yolo // yeaux leaux

In New Orleans we say "yeaux leaux"! These go cups designed by Lionheart Prints are my favorite thing ever. I could not get enough of them last weekend. They are perfect for wine/champs while sitting outside (or inside) and a great accessory for any bar. While I did not make it to any parades last weekend they are THE go cup to have this Mardi Gras season! There is even a tumbler...which I also need! And I think y'all need it too! 

Happy Thursday! xo. 

wednesday words // iris apfel

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image via

I love this fun (and quite true) quote and I love the ever so fashionable Iris! I only hope to be as chic as she when I am 92...and my eyeglasses better be as perfect as hers are too ;) 

Happy Wednesday, friends. xo 

tuesday talk // weekend

This weekend was one of those weekends that I did not want to end. Valentines Day was so perfectly low key for us this year. We stayed in, ordered sushi (our favorite), ate said sushi on our china, baked a cake, and watched a movie. Jeremy had to wake up early for work on Saturday morning so our low key night really worked. And! I was surprised with hydrangeas and an assortment of my favorite macarons (pecan, chocolate, and salted caramel) from Sucre. Hubs did good ;)
Saturday I went shopping with my mom and sister (in my favorite fur vest) and cooked a nice dinner for Jeremy and I (spinach and feta stuffed salmon, gouda polenta, and asparagus)....it was delicious!
Sunday's weather was gorgeous so we took full advantage by walking around uptown with iced coffee and stopping at Dat Dog for some white trash fries (the.best.). And, when we got home we sat on the back porch with Jack to enjoy the weather some more until we had to head over to my parents house for Sunday dinner.
It was just such a good weekend. I want to repeat it again and again!


Happy Tuesday. xo.

friday five // valentines edition

 - The perfect wedding picture for the day of love! Don't you agree? -

- My mom made Jeremy and I a bag of her homemade peanut butter cookies and this batch was complete with Valentines peanut m&m's....SO good! -

- This Fleur de Light King Cake  scented candle (via Little Miss Muffin) is everything right now! We can't get enough. -

- Baking these funfetti cupcakes for my little preschool class...complete with owl and heart toppers. -

- A roundup of my favorite Valentines via Lionheart Prints and Scriptura. - 

Happy Love Day, y'all! I love love so naturally I love this day. Even when I was a single lady Valentines Day was still a favorite of mine. What's not to love about eating chocolate? Not much in my book (#thankgodforpurebarre). But now! Now, I have a forever Valentine and I love him so! Ok, don't wanna get all mushy on y'all. Anyway, tonight we are staying in, dressing up, eating a nice dinner on our china, popping some bubbly, and hopefully watching a few romantic girly movies! Oh, and I am baking a chocolate cake. Can't forget that important part. What are y'all up to? Whatever it may be and whether you spend it with your man, a group of girlfriends, or your family don't forget to tell someone you love them! And don't forget about how much He loves you...because it is SO much! So spread some love today, y'all! 

Happy Friday and weekend! xoxo. 

p.s. The Everygirl has a great article offering two simple beauty looks for Valentines Day. I will definitely be referring to these for our at home date tonight! 

go go

image via 

image via

image via

It has been SO cold in New Orleans lately, y'all. I am talking temps we are not used to down here. Due to the freezing conditions Spring has been on my brain (as I am sure it has been on yours, too) causing me to get the itch to start spring shopping. Leading me to gush about the dresses above! 

I have sung Camilyn Beth's praises on this blog many times...here, here, and here to name a few. I truly love her girly designs...hello ruffles and and sequins and scallop hems. And she is such a sweetheart, too! Her frocks are perfect for fancy nights out, weddings, or even during the day with a pair of flats! I own three of Camilyn's beautiful designs: The Go Go (pictured above), The Josephine, and The Gabrielle. I purchased all of these from my favorite local boutique Hattie Sparks...which is the only boutique in New Orleans to carry Camilyn Beth. Anywaaayy...my husband is the best man in his best friends wedding in Dallas this April and I think I need another Go Go dress for the occasion! The Go Go dress I own now is white...I wore it in my engagement photos, to my bridal shower and I am planning on getting plenty wear out of it this spring and summer. I absolutely LOVE it. The high neck, the ruffles, the beautiful fabric. I could go on and on. Obviously I can not wear white to a wedding, so right now I am leaning towards the emerald. It is so rich and beautiful! Emerald is also the color my sister chose for her wedding...so besides the upcoming Texas wedding I think it may be the perfect dress for all of my sister's wedding parties I have coming up, too! But really it is just the best dress I could choose as one of my first Spring purchases. And when I do purchase my second Go Go dress I will of course head straight to Hattie Sparks :) 

Happy Thursday, y'all! xo. 

