Saturday, May 29, 2021

Saturday Shopping vol. 87

 Happy Saturday! I hope y'all have some fun plans for your Memorial Day weekend. I am staying put in Birmingham to pack to move next door at the beginning of next week. Although a lot of friends are out of town, Nell came to visit me and help me pack, which is making the whole situation more fun! To procrastinate packing the kitchen I put together a new Saturday Shopping post for y'all. 

I feel like I've been a bit of an inconsistent blogger lately, but I like to think I am a pretty consistent online shopper, so there's not a lack of cute new arrivals for y'all to browse! Plus with it being a holiday weekend many of these pieces are on some sort of sale. If you see anything you're interested in, you can click directly on the piece in the image below to be taken to where it can be shopped! 

Wednesday, May 26, 2021

One Piece Bathing Suits

If you saw yesterday’s blog post sharing cute two-piece bathing suits then you’ve probably been expecting this one! I love the idea of one-piece swimsuits but don’t own many because I’m always afraid that they aren’t going to be long enough on my torso while also offering full coverage on the bottom. Over the years, I feel like one-piece bathing suits have been redefined as chic while the kinks that concerned me have been worked out. 

Now, it almost seems easier to find a one-piece I like than a cute top and bottom! That may explain why there are a few more options in today’s post than yesterday’s. Paired with a cute sarong or coverup, you’ll definitely be looking stylish in any of these options while, in most cases, not breaking the bank!

*Keep scrolling for the clickable image!*

 *Keep scrolling for the clickable image!*

If you see any one-pieces you love, you can click directly on them in the image below to be taken to where they can be purchased. And if two pieces are more your speed, then be sure to check out yesterday’s post!


Tuesday, May 25, 2021

This Season's Cutest Two Piece Swimsuits

 Temperatures in Alabama went from crisp and springy to full-blown summer this past week, and that wouldn’t be quite so alarming if the AC in my car was working. I’ll finally have some time on Friday to get it looked at, but in the meantime, I’d love a poll to jump in any time I get out of the car! 

Since I know lots of people probably have fun plans coming up for Memorial Day and summer, I figured it was time to finally round up some cute bathing suit finds for y’all. Usually, I find shopping for swimwear to be such a chore since so many bathing suits are cut in less than modest ways, and don’t get me started on how hard it is to find full coverage bottoms in what seems to be an endless sea of cheeky cuts. 

*Keep scrolling for the clickable image!*

 *Keep scrolling for the clickable image!*

I tend to buy my bathing suit tops separate from the bottoms for that very reason which explains why you won’t be seeing any bathing suit bottoms paired with these cute bikini tops. Many of the options included in this post do have a few different cuts of matching bottoms, so it’s worth browsing the retailer’s site to see what you’re able to find. For instance, I just ordered this top and bottom from Aerie and was thrilled to discover that the bottoms are full coverage (and run true to size). Halleluiah! 

If you see something you like, you can click directly on the item in the graphic below, and I think you’ll be pleased to discover that many of these bathing suit tops are very affordable and come in a wide range of colors! If you have any favorite retailers to shop for bathing suits that I need to know about, please let me know in the comments! Also, stay tuned for tomorrow’s blog post full of one-piece bathing suit finds. 

Monday, May 24, 2021

Step Into my Week 5.24

 Happy Monday! I got up early today in an attempt to get a head start on my to-do list before a relatively busy week. I have a work shoot in Huntsville on Wednesday that I know will make it hard to check any tasks off my list, and I am hoping that this morning’s productivity will make up for that! We shall see. I do feel like I’ve got a nice head start on packing my things to move next door next week, which feels like a relief! 

Today’s Step Into My Week post feels shorter than most since last week took y’all through Tuesday, and we have fewer days to cover. Hopefully, you’ll still find it entertaining! 


Originally I was supposed to have a shoot on Wednesday, but the recipes we were going to be shooting needed some tweaking, so that was canceled, giving me a day to catch up on work at home after starting my morning with a cycling class. I was able to get a plan for an upcoming location shoot and talk through some details of that without feeling too pressed for time. Later in the afternoon, I went to the Hibiscus House showroom to get some work done, and that night we had our first bible study back after taking a month off. Once Rebecca and I got back from that, we both got in our beds early!

