four good things

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LOFT BEDS - I am so thrilled to HAVE a new apartment to move into after quite the hellacious apartment hunt but my, oh my, is our new place teeny. I keep day dreaming about building a lofted bed for just a smidgeon of extra space.

GIN - I've been on a bit of a gin kick this summer, mostly due to the fact that I refuse to go to the liquor store alone, & with Jared gone the last three months, I drank whatever he had left on the bar cart. Currently obsessed with this basil French 75.

WISH I WAS HERE - This album has been the soundtrack to our move, & each song is perfection. It's been on repeat the last couple of weeks, so I know whenever I hear it in the future, it will take me back to this wacky summer. Can't wait for a date night with Jared once we're both finally in DC to go see the film. 

WEDDING BOUQUET - I almost... almost threw my dried wedding bouquet with this most recent move. Such a sentimental thing to still have but omggggg it sheds so much. & the dust! It made the trip to Washington sitting in the passenger seat, so it lives to see another apartment... But I'm still searching for a practical way to use it in decor. Loving this garland, but not confident I could manage to keep the flowers in tact. We shall see!

[p.s. see some more good things on my pinterest]

now accepting cupcakes & wine

Whew, you guys.

Things are getting a little intense around here. There's going to be some (more-than-usual) radio silence around here as we get this apartment packed up & close out ohhhh so many teeny tiny details. I have reached the point that I'm constantly on the verge of hysterical tears/laughter, because you either cry or laugh when you have a week to pack up an apartment & there's no new apartment in sight to know what goes into storage & what goes on the proverbial moving truck. Can't. Breathe. Need. Paper bag. Also considering making one of those "Take Them A Meal" pages that churches do for new parents, only for me, by me. Bad idea? Yes?

I did wash & pack the flokati on Monday, which is basically like juggling cats while driving a moped on the highway (what does that even mean??) so *high five*

bastille day on colley ave.

Some moments from yesterday afternoon on Colley Ave. with my mom, 2 of 3 sisters, & my niece & nephew. Norfolk had a (teeny tiny) Bastille Day celebration, & when don't you need an excuse to wander around in Virginia's summertime humidity? It was a nice little activity, though, filled with gelato & the Itsy Bitsy Spider & chasing down every "gog" my canine-loving niece laid eyes on.

I gave myself one final slow weekend to enjoy because the packing frenzy must begin tomorrow. Step One is tracking down boxes... Actually, Step One is not getting sick. I have a weird little tickle in the back of my throat that I'm doing my best to ignore. Gosh, this would be a terrible week to get sick. Ugh...

On second thought, maybe I'll just start taking cold medicine now.

wearing - 26/50

hat - borrowed from Kelsie // kimono - TJ Maxx // dress - Target // boots - Old Navy // June Jar (1/3 grapefruit juice, 2/3 water)

You may someday find yourself in a TJ Maxx, sifting through rack upon rack of "Is this actually cute or comparatively cute?" clothing items, none of which you actually need but, hey! You're feeling a little stressed. This is therapeutic. You may even think to yourself, "Maybe there's soft sheets on sale!" which there never are, & you know that, but you mosey on to the back of the store anyway. You may see, out of the very corner of your eye, a pretty water color pattern that you're sure you saw a little fashion fairy scamper behind after she sprinkled her trend-finding fairy dust over your head. You may gasp a little, because it's a darling kimono & you've been searching for one for 2 months. You may also be confused for a second, because MY! those are some fancy house-dresses on the rack next to it & ohhhh, yeah, this is the lingerie department. But you will definitely decide "To hell with it!" & convince yourself that this was obviously just put in the wrong place because YOU were meant to find it. This could happen to you -- & I know, because this happened. to. me. It's adorable, right? Not too pajama-y? You know what, don't tell me. I love it.

I keep avoiding writing a new post since my brain is a steady stream of apartment hunting thoughts. I have been subconsciously replacing words in every day conversation with the word "apartment" (ex. "So, then we went to the apart... beach! The beach.") & continually catch myself working the hunt into conversations, even though I know no one cares as much as Jared & I do. We have 3 weeks left on our lease in Norfolk, & theeeen... Well, I'd really love to have a new place to move our things into, instead of a storage unit.

Omg, see? A PARAGRAPH. Just like that. In conclusion, send 1BR+ not-scary-neighborhood + Hardwood Floors-y thoughts in our direction, please.

Iiiiiiin other news, it rained so hard this afternoon that our entire city was basically underwater, & I walked home, & I'd really love for my car to be unscathed when I get to work tomorrow morning. ... & I just remembered that means I have to wake up a half hour earlier UGH.

So, pretty kimonos for days & days! < -- Happy thoughts!

iphone does - amelia's birthday weekend

Well, you know what they say. While the husbands are away, the wives will play. They don't actually say that, but they should. We've known for about 6 months that Amelia's husband would be in England for his fellowship over the summer/her July 3rd birthday, & with Jared being up in DC, the obvious solution was a good ol' fashioned girls weekend at the beach. I think we mostly just wanted an excuse for a girls weekend in our husbandless states of being, but also BIRTHDAY! 

I managed to forget my real camera at home every time we left the house this weekend (which is sometimes a relief when you have an excuse to not be that girl in the restaurant taking pictures of her plate with a giant Canon), so iphone photos, FTW.

Thursday evening :: I was at work when Amelia arrived in from Richmond, 

but her husby had macarons delivered to my apartment 

& I made sure to deck the halls with birthday balloons & garlands.

Yes, that says "wifey."

