Summer Must-Have: Patterned Shorts

(1/2/3/4/5/6)

Patterned shorts are everywhere this year and I've been drooling over all of them. I gathered the above selection as inspiration for my own designs. I'll likely be using a basic shorts pattern and just changing up the print/materials.

What's your favorite trend in shorts this year?

Cold Brewed Coffee

As soon as the high temperatures hit, I couldn't wait to make the first cold brewed coffee of the season. On a hot summer day there's nothing more refreshing than a light and balanced cup o' joe on the rocks.

 I use my french press to make a cold brew, letting it sit overnight and pressing it in the morning for an instant dose of caffeine. If you don't own a french press, you can use the method here from smitten kitchen. 

Ooey Gooey Deep Dark Chocolate Cookies

 Need I say more?

Probably not...but I will anyways.

The $3 Purse

Lately I've been on the hunt for a new purse knowing that my current one won't last much longer. The problem is, I've had this purse for over 5 years, and it's been so faithful. It's the first bag I ever made and I never imagined it would follow me through some of the most important times in my life.

This bag was once a leather skirt, probably originally born in the 80's it found it's way to my local thrift store where I snatched it up for about $3...little did it know I had other intentions for it.

Sunday Sangria

The temperatures have been steadily climbing the last few weeks, and at 80+ last weekend I was struck with a craving for a sweet and refreshing sangria to sip while sun bathing on our roof.

Using the ingredients I had on hand, I based my creation off this recipe. It was my first attempt at Sangria and came out quite good. I used a previously opened sauvignon blanc, brandy, lime, apple, nectarine, and some frozen pinapple.

DIY Neon Necklaces

Pops of neon are everywhere this season, and I'm loving it. With a recent resolve to introduce more color and accessories into my wardrobe I thought this the perfect opportunity to give some of my long forgotten pieces new life.

After digging through my old dresser drawer these became my victims:


I didn't have the patience to venture to the hardware store for spray paint, so my neon nail polish found a new identity...

Cinco de June

Cinco de Mayo is one of my favorite holidays, partly because of the food, but also because it's the first to break up those long months of nothing. I can't understand why there are barely any holidays in the first half of the year. Luckily I've created some of my own holidays with my birthday in January and anniversary in March, but other than that there's just Valentines Day...and then Easter...and then nothing.

Since Cinco de Mayo is one of my favorites, I think it's perfectly fine to do a Cinco de Mayo post, one month later. So happy Cinco de June everybody! Here are the delicioso chilaquiles I made the morning after our cinco de mayo fiesta. Now I'm tempted to make them again...maybe for dinner tonight?

Memorial Daze

The long weekend was very much overdue. My goal was to nothing but relax all weekend and I managed to do that pretty well. I spent the morning of memorial day at my parent's house enjoying the peaceful quiet of the suburbs. Their house is under renovation so we gladly escaped outside and sat for hours under the large tree sipping lemon water and catching up on life.

These types of things do make my mind wander from the love of living in the concrete jungle and give me a desire for an outside area of my own. I can't say I'd want to move to a neighborhood, but a patio or roof area would fill my craving.