Surviving an Arizona summer calls for water and more water! From pool parties to floating the river - it's the only way to stay cool while enjoying the beautiful outdoors. However, with temps creeping up to 120 degrees it's super important to know what to expect and how to prepare so you don't get burned by the sun. Pun intended.

This weekend we are heading out to tube the Salt River! Now, it's been at least 5 years since I've hit the river, so to prepare I spent some time researching tips and tricks to add to my collection of personal experiences to make for a successful trip!

 Visit http://www.saltrivertubing.com/ for fun events, schedules, pricing (CASH ONLY) and select partners who offer discount coupons for your float! If it's your first time, watch the intro video that shows you exactly what to expect.

It's National Donut Day! Arguably one of the best made up days of the year. With gourmet donut shops popping up around the Phoenix valley I thought I would take it upon myself to sample the sweet treats and share my top 3 local bakeries! I know, I know... such a selfless act :)

I may be a bit bias because this shop is literally around the corner, but their flavors, the dough, the presentation, and friendly service simply cannot be beat. With flavors like bacon maple, PB&J, fruity pebbles, and s'mores  - you can see why this shop takes the dough! They're located at 3213 N Hayden Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85251 and are open until 2PM! Get there soon because once they're out, they're out!

 How can you say no to donuts with lunch? And what about donuts with beer? Welcome Chicken & Donuts takes their dough a step further with their sweet and savory meal combinations in addition to their passion for using high quality ingredients like non-GMO butter and organic sugar for their donuts. But these sweet treats come at a cost. A premium donut will cost you $3, though they do give you a bit of discount if you buy in bulk. Overall: worth every penny! Check them out   1535 E Buckeye Rd, Phoenix AZ 85034 - open until 4PM.

Alright, I know they're not quite "local" with stores across the country, but I just love the build-your-own concept! When you enter the shop you watch the donut cook in real-time. and then walk down the line picking out flavored glazes and an abundance of creative toppings. If you're too intimidated to design your own they have a list of best selling combo's that can do no wrong. I love this model for the interactive experience and unlike most gourmet shops, they never run out! The donuts are literally made to order and melt in your mouth! Visit their website for locations & hours!

Have a local favorite that I should try?? Leave a comment below! I'd love to see how they stack up against these shops!❤

To recreate this look check out Michael's Craft Store, Homegood's and World Market.

Happy Easter!🐇

Recent travels to Santa Barbara had me sippin' on stripes! I didn't plan it that way - but apparently, stripes are the new floral. With some IG buzz on where to get the looks, I thought I'd share my closet secrets so friends can hop on that stripe train before it leaves the station.

I started the weekend flying from PHX > LAX, stopping in Malibu for lunch, and then making the way up the coast to Santa Barbara. I settled for coastal comfort with a little stripe flare.

Shop the look >

• Top: Rails, Style: Val Blue/White Stripe
• Jeans: AG - Adriano Goldschmied, Style: The Legging' Cutoff Ankle Skinny Jeans
• Wedges: Jimmy Choo, Style: Patent Leather Espadrille - Nude

Blues and whites = love at first site! I came across this little number on Revolve.com and had to have it for a frolicking day of wine sippin' through the Funk Zone and down to the beach. Caution: this one requires a bathroom buddy at all times. The buttons at the top make it impossible to dress alone. Logistics aside - I am totally obsessed!
 
Shop the look >

• Jumpsuit: Tularosa, Style: Reese Jumpsuit, Indigo Stripe
• Clutch: Sondra Roberts, Style: Perforated Faux Leather Frame Clutch - White

I am not even sure you guys are ready for this one... I just want to say you're welcome right now. This a 2-piece of perfection and is the definition of functionfancy. Are you ready?? I found this at Charlotte Russe! Yes, finally a look under $50. I had people coming up to me all night asking where I got it and complimenting the quality and style.

Shop this look>

• Top: Striped Kimono Sleeve Crop Top
• Pants: Striped Wide-Leg Pants

From dark-dated-desert to crisp-clean-coastal: this bathroom remodel was so much fun!