Thursday morning, I started my day with another cycling class and quickly showered afterward so that I could get through some things before a mid-day meeting. In the afternoon, I ordered in products, did some outreach for a shoot, and caught up on emails after being away. I went to the Hibiscus House showroom for a product pick up and while there took some photos before meeting my friends out that evening. My friend Hallie was back in town, so we went to dinner with a few other friends at Monday Night Brewing. I had their chicken bowl, which was really good (and likely easy to recreate) and the perfect amount of food. Afterward, a few of us went to the Barons baseball game. I think that was the longest I’ve ever stayed and the most I’ve ever watched of the game at a thirsty Thursday. Hunter decided that his ballpark snack of choice was going to be Mexican Street Corn which was a mess but didn’t stop him from getting Jeni’s ice cream with me after the game!



On Friday, I spent the morning getting work done before ending the workweek around noon. I finally made my way to the grocery store after putting it off for most of the week and then spent the afternoon starting to organize and pack my room. Hunter made a beer can chicken on his smoker that night for dinner, and since nothing much was going on, we went to Paramount downtown for a beer and to play arcade games. 

I slept in a little bit on Saturday before heading to the Hibiscus House showroom to be there when a delivery arrived. I was able to get a lot done photo and caption-wise for Instagram while there and continued doing some things for that into the afternoon. Since the weather was so nice and Rebecca and I were over spending time inside packing, we picked up Hunter and went to Avondale Brewing for a while. We ended up playing Uno most of the time while we were there. That night, Hunter and I went to dinner with his sister Janie (read her blog here) and then went back to his house to all play Mexican Train.

I was able to sleep in a little bit on Sunday as well, and had a relatively slow morning before spending most of my afternoon working on things for Hibiscus House and packing. I showered and got ready to go with Hunter, his sister, and his parents for dinner at the Birmingham Country Club and then came home to continue to get ahead for the week. 

I have a feeling next week’s Step Into My Week post is going to be filled with the words packing and working as I try to get ahead on things before spending most of the early part of next week moving. I’m going to do my best to have new blog posts up every day this week, but that will depend on how much I’m able to get ahead, so keep checking back and keep your fingers crossed!  

Saturday, May 22, 2021

Saturday Shopping vol. 86

 Happy Saturday! I'm in town this weekend and officially starting to pack to move in two weeks. While this isn't necessarily the most exciting way to spend a weekend, I know that as the move approaches I'll be glad I did it, especially with a busy upcoming week. I did take a break long enough to put together a new Saturday Shopping post for y'all. After not sharing one while on vacation last week, I have enough for today's and next week's post already! If you see something you like you can click directly on the product in the image below to be taken to where it can be purchased.

Thursday, May 20, 2021

Target Designer Dress Collaboration

 I realize I may be a bit slow on the draw with this post and that if you follow other bloggers, you’ve likely already heard this news, but Target released their newest collaboration full of pretty designer dresses from a few brands you may recognize. Since it was released over the weekend, some of the sizes are already selling out, but I’ve also seen some come back in and out of stock so it may be worth checking in more than once if there’s something you don’t want to miss.

*Keep scrolling for the clickable image!*


*Keep scrolling for the clickable image!*

Target has had some really great clothing finds as of late, and this collaboration is no different. It has an extended size run, making it inclusive and that much better! I have no doubt I’ll be spotting some of these dresses at upcoming summer events, and for a good reason. I’ve included some of my favorites below for you to shop (with this being the one I keep checking on for a restock), but there are plenty of other pretty ones here too. To shop any of the items featured, click directly on the dress in the image below! 

Wednesday, May 19, 2021

Step Into My Week 5.19

 Nothing like starting your week on a Wednesday to really throw you for a loop. I didn’t mean to be so quiet on the blog last week, but sometimes when I’m getting ready to head out of town on vacation, I end up having lots to do ahead of time to not work while on it that something has to fall to the wayside. In last week’s case, that was blogging. Fortunately, I’m back with an update for y’all about all I’ve been up to in my absence. And I will warn you that with moving (still in Birmingham, just to a new rental house) at the end of this month and lots of juggling in order to prepare for that, I may be in and out in this space over the next few weeks. As for this past week and a bit…

I’m having to really think when it comes to what I was up to two Mondays ago, and all that I can remember is working from home and then much later in the afternoon heading to the Hibiscus House showroom to style some things for the website and social media. Although I don’t remember what I made, I know I made dinner at some point and probably got in bed early to read.

