– two new beauty products I’m loving: Gucci Lip in Call it a Day + Ouai Dean Street parfum –

– putting this frame where I can see the “kids” more often –

– nearly finishing this laugh out loud hilarious collection of essays –

– the cutest little toy food scale –

– the most fabulous parrot earrings from Mignonne Gavigan –

It’s Friday!  It was good to get back in the rhythm this week, and I also took half a day off work to spend some sweet one-on-one time with Hudson.  I used to have “summer Fridays” in my corporate job.  So this year I’m trying to extend that same seasonal treat to myself.  Just time to shut the computer, put down my phone, enjoy the sunshine and do something that I wouldn’t normally get to do on a weekday.  Like picking blackberries in the yard, swinging on the swing set or drawing on the aqua doodle with Hudson (these things are amazing!).

This week I unboxed a few goodies that really made my head turn.  I now have two Ouai fragrances, Dean Street (after a street in London) and Rue St. Honoré (a street in Paris).  Both really blew me away because they are so intoxicating.  Amazing for $56, a round of applause!  I also got to try many new shades of Gucci’s nourishing lipstick and am loving both shades Call It a Day and Linnet Stone.  They really feel more like lip balm than lipstick.

This week I watched The Housewife and the Hustler and it blew me away.  It was tough to watch, and things do not look great for Tom and Erika.  I am also hoping to watch In the Heights this weekend.  I saw the musical many years ago, but don’t remember it in detail.  Christian and I saw Hamilton live, but the made for TV version didn’t hold our attention.  So I’m curious is this will be the same way or not?  Was anyone else that way?

Tuesday also marked the second appointment (the first was delayed due to production) to have our new front doors installed and they arrived… the wrong size.  Which is especially concerning considered they were custom-made!?  We’ve been working on this since February, so I was definitely disappointed and am not quite sure where we’ll go from here.  However I managed to channel my inner calm and somehow was oddly zen about it.  A mix of my expectations of others getting a lower and also just being too busy to put much energy into being frustrated.  So… we’ll see what ends up shaking out, but I’m so thankful we aren’t remodeling an entire house because I have discovered it is not for me.

I’m off to a reformer pilates class for the first time in two weeks.  I’ve been doing mat pilates and other exercises, but it doesn’t feel the same.  I need that deep stretching!!  It always feels as good on my back as a massage does, and the effects last longer for me.

I hope everyone has a beautiful weekend and Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there.  If you need any ideas, I have a gift guide here.  When in doubt, I’ve found baked goods or a big breakfast area always happily received!  Thanks so much for reading – XO –

– pulling out this beautiful maxi dress for a trip to the beach (I sized up one size) –

– and so many palm fronds, my favorite –

– Hudson’s power walk when I offer him a cookie –

– an attempt at a family photo (dress is Tanya Taylor from last year) –

– the sweetest baby swim sets from Sun House Children’s –

We are rounding out our family trip to 30A.  We take these big family trips each summer and this year has been a little extra special because we had to postpone last year’s trip due to covid.  So we were able to push back our trip a year and stay at the same house, which is really fun!

It’s been extra chaotic, as expected, with 7 kids under 9 (and one birthday while we were here!), but I’ve managed to snap iPhone photos along the way so I hope to put together a camera roll post with more snippets of the week.  But here are a few favorites.  Hudson being able to walk has made this beach trip much easier and more enjoyable.  Just chasing him around on the boardwalks and grassy lawn is so fun.

I put an out of office on this week and disconnected more than usual, it’s been really nice.  Truthfully I’ve enjoyed the golf cart and bike rides as much as the beach and pool.  There’s nothing that says summer like biking around in a swimsuit, drying off from a day in the water.  I mean… that’s maximum happiness for me.

I’ve been binging Mare of Easttown late at night in bed with my AirPods and it is SO GOOD.  If you’ve watched, let me know!  I’m halfway into episode 7 and there are twists and turns all throughout.  Kate Winslet is amazing.

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!  If you’re looking for Father’s Day gift ideas, I dedicated a full gift guide to it here.  XO –

– the most beautiful children’s play tent and matching cushion that Hudson loves –

– some lounge time in the yard with Bailey –

– this easy white dress for summer –

– rearranging some things in my home office –

– the cutest little mini bag –

It’s the weekend!!  This week has been a busy one filled with appointments, deadlines and emails in preparation to take next week off.  I so rarely fully disconnect from work for more than a day or so at a time, but 2020 taught me how important it is to allow myself that time.  So you won’t see any blog content next week other than (hopefully) a Friday’s Five with some beachy photos!

I have been so pleased with the beautiful quality of this children’s play tent and cushion.  The fabric is so stunning, and Hudson loves crawling inside and closing himself up inside.  He loves to be cozy with his sleep sack, stuffed animals, book and blankets.  So it doesn’t surprise me that he loves having that little space to himself.  I also may have recently purchased this toy salad set and cash register that I honestly just wanted to play with myself!

We are heading to the beach soon for a trip that we intended to take in 2020 but we pushed back due to covid.  So 14 of us will be in a big house together with 7 kids…. and it should be eventful.  I can’t wait to see Hudson at the beach now that it’s warm and he can really play.  I know he is going to have so much fun!

Other than that, I am really trying to take time to relax, live my life away from my desk a little bit more, be present with Hudson and spend more days off of my phone.  It’s something I really have to be intentional about or I will just truly work through my life.  And that’s not what I want to do!  Another one of the blessings that was gained from 2020, setting more firm boundaries in order to have more day-to-day happiness.  This summer I plan to take summer Friday’s,” which I haven’t done since my corporate job.

