Summering

Summer sure is summering, and life keeps right on life-ing.

I'm perpetually tired. It's all good things! Great things, even. But I could certainly use more sleep.

And ugh, the content I had planned! I'm sad about it. There are posts I still intend to write, but the timely ones centered around gardens and June's abundance of strawberries have already faded away.

Such is life - and instead, I've had full, busy days with my boys and several thrifting outings which all bring me joy and zero regrets. I just miss sitting down with ideas and inspiration and writing out messages of cozy homes and shopping secondhand and sprinkling beauty into our days.

Despite my absence here, life has been abundant.

July's cicadas and sunny mornings by the pool make me feel summer all the way down to my bones. It's such a crime - how fleeting it all is! Those things will start to fade all too soon. 

Here in Buffalo, we get so little warmth. Our summers are unrivaled, but quick. Ask any resident of WNY - we try to jam all of life into three months. We have to use it while we can! And be as active and present as possible.

We've gone fishing, been swimming, enjoyed lake-ing, and fit in a bit of resting. (Though not a lot.)

I spend mornings at the pool, enjoying friends and seeing my kids loving life.

I spend Sundays at the farmer's market, where I've come to adore photoing the products of locals who passionately grow, bake, and craft goods for our communities.

Every dawn, I walk my yard and say hello to my gardens - pulling off expired leaves, giving them cool sips of water, freeing them from intruding weeds.

And every evening, I turn my fan on high and crack a book to lull me to sleep - which takes about 5 minutes with how busy we've been.

I've also indulged (repeatedly) in the new season of The Summer I Turned Pretty, and if you haven't yet, or if you aren't Team Conrad, you are missing out on both counts. (Recommend, recommend, recommend.)

I have so much more I'd love to say - so many shareable things have been bouncing around in my head. But we're still busy, we still have a lot more summering to do, and I know that I won't be able to promise any of it anytime soon. I hope. I wish. But we'll see what's actually possible.

In the meantime, keep up with the rest of our summering on my IG highlights! I've been crappier at sharing there, too, but not nearly as neglectful. You can at least see what we're up to most of the time. :)

I hope you're enjoying summer to the fullest, too! 

And I hope to find oodles of time to share and share and share as the silver lining to summer slipping away all too soon. Talk soon! xo

7 New Summer Romance Books to Devour Over a Long Weekend

Admittedly, I've been awful at keeping up with reading this year. There's just so much happening, man!

But summer is coming, and I usually get a lot of pages under my belt with the kids off from school and a more flexible schedule. I'm keeping my TBR and my goals low, though, and limiting myself to the newest books that sound the most exciting.

You know - the ones that will make me dump all of my responsibilities and let the dishes pile up while I stay up way past my bedtime getting all twirled up in a sparkly romance.

Ya with me? Wanna start over this long weekend?

Here's what I'm eyeing for my summer reading:

all photos sourced from GoodReads, I don't own them obvs ;)

Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

I don't even really need to know what this is about - all of Ali Hazelwood's sciencey infused romances with their broody love interests are so, so binge-able and delicious and I am here for it and alllll the way signed up for another helping. But what I know is this: the main character, Elsie, is a professor that needs a side hustle because we all know that educators get paid beans and it's a crime against humanity. So she part-times as a fake girlfriend and you know what...that's it, that's enough for me. Fake dating that will OBVIOUSLY turn real with someone grumpy and seemingly unreachable is all I need. Say less. Add to cart.

Available June 13, 2023

Famous for a Living by Melissa Ferguson

I read a book by Melissa Ferguson last summer that totally whisked me away, so she's been on my radar since then. This is her newest, and it sounds like so much fun - a social media influencer escapes to the middle of no where to outrun paparazzi and the media when her business ends up under scrutiny. Her entire life is different in this new arrangement, and of course there's a handsome rugged park ranger for her to feel all twirly about. Know what's wild? This is so similar to the plot of the story I'm writing for my newsletter (The Cozy Chronicle). I'm sending out a new chapter each Saturday (starting tomorrow, actually!) and it has a really similar vibe - girl who is used to luxury adjusting to the simple life and the mysterious, somewhat grumpy local handsome guy. What are the chances??? I just discovered this book existed yesterday, but now I'm reeeally excited to check it out!

