8 Non-Frumpy One-Piece Swimsuits

OK, so you don't actually have to be a mom to wear a one-piece swimsuit. Obviously. But that's why, for the first time since I was maybe 5, I'm in the market for something a little more modest than my usual bikini. Maybe something to do with my still-soft belly or the grabby baby who's following me around everywhere. Whether you're in a similar situation, or you just like the look, I'm liking these surprisingly cute alternatives to the ol' two-piecer.

(left to right, top to bottom) 1. Tavik Chase 2. Jessica Simpson Under the Sea 3. Nanette Lepore Mayan Mosaic 4. Beach Riot Bali 5. Billabong Tribe Time 6. Splendid Chambray Cottage 7. Laundry by Shelli Segal Medallion 8. Kate Spade Marina Piccola

Summer 2015 Bucket List

via Furbish Studio

The other day, I was thinking about how I couldn't wait for summertime. Then, of course, I realized that it's been summer for awhile here in Richmond. I guess I've been too busy to notice.

Before the season slips away, I thought it might be wise to give myself some goals with a Summer Bucket List. I'm already looking forward to this fall, but I don't want to miss out on everything that I love about summer. Without further ado, my hopes and dreams for Summer 2015:

• Bike to a Flying Squirrels game, drink local beer, and watch fireworks.
• Spend an afternoon lounging on the rocks by the river on Belle Isle.
• Host a wine and cheese night on the front porch.
• Take a tour of the Brew Ridge Trail. 
• Make at least one full meal from the veggies in our garden.
• Learn to use the manual settings on my camera.
• Become a regular at the neighborhood pool during adult swim time.
• Actually use the tennis courts down the street.
• Take the nephews to D.C. for the day.
• Perfect three new summer cocktail recipes (starting with this).
• Hike Old Rag Mountain.
• And, in direct opposition to most of the above goals, I'm also planning to do the Whole 30 at some point. Wish me luck.

What's on your summer bucket list? 

Boston Summer Bucket List

It feels like summer is already drawing to a close here in Boston. The days are still warm, but the nights are getting deliciously chilly—I love pulling out the extra blankets and sleeping with the windows open. We've done a lot of traveling over the last few months, but some of our the best times have happened right here in town. Boston is pretty spectacular in the summer.

Here are a few of my favorite things I did this summer in Boston; if you hurry, you can do them, too!

1. Shakespeare on the Common. Pack a picnic, bring a blanket, and watch a wacky rendition of Twelfth Night under the stars.
2. Eating al fresco. The Red House (dollar oysters!) and Sweet Cheeks Q are a couple of the places I've fallen for.
3. Red Sox game. No explanation needed.
4. Hiking. I love that you can drive just a few minutes from the city and you're practically in the wilderness. Our new favorite is the Noanet Woodlands because we can bring the pup.
5. Harborwalk Sounds at the ICA. Boston's contemporary art museum is free on Thursday nights, plus they have concerts by the water as the sun sets.
6. Ice cream from JP Lick's. 

And some things still on my list:

1. Swimming! There are tons of pools in the area ranging from posh rooftops to laid-back neighborhood pools. I wrote an article about it here.
2. Concerts at the Hatch Shell. They cancelled the last one we tried to attend. Luckily there are a few more this season.
3. Beach day in Revere. Love this photo essay (with sound!) about the city's beach.
4. Whale watch. Because I'm sad I still haven't seen a whale.

Friday Favorites: Wet Hot American Summer

Happy Fourth! We're gearing up for a rainy day here in Boston. Hopefully your holiday is a bit dryer than mine! Here are a few of my favorite pins from this week.  (Click the photos for links.)

Also:
A workout in GIFs.
Make your own iced coffee (living off of this!).
You don't need a band or DJ at your wedding. Because technology.

i scream.

Has anyone else been craving ice cream, like, every single day? Seriously, it's a problem.

It's also a serious problem that we have Cabot's, an old-fashioned diner/ice cream parlor just up the street from our house. I like to think the walk there burns some calories. But that's a lie when I'm eating monstrosities like this. (And yes, I ate the whole thing.)

