currently

I don't know about y'all, but I felt like this week was the LONGEST. Anyone else?! It didn't help that I woke up Tuesday morning very out of it, like thinking it was Sunday... just a litttttle off.  I'm headed to Illinois this weekend for my cousin's wedding - the first wedding of the summer for me! I'm excited to see my family. It's so rare that we all get to be together now! 

I don't know about you all, but I'm loving so many of the summer arrivals. I think there's an ongoing list of 20+ things in my head I'd like to buy right now! This week, in the world of things I'm loving...

CLOTHING  |  Ann Taylor has, in my opinion, just been killing it this season. I love this palm leaf skirt and actually the entire outfit. Speaking of killing it, the old J.Crew looks like it's returning. These ikat pants look so comfortable! And - even better - J.Crew is offering 25% off all items, and Ann Taylor has 40% off skirts, tops, and shorts. I want this top, skirt, dress, and this sweater tank. 

SHOES  |   At work we can only wear sandals that have backs (good thing I didn't buy new Jack Rogers). I love these studded sandals - a perfect heel height!

ACCESSORIES  |   I don't know where I've been, but I recently rediscovered Tuckernuck and I am obsessed with so much of it. How awesome are those red earrings?! I would pair them with a crisp white top and white jeans and feel oh so chic. And the pom pom clutch is just too cute, and under $50! 

HOME  |   The pineapple cheese board is just calling my name. It would be a great wedding shower gift, or honestly just a gift for yourself! And I've been burning the Aloha Orchid candle nonstop - it has such a fresh smell and I love it. 

Have a great weekend! I'll see you back Monday with another outfit post! 

love this home: patio decor

When I chose to move to the apartment I'm currently living in, one big selling point was the porch space that came with it. I'm all for spending as much time as possible outside when it's nice out, and a porch is the perfect place to read a book, drink some wine, or eat dinner on spring and summer nights!

I moved way back in January, so there wasn't a hurry to get furniture for the space considering the freezing temps. But now that Lexington is having consistently warm temperatures, I'm dyyyying that I'm not using the space! Time to get my butt in gear, because the current space is empty. Except a grill. And that's depressing when it's beautiful and sunshine-y.

I have had a few different seating options in mind, and in an ideal world, I'd have this or this, but I'm I've decided on these adirondack chairs because they are the most budget friendly (by far), so if (and when) I move, it won't be a heartbreak if they don't fit my new space. They are also deeper than a lot of seating options, so it's perfect for curling up and reading a book. I'm thinking lots of twinkly lights for the covered part, and cushy pillows and poufs to act as extra seating when I need it. I also want/need a dining option, but I'll have to see what I can fit. I have a vision of dinner parties out there, but I don't know if the space is big enough for a table that fits more than 2 people!

Follow the progress along here and on snapchat (rblack2761) and instagram (@lovethislifeblog)!

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(image 1, 2)

FIXER UPPER OBSESSED

Y'all, I have a major addiction. Like it might be a problem. Have you seen HGTV's newest hit show Fixer Upper? It's a home renovation show based in Waco, TX. The hosts and renovators, Chip and Joanna Gaines are the cutest people ever with an amazing sense of design. I'm not kidding when I say I'm ready to pack my bags and move to Waco so they can design a home for me. 

I've always loved any kind of "before and after" - makeovers on Oprah, What Not To Wear, Trading Places... the list goes on - and Fixer Upper does not disappoint. Chip and Joanna are incredible. They literally can take any home at any budget and completely transform it into something entirely different, beautiful, and amazing. Every single time I watch I think "WHOA!" 

Like, what?! Also, I'm ready to move into that living room now.

No, that can't be the same house. But it is. 

Now, not every kitchen is in that bad of shape, but that is a total transformation. This entire house was actually a crazy transformation.

I think what I love more about Fixer Upper than other design and renovation shows is that I truly love Joanna's style. Obviously, not everything is completely my style, but I'm pinning and making mental notes for my someday house. Joanna does such a good job of making each home unique to the couple living there and it's the details that make the show so amazing. 

To get the Fixer Upper look, you can shop Magnolia Homes online! I love these wooden trays, this side table, this sign for a nursery, these bud vases... I could keep going. 

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Have you seen Fixer Upper? What's your design style like?