Already available! Released May 16, 2023

Will They or Won’t They by Ava Wilder

I have a lot of guilty pleasures when it comes to romance novels - the fake dating turned real, friends to lovers, and enemies to lovers tropes get me every time despite their relentless predictability. But another one is celebrities and Hollywood. Maybe because it feels so frivolous and like such a stark escape from what normal life is like for me, but you can convince me to read basically anything that has a famous character. In this one, Lilah and Shane are actors on a hit TV show, and their characters are everyone's OTP. In real life, though, they don't get a long. So much so that Lilah left the show for a while to get away from Shane. Angsty tension on a television set? Yes, please. This is the kind of fun read that will engulf me and get me to binge away!

Available June 27, 2023

Same Time Next Summer by Annabel Monoghan

I haven't read anything by this author before, but this sounds like such an angsty dream of a summer story! Sam is thirty, and planning her wedding to her doctor of a fiancé. When she goes to look at a venue near her family's beach house, she runs into her ex, Wyatt - the one that broke her heart as a teenager. Despite her life feeling happy and on track, memories of her relationship with Wyatt flood her thoughts and bring up memories that she hadn't thought of in years. I'm not sure what else goes down, but this is sure sounding like it will end up in a "make a choice" scenario that could be as exciting as it is heartbreaking. Almost a hint of The Notebook vibes, yanno?

Available June 6, 2023

The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren

Christina Lauren is (are) one (two) of my auto-read author(s). Man, that whole two people one name thing gets complicated, haha. Before this post, I haven't even looked to see what this one is about - it's just on the list automatically!

This book puts a previous side character from The Soulmate Equation (so good) at the front of the action this time around. Fizzy (short for Felicity) is a romance novelist that finds herself as the subject of a reality show about falling in love. There's a hunky filmmaker involved, and so...we know where this is going, and I'm super here for it. (Sounds like Hollywood and an "unexpected" pairing that didn't go according to plan to me! Delish.)

Already available! Released May 16, 2023

Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune

I've been looking forward to this One! I originally thought it was a sequel to Every Summer After (that was so good, btw - def read it!), but it doesn't seem to be. Fern is running a lakeside resort (already sounds like a perfect summer read!) and needs help. A somewhat mysterious man that once let her down after spending an intense 24 hours together nearly a decade ago steps up to help her, and it sounds like there's a big helping of drama and secrets wrapped up in everything they do. Hints of romantic vibes mixed with intrigue and an idyllic summer setting sound like a perfect formula for a warm weekend!

Already available! Released May 2, 2023

Happy Place by Emily Henry

This one is already on my nightstand, and I'm a couple of chapters in! The fact that I haven't entirely devoured it whole has everything to do with my overly ambitious calendar and nothing at all to do with the book - I'm SO excited for a slow moment to really dig into this one! Emily Henry is yet another auto-read author for me - her witty banter riddled romances are everything! In her newest book, the main character, Harriet, finds herself on vacation with her friends - and her ex-fiance (or is it ex-boyfriend? Now I can't remember!). Only their friends don't realize they're ex's...they never told them that they broke up! So they have to spend their time together faking it, and as I've already made abundantly clear....I love a good fake out and all the hijinks that come along with it. I can't wait to get more into this one!!!

Already available! Released April 25, 2023

So tell me: which one are you devouring first?? 

Or is there another that should be on this list that I missed? With the way my schedule is and my attention span being spread thinner and thinner by the day, these exciting, angsty stories are the only things capable of grabbing hold of me right now! 

Here's a pin so you can come back to this list all summer!

This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you! This means if you click through and make a purchase, I may make a small commission. It's seriously teeny-tiny, but costs you nothing extra (promise!) and every little bit helps me support my blog - I'm so grateful!! xo

Have a Charming Fairytale Summer with a Cottagecore Bucket List

I don't know if it's the warmer weather and all the fresh blooms, or just the call of the thrift stores and this whack economy of ours, but I have been moving closer and closer to wanting to live a simpler life.

