Categories
Currently

Currently #54

Hi everyone!

I can’t believe we are at the end of June. This summer is going by so fast and it’s making me sad. There are a lot of good things on the horizon, but also some major changes. I’m just trying to take it one day at a time and enjoy where I am at. Since we are at the end of the month, it’s time for another Currently. Here’s a look into life lately.

What I’ve Been Up To:

Since I last caught you up on life at the end of May, a lot has happened. 

I have been enjoying a lot of outside time. I have been to minor league and major league games, including a quick trip to Cleveland to see the Guardians play and win!

Beautiful night for baseball
Gorgeous afternoon for a Guards win!

I also celebrated my 26th birthday with dinner at home with my family and boyfriend and cake and presents. We had Jessie James Decker’s Can of Cola Cake with raspberries and it was delicious.

A fun day!
A sweet night!

I’ve spent some time at the local zoo and enjoyed a picnic too. 

Perfect summer day!

I’ve been enjoying lots of outdoor meals!

I’ve also been sneaking in working from outside on days off.

Lots of ice cream runs on hot days!

And Morning walks and drinks!

What I’m Wearing:

I have been loving a mix of casual and work outfits including this skort and t-shirt combination for a casual look.

I also have been wearing bold and bright colors in the summer, like this new suit from J.Crew.

Some blue and white too!

What I’m Reading:

Expiration DatesExpiration Dates was such a fun read by Rebecca Serle. I have really enjoyed her other books and this one didn’t disappoint. It’s all about a girl who always gets a note and date of when each of her relationships will end. This happens for years until she gets a note with no end date. Has she finally met her match or is it a trick with fate? There were some unexpected twists and turns that I didn’t see coming that really added to the plot. The ending was my favorite, definitely a summer read. 

The Perfect MarriageThe Perfect Marriage was a mystery/ thriller that I didn’t know I needed to read, and it was one of my favorite books that I have read in months. From the outside, it looks like this couple has the perfect marriage, that is until the husband’s mistress ends up dead. The person who defends the husband? His wife, who is a top attorney. I loved the mystery of who killed the mistress and seeing how more people got caught into the web of the marriage. I stayed up late and woke up early to finish it.

The HeiressThe Heiress by Rachel Hawkins is all about a young man who returns to his family’s estate to collect his inheritance. Once he arrives, he learns there’s more to the family story than he realized and everyone has a secret and ulterior motive, including his own mother. The books goes back and forth between the present day and letters that are written talking about what happened. There are a lot of characters which can be hard to keep track. But overall, it was a good book with a really good and unexpected ending.

It Had to Be YouIt Had to Be You by Mary Higgins Clark was a page turner and thriller that had me staying up late to finish it. It’s all about twin brothers who are accused of murdering their parents. Years later, the case is reopened and new evidence is brought to light. It took a while for it to pick up, but once it did, I was hooked. Definitely recommend it!

How to End a Love Story- How to End a Love Story is by Yulin Kuang. This is a new to me author, but I really enjoyed this book. It’s all about a young woman whose book gets turned into a tv show, one of the writers is someone from her past. Will the two resolve their differences and work together or is the past too much to move forward together? I really loved the character development and the behind the scenes of the making of the show.

What I’m Watching:

Bridgerton is back, both installments of the new season dropped over the past month. Although, I’m not a huge fan of the character Penelope, she really grew on me this season and really matured too. I also loved the costumes, setting and modern music tied in.

What I’m Cooking:

This has been such a good month for cooking and it’s been filled with lots of fresh fruits, veggies, and grilling.

Chinese Chicken Salad was a hit from Jessie James Decker’s cookbook.

Chinese Chicken Salad

Caprese Chicken– I grilled chicken and add fresh mozzarella, tomato and balsamic for my birthday dinner. We also as shrimp pineapple skewers for an appetizer and a Cesear salad which was delicious. We ended the night with Jessie James Decker’s Can of Cola cake with raspberries and ice cream. Yum!

