obsessions lately

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i am still all about summer especially that we are still hitting up high temperatures here in texas. back to school is threatening to sneak up ever so soon but i'm dearly hanging on to summer lazy days. i love that we don't have any routine schedule and looking forward to ice cream sweets and poolside treats to beat the summer heat!

here are my obsessions lately.....

// will you be watching?

// LOVE her style.

// reasons why we need to see her perform live.

// i'd love to star-gaze up in these spaces.

// NEED this, this and this from j.crew's new arrivals.

// i want a great crossbody bag. loving this, this and this.

// the food shot that left me salivating. thanks mandy  for the recipe.

// a few captivating IG accounts to follow : thepancakeprincess, perpetuallychic, bedfordrose, meethaha and ss0522.



hope you enjoy checking out those links this weekend!

disney report

and just like that....it's monday yet again! 

we are back from a disneyworld trip and we return slightly tanned and maybe had a bit too much fun. apart from the park hopping, we truly loved witnessing the parades, fireworks and shows and meeting disney characters. every night from our hotel grounds, we enjoyed the float parade of lights by the lake, movie nights and smores by the poolside. there were also daily pool games and activities for all the kids but most of all, the magical service and convenience in staying in one of the disney resorts or hotels is always a memorable experience.

hope your monday is off to a great start! 

summer snippets

how's everyone's summer so far?

if you are not following me in instagram (@swankychicfete), here's a little summer photo album from our daily doings! 

we are enjoying lazy summer days! 

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have a great week ahead folks! 

summer picnic

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picnics are a great way to spend lazy summer days. i wish we have cooler non-humid weather (with zero mosquitoes) days here in texas so we can spend more time outside. i found these baskets that are picnic-ready, all you need is your food and drinks!

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more here : 

hello july

hello july! 

so excited for the short week and today's thursday is acting like a friday due to 4th of july weekend!

we are taking it easy and staying in town spending time with friends and family. i am also looking forward to taking advantage of the major sales going on. ongoing summer sales will be in full force this weekend as stores are getting ready to bring out their pre-fall items. i am linking major sales in some of your favorite stores below so you can enjoy great savings!  

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LULU and GEORGIA // 25% off  use code : USA25. i am eyeing this, this (love a great striped pillow) and this. starts july 4-6

MAX and CHLOE // 20% off use code : JULY4. i have this personalized cuff in silver and gold and i love them! 

GAP // up to 60% off in stores and online. time to stock up on shorts (love this and this), tshirts (loads of striped shirt options) and boyfriend jeans.

FURBISH STUDIO // 15% storewide use code : HAPPY4. time to snag this tassel necklace i've been waiting to go on sale!

J.CREW // enjoy 40% off final sale (its extra 50% off in stores) use code : SHOPMORE. yesterday i snagged this baseball cap and a top similar to this in light blue. i think i'm going back for more wardrobe basics!

 i am signing off early today to enjoy the long weekend! 

i hope you all have a wonderful july 4th celebration!

a busy summer for kids

it's quite challenging to get your kids busy all throughout summer. camp is obviously not all summer long and on days that the kids are home, they itch to do something fun everyday. 

before summer kicked off, we bought a badminton set and managed to set up a table tennis inside the house (yes, inside  the house). it does get really hot outside, so we try to do indoor activities as much as we can. we do play outside later in the day when the sun is down doing tennis or badminton.

yesterday, aston  enjoyed painting a pottery set i got on sale from michaels. since he is done with summer camp, he's been home waking up late and just playing all day either with his superheroes or lego sets. his tutor still comes to the house twice a week but most days he's on a free schedule trying to make the most of summer lazy days. 

here are a few games and activities your kids may want to try this summer : 

beach paddle set

sidewalk chalk set

friendship bracelet kit

golf caddy

junior badminton set

cubebot 

chunky sketch pad

craft jar

i'm sure the little ones will be busy for hours and hours! 

~ affiliate links

chicago weekend snapshots

we went on a quick trip to chicago this past weekend. my parents had to go see the philippine consulate in chicago to renew their passports and we followed a few days later and flew back home with them. so today i'm sharing a few images of a pretty summer day in chicago!

we stayed at the water tower room of the hyatt and enjoyed this view everyday from the balcony. the weather was a little muggy but it was not as humid as texas like we are used to. it rained some but not for long.

continue reading.....

july 4th decorating

we are 2 weeks away from july 4th celebration and i gathered a few red, white and blue home decor items for you. july 4th falls on a friday this year so i am banking on a fun long weekend celebration with friends and family! 

scalamandre plate charger // pillow // cobalt wine glass and cobalt water glass  // vases // serving tray // blue lantern // star napkins //

more red, white and blue decor here :

friday fancies

summer is in full swing and we are definitely feeling the heat. as if we're not used to it yet, this texas summer can be brutal to everyone. i still have dreams of the beach and a respite somewhere cooler but work is keeping us busy and our little guy is enjoying his summer camp. 

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here are some links for you this week : 

TRENDING // care to join the latest pineapple trend? 

