5 BEACH COVERUPS TO MAKE FOR SUMMER

POM POM BEACH SHORTS  ||  SPLIT NECK TUNIC DRESS

PLEATED NECKLINE BEACH DRESS  ||  TANK ROMPER

 POM POM BEACH COVERUP 

We're heading into the last few weeks of school, so of course I have summer on the brain! Time to bust out those summer sewing project -- these are five of my favorites that you could wear to the beach or the pool all summer long. Which one are you going to make?? 

(if you do make one and post it on social media, make sure to tag me so I can see it!)

Happy Friday!

DIY FRIDAY: 5 EASY DIY SWIM COVERUPS

one / two / three / four / five 

Somehow it's already August, and that means there's only one month left of Summer! For those last beach or poolside vacations of the summer, I've rounded up five beach coverups that I've made here on the blog. All are super quick and easy, and are the perfect addition to your packing list.

Click on the numbers above to find tutorials for each project!

Happy Friday, and happy last month of summer!

ONE PIECE SWIMSUITS FOR SUMMER

DETAILS: trina turk swimsuit | old shorts, similar here | sole society sandals | old hat, similar here

*photos by jana laurene

I've always been a one piece swimsuit wearer, and up until two or three years ago, there were almost no good one piece options. The selection was always minuscule, and the styles were so basic, boring, and plain. But one pieces have been in style the last few seasons and the longer they stay popular, the better the options have become! Now there are tons of different styles, cuts, and patterns...it's hard to even choose from the amazing selection out there! 

I've stocked up on a few really good quality one piece suits in the last few years and plan to keep them for years (since you never know when they'll go out of style and all my options will be gone!), and have rounded up a few of my current favorites. I'm loving all the gorgeous prints, the fringe, the two toned patterns, and even the rash guard style suits. 

I've rounded up a few of my current favorites, plus a few fun beach and pool accessories! 

one | two | three | four | five | six | seven | eight | nine 

and click through the widget below to find even more of my favorites!

this post was created in partnership with Nordstrom

DIY FRIDAY: PLEATED PALM LEAF PRINT BEACH DRESS (SEWING TUTORIAL)

Details: beach dress, made by me | similar beach hat | asos glasses (under $30!) | target blanket | old navy beach bag (old) | rhea sandals, c/o 

*photos by jana laurene

Although we've had a little cold snap the last few days, we're pretty much fully into summer weather here in SoCal, which means most of our days from here on out (especially when school gets out in a few weeks) will be spent at the pool and the beach. So of course I've been prepping for all these beach days with a few new things, like a new swim dress, and new sandals. 

I learned about Rhea sandals recently and was intrigued by their no slip grip soles. I'm always sliding around in my rubber flip flops along the beach walk or in the bathrooms at the beach, and of course all around at the pool, so I was excited to try out this cool new no-slip technology (they have a cool video here showing how it works!). Plus, I learned that slip and fall accidents are the leading cause of injury, and every 8 seconds someone is victim of slip and fall, causing 2 million hospital visits and 20,000 fatalities over a year just within the U.S. Yikes! 

When these pretty little mint and blush sandals showed up in the mail, I was inspired by them to make a swimsuit coverup. I've been hanging on to this palm print fabric for a few weeks and had no idea what to make with it, but as soon as I saw these sandals the idea was sparked. Plus, it's a super easy dress to make, so snag yourself a pair of Rhea's pretty sandals, make yourself a coverup, and you're ready for summer!

click READ MORE below to see the sewing tutorial!

EASY BREEZY

OUTFIT DETAILS: ella moss coverup via swimspot, c/o (also love this one!) | nautica swimsuit via swimspot, c/o | havaianas via swimspot (sold out, available here) | similar beach bag here and here | karen walker sunglasses

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JANA LAURENE

Although I made myself a few coverups to wear in Hawaii, I didn't have the time to make an entirely new beach wardrobe (as much as I wanted to), so I teamed up with SwimSpot and found this gorgeous Ella Moss coverup and a pretty striped swimsuit, both of which were perfect for a day at the beach and pool in Hawaii. I also picked up my very first pair of Havaianas from SwimSpot, and although I'm totally not a rubber flip flop girl, I discovered the appeal of this brand (I'd never owned a pair before) and I'm almost embarrassed to admit how often I've found myself reaching for them for more than just the beach!