Pineapple Shrimp Rice- I got this recipe from Mix and Match Mama. I love how easy it was to make and how light and fresh it was, while still being filling.

Bowls– I’ve been enjoying bowls for lunch with things I have in my fridge. On this day, I mixed black beans, corn, rice, pork and salsa for Tex Mex bowl-yum!

Citrus Salmon with Orzo and sides- This was a light and refreshing, but most importantly, healthy dinner. All wins in my book in the summer.

Apricot Ham and Broccoli Salad– Both of these recipes are from the cookbook, Brunch with Babes. I have been saving recipes to try and this month was perfect. I love the flavor of the ham and the crunch of the salad.

What Inspires Me:

I have been reading Savannah Guthrie’s book, Mostly What God Does, every night and I have been loving ending my day with something prayerful and to cal

m my mind. This quote really stood out to me.

My sweet friend Sarah got me a necklace for my birthday, and it came with this beautiful quote. So inspiring especially in the summer months.

Some inspiration from Simplified in June!

What I Accomplished:

I have been making my way through my summer bucket list and trying to soak up as much time as I can outside. 

I’ve done that by enjoying ice cream or milkshake runs.

Reading by the pool

Planting Flowers

Planting my garden


Here we have strawberries, zuchinni, pumpkins, and squash
Here are carrots, onions, peas, tomatoes, and peppers

I also ran my furthest this month of 8 miles. I was very proud of that accomplishment.

Goals from Last Month: I really wanted to make a point to soak up summer and enjoy the mornings and nights when I could. I still have a ways to go on my summer bucket list, but I’m just hoping summer slows down. I’m not ready for it to end.

I checked Donuts and Sunrise off my Summer Bucket List

I also ventured to a new place for a morning hike.

I’ve gotten to enjoy dinner by the water.

Followed by ice cream runs!

A day trip to Deep Creek, Maryland happened this month, my first time for a day of hiking and hitting the beach and reading.

Goals from This Month: Next month will be busy between the Fourth of July and celebrations. I have a wedding to go to and I want to make plans to see friends while still enjoying summer and working too. It will be busy but oh so fun!

Both my pups enjoying the warm weather!
Categories
Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites #97

Hello everyone! A very happy Friday to you as we make our way through June! I LOVE this time of year. School is out for summer, schedules are allegedly a little more relaxed, nights seem longer, and you want to stay outside for as long as you can. I am truly living my best life. I already went to my first MLB game of the summer last week and had so much fun. Truly a perfect summer day!

Beautiful day for some summer baseball!

Before we get to the weekend and all the fun that comes with it, I’m sharing my latest roundup of what I’m loving this Friday as I link up with  Erika and Andrea 

Here’s what’s been on my radar of things I’m interested in.

Mostly What God Does-I got this book, Mostly What God Does a few months ago, but just got around to reading it. I adore Savannah Guthrie and I was so excited to read her book, especially since it was faith-based. It’s a series of essays about faith, God, his love, and life. You can read it all at once, but I’m choosing to read an essay/passage a night. I finished my other nightly devotional, Near in the Night, and decided this was the perfect time to start a new one. I really love how Guthrie has the book laid out. It gives readers a chance to really focus on the material and then digest it. This has been such a favorite for me.

New Lip Gloss– I got this lip gloss from Ulta Beauty as part of my birthday rewards. I always love to try new beauty and makeup products especially when they are either travel size or free. It gives you a good feel of the product before you invest in a full size. I always use any samples when I am traveling to see if I like them and to use them up. Now, back to the lip gloss. This is a new brand to me, but I love the gloss and shine it gives off. It’s a soft and subtle pink, so it can be worn on top of a darker matte if you are looking for some shine or it can be worn by itself if you are looking to elevate your look a bit. I’ve been really pleased with it, and I can see myself wearing it a lot in the summer months.ย 

Fruit and Granola– I have been in the fruit mode all summer long. I love fruit all year around, but there’s nothing quite like fresh fruit in the summer. Besides enjoying fruit at lunch, I have been enjoying some at night as a post-dinner snack or dessert. Here’s what I have been making, slicing up and fruit I have (strawberries, raspberries, bananas etc), adding a little bit of whipped cream, some mini chocolate chips and granola. It’s been the perfect healthy snack that satisfies my sweet tooth. This would be a great afternoon snack as well. 

