as you’re reading this week’s edition of it’s friday, i’m in love, S and i are on a plane headed to country music city, USA. yes, it’s true, i’m making my eighth (EIGHTH!) pilgrimage to nashville and this time i’m so excited to have my partner-in-crime also in tow. in addition to having my love with me for my cross-country excursion, this trip is extra special because of the occasion for which we’re traveling. B IS GETTING MARRIED! between exploring the city i adore and watching B become a mrs. tomorrow, this weekend is bound to be one for the books. and dare i say it, we’re forecasted to get in some good fall weather (yahoo!).

in addition to this weekend’s excursions, here are the other notable moments of my week. enjoy!

one || i posted a little photo shoot earlier in the week featuring this hat, but i wanted to mention it again since it’s such a steal given its high quality. fall hats are all the rage this season with urban outfitters, madewell, and anthropologie all offering gorgeous styles. but if you’re looking for a more affordable addition to your collection of head wear, i highly recommend h&m. they have a ton of inventory right now -from felt hats like mine to cozy beanies like the one i picked up last winter. (p.s. that’s another item checked off my fall bucket list!).

 

 

two || simply wand-erful. after struggling to finally master the art of using a curling iron, i think i have given up on that skill completely. instead, i’m focusing my efforts on my (and my hair’s) new best friend- the curling wand. after seeing this and this tutorial and admiring so many of my fellow fashion bloggers’ seemingly effortless beach waves, i decided it was high time i try it for myself. at about $20 for a new wand, it wasn’t a big investment and worse case scenario, i could always return it! given its glowing reviews, i went with the T | Studio pink silk slim wand from remington (out of 83 reviews, it got nearly 5/5 stars on target’s website). on sunday afternoon, i showered and let my hair air dry. following the tutorials, i sectioned out my hair into 1-1.5″ sections, wrapped it around the wand, and voila, serious instant ringlets! i did my entire head in about 20 minutes, without any heavy product or hairspray. i went to our studio barre choreography training and slept on it that night only to wake up in the morning with it still about 90% in tact. i touched up a few pieces, tousled it with my fingers, and was good to go. the rest of the week, i basically worked off of the first full styling session, recurling sections as needed. the best thing about it was as the week went on, the more the shirley temple ringlets turned into beachy waves (which was the original look i was going for). aside from the learning curve i’m still trying to master (i took a couple burns to the hand/arms), i’m a full curling wand convert. i’m only sad it took me this long to find it!

 

 

three || meet harriet. with my brown thumb now turned green, S and i have been dreaming of new plants to add to my back patio suburban garden. on a recent trip to home depot, we decided it was time the plumerias got a new friend. so everyone, please meet harriet the hibiscus (yes, i named her). harriet, meet everyone. she seems to be acclimating to her new home already and i can’t wait to see how many more gorgeous coral blooms she’ll produce before this crazy heat wave ends.

 

 

four || barreiversary. my studio barre tenure turned TWO on monday and i seriously cannot believe another 365 days has come and gone. wasn’t it just yesterday i was reflecting on my first year at studio barre, first as a client and then as an instructor? i could probably write a novel highlighting all of the fabulous moments that have transpired over the last two years as as member of the studio barre la costa family, but i’ll spare you the bevy of inside jokes and sob stories of feeling as though my thighs would fall off from one too many reps in the waterski position. instead, i’ll simply say that this:

at the risk of sounding incredibly cliche and cheesy, i am so crazy blessed to be a part of this team. this past year has been marked by incredible growth. from deepening the relationships i have with my fellow instructors and clients to growing my confidence in my own ability to teach an energetic, fun, challenging class, i feel like i’m a part of something that maybe i was always destined to be. 

so cheers to two years. i hope this is just the start of even greater things to come.

 

 

five || happy birthday grandpa. i’ve mentioned before how well i think my late grandpa and S would have gotten along. they share so many of the same qualities and interests, it saddens me to think they’ll never have the opportunity to meet. although, i like to believe grandpa had a little influence in sending S my way :). anyway, today would have been my grandpa’s (or poppa as we called him) 89th birthday. though we can’t physically be together to celebrate, he’s definitely in my heart and thoughts today. i feel so grateful for the twenty years i did have with him and i look forward to the day when we are reunited again.

 

 

six || #goingtothecastle. as i mentioned above, S and i are currently en route to nashville to kick-off B’s wedding weekend. after over seven years of friendship, i’m truly so happy for her to start this next season of life. so here’s to the last wedding of 2015 and to another amazing visit to the city that will always hold a piece of my heart.

 

photo from my very first trip to nashville in 2012. such babies!

if you’re interested in our music city adventures, don’t forget to follow along via instagram @shawnaleeann (fashion from the trip can be found at @stylebyshawnaleeann). otherwise i’ll have a full recap next week. have a wonderful weekend!

xo

top image madewell

image credits: two 

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