Shopbop is having a major three-day sale where you can get up to 70% off by taking an additional 25% off sale items with code SCORE18!
I wanted to round up some of my favorite pieces. There are serious markdowns in every category from sunglasses to pajamas, swimwear, dresses, heels and more. I mean… talk about Christmas in July.
Disable your ad blocking software to view this content.
If you’ve scored any great pieces – I’d love to hear! I have my eye on this romper and these shades… um – real cute. Thanks so much for reading – XO –
Disable your ad blocking software to view this content.
I love sharing music on insta-stories, and it makes me so happy when you guys want to know what I’m listening to! SO, I’ve created two new playlists that I wanted to share.
Each playlist contains a song or two with an explicit lyric warning – to those who are more conservative or have kids in the car, it’s a warning that these playlists may not be for you.
This first one had been my daily go-to for the past few weeks:
I made this one a while back and shared on social media but not on CBL – so I wanted to share it as well in case there are other 90’s kids out there lookin’ for some TLC.
If you are jivin’ with these, be sure to check out the first two playlists I posted here! Let me know if you want to keep seeing these or if you know of a better platform to share playlists – XO –
Staying Content. This is a topic that has been on my mind a lot since spring.
When Christian first started his residency, we both thought he would be finished in 5 years. In year three he decided he was interested in an additional one-year fellowship, and I encouraged him to follow his interests. After all, it’s just one more year and I wouldn’t want him to look back and say “what if?” He interviewed and matched in year 4 (more about that here).
I joke with Christian that I was the super supportive wife during years 1-3, then I started to get less patient in year 4 but still encouraging… to now, year 5, when I’ve mostly been like, “is this school thing over yet!?”
We had a long talk on the beach one Sunday after a sermon about being content (hello – God’s perfect timing per usual). I told Christian that if he had asked me about interviewing for a fellowship in year 4 rather than 3… I probably would have discouraged it. Christian has been training to become a doctor for all eleven years of our relationship. All five years of our marriage. I am tired… and Lord knows he’s tired. I want him to have the freedom to take a vacation longer than a week. To be able to go home for Christmas, maybe even Thanksgiving (I literally can’t even imagine us going home for a holiday at this point). To have more flexibility to travel with me and make plans more than eight weeks in advance. To have some voice in his schedule and our future.
Another year of school means another year of putting off the big decisions we’re longing for like determining where we want to plant roots, buy our first home, start a family, get to know our neighbors. Another year of sacrificing a lot of the things I’ve been looking forward to… before inevitably moving and starting all over again.
I realized that I really was discontent with my own life. I wanted what everyone else around me seems to have – stability, security, roots, a foundation, a support system, a family.
I told Christian at the beach that day that I knew I needed to reshift my focus on all of the positive things ahead of us on this journey, because I could only seem to harp on the negatives. Regardless of how I feel now, I did encourage him to dream big and he did… it brought us to California in the first place. Then he asked me what I thought about a fellowship and I encouraged it. I always tell him to dream big, and he does… so I can’t start dragging my feet now. I have to think big picture and follow through. He needs my support to get through his career challenges, just as I rely on him to get through mine.
In church that day, our minister said something so powerful that I started taking notes (and I’m not a church note-taker unless I’m really moved).
Discontentment robs the heart of joy. It leaves us jealous of the people we love, and it tells God what He is providing is not enough. It’s an issue of the heart. What’s the secret of being content? A habit of the heart.
Depending on God is the secret to being content. To think that I’m telling God that what He has blessed me with is not enough… it’s really upsetting. We all have so much to be thankful for. If you step outside of your thoughts and reflect on what really has you feeling like what you have isn’t enough (and let’s think big picture here)… it becomes a little embarrassing, doesn’t it?
Last Sunday Christian surprised me with a little red box. He thanked me for all the sacrifices I’ve made for his training. He told me how he knows that I don’t get to experience a lot of the perks that his job gives him – the satisfaction of helping and healing people. In the box was a Cartier Love Bracelet to symbolize my support of his journey of the past 5 years. Heart melted –
I’ve been making a conscious effort to focus on all the exciting things about this next year. Christian can’t wait to develop his skills as a facial plastic surgeon. He is so excited to live in an urban city for the first time. I’m looking forward to the cooler weather, the chance to get rid of some of the junk around our house during the move, and to have a new canvas to decorate. In 10 years, I know I’ll look back at this year of our marriage, no kids, and think, “now that was some kind of fun.”
