Celebrate Summer

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It's hard to believe that next week is the Fourth of July, and summer is in full swing! I wanted to let you know real quick about a couple of Amazon steals that you shouldn't pass up going into this patriotic holiday.

I'm a big fan of the Lisi Lerch earrings, but sometimes am fearful of committing to a fun color or different style that might only work for one outfit or occasion. Luckily, Amazon has a ton of inspired and similar looks that would be perfect to pump up your look for Independence day! Any of these would be cute with a simple white t-shirt and denim or  shorts, or a easy breezy swing dress on what is almost always one of the hottest days of summer. Plus, these classic colors will carry you through the season and into football and even holiday parties.

And the best part is, these finds are super inexpensive, and tend to be less heavy than the real deal. But wait, there's more! Most of these styles can be ordered in red, white and/or blue, too...so if there is a particular style you like, click the link below to see if it's available in your preferred color.

Blue & White Stripe Thread Dangle | White Beaded Tassels | Red Beaded Disc Dangles
White Fringe | Blue Beaded Tassel Fringe 

Did you see this super delicious and easy looking sparkler cake on Facebook? I definitely want to try this! Last year, I baked the 'flag cake' and it almost killed me. Like, literally sitting on the kitchen floor covered in wax paper trying to cut and layer cakes. Too much!

Image via Tasty 

What are you doing for the Fourth?

Best Maxi Dress for Vacay EVER

 Shop Buddy Love Panama Maxi c/o Mint Boutique 

We've had the absolute best time on our vacation last week! I can't wait to share all about it, but wanted to give myself a few days to recover and think about all the high points again before compiling it all into a blog post. Before I do, I wanted to share the BEST maxi dress for vacation EVER!!

This dress has been hanging at one of my favorite local boutiques Mint {hop on over to their website and Facebook page, and you may see a familiar face!} for a couple of weeks, and I knew it would be perfect for one of the dinners on our cruise. It's absolutely beautiful. The colors are gorgeous, it's kind of glam yet comfy, and it's cool and fun for summer.

Unfortunately, we had super rainy/windy weather on all of our "at sea" days, so my plan for an awesome shoot at the very front of the ship was foiled by like a million mile per hour winds. Hence the limited balcony location. But the weather doesn't stop this dress from popping and being absolute perfection. It'll definitely be one I live in all summer long.

A couple of my favorite pieces make an appearance in this look: my gold Lisi Lerch "Ginger" earrings {if you love the tassels, you'll love these! A lot lighter to wear, and a little less expensive. Wait to order during a 30% off sale!}, my new stack of Alex + Ani bangles that we began collecting on this trip to commemorate all of our stops, and my favorite dupe wedges that are super comfortable and super popular this year.

Check back soon for vacation recap, and be sure to follow Mint on Facebook & Instagram {@shopmintbdublin} for all the cutest spring and summer styles.

What I'm Reading

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Sometimes life is to hard, heavy, and overwhelming. While one of my favorite escape is watching terrible TV, I've been working at picking up books to lift my spirits more frequently. It's odd to have moved to a town that doesn't seem to have a book store, but thankfully, I've got Amazon Prime to meet my fix almost immediately.

Try Amazon Prime for 30 Days FREE here!

This summer, I've been focusing on favorites. Whether that be new favorite authors {I'm looking at you Liane Moriaty}, favorite actresses, or favorite people; it's definitely been a deciding theme.

To get started, I breezed through Lauren Graham's Talking as Fast as I Can: From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls. I've always adored Lauren Graham first in Gilmore Girls, and now as I'm working my way through Parenthood {it's amazing; go watch}. She writes just as she seems as her characters: witty and fast, and also hilarious. I loved some of the behind the scene peeks into her life and her shows.

I'm currently laughing through I Regret Nothing by Jen Lancaster. I've also read her book Pretty in Plaid a few years ago and loved it. Funny, real, and engaging. Similar in style to Celia Rivenbark, but a little bit cleaner perhaps. I appreciate her love of the 80's, her dogs, and lists. It's kind of like talking with my mom, honestly. She's also a hoot to follow on Facebook!

