Happy Saturday! Can you believe that we’re just days away from our first house-iversary? It doesn’t feel like a year has passed since closing on June 20 and dedicating all summer evenings and weekends to cleaning and painting! I can’t say I miss those days, either! Last summer was exhausting and while we made a lot of progress before we moved in, and plenty of progress since then, we’ve been good about balancing work and fun this summer. And that’s exactly what we’re up to over the next couple of days. We’re starting to tackle another painting project that fell off the priority list last year (the upstairs hallway and the built-in linen closet), along with continuing to paint our doors and remove paint from the antique hardware. It’s tedious work, which is why bike rides and outdoor cocktails are a welcome break!

Weekend Links:

• The popular podcast S-Town is coming to the big screen.
• Here’s why expensive pasta is worth the extra cash.
• An artist reimagines noteworthy pieces as “melting masterpieces.”
• If you love the shape of this Cult Gaia bag, but think it’s ridiculously oversized (it is), check out this $35 clutch!
• Six finance experts share their advice for millennial women.
• There’s a startup company that’s looking to transform food crop waste into wearable fibers for clothing.
• “The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week” might be my new favorite podcast.
• A roundup of some of the best acne-fighting facial cleansers on the market.
• Proposed legislation in California would require that all public companies headquartered in the state to have at least one woman on their board.
• We’re adding Vietnamese banh mi street tacos to our meal planning next week. They look incredible!

Finds Under $50:

• I came home to this bag sitting on my doorstep the other day (c/o WhoWhatWear). I have yet to feature it, but it’s such a cute mini bucket bag for summer and I love the vibrant red hue. It’ll look adorable with all of your Fourth of July looks!
• Lace-up detailing adds interest to this swing dress.
• The batik-inspired print on this blouse is perfection.
• A stunning plant stand.
• Pair this red, white, and blue top with a pair of high-waist trousers.
• I picked up this long-wearing lipstick to try (in red, which is a weird departure from my signature pink) and they’re not exaggerating. This stuff doesn’t budge.

Earlier This Week:

• Style steals under $50 and under $100.
• The best full-price purchase I’ve made in a long time.
• Celebrating this guy’s 10th birthday.

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Weekend Links:

• Kate Spade’s passing touched many of us this week. Her pieces were oftentimes our first foray into the designer fashion world, and what a fun and imaginative world it was! A couple of my favorite pieces of remembrance can be read here, here, and here. (As I was writing this, I just learned of Anthony Bourdain’s suicide. I’m stunned that we lost two creative greats this week.)
• According to a piece in the New York Times, “a majority of women, and nearly half of men, say it’s unacceptable to have dinner or drinks alone with someone of the opposite sex other than their spouse.” And it gets more shocking when it comes to business meetings. Read the study here.
• I have a crush on these studded sandals.
• Lydia looks so cute in these pics. (Isn’t her vintage bag absolutely perfect?)
• A blueberry-pecan galette looks like the ideal summer dessert.
• Bats take up residence in a Portuguese library to aid in book preservation.
• I just learned that Getty Images has a site to purchase framed art prints. Check out the Slim Aarons collection, for example.
• Decluttering? Don’t just put things in the donation pile without first seeing what they might be worth. Here are some of the items that hold resale value.
• Tips on how to feel confident in a bathing suit.
• A bit of patio inspiration to get your deck in tip top shape.

Finds Under $50:

• A butterfly top looks like a perfectly breezy way to beat the heat. (The colorway I like is actually $2 more, but I can’t resist those sherbet-like hues!)
• I love the knot detail on this pretty cami.
• Oversize beaded flower earrings? I’m in! (If you’re in the market for a more modern statement earring, check out these.)
• This dress looks a lot like the one I wore here.
• A sleeveless sweater is such a great wear-to-work option for summer.

Earlier This Week:

• The best dress to beat the heat in Austin.
• Crazy about the affordable net bag in this week’s “The Coveted.”
• Practical tips to prep your car for a summer road trip.
• Mini moments from last month.

