What a lovely weekend we had! I am writing this on Sunday afternoon and am still currently in my pajamas so you know it’s been a good one.
Our Weekend
The Perfect Gift for Love Day
Valentine’s Day is a big deal for the Mendiola’s and we are already prepping! I just adore spoiling the ones I love and cannot get enough hearts, pink decor and sweets! Side note–Judy’s due date was actually Valentine’s Day so having her birthday end up on February 6 just means we get to love on her a little early!
Holidays at Home
We recently had Kylie–the amazing photographer behind the lens at Lilac & Lemon–over to shoot a holiday weekend at home. One of our favorite ways to spend these special weekends is by baking treats for neighbors and friends and I was so happy to capture these moments!
A Day at the Mall
The Long Weekend
I really wish three day weekends were a monthly thing–something about having that extra day off is just good for the soul!
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In my Cart
We are heading into the holiday weekend friends! For me the 4th has always felt like halfway point of summer and I just cannot believe we are already there! So now that we’re here, let’t talk about what to wear!
These earrings really are a no-brainer at $24 and this pom pom hat is speaking my name…I have a birthday reward to spend and I am thinking of pulling the trigger on this one. Tassels, pom poms and now bows! This blue bow front top is an extra 50% off and is so stinking cute. I would pair this white jeans and tan sandals for now and then over a striped tee when the temps cool. And we cannot forget the littles…can’t you just see Louis and Judy in this star tee and too sweet popsicle dress?!
Hope you all have a great holiday weekend!!
Hello Sailor
I love me a nautical look….I can’t help it. I am pretty sure I have three pairs of pants of just like these. I like what I like!
This particular pair of pants was the result of stalking JCrew and waiting for a sale. Finally, I scored–and got these for around $30! Time and money well spent! Not sure if my husband would agree with that statement but let’s not digress.
So, whenever I wear something nautical, I always want to pair it with navy or stripes. It is just the perfect pairing…like Audrey Hepburn and Rome or pork chops and applesauce (Seriously. Don’t knock it till you’ve rocked it). This bell sleeve top balances out the volume of the pant and I love the crisp and shape and classic color..unfortunately it is from last year but I did link a cute similar one from Nordstrom!
These espadrille sneakers were a major score..found them on clearance at my local Target for $8 so naturally I bought two colors and have been loving them! They fit true to size and are super comfortable. The little platform made them perfect for keeping these longer chinos off the ground but didn’t make me feel unstable and allowed for running around after the kids!
Hope everyone has a great week!
SHOP THE LOOK
Birthday Boy
Oh Louis. You have been in a rush since the day you were born (3.5 weeks early!)…you are the most articulate, spirited, sweet and crazy four year old I have ever known and I am so grateful to be your mama!
This past weekend (his birthday is actually June 6) was all about celebrating this special boy and while I didn’t manage to get many pictures (Doh!) you can believe, this was a weekend full of love and fun!
Joe’s parents, brother and sister all came down from Maryland for the weekend so we got the party started by going out for pizza! Wore this awesome ruffled WWW dress, which hid the pizza belly! #winning
The next morning it was on to the Botanical Garden first thing. Right now there is a dinosaur exhibit and the kids just love it! It was kind of muggy here as rain was rolling in for the weekend so this lightweight cotton dress was perfect for strolling the garden. Plus I felt like Dorothy which is always a good feeling!
Later in the day was party time! We kept it small with just family and a close friend with her boys. It was perfect and Louis kept saying how happy he was to have everyone at his house. See? Sweet as can be! He got lots of great toys, including the clubhouse we got them…excited for a fun summer in the backyard!
We had such fun spoiling this boy and I cannot believe I have a four year old. True what they say, the days may be long (and some are very long!) but the years are short. Love my babies so much.
Into the Wild
So our Memorial Day Weekend was kind of a bust. We planned on going to Nashville for the big flea market and some shopping but the forecast kept calling for severe storms. Kept going on and on about how bad this weather was going to be, and so we got spooked…and…would you believe it? DID NOT RAIN. Then we thought about going on Sunday, but by then my enthusiasm had waned so we thought we would just go over to Decatur and check out the hot air balloon show. Well, wouldn’t you know it…too windy for the balloons to fly.
Soooo we wondered the basically empty grounds (save for the bored firemen and EMT who so kindly indulged Louis for a bit) and then headed over to the trails for a little walk.
Of course, the sky was ominous looking the whole time and therefore we didn’t wander to far. So then we just decided to head to a new (to us) Target and go out for lunch. #Goals.
