Cocktail Confessions - Berry Cooler

The Fourth of July is right around the corner and I wanted to make a special cocktail to celebrate the holiday weekend! There will be cookouts, pool parties, beach bbqs (if you live near one of those), and fireworks! With all those activities, everyone needs a little beverage to sip throughout the day, right? Enter the Berry Cooler!

Here's what you'll need:

Berry Vodka, Seltzer Water, Strawberries, and Blueberries

Add festive cocktail picks like these parasol flags or use cute paper straws!

Any other festive fruit will work as well like blackberries or raspberries!

 To make the cocktail, it's super easy. Add one jigger of the berry vodka, or more to taste.

Fill the glass 3/4 of the way with Seltzer water.

Thread the berries through the cocktail pick. I added a blueberry first, then a strawberry, and then another blueberry. Make it festive!

   

Place the berries in the glass! Don't want to go the cocktail pick route? We also floated the berries in the drink. Just as cute! And, the berries become infused with the vodka and are super tasty!

This is a refreshing drink and one I sipped all afternoon. However, sip fast if you don't want it watered down. For this, freeze your berries and use in place of ice cubes! I will definitely do this next time around. Or this weekend!

Happy Fourth! Cheers!

Wednesday Wants - Fourth of July Looks

Can you believe this weekend is the Fourth of July? Summer is simply flying by! We don't have huge plans, but that doesn't mean I don't want to look cute and festive. And when I think of festive looks, I'm not always looking for the obvious. Instead, I incorporate red, white, and blue into my look without screaming American flag!

Here are my six picks for some cute holiday looks!

One/Two/Three/Four/Five/Six

And, as luck would have it, most of these pieces are currently on sale! Time to shop for the weekend!! I think I'm heading to Target today for the hankie inspired maxi dress!

Have big plans for the weekend? Let us know what you're up to!

My DIY - July Fourth Nail Art

I'm not sure if nail art is still on trend, but I still like it! And, I like to dabble in it. But I'm not very good. They say practice makes perfect, but I don't have a whole of time on my hands....pun intended! So I drew some inspiration from Pinterest and decided to give a couple of cute nail art styles a try. 

Here is what I used:

For the first round, I used OPI Red, Essie Blanc, Essie Butler Please, and Revlon Night and Degas. I painted the majority of my nails red, using my ring and thumb as my accent nails. Those, as you can see, I painted with Blanc. I used the Revlon Night and Degas to create the stripes and totally went free hand. If you want a more professional look, tape off the stripes and paint. Just like you would a wall. I dotted the white accent nails with Butler Please and OPI Red. And that's it. Super simple and kind of cute, no?

For the second round, the only color I didn't use was the Revlon polish. But, I added Nicole by OPI  Rainbow in the S-Kylie. (I think this might have been from the Kardashian Collection.) I randomly polished nails in the red, white and blue polish, and went back over them with the glitter. I love how it gave them a little firecracker look! Or sparklers. I love those things!

 And last year, I did this cute design. A little here and a little there. A fun pattern that was totally whimsical!

With the fourth fastly approaching, would you give these nail art designs a try? If you have already, please share! I love to get inspiration from others!

Here's to the old Red, White, and Blue!

Firecracker....BOOM!

Top: Old Navy; Shorts: DIY (similar/similar); Sandals: Tory Burch (similar); 

Hat: Standard Style (similar);Necklace: BaublesbyAndrea (coming soon to Etsy);

 Shades: ULTA (similar); 

Lip Color: Ruby Opera L'Oreal Extraordinaire (c/o PeopleStyleWatch)

When I was a little girl, I owned an enormous pair of red pom-poms and would chant the following cheer "Firecracker, firecracker, boom, boom, boom!" So it's only appropriate that I chant that cheer while posting about my Fourth of July look. 

I couldn't believe how gorgeous the weather was for our Fourth of July. We had temps in the mid 80s and the three of us spent the afternoon at Deanna Rose. It was a perfect day. And so was this outfit! Can you believe how perfect this fabric is for getting into the red, white, and blue spirit? My mom and I bought the fabric so long ago and it was literally laying on the floor of her sewing room. I immediately knew it had to become shorts! I found the top at Old Navy while shopping for a cute patriotic shirt for McKinley and I made the necklace the night before the fourth. Nothing like whipping up a look in less than 24 hours!

 

Another BaublesbyAndrea creation that will be coming to my Etsy shop soon. I'm loving the mix of fabric beads with other textures. I can't wait to keep playing with this concept!

Even though these shorts were my go-to Fourth piece, I know they are going to be booming with possibilities all summer long!

