SUMMER SHORTS

It's short season, and finding the right shorts can be just as hard as swimsuit shopping. Being eight months post-partum my midsection is still a bit thicker than usual, so I really don't want to spend too much money on new shorts that I will only wear for this year (hoping to be back to normal in a couple more months).  

My solution - elastic waist bands and drawstrings. They expand and contract, and I will be able to get more use out of them than your regular button or zip fly. Target has a great selection of summer shorts right now. Here are two pairs that I found that I love:

As a chambray obsessed girl, these chambray shorts with a drawstring (only $24.99) and white trim are so cute. Add a t-shirt or a summer button-down shirt like this gingham one from Banana Republic and you are set for a backyard BBQ or outdoor picnic with the family.

Pom-poms seem to be a new Pinterest obsession of mine. I don't know what it is about these fuzzy little decorations, but I love them. I found these punchy coral shorts with pom-poms at Target ($22.99), and I just had to have them. I paired them with a chambray shirt (can you tell I'm obsessed with too) and my brown wedges and I'm ready for the pool with the kids. You'll also be happy to know that these shorts come in yellow and navy too. Woohoo!

In fact, these shorts even go with my new Target swimsuit. Just put it underneath, and you can look great before and after the pool or beach. 

Now, run to Target and get yours! Photos by Rennai Hoefer.

PERFECT SUMMER SHOE

We have hit 100 degree temps in Arizona, so you better believe I am living in sandals. Every year I buy two new pairs of summer sandals - one pair that's black and one that's brown. You would think I have a lot of black and brown sandals in my closet, but our summers end when November begins, so my summer sandals are beatin' to a pulp when the season finishes. I've teamed up with Zappos.com and Timberland to share with you my perfect summer sandals that guarantee style, comfort and long-lasting wear.

Because I live in these shoes all day every day they have to be comfortable, stylish and go with everything. Brown and black leather shoes tend to cover all my bases. So, when I was shopping for my new summer sandals, I came across these pretty leather wedges by Timberland. 

They are the perfect height (not too high, but just enough height), they have an ankle strap and are very lightweight. I have never owned Timberland sandals before, but I do remember owning their boots and I loved them. So, at a great price of $130 on Zappos.com, I thought I would give them a try and if they didn't work I would ship them right back.

Zappos is the best place to buy shoes because it's free shipping both ways, and they guarantee returns for 365 days. Shoes are hard to fit my size 10, narrow feet, so having the freedom to try on shoes like shopping in a store is wonderful. 

My ideal summer outfit is a sleeveless top or t-shirt with cute jeans or jeans shorts and wedges. These shoes really complete my look, and I've already gotten a ton of complements on them. Make sure to check out Timberland sandals if you're in the market for some new summer shoes. 

Photography by Rennai Hoefer

PINTEREST LOOK FOR LESS

Dresses are fun, rompers are cute (although they usually ride up too short for my taste), but jumpsuits... jumpsuits are the COOLEST. Blogger Kat from With Love from Kat looks stunning in this periwinkle blue jumpsuit. I couldn't help but gravitate towards this image when it came across my Pinterest feed, and I love that she chose such a standout color for this strong ensemble. The periwinkle blue really pops thanks to the understated nude accessories and the fresh white mani is just the cherry on top. This jumpsuit looks great dressed up, but could easily be worn on a casual day out if paired with some strappy flat sandals and a tote.

Periwinkle Jumpsuit - $85

She Inside Nude Heels - $31

Amazon Nude Clutch - $12

H&M Gold Bracelets - $13

Total: $141

THE PERFECT GALLERY WALL

Right when you walk in our front door you see my open dining room, and for the past seven months it has been a blank slate. I wanted to make sure Elle's room, Levi's room, our kitchen and living room were decorated first because we use those spaces the most. 

Our dining room is like many others' in that it only gets used for special occasions and entertaining. It's nice to have when we are hosting people, but for the most part it's kind of like a museum in that it's my space in the house that can look pretty and not be touched. 

A space like this deserves the best art, and so I headed straight to Minted.com to curate my gallery wall with modern art and photography that reflected my style and also incorporated the colors of the space. I love Minted because all of the art on their site is crowd sourced, and it gives the opportunity for lesser known artists to shine. They also offer custom framing, so everything came perfectly packaged and ready to go. There are so many cute prints out there, but half of the time I never hang them up because I have to go find the right frame. They have completely eliminated that problem for you.

Another great tool Minted offers at no charge is pre-arranging your gallery wall so you know whether or not your art works well together, if you need to order a larger size, if you need to change the style of your frames, etc. It's a genius, no fuss beautiful customer experience. In fact, I love Minted so much that I'm a Minted Curator where I have my own storefront where I share my latest art obsessions. You can purchase all of the art you see on my wall by heading to my store.

This huge wall was in need of a console table to host barware or appetizers when needed, but I had a really hard time finding something long enough and tall enough. Plus, I wanted something that was different enough from my dining table, but that didn't compete with it at the same time. So, I commission my friend Ryan Walsh to create me a custom live edge table, and he delivered beyond my dreams. He even had hairpin legs made for it. I HIGHLY recommend checking out Lumberlust Designs if you're look for a special piece for your home.

The oriental carpet in our dinging room is the same one I grew up with as a kid. My mom let me have this special rug that has pink, navy, and ivory in it. It makes me smile knowing that my children are going to have similar memories with this rug. 

Our table and chairs are contemporary designs by Ligne Roset. I also was given this set by my mom when they moved from Houston to Idaho. Doesn't she have the best taste? Our chandelier is by Restoration Hardware, and was the first major splurge I had ever spent on interior design (check it out in our old house). I added two linen chairs to the end of the table to lighten the space and marry the rug to the table. 

I'm so pleased with how the spaced turned out. When people come to our house now the tone is set with modern art, contemporary design and comfortable living. 

Photography by Rennai Hoefer

BEST TRAVEL SIZE HAIR PRODUCTS

Keeping your hair looking its best while traveling can be a challenge when you have curly hair. I've mentioned in past posts that it takes about five products to make my curls perfect. That's a lot to bring in your carry-on suitcase though when you can only have products under 3.5 ounces. 

In the past, I've tried to only use the travel size products that I can find at Target out of convenience, but they just don't do my hair justice. It was worth it to me to purchase better products in miniature sizes and store them under my sink until my next trips. Here are my personal favorites:

AVEDA thickening tonic: I have really fine, thin hair. Even though my curls give me some volume, I really need to build volume at my roots. This tonic definitely helps me do that.

Bb Curl Spray: I have talked about this curl spray before (curly hair styling tricks), and it's a favorite primer of mine. While my hair is wet I spray this all over my head. It gives moisture and tackiness to my hair. 

AVEDA Control Hairspray: You have to have a good hair spray when you travel. AVEDA makes my favorite hairspray because it smells SO good. Bad smelling hairspray just lingers everywhere you go, and you want to make sure you always smell good just as much as your hair looks good. Am I right? 

AVEDA Shampure Dry Shampoo: Speaking of smelling good...This dry shampoo is my favorite smelling dry shampoo on the market. It's not an aerosol. It's simply a powder you sprinkle at your roots and it give your hair texture, body and the best smell in the world. 

Bumble & Bumble Surf Spray: I always have to put sea salt spray in my hair. It gives my hair texture and volume like nothing else. This is the best one out there, and I've tried many. It's a bit pricey, but worth every penny.

Photography by Rennai Hoefer