Well hello my friend! Happy Friday and Happy Weekend to you! We are heading into one of the most fun holidays of them all for those of us here in the USA. Next Wednesday, July 4 is our country’s birthday and we will be celebrating in grand form. The flags and bunting and festivals and fireworks have already started because why limit the celebration to just one day? I am totally on board with that!
So I don’t know if you saw the TED talk by Wendy Suzuki on the Brain-Changing Benefits of Exercise, (I linked it, I highly recommend it). But it talks about how exercise can actually help you stave off the effects of things like dementia simply by making exercise a part of your lifestyle. There seems to be so many good reasons to have an active healthy lifestyle! You just need to find out a good, sensible and safe activity level for you.
I have shared with you in the past how I started a ladies Facebook group for exercise. All you do is share how your activity level is going- could be you share daily or once in awhile, and see how the other ladies are doing. It’s called “The Summer Sizzler 100 Day Challenge”, and we are currently on Day 34. I usually try and do 30 minutes a day of walking for myself (sometimes I shake it up a bit depending on the weather). We have ladies that hike, bike, lift, walk, run, do yoga, pilates, barre classes- all kinds of things! It’s really kind of fun to hear how others choose to get in a little exercise.
It’s free, no pressure, all encouragement. And if you would like to join us, you are cordially invited. Just click here: The Summer Sizzler.
Special thanks to Jacob Kennedy for the photos this week. We had a blast taking photos together, and he is so talented. If you would like to see more of Jake’s work, you can follow him on Instagram @734rocious.
Lets start with the sales this week, because friends don’t let friends miss a good sale!
Nordstrom keeps adding to their sale new things every single day!
But the big news is that their Anniversary Sale is coming! This is the Shoppapalooza of all sales! And its on the brand new Fall Merchandise! Mark your calendar for The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale July 20- Aug 5, and early access for Nordstrom Card Holders July 12-19. I’m swooning! Get the smelling salts!
Evereve is also having a sale, which doesn’t happen often, and if you love Evereve as much as I do, now is the time to check it out! Everything in the store is on sale! (Got my coffee! Let’s go!)
White House Black Market has their Semi Annual Sale with up to 70% off original prices on many items! Cowabunga!
Old Navy has a great sale going, the entire store is on sale, up to 60% off!
Anthropologie has their Summer Tag Sale with an extra 25% off sale items.
Kohls has sales on all sorts of things “epic” sale, no coupon needed. Woo Hoo!
Loft has 40% off everything!!! Woot Woot! Use code HBDUSA
Chicos has taken up to an extra 50% off sale items!
J.Crew has up to 50% off “All Star Days Picks”
Gap has 40% off your purchase, use code “PARTYON” (and the ad says “All Sale Styles are under $20 in stores)
Target has 20% off swimwear (use code SWIM20), and up to 30% off on patio and home (use code AMERICA)
Banana Republic has 40% of a whole lot of new items and an extra 50% off sale styles
Lord and Taylor has 20% off regular priced and sale items (some exceptions) use code JULY for online or print their pass and take it in store.
Macy’s is having a big “Give Back” campaign where for $3 donation to support veterans and military families you can receive 25% off store wide (some exclusions). I think this is fantastic! Way to go, Macy’s!
And on to the Fashion for this week! Jake and I went out yesterday for these shots. For this first one, I wanted to share one of this year’s patriotic tee shirts with you. Guess where I got it?
Yes! Old Navy The Flag Graphic Tee. Every year, many retailers put out a patriotic tee for July 4, and so I zipped around town yesterday checking them out. This is the one I chose for this year. It comes in a few colors and styles, but Red is of course my favorite. And get this… only $4! Woo Hoo!
About the painting: this patriotic mural is painted on the back of the Northville Marquis Theater. The building is 5 stories tall. In the aftermath of 9/11, theater owner and founder, Inge Zayti had the project commissioned to local artist Jeff Von Buskirk. It has become an iconic landmark of the Northville community. Above the flag reads the words, “America United September 11, 2001”.
