image via coconut-shores tumblr
Omgitsfridayandimleavingforvacationin24hours.
Our bags are almost packed, and we’re prepared to be on the road at 7am tomorrow morning! Boogie board in the trunk. Bikes on the roof. Beach towels ready to be spread out the minute we hit the North Carolina line (okay, I’ll wait until we actually make it to the beach). I ready to unplug and unwind. Hope y’all are able to do the same this weekend. Have a great one!
A few months ago, my yoga instructor had us all doing yoga sit-ups toward the end of class. We must’ve all looked pretty miserable because she said “C’mon ladies, bikini season is almost here!” My first thought was yay, vacation is around the corner! Which was quickly followed by omg, I need to stop living off of burgers and beer*.
Now that vacation is three days away (yay yay yay!), I’m in the bikini-state of mind again. I’m also still living off of burgers and beer (and running, and taking hot hatha and cycling), but that hasn’t stopped me from wanting to refresh my bikini wardrobe for this year.
J.Crew has become my go-to source for swimwear. They have the cutest prints and their suits hold up remarkably well to beach wear and tear (And boogie boarding–is that cool anymore? Because I definitely still do it). Below are a couple I’m loving this year:
all images via J.Crew
What’s your go-to sources for swim ware?
* This is an exaggeration, but I did have a burger from BGR and a beer for dinner last night. If you live in the DC area, BGR has amaaaaaaaaazing burgers. Go there. Do it.
We’re both pretty big coffee drinkers. Every evening before we settle in for bed, I set the coffee maker for 7:30am so that we can both enjoy a freshly brewed cup of joe before our day starts. Every once in a while, one of us forgoes our cup of coffee and the leftovers end up in a to-go mug in the refrigerator.
Normally that leftover coffee is forgotten about it for too long and I end up throwing it away. But not last weekend. Last weekend, I remembered there was coffee from the day before and I whipped up a quick iced coffee for myself.
This was especially delicious since the AC unit in my apartment is broken, and I have yet to make a trip to Home Depot for a new unit. (But that’s going to change pretty quickly since it’s supposed to hit 90 degrees this week!)
Iced Coffee
Brewed coffee, refrigerated until cooled (over-night works if it’s kept sealed tightly)
Coconut milk
Simple syrup (If you’ve made the margs, you should have some hanging around!)
Pour the coconut milk and coffee into a glass halfway filled with ice. Add simple syrup to taste and top it off with a cute straw!
P.S. Aren’t my new coasters so much fun?
This is going to sound super lame, but the Ikea Expedit shelf one of my favorite pieces of furniture. I KNOW. It’s sterile. And white. And blocky. But hear me out. Starting at $89, the expedit shelf is a total furniture workhorse.
Let me show you why:
1. The shelves can divide a room and create storage at the same time. That’s a huge win if you live in a studio and are in need of extra storage, plus a separation between work and sleep.
image via Live Creating Yourself
3. If you have a large space to cover, and need more storage, combining the shelves can create the look you want for a fraction of what you would pay for a custom piece of furniture. Like this mudroom:
image via tips from town
4. Stick your boyfriend’s massive tv on top of the shelves, and use baskets to hide all of the other wires and boxes that go along with a tv. (Why do guys always have such huge tvs?)
image via Apartment Therapy
5. I use my own Ikea expedit shelf for so many things. It’s a liquor cabinet, entertainment area, divides my living area, and serves as extra storage. The only thing it doesn’t do is cook dinner for me.
If you’ve got an expedit shelf, I’d love to hear how you use it!
If you haven’t checked out the new website Domaine Home, then you should stop what you’re doing and go check it out now. (And then come back!)
Okay, you’re back? You’re in love? Thought so. It’s currently fulfilling my online void for interior design porn. And right now, I am DYING for former Domino mag creative director, Sara Ruffin Costello’s New Orleans house. Dying I tell you. Okay, not dying, but really wishing she’d invite me over for dinner and drinks so I can spend time in that amazing house.
all images via Domaine Home
See what I mean? You can see the rest of her home tour, plus her favorite New Orleans haunts over at Domaine.
Since my balcony update, I’ve been itching to complete other projects in my apartment, and give the finished projects a refresh. Below are a couple accessories that I think would do just the trick for those projects:
1. Watercolor painting: There’s a small spot in my bathroom just begging for something colorful…like this watercolor! I’m also toying with the idea of a shelf in that space…but we’ll see. I’m not exactly a DIY queen (DIY includes hanging shelving in my world.)
2. Gold and navy pillow: Easiest way to make my saggy-couch look like new? New pillows. Loving this one.
3. Yellow lantern: I know, the balcony is a “finished” project, but are projects ever really finished? If I had space, I’d definitely get this over-sized lantern for it. Isn’t it just such a happy color? Me thinks yes. (OH, and Pottery Barn is offering 20% off lanterns right now!)
4. Owl accessories: Will my love for animal accessories ever end? Stay tuned! (Spoiler alert: probably not)
What accessories are on your wishlist?
There’s a bare area behind my stove that I’ve labeled my “back splash.” Others would not agree that this is actually a back splash, but y’all will humor me, right? Anyway, a few weeks ago I got it into my head that my back splash needed life, color, SOMETHING. So I went to town brainstorming.
My first thought was to tack-up fabric behind the stove, until the same person who told me it wasn’t a back splash, pointed out that if I cook something saucy, I might stain the fabric. Valid point. Moving on.
Second thought: STENCIL! Of course. I’ll stencil on a pattern. How hard could that be? You wanna know how hard that can be? Let me show you.
Exhibit A:
Hard. Even if you tape down all the sides really well, there’s still the problem of all the tiny holes…they bleed. So now I need to repaint that area white. Fail.
Now that I’ve been staring at this pattern for a bit, I’m beginning to wonder, does that area NEED anything done to it? Is white enough? I mean, if I could, the cabinets would get painted white, but that’s just wishful thinking as a renter. So I’m interested to know, what’s your opinion? Do I need some kind of color/pattern on my back splash?
