Hi friends!
Has it really been a month since I was last on here posting about Berry Tarts? The past month has really flown by and I can’t believe that we are already nearing the end of summer. I feel like I’ve been MIA lately! We went on vacation the week of the 4th and since returning I’ve just been smothered with work and life! To be honest, I’ve been feeling a little drained and burnt out, but starting to get some life back in me, thank God!
First to report….. I’m excited because I think I have figured out how I want to start structuring my blog! This may sound silly since I have been blogging on and off for the past six months, but to be honest, its been really hard trying to get my groove and figure out how I want this to all go down. Do I blog about bridal, do I blog about beauty/style, do I blog about lifestyle!? Everyone preaches that you have to have a purpose and you have to have a curated collection of content that attracts a certain audience…. well I get all that, but what if I just want to blog about what I want to blog about?!?
Welp, that’s what I’m going to do! There’s really no need to over think it. I’ve decided that my new, improved, and organized plan is to bring you all a weekly taste of LIFE happenings, things I LOVE in that moment, & White MAGNOLIA updates that give you a glimpse into what’s happening at work and any updates I can bring you guys from the bridal world! What do you all think?!? Of course, you will see some other posts sprinkled in as I take on special projects or have interesting travel destinations that I want to share! But I feel like this gives me some direction and can let everyone know what they can expect from LLM 🙂
So with all that… Here goes nothing, my friends!
LIFE
Like I mentioned above, the past month has just been an absolute whirlwind. We started the month with our summer vacation to Palmetto Bluff for the 4th. It was seriously so amazing and the whole family had the best time. This is our second trip to PB this year and also our second major holiday that we’ve spent there (we were also there for Easter -> trip recap here )! We went with two of our best friend couples and their kids. Its our first major vacation that we have taken with friends and kids and I have to say that it was GREAT. The kids entertained each other and I feel like everyone made some really fun memories. The 4th of July at The Bluff was really the best patriotic celebration we could ask for. The day started with us participating in the community bike & golf cart parade, followed by red, white, and blue snow cones, some quality pool time (accompanied with adult bevs), and finished with a good ole American Fish Fry! I’ll be posting more about our trip in a separate blog post later this week!
Coming back from vacation, I was feeling super refreshed and motivated and then was immediately hit with some work news that rocked the boat. I received word that my right hand woman would be leaving me in the coming months to start a new personal adventure of her own. I couldn’t be more happy for her, but at the same time, its so bittersweet to lose someone that is so close and special to you. I owe so much to this person (who will remain nameless at this point) and feel forever grateful to have had this person in my life and furthermore, in my life during a time when I needed extra hands and support to grow and expand my business! I’ve been so blessed to have had such a wonderful employee and friend. So with this sad news, I have been in the search for someone to fill her shoes. I’ve literally spent days and nights filtering resumes and have spent a few nights out of town starting initial interviews. I can’t even begin to tell you how interesting some of these resumes have been….. I understand FULLY the beauty of hiring of a recruiter now!
Last weekend we had a visit from Daniel’s cousin, her husband, and their 2 year old son. It was a really fun time being together and watching all three boys play and get to know each other better! Of course three toddlers comes with its share of craziness, especially since it rained a good portion of the weekend (thank you Florida), but we made it through with lots of bubbles, paw patrol, and ice cream cones! Sunday morning, Daniel and I took the kids to this park near downtown Jacksonville called Treaty Oak. It has a gigantic tree that has grown over so that some of the branches actually line the ground. This has become Patrick’s new favorite adventure spot. He loves “climbing” the tree with Daddy and I love watching Daniel be a kid again with the boys as they explore the old tree and all its secret paths. We ended the weekend with a little Sunday Funday parent’s putting to Top Golf Jacksonville. Perfect activity since it was raining all afternoon and its covered…. still wondering what their lighting policy is though…. no one really seems concerned about a bunch of people hanging out, having drinks, and holding medal rods. But regardless, everyone lived , it was a great time, and I actually put some points on the board, imagine that?!?!
SHIRT & HAT from my friends at Declaration & Co in Avondale 🙂
This coming up weekend we have Daniel’s parent coming in. We are just circling people through around here, trying to make sure we see everyone before the kids go back to school! We are actually taking a little staycation with them down to St Augustine on Sunday night. I can’t wait to explore the old city with them…. Daniel’s mom loves visiting St Augustine while here! We are staying at the Casa Monica Hotel, which is part of the Marriott Autograph Collection and is absolutely gorgeous if you haven’t stayed there yet. They host a lot of weddings there and Daniel and I actually stayed there the night of our wedding. I’m excited because Sunday night, Daniel and I are getting to sneak out to a concert and the grandparents are tackling the kiddos…. Can we say ADULTING?!?! While in town, we plan to stop in at some of our favorite spots including The Ice Plant Bar at the St Augustine Distillery, Prohibition Kitchen, & my personal favorite of all time, The Colombia Restaurant. Monday we are taking a trip over to Anastasia State Park and doing a little beach exploring! I’ve actually never done this before, but hear its amazing. I’ll report back next Monday with details from our St. Augustine trip!
Speaking of trips, Daniel and I are working on getting up to the North Carolina mountains in a few weeks. His birthday is August 15th and we are hoping to spend a few days in the mountains before making a quick trip up to Raleigh to see his extended family the weekend of the 18th! I’ve been searching some places on VRBO and AirBNB that are dog friendly and have that rustic cabin feel, but I’ve had a hard time narrowing it down. Looking for recommendations of favorite spots that are kid and dog friendly (towns, hotels/accommodations, restaurants). Would love to hear your feedback!
CAROLINE BOW DRESS via my friends at LaRoque!
Well friends, that’s a wrap for today! I loved catching you up on some things that have been happening over the past month and what’s to to come! Tune in later this week for 5 things I am loving right now & also what’s happening in the White Magnolia world!