Tuesday, June 11, 2024

Boy, if I were to try to list all the things I have learned from my ten plus years of reading blogs, it would take me forever.

My life has been better for reading blogs! I swear! I bet you will agree with me if you are also a regular blog reader.

So, what’s working for me right now? By the way, lots of things aren’t working for me right now, but how about we keep this positive? Ha! I really want to know what’s working for you in this season in the comments. Some days my comments section is gold, if I do say so myself. So, not only do blogs give me so many ideas, but your comments do, too. Thank you! Thank you!

Number One – my hydrangea:

After a season of not blooming, my hydrangea is going crazy! I like to think this is a gift from my Dad. I was so sad last summer. By the way, my Dad has now (unbelievably) been gone for five and a half years. I was in Dollar Tree standing in front of the Father’s Day cards the other day and I got emotional. I say feel the feelings. Another thing happened yesterday. I saw on a grocery app what I bought a year ago this month and it was Ernie’s special canned carrots, green beans, and all the chicken I was going to boil for him. I felt the feelings. I’m so lucky that I have had people and canines worth grieving, you know?

So, I am sharing my hydrangea when I need to bring a gift. I pick blooms that are in the back or kind of hidden, so I’m still enjoying plenty of blooms, too.

What I brought my friend Heather:

Number Two – the library:

This is nothing new, but it’s a constant in my life. I made the decision to stop buying books years ago (for both the monetary savings and the clutter factor) and if you are a Lazy Genius listener/follower that is a “decide once” decision for me. I use my library app and request books and I also go in and look around. I love my library! If you are home this summer with your kids, you need to use your library! I took my kids to three different ones and we did several of their programs. This shows our ages, but we also checked out DVDs, music CDs, and things that weren’t books.

Number Three – press ons:

I will keep using them until I have a reason not to, I guess! My favorite brand is Impress and I order them online. I like the petite or short size the best.

Here are the two I’ve done so far this summer:

I’m not very crafty, but even I can do this. The hardest part is timing – making sure you aren’t going to put your hands in water for quite some time after pressing them on. Then, the other and only hard part is picking the size that fits your nails the best.

My favorite way to do them is right after my nightly shower. I take my time choosing and lay them out in finger order. You simply press them on. If I need to file or cut, I try to wait a few minutes or maybe even until the next day. They don’t bother me at all and I can’t even tell I have them on.

Number Four – the dog walking belt bag packed and ready:

Eddie Otis and I take at least two walks a day. He hardly lets me put my shoes on (he thinks my laces are a toy!) so having this packed is very helpful. I don’t always have pockets so this is my pocket! Sometimes we as humans make things harder than they need to be and sometimes we figure it out.

Number Five – starting my day outside:

I am the morning person for EO and after he eats breakfast, I find that getting him outside right away is the best. He loves listening to the birds and looking around and I can read my devotional and my blogs. I daresay it’s good for me to start outside, too.

Time for my walk now, mama:

Number Six – the Trader Joe’s body wash and body butter combo

Smells are really important to me! I feel like this is really a nice summery smell that I am enjoying! I want the seasons to feel like the seasons and I think mixing up your smells is a fun way to embrace the one you’re in.

So, what’s working for you right now? It can be something big or something small! There is no wrong answer! (Oh crap, the teacher in me just came out!)

Cheers to finding what works for us!

Amy

Share Our Lives – Foods to Make for Someone Else

My sister has been the recipient of lots of meals because of some serious ish she went through. She said the most common is lasagna, so I try to steer away from that, but as a Spanish teacher I sometimes go with the Mexican theme. I like to make my Mexican lasagna which uses tortillas cut into “noodles”. I add a bag of chips and a thing of salsa. I like to do brownies sometimes, too.

Also, and this is from my sister’s experience, only use disposable pans. The last thing the person needs is another errand in returning someones’ dish. Include heating up instructions and ingredients in case there are allergens.

I think the best thing I received was from my friend Beth. She brought a bag from a specialty market of chicken salad, lunch meat, crackers, and stuff we could eat for lunch or pick at. This was really nice and something different.

