Vintage Stripes

Target Sunnies (loving these) // Vintage Striped Top // Target Denim // Target Wedges gifted (these are fantastic!) // Lia Sophia Earrings gifted // Gold “R” Necklace // Charming Charlie Watch // Butter & Scotch Tassel Bracelet // Kate Spade Bow Ring

I am SO ready for the weekend! There are lots of fun graduation parties beginning, and I cannot wait to help celebrate such an accomplishment! This week’s weather has been a bit cooler than normal, and these skinnies might be on rotation if the sun doesn’t start shining soon. And if this rain doesn’t clear up I’ll be trading out these wedges for some wellies and accessorizing with a stylish umbrella.

XOXO,

R

All photography by Anchor and Veil Photography.

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Watercolor Trousers

Sunnies from a boutique on Bald Head Island // Lia Sophia Earrings gifted // H&M Gold Bib Necklace (similar) // Forever 21 Button-up // Mossimo Printed Trousers // Francesca’s Collections Bag // Bracelets: Charming Charlie and Butter & Scotch // Kate Spade Bow Ring // MIA pointy toe flats (loving the texture on these)

After ordering a pair of chic black and gold printed trousers from Target, then being put on the wait list a few several weeks, THEN being told they were completely out of stock, needless to say, I was a little disappointed. But my mood quickly shifted once I spotted these gorgeous abstract watercolor-esque pants!

I knew I wanted to keep the rest of the look simple with either a cool printed tee or a solid-colored top, and ended up deciding on a simple sleeveless button-up. This outfit is perfect for a busy day at the office, but the punchy print on the pants make them fun enough for a girls night out over martinis!

XOXO,

R

All photography by Anchor and Veil Photography.

Seafoam Maxi + Chambray

Target Sunnies (love this shape!) // Madewell Chambray Button-up // Leopard Calf Hair Belt // Forever 21 Cross Body Bag (Kate Spade perfection!) // Kate Spade Bow Ring // Charming Charlie Watch and Butter & Scotch Bracelet // Forever 21 Maxi Skirt (loving this color) // Target Sandals (these are on my wishlist!)

Maxis are everywhere. Buy them as a dress or buy them as a skirt. Try with pleats, a see-through overlay, or even with embroidery!

I saw this maxi on the racks and fell in love with the color. Even with the satin fabric, which feels a little heavier than some of the popular sheer skirts, the color just made it seem so breezy and cool. There are so many ways to wear a maxi, but for this particular day I chose to pair it with my all-time favorite Chambray button-up!

For more ways to wear chambray, check out this blog post!

XOXO,

R

All photography by Anchor and Veil Photography.

Flair Exchange Party Bar Cart

Hey gals–I’m back at it! Back at decorating my bar cart, that is!

The Flair Exchange sent me some super fun pink-themed party goods and I went to work creating a fun space for cocktail mixing!

This vintage milk glass find is perfect for my favorite paper straws!

Lots of mixers for tasty cocktails!

 
The Flair Exchange Boutique Balloons & Ombré Honeycomb Garland c/o // Target Bar Cart (gifted), Gold Confetti Glasses, Fox Cocktail Shaker (gifted), Cheers Shot Glasses (gifted) // Jenny Bevlin Hello Darling Print c/o // Oh Joy! for Target Party Horns // Anthropologie Wishbone Bottle Opener c/o // Nicole Miller Citrus Cups (filled with delish watermelon mojitos!) // Gold-rimmed Glasses // Vintage Gold Striped Glasses // Michael’s Paper Straws // Various Thrift Frames // Eat Drink Chic Bon Appetit Printable Tags

I have to say that my favorite party goody would be these awesome Peace, Love & Party balloons!!

XOXO,

R

My Parent’s 40th Anniversary

Several weeks back I posted a couple little glimpses into a special dinner I planned for my parent’s 40th anniversary. Although this comes over a month later, I just wanted to share a few of the photos and celebrate again just how incredibly dear my parents are to me.

Forty years is certainly not easy, but what a wonderful testimony! I know, without a doubt, that my parent’s marriage and strong faith were a direct blessing to me, my siblings, and everyone around them. They both are truly gifts from the Lord, and I am beyond thankful for them, their example of a God-honoring bond, and their unconditional love for each other and for me!

Besides getting to showcase my new everyday china, gold flatware, and new obsession for linen napkins, one of my favorite parts about prepping for the dinner was transitioning our bar cart into a coffee bar!

I chose a neutral centerpiece to bring out the bright white of the china and serving dishes. The fresh tulips from Trader Joe’s were so gorgeous!

Extra dinner guests meant mismatched dining chairs, which I loved!

