Summer

WEEKEND WRAP UP...

How was your weekend? I hope ya'll had a wonderful weekend and enjoyed your Sunday! A little fun fact for ya'll about this past Friday, did you know that it was the last Friday the 13th of entire year? Yes you read that right, the last Friday the 13th of 2012 has come and gone.  Pretty unbelievable to think that we are more than half way through 2012!

I spent this past week in St. Simon's Island in Georgia with my parents and grandfather and had a wonderful vacation! Below are just a few pictures from the trip.  On a side note, if you haven't tried boiled peanuts, they are amazing and addictive and you must try them out sometime. Delicious! I prefer them with a little spicy kick myself, so if you happen to have a good recipe or know where I could find one for boiled peanuts with a little kick, let me know because I'd love to try them out!
Did you happen to notice both my mom & I practicing our "hand on the hip pose" and I'm just not sure I'm loving the super pageant like look of it now that I'm seeing it online.  Seriously though, how in the world do ya'll pose in pictures and achieve a balance between not looking super awkward (a.k.a. the hand on hip pose my mom & I demonstrate above) while at the same time not pressing your arm against the side of your body, which for the record will not look good on anyone, ever.  Do ya'll have any tips for looking your best in photos? Do tell, I'm clearly in need of them!

Finally, a few of my favorites from around the web this past week:
  • Tonight on 60 minutes, a great revelation by Steve Jobs' that one of his defining moments came as a kid when his parents told him regarding being adopted that he was not just abandoned, but chosen by them to be their son.  Check out the entire recap here. 
  • You won't believe what they've turned into wi-fi hotspots here in NYC now.  What will they think of next?
  • I can never have enough arm candy, and these bracelets are the perfect addition to my growing collection of fabulous bracelets, not to mention a great deal!
  • An interesting article on making friends as you get older from the NY Times, particularly the finding by scientists of the three conditions "considered crucial to making close friends: proximity; repeated, unplanned interactions; and a setting that encourages people to let their guard down and confide in each other." 
  • I'm dying to do this next month here in NYC, but it appears to already be sold out, so sad! The Color Run is described as the happiest 5K on the planet, with the only rules being that you wear white, and prepare to get head-to-running shoes covered in what they call "magical color dust", have ya'll heard of this? Sign me up, ASAP! 

BABY YOU'RE A FIREWORK...

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Celebrate the 4th in style with a few last minute outfit ideas for whatever you have planned to celebrate  Independence Day tomorrow!  Blake Lively of course can do no wrong in anything she puts on.  Absolutely love this patriotic photo of her.  Do ya'll have plans for the holiday? Wherever you are tomorrow to celebrate, I hope everyone has a wonderful 4th of July!

PARTY IN THE U.S.A.

Hello, Monday and a very happy July to ya'll! Party in the U.S.A. brings me right back to the Miley Cyrus hit from a few years ago, and for those of ya'll who can't recall that #1 chart topper, you can check it out here: 
I put together an inspiration board for a 4th of July themed party and shared some of my favorites below.  If you're looking for the perfect last minute treat to beat the heat on Wednesday, try out the dipped ice cream sandwich recipe! Do ya'll have any fun plans for the 4th?  I can't believe it falls on a Wednesday this year, it seems a bit strange to have it fall mid-week. Let me know if you have any fun plans or have come across the perfect Independence Day inspiration! 

HAPPY WEEKEND & COCKTAIL TIME!

Happy Friday! I hope ya'll have had a good week and have something fun planned for this weekend! I can't believe it is already July 4th almost.  It is very weird having the 4th fall on a Wednesday this year, so I'm sure there are plenty of people celebrating the holiday both this weekend and next and maybe for the lucky ones, all week long. You have to try ou the margarita & dip recipes and let me know what you think of them.  Both the margarita & Guadalajara sour recipes are the perfect refreshing choice for happy hour over the hot weekend! Would love to know your thoughts on the recipes and if you have any other favorite cocktails recipes to share, please do! Hope your weekend is fabulous! 
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CURRENTLY LOVING..

I am absolutely in love with these Amanda Uprichard print silk shorts.  I have always been a fan of silk shorts for summer but really never felt like I could pull these off until just recently.   I popped into a local boutique this past weekend and immediately was drawn to the bright print of these shorts.  Once I tried them on and liked them I of course had no clue what I was going to wear them with and how to style them.  Jessica, the amazing store manager (it happened to be her last day at that store), helped me put together a perfect outfit, and I was sold on the entire look.  