Speaking of ice cream, some things I want to try:

Ritz cracker ice cream sandwiches.

Chocolate and salted caramel pudding pops. 

Giant ice cream sandwich.

Blueberry muffin ice cream.

marblehead, massachusetts.

Full disclosure: The only reason Marblehead was on my radar was because I heard that parts of Hocus Pocus were filmed there. A.k.a. one of the greatest movies of all time.

But then I found out that it's a lovely little town in its own right, and just a few miles north of Boston, so we decided to make the trek up this weekend. The Old Town is filled with cute shops and well-kept old houses that have plaques boasting their age and their original inhabitants' professions (i.e. Josiah Bartlett, Mariner, 1712). The gardens are perfectly manicured, with lush hydrangeas and roses complementing the homes' nautical color schemes. The place is almost painfully picturesque.

We grabbed a coffee and cookie at a little bakery and spent most of our time in Marblehead sitting quietly at various overlooks, watching the boats head in and out of the harbor. It doesn't get much more peaceful than that.

summer to-do list.

Newport, Rhode Island, 2007.

Making a to-do list is probably a very un-summery thing to do, but I like to have goals, no matter what time of year it is. Here are some things I've got on my list for the next few months. What about you?

•  Go to a Red Sox game.
• Take the train to Cape Cod and bike all over the place.
• Find some good Mexican food in Boston (does it exist?).
• Spend the Fourth eating clam chowder, drinking cider, and walking along the cliffs of Newport.
• Familiarize myself with the T — and ride it solo.
• Get published in a handful of Boston publications. 
• Expand Copy Cat Editorial Services.
• Set up the guest room and entertain lots of visitors.
• Learn to use the grill like a pro.
• Take advantage of the city's summer concerts (many of which are free).

pool party.

Everyone has a goal in life they'll always aspire to. For me, that goal is to have a house with an amazing pool. Aim high, right? Don't even try to tell me that the insurance will cost too much or the chemicals and cleaning will get annoying. I want a house with a pool and that's that.


I have to work on Memorial Day, but here's hoping that those of you who have the day off are lounging by a pool, or somewhere equally lovely.

via.

via.

via.

via.

sunnyside.

Anyone care to guess how much these sunglasses cost? Go ahead, guess.

They're $5.80 apiece at Forever 21. I just stocked up for pretty much the rest of my life.

I've never understood the idea of spending a ton of money on sunglasses. Regardless of their cost, they get lost, they break, or you just get plain sick of them. So why not just buy the trendy cheapies and enjoy them 'til you're ready for something new? Check out F21's selection here.

newport.

I fell in love with Newport, Rhode Island several years ago when my brother- and sister-in-law got married there. We've visited several times since, and it's become one of those places where I just can't wait to return. Newport to me means gazing up at the mansions that tower over Cliff Walk, peeking in the shops along Thames Street, and sipping cider and slurping chowder on the wharf. I'm hoping to head back that way this year for the Newport Folk Fest. Have you been? You should go.

spring break.

Mexico. by ericajackson featuring madewell

I don't think I've ever deserved a vacation more than I do this one. March was brutal, complete with endless special issues at the paper, demanding freelance projects, and a sinus infection to boot. I may only be going to Mexico for five days, but I'm going to milk it for all it's worth. And by that I mean hanging in a hammock over an infinity pool sipping mojitos until I turn into a raisin. I'm also secretly happy that the resort doesn't have Wi-Fi so Todd and I will be forced to unplug for the first time in a long, long time.

What are your spring break must-haves? I'm making sure to pack plenty of magazines, serious sunblock, and the kind of glam poolside attire I probably couldn't get away with on little Sullivan's Island.

plight of a pale girl.

So, I feel a bit behind-the-times asking this, but what are your thoughts on self-tanner? I'm a few weeks away from living in a bikini, and I'm as translucent as the day I was born. Tanning beds are out, obviously, but I'd like to fake a bit of a glow, at least. Any advice, dear readers? Favorite brands, methods?

swim.

