To us, Happy Hour is a time to sit back, relax, and catch up with friends. It’s a time to chat about everything and anything, and that’s exactly what we bring to DIY Playbook’s monthly Happy Hour.

These monthly posts are a chance to catch up with friends and bring just a little extra happy to your day. So grab your coffee (or champagne) and let’s catch up!

Casey

• I’ve been on the hunt for a few new “go-to” summer tops and I just got this chambray one from J.Crew. It’s adorable paired with white jeans or shorts and I can’t stop wearing it! Love the tie front too!
• Back in this post, I chatted about my quest for the perfect one-piece swimming suit. I’m happy to report that I found it. I recently got this one (in navy…but they also have red!) so I was prepped and ready for our trip to the Blue Lagoon in Iceland. I love the nautical feel, the way it sucks it all in, and the sexy back on it. Definitely not your mom’s one-piece!
• Ever since Whole30, I’ve been on an almond butter kick. After dinner, I’ll usually grab some fresh berries and top them with a spoonful of almond butter and slivered almonds. Delicious. The almond butter from Trader Joe’s is my go-to because it’s not ridiculously expensive and it’s Whole30 approved.

Bridget

• I finally splurged on these sneakers for our trip to Iceland! I have been eyeing them for over a year now and I thought they would be the perfect option for some of our upcoming travel. I’ll definitely keep you updated and let you know if they really are as comfy as they seem so far.
• I also caved and bought this striped dress. I love it because it’s super versatile (you know we love work to weekend pieces) and was on sale for $34! Plus it has pockets!! One thing I would say is to size down because it runs a tiny bit big in the elastic waist.
• I found this mini letterboard for under $40 on Amazon and scooped it up. The letters that came with it are a different size than my larger letterfolk board so I ended up buying this letter organizer with it.

Links

• Trying to become better writers after reading about these 15 words to eliminate from your vocabulary.
• Did you see Faith Hill and Tim McGraw’s home in the Bahamas? It’s bananas!
• This black & white bathroom remodel is giving us major bathtub envy!
• Another gorgeous bathroom upgrade.
• 25 interior trends that are better in theory (pretty sure we do just about all of these…)
• Oh how we would have loved this as kids!
• We took over Midwest Living Magazine’s Instagram earlier this month and shared some of our favorite spots in Chicago. We’re so grateful for the opportunity and had so much fun!

Casey’s Updates

I feel like it was just the end of May and Finn and I were finishing up our Whole30 challenge. How is it already the end of June?! Craziness. After an entire 30 days of eating clean, we definitely indulged this past month. Nothing too crazy…but lots of fresh cocktails on the patio and a few food festivals here in Chicago. That’s what summer is all about, right?

Just about everyone in my family moved this past month. My oldest brother, my middle brother, my mom, and my mother-in-law. All within the span of the same week! My mom now lives in the same neighborhood as us which is amazing! I’ve been stopping over there after work to help her get her new place all organized and it is so great to have her nearby. 

Behind-the-scenes of the blog we’ve been working REALLY hard on a new website design! It’s been 3 years since we designed the website (where has the time gone?) and we figured it was about time to give our site a fresh look and feel. Fingers crossed it will all be up in running in the next few weeks. We cannot wait to show you the new sleek and modern look!

Obviously, the big activity of the month was our trip to Iceland and we will share all of the details in full next week. It was a once in a lifetime trip and I am so happy we took the time out of our schedules to make it happen.

Bridget’s Updates

Like Casey, I can’t believe it’s already the end of June! But I definitely can’t complain since I’ve been off the past month from my teaching job. Being off for the summer is such a gift and then being able to share it with Matt, who is also off most of the summer, is pretty amazing.

Throughout our time off so far we’ve spent a LOT of time outside. We still (power)walk the neighborhood everyday and have walked or biked to get breakfast, dinner, or even groceries a few times. Just that right there is enough to make me love the summer, but add in our travels, and spending lots of time in Chicago “playing tourist”, and I could not be more grateful!

Every Monday this month I’ve watched my nephew, which has come with a definite learning curve. It’s only been a few weeks but I’ve already learned A LOT and look forward to our days together. Last week we ended the day with a smash cake photo shoot for his upcoming 1st birthday and O.M.G…. cuteness overload! Since this is my first rodeo when it comes to smash cake photos, I learned a few tricks along the way and plan on sharing them later in the month for moms who may want to DIY their own pics!

And last but not least, I would be crazy if I didn’t mention the highlight of this month — our trip to Iceland! Like Casey mentioned, the trip was AMAZING and we can’t wait to share all the details with you guys.

Next week we have quite a few Iceland related posts coming so stay tuned for all the scoop. And speaking of travel… Matt and I are headed to Nashville this weekend. Neither of us have ever been so we would LOVE all of your recommendations. Places to eat, drink, see — I’ll take any and all tips you have for us! Leave a comment below or reach out on Instagram!

Bridget&Casey