May has been a month of all the feelings — the busy kind, the happy kind, the hard kind. But in the middle of all of it, here’s what’s been bringing me joy lately.
Watching: Off Campus on Prime Video
I am fully, completely, embarrassingly obsessed with Off Campus. I binged it, finished it, and immediately started rewatching it because I wasn’t ready for it to be over. So naturally I did what any reasonable person would do and ordered the first two books – The Deal and The Mistake in the Off Campus series. No regrets.
Reading: Off Campus, Broken Dove + The King’s List
I’m obviously starting Elle Kennedy’s Off Campus book series now that I’ve fallen for the Amazon Prime series. The first two books are on their way to my house as I type this! Two more books coming my way are sequels to I genuinely cannot wait to dive into. Broken Dove is the follow-up to Silver Elite, and The King’s List picks up after The Never List. Reading is my happy place — it’s where I go when I need my brain to just go somewhere else for a little while. These two have great timing.
Craving: Salt Air
My mom, my sisters, and I did an overnight in Mystic for Mother’s Day and it completely reawakened something in me. There is nothing like being near the water — the smell, the sound, the way everything slows down a little. Then we spent Monday afternoon in Westbrook visiting friends staying at Water’s Edge and now I am itching to get back to Cape Cod, my favorite place on earth. We have our annual Chatham trip on the calendar and I could not be counting down harder. If you’re planning your own Cape trip, I always point people to Del Mar Vacations — over 400 rentals across the Cape and you can use code HOUSTONBLOG005 for 5% off. Highly recommend.
Honoring: The Real Bees Knees
I’ve been sitting with some grief this month after unexpectedly losing a sweet friend and truly beloved member of our community. If you’re local, you know exactly who she was and what she meant to this town. She had a way of making everyone who walked through her door feel seen and welcomed, and that is such a rare and beautiful gift. Our community is a little quieter without her – but we are all happy she has left us The Bees Knees to feel her presence. I’m still processing it, and I imagine many of you who knew her are too. Sending so much love to her family and to everyone who is missing her bright light right now. 🤍
Listening
I am the worst at making Spotify playlists because halfway through adding songs I forget the theme/point. However, over the last few weeks I noticed a trend in the new music on my Liked Songs … and now I have a playlist I actually like! It’s a “feeling everything all at once” playlist. It balances upbeat, rhythmic synth-pop with quiet, bittersweet, and soulful indie tracks. It’s tasteful, incredibly cohesive, and perfect for when you want music that actually makes you feel something.
Celebrating: Dance Competition Season
We’ve had two dance competition weekends this month and somehow survived both. The most recent one was extra special — one of those weekends where everything just clicked — and we are already hoping to go back to ID next year. Even if that golden buzzer sound is still living rent free in my mind. These girls work so hard and watching them perform never gets old!
Wearing: Boden Rhodes
Boden is one of those brands I rarely see go on sale — so when they do, I shout it from the rooftops. Their Rhodes Cup-Sized Bikini Top has become a personal favorite and honestly I have been raving about it since last summer. The bra top is perfect for smaller chests — it’s actually flattering instead of just existing — and the bottoms have the perfect amount of coverage without veering into full “mom swimsuit” territory.
Underwire support, removable straps, silicone grip tape so nothing moves, and the prettiest prints. It’s the kind of swimsuit that makes you feel good. Right now it’s 25% off for Memorial Day weekend and I would not wait on it. Shop it here before the sale ends.
Booking: Italy is HAPPENING
I finally — FINALLY — bought our flights for Italy. We have close friends getting married there in September and it has been on the calendar for months, but hitting “purchase” on those flights made it so real. Now comes the very fun and very overwhelming task of figuring out where to stay. This summer is a quieter one for us travel-wise — just Ohio to visit family and our annual Cape Cod trip, which feels a little different from our usual four adventures on the calendar. So Italy in the fall feels extra sweet. Send all your recs my way!
What are you loving lately? Drop it in the comments — I always find my next obsession from you guys.
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