You might have noticed a shift here on the blog - all the chats of shopping secondhand, gardening, DIY, and flowers. It's been just the tip of the iceberg so far!

As we come up to summer and have more fresh produce, more outdoors time, and more free time in our schedules (though don't get me started on how impossibly long we have to wait for schools to wrap things up in our area), I'm trying to get organized so that I can make the most of these ambitions during a season when I have the most at my disposal. And it's all very cottagecore.

Maybe you're feeling this vibe, too? 

I made a list of some of the things I'd like to accomplish or try this summer and made it shareable in case you'd like to give them a shot. (Feel free to save it/print it/pin it!)

EDIT 5/21: I realized that depending on the screen you're viewing this post from, the image below might appear slightly blurry! Just in case that's happening for you, HERE is the link to the full image. Enjoy! xo

This list is so exciting to me! 

Some of the things I'd like to make from scratch this summer are taco seasoning, disinfecting wipes, and butter. I just think there's something special about the intentionality of those things, not to mention the economic and health benefits.

There are so many cottagecore books I'd like to read - some that are literally based on the concept, but others that just fit the tone. Some of them are:

The little book of Cottagecore by Emily Kent
Escape into Cottagecore by Ramona Jones
The Cottage Fairy Companion by Paola Merrill
Flowerheart by Catherine Bakewell
The hands-on home by Erica Strauss
Floriography by Jessica Roux
The Complete Language of Flowers by S. Theresa Dietz
The Naturally Beautiful Garden by Kathryn Bradley-Hole
The Fairy Tale Girl by Susan Branch
Nothing Much Happens by Kathryn Nicolai
American Cozy by Stephanie Pedersen 

And no, I will not be able to get through all of them (lol), so we'll see.

The nature loom idea is...going to be a bit of trial and error. But basically, you find some thick branches and attach them into a frame, add small, thin nails to the top and bottom branches, wrap string back and forth between them, and then try your hand at weaving. Who knows how this will go (or even what kind of string to use?? twine? baker's twine? yarn?) or what I will end up making, but it seems like so much fun!

I haven't yet settled on any embroidery projects, so we'll see, but I'm thinking something with wildflowers or strawberries, possibly.

And the nature collection - I want to get a basket (I probably have a perfect one from thrifting already), and fill it with the things we find in nature. Pinecones, cool stones, robins eggs, acorns, etc. It'll make such a sweet hygge collection for the house.

I also have a few local-to-me things I have on my personal list (like, see BPO perform at a park, visit The Frase Farm to pick flowers, and check out a really cute thrift/consignment shop I've heard a lot about lately!)

PS - I'm working on the sourdough starter already, and have a highlight bubble of my updates on Instagram if you're interested! I'm currently working on picking a name for her...I have some pretty good options that make me laugh...let me know if you have any good ones :)

This post contains affiliate links (the list of books!) at no cost to you. This means that if you purchase any of them, I may make a small commission. It's teeny tiny, but every little bit helps me support my blog! I appreciate you!! xo

My High-End Luxury Brand Spring & Summer Thrift Haul from ThredUp!

Hey, lovelies! How's spring treating ya? (Three cheers for spring!)

The sunshine and flowers are switching my style vibes drastically lately, and I wanted to show you some of the amazing spring & summer deals I recently scored from ThredUp. As someone who loves to sprinkle high-end designer brands into my closet but is on a realistic budget, I'm always on the lookout for great deals. (Thrifting era what?) This was suuuch a good haul. I'm obsessed!

Before I dive in, a note:

Don't let the higher-than-thrift-and-consignement-stores pricing make you shy about checking out ThredUp. Despite the fact that you won't always find a mint condition Lilly Pulitzer or Kate Spade for only a few dollars vs going to a Sal Val, everything on their site is a seriously good deal and worth the few extra dollars because it's all so good!

Not only that, it's so much easier and faster to sort through their site by brand, price, condition, style - you name it. I adore shifting hangers at thrift stores to find secondhand treasures, and I'm not at all being paid to say this (truly!), but when you want something specific, you want it to be nice, and you want it for a deal - ThredUp is a seriously good option. It's a totally online thrift shop focused on name brand fashion and accessories for a fraction of the price. And it just shows up at your house! (Cheers for that, too!)