For most folks the thought of a bathroom flip = $$$ + TIME, so naturally you just keep the door closed - out of sight, out of mind, right?? But that's probably how you got here in the first place.

Today I am going to share this low key, high impact redesign in hopes to spark the inspiration and energy you've been waiting for to turn your old bathroom from drab to fab overnight!

For starters, you're going to have to open up the door and take a good look at the canvas - you need to know exactly what you're working with. The photo above shows a clean shot of the bathroom from floor to ceiling.

Things to look for - starting from the bottom and going up:

• Flooring. Observation: Tan/gray color scheme, recently updated, and matches the flooring throughout the home. Safe to say this tile isn't going anywhere.
• Walls. Observation: Is that a chair rail?! Score! Paint is dark; solid tan on the bottom, tan chair rail, and some seriously out dated sponge painting on the top (dark brown, tan, and grays). It's all got to go.
  
• Ceiling. Observation: Crown modeling? Double score! Oh wait, the ceiling is also tan. No wonder it looks so dark. Byeeee.
  
• Fixtures. Observation: White and gold towel rack with a matching gold vanity light. Need to return these antiques to the 70's where they belong. But wait, the faucet is polished silver? Triple score!
  

Okay, so now you have a list of what is staying and what has got to go. For this remodel I will be repainting the walls, ceiling, chair rail and crown modeling. As for fixtures I will be keeping the polished silver faucet and replacing the towel rack and dated vanity lights with new polished silver to match the faucet. Last, but certainly not least - the vanity drawers will be updated with fresh paint and polished silver hardware to tie it all together. Out with the old, in with the new!

I know, I know - you get it. But I had to get a close up of the freckled walls. Just saying, brown splattered paint should never be used in a bathroom... never, ever, ever.

Next stop? Home Depot! On the shopping list:

• 4 - 9'' rollers and rolling pans
• 1 - Roll of painter's tape
• 1 - 1.5'' paint brush
• 5 - Polished silver handles
  
• 3 - Cans of 1-gallon paint
  
• 1 - Sand paper sheet
  
• 1 - Paint primer
  
• 1 - Polished silver towel rack
  
• 1 - Polished silver light fixture
  

For paint colors I went with the Behr Doeskin Gray semi-gloss for the top of the walls, the Behr Cave Pearl semi-gloss for the trim, ceiling and bottom of the walls, and the Behr Intellectual satin finish for the vanity. The color scheme was pulled together by taking a look at the shades of color in the floor tile and also the vanity counter top. Since these pieces were staying put it was important to accentuate the deep color dimensions while avoiding the use of more sandy-tans!

I started prepping the space around 4:00PM with painter's tape around the floor board and chair rail - starting with painting the edges and corners and then rolling out the rest with the 9'' rollers. I started with the white sections on the wall first and then followed with the ceiling. Once finished, I moved to the upper walls using a flat edger along the chair rail and crown modeling to keep nice clean lines.

Before calling it a night, I took out the vanity drawers and sanded, primed and painted the vanity and cabinet doors. The next morning I finished painting the vanity drawers, hung the new fixtures, and added the new hardware to the vanity. I could hardly wait for those dang handles to go on the drawers and cabinets - it really brought the whole look together!

Now to my favorite part of every project - staging and décor! I am a hardcore, one stop shopper at the one, the only, HomeGood's where I picked up new wall art, towels, a shower curtain and finished it off with some polished silver vanity décor!

All said and done - this remodel was complete at 3:00PM the following day and was a one woman job. Total spend at Home Depot was $220 and HomeGood's was $170. That's a grand total of 23 hours (sleeping, dinner, shopping trips included) and $390!!

It's hard to believe this is even the same bathroom And to think it just took some paint and a little love just blew the homeowners away. The grand finale for me was watching the dated vanity transform into a modern accent piece that just tied the whole space together. Still obsessing over the final result!

Have questions about the remodel? I'd love to hear from you!❤