1. Outdoor Bean Bag Toss 2. Illy Coffee 3. BBQ Sauce Kit 4. Airpods Pro 5. Baseball Hat 6. Tech Toolkit 7. Decanter

1. Gucci Scarf 2. Hat 3. Beach Bag 4. Pink Hat 5. Pouch 6. Chloe Sunglasses (currently 80% off) 7. Tory Burch Belt 8. Handbag 9. Pearl Ring

It’s finally happening! My wedding is only about a month away. If you haven’t been following, in late June of last year my venue told me I will need to postpone my wedding due to the pandemic. Our original wedding date was 8.14.20 (we did elope on this day) but we rescheduled the ceremony and reception to July of 2021. With the wedding approaching, I got back in to wedding planning. I thought it could be useful for me to share how I have started wedding planning again.

What I’ve Recently Completed

I did decide to send out invitations again. I know I’m not the only one that seemed a little undecided about sending invitations again after a postponement notice but ultimately I decided it was best. I viewed the postponement notice (our postponements had the new date on them) as a new save the date so I figured I should send out formal invitations as well.

I also had my 1st dress fitting. I was a little nervous about trying on my dress again for the first time since 2019 but lucky it fits and I still love it! Everyone told me dress fittings are exhausting and I didn’t believe it until I experienced it. Standing still with perfect posture for 2 hours is exhausting!

We also rented my husband’s tux. Since so many weddings last year got postponed to this Summer there is a huge influx in tux rentals so if you are getting married this Summer I recommend renting the tux ASAP.

Issues Planning During A Pandemic

Because our venue furloughed it’s wedding team last year, unfortunately some of the staff left including the pastry chef and our wedding coordinator. Luckily the wedding coordinator position was filled quickly. As of last night the venue finally gave us a wedding cake solution so we get to have a wedding cake!

Unfortunately the girl I had my hair trial with also got furloughed because of the pandemic and subsequently left. The salon has two stylist so I’m still getting my hair done at the same salon just with a different person.

What I Have Left To Do

Finalize the shot list.

A shot list is a list of specific photos you want you photographer to take. I’ve looked to Pinterest to help me create a list and I’ve also gone through our engagement photos to determine what photos we liked best to give our photographer an idea of what we want.

Finalize Song List

I wouldn’t call myself an indecisive person BUT when you have made hundreds of decisions surrounding a wedding it does start to make you feel burnt out on decision making. For that reason, I’ve really been struggling we determining what songs we want played.

Seating Chart

Since I’m having an extremely small wedding the seating chart will be a breeze!

Day of Timeline/Ceremony Timeline

Creating a day of timeline and ceremony timeline will probably be an easy task.

Second Dress Fitting

I do have a second dress fitting next week. From my understanding the second dress fitting is easier than the first. I believe at second fittings you make sure you can lift your arms in the dress, walk around, sit, and learn how to bustle it.

I shared The Best Swimsuits 2021 so I figured I should also share the best swimsuit cover-ups for 2021. These all range in price to fit any budget.

1. Revolve 2. Amazon 3. Nordstrom 4. Revolve 5. J.Crew 6. Anthropologie 7. Revolve 8. Target 9. Amazon 10. Anthropologie

You all know I love a good sale and I always share the best deals so below are the best Memorial Day Sales for 2021.

Back Country

Up to 50% off

15% off your first order when subscribing to emails

J.Crew

25% off your purchase with code WEEKEND

Extra 40% off women’s, men’s, and kids sale styles with code WEEKEND

Banana Republic

40% off

Target

15% off select outdoor furniture

$5 gift card when you spend $25 on select sun care, hair care, and skin care

10% off select speedo items

Up to 50% off home decor, toys, clothing, and more

Nordstrom

Up to 50% off

S’Well

25% off sitewide with code MAY21

Dermstore

Up to 20% off with code SALEAWAY

Frontgate

Up to 40% off sitewide

Extra savings on sale items

ASOS

25% off everything when you spend $30 or more with code MEMDAY

Mango

30% off purchases over $120 with code EXTRA30

Revolve

Up to 50% off

Old Navy

Up to 50% off

Gap

50% off tanks, tees, and dresses

40% off everything else

Use code Sunshine

Anthropologie

Extra 40% off sale items

Pottery Barn

Up to 50% off

West Elm

Up to 75% off

Williams Sonoma

Up to 50% off

Baublebar

Take an extra 20% off sale with code Sale20

Mark & Graham

Up tp 50% off

Express

40% off everything

Nordstrom Rack

Extra 25% off clearance

Bed, Bath, and Beyond

Up to 40% off

Most people get excited for cooking during the Fall and Winter, but I’m here to say I really love cooking in the Summer. I think Summer foods/recipes are very underrated. I love all of the bright and fresh ingredients often used in Summer recipes. Below are some of my favorite Summer dinner ideas (that I honestly tend to make year-round).

