I am loooong overdue for a blog post, and I miss you guys! I’m going to give you a bunch of random updates on life lately and some links to think that I’ve found interesting lately…

Andy and his dad have been working nonstop on our back yard, which is a huge undertaking. This is the first summer since we bought the house that we’re really committing to making the yard into more of what we want it to be. AND we’re trying to get it ready for Olly’s birthday party in just over a month, eeeeek! So while Andy works on the yard, I’ve been busy deciding on all the details for his party. Oooh,  it’s going to be a good one, you guys. I can’t wait to show you what we have planned. (Hint: a twist on this!)

Also, exciting news: I’m starting a new second job (or third job technically along with Burritos and Bubbly).

As many of you may know, for my very-part-time (7 hours a week) dayjob I work at Something White,  A Bridal Boutique where my main responsibility is to write their wedding blog, Boutique Bridal Book CLE, where I publish real Northeast Ohio weddings to inspire future brides. If you love weddings and pretty things, even if you’re not a bride to be, you should definitely be following the blog and instagram!

(I usually work from the shop in Independence, but when I work from home, I have such a cute assistant!)

My new job kind of takes it a step farther because I’m going to be an Assistant Wedding Coordinator at Kirkbrides! The owner actually planned our wedding back in 2012 and we’ve kept in touch over the years through my other job. As a coordinator, I’ll help make sure that everything is in the right place and on time, and since I’m not doing any of the planning it’s just occasional Saturdays only, which is perfect. I think this will be a fun new challenge and exciting opportunity to try something different.

For Father’s Day we took the kids to the West Side Market, where we got some groceries and lunch, and sat on a bench outside to eat. It was really fun and made us miss our old Ohio City neighborhood… if we could put our current house and current school district in our old neighborhood, life would be perfect, haha.

Here’s some links that I’ve enjoyed lately…

This coconut mango noodle salad sounds delish! We’ve been eating a lot of salads for dinner. They just hit the spot in summer.

I love this home tour with all its cool Cali vibes, via SF Girl by Bay. My favorite part is the art above her desk.

Have you or do you think you ever could give up on paper towels completely? Early last year I bought a huge pack of microfiber cloths that I use for cleaning, and these towels we use as cloth napkins, instead of reaching for a paper towel every time. But we haven’t been able to give them up completely, especially for gross messes… looking at you, cat!

Olly probably needs this for his birthday!

It’s kind of perfect that my new job requires professional work attire, so I can totally channel Meghan Markle style vibes — give me all the pencil skirts, trench coats, and tailored black pants!! I love her modern, minimal take on timeless classics. Plus we’re currently on the third season of Suits — have you watched?

A couple of my friends and I meet monthly for a book club over brunch. We talk about books and life and it’s really nice. This month we’re reading All Is Not Forgotten by Wendy Walker. The subject matter is unpleasant to say the least, but I’m curious to see how it unfolds. What should we read next month? Something more light-hearted for sure! Send me your recs!

On Friday I needed to work from home, so Joey went to daycare in the morning and I worked while Olly napped. (Joey sometimes goes to a drop-in daycare, which is the best invention ever.) After I picked her up, we all went downtown to meet Andy for lunch. Joey has been asking a lot about where daddy goes to work, so it was really fun for her to see his office, and to make it even better she found a balloon there leftover from a party, so that pretty much made her week. I love getting these kids out of the suburbs every once in a while, so I’d like to try making lunch with daddy a more regular thing.

Have a great week, you guys!