I had so much fun exploring Bermuda with the girls while we were docked during our cruise last week! We were so in love with all of the colors of this little area called Hamilton – every building has it’s own cheerful shade, and you almost couldn’t wait to turn the corner to see what else you might discover.
Walking around the town, stopping for fish & chips and Corona’s – that’s the vacation life that I could chase all day! I had this adorable (and super comfortable) dress on that was perfect for a day of exploring, and even better that it matched the town.
Another look from our recent cruise to Bermuda! You guys know I am incapable of traveling without my collection of maxi dresses, and I think this pretty number would be a great pick for any honeymoon gals out there. This particular dress comes in multiple prints and is called the “Kat Maxi Dress,” so I mean, I think that means it’s meant to be!
Now we must talk about these hats – pretty much the cutest floppy hat that’s ever existed. And they come in multiple phrases! If you saw this photo on Instagram, you probably saw the “rosé all day,” which is beyond amazing. I have a sad case of email anxiety, so the “out of office” was definitely my go-to!
You know I love a great wall mural, and while on my first cruise with Royal Caribbean, this super fun Carpe Diem wall was on the boat! Which mean all six of us girls were all about it, and I knew I had the perfect pink kimono dress that would be a match made in heaven.
What you might also be able to see is how incredibly windy it was on the boat – so keeping this flowy dress from showing my lady garments to my fellow cruise-mates was no easy feat! I absolutely love the kimono cut of this dress, and the bright pink floral print is so perfect for summer, especially if you have a vacation coming up. I later work it with lace-up flat sandals, and it can be worn with heels for a date night. Yumi Kim pieces are some of my absolute favorite, and this dress is no exception.
– when Lula sits beside me in our chair & ottoman, and then when I leave she stays in the same spot – she’s always in a crazy position and it makes me laugh! –
– hopping off the cruise boat and exploring Bermuda –
– and arriving back at the dock to head back to the US –
Ok you guys – I’ve now experienced my first cruise and I’ve gotta say, I had so much fun! I was amazed at how many activities and events were held on the boat, the numerous pools, beautiful views – not to mention the gentle rocking of the boat actually made me sleep like a baby. Go figure!?
BUT I’ll be sharing a full post about that later! I got home at 11PM last night, and I’m excited to spend some quiet time with Christian for his weekend off. Not to mention I need a detox like nobody’s business. Honestly, I’m not even sure how many chicken tenders and french fries I’ve consumed in the past week… so there’s that.
What are you guys up to this weekend? And if you’ve been on a cruise, did you have so much fun!? Thanks so much for reading! XO –
I shared some of my Mother’s Day picks here and here, but I wanted to share some last-minute suggestions for Sunday!
I have this bag and I love how incredibly lightweight it is. I always toss it in my suitcase because it rolls up so easily and is such a great travel piece. Long-lasting beauty items like a setting spray or eyeshadow primer potion (this particular one gives 100% of purchase price to charity) are so great – I use both of them almost everyday.
I have some pajamas like this and they are so soft and comfortable – I love their sets. And this neat little guy holds a cookbook or iPad for the lady in your life who is always whippin’ something up in the kitchen!
I hope y’all have something sweet planned for your moms! Thanks so much for reading – XO –
I wish you guys could smell this perfume. Oh my my, citrus + Brazilian passion fruit + peony + vanilla orchid + pine… and a lot of deliciousness. I sprayed it on myself as soon as I received it, and moments later Christian asked what I was wearing! It’s sexy, yet classic… and addicting. More feminine than the scents I’ve been wearing lately, but coming from Victoria’s Secret and with a name like Bombshell, you know this scent had to be all woman. And I’m going to pretend that wearing it makes me look like Candice Swanepoel.
Bombshell their iconic, award-winning fragrance – SO, what better gift to give your mom and best friend for Mother’s Day than a confident, glamorous and feminine scent that she can wear all year long, day and night? I don’t know about you, but I have some vivid memories of jr. high bra shopping with my mom in Victoria’s Secret. This involved the dressing room fitting from one of the employees and the search for the most padded bra in the store… and don’t even get me started on when the PINK sweatpants first came out. All over that.
