Spring vacations are on my mind, and I wanted to share some pieces I’ve seen that have caught my eye for those of you lucky enough to have some spring traveling on the docket.
Abercrombie has some great linen pieces like this crop top and matching shorts + midi skirt. Many colors are currently sold out, but I’m hopeful they will be restocked.
These are seasonal splurge bags, but man is this bag and this one adorable. Timeless in my opinion!
Hold me back because I don’t know how I can not buy these bauble-heeled sandals. I mean… yes, please, and thank you!
This scalloped set is so dang cute and could obviously be worn together or separately. It comes in a ton of colors and I need!!
I splurged and bought these heels (not featured above). They just arrived this week and they are so pretty in person. A little higher of a heel than I’d prefer but still, SO versatile for spring/summer.
I can’t get over how crazy delicious this is. I love it so much, and I even made it for my mom when my parents were in town and she loved it too. The ingredients are super simple and the flavor is out of control.
I was inspired by Wishbone Kitchen’s Tik Tok of her making this, and I have a slightly different version that is delish.
INGREDIENTS
pita bread – warmed
chopped grape or cherry tomatoes
chopped cucumber
chopped red onion
chopped bell pepper
chopped black olives & capers – around 1 TB
arugula or romaine lettuce
crumbled feta cheese – around 1 TB total
spicy jalapeno feta dip – around 1 TB per half (I make a whole container and use as needed, it’s so good)
olive oil & salt
DIRECTIONS
Mix all ingredients together – I use maybe 1/4 to 1/3 of all veggies and around 1 TB of both of chopped olives and capers, crazy feta spread and crumbled feta cheese.
Put your salad mix inside of your pita and enjoy. Eat any extra salad on the side!
You can also watch a reel of me making this for lunch here. If you try this, please let me know what you think! You can find more recipes in the “Food + Drink” category of this site (top left menu bar). Thank you so much for reading – XO –
Cheers to the weekend! I am getting back in town today from celebrating my sister’s birthday in Birmingham. We don’t typically travel for birthdays, but this was a milestone moment for her and I’ve never been able to hop in the car this easily. We have usually lived many states apart! So it’s a real luxury to be able to celebrate her in person.
The past three weeks have been busy, busy, busy. I knew March was going to be full, but it has been very full. April is looking peaceful so far. I’m going to aim to keep it that way.
I have to discuss our new Homebody sectional sofa. It’s a modular sofa that also has a built-in recliner in one piece of the sofa. You read that right. There’s a remote control that you can use to recline back (in the chicest way, of course). It makes much better use of this family room off of the kitchen. It opens up the floor for the kids to play, yet still gives us maximum comfy places to sit and lie down. It just looks like a place you want to lounge.
The kids are both all over it, and I already love how many cozy, snuggly moments it’s created for our family. It’s so great in this space, and I am excited to put together a little Instagram Reel to show you guys how and why it’s so amazing. More to come!
We have a big weekend planned, and I hope you do too. Thank you so much for reading – XO –
We have had a major drop in temperature lately, which has me even more ready for warmer weather and fewer layers.
I tend to lean toward solids like this top and skirt, this dress, and this one because they give you so much versatility and are a little bit less memorable.
I bought a lighter shade of this heel last year and I really look forward to pulling it out again this year. I’m also really loving this lace-up sandal (not pictured above).
I have this bag in several fun colors but the ivory is so beautiful. This bag is so teeny, it doesn’t hold much, but it’s beautiful!
If you splurged on a pastel tweed spring jacket like this one, you can layer it each year over different dresses or with a white top and pants. So classic.
Thank you so much for checking in – should we cover Easter baskets? XO –
I have had these pants for years and they remain a favorite time and time again. Every single time I wear them, I get a comment about them or my outfit. Countless friends have bought a pair for both themselves and their sisters, daughters, etc.
They are so smoothing and comfortable, but also quite elongating which is the best. Add a heel and we are talking model legs!
Let’s get into it –
SIZING
I would recommend ordering your usual size. They have a pull-on style (no pockets, buttons, or zippers), and when you’re pulling them up you’re going to think, “these are too small.” But once they’re pulled on, you’ll see they fit perfectly.
If you size up, I would worry that the waist will be too loose.
They come in regular, petite, and tall inseam and sizes XS – 3X.
MATERIALS
They’re machine-washable and 4-way stretch (4% elastane). They wash perfectly (hang dry) – which is so convenient.
COMFORT
They’re super stretchy and a thick material that makes them really comfortable for hours of wear.
COST
$168 and come in black and navy. I have been wearing this same black pair for over three years and the wear I’ve gotten out of them? Definitely worth it.
You can get 10% off + free shipping/returns with my longtime Spanx code KATHLEENXSPANX.
SIMILAR STYLES + WHERE TO BUY
Luckily these Hi-Rise Flare pants are a part of Spanx’s Perfect Collection which has the same style of pants in different leg silhouettes –
This week’s wish list is centered around some of my personal core closet staples. To shop, click directly on the item or find its associated number below the collage.
I love turtleneck anything and everything, always. When you live in the South, sleeveless turtlenecks are even better!
I recently got this long-sleeved striped top and love it. It’s super soft, it’s got the rolled neck and sleeves and is the kind of top you really can wear year-round. In my book, stripes can be worn almost as often as a solid.
I’ve had this watch for at least 7-8 years and I still think it’s so gorgeous. There’s truly no watch I’d rather have.
I wear these slidesall the time. I also have a different version of these and usually wear them all summer.
