Check out our Friday Favorites and see what we’re each shopping for this week! It’s that time of year for bathing suits and graduation parties. Keep reading to see what we found!
We’ve got some fun ideas for you this week! Anne is preparing for a family vacation to celebrate her son’s college graduation, so she’s been shopping for bathing suits and cover-ups.
AnnMarie is busy planning her daughter Emma’s high school graduation party and searching for everything needed to host a memorable backyard celebration.
We share simple, budget-friendly ideas for decorating, recipes, DIY projects, and life with older teens (and beyond).
It always seems like one of us—or more likely both of us—is in the middle of a project.
Whether it’s a room makeover, testing a new recipe, or planning an event, our schedules leave less time to shop in person.
To get everything done each week, we do a lot of online shopping.
We buy decor items, kitchen supplies, and everything in between—and since we love sharing budget-friendly ideas, we thought it would be fun to show you what we’re shopping for every Friday.
We may even share some personal favorites—an outfit or makeup product we discover along the way.
Now let’s see what we’re shopping for this week…
- AnnMarie’s Faves This Week
- Graduation Centerpiece Ideas
- Dessert Bar Ideas for Graduation
- How to Serve Drinks
- Anne’s Faves This Week
- Super Versatile Sun Dress
- Favorite Bathing Suit Bottom
- Flattering Mom-Pooch Hiding Tankini Tops
- My Favorite Cover-ups
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AnnMarie’s Faves This Week
I can’t believe my youngest is graduating from high school in just five weeks!
When my oldest son Jake graduated in 2016, I had fun planning his party at home with two of his friends, though we weren’t blogging then to document the details.
When Gavin graduated in 2020, we all remember—no ceremony and no big party. Now that we’re entertaining again, I have the chance to throw Emma an awesome grad party.
Between daytime blog work and creating graduation memory books and t-shirt quilts at night, I’ve been searching Pinterest for inspiration.
If you’re getting ready for a graduation like we are, check out our post where we share our best grad party and gift ideas.
Now let’s see what I found this week…
Graduation Centerpiece Ideas
I love how a rustic wood tray looks under a group of vases on a small dining room sideboard.
Emma’s party will have a rustic feminine theme, and I plan to use wood slices as part of centerpiece groupings with flowers in mason jars.
I bought one like this at HomeGoods over a year ago; they still carry similar pieces priced around $12–$15 each depending on size.
That felt a bit pricey, so I checked online and found a set of four wood slices for a better price—perfect for stretching the budget while keeping the look cohesive.
Dessert Bar Ideas for Graduation
Emma doesn’t really like cake or cupcakes—so no cake this year—but she does love other sweet treats. For her Sweet 16 we did a candy bar, and since that theme has been used before, we’re thinking a cookie bar this time.
I bought a black metal and wood two-tiered tray last month for a tea party with our virtual supper club and plan to use it again. I’m also shopping for extra serving pieces for the dessert table; an antique scalloped metal and wood tray would be gorgeous and useful long after the party.
How to Serve Drinks
I bought galvanized beverage tubs for my husband Chris’s 50th birthday party with a “Beers & Cheers to 50 Years” theme. They were perfect for offering a variety of beers, and I’ll use them again for Emma’s farmhouse-glam graduation party.
I plan to pick up another large rectangular tub for water bottles and smaller oval bins for soda and adult beverages. I’ll be shopping a lot for this party in the coming weeks, and then I’ll shift to dorm room and college supplies.
Busy times!
Anne’s Faves This Week
My son is graduating magna cum laude from NC State this weekend with a degree in mechanical engineering, and I’m so proud of him!
Next step for him: finding a job. If you know of mechanical engineering opportunities in North Carolina, let me know—he’s still searching.
First, we’re taking a family trip to the Dominican Republic to celebrate. I’ve been shopping for cover-ups and bathing suits and have been pleasantly surprised by how easy swimsuit shopping online can be.
I like to pick a color scheme for travel outfits so I can limit shoes; ankle-strap Birkenstocks are a staple for comfort and style that work with shorts or sundresses.
Here are a few finds I’m packing for the trip.
Super Versatile Sun Dress
This summer dress is comfortable, roomy, and incredibly versatile. The hem is longer in the front and back and shorter on the sides, so you can wear it three ways: as-is, tied in a front knot, or tied in a side knot. It works as a cover-up or can be dressed up with a sweater, jacket, and jewelry. I liked it enough to order several colors.
Favorite Bathing Suit Bottom
I’ve preferred swim skirts since my kids were little. Over the years I found straight swim skirts are most comfortable in the water because they don’t float up. I bought an affordable skirt I love and purchased three so I can rotate them—swimsuits often don’t fully dry in a day, so having extras is handy.
Flattering Mom-Pooch Hiding Tankini Tops
I prefer two-piece suits for convenience, and tankinis remain my go-to since they offer coverage and ease. I especially like tops with ruching across the front to minimize the midsection. A one-shoulder ruched tankini is comfortable, supportive, and flattering; I ordered it in solid black and animal print. I’m also loving a striped tankini with fun back detailing and side ruching for tummy coverage.
My Favorite Cover-ups
In addition to the long sundress, I picked up two fun cover-ups. A scarf-style cover-up with lace applique and pom-pom fringe is roomy and cute; it comes in several colors and some versions have simpler detailing if you prefer a pared-back look. I also love a crochet cover-up with an open back—the appearance changes depending on the suit worn underneath, and the deep V back shows off fun swimsuit details. You can tie it tighter or looser for different looks, making it a pretty option for pool, beach, or lake.
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What have you been shopping for this week? Have you found anything amazing? We’d love to hear about it—leave a comment below!
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