My Favorite White Off the Shoulder Top

 

Have you ever had a top you loved so much

you started to get worried it wouldn't last forever?

This 

white off the shoulder top

with  the most amazing ruffle detailed sleeves

is one of 

my all time favorites

 to be sure

literally for years!

So when I found it for sale again at 

Social Butterfly Collection

you know I made sure to get another one!

These dramatic ruffle  sleeves just make me so happy to wear!

The top can be worn on or off the shoulders as well.

If you like your dresses short

it could work as  a dress as well.

I like pairing mine with pants also.

It makes for a comfy walking tourist look

that still has a dramatic polish!

Especially when you 

add in a cute flat shoe

a straw hat and backpack!

My favorite top has  made it to the beach so many times!

This fabulous top performs wonderfully 

underneath my wrap vest from

Chateau Bel Age

I wore the outfit to the 

Rehearsal Dinner

we threw for our son and his wife.

Still one of my favorite dinner's I've thrown.

You can read about it 

HERE

The best part of this outfit was

at the end of the evening I just took the vest off

and 

changed into flats 

for a casual, kickback look.

Literally 2 outfits in one!

I love

 throwing the top over shorts

for an outfit that functions

for bike riding

and 

still looks good for  a brunch stop!

Same goes for a beach walk!

I just love an outfit that can do double duty

from active to a lunch stop!

Well there you have it!

Why I have big love for this

off the shoulder ruffle sleeve top!

You can find it HERE

As always my friends

I wish you love and joy

as you style your life

Style Your Life ... Finding Beauty and Joy in the Everyday

 

Recently I have put

Finding Joy

on the top of my 

to do lists.

The last couple of years

I feel 

I have let fear take over my life.

When my husband lost his job

out of the blue

after 25 years of service ...

Then my dad died during Covid

after over 2 months of ICU ...

We found out recently

that our estranged older son got married

wanting no part of us at his wedding.

Which all sounds like a lot.

And it is.

But life has a way of throwing 

the very bad in with 

the very, very good.

We just need to learn how to navigate both

and 

steer towards the good.

I have been making my morning 

Gratitude Lists 

for almost 2 years now.

They have helped me immensely.

Even during the darkest days

I felt the light.

Last week I started 

making lists of 

things that bring me

Joy

The kind of 

Joy that lights me up inside!

The kind of 

Joy

that makes me so 

Happy I get to be me.

That I get to 

Live this incredible Life.

What a simple and wonderful way

to refocus.

To literally find the light.

I think I really had lost 

Joy

for so long.

My mind racing in 

a fear loop 

over and over.

Making me feel that I could never 

get out from under.

Not that I haven't been happy.

I certainly have.

But true 

 Joy

 coming from deep 

inside my heart

has a different lightness to it.

An effervescence!

Joy

 for me

 has a connection

to the magic in life.

Joy that our soul recognizes!

Joys that are different 

for all of us.

Joys that make us who 

we truly are.

That connect us with our

Authentic Selves.

I am writing this today

in case 

you too 

have lost track of your  joy.

Just a simple reminder

that maybe we get more of what we think of most.

For me

just starting my day 

with 

Joy Lists

has felt 

life changing.

It has relit a spark inside

that I really wondered 

if I would ever get back.

Joy Lists

are the perfect 

stepping stone

right over to 

Gratitude.

Joy and Gratitude

are how I am choosing 

to start my mornings.

Even if I don't do the things on the 

Lists

everyday

just writing the lists

is such a great 

reminder to my soul that ....

Joy and Beauty

matter to me.

They matter to 

my soul

The  adding 

things that bring me 

Joy

to my daily to do list

really does connects my heart

with 

the magic

to be found in the 

Everyday.

As always my friends

I wish you Love and Joy

as you Style Your life

Simple Summer Decor

With summer officially here

I thought I would share my 

Simple Summer Decor

I keep my decor mainly neutral 

 because I love the 

Visual Calmness

that comes with a neutral palette.

A secondary benefit decorating with neutrals

is that it makes

Seasonal Fluffing 

so easy!!

I used to make a big production of my seasonal changes.

Over the past few years

I have gotten it down to a simpler personal formula

(excluding Christmas which is still a happy production). 

I have been

changing out my textiles and pillows

seasonally for years

I think it's one of the reasons

I have always enjoyed our small home.

With simple updates I have been able to keep my 

Decor Fresh and Interesting.

I have been loving my textured cream pillow collection 

so much recently

I decided to just drop in a bit of

blue and cream

to celebrate

 the

Summer Season

Blue and Cream for summer

also makes for the easiest backdrop for 

The Fourth of July

Changing my flowers every couple of weeks 

also keeps things fresh and beautiful.

I have even my 

florals down to a quick formula.

I just do flowers on my living room

and 

dining room tables.

I simply work them into my 

Candle Centerpieces

with three small ceramic vases

in the living room

and 

one vase in the dining room.

This makes doing flowers 

not only quicker

but less expensive

because it doesn't take much to make an impact 

this way.

I get so much joy coming home to 

fresh flowers

or even just walking by them.

