It’s time to step-up your s’more game, and I’ll tell you just how to do it with my ultimate summer s’more board. It’s the charcuterie board of s’mores and it’s only going up from here in the wow, mouth watering, #goals department. Don’t worry the only thing that doesn’t change is that delicious perfectly toasted marshmallow. So whether this is for a girl’s night, date night or low-key hang with the neighbors the way you eat s’mores is forever about to change – and you’re going to wow your guests in the process. Oh, and don’t forget the bubbles!
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Latest Obsessions 04.19 – Outdoor Dinnerware
Guys, guess what! Spring is practically here which means summer is right around the corner, which means patio season is coming soon! And with all the daydreaming about warm days – which we’re probably all doing – I can’t help but dream about those nights hosting dinners on the patio or even just enjoy a light weekend brunch with B. It’s truly one of my favorite things! So, I went hunting for some more fun pieces to incorporate into patio season for dining and entertaining that can stand alone or mix in with other fun patterns and prints of existing pieces. Here are a few different looks and styles for you to shop for this summer! Spoiler: I may just be shopping all of these.
Bright & Modern: Can you say Hello Don Draper? These pops of color are so fun especially in the summer and these modern twists on vintage looks are so fun to incorporate into your outdoor serve ware this summer! I’m also a firm believer that having super cute acrylic and plastic cups for fun cocktails or lemonade especially from a safety perspective on patios!
Shop the West Elm Diamond Colored Acrylic | Crate & Barrel Dua Yellow Melamine Plate
All American: From Memorial Day – to the 4th of July – to Labor Day these can be a staple all summer long! I have lemon patterned enamel plates from Pottery Barn from a previous season – and I absolutely love them, they’re durable and fairly heavy duty for an outdoor set and not just flimsy plastic that’ll blow away! Plus they have blue with white stars cork placemats – yay!
Shop these enamel plates from Pottery Barn
Classic & Colorful: I’m slightly obsessed with these Modern Melamine Dinnerware plates especially the grapefruit, silver pine and citrus yellow – they’re in my shopping chart and they’re currently on sale! I like these too because they can be a grounding element while being able to pull in some fun printed plates and patterns. The sleek design are definitely functional and the glasses look fancy while still being outdoor friendly!
Shop West Elm Fluted Acrylic Glassware | West Elm Modern Melamine Dinnerware
Honorable Mentions: Last year I was completely obsessed with all of the Opalhouse dinnerware, and I’ve been admittedly keeping an eye out for this seasons prints and patterns – which are finally out! They also have some vintage plastic glassware in a variety of colors that are perfect for all seasons. Another outdoor dining essential is having a flatware caddy that is easy to back-up inside and portable outside – I bought a metal one last year and it’s been clutch even for indoor entertaining, now I just need a few more styles!
Shop the Honorable Mentions: West Elm Summertime Plates | Target Floral Salad Plate | Macrame Table Runner | West Elm Rattan Flatware Caddy | Target Floral Embossed Plastic Tumbler
The fun part about entertaining outdoors is that you can mix a variety of textures, styles and materials (like glass and plastics) to pull in a warm and organic look for your guests… without looking like you spent the true number of hours you did working on your tablescape! I’m ready for you summer – but don’t go away too soon once you get here.
Bee’s 2018 Summer Highlights
I make the joke, that now that I’m a full-time working adult, the summer never ends for me! I don’t have to go back to school or dread the return of something after a long break – I can keep summering all through August, September and even October if the weather permits. But being October 1st, I felt no better way than to welcome fall by highlighting some of our Summer fun!
- Asheville Trip – We kicked off our summer with a trip to a new city and had a fun time sipping our way through the city with our good friends and our pups! We’ve already talked about a returning trip with more family and friends to check our this trendy city.
- Our Front Landscape – This is totally a boring #adulting one, but we’ve had this on our house to-do list for FOUR YEARS! It was so accomplishing to finally check this off the list and our house looks even cuter than it did before. Yay, us!
- Morning Runs – It’s easier to get up and run in the mornings when you have a running buddy! Thanks to my running buddy, Kayla – we made early morning runs a thing and as a bonus got to enjoy the beautiful sunrise. I really enjoyed the morning quite time and checking off my workout before getting to the office.
- Pool Days with Our Niece – We were lucky enough to spend a few times with our niece in the pool! She’s a ball of energy and her personality is so fun as she gets older, with her little arm swimmies she is quickly becoming a fish.
- Finished a Half Marathon – It’s always an accomplishment when we finish a race! And an added bonus, when we can try a new race out, which we did running the Hofbrauhaus Half– running is something B and I have always enjoyed doing together so I like that we make it a priority to do a few runs every year.
- Catching up with Friends – We definitely made it a point to spend nights, weekends or mornings catching up with friends. The summers are always busy and then the winters always seem to be busy with the holidays – so we always make it a priority, even if we’re scheduling 3-months in advance. I even had a girls sleepover, which I haven’t done in years!!
