You can still love Fridays...

even on Summer Vacation!

Back with another 5 on Friday!  It was a fairly quiet week here but I was out and about here and there but also enjoyed relaxing!  Here's just a few of my faves from the week!

Blardigans for Everyone!!  

My Nordstrom Anniversary Sale packages started to arrive this week!  And the first one had the blardigans for all my sisters and I.  And I have to say...this blardigan is even softer and more comfy than the first.  And I didn't think that was possible.  But I am living in it and I love it.

Motivational Monday

Monday I was excited to read that my blog buddy Lana from Two Teens and their Mama tagged me for the Blogging Quote Challenge!  I love quotes and have so many I would like to share.  The challenge asks that I only share three, either in one post or over three posts.  Lana has been sharing hers on Monday for the last two weeks, so I am going to do the same.  Come on back Monday!

My New Lounge Chair

So excited to FINALLY have a lounge chair for the postage stamp patio! I can now lay out on my stomach.  No more tan front, Casper in the back!!  It's not really new but it's new to me, so I'm excited.  Totally a highlight of the week!!

Seeing my Teacher Friends!

Even though it's summer vacation, my teacher friends and I try to get together a few times.  Tuesday was the first of those get-togethers. It was fun to see everyone...even though we were a big group of 11 sitting at a long table!  HA!  I also saw the After Care aide that I work with everyday.  She just turned 21 on Saturday!  #IamOLD!!  We celebrated on Thursday with a yummy lunch and Margaritas!

The Astronaut Wives Club

In anyone else watching this show?  I am really enjoying it so much. I like how it weaves the old footage into scenes and like the women's backstories.  I don't think it is going to go beyond this summer, but I won't be missing an episode while it on.  I didn't know when I started watching that it was based on a book, but it is.  

Off to enjoy the weekend!!

Linking up today with:

Erika, Andrea, and Narci for Friday Favorites 

September Farm and The Farmer's Wife for Oh Hey, Friday!

April and the girls for Five on Friday

Jennie for Friday Favorites

Tif and the girls for High Five for Friday

Let's talk books!

I seriously can not even believe the year is more than half over!!  Eeeekkk...

Back in January, I posted my yearly goals and mentioned that I wanted to read more this year.  I set a goal to read 16 books in 2015 and  am using this as guide and to just read some different things.  This summer I am trying to read six of those books...and guess what?!?  I'm halfway there already! Woo hoo!!  I've been wanting to post an update on my progress for a while and thought this was as good a time as any!

A book by an author that you've never read before: The Husband's Secret was the first Laine Moriarty book that I ever read (and the first book I finished this year!)  I enjoyed it a lot...even though I figured "it" out fairly early! 

My next Laine Moriarty book, Big Little Lies is on tap to read this summer.  It fits into the category of a book with antonyms in the title  :) 

A book that made you cry: Easy....The Wednesday Letters, which I just finished last week.  LOVED it...a sweet story that I really couldn't put down! 

A book that your mom loves: Still Alice.  My mom loved this book!!  She told us all to read it so in case she ever gets Alzheimer's, we will know what to do.  This book also fits in the category of  a book made into a movie!  And as always the book was way better than that movie!!

A book you can finish in a day: Girl Talk was a book I read in a day.  Honestly, I probably should have read it in my twenties, but it was pretty funny!!

A book published this year:  Nobody's Cuter Than You by Melanie Shankle came out in April.  It was a book I had seen here and there, but after Leslie had it on her blog a few times, I picked it up.  It's another one I really really loved.  Cute stories, great little tidbits about friendship and really funny, too!  Didn't really want to put it down.  I thought about my BFF while reading it, so I sent her a copy.  I hope she enjoys it as much as I did.  It could really fit into the memoir category too!

A popular author's first book: I read The Girl on the Train, the first book by Paula Hawkins. It is a really popular book and so many people love it.  I had mixed feelings about it!  It wasn't my favorite AT ALL but I am really glad I read it!

Another book I read this year was The Single Woman by Mandy Hale. Great blog too!!! I enjoyed it. It totally spoke to me!  And was a super easy read.  It doesn't really fit into one of these categories.

I am currently reading Where'd You Go Bernadette. And see what else I have on my Summer Reading List here!


