Summer Dresses

May 18, 2018

It's the end of the school year, which means events to attend and vacations to get ready for in our family. I have bought so many summer dresses the past month from casual to cocktail. I wore two of
them this week! I went to Austin for a night earlier this week to attend the Reward Style city tour. It was so nice to meet other bloggers and social media influencers. Honestly, I just wanted a reason to go to Austin with my friend Melissa who was also invited. I've been dreaming of taco trucks and live music for months! It was too quick of a trip to really enjoy the city, but I got my taco. Unfortunately, I  burned my taste buds by adding too much green sauce I poured on it. Let's just say that was not guac. I should have known because guac is always extra!

I wore this red dress that has just a hint of orange. I love it because it's flattering, the color is great for photos, and it works for an event that is in between casual and cocktail. I found earrings to match it perfectly that you can't really see in this photo. I linked them below for a closer look. I wore wedges instead of heels because I knew we'd be in the grass. I was a little hesitant to even try on these 4 inch high wedges because I felt like I may fall or my feet would be killing me later, but they were so comfortable and I didn't even come close to toppling over. The sales girl kept saying the platform made them easy to walk in. I inwardly rolled my eyes at that, but she was right!

Isn't this just the cutest trailer with those flowers?





I had to rush back the next day so I could attend my oldest son's golf banquet. He's a freshman on the high school JV golf team. Most of the event was focused on the seniors headed off to college. I just couldn't believe my son was at the same event as college bound adults. He was just in junior high last year and now he has friends that have cars. We were leaving the golf course after practice earlier this year and he pointed to a Mustang next to us and said that was his friend's car. I said,"The person driving?! You have a friend that DRIVES?!" That was a wake up call that he is not little any longer if the facial hair, deep voice and five inches of height over me didn't do it.

We had a bit of last minute drama over his clothes. He said he was convinced he was going to wear his high school golf shirt, but it turns out he needed a button down shirt like the one I tried to buy him weeks ago. Yeah. The only shirt he had was one from Christmas. At least it isn't flannel!

I just love the orange color of this dress! It's so well made too, but that's not surprising since it's Trina Turk. My mom found it out shopping a while back and bought it for me. I linked similar ones below since this one is no longer available. I wore the same wedges from the night before since they were so kind to my feet!



I've linked other dresses and wedges I've had my eye on, too. There are so many great options right now!













Backyard Reveal

May 13, 2018

Happy Mother's Day! I hope everyone had a great weekend. We didn't do much today, but I made sure to take the kids to visit my mom. My parents usually come to our house since we always cook, but it was a nice change of pace to visit them at their house. It's been a while, but my youngest son remembered exactly where the candy dish was in the living room! Saturday was spent hanging outside by the pool with the kids, and I snapped a few photos while drinking my pina colada that you may notice in several photos. I had to put it down and it was great for staging!

The first thing I want to show you is the new seating area by the pool. We have the sectional under the covered porch, but it gets blasted by the sun late in the afternoon since it faces west and it doesn't get the breeze since it's protected by the brick walls. That's great in the late fall and winter when it's cool, but not so much when it's hot. When I mention breeze, I really mean wind gusts! I've never experienced anything like this before, but it's almost like being on a beach sometimes. I'm guessing it's because there's not a barrier between the lake across the street and our house. Except for the constant breaking of umbrellas, it's amazing!

The lounge chairs and dining table set from Target has held up so well I naturally went with the seating from the same collection. I carried the light and dark blues from the covered porch out here as well. The darker blue seemed a little harsh next to the gray-brown color so I went lighter blue on the pillows and mixed in the dark blues as an accent. The "coffee table" is actually a fire pit. I can't even begin to describe how pretty it is with the fire on when it gets dark. The boys immediately broke it in by making s'mores. We also have solar lights on the retaining wall for extra lighting. They were so inexpensive and work so well. It's nice not to have to worry about using more electricity either. We're going to put even more of them out here soon.




The rosemary next to the sofa makes the entire seating area smell amazing!







I am pretty much obsessed with my lemon tree. I inspect the progress at least twice a day.




Here's my little guy making his s'more!