I never want to tell God that the adventures He sends me on aren’t enough. They’re actually going to be some of my life’s greatest memories, so I’m ready for the ride.
How do you get through feeling discontent? I’d love to hear any more strategies for eliminating all the comparison, “grass is greener” thoughts! Thanks so much for reading and sharing. You can find more personal posts in the “personal” category of this site and marriage chat in the “marriage” category. XO –
PS – A sweet CBL girl sent me this and I was so moved:
“For a long time it seemed to me that life was about to begin – real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time to still be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life.
This perspective has helped me to see that there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way.” – Alfred D. Souza
– summer knits in classic neutrals, shop the white one here –
Happy Friday! I hope you guys have some fun summer plans this weekend. My entire family is on vacation in Florida together right now. I, of course, am extremely jealous that Christian and I couldn’t go, but happy knowing that there is only one more year of us ghosting every holiday and family vacation. The light! Look to the light!
We officially have one more week in our townhouse, as it currently is. I’m soaking up the normalcy before graduation festivities and packing begins. I haven’t lived in one home for four years in a row since I was living under my parents roof in high school. So I’m a little rusty with the bubble wrap game.
We’re flying up to San Francisco soon to finalize housing, and even though it’s so bittersweet to leave Southern California (we have loved it so much more than we could have anticipated), I’m starting to get more and more excited for this adventure. Christian’s entire face lights up when he starts digging into SF – the food, walking everywhere, the architecture and weather – his excitement is infectious!
Next week I have some personal posts coming your way along with a new Spotify playlist (flashback to the previous ones I’ve shared). I also have five videos coming your way with everything from tutorials to a home tour and couples Q&A with Christian! So there are some fun things in the works for you guys this month… despite the move. I promise not to ghost!
Thank you guys so much for your continuous support, advice, love and encouragement. I value all my CBL girls more than you know! Have a beautiful weekend – XO –
Because I can’t quit classic black dresses this week, I’m bringing another one your way. This time with some seriously blinged out accessories… AND you can enter to winall of them (scroll down to see how)!
But back to this LBD real quick. It’s currently 50% off and I love the simplicity of the cut. It’s a great length so it can be worn with flat sandals or amped up with heels. I don’t know about you guys, but I go through phases with wearing black. I’ll wear it nonstop, and then I’ll avoid it for months. Black is always chic, classic, clean and looks good on everyone. However, for some reason, sometimes I feel like I look harsh when I wear all black.
Well maybe I’m feelin’ harsh these days because lately I’ve been ALL IN. Sleek, honey!!
To enter to win this Mignonne Gavigan necklace, earrings + bracelet AND a metallic Ling Wu clutch (over $1,000 value! All available at ShopCoatTails.com)… hop on over to Instagram.
1, also available here | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9, also available here | 10, also available here | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15
It’s been a little while since I’ve put together a weekly wish list, and I thought it would be fun to round up some of my favorite new fashion + beauty additions!
Every time I’ve worn these pants, I’ve gotten tons of questions about them. They are under $50, so comfortable and make such a fun statement! These heels are my favorites of late. They are so pretty and add a girly touch to any outfit. I just got this mini beach tote and it’s the cutest and teeniest thing I’ve ever seen! I’ll be sharing a photo of it on this week’s Friday’s Five!
You may have seen this bag in this post. It’s still lightweight despite the fabulous hardware, which is amazing. I also filmed a video this week styling this scarf seven different ways – so I can’t wait to share that with you guys!
Last but not least, this shampoo/conditioner smells so good, I’ve realized that Christian has even been using it (he is a strictly sulfate-free hair care man, yes… he is even picky about his shampoo).
Do you have any recent additions that are amazing!? I’d love to hear about any new discoveries! PS – some of you connected with me to tell me about Loving Tan. I can’t wait to try it! Thanks so much for reading and sharing – XO –
Disable your ad blocking software to view this content.
Over the past year, I’ve become really into taking Polaroids. I was given an Instax Mini a few years ago, and realized that I kept saving the film for a “special occasion.” I don’t know about y’all, but when I do that… I never end up using the item. I can think of fancy lotions, perfumes, makeup, etc. that I saved for those “special” times and let it go to waste.
Don’t do that! EVERY DAY of life is special! I have to consciously remind myself to enjoy these little luxuries. It doesn’t matter if it’s a Tuesday and I’m working from home… #treatyoself!