SwimSpot offering 15% off your purchase with code MERRICK, so go snag yourself something pretty for the summer!

Also, tomorrow I'm excited to share with you a little recap of our Hawaii trip, as well as a fun video we made, so make sure you check back!

A DAY AT THE BEACH WITH JONAS PAUL

OUTFIT DETAILS // ON ME: forever 21 romper | similar swimsuit (not pictured) | ray-ban sunglasses, c/o sunglasses shop | ON FOSTER: target t-shirt | old navy swim shorts (sold out) | h&m kids hat | jonas paul sunglasses, c/o (wearing small frame) | ON BENSON:  hero tee, c/o sweet tees shop | swimzip shorts, c/o | jonas paul sunglasses, c/o (wearing large frame)

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SARA WALK

Since we live super close to the beach and go down there regularly, I've become super aware of protecting my boy's little bodies from the harsh sun. We're careful about sunscreen and hats, and I'm super aware of protecting their little eyes. We've gone through tons of sunglasses with both of them -- little cheap ones we pick up from street vendors or at the grocery store -- and although they like to wear them, they don't last very long.

Then I was introduced to Jonas Paul Eyewear, a line of glasses and sunglasses for little kids. They have such a sweet story behind their line, inspired by the CEO's son, Jonas Paul, who was born with a rare vision disorder, which you can read about here. Their sunglasses (and glasses) are trendy, protective, and also basically indestructible -- which is a must for kids! They sent these darling sunglasses to my boys, and we're all in love with them. Fos wears his constantly, and always asks for them when we're driving in the car...which is basically the cutest thing ever.

Today I've teamed up with Jonas Paul to give away one pair of sunglasses or optical glasses (frames only, prescription lenses not included) of your choice! Enter with the Rafflecopter widget below. The giveaway will be open for one week -- good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DIY FRIDAY: POM-POM TRIM BEACH COVERUP

OUTFIT DETAILS: beach coverup, made by me (inspired by this coverup) || nanette lapore swimsuit (on huge sale!) || gorjana beach bag (similar here and here) || havaianas flip flops (on sale for under $20) || karen walker sunglasses  

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JANA LAURENE

When I was preparing for Hawaii, I knew I wanted to make a few new beach coverups. I've made a few in the past (this romper being one of my favorites), but of course I wanted something new for our trip. I spotted Julia from Gal Meets Glam in this gorgeous coverup, and was instantly inspired. And, as luck would have it, my local fabric shop had a beautiful lightweight rayon in this perfect light teal -- obviously I had to make it. The best part is that it came together so easily and it's a super quick project. You'll be beach ready in no time!

click through for the instructions!

DIY FRIDAY: POM-POM BEACH SHORTS

OUTFIT DETAILS: j.crew tee (similar here) || pom-pom shorts, made by me (tutorial below) || gorjana beach bag (similar here and here) || j.crew swimsuit (not pictured), similar here and here || tassel necklaces, made by me (tutorial here) || alexis drake leather bracelet, c/o || j.crew panama hat || urban outfitters sunglasses

PHOTOGRAPHY BY JANA LAURENE

A few months ago I ran across some pom-pom shorts on Pinterest and instantly fell in love.  I planned to make them this summer for all of our beach days, but when Philip and I decided to go to Hawaii, I was suddenly motivated to whip them up a little sooner. 

I found this cute cotton tropical print fabric at Jo-Ann's a few weeks ago, and stole a couple yards of white pom-pom trim from Leanne (since she had some leftover from a project and I couldn't find any white pom-poms at my local fabric shops -- she found hers at the LA fabric district), and then made them last week. They were a super easy project and I love how they turned out. And they've been great for hiking, the pool, and the beach while we've been here in Hawaii -- you can see them in action over on my instagram! 

If you're not a seamstress, you can shop my favorite pom-pom shorts in the widget below, or find the sewing tutorial by clicking through!

Click through to find the tutorial!

LATELY

I've spent the last week in Las Vegas with my babies, soaking up the sun and enjoying my parents beautiful pool while Philip traveled around London and Paris with his dad. Since I've been swimming, biking, playing with my kids, catching up with old friends, watching movies, and relaxing, my blog has been a bit neglected. So here's a bit of what we've been up to lately, according to my iphone. Follow along here on my instagram!