How were your weekends, friends?  I am on set today styling a new catalogue shoot, so part of my weekend was spent prepping while the other part was spent soaking up every bit of summer sunshine I could get my hands on!  I love nothing more than cozy outdoor spaces this time of year, and since it’s hard to think of a better way to spend a sunny summer afternoon than poolside, that’s exactly what we decided to create for this month’s post with Hayneedle!  (Be sure to check out the full post here!)

To begin, we chose our seating.  We already have a pretty involved lounge seating area on our deck, so we decided to opt for more of a conversational set for our poolside afternoon.  For something a little more retro, try this one!)

In order to stay hydrated, we veered away from our usual delicious cocktails towards an equally tasty spa water with the help of some lemon, mint, and blueberries.  It looked perfect in this delightful polka dotted pitcher.  I have a feeling there are margaritas in this pitcher’s future!

To cozy up the space and stick to our cool blue theme we had going on, we added this gorgeous poppy pillow and these rectangular ones.  I love mixing prints in the same color palette (As you might remember from this post!)

I loved this scalloped bikini from Marysia swim and from this post back in May so much that I knew I had to have it for this poolside get up.  (Tunic from Anthropologie and sun hat from Target.)

Every leisurely afternoon needs an activity.  Last month’s was bocce ball so this month we tried our hand at backgammon.  It proved to be more difficult than it looked, but have you ever seen such a chic board game?  It was well worth the instruction reading!

Happy Friday, friends!  I am going to be working on a shoot for Monday these next couple of days, so Aaron and I took a 1/2 day beach trip to Malibu yesterday and it was heaven!  I caught up with my current read at Dume Cove Beach, did a little shopping at Cross Creek, and enjoyed fish tacos overlooking the Pacific.  Well, they say there is a first time for everything and this is the first time I have ever talked Aaron (my hubs) into writing a post here on the blog!  To give you a little background, about a year ago Aaron started going to the gym every day.  He would come back and tell me stories about all of the eccentric personalities that workout there– like the guy who brings 2 people with him every time he works out: one to encourage him and one to hold his iPad.  I mean, you can’t make this stuff up!  (Disclaimer, though, we do live really close to Hollywood which probably accounts for some of it.)  Why do gyms bring out the strangest behavior in perfectly normal people?  To bring to a close our week of man-centric posts, and in case you are considering joining a gym, I talked Aaron into putting together this list as guide to what not to do… (Keep reading for the winners of our giveaway below!)

The following are all actual behaviors that have been witnessed at our local gym.  Please enjoy!

1. Don’t sit on the Chest Fly Machine and read the morning’s edition of The LA Times.  There is a place and time my friend, and that is neither.

2. Don’t wash your protein drink out in the water fountain.  Gross.

3. Don’t spread out your personal belongings among multiple machines to reserve them when you can only use one at a time.  That is not the way to make friends, my friend.

4. Don’t jump rope in the middle of the free weight section.

5. Don’t swap out your water bottle with a Venti Frappucino.  It’s not the same thing and it’s kind of weird.

6. The only thing worse than public mirror selfies are public mirror selfies while you’re holding up your shirt and checking out your abs from about 20 yards back.  Don’t.

7. Don’t listen to your music so loud in your earbuds that I can sing along.  Your sixty year old self can thank me later for this one.

8. If you drop your weights so hard at the end of a set that they shake the ground, you should consider lifting less.

9. Shaving naked in the bathroom mirror is not okay. Wear a towel, friend.

Did I miss anything?  What are your gym pet peeves?

– Aaron

*** And now without further ado, the winner of our giveaway!***

Drumroll please…

The winner of the Weber Gas Grill is Broni Slavens

and

The winner of the Klein Tool Set is Kara Stallings

Someone will be in touch shortly with details for redeeming your prize!

Have a great weekend, friends!

Xo,

Jen

Have you enjoyed our man-centric posts this week?  Would you like to see more men’s content regularly?  We have dabbled in men’s style in the past and might just start again if you’re into it.  Speaking of men’s style, as a guy, do you really need anything other than a great pair of swim shorts, your favorite tank or tee and a good pair of man sandals or canvas sneakers during these summer months?  It’s definitely a less is more time of year and you’ll do well to pick up some of your favorite timeless staples and stick to the basics.  If you’re still in search of the perfect pair of board shorts, well then you’ve come to the right place.  Be sure to check back later today for the winner of our grill and tool set giveaway!  Happy Father’s Day weekend, y’all!

