Valentine’s Day is next week so I hope everyone has some fun plans! I am hoping to grab lunch with some girls and then have an easy night at home. Dinner or takeout in the dining room… maybe in pajamas? Or dinner in bed with a movie sounds amazing.
I did already get some goody bags for the boys and am excited to give them to them. I love that Hudson is at an age where he somewhat understands holidays. It’s super sweet.
Sharing some date night outfit picks below – shop by clicking directly on the item or finding its associated number below the collage –
I have a skirt from this brand and it was worn on repeat in the fall. I’ll be getting it back out when the weather warms up. It really is machine-washable silk!
I have these heels and have loved them so much. They look great with everything and the kitten heel makes them easy to wear all day and/or night. I’m tempted to get another color now that they’re on sale!
For a “holiday” like Valentine’s, I also love the idea of a pajama party – with girls, your s/o, or even yourself. Something like this and this would be so cute with a loose blazer.
I have these jeans and love them. Abercrombie has the best jeans for curves. I love their ultra high-rise styles.
This was a really fun taste test that I can thank you guys and tik tok for.
A gal I discovered on Tik Tok, Danielle Zaslavskay, is always sharing how she eats caviar (I think her family works in the industry?). I didn’t have much on my Christmas wish list this year, so I decided to ask for a small container of good caviar. I don’t think I’ve had any since before Hudson was born.
Christian surprised me with a small jar from Caviar Russe, and here we are!
I had a few gals over for dinner last week, and I wanted to bring them in on the taste test. We popped it open and tried it three ways:
with créme fraise and chopped chives on a Cape Cod kettle chip (CBL girl way)
on a fried mozzarella stick with or without créme fraise (CBL girl way)
VERDICT –
We all love the nostalgia of a Dorito… but the Dorito flavor is overpowering and therefore not the winner.
The créme fraise with chives on a kettle chip was the #1.
I thought the mozzarella stick was a close second when it’s warm. Once it fully cools down it kind of loses the magic.
Overall – it was such a fun experience and I would definitely do it again. My family loves doing taste tests. The Coke vs. Pepsi challenge, wine taste tests, whiskey tastings, tequila tastings, etc. One time Christian and I put together a sparkling water taste test so we could fully understand the difference between sparkling water, tonic and soda water. You always learn something!
If you’re a caviar consumer, I’d love to hear how you prefer to eat it. Or if you have a favorite taste test, tell me what was on the agenda. Thanks so much for reading! More food and drink recipes here. XO –
A sweet treat wish list today with red and pink picks that have me excited for February. To shop, click directly on the item or find its associated number below the collage.
I have these pajamas in other colors and they’re the best. So soft and stretchy, I actually wore them before, throughout my pregnancy and after. That’s saying something!
I have these pajamas for the boys. They’re so stinking cute. At first, I didn’t see all of the hearts in the dump truck and digger, but what a precious detail!
An embellished headband like this is such a great way to add a touch of Valentine’s to an outfit without going over the top. Pull it out year after year, easy peasy.
I don’t decorate for Valentine’s Day, but some inexpensive heart banners would be fun in the boys bathroom or in the kitchen. I know Hudson would love to “help” me hang it!
And you know me. When in doubt, throw a scarf on and you’re set.
– finally getting this bowl after being on the waitlist for months –
– making a sweet little photo gallery –
We made it to the weekend, friends. I’m not gonna lie, I thought January and February were going to be these sweet, slow months. It’s been busier than expected, but I’m really trying to empower myself to say no when applicable. Recognizing my bandwidth: a skill I’m always honing. Especially now that we have small children. I can just only give so much of myself before I realize I’m pouring from an empty cup.
I’ve been working on finding a new team to help me deep clean. I don’t mind cleaning, I actually find it relaxing in an odd way (I’m one of those annoying people). But it eats up a lot of my work time, which just isn’t efficient. So I’m hoping to have some professional cleaning help by February. It did force me to really work on understanding my Hizero electric mop and that has been awesome! But this time has also revealed to me how badly my baseboards need cleaning. Like… badly.
Tonight I’m attending the Extra Special People Talent Show. We are so lucky to have an organization like this in Georgia, and by supporting these kids we’re really supporting their entire families. Having experienced what it is to have a special needs family member, it is and will always be so important to me and close to my heart. These kids and their pureness really can teach us so much about what’s really important in life.
This weekend we’re going to tackle some house to-do’s. It’s a good thing Hudson has his own work gloves (and likes Lowe’s) because we’re about to see the capabilities of a 3 year-old. Family work time, roll up those sleeves, kid!
Thanks so much for stopping by – I hope you have a beautiful weekend. XO –
I think we all know that layering can create mega versatility in your wardrobe. In my opinion, the best way to start experimenting with layering is to stick to solid colors.
Below are some of my go-to layering picks and why. To shop, click directly on the item or find its associated number below the collage.
I’m not a capsule wardrobe girl myself because putting together lots of different looks is fun for me, but this is the palette I would choose if I were putting together a capsule winter wardrobe (with a pair of denim!).
A few blog posts with differently styled layering looks can be found here, here and here. Thank you so much for checking in – XO –
It’s a big week for those of us in Georgia. It’s definitely a fun time to call Athens home! I’m so excited for both the University and all of our friends who are graduates and mega fans. They are elated. I look forward to taking the boys to the parade again this year. They love the Red Coat Band!
I caved and bought this $13 paper towel mount I kept seeing on social media. I usually try to hide the paper towels under the sink but with small kids, we use them more often than I’d like. So this is going to be a much better fit and is super helpful.
