WEEKEND

Happy 4th of July week and hooray for 4 day weeks!! Those are just the best, and the 4th of July is probably my favorite holiday (so American of me, I know) so it's a great, great week!

Hope you all had a fun weekend. My weekend was pretty fabulous because I got to spend it with my mom, and in my opinion, there's not a ton that is better than that. Aren't moms just the best?! She got here on Thursday night and we had a great time catching up over dinner at Burger Up. On Friday we met for lunch, then went to J.Crew after work and scored some awesome deals, which put us in an even happier mood than we already were! That night we went to Pinewood Social for a drink, and then had a late dinner at Rolf and Daughters, which was fabulous as always. If you are visiting Nashville, these places are musts in my book, and I think my mom agrees!

On Saturday morning we went to downtown Franklin for the weekly Farmers Market which was awesome. I can't believe I've been in Nashville this long and just went for the first time! We got so many fresh goodies, like lemon pepper pasta, yellow squash, zucchini, tomatoes, bread, peaches, a candle... just really fun. My friend Mary Jeanne met us for lunch at Meridee's and we explored the cute shops in Franklin - one of my recommendations when visiting!

Saturday night we relaxed, drank some wine, and went to Martin's BBQ (more great food!) Sunday brought church, errands, relaxing, and Mellow Mushroom take out to cap it off. It was such a perfect weekend and I'm so glad my mom made the trip. Now it's just 4 days until I head home for the 4th and a family friend's wedding! 

Have a great Monday!

JACK ROGERS GEORGICA JELLY

I have been long loyal to my Jack Rogers - a staple on my feet every spring, summer, and early fall. My constant complaint, however, is the comfort factor. Anyone who tells you Jack Rogers are comfortable to walk in all day is lying to you and probably a little delusional. I'm clearly one of those people who gives up comfort for style. Worth it, I guess?

I recently discovered this gold/platinum version of the Georgica Jelly and I'm kind of into it. I've been a little unsure about the jelly shoe... I wasn't wild about the color options, and worried the plastic jelly part of it looked cheap. I haven't actually seen this version in person, but I think I could possibly get behind it. If anything, it would make my feet happy, right?

GONNA MAKE A CHANGE

When I was in high school and college, I lived a non-stop life. I was constantly doing something, involved in something, planning something. My schedule was insanely full, but I balanced and excelled at it like a pro (at least I think so!) My brain was constantly being stimulated by something new and I rarely felt bored. 

Recently though - and I think since joining the "real world" - I feel like I've been in a little rut. Not that I don't do fun things during the week, I do a lot of that, thanks to my job. But I feel like for the most part if I don't have something planned, my days are pretty monotonous. I go to work for 8+ hours, sometimes work out, come home, eat dinner, go to bed. On some days, that's all I want to do because I'm exhausted. But other days, I think I just do that because it's become the norm... except I don't want that to be the norm.

I think it's easy in our 20's to get stuck in a routine that doesn't really define who we are. I know that I'm not the kind of person who spends every night laying on the couch, but without those structured and defined activities I had in high school and college, it's easy to get in that groove. To break my routine, I'm going to make it a point to start doing something new/different during the week, whether it's baking or cooking a new recipe, doing a craft, reading a book, or exploring a new-to-me part of Nashville. I'm tired of feeling "bored" and I'm ready to make the change that only I myself can make. 

Do you all ever feel this way or is it just me? What do you do to get out of your routine?

thredUP

"I have too many clothes" - said no girl, ever. I typically fall into the category of girl who has a closet full of nothing to wear - which I realize seems very ungrateful of what I have, but let's be honest, we have all been there. 

Recently though, my closet was getting ridiculous. I mean, did I really need that all over sequined top from Loft that I've had since college? It had a few good wears (Taylor Swift concert, for example) but when am I actually going to wear it again? Just taking up space. Same with these American Apparel tulip skirts that were all the rage my sophomore and junior year of college. Perfect condition, but just not me anymore. 

Right around the time I was planning on doing a major closet purge, I discovered thredUP, an online consignment store that actually knows the worth of clothes and what's on trend - unlike Plato's Closet that gives you $3 for a silk blouse you paid $80 for. The process couldn't be any easier: you order a  bag (all fees are currently waived), it's shipped to you, you fill it up as much as you can/want, and send it back. A few days pass while thredUP determines the worth of your bag, then you get an email telling you how much you'll be getting for it. Your items are then for sale through the online store, which you can also shop. One of my favorite things about thredUP is unless your item is considered "designer", you are paid immediately. If it's "designer", you are paid when it sells.  I'll be honest, I was a little nervous I wouldn't get a good ROI, but I have to say I'm very pleased. Another awesome thing about thredUP? A portion of proceeds from every bag goes to Teach For America to support the development of high quality teachers. Can't go wrong with a company that has a philanthropic mission!

For more information, visit thredUP.com.

