It was a pricey couple of months here as I rounded out my summer wardrobe with a few new dresses (one necessitated by an upcoming event) and a bathing suit I was Instagram-influenced to buy. After 15 months in lockdown, though, it was well worth the splurge to get myself out of Old Navy jersey swing dresses and back into pieces that feel more like my old self.

IN THE WARDROBE
See all of this year’s sartorial additions here.

• Tory Burch smocked mini dress (available here and here) – I don’t know what it is about this vintage-inspired print, but I am absolutely in love with it. The dress is such a cute shape and unlike other things in my closet with those puffed sleeves. The fabric is incredibly lightweight and comfortable to wear when it’s humid outside. I went with a medium.
• Kate Spade gingham ‘al fresco’ dress – I needed something for a couple of upcoming events and this fit the bill with its sweet fit-and-flare shape. I love the gingham print that can be dressed up with black heels or flats, or take on a casual look with sneakers. I went with an 8, which is the size the True Fit calculator suggested. The smocked back makes it so that it’s forgiving, too. As a bonus, it has deep pockets!
• Old Navy linen-blend swing dress – This dress runs large, so definitely go down a size if your bust allows for it. It’s cute for those work-from-home days or for running errands, but it’s not my favorite purchase of the month.
• Andie ‘The Mykonos’ bathing suit in black – I was influenced by an Instagram ad to purchase this bathing suit and I couldn’t be happier with it. It has a good amount of compression to smooth out bumps and imperfections, the wide waistband accentuates your torso, and the deep v-neckline is both flattering and sexy – and it stays in place! I have never felt this confident in a bathing suit before. The online fit calculator suggested a large and it seems to have been spot on.
• Target maxi dress in yellow and in blue – I’ve been wearing these dresses on repeat since I purchased them. They’re just so easy to throw on with strappy sandals and a big piece of jewelry to feel effortlessly pulled together. It’s true to size.
• Target macramé belt – And for the times when I don’t want the dress above to be too shapeless, this belt fits the bill! So far it hasn’t stretched out, which was my biggest concern about macramé.
• Paravel ‘Cabana’ striped strap in shandy – I use the brand’s crossbody capsule bag a lot during the summer and picked up this strap for a sportier alternative to the leather strap it comes with. It’s wider than I expected it to be so I haven’t used it often with the purse, but I did clip it to my Away ‘Everywhere’ bag and it’s pretty perfect.
• Madewell ‘Harlow’ square-neck top – After including this in two roundups over the past month, I figured maybe I should try the gauzy shirt for myself. It’s kind of like a fancier take on a t-shirt.

AROUND THE HOUSE

• West Elm flameless tealights – I see that West Elm has increased the price for these and the other two items below back to regular price. I paid substantially less when they had a Fourth of July sale. I don’t think these are worth $20, but keep an eye out for a future sale. I like that the subtly flicker and the wax dip makes them look a bit more convincing than other faux candles. Really, I purchased these to put in these holders for candlelit dinners at home and for hosting later this year.
• West Elm mini stripe runner – I paid $15 for this, which is precisely what I think it’s worth. The pattern is versatile, but I don’t think it’s special enough to warrant the full price tag.
• West Elm mini check napkins – I liked the neutral pattern of these that will mix and match with other table linens we have.
• Vintage brass duck bookends – I mean, why wouldn’t I snag a pair of duck head bookends?!

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Another month, another roundup of the things I bought and loved recently — but the biggest update this month is that we’re composters now! I had been wanting to start composting for awhile for the environmental benefits of keeping vegetable waste out of the landfill, but it wasn’t until I started trying my hand at gardening this year that it made sense to buy a composter. Otherwise, what was I really going to do with the compost after the materials broke down?

Other than that, it was getting back to basics in the wardrobe with a few items to round out my summer staples.

IN THE WARDROBE
See all of this year’s sartorial additions here.