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image via Unsplash

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Hello! We’re back after a few days in Austin and while I’m happy to be home, I’m already missing the pastries at Easy Tiger! (Our neighborhood donut shop has nothing on their pain au chocolat.) It’s expected to be a relatively chilly weekend here with highs in the low 70s, which sounds terribly cold after simmering away in 100-degree heat with humidity, but it’ll be perfect for bike rides around town. Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Weekend Links:

• TIME magazine’s amazing cover.
• Grace’s photo diary of her trip to Cuba is incredible. I’d love to visit!
• This retro-inspired suede mini dress is gorgeous. Is it too early to shop for pre-fall?
• We’re heading to Portland at the end of the month, so this travel guide came at the perfect time! Let me know if you have any recommendations for things to see and do while we’re there! (It’s a work trip for Dave, so I’ll have some time to myself to shop and Instagram cute coffee shops.)
• Fifteen online sources for the art lover on a budget.
• Last Saturday, we had a “house crawl” with our friends in the neighborhood. Each house was responsible for a drink and a snack, which turned into one heck of a boozy afternoon. This recipe for a pitcher of palomas was a huge hit! (And I may have picked up a couple of packages of these flamingo swizzle sticks, too.)
• There are some changes on the horizon for J.Crew.
• I saw this teal ottoman in the store and it’s so pretty. (If only it would work in our mid-century modern space.)
• We binge-watched Netflix’s Safe in two days.
• I need more veggie-packed dinner recipes and this vegan coconut curry looks like a good one to try!

Finds Under $50:

• This cute top reminds me of something you’d find at Madewell.
• How cute are these bow-topped wedge espadrilles?
• I love the colors of this striped maxi dress.
• Haven’t found the perfect straw bag yet? How about this clutch with faux bamboo handles?
• I just ordered a second set of these glasses. I bought the first set around the holidays with a rewards coupon and had another one for my birthday, so I figured I’d expand my collection. They look chic and have a subtle blush cast to the glass.

Earlier This Week:

• What I added to my wardrobe in May.
• I went to Austin where I saw the state capitol building, creeped on kayakers, celebrated my birthday, and took a dip in the pool to beat the record heat.

Happy Memorial Day weekend! This weekend is going to fly by for us. Today, we’re having a “house crawl” with some of our friends in the neighborhood, which is basically like a bar crawl where each house is serving a drink and a snack. We’re keeping it easy on this sweltering day and going with palomas (although, is tequila ever a good idea?) served with chips and guac. And then we’re off to Austin tomorrow! We rarely travel again so soon after a trip, but flights and hotels were cheap when we booked a few months back — and it seemed like the perfect way to celebrate my 35th birthday! You can follow along on Instagram and I’ll check back here on Friday! Enjoy the long weekend!

Weekend Links:

• I have been such a fan of Madewell dresses lately. I ordered this one to wear on my birthday and love it. (Of course I couldn’t wait until this coming Wednesday and already wore it. I received more compliments on this dress than any other in recent memory.) I’m thinking about adding this one to my summer wardrobe, too.
• Floating flowers in a vintage oyster dish is such a good idea.
• Amelia Bloomer started an accidental fashion revolution in the 1850s and now her name is synonymous with pants.
• Three spring pasta recipes to try.
• This is why you’re getting so many privacy policy updates.
• The cultural history of the ugly sandal.
• I think I mentioned these enamel plates before, but they’re so cute in person! I purchased a set of dinner plates and the salad plates for summer entertaining.
• A pina colada recipe that doesn’t require a blender.
• A weekend playlist.

Finds Under $50:

• A floral card case.
• A soft pajama set. (I just purchased this set in black. It runs large.)
• A pair of satin slides.
• A striped midi dress.
• A simple dress that’s best in red.
• A feminine wrap top.

Earlier This Week:

• An easy faux wrap dress I’ve been wearing a lot lately.
• 48 hours in Madison.

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