I know this gift would bring back funny memories for mom, yet it’s more sophisticated like our relationship now, especially considering that I now can buy my bras and sweatpants on my own. You’re welcome, mom.
Check this post to see the links to my outfit and bedroom decor!
Thank you guys so much for reading! XO –
PS – if you also have a jr. high bra shopping memory with mom, please oh please share it with me. It will make my day!
Thank you Patrón for sponsoring this post. Visit your local retailers to pick up your own bottle of Patrón to create the Margarita of the Year at home! Please drink responsibly –
With Cinco de Mayo only a few days a way, there’s no better time to share a delicious margarita recipe! The recipe I’m sharing today actually won Margarita of the Year, so you know it’s gotta be good. There are so many different ways to serve margs, but whenever I’m with girlfriends and we’re ordering them, almost all of them order theirs spicy. So it definitely doesn’t surprise me that the winning cocktail is spicy!
A little behind-the-scenes info – Patrón had seven of the best bartenders from across the U.S. and Mexico create recipes for seven different styles of margaritas – herbal, spicy, smoky, savory, modern, tropical and classic. Two months and over 50,000 votes later, the spicy Rosa Picante Margarita officially won. This recipe is a fresh take on the classic jalapeño margarita, so I think it’s the perfect choice for your Cinco de Mayo celebrations!
Rosa Picante Margarita
2 oz Patrón Silver
.5 oz Patrón Citrónge Lime
1 oz Fresh Lime Juice
.5 oz Ginger Syrup
Barspoon Jalapeño Oil
Dash rosewater
Rose petal sea salt
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake with ice to chill. Strain into a chilled cocktail coupe that has been half-rimmed with rose sea salt, and top with a dash of rose water. Garnish with a rose petal, if you have one!
AND, if you’re not necessarily a margarita lover, Patrón offers a little quiz that you can take to find your perfect tequila cocktail here! My result was the Jalisco Mule, which looks absolutely delicious.
I hope some of you will try this recipe at home for Cinco de Mayo, along with the mandatory items – like tacos and queso. I’m currently in Bermuda, and Christian warned me that this Patrón might be gone when I return… he loves it (it’s pretty much all we drank on our recent trip to Kauai).
Thanks so much for reading! XO –
Selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls, all content and opinions are my own.
You guys know I love white, and while they might not be the most flattering cut on me… I love a pair of culottes. It’s like… it could be a skirt but JK, IT’S PANTS. Which automatically makes me walk with a little extra sass (as if I need that, but still). Are y’all like that? Something about a great pair of pants – I call them power pants! A skirt is feminine, but pants, especially if they’re flowy, add something else. I love it.
Combine off the shoulder (which clearly I can’t get enough of this spring) and pockets you have this dreamy jumpsuit.
Thanks so much for reading! If you’re loving the culotte trend, please tell me how you like to style yours – I’d love to hear. Although I know I can’t pull off those denim ones, but I know so many girls are crazy about them! XO –
– enjoying simple errand running before I leave CA again –
– Bailey letting me know that she approves of the new plant/pillow –
– paying my photographer (aka husband) in cake (yellow box cake with homemade frosting) –
– a new face cleansor that seriously feels like silk on my face, to say I love it is an understatement –
– lunch at the beach –
Ooohh Friday – you arrived a little too quickly this time! I had quite a to-do list this week before leaving town again today for a cruise to… Bermuda! I’ve shared a little bit here and there that I am heading out of town again, but I’ll be with some of my girlfriends on a cruise, and it’s my first time, so here’s to hoping there’s little motion sickness and a lot of fun ahead.
I intentionally tried to stay home a lot this week to get ahead of some work and enjoy the quiet. I had several mornings where I was sipping hot water with lemon, windows open, light and breeze pouring in – and I couldn’t help but stop and be so thankful for the chance to work from home. It’s still relatively new to me, but I have enjoyed it so much and am eternally grateful for all of you who check in every day and allow me to continue managing this blog. You have made my life so happy!
