I hope you are having an excellent start to June, y’all! We’re gearing up for lots of summer fun, busy work seasons for both of us, and adjusting to the heat and humidity that are already here. I do love this time of year and all of the fun that we’ve been having lately as we see more and more friends and get back into doing more activities and adventures! Here’s a roundup of five favorite things from the last couple weeks that are particularly noteworthy…

a fresh haircut for summer | It had been 20 months since I last had my hair cut, so I was well overdue! My dear friend Teighla just opened a boutique salon storefront in downtown Elon, 102 North. I was incredibly fortunate to be her very, very first customer in their new salon on opening day, and wow, what a treat it was! Teighla was my wedding hair and makeup artist, and she’s also been the hair and makeup artist for most of my brides over the last five years, too. There’s no one I’d entrust my long locks to more! I’m also very, very low maintenance when it comes to my hair (or cheap?), and I’ve never had a fancy haircut done by anyone other than a place like Great Clips or Super Cuts – ha! So it was especially luxurious to have such a high quality, indulgent, amazing haircut done by Teighla! I trust her completely and let her do whatever she wanted with my hair. She cut above eight inches off and added lots of long layers, and I love it so much! It’s also perfect for summer with a fresh chop – my head feels so much lighter already!! If you’re in need of a fabulous, beautiful new cut (or color!) for summer, be sure to reach out to Teighla!

floral bathing suit | Our pool is open for the summer, which is such a highlight since it was closed last summer. I l-o-v-e the pool (or any body of water), and I have already been many times in the past two weeks, I bought this blush floral bathing suit recently, which I have been living in! The happy floral details, the sweet ruffles… not to mention the excellent fit, fabric, and quality. I haven’t bought a new bathing suit since our honeymoon (four years ago!), so it was definitely time for an upgrade. I also think this bathing suit and this one are especially cute. There’s little I love more than soaking up the sunshine while reading in the pool… it’s definitely bliss to me!

our front porch flowers | Over the past couple weeks, our flowers and herbs have really blossomed in front of our eyes! I love watching them grow every day. I snapped some happy pictures of our front porch and front steps the other day, and I love the cheerful pops of colors that all of the roses and herbs bring to the entrance of our home. My collection of pots is ever growing (this is my newest dusty blue ceramic find!), and we also finally got these white Chippendale planters for our front porch. I added coral rose bushes to the planters and then basil, rosemary, and mint to our smaller herb pots for the deck. These are the three herbs we use the most for cooking and in cocktails, and they’re the three I always try to keep on hand during the spring and summer months. It’s pretty magical seeing our yard – and the world – bloom more and more every day!

summer dresses & hosting alfresco dinners | To no one’s surprise, it has been so, so sweet to host alfresco dinners with our friends again! I adore dreaming up a seasonal, delicious menu throughout the week, perfecting a new cocktail recipe, anticipating time with our friends, and setting the dinner table for the occasion. I’m not surprised I ended up matching our blue and white tablecloth the other day with this pretty dress I picked up! I’ve added a few new summer dresses to my collection, like this blue and white gingham tiered dress, this dusty blue embroidered dress, this blue ballet dress (can you tell I love blue?!), and this red/orange sleeveless ruffle dress. I have been seriously eyeing this blue & white striped ruffle dress, this green floral dress, this blue & white floral dress (my sister has it in red), another blue & white floral dress, this smocked chambray dress, this red gingham tie-strap dress, this sweet tiered floral dress, and one more blue and white striped dress!

adventure dates | Adventure days together are the best, and this past weekend held one of those sweet days that was so good for the soul. We ventured to Jordan Lake and explored/hiked at the lake, enjoyed leisurely drives through the countryside, enjoyed a picnic with beautiful scenery, traversed to Saxapahaw to hike along the Haw River & explore the cute town/markets, and then headed back to Raleigh for our favorite fried chicken & pimento cheese sandwich and pineapple wheat beers from Wilson’s Eatery and Lynnwood Brewing. The weather was perfect and the company was even better! I highly recommend loosely planning day dates (with a spouse, significant other, or friend!) to explore the areas around you!

What about you?! Have you discovered or tried anything new and noteworthy over the past few weeks?! Do any of these five resonate with you? Do tell, if so!

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