Keep in mind that you may literally just need to drop it off on a porch. They may not be able to talk or visit.

Another nice thing if the family has kids – include some coloring books, puzzle books, some crayons. You can even drop off hand me downs from your kids.

The biggest thing is just not to overthink it. It doesn’t have to be homemade and it doesn’t have to be elaborate or fancy.

I actually did a whole post about this topic:

https://coffeeandcocktailsatthecasa.com/2019/01/22/tuesday-tip-3/

Other ideas:

a rotisserie chicken, Bob Evans mashed potatoes, and a salad kit,

McDonald’s chocolate chip cookies and a jug of milk

Jimmy John’s sandwiches

What are your best ideas?

Let’s talk about the weekend now!

I’m trying to make a sourdough starter!

Here is the recipe I used:

I’ve been having a green tea almost daily and I enjoyed one on Friday morning:

Friday I made a cake from a funfetti cake mix but made homemade frosting. It turned out so good and I took it to my girls’ day!

I also made Jell-O shots for my girls’ day. Full disclosure – I had bought this for the Barbie movie last summer and never did it!

My missing Old Navy sandals showed up and I wore them. They seriously could be Lily Pulitzer.

And, this was my girls’ day at my friend’s beautiful pool:

I brought her some hydrangeas! This is the summer of the hydrangea!

Saturday morning I braved Costco. I was like second in line before they opened so it wasn’t bad at all. I was out in about 15 minutes!

Our friends Scott and Jessica went boating with us. The day was pretty grey and we had some raindrops, but it was a really nice day.

We went home late afternoon and the kids and I threw together a simple dinner and Tom had leftovers. Peep half the cake behind. I only took half to the girls’ day and kept half at home.

And, the reason this post is coming to you late…Sunday was a long but really nice day! We took a road trip to my niece Samira’s grad party. It was a 3 hour drive and we just went for the day.

My sisters and I:

Sisters with my mom:

How was your weekend?

Cheers!

Amy

Friday, June 7, 2024

It’s Friday, but that’s not a good thing now that it’s summer. Time slow down! I am linking up today with Andrea and Erika for Friday Favorites – as usual I have a hodgepodge of things that brought me joy this week.

What brought you joy? What were your favorites? I hope you can name many!

Here are mine…

I have a 14 week old puppy and I try to “involve” him in my chores. Does that make me sound crazy? He “helps” me go get my two birdfeeders and I tell him I’m filling them up for the birds. Then he walks them back with me. I love seeing my full birdfeeder in front of my hydrangea. Eddie Otis (my puppy) usually finds some sticks along the way and has a lot of fun. I try to keep him outside as much as I can because I think it helps to keep him entertained and with potty training.

We had Taco Tuesday and I made my skinny margs for the kids and I. We drank them on the patio before dinner while it was lightly raining and while we waited on Tom to get home. Ahhhh – love that! Here is my recipe if you don’t know it! Honestly, it’s ruined Mexican restaurant margs for me. I like mine soooo much better.

I took my car to the car wash this week. I used to be too scared to do it alone. I was really worried about following the directions correctly, getting stuck inside, getting wet, you name it. I love having a clean car!

Do you read my friend Beth’s blog? If you have a pool, you need to read her latest post. She is such a great hostess!

I’m not sure I shared this, but Tom bought me four ferns for the patio. I have loved having them this season and early in the season to enjoy them longer!

Monday I made popovers and took four of them to my friend Victoria’s house so I didn’t go empty handed. They are so easy, but you do need the special pan. Here is the recipe I used. Good ol’ Betty Crocker!

Our dogs had a playdate and we had lunch:

It was funny to watch them together!

And, speaking of funny… Tom is “friends” with all the neighborhood dogs and one of them is a chihuahua. Tom sent me this photo and said that Taz (the chihuahua) has gotten in with the wrong crowd:

Have you seen a coyote vest? This dog is probably 6 pounds, by the way. Ha!

I was happy to find my dry shampoo at TJ Maxx again. I love the smell and this really works for me. I use dry shampoo more in the winter, though.