Okay, on with the finds!

First up, I found this amaaazing silk Lilly Pulitzer tank! It's so soft, light and flowy, it'll be perfect for super hot summer days. I paid $15 for this, and while I struggled to find an exact match, it would retail for anywhere between $40-100 new! This would never see the inside of my closet if I didn't find it secondhand!

These were not meant to go together, but I was searching for some non-denim shorts and noticed that the blue of this JCrew pair would go really well with the blue in that Lilly tank. They're super comfy (like a linen/cotton blend maybe?), and they were only $6.60! And there's one full outfit ready to go already!!

Next, I snagged this navy Vineyard Vines pullover for $11.55! I found this one still listed on their site for $98! What is that...like, 88% off? Yes, please! It's also way prettier and nicer in person - it was so hard to get it photo well! There's also no faded spot in the middle - that was a weird lens flare on my camera. :)

Next is another Lilly tank - this one from their athletic line. The blue on this one also works with those JCrew shorts, but it'll work with any kind of athletic bottoms, too. I paid $18.20 for this one, and it would likely be in the $40-80 range new. My only hang up: it says something about ponies and tennis but I didn't notice because the type was so small online. Oops! I don't do anything with ponies nor tennis...but, oh well...if it was too small to see online, it'll be too small to see in person, too, right? haha

This Vineyard Vines skirt seemed like it would be comfy (it is!) and work with several neutrals, so I scooped it up. It was only $8.40!

Speaking of comfy, I adore these Vineyard Vines striped Navy shorts! They are soo soft and fit so well. I paid $12 for them, and they're worth every penny! I love their coastal preppy vibe and I can't wait to style them this summer!

Next is a super versatile pair of chambray shorts from JCrew. They seem like a staple piece, but I didn't have a single pair. At only $7.70, they were perfect for filling that gap in my wardrobe!

I got another pair of Vineyard Vines shorts - this one in a pale green for only $7.60! Such a bright summery color that will work with a lot! Maybe even the silk Lilly tank?

Last but not least, I grabbed this ultra soft and cozy oversized tie dye tee from American Eagle. I'll probably wear it as pj's over the summer (I found a pair of pajama shorts that are tie dyed in these exact colors even though they're from another brand!), but it would be cute with denim shorts, too! It was $7.70.

So cute, right?

I've already worn the Vineyard Vines pullover and adore it. The rest is waiting for the warm weather to show up (it actually kind of is today?? But that won't be sticking around...this is Buffalo, after all).

Anyway, this was so much fun to put together. The pieces even came nicely folded and wrapped and barely even seemed secondhand! (Kudos to ThredUp on their packaging presentation!) 

See how amazing shopping secondhand can be??

Shopping secondhand not only allows you to build a wardrobe with nice high-end clothes on a budget, but it's also a sustainable option. Plus, you never know what amazing treasures you'll find! You get that sweet, sweet dopamine when you hunt for the goodies hiding in a sea of thrift donations.

So, dude - hack the system. Wear the nice things without anyone knowing someone owned them before you did! ("Nobody's gonna know, how would they know?" Is that tiktok sound ingrained in your brain forever, too? Yeah, thought so.)

If you want to give ThredUp a try, you can use my link right there and get $10 off your first order! (Not sponsored, just the regular referral link all users have!!) It's worth it - so, so fun!

Before you go, tell me which one of my finds is your favorite!! 

Happy Thrifting! xo

Summer Prep List (Freebie)

Life has been inching along, despite so many worrisome uncertainties. 

Everything feels like a weird balance as a parent right now, doesn't it?

Trying to find the place between taking care of yourself and your family, making memories, living life to the best available degree, and staying aware and active in today's issues. We're living in some crazy times.

June in particular is always a very busy month for us. There are field days and celebrations at school, half days and exam schedules to stay on top of, camping plans on the horizon, family visiting - it's just always chaos. Something that I tend to overlook every year is the prep I could do to make our summer days a little bit easier.