ONE / TWO / THREE / FOUR / FIVE / SIX / SEVEN / EIGHT / NINE / TEN / ELEVEN / TWELVE

Have you all been enjoying Father’s Day week thus far?  The week began with a fab gift guide for even the most deserving of fathers as well as a stellar giveaway!  Have you entered to win yet?!  For this week’s Cocktail Hour, we knew we wanted it to be something guys and gals alike could sip and enjoy.  We’ve already done Manhattans which are a little obvious so we begged our lovely Cocktail Hour photographer, Melissa, for her family’s Mojito recipe and she finally agreed to share!

Did you know that the Mojito was Hemingway’s drink of choice?  The popular cocktail was invented by slaves working in Cuban sugar cane plantations. They created this tasty “pick-me-up” by adding mint, water and sugar cane to take the edge off the rum.  It’s come a long way, this little beverage.

Here’s how to make your Mojito:

twice the amount of sugar cubes as glasses
1 lime per cocktail + more for garnish if you wish
a handful of mint sprigs, (keep the stalks as they’ll add flavour to your drink);
ice– we froze mint leaves into our cubes to add flavor as they melt
club soda or sprite (sprite will make it sweeter)
2 ounces of rum per cocktail

Begin by placing two sugar cubes in the bottom of each glass.  Next, squeeze in the juice of one lime then tear mint leaves into the glass– roughly 8-10 small to medium ones.  With a muddler, crush the sugar, lime, and mint to release all of the flavors.  Add ice and fill the glass (two-thirds) with soda water and 1/3 with rum.  Stir then top with extra mint or limes for garnish.

Enjoy!

As ladylike as we can be over at Caitlin & Caitlin, we have a serious penchant for masculine-oriented design. Dark paint, chesterfields and plaid are all part of our decorating go-to’s, so with Father’s Day fast approaching, we thought it would be the perfect time to present to you a round-up of “dad-inspired” design. And if you’re an exceptionally sweet progeny, feel free to use it as a proper gift guide!

Our personal favorites:
-The Papa Bear chair by Hans Wegner is perfectly named for the occasion, even though Father’s Day wasn’t an official holiday until Nixon signed off on it in 1972–well after this mid-century classic was created.
-Any vintage artwork (like the portrait shown here) that conveys a sense of sophistication, history and whimsy.
-Manly-themed objects made of brass make for a fun juxtaposition between concept and material that brightens and refines any room.
-Though a must for any study, it’s so hard to find a good globe! This one is unique with its tulip base and pop-art paint job.

One of my favorite things about these longer summer days is the ability to wrap up work and still have enough daylight for an evening hike up Fryman Canyon.  What could be better than stunning views, a cool breeze and some heart-pumping exercise to finish off a day?  Last week we talked about working out and what I am currently into these days.  Do you guys go through exercise phases?  If I’m stuck in a rut there is one sure-fire thing that always gets me out of bed and into my running shoes the next morning…

A new piece of activewear, as silly as it sounds, can be just what I need to get energized again and back in the gym or on the trails!  I picked up this Old Navy graphic tank last week for just $10!  I am also a believer in the theory that bright colors make me run faster so this sports bra made it up to the checkout line as well.  (For the record, so far this theory has not been disproved )

What are your favorite ways of staying active?  Do you go through phases or are you a routine person?  My husband is such a routine person, but I have to shake it up every once and a while!  If you need a little extra motivation to get back in your groove, I highly recommend you pop into your nearest Old Navy and check out their selection of activewear.  It’s easy on the eyes and your checking account!  Check back in tomorrow for more Father’s Day week content!  (PS. Have you entered our awesome giveaway yet?!)

CREDITS// Tank, Old Navy / Sports Bra, Old Navy / Pants, Beyond Yoga / Sneakers, NIKE / Backpack, NIKE

This post is sponsored by Old Navy. Check out Old Navy’s latest fashion lineup in store or online at oldnavy.com.

What’s better than buying the dad in your life the perfect present?  Getting him the perfect present for free, that’s what!  Since it wouldn’t be summer, without a heavy amount of grilling going on, we decided that this Weber Gas Grill would make just about the toughest of dads get weak in the knees.  Whether it’s a grilled pizza, burgers or freshly slice zucchini, onions, and other market veggies, the grill makes everything taste better!

