Summer Fashion As the Season Winds Down

While the warm weather will stick around for a few more months here in the Sunshine State, summer vacation is quickly coming to an end.  It's both a curse and a blessing.  I will miss waking up AFTER the sun has come up, our weekday trips to theme parks and water parks and staying up past midnight without counting the number of hours until the alarm goes off. I dread packing lunches, morning traffic and afternoon pick-up line.

But, I am excited to get back to a routine at home and work. Hubby will appreciate the return of regular visits to the grocery store, as well as not having to dig through the laundry baskets for a pair of matching socks. I will be able to dedicate more time to blogging and you will get to see more of my handmade goodies.

In the meantime, I wanted to share with you some of what I've worn (#wiw) over the last few weeks...

For more #WIW and #OOTD (outfit of the day) check out my insta.  There's a link on the sidebar.

100 Happy Days

June is here!  Hoorah!  Summer vacation officially starts in 24 hours!  I. Can't. Wait.

Lots of changes have been happening here in La Maison de AquaSeventy6.  First and foremost, I've been hinting at it for a couple of weeks now, but as of this past Saturday at 4 p.m., I no longer work weekends!!

I took a weekend job 18 months ago while we were just back from VA, still living with relatives, and needed the extra income to get on our feet. "Weekends only" became "weekends plus some weekdays", and soon I was dedicating almost every single day to my "weekend job". Sadly, AquaSeventy6 fell by the wayside.

Thankfully, things have been better financially, and since my work schedule was putting a real strain on my family I began to consider resigning from my "weekend job".  Somehow, by the grace of God, everything lined up recently (and unexpectedly) and I was able to rededicate myself fully to my family and my business.

This all has worked out perfectly with the beginning of summer, and so I decided to use June 1 as the day to begin an ongoing project #100happydays.  Follow me on Instagram and see how I find at least 1 thing that has made me happy each day.  Will you join me?  Just hashtag #100happydays and tag me using @aquaseventy6 so I can see what has makes you happy the next 100 days!

Finally, some of my newest branding items have arrived!  Check them out!

My new business cards!

My new labels!

<3 <3 <3

Maybe the Best May

The month of May has gone by in the blink of an eye!  I can't believe there are only 5 more days until summer vacation!  I have had an amazing month!

My family took me to the beach for Mother's Day. I was able to chaperone my daughter's 5th grade dance, her band field trip and her field trip to Busch Gardens. My husband chaperoned my son's 8th grade trip to Universal Studios and we spent the rest of that weekend in Orlando lounging poolside and visiting the Magic Kingdom. This past weekend we went back to the beach for our 16 year wedding anniversary where we swam, avoided stingrays, soaked in the beautiful weather, and even caught a 15-inning Tampa Bay Rays game! (Full disclosure: we left after the 10th inning.)

Here are some pics of our beautiful month so far:

This summer is going to be bitter-sweet for me.  Both of my kids will be entering new schools in the fall.  My son is starting high school and my daughter starts middle school.  I officially no longer have babies. Our schedule next year is going to be insane, with my son's first bell ringing around 7:10 a.m., and my daughter not starting until 8:20--even though the schools are right next door to each other and 8 miles away from my house.  (Seriously, what kind of masochistic school board do we have out here?!)

My goal is to spend as much time with my kids and have as much fun as humanly possible in the 75 measly days we are given between school years.  I will be starting a #100happydays project on instagram that will spill into the beginning of the new school year, highlighting at least one happy moment in each day.  I hope this inspires you to do the same.

I will also have a lot more free time this summer...more on that after this weekend...

Finally, I will be giving myself a pass (or as my friend Autumn calls it, a Summer Card) when my lofty goals do not go as planned.  La Casa de AquaSeventy6 will be a "guilt-free zone" this summer, or as guilt-free as a Catholic Cuban-American mom can be.

I want to be chill, like this guy, the most interesting kangaroo in the world:

How has your May been? What are your big summer plans? Meet any interesting marsupials lately? Tell me in the comments!