In other news, if you’re in the OC area, I can’t brag about Sessions Deli in NPB enough. Every now and then we’ll pick up some sandwiches after church and I try something new each time. I’ve yet to be disappointed!
I hope y’all have a beautiful weekend, and if you have any recommendations for a cruise newbie, I’d love to hear! We’ll be on the Royal Caribbean. Thanks so much for reading and sharing! XO –
On the tune of Mother’s Day from yesterday’s post, I think this would be such a sweet dress for church and brunch to celebrate mom! When I think Sunday best, I think of how I dressed for church in the South – dresses and heels, the whole nine yards. Of course, now we wear jeans and sandals in the oh-so-casual West Coast, but I have a closet full of pretty dresses that certainly don’t get enough wear. I’m always trying to find ways to dress them down so they still get plenty of love!
I love the tulip hemline of this dress. I find it so flattering and comfortable, plus it catches a little wind when you walk and flows so prettily.
1 | 2 | 3comes in eight colors! | 4 | 5comes in five colors! | 6 | 7 there’s a TX one too! | 8 | 9 | 10comes in over twelve flavors
Mother’s Day is right around the corner (May 8th), and if you’re like me and mailing something home… the time to start brainstorming what you might want to get mom (and his mom, and your grandmother…) is now!
I’ve had this record player for a few years now and I really, really love it. Christian and I have so much fun picking up records here and there and listening to them while we cook dinner or play dominoes (yes… we do these things, ha!). If your mom is anything like mine, there are some records in the attic that I know she’d love to pull out. I also recently got these earrings and they are so fun and lightweight. I love that they are sunbursts and make such a statement, especially for short-haired girls or with hair pulled back.
I think a kitchen utensil or towel with a bottle of wine or cookbook is always charming, and who can say no to a beautiful bouquet of flowers or an orchid? My mom is very creative and prefers anything homemade over a store-bought gift, and she loves it when we write her “stories.” I think I’ve shared this with y’all before, but she keeps a book of all of these stories we’ve written over the years – some are sweet and most are pretty funny – but they are fun tokens of our lives growing up and she really loves them.
ALSO, I wanted to share some of this week’s sales:
Macy’s: 25% off + free shipping at $25 with code FRIEND (through 5/2)
Neiman Marcus: flash sale, save up to 65% off select items starting tomorrow!
I have had this post in mind for months now, but I was waiting until spring (hello beach cruiser season!) to share a fun DIY with you guys!
If you’ve been reading CBL for a while, you might remember that two summers ago C gave me this ridiculously cute beach cruiser (the Tiffany’s blue bike of my dreams) for my birthday – some posts showing it here and here. We ride all over town on our bikes, and I wanted something a little more comfortable than the road bike I’ve had since college. He put a little bell on there for me, and I ride this baby with heels on, hair curled – anywhere, anytime.
Because of that, I realized I needed a little more storage than the small wire basket that came with it, and when Stella Artois sent me some fall goodies in this adorable crate, I thought it would be the perfect addition to the caboose on my bike. SO with a drill and some zip ties, we added the crate to the rear of the bike and I’ve gotta say – it’s real, real cute.
First Christian (let’s be honest, he didn’t trust me with his drill, #rude) measured out where we wanted the crate to sit (be sure to leave enough room for your tush as it will stick out past the seat), and marked where the zip tie holes would need to be.
Then, because the crate is pretty thin and we thought it could use some additional support, we pulled some old paint-stirring sticks and placed them in the crate over the metal crossbars of the rear storage support. You’ll see we tightened the zip ties around them so they’ll stay in place and offer some extra strength.
Boom. You’re cruisin’ and now have some extra space for your big purse, extra flip flops, your camera, your leftovers from dinner, you name it.
Do y’all have a bike that you think this could work for? Oh please, tell me you do!!
Thanks so much for reading – and of course a big shoutout to C for both helping me with this and of course, photographing it afterward (if you follow me on Snapchat: CBLied, you may have heard me singing to him about how much I loved it…). XO –