I had such a wonderful time spending the afternoon cooking with my Mr., and once my two nieces arrived, they helped to put the finish touches on the mini chicken pot pies.

While everything else on the menu was homemade, I did end up purchasing a red velvet cake with textured cream cheese icing–and it did not disappoint!

Menu

Homemade Mini Chicken Pot Pies

Buttery Green Beans Almondine

Fresh Garden Salad

Organic Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Fried Local Okra

[the pickled beets weren’t originally on the menu, but my Mr. insisted, and they added some nice color to the table!]

XOXO,

R

Baked Blueberry French Toast

A weekend tradition for the Mr. and I always revolves around cinnamon buns. Depending on our plans, we’ll bake and devour either Saturday or Sunday morning–but they’re pretty much always a weekend staple. Minis, giants, cream cheese icing, or Cinnabon cinnamon, organic, processed..we love them all.

But the soft cinnamon bread and sugary icing was starting to get a wee bit old. So I, of course, turned to Pinterest..and found this recipe for Baked Blueberry French Toast.

After a trip to the Tanglewood Park Farmers Market to pick up this gorgeous homemade wheat bread loaf, I couldn’t wait to get started.

Ingredients

• 8 pieces of bread (I did half thick organic white bread and half with this whole wheat loaf)
• 5 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinammon
• 2 cups blueberries
• cooking spray
• 8+ pats of butter (1+ per slice of bread)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Spray a large cookie sheet with baking spray
3. In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, maple syrup, salt, and cinammon
4. Dip each piece of bread in the batter, soaking on both sides and letting the excess drip off
5. Place each soaked piece of bread on the cookie sheet and let sit for 5-10 minutes
6. Top with blueberries (thawed)
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes until bread is golden brown
8. Remove from oven and add butter and maple syrup
9. Serve and enjoy!

The best part about making baked french toast is that the prep time is short and after it’s in the oven you can chat with guests, or in my case–spend a little time with my Mr. instead of being in the kitchen the whole time.

XOXO,

R

Non-Alcoholic Moscow Mule

I spotted a pair of moscow mule mugs at TJ Maxx several months ago, but decided against the purchase (one of those moments where you look back and wonder what in the world was I thinking?!). During our Charleston vacation, the Mr. and I spotted a vintage set while window shopping just as the shop was closing. I decided right then and there that I would make a set my own!

Thank goodness TJ Maxx hadn’t sold out, and I was able to pick up a matching set of four for our ever-growing collection of barware!

And the perfect way to celebrate this new purchase is with a fresh [non-alcoholic] Moscow Mule, of course!

*Ingredients:

• 2 oz. fresh lime juice (unless you get gigantic limes like I did, you’ll need about 2 limes)
• A few slices of fresh lime or ginger for garnish
• 1 cup ginger beer**
• 2 tablespoons simple syrup
• 4 oz. club soda, tonic, or sparkling water (replace this with vodka for the alcoholic version)
• Ice cubes (bonus: freeze a little lemon and lime juice and ginger beer as ice cubes to prevent a watered down drink)

          *This recipe makes a full mug of the Moscow Mule–you can easily half the recipe for a smaller cup

          **There are several brands available, especially in the fall months, and they all work great! Don’t substitute this for ginger ale, though, as that is much sweeter and won’t give the little bite that Moscow Mules are known for

Directions:

1. Add all ingredients together and stir well (you can shake instead of stir if you’re making the alcoholic version without the club soda)
2. Garnish with a fresh lime slice and/or slice of ginger
3. Enjoy!

XOXO,

R

Chia Limeade

While lounging inside one dreary afternoon, the Mr. and I stumbled upon Food Network and the very end of a recipe on Chia Limeade. I love, love limeade and knew that this would be a great way to try something new and healthy! I made a pitcher a few days later, and it is better than I expected!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fresh lime juice (around 6 gigantic limes or around 8 regular size)
• 3 tablespoons chia seeds
• 5 cups water total
• 1/2 cup sugar (you could do a little bit less for a more tart flavor)
• 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, loosely packed
• Ice cubes (bonus: freeze a little lime juice and mint leaves as ice cubes to prevent a watered down drink)

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl mix the chia seeds and 1 cup cold water. Let stand for 15 minutes.
2. Mix 4 cups cold water with the 1/2 cup sugar in pitcher, stirring until the sugar completely dissolves.
3. Add 1 cup lime juice and stir to combine.
4. Stir in the chia seeds (no need to drain or rinse–the acidity from the limes will dissolve the jelly-like texture!).
5. Garnish with the fresh mint leaves and lime slices.
6. Enjoy! 

Let me know if you try this and if you love it or not!

XOXO,

R