Ahoy There!

Who is ready to hit the beach? Here's a little nautical beachwear look to inspire you!

Jumpsuit Love

I've been madly in love with jumpsuits this season! Unlike more classic warm-weather looks, I know jumpsuits are a trend that comes and goes. But, because they are so cute and comfy I will take advantage of the trend for as long as I can!

My daughter (resident AquaSeventy6 fashion icon) got a fab new jumper in her Easter basket this Sunday, and she rocked it that same afternoon.

She paired it with a white racerback tank and her white Saltwater Sandals.  So. Freaking. Cute!

Jumpsuit: Old Navy   Shoes: Amazon Tank: JCPenney

I love this look so much I designed a grownup version!

Have you rocked the jumpsuit this season?  Tell me in the comments!

Summer on the Brain: Bucket List

I have summer on the brain. It's probably because it's currently 45 degrees outside and rainy.  Maybe it's because I've gained (mumble mumble) pounds in the last few months.  More than likely it's because most of my friends and family live in Florida and California and I am already seeing photos of them on the beach.

The problem with summer is that it's never long enough.  Before you've even gotten a tan, Target has rolled out the Back to School carts. I have all of these great summer plans in June, and by August I've either forgotten or given up on most of them.  NOT THIS YEAR.  I am vowing, here and now, to make this summer count! I am going to make a SUMMER BUCKET LIST!

I turned to my BFF Pinterest for some summer bucket list inspiration:


I love this Summer Bucket List by Delia Creates.  She used clothes pins and a metal bucket.  I love how her little ones helped plan the itinerary!

Delia Creates

Last year Autumn featured this awesome window turned chalkboard with her family's summer plans.

Here is a fun poster board idea by Raising Lemons for listing your summer plans.  These can be crossed out when complete.

Raising Lemons

Patricia at Good + Happy Day used popsicle sticks for her bucket list.

Good + Happy Day

These ideas are definitely inspiring me to come up with a great summer bucket list of my own. Thanks ladies for being so creative!!

NOTE:  Before pinning any of the photos above, please visit the ORIGINAL SOURCE so that the authors may benefit from the views, and to make it easier for anyone who pins it to find the project details!  Thanks in advance!!!

Kisses and Summer News

I hope you are all enjoying your Valentine's Day!  I'm sorry that it's been a few days since my last post, but I have been working hard on a couple of new projects as well as listing some items in my shop.

My friend emailed me a couple of weeks ago with a list of summer activities she already had set up for her kids.  My first reaction was "SUMMER?!?"  We hadn't even seen a snow flake, yet! But as I started to contemplate the next few months, I realized that summer really IS right around the corner.

June will mark ONE YEAR (can you believe it?) that we've lived here in Virginia.  Last summer was a roller coaster, to say the least.  The moving trucks arrived the same day that the kids got out of school, and the next day I was on an 800 mile journey to start a brand new life.  It was a very tough transition for us, and even though we did our best to give our kids an awesome summer, I feel as though my heart wasn't 100% into it. 

I decided that this summer would be different, and this is what it means to you, my friends, readers and clients:

For the next three months, I am going to do my best to create my little fingers off.  There is a spring trunk show in the works, and I will be filling my shop as quickly as possible.

Once the kiddos are out of school, I will only be working on special order items.  I will still be blogging and updating my Facebook and Twitter pages with personal DIY projects, handmade gifts, and crafts, but the shop will likely not have any new items until the fall.

My goal is to completely immerse myself in the summertime.  I am looking forward to hanging out with some new friends by the pool, read lots of trashy magazines, and catch up with the stacks of books on my nightstand.

Now that we have summer on the brain, let me bring you back to my current reality.  Here are some pics from this weekend's first snow fall:

The kids were so stoked!

Don't hate on the face.  It was the middle of the day and we were all still in our PJs.
I promise I looked much better after showering and putting on some make up!