I was in Target and I snapped some photos of books I want to request from the library:

Some of them I have already requested.

This Lulu belt bag is really too small for my needs, but it’s not too small for dog walking. I keep it packed with the leash, the waste bags, and some treats. I add my Airpods and my phone. It’s worked out great having this ready.

I did a mani – I have done this color before and I really like it!

Jack and I shopped in Fresh Market while we were hungry for lunch. We got $5 sushi on Thursdays as is their special and a $6 rotisserie chicken, but we made lots of impulse purchases, too!

Want to go to Nantucket but it’s not in the budget this year? Just go to Fresh Market for their Nantucket chips:

Another day I ran some errands alone and walked in on the cutest thing. Eddie Otis was getting a guitar serenade. Look how intently he is watching.

And, I will leave you with that cuteness!

Cheers to the weekend!

Amy

Thursday, June 6, 2024

I’m having a two post day today! What? I wanted to link up with the gals at Share Your Shelf in addition to my usual Fashion Files.

I haven’t had a great reading year! I’m a fair weather reader and much prefer reading outside. I feel like if I’m sitting down inside my go to is the television. Not to worry, I only have a couple of hours to sit down inside so it isn’t a problem most of the year.

Here is what I am currently finishing. I’ve enjoyed it. It’s got food description, a chateau in France, and some romance. As the book went on, it got cheesier and it lacked character development.

I love Sarah Adams and loved this latest book of hers. I’m sad that I have read most of her books! If you are looking for a new summer reading author – check her out. Her books have a sports element, too. You like beefy NFL players? Here you go!

This was super cute and I loved it!

This was cute and she has many more set in locales all over the place, but it seems like my library doesn’t have any others.

I discovered a new author and enjoyed these books in the spring:

They were fluffy and like a Hallmark movie in book form, but pretty well written.

My favorite so far this year is The Rule Book by Sarah Adams. I’ve checked out some non-fiction, too, but I tend to just skim those.

Honestly, nothing I’ve read this year is anything I will rave about. I’ve not had the mental capacity to read anything too deep or thought provoking.

Here’s what I’m deciding between for my next reads:

We will see if any of the above stick. I could always get the alert that another library request has come in.

What are you reading right now? Any books or authors you would recommend to me?

Cheers!

Amy

Thursday, June 6, 2024

It’s Thursday and time for the link up with the Fashion Files ladies here! I’m also double posting today if you are into reading, check our Share Our Shelves here!

I’ve done really well with shopping in 2024. I’ve been content with my spring stuff and did really well finishing out the school year with what I had. Once May hit, though, I wanted to add a few new things that I felt I needed for summer.

I added this white cover up:

I highly recommend it! After my cover up post, I felt lacking. This material is magic! Click here for the link. I think it comes in like 36 different colors and patterns! I would like to get another one, but I am trying to break my pattern of buying duplicates.

Silver is a big trend for footwear this year. I picked these faux rubber Birks up in store at Target and I am constantly reaching for them. I wear them to take the pup out and just around the house. It’s not great to go barefoot at home and these make great house shoes. I also wear them on the boat or to the pool and to run errands. They are great for under $10.

I bought two pairs of Target sandals. I have worn the ones with the little buckles the most. Thanks to Jen for the rec!

I bought this Aerie set – I guess you have to buy each piece separately, though, so it’s not really a “set”.

I also ordered these from Old Navy, but I have never had this happen…

My package had an “exception” on May 24th? What the heck is an “exception”? Anyone else had this happen?

The word “excpetion” doesn’t make me feel any better. It’s June 6th! I guess I better call since I did pay for them.

And, I placed an Old Navy order for these two pairs of shorts:

And, these West Coast and East Coast t-shirts:

As you can see above I have worn all four items several times already.

Also, I stopped in Clothes Mentor and bought these Clarks black slide sandals. They were $20 and looked brand new. I do struggle with black sandals and it seems like all I want to buy is nude/tan!

And, I have hardly gotten “dressed” in the last week but I did wear this to go to happy hour:

Eddie Otis still doesn’t know why his mom takes photos in the bathroom!

