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Hello hello! Catching up today with a little life/home/fashion update. Apologies in advance for the length of this post.. it’s a random dump of ALL the things. You might want to grab a snack. I’ve got a bowl of popcorn and some sour skittles so I’m feeling ready to write.
It’s officially SUMMER at our house and we couldn’t be more excited. Talk about a crazy school year. One we will never forget! Kole turned in his state float (Hawaii if you couldn’t tell) ;) and that was our last project of the year. He did an amazing job both creating his float and creating a huge mess in our office. Mission accomplished.
I’m especially fond of the volcano and grass skirt. Well done buddy.
He insisted on including a pineapple somewhere on his box (it’s small.. can you find it?) because he loved visiting the Dole Plantation. He also loves sharing interesting facts he has learned with me all day long so I now know more about Hawaii’s pineapple industry than I ever cared to know. Kole earned his A.
{pineapple tee/sandals here & here}
And I earned my new tee. Pineapples for all. :)
The second school got out we hit the beach!
We met friends and had the best day. Half the beach came home with us like it always does but I didn’t mind.
Summer is here!
Remember my Spring/Summer tablescape?
{large gold planter/small gold planter/faux pink peonies}
Lots of pinks and a touch of gold.
{pink glasses/jute chargers/gold flatware/wool jute rug}
{petal dinner plates/pink petal salad plates/pink frayed napkin/aria gold napkin ring}
I switched it up! Just a little because my new dinner plates came in and they are gorgeous! I added the beautiful napkins and found some gold napkin rings that go with my gold flatware. I love it all on the jute charger. So fun for summer! I shared this on IG stories and got a lot of questions about whether or not I leave my table decor up and the answer is yes! I’ve created a little routine of dressing up this formal dining room table for Fall, Christmas, Spring and/or Summer and then I leave the dishes out for the season. (I put the glasses away, but keep everything else set and just clean the top plate each time before we use them. Dust hasn’t been a big issue but I do that just in case!) That way I can invite friends over to eat on a whim and the table is ready to go. It also just looks pretty in the dining room when we aren’t using it. Once in a while for special occasions we eat in this room as a family, but for most meals our family eats at the table in our dining nook. Or outside or huddled around the kitchen island.. we are pretty chill when it comes to dining most days. I set my decorative tables mostly for girl friends or couple friends I invite over to eat. I usually serve take-out, but when you put it on a pretty plate nobody seems to care where the food is from. Ha. :)
The serving board that I ordered with the petal plates came in too. A really nice option for summer entertaining! I plan on covering it with lots of fruit, crackers and cheese over the next few months. :)
It doubles as pretty decor too when we aren’t using it. I love the light wash finish and the loop handle!
In other kitchen news I ordered this runner months ago to try in our upstairs laundry room. I didn’t love it there but put it in my kitchen and it has been a nice change!
A very inexpensive way to mix it up and get a new look.
Ok.. last home update. For this post anyway. :) My new coffee table arrived and I can’t believe how it changed the whole feeling in my family room!
{coffee table/wool jute rug/roll arm couch}
I snapped this pic right after it was delivered so it wasn’t styled and I hadn’t moved my old table! I LOVE the new table and can’t believe how much it changed the feeling in this room. It works so well with my barstools which you can’t see in this pic but I’ll share more pictures at some point. Never underestimate the impact big items like your couch, coffee table and rug make in a space. HUGE! *Side note – I still love our old coffee table but aside from being ready for a change (we’ve had it for almost 8 years ) the rustic top has given us all splinters a time or ten! OUCH. I was tired of that and tired of the cluttered feeling of the baskets. It’s going to my mom’s house and she is excited so a win for all!
We’ve been celebrating so many friends birthdays lately and we usually just meet for lunch or dinner but one of my close friends wanted to meet for a walk/hike instead. We walk all the time and I wanted it to feel a little more special than our every day routine so I opened the back of my van and decorated it with some leftover party supplies and filled it with some breakfast foods/treats. After our hike we pulled out balloons and sang to her and ate and chatted about why we love her so much. I thought I’d share the idea here in case any of you want to do it for a friend/family. It was so easy and helped her feel special on her birthday. Mission accomplished. :)
Grateful for good friends!