I see it as

.Visual Gratitude

The beauty of the flowers

remind me how grateful I am

to live in our little home

that we have had the privilege

to 

Style and Design.

Gratitude and Beauty

always help my 

Mental Health!

For the living room

just dropping in

 three blue and cream pillows

a Turkish towel as a table runner

and 

a blue vintage fire screen

was enough for me to say

Happy Summer!

 

In the 

dining room

 my centerpiece

 is  set up with a 

multitude of candles

on driftwood with an air plant

so I just change out the 

one vase of flowers.

I chose a vase with a narrow opening

so i don't have to use many flowers

and 

changing them out is so quick and easy.

I carried the 

blue and cream decor

to the dining room table

with a gorgeous

hand woven wool rug

as a tablecloth.

Adding just one blue oil painting to my shelves

even further brings in my summer vibes.

Simply adding

 just one blue pillow

 into the textured neutral collection of pillows

carries my

 blue and beige

Summer Theme

into our media room.

In the 

courtyard

a few more 

pillows and textiles

bring the 

 summer theme outside.

Same with the front terrace.

A few pops of color in a neutral scheme

 sets the tone so easily.

The same in the

 backyard

starting with some 

blue floor cushions

on my rug.

I added 

a ginger jar 

to one of my large 

succulent planters

I also dropped in some 

large shells

to round out my 

Summer Decor.

I just really love how

 a simple 

monochromatic decor scheme

can adapt

 so effortlessly for

Seasonal Decor.

In the backyard I also keep things 

visually calm

with all white flower palette.

 

I recently converted our 

backyard fire pit

into a 

breakfast table

for the summer

since we never use this one in the summer.

I simply added a table top 

and 

draped it with 

blue and white tablecloths.

In the summer

I also pull out my blue and white dishes

and 

add them to my cream and white sets.

I can't tell you how much

simple pleasure and joy

these 

simple Summer additions

bring me.

They make my everyday

so much more of 

a Celebration of the Season.

Well there you have it 

how some 

Quick and simple

 Summer Additions 

can help you 

freshen your

Summer Decor.

What ways do you celebrate 

the summer season

at your home?

I'd love to hear!

As always my friends

I wish you love and joy

as you style your life

Hello Monday ... Hello Gratitude

I believe

 a good life

is made up of small beautiful moments.

I also believe the more focus 

we put on the good moments

the happier we become.

Precious moments don't need to be 

expensive or even unique

but 

experienced on a heart level.

Today I'm doing a short little post

to remind myself

of the beautiful

life affirming moments of last week.

What better way to start a Monday

then reflecting on a week of joy.

And what better to remind ourselves

to be on the look out all the time

for 

heartfelt moments of 

Beauty and Joy!

I'm talking as simple as early morning coziness

with a great cup of coffee

and 

the morning light streaming in!

I am grateful always 

to do my hikes in nature

not only to take in the majestic vistas

but also

that I am fit and healthy to do so.

I have been on a journey

to love and care for my body

with such a grateful heart

for this body that has served me well over my 63 years.

I no longer look shamefully at the aging process

just the opposite

I champion my body

for all that it does for me every day!

Happiness of a sunny backyard.

The morning light 

spilling into the living room

stops me in my tracks every single time.

There is just so much beauty to be found

if we just take the time to tune into it.

Fresh flowers 

always make my heart happy.

I usually do new flowers every week

doing my arrangements on Sunday

so my Mondays start off with 

some added beauty.

One of my most favorite things

this walk

overlooking San Clemente 

on a sunny day!

My heart os so grateful 

every single time!

Walking for cocktails

is such a favorite of ours these days.

Getting in our miles

and 

finding so much beauty along the way!

A glass of wine over the water at sunset

with Jeff

just fills my heart!

This week we grabbed

 coffee afterwards and

sat on the steps ....

and

 listened to a wonderful musician

it was magical!

 

Jeff and I have been working 

on some house projects the last four weekends

so this Saturday 

we took the morning off and went to

the Laguna Beach farmer's market

which if your'e in area 

I highly recommend!

I was beyond tickled to find 

a whole bouquet of orchids

fo just $15!

And

I can't tell you how much 

JOY

I got out of 

'wearing' them in my backpack!

I'm talking

what felt like

childhood glee!

Afterwards we ended up exploring neighborhoods

in Laguna Beach

while getting in our daily miles.

I just love our new lifestyle over the last year of

 walking and hiking daily!

It has added so much 

joy, beauty and connection

to our relationship

let alone the health benefits!

And

 oh the beauty we found!

So many amazing homes!

Jeff and I both have

big heart for 

little homes and gardens

Laguna Beach is absolutely rich 

with so many visual delights!

It felt like every time we turned the corner

there was another wonderful street

full of the most charming

homes and gardens!

Discovering Laguna Beach charm 

was a perfect way

to savor a Saturday morning!

Well that wraps up my weekly Joys!

I would love to hear about 

your joyous 

Heart Moments!

Here's to a brand new week

of finding

Joy and Beauty!

 

As always my friends

I wish you love and joy

as you style you life