We're Lovin': Gap Scallop-Hem Shorts

I've been window shopping online again and I came across a super cute pair of shorts at Gap!  I rarely shop at Gap these days, but I will give them an occasional look when I'm bored.

Sunkissed Scallop-Hem Shorts
$39.95
Image Source: Gap

Image Source: Gap

Aren't they cute and classic?  I love that you can wear them with flats or dress them up with a fun pair of wedges.  The length is long enough that you don't have to worry about flashing too much skin.  At $39.95, they are definitely affordable, but I would wait until there is a coupon or sale and try to get them for $30 or less.  What do you think - great summer staple?  Anyone else spotted affordable fashion lately?  Share below!

Happy 4th of July Everyone!

I'm headed to Lake Anna, VA with Mr. 3 and friends for some swimming and barbecuing for a long 4 day weekend.  Briana is going to St. Petersburg, FL with family for some beach action and sailing.

We hope y'all are having a safe, fun, and patriotic 4th of July!  We know we have other days to celebrate our military, but we want to say thank you to all those who have served and continue to serve so that we can remain independent and free...not everyone is so fortunate.  Our prayers go out to all the military serving overseas.

Image Source: Me!

Patio Party: Italian Twist

Mr. 3 and I decided to throw a Patio Party this pasty weekend for our two friends AnnaMarie and Max.  We've been out of town a lot of over the last month and we've missed out on seeing them!  I didn't want to spend a ton of time cooking, so I followed our easy formula for throwing a Patio Party that we outlined in our last Patio Party post: 

Posh Purpose Patio Party Formula

1 Cocktail

2 Savory Appetizers

1 Sweet Treat

I decided to do an Italian theme with a twist.  My menu included peach and mozzarella bruschetta, antipasti platter (consisting of kalamata olives, brie, and grape leaves all from Whole Foods), and mini cannolis and cookies (also from Whole Foods).  For the cocktail, I mixed tequila, limoncello, and blood orange soda together which were all items I had on hand.  While we were sitting around I went back to the fridge and grabbed some ranier cherries that I were afraid would go bad before I got a chance to eat them all.  While the cherries weren't in the original plan, they were a great addition that I needed to use up anyways.  Here are a few pics from our party:

Arthur Court Tray for $2!  Napkin from World Market

Yummmmm crostini!

Serving up the cherries in the berry colander

Notice my Georges Briard Cheese Tray - only $2!

The patio party was super easy to execute.  I used a french baguette to make crostini for the peach and mozzarella bruschetta (which just involved cutting and dousing with olive oil and vinegar).  I also made enough to have leftovers to take for lunch at work.  Everything else was purchased from Whole Foods  (leftover grape leaves also made a tasty work lunch this week!).  Soooo, I spent next to no time slaving in the kitchen, BUT I made a really interesting dish that probably hadn't been served before and I bought prepared foods from a tasty source.  Our friends came over around 2:30 and stayed for a few hours.  It was nice to catch up!  If you want to check out our first patio party, feel free to read up here.  Anyone else throwing a fun and small get together?  Share below!

Thrift Store Finds

Now that it is summer time, the thrift stores are quieting down. Fortunately there is still enough turn over (and overflowing warehouses) to provide us with entertainment.

This light fixture was not yet priced or hung from the ceiling at Habitat. The metal probably should have been a bit thicker to really get the look right, but it is unique.

This $75 table was in good shape and the legs are so pretty! I didn't ask if Habitat had the leaves in the back storeroom, but I do know they store leaves when available to maximize how many tables they can put on the floor. Always make sure to ask!

I see these chairs every few months around town. This one is priced at $35, which is right for Habitat prices but a bit lower than you see in our other thrift stores. The fabric had some staining but otherwise everything looked good.

I love old trunks but can't stand the smell of them. The one on top was $35 and the one below hadn't been priced yet.

These two lamps were $15 each. The tops are pretty ugly but the base is interesting. They need a new coat of paint and definitely the right space, which hopefully someone had because the lamps were bought up very quickly.

I found this round pyrex in the ARC. It was $10, which I think is a bit high, but the store was having a 50% off everything sale. I would have bought it for Melinda but I wasn't sure if round would work. She is on the hunt for a square, pink, vintage pyrex with a lid. Eventually we will find one!

And now for some weird stuff

Are you looking for fancy, funky pumps? Well the ARC is just the place for you!

Are you a Sigma Kappa? Melinda and I both are, which is why I snapped a picture of this sweatshirt at the Lutheran Church's thrift store. Picked fabric is included.

And my personal favorite: Oprah's face, four feet tall. The most outrageous part? The $100 price tag.

Want to see more thrift store finds? We have a whole category just for that! We would love to see your finds, so feel free to share in the comments section or holler at us on twitter or instagram

What I learned Attending a Foreclosure Auction

J and I have casually been considering buying a home for quite a few months now. We compiled a list of things we needed, wanted, and didn't care about for our future house back in March. One day while enjoying the lovely spring weather, we discovered a house that was undergoing the foreclosure process.

Don't you just love it?

I have been stalking the court case progress and, in the process, learned quite a bit about foreclosures and foreclosure auctions in Florida. There are plenty of wonderful online resources on these topics, but there are also things I didn't figure out until attending the foreclosure auction for this house.

1. Attend an auction before the one you are interested in. This gives you an opportunity to see how the process works in your district, as everywhere is different. I wish I had thought to do this before our auction.
2. Pay attention to what the other attendees are chatting about. There were only three other people at the auction and they knew each other very well. Come to find out, these people regularly attend auctions to bid on behalf of banks and other entities and people. You can learn a lot from just paying attention.
3. Ask if the person representing the bank of your favorite property can disclose the maximum bid. The representative will probably have to make a phone call to ask permission, so make sure to do this step with plenty of time before the auction starts. If the max bid is higher than you wish to pay, then there is no need to run up the price during the auction. And if the max bid is within your range, all you need to do is make your first bid that max value plus whatever the incremental bid number is. In our case, each bid had to increase by at least $100. Things are ever so much more efficient when you have more info, so don't be afraid to ask!

I would also like to mention that the house I have been stalking is empty (if you couldn't tell by the foliage taking over the front yard). The property was owned by a deceased person's estate, so nobody was losing their home. And I did not buy the house, in case anyone was wondering, but I will keep y'all updated!