wednesday words // belong

There is really not much I can say about this scripture. The words above basically say it ALL. This scripture is just so good and I think it is such a good reminder for every.single.day. We all have our moments when we feel unloved, unimportant, and insecure (hand raised HIGH over here)...we just do. We are human and we are not perfect. But!! He has us. We belong to Him. He loves us SO much and when he looks at us He sees his beautiful creation. His love for us is so HUGE...so amazing. So, today if you are battling with any insecurities or anxieties or just anything difficult just remember who you belong to. Remember how loved you are by Him and in turn you will feel at peace with all of those icky feelings. I know I will definitely be repeating this verse in my head all day today :)

Hope y'all have a happy Wednesday! We are halfway to Friday....which is Valentines Day, of course...my very favorite day!! xo.

tuesday talk // weekend

S

{friday night dinner party}

{saturday shopping} 

{on way to church} 

Our weekend was pretty low key...just as I pictured it to be. Friday night Jeremy came home and we had a little dinner party. Saturday we went shopping and used some wedding gift cards at Bed, Bath, & Beyond. If you follow me on Instagram you probably saw the mirror we found there and took home with us! I absolutely love it and it is exactly what I was looking for to put the finishing touches on our den. I am in heavy nesting mode around here. Sunday we had coffee, went to church, walked Jack, chose over 500 wedding photos for 3 different albums, and tried a new (to me) bottle of wine. Some of the proceeds from the wine go towards the US Military. So, naturally we had to support it! And that's that for our weekend. Needless to say, I am already looking forward to this weekend! 

Happy Tuesday! xo. 

P.S.- Sorry I did not get to an outfit post yesterday...I was so wrapped up in all of those Sunday things that time escaped me! Why does that happen so easily lately?!

friday five

- This outfit I wore over the weekend to dinner celebrating my dad's birthday and my sister finding her perfect wedding dress!! -   

- This adorable face has been keeping me company all week while Jeremy is away (he comes home tonight, hooray!) -

- This wedding photo captured by our fabulous photographer, Corine Tran, at Studio Tran...I was clearly having the time of my life, huh? -

- Framed a few wedding photos next to Jack's portrait, naturally. -

- Tulips from Whole Foods to brighten up a dreary and freezing Thursday-

We made it to Friday, y'all! I am super excited for this Friday in particular...one of my best girlfriends is coming over tonight for dinner/ major chatting AND the husband comes home! I really missed him a lot. We really don't have any plans this weekend, and that doesn't bother me one bit. Usually those are the best kinds of weekends ;) Do y'all have any plans this weekend? Whatever y'all do I hope you enjoy it!

Happy Friday, y'all! xo.

ps- One more thing I am slightly loving this week...the song"Let It Go" from the Frozen soundtrack. Don't judge!... I teach four year olds, y'al! My class raves about the movie and sing this particular song all day! And I have heard from multiple adults that the soundtrack is fabulous and when I found out Idina Menzel from Wicked is the voice behind the song I just had to buy it on iTunes. But now I am seriously considering buying the whole soundtrack...like I said don't judge! Just go listen to the song!!

wednesday words

I love, love, love this! Mostly because I relate this to my firm belief that it is far better to be overdressed than underdressed. I am not one to save items in my closet for special occasions (with the exception of my wedding dress ;) Why not wear a pretty dress on a random Tuesday to go shopping? Ok, I am not talking a gown here...but if that is what you prefer than why not? Every day that we are blessed with is new and different, so why not treat them as a special occasions? Don't save that smile or act of kindness or pretty dress for "another day". Be kind, give others grace, love, smile, wear things that make you feel pretty...every day. Sounds fun to me! 

Happy Wednesday, y'all! xo. 

tuesday talk

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So, I may be starting a new series (for lack of better word) on the little blog here called "tuesday talk" where I guess I will just sort of "talk" about whats going on with me, life, my home, etc. I just want this series to be carefree and fun. So, these posts may include some rambling and I apologize in advance ;) I have not done a real wordy, detailed post yet...so we will see how this goes :) 

Anyway, Jeremy is out of town for the week. He is taking a training class for the National Guard. He left last night after the Super Bowl and he comes home this Friday night. So, currently it's just me and our dog, Jack, for the week. Is it ridiculous that I miss Jeremy already? Because I do! Sometimes I freak myself out and let my thoughts wander to how I would ever handle a deployment. I miss him so much for just a week...how would I handle a year (or more)? I know it is something I should not be anxious about and I just need to focus on today (and getting through this week, ha) and let God handle the rest. I know He will get me through anything. There's certainly no point in worrying about things that have not happened or may not even happen. Easier said than done, though. Right? I taught my class about "trust" today and how when we put our trust in God we don't feel as nervous or scared about things. It was such a good reminder for myself. I feel like I learn so much about my relationship with God by teaching my four year olds sometimes! I am planning on spending a lot of time this week reading, having quiet time, paying a little extra attention to the blog, having a date with one of my girls, and catching up on my shows (Downton, Housewives of Beverly Hills, and Nashville are my top 3)! But even with all that to keep me busy...I will still be so excited to welcome the husband home on Friday ;) 

Happy Tuesday, y'all! xo. 

cheers

top: j.crew (similar) // skirt*: j.crew // flats: tory burch // necklace: loft (similar) // bracelets: j.crew, forever 21 // watch: kate spade // sunnies: krewe du optic

I wore this to go wedding dress shopping with my sister this past Saturday. She is getting married this November! It was such a fun little outfit for a fun day...and I felt like the "cheers" top was especially appropriate since she found THE dress! And she looks stunning in it!

