Monthly Musings ~ July 2021 Summer Fashion

 Today I am linking up with Patty and Holly for Monthly Musings talking about summer fashion.  And, lawdy, it is getting hot around here this week!

1.  Bikini, Tankini or One Piece?

Tankini with a swim skirt...or maybe a one piece if I am just with my family.

2.  Best Swimsuit you ever owned?

It is from Land's End and I looked online, but cannot find it anywhere.  I probably have had this for almost 10 years.  And of course there are no pictures with me wearing it, ha!

3.  White jeans....Yes or No?

I do like a good pair of white jeans. Right now, it is too hot to think about wearing jeans, but here is a picture from earlier in the summer.

4.  Favorite pair of flip flops?

I can't say that I have a favorite pair of flip flops, but I do have a new favorite pair of summer shoes. I bought these from Designer Shoe Warehouse with a sale and coupons for $15 earlier this summer.  They are currently on sale and there are often coupons to use as well.  The shoe is super cute and comfortable.  I will be wearing them to work today!

5.  Must have summer accessory?

I would say sunscreen for sure! My new sunscreen this year is the Supergoop Glow Screen.  I bought this when Sephora had their sale earlier this summer and have enjoyed it.

6.  Favorite summer fashion staple?

Ponytail holders :).  Although, I am hoping to get a hair cut in the next few days.

7.  Skirts or shorts?

I would prefer skirts, but I have been wearing shorts more often this summer.  I just got two pair from Amazon this summer. I bought a green and black pair.

8.  Any brands that just say summer to you?

None come to mind!

9.  Favorite summer scent?

This lotion! I received a free small size to try from Sephora last year and have used it this summer. It is something I had always wanted to try, but a little pricey for my budget, so I have enjoyed my free container this summer. It is something I wouldn't use year-round though.

10.  Do you switch your handbag in summer?

I don't.  I usually use the same one year-round, but I do try to change that up about once a year.  

Hope you all have a great day & thanks for reading!

What's Up Wednesday ~ July 2021

Hi friends!  Here we are with month 7 of 2021 What's Up Wednesday! Can you believe it?

What we're eating this week.................

Monday - spaghetti

Tuesday - out to celebrate the new job

Wednesday - leftovers

Thursday - BBQ, hashbrowns, broccoli

Weekend - ???

 

What I'm reminiscing about..................

Is it bad I am not really reminiscing about much right now?  I need to just live a little more in the present. 

What I'm loving................

This month I loved time with my family.  Our oldest was home for 5 days, which is the longest stretch she has been home since Christmas and also my husband and I had some time to ourselves while our youngest was at church camp for a week.

What we've been up to...............

Weekend trips!

This month, my husband and I went to a cabin in East Tennessee.   Last weekend, the 3 of us went to a lake in North Alabama with two other couples from our church. One of the other couples brought their teenager daughter who is a good friend of our daughter, so it was so fun to have them there.  We haven't done something like that in a long time.

This is a view from the back deck of the cabin to the lake.

We took a Friday night boat ride.

Saturday, we did some kayaking then took the girls for a tubing ride.

What I'm dreading..............

While I am thankful for school resuming soon, it will be an adjustment to get out of the house early every morning with school and work beginning.

What I'm working on..............

I am working on getting my old car repaired so my older daughter can drive it to school. It was surprising to find out how backed up auto body shops are with their work loads.

What I'm excited about.................

I have a new car! I am super thankful as we are doing some switches of cars around here.  

What I'm watching/reading............

I finished my Pioneer Woman book and have begun reading a book on Ruth, called the The Romance of Redemption by Tommy Vinson, a local pastor.  We consider them family to us as my sister married into his family.  

I am watching the new season of Virgin River and Ted Lasso.

What I'm listening to.............

I am listening to podcast, but less these days.  I still enjoy Office Ladies and Big Boo Podcast.

What I'm wearing.................

As the heat has increased this week, so has wearing dresses!

What I'm doing this weekend................

Hopefully not much!  I plan on staying home after two weekends away and catching up on life at home.

What I'm looking forward to next month...........

