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! 

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! 

~ photo source unknown

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! 

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

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! 

~ image via

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!

~ image

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!

a lego weekend

this is where we were this past weekend. a quick trip to the little guy's favorite place on earth. his favorite lego characters and friends were all present ~ he had a grand time! 

it was a bit cold with an overcast on saturday and sunday in carlsbad. but there was no rain, so we enjoyed the cooler weather. we just got back and the reality of 95+ deg warm humid weather jolted us back to hometown houston. 

but it's great to be back home. 

how was your weekend? 

last day of school

last thursday, the day after their kindergarten graduation celebration, their class had a water slide party at school. this was their last day of kindergarten and they surely had a blast!

we will miss all of these guys. i have been close to his teachers and most moms and i am sure aston will miss his best buds terribly. cheers to a fun summer and new adventures and new friends come fall! 

picnic in the park

i am not ready to let go of summer. as most kids go back to school across the nation, our kiddos don't go back till the end of the month and some even after labor day weekend. i am still dreaming of late night beachwalks or picnics at the park. i am still holding on to summer as much as i can (but not the brutal hot weather - oiy!).

on a personal note, i have mixed feelings of our little guy being one more year older (he'll be in kindergarten!) in school. i am still relishing our time together this summer (heading to disney next week). i think it's a good idea to do a special picnic (weather permitting) one last time before school starts full force. what a special treat for the family!

here's what you can wear and pack for that fun picnic day :

theme park wardrobe

in a few weeks we are treating the little one with a disney trip in anaheim. we are looking forward to some gorgeous weather and a weekend filled with magical memories. we will be visiting the new california adventure park and we couldn't be more excited about it. 

last time we went, Aston was only 3 at disney world orlando where we had a grand time. the weather was a bit cold then when we went on an early december trip. so glad we're switching it out this time to enjoy the lovely california weather and i'm thrilled to be away from this texas heat even for a little while. 

today, i've posted an outfit inspiration for when we trek around the parks. trying to look stylish and comfortable at the same time toting the ultimate essentials and complete must-haves for a day-long frolicking under the sun!


you can shop the look here : 

seaside dining inspiration

HAPPY MONDAY friends! 

with only a few weeks left with summer, i am sure you are all making the most out of it with family especially with the kids who are getting ready to go back to school. whether you are out on a last minute vacation trip or simply enjoying a laidback get-together by the beach, lakeside or poolside - be sure to enjoy every minute of it. the following entertaining images from pottery barn is sure getting me inspired for some fun seaside soiree with friends and family. 

{all images via}

you can recreate your very own dining seaside oasis with the following party essentials

SHOP to recreate the look here :

friday's obsessions

TGIF! 

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i am off somewhere fun with the family and we shall greet the weekend here with some of my latest obsessions!

• the ultimate dinner party and wishing i was invited here!  
• gorgeous bride and groom - and can i say, beautiful valentino dress? 
• drugstore makeup finds matches the high end products
• have you all met seersucker + saddles? she's adorable and she's making me miss my short hair
• love how these photos are displayed - so darling!
• cutest passport custom invites for your little soiree

lastly, don't forget to join our latest GIVEAWAY!

do try something new and fun this weekend - this does not sound much but i may be brave and try a new cocktail while we are vacationing!

summer favorites giveaway!

last year, we had an amazing fun doing a summer giveaway and i thought i'd do it again this year. after all, my blog birthday month is still not over. to continue to show my appreciation and love to you, my readers, this whole month is full of giveaways and it is the perfect way to show my gratitude for your support!


now, on to the important details. 
ONE lucky reader will receive this swag full of my favorite things :

* perfect summer nailcolor julep
* colorful sparkle bangle
* sweet hair ties
* nantucket cookie cutters
* set of fairy princess cupcake cups and toppers
* playful patterned tapes
* stripes and dotted paper straws

several ways to enter :

1) leave a comment below letting us know what is your all-time favorite summer item is?
2) follow us via google friend connect and leave me a comment that you did
3) become a facebook fan of SCF and leave a comment below
4) follow SCF in twitter and leave another comment below
5) share this giveaway : re-tweet or pin or share this giveaway via twitter, facebook, pinterest or your blog for another entry

REMINDER : if you don't have a blogger account, leave your name and email address so that we may contact you easily. also, ALL readers including international readers may join!

this giveaway will run till next wednesday july 25th.

THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING AND GOOD LUCK!

{ this giveaway is now closed }

saturday style

hoping your weekend is bright and fun!

dont forget! 

today is the last day to join our GIVEAWAY! winner will be announced tomorrow!

ship's ahoy!

Ships ahoy! by thestylespy featuring nautical tops