This is definitely an unstaged photo! The umbrellas are absolutely necessary for that west facing sun I mentioned earlier. We tucked them underneath the railing so they wouldn't blow over and I didn't want to have to try to put them back, but they aren't the prettiest en masse like this. Once we tilt them in the afternoons they shade the entire dining and bar area.





I mentioned this striped umbrella in a previous post, but here it is in my own home! The spot with the towel is my favorite. It's because it's completely shaded once I tilt the umbrella. I do not need any more sun spots!





The view from the terrace. We've been getting quotes for landscaping, but I could put my son halfway through college just to landscape half of the fence you see here. You know what this means, right? If you've followed my blog long enough you know how cheap I am. I'll just do it myself! Somehow it all works out in the end.




This purple tree is one of my favorites! Next to the navy striped umbrella it takes my breath away. The pictures do not do it justice.















There's my pina colada again! You can make these without alcohol too, which is great for a lightweight like me. I can drink as many as I like right in the middle of the day!












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Mother's Day Gift Ideas

May 6, 2018

I hope everyone is having a great weekend! We spent yesterday out by the pool for Cinco de Mayo. My husband made fajitas, but I ended up getting full off of homemade tortilla chips, guac and homemade queso. I'm looking forward to the leftovers today! He also made my mom and me pina coladas to sit by the pool and watch the boys swim. 






The boys may be older and good swimmers, but we have to keep an eye on them because they can be really rough at times. I just love the dynamic between the three of them. There is less fighting and more laughing as they get older. They still love to make fun of each other, but it's all in good fun.





Mother's Day is next weekend so I know a lot of you will be going out today or some time this week to pick up gifts. Most of us know our moms and wives well enough to pick out their gifts...just kidding! I rounded up a list from handbags to jewelry. I even included a feminine set of luggage since summer vacations are right around the corner. My favorite Longchamp bag is also included. I noticed so many women of all ages traveling abroad had this nylon tote that comes with a zipper. The turquoise jewelry made the list because it pairs perfectly with summer clothes. It's made of real gemstones and 18 kt gold plated over silver at a reasonable price. The company will even re-plate the jewelry if it tarnishes. My favorite reasonably priced handbags are on this list. I've been eyeing the lookalike Chanel bag for a while now, but the See by Chloe bag is brand new. I couldn't believe how close it resembles it's big sister Chloe bag at a fraction of the price. Happy shopping!











My Favorite Items Are On Sale!

Apr 27, 2018

It's the weekend! I will be working as usual. Since my job is to shop for clients I do get to pick things up for myself along the way so I can't complain!

Macy's is offering 30% off with their Friends & Family sale. My Hotel Collection bedding is only $174.99 for the king sized duvet! It also comes in a comforter version.





My favorite white sandals are on sale, too!




I've also been shopping for swimsuits to wear this summer. I keep going back to my favorite brand, Becca. I love the support and comfort, but it also is still on trend. Here is the swimsuit I bought last year in purple. I was so happy to see they brought it back in other colors. I'm loving the bright pink!











J.Crew Factory is also having an amazing sale of up to 60% off! These shorts are only $21.50! Banana Republic is offering 50% off sale items. My top is in limited sizes, but it's only $14.99!




Other Sales:

Pottery Barn-25% off one regular priced item in stores and online, including furniture (use code SAVE25)

Gap-Extra 20% (use code OURTREAT)

Williams Sonoma Home-20% off one item (use code SPRING)

J.Crew Factory-Buy one, get one free off summer must haves online only (use code SUMMERLOVE)

Ballard Designs-20% off everything

Banana Republic-Extra 50% off sale

Frontgate-25% off site wide (I will be buying their pool floats today!)

Club Monaco-Extra 30% off sale in stores and online



Black and White OOTD

Apr 18, 2018

It's been a while since I've done an OOTD! Between the spring weather (sorry for you still in the cold!) and upcoming summer vacations I've been shopping for clothes more than I have home decor. I bought these shorts about a month ago. Not only do they still have them, but they are under $27 on sale! The top is one of my favorites and a staple all year around since I like to wear it under jackets. I also own it in white. It's on sale too!











Because my legs are on the shorter side I prefer wedges without any straps around the ankle to lengthen the leg. They can be hard to find! These are older, but I found vey similar ones below.




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