Ah, sweet summertime … when the living is easy, the clothes are vibrant and colorful, and our time is spent outside, eating yummy seasonal grub and drinking decadent cocktails. This July, make sure you carve out some time to go shopping around Birmingham — there are plenty of fantastic pieces to be found at local boutiques. These are some of our favorites!
FASHION & ACCESSORIES
Slides and a stylish blouse
At Ryan Reeve in Vestavia Hills, we found the shoe of the summer — the Lemon Jelly Sunny Slide, which retails for $58 and is available in black, baby pink, pearlized gold, and white. What makes these shoes so irresistible is that in addition to being incredibly comfortable and light, they’re waterproof — perfect for summer excursions to the pool, the lake, or the beach.
Lemon Jelly Sunny Slides, $58 per pair, at Ryan Reeve | Image: Ryan Reeve
Cover-up
The brand-new Coolin’ It Cardi Cover-up from ZAGS puts a new twist on the classic summer staple. The wrap is made of cool, quick-drying material, and it even includes UPF 50+ UV protection! Find it in five colors for $148 at SB Shop.
Cover-up, $148, at SB Shop
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“Tanya” dress
Stripes are the name of the game this summer, and the “Tanya” dress by Tyler Boe from Monkee’s of Mountain Brook does not disappoint. It retails for $178 and screams summertime.
“Tanya” dress, $178, at Monkee’s of Mountain Brook | Image: Monkee’s of Mountain Brook
For wedding season
You can wear this dress to more than one wedding this summer (don’t worry — we won’t tell). We found this “Layla” dress for $168 at Stella Blu in Mountain Brook. We love its tiered skirt and smocked bust, and it stays on-trend with its floral pattern.
“Layla” dress, $168, at Stella Blu | Image: Stella Blu
Multicolored dress
Let’s shake it up with solid colors, shall we? When we walked into Cradle + Bee in Vestavia Hills, this stunner was right in the front, calling to us. For $89, you get a versatile ombré dress that’ll take you from the beach to a wedding to date night. Sign us up.
Multicolored dress, $89, at Cradle + Bee | Image: Rachel Burchfield
FOR THE HOME
On-trend lamp
While shopping at Leaf & Petal at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, we stumbled across this $199 lamp, which was brand new to the store’s extensive inventory. We wanted to snatch up not just one, but two of these beauties — one for each end table.
Lamp, $199, at Leaf & Petal | Image: Rachel Burchfield
Marble salad bowl
This stunning white marble salad bowl retails for $18 at ALKMY in Mountain Brook. You can just as easily use this gorgeous piece as a base for your dining table centerpiece as for serving up crisp summertime salads and snacks by the pool.
Marble salad bowl, $18, at ALKMY | Image: ALKMY
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Ceramic jug
We fell in love with this beautiful blue and white ceramic jug at The Mercantile by Miller, which retails for $22. At 8.25 inches tall, it’s perfect for the crop of summer flowers that are in bloom. This would make a perfect addition to any dining table or entryway.
Ceramic jug, $22, at The Mercantile by Miller | Image: The Mercantile by Miller
Serving platter
We couldn’t take our eyes off this patterned plate at Design Supply in Pepper Place. The large oval platter retails for $184.50 and would be perfect for serving appetizers at a dinner party or snacks by the pool.
Serving platter, $184.50, at Design Supply | Image: Rachel Burchfield
FOR THE KIDS
Fresh summer looks for kids
One of our favorite stores for kids, ranging in offerings from newborn to age 12, is Once Upon a Time in Mountain Brook. They have wide selections for both girls and boys, including this vignette aqua dandelion clementine dress, which is on sale for $30 (reg. $40), and this Properly Tied Mayberry sport shirt for $50.
Dandelion dress, on sale for $30 (reg. $40), at Once Upon a Time | Image: Once Upon a Time
Properly Tied Mayberry sport shirt, $50, at Once Upon a Time | Image: Once Upon a Time
Sunscreen
We’re going to let you in on a little secret: One of the shops with the most high-end, top-of-the-line beauty products is tucked in Mountain Brook Village and is called beauté therapie. From Vintner’s Daughter to Westman Atelier to Dr. Augustinus Bader, this shop carries every one of the best product lines. But our eyes were drawn to the Hampton Sun SPF 70 Wet Kids Mist, which runs for $32 a bottle. The aforementioned skincare lines have less to offer if proper sun protection isn’t prioritized from a young age. Stock up on this quality sunscreen!
Children’s sunscreen, $32 per bottle, at beauté therapie | Image: Rachel Burchfield
GIFTS
The perfect serving tray
It’s no secret that summertime means wedding season, and we are always on the hunt for the perfect gift to give a bride. We found one at The Blue Willow in Vestavia Hills. This India Handicraft square beaded tray costs $62.95 and is perfect for serving summer drinks or nibbles.
Beaded serving tray, $62.95, at The Blue Willow | Image: The Blue Willow
Candle
We love this candle at Mia Moda Boutique in Vestavia Hills for two reasons — first, it’s a decorative piece, and second, it smells incredible! This is the popular Capri Blue volcano candle, and this particular one is 15 ounces. It retails for $45, and its burn time is estimated at an impressive 55 hours.
Candle, $45, at Mia Moda Boutique | Image: Mia Moda Boutique
Gift card
Not sure what to get as a gift for a special occasion? You can’t go wrong with a Daniel George gift card. This Mountain Brook restaurant is one of our favorites, serving dishes like cornmeal-crusted oysters, pork piccata, and grilled Atlantic salmon alongside sides like spicy pineapple collards and desserts like vanilla bean crème brûlée. Trust us — this is a gift anyone would love to receive.
Gift cards, starting at $10, from Daniel George | Image: Daniel George
Happy July, Birmingham!
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