I placed a BIG order from H&M yesterday because I wanted to get some fresh linen casual pieces for Christian. I saw they had an awesome collection of linen right now which inspired this post!
This is the kind of stuff I live in during the summer months in Georgia. Southern humidity is not a joke! To shop, click directly on the item or find its associated number below the collage.
I have been a longtime fan of MacKenzie-Childs. I’ve shared pieces we have and love before in this post as well as their headquarters in this post, but I grew up admiring the creative designs and unique pieces. There’s no one else like them. They stand out for being original and the opposite of blending in.
And you know I love that.
I have always gravitated toward the classic courtly check collection pieces. Not only is it a little bit more natural than the other collections, but as a fan of the brand, it is so classically MacKenzie-Childs.
Below are some of my favorite courtly check pieces in our home. Links to the exact pieces are at the bottom of the post!
What I love most is that I didn’t even take all of these photos on the same day. I took them slowly over the span of a week because I love how easily we incorporate these pieces into the daily come-and-go. I once saw a CBL girl comment “she actually uses her courtly check kettle!” and it made me laugh. But you should try to use all the beautiful things in your home! If you wait for the “special occasion,” you won’t get to enjoy it nearly as much.
I’ll be sharing some video content tomorrow of a few favorite pieces, so check that out on Instagram! Thank you so much for stopping by and reading. If you have a MacKenzie-Childs tea kettle or a favorite piece or collection yourself, please share! xo –
The first Friday’s Five in a while! I’ve been working on some fun website content that I’m excited to share with you guys in the next week.
We have finally completely finished Christian’s closet organization install with Modular Closets (KATHLEENBARNES for 10% off!), and I can’t say enough how pleased we are. We chose the gray closet kits because it made the most sense for his two closets, and the end result is so sophisticated and sleek. He absolutely loves them, and we finished the look with six LED rechargeable motion light strips, wooden hangers and updated pull chains. Check out a before and after reel here.
We have a full agenda for the weekend but full of lots of fun things. Excited for the week ahead! Thanks so much for reading and stopping by. Don’t forget about the big Shopbop Spring Sale! xo –
We are outside more than ever right now, and I love seeing how many of you are also enjoying your outdoor spaces.
I wanted to round up some patio pieces I’ve seen that I think are extra cute. To shop, click directly on the item or find its associated number below the collage.
When we lived in San Francisco, we didn’t have a balcony or patio of any sort. We really only had the fire escape, which I did in fact crawl out to sit on a few times to feel some fresh air. Even though that was just one year, I was surprised how much I missed having a patio, however small, just to sit with a coffee or sit for a phone call. We really treat our covered patio like an extension of our home and spend a lot of time out there. Forever grateful!
We have two of these adirondack chairs and really love them. I like that they’re finished, they aren’t oversized, and they’re super comfortable. They now have a rocking chair version and cushion inserts – how cozy!
We have some of these ruffle planters and they’re a splurge, but let me tell you – they are gorgeous in person. If you want a little taste of this, this trio of planters is adorable. You can use it for plants, herbs, flowers, etc.
Friday’s Five coming tomorrow – some fun things to share! Thank you so much for checking in and reading – XO –
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A few weeks ago I started a conversation on Instagram stories centered around my perspective of millennial career women. When I say that, I mostly mean women who have been in a traditional job or career for 10 years or longer (millennials are those born between 1981 – 1996).
From that conversation, two articles were shared with me that rocked my world. Check them out here:
“When Kim Kardashian was dragged for declaring, in her signature vocal fry, that ‘nobody wants to work these days,’ she was a little bit right. We don’t want to work ourselves to the bone, clocking overtime hours without overtime pay, for a vanity title at a soulless corporation anymore. At this point in our collective professional history, women are looking for something more. Or is it something less?”
Once I entered my thirties, we moved from Orange County to San Francisco and then cross-country to Georgia, buying our first home. Christian became partner in a business. We experienced a global pandemic. I continued working solo from home. We welcomed two children with hopes and plans to add a third. We now live within driving distance from our families for the first time since we married in 2012.
As these major life moments have happened, I’ve found myself wondering what my new definition of success is. Because I know it’s not the same as it was in my twenties.
The beauty of this conversation is that there is no right or wrong opinion. It’s really about stepping back in each phase of life and reevaluating your choices. Reviewing how you spend your time in an effort to recognize what actually makes you happy. Have your personal goals changed? What does success mean to you in this decade of life? When do you feel most at peace?
“Yes, I’m ambitious,” a friend told me recently, “but climbing the corporate ladder does not interest me like it used to. A title, a bump in pay—it’s not satisfying. What I need to feel successful and fulfilled is completely different. Am I doing something that brings satisfaction? Do I feel like I’m learning? Do I feel like I’m contributing? Do I feel like I’m connecting to other people? Do I feel like I have flexibility in this new way we live and work? Am I given not only responsibility but autonomy? Am I in a place that aligns with my values? The things that I am looking for have changed.
