Happy Monday & A Minted Giveaway!

Happy Monday, lovelies. Mr. M and I just got back from an amazing, relaxing and fun week in the Belgrade lakes region of Maine. Many pictures will follow this week. It was my first-ever "woodsy" vacation. I did a whole lot of "sitting-and-staring" coupled with some much needed time out on the lake with our boat. Have you ever done a super-relaxing vacation? Where is your favorite place to go?

To kick of this week with a little fun, Minted is running a contest starting today through August 26th. One lucky person will win $250 towards baby and kid's stationary! All you need to do is click the image at the bottom of this post to enter.

Minted has some seriously unique and creative cards, invites and stationary. How fun would it be to get personalized stationary for your kiddos to write thank you notes on?! Good luck!!

Casual Friday

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Closet to Cupboard - Nautical

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Breezy, crisp and classic are three words I'd use to describe all things nautical. Perfect for summers by the beach; all of these chic steals will want you to pull up your anchor and enjoy a day out at sea.

CSA Diaries

I have a confession to make. I am getting a tad bit annoyed with my CSA. My husband is literally rolling his eyes and making his "I told you so face" in my direction. But sadly, it's true. Let me run through some of the reasons why. 

First, the selection of vegetables. At first, I was excited at the prospect of all of these new, exotic veggies and roots... like, kohlrabi, for example. Now, I find myself just daydreaming about some green beans, spinach or broccoli - my familiar favorites.  

Second, the options take a few weeks to change. I literally have 6 pounds of cucumber in my refrigerator....6. One whole carton of those lovely strawberries pictured above went bad! It was so sad to see but the sheer volume of them and  the quickness they went bad was just...heartbreaking. 

Third, the herb share. I have no idea what to do with all of the herbs I am getting each week. The first couple weeks I forgot to write down what the herbs were and really had no idea how to use them. Now, I've smartened up and write them down, however, that doesn't mean I am using them any faster. The poor, wilted green leave gives me guilt each morning. 

Fourth, the day of the week. At first, I thought... Thursday is ideal! I can have food for the weekend and  beginning of the next week. Well, in the summer, I am discovering that I go out to dinner much more often. I live right on the water so all of the cafe's open their outdoor seating and the harbor is always buzzing. Also, the food seems to go bad just so quickly!! I fear I am just not organized enough master my CSA.

I am going to push ahead and try and get through this slump. I will try and whip on my chef hat and make some time for preparation. Maybe I'll evening Google "canning", however, as of now, I will plan on just going to my lovely Farmer's Market next year.  I can chalk this an experience.

xoxo

M

Quartet: Colorful Maxi's

From Left: Dress 1 // Dress 2 // Dress 3 // Dress 4

Yes, Maxi's have been around for a couple of summer season's now...and I am ever thankful that they seem to be here to stay. In fact, I seemed to have just discovered the true joy of a maxi. I can wake up in the morning, toss my hair in a top-knot, slip on a maxi, pop on some metallic flip flops, grab my sunnies, spread some gloss on my lips and look glamorous - with very little effort. There is just something about a floor length dress that screams elegance - shower or not. The even better part is - you can get one any pretty much any price-point.

Closet to Cupboard - Hearts

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Cutesy, romantic and bright - hearts are popping up absolutely everywhere. I got  myself that sweet sweater from J Crew for the cool New England nights I plan to spend at the beach. And of course, I am working on getting that bikini too. That, however, may take about a month's worth of hot yoga classes before I can afford it...