summer essentials

<W scrutinizing the honest sunscreen before taking a bite>

Growing up in Florida, I have always loved going to the beach. It's even better now that we have a mini to tote with us. I keep expecting him to go crazy for the sand, but he's still pretty fascinated by the sunscreen bottle! Since summer basically started in April down here, my beach bag has stayed packed for the past few weeks, and probably will be through September.

ten dreamy black rooms

After our nursery fiasco (to be detailed in full at a later date), I learned never paint a room without a paint sample on every wall. For the past month(s), we've had four different paint splotches on each wall of our dining room. Yesterday, we finally had the room painted. I anxiously watched our nanny cams for glimpses of the work in progress, and was beyond excited to get home.

the lob

I'm off to freshen up my cut today, and think I'll be going a bit blonder for summer. Those pesky platinum hairs growing along my part lines are multiplying, and I've decided blonde will blend better. I'm slowly growing my lob out, but plan to keep the angles around for a few more months.

beach weekend

A couple weekends ago my parents invited us to stay at their place for the weekend while they were out of town. We jumped at the chance for a staycation down the street in the Pass-a-grille area. Wyatt was a little under the weather, but if you didn't know him, you would never know.

book club // one

Have you read The Girl on the Train yet? I started it on Monday and finished it by Wednesday... all during the dreaded 11pm pump sesh. It was so good I was practically looking forward to that 45 minute window. There were a few moments I thought the girl had pulled a 'Gone Girl' stunt and wondered how an identical book was published, but as it turned out, I was way off.

36 hours

In January, I needed to go to Manhattan for work, and since Wyatt wasn't sleeping through the night yet, we made a trip out of it. I had a Friday morning deposition, which left us with a little bit of time to explore. It snowed just enough to blanket the ground, but was still warm enough that touring the city on foot was tolerable.

28 weeks

It's been 28 weeks since W was evicted. 

It has been the most rewarding, exhausting, and fun-filled 28 weeks to date. 

looking back: my absolute favorite day of 2013, our wedding

Even though everyone says it, I can honestly say our wedding day was the best day of my life so far. We saw so many loved ones, danced the night away, and drank plenty of champagne {and maker's mark}.

looking back: favorite moments of 2013, part IV {getting glam}

It's so cliche, but it's so true: your wedding day flies by, and before you know it, you're eating hamburgers at the Ritz Carlton at 3am with your new husband {maybe that was just us}. All of my best girls stayed the night with me the night before our wedding at a house we rented in Sarasota. The next morning seemed like a mad rush to get ready, but we tried to linger over catered brunch and mimosas as much as possible. 

friendsgiving

 

A few years ago, my friends and I started the tradition of girls' night: Thanksgiving {now coined friendsgiving}.  This year was my turn to host, which gave me an opportunity to (finally) bust out our wedding china.  

gift guide: for the girl on the go

It's hard to believe the holidays are upon us already. I'm not sure where 2013 went, but I'm looking forward to spending the end of the year celebrating with family and friends. If you've got a frequent traveler on your list, here are some must-haves (from pocket friendly to splurge worthy) for your favorite travelista. 

weekend wrapup: dallas,TX

 downtown

It's official: I love Texas. Born yet only partially raised in Kentucky, I've never left the south for any extended period and likely never will. While Florida is located in the South, it's not quite as southern as the rest of the South... if that makes sense. After my second trip to the Lone Star state, I can imagine relocating there if the opportunity arose. Everyone we encountered was friendly and polite. People were excited for french toast on Sunday {who isn't?}. Free tacos were handed over after an order confusion {paleo, shmaleo}. The food? So good. The atmosphere? Even better.

dallas bound

We'll be packing up bright and early tomorrow morning to head to Dallas for The National concert in celebration of Carson's birthday {which was a month ago, but I have no control over The National's tour schedule}. I've only been to Texas one other time {Austin for my bachelorette party}, and have been looking forward to this trip for a few months. Usually we avoid planning our trips and wander around cities while attempting to hit the highlights along the way. Since this trip was such a short one, I've done some research and made an unstructured itinerary. Other than the concert, we're planning to eat our way through the city, and stop in the Nasher Sculpture Center. Follow along on instagram.

it's a wrap.

It's hard to believe summer is almost over {I'm just ignoring the fact it'll be hot here until December}. We spent the weekend house hunting {!!}, scouring the local antique shops, and then relaxing at the beach on Sunday. 

weekend warmup.

Over the weekends, we tend to break paleo and sometimes go out for the occasional cocktail or two. My dad's best friend and his wife gave us an amazing wedding gift: a book of all of his favorite, perfected, and "nearly famous" drink recipes. He also gave us a few goodies for our bar, so we've been experimenting a bit more with our cocktails {I'm usually a bourbon on the rocks girl, myself}.

DIY: painted hutch.

Don't let Pinterest fool you: painting a hutch is NOT easy. At least with this wonderful piece of furniture it wasn't. A few months ago {yes, months, as in, before we were married}, I received a text from my wonderful husband with the picture below. I was elated to discover he'd found a hutch for a mere $35. With actual glass, and made of pretty decent wood {it's not mahogany by any means, but seriously, it was $35}. In case the picture isn't doing the hutch enough justice, it was an alarming shade of puke yellow. It also smelled less than wonderful {again, $35}.

friday smiles.

{Sunset on Honeymoon Beach, St. John}

My husband and I were recently married (3.23.13) and honeymooned in St. Thomas a couple of months after our wedding {I had trial}. In addition to our honeymoon, we've been traveling a fair amount this summer. {Lexington, KY; Newport, RI; Captiva Island, FL}