Monday Musings: Wish List

J. McLaughlin Shane Sweater//J.McLaughlin Doran Cashmere Sweater//J.McLaughlin Frida Colorblock Sweater
J.McLaughlin Sataya Sweater//J.McLaughlin Margaret Sweater//J.McLaughlin Pence Cashmere Poncho

Crushing hard on these sweaters from J.McLaughlin this fall! Loving the laid back but structured silhouette of these options. There are other colors available but as usual, I'm partial to the neutrals. I am especially into the Pence poncho, it looks so comfortable and I love the sleeves! The back of the Doran sweater is super cute and the Sataya sweater has a vegan leather elbow stripe that gives a typical striped sweater a little something extra (currently on sale)!

I hope everyone has a nice Monday and your weeks get off to a good start. We were very lucky that the hurricane missed us this weekend. We've experienced what's happening down in South Carolina and my heart goes out to all those affected. 

Thoughts on Thursday: Master Bathroom Refresh

InterDesign Shower Curtain//Swan Comfort Orange-Pink Turkish Towel//Evelyn Henson Animal Prints

I mentioned a few weeks back that with the impending arrival of the tiny human, we've been tackling some house projects that we've wanted to complete. One of those was the master bathroom. The first order of business was the paint. The color, honestly, wasn't terrible and I probably wouldn't have changed it but the paint job itself was really shoddy. I made a terrible mistake initially and painted the bathroom Sherwin Williams 'Watery'. Uh, it was AWFUL in our bathroom which is a shame because it looks beautiful in other peoples' homes. The color was too bright for the space and made the space look very outdated. Very early 90s turquoise. Perhaps if I had cut it, it might have worked but ultimately I decided to repaint the bathroom Sherwin Williams 'Sea Salt' and am much happier with that decision. It is a green-blue-gray color but reads mostly light green in our bathroom. It is a beautiful, versatile color! 

The hardware that was used for the toilet paper, towels, and the hooks on the back of the door were improperly hung and have been falling off the walls since we moved in. We are replacing all of that hardware with the Glacier Bay Constructor Series from Home Depot. I love the bright chrome and the clean lines of thiseries. Given the airy nature of the Sea Salt in the space, I think the hardware will contribute to the overall serene feeling I am going for. 

As far as new decoration is concerned, we are in desperate need of an extra long shower curtain and I love the bold stripes of this shower curtain as it adds some color without being too overwhelming. I'd also love to add some color in with these turkish towels but I am a little hesitant to click buy on these as I really prefer thicker towels and I'm just not sure these will cut it. How adorable are these Evelyn Henson prints? I am a sucker for a cute animal print and I think I could get my husband on board with these, as well! 

Linking up with Nat and Annie today! 

Monday Musings: Wish List

Devon Baer Tartan Ruffle Dress in Pewter// Kristin Cavallari for Chinese Laundry Oracle D'Orsay Pump

Bringing you something other than sweaters and booties for this Monday Wish List! I've been a big fan of Devon Baer fan since she was selling clothes via Etsy, The clothes are beautiful but unfortunately, the price tag has kept them on my wish list and not in my closet.  I'm hoping to score this dress for the holidays this year  - maybe this could count as a push present?? How cute is the ruffle neckline and the gray tartan print? LOVE. I am also loving these half D'Orsay pumps from Kristin Cavallari (whom I have such a girl crush on) for Chinese Laundry and think they would pair quite nicely with the Devon Baer dress! I love the open side and the 3 inch heel is the perfect height, in my opinion.

 It's hard to believe but there are only 66 days until Thanksgiving and only 96 until Christmas... which means there are only 47 days until this baby's due date! Yikes.

*affiliate links used* 

Five on Friday!

1. Old Navy Striped Tunic. I cannot say enough good things about this tunic: the length, the 3/4 quarter length sleeve, and the slight stretch the 2% of spandex gives the tunic make it a great everyday staple. I am currently wearing a medium with a maternity tank underneath and it fits over the bump quite nicely. I have the neutral and black in size medium and I bought the blue in a large as this bump ain't gettin' any smaller so I thought it prudent to have one that will fit in those last couple of weeks! Yes, I own all three colors, I love it that much.

Old Navy Striped Tunic (Black)

2. Aden + Anais Clothing. Aden + Anais, makers of the cult favorite swaddle blanket, recently launched a clothing line made of the same material with an added hint of stretch. I've bought several of their blankets in anticipation of the mini's arrival and am super excited by the prospect of baby clothes made of the same material and the same adorable prints. There are several styles available: rompers, tank tops, short-sleeve kimono, long-sleeve kimono, hoodies... I could seriously buy the whole website. I mean, just look at this adorableness... (it should be noted that I have unhealthy obsession with stars and all things star printed).

Ultramarine Star Sleeveless Body Suit 

Night Sky Starburst Short Sleeve Kimono Bodysuit 

Night Sky Starburst Hoodie

Shocking Pink Star Romper
VIA

3.  Evelyn Henson prints. These prints are simply too cute! We are having our master bathroom re-painted this week and I am thinking a few of these prints need to grace the walls. Due to a paint botch on my part initially, I am heading in a different direction decor-wise. I'll share the mood board with you next week, but couldn't wait to share these fun prints with you all today! I absolutely adore the cities prints. She also carries journals, phone cases, and mugs!

