Outfit- Summer Jumpsuit

I love dressing for summer with all of the cute shorts, sundresses, and rompers.  I have to admit though that I haven't been a huge fan of rompers because I feel like some look too juvenile or that they don't fit right around the hips and rear.  This jumpsuit I have featured looks sophisticated though and I have seen on a few different body types and it looks amazing on everyone!  I could picture this outfit at a fun summer cookout, dinner out with friends and family, or going to a fun event.  

Jumpsuit: here

Bag: here

Earrings: here

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Home Inspiration- Linens

It feels like I just said "Happy Hump Day".  The past 7 days have flown by!  As I said in my post from yesterday, it's hot as an oven here in NC.  The kids and I took a break from everything today and just stayed home in the air conditioning.  We read a ton of books, played make-believe, I organized some of Mary-Grace's baby clothes that I'm letting go of, cooked meals, watched cartoons, and just enjoyed staying cool and not rushing around (although I do like staying busy).  It's just nice to have a break sometimes.  Do you agree?  

For today's home inspiration post, I wanted to share some of my favorite linen items for the home.  She are very affordable and some are dream items.  

 Pillow Sham

I absolutely love love love this scalloped sham with the cornflower blue trim.  They are very pricey and not currently in my budget of what I can spend on pillow shams, but if I had an unlimited budget I would love to have them.  They also come in several other color choices. 

 Sheets

From the same company as the above shams, these gorgeous embroidered sheets are also on my list. Speaking of sheets, I just read an article from Town & Country about using a top sheet and how it's becoming more popular to not use one. Do you use one?

Napkins

A southern home is never complete without a monogram.  These monogramed cocktail napkins are the perfect keepsake for any home and make any gathering a touch more sophisticated.  

These solid white buffet napkins are a great steal at 9.99 for a set of 6.  They would match any table or holiday decor and can be bleached in the wash.  

I also have a love for vintage and think these vintage napkins found on Etsy are beautiful and tell a story of the household that used them prior. Found here and here.  

Outift- Summer Day in the Sun

The scorching hot days of summer are here, at least in NC.  The high today is 99.  I try not to complain too much about the hot days because I know once winter gets here I'll get tired of the cold days.  We've spent a few days at the pool and at cookouts, and hopefully will be having a few more!  I could see wearing this outfit below to a fun summer outing.

Top: here

 Shorts: here 

Bag: here

 Shoes: here

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Monday Must-Haves Accessories for the Littles

I hope everyone had a relaxing weekend.  Did you do anything for Fathers Day? We went to a cookout yesterday for lunch with my grandparents, stepdad, mom, and an uncle that was in town. I stuffed myself full of salmon, pasta salad, potato casserole, salad, and chocolate pie. We then had my dad over for dinner.  I was worn out by the end of the day and fell asleep a lot earlier than I usually do!  It was a really special day though getting to spend time with the men in my life and I feel very blessed to be able to do so.  

I was browsing around social media the other day and a sponsored post for the umbrella below came up.  It's so stinking cute.  It made me start thinking about the other accessories that Mary-Grace (and Benton) loves and a couple of other things that are on my list.

Umbrella

How cute is this little umbrella?!  Mary-Grace would love to have it, found here.  It's also available in a blue gingham (shown below) and a couple of other patterns.  It's on sale right now and has a matching rain jacket available!

Sandals

I got Mary-Grace her first pair of Saltwater sandals (here) when she started walking and she has had 4 pairs since then.  Benton is now on his second pair.  I love that they are classic and go with just about any outfit.  They have a sturdy sole and can get wet without damaging them.  

I also really like these for Mary-Grace to wear around the pool, splash-pad, or anywhere else!

   

Bows

These bows are the best I've found so far because they stay in Mary-Grace's hair without budging much.  They come in a ton of colors and different sizes.  

Bracelet

This bracelet is definitely more of an heirloom piece but it is so precious.  I would get my child's name engraved on it.  

Sunhat

I have this sunhat for Benton in white but I also love the light blue stripe shown below.  It fits true to size and has an adjustable tie.

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Recipe- Tzatziki

Josh made chicken gyros on Monday night with homemade tzatziki.  He found a recipe online to use as a guide and then altered it to more of our liking. It Benton loved it.  He loved it so much that he spread it all over his face!  Mary-Grace is still going through a picky stage and wouldn't touch it.  If you have any tips for getting a 3 year old to eat more, please let me know! Anyhow, we had a good bit leftover and ate it the next afternoon with some cut up pita strips.  So good!