… For many of us, the ambition to rise through the ranks in our chosen field has dissolved into something simpler: the desire to not feel so stressed and exhausted all the time.”
Perhaps what it comes down to is that this is the first time that my own professional ambition has shifted. It’s decreased. We decided to move to Georgia so we could have more space to accommodate a larger family, be closer to our families and enjoy a lower cost of living. To have an overall slower pace of life in general.
Then entered the children and yes, our day-to-day life changed but even more so, the source of our joy changed. From this, my personal definition of success has been altered. In the past, success meant working well past 40 hours a week to gain professional status and recognition in addition to earning as much money as possible to save for a home or even a second home. Earning enough to have flexible spending for vacations, luxury items, and so on. Now, my definition of success is taking on projects that make me happy and are fun, being my own boss so I can have a flexible schedule and only working from 10AM to 4PM so I can participate in daily family routines with my children and partner. I take weekends off, I rarely work overtime and I have a maximum number of partnerships a month I will accept (prior to children there was no number – it was limitless, and that was by choice! #hustle).
I am incredibly grateful for my career because it brings me so much happiness and creativity. I feel like I’m constantly challenged to learn new things and expand my skill set. I love having adult conversations and trying to become more intelligent, savvy, and productive with my working hours. It gives me confidence and is how I continue to invest in myself. And perhaps more than anything, I love being my own boss. I recognize what a total luxury and gift that is. I’m grateful for it daily and vocalize this gratitude repeatedly.
However, I also know what kind of mother, partner, and friend I want to be. We have a really special community where we live, and I want to be there for my friends when they need a hand or a hot meal for their families. I want to participate in our small group with other couples once a week without being stressed about the time commitment. I want to take Fridays off to alternate spending one-on-one time with my children and show them I’m invested in their hobbies and interests. To quote Kelly Wynne when she decided to close her retail business, “I want to give my children the best of me and not the rest of me.”
A book I’d recommend if you are a person of faith and interested in this topic is John Mark Comer’s Ruthless Elimination of Hurry. I was encouraged by some career women I admire to read it and they were right. It has changed the way I view how I spend my time. You guys often tell me you picked up this book at my recommendation, and I cannot tell you how much happiness that gives me. I hope it has blessed you as it has blessed me!
I really loved what Phoebe Robinson had to say about ambition:
“As I’ve gotten older, the definition has expanded, because it’s not just about the professional for me. I want successful friendships, romantic relationships, and hobbies. To me, ambition’s about working hard to have the life you want. Having that desire to take this one life we all get to live and do it our fiercely independent way and experience joy on our terms.”
I have a saved highlight on Instagram called “AMBITION” with more of this conversation, but it was so impactful to me that I also wanted to carry it over to the website where it could continue. You guys had SO many amazing things to contribute to the conversation on instagram, and I needed to highlight some of the direct messages so more could read your words!
If you have thoughts on this subject, please share them in the comments. I really love hearing what you guys have to say. Thank you so much for stopping in and reading, and you can find more personal content in the “personal” category of this site. XO –
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The promising sunshine, blooming flowers, and spring color palette have me excited for what’s to come and all of the spring surprises around the corner.
Sharing a few more spring picks that have caught my eye. Click directly on the item to shop or find its associated number below the collage –
I love these metallic wedges. Love the neutral and metallic combo – makes them even more versatile because they can be dressed down.
I’m very into these puff-sleeved mini dresses like this and this. You can dress them up or down, making them extremely versatile. Buy one or two in a solid and tell me if you don’t wear it all spring and summer.
I have a friend who can manage to style a sunhat with outfits all spring and summer and honestly? She’s brilliant. I think this is the kind of hat you could wear with anything.
Most of y’all probably know this about me, but I love a fun-colored pair of sunglasses. I know you’re thinking you won’t wear them as much, but truthfully, I wear my colorful sunglasses more than my black and tortoise pairs. Especially in the warm months! This is a great place to start at $12 a pair (and I have olive green, blue and light pink).
This silhouette comes in a few color schemes and it’s clear why. Beautiful!
Thanks so much for checking in and reading, XO –
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We all know Easter weekend is this weekend, but the next thing coming is Mother’s Day in May (5/14). I’m never ahead of schedule anymore it seems, but I thought I would go ahead and dive in with some ideas. Get ahead of it and check it off the list!
To shop, click directly on the item or find its associated number below the collage.
I bought this frame for myself for Christmas, and it’s the gift that gives me gratitude each day. I keep it in the kitchen and upload photos to it almost daily. It’s the best.
Not only do I have and love this mug, but I got one for both sets of grandparents. It’s the happiest mug I own!
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.
Thanks so much for reading and checking in! XO –
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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 –
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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 –
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