I’m sharing an individual in-depth review of these pants later this week, I wear them with so much. I call them “the pants that give you supermodel legs.” I love the crop flare version too!
I have worn this skirt on Instagram here, it’s so great. Washable silk for $50!? What’s not to love?
Thanks so much for reading and stopping by! I threw in a few more favorites below – XO –
I have more picks on my LTK profile. You can also access them on this website by clicking the menu bar in the upper left corner and selecting “shop my Instagram.”
I had a mini Q&A on Instagram Stories earlier this week, and some of the questions prompted some “best of” type of product recommendations that I thought would be worth resharing here!
Below each graphic, you’ll see some more details about the items –
These are the most loved and most used towels in our house – guests and children included. They are so thick, cozy, and absorbing… five-star hotel towels night after night.
Hudson used the Lalo high chair and he now uses it in our wishbone chair as a booster seat. It’s been a really great, well-made, transitional chair.
The Stokke I got more recently and Theo currently uses it as a high chair. It’s been great so far and I plan to use it as a booster seat to the table as the next step when he’s a little bit older!
This week’s wishlist is spring-filled because the groundhog was wrong this year (at least in Georgia!). It has been sunshine, warm and bright the past week or two and it feels like spring might be here to stay.
To shop, click directly on the item or find its associated number below the collage –
I love wearing dark colors but in spring and summer, I like to pivot. Like most, I love a beautiful dress that works for work, church, dinner, etc. I discovered this dress and this one and thought they looked so high-end. Love that the belt can be worn with or without.
Love the easy style and price point of this classic sunhat. I know I’m only going to be outside more and more having two little boys, so I should be wearing hats all summer. Coastal grandmother energy and functional = win/win.
It has been a really sweet and peaceful week. And I even had a 24-hour bug on Tuesday, so that’s saying something!
I’ve had a work decision to make that has been looming over me. A decision on whether to start a second business opportunity or pause it for now (update 2/24: this is not referencing this website or my social media, this is a second, separate business I’m referencing). After praying about it and thinking about it for a while, I made a decision to put it to the side. I was a little bummed, but ultimately felt it was the right choice in my gut.
When you choose your family or your peace over career and money – the world will make you feel like that’s the lazy or weak way out. However, when I happened to share my choice with my small group this week, I was unexpectedly met with so much encouragement and support. And I don’t know that I had any expectations when I shared it, but then was so touched that these people who know me personally and my heart and values – they were proud of me for not following the world’s view of success and instead choosing my own view of success.
It’s really stuck with me because while I felt I was being true to myself, I was also a little disappointed that I didn’t seem to have the drive and ambition that I used to. But I think it’s because being a mother changes your priorities. All of a sudden you see how incredibly fast time moves by you, and if you don’t have the time to stop and enjoy it, you’ll miss it. There’s no rewind button on your life.
If you are a person of faith or have any interest in Christianity, I highly recommend John Mark Comer’s The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry. It was given to me by my dear friend and fabulous co-founder of Grace & James Kids. When she gave it to me she said, “I wish I had been able to read this when I was a new mom,” and now I absolutely understand why she said that. Ever since I read that book, I view my choices and how I spend my time differently. It’s a game-changer.
That’s the spill of my heart this week – thank you for reading this novel! Appreciate my blog readers so much. This is a special and unique community, unlike social media. It’s deeper. Thanks for checking in and I hope everyone has a beautiful weekend – XO –
This week’s wish list is full of the pieces I’ve stumbled upon, bought myself, or have my eye on. I love these kinds of hodge-podge posts because it feels so realistic to how we all shop, right?
To shop, click directly on the item or find its associated number below the collage.
I bought these black/white hair clips and these fun clips a few months ago and love both. I wouldn’t say they’re as strong of a hold if you have super thick hair, but for a half-up situation or loose pull-up, they’re fab.
I loved these sunglasses so much I bought them in 3 colors – olive, pink and light blue.
I was shocked that when I put it on, it really amplifies any curves you have. I do have some curves and hips, but I’m talking Coke bottle hourglass. So I can clearly see why it has so many amazing reviews from women of all body shapes!
I was about to purchase the long-sleeved SKIMS version, but then I discovered this Amazon dress. So I purchased it in two colors to see what I thought. And it’s a great grab! More of my thoughts broken down into sizing, materials, cost, and the biggest differences that I noticed below.
I think both dresses run true to size. I ordered my usual dress size in both.
One thing to note is that the SKIMS dress is definitely a true maxi dress. The Amazon dress is listed as such, but if you’re 5’7″ or taller I think it’s going to fit more like a midi dress.
MATERIAL
At a touch, the material feels nearly exactly the same. Both are machine-washable and super soft.
I think both prices are fair for the product quality and fit.
BIGGEST DIFFERENCES
The SKIMS dress somehow does really cinch your waist in this hourglass, Kim K curves way. The Amazon dress has a great fit, but the waist isn’t quite as snatched as the SKIMS dress.
The SKIMS dress is definitely to the floor. So in that way, the SKIMS dress feels a little bit easier to style versatility-wise because it can lean casual (could be paired with a sneaker) more easily.
I also shared a video of each dress and how I would layer it on Instagram.
Do you have either of these dresses? I’d love to hear what you think. I don’t regret either purchase, and I know they’ll be great vacation dresses that don’t take up much space.
Thanks so much for reading. If you have any ideas or requests for future review posts, let me know in the comments! XO –