Baltimore Map Print $24.50


Be An Adventurer Print $24.50


Happy Hour Print $24.50

VIA: evelynhenson.com 


4. Okay, so this is totally random but do you all remember The Magic School Bus? First and foremost, it was a book series but in the mid-nineties it became a television series. If you're not familiar, its a science based series in which the eccentric teacher Ms. Frizzle takes her students on a 'field trip' to explore various science topics such as: goes to seed (gardening), for lunch (digestive system), kicks up a storm (weather). I show 'The Magic School Bus For Lunch' to my students during the nutrition unit and it does such a wonderful job of illustrating how the digestive system works. I don't remember watching the show as a kid but I love showing it to my students. I've seen a few other episodes like 'Plays Ball' which is an excellent episode explaining physics. The episodes are engaging and fun while explaining an important scientific topic. I found the complete series on Amazon and I am seriously considering buying it for my own children to watch in the future.

The Magic School Bus Complete Series 


That's what I've got for today.. what are your favorite things this week?

Monday Musings: Wish List

Leith Dolman Sleeve Pullover // Spanx 'Look-at-Me' Shaping Leggings//Sole Society 'Natasha' Boot 

Did not mean to step away from the blog for a whole month but no matter how many years I've been teaching, the beginning of the school year is always hectic! But as usual, things have settled down and I'm getting back into my school year routine which means back to blogging on the regular.

Bringing you another comfy and casual fall outfit on this Monday. As I've mentioned, I love slouchy sweaters and this one is no exception! It does have dolman sleeves which give me pause because they can really go either way, they either enhance the outfit or they're restricting. You just never know! I've heard great things about these Spanx leggings and am eyeing them specifically for my post baby days, with the hopes they'll hold some of the inevitable jiggly bits in for some time. Oh, these booties. If I am being honest, this is not the type of shoe I would normally go for but I saw these in the Sole Society catalog that I got in the mail and I was instantly drawn to them. I love the color and the flat heel with leggings and a slouchy sweater is exactly the type of look I am going for this fall. Pair this with a pumpkin spice latte and it's the perfect #basic outfit!! Here's a side note confession for you: I don't like PSLs. I'll stick with hot green tea or a vanilla latte any day!

*affiliate links have been used in this post*

Positano, Italy

It has been over a year since we returned from Italy and I still haven't finished my recap of the trip, ha! I am only going to do one post on Positano and Rome each because in Positano we didn't do much and we were only in Rome for a short period of time. 

What is there to say about Positano? If you've been you know how magical it is and if you're considering going you're probably imagining how magical it is!

We ate the best seafood I've ever had in my life and laid on the beach. It was perfection. On our 3rd day, we hopped on a boat with a little red sign and headed over to Da Adolfo, which is a little beach (Laurito) and restaurant. The food was so good and the beach even better! We opted to use Fornillo Beach while we were in town versus the larger Marina Grande. The chairs were cheaper and it was less crowded. It is a little more difficult to get to but there happened to be a stairwell right to that beach by our hotel. The beaches in Positano proper are rocky. You can't really get in and wade due to the rocks situation, which I will admit, was a little disappointing. You can absolutely get in the water on Laurito Beach! 

Best Places to Eat:

Le Tre Sorelle: Right on Marina Grande beach so you can look out at the people and the colorful umbrellas. Wonderful first meal in Positano. 

Ristorante Scirocco: High above the coast in Montepertuso with incredible views and service. The owner showed us pictures of his son's wedding that had just taken place. The food was great as well.

Da Adolfo: Little restaurant on Laurito Beach where we had some of the best tuna carpaccio of our lives. The spaghetti and clams were also on point. 

Bruno: Beautiful views of the mountain side and the town. We ate more seafood which was excellent, ha. 

Da Vincenzo: We ventured out too late on our last night to get an outside table but the inside of this restaurant was also nice and the food was again, excellent!

So I really only ate seafood while in Positano but it was all seriously excellent! I had a bad batch of clams in Venice and every single clam I had in Positano was perfectly steamed and so tasty! 

 We stayed at the Positano Art Hotel and it was lovely and very eclectic! As it is with many of the hotels in Positano, it was waaaaay high up and I think we walked up and down 500+ stairs every day to get to the beach and the town. Glenn and I joked that with all the walking we did in Italy we were going to come home skinnier than we left, despite the copious amounts of carbs we consumed!

Positano was so relaxing which was welcome after all the sightseeing we'd done in Venice and Florence. Walking around town was lovely and we really enjoyed laying on the beach. Positano is so beautiful and it was fun to finally see its gorgeousness in person! 