I got up early on Tuesday morning to take a cycling class with my favorite instructor, which ended up being a private lesson since everyone else in the class late canceled. It was an awesome class and a good way to start the day. I worked from home all day which was nice, and I spent my evening working on some social media captions for Hibiscus House before going over to Hunter’s house since he wanted to make dinner. After eating the pasta, he made we watched Secondhand Lions before I left and went to sleep.

Wednesday morning, I went to an MPower Pilates class and went to get some flowers afterward. I went into the office for a meeting and to prep for my shoot and arrange the flowers. Since the location we were using for my shoot the following day was at one of my coworker’s houses, I was able to go ahead there and set the table in order for us to get an early start the following day. I can’t remember what I did that night, but I think I just made dinner and hung out at home. 

Thursday was the day of my shoot which was a jazz brunch for one of our January/February 2022 issues. We were there until around 3:00, which gave me time to run by the office and unload my car of the props before heading home. I did some laundry and started to lay things out to pack before getting dinner at Rougaroux with Hunter and watching a movie. We turned on the Netflix Chicago Seven movie, and although it’s one I’ve been wanting to see, I was so tired from the day that I fell asleep within the first 30 minutes, oops. 

I started my Friday morning with an early MPower class before heading back home to shower and pack up to leave town. Hunter and I left around 10:00 to drive to Asheville to meet my parents and their friends at a cabin they rented just outside of town. We made good time and arrived a little before 5:00 with one stop at The Varsity. Everyone hung out on the porch for a while before we had dinner and relaxed that night. 

On Saturday, we had cinnamon rolls for breakfast, and eventually, everyone got ready to head to Biltmore Village to shop around and eat lunch. Since most of the people we were with had already seen the Biltmore, we didn’t end up doing that this trip. We had lunch at a Mexican Restaurant in town, and the guys left to play golf while the girls shopped around before heading back to the cabin. I read on the back porch for a while until the guys finished golfing. After everyone got cleaned up, we ate dinner and played scrabble.


Sunday, we made our way to the North Carolina Arboretum, which was really pretty. We wandered around there for a while before trying to go to Sierra Nevada, which was only open with reservations and ours weren’t until the following day. We ended up at a pizza place and then went back to the cabin for a bit before playing pickleball. After six games, we came back for dinner and played Mexican Train before a late bedtime.



On Monday morning, Hunter and I got up and went on a hike nearby. Although it was under 2 miles it felt mostly uphill and was a good workout. We came back to the cabin and got ready to head with my parents and their friends to Sierra Nevada Brewing for lunch. Everyone’s meal looked good, and after we finished eating we sat outside and enjoyed another beer. That afternoon I think everyone was feeling tired, so we came back to the cabin to nap and hung out there the rest of the night. We had homemade pizza for dinner and finished our game of Mexican Train from the night before. 




Tuesday, it was time to leave, so Hunter and I hit the road a little after seven and made a pit stop at Tandem near Furman on our way back to Birmingham. We got back around noon, and I spent my afternoon unpacking and getting ahead on some blog work. I watched the Netflix adaptation of The Woman in the Window (which I had previously read) and eventually made myself dinner. I got in bed pretty early so that I could finish the book I’ve been reading called Estate Secrets. I had a little under 100 pages left and didn’t fall asleep until after I got through them. The plot made it impossible to put down! 

Although my to-do list is long today, I’m excited to get back in the swing of things now that I’m rested after a fun and relaxing vacation. 

Wednesday, May 12, 2021

Spring & Summer Tops

I really thought I was going to be able to get this post live yesterday, but I kept finding cute tops I wanted to include in it and couldn’t bring myself to stop browsing. If y’all are anything like me, you’re drawn to fun summery dresses before their more practical counterpart, tops. Cute shirts and blouses get a lot more wear in my wardrobe but aren’t as easy for me to shop for as dresses. 

*Keep scrolling for the clickable image!* 

*Keep scrolling for the clickable image!* 

I’ve tried to tell myself to not purchase any more casual dresses for spring and summer and instead focus on tops which is how we landed at this blog post. Most of these pieces can be worn well with a variety of jean colors, shorts, and even in some instance’s skirts, making their cost per wear a bit lower than more memorable sundresses. I tried to include a variety of price points, patterns, and colors and am now having to do the tricky task of narrowing down which ones would be fit any holes in my wardrobe. 

