What's up Wednesday

what I'm eating this week...

We've been getting a home chef delivery every week over the summer & it has been so wonderful! You choose your meals each week, the delivery day & then they come right to your porch! So much better than trying to decide what to make & going to the store to get everything! All of the ingredients you need are packaged together & the recipes are very easy to follow. I will say that some of them have been pretty time confusing, but the end result is definitely worth it! There are several options to choose from each week, including salads, seafood, oven ready & grill ready. We love it! If you choose to sign up, click here to get $35 off your first box!!

what I'm reminiscing about...

A few years ago we took a ten day trip to Yellowstone with all of my Mom's side of the family. We rented a huge, beautiful cabin overlooking a river & had such an amazing time all together! There was so much to do in the area! We went to Yellowstone several times, but also made a trip to Jennie Lake & enjoyed a tubing trip one day as well. We spent some time in Jackson Hole on our way there. We took a different route home so that we could go to Mount Rushmore & through the Badlands. This was such a beautiful part of the country & I think it's definitely an area you could go to more than once to try to see more of it. Our family isn't taking a vacation this year due to the pandemic, so I'm very thankful to have these wonderful memories to look back on! I can't wait until we can travel again!

PS - these pictures are a throwback to when I had DARK DARK hair! Lol oh boy.

what I'm loving...

Any pop drinkers out there? My Mom should probably change her middle name to Diet Coke considering how much she loves them lol. She recently got this Yeti coozie & is obsessed with it. She let me try it out one day & just a couple hours into using it, I ordered one for myself! It really does keep the can cold for hours & is super sturdy unlike some soft fabric coozies. Plus, I love all of the different colors that are offered!

above picture details linked here:lavender apple watch band / Yeti coozie / cream nude nail polish (shade is called “timeless”)

Such a cute & cozy little lounge set! I love this set because it’s very thin which makes it feel light & airy — perfect for the summer when you get a little bit chilly in your air conditioned house. I got this set in oatmeal & navy stripe, but my Mom got it in rust & cream stripe which is just as cute! The set unfortunately doesn’t come together, so you have to buy each piece separately. That’s actually kind of fun though because it shows you how easy it is to mix & match these pieces with other things you might have in your closet. Looking forward to wearing this all summer long & definitely into the fall too!

above picture details linked here:brown birkenstocks / oatmeal & navy lounge top / oatmeal & navy lounge bottoms / dainty gold initial necklace / red nail polish (shade is called “red carpet reddy”) / testique lip glaze crayon (shade is called “english rose”) / teal yeti coffee mug

Both of the grey bottoms below are the exact same as the oatmeal & navy striped ones pictured above! I loved how comfortable, soft & airy the shorts were so when I saw them in more neutral colors, I knew I had to snag them. Both the black tank & the white tank below are the same as well! So easy to mix & match!

above picture details linked here:floral welcome mat / grey & choral bluetooth headphones / black & white plaid flannel dupe / white rubber birkenstocks / light grey lounge shorts (left) / dark grey lounge shorts (right) / black tank / white tank / large white water jug / grey & white leopard tumblr / red nail polish (shade is called “red carpet reddy”) / leopard apple watch band / black purse / beaded bracelet lanyard / dainty gold initial necklace / testique lip glaze crayon (shade is called “english rose”)

what I'm watching / reading...

We love watching shows together as a family, but sometimes it's hard to find something that is entertaining to all of us. Recently, I heard about a good Netflix show -- Alone. We started watching it this past week. My parent's basement is set up like a movie theater with a projector & elevated seating, so we love hanging out down there! We've only seen the first episode in the sixth season (for some reason, that's the only season that's on Netflix right now), but we all really liked it! It was a bit more graphic than I expected when it came to hunting, etc. But overall, it was a great choice for our family. Basically, ten people are left out in the wilderness completely alone & they get to bring ten items of their choosing. The last one standing wins $500,000! As we watched, we were wondering who on earth would willingly sign up for something like that?! So crazy!

what I'm listening to...

Judge me all you want, but lately I've been listening to Taylor Swift's new album called Folklore. I grew up listening to T. Swift so of course when she releases a new album, the middle school girl in me insisted on listening to it. She's got some good songs in her album that I've loved listening to! One thing I was surprised about was how many of her songs in this album are listed as "explicit" on Spotify. & a lot of them are like slow songs! How do you make a slow song explicit!? She did, I'll tell ya that much.

what I'm wearing...

As the school year is approaching, I’m pretty much in “school mode”. That means my closet is too! I’ve been going through my closet & shopping for some specific pieces that I know will be great additions that will get a lot of use throughout the school year. I'm looking forward to getting to wear them when school starts up in September!

A lot of these tops were big hits with y'all when I shared last Friday, so I thought they'd be worth sharing again!