You know - the things to have on hand for hungry kids or for unexpected visitors. 

I was thinking about it recently - knowing that this summer will be extra-busy with one son on a swim team, and all three of them hitting ages where they want to have their friends over full time. So knowing that's coming for me soon (with less than three weeks left of the school year), I thought I should make a list of things to collect in time for the summer craziness. 

And maybe it would be helpful to you, too?

I realize we are one of the last districts in the country to end the school year, so you may already be into your summer vacations. But, I think this is helpful regardless. My list accounts for everything from last minute dinner guests, to thirsty or overheated kids, to spontaneous evening campfires, to endlessly snacking teenagers. 

So, just in case it helps anyone get prepared for the summer crazies, grab your list of summer household essentials here:

Summer Household Essentials List

Happy Summer :)

My Summer Morning Routine 2021

I'm not a fan of schedules, but without trying very hard I find that I end up creating routines in my days. They tend to change with the seasons, and if I try to organize them into an actual schedule - forget it, it's over. Won't do it. (I'm infuriating.)

I find it so interesting to both remember phases of life by documenting things like this, and to see how other people organize their days. I love reading posts and watching videos about this kind of thing, so I thought I'd share what my morning routine looks like this summer!

6:30 - 7:30am: Wake Up

I don't really sleep in a ton these days, so I'm nearly always awake before 8am. However, when my cat has anything to say about it, it's more like 5:30am (ugh) or when I can hear my family doing things around the house, I can't sleep through it. So this is a fairly typical Summer wakeup time for me.

    

I step into some slippers (these are my Summer pair). It's the little things like this that kind of romanticise the day, ya know? I spend a few minutes opening curtains, greeting pets, and making the bed before I make my way to the bathroom.

I always either brush my hair (if it's down), or shake it out and put it back up if I'd slept with it up. Then I brush my teeth, wipe my face with micellar water, and use my little rose quartz roller. 

My husband is kind of the greatest, and he always makes my coffee for me in the morning. This is mostly because he's always up before me in the Summer - there are phases of our year where I always make the coffee, too. He usually goes for a walk very early in the morning (often with one or more of our boys) before work, so he sets up the coffee pot for me so all I have to do is hit brew. If he knows I'm about to get up though, he hits brew for me. Either way...I step out of the bathroom to yummy hot coffee and it's one of the best parts of my day. 

7 - 7:30ish: Coffee/Journaling/Instagram
Next, I find a comfy spot to check in with my day. This usually happens outside on my patio swing, but if it's below 60 in the morning I usually pick the recliner. Sometimes I start with journaling, then I work in my notebooks where I keep track of appointments and plans we have, plus my blog and Instagram plans and notes, as well as my TBR lists.

With a sense of what I need to get done for the day, I hop on my Bookstagram. I start by catching up with anything I missed, then writing my post for the day, then sharing my new post and whatever else I feel like sharing to my stories. I scroll a little bit and like and comment on some of the other book accounts I follow, and generally invest some time into growing my account. I've had a goal to hit 1,000 followers before our Fall readathon, and as of this writing I have 927. You can see by the phone it grew quickly this day!! I bet by the time you're reading this, I'm already there! (fingers crossed!)

8 - 8:30ish: Reading (+ still Coffee)
If I haven't gotten time outdoors yet, I head there now to do my reading - unless of course it's raining. I need some outdoorsiness in my daily life!! I usually sit on my patio swing, but the sun has been kind of harsh there for reading lately, so I sat in one of our fire pit chairs on this day. I read non-fiction in the morning (usually spiritual, inspirational, self-help, human nature, psychology, creativity...things of that nature). And yeah, I'm still drinking my coffee at this point! I usually drink a lot at first, but then I savor the rest. I don't chug my coffee, and it's the only cup I have all day so I like to make it last!

I usually end up with a buddy wherever I end up reading. She follows me around all day!

   

9ish: Book Photos
If there are book photos I need to take for a blog or Instagram post I have planned in the next week or two, I like to do them in batches and early in the day. Partially because the lighting isn't too harsh, but also because if it's a nice morning, I can't trust that it'll stay that way all day. This is Buffalo and really anything goes weather wise! So I sorted through some of my boxes of books and carried a big stack outside to take pictures. The backdrop I like to use is feet away from my neighbors and I always think they must think I'm nuts!

