Vitamin Sea for the Soul

There's something about the ocean that's calming and good for the soul.  Recently my mom, the girls and I stayed for a few days at Dolphin Bay over at Shell Beach.  It's the perfect spot to go just to relax and do nothing but eat, drink and swim.  We spent our days by the pool or on the beach and spent our evenings in playing games and watching Netflix.  It was just what the doctor ordered (minus the Urgent Care trip for Madi and the flu) and we had a wonderful time!  I'm ready to go back any time now!

Monochromatic with Lots of Details

I'm crossing my fingers for a date night this holiday weekend.  My hubby and I just spent a week together in D.C. for business but we traveled with several people and as amazing as it was it wasn't exactly romantic.  So we are very due for one on one adult time!  As you may know I love getting dressed up so any excuse for a fun outfit, I'll take.

This is a perfect look for a night out.  You can get away with wearing all black if the details are on point.  And on the flip-side if you have lots of details you don't want to combine them with lots of pattern or color.  This monochromatic look is made interesting by a cold shoulder top, a fringe mini skirt, a printed clutch, and a pop of color on the lips.  All of the details are trends that I'm obsessed with currently but my greatest love affair is with cacti.  I'm not ready to push my pineapples off to the side but I'm definitely adding a cactus or two to my closet.  Awhile back I predicted that cactus was going to be the it print of the season and I have to say I'm seeing it everywhere and I couldn't be more excited.

Flirty Floral Dress

Welcome Summer, Hello 100 degrees!  One of my favorite prints this season is floral and I was so excited when I found this dress at a local boutique.  This floral dress is a flirty and fun cut perfect for many occasions. It's very lightweight so it's perfect for the hot days ahead.  I love the tie neck and low back.  With prints I keep the accessories minimal, so I've paired it with studs, bracelets, and nude shoes.  I'm wearing my absolute favorite block heel mules which I'm pretty much wearing with everything these days.

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Can we talk about these light posts at the LACMA?!?!  It's been on my bucket list forever now to see these light posts that I see in pics all the time.  They are gorgeous and fun to twirl around in and quite the sight to see. On a recent trip to LA I was so excited that I was able check these off the list.

The Glorious Heresies Book Review

One of my greatest joys in life is reading by the pool with a cocktail.  It's even more exciting if I get to read on vacation.  Recently I was able to sneak in some me time on a work trip and read a little bit but instead of a cocktail I enjoyed a warm cup of tea because it was a little brisk out (plus hello I was working).  Reading without any interruptions is good for my mind and soul and I wish I had more time for a good novel.  I love sharing book reviews with you so I can pass on some good reads. Unfortunately this time I do NOT have a recommendation for you.

I finally finished The Glorious Heresies by Lisa McInerney which took me soooooo many months to finish because it was terrible.  I struggled to finish the book but I kept hoping it was going to turn around for the better.  To give the book the benefit of the doubt it was set in Ireland so much of the language and jargon was totally foreign to me.  I also hated the ending of the book which stopped abruptly without a true conclusion.

Set in a rough part of Ireland Maureen Phelan accidentally kills an intruder who sneaks into her home one evening.  The consequences of the unplanned murder are detailed through the rest of the book connecting four struggling misfits, Ryan, Tony, Georgie, and Jimmy.  Ryan is a young teen who has already dropped out of school who sells drugs.  Tony, Ryan's Father is an alcoholic widower who is failing at raising his 7 children.  Georgie is a drug-addict, prostitute who finds herself caught up with a born-again cult movement and Jimmy is a gangster who thinks he runs the dark side of the town.  I never connected with any of the characters.  The story line was slow and boring; never a twist or a turn.  

How to Throw a Trolls Birthday Party

How is it that my baby is 3?!?!  This sassy, spicy, sour, and sweet little girl is such a little person now and I love watching her personality develop.  Several months ago Miss Madison started saying she wanted a Trolls party and she wanted to be Princess Poppy, Sissy to be DJ Suki, Mommy to be Smidge and Daddy to be Branch.  She never changed her mind; this girl knows what she wants!  So there was no question that we were throwing a Trollstice.  I had so much fun putting this party together for our baby girl.  Step 1 were the outfits; I had the dresses made and I made the Troll Hair Headbands.  

I don't have any problems with the creative ideas but I have the worst handwriting and no artistic abilities unfortunately so I was able to get the help of Chalk Talk Queen.  She created two chalkboards that added so much to the decor of the party! 

The kid's table is always the centerpiece of our birthday parties.  I handled all of the table decor but the showstopper was the cake from Kaja's Kreations.  It was literally the most fun cake I've even seen in my life.  Everything (minus the Troll characters) was edible and to die for DELICIOUS!  It was a two layer Oreo cake with cookies and cream-cream cheese filling.  It was so moist and tasty; so it was as delicious as it was stunning.

Kaja's Kreations also did the cupcakes for each of the little ones.  They were blue velvet with a rainbow frosting.  The cupcakes were the icing on the cake for the kid's table.

The beverage bar had colorful drinks for young and old.  To make a rainbow of drinks I served watermelon and blue raspberry vodka with Sprite for the adults and Pineapple Fanta and water (with food coloring) for the kiddos.  

Tofa's Mediteranean Grill catered the lunch and they way outdid themselves!  We had green salad, pita bread, hummus, rice pilaf, chicken kabobs with garlic sauce, pita quesadillas, and french fries to fill our bellies after playing.  Every guest raved about how flavorful, juicy, and scrumptious the food was.  I can confidently say everyone left full and satisfied.

The birthday girl was quite the star at her party followed around all day by the sweetest photographer Melissa Gotelli.  Melissa captured Madi and her party so perfectly!  She was extremely kind and engaging with all the little ones.  Not only was she sweet but she was also thorough and professional. I am beyond happy with the quality of the photos and her turn around time was nearly unmatched.  

The birthday girl with her grandmas.

The birthday girl with her godparents.

 

 

 

 

I made Troll Hair party favors and favor tags for all of Madi's friends.  The chalkboard was again done by Chalk Talk Queen.  

I couldn't have pulled off this party without all the help!  Everything turned out so perfect and I was honored to work with these companies.  Locals you must check them out!

Melissa Gotelli Photography

Tofa's Mediterranean Grill

Kaja's Kreations

Chalk Talk Queen

The post is sponsored.  All opinions expressed are honest and my own.