So I guess for the year being more than half over, I'm doing ok! 7 Books so far is almost halfway to my goal for the year!

 I have lots more books that fit these categories, that I can't wait to read!  One of the categories is read a book you were supposed to read in school but never did.  Maybe I'll pick up Jane Eyre again! HA!

What books do you love?  Share them with me in the comments!!

I'm linking up today with Vanessa and Penny for Thinking Out Loud Thursday!  

BoozeDay Tuesday!

I kinda ripped off  the post's title name from Kathie Lee and Hoda.  I never really watch the 10 o'clock hour of the today show but I was watching it the other day...being summer vacation and all and heard them call the day BoozeDay Tuesday and thought I'd roll with it.  If you saw my Six on Saturday post than you saw that I am kinda obsessed with lemonade drinks (spiked lemonade drinks) this summer.  I tried to replicate my Zim Zari lemonade after having it last week.  I only had half the ingredients (i.e. the lemonade!)  It didn't really work, but what I came up with was pretty damn tasty, so I thought I'd share it with you!!

Raspberry vodka- a large shot (I have a mason jar shot glass I use!)
Lemonade
a splash (or two) of cranberry juice.

Mix Well!

Easy right?!?


The Zim Zari Lemonade was pink, and since my lemonade was yellow, I added the splash of cranberry!  What I made ended up being nothing like the drink I had on Tuesday night, but it was really good, nonetheless...and refreshing for summer!!  And it looks like pink lemonade, so it's totally acceptable to sit out in the middle of the day reading your book and drinking this!! #solitarylifeprobs

I served it (um...to myself!) in a mason jar with a sugared rim. Oh and blended it in the blender just to ensure it stayed cold!!  But still added a cube or two of ice!

Now I just need a a name for it!!  Any ideas? Leave them in the comments below!

And before I go, I thought I'd let you know...
Raspberry vodka and lemonade is another good one, too...as is Pink Lemonade and vodka.

Yesterday my friend told me she had a new drink for us to try...blueberry vodka and iced tea.  YUM!  When I try it, I'll let you know!!

Hope you all have a great Tuesday!  I'll be enjoying some drinks tonight at dinner with friends!!


Cheers!

Linking up today with the girls at The Sequin Notebook for their Monthly Cocktail Link-up!  And Rachel at Floral & Fudge for her Every Girl Link-up!! HOW FUN!!!

Create 28 Summer Looks: Week 2

This week was a pretty lax week as far as my participation in Create 28.  But since I'm having fun with it and enjoying linking up with Carrie and the girls, I thought I'd share the looks I did manage to put together!  I like recapping the looks as sort of a style diary for myself.  Others choose one look from the  week.  You can really post anyway you like.  Join the fun and link up, too!  I'd love to see it!

Find my first few looks {here}!

I thought Day 6 and Day 7 were kinda similar....a "summer color combos" and "summer brights" look.  So I am thinking I can use this outfit for both!  I actually kept this Stitch Fix top a while back because I knew I could pair it with these shorts. I'm sad the photos a little dark but they're are both pretty bright!!  And these are my favorite JCrew Factory chinos, I talked all about here!

Day 8 was the "all white" look!  

This one I attempted.  I'll be honest, I thought it was a fail and was not 100% on board with it!  But I posted the look on Insta and received such sweet and confidence boosting comments that I may consider wearing this again!!

Day 9 was Polishing my nails, which I didn't do.  My finger nails are unpolished.  My toes are but they just look kind of terrible.  My broken toes are healing but I don't want to go get a pedicure until their 100%.

Friday I headed to the beach so I didn't wear the "summer scarves" look that the day called for.  But I loved scarves and have a few that I could have worn, so I'll definitely wear a scarf one of these days!

Day 11 was a look with a Statement Necklace.  

This is one of my most favorites!  Perfect for summer!

Day 12 was a new hairdo!  As you can probably tell, my hair is almost always up in summer (or it ends up that way!  I always try the top knot, but it never works out!!  So it's the messy updo for the win!!

I am excited because today is a nautical look!  I have lots of nautical to chose from actually, so I'm not sure what I'm wearing yet.  Maybe Wednesday will be my nautical looks!! LOL Who knows!

