Trending Tuesday: Being Brave & Mixin' it up!

And by 'Being Brave' I mean that I want to master the art of MIXING PATTERNS people!! I adore this trend but have never really put together an entire ensemble that embodies this trend. (help!) I'm going to work on that this fall and have been pinning ideas like crazy. (I'm a total fall person all.the.way) 

Luckily I follow along with some pretty trendy fashionistas like mmhmm Miss Zelle @ Southern Style! Linking up today with her for a little mixing patterns preview. Let me know what you think- And don't forget ya'll- you can do this in your home decor as well! Check em out below for other trending styles and join in!

Here are some of my favs so far:

 

Back to Reality

I'm baaaaccckkk... and by back I mean getting back to reality, catching up on countless e-mails and needing anyther week away to get caught up on work and house chores. ugh. Today will be quite the Monday I'm sure. However, I did in fact have an absolutely fabulous vacation with the fam and seeing Heather and her TWO BABY GIRLS (she found out the genders a couple days before I arrived) was the icing on the giant cake!

I sure did miss the blogging world though let me tell ya! There were so many of you that I thought of during my time away and genuinely missed! I adore this community we have and wouldn't trade it for anything so I can't wait to get caught up on what everyone has been doing. So without further ado, here are some snap shots from last week! (Bonnie and Kyna took better photos with their better cameras (haha) so I am waiting for those to surface!)

Linking up with the lovely Biana from B Loved Boston!

Selfie action ya'll

The in-laws!

My flower girl!

Tradition every year to finish a puzzle by the end of the week!

He has boobs....

All 4 girls!

Friday Favs: Gone to the Beach!

Happy Fridaaaaaaay! Ahhh do you hear that? It's the sound of vacation starting for me. No more work until..not this Monday, but next! We are spending the weekend at home getting the master bath somewhat finished (hint: black and white old Hollywood glam) and then we're heading to the OBX for toes in the sand and brews in hand. After that I am heading down to Hatteras to see Heather (My bestie expecting twins remember?!) I hope ya'll have a great weekend and I'll miss ya'll next week! (I wasn't organized enough to do guest posts so I'll be taking a little break)

Linking up with Amanda from Meet @ the Barre for Friday Favs!

Favorite Beach Bag:
Ya'll!! I need you must-haves for beach bags still!

Favorite Handbag:

Speaking of bags...look at this pre-fall bag from Elizabeth & James (not budget-friendly but definitely swoon-worthy!)

Favorite Recipe:
Totally craving anything Nutella recently! (Strawberry Nutella Tart)

Favorite Workout:

Office job people? This quick easy 10 min one you can do multiple times!

Favorite Funny:
Seriously...this one made me laugh out loud (soo me and my husband)

Favorite Saying as of lately:
(Ya'll..obsessed still with this show- don't care how late I am to the game haha I literally say this just with every day tasks...)

And just in case you forgot:

Lovin' Lately

Alright folks we made it through Monday and bring on Tuesday. Did anyone catch the Bachelorette last night and see how my plan really is unfolding? (spoiler alert) See, I needed farmer Chris (I've got Farmer Fever ya'll) to make it to the top 3 but no further so that he could potentially be the next Bachelor! Yes please! Ugh Andi is so dramatic......

Anyway, that's not what this post is about. I wanted to share with ya'll some products I've been loving lately. I adore these types of posts from others (Make Me Up Mia & B Loved Boston to name a couple) and wanted to create a little list before heading out on vacation next week which really got me choosing what products are a must. If you have any must-have or go-to products for my beach bag pa-lease let me know!

1.) Want a great and inexpensive pick-me-up for your eyes? I've been loving this Neutorgena 3 in 1 concealer for sleepy eyes! Just throw it in your purse for those mornings when you're running late.

2.) Thick and Full biotin and collagen oil mist- another less than $10 find and great even for beach hair! This spray mist/oil is so weightless and non-sticky! De-tangles too!

3.) Any skin-firming lotion! Start now ladies- just like night creams for your face (which I could totally do a whole post on) pamper the rest of your body as well! I switch between Palmer's firming butter and Vaseline's firming lotion.