So all in all…kind of a bust. It never really rained until night and today of course, when we told the kids we’d go to the pool. Win some, lose some.
Love this outfit though..I don’t know about you, but the worse my mood, the cuter my outfit needs to be! This blazer was a clearance score and I just love it so much! Looks to be sold out online, but this print is still available in a top and there is a new Liberty blazer that is also to die for.
This purse is getting major use this spring and I expect it to continue its MVP status into the summer! It doesn’t have any lining and is thus super light weight…I know there being no lining or pockets may be a deal breaker for some but to me, it’s a nice break from my heavier bags.
At least my outfit was cute for our one day of activities and I got to get some online shopping done! Did you guys catch anything good?
Shop The Look
Pensacola City Guide
So last week we were in Pensacola, FL to put my sweet Grandpa to rest. It was such a hard trip but with the kids in tow we needed to make it somewhat fun for them while still honoring Great Grandpa. Throughout our whole trip we did little things to remember him…like ordering his favorite soup at his favorite restaurant, McGuire’s, and talking about him with the kids. Grandpa loved Pensacola and Gulf Breeze and I hope this little guide would serve him proud.
Heading to Florida is heading home for me as I was born in Pensacola…my parents are high school sweethearts from the city right across the bridge…in Gulf Breeze, which is actually where Pensacola Beach is. Makes no damn sense to me either.
As an Army brat, Pensacola served as our home base when we were living all over the world and is actually where I went to college at the University of West Florida. Suffice it to say, I know the city pretty well and think if anyone is looking for a beach vacation with an awesome downtown to enjoy, P’cola is the place to go!
WHERE TO STAY
Of course, staying at the beach is an excellent option but I ain’t gonna lie to you. You are going to pay more and if you are going during the spring/summer you are going to deal with some pretty hellacious traffic. So that being said, I like staying downtown.
For this visit we stayed at The Penscaola Grand Hotel and couldn’t have loved more. We paid right around $100/night for a two queen bed room, which included WiFi, a rooftop pool and a gym. They also offered room service and a couple of in house bars and restaurants. One of the things we loved most was that the hotel is built right on top of an old train stop so the decor is awesome! Original tile floors and beautiful, vintage decor throughout.
Another thing that was great about this location was its proximity to the Palafox Market, MESS Hall Museum , Blue Wahoos Ballpark and everything else that downtown has to offer. Which leads me to…
WHAT TO DO
If you are in Pensacola for the weekend, the Palafox Market is a great place to start your Saturday. The size of the market rivals some of the big East Coast markets and is full of all kind of goodies and live music.
If you’ve got kids with you or a kid at heart, the MESS Hall is an awesome interactive kids museum we just loved! And bonus for you Huntsville parents, members of the Space & Rocket Museum get in for free!
The Blue Wahoos are an awesome AA team and we loved catching a game at this new, state-of-the-art park! Heads up, these games sell out so if you plan on going you’d be wise to purchase tickets online to save yourself the queue and some peace of mind.
Pensacola Beach is of course a great place to go and you will be amazed at the beautiful white, sandy beaches. While us natives may complain about the traffic and tourists, I still feel that Pensacola is a bit of a well kept secret. When you visit the beach, you can visit the Gulf of Mexico side where you’ll catch some waves and where most of the sun bathing takes place. I like hanging out on the Sound side which is where the Boardwalk is and the water is a little bit more calm.
Can’t forget that Pensacola is home to the Blue Angels …the most amazing pilots putting on the most amazing air show! If you can schedule your visit around a time they are in town, you can’t beat the show they put on from the beach.
WHERE TO EAT
On the beach, my favorite place to eat is Flounder’s. Man, I love this place. It is right on the beach so you can literally eat on the beach or sit on the open patio when the weather is less than optimal. If you are sitting near or on the beach, there is a great playground for your kiddos to burn off some energy while your food is being cooked which is just so awesome. There is also usually some live music going on and more often than not, people playing beach volleyball and grabbing a drink at the bar. They also have a bomb Sunday brunch. My all time favorite thing to order is the Shrimp Boat with Key Lime Pie for dessert, which is seriously enough to feed the whole family!
If you’re heading uptown my FAVORITE place to go is New Yorker Deli. It is unassuming and just delicious! My love for this place runs so deep that my husband almost proposed to me here back when we lived in Pensacola!
PENSACOLA
If you are looking to take a nice beach vacation, or explore a new downtown, I highly recommend heading down to Pensacola! Any questions, please email me!