I'M STILL HERE

I'm really sorry for the radio silence. With personal family matters and the sudden explosion of work and deadlines at my 9-5 job, this little blog hasn't gotten much attention. I don't have anything ground breaking or extraordinary today, but just want to pop in and say I'm still here, and share a few things around the Internet world and my own world I'm loving these days. 

- I'm heading to my first blogger conference in less than a month!!! I'm so excited for the opportunity to go to Atlanta for the Southern Blog Society annual conference and meet tons of bloggers and brands and get inspired to keep doing this. Sometimes it's overwhelming how many bloggers there are with really amazing sites and content, but I'm hoping this will be incredibly inspiring and helpful. On that note, I need to make some business cards... any favorites? I'm looking at Minted right now...

- Heading to a wedding in Virginia this weekend. When did finding an affordable but insanely cute dress become so difficult? Majorly struggling right now.

- I got a KitchenAid mixer last November and just found out I can make my own pasta. Definitely need to follow this guide. I've heard it's insanely easy and so much more delicious than store bought. 

- A great DIY for summer ready feet. Then again, Emily always has the best how-to's. 

- Stumbled across these bloggers and their amazing backyard dinner party. The pictures are seriously stunning and I love the video. Can I throw one too, or better yet, can I be invited to the next?

- If you follow me on Twitter, you know I've been obsessing over John Mayer's cover of XO. Then again, I think the whole world has been. Check it out or you're missing out!

---

Have a great Tuesday! If you don't already, follow me on Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // Pinterest. I promise I won't blow up your feed!

THE TASSEL TREND

I don't know if you all have realized, but tassels are having a major moment right now. Specifically tassel earrings. I'm personally a huge fan - it's a super easy and fun way to dress up an outfit and ever since I saw these ones by Oscar de la Renta, I fell in love. Because these earrings are so popular, there are a ton of different styles and price points: beaded ones from Kate Spade Saturday and the ever popular Lisi Lerch or silk ones from Lou.C. Jewelry. If you are up to it, it's a super easy DIY project (here and here). Guys probably think they are super strange, but let's be honest, fashion isn't about dressing for men. 

Are you embracing the tassel trend? 

--

image 1 // 2 // 3

MY SWEET GRANDPA

It is with a heavy heart I write that my sweet grandpa passed away early this morning. He was a wonderful person, passionate about his alma mater Wisconsin and the Green Bay Packers. He loved spending time in his garden - tulips were his favorite flower, and listening to Frank Sinatra. Most of all, he loved his family and he loved Jesus. While we are all so sad that he is no longer with us on Earth, we are so happy and comforted to know that he is in heaven - he was so excited to meet Jesus and see heaven (we laughed that sometimes he seemed a little too excited to get there). I'm so glad that I have an amazing angel watching over me and I know that he's happy in heaven with a gorgeous garden and laughing with his brother Roger. I love you, Grandpa Otto, and I will see you up there.

LIFE LATELY, SPRING EDITION

Life lately.... just when I planned on being an all star blogger and start posting regularly, I went into a little funk in my personal life, found out my photographer for my outfit posts got a new job (anyone know of someone who will take my picture for cheap?!), and felt overall blah day to day. But in those day to days there were some super happy and good moments - enjoy the pictures and what I've been up to - and sorry in advance for the lengthy post!

Kentucky Derby - Ali's Bachelorette Party 

The month kicked off with my birthday, of course (May 1!!!), but also my best friend Ali's bachelorette party at the Kentucky Derby. It was the best and her sister did such an amazing job organizing and planning the whole thing. Twenty girls were able to make the trip, which is just such a testament to how much we love Ali and value her friendship, and we had the best time celebrating her! On Friday we went to the Oaks where we drank plenty of bourbon. Saturday we went to the race and ventured into the infield. Thank goodness we found the Vineyard Vines tent, conveniently hosting a live band from Nashville and located next to a Woodford Reserve tent and food trucks. My phone was stolen (downer) but for the most part we made it out alive. Too. much. fun.

Steeplechase

I think it's safe to say Steeplechase is one of the most anticipated weekends here in Nashville. This year it was supposed to pour rain on Friday and Saturday, and because Steeplechase is in the middle of a grassy field, that would have been a huge downer. Luckily we made it through Saturday without any rain and had an awesome day hanging out drinking and kind of watching horse races.

Memorial Day Weekend

Initially I had plans to go to Florida for MDW, because you have to take advantage of that extra vacation day, right?! And as much as I love Nashville, I needed to get away from everything. Luckily two of my best friends from home were heading to their lake house in Southern Illinois for the weekend, so Patrick and I joined the party. It was exactly what I needed - three days of total relaxation. No makeup, no outside world, just a boat, the lake, and a lot of Summer Shandy and Sweetwater beer. Pure bliss.

Now it's June and officially summer - so happy for consistently warm weather!