Next up is Truly, Madly, Guiltily, by Liane Moriaty, which was one of last summer's hottest titles. I never quite made it over to TMG, but am looking forward to a long weekend to dig into it. Last year, I fell in love with Liane's easy reads like The Husband's Secret and The Hypnotist's Love Story.

What are you reading this summer?

Tassels & Poms

Dress | Earrings | Shoes

Need an easy, breezy look for a springtime garden soiree? Then I've got the look for you! Off the should tops and dresses are one of the hottest styles right now, and this light and airy barely-blush pink dress from Tobi.com is perfect for a steamy summer evening event. I especially love the fun flutter sleeves, and the teeny tiny white pom pom detailing along the bottom of the dress. 

Two of my favorite warm weather staples are tassel earrings and my Jacks. These Baublebar tassels are super light weight and come in over 20 colors! I think I'm due for an emerald pair sometime soon. The Devyn mid-wedge Jack Roger sandal is a great everyday wedge. It's not high, but makes the simplest sundress slightly more "fancy" as I like to say. And of course, it still has that traditional "Jacks" vibe that I love. I tend to lean towards the platinum color of Jacks shoes, but this gold is really fun, too, and still what I'd consider a neutral! 

Now to get to party planning! CJM and I keep discussing a housewarming party...pineapple party or low country boil?  

This post contains affiliate links.  If you click and/or make a purchase through certain links on this site or any related social media platforms, I may make a commission from it. This post is in partnership with Tobi.com. 

Beat the Monday Blues, Plan a Cruise!

A beautiful Monday like today has me totally missing the beautiful blue skies and clear waters from our honeymoon cruise. We had such a blast on that trip, that I'm ready to take another so soon! One of my favorite things about cruising is learning more about the boat you're on and on the new "fancy" ones that have just begun sailing. Check out these two videos about some of the amazing new Royal Caribbean amenities aboard some of their newer ships. Who's ready to set sail?

summer in Lilly

Pink Pom Poms | Pineapple Top | Pineapple Tote | Navy One Shoulder | Gold Stripe Shorts | Navy Shift

First off, I will have that pink pom tank dress. It is absolutely precious. Secondly, did Lilly know I was already looking for game day clothes for this fall? So much gold and navy!

I love the gold foil pineapple t-shirt, but I also love all the other designs available as well: flamingos and multi-color pineapples included! Keeping with the pineapple trend is the cutest {and reversible!} gold pineapple tote. I'd love to carry this bag throughout the summer and into football season to coordinate with my navy and white Georgia Southern game outfits.

Speaking of game day outfits, I'm think that the navy ruffle one shoulder top paired with the gold and white stripe shorts will be perfect for a hot September Saturday! And the navy and gold shift works for games and the office in the summer, too!

What are your favorite summer pieces?

Staycation with Crane & Canopy

It's officially summer, and vacation time is here...for some people. Others are planning a just as fabulous stay-cation, like myself! Having just come back from our honeymoon in May, we won't be planning another trip until later on in the year.

But I still plan on having plenty of fun, and luxury bedding company Crane & Canopy wants it to be the most relaxing staycation yet! I like to pick weekends where I have absolutely nothing going on, so that Christopher and I along with the pups can enjoy our little house and town together with no pressure. We enjoy cooking at home a lot, and one of my favorite things is making breakfast in bed on Sunday mornings! With beautiful bedding, it feels just like a stay at a bed and breakfast, but better because the dogs are there, too.

For something quick and easy, I'll whip up some french toast using pre-made cinnamon swirl bread from the grocery store. Mix together six eggs, a dash of milk and cinnamon for dredging the bread, then cook on a griddle for two minutes or so on each side. Serve with a side of bacon, a sprinkle of powdered sugar, and enjoy a deliciously quick breakfast in bed on Crane & Canopy bedding like these:

I love the calming and cool shade of blue that the Noe Blue Nova Bedding 

features. The Nova duvet pairs a top sheet and duvet to make making the bed

a quick and easy task! 

I always have throw blankets on my bed and couch. They're the perfect way

to get comfortable when the evenings get chilly, or you just need a good

snuggle while watching TV. I love this beautiful cable knit 100% cotton

Crane & Canopy blanket. It's bright and summery, but warm enough for

wintertime, too!

