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

• There are some clothing items that every blogger chats about and this dress is one of them. I’ve seen so many of our blogger friends rave about this dress, so I finally decided to take the plunge and buy it in the color navy. I’m so happy I bought it! It’s flattering, comfortable, and they have so many colors! I also purchased this racerback bra to wear with it (along with lots of my summer tops) and it’s another great buy.
• Back when we did our sandals post, I was wearing these slides on repeat. They’re still in my summer footwear rotation, but I’ve also added these to the mix. I like that they have a back and lots of cushion on the bottom. Cute & comfortable = winning sandals.

Sandals / Shorts / T-Shirt / Sunglasses / Hat

• I love the high-waisted pant trend with buttons and these shorts fit the bill. I was originally planning to buy these ones from Madewell, but then I saw these from the LOFT at a lower price. I tried them on and I’m obsessed. Definitely my new go-to jean shorts for the summertime.
• Now that I have a bit more time on my hands, I’m trying to be better about reading before bedtime. It’s a much better way for me to wind down (as opposed to mindlessly scrolling through Instagram!). After listening to this podcast with Oprah, I bought the book The Seat of the Soul by Gary Zukav. It is a slow read, but I’m liking it so far. I’d love to know what books you guys are reading this summer! In fact, I was thinking about doing a post with reader recommendations for good summer reads. Would you guys be interested in that? It could be our own virtual book club!

Bridget

• I’m late to the game but I’m finally joining the club of layering my doormat. I love the way it looks but never had a space big enough to do it, until now. I still don’t have a doormat but I did buy this rug and LOVE it. Once I buy a doormat, I’ll be sure to share a pic!
• My entire family is headed up to Lake Geneva, WI for the 4th of July and we’re so excited! We don’t have much planned while we’re up there other than taking a festive family photo and celebrating my nephew’s 2nd birthday. I picked up this shirt for the 4th, I like it because I can wear it all year long. And I bought my nephew this kitchen helper after seeing Casey’s nephew use it (and love it!). Owen loves working alongside my sister in the kitchen and this counter stool will make it 100 times easier on her. Plus, it folds up so she can hide it easily when he’s not using it. 
• I bought this watch for Matt’s first Father’s Day and included a note that said, “I love ‘watching’ him become a dad”. He’s seriously obsessed. It tracks his exercise, sleep, and even connects to his phone calls/messages. Plus, it looks like an Apple Watch, but costs a lot less and doesn’t require a monthly service charge.
• I just bought this small sectional for our patio and CANNOT wait until it arrives. I promise once there’s progress on the patio furniture, I’ll let you guys know. I have a few other pieces coming too, so hopefully that should be soon!

Link Love

• This Mediterranean-style home is jaw-dropping.
• Life lessons from Anthony Bourdain – still so saddened by the news of his passing.
• “No matter what your politics are, separating families is inhumane and unacceptable” – This post from Cup of Jo explains this tragic situation well, and it includes ways in which you can help. Also, love this post from Elements of Style.
• We wish our refrigerators were this organized!! #takingnotes
• Our friend Courtney is a class act and we love reading her heartfelt posts as she deals with the passing of her beloved dad.
• A few small changes transformed this glam kitchen.
• Michael bought a new house in the Pittsburgh area and we cannot wait to see what he does with it!
• Instagram launched IGTV this month… what do you guys think?! Love it? Hate it? Feeling overwhelmed? We’d love to hear your thoughts as we try and navigate this new feature.
• Both of us have Interior Define couches because we love how customizable they are. The good news is these customizable options aren’t just for the living room. The brand launched the same customizable options for dining sets this month.

Casey Updates

Earlier this month, Finn and I headed up to Madison, Wisconsin for a friend’s wedding and it was an absolute blast. Right after college, we lived in Wausau, WI (a small town), where I was a reporter and anchor for the local news. We met so many friends there and this wedding was an awesome opportunity for a mini-reunion.

We got in on Friday night, so we had the entire day to explore Madison. We hit up the Farmer’s Market, walked along State Street, and had a drink at the Student Union. It was a glorious way to spend the weekend, and we realized that we need to head up there more often. What a cool city that is only a short drive from Chicago!

We also went to the White Sox game as a family and we lucked out with the perfect 75-degree day. It was an absolute blast! My brother and sister-in-law recently moved to Bridgeport, so we were able to walk to the game from their house, which was so convenient.

We’ve also been able to spend lots of time with my niece and nephew. It’s so amazing to play outside with them and enjoy the warm summer nights. And how about my nephew’s Tesla?! He is hilarious scooting around town in it and Finn can hardly keep up. haha!

 

Bridget Updates

Summer is the best, isn’t it? We’ve been soaking it up here in the Matkovich household and loving every minute! Ben turned four months old in June (I know, how is that even possible?!) and being home with him and Matt has been amazing. Sometimes I pick him up out of his crib in the morning and am convinced he aged overnight. He’s rolling over, smiling like crazy, and loves being outside. 

He even took his first “vacation” this month to New Buffalo, MI. We went up there for my college roommate’s wedding and had such a great time. Danielle and I have been besties since 7th grade so seeing her start her happily ever after was so special! My mom and dad went to the wedding with us and my sister, brother-in-law, and nephew came up to watch Ben while we were at the wedding.

It was supposed to rain all weekend, but miraculously the rain held off and we were able to take pictures outside! Danielle got married in a gorgeous barn and the whole night was perfect… minus the humid air that did not do any favors to my hair. Ha!

And even though we’ve made plenty of time for “summer fun”, we’ve also been working hard on our landscaping. We’re currently working on hanging the shutters, finalizing furniture plans, updating our address plate… to name a few. I promise once there is a bit more progress I will check in with all the details.

Bridget&Casey