5 Ways For Keepin' Cool !!

The weather here in Florida has been so stinkin' hot! And if I was being honest, I would say that it completely, utterly sucks! If I've said it once, I'll say it again.. I do not like hot weather at all! 

Due to the fact that it is hot as hell, all I can think about is all things cool. 

Homemade Popsicle's are a number one must have for hot weather!! I am definitely going to be getting a Popsicle mold as soon as possible- I really like this one from Williams Sonoma & it is inexpensive which is a plus {here's a mini one if you have kiddos}! 

Water !!! Some days when I leave work it is so hot that I really think about jumping in the pool, fully clothed {no joke}!! I am not so much of a beach girl, but a nice cool pool sounds & looks amazing to me. So refreshing & relaxing... 

Ice Cold Bevy's {with pretty straws in a mason jar}!! I am love all kinds of limeades- my normal go-to is a cherry limeade, but this blueberry limeade & crushed raspberry/lemon limeade top the list. They look so yummy & would be perfect for quenching your thirst. 

Sandals! My favorite thing about keeping cool!! You can never have enough pairs of snazzy summer sandals. I am really loving all of the colorful beaded sandals that are out there right now, especially these two. 

Swimsuits!! Nothing screams keepin' cool more than a pretty bikini. These two bathing suits are some serious inspiration pictures to get fit. I love everything about them both-- they are both very different with Aztec & floral print. And the cuts of them seem to be very flattering {for some-ha).

So what to do like or do to keep warm in the blasting hot Florida weather?

Homemade Popsicle's Sources| Water Sources| Ice Cold Bevy's| Sandals Sources| Bathing Suit Sources

Hubby's Grad Party Ideas

For the past three years, my husband has been in school {he skipped a year because he's a smarty-- proud wife moment}. He goes to school about 45 minutes from our house, two days a week. Two days doesn't seem like much, but add that on top of 48 hours a week & it is exhausting... 

Well he is finally finished with school & I am so happy, proud, & excited for him (& us- more time together). He has worked so hard, so I knew that I wanted to throw a little party to celebrate him & his hard work. 

I have been in party planning mode the past few weeks... I ordered these pretty invites from Etsy & I love the way they turned out. It was an e-file & I printed them myself. 

Etsy Source

After I bought the invites, I knew that I wanted to continue to use mint green, white, black & gold glitter throughout the party decorations. 

I wanted to use some mason jars & votive's with gold glitter on them. I thought that the votive's would be pretty on each of the tables & the mason jars as holders for straws & utensils. 

I really like the look of tissue paper decorations- they're a pain in the ass to put together, but they last a while unlike balloons. I decided that I wanted to use black & white- plain & simple. I also made some yarn garland {Garland Galore & More...} to add to our decorations, as well as DIY confetti for all of the tabletops. 

I wanted to make a punch for the party, so when I saw this awesome drink dispenser on sale for $13 at Target I knew that I needed it for the party. Also picked up some minty fresh colored straws from my go-to Etsy shop.

And last but not least... the cake !! It won't be a two tiered cake, but it will be mint colored. It will also have some pom poms on top that I made. And I love the idea of putting the slices of wood underneath-- I am definitely picking these up ASAP from Michael's. 

Well I hope you like some of the ideas for hubby's graduation party-- I am excited to see how everything turns out. 

Stay tuned for a post next week from the party {get excited!!}. 

Sources

Lovely And Oh-So-Pinteresting- Outdoor Oasis

Lately, I have been daydreaming of cool, breezy weather... 

Cool, breezy weather as I sit in a gorgeous backyard on a cozy lounge chair packed with bright, colorful pillows-- surrounded by fresh, blooming flowers... oh & a pool too!! 

Well, then I woke up & realized that it there is NO cool, breezy weather in Florida nowadays; nor do I have an amazing outdoor oasis to relax in. Seriously these people are so lucky !! I cannot wait until the day I can have a place like this to go & relax... 