Outlander Trailer– One of my favorite series, Outlander is coming back soon and the new trailer for the season dropped this past week. This season is all about the Revolution. The series is winding down so Iโ€™m excited to see how things wrap up. If you are a fan of the series, you can watch the trailer here. Also, for all the fans out there, what do you think of what to expect over the next few episodes?

Lululemon Top-I recently got some new activewear including some tops from Lululemon. Lavendar seems to be the color of the year and I am here for it. I love the lightweightness of the top and how breathable it is, those are two things that I always look for in athletic gear. I have paired this top with both leggings and shorts, but I do prefer the leggings as opposed to shorts. I love how it can be mixed and matched with other patterns since it’s a neutral top. This will definitely be getting a lot of wear in the summer months as I head to the gym, go for a run, or just lounging around the house.

Well there you have it, five of my favorite things from this past week. A mixed bag of clothes, beauty products, some summer snacks and a new book. Tell me: what are some things that have caught your eye recently? Let me know in the comments below! Happy Friday! Have a wonderful weekend!

Categories
Currently

Currently #43

Hi everyone! 

Happy Wednesday! It makes me sad to that we are at the end of July. I feel like June was so well paced and a great introduction to summer and then July came and went in a blink of an eye. There’s always so much anticipation to summer and then it goes by too fast. I know August will be a busy month with end of summer activities and people heading back to school.

Summer is in full bloom!

In good news, I did my best to make the most out of July! From a low key Fourth of July to a concert, seeing friends and some pool days, it was packed full of summer fun in between work. Here’s a look at what I’ve been up to.

What I’m Up To– July started off with the Fourth of July, this year was a bit more lowkey as it fell in the middle of the week and I was working, but my family and I still grilled and enjoyed some Fourth fun and sunshine after work. It’s more about the people and moments than all the extra hustle and bustle.

Our Fourth of July spread

This month, I also made two trips to the Pittsburg area. The first was to catch up with friends for lunch and dinner.  Living long distance and being on different work schedules has made it challenging to see some friends so it was great to catch up in person and enjoy some time outside too.

Catching up with friends is always good for the soul

My second trip was to see Ed Sheeran in concert which was so fun. I saw him back during his Divide tour and I was excited to see him perform songs from all his albums. 

Ed Sheeran’s tour

I also got to enjoy some live music this summer, our city always does a great job at hosting live music events, and I have gone to a few of them. There’s nothing better than live music by the water.

Live music in the summer, a must for summer!

I also enjoyed lots of time outside, having pool and reading days on my days off. We had a stretch of beautiful weather and I tried to soak up as much time outside as possible.

Reading by the pool days
Summer walks by the water.

What I’m Wearing– Last week, I shared some summer outfits that I have been wearing to work, you can read more about it here.

I also have been into skorts and casual skirts recently too. Here’s been some of my favorite looks. 

I have also been wearing shorts and all the graphic t-shirts. They are so easy to throw on for off days especially when I’m outside and just relaxing on days off. 

Also, t-shirt dresses are a major win for me in the summer, they are lightweight and easy to throw on after work or heading out and about to run errands, you look put together with minimal effort. A win across the board.

Perfect for a day in the city

What I’m Reading– I had such a good month for reading. This month has been a mixed bag of genres and they have been so fun!

Happy Place- I couldn’t wait to dive into this book. Happy Place tells the story of six friends reuniting in their favorite spot for one last summer trip together and one of the couples pretending they are still together when they have broken up. The personalities of the friends, the description of the setting and the nostalgia had me craving a week at the lake. I read this book on vacation and it was the perfect beach read. If you havenโ€™t read this book yet or any of Emily Henry’s books, you are missing out.

