine. While I’ll eventually share what I’m learning and ways in which I’m discovering how to do my part against racial injustice, I’m still processing and learning myself, so I’m not ready to share just yet. For now, I’m sharing a recap of my last week, and while it certainly doesn’t include the time spent reading articles and watching the news, please know that it most certainly was there. 

mask 

On Monday, I went into the office to get things situated for the shoot I had the following day. The most exciting part about heading in (aside from being able to not work from home) was that I got to wear my new Mi Golondrina face mask. We are required to wear masks in the office, and my previous fabric one was much thicker and, therefore, hot. This one is thinner and so much cuter! I had left the office in time to go to my first true40 class back in the studio, but that was canceled due to a curfew in place in Birmingham that lasted until yesterday. I opted to go for a run instead, and once I got back, showered, and watched Clueless with my roommate before bed. 

dress // sandals // watch // ring // phone case 

Tuesday was a shoot day, which lasted until around 3:00, meaning that I didn’t do much else aside from that. I was able to get a few emails sent, and a couple of products ordered in for upcoming shoots but went home afterward. A few friends came over that afternoon for a happy hour on our back deck but left early to make it home in time for the curfew. I made some dinner, and my roommate and I sat down to watch Just Mercy, which is streaming free on Amazon Prime for the month of June. It was very hard to watch but so so good, and I’m embarrassed to say that despite my connections to two of the places mentioned, it was the first I had heard of the case covered. 

I started my Wednesday with my first class back at true40, which felt needed. I knew as soon as I walked out the doors that I would be sore, but it’s clear they are doing their best to allow customers to come in smaller numbers to get a great workout in. I worked from home the rest of the day and went to the store around 6:00 to get stuff to make dinner with a friend. We made a recipe out of my Skinnytaste cookbook that had shrimp and broccoli and tasted delicious. It’s definitely one I will be adding into my rotation, especially since Publix makes it so easy to cook shrimp given that they offer them shelled and de-veined. After that, I had bible study and then went to bed.

I jumpstarted my Thursday with another true40 workout and got clean and dressed to stop by Bromberg’s to borrow a few props before heading into the office. I had a shoot the following Monday that I wanted to get ahead on and was glad to be able to do that. The rest of the afternoon, I worked from home and was really productive. I went to a friend’s house for dinner that night and then had a zoom birthday party for two of my friends. 

dress // earrings // sandals // watch // ring // phone case 

Since I was planning to work from home on Friday, I went for a run before the two video meetings I had. I was able to get a lot done before the workday was done at noon. After that, I showered, made lunch, and ran some errands to prepare for my roommate’s birthday party at our house that evening. We were planning to be on the deck the whole night, but the rain had other plans, so we ended up moving into our basement instead. There was pizza, cake, and karaoke, and it ended up being a lot of fun. 

I didn’t really do much on Saturday until going to brunch at Ruby Sunshine in Homewood. I went into a couple of stores with a friend after that and later made my way to Trader Joe’s to get flowers for my photoshoot on Monday. I spent my afternoon hanging out before eventually getting ready for dinner that night at the Birmingham Country Club with a friend and their family. We got drinks afterward and probably left around 8:30, and it wasn’t too long after that that I went to sleep. 

 

Thanks to an early bedtime on Saturday night, I woke up earlier than usual on Sunday. I met up with a friend to go get donuts from Hero Donuts in Homewood, and we ended up playing close to ten games of Monopoly Deal, which quickly became my new favorite game. After that, I came back home and ate lunch before going on a long walk with Nell. We went to Doodles in Cahaba Heights to get snowcones, and then I talked on the phone with my parents for a bit before heading to a friend’s house for a cookout. We had burgers outside before going in to watch School of Rock. After that, Nell, Rebecca, and I enjoyed our favorite cake from Greenville, SC, that Nell picked up while she was in town. I then showered, got in bed, and read to wrap up an eventful week and weekend.