SO, I started taking my little Polaroid camera with me more places. And then I was given another camera. And I took it with us on vacation, when we would ride bikes, when I would visit my nephews in LA and so on. So I started to collect these adorable mini captures of our lives, and I wanted to find a way to display them in their glory!
After all of five seconds of perusing online, I stumbled up this blog post and loved it. I knew I wanted to replicate it. After getting several questions from you guys on Instagram about what I planned to do with our vacation photos… I wanted to share the process!
All you need:
Frame – large enough to display your photos (I used this one)
Double Stick Tape
White Posterboard
Small Strips of Cardboard (optional) + Scissors
I cut small strips of cardboard and used double stick tape to attach them to the back of the photos before taping them on the white posterboard. I also think it would look great if you taped the photos directly to the posterboard – you can’t really go wrong here, people. Just make sure you like the way the photos are arranged before you tape them down!
I also wrote the locations where each photo was taken on the bottom of the polaroids. PS – you can find the
It’s that easy! Once I got the supplies I think the process was like… in the 10-15 minute arena. I am seriously in love with the end result. I think it’s so fun, and I love that it captures so many individual memories over the past year.
If you have a polaroid camera – I’d love to hear how you display the photos! Thanks so much for reading and sharing – XO –
I’ve shared this before in this post and this post, but one of my favorite tricks when I worked in a formal corporate office was to layer with a blazer or trench coat. It helped me avoid buying “real clothes” and “work clothes.” I could just layer the clothes I already loved in my closet.
SO, today I’m sharing how I’d wear a classic LBD from day to night!
This dress is a great foundation piece, and it’s 100% exclusive to Bloomingdale’s. On its own it brings the va va voom for date night or you can layer it up with a longer trench (even belted over the dress would be chic) for a more professional look. I think this would be so cute with black booties in the fall!
Scroll down to see more of my favorite classes dresses that are also 100% exclusive!
While I was in Hawaii, I really tried to unplug from the Internet as much as I could. I still enjoyed taking photos, and would try to check in from time to time, but I really wanted to take a step back and recharge, read books and enjoy some alone time with Christian.
I would peruse my email every other day or so to make sure I wasn’t missing anything urgent, and I caught an email from the talented Maui-based photographer couple behind Love + Water (Instagram here). At first I thought, I hate to drag Christian around for photos when I promised him I would be his “vacation wife” and not his Internet-addicted wife.
BUT when Shawn and Adam said they liked to shoot at Wailea Beach (travel guide just shared for this area here), literally less than a mile from our hotel, at sunrise, I thought… this could be interesting! We had yet to visit the beach for sunrise, so Christian was so kindly up for the opportunity. If anything, it would definitely make the most of our last day in Maui. We were on California time, so we were naturally waking up at 6AM anyway, and we literally flew out six or so hours after we shot these photos!
We snapped some photos in about an hour. The amount of sand I had in my ears, hair, swimsuit, etc., might be for another day. I was still finding sand in my ear days later! But you know a #blogger, will get sand in every orifis of my body for a great photo. Guilty!
When they sent over these drone photos – WOW. I was speechless. Such a majestic view of God’s creation, showing how small our bodies are compared to the grand scope of the ocean. I am so moved by these images they captured, and now I am so thankful our paths serendipitously crossed!
If you are visiting Maui, Love + Water are not only so talented and kind, but also create the kind of scene that not just any photographer can capture.
We have taken a lot of photos together in the past few years, all of which are special in their own way (you can check them out here), but these represent so much to me. These photos symbolize the celebration of Christian’s residency graduation. They capture a time in our lives before we moved to a new city for a new adventure. And they capture the memory of our week in Maui, and the drone photos are the kind of images I would literally blow up and frame in my house.
Christian’s dad has a drone and now I’m like… can we borrow that bad boy? Thanks so much for reading! I’d love to hear if you’ve ever shot photos with a drone and what you thought! XO –
Disable your ad blocking software to view this content.
One of the most asked questions I get from you guys is… about self-tanner! I’m very open about using tanning products basically all year long. I live in California, therefore having some color in October isn’t unusual around here.
I have some of my favorite products in the FAQ of this blog (lots of helpful info there!), but I wanted to dedicate a full blog post to the topic because I still get asked pretty regularly.
Judging by this assortment, which is literally just what I have on hand… you might say I’ve tried quite a few brands. First, I do want to share that I have olive skin. These products work well for me on olive skin. If you are fair or have never tried self-tanner, I would definitely read reviews first to try to pick something mild to start out with. One of these products I would definitely recommend for you but more about that below!