Since not all of these necessarily work for me, then why not share them with y’all here to shop for yourselves! If you see anything you’re interested in you can click on the item directly in the image below! 

Monday, May 10, 2021

Step Into My Week 5.10

 Happy Monday! I’m gearing up for a busy week trying to get ahead before heading out of town on Friday and coming back the following Tuesday. I always try to do as much as I can ahead of time to make easing back into work after a vacation a bit easier, but getting it all done can feel overwhelming. My first stop early this morning was the car dealership for an oil change and getting my AC looked at, and I have a feeling there will be plenty of other similarly early mornings this week. But, I know y’all are all here to get an update on what I’ve been up to this past week instead of reading about today’s to-do list, so here it is.

I got up early on Monday morning to go to an MPower Pilates workout on the megaformer. I’m starting week two of their free two-week trial after having loved joining their cycling classes over the past month. The Pilates classes are so good but so hard that I wind up sore for a couple of days after! Once I got home and showered, I was working from home the rest of the day, up until heading to help Elizabeth at the Hibiscus House showroom. Once I got back from there, I continued to get a bit of work done while making dinner and meal prepping. Eventually, I got in bed and read.

I was up early again on Tuesday for my favorite instructor's cycling class. I came home and showered afterward and met my boss at Church Street Coffee for a check-in meeting around 10:00. We ended up having a big storm roll in, and I was especially glad to be working from home that afternoon. I got through most of my to-do list by 5:15 and once there was a break in the weather went over to Hunter’s house since we had plans to have breakfast dinner. We made hashbrowns, omelets, and pancakes all of which were delicious and seemed extra cozy for a rainy evening. The Parent Trap was on that night so we watched that despite having seen it within the past couple of weeks. 

Wednesday morning, I had another MPower Pilates workout and went straight to get flowers after it was over. I came back and got some work done before a meeting about some upcoming shoots. I went to Trader Joes to get more flowers for my shoot the following day and went to the office to pack up my props. I came home around 2:00 and arranged the flowers and eventually showered and got ready to go to our Cinco de Mayo supper club. We had tacos with all of the chips, guacamole, and queso we could’ve wanted and sipped on margaritas the entire evening. After eating on the porch, we moved inside to play Mexican Train until around 9:30. I was home and in bed before 10:15, which was good since I had a busy day on Thursday. 



I had a bit of computer work to do in the morning and finished packing my car with props before arriving at our location around 8:45. We couldn’t have asked for prettier weather. We wrapped the shoot around 1:30, and I came home to continue to get work done. Around 5:00, I showered and got ready for the first Thirsty Thursday Barons game of the year. Beforehand, Hunter and I went to the Pizitz Food Hall for dinner before the game started. We ran into some friends but sadly weren’t there all that long since it looked like it was going to storm since the sky was getting really dark. We got a milkshake on the way back to Hunter’s house and watched The Highwaymen instead, which was really good.


Friday morning, I got off of the waitlist for a workout and went before working from home. I went to help Elizabeth at Hibiscus House’s showroom that afternoon and came home and watched TV in the living room before getting ready for dinner with some of my girlfriends at Gian Marcos. After dinner, we got drinks at the new Valley Hotel in Homewood before everyone headed home.



I tried to sleep in on Saturday but woke up around 8:20 and decided to start some laundry. I got coffee from Crestline Bagel after that and spent most of my day relaxing at home. I arranged some flowers in the afternoon, and Hunter stopped by to take them to his mom while I got ready before going with him and his family to drinks and dinner. We went to The Club for drinks and then made our way to the Birmingham Country Club for dinner. I ordered the redfish, which came with a crawfish etouffee that was delicious. After dinner, I went to sleep relatively early. 

I had been talking about trying a new donut place all week, so Sunday morning, Hunter agreed to go with me, and I picked him up a little before 10:00. We tried three of the different flavors and two of the dipping sauces, all of which were good! He and I watched Chopped and played chess after eating the donuts and a little while later made a trip to Home Depot for potting soil to plant some flowers. I went to another MPower Pilates class in the afternoon and talked on the phone with my parents after going to the grocery store. I showered, made myself dinner, and got in bed early to try to get ahead on some blog posts for the week and then read. 

I hope that y’all had a nice week as well! 

