Nine Favorite Things.

Nine Favorite Things

Happy first Sunday of summer! It finally feels like summer here and it has been so refreshing. We didn’t have any rain this week and it was a beautiful thing. We had warmer temperatures, and most importantly, summer sunshine. It was so nice!

I find it crazy how much the weather can really affect my mood. Dreary days bring on anxiousness, but sunshine leads to happy thoughts. I’m feeling extra thankful the sun is back! Ok and, it’s soo green! Things are growing again. Dad’s herbs are slowly popping up and the dahlias are even coming back too. Another month and the garden is going to be so plentiful.

Ok, the last thing on this topic, our sunsets have been just magical. So all in all a pretty good first week of summertime. Hoping yours was amazing too!!

Let’s see, what’s new? Not much, I’ve been home this week. I’m working away in the kitchen in prep for a couple of weeks of back-to-back travel. Heading to one of my favorite cities at the end of the week, then off to meet my family for the summer vacation. I’m going to meet them toward the end of the trip. Have you figured out the destination yet? Another hint, Oslo is currently rocking the corn rows. Tropical vibes all the way. They’ve really been enjoying their time! My mom did an amazing job planning yet another family trip! She is a pro. See our 2021 trip here and then last year’s vacation highlights here. I think Mom said there’s a total of 22 people this year, so a full crew.

I had fun this week pulling some looks for work and vacation. Looking forward to wearing those soon! I always have so much fun pulling new outfits for when I travel!

It’s going to be a fun summer, and hopefully an even more fun fall! Lots of new launches are coming!

That’s all I have for today, plenty of fun “things’ below. Hope you all love this week’s favorites post!

1. Things i’m loving, wanting, and excited to try.

loving…jewelry. Especially rings, I’m on the hunt for some new ones.

everything in my cart (low)…Ok, some fun pieces. Love this crochet mini-skirt from Mango. This Aubree linen dress from Reformation is so cute! I’d be excited to wear this, you can dress it up or down. And I’m defiantly ordering this vintage rib high-neck cutaway tank top. Great for an everyday look. I’d pair it with a great slip skirt.

This sea charms bracelet is really fun. And these slides from H&M are the ideal summer slides. Or these Tkees sloan slides. Both a great!

Summer bag time! Loving this cute (on sale) crocheted rectangle bag from J.Crew. It’s the perfect size and I adore the stripes. And then, the Jute tote bag from Zara is a great carry-it-all summertime bag. Oh, and I almost forget, love, love this combined shopper bag from Mango. It screams quite luxury.

listening to…Paul Saladino MD On Food Truths, The Carnivore Diet, & What Processed Foods Do To Our Guts & Overall Health. This is so informative and incredibly interesting. Definitely one of those podcast episodes worth listening to twice. Also, I love that they talk about raw goat milk. It’s all we drink!

dreaming of going to… 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay. Oh wow, I’ve never been someone who’s always wanted to visit Hawaii, but now it’s moving toward the top of my list. This hotel is stunning.

Listening to…Dr. Amen: A Revolution in Brain Health on The Squeeze. 

loving…Safely cleaning supplies. I was sent some of their products and have been really liking them in the kitchen.

Reading…Stop Self-Sabotage: Six Steps to Unlock Your True Motivation, Harness Your Willpower, and Get Out of Your Own Way. I am pro at self-sabotage. Looking forward to listening to the audio version.

ordered…this suction iPhone case. I’m always on the lookout for great ways to support my camera while filming. I saw this on Instagram this week and ordered it immediately. I’ll let you know what I think!

shopping…candles. Ordered the Summer Fridays soft vanilla candle, and this grapefruit mangosteen candle from Enlightened. I’ll let you know what I think of them! And in my carts: Fleur candle from Flamme, with hints of apple blossom, peony, and baby’s breath. Grapefruit & Hinoki from Salt & Stone. And from Flamingo Estate, their roma heirloom tomato candle. From Nette, I have the Nette Candle in my cart, the Twelfth Night Candle, and this super fun Dream Land Candle.

everything in my cart (beauty)…into summer nails rights now. The Chanel le vernis shade is top of my list. And the Gucci Lucy baby blue shade is pretty too. Both are great for summertime.

This Tweezerman classic eyelash curler has been a staple in my beauty bag for years and years. I use it pretty much every day. 

I ordered and am so excited about the products I bought from Sun Kissed by Jenni. I’ve read amazing things about this line. I love a tan, but not from the sun – going to try out these self-tanners.

watching…Sex and the City, season 1, episode 1. With season 2 of the reboot, And Just Like That out, I thought I would start from the very beginning. Are you a fan? My aunt Alyssa and Erin are obsessed. I remember growing up they would plan their nights around the Sex and the City new episodes.

everything in my cart (high)…summertime bags, obsessed with the new Saint Laurent bags. The Beatrix Caged-Leather Canvas Basket Bag, and the Small Panier Tote Bag are great summer bags. And their Raffia Crossbody Bag is pretty cute too. This mini crystal mesh bag from Cult Gaia is really fun for a summer night. And then, I’m loving this Loeffler Randall leather and striped raffia tote as a carry-all summer bag.