What do you think of my recent purchases?

Cheers!

Amy

Wednesday, June 5, 2024

Today is a happy day with a happy link up – Currently with Jennifer!

Jennifer is one of the most positive people in my blog roll. She helps me to start my day in a positive way! This link up is great because it helps me to appreciate the little things in life.

Did you read my Summer List yesterday? I feel like I came off a little bit meh about it. I think as women we feel guilty for having things we want to do that aren’t all the things that we feel we are supposed to do. I had a positive phone conversation with my sister Kate on the phone yesterday and a really nice conversation in person with my friend Victoria and I think both conversations helped me work through some of what you may have noticed in my tone. Maybe you didn’t notice anything and that’s good, too!

Loving

I find myself reaching for my two new pairs of Old Navy shorts lately. These are a linen blend and they have elastic waists and pockets and were $14.99 each. I feel like they could be J.Crew or J.Crew Factory quality and have already washed both pairs two or three times.

Here I wore them over a swim suit for the boat:

Here I wore them for a lunch date:

Don’t you love when you feel that you made a good purchase? I reached for cut offs in the summers of the past few years, but these seem to be more my speed right now.

Notice I also am wearing my new Target A New Day sandals from Jen’s rec!

Looking Forward To

I’m looking forward to savoring this season through my summer list. Tom and I love boating together and it’s been fun to have a new companion and our friends don’t seem to mind a sleepy puppy on board, either. The boat seems to lull him to sleep pretty quickly.

This photo both warms my heart and terrifies me:

Tom is letting him do his thing on the dock and he is so close to the water. When we arrive at this restaurant on the water, EO gets off the boat to go do his business.

I’m also looking forward to Eddie Otis and Luna’s next playdate. My friend Victoria got Luna the same weekend we got EO. They had a big time Monday at lunch. Look at Victoria’s darling fabric for her outdoor couch cushions that she sewed herself!

Luna is looking at him like he is crazy and they both have their tongues out. I need to pay Luna because EO slept for 3 hours when we got home.

I am looking forward to roasting more vegetables. These turned out so darn good. My secret is high heat and not to crowd your sheet pan. I did EVOO, salt, pepper, cajun seasoning, and, garlic powder. I broiled for the last few minutes. I served this with chicken sausage and quinoa and made a simple dressing of EVOO, red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, and garlic, salt, and pepper. Looking to eat more plant based and more healthy grains.

I’m also looking forward to all the fresh summery recipes! Let me know if you have any to share. I’m thinking a caprese chicken or salad some time soon, too.

Enjoying

I’m still enjoying my Chobani creamer and I’m still using my traditional coffee pot and I really hate the mess involved. Victoria told me her Nespresso has changed her coffee life and I’m really interested. She buys the Starbuck’s pods that work with the machine at Kroger.

I’m also enjoying watching EO work his second dog puzzle. You put treats in the little compartments and he has to find them. He really loves working puzzles! He is very motivated by treats! Ha!

Seeing

I really love our route to the river where we keep our boat and launch our boat. It’s the prettiest tree lined street. I don’t travel this road very much in the winter so it’s always a treat to get to see this again.

Do you have certain roads that you love to use?

I also love my yard as my regular readers know. It is such a quiet (most of the time) oasis and it is definitely my happy place.

Mosquitoes love me so much. I really have to remember to spray this around 4:00 p.m. and then I make sure to shower it off at night before bed. This is new to me this year and I really like it.

I would love to add some plants that keep them at bay, but Eddie Otis is very interested in plants.

Lounging Around In

Admittedly, this is an area of my closet I need to work on. I really don’t have nice lounge clothes and I hang on to my sleeping tanks way too long. Some have holes! I have been wearing my new Aerie set as a cover up and as lounge wear, though.

This intrigued me from the Walmart website. It’s a 4th of July themed sleep shirt that I would probably lounge in. Kind of cute, no?

And, that’s what I’m loving, looking forward to, enjoying, seeing, and lounging around in currently!

I’d love to hear some of yours! Thank you as always for reading!