• Maeve ‘Lorraine’ mini dress in coco brown – I love this dress. It has mixed reviews online, probably due to the a-line style of the dress that I can see overwhelming smaller frames. It’s great for women with hips, though! The fabric drapes nicely, it’s lined, and it has pockets! I noticed that it’s now on sale and I’m going to buy the pink one as well. I went with my regular size medium.
• J.Crew linen muscle tank in pale cypress and arctic ocean – These linen tanks are incredibly versatile for summer and look great with jeans as well as shorts, plus the wide straps mean you can wear a regular bra. I ordered these in medium, but they do run a bit large and I think I could have gone down a size.
• Madewell pull-on shorts in desert olive – I bought the black pair last year and wore them quite a bit, so I figured I’d add the olive to my wardrobe as well. They’re great for women with hips and larger thighs. The only drawback is that they do wrinkle when you’re sitting, but I like them enough to overlook that. They run true to size.
• Banana Republic Factory knit strapless maxi dress in stripes – I was #Influenced by an Instagram ad for this and I’m pretty happy about it. It’s a flattering dress for summer and the tighter bodice means you can get away without wearing a bra with it if you have a small chest. Runs true to size.
• Joe’s Jeans mid-rise straight crop – I wore a hole in my only pair of jeans, necessitating a denim purchase for the warmer months. While I normally opt for skinny jeans, I figured a straight pair of cropped jeans would be fun for summer. These are absolutely adorable! I ordered two sizes to try: the size I had worn in my aforementioned jeans (same brand) and a size smaller, I kept the smaller of the two.
• J.Crew classic ballet flats in warm sepia – I excitedly posted about these last week and immediately placed an order for the brown pair. They’re not the best quality, but they’re a steal when J.Crew has the extra percentage off the sale price. They’re adorable with cropped denim.

AROUND THE HOUSE

• OXO Good Grips easy-clean compost bin – This is perfect for collecting kitchen scraps before bringing it to the composter. There’s no smell when it’s closed (we empty it every 4-6 days) and it’s easy to clean.
• Dual Chamber Tumbling Composter – I went back and forth between a tumbling composter or a traditional one. We decided the tumbling one was probably sufficient for our needs — and my lack of interest in getting out a shovel to stir a traditional compost pile. This one has two sections, so you can fill one and then let it do its thing when it’s full and put newer scraps into the other side. It was a bit of a pain to put together and the printed instructions weren’t helpful, but there are online instructions that were easier to understand.
• Target earthenware geared planter in white – This looks like something you’d find at West Elm, and the price can’t be beat!

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As I was putting together this post, I was pleased at how minimally I shopped in March — only to realize that it’s because my other orders haven’t yet arrived! (Or just got lost in the mail entirely, as was the case of an Old Navy order that included the pink now-sold-out blouse in this post.) The one I’m most excited about is this lamp! It’s either going to serve as an entry lamp, or I’ll spring for a second and use them as our bedside lamps. Either way, I can’t wait for it to arrive!

IN THE WARDROBE
See all of this year’s sartorial additions here.

• J.Crew ‘Seaside’ linen-blend short in desert sand – I bought a pair of these last year in loden green and they became my most-worn shorts last summer. They have a three-inch inseam, but they don’t seem that short since they’re meant to have a relaxed fit.
• Anthropologie ‘Ruth’ mini sweater dress – This dress is so flattering! It has a stretchy nipped-in waist that you can adjust to the most flattering part of your body and it has great movement. It’s as cute with sneakers as it is with ballet flats. It’ll definitely become a workplace staple once offices reopen. I found that it ran true to size.
• Target pajama set – I don’t normally add pajamas to these posts, but these are too cute not to mention. They’re just $20 and give Soma’s Cool Nights collection a run for its money. Plus, the shorts have pockets!
• Lele Sadoughi small crystal lily earrings in tortoise – I found these on the jeweler’s site earlier in the month for just $39 and figured they were a no-brainer since most of my spring and summer wardrobe is leaning toward the neutral side with plenty of browns, blacks, and whites.