A pop of color is always fun, and I think this coral trimmed scalloped sheet set would be an exciting summery compliment to the Noe Blue set above. 

What are you doing for your staycation this summer? Why not visit Crane & Canopy to see how you can make your time at home more luxurious! Check them out on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter to learn more. 

Summer 2016 Bucket List

How are we already halfway through June? Christopher graduates from pharmacy school this weekend {cue the Hallelujah Chorus}, and will be on a graduation trip next week before starting his job full time. Then we'll have July 4th followed by Amanda's wedding the next weekend, and summer will be halfway done!

It's feeling like it's all kind of escaping me too quickly; wasn't life supposed to slow down after the wedding? So I thought I'd sit down and come up with a list of things I want to accomplish, some fun and some not so fun, before life gets truly hectic again later in the year.

1. Spend some time at Jekyll Island | Christopher has never been, and I go each year for work trips. It's wonderful! Great beaches and great food, with plenty to explore: new and old! 
2. Clean out {and clean up!} the wedding and Christmas rooms | yes, I have one for both. Although, the Christmas room has become the dumping ground for all of Christopher's things as he moved his stuff in the week before the wedding. I've been working through the wedding room, sorting all of our lovely gifts and finding a home for each of them, while trying to create an office/study space for Dr. PharmD. 
3. Move the curio cabinet in | My grandparents gave me a large curio cabinet for my birthday almost 15 years ago {sounds so funny--15 years?!} that I displayed dolls and mementos in. I've never moved it out of my mom's house because it's giantly heavy, and I also didn't live anywhere that accommodate such a large piece of furniture. Now that we are living in an actual house we have enough room, and so many beautiful wedding gifts and serving pieces to display in it!
4. Host a summer soiree | Another great thing about our house is giant yards to have fun in! I'd love to invite our friends over for a cookout with our new grill and the cornhole boards Christopher made for our wedding...that we forgot to put out on the day of...oops. We'll have to wait for the evenings too cool off a little though...it's in the 100's here this week! 
5. Make at least one new recipe a month | this is kind of a goal for our first year of marriage, too. It's so easy to get into a cooking-rut {we had tacos four times in a week earlier this month}, so I want to be intentional about expanding my cooking skills and filling my monogrammed recipe box from my bridal shower! 
6. Financially plan for a new car | I want a new car. Pretty much anyone around me has heard of my desires for a third row, specifically a 4Runner in white, with tan leather and a sunroof. I've never bought a car myself, and don't want to run out there all willy-nilly and buy the first one I see. I've test driven one and loved it, so I know what I want, but I need to wait for the right one at the right price. I also don't want to put any unnecessary stress on our financial status as a couple by making such a big purchase too soon! Money is one of those things that we agree on 99% of the time, and we enjoy working towards our goals together. We can really focus on our finances once Christopher starts working full time, and I'm excited to do this as a team!
7. Spend more time with family | I've not seen my family since we got married, and that was almost two months ago! I can't believe how time flies. I'm hoping to see them all more, and maybe take a trip to North Georgia to spend a few days with the grands, too. 
8. Plan trips | we had the absolute best time on our honeymoon; I literally think about it every day! While we have a few trips planned in the upcoming months for weddings and things, I really want to plan a few couples trips and maybe even a family vacation for us to go on! Spending time together as a couple, and also as a couple with our families is very important to me. First on the list? A long weekend at Disney to celebrate both of our 25th birthdays in the fall! Then maybe a Christmas family vacation? And something special for our one year anniversary in the spring! Any ideas? 
9. Try new restaurants | Christopher and I love trying new places with amazing food. We've covered a lot of the Savannah staples, but there are some gems out here "in the country" that we've yet to hit.
10. Learn to make fancy cookies | my bestie and I are obsessed with every royal iced sugar cookie we come across. We're constantly tagging each other in those oh-so-soothing Instagram videos of cookies being decorated. She's attempted some on her own, and now I want to try! I love the fancy cookies!

What's on your summer bucket list? 

Weekend Recap: Amanda's Bach Wknd

Our weekend souvenirs: monogrammed
Tervis, tank top, sunglasses, and temporary
"Bride Tribe" tattoos!