{mascara primer/maybeline d-a-lash/two faced b-t-s/similar eye lash curler}
I’ve probably tried out and tested hundreds of mascaras through the years and this is my tried and true favorite combo EVER. I just ordered new primer so I thought I’d share. (This bottle of primer has lasted so long and it looks like the tube has a new look!) The trick I’ve found with primer is that it works best when you put your mascara on immediately after applying it. I use an eyelash curler (I’ve had mine for years.. this looks like another good option) and then I put on the Lancome primer and then I put on my all time favorite Maybeline mascara. That’s my daily routine. If I’m going out and want my lashes even bigger/thicker I add this mascara on top of my Maybeline mascara. Trust me.. it’s a winning combo!
{flutter sleeve dress/flip flops}
Remember this cute flutter sleeve dress I shared a few posts back? It comes in other colors/patterns.
{flutter sleeve dress/kate spade purse/heels/pineapple mat}
Addison needed a black dress for a student council school event so I had her try it on and it was perfect! It’s so fun now that my girls are old enough to share clothes with me. Isn’t it cute on her? She definitely wins the “who wore it best.” ;) I’m sharing this for those of you who have asked for teen girl clothes suggestions!
We needed some dressy shoes for both of my girls and have loved these Steve Madden sandals. They are comfortable and work well with everything so I just bought both of my girls a black pair and a tan pair! Nice that they have a little heel for height, but not a super high heel that has them tripping all over the place. They get the tripping from me. Ha.
Below are some clothes my girls have been loving and wearing often. El lives in jeans and oversized hoodies. Ad lives in jeans, graphic oversized tees and dresses.
{flutter sleeve blouse/ag jeans/similar tory burch purse here & here}
This flutter sleeve blouse (similar to the dress above) is still in stock! So cute for summer.
{flutter sleeve blouse/sandals here & here}
I also have it in this cute print. Would be fun for the 4th of July!
Another day another graphic tee. LOVE this one. Peachy keen indeed. :)
{floral ruffle sleeveless top}
This floral ruffle top is another fun summer option! I tried it on with 3 different pants. Dark jeans..
Light cropped jeans for a more causal look..
and then with these white beach pants. It would be really cute with cut offs too!
I don’t know why but in the summer I wear more bracelets. Maybe because my tops are all short sleeved and you can see bracelets better than in the cold months when I’m living in sweaters? Maybe because I have more time for jewelry when I’m not rushing kids all around? Or maybe I just feel more fancy in the summer? One of life’s mysteries we may never solve but regardless.. I linked a few favorites. :)
Well! It’s probably time to wrap up this everything and yet nothing post and call it done. I know this because there’s nothing but popcorn kernels left in my bowl and my sour skittles? They too have vanished. I could grab more snacks and carry on (I certainly have an abundance of things to share) but since you all have lives you need to get back to (and since I need to fit into my jeans for the next fashion round-up) I’ll save a little for later. For now.. mission accomplished.
:)
Such a fun and newsy post. I like these kinds of posts a lot. Thanks for being willing to share all the things. Congrats to Kole on that terrific float project. It’s in the Aloha, right? How fun that you got to head right to the beach after school got out. Great way to celebrate. Your Addison looks SO grown up in her gussied up outfit. Wow. And all the new additions look great. Oh and I thought celebrating your friend the way you did was really neat and a great idea. Have a great start to your summer, Erin! Take a deep breath and relax. You made it! :) {We won’t talk about surviving the summer right now ;)}
Thank you so much Jeanne! Your comment made me laugh because it’s so true. I get so excited for summer and then about two weeks in it’s like “k.. remind me why I wanted this to come so badly!?” Ha. ;) I’m so happy you liked the post.. you are the sweetest! Thanks again and enjoy the rest of your week! xo
What a fun update! Can’t believe how much your kiddos have grown since I started following you many years ago! So adorable and so nice you can share clothes with your girls! Have a great summer. 104 today in Nebraska — what the heck! : )
Thank you so much Jan! I know.. they are growing up too fast. We are touring colleges this summer for Ellie and I honestly can’t believe it! So sweet of you for sticking with me so long.. that means a lot. :) Thank you and stay cool! 104 is no joke! xo
So many fun ideas! I’ve never heard of that Maybelline mascara! So surprising as I follow quite a few beauty gals on YouTube, but it hasn’t been mentioned. The wand looks like something I would like, so planning to give it a try!
Let me know if you love it too MaryJo! I feel like it makes my lashes so long and no clumps!