I didn’t watch the Golden Globes, but Jennifer Coolidge’s acceptance speech cracked me up. She is seriously so funny and entertaining. I’m so glad she is back on my TV! I used to love awards shows and now I forget they’re even coming on. It’s interesting how social media has changed so much of our live TV consumption.
We have a few things planned this weekend, and I’m really hoping to get in some lounge time. I think I’m still trying to unwind from such a busy December that I’m really craving quiet time at home. Anyone else?
Thank you so much for stopping by and I hope everyone has a beautiful weekend – XO –
Every time I put up all of the Christmas decorations, I start to get that home decor itch. I get the desire to rearrange furniture, start perusing online… spend a little bit of that Christmas money, honey.
I may have ordered a few things last week. More details below. To shop, click directly on the item or find its associated number below the collage –
The family room where we spend the most time is a pretty tight space. When we have guests over, I’m always trying to rearrange to accommodate and make people comfortable. So I ordered two of these side tables I’m hoping I can use as benches when needed. I ordered one of these too in case the others don’t work. TBD!
I don’t know where I would put this bench, but I want it. It looks so much more expensive than it is!
I used some Christmas money to splurge on a Frame TV for our bedroom. We explored them for our den when we first moved into our house, but Christian wanted some other features for our primary TV. However, for our bedroom, I think it’s going to be awesome. I’m really excited!
I bought four of these wine glasses for myself after thinking about them for months. They’re so pretty and make any drink feel a little fancier.
I also bought this floor lamp for our bedroom because when we hang the new TV I’ll have to relocate some table lamps and I know I’ll mix the extra light. I hope it is as adorable in person as it looks online.
If I needed a coffee table, I’d try this one out. I love the lines. It comes in side tables also!
What about you? Are you in the decor refresh mindset or not so much? I’d love to hear what you have your eye on. Thanks so much for reading – XO –
You know when you implement a small luxury that makes you feel like a wealthy person? That’s what this knife block is to me. It fits so perfectly in a drawer and cleans up the countertop. Win!
We gave my mom one of these frames last year and she loves it. It is SO easy to upload photos straight to the app and she constantly has new photos of her grandkids in rotation.
Recently I thought, “why don’t I have one of these!?” I take so many photos of our kids and would absolutely love to see them constantly. It’s the photo equivalent of a daily gratitude journal for me. Constantly showing the highlights of my own life and reminding me how blessed I am.
It’s in my kitchen, I love it and can’t recommend it enough!
I love a stiletto and block heel so very much. But post-2020 and having two small kids… they’re worn less and less often.
The kitten heels or heels up to 2″ are the most worn dress-up shoe most times. And when I bought these in black, I quickly returned to Amazon to buy them in red also. LOVE. If you’re in between sizes, I would go with the larger size.
I own this Skims dress, and it’s incredibly flattering. Highly recommend.
So when I heard this version was a dupe I had to try it out. And it is very good!! It fits more like a midi dress than a maxi but it’s worth the purchase for sure. It runs true to size.
I kept seeing this on Tik Tok and had to know if it really works. Can I sleep in damp hair and wake up with legitimate curls/waves?
IT WORKS, Y’ALL. Granted, I need to touch up some spots after sleeping in it, but that takes about 1-2 minutes. I would absolutely try this out if you have long hair. I’m not sure it would work as well for shorter hair.
I love these nesting bowls because they cut back on washing dishes when you can mix up a salad and then put a lid and place it back in the fridge. So helpful and more compact for storage!
I love this dress so much that I bought it in multiple colors. You can easily wear them through spring, summer, and fall (layer a blazer and boots, done!).
If you have a favorite Amazon buy from 2022, I would love to hear it. I find these kinds of recs fascinating! Thank you so much for reading – XO –
This is the first of a two-part 2022 recap series. Today we are discussing your most loved items, and then we’ll check out some of my personal favorite purchases and why.
Many of you may know this, but each Friday I share five CBL top sellers on social media – Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LTK. I love taking that time to see what you guys gravitate toward, what kinds of pieces make you feel good, and the color palettes you find wearable.
So after all these weeks and months, here are the 10 items you guys loved most in 2022 –
This was a more recent purchase and it’s super flattering. I love the color variety it comes in, and it looks more luxe than the price tag. You can see this top in a video here.
This is the most deceiving little dress because I’ve worn it pre, during, and after my pregnancy with Theo. It’s classic and the loose shape is the best.
I cannot wear this dress without getting a compliment. It’s that kind of dress, but such a wearable color that isn’t super memorable.
Thank you for your encouragement, kindness, and support last year and every year. This website from 2011 has really slowly morphed into my dream job and the most amazing career that allows me to have a flexible schedule for my family. I have so much gratitude!
Here’s to 2023! Thank you so much for stopping by – XO –
Christmas weekend is here! This will be Theo’s first Christmas, and between that and Hudson being a fresh 3 y/o with a lot of excitement, I think it’s going to be a great one.
I will be taking next week off to spend some downtime with the boys before the new year starts. I hope some of you get to do the same! I used to take this week for myself and it was amazing. Now that I have little ones, there is little to no childcare that week, so it’s forced family time. But I try to plan some play dates and adventures to make it feel special. I’m hoping that I’m able to disconnect and give them my attention.
I’ve got plans to play Mexican Train Dominoes, watch The Family Stone with a cup of cider and make this Texas Trash Pie for the first time. YUM. I’d love to hear what you’re making!
“For a child has been born – for us! The gift of a son – for us! He’ll take over the running of the world. His names will be: Amazing Counselor, Strong God, Eternal Father, Prince of Wholeness. His ruling will grow, and there will be no limits to the wholeness he brings.” Isaiah 9:6, MSG
Thank you so much for blessing my life by supporting this business and allowing me to be a small part of your day. You’ve made my professional dreams come true, truly.