AROUND THE HOUSE

• Schoolhouse brass coasters – We already have a set of these, but since one permanent lives in my work-from-home space and one in Dave’s, we added another set to the living room. If you prefer perpetually shiny brass, these aren’t for you. But if you’re a fan of patina, consider buying a set.
• Target striped throw pillows in black and cream – I purchased a set of linen striped throw pillows last spring for our living room, but they get so wrinkly that they’re better suited for the bed where they’re not being squished constantly. I went with these $20 throws as substitutes. They have a zipped opening for the insert, which is rare at that price point. The tags are also inside the cover, rather than being stitched on the outside, so you don’t have those stupid pieces of paper on the edge of your pillow that so many cheap pillows have. (They always look bad no matter how closely you cut them!)

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I started giving our at-home office a facelift this month since there doesn’t seem to be an end to working from home in the immediate future. The space is already so much more comfortable and inspiring to be in, and the new desk has a lot to do with it. Our previous desk with a simple one from IKEA that Dave had before we met (so, over a decade ago). It’s been serviceable, but it was dinged up and felt cluttered due to a relatively small surface area. Having a desk with drawers and a place to stow the keyboard has been such a luxury!

As always, below you’ll find short reviews of each of the items I bought and loved this month!

IN THE WARDROBE
See all of this year’s sartorial additions here.

• J.Crew ‘Sophie’ open-front sweater blazer in heather khaki – If I’m not wearing yoga pants while I work from home, you’ll likely find me wearing an Old Navy jersey swing dress. I decided to purchase the sweater blazer as a light layer to look more pulled together for Zoom calls on days I don’t want to put something nicer on. It runs about a size large.
• Clare V. coin clutch in coral with lip print – Assuming we can travel again, I had been wanting a new coin purse for international adventures. The one I usually use in Europe is small and I’ve always been annoyed rooting around in it to dig out the right coins. So, while I didn’t exactly need a coin purse now, hopefully it’ll get plenty of love in the future! Plus, the lip print sold me.

AROUND THE HOUSE

• CB2 ‘Dolce’ low bowl – I love the shape of this bowl! I’m using it as decor rather than eating from, since it looks like something you’d snag from an independent ceramicist. There’s exposed terracotta on the bottom which adds such an artisanal quality.
• HAY brass scissors – I mean, why wouldn’t I want a pair of brass scissors to compliment my new office decor? They’re so chic! And, if you order directly from HAY, there’s free shipping!
• Umbra ‘Woodrow’ waste basket in black (also available on Amazon) – I don’t think I ever would have expected to be smitten with a waste basket, but here we are. It’s curved plywood that has the perfect amount of Scandinavian minimalism.
• Article ‘Culla’ walnut desk – Our dining room table is also from Article and it’s beautiful. The deep walnut color and wood grain are gorgeous, so we looked to Article first when looking for a new desk and opted for the “Culla” style. I love the minimal design and the drawers for office necessities, which our previous desk did not have. Article has reasonable flat-rate shipping as the pieces come flat-packed and it’s easy to assemble. One thing to note that we noticed with our dining table is that the wood is easily scratched — not so much with regular use, but definitely with cat claws, and it’s susceptible to dings. You’ll want to add the touch-up kit to any of your Article orders. Don’t let that dissuade you though. The pieces are great quality for the price point and well designed.
• Target 72″ ‘Loring’ book shelf – I didn’t want to spend a lot on a bookshelf and purchased this one from Target in dark walnut to match the desk. It’s a beast to put together on your own, though, and I might have opted for something else if I had known what a headache it’d be. The quality is as you’d expect for a cheaper piece of furniture. It’s not something we’ll have forever, but it works for our needs right now and does look nice!
• Target black metal tumbler – This is part of Target’s bathroom collection, but it makes a great pen cup! It’s sturdy and has a soft bottom so it won’t scratch the desk surface.
• Breville Bambino Plus – Clearly this is a splurge, but we’re missing coffee shops during the pandemic and decided to treat ourselves to at-home espresso. We’re still learning how to perfect our beverages, but this was a clear winner for us based on countless reviews. We wanted something suitable for beginners that we’d be satisfied with for years, but wasn’t outrageously expensive.

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