I have to share with ya'll a little bit about the store manager, Jessica.  She had such a magnetic personality and told me the reason she decided to quit her position as store manager was that after living in New York City for 9 1/2 years and having grown so much during that time, she just felt like it was time for her to find out what she really wanted out of life.  She went on to tell me that she recently had an uncle pass away that opened her eyes again to how short life really is and that at the end of the day what really matters is family and the relationships you've made and have cultivated in your life.  Yes I'm sure you are thinking how in the world did you have a heart to heart with the store manager, and I have to  admit this isn't unusual for me to meet someone and be able to tell you their entire life story by the time I walk away from the conversation.  I'm not sure if that is due to the fact that people seem comfortable to share these personal things with me or that I will ask a million questions always in every conversation?  I tend to think of it as a combination of both, but regardless, it happens quite often and I love hearing about other people's journey in life.  It really is eye opening and she just reminded me again to take time to figure out "what this whole journey of life is really all about."   Honestly, I can't remember the last time I spoke with someone with such a genuine, calm, and positive energy and outlook on life.  The greatest take away from our conversation was just to make sure you don't wake up in ten years after keeping your nose to the grindstone and not coming up for air, and realize at 40 the life you envisioned might not be possible anymore.  I came across a quote I pinned a while back that reminds me and hopefully ya'll to simply "Enjoy life now, this is not a rehearsal." 

CUT OFF CRAZY

My absolutely very favorite thing to wear during the summer happens to be my J Brand denim cut off shorts.  I originally bought my first pair of these three years ago and literally would not take them off, don't judge they are that fabulous.  After realizing that at the rate I was wearing them they were surely not going to make it to the following year, I immediately purchased two additional pairs of them and have stocked up on the colored denim cut offs this past year as well.  Needless to say, I am a believer that cut offs can be appropriate for so many different occasions: the beach, a summertime BBQ, a casual brunch, the movies, a friend's rooftop for dinner, drinks for happy hour, and many more.  I recently came across an amazing deal on some cute colored denim cut offs at two different stores and had to share these budget friendly options with ya'll as well.  Both Topshop and Old Navy have several colors of denim cut offs that are the perfect summer staple.  Old Navy's shorts are only $17.50, at that price you can take one pair in every color! Do ya'll have a favorite brand of cut off denim that I need to try out? 
J Brand Cut Offs/ Old Navy Cut Offs/ Topshop Cut Offs

JUNE FAVORITES

Well I am way delayed in getting this post up, seems like the weekend slipped away from me and here we are back at Monday already! How was your weekend?  It was absolutely perfect weather here in NYC today, minus a brief rain shower, it was the perfect Sunday.  I remember it being much warmer last time I was living here in June, so I have no complaints if I have to substitute a little rain for cooler temps!
I couldn't let the first week of June pass without sharing what I am loving this month. Check out my favorite things below, and let me know what you're looking forward to this month, a fun trip maybe or something else. Would love to hear about it!
Trina Turk and Banana Republic's recent promo for the launch of their collaboration on June 7th has taken cuteness to the next level.  If the video doesn't make you want to run to your nearest Banana Republic and scoop up all of the Trina Turk collection, I don't know what will.  It is adorable!
And finally, since it's Monday & I don't know about ya'll but I have a case of the Mondays, enjoy the random video below! I love EVERYTHING about it- the song, the guy, his dance moves, all of it- AMAZING. Happy Monday!

HELLO, JUNE!



And it's officially June 1st folks! The dog days of summer are upon us, and although here in New York there have only been a few days of dreadful heat thus far (I am going to regret making this statement come August), I know ya'll in Texas have had some unbearably hot days  so it definitely feels like June to ya'll.  I am in BIG TIME need of some sun at the moment (it's raining, AGAIN this morning here in NYC, yuck!), and can't wait to head south next weekend for a good friend's wedding in Austin, and a few days at home in Waco.  Fingers crossed it's bright and sunny the entire time I'm home so I can finally catch some rays and get a little color.  Do ya'll have anything fun planned for this month? Any vacations or special plans? 

COLOR CRASH COURSE: ORANGE+NAVY

Although it's not officially the start of summer, to many people, including myself, the Memorial Day weekend represents the "unofficial start of summer".  Growing up, for over 15 years, that meant only a matter of days until Camp Longhorn.  I could go on forever about how amazing Camp Longhorn is, but will spare ya'll the details, and just say, it is amazing, and you should check it out if you have children.

Navy and orange are the official colors of Camp Longhorn, and I love this color combo for summertime.  It's not something I ever think to pair together, but always notice when others do and love their outfits.  You can do navy and orange too, whether it is with just a touch of these colors or you style your entire outfit in this color combo, try it out this summer!


CURRENTLY LOVING


I am loving this Tibi silk dress and had to share with ya'll since not only is this one of those dresses you could wear about a million times, but if you are feeling the itch to buy this gorgeous gown, head on over to Shopbop to take advantage of their latest deal. This is definitely a dress that could have gone in my wedding outfit inspirations from yesterday, wouldn't it be perfect for a summer wedding? Just the right pop of color and the perfect amount of skin showing, fabulous all over.  

On a different note, it's no secret that I love the song Call Me Maybe and this hilarious parody from Leno with President Obama and Mitt Romney is too funny... you can see the video here. Just in case you aren't familiar with the song, you can check out Call Me Maybe below:
 
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