Friday Five

Hello sweet friends! I was pretty overwhelmed this week (in a good way) by all of the love and support you displayed in the comments of our wedding anniversary post. I’m especially grateful for all of the “OGs” that have stuck around since I started what is now this little slice of the internet.

It’s hard to believe that it has been nine years since our wedding – but what some of my newer readers may not know is that this blog kind of started because of our wedding. I was part of a major wedding planning forum and started to receive lots of questions about my hair and makeup. I would respond to people’s comments and emails and someone on that forum said I should start a blog – so that’s exactly what I did and Veronika’s Blushing came to be.

When I first moved to Houston, I hardly knew anyone and though I was making friends through work and other connections, having a place where I could share the things I loved and connect with other women was something really emotionally nourishing for me. I’m a very social person and while moving to a new place is exciting and full of opportunities, it can also feel lonely and intimidating. Blogging has always been a source of connection, confidence and clarity to me. Connection because I get to hear from so many different people all across the globe, confidence because I was became more secure with myself and my voice through blogging, and clarity because sometimes it’s not until I write about something that I can really explore an issue, challenge or moment in time.

That was kind of a ramble, but it’s been so amazing to hear from so many of you that have been here “from the start” and have grown right along with me. I always get so excited (and admittedly a little sappy) when an OG follower sends me a message about how long they’ve followed and how they’ve loved watching our family grow. All the heart eyes.
O N E
Kevin was out of town for work the entire week, so we’re celebrating our anniversary with dinner + Hamilton this weekend. I can’t wait – that soundtrack is everything. Solo-parenting has left me wanting a little relaxation time so I hope to squeeze in a pedicure this weekend. We’ll also be celebrating Mother’s Day, so it will be a weekend full of celebration. I don’t know if you have a partner that travels for work sometimes, but let me tell you, I’m super productive when Kevin is out of town. I clean more, pick up more, do laundry during the week, etc. I didn’t sleep well this week because Lincoln was diagnosed with strep and wasn’t sleeping well. This caused me to fall behind on my BBG workouts, but I’m back on track now. I can’t wait for things to get back to normal, even if it means I won’t be as productive.

T W O
In honor of our anniversary/Mother’s Day/my 35^th birthday that’s just around the corner, I ordered this “mini squad goals” necklace that will have our children’s names on it. I can’t wait for it to arrive (they’re custom and can take up to 6 weeks). It’s definitely a splurge but I know it’s something I’ll love to wear daily and layer with other necklaces.T H R E E
I switched to a smaller handbag for work and LOVE it. I was so tired of having a large bag that inevitably became a black hole for all the things – the simplicity of a smaller bag appeals to me. That’s not to say I’ll never carry a large purse again, but I find the smaller bag carries all I need (and that I don’t need 75% of what I used to carry). I’m currently using this Tory Burch bag for work and I stopped using my regular wallet and am looking for a nice slim one that just holds cards like this or this one. I never carry cash anyway.
F O U R
This is SO random and maybe a little awkward, but I share all of my favorite things with y’all and I cannot go another week without sharing my favorite undies ever. I’ve been wearing these for over two years and it just hit me that I’ve never blogged about them. I mean, it’s kind of weird to blog about underwear…but also, if someone found the best underwear ever, I would want them to tell me. So, here we go. These undies are the best ever. They’re just so smooth, don’t show lines, comfortable, sit at the perfect level on my hips. I also love the ones with the lace inset, here.

F I V E
Speaking of things too good not to share, when I find a quality, well-fitting, $11 top, I’m going to post about it. For $11, it’s hard to believe how well-made this top is. It also has a bow that ties at the back (at the neckline). I would never recommend something I don’t love – I wore this top to the office yesterday! I styled it with jeans in these photos, but it pairs well with skinny work pants and shorts, too – LOVE!
Our family recently enjoyed a Family Fun Day event at Minute Maid Park hosted by Texas Children’s Ambassadors. We had such a blast and I couldn’t resist sharing a few of my fave snaps from the day! A lot of you asked about my outfit – I found a similar inexpensive top (here, for $15) and my jeans are these ones (and more options here, too). My sunnies are my fave Karen Walkers. Harper’s dress is here and under $20 (obsessed!). PS- I’m hosting a huge Mother’s Day giveaway on Instagram! Enter here.