July Recap

With all the craziness that this summer has brought, blogging has sadly slipped to the back of my mind. I miss it and I have been making plans to get back into this space in August.

The first week of July, KJ and I took a trip to Charleston to celebrate our 3rd Wedding Anniversary. We got engaged in Charleston in 2011, and we have been wanting to get back ever since. It was so much more beautiful than I remember it being!

On our actual anniversary we had a nice quiet dinner at home. Even though its just the 2 of us, I never skimp of setting a beautiful tablescpae.

My Magnolia tree has had so many blooms this month. I have loved clipping them and bringing them inside so that we can enjoy looking at them and smelling them!

All of my favorite magazines were perfect this month. I even found myself rereading them over and over again. Coastal Living, House Beautiful and Southern Living were among the best this month.

Where are my fellow Lilly planner users? I am so excited that the new planners started this week. I chose a different planner last year and I am so excited to be back to my Lilly planner. I chose the jumbo agenda and it has so much space. I write everything in my planner and I love having all the space back!

I hope y'all had a wonderful July and I cannot wait to see what August has in store!

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Navy Accessories

Hermes Bracelet: There isn't much to say here, this classic Hermes bracelet in any color is a must have, but I am partial to the navy one.

Nantucket Jack Rogers: I actually won these recently in the Jack Rogers Anniversary giveaway, and they did not disappoint. I have roughly 20 pairs of Jacks and these were a welcomed addition to the collection.

Gingham Croakies: I have learned to never leave home without a good pair of croakies! They have saved my sunglasses from being lost in the water on multiple occasions. I actually forgot to bring them with me to Charleston and ended up buying a new pair while we were gone.

KJP Anchor Bracelet: Every bracelet that KJP makes is beautiful, but I especially love this one. It would also go well with the Michele watch too! Perfect arm party in the making.

J. Crew Hat: This hat is from a few seasons ago, but it has worn so well. It is wool so its perfect for those chilly fall days. I also love my monogrammed hat from Lands End, and at less than $20 its a steal. Lands End also runs sales very frequently so you can scoop one up for even less.

Large Longchamp: Longchamps are perfect and they go with just about anything. They are great for causal days but are also large enough that they work great for an overnight trip.

Michele Watch: I found this one on Tradsey, and I love the classic combo of navy and gold.

Black Dog Boat Tote: I love a good Boat Tote especially the ones by L.L. Bean, but having a black lab makes me want to order this one ASAP!

Hunter Boots: I love these classic Hunters in navy. They go with everything and can be transitioned from season to season with ease.

Do you have any favorite accessories?

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Savor

Renectly, I picked up a copy of the devotional book, Savor, and so far I am loving it! Each page includes the full verse to read so you don't always have to have your Bible handy. It is a perfect read in the morning.

I like to keep Savor on my bedside table so that I can read it each morning when I wake up.

It also have a few recipes scattered throughout the book. I haven't tried any yet, but they all sound delish.

Have you read Savor yet? What are your thoughts on it?

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Summer of Seafood

I could eat seafood everyday, especially if it shrimp. This summer we have been eating seafood like its going out of style. Here are some of my favorite seafood dinners so far this summer. 

Lobster Roll and a shrimp taco from 167 Raw in Charleston. This was the best place that we ate at on our recent trip to Charleston. 

Shrimp PoBoy from The Charleston Harbor Fish House in Charleston. They also had a Key Lime Pie that I still dream of.

We haven't just been eating out this summer for our seafood fix, but we have had it many nights for dinner at home. 

For our anniversary dinner we had steamed shrimp, crab cakes and stuffed clams. It was deletcable! 

Crab legs and shrimp. This I could eat everyday! {PS- If you live in a state with a Publix grocery store and you have a craving for seafood, but don't want to cook it then head to Publix! They will steam it for you at no additional cost.} 

Low Country Boil is one of my absolute favorites. Here is the recipe that I use:

Ingredients

• 6 ears of corn, cut in half
• 6 (4 inch) links smoked sausage
• 12 red new potatoes, cut in half if large
• 3 lbs fresh shrimp, unpeeled
• 2 teaspoons crab boil seasoning, per quart of water

Preparation

Fill a large pot with enough water to cover all of the ingredients. Add the crab boil and bring to a boil. Adjust the crab boil to suit your taste. When the water boils, add the potatoes and sausage. Cook on medium heat for 20 minutes. Add corn and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Add shrimp and cook for no more than 3 minutes. Drain and serve with warm bread

What is your summer favorite?