I'm always shocked by how much some places charge for those little squares of fabric known as a bathing suit. I've found that the cheaper brands will last several summers with proper care, and the lower price point means you can mix it up with more options. Target has some really great suits right now. Which is your favorite? How much are you willing to spend on a good suit?

1 * 2 * 3 * 4 *

jekyll island.

Last summer, I wanted to take a big trip somewhere exotic. I was researching Mexican resorts, pricing flights to Italy and Argentina. But ultimately we decided to save our money and go somewhere within driving distance. I was disappointed, but it ended up being one of our best vacations ever.

We decided to drive down to Georgia's Sea Islands and booked a couple of nice hotels, but otherwise made a conscious effort not to overplan anything. This trip was about relaxing.

We started out on Jekyll Island, a small, largely undeveloped island with an old-school beach town vibe. Our hotel was weirdly empty, and we were glad to have the beach and the pool, with a canopy of live oak branches overhead, mostly to ourselves. The island is filled with bike paths, so when the temperatures dropped in the evenings and early in the morning, we took to two wheels to explore the island.

Although most of Jekyll is rustic and some parts are even a little run-down, the best area of the island is the Jekyll Island Club, a historic resort that once served as a playground for American royalty like the Rockefellers and Vanderbilts. We drove up to the grounds just in time to witness the most stunning pink sunset over the sound, then walked around and investigated the "cottages" (read: opulent mansions) of the former residents.

Next Up: St. Simon's Island.

Summer Lovin'.

Last year I made a little Polyvore collage of how I wanted to dress that summer, and it ended up being one of the most popular things I've ever pinned on Pinterest. But, though I'd still totally wear that outfit, I'm on a different track this year.

Summer Lovin' by ericajackson

I'm all about dresses this year, stripes, bright pops of neon, and subtle cat-eye sunnies. Plus I need a wide-brimmed hat for the beach because I'm starting to worry about wrinkles. And of course, frequent bike rides are a must. 

What's your summer uniform?

water.

I feel so lucky to live near the beach. Enjoying a bit of this today:

 

*just some wet images I've collected on Tumblr.

frocks.

This whole home-buying thing has put a serious dent in my shopping budget. Here are some summery dresses I'm currently in unrequited love with.

1, 2, 3, 4.

fourth.

***

I hope you all have a lovely Fourth of July weekend. Do you have any big plans? 

On my to-do list: Finish my book, finish my article on biscuits, a bit of packing, a couple of parties, baking something sweet for one of said parties, and staying as close to the water as possible.

folly beach.

Charlestonians are faced with a monumental question in the summer: Which beach do you go to? The answer says a lot about the kind of person you are. My longtime favorite, Sullivan's Island, is low-key and family-friendly with tree-lined paths to the beach, cute older cottages, and a sprinkling of sandy bars. Isle of Palms is full of newer, bigger homes, tourists, and rowdy rock shows and bikini bashes. If you go to Capers or Dewees islands, you either have a boat or know someone who has one. If you go to Kiawah or Seabrook, you're probably loaded.

And then there's Folly Beach, the old-fashioned "edge of America" populated by hippies, surfers, and other laid-back beach bums. There you can have drinks on the sand, catch some of the area's biggest (though still small) waves, grab brunch on a rooftop deck, and still find a halfway affordable rental property. Yet somehow, I've never been a fan of Folly.

But I'm starting to warm up to it. I've had to drive out there a few times to research island restaurants for work, and I felt a distinct shift somewhere between munching on tuna nachos with watermelon salsa and watching the sun set from the pier. The traffic might be bad and the parking worse, but Folly Beach really is a special place, when you slow down to enjoy it. It's all about lingering over margaritas on a breezy patio, walking down the street with an ice cream cone, and watching the sun set.

Picnic

We're finally nearing the end of Spoleto — you know, that thing that's kept me out of commission the last month or so? Well, we're in the home stretch, and now I get to think about fun things like what to eat at the finale picnic (which I wrote about here), and more importantly, what to wear. Unfortunately, I'm low on funds since we're in the final stages of buying a house, but a girl can dream, right? Behold, my perfect casual picnic ensemble.

Picnic by ericajackson featuring retro shades