Such a fun, summer read!

My Hygee Home- I got this book for my birthday and it’s all about making a house a home and ways to incorporate Hygee which is a Danish practice into your home. I learned a lot of practical lessons about ways to make your home cozy and useful and purposeful too. It would be a great coffee table book and a great read too. You can easily finish it in one sitting.

28 Summers- 28 Summers by Elin Hilderbrand was such a fun summer read. Itโ€™s about a man and woman who meet as young college students and agree to meet up every summer in Nantucket no matter what. Now, let me start out by saying, I donโ€™t believe in cheating or having affairs, but I did enjoy reading about how no matter what was going on in these characterโ€™s lives, they always met up every year. I loved seeing how their relationship changed and stayed the same through the years. I also loved reading all about Nantucket and it makes me want to visit even more.

A favorite summer read.

What I’m Watching– Summer is typically a slower time for me for tv shows, but now with streaming services, I feel like there are more options to watch different shows. I’ve done some binge watching, but a lot of these shows have episodes that come out weekly. This summer, I have been watching Outlander, which I have really been enjoying this season, especially the twist with Roger and Brianna. I won’t say more than that to avoid spoilers, but these episodes have been really good.

I also have been watching And Just Like That, every week, again, another light and fun show. In my opinion, season two has had really good episodes and some have fallen flat for me. Overall, I still love the friendships, the fashion and the nostalgia and that’s what draws me in week after week. 

As far as binge-watching goes, I have been watching The Summer I Turned Pretty on Amazon Prime. I never read the books, but I watched the first season last summer and thought it was cute and I wanted to see what was in store for season 2. This season has been definitely more dramatic and intense, but it’s still fun to watch. There are moments that are a bit unrealistic, but overall, it’s a fun show to watch at the end of the day.

Lastly, Sweet Magnolias has been my other go-to binge watch. If watching this show doesn’t make you want to move to a small Southern town, I don’t know what does. I love the aspects of southern hospitality, the one-liners and life lessons and most of all the friendships. Such a fun summer show.

What Inspires Me– I have been inspired by my garden that I started at the beginning of this summer. I am finally seeing some progress and some buds. It’s been exciting to see it grow as I tend to it every day.

My garden so far!
My first set of veggies! Peas!

I’ve also been inspired by finding new places to walk and hike. I have my places that I love to go to, but it’s been fun to find new spots and explore new places and get some exercise too.

Plus no summer would be complete without a trip to the zoo!

What I Accomplished– I’ve been doing my best to soak up summer and I think I’ve been doing a good job with it by trying to build in slower days in a busy schedule. I have also been trying to go to as many events that are traditions and free and fun! Plus, I’ve been doing everything I can do to spend time outside, from reading to grilling outside, I have been soaking up all the sun!

I’ve also been enjoying lots of meals outside.
Plus lots of grilling too!

Goals from Last Month– I made the most of summer and actitvites by crossing things off my summer bucket list. From friends, to new adventures and places and visiting old spots, it’s been a packed month. Plus, throw in some family time and you have a great July!

Summer beach days in July!

I’ve also been enjoying trying new recipes! Last week, I made homemade chicken sandwiches! So good!

A mix between a McChicken and Chick Fil A sandwich! Yum!

Goals for Next Month-The time is almost here. I’m crossing something off my 2023 New Year’s Resolutions and Summer Bucket List by running my first 5K. I have been training for it since the spring and all of this summer and I think I’m almost ready. A 5K may not seem like a huge accomplishment, but for someone who has always hated running, the fact I am excited to do this and have enjoyed the hobby is a big deal to me. I’m looking forward to finishing and accomplishing it next month. I’ve been running longer distances and I’m proud of myself for what my body can do.

Next month, I’m also looking to some family time as we take a little getaway and then some final summer adventures. 

July flew by, but looking back, I accomplished so much. I know August will be busy with trying to get everything done, but I’m excited to see what the next month brings.