Casual Friday on a Sunday | Best of April

We just returned home from a fun couples' getaway to Chicago to visit our friends Kim & Scott (yellowbrickhome.com) along with John and Sherry (younghouselove.com)! It was a trip that we had been planning since January when we decided we were all such good friends that come from three vastly different places--how amazing would it be to host one another in our hometowns?! Chicago was our first stop and we were completely floored with the architecture, food scene, and artsy vibe around every corner! Kim and Scott mapped out every must-hit stop for our crew (I saved where we went to my highlights on Instagram) and we hit the ground running. Chicago is truly amazing! And somehow, Kim and Scott's home is somehow even more amazing in person.

Above: One day, the delightful Nicole (makingitlovely.com) met up with us, too! And if it looks like we're dressed for fall/winter, I think we experience every season in our 4 day stint in Chicago. Haha. 

While we were gone, the calendar flipped over to May and that means it's time for another best of roundup and monthly video summing up the previous month.

This month, we wrapped up our bedroom after 6 years, set up the deck and trampoline, celebrated Easter and welcomed warmer weather! Watch below or here on our YouTube Channel!

And here are 8 favorites from this month!

1. Shower Curtain | I stumbled upon this incredibly charming shower curtain while hunting for hardware in early April and can't stop thinking about it! I love the timeless pattern and intricate detail. The color palette. It's so lovely, don't you think?

2. The Ordinary Buffet Serum | My favorite beauty find this month is one that's easy on the wallet (and even more so right now during Sephora's big 20% off sale!) and does wonders for the skin. It's a multi-peptide serum that targets all the signs of aging. In one month, I have noticed my skin looks so much less dull and it's under $15!

3. Asymmetrical Mirror | A good, interesting mirror can pull double duty as art and this one is fantastic! It's a part of Drew Barrymore's new line, is a great size, killer shape and under $80! I picked it up for our guest room!

4. White Nike Tennis Shoes | By now you've heard me wax poetic more than a time or two about my sneakers that are currently carrying me from day to day this spring. I've worn them with jeans and dresses and every color under the rainbow. And! They're back in stock!

5. Nate Bargatze, The Tennessee Kid | Nate's humor is clean and dry and made us laugh until we cried. We actually had to pause it several times because we were laughing so hard we couldn't hear. After we finished this, we immediately watched his bit on The Standups (also on Netflix) and then bought tickets to his show in September! A must watch, truly!

6. The Perfect Tee | Super soft, a slouchy fit (I got a small) and a range of colors (I got the army green--shocker). I can't get enough of it!

7. Natural White Speckled Melamine Dinnerware | I picked up a bunch of these Melamine plates and bowls that look just like ceramic but are unbreakable for all of our al fresco dining this year! But truthfully, we use them inside already every day. I love family friendly dishes!

8. Faux Deluxe Fern | We had a big photoshoot on our deck in mid-April and our trees hadn't greened up yet, so I needed to improvise. I ordered a few of these fern stems to place in planters out back and am over-the-moon with the quality! They look so real and are HUGE (one stem can fill a giant planter no problem)!