* The skirt is sold out in that bright blue, but there are some really pretty color options available! I love, love, love this skirt!

happy monday, y'all! xo.

weekend

My weekend consisted of basically what you see in these pictures! Sucre king cake (lots of it) and the Saints game on Saturday. It was such a fun weekend (with beautiful weather)...even though our boys lost their second play off game. The Saints had such a good season! Hey, we made it to the playoffs...and there's always next year for the super bowl ;)
Sunday we went to church and the message was so, so, SO good...Jeremy and I talked about it pretty much all day. We are looking forward to this series being preached at our church. Hopefully I will get to post more about it later this week. How was y'alls weekend?

Happy Monday! xo.

friday five

- These hydrangeas have been brightening up my mornings before work and when I arrive home in the afternoons. Flowers create instant happiness in life, in my opinion! - 

- Finally found a perfect spot for my wedding garland. I got this from the flair exchange and quickly became obsessed. I want/need more! And, now there are confetti balloons soon to be for sale in the shop. I am so happy my sister is getting married this November...perfect excuse for more garland and the confetti balloons!!-

- Got some wedding thank you notes written over the weekend. Only have 100 more to go...and I wish that was an exaggeration!- 

 - His (The Fly) and hers (Toulouse) Krewe du Optic sunnies. Can't. Get. Enough! I could seriously dedicate an entire post to these sunglasses. Now, I have my eye on these, these, and these. -

- Aren't these bow studs (from Pink Pineapple Shop) so sweet? They were a Christmas gift from my husband. I love them and I love the shop. I find myself browsing through the website almost daily!-

Happy Friday, y'all! Please excuse my lack of posting this week. This was my first week back at work after the holiday and I have been trying to get back into the swing of things. It is never easy to go back to work after being home for two weeks. But, I think I have finally fallen back into my routine. I have so been looking forward to this day all week! Tonight, I am just hanging out with my husband. Keeping it low key...which means an Amy's frozen pizza and wine/beer! Saturday morning has an early pure barre class in store for me!  Saturday also consists of getting a much needed manicure, running errands, and attending a party to watch our beloved Saints vs. the Seahawks! I am not much of a sports girl...but I DO watch my Saints and I am so excited about this game! What are y'all up to this weekend?

Enjoy your Friday and weekend, y'all! xo

friday five

- the firework show by my parents house was amazing this year...it was such a fun way to ring in the new year! - 

- a new years day pancake breakfast that i think will be turning into a tradition for us costa's -

- this candle from a favorite local shop of mine, homestead, smells so good i may need to buy stock. seriously. or at least go buy some more! -

- sorry for the bad quality iphone pic, but i can't get enough of the jeweled llama sweater that i got for christmas. oh, and it's on super sale right now! -

- loving the stacking of bracelets...especially when this tassel one from another local shop, candy apple, and my new watch from santa are involved. - 

Happy Friday! Has it felt like Friday all week for anyone else? With Christmas and New Years falling mid week I am all mixed up! I hope 2014 is treating y'all well so far. I finally went to the social security office yesterday and changed my name!! I am officially Mrs. Megan Brechtel Costa...and it feels pretty darn good! I think it is pretty fitting that I start off the new year with my new name ;) Jeremy and I are going to celebrate tonight at our favorite mexican restaurant! Cheers to the new year, a new name, and the weekend!

enjoy your weekend! xo. 

the new year

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Happy 2014, y'all! I hope each of you celebrated exactly how you wanted to last night...whether that was at home in your pajamas with loved ones or out on the town all gussied up! I am so happy it is January 1st! I just love New Years day. Mainly because I love the fresh start that it brings and having a blank slate in front of me. It's such a good feeling. Every year I write down a pretty long list of resolutions that I usually forget about within a few weeks. This year I thought of four solid goals that I hope I can stick to.

1. Find some type of good in all situations, stress less, rely on Jesus more!
2. Wear cuter pajamas (May sound silly but I am serious! I already ordered these from j.crew for motivation).
3. Wake up earlier so I am not rushing around the house in the morning before work.
4. Organize our bills/ paperwork (in cute folders, naturally) and stick to my new budget (being married comes with a budget...something I am not quite used to yet, ha!)

I am actually looking forward to keeping and working on my resolutions this year. They seem attainable. We shall see!

Happy New Years, friends! Thanks for reading. xo