Cheers!

Amy

Tuesday, June 4, 2024

Do you make a summer list? Or, for that matter, do you make a fall, winter, and spring list? I have been lazy about making a list over the last school year and it’s really affected what I have done over the last few months. I feel like I haven’t taken advantage of getting out there this year.

I feel weird about making a list right now for some reason. I’m a bit overwhelmed with a new puppy and all it requires of me and some uncertainties I feel right now. Just keeping it real here. But, still, I want to re-charge my batteries, re-connect with people I care about, and eek what I can out of this current season. Also, I looked back on some previous lists and many of the things I previously put down I just don’t care about anymore. I don’t really care about farmer’s markets this summer. Do I need to go to see if that’s really true? What’s wrong with me? Do you ever feel like this?

First of all, here are some general themes I want to employ this summer:

less scrolling – more reading books

less shopping – more putting together outfits from what I have

less shopping – more decluttering (this always helps me to see just how much I have and how much I could end up with!)

less complaining – more rejoicing

less negativity – more positivity

more moving – less sitting

leas meat – more plants

less processed – more fresh

less hurry – more calm

less indoor time – more outdoor time

Want Tos for the Summer:

I want to lift weights at least 4 mornings a week.

I want to walk almost everyday with pup or alone with a podcast or both.

I also want to have dinner done so I can walk with Tom and Eddie Otis after Tom gets home from work. I know this means a lot to Tom to have me walk with him and it’s a great way to download our days. It’s also fun to see Eddie Otis explore the world together and he gives us lots of laughs.

I want to spend lots of quality time with Tom, kids, and pup. I have a drop everything attitude when my kids ask to hang out with me.

Celebrate Tom’s birthday and Father’s Day in a way that makes Tom happy.

Celebrate our 24th wedding anniversary.

Boat with friends to lunch or sit in cove and have a picnic on the boat.

Teach Eddie Otis how to use the doggy boat ramp.

Enjoy the scents of summer- coconut conditioner is currently in my shower and I’m using the Trader Joe’s bum bum dupe body wash and body cream.

One pool day at Erica’s pool – already enjoyed one day and might do another.

Rooftop or boutique pool day with my friend Beth.

Go to the adult pool with a friend or even by myself to read. We no longer belong to a pool, but there is a pool where I can pay as I go that has a pool set aside for 18 and up. Most of the people are way way up if you know what I mean, but it’s lovely and you can take a float.

Coffee dates or happy hour dates with friends.

Take lunch to Elizabeth at her office and sit outside and eat lunch with her – already promised this and need to make a plan.

Catch up on movies and tv I missed.

Try some new recipes – last summer was so fun making some French recipes with Mason.

Finally try pickle ball with my friend who is obsessed (Heather).

Plan and take a trip with family even if it’s small.

Plan a bigger trip for either fall break or winter break.

Plan a day in my hometown with my mom, sisters, and their kids.

Go to a matinee movie alone.

Go to lunch alone at a kind of nice place.

Read on my patio – finally over my reading slump I think. I have now read 5 books in 2024.

Go out to the patio after dinner and enjoy the longer daylight.

Get a few pedicures in summer colors – white will be the next one – possibly invite a friend.

Declutter as many spaces as possible – this might be a better time of year to do 40 bags in 40 days! It’s normally a Lent activity where you choose 40 spaces in your house and get a bag of stuff to donate.

I’m sure I’ve forgotten many things, but this should get me started!

Cheers!

Amy

Monday, June 3, 2024

It’s Monday but who cares? Ha! Just kidding! It’s my first Monday of summer if you don’t count Memorial Day. To those still in school, I am deeply sorry. I am linking up today with Sarah and Holly to share my weekend.

I’m going to start with Thursday evening and a spontaneous happy hour with Mason at Noche. I had plans that fell through and Mason had later plans so at around 6:00 we enjoyed chips and queso with chorizo in the cool restaurant that is a renovated church…

And, we both tried the hibiscus paloma and it was really good!