FASHION // best of LWD

DECOR // new workspace reveal

TSHIRTS // these funny shirts crack me up  

SWEETS // don't mind this kind of calories

DIY // prettiest peony wreath

SALE // tory burch sale you don't want to miss! 

i hope you all have a great friday and weekend! 

beach babe

the summer brings us to the beach and if you're quite not there yet,
here are a few bath and beauty products inspired by the sand and sea to get you going......

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this week

this week is exciting. our little guy completed first grade and we are proud to say that he took home 8 awards including a friendship award and excellence in reading. he worked really hard this past school year and we are thankful for all his teachers for guiding him every step of the way. so proud of him and what he has accomplished! 

we are looking forward to summer. he has 3 weeks of summer camp which i'm sure he'll enjoy. today officially starts our summer and we are finalizing vacation plans and we're hoping for a memorable one. 

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what are your plans this summer?

sunday at the beach

SUNDAY AT THE BEACH 

shop the beach necessities here :

summer friday

hands up if you love fridays!

i love short weeks and i feel like the weekend just reappeared in no time! 

here are a few links to check out this weekend : 

more than just a coca-cola bottle

summer camping? creative camping hacks you need to check out

a yuumy chocolate chip cookie cake

a modern day audrey/jackie o look 

your complete summer swimsuit guide

summer sandals under $ 50

j.crew's CFDA/vogue fashion fund winners collection

i hope you enjoy those links! 

we've got one more week of school and we can't wait to get into our summer activities planned. will share more about that soon! 

i wish you all a relaxing weekend and i will see you back here on monday! 

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summer basics under $ 100

love me some good summer basics. a great pair of shorts (love this floral or this sailboat-printed one), cute tops (love this chambray one), comfy sandals, a straw bag (i need this clutch or this tote) and pops of color for the face! 

~ affiliate links

easy breezy summer

when the temps get high (and for me it is very soon), i live in dresses and shorts almost everyday. i love that they're comfortable and easily worn with sandals for a casual look! 

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shop for more summer dresses here : 

so long summer

so long summer!

i'm going to make this short and sweet as we are making the most of the last weekend of summer. i feel like summer came and went in record speed this year. we are now a few days away from the first day of school. we even started talking about possible halloween costumes with aston. i even pinned a few inspiration for the yuletide season. we have big plans for a thanksgiving reunion with family and relatives in the texas and arizona area. that will be a lot of fun. we are even considering a little getaway right before thanksgiving day but we shall see if that one pans out. so much plans and possibilities and what better way to prepare for it than now!

overall, our summer has been fun ~ we took a few trips, spent laid back weekend pleasures with the family and enjoyed loads of summer celebrations. and if you follow me in twitter, you probably know that aston  just lost his first baby tooth and the new one is just creeping out. i am in denial that the little boy is growing up fast! *tears*

i hope you all have a wonderful weekend! 

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friday summers

summer fridays will be soon over and i can't believe it! 

so far summer has just been busy. i have a few celebrations and events coming up and i couldn't be more excited. on top of work and aston's summer activities, this summer has just breezed by so fast i barely noticed it and soon august is here and fall will not be far behind! 

this weekend i am taking it slow and easy with the family and just savoring a few summer weekends left. plans for a movie date, a bowling party and a baptism celebration is marked in our calendar. so, as you can see - it is hardly slow but we shall see. i am determined to relax and just have fun! 

hope your friday and weekend is off to a great start!

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weekend photo album

i hope everyone had a fantastic long holiday weekend. 

as much as we want it to last, reality bites and i'm back to work today. 

so as you can see, our long weekend was jampacked. we took a short drive to grapevine, texas and drove around dallas as well. the little guy enjoyed visiting the local legoland discovery center and we truly loved the gaylord texan resort. 

we also visited family and relatives in town and spent quite a bit of time reuniting with them. we had a lovely time and it was refreshing to unplug and stay away from the computer for awhile but i still can't resist instagram and shared a few snapshots of the weekend tho! 

i hope everyone's recharged and getting ready back for a full week ahead! 

picnic packing

school's out and it's just the perfect time to get out and 

enjoy a picnic at the park under the trees with the family!

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here's what you need.....

won't it be fun to be able to pedal your way to the park? pack the essentials in a pretty wicker basket, use environment-friendly utensils, munching on crackers and sweet cherries and quenching your thirst with some sparkling water. a quick break to sit (and get a little tan) and enjoy the new summer blooms and exchange stories with your loved ones! 

early summer updates

we have been enjoying the early days of summer. aston's last day of school was before memorial weekend and since then we've had a short vacay to san diego and we are off again later today for a brief visit to chicago. 

in between the weekends, it's business and work for me as usual. aston will start a language/speech booster summer camp next week for the month of june. he will also work with a summer tutor twice a week to prepare for 1st grade come fall and a few fun projects with me in between. we've got more trips planned but nothing final yet. in the meantime, despite the hot humid weather ~ we are enjoying every bit of summer. here are a few snippets from life lately.......

what are your plans for summer? do share!