MINTED + ART MARKETPLACE

When it comes to holiday cards or invitations, I instantly think of Minted. They have beautiful designs and a great offering. What I didn't realize, however, is that Minted has so much more than just cards - day planners, stationery, holiday decor, and most surprising to me, art prints! I seriously was blown away. The art prints are really cool because Minted sources from independent artists across the United States... and you know how I feel about supporting local artists! Plus, the art is well priced and there is a variety of frame options if you want to go that route.

So now that the holidays are over (finally took down my Christmas decorations... 14 days later), I feel like I need to do a little apartment refresh to get in the mood for spring! My apartment feels a little empty and sad without the Christmas decor, so what better time than now?! I've pulled a few of my favorite prints from Minted + fun home accessories to get a more bright, cheerful look going on!

Very springy, but hey,  that's the state of mind I'm in! How great are those prints? This is just a very tiny offering of what is available - so check out the new art marketplace! 

Have a great Thursday, friends! We are almost to the weekend!!!!

Prints: Top// Middle // Bottom

Home Accessories:  Coasters // Diptyque Roses Candle // Jute Braided Pillow // Boxwood Topiary // Lanterns // Deco Shells Pillow

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This post was sponsored by Minted. Thank you to Minted for supporting Love This Life!

COFFEE TABLE BOOKS

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend. Always too soon to go back to work though, isn't it?

Today I'm talking coffee table books and a few that are on my wishlist/radar. I personally love them and think they are a great source of inspiration as well as information. With the holiday season (is that actually almost here?!) around the corner, they can also function as awesome gifts.

Kate Spade: Places To Go, People To See

I love Kate Spade's The Things We Love - so many colorful and beautiful images, so I can only imagine this one is equally as good. Plus that green cover? Definitely makes a statement on any coffee table.

Elements of Style: Designing a Home & A Life

I have followed Erin's blog for a couple years now and she has impeccable taste in both interior design and fashion, plus a general sense of wit and humor. I have heard nothing but great things about this book - sometimes when bloggers publish a book, it's a total rendition of their blog - but it doesn't seem like that is the case with Erin's book. On the wishlist.

Camille Styles Entertaining: Inspired Gatherings and Effortless Style

Camille is just a little bit of a pro when it comes to entertaining. The book has tons of ideas for throwing the perfect party - from simple DIYs to recipes, to craft cocktails and playlists. A perfect gift for any friend that loves to entertain (or aspires to). 

Tory Burch: In Color

Tory Burch is an icon when it comes to classic style and fashion, so should we expect anything less from her book? The book is organized by color and full of inspiration from her travels across the globe, her personal entertaining advice, interviews with business leaders, and more. Not your run of the mill fashion book - Tory actually takes it to a new level and pulls it off, of course, effortlessly.

Any great books that you have your eye on?

WEEKEND

Hello chickadees! Did everyone have a great weekend/Monday? I was home this weekend for my best friend's wedding shower (October 18th is so close!!!) and while it felt like a really quick trip, it was perfect and much needed.

I'm always happy to be at home and spend time with my family and friends from growing up, but this weekend in particular reminded me just how lucky I am to have them in my life. My friends and I don't live in the same city, and we typically only see each other a couple times a year, but when we are together, we pick up right where we left off. Saturday was one of those perfect days, and with the exception of all the summer shandys I drank, it felt like we were back to age 12, jumping off the diving boards and spending all day and all night at the pool. I cherish these friends of mine - we've been together since age 8 or before - and when you have friends for that long, you just get each other.

It's rare, I think, to have friends that are considered family, and family that is considered friends. I feel very blessed to say I have both. :)

A NEW PRINT

For Christmas, my sister gave me some prints that she made while still in school at Georgia. This past weekend I finally framed them and I'm obsessed. Last night while she was in town, we (and I mean she) started laying out the gallery wall to go above my couch. We realized that I needed a couple more prints to add a little more diversity to what I do have, so after a little Etsy searching, I found the above print from Pretty Chic. I personally love (ha!) it, and think it's going to be perfect when it all comes together - which I will definitely be showing on the blog!

If you are looking for a new addition to your walls, definitely check out the shop. There are so many cute options, like this and this, and they come in multiple sizes, which is great. 

Have a great Thursday!

SMALL SPACES

I've never particularly liked the idea of living in a small space, like a studio apartment or a teensy tiny apartment in Chicago or New York, but after following The Everygirl home tours, I'm kind of rethinking my stance on the whole tiny living thing. After all, the less space you have, the less space you need to decorate. Which is not such a bad thing when you are 24 and slightly poor. And aren't the above pictures amazing? They are all studio apartments, which is kind of crazy when you think about it.