2. Favorite summer peach recipes.

Blackberry Peach Galette

Peach Burrata Crostini with Burst Cherry Tomato Vinaigrette

10 Minute Gooey Vanilla Peach Mug Cake

Old School Easy Brown Sugar Peach Cobbler

Tomato, Peach, and Burrata Salad

Nonnie’s 5 Ingredient Peach Dump

Peaches and Cream Pretzel Pie

3. Everything for outdoor entertaining.

4. Favorite questions of the week.

q: is your hair naturally curly? You said you don’t use much heat on it. It’s always so pretty! 
a: It’s not curly at all, super straight actually. I put it up in a bun every single night when it’s wet so when I take my hair down it has a little body to it. But it falls pretty quickly.

q: do you enjoy eating at restaurants or find yourself scrutinizing the food? 
a: I have fun with it. I never really judge anyone’s food, I’m not picky! I always know that homemade is usually better. But it’s fun doing dinners out and trying different dishes.

q: pineapple on pizza? Yay, or nay?
a: I’m all about it!! Yummy.

q: how do you know so many people in the cities you travel to?
a: I don’t know anyone!! I just reach out to people I follow and would love to meet in every city I travel to. I do my best to meet new people while traveling. When I’m home in Colorado, I’m home, working 24/7. When I travel I make an effort to be more social. I just reach out to people I enjoy online!

q: advice on doubting yourself? It’s a work in progress. 
a: This is so hard. I doubt myself every single day, it’s something I struggle with. My best advice is to remember back to a time when you doubted yourself and your abilities, but then you did that thing you thought you could never do! And it went so well, or everything was totally fine and you got through it!! Maybe it was hard but you did it! We’re so much stronger than we ever give ourselves credit for. I look back at the person I was last year, the year prior, and even the girl I was in middle school. I still can’t believe some of the things I’ve done that I never thought I could do. Just remember that we can do so much more than we ever could imagine!

 You just have to go for it!

q: best places to buy second-hand designer?
a: Try Fwrd Renew, (mostly bags), What Goes Around Comes Around NYC, Shopbop Archives, Fashionphile (amazing for clothing), Vestiaire Collective, The Real Real, and Depop.

q: is your family blended?
a: Lol. Nope, my parents have been together for over 38 years.

q: favorite peanut butter brand? 
a: Whole Foods 365 organic peanut is the best.

q: fun fact about you? Super random. 
a: I used to always wear hats because my mom loved me in them. I still love a good hat.

q: do you draw inspiration for your dishes through fashion and nature? 
a: Yes! My favorite way to develop a recipe is through fashion and nature. I can see a color or a look I love and connect it to a recipe. I use colors as inspiration and go from there. It’s a very weird process that only my brain could dream up 🤪

q: does Asher do school online to be able to travel? 
a: Yes. Very different from my schooling.

5. Five picks-me-ups.

I read this post over on a Cup of Jo and wanted to share the 5 things I do to pick myself up when I’ve had a bad day or am feeling not so great. I think we all need to have tools like this in our “toolbox” to fall back on when we’re feeling down. Having coping tools are so important.

My 5 simple pleasers that picked me up this week

Picking fresh flowers from the yard. Love this more than anything. Having a fresh bundle of pretty flowers is always going to make me just a little happier inside.

Ordering new candles.  I love candles, we know this. But they’re something that always gets me happy and excited. I love discovering new scents. Sometimes after a long day, I’ll scroll the internet and find some new candles to try.

Taking in the summer sunsets. These are so peaceful right now. I’ve been trying to enjoy them every single night. They won’t last long!

Listening to the birds in the mornings. We have the prettiest birds this time of year and listening to them sing in the early morning outside my house is so relaxing. I love it.

I also just ordered new notebooks for jotting down recipes. The fun florals have me excited. I also just splurged on a new bag for summer. I can’t wait for it to arrive.

Lastly, read the comments on the Cup of Jo post. Some of them are so good. What was your pick-me-up this week?

6. Inspiring me.

(from Pinterest)

7. Favorite links i’m loving.

Taste Test: What’s the Best Vanilla Ice Cream?…I was surprised by the results.

The World’s Best Swim-Up Pool Bars…so much fun. I want to visit Meliá Koh Samui in Thailand.

Luxury Trains Are Worth Booking Just for Their Dining Cars…this is so cute and fun!

The Outdoor Sectionals Worth Investing in…for your dream backyard.

Want to Get Back Into Reading…how to make it a hobby.

How to Spend a Weekend at 3 Hotels From Our 2023 Hot List…I want to visit all 3.

13 Things To Do With Friends (That Aren’t Dinner)…a few fun ideas for you.

7 Email Tricks Successful Women Swear By…love a good email hack.

Where Our Editors Are Going on Summer Vacation This Year…love these places.

8. Summer dresses.

everything this week from Revolve

Reformation looks

fun affordable summer accessories 

9. This week’s dinners + weekend eats.

Monday: Chicken Tzatziki Rice Bowls

Tuesday: Simplest Zucchini Parmesan Pasta

Wednesday: Pesto Peach Chicken in White Wine with Burrata

Thursday: Picnic Style Brie and Prosciutto Sandwich

Friday: Baked Gruyère Tomato Bruschetta

Saturday: Cinnamon Maple Brown Butter Blackberry Peach Crisp

Sunday: Toasted S’mores Ice Cream Sandwiches