Tuesday Trend: Neutral Walls

We've lived in our current house for three years and with the impending arrival of a tiny human, we've finally gotten our asses in gear to get some big things done around here. I've been doing a lot of little stuff like organizing closets and the basement but our next big project is getting our upstairs hallway painted. It is currently painted a color that can be described as cream with orange undertones (a creamsicle, if you will!). We finished painting the nursery last week and went with Sherwin Williams Icelandic. It is beautiful and I will share photos when the nursery is complete. Our bedroom is painted Benjamin Moore Harbor Gray. Given that these two rooms are on opposite ends of the hallway, I'd like to keep the hallway neutral. Here are some of the colors I've been trending towards:

Sherwin Williams Loggia (on the walls)// VIA 

Benjamin Moore Shaker Beige//VIA 

Sherwin Williams Alpaca/VIA

Benjamin Moore Marilyn's Dress//VIA

Sherwin Williams Sea Salt//VIA

Sherwin Williams Sandbar (this one is the top contender currently)//VIA

I am definitely leaning towards SW's Sandbar, which can be seen in the 2015 Coastal Virginia Magazine Idea House. If you do click on the link, prepare to be green with envy. The house is insanely beautiful and I'd like to move in right away, please! 

Which color is your favorite?

Monday Musings: Wish List

Nike 'Internationalist' Sneaker  // Jena Limelight Booties  // Madewell Chronicle Texture Pullover

Another Monday is here, friends. It is my last week of freedom before school starts. I enjoy starting Monday off with sharing some things that I am loving. I need another pair of  sneakers like I need a hole in the head but these are so cute and would look great with a pair of ankle jeans and the sweater above! I am a casual person by nature and since I'll have a newborn this fall, I am definitely looking for cute outfits that will allow me to be put together and able to bend to the whims of a newborn!

I had to include these booties that I spotted at Rack Room Shoes this past week! I've wanted a pair of booties for a few years but haven't wanted to spend a ton of money on something I will only wear occasionally. However, in my search for a cute but affordable pair, I found that most of the cheaper options look well, cheap. These are $64 and look like a pair you could pick up at Nordstrom for a much higher price, Plus, they are super comfortable. I am already thinking of all the ways I can wear them this fall!

Happy Monday, friends! Tell me what you are loving today!

Florence, Italy {3}

Our third and final day in Florence was spent -- you guessed it -- sightseeing! We wanted to take full advantage of the Firenze Card so we hit some lesser known spots: Museum of Precious Stones and Palazzo Medici Ricardi. We also climbed the tower of Palazzo Vecchio, which I had no idea you could do! The views were pretty spectacular but I had had enough of the really tall stuff so I didn't accompany G all the way to the top but he said the views were even better at the very top. 

Our next stop was Santa Croce (seen in the 2nd picture) which is the burial place for some pretty famous Italians -hence why it is also know as the Temple of Italian Glories- Machiavelli, Michelangelo, and Galileo are all buried here. There was apparently some kind of event happening in front of Santa Croce at the time as there were chairs and tents so this was the best picture I could get of the structure. It was stunning, as most structures in Florence are! 

At this point we were pretty sight-seed out and I had figured we would be, so I set us up with a wine tasting class at the Tuscan Wine School just across the Ponte Vecchio. We took the 2 hour class called Tuscan Classics and it was SO much fun! If you are planning a trip to Florence, I would highly recommend taking a class at the Tuscan Wine School. Our instructor, Sofia, was so knowledgeable and really made the class interesting.

To end our time in Florence, we bought some wine at the Tuscan Wine School and headed up to the Piazza Michelangelo. It was breathtaking and one of the highlights of our trip. It was so, so beautiful and when I look at the pictures, they seem like paintings! Our favorite bartender, Simone, suggested we hit up Piazza Michelangelo just as the sun was setting and he was spot on with his recommendation, as you can tell from the pictures below it was truly gorgeous.

The wine drinking didn't stop there as we headed to bid farewell to Simone, at Golden View!

Next stop: Positano!

Tuesday Trend: Obsessing over Green

I have a dresser in the baby's room that I plan to re-do and am thinking that a rich green color will be perfect to complement the light blue walls. The nursery doesn't really have a theme per se, I'm just kind of going with colors and pieces I think work well together and want it to be a combination of soothing and fun. That being said, I am obsessing over adding green in where I can. Take a look at some of the beautiful green inspiration out there on the interwebz: 

Ah. Love this color (Behr Pine Grove) and this dresser redo by Camilla at Something is Done is stunning and currently my first choice for the dresser paint color. 

I love the richness of this color (Sherwin Williams Evergreens). I feel like it is a great blend of army green and emerald green. It is currently my 2nd choice for the dresser but is moving its way into first. I love the way the green door looks with the white house//photo from Lee at Lee's Hideaway. 

I'm definitely going to be adding a throw pillow to the glider and this one would help to tie in the green dresser with the rest of the room//pillow is by Emerey on Etsy. 

Obviously, something like this has no place in my nursery or even my current house but how gorgeous is this armchair? I die//Velvet Lyre Chesterfield Armchair 

Not house related but damn, is this not the most splendid dress? This shade of green is simply stunning. I wish I was bold enough to wear something like this on my wedding day!//I Love Wednesdays Photography // Polka Dot Bride

Ahhh! I just cannot get enough of this color! What color are you loving lately?