Tzatziki

5 parts sour cream

1 part mayonnaise

1 peeled and deseeded cucumber (salted and then dried with paper towel)

lemon juice from 1 lemon

garlic powder to taste

fresh dill to taste

*Chill until ready to serve

Home Inspiration- Kitchen Wants and Needs

Happy Hump Day!  I took Mary-Grace and Benton on a playdate this morning to check out a new music play space.  They had a ball!  Mary-Grace did some climbing, jumping in the bounce house and running around. .We tried to keep Benny up on the way home (as parents know, it's so hard to get a baby back to sleep after they fall asleep in the car) by singing loudly and calling out his name.  We kept him awake but he didn't nap when we got home... so that didn't work! Oh well.  You win some, you lose some.  We have chicken wings sitting in the refrigerator set aside for dinner tonight but we had Chick-Fil-A for lunch while we were out so I'm not feeling the wings.  I need to come up with another idea asap.  We spend most early evenings cooking in our kitchen while catching up on the days happenings and snacking on crackers or a dip we'll make.  There are a few extra things I would love to have for our cooking prep and dining, and a few things we actually need.

Dinner Plates

I've been eyeing these dinner plates (also available in salad plates and a plater) for a while.  We already have some every day plates (these) which I like but I love the feminine scalloped edge and the touch of blue on these.

Can Opener

I know this is kind of random but we received the older version of his can opener when we got married 9 years ago.   It just recently stopped working (but can maybe be fixed?).  If not, I'll definitely get this new one.  We had a back up manual can opener but Josh broke it, go figure.  An electric one is so much easier to use anyways!

Cutting Boards

Another important product our kitchen could use: more cutting boards.  We have a bamboo board and  a couple plastic, flexible cutting mats, but the mats haven't held up very well.  I really like this one and I like that it is antimicrobial and non-poreus (which I'm paranoid about).  The board also has great reviews!

Coasters

The coasters that we have are made of stone with a cork bottom.  Unfortunately they've gotten dropped a couple of times (and one broke) or hit sideways on the table and caused a scratch.  I really like these and the deeper inset.  

Rug

I would love this rug in from of the sink or the stove.  It's a classic print but on trend (more blue and white here).  I think this similar rug would look great under an island!

More home inspiration here, here, and here.  

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Outfit- Red, White, and Blue

I really love red, white, and blue outfits for summer and of course for Memorial Day and the 4th of July.  I'd wear this outfit on any day of the week but it would also look especially cute going to a holiday event!  The white sandals would also pair well with shorts or white jeans.  I think this dress would even transition well into the fall with tights and boots!  

                    

 

                      

 Sandals: here

Dress and Tote: here      

Earrings: here

Sunglasses: here

Monday Must-Haves for Summer

Monday is here already!  This past weekend was uneventful for us but it still flew by.  We stayed around the house a lot while I caught up on some cleaning and little projects.  Josh wasn't feeling well so we didn't all go out together except to the grocery store... I told you it was uneventful. How was your weekend?  What do you have planned for this week?  Mary-Grace has gymnastics tomorrow like she does every Tuesday and we're planning on going to the pool on Wednesday because the weather is suppose to be nice.  I haven't planned out the rest of the week yet so I better get on that.

On to my Monday must-haves!  All of these things are sitting in virtual shopping bags.  I'm not too much of an impulse shopper which is good and bad (good because I don't typically overspend but bad because I sometimes miss out on things!) so I always have things in shopping bags.

Blue and White Stripe Shorts

I love these shorts! I love the length (not too short), the pockets, and the tie around the waist.  I would pair with a sleeveless white top or a navy tee.  You can get them here.

Flip Flops

Loving these flip flops for the pool, beach, and anywhere really. I've been eyeing them for multiple summers now.

Sarong

This beach throw/sarong came up as a suggestion when I was looking at the sandals above.  It looks so fun to wear.  It comes in a few other color choices and can be worn multiple ways.

Hair Ties

I really want to try these Teleties hair ties.  Have any of you tried them?  I really like the color shown below.  Also, where the heck do all of my other hair ties go?  They always disappear!  Do you also have that problem?

