The Friday Five

How about a Hoody-Hoo for the long weekend!? I've got cook-outs, pool time and Summer dresses on the brain this Friday.

1) I pinned this dress from Forever 21 last week, then immediately had to order it. It appeared to be the perfect Summer dress...bright colors, light fabric, easily dressed up or down...and cheap! Unfortunately, it's not so cute in person. Unbelted it looks like a mumu, and belting it didn't help much either. Not to mention, the armholes are so big you can see all the lady bits up top. Total bummer, but back to the store it goes.

Natalie is a genius at flushing out the good stuff from Forever 21, so I ordered this one too, after she posted it. It looks pretty high-end in person, and the details are impressive for the price. The Love 21 line is cut more for women (as opposed to juniors), so I tried both an XS and S. One fits great on top, but the other is better on bottom TWSS. What do you think, is it a keeper? Which size looks best?

2) Now that we're spending more time outdoors, I'm excited to pull this DIY Fedora back out! Are you a hat person?

3) My parents are moving soon, and gifting us with their super-duper, mac-daddy grill (their down-sizing means new stuff for us!). I'm not a good griller, but I'm determined to master Martha's BBQ Chicken this weekend. I think I'll add Shay's Corn Salad, or Sheaffer's Black Bean Salad to the menu. Or better yet, I'll invite them over and they can bring both!

4) I'll provide the rafts and a cute Patriotic Table like this one from last year. That sounds fair, don't you think?

5) Occasionally I get asked if I help design spaces for other people. I'm much too chicken for that, and who in their right mind would want their house to look like mine a box of Crayolas?! The one place that much color and pattern is universally accepted, is in Kid's Rooms. Those are my absolute favorite to create, too. Kirsten has partnered with Land of Nod for this fabulous series, and I've been devouring every post. I know my kids will want some changes to their rooms as they get older, so I'm gathering all these great ideas.  

What's on the agenda for you? Have you found any great Summer dresses? What about grilling tips? Happy long weekend, lovebugs!

{Outfit Inspiration} Hot Pink & Leopard

Thank you so much for your comments on our new Dining Room colors! I know they are bold, and certainly not everyone's cup-of-tea, but they make us happy. And isn't that what's most important when designing your home...creating a space that reflects you, and makes you feel comfortable and happy? As cliche as it sounds, I want our home to be a haven for us.

Today's {Outfit Inspiration} takes a break from pattern mixing, but is no less bold. Home and closet...I just can't help myself! I'm drawn to vibrant colors and patterns!

I have a small waist, but fuller hips and bootay, so virtually all my skirts and dresses are an A-line silhouette. The rare exception is when I find a pencil skirt with enough stretch to fit curves, and is thick enough to not pull and pucker. (These are my favorites.)

Someone get that girl some self-tanner! And a comb.

The pink top is so vibrant, the skirt actually becomes a neutral in this outfit. That's one of my favorite things about leopard...it goes with virtually every color. (See my take with with kelly green here.)

I piled on a few necklaces to get a chunkier look. The leather wrap bracelet is from my sweet friend, Courtney.

What's your favorite color to pair with leopard? Have you let your legs out for the Summer yet?

{Outfit Details}

I link to the actual item whenever possible, but I've had most of my clothes for ages.

In those cases, I try to link something similar.*

Top: J.Crew | Cardigan: Target Merona | Leopard Skirt: J.Crew Factory (similar) | Shoes: Joan & David | Necklaces: J.Crew & Forever 21 (similar) | Pearl Bracelet: J.Crew (similar) | Wrap Bracelet: Francescas

*Some links contain affiliates.

The Best Part of Waking Up

Recently, Folgers asked me to talk about my morning routine, and I realized that on a perfect day, it revolves around coffee and music. I'm not exactly what you'd call a morning person. I'm not a grouch or anything, but I need a little time before the family can start with the rapid-fire questions and requests. 

For a weekday morning, that means I hole myself up in the bathroom while I get ready, with only the radio to keep me company. That usually lasts a few short minutes before a little person barges in. Then it's a mad dash to feed the kids, drop them at school, and get to work on time. Coffee doesn't even come into the picture until I've been up for a few hours...and even then, it's office coffee. Not exactly a relaxing or leisurely morning routine!

But once the weekend rolls around, I'm singing a different tune in the morning. Mr. Sugarplum is pretty serious about his coffee, and I'm pretty serious about cute trays...so we keep all the morning coffee essentials corralled on a cute Ikea tray.

Beans are stored in a sealable jar, and a tea canister brought back from this trip holds sweetener (it happens to have my initials). This little set-up makes me smile every time, and I love that it keeps the counters organized.

Then I escape to the new backyard patio, with my iTunes, newspaper, and favorite mug.

Mr. Sugarplum used to be a professional musician, and even though he doesn't do it for a living anymore, there is always music playing in our home. He even made up a song about coffee we sing as a joke.

Reheat my coffaaaay,
Pour me some love.
Add a pinch of sugar, baby,
and french vanill-uuuuh!

I should enter him in the Folgers Jingle Contest...then every morning could be a weekend. You know the person who wrote, "The best part of waking up, is Folgers in your cup!" retired on that jingle! #cha-ching (You're welcome for getting that stuck in your head all day.) 

You can listen to the Top 10 Finalists in Folgers' Jingle Contest, and vote on the best. Cast your vote once every day through June 19th, and you could win free Folgers Coffee, iTunes® gift cards, signed CDs from Gavin DeGraw (you know I love me some Gavin!!), and even a $10,000 Grand Prize!

What's your morning routine like? Does it involve coffee and music? Is the Folgers jingle now stuck in your head?! Do you think my Mister missed his calling as a jingle writer?!?

Official rules found here.

neighbors

The love and war between Texas and Oklahoma dates back to the early 1900s. It's a rivalry as old as College Football. And while there is no love lost between the two states during the annual Red River Rivalry, during times such as these, Oklahoma is undoubtedly, our beloved neighbor.

We've made the short trip across it's border countless times, to visit friends and explore. I wish we were with those friends now. My heart aches for the communities, neighborhoods, and families impacted by this devastating storm, and my thoughts and prayers are with them.

via

{How to Help}

Make a donation to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief fund, or give blood at a local branch. 

Text "redcross" to 90999 to donate $10 to American Red Cross Disaster Relief.

Family pets and animals are also severely impacted. Donate to the Central Oklahoma Humane Society.

The Salvation Army and Oklahoma Disaster Relief are delivering food and disaster response to victims and are accepting financial help.

Text STORM to 80888 to contribute $10 to the Salvation Army’s relief efforts.