If this ain’t your first rodeo:
L’Oreal Sublime | My girlfriend, Emily Loftiss, was the one who got me hooked on this stuff. She is a TV host and always has the best glow. One time I literally thought she had just gotten back from vacation and she told me it was L’Oreal’s self-tanner. I’ve been hooked ever since! I use the towelettes, lotion and airbrush spray. Love all three.
Tarte | I tried this for the first time after getting a free sample and loving it. This stuff works really well, but I would definitely make sure to use a mitt! I once used it without one and even though I washed my hands well, I still had those awesome streaky hands that really reveal what you were up to.
Bondi Sands | I just connected with Bondi Sands recently and received and amazing goody box with all kinds of products to try! So far, I really, really love it. Because I’m olive skinned, sometimes self-tanners just don’t feel like enough color. I’ll have to apply two nights in a row to get the color I’m going for. Not this stuff! I applied just one night before bed and was bronzed all week. I really love the foam tanner, but all of their products are the real deal. Also available on Amazon!
If you’re dipping your toe in the self-bronzed world:
Tanning Mitt | If you’re not experienced in applying tanning products, you must get a mitt. Honestly, I consider myself a pro and I still prefer using this mitt. It even comes with a baby one that I use for my face! After a few applications, I just it throw it in the wash with my dark clothing.
NKD Skin | This is a great gradual tanning lotion that I would definitely recommend to beginners. A natural, slower building tan that is pretty much fool-proof. They also now sell a pre-shower tanning product that looks really interesting!
Jergens | I feel the same about about this product as above. Great for someone who is a little more fair-skinned to build natural, gradual color.
Kate Somerville | I love their tanning towelettes. I will cut one sheet into four sections and use one section at a time for my face. I am ALWAYS wearing a hat or will apply SPF30 to my body and SPF50 to my face, so my face is always a shade (or two) lighter than my bod. Enter a great towelette to solve that problem.
St. Tropez | There’s a reason this is so many people’s #1 tanning product of choice. If you just glance at the reviews, you’ll see that it’s a great product. I have it in both full and travel-size, and it’s also a great foam application (use your mitt!).
And that’s my self-tanning diary revealed! I hope this deep dive into my tanning drawer was helpful to those of you looking to get some color at a fraction of the time AND without any sun damage to your skin. I mean, call me Mariah Carey, but I literally thank God that there are so many tanning products available to us now.
My mom use to use Sally Hansen on her legs when I was growing up… because that’s all there was. Now we have SO many options, and we can get that summer color without stressing about SPF levels, sunburns or skin cancer. I’m all praise hands to the self-tanner game, y’all.
If you have a tanning product you love and swear by, I’d love to hear it! Thanks so much for reading and sharing – XO –
Disable your ad blocking software to view this content.
Last week I shared my first post from Hawaii here, and this week I wanted to share our time spent in another part of the island, Wailea. This was our second visit to this area (first guide from 2015 here)- we loved it that much! Christian and I love to visit new places together, so I was hoping that going back to the same area as last time wouldn’t feel “less” adventurous.
Turns out – being a repeat visitor was a dream! As a part of my job (and just the Type A person I am), whenever I visit a new hotel I try to spend the first few hours checking out the property to make sure I know what’s available, where everything is, etc. I actually loved already knowing the property, amenities, restaurants in the area, etc. I really got to spend all of my time relaxing and enjoying the hotel.
We watched sunsets from the balcony, took advantage of the open-air gym, lounged in cabanas for hours and read books from chairs sitting in the pool. Total bliss. Scroll down for all of my recommendations!
Hotel Wailea | This was our second visit to this hotel, and it’s pretty obvious why it’s voted #1 in Hawaii by Conde Nast Traveler and was giving a Travelers Choice Award by TripAdvisor. It’s adults-only and so peaceful and relaxing. The pool food actually remains one of our top three meals from the entire trip! Kalua pork quesadilla, truffle fries, and ahi were so good we ordered them twice.
Another thing I really love about this hotel is they have several giant pool cabanas. They have ceiling fans, sofas, board games, etc. While they could charge for using these… they don’t. It’s first come, first serve. On our first full day at the property C and I settled in a cabana and it was one of our favorite days of the trip.
BUT if you opt for the beach in the morning (which I think is the best time to visit, snorkel, paddleboard, etc.), you’re probably not going to find a cabana available after lunch. Just note to self!
