Friday Favorites | Summer Must Haves

It's Friday and you all know what that means... I am linking-up with Andrea, Erika, and Narci for another edition of Friday Favorites! This week I am talking about Summer Must Haves - Enjoy!!

 

Cute Swimwear

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My favorite swim suits lately are from Lilly Pulitzer - and as many of you know many of my favorite items are from here. I totally understand that not everyone is a fan of Lilly so I found a few other choices from Nordstrom and Victoria's Secret too.

A Great Beach Bag 

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A few years ago my mother-in-law got me a Lilly Cooler [like this] that I started using as my Beach Bag. I love it and have a couple now. This year I am thinking about checking out one of these other options from Hayden Reis or Pacific Tote Company.

Beach Towels and Blankets

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I love a huge beach towel - I absolutely hate small beach towels and they drive me crazy! I am a huge fan of oversized beach towels and blankets. I typically have the best luck at places like Homegoods or TJ Maxx but also think Target and Nordstrom have great towel and blanket options!

 Sandals



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Living in Fort Lauderdale I feel that sandals are a must have year round! I do not think a day goes by that I don't throw on sandals to head out of the house to walk the dog or run errands. With the exception of work I typically wear sandals all of the time! Last year I bought a cute pair of brown Tory Burch sandals and they are my go-to [similar pair]. I need a few more pairs of sandals for this summer and love the look these 5 pairs!

Sunglasses

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A good pair of sunglasses is a necessity year round - but especially during the summer months. I cannot live without my sunglasses and always have croakies (sunglass straps) so that I do not lose them. I am thinking about getting a new pair of avaitors for the summer - but also really like these other options! Which pair should I go with?!

What are your must have items for summer? Anything I'm missing - let me know! Thanks for stopping by. See you next Friday for another edition of Friday Favorites!

Friday Favorites | This Week

Today I am linking-up with Andrea, Erika, and Narci for another edition of Friday Favorites! My favorites this week are quite random - but I'm excited about all of them!

 

Last Weekend in Ohio

My family are my favorites! I absolutely love hanging out with them and this past weekend was no different. From beers, to golf, to a wedding - it was non-stop fun! Read more about it here in my Wednesday Weekly Recap!

My First Stitch Fix

I signed up for Stitch Fix and received my first fix this month! I wrote an entire post about it here yesterday, where you can find more details on the Stitch Fix process and items I received! This is my favorite item from the fix and I am super excited to wear it to work today. Check out my Instagram to see how I style it today!

Heading to Virginia This Weekend

On Wednesday, Jonathan headed to Virginia for work and to play in a member-guest golf tournament. On Thursday Jonathan and our brother-in-law Finn decided I should head to Virginia for the weekend. We bought a ticket, and I head to Virginia tomorrow after work for a fun weekend with these favorites! I'm looking forward to seeing everyone this weekend - I love spontaneous and unexpected trips!

 Podcasts | Serial

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Until this week I never listened to any podcasts - but now I am obsessed. My friend Madeline told me to check out Serial, and I listened to all 12 episodes over 2 days. For the majority of the world, I am sure you already knew about this. For those of you like me, who had no clue... here are a few details!

The podcast is a 12-part series that tells the story of a man in his 30's that was convicted of murder when he was a teenager. The series discusses the evidence, and sometimes lack there of. The narrator interviews many people that were involved in the trial or knew of the trial - so many interesting (and confusing) accounts by different people. If you want to know more - check it out here!

#JonathanAndJackie | 23rd Monthaversary

My husband, Jonathan is not only my best friend but he is my absolute favorite person EVER! We have so much fun together no matter what we are doing and I can't wait to see him late tonight. It is crazy to think that tomorrow we will celebrate our 23rd Monthaversary.... and next month will mark 2 years since our wedding day! I love you JFo! xoxo

Friday Favorites | Pizza Night

Today I am linking-up with Andrea, Erika, and Narci for another edition of Friday Favorites! I can't wait to see what favorites you guys are highlighting this week!

A few weeks ago Jonathan and I started a new family tradition that we hope will last us a lifetime and be something memorable for our children in the future. On Friday's from now on we have pizza! I have had a lot of fun trying new combinations of toppings. Take a look at a few of our favorites from the past couple of weeks, and some great pizza night supplies I have my eye on!

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I think that the key to a good pizza is the crust. I typically love thin crust pizza but Jonathan likes a hand toss. I have been looking for different options ad am not yet brave enough to make my own pizza dough. I have tried Stonefire Naan as a crust and we LOVE it. The first couple of weeks we went with the Original but have switched to the mini Naan because it gives me an opportunity to try a few more toppings each week!

  

The first week that I found the mini naan at Publix I tried 4 different pizzas for dinner.

Tomato | Basil | Fresh Mozzarella

Pear | Prosciutto

Pepperoni | Bacon

Pepperoni | Green Peppers | Banana Peppers



Last week we had a friend over for dinner, so I doubled the number of pizzas that I made. I made some of the same from the week before but added a few new choices.