First up is this soft embroidered tank from Target — I absolutely love the detailed chest & neck area! One of my favorite outfits to wear in school is a tank with a cardigan over. & I love that I can wear it during the summer months leading up to school as well! This tank is a little bit sheer, but not see through enough that you could see my nude bra or my skin underneath. I ordered a small & I would say it’s just a tad oversized as it droops a little bit low in the armpit area. That didn’t bother me because I’ll almost always be wearing it with a cardigan! It comes in a blue color option as well & is less than $23!

above picture details linked here:dainty gold initial necklace / red toenail polish (shade is called “red carpet reddy”) / Madewell jeans / pink fingernail polish (shade is called “envelope please”) / favorite comfy padded bra / leather apple watch band / kid’s cognac platform wedges / women’s cognac platform wedges / black purse / embroidered tank

We all need a little extra sunshine these days, both literally & figuratively! This thin crewneck from Aerie is so cute & soft & I absolutely love the message & the different little flowers. It pairs easily with denim shorts, but would also work great with jeans & a slip on shoe. Such a great option & so different from other sweatshirts I own. Aerie tops are typically oversized, so this sweatshirt is actually an XXS which is usually what I get from Aerie. From other stores, I typically buy smalls or mediums depending on what type of fit I’m looking for. If you’re looking for an oversized fit then stick to your regular size, but if you want it a bit more fitted then size down one or two sizes.

above picture details linked here:dainty gold initial necklace / red toenail polish (shade is called “red carpet reddy”) / pink fingernail polish (shade is called “envelope please”) / favorite comfy padded bra / leather apple watch band / medium wash denim shorts / white rubber birkenstocks / “be the sunshine” crewneck / trestique lip glaze (color is called “english rose”)

Y’all know I love me some leopard so of course I’m loving this outfit! This leopard blouse is seriously all things good! The body is tiered & the sleeves have a subtle frill. I just love how feminine it is! It’s very thin, but not staticky at all. There’s a button in the back that creates the high neck which I love. This blouse would look darling with a colored pair of pixie pants & a denim jacket or neutral colored cardigan for school. It comes in a brown color & also a white color. It’s less than $25 & I’m wearing a small. I would say it fits a tiny bit oversized just because of the length, but it fits perfectly everywhere else. Love it!

above picture details linked here:dainty gold initial necklace / red toenail polish (shade is called “red carpet reddy”) / Madewell jeans / pink fingernail polish (shade is called “envelope please”) / favorite comfy padded bra / leather apple watch band / black & gold bracelet set / black & white leopard blouse / trestique lip glaze (color is called “english rose”) / kid’s black wedges / women’s black wedges (less than $25!)

My go-to outfits for school are typically a patterned top with a pair of pixie pants or nice jeans on more casual days. I snagged this floral blouse from the Loft sale a few weeks ago for EIGHT DOLLARS. It is such good quality & the colors are so vibrant. It’s really beautiful! I’m linking a similar option here since this exact one is currently not in stock. I’ll check on it regularly to let y’all know if / when it’s restocked because it’s that good!

above picture details linked here:dainty gold initial necklace / red toenail polish (shade is called “red carpet reddy”) / Madewell jeans / pink fingernail polish (shade is called “envelope please”) / favorite comfy padded bra / leather apple watch band / kid’s cognac platform wedges / women’s cognac platform wedges / striped wristlet / wooden key ring + tassel / trestique lip crayon (color is called “chile red”) / floral long sleeve blouse / floral long sleeve blouse dupe

Another patterned top! This one is a mix of floral & paisley & is so stinkin’ cute! Again, the colors are super bright + vibrant. It’s thin, but good quality! It looks great with jeans, & would also look great with some black pixies (or jeans) & a denim jacket in the fall! I’m wearing a small & I would say it fits true to size. The style is high low so it hangs a little longer in the back & it covers my rear. Loving these options that I can wear throughout the whole year!

above picture details linked here:dainty gold initial necklace / red toenail polish (shade is called “red carpet reddy”) / Madewell jeans / pink fingernail polish (shade is called “envelope please”) / favorite comfy padded bra / leather apple watch band / black & gold bracelet set / trestique lip glaze (color is called “english rose”) / kid’s black wedges / women’s black wedges (less than $25!) / sunglasses / paisley & floral blouse

what I'm dreading vs. what I'm excited about...

Honesty hour over here!

This year is definitely not going at all how I had planned & if I’m being truly honest about it, I feel pretty disappointed & discouraged. As a first year school counselor, I just can’t picture what leading groups & building relationships looks like while wearing masks & social distancing. What I do know for sure is that my students will be looking to me to set an example by having a positive attitude, being compassionate toward others, & taking each day as it comes. This year is going to be challenging, there’s no doubt about that. But I’m up for it.

Kiddos, Miss Rice can’t wait to meet you & get this year started, no matter what it looks like!