4.) It's summertime so of course we all look like this right??

haha yea..about that- she has a great bronzed complexion! Love Minka! A good bronzer is a must in the summer months. I love all Benefit products with a passion so naturally I was drawn to their bronzer Hoola. Also dust on a good coral-y blush like my favorite Nars in Torrid.

5.) Ya'll I have been some kind of obsessed with brows lately and have been growing mine since last September (Sloooow and painful process ugh they won't grow! Tricks??) I've been experimenting with different brow kits (I need help) and my friend recommended a great less than $5 one to start. Try these!

6.) I'm a chapstick addict and have some stashed all over the house (and car, and purse.) so when this whole tinted with color revolution started I was in heaven. I recently tried Nivea's and love them! (I have the coral so far)

Ok- so give me some must-haves for my beach bag next week! I'm ready! xoxo

Friday Fav's

It's Friday It's Friday! Thank goodness because I have been so dang tired lately and just want to sleep with this dreary rainy weather that has been sticking around.  Anyway, I hope everyone has a great weekend and I'll see ya back on Monday! Linking up with Amanda from Meet me @ the Barre and so should you!

1. THIS- THIS IS ON NEWS STANDS TODAY PEOPLE (That is all)

2. Have ya'll heard the song by Colbie Caillat- Try? If not please take a moment and listen and even pass on! What an awesome message to send out! Love it!

3. Favorite Recipe:  Anything with fruit lately!

4. Favorite Craft: Check out Kelli's DIY storage boxes at A Deeper Joy Can't wait to replicate these for our home!

 

5. Favorite laughs: Had to steal one from Amanda on this one! I literally laughed out loud because I always do the car one! 

6. This may or may not have arrived in the mail yesterday! Totally addicted and season one was absolutely fabulous! How did I not watch this before now???!

Summer Reading

I've finished my first book of the summer (I know I know..I should have a ton more finished by now) and I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of my next. Just to start of, my reading style is a little darker than most. For some reason I love a good scary, mystery or cry-worthy book. Don't ask- I just do. Something about tear-drops on pages and pure emotion makes me not want to put it down. For example, my absolute favorite book was The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. His two books that came afterwards were just as great but nothing has beat the raw emotion and writing style that Khaled delivers in his first book. I also enjoy the occasional Jodi Picoult (that should tell ya right there...)

The book I just finished was good in the sense that I didn't want to put it down so I could see what happened next....but it wasn't as 'scary' as I had anticipated from the reviews. If you've seen the movie The Conjuring' then you will have a vague storyline idea of this book. (But don't get me started on The Conjuring- hands down the best written and directed horror film I've seen in years! Whew!)

Help for the Haunted by John Searles

“I was completely consumed by Help for the Haunted; I read it in one sitting. I just can’t decide what I loved the most: its perfectly pitched teenage narrator; the ghost story that kept me riveted; the thriller that made me say, Oh, just one more chapter.” (Jodi Picoult, New York Times-bestselling)

“Wonderful...A coming of age tale that is poignant and touching...and will scare the living hell out of you. I loved every page of this novel: I loved the sisters and the story and the page-turning mystery. I just may never go downstairs into my basement again.” (Chris Bohjalian, bestselling author)

Next up on the list? The Kindness of Strangers by Katrina Kittle should be arriving in my mailbox today. If anyone has read this one let me know what you thought! Also, now that you know my reading style, if ya'll have any recommendations let me know!

“Thanks to the author’s exceptionally fluent narrative skill, [this] novel... becomes utterly compelling.... [A] heartbreaking story.” (Kirkus Reviews)

A young widow raising two boys, Sarah Laden is struggling to keep her family together. But when a shocking revelation rips apart the family of her closest friend, Sarah finds herself welcoming yet another troubled young boy into her already tumultuous life.
Jordan, a quiet, reclusive elementary school classmate of Sarah's son Danny, has survived a terrible ordeal. By agreeing to become Jordan's foster mother, Sarah will be forced to question the things she has long believed. And as the delicate threads that bind their family begin to unravel, all the Ladens will have to face difficult truths about themselves and one another—and discover the power of love necessary to forgive and to heal.

____________________

Also, with football season a little over a month away (can you believe it?) I found a cute little gem to add to my collection and brush up on my play calling! This one has diagrams and even interactive worksheets and quizzes! It can never hurt to brush up! (Come on and make me proud this year Skins!)