Join the Create 28 fun....find out more here, link up today, and follow the hashtag #Create28SummerLooks on Instagram.

Linking up today for Manic Monday with On the Daily Express and More Pieces of Me, too!!

Six on Saturday...

Yesterday was another fun link-up with the Style Me Bloggers!  But since so many fun things happened and there are so many things I'm loving this week, I thought I'd share a Six on Saturday!! And Yes...I pretty much made that up!  HA!

ONE

57¢ Pancakes at IHOP

On Tuesday Morning, I woke up bright and early to take advantage of the 57¢ deal on the short stack of pancakes at IHOP for their 57th Anniversary.  I went to breakfast with my aunt, uncle, and cousin.  You should know that my aunt loves a bargain....and will do anything for a bargain!  I gotta say they I was sooo glad I woke up early and went.  I hadn't been to an IHOP in like 10 years and the pancakes were soooooooo good!!  Yummy and buttery and fabulous!!

TWO

Bret Michaels

On Tuesday night I went to see Bret Michaels in concert at a local park.  Bret Michaels is not my favorite, but he's my friend's favorite and she knows how much I love concerts!!  And I had gone to see him with her before when he played in my town.  So I went along (again)! And guess what?!?   I had a great time!!!  Who knew I knew so many Bret Michaels songs (apparently I said the same thing last time LOL) I have to download his new album.  Bret's going a little bit country these days!  I can't wait till next year!!  :)  I tried getting some photos but after looking back at them, their all too dark....

THREE

Zim Zari

Before the show, we went to dinner at a fun new place!  It was called Zim Zari and was a Mexi-Cali type place.  So, so good!  I had the BLT Ahi Tuna tacos....YUM!!  We also had the Zim Zari Lemonade.  Ridiculously good!! So good...we even went back for another round after the show Apparently I am on a lemonade kick this summer!  I tried  to replicate the drink at home on Wednesday.  It wasn't exactly the same at all, but I made something else really good also!  HA!

FOUR 

Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

Early Access to the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale started on Thursday for cardholders.  Naturally I took advantage!  I woke up bright and early on Thursday and perused the sale.  (In all honestly, since I was up at midnight on Wednesday, I tried to go on then but the sale didn't go love until 3 a.m. my time).  I put everything that I wanted in my cart....then snapped myself back to reality!!  I really shouldn't be buying anything but it's the biggest sale of the year....so really I'm saving more then I'm spending!!  Putting everything in my cart, I dwindled it down...made a wish list, saved some for later, and deleted some.  I walked away with a bunch of blardigans (for my sisters and I) and a shirt!  So not bad!  But it was only day one!

FIVE

Tommy Bahama Beach Chair

YAY!!!  I FINALLY got one of these!! After years of seeing everybody with them, I got one of my own this week! I love it.  Specifically for it's backpack feature!  Oh and the cooler on the back, of course!!  I brought it to the beach yesterday!

SIX

Beachin'

Which brings me to my sixth favorite of the week!!  First beach day of the year!  WOO HOO!!   The beach we go to is a ways away so we head out early and stay all day.  When we got there, I was a little nervous because there were big puffy clouds, no sun and it was WINDY!!  Like sandblast windy!  So the first hour I stayed under a blanket! But after a while the clouds floated away and it got BEAUTIFUL.  The best part of the day was probably from 3 o'clock on...not a cloud in the sky!  All the kids played so well ALL DAY and no one really wanted to leave.  My sister kept commenting that she felt we were on vacation in the Outer Banks and wished we only had to go back up to the house to cook dinner.  We left the beach around 7:30 vand drove back to my sister's house for pizza and nightswimming (for the kids!)  It was a fun day!  I got home around 10:30, so it was quite a long day too!!  

Hope you ll had a great week too!!  And have a fun weekend planned!!  It;s supposed to be the nicest weekend of the summer here weather-wise, so I'm going to enjoy it!!