And, Friday was my first pool day at Erica’s country club…

The clouds were really something and there was a rainbow kind of thing but it hadn’t rained…can you see it?

We had lunch there and had a salad with grilled chicken and shared some truffle fries…

Remember how I said I really liked the High Noon tequila? Well, Truly has jumped on board with tequila seltzers, too. I haven’t seen them in stores, but her club had them.

Ok, now it felt like summer! I went home around 5:00 and actually cooked dinner that I had partially prepped in the morning.

Saturday I had to run some errands. I want to try to do most of them on weekdays in the summer, but my timing hadn’t worked out this week. Dollar Tree has great cards at 50 cents each. How can you pay $5 a card? They had lots of graduation and Father’s Day cards.

Did you know they also have gift cards now?

I also went to Aldi for the first time in a long time.

We had a grad party and a housewarming party to attend and I took cards and gift cards to the grad party and this Mason jar with hydrangeas to the housewarming. I didn’t take any photos at either party, so this hydrangea is the only proof that we went.

It was rainy and cool most of the weekend and I read a lot of my current book:

Proof of our weather:

We had friends joining us on the boat Sunday, but the weather wasn’t great and they decided to come another time. Tom, Eddie Otis, and I still went out and it drizzled a bit but it turned out to be pretty nice the whole time we were out!

We usually get the spinach salad with salmon when we eat on the boat.

Right after we ate, the weather looked like it was going to turn so we high tailed it in and missed the rain.

For dinner, I made BLTs, loaded baked potatoes, and corn on the cob.

And, that’s it!

What was the highlight of your weekend?

Cheers,

Amy

It’s Friday and I am coming down off of the school year adrenaline. My devotional yesterday was about rest. “God commanded rest for mankind”. Sometimes when I hear my friends talk about feeling guilty for not being productive I respond that maybe they need to rest. I know I need to! So, for my first two days off I didn’t do a whole lot.

I’m linking up with Andrea and Erika for Friday Favorites today.

Here we go…

We took the boat out again on Monday and it was gorgeous. Eddie Otis was the perfect boat dog again! Boating is always a favorite!

On Tuesday, I returned to work and it was ok.

I packed up and cleaned my classroom, but my room is being used for summer school so I didn’t go too crazy. I wanted the teacher to have what she needs.

Before that, though, we had a department breakfast and then went to our last faculty meeting.

I wore my new set. Details are in my Fashion Files post yesterday.

Even though it’s sad, it’s always a favorite to wrap up a school year and feel that sense of accomplishment.

After my work day, Eddie Otis and I chilled on the patio and then one kid did the Kroger pick up for the family and put everything away and one kid came to help me at the vet with EO. It was really nice because Tom is really busy at work and it wasn’t the best time for him to leave early to do the vet. I could have handled it alone, but it’s really easier to have someone help. We go back in three weeks for the last of the puppy shots! Yay!

Having kids this age is really a favorite.

I love seltzers in the summer. I found a new favorite at Kroger. Truly has a pack (should have taken a photo of the box) with cherry lime, peach tangerine, lemon blueberry, and pineapple cranberry.

Mason loves French toast and I made him some with Trader Joe’s challah. It’s so good!

And, the TJ’s peonies have made me happy all week. They’ve opened up so beautifully! Yes to fresh flowers in the house!

I’ve also loved the body wash and body butter. Someone asked what it smells like and I just think it smells summery and pleasant. I guess it smells like bum bum cream but I don’t have any right now to compare.

I found this at Kroger and took a chance. It’s so good!

I found this set of press ons a long time ago at TJ Maxx and used half of the set. These were the leftovers that I combined with a plain white set. I really like this for summer.

I placed a fun Old Navy order. I got t-shirts that say East Coast and West Coast that were on sale for $7.49. I’m really into graphic tees right now.

And, I got two pairs of linen shorts that were $14. 99. I got the blue and white stripe below and the floral print in the next photo below.

I hadn’t bought nicer shorts (not cut offs or lounge/athletic) in a long time so I thought these would be nice for dressing up a bit. I would say they run true to size.

