A Sip of Summer

‘Tis the season for backyard barbeques and pool parties. Wouldn’t it be fun to jazz up your next get together with some adorably preppy drinkware? I think these Madras Sea Island Tumblers from Just Madras are just the thing for sipping a G&T while lounging on the porch and catching up with friends.

They're available online at PURSELADYTOO. The best news of all? This weekend, PURSELADYTOO is offering free shipping, as well as a 20% discount on purchases over $24.99 with the code memorial20 and a 25% discount on purchases over $100.00 with the code memorial100. What better time to indulge?

Heat Wave

Summer has definitely arrived here in San Antonio and has brought temperatures that are already reaching the mid-90’s. The number one question from now until at least mid-October will be how to dress to beat the heat. Sloppy is never an option for me, so I thought I would share with you my favorite ways to look cute while staying cool.


First off, let’s talk fabric. In my opinion, cotton clothing is the way to go. Seersucker is definitely one of the best hot weather options, and it’s a great preppy look for women and men. According to my husband, this is definitely the coolest fabric choice for a man, and it comes in pants, shorts, shirts, suits – you name it.

Vineyard Vines Men's Seersucker Club Shorts














As far as style options for women, easy fitting skirts and dresses are a must. (They are so much cooler than short shorts that bunch up between your legs when you sit, and they look nicer, too.)

I personally love the shirtdress look and am considering ordering one of the adorable Eliot shirtdresses from Lilly Pulitzer. (Fit tip: Although I haven’t personally tried one yet, I’ve heard that the Eliot shirtdresses are cut generously in the waist and hips. However, ladies who are large-busted are still advised to order their normal size. If you own one of these adorable dresses, feel free to chime in and tell us what you think of the fit.)

Lilly Pulitzer Eliot Shirtdress in Aquamarine Fresh Catch Toile










I also recently acquired a Shopper Skirt from Lilly’s 2006 Spring Line because a friend told me they were extremely lightweight and cool. She was right on target and it looks adorable with tank tops for day to day wear. I love it so much I am going to hunt for this style in some more prints. (If you need tips on where to find Lilly Pulitzer items from previous seasons, leave me a comment and I will be happy to address that in another post.)

One of the things I love about Lilly’s cotton dresses and skirts (aside from the adorable prints, of course) is that they are machine washable, which is key when you have small children or when you are wearing them daily in a hot (read: sweat-inducing) environment like San Antonio.

And of course, no summer look would be complete without a pair of cute sandals. Lilly Pulitzer Mckims are always a lovely choice, as are the ubiquitous Jack Rogers Navajo Sandals which are available in an endless array of color combinations.

What are your favorite tips for dressing to beat the heat?

How Does My Herb Garden Grow?

If you think growing your own produce is too difficult or time consuming, think again. In addition to shopping at the farmer’s markets, I decided to try my hand at growing herbs and peppers this year. After reading about the success others were enjoying with the EarthBox, I really wanted to test it myself.

Seven weeks ago, I planted six seedlings: three basil, one rosemary, one jalapeno pepper and one serrano pepper. As you can see from the photos below, we now have more basil than I ever imagined. And my rosemary, jalapenos and serranos are thriving. I’m thrilled!

My Earthbox today

Basil

Rosemary

Jalapeno Pepper

















The beauty of the Earthbox is in its simplicity. It comes with instructions on layering the soil and fertilizer, and details about the number of seedlings to plant. In addition, it features a water reservoir that allows the plants to absorb exactly the amount of water they need. It’s the perfect solution if you have limited space or challenging soil (like we have in my corner of the earth).

Now all I need is a great recipe for pesto!

Do you grow any of your own produce? If so, please share your best gardening tip!

Beach Bag Essentials

In honor of Memorial Day Weekend and the thousands of folks who will be hitting the beach, I wanted to share with you some of the items that I consider to be essential to a day of fun in the sun.

Amazon Kindle, Vineyard Vines Under the Sea Tote, Blue Lizard Baby Sunscreen, Neutrogena Pure and Free Baby Sunscreen Stick, Scala Hat, Chloe Oversized Square Sunglasses, Vera Bradley Ditty Bag in Raspberry Fizz, Hanna Andersson Floppy Sun Hat, Nikon D90


Blue Lizard Sunscreen – As you can probably tell from the profile picture on the right, Mrs. Julep is quite fair skinned so some fabulous sunscreen is an absolute MUST. A friend in Virginia turned me on to Blue Lizard sunscreen and I must say it is the best I’ve tried, plus the Baby and Sensitive Skin varieties are chemical-free and fragrance-free, which is great for the minis. I also love sunscreen sticks for coating little faces. This year we’re trying the Pure & Free baby stick from Neutrogena.

Scala Sun Hat (for moi) - My wonderful sister-in-law sent me a fabulous salmon pink Scala hat for my birthday last year. It has a nice wide brim to shield my face and it is completely crushable, which makes it perfect for toting along on vacation. Factor in the adorable color and it was love at first sight.

Hanna Andersson Floppy Sun Hats (for the babes) – In 100% cotton that holds up to repeated washing, these hats claim to block 95% of UVA/UVB rays.

A Wet Bag – As a mom, it is absolutely essential to take an extra bag along to hold wet bathing suits, toys, and the like. Personally, I never hit the beach without a Vera Bradley ditty bag tucked inside my beach tote.

Camera – As a mom, I don’t want to miss a moment of sand-covered cuteness. I’m currently rocking the Nikon D90, but there are plenty of cameras on the market that do a fabulous job of recording those precious memories. (My mom owns a Canon Sureshot that takes great photos.)

Reading Material – My trip to the beach wouldn’t be complete without some frivolous reading material. As a mom, I don’t always get to pull this out as much as I might like, but I still pack it in case a quiet moment presents itself. I love to take a few new magazines and a book (or even better, the lightweight Amazon Kindle).

Sunglasses- Of course, my beach bag wouldn’t be complete without some spectacular shades. Personally, I love the oversized Jackie O. look, as evidenced by the Chloe sunglasses which are pictured above.

What about you?  What are your beach bag essentials?

Time for a Pink and GREEN Giveaway

As you know, I am a HUGE believer in buying local and eating what’s seasonal whenever possible. Now that summer’s here, I’d like to add to the fun of shopping at the Farmer’s Market (or anywhere else for that matter) by giving away a Lilly Pulitzer Market Tote in the Crème Fraiche print!

Here’s how to enter:
1) Get one entry for being a follower of this blog (or becoming one).
2) Get two additional entries for featuring this giveaway in a blog post or on your sidebar.

The winner will be chosen by a random number generator, so please COMMENT ONCE FOR EACH ENTRY YOU GET. (In other words, if you get three entries, please add 3 comments at the end of this post.) Entries will be accepted until 11:30 p.m. CT on Tuesday, June 1st. Good luck!