So until then... i'll just continue to daydream & drool over all of these amazing backyards on Pinterest. 

Gorgeous french doors & tons of blooming bushes... 

Bright, different pattern pillows... so cozy! 

Two words... Amazing Pool!

This foliage is incredible-- so private & cozy feeling...

I am moving in here next week-- everything thing about this is infreakingcredible!! 

Cozy couches, fluffy blankets & a view for days... 

If you want to see more dreamy backyards... Follow me on Pinterest here :) 

DIY- Anthropologie Wreath

Over this last Christmas season, Anthropologie had a tufted wool wreath that was to-die-for! I really loved it but the price was a bit steep & it sold out in a matter of what seemed like minutes (good thing for my wallets sake). 

As you know from previous posts, I have been trying to find ways to fill up our big, blank wall in our living room. The majority of the wall is filled with frames & such but it needed one more thing to put above the TV. So I thought this wreath would be the best to fill that spot.

This is the dream inspiration wreath... 

I went to Michael's and picked up 2 each of the following yarn. They're a bit pricey, so look for coupons.

You will also need 3 boxes of greening pins, small & medium yarn makers, and an 18" white foam wreath. 

I made the pom poms one-by-one & pinned them to the wreath, so I could see how I could mix up the two different textures of the yarn. There is no exact way of doing it, I just did it based on what I liked. I wanted the wreath to be very full and fluffy !!

Here is the finished product... 

I love the way it turned out & it looks awesome hanging above our TV. It took quite a bit of time though & I was covered in fuzz... but overall it was super easy to make & I saved a fortune making it myself. 

Now if I could do a ton of DIY for all of the pricey Anthroplogie goodies that I am in love with, I would be good to go :) (wishful thinking, huh!?)

Friday Favorites- Pops of Coral

One of my favorite colors is coral, especially when using it as pops of colors with outfits. It also seems like such a good color for Spring. There are so many ways that you can add a pop of color to an outfit-- bracelets & earrings or a scarf would be my favorite. 

These are a few outfits that I put together that I really like because they have subtle touches of coral. I feel like this color is such a bold color, so too much of it can be a little rough on the eyes. 

There are a lot of fun accessories that I really love that could also be a go-to for a pop of color. Using these accessories would be a good way to liven up an outfit. My favorites are these cute scarves-- they are colorful & very pretty for Spring. 

So what is your favorite color for Spring ?

Lovely And Oh-So-Pinteresting-- Customized Jewelry

Right before my Dad passed away, I got a tattoo on my wrist of the word Love that he wrote. My Dad and I had a rough relationship for many years, so the majority of the way we communicated was through cards & letters (text later on in my life). So looking at his writing brought back any memories that I had/have of him; I knew that I wanted to always be able to remember the way he wrote. 

After, my Dad passed away, I also got a customized necklace (from Etsy) with his initials on it. I really like customized jewelry, especially the ones that take a person's writing & make it into a bracelet or necklace. 

Etsy has so many shops that have some gorgeous, unique jewelry that can be customized with a loved ones name, your babies name(s), and even your own initials. Call me crazy, but I literally want to get ALL my loved ones handwriting or phrases that they say & get them made into bracelets. Might be quite costly, but I want to do it-- ha!! 

Here are some of my favorites...

Anyone out there purchased any customized jewelry that they really love? Let me know if you did... :) 

{sources}

Adventures with Mom...

A few weeks ago, my mom and I took a little drive to this very cool beach called Big Talbot Island. We have been several times before, but throughout the years, the beach continues to erode more & more. With all of the erosion, the trees continue to fall all over the beach. It is so incredible how these massive trees are now covering the entire beach... Some of the tree roots were as tall as my mom and I-- it was crazy. 

The beach was nice & breezy & not too many people. It was so nice to be able to get away & have time to chat & hang out with my mom. 

What are your favorite places to go for peace & quiet to relax?