I saw this come up on Facebook. There is a new term “sharenting”. It’s so hard to share my life without talking about my kids because they are such a big part of it. I do think some parents need to take a pause before sharing too much. At the very least, it’s a conversation to have with your kids at a certain age – both about what you share and about what they share. Maybe have a waiting period to see if you still think you should share it? I can see that some of my students like their parents to share on social media because that shows their pride and love, but some are sharing really personal stuff.

I found myself watching a House Hunters (love!) with a real estate agent who also takes her ventriloquist dummy along and has him help in sharing the homes’ details. I thought I got a photo when I screenshotted, but I guess not. Look what they titled it! Anyone looking for a home in Montgomery, AL? Would you use a real estate agent with a dummy? Ha! I think I would be scared off! Those dolls creep me out!

And, a definite favorite is seeing Tom so happy to have a pup in his life. This is them playing after dinner:

And, captaining the boat together last weekend.

As much as I am a dog person, Tom is really a dog person. But, this summer I think Eddie Otis is going to be my little shadow. True story – he got in the shower with me yesterday. I just let him stay since it was a quick no-shampoo shower. No boundaries!

What were your favorites this week? I hope you had many!

Amy

Thursday, May 30, 2024

It’s Thursday and time to share what I have been wearing along with Kellyann and Jill.

Let’s go back to last Wednesday for my first ‘fit. I wanted to dress up a bit for senior walk. My goal since Spring Break had been to wear all my dresses and as many spring and summer pieces as I could without repeating. This also would tell me what really DID need to go from my closet after my initial clean out. I think I did pretty well with my outfits and maybe I will go back and do one big post, but maybe I won’t because that sounds like a lot of work.

I love, love, love this Walmart Scoop dress and I am kicking myself for not getting it in the plain black, too. I think that would have come in really handy. I like this shape for me. Anyway, I love the colors and pattern and it has pockets! Don’t worry – I did bring a flat sandal to change into after the walk.

The next day I wore my ON strawberry t-shirt with my J.Crew Factory green skirt from the clearance rack last year. I’m not big on clearance racks because I think you can end up just buying because it’s cheap, but the J.Crew Factory rack is worth checking out when I am in that shopping center.

And Friday was kind of cool and rainy so I wore my Spanish “Vive Feliz” (“Live Happy”) shirt with an old Target cardi and my black gauzy pants for the last day of school.

Can you believe Old Navy had that t-shirt for $5 last year? Gracias, Navy Viejo! Jajaja – that’s Spanish laughter.

And, of course some of my department members and I did what has become our traditional first and last day photos. The two men that are my classroom neighbors even did it – I told them they could send their photo to their wives. I’m always trying to help, you know?

Saturday I got to try out my new cover up. You all NEED this! The fabric is magic! I love it so much. I believe Jennifer found it first? She got it in two colors. You know how I did my cover up post but then really didn’t like any of them anymore or at least for this season? They all felt dated. I am so happy now! I went with white and it really isn’t see through if that matters to you. I have on my new Walmart navy suit underneath.

And, on Tuesday after Memorial Day for my last work day, I wore this new set! I finally, finally, finally (I think I wanted it last year) pulled the trigger on the Aerie Pool to Party gauzy shorts and button up. Y’all know how I have been into all things gauzy! Pretty soon people will call me “Gauzy Amy”! I sized down in the shorts and I sized up in the shirt. To be honest, they didn’t have the size I probably would have picked in the shirt so I hope it doesn’t look too big. They show it worn very oversized on the model. Look at my little photo bomber.

The fabric on this set feels dreamy! I have been wanting a set of some sort and I decided this was my gift to me. I really have not shopped much since March and I’m pretty proud of myself for that.

I know I’m not Aerie’s demographic, but I have said it before and I will say it again. All of my Aerie pieces – maybe 5 items? – are such good quality and wash really well. I reach for my Sunday shorts and my Shell Yeah t-shirt all the time. I also love my Aerie swim suits. So, yes, I guess you could say I’m a fan.

Do you have any thoughts on this week’s collection of ‘fits? What have you been reaching for?

Amy