Where We Ate
Pizza Madness | Call me crazy – but this was definitely one of my favorite nights of the trip. We wanted to stay at the pool until it was dark, playing board games in the cabanas and just enjoying our time. Then we ended up watching the sunset from the gym that overlooked the ocean (I got to take my first ride on a Peloton! It was awesome).
When we realized it was already late, I suggested grabbing a pizza and watching a movie in our little den. We found this place as a recommendation from one of the pool servers. It was delicious, and eating pizza in a hotel robe is what I call a 10 out of 10 on my happiness scale.
Bistro Molokini | This is a great casual spot at Grand Wailea. We ate here for lunch in 2015 and returned for dinner this time on a casual night. I typically eat about 90% vegetarian/pescatarian, but I had half a beef burger here and it was amazing.
Cinnamon Roll Place | One of my high school best friends told me to visit this spot on our last visit, but we didn’t get around to it. Well this time we did… twice. Seriously! They’re photographed above and they were incredible. Be sure to get the macadamia nuts on yours – heaven!
Mama’s Fish House | Unfortunately, on this trip there were no dinner reservations available… for the entire month of May. Seriously! We thought up about showing up for an early dinner and just trying to snag a seat at the bar, but it’s a little bit out of the way (about a 40 minute drive) and ultimately we chose to spend more time on the beach.
If you can snag a reservation – this restaurant is definitely worth the visit! I felt like I was transported back to 1960’s Hawaii… in the best possible way.
Ko | This is one of the restaurants at the Fairmont Hotel. The atmosphere was nice. I would say it was good not great… but the fresh catch with lemongrass coconut broth did rock my world. So much so that I overate and had to put back on a robe as soon as I got back to our hotel!
Humu Humu | This is another restaurant at Grand Wailea. It has a great atmosphere and menu (including cocktails!). A great date night.
Activities
Road to Hana | We definitely took advantage of this on our first trip to Maui. It’s breathtakingly beautiful and SO much fun if you’re in a convertible or Jeep! We were torn whether or not to do again on this trip and ended up doing the sailing excursion instead, mostly because it’s kind of an all-day commitment.
Paddleboarding | I knew I wanted to paddleboard in this area again because the last time we did, I saw a giant sea turtle! Hotel Wailea offers paddleboards, snorkeling, sailing and several other water activities down on the beach. Christian went with me this time to see what we could find.
Lo and behold, this time C was the one to spot like… 7+ sea turtles! They were swimming around near the coral, with their heads above water, not even phased by all the people snorkeling and paddleboarding around them. It was amazing! I love turtles.
Snorkeling | We didn’t snorkel in this area after spending so much time snorkeling in Lanai, but I think the snorkeling on Wailea Beach may have been even better. From what we could see on paddleboards, there were fish and turtles everywhere! Mannarays are also known to be around this beach.
Surfing | Christian had a little less luck surfing in this area. We spent one morning hopping around a few different beaches trying to see where some good waves were… and once he was ready to throw in the towel I was like, let’s go back to the hotel and relax in some #cabanalife. Ya feel me?
If you’re heading to Maui anytime soon, I hope this info will be helpful to you! You can find our Kapalua guide here, and thank you so much to all of you who sent your recommendations! Thanks for reading – XO –
Disable your ad blocking software to view this content.
Bringing another post to you guys from the gorgeous place that is the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua. Are we sure time travel doesn’t exist? Because I’m considering it. A full post on this property was shared last week here!
I am so excited to show you guys a few different ways I would style these white linen pants. I got them just in time for our trip, and I am truly in love with them. Best of all? They have a matching blazer. You know I’m bringing a full suited look to you guys soon (flashback to this velvet one of my dreams)!
This look is more of a tropical/vacation vibe. When you have a pair of pants this wonderfully highwaisted, it’s the perfect time to break out that crop top or front-tie top. Christian actually told me he thought these looked like a pair of pants a man might wear in Cuba. That all I was missing was a cigar and some loafers.
I actually think he was spot on!! Still love them though, so you can stop trying to tear me away from my new summer pant.
A question I get pretty often from you ladies is what kind of bra I wear with tops like this. The short answer is… I don’t. Although sometimes I use these. I was not very blessed up top (although I definitely have a booty), so it’s never been an issue for me but I dedicated a whole blog post to this here. You can also search “undergament” and many posts come up!
Thank you so much for reading! Sharing more about our stay on another part of Maui tomorrow. Hope everyone is enjoying their holiday weekend! XO –
Disable your ad blocking software to view this content.