Pepperoni | Green Peppers

Bacon | Chicken | Barbecue Sauce

Buffalo Chicken

Bacon | Pepperoni | Chicken

Let me know if you have any great ideas for pizza toppings so that I can try them next week!

Friday Favorites | Lilly for Target

Today I am linking-up with Andrea, Erika, and Narci for another edition of Friday Favorites! I am super excited for the collaboration between Lilly Pulitzer and Target as they are two of my all time favorite stores! Here are the items I'm most excited about and hoping to be able to pick-up!

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If you "google" Lilly for Target you will come up with a ton of different websites that are showing the items from the collaboration, articles about the collaboration and also photos. Here is a link to the entire look book, as shown by Target. You can find the link for shopping here, and it goes live on April 19th! Now on to my favorites! Let me know what you are planning on purchasing too!

Must Haves

navy dress | floral dress | pink dress | scarf | shorts

If you want to know what items I want to purchase, that would be just about everything that is going to be offered. Who knows what will be available, how I will like the fit, or what I will actually decide on getting but these are definitely some must haves from the women's selection.

Home Décor Items

basket | square pillow | wine stoppers | rectangle pillow | chair

I have wanted to redecorate my guest bedroom for the past 6 months or so. I finally decided that I was ready, and then found out that Lilly for Target was going to include home décor items! I decided to hold off and I am happy that I did. Hopefully I'll be able to find all of these great items to incorporate into my guest room makeover and a few to take to the beach! :)

Beauty, Accessories and Gift Ideas

bobby pins | lipstick | sandals | makeup case | tassle pouch

weekend bag | sandals | tote | bracelet | clutch

Here are more of my favorites - smaller items and things that would be great gift ideas. I start Christmas shopping in January and I'm likely going to try and pick up some of these great steals for the Lilly lovers in my family!

I hope you Lilly Lover out there are able to pick up some of these awesome items when they hit the Target stores and website on April 19th!

Friday Favorites | Weekend Activities Edition

For anyone that works in the hospitality industry, you will know that our "weekends" are typically days during the week. A couple of months ago my role at work changed [for the better] and my typical days off are now Sunday and Monday. Check out some of my favorite weekend activities below as I link-up with Andrea, Erika, and Narci for another edition of Friday Favorites!

Spending time with Jonathan | For many people, spending time with your husband or significant other is a given on your weekend. For Jonathan and I this is the first time in our relationship that we regularly have a day off together - and we are making the most of our Sunday's!

Since we have only had a day off together for a few month, we are still finding our routine and exploring all of the fun things we can find around Fort Lauderdale. We have made our way to Bimini Boatyard for quite a few brunches - but recently found this list of best brunches in Fort Lauderdale and think we are going to try to make it to all of them in the upcoming months!

We also like to head out to the golf course, and play a round. While I have my own golf clubs and have taken a few lessons, I am definitely not ready to play a round of golf with Jonathan. Instead, I ride along and only putt. We have challenges regarding putting and I have already won a pair of golf shoes! [I still need to pick them out - recommendations are greatly appreciated] When we head out next time I am also going to start chipping... I am working my way backwards towards playing a full hole!

Jonathan and I LOVE watching movies - we watch them on Netflix, on TV, or in the theatres. We will watch anything that is recommended to us, or that we randomly stumble upon. I tend to like movies that are based on real events, or involve sports while Jonathan loves comedies. Most Sundays end with dinner and a movie. We typically make dinner at home and watch the movie in bed, but occasionally we will head out for a bite to eat and watch a movie that is in the theatre.

Fun in the Sun | Living in Fort Lauderdale where the average temperature is around 75 degrees, I am lucky enough to live somewhere that has nice weather year round. When I was younger and lived in Ohio I always thought I would spend so much time outside if I lived in a place like this, but the reality is that I feel like I don't spend enough time outside. I am making it a point to do more outdoor activities and have found some fun things to do on my days off.

In addition to golfing, Jonathan and I love to play a round or two of putt-putt or head to the beach for a walk. I do not care for laying out at the beach as I am NOT a fan of the sand, or ocean, or crowds of people but I do enjoy walking on the beach. I especially love walking on the beach in Hilton Head, South Carolina because you don't sink into the sand when you walk the beach!

When I have days off on my own, or with some of my girl friends I will spend the day laying out at my pool. I enjoy reading a book, sometimes having a drink, and getting a tan. I can only do it for a couple of hours but it is nice to feel the sun on your face and get a little color.

I also enjoy working out with my trainer outside. We have a nice covered area at my pool where we do most of our workouts. It provides shade from the sun, and a little breeze and is never being used. Working out in my pool area also allows us to have an aqua fitness class when it is a hot day, which is a great way to spend my day off!