If you haven’t had a few days off the grid lately, I would really encourage you to consider doing the same!  Thank you so much for reading and have a beautiful weekend – XO –

– installing a custom Roman shade in the kitchen and loving the way it turned out –

– the most beautiful floral surprise from my friends at Sasha Nicholas –

– bringing two of these iron shelving pieces back from Mississippi for our home –

– finally receiving this little vase I ordered in March –

– this year’s hydrangeas seriously peacocking –

I hope everyone has some fun or relaxing plans ahead of them for the long weekend!  I’ve kind of felt on vacation this whole week because I didn’t come back from Mississippi until mid-week and have been unpacking all of the treasures I brought with me before my parents sell their house.

It’s really nice to be home.  I already miss seeing Hudson with my parents, but we will see them at the beach in a little over a week so we will all be reunited soon!

I wanted to include some of my favorite sales happening this weekend!  I will continue to keep this post updated with new sales I discover, and you can find some additional MDW picks in this post.

Annie Selke | 20% off sitewide!  See all of our favorite AS rugs in this post

Anthropologie | 20% off full price furniture and decor, 40% off sale items

Banana Republic | 40% off your purchase

Dermstore | up to 20% off on skin and beauty with code SALEAWAY

Elemis | add 3 full-sized items to bag and get third free with code MEMORIAL

J.Crew | 25% off your order with the code WEEKEND

Kendra Scott | 20% off one piece or 25% off two pieces

Levi’s | 30% off sitewide and extra 50% off sale items with code SMILE

Lulu & Georgia | up to 25% off your purchase – the more you spend, the more you save

Macy’s | extra 20% off with code MEMDAY

Maisonette | up to 40% off thousands of kids items

Nordstrom | half yearly sale – up to 50% off major categories

Shopbop | designer sale with thousands of items up to 50% off

Steve Madden | 25% off select styles with code SUMMER

Stuart Weitzman | up to 40% off sale styles

Thank you so much for reading, thank you to everyone who has loved ones who have served for our country, and I hope everyone has a beautiful weekend!  XO –

– Hudson’s baby bike seat and helmet which have been a BIG hit –

– using this gorgeous champagne bucket as an orchid planter –

– a new skirted ottoman in my office ($50 off orders $199+ with code KATHLEEN50) –

– and a splash of antelope in the foyer –

– new kitchen runners that I just oogle from afar, love them so much! –

Hope everyone is having a great start to the almost-weekend!  I am so excited to be visiting my parents for the first time since January, and we are taking a big truck to load up some gems from my parents house before they move this summer.  They are not only leaving my childhood home but also moving towns, so it’s going to be an interesting experience.

I’m not as sad as I thought I would be because they’re so excited about their new town and house, and I think it’s going to be a great fit for them.  That makes it a lot easier!  But it will just be strange not to pull up to that long driveway, hear the fountain water and swing on their screened porch.  It also makes it easier that I now have my own home.  And I have the space and luxury of taking pieces of furniture and gems that will remind me of that house to my current house.  I think if I was still living far away in a rented apartment, it would make me a lot more sad… if that makes any sense.

I also hit a big milestone this week!  After a conversation with my doctor (not Christian, my own doctor, ha!), I got my Covid vaccine.  I was surprised that it made me a little emotional.  I had heard another friend say that, and at the time I didn’t fully understand.  But as I waited for the shot, it felt like such a memorable moment.  No it doesn’t mean all of this is over, but it’s certainly a step in the right direction.  And it was really important to Christian that I get vaccinated, so I went ahead and took care of it.  Afterwards I couldn’t help but be in a chipper mood.  It was a small moment of hope and a little bit of relief.  So far I feel good without any significant side effects, and now that I have my little vaccinated card, I feel like it’s a mini diploma.  You gotta celebrate the wins, even if they seem small!

I hope everyone has a beautiful weekend and finds some time to get outside and enjoy the weather.  I am loving spending more time outside, it really feels so therapeutic.  Thank you so much for reading – XO –

– Christian snapping some quick photos on Mother’s Day and I had no idea how much I would love them –

– our Peggy Martin Roses blooming around the shed and swing set –

– this Monique Lhuillier fragrance that smells like a walk through a garden –

– slowly turning this extra patio we have into a little “courtyard” of sorts –

– realizing this fiddle had outgrown it’s pot so I’m hoping with a new pot she will start gaining some height –

Happy beautiful Friday!  I like how last week I was bragging about our long awaited new front doors being installed this week.  Well, the joke is on me as apparently the doors haven’t even arrived yet.  So… mama is not happy about busting it to make sure the ring doorbell and brass entry set arrived in plenty of time for the “install,” only to now not even have a date on the calendar.  So that’s going really well.

This week has been a little calmer than last week which I have really appreciated.  As much as I love efficiency and checking things off the list, who really likes being super busy?  I find so much joy in enjoying the calm moments – you have to soak them up when you have them!

A major highlight of this week was going to my first Atlanta Hawks game with my friend Allie!  We had a double date with floor seats, and it was a truly insane experienced I will likely never have again.  Fun fact: I played high school basketball and while I don’t miss playing it, I still love watching it.  Christian is a big baseball fan and I truly cannot be bothered.  The sound effect I would share for baseball would be snoring.  I like FAST, action-packed games and basketball delivers!!

This weekend we have a little bit of work to do, and I’m hoping we can squeeze in a bike ride.  We have a new baby bike seat for Hudson and he loves taking cruises in it!  I also want to stop by the Botanical Garden in town to see what they have blooming.  I really have become such a garden woman, and it feels like a healthy hobby so I’m gonna keep at it.

Would love to hear what you’re up to this weekend!  Thank you so much for reading – XO –