Compared to last summer, this one was definitely tame – between all the weddings we had, all the trips, and all of our wedding festivities we had last year, this year was a different kind of busy and nice switch up! But I imagine we will be planning a few more trips for next year before we know it!
What was your summer highlight? Comment below!!
Weekend Recap – Labor Day Love
All weekend I kept seeing social posts saying, “good-bye summer” and all these sappy farewells to a season that most of us look forward too the other 7-months of the year. I was a little shocked… a little confused, since when is summer over? That is one of the good things about being an adult, summer only ends when the good weather runs out… and the good weather isn’t running out anytime soon!
This Labor Day weekend was a much needed extended weekend with perfect summer weather, endless sunshine and the right amount of fun and relaxation. Almost every day consisted of coffee, sunshine, cooking out, patio drinks, a little bit of house work, a nap and some friends or family.
One of our highlights of the weekend included enjoying a part of our city that we don’t nearly take advantage of enough – a rooftop bar in the center of the city with great views, delicious drinks, and some tasty treats. I planned a surprise date for B and I, he didn’t know where we were going until we were walking inside the building – it was a simple afternoon chatting, enjoying the scenery and then got a bonus of the airshow for the holiday weekend.
Like I mentioned, the three day weekend was just what the doctor ordered. We were even able to celebrate my dad’s birthday with him, while my mom and dad passed through town on their travels! It
Weekend Recap – City Love
This past weekend has been NON-STOP! It was a blast and it was centered around family and all of the things we love about this city. The weekend started on Thursday night for us at a fundraiser wine tasting for the nonprofit I’m on the board of, JDBCF. It was a fun evening, and it was hosted at a fun cozy spot in the Gordon Square area called Toast.
My cousins were in town for the weekend, so I was giving them the cities best picks for yummy eats and places to see while the explored the city Thursday and Friday. We finally got to connect with them for dinner at our go-to summer spot; Collision Bend, Friday night. Collision Bend has a great menu and perfect views and it’s always a great spot to show-off our city. Saturday morning we started the day with our fitness class, then headed to the parks to rent some kayaks! Another fun way to see parts of our city and do something a little off the beaten path when visitors are in town. B and I try and kayak at least once a year, so it was fun to get out with the family.
Saturday afternoon we switched gears and families and celebrated our nieces 3rd birthday – it was Moana themed, which now makes me slightly curious about the movie to see what all the fuss is about (unfortunately I can only post photos of the delicious sweets due to political reasons)! We ended the evening back home with some patio drinks and laughs with family story time. Sunday morning we took my cousins down to another park and showed them the endless city and lake views and the Solstice Steps. Just another part of our city that we often take for granted and might get overlooked by visitors as well. We then #brunched at the aunts house they made a few casseroles, including a french toast one that we’d never had before – and it was Ah-ma-zing! I’m definitely going to be sharing the recipe in a future post!
It was a jammed packed weekend and it was great spending some extra time with our cousins that we usually see in small doses! Plus we got to do a few of our favorite things in our city. ❤
Blueberry Mint Mixer – The Recipe
Summer may feel like it’s coming to an end – but let’s hang onto it just a little longer… I have an easy and tasty cocktail to help fill those hot summer days and long weekends!
What You’ll Need:
– Vodka of your choosing, I used Tito’s
– Tonic water
– Frozen blueberries
– Mint leaf ice cubes
Step-by-Step:
1. Prep! The night before, get some fresh mint and make some ice cubes with mint in them! Rip off mint leaves and place into the cube tray and then pour ice over, have it sit overnight and you’ll have some fancy and tasty ice ready for your drink!
2. Okay, time to make the drinks! Place your mint ice cubes into the glasses and sprinkle a spoon or two of frozen blueberries over the ice cubes.
3. Use a shot glass and pour your vodka in, this is totally on preference, but I usually keep my drinks 1-to-1 with alcohol and the mixer. Once you’ve added your vodka, top off with your tonic.
4. Give it a stir, cheers with your boo and enjoy!
This one is easy to have all the ingredients stocked around the kitchen and has hints of summer written all over it with the light flavors from the mint and blueberries. The pinkish-purple coloring really make this a fun drink – not to mention the pretty mint garnishes from the ice cubes!
Latest Obsession 07.18 – Fashion Ed.
This summer has been HOT! So lately I’ve been trying to find outfits that are not only cute and fashionable, but are easy with the heat. So I’ve been leaning on a few staples to help me stay inspired through this hot hot heat, and these are my latest obsessions!
Classic Neutrals. Jean shorts have been my go-to weekend outfit, because you really can’t go wrong with a pair of these and a neutral tank or tee. Whether you’re dressing these down for a more causal day, at the ball game or running errands, or dressing this up with a sexy tank or fun top for date night, jean shorts are a perfect staple for casual or cute!
Mixed Prints. Whether it’s polka dots and stripes, or a floral print with a pin-stripe – I’m loving mixing patterns up to pull off a fun statement. This also gives a bit more variety of options in your closet for switching up your looks if you have multiple outfits throughout the day!
