Home Tour: Deck Space

The home tour continues today with a glance at our outdoor space.  Last week I shared a tour of my room with you. I thought today I would share one of my family's favorite spaces during the summer months.  We love our deck and newly built patio.  The deck is where we tend to hangout during the day.  It provides more shade and is more practical during the day.  We like to sit outside and read on the furniture set or chat with friends and family.  The high top table is great for eating meals, getting work done, or relaxing.  The patio is a new addition to the backyard this summer thanks to Todd! We tend to head out to the patio once the most intense sun has subsided for the day.  After dinner we like to hangout here.  The fire pit we have doubles as a table, which is great for entertaining.  

Today's post has a little guest appearance from our dog, Riley. He loves spending time outside on the deck too! 

My mom did a great job at decorating the deck and patio with lots of bright colored flowers this year. The pop of color really makes the space look so inviting. 

This summer we opted not to do an actual garden and chose to do a container garden instead. Our veggies are starting to come in, which is exciting! These plants also double as great patio decorations. 

What is your favorite part of our outdoor space?

XOXO

What's in My Everyday Bag: Summer Edition

I love bags. I think they are an accessory that can turn a good outfit into a great one, make you look more put together, and ensure that you leave the house each day with all the tools to help you get everything on your to do list accomplished.  As much as I love bags/purses, I'm all about simplicity. I don't think you need a ton of different bags to accessorize with. Sure that would be lovely, but at the end of the day we all know how much of a pain it is to transfer your items from bag to bag.  I prefer to use one bag consistently. This ensures that I don't forget anything and it allows me one less thing I have to think about when leaving the house each day. 

My go to bag lately is made by Kelly & Katie. They are one of my favorite designers found at the Designer Shoe Warehouse (DSW).  They make the most comfortable heels and adorable handbags for those of us on a budget.  I have been in search of the perfect "big girl purse", but I have yet to actually find something that matches the design and color scheme that I have in my head.  This winter my mom and I were shopping and found this bag. It's not quite my perfect big girl purse but it is slightly similar to what I'm looking for.  The purse I want is much more pricier than this one and will have to wait until I have a big girl job/budget to purchase it.  However, in the meantime this one is doing the job just fine. 

The bag has lots of pockets, which makes it great for organization. Rarely am I unable to find an item in there.  It's not like one of those Mary Poppins bags where you spend forever digging through the bottomless bag in search of your favorite tube of lipstick. 

If you're looking for a cute summer bag and you have a budget, then I definitely recommend it. This bag also comes in ivory/black and mint green. 

So what do I keep in my summer bag? I always love seeing what people carry with them on a daily basis, what their essentials are, and how the package them up.  Today I'm going to share with you some of the items I carry with me regularly.  These items will have slight changes depending on where I'm going, but for the most these are the essentials. 

Glasses and Sunglasses

I don't leave my house without sunglasses in the summertime. These Ray Bans are my go to, but I also have a few cheaper pairs that I will take with me if I'm doing something where they might get broken or lost.  I don't wear my glasses that often during the summer months unless I'm driving at night or doing school work.  

Wallet

You never what you might need to buy. Plus where I live you pretty much have to drive somewhere, which means you can't leave the house without your license.  This wallet is one that I got for Christmas and I am obsessed with it. If you're in search for a new wallet, then I highly suggest checking it out. It comes in many different colors too!

Hairbrush

You never know when you're going to need this. My car isn't air conditioned, so I use this pretty much overtime I get where I need to be. 

Snacks

Confession: I get hangry when I go to long without eating. 

I try to always carry snacks with me to prevent being hangry.  Right now the snacks I have in my bag are a Blueberry crisp clif bar and mixed nuts.  I try to keep healthy snacks with me that won't get spoiled in the summer heat. 

Book

You never know when you'll be able to pull out a book and read a few pages.  I nanny during the summer months, so I always make sure I bring a book with me.  Also during my breaks at my other job I have 30 minutes to an hour, so after I'm done eating I will usually pull out my book. I just finished Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. It's a great summer read!

Portable Charger

Summer days can be filled with spontaneous adventures, so I try to keep my portable charger with me.

Sunscreen

I talked about the importance of SPF last week, so if you didn't read it head over to last week's post.  But this one goes without really much explanation. I have fair skin and I like to protect myself. Both of my summer jobs require me to be outside, so I never leave the house without these two bottles. 

Koozie

Summer has lots of adventures, so I always like to be prepared to keep any beverages I might have cold. 

Emergency Kit

I bring a variation of this in all of my bags regardless of where I'm going. It has Advil, bandaids, deodorant, face wipes, tissues, feminine products, hand sanitizer, hair ties, bobby pins, soft picks,  SPF chapstick, a bright lipstick, and a neutral lipstick.

What do you carry in your summer bag?

XOXO

Pinspiration: Summer Hairstyle Tutorials

We all know that the summer is filled with intense heat and usually humidity. Both of these things lead to frizzy hair.  The hot weather and summertime make me want to spend the least amount of time as possible working with my hair. Lately I have been in search of cute and easy hairstyles that don't use any heat (curling iron, flat iron, blow dyer). I figured many of you were also looking for something similar, so I thought I'd do y'all a favor and share some easy, fun, and cute hairstyles that we can all try this summer. You can checkout these tutorials via my Hairy & Beauty Board.

Twisted Crown 

The braided messy bun

The simple chignon bun

The not so messy bun

The fishtail high ponytail 

The Fan Bun

The reverse braided bun

What's your go to hairstyle this summer?