What are your thoughts on small spaces? Yay or nay?


images from The Everygirl

I'M A FLORIST!

For awhile now, I have wanted to learn how to do flower arrangements. I've even searched online to see if Nashville offers any day classes for it (they don't - at least I haven't found any). Better than a class though, was helping my mom put together our arrangements for Thanksgiving. I think my mom is amazing at everything she does, and flower arrangements is definitely high on the list. The poor iPhone quality doesn't exactly do them justice - but aren't these flowers gorgeous? Everything came from our local grocery store and let me tell you, it was so easy to put together! I'm looking forward to putting together more arrangements... so time to start planning a party! Who wants to come?!

LIFE LATELY PART TWO: FOURTH OF JULY

Without a doubt, one of my favorite holidays is the Fourth of July. I love grilling out, summertime, and fireworks, so it's an obvious match. It's always been a holiday that I spend with my family and friends, and I have so many fond memories of watching the parade, greased watermelon and coin dives at the pool, and scrambling to make it to the big pine tree in front of Memorial Stadium to watch the fireworks. I also love the Fourth due to growing up going to our country club's 3rd of July party which is always a guaranteed good time of fireworks, live music, and non stop dancing. Being in Hilton Head and Atlanta for the past 4 summers, I've missed out on these good times at home (although I always made up for it - not to worry) but this year, my five best friends and I finally managed to get to Champaign for the holiday. It. Was. The. Best. Since the Fourth falls on a Friday next year, I think we are going to have to make a repeat performance.


 We all got into Champaign by Wednesday so we didn't miss the 3rd party. So much fun being with our families and family friends!

A highlight of the night might have been when the band finished playing (last song was questionable) and we broke out in Camp Tecumseh flag pole songs. Completely normal. And no night in Champaign is complete without a stop to Steak N Shake, which we totally did. Double steakburger, please!


For the Fourth, we drove down to Southern Illinois to spend a couple days at the Sullivan's lake house on Lake of Egypt. It was so relaxing and just what I needed for a mid-summer vacation!

 

Years ago, Kaitlyn and I stayed up till 3:00 AM to finish a clock puzzle. We didn't see it anywhere in the house (completed puzzles typically get framed) until we played some beer pong and Kaitlyn started screaming. It was such a joyous moment!

We were also lucky that more family friends from Champaign were at the lake at the same time, so we had a great time having happy hours with them and playing on the water trampoline with the kids. Eight year olds at heart, I'm telling you!

It was such a great extended weekend and holiday - but I'm definitely ready for another vacay soon. Luckily I'm heading to Hilton Head with my family in 2 short weeks. Cannot wait!

On more happy news, it's Friday!! I have a few fun plans for the weekend and I hope you all do too! 

Hooray weekend!

PEACE OUT!

Wheeeeeeee it's the weekend!!!! At the beginning of the week, I planned on staying around Nashville and enjoying what is supposed to be a sunny and rain-free Saturday and Sunday. On Wednesday my mom called me to see what I thought about coming home since both Jane and Peter are home and it's rare that we are all together. Not to mention, Illinois is hosting the men's tennis NCAA championship this weekend and as a former Illinois tennis groupie (more on that another time), it's pretty much necessary I go. So I'm headed off to the wonderful Champaign for the weekend!  And can I just say - I love that I can just drive home for a random weekend and it's not a huge ordeal!!!

Hope everyone has a great weekend doing fun things!

Weekend Review - Home Again

There really is nothing like going home and seeing the friends and families you grew up with. This past weekend, I was home for a wedding, but it was so wonderful to be in Champaign, even if it felt like hardly any time at all. While my time was incredibly limited, I still managed to pack in a lot. On Saturday morning I woke up early to spend time with my mom, tour her garden, and eat waffles with the family. We went to our favorite girls' soccer game and watched both of them score goals. I saw my two friends get married, and in between the ceremony and reception, stopped by the Hobbs' for a Derby party to visit with more family and friends. By 6:00 we were back to the country club for an evening of - no joke - non stop dancing to Maggie Speaks. Sunday brought church and brunch on the club with the family - so wonderful. It was such a lovely and perfect weekend, and reminded me of how lucky I am to have such a great hometown to go back to. I'm not sure when my next visit will be, but hopefully it is before Thanksgiving! That's just a little too long to go without some Champaign loving :)

Our two soccer stars

Mint Juleps in honor of the Derby

My horse bets

Best friends dancing to Maggie Speaks... Christy couldn't look more beautiful!