Reading | I know a ton of people that never read books, and I cannot understand it. In the 5 years that I have lived with Jonathan he has not read a whole book. He may start a book, read a few pages, or skim through it but doesn't enjoy reading books. If I don't have too busy of a day off, or if I am spending it at the pool I will sometimes read an entire book. In the past 2 weeks I have read 6 books. I likely would have read more, but I ran out of books to read and need to pick up some more. I have thought about writing a post on the books I have read lately, but there were only a few that I would recommend so I want to get through a few more before doing so.

I am planning on going to my local library next week, to pick up a few more books to read. If you have any recommendations, let me know!

Shopping | I could go shopping every day of the week, and never buy anything. I love looking for good deals or spending time finding exactly what I am looking for [as long as I don't need it immediately]. I am one of those people that starts holiday shopping months before I need to - because I want to find a good deal and find things that my family and friends will truly enjoy. I have already bought a few Mother's Day gifts and only have one left to buy!

I also enjoy slowly decorating the rooms in my house. I am never done decorating, and always have a project or two going on. I am about to start decorating my guest room - I want new bedding, lamp shades, and artwork for the room. I haven't decided what it will look like but I know if I look long enough I will find something I love. Jillian's room is also a work in progress. When she was born we didn't have much in the room since we were only 21 weeks along. Since then I have slowly worked on her room, refinishing a dresser, hanging her pictures, and building a storage solution in her closet.

While the list is endless as to the places I like to shop, I do have my favorites and go-to places. Sawgrass Mills has most every store I like to shop in - and you can always find good deals if you are willing to spend time walking around. The mall is huge, but I know where my favorites are and can make my way around there pretty quickly. If I am looking for home and décor items I typically head to HomeGoods, Pottery Barn, Target, and Ikea.

Nothing | While we typically spend our weekend days doing something, there are days when I truly like to do nothing. The days where you stay in your pajamas, browse Pinterest / Instagram / Facebook, watch TV, and lay around. At the end of the day you don't know where the time went and realize you were not really productive all day. Being type A, it is truly rare that I have a day like this - but once every 4-6 months I really do enjoy a day of truly doing nothing.

Let me know if you have an good ideas of things to do on the weekends. We are always looking for something new to try!

Friday Favorites | Red Wine

I am linking-up with Andrea, Erika, and Narci for another edition of Friday Favorites! This week I'm talking about my favorite Red Wines! I gave up alcohol for Lent this year, so I figured if I can't drink wine I should let everyone know my favorites so that you can have some!

There are three types of red wine that I usually choose from. My personal favorite is Pinot Noir, and this is my go-to. My second choice would be a Cabernet Sauvignon. Jonathan doesn't like strong red wines, but we have found that he likes most Malbec, so this is my choice if we are sharing a bottle. I picked bottles that range from $10 - $25. Something for everyone!

Pinot Noir

 My go-to Pinot Noir is the Coppola Diamond Pinot Noir. This can be picked up at Total Wine, Publix, or even some of the drug stores in the area. It has a great taste, and is very smooth. Recently I tried the D'Autrefois Reserve Pinot Noir during a wine tasting at Total Wine. I was impressed by how much I liked this bottle.

Malbec

Jonathan and I try most new Malbec wines when we are at restaurants and I usually forget to write down the bottles that we like. We have also tried a variety of options from local stores. The Gascon Malbec and Gascon Malbec Reserve are two of our favorites and usually our first choices for a bottle at home. We also really like the Coppola Diamond Malbec.

Cabernet Sauvignon

When Jonathan and I first moved to Savannah, I discovered my love of Louis Martini Cabernet. I had it at The Olde Pink House and have been a big fan ever since. This is also my first choice for making a red sangria! The Coppola Diamond Cabernet is another great option for cabernet, as I am a big fan of all Coppola wines!

Apothic Dark

Last Fall I was in Virginia, and we had a wine tasting at a family friends house. It was during this tasting that I discovered Apothic Dark, and I have been hooked ever since. Unfortunately, this is a seasonal wine and it is very difficult to find. I am not typically a fan of red blends, as I feel that they are too sweet. This is a dark red blend, and I love it. If you find a bottle - pick it up and I promise you will not be disappointed. The best part - is that it costs between $8.99 - $12.99 depending on what store you are shopping in. You can't beat that price for a great bottle of wine!

Thanks for stopping by! Before you are off to enjoy your weekend, I wanted to leave you with an awesome Red Sangria recipe!

Red Sangria

Ingredients:

2 (750 mL) bottles dry red wine [Cabernet Sauvignon]
1 cup brandy
1/3 cup sugar
¼ cup orange liqueur
1 pound Strawberries, hulled and halved
3 oranges, thinly sliced
3 limes, thinly sliced
2 lemons, thinly sliced
1 can of lemon-lime soda

Directions:

Stir together wine, brandy, sugar and orange liqueur in a large pitcher, until sugar is dissolved.
Add strawberries, lime, lemon and orange to the wine mixture, and lightly mull the fruit using a wooden spoon to release juices.
Cover and refrigerate for anywhere from 2-24 hours. Stir in soda just before serving, strain and serve over ice. [If you use a beverage dispenser you do not need to strain before serving]