Happy Fourth of July

I hope you are having a festive Fourth of July! We don't have much planned, but I know we will enjoy every minute of our family time together! We don't have actual plans. We're just going to go with the flow of the day and do whatever everyone feels like doing! I love the holidays! Any holiday will do. The decorating, the baking, the parties, and the outfit planning! It's all so much fun. And even if it's just the three of us, I have plenty of things up my sleeve. Here are just a few things I'm loving!

Amazing nail art via Pinterest!

Super cute Espadrilles and striped maxi from Old Navy!

Yummy patriotic Popsicles via Pinterest.

My son's Fourth of July tree and pennant that I made for him! 

 

 A darling print that's perfect for a pair of shorts! Let's hope I can get them made in time!

There's nothing like a little red, white, and blue to get this girl jazzed for a holiday weekend! 

Happy Fourth of July!!

Happy Fourth of July

Today is Independence Day and what a day it is!! This is a day that we celebrate together as fellow men. I just wish we could do that every day of the year. I hope you are having a wonderful day spent with family and friends. We are enjoying the day with a trip to the zoo and a little cookout with just the three of us. A pretty perfect day if you ask me!!

 

And because today is all about the Red, White and Blue, here are some of my favorites in photos!

 

 

 

 

Have a happy and safe Fourth of July!!



Center Court

Sweater: Ann Taylor; Tank: Target; Skirt: Ann Taylor; Shoes: Banana Republic;

Sunnies: Ann Taylor; Necklace: Banana Republic; Lip Color: Clinique Drama Red

 

Not only is this week July 4th, it's also Wimbledon! I'm not a huge tennis fan, but I do love watching this particular tournament. The history, the all white tennis outfits and the royality watching! Wimbledon rocks!

 

With this look I decided I should be on the center court! A white skirt, white tank and a little bit of navy blue makes this look game, set, match!

 

 

 

I love my nails! So much fun for the holiday weekend! OPI Red, OPI Blue My Mind and Revlon Night & Degas.

 

 

I knew it would be a good day and I was right! I was complimented twice on my shoes! Once in Starbucks and again in Hy-Vee! Gotta love that!



Chevron Stripes and a Picket Fence

Top: LOFT; Skirt: ModCloth; Shoes: Tory Burch; Bangles: A Mix;

Belt: Target; Earrings: Silpada; Sunnies: MARC by Marc Jacobs

 

Nothing says Americana like a white picket fence! Or red, white and blue Chevron stripes, no? I've decided to dedicate this week to pairing the three American colors in honor of the Fourth of July. There are ways to pair all three and not look like the flag or a costume.

 

I love the ease of this skirt. You literally throw it on and go! A little white button down with delicate lace makes it a little more feminine. And I love the bold shoe!

 

 

 

The Skirt: Before and After

 

I'm really happy with the contrast in stylings.

 

 



 

How do you dress for the Fourth?

July Fourth Essentials - A Styling Session

The Fourth of July is a super festive holiday complete with trips to the pool, cookouts with family and friends and it usually concludes with massive firework displays! And, who doesn't want to look Patriotic while attending one or all of the events listed above? However, you don't want to look like a costume. I've pulled together a list of July Fourth essentials that will take you from day to night and from pool to sparklers all while still paying homage to the Red, White and Blue!

 

Stars and stripes  are a Fourth protocal and these two tees from Gap are perfect! The blue stripes from Ann Taylor are also a great addition and all three would look awesome paired with the denim shorts from LOFT!

 

 

 

 

Headed to the pool? If so, check out this adorable leopard print suit from Ann Taylor! (It just happens to be in my shopping cart and on major sale!) I love the halter and flattering neckline! This is definitely a timeless one-piece. 

 

And, if you need a cover-up, why not pair it with either these Joie linen pants from Piperlime! I love a great linen pant and these look so comfy! Perfect for throwing on over your suit or paired with one of the darling tees above!

 

 

And you need a great shoe, right? Check out these striped wedges from Ann Taylor! Paired with the linen pants above, or the darling white dress from LOFT below, these are a summer staple!

 

 

Who doesn't need an easy dress in their closet? This darling tank dress from LOFT can be styled so many different ways. Paired with the wedges above, as a cover-up for the leopard print suit or paired with the paisley scarf below, this is a classic cotton dress that will keep you cool and stylish all summer long!

 

 

 

This bandana print scarf from Gap is darling! I love the rich red tone and the paisley print is so cute! It can easily be paired with the dress from LOFT, any of the cute tees or the linen pants. And, it can double as a shawl while watching fireworks in case the evening is cool!

 

 

 

Lastly, I am a huge fan of the romper and this one from Rachel Zoe at Piperlime is perfect! I love the cheery, cherry red and how comfy yet stylish it looks! A great cover-up, or worn as is, this is perfect for a day of festive Fourth celebrations!!

 

What are your plans for the Fourth of July? Have you thought about what you might wear? Get creative and festive and share with me!

 

Here are some of the ways I've worn red, white and blue!