Baseball Cap

I really love this needlepoint baseball cap from the same website as the Teleties (found here).  I really love the mint color and the sailboat for summer.  I tend to wear baseball caps when having a bad hair day or if I don't have time to style!

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Friday Focus- Pool Gear

Happy Friday!  Both kids absolutely love being in the water.  I've had bad luck with getting a pool float for Benton.  I ordered one from Amazon but they stopped the shipment and refunded me because it got damaged. I reordered it and the one I received is defective so I'll have to return that one too.  I'm now searching for a different one for him.  I'll just have to hold him in the pool until then.  I've rounded up some pool (or beach) gear that I've already purchased for us that we love and a few others that I'd love get!  We have a beach trip coming up next month that I need to get a few other items for too but I'll save that for a later post.

Flamingo Float

I purchased this Sunnylife flamingo float for Mary-Grace from here and she loves it.  Benton loves it too... he wouldn't get out of it!

Suncreen

You may already have a sunscreen that you love but I like this Babyganics sunscreen that I've used a couple of times now.  I used Aveeno Baby last year and liked that brand too.  

Tote Bag

I first saw this tote on Instagram that another blogger was raving about.  I haven't purchased it yet because it's currently sold out but I plan to once it's back in stock.  The tote is waterproof, stands up on its own, has zipped bags that you can insert into the holes on the bag to hold your keys, phone, sunscreen, etc.  Now I just have to decide which color to get!

Cooler

I have this cooler.  It's large enough to hold a couple of drinks and food storage containers which is enough just me for and kids.  For the whole family a larger one may be necessary.  I also love the under $15 price! 

Drinkware

Of course a large bottle of cold water (or drink of your choice) is necessary!  We have a couple of Camelbak bottles which I like but they sweat.  These are the luxury of bottles.  It might be worth the price tag if it gets used frequently!

Beach Towels
I love the print on this Vera Bradley beach towel. I've seen that the Dock and Bay towels are becoming popular and have great reviews.

Also, these towel clips are so cute!

Some other things I always carry with me when going to the pool are snacks, a hairbrush and tangle spray to brush knots out after swimming, of course baby wipes and dry diapers, sunglasses and/or a hat, goggles for Mary-Grace, and a change of clothes.  What are your pool day essentials?

Recipe- Josh's favorite pasta salad and thoughts on grocery shopping

I've been just doing mom duties today... making meals, changing diapers, playing games, went on a fun outing, washing clothes, etc.  I also gathered meal ideas and put in our grocery order for the rest of the week.  We mostly shop at Harris Teeter and use their express lane.  Is there a Harris Teeter near where you live?  Using an express lane at a grocery store makes shopping so much easier, especially with two little ones... although they do love the race car shopping cart! Have you tried Shipt or another similar service?  It sounds great but I'm kind of weird about someone I don't know delivering groceries to my house.  I also have thought "how long would the groceries sit in their car, did they check for sell by dates and quality, did they find the best prices, etc"? I'm sure other customers can leave reviews about their purchaser but I still feel a little weird about the idea.  Maybe I'll change my mind at some point!

Anyhow,  for today's recipe I wanted to post Josh's favorite pasta salad; deviled egg.  We love having pasta salad as a side dish to hot dogs, sandwiches, and burgers.  We were getting tired of the usual Italian style so I went to look for something new to try.  I came across this recipe on Pinterest and decided to give it a go and now Josh requests it every time I mention pasta salad! I use a little less mayo because I'm not a fan, and I leave out the eggs because Josh isn't a fan.  I also add a little more of the seasonings.  I've attached the link for the recipe at the bottom for you!

Recipe and Photo via here

Home Inspiration- Blue and White

When we first moved into our townhouse all the way back in 2009, most of our decor was navy and white (and brown).  I've admittedly made some not so great decor choices since then while figuring out my style and what works for us.  I've always had several traditional pieces but also went very modern for a short stretch back when ikat, pink, and lucite were all the rage.  Traditional is what I mostly tend to gravitate towards though with a hint of coastal and modern.  Like clothing styles, interior decor style changes and evolves.  I've been happy seeing blue chinoiserie, ginger jars, and navy becoming popular over the past couple of years.  I have several blue porcelin chinoiserie pieces that I have inherited or bought that I have shared in the first photo below.  I've recently seen some very inspiring rooms featuring these pieces and shades of blue.

All photos via Pinterest