We promptly headed out for upscale Mexican at the local Luna Maya restaurant. 

Jalepeno tequila & deconstructed tamales? Oh, yes.

From there, we enjoyed a concert in the park & some 3rd of July fireworks, 

which they definitely set off JUST for Melie's birthday. Obvi.

Teaching ginger niece about the finer things in life. 

She gets her cupcake eating skills from her aunt.

Proud to be an Americaaaaaaaan! 

+ 1.5 yr old experiencing fireworks for the first time

& fireworks.

& niece! & fireworks.

aaaaaaand fireworks. Can't help ourselves but to take pictures of these guys. 

Friday morning :: It sort of hurricaned-ish overnight, 

but strong winds couldn't keep us from donuts on Friday morning.

Just some sugar. My recently whole30'd body is still angry at me. 

Lesson learned.

Friday afternoon :: Cookout at my parents with boozy strawberry basil lemonade 

+ golden doodles who just do not understand the principles of Instagram photo staging.

We met while we were both GMU Patriots & her birthday is on July 3rd, 

so we're pretty good at this American thing.

Saturday morning :: This gets a full frame 

because I have never seen the Virginia Beach oceanfront so packed.

However, that may be because I was last at the boardwalk on a summer Saturday in 2006 

when I hung out with a one Mister Jared Bethune for the first time.

(locals pride ourselves on our secret beaches, of course), 

But! Amelia & I wanted a classic boardwalk experience & we sure got it.

Really proud of ourselves for packing a picnic lunch, 

buying beer & carrying a cooler all the way out to the beach sans boys. 

It was all DELICIOUS.

Mexican blankets + beach neighbor's music & sunshine for dayzzz

Saturday evening :: In between making the best black bean burgers ever created, 

we walked to the docks around the corner from our apartment for 

the postponed 4th of July fireworks show.

Sunday morning :: Brunch at 328 Tequila!

It's been almost 48 hours & truly...
I'm still not ready to talk about how incredible this food was. 

We were mildly blown away. 

It even inspired me to throw up not one but TWO peace signs. 

Talk about nirvana.

It has been so essential to surround myself with my family & friends like Amelia during this wacky summer without my Jared. This girl somehow becomes dearer to me with every year that passes, so birthdays -- while scary & ughhhh -- are just a sign that life is getting sweeter. & maybe one of these years, we'll actually all live in the same city? Soon, SO SOON, the husbands will be in their respective homes (in their respective cities) & the Bethulombs (yep, we also have a hybrid last name) will be reunited.  In the meantime, Amelia & I may just eat ourselves into comas. Which is fine. Or something. Actually, it's a really good thing we don't live in the same city, probz.

wearing - 25/50

blazer - Target (similar) // button down - PacSun // shorts - TJ Maxx // wedges - H&M // brooch - With Lavender & Lace

These shorts... They're questionably short with an adorable not pictured zipper in the back, & I just simply could not leave TJ Maxx without them. Whole30 has left me feeling maybe too comfortable in my own skin? So I unashamedly paired them with my favorite wedges. While this was a bit much for traipsing around the Hague in 98 degree weather, I'm putting this outfit in the lunch/coffee date category.

I'm actually at the beach right now (thanks, scheduled post!) with my best gal, Amelia, continuing the celebration of her 26th year. Just wanted to get caught up on my outfit posts, since I was a week behind... But I MOSTLY hope you are all having a lovely holiday weekend, full of fireworks & family & un-hurricanes. Happy 4th! Yay America!

wearing - 24/50

jean jacket - American Eagle // v-neck tee - Target // pants - H&M // flats - Old Navy // necklace - Edith Marie  

Thought I'd throw in a work outfit to change things up a little. I've posted a lot of outfits that COULD be work outfits, but I rarely (if ever?) wear a skirt or dress to work. I learned pretty quickly at the PT office job I picked up in January that our lower level office is frequently freezing, winter & summer. This wasn't surprising or new, as it was also something I learned quickly while working at the zoo. The zoo may actually have been worse, beings that I kept an office blanket draped over my chair & worked most days in the fall/winter with fingerless gloves on. 

A big goal for me as I rounded the corner from age 24 to 25 was to start replacing items in my closet so that no matter what I put on in my half-asleep morning fog, it was... decent. Not high fashion, but at least not my middle school soccer team's t-shirt & questionably fit shorts from 2007. I've been slowing replacing all my staples - From work clothes to hang-out clothes to pajamas (inspired by Emma Stonen's unrealistically adorable bedroom loungewear in The Incredible Spiderman). & I'm getting there! It was unfortunately easy to be lazy with my attire at the zoo, as we were "encouraged" to wear polos with the logo on them, though I take full responsibility for choosing to wear the polo because it was easy far too often.

My new job has no polos (& I'd love to believe that my days of jobs with polo demands are behind me... Lookin' at YOU, Panera) & I am happy to be out of excuses to not put some effort into my daily ensemble. I fall into the category of people who will prioritize sleep over... well, anything, so it definitely takes that extra push to get out of bed & a wardrobe that won't let me go wrong to actually look somewhat put together. Getting rid of clothing & buying new staples has been a long process, especially since I almost exclusively shop on sale racks, but again... I'm getting there.

& that's the story of how 1) I freeze at work no matter where "work" is & 2) how I get dressed in the morning. Thrilling, I KNOW.

I have another outfit to share with you this week, but I'm having a girly birthday weekend with my bestie, Amelia, sooooo... Fingers crossed I find my way back here before the end of the week. Holiday weekend! USAAA!!!