A few of my favorite things from the month of July:

BLUETOOTH SPEAKER
I once shared that our home cannot live without a bluetooth speaker and this is still true.  It is crucial for my work-at-home life, promoting dancing while we cook, and filling the air when we have people over.  Our previous one broke and we replaced it with this one mostly based on how it was super discounted for Amazon Prime day.  Even better now is that the sound quality is amazing and it’s so sleek and functional.  We mostly keep it in the kitchen but it photo’d better here tbh.

CLARE V ALICE BAG
I’ve had my eye out for a woven bag for so long and now understand why I needed to be patient for it- because THIS is the ONE.  I adore the unique round shape and the option to carry it either like a tote or a shoulder bag.  It’s the kind of accessory that makes an outfit look a lot more put together and interesting but still casual, plus it holds a good amount of stuff.  I haven’t gone a day without it since I got it.
Sources for the other items in this photo:

INSTAX MINI 90 NEO CLASSIC CAMERA
I’ve been taking this instant film camera around with me a lot this summer.  Aside from how adorable it is, I love the extra features it has to take better photos in general like the different modes (macro, landscape, double exposure, etc…) and brightness control.  It’s fun to bring on trips too for making your own keepsakes.  Remember that if you’re flying, have TSA check the camera/film separately outside the x-ray so that the film doesn’t get ruined.

FERN STAMPS
This is one of those wedding details I generally talk about being something small that I didn’t think I’d care about but ended up caring about.  Because our invitations and envelopes are both very simple and minimal, I wanted the stamp to hint a little more at the feel of our wedding.  I know I know, such a small detail that most people will not notice haha, but I was nonetheless excited about finding these stamps on Amazon and even more that they were on Prime (doesn’t that always feel exciting??)  They’re more expensive than stamps from the post office but less expensive than getting a cute design anywhere else I looked, and given our smaller guest count the extra expense thankfully wasn’t much.  Pretty stamps- I like them.

THE MRS BOX DOUBLE RING BOX
I told ya it’s all wedding all the time over here.  The Mrs Box sent me one of their double ring boxes that are treasures in and of themselves.  I love the velvet, how small and compact the boxes are, and how this one will also be able to hold my wedding band.  At first I was going to go for either pink or gray, but then black was released and that’s game over for me.

COTY AIRSPUN LOOSE FACE POWDER
I forgot about this stuff for a long time then remembered last month why it’s so amazing.  My oily skin girls- this is a lifesaver, especially for these extra sweaty months.  I sometimes have issues with foundation breaking up around my noise because of the oil, but this powder prevents that from happening.  I also like setting my under eyes with this since it does the best job of keeping my under eye concealer from creasing.  I remove the sifter and dip my damp beauty blender directly into the powder, then I firmly press the powder into my skin and dust off the excess with a clean face brush.  I just wish they had a fragrance-free version!

NIPPIES
Speaking of summer months, during this time my need for bra alternatives increases due to things like backless tops or dresses.  I’ve never liked nipple pasties until these.  These have a reusable adhesive that stick on really well, are thin, and very comfortable.  I also appreciate that they cup the breasts and keep them looking round instead of pointy (you know what I’m talking about).  I’ll probably wear these on wedding day (!)

TV- THE DEFIANT ONES
I think O was casually browsing through HBO Go when he came across this short documentary series and put it on, then I entered the room shortly after and was sucked in immediately.  It’s about Jimmy Iovine, co-founder of Interscope Records, and Dr. Dre,  their individual stories about their lives and careers and ultimately how their paths crossed and changed the music industry.  It’s one of those things that makes you want to get up and go do something about your dreams.  Riveting, interesting, entertaining, and extremely inspiring, probably the biggest thing inspiring me right now as I continually try to build a life I love and am proud of.  WATCH THIS.