9:30ish: Dishes/Kitchen

By now, my kitchen has been abused by three messy boys making breakfast and needs a little assistance. I'm not 100% diligent about it, but I also like to try and get dishes moving along in the morning. I do another round of them before I start making dinner. If I don't do dishes a minimum of twice a day, they spiral completely out of control. So I usually watch a show or listen to a podcast while I do the dishes to get them moving - this was my choice on this day, and it was a good one!

At this point in the morning, I switch to ice water and get ready to cook myself breakfast. We all pretty much fend for ourselves for breakfast, except for maybe one weekend day. I prefer it because I eat differently than my family for most of the day, and this helps me stay on track with my goals. I also prefer to eat around 10/10:30 (they all like to eat as soon as they get up) so the timing works out. And some days I just have a banana, but I often like to make eggs.

10:30ish: Breakfast
On this day, I made scrambled eggs with peppers, tomatoes, fat free cheddar, and mustard. (Adding mustard to my eggs has been the best food move I've made in a long time!! Try it!) I also had some turkey bacon, and a piece of low carb toast with my Dad's homemade black raspberry jam. 

10:30 - 11ish: Blogging
Finally, I get to sit down to do some blogging! I sometimes eat my breakfast while I get to work, and about twice a week I paint my nails as I get started. I always find they dry the easiest without bumping them into anything when I'm busy typing! I try to get 1.5 - 2 posts done each time I sit down to blog. I usually work at it until lunch, which is also usually when I get ready for the day or do things like go pickup groceries, do laundry, or whatever else needs to get done around the house.

So, this is an example of a day when I either have nowhere to be or my plans aren't until the afternoon. On days when we have plans, this looks a lot different, of course! My morning routine looked so much different during the (virtual) school year, and obviously different during normal school years! I'm looking forward to seeing how my mornings unfold as we hit Fall this year!

Camp Readaway 2021 Recap

On Sunday, my sweet baby readathon that I created out of thin air to take the place of my usual reading challenge came to a close. It - was - so - fun.

Was it nerdy? Yep. Was I winging it the whole time? Yep. Did I read a bunch of books? Yep. Were there only like 10 people participating? Yep. And it was amazing.

I knew going into it that I wouldn't be able to read as many books as I usually can during a readathon week because I'd be busy...ya know, running the thing. But I didn't do too shabby!

Here's my recap:

BOOKS READ: 6
CHALLENGES COMPLETED: All 7
PAGES READ: 1,397

FAVORITE BOOK OF CAMP READAWAY
Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon

HARDEST BOOK TO GET THROUGH
Then Came You by Jennifer Weiner

LONGEST BOOK
Then Came You by Jennifer Weiner


SHORTEST BOOK
Meet Samantha by Susan S Adler

THIS YEAR'S READING FUEL
It's always coffee and key lime la croix. Little bit-a tea at night.

FAVORITE CHALLENGE
Probably the book that reminds you of your childhood challenge - I read two for this one, and it was really fun to revisit books from years and years ago. I had always kind of wanted to go back and re-read them, but with all the new books that are constantly coming out and the ones I've wanted to read for so long, I probably never would have gotten to them.


FAVORITE PART OF CAMP READAWAY
Getting to know other Bookstagrammers and book lovers on IG, doing the reading sprints, and documenting my reading week on stories.

So the books I ended up getting around to are:

1. Kristy's Great Idea by Anna M Martin
2. Keeping the Moon by Sarah Dessen
3. Meet Samantha by Susan S Adler
4. Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon
5. Then Came You by Jennifer Weiner
6. Meet Me in Paradise by Libby Hubscher

It was such a fun week! So much so, that Alisha (my co-host) and I have decided to create another readathon for Fall, and to keep our summer Camp Readaway alive and bring her back next year. So, the nerding out continues!

If you care to see how my reading week went, check out my CR 2021! highlight on my Bookstagram.

Happy Weekend, dolls!