Saturday, May 8, 2021

Saturday Shopping vol. 85

 I have had the most relaxing Saturday morning, and I can only hope that you have as well. I went to a favorite coffee shop to grab some coffee and breakfast before tackling laundry, working on blog posts, and spending time on the couch leisurely getting ahead on next week’s to-dos. 

The first of those to-dos is this blog post. There’s no denying that the pieces I found to include in this post are just begging for a beach trip, and I think this hat and these sunglasses are moving to the top of my summer wishlist. If you see something you’re adding to your own wishlist, you can find where to purchases these pieces by clicking directly on them in the image below! 

Thursday, May 6, 2021

lemlem x H&M Collection

 After a rainy few mornings, the sun is finally out today just in time for my outdoor shoot for work! Thank goodness. I’m hoping this weather holds through the weekend so that May starts to have that summertime feeling. Nothing screams summertime to me quite like bright colors, lightweight linen, and a beach to wear pieces with that combination on! H&M’s newest designer collaboration offers everything but the beach, and I’ve been looking forward to it launching ever since scrolling through the UK drop in April. Fortunately, lemlem x H&M is ready to shop in the US and just dropped today! 

I had discovered lemlem last summer, but despite the pieces being cute, couldn’t quite justify the price for a statement piece of casual clothing. Now thanks to their collaboration with H&M and the affordable price point I’ve already checked out on this dress

Keep scrolling for the clickable image! 


Keep scrolling for the clickable image! 

As a bit of backstory, lemlem was founded by supermodel Liya Kebede and features artfully designed resort wear, and is sustainably sourced. For the collaboration with H&M, the brands embodied bright colors on the garments which are made of lightweight, comfortable materials. 

I wish I had a beach vacation planned to scoop up all these pieces for, but maybe one of you does and can shop them with a trip in mind. The image below allows you to click directly on an item you may be interested in, which will then take you directly to where it can be purchased. Happy shopping! 

Wednesday, May 5, 2021

My Favorite Margarita Recipe

Happy Cinco de Mayo! My friends would be the first to tell you that today is hands down my favorite minor holiday. As a lover of bright colors, Mexican food, and of course, margaritas that pretty much comes as a no-brainer. Tonight, I am getting together with my supper club to celebrate the occasion while of course, sipping margaritas! I've perfected my recipe over the years and am excited to share it with you here! 




Usually, when playing bartender, I tend to eyeball things and take a sip to see what I may need more of. When sharing a recipe, I know that's not always helpful. With that said, I did try to come up with proper ratios to share with you here since I know it can be tricky to guestimate. But hey, if you’ve had a rough week/day add an extra splash of tequila, I’m not judging! 


To make our favorite margs, you’ll need:

Tequila of your choice
Tres Agaves Margarita Mix (I buy mine at Publix)
Lime La Croix (or something similar)
Limes


 

In honor of my love of a theme, I couldn’t just make these directly in the cup and decided instead to utilize my  Amanda Lindroth pitcher and some festive cups we have. I’ll be writing out the recipe as it pertains to a single serving, but don’t be afraid to make enough for a second since as far as margaritas go, these taste light and refreshing. 

1.    Start by pouring one shot of tequila into your glass or pitcher filled with ice.
2.    Add two shots of Tres Agaves Margarita Mix (you can adjust this according to your taste, but I’ve found this to be my sweet spot).
3.    Cut up a small lime and squeeze two wedges into the drink. I usually toss one of the squeezed wedges into the drink.
4.    Top with lime La Croix, stir, and enjoy. 


dress (previous season) // bracelets // earrings // watch // ring // pitcher

Nothing too groundbreaking, but undoubtedly delicious! I wish I could cheers with y’all in person to celebrate. Below I've included some cute items that would take my at-home fiesta set-up to the next level: 

Tuesday, May 4, 2021

Graduation Gifts for High School & College Guys

 While many colleges had graduation ceremonies over the weekend, I know high school graduations will be taking place all throughout May and June. And after sharing my graduation gift guide for girls, I didn’t want to leave the guys (or those of you shopping for them) hanging! 

Keep scrolling for the clickable image!

Keep scrolling for the clickable image!

I put together a list full of great gift ideas for both high school and college graduates. I have no doubt that it will be obvious to you which items may be suited for each age group (imagine what a nightmare it would be to have a grill/smoker in a dorm room), but hopefully one of these things will seem like a great gift for the graduate you’re shopping for! 

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

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