This weekend I went to Lake Oconee to celebrate one of my bridesmaids who is now the bride! Amanda is getting married next month, and I'm thrilled to be one in her wedding, too. We celebrated her upcoming nuptials at the most beautiful lake house that had a pool  {complete with swim-up bar!} and hot tub overlooking the lake.

Once we all arrived Friday evening, we had a pajama party and lingerie shower for the bride after spending a couple of hours in the pool. One of my favorite treats from the weekend was the pink princess popcorn which was popcorn, white chocolate {plus a few drops of red food coloring}, and rainbow sprinkles all mixed together. It was delicious, and was the perfect PJ party treat!

Saturday consisted of an all-day pool party with a variety of the coolest pool floats around. The bride lounged on her white swan, and I tanned on my way bigger than expected giant pink flamingo float. I bought these pink flamingo floating koozies for everyone, too! We had a pineapple, cupcake, everything bagel, beer pong, and pizza float in the pool. It was too fun, and the best way to keep cool on such a hot weekend.









Saturday night we went to Athens for dinner at a sushi/karaoke bar {who knew this kind of thing existed! It was a blast} before hitting the town with our bride-to-be. Even though it was so hot, we had a great time hopping from place to place. My favorite was definitely the rooftop Georgia Theater bar. It was beautiful!

 After Sunday morning breakfast, we cleaned the house and loaded up to head out. I couldn't bear to totally deflate my giant flamingo float, so it road home with me in the backseat with all the seats down, half deflated. I bet all the other drivers were surprised to see a giant pink bird riding down the interstate!

Ladies in Black

Next weekend, I'll be heading to the lake to celebrate one of my besties and bride-to-be, Amanda! We're going to hang out on Lake Oconee with her bridesmaids and our sorority sisters all weekend long. I absolutely cannot wait. I had a blast at my own bachelorette weekend, and can't wait to catch some rays with this crew again.

Saturday evening, we're going out for dinner and all the ladies {besides the bride, of course!} will be wearing black. I don't really have a ton of black in my closet, especially for summer, so it's time to find a new LBD! I can't decide if I want a short dress or a maxi...or something practical that might become work appropriate or something really fun and flirty for a night out on the town. I'm loving all these options, but what are your thoughts and suggestions?

Embroidered Maxi | Strapless Tassel Maxi
Scalloped Halter Dress | Fringe Back Dress
Off the Shoulder Dress | Tassel Mini Dress

Weekend Recap: The Start of the Summer

The Wyld Dock Bar

After finishing up one of my office's two annual fundraisers on Friday, I feel like a kid again. It's almost like schools out for summer, except its work, and I still have to go every day. But either way, things are beginning to slow down just a bit, and I can enjoy the summer with my sweetie at home!

Friday evening we made tacos, guac, and margaritas, which is quickly becoming a weekly staple in our house. If you don't have time to make your own guacamole, Walmart actually has some amazing premade spicy guac in the produce section. We love this stuff!

Christopher had to work on Saturday, so I traveled to Jesup to attend one of my bridesmaid's very own bridal shower! It was the sweetest couples shower, literally! There were so many different yummy cookies and ice cream flavors served to the guests.

Amanda and Jared are getting married in July, and I've loved being apart of it all! They're a very outdoorsy couple, so the shower decor and their gifts definitely reflected that. I loved the tree stump with their initials carved into it! Amanda very thoughtfully gifted her hosts with jars of honey labeled with "Thank you for bee-ing so sweet!" which was the perfect touch.

Bride, Groom, & adorable Flower Girl

Amanda with two of her Phi Mu bridesmaids!

On Sunday, Christopher and I went to Savannah to meet with his new condo renters, browse through a few car lots, and have brunch at The Wyld Dock Bar. I have been wanting to visit since they opened, and the weather yesterday was absolutely perfect for it! It was sunny and 77 degrees, with the coolest of breezes coming in off the water. I swear, the salt air made the food and drinks even more yummy than they already were!

We started off with a pound of peel and eat shrimp and a couple of cocktails. I had the Crab Cake Benedict and Christopher ordered the fish tacos for our entrees. They were both incredibly delicious. I fell in love with the atmosphere of this hidden gem, and know we will be back soon.