Happy Hour No. 31


To us, Happy Hour is a time to sit back, relax, and catch up with friends. Itโ€™s a time to chat about everything and anything, and thatโ€™s exactly what we bring to DIY Playbookโ€™s monthly Happy Hour.Enjoying time in Austin

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 letโ€™s catch up about our April 2019!

What Casey Loved This Month

  • I’m hoping to do more video for the blog this summer (in fact I’ve got a video home tour coming next week!), so I invested in this camera (and this SD card). It’s lightweight, easy to use, and the video quality is top notch. I also purchasedย this lapel mic for audio. I’ll definitely be using this camera when we travel because it’s way less bulky than my DSLR.
  • I’ve never been a big kimono person, but this one just screamed “Austin” to me…so I picked it up and wore it with a tank for our recent trip.ย Sorel sandals around Austin
  • In last month’s happy hour, I told you guys about the jean jacket and sandals I picked up for our trip. They were both a lifesaver! I brought the jean jacket to everything (in case it got chilly) and logged many miles in the sandals. If you need sandals for summer, these ones are amazing! Oh, and I can’t forget my $15 purse that I wore daily.ย Selfie with Finn
  • Whenever I wear these sunglasses, I always get dozens of DMs about them. They’re my absolute favorite and I’ve had them for years now. Here’s a link to Finn’s sunglasses too!
  • Finn and I are heading to Las Vegas for the National Hardware Show (more details below) next week. I’ll be speaking on a panel, so I wanted to get a few new “business casual” outfits for the trip. I ended up getting this blouse (in both grey and olive green),ย this wrap dress, and these heeled sandals.ย As a work from home girl, it was fun to splurge on a few new work pieces!

What Bridget Loved This Month

  • Since I’m 8 months pregnant, I really haven’t bought anything for my wardrobe lately! But all of the spring clothes have me extra excited to buy some new pieces post-baby. I can’t wait to splurge on some overalls, some quality jean shorts, and maybe even that jean jacket Casey is raving about — she sold me!Nude wedges to wear with jeans for spring
  • I have these wedges (and love them!), but they are a bit pricey. I was shocked to see almost an exact replica on sale for UNDER $20. I don’t know how comfortable the dupe is, but may be worth looking into if these wedges are on your shopping list this spring.ย Living in Lagrange, IL
  • I LOVED this striped umbrella last season but it bit the dust after we forgot to bring it in during a bad storm last fall. Picking up another one for under $50 is on my spring to-do list for sure.
    Bridget in jeans and striped tee
  • I have definitely gotten my money’s worth on these sunglasses over the last couple of years, but I’m hoping to add another quality pair to my collection this summer. I’m thinking about checking out Warby Parker for something a little different, but I’m open to looking anywhere. Any recs on fave go-to styles?!

Link Love

Casey’s April 2019

Trip to Austin with the family

Our weekend guide to austin texas

As you guys already know from this post, we traveled to Austin at the beginning of the month. It was so fun to be together as a family and explore the amazing city. In case you missed it, here’s my weekend guide to Austin!

Finn and I have more travel planned for May! First, we’re heading to Las Vegas for the National Hardware Show next week. I’m so honored to be a featured guest at the show, where I’ll be judging new innovative home products, mingling with attendees, and I’m even speaking on a women in business panel. I’m a little nervous for that last task because I’m not the biggest fan of public speaking (is anyone??) but I’m looking forward to empowering women in the DIY field to pursue their dreams!ย I’m also really happy Finn is tagging along for my business trip. I’m hoping we can sneak in a few Las Vegas dinners and see the sights.

We even decided to extend our west coast trip a few more days and head to San Francisco for the weekend. I’ve been a few times, but Finn has never been there before! We’re planning to head to Alcatraz, rent bikes, and eat and drink our way through the city. I’ll be sure to share all of the behind-the-scenes scoop on Insta stories, and I also have a San Francisco travel guide coming to the blog in May.

Bridget’s April 2019

This month was jampacked with family festivities. Matt and I both have big extended families so, between everyone, there’s always a reason to celebrate. Birthday parties, a few weekends (!!) of Easter celebrations on each side of our families, and a few other excuses to get together, created a busy month filled with lots of family time!

And when we weren’t at a big family party, we were focused on soaking up some quality time with Ben. Matt and I made a point to spend as much time as possible together as a family of 3 these past few months. It’s crazy to think that next month we’ll be adding another little guy to the mix (yes, it’s a boy!). Although we can’t wait to meet him and welcome him into our crew, we also realize how precious this “slow time” with Ben truly is. I say that in quotes because chasing around a 1-year-old doesn’t exactly feel like a “slow time”. Ha!

Taking pictures as a family of 3

But I’m positive that when we are juggling the 1-year-old and the whirlwind that is a newborn, we will look back at these last few months (and all of the sleep we get now that Ben is one!!) and label these days as much slower. And because of that, we’re soaking in every minute!Prepping for a second baby

In terms of prepping for Baby Mac, I really haven’t done anything. And honestly, I don’t plan to do too much until the summer since I want to follow the same philosophy we did with Ben — keep it simple. Eventually, we will order an additional crib for the nursery and rearrange the closet/dresser to make it work for both boys, but I’m not in too much of a rush since I know he will be sleeping in our bedroom for the first couple of months.

If you guys remember, Matt and I were still living in our basement when I had Ben with next to no furniture upstairs because phase one of construction was just wrapping up. The fact that we have a bedroom that functions, furniture in everyone room, and I know where everything is in our house (the best part!!) makes me feel very calm and extremely grateful. It’s been the perfect recipe to slow down and take in these last few weeks before we get to meet this precious boy.

Bridget&Casey


The Year of Casey

Hey there!

Iโ€™m Casey Finn, the voice behind The DIY Playbook. I’m a Chicago gal teaching you how to design, DIY, and maintain your home…by yourself! Learn more about me right here.