Today we have two chance to win!  Our second dad-approved must-win item is this awesome large tool bag complete with screwdriver set and pliers.  If you’re anything like me you have half a dozen half-empty tool sets lying around.  This might be the perfect time to get organized and consolidate all of the things you really need into one very cool bag!

How To Enter:

• Leave a comment below telling us what your favorite thing about your dad.
• Like The Effortless Chic on Facebook.
• Keep your fingers crossed and check back in with us on Friday when we choose the winner!

Happy Father’s Day week, friends!

It’s true that we don’t give enough love to the guys here on The Effortless Chic.  While we are working on being better at it, we thought we would make up for some lost time with a week’s worth of man-centric posts.  So without further ado, welcome to Father’s Day Week!  Today we are kicking it off with a gift guide full of fun gifts for your favorite dad.  Some of our favorites are the Diaper Dude messenger bag (genius!) for all of you new dads and the underwater iPhone case for those father’s looking to capture your kiddos splashing about this summer.  If you’re garage is anything like mine, than it is filled with half a dozen, half complete tools sets.  My recommendation?  Donate those to your local Goodwill and start fresh with one of these Klein tool sets.    My other recommendation?  Keep checking in this week for some new and exciting content.  I have even talked Aaron into guest writing his first ever post here!

SHOPPING GUIDE: ONE / TWO (Use Coupon Code CHIC for an extra 30% off!) / THREE / FOUR / FIVE / SIX / SEVEN / EIGHT / NINE / TEN / ELEVEN / TWELVE / THIRTEEN / FOURTEEN / FIFTEEN (Use Coupon Code EFFC15 for an extra 15% off!) / SIXTEEN / SEVENTEEN / EIGHTEEN

In a world where our to-do lists often times have more on them than we can possibly squeeze into the trivial amount of hours that one day holds, finding time to stay active and exercise can be a challenge all it’s own.  Over lunch this week, Blair, our new intern Sarah, and I were talking about what we do to stay in shape and it got me to thinking about all of the different fitness phases I have been through since moving to LA seven years ago.  For the first year I moved out here, I lived on the beach in Marina del Rey and my workout routine consisted of walking the sandy shore and lounging by my apartment pool… tough life, I know!  After that, I moved up to Brentwood and, like every other female living on the westside, got really into yoga.  Then I started a new job with a long commute and even longer hours and honestly did very little in the way of working out for a few years.  Last spring, though, I decided I needed to get back in shape and start some healthier habits.  Here is what has been working for me lately:

1. Cardio:  I know so many people who hate to run on a treadmill, but it really works for me.  I like being able to change my speed in intervals and know exactly how far I have gone and how fast I am running.  Sometimes I don’t feel like running, though, and will spin or cycle.

2. Yoga:  I never really gave up yoga, even once I gave up the westside.  Especially after running during the week, it’s nice to stretch out all of my sore muscles in yoga.  Plus, it really strengthens and tones in a way the gym doesn’t.

3. Hiking: You can’t live in Los Angeles and not hike at least every once in awhile.  You get the best views of the city, all the while burning some serious calories.  Plus, with as many beautiful, sunny days as we get here, it would be a shame to spend them all in a gym or yoga studio!

Now I’m not proud of this, but I do have to admit sometimes a new water bottle or sports bra is all it takes to get me motivated for my next long sweat session.  These are my current favorite active pieces:

ONE / TWO / THREE / FOUR / FIVE / SIX / SEVEN / EIGHT / NINE / TEN / ELEVEN / TWELVE / THIRTEEN

Yesterday was one of my most favorite shoots in blog history thus far!  Kimberly Genevieve came over to our place and took photos for an upcoming Style Me Pretty Living feature that I cannot wait to share!  I found myself readjusting and moving all of the little accessories in our home at least half a dozen times in preparation yesterday.  I think I have mentioned before in this post how much I love simple detail shots when it comes to home tours.  Those little styling details are the thing that separates one person’s living space from the next.  Thousands of people might have the West Elm Parsons desk, but what makes it unique is how you settle in the accessories and functional pieces on top.  I haven’t pulled the trigger on an office makeover yet, but it is constantly in the back of my mind.  When it does finally happen, I want my desk top to always look like the photo above!

ONE, Lamps Plus / TWO, The Container Store / THREE, Furbish Studio / FOUR, Mark and Graham / FIVE, Diptyque