Lots of Dresses. Because who wants to wear pants when it’s 90+ degrees!? Not me. So my dresses are being fully cycled through, even needed to dig into a few dressier options for day looks. For my dressier dresses, I’ll usually grab a denim jacket to help dress down for a day at the office. And some of my more casual dresses I’ll mix with a fun statement necklace or wedges.
Kimonos for Summer. Kimonos were one of my fall obsessions and they’re carrying on into the summer months. I love wearing one over a plain dress or paired with my classic neutrals, the fun patterns lend endless options! Plus they’re easy to go from picnic to pool with a singular look to navigate through the day over a one-piece and jean shorts.
What are you favorite summer trends? Comment below!
Image Sources linked above.
3 Tips for Hosting a Summer Dinner Party
With a little over a year with our back patio, we made it a point to have both dining and relaxin space – making it the perfect spot for a classic dinner with family and close friends. We hosted, the first of many dinners on the patio and it was the perfect combination of all the things that make a dinner party great a classic and easy menu, a stunning table setting and awesome company.
My favorite part about hosting a party or dinner is the planning that goes into it and the opportunity to make a special memory for our guests, while also having a fantastic meal and great company. It’s about making the night special from all the other dinners we have every other night and giving the people you care about a little extra love.
I’ve realized that hosting a dinner or party for some may seem super daunting and overwhelming, but focusing on these three things helps keep it simple while also allowing you to enjoy the night as well!
The Menu. We kept the menu simple, healthy and refreshing for a warm summer day. We opted for chicken and steak kabobs mixed with mushrooms, peppers and onions. We had a fresh mixed greens salad with cucumbers and cherry tomatoes (cheese on the side for us non-dairy folk) and a fresh fruit salad with blueberries and strawberries. When it comes down to it, there are just a few staples that just can’t be beat – not to mention we had plenty of kabobs that we were all stuffed!
The Setting. I had fun dressing up our not so glamorous outdoor table with placemats and neutrals. I used a variety of outdoor friend pieces like the plastic salad plates and glasses from Opalhouse while bringing out some nicer Kate Spade serving dishes and fabric napkins. The neutral base let the table be the center of attention with it’s bright colors and inviting feel with the mix of patterns. Pro Tip: dress your table and prep as much food as possible before your guest arrive so you’re able to enjoy their company and a cocktail!
The Company. Although I love large parties, sometimes it’s better to keep things small – so we had my parents and B’s parents up. It was the perfect mix of company and conversation was able to be had with everyone vs. side conversations or too much noise, especially if this is your first major dinner party – keep it small and low key so the impress isn’t stressing you out.
The best thing about hosting is that you’re able to call the shots! From the menu, to the vibe you can set the tone for the evening – but it’s always important to make sure your guests are taken care of first and feel welcomed!
Cheers!
Latest Obsessions 06.18
May seemed like such a blimp in the radar, that I totally forget to share my latest obsessions! Fear no more, here are the latest and greatest things that have been consuming my life lately from the latest headlines, to the finish touches for DIYs, to just hanging out with friends!
Anthropologie Hardware. …Sorry that was me just drooling a little bit. Talk about a swoon! Anthropologies hardware covers all the bases; knobs, hooks, handles, bath hardware, door knobs, switch plates, curtain hardware, and shelves and brackets! My search started with just wanting a few fun, unique knobs for a DIY project to wanting a complete re-do on my bath hardware and finally finding some decent curtain rods, however I’ll be saving my pennies!
Plans with Friends. Since the summer is that weird time of the year that is either super busy for everyone or has random lulls of nothing, I’ve been finding myself trying to plan ahead with friends from drinks after work, to dinner parties with the significant-o’s to just hanging out in the back yard sharing a few drinks & stories.
Kate Spade. Upon learning about the tragic passing of Katherine Brosnahan, better known as Kate Spade, I found myself scrolling and scrolling through all the beautiful creations that build her brand. My social feeds were filled with photos of people’s own Kate Spade bags or favorite pieces of clothing – her signature black and white polka dots and bright pink accents have become a staple. My bridal shower was inspired by the signature look as well. She was so young and it’s just sad to see (but also amazing) how much she accomplished and the joy she brought to millions of people through her brand. Read a few other times I’ve gushed about Kate Spade on the bee life here and here.
The Cavaliers. It’s NBA finals season and we find ourselves back again for the fourth year against the same damn team. In our house we are basketball lovers, and the Cavs are our favorite team so we don’t start watching other teams until their season is wrapped. This season has been a whirlwind for the Cavs, and just getting to the finals has been no easy feet – but here we are up against the odds again, against “the best team in the league.” We had fun celebrating in 2016 and are looking forward to celebrating again this year!
Share your latest obsessions with me in the comments below!
Image Sources: Anthropologie Hardware | Cleveland Cavs | Kate Spade Bag
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