I have one more weekend trip to North Carolina to see my in-laws and one of my closest friends I haven't seen in a few years.

What else is new..............

I started a new job this week!  I am the new program director of a non-profit called The Forrest Spence Fund.  I encourage you to click on this link to learn more about the organization and how you can help.  This is a part-time job for me and I am looking forward to the challenge of learning new skills, being a part of a rewarding job by serving families and the flexibility of a part-time job.  Please pray for me as I begin this new adventure full of adjustments for me and my family.

 

Friday Favorites ~ July 23, 2021

I am always so glad for the weekend.  Today I am sharing favorites from the last 2 weeks.

I was gifted a starter box from Fab Fit Fun.  With this, you only receive 4 small gifts.  Honestly, I wasn't super impressed, but am wondering if this gets better with the regular boxes.  Has anyone tried this beyond the starter box?

We have started watching the new season of Virgin River.  I have mixed thoughts going so far, but overall, I do really like this show.

I had a sweet day date with this young lady from church this week.  I always love getting a hug from her at church & it was fun to have some one-on-one time.

I ordered just two items from the Nordstrom sale this year.  The first thing arrived this week...my Stila eyeliner.  This is my strongest loyalty when it comes to make-up & I stock up every year at this sale.  If you need an eyeliner, this is my favorite.  It is a liquid eyeliner, but goes on smooth, doesn't smudge and stays all day.  Side note, my other item is a pair of jeans that I am waiting to arrive.

This is a favorite from last week, but we hosted a MLB All-Star father/son party with some guys from our church.  I always love a reason to decorate.

We had a great array of snacks and filled this platter with bratwurst and hot dogs.

It was fun having my oldest home for a few days too!

Have a great weekend!

 

Life Lately ~ July 20, 2021

 

Today's post is a random assortment of pictures from this summer.  

Back in May, we had some teammates we worked with in Bogota' come stay with us.  Of course, coffee was served in our Colombian mugs.  This couple lives in Dallas now, but it was great to have time to re-connect.

Speaking of Colombia, today is Colombia's Independence Day.  We also were able to see some other friends who still live in Bogota'.  They were in the states visiting and it was fun to catch up with them at a gathering.

This picture is a throwback to my childhood.  The lady in this picture taught me elementary school in 5th & 6th grade!!  Another one of my classmates joined us for lunch.  He and I went to elementary, junior high and high school together.  This was such a fun lunch of reminiscing!

On the house front, we had this huge fan installed on our back porch.  It keeps it so cool out there, even in the summertime. Thankfully, most of our summer has been pretty mild.

A few weeks ago, we got dressed up and went to a wedding.

Afterwards, the 4 of us went out to dinner.  It was fun to be with our girls and see them be silly with one another.

Brook spent a week at church camp and we practiced being empty nesters. We started the day with lunch at the Piccadilly :)

We also spent time with friends at their pool, had dinner and watched a movie.

I will be back later in the week.  Enjoy your day and thanks for reading!

July 19, 2021 ~ Weekend Away

 Happy Monday!  Our daughters are visiting grandparents, so we had the opportunity to have a weekend away. It was much needed and we stayed at a cabin with no wi-fi.  We barely had a phone signal and just had a little bit of connectivity as we would drive to restaurants.

We took several easy hikes.

We stayed in this log cabin originally built in Virginia at the end of War World II and then it was re-built on this property in Tennessee.

We found this restaurant tucked away across a creek Friday night.  We won the 80's trivia contest!

Saturday morning, we went to this throwback store from the past and had breakfast here.  

Among the random things they were selling, there was a bible that was free, which was awesome to see.

We explored a little bit of this Recreation Area, a place my husband has always wanted to visit.

We went to a wine tasting at the oldest winery in Tennessee.

Then we ate a late lunch/early dinner at a diner in the back of this store, which was also a blast from the past.  I love going in old general stores!

I also indulged in this dessert.  

Back at the cabin, I did some reading on the front porch and we enjoyed the scenery.

So thankful for time away, now back to the week at home, which I am also thankful to have!

Linking up with Tanya today.