XOXO

Summer Essentials to Beat The Sun

We are definitely in the midst of the summer heat now.  Sure it is fun to go outside or spend a day at the beach soaking up some vitamin C.  Who doesn't love to have a nice bronzed look in the summer? Well, the sun can be fun and all but there are some things you need to do to protect yourself.  Spending time out in the sun can be very dangerous if you don't take the right precaution. While you may think a little sun won't hurt you now, you will end up paying for it later on in life (skin cancer, skin cancer scares, getting moles removed, photo aging, etc.). 

I'm 22 and I still don't know how to put on sunscreen properly. I seem to always get burnt whether it's me forgetting to put sunscreen on or missing spots because I didn't do a thorough job.  Regardless of the excuse, sunburn is never a good thing. Today I'm sharing with y'all some tips and tricks to avoid getting burnt and some of my essentials to help protect your skin from the sun this summer. 

These are some of the products I like to use to protect my skin from the sun. 

For the body:

Supergoop // Bare // Sun Bum 

For the Face:

Neutrogena // Bare

For the Lips:

Supergoop // Eos // Bare // Sun Bum 

Monogram hat // seersucker hat // vineyard vines hat // fedora

monogram floppy hat // floppy hat // sunglasses // sunglasses

coverup// coverup

Remember to be safe in the sun!

XOXO

My Bedroom Tour

Today I'm enjoying a day off. I've spent the morning sitting on my deck with a cup of green tea.  Although it's a warm humid day in Pennsylvania, it's quite pleasant out on my deck.  (You'll see why in a week or two). Anyways, the past month or so both my mom and I have been on a decorating kick. There seems to be something about the changing of seasons that has us craving some changes in our family's home. I thought it would be fun to share with you some of my favorite spaces, in my home, throughout the summer. I always love seeing everyone else's homes, desk spaces, kitchens, etc. so I thought why not share mine with y'all.   If there are any areas that you are curious to see, just send me an email or comment with your requests! 

A little bit about where I live. I live in South Eastern Pennsylvania close to Delaware and Maryland.  I live in a neighborhood. I've lived here since I was three years old.  Our house is nineteen years old this summer. We have a decent amount of land considering we live in a neighborhood- about one acre. Our house is new(ish) construction, but my mom decorates as if it's a farm house.  It's really cute and eclectic. 

Today I'm beginning the tour with my corner of the house. It's literally my corner of the house because my room falls on two sides of the house (you'll see in a picture below). I moved back home to my parents house early on in May.  Since then I have been working to decorate my portion of the house in a way that feels inspiring, calming, and organized.  I used some items that were in my room prior to living in my apartment, items I bought for my apartment, and purchased a few new things to get my room the way it is right now.  I think it will always be a work in progress because every few months I like to freshen up or a pinterest pin/ a trip to a home goods store inspires me. 

My room is feminine, has a little art, simple, clean, organized, and relaxing. 

Let's get started!

Bed/Gallery Wall:
Recently my new thing has become gallery walls. I am obsessed! I have started my own and am working to expand it slowly but surely. My bed is literally my favorite thing and clearly I like a lot of pillows. On my night stand I usually keep it simple (a candle, a jewelry tray to remove my daily jewels before bed, some flowers, and a glass of water). 

Window Sill:

My curtains don't quite match my room since they are black and most things in m room are navy, but it's okay because they still look cute. Recently I've added some succulents to my window sills since they get so much light. 

Desk Space:

I'm still working on this part of my room. The empty bulletin board will be filled in soon, but it's currently a work in progress. I like a ton of colorful pens and notepads.  I keep my jewelry on my desk because a lot of times I sit at my desk with a makeup mirror when getting ready, so this is the most convenient place to keep it. I enjoy a clean and clutter free work space. 

Closet:

This is my closet. When I was younger my dad installed this shelving unit, which is probably the greatest thing about my room. It allows me to keep my clothes neatly in my closet. 

Other Decor:

I'm working on improving my DIY game, but all of the items shown below I've created or made to some capacity. The Lilly letter I did on my own and the picture frames I hand painted. 

More details about my room to come! If there's anything your curious or want to see just let me know!

XOXO

Lilly Loving

r Happy first day of summer 2016. Today (June 20th) marks the official start to this summer.  The first day of summer is also known as National Wear Your Lilly Pulitzer Day. When I think of my summer wardrobe I immediately think Lilly Pulitzer. The designer's use of bright colors, fun patterns, and an array of styles just speak to me.  Over time I have built up quite the Lilly summer wardrobe. I have a combination of old prints and new ones, but regardless of when they were made I love them all.  Some of the vintage patterns are actually my favorite, and I think some of the older dresses are actually made with a higher quality fabric. 

Oh Shift! Here's a little glimpse at my shift dresses.  These are great to thrown on during a hot summer day, wear to a wedding with a nice pair of heels, appropriate for work, or pretty much any event in the summer months. 

The callahan shorts are my favorite style of shorts. They are not too short nor too long. The perfect length for people like me who have longer legs. I have several pairs of them and am able to mix and match tops to create many outfits out of them.  

Today I'm wearing a pair of callahan shorts paired with a washed pocket tee tank from J.Crew.

I'm spending the day nannying two boys, so I needed an outfit that was cute, comfortable, and included some Lilly!

What are you wearing to celebrate the first day of summer and wear your Lilly day?

XOXO