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Power Color

Do you have a power color? A color that when you wear it or when you around it you just feel unstoppable. Any guesses on my power color? Yup... Its Navy. I am sure that it is not a surprise that my favorite color is navy, just take one look at my blog or my Instagram.

My home doesn't feel like my home unless there is something blue everywhere that you look. And, some of my favorite clothing and accessory pieces are navy. 

Here are a few snapshots from my home, navy is everywhere.

Navy isn't always the easiest color to find, so I have found myself making some items for myself. Like the runner below, I purchased fabric that I loved and made my own runner. 

Incorporating pieces into your home that reflect your favorite/power color are key to making you house truly feel like a home. If you feel confident and comfortable in your home then those who visit will feel the same way. 

You can also see photos of my home on Instagram by going here, or my teaching #OurMagnoliaHome

Here are some of my favorite navy clothing and accessories.

This photo contains some of my favorite navy pieces to wear. This navy boatneck shirt is my favorite shirt ever, I am even wearing it right now as I type this blog post. Its 3/4 length sleeves so it can easily be transitioned from summer to fall and it's got a monogram! I recently added these navy jacks to my collection and they are amazing. Perfect navy sandal. If you don't own a L.L. Bean Boat and Tote, I highly recommend one. It is so versatile and can hold everything. Plus, it is made in the good ole USA.

These Stubbs & Wootton loafers always put me in a good mood when I wear them, and this shirt from Target is also one of my favorite go to shirts. 

Do you have a power color? Try wearing that color at least once this week or adding a little of it to your home, see if it boosts your confidence and makes you feel more at home!

xoxo,

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Summer Hostess Gifts

Summertime and the living is easy.... 

Pool parties, backyard BBQs, Low-country Boils, you name it then its probably happening this summer. Here are some simple, easy, summertime themed hostess gifts. 

Cocktail Napkins

Beach Tote // Agenda // Cosmetic Case

Anchor Measuring Spoons

Pineapple // Shell // Anchor

I hope y'all are having a wonderful summer so far! 

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Charleston Highlights

First of all, I have to say that if you live in Charleston, BLESS YOU!! I fell more in love with this beautiful city this time than the last time I visited. The architecture, the community, the food and not to mention the shopping!

Our hotel had a rooftop deck that had a beautiful view of the harbor and the Ravenel Bridge. It was amazing to sit up there and watch the sunset and the boats come into the harbor. 

We walked almost everywhere, which was amazing since I have to drive everywhere at home. And every street that we walked down had beautiful driveways, porches, and details. The homes in downtown Charleston were breathtaking. I mean how amazing is this brickwork and window boxes. 

All of these historic homes hold so much meaning, can you imagine all the holidays, weddings and celebrations that these homes have seen? One day, I'll take KJ into getting me one of these. 

All of the water around Charleston is beautiful. The waterfront park is a must go to if you visit Charleston, the view from the pier is beautiful. KJ and I just sat in a swing for an hour or so people and boat watching.

Can we also take a moment to talk about how beautiful the College of Charleston Rowing dock is?! It makes me want to go to the CoC and join the rowing team. 

Our hotel was beautifully renovated and decorated. It fit Charleston perfectly! It was in downtown, but it was on the harbor so we were able to be in the middle of everything while also having a beautiful view. 

The Palmetto Suite was beautiful! 16ft ceilings, the exposed brick and a fireplace. It was dreamy. We actually used the fireplace too. Our last night in Charleston, we got caught in a crazy rainstorm and by the time we ate dinner and got back to the hotel we were freezing. So, that made us very thankful for the fireplace!

What are y'alls favorite places in Charleston? Come back tomorrow and I'll share my favorite places that we ate at this time in Charleston!

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