Pasta al Limone from Bon Appetit

This pasta is to die for! I love to have it with grilled chicken and zuchinni.

Buffalo Chicken Salad from Delish

This is a recipe I have recently started incorporating into our “go-to” meals. It’s the type of salad that feels unhealthy but is actually healthy and satisfying. I don’t follow the recipe exactly. I mostly use the recipe for the chicken marinade then toss it together with romaine, blue cheese crumbles, corn, sunflower seeds, and blue cheese dressing.

Lemon Garlic Shrimp from Delish

This recipe feels like it takes no time to make and it’s healthy. I love to serve this with brown rice and asparagus.

Summer Corn Pasta from Laura in the Kitchen

I know this recipe might sound a bit strange but you’re just going to have to trust me when I say it’s delicious. We’ve had it on it’s own but it would also make the perfect side for a BBQ get together.

Baked Cod with Panko

This recipe I actually have not tried yet but I’m confident it will be good.

Shrimp Ceviche Tostadas

Ceviche recipe from Jessica Gavin and Homemade Tostada recipe from Isabel Eats

This ceviche and tostada recipe is a match made in heaven. For the tostadas, I like to squeeze some lime juice and sprinkle salt on them immediately after they come out of the oven.

I don’t know about you, but I have been finding that a lot of new swimsuits this season seem to be unflattering. I scoured the internet to find the best swimsuits for 2021 that will flatter all sorts of body types. These swimsuits also range in price to fit almost any budget.

I used to be one of those people that never wore a graphic tee. I don’t know how I did it before, because graphic tees have become a staple of my casual summer wardrobe. When I have those days when I want to be comfortable but don’t know what to wear I reach for a graphic tee, jeans, and some flats. I specifically like graphic tees because they add an element of fun and personality to an otherwise boring outfit. Below are some of the cutest graphic tees for the season.

I’m one of those people that genuinely loves having a salad for a meal. I know some people cringe at the thought of having a salad as a meal and that’s probably because it’s not a filling or exciting salad. Over the last few years I’ve realized there are a few key components that make a salad filling and satisfying enough to have as a meal.

Crunchy Lettuce

I know there are certainly better for you greens than romaine, BUT I love the satisfying crunch of Romaine Lettuce. There is something about the crunch of a lettuce that makes it feel more filling. If you want to make it more nutritionally dense then you can mix in kale or spinach.

Extra Vegetable

I like to add an extra vegetable (something other than lettuce) to make the salad more nutritional and to add an extra flavor. For this particular salad I added edamame.

Protein

Protein is obviously a key component to making a salad filling. In the case of the salad above, I used salmon. You can certainly make the protein vegetarian or vegan.

Something Crunchy

Like I said before, there is something about a crunch factor that makes a salad feel more filling and less boring to eat. This can come in many forms including croutons, a crunchy vegetable, or in this case I used dried ramens noodles.

Something Creamy

This one took me a long time to realize it is an important component to a great salad. When I think of salads I definitely don’t think of a “creamy” salad. However, there is something about a creamy factor that makes it almost feel indulgent and not “healthy”. You can add something creamy by adding cheese, a creamy dressing, or in this case I used avocado.

Dressing

I will never been that person that doesn’t believe in salad dressing. I find that the people who don’t believe in salad dressing don’t like it because it “ruins” something healthy. THIS IS A LIE. Not all salad dressings are created equal. While I still buy some store-bought dressings (blue cheese) I generally find homemade dressings to be easy to make, better for you, and better tasting. The salad dressing you buy in a store are usually made of poor quality oils and questionable ingredients.

$0-$50

1. Pottery Barn Frame 2. Bath Fizz Set 3. Silk Face Mask 4. Honeycomb Apron 5. West Elm Vase

$50-$150

1. Silk Pillowcase 2. Le Creuset French Press 3. Barrel Aged Balsamic Vinegar & Olive Oil 4. Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Kit 5. Gucci Bloom Set

$150-$300