We were so close to one of our favorite ice cream places, we felt it only proper to patronize “Guernsey Ice Cream“. Guernsey Farms Dairy got its start in the 1940’s when John McGuire and his wife Pat who started the business as they started their family and had 14 kids… yes, 14. The kids all learned how to help make the ice cream! I would so volunteer for that job! Guernsey milk is now available in our grocery stores, and its the richest and tastiest milk, and they make their own ice cream with local Michigan products offering over 70 flavors. This ice cream is so creamy and fresh. They brag their milk tastes so good because they have the happiest cows. I’m pretty happy, so I think its working!
Next, Jake and I headed over to Taylor, Michigan to the Taylor Conservatory and Botanical Gardens.
These gardens are simply beautiful, and they offer concerts at certain times during the summer, and people can also book special events here as well such as weddings, corporate events etc. The grounds are simply stunning.
I wore one of my new favorite tee shirts, my Honolulu tee from Topshop. It looks like the pink may have sold out, but the white is still available.
You can see they have added some American flags for the upcoming holiday.
They had this adorable planter filled with structures kind of like a doll house right in the potted plants. It was so sweet.
I thought this was so cute!
Back behind the building structure is a lovely pond with a path and fountains.
Here I am wearing a new pink v-neck top from Nordstrom.
There is also a covered bridge. You can see how lovely this would be for a wedding!
It really was a lovely day! Going on an explore is always fun!
Below are some of the new items I included in the above photos, but might not have been too easy to see. The Frye Ivy Nylon bag I was carrying with the Honolulu shirt I was wearing. I love this bag. It’s this rich autumn yellow lined with that world class Frye leather. It’s roomy and just casual cool. And its on sale, 50% off! The other yellow bag, the faux leather crossbody is so cute with the silver buckle and studs. It too is roomy enough to carry your essentials and its high on style and cute factor. And the sandals I absolutely love. They are Steve Madden Jessy slides with bejeweled straps to give it a luxe look.
I had such a fun day with Jake!
Well July 4 will be here before we know it. It’s kind of like the focal point of summer! The celebration of our country’s birthday July 4, 1776, and our freedom! Oh how we love our freedom! There will be parades and picnics, and smiles and laughter and fireworks! I read that fireworks became part of the celebration all the way back in 1777!
It is a day for celebrating and coming together, and remembering that what bonds us is so far greater, stronger and more precious than any differences. And the perfect expression of that is the celebration that bursts forth with the fireworks from sea to shining sea. That is what we share. Our real National Treasure.
As kids we would get together with all of our family – cousins, grandparents, aunts and uncles. We would barbecue, and stay up late to watch those fireworks. We’d catch lightning bugs and make toasted marshmallows. Boy if I go way back in my mind, I can just barely remember my grandfather and grandmother making homemade ice cream with the old crank style ice cream maker! And July 4 is also my sister Susan’s birthday which is very important in my book! So as kids we always had 2 important reasons to celebrate! And those booming fireworks would start and we would lay back on a blanket on the ground and just marvel at the beauty and the treat of such a lovely celebration!
I hope you have a weekend that is simply wonderful wherever you are! I’ll be thinking of you with a smile. Let’s celebrate!
I’ll be back Tuesday for another Tasty Tuesday!
Love Always,
Amy
“God bless America, Land that I love. Stand beside her, and guide her, Through the night with the light from above. From the mountains, to the prairies, to the oceans white with foam, God bless America, my home sweet home.” Irving Berlin wrote this as a collective prayer for men and women to come together in harmony as the country faced the brink of WW2. He had emigrated from Russia, and he loved this country very much. He went on to live an incredible life sharing his gift for music, and living to the ripe age of 101.
Places I link up:
Jo Lynne Shane My Life and Style
Northwest Mountain Living and Style
2 comments
Love that pink v-neck! PINK! Also, both of those bags! So cheerful!
Pink! Yes! I love both of the bags as well!