Katie

Linking up today with:

Erika, Andrea, and Narci for Friday Favorites 

My Summer Style: Go-To

The Style Me Bloggers are linking up again today!  This time we're sharing our summer go-to style.  I been thinking about this... and if you've been reading lately, you know I've been wearing my maxi and denim vest, like A LOT this summer!  Today though I'm going to focus on a more casual look.  When I'm not in a maxi, chances are I'm in my JCrew Factory chino shorts.  I began my love affair with these last summer and they have remained at the top of my list this year.  They really are just classic, comfortable, and easy!  My favorites!!  I have them in a number of colors and have found they go with tons of things!!  You've seen them a number of times on the blog!  Here are some looks featuring my favorite shorts!

 

Boo...the pics look better and more aligned in my draft than they do on the blog...Sorry about that!!

The orange pair in the last photo I got this summer, thinking they were red actually!! But I really like the bright orange. I always get these shorts on sale...paying no more than $20 bucks for them!  And am always keeping an eye out for different colors.  Unfortunately, I'm still waiting for the red, red color to come out!  HA!! They wrinkle a bit, but seriously, what doesn't.  I just really like these shorts.  I like that I can pair them with virtually anything, from a simple graphic or plain t-shirt, to a more formal top or tank.  I wear the bright coral ones with my chambray most often!  I really like the look of it!  I'd definitely recommend these!  Get them here.  Mine are the 3 inch, but they have 4 and 5 inch too.  I also have 2 pairs of printed stretch chino, but these solid colors are my go-to's and get the most wear. 

A close up of the colors!!

What's your summer go-to style??  Share it with me in the comments below, and better yet, link up with us!!  And go check out the other girls go-to looks below!!  It's always fun seeing everyone's favorites!!

Shoes to Shiraz | Two Teens and their Mama | A Lovely Little Wardrobe | 

R Squared  | Confessions of a Frumpy Mommy 

The Mishaps and Mayhem of Solitary Life |  Quilty Joy Joy

 Puppies and Pretties | She Thought She Could 

 Foxy's Domestic Side | Once Upon a Time & Happily Ever After 

 Nick and Nik  | Daily Style Finds 

An InLinkz Link-up

Have a great Friday....YAY!!  Today I'm beachin' it for the first time this summer... Woo Hoo!!

I'll be back tomorrow with a Saturday Six!  (I totally just made that up...) So many fun things happened this week, I want to share them...come on back!!  :)

Challenge Recap!

Today is the last Summer Challenge Link Up for the Style Me Bloggers.  The Challenge ended on Sunday, and if you've read any of my previous challenge posts from this summer , then you know what a terrible participant I was this round.  I thought I'd do better once school was out, but truth is...some days I don't even get dressed!!! When I have nothing planned,  I spend the day in my bathing suit when it's nice or leggings and a tank when it's not.  And sadly, lots of days, I've had nothing planned!!  #SolitaryLifeProbs

There was one day last week that I wore a challenge outfit. So here ya go....

This was the Thursday look!  White dress with colorful necklace and metallic sandals. The more I look at it, the more I like this dress!!

And I realized last week, that I didn't show this outfit!  The day called for a maxi dress, but since I was overwearing mine, I opted to do my own thing!  I really liked this look...especially with my favorite item of the whole challenge- the denim vest!! (sorry if I've said that a thousand times!!)

I really did like all the outfits and plan to wear them.  I want to try the white-on-white look that this past Saturday called for one of these days (being 4th of July though I went with a more patriotic look!!) I really didn't wear my boyfriend shorts as much as I wanted to and my lace shorts are just begging to be worn.  So somewhere down the road, you'll see the remainder of the Summer challenge looks!!

Go check out the other girls blogs!!  

They remained more faithful throughout and always look pretty!!

Shoes to Shiraz | R Squared | Two Teens and Their Mama | 

Confessions of a Frumpy Mommy | A Lovely Little Wardrobe | 

Mishaps and Mayhem of Solitary Life | Puppies and Pretties | Daily Style Finds | 

Making the Most of Everyday | She Thought She Could | Foxy's Domestic Side | 

Quilty Joy Joy |  Once Upon a Time and Happily Ever After |

A Little Bit of Cheer | Nick and Nik

An InLinkz Link-up

And don't forget to join us again Friday for our Link-up of our favorite Summer Go-to's!!

Also linking up with:

Lindsey at The Pleated Poppy

Sarah at Tucker up

Madeline at Cappuccino and Fashion

Alison at Sydney Fashion Hunter

Pampers and Pearls
Happiness at Mid Life