Happy Friday! This week flew by and I’m delighted the weekend is here again, especially since it’s finally over 80 degrees and I’ll be heading to the pool with Dave as soon as he gets home from work! But first, virtual thank-you hugs for all of the birthday wishes this week! We spent most of the day furniture shopping for our house. We picked out a couch that we’ll custom order in the next couple of weeks with a light grey tweed-esque fabric and walnut legs. I just love the elegant lines! And then we stumbled across this leather armchair in the “Classic Sahara” color on sale for $700. We were going to wait a week and see if we were still smitten with it, but two beers later I decided that we needed it in our lives and we went back to purchase it. It’s such a beautiful, classic piece that we’ll likely have forever. Now, my willingness to impulsively purchase furniture was partly due to the happy news that the seller of our house is willing to take on around $3,000 of the electrical and plumbing work that needs to be done. There’s still plenty that needs to be done eventually, but getting the must-dos taken care of by someone other than us was a huge sigh of relief. So, now we’re in the final throes of the home-buying process. It’s scary, but unbelievably exciting and we’re champing at the bit to to get our home blog up and running!

Weekend Reading:

• Comparing subway maps to their actual geography.
• I’d like to make this charred corn salad every weekend this summer.
• The psychology behind why you can’t stick to a budget.
• I don’t wear heels enough to justify the price tag on these, but I’m obsessing over them regardless.
• Temple St. Clair has always been one of my favorite jewelry designers, and the fact that she refers to herself as a “jewelry anthropologist” makes me adore her even more.
• It’s national doughnut day! If anyone wants to whip up these coconut raspberry doughnuts for me, I wouldn’t turn them down. 😉
• Marianne looks so cute in her nautical-inspired look. Those sleeves!
• My recent Sephora order came with a deluxe sample of AERIN’s Waterlily Sun fragrance. I don’t normally go for floral scents, but this one is light and dewy and, well, perfect.
• And, speaking of perfection, this mini dress is amazing! I love the flirty hemline, long sleeves for shielding arms from too much sun, and lace-up front. Better yet, it’s under $100.
• Ivenoven, a baker from Jakarta, made the most stunning cakes decorated with frosting succulents.
• A convincing reason to unplug from the office when you’re on vacation.

ICYMI:

• Another year older.
• How I spent my money this month.
• Pairing an easy summer dress with moonstone baubles.

 

I’ve been a terrible blogger lately! I’ve had so much on my mind with our house that I’ve left the blog woefully neglected. I promise that will change after Memorial Day weekend. I have a ton of content ideas that I’m working on and can’t wait to share! I just need to carve out time to actually bring those ideas to fruition.

We had our home inspection on Thursday and I’m feeling a little overwhelmed. Obviously an inspector is hired to point out every little thing that’s wrong in a property — and there’s a lot in an 88-year-old house that’s been neglected for 15 years — but it’s a bit shocking to realize just how much work we’re taking on with this property. The good news is that everything we do to the house will be an improvement, and it is exciting to bring the home back to life and really make it our own. But that needs to happen after we tackle some plumbing and electrical concerns. (I’m not exaggerating when I say a third of the electrical outlets don’t work.) But there are also some more fun maintenance projects like replacing the shattered glass doorknob in the bathroom with a new-to-us vintage one that I’ll be hunting down on eBay this weekend. I also had a floor guy come out to give us a quote on refinishing the hardwood floors throughout the house. His estimate came in $1,500 less than I was prepared to pay. Whoohoo! Anyway, it’s a process! We met with our realtor yesterday afternoon to go over the inspection report and the quote from the electrician to decide what we’re going back to the seller with to repair some of these things. And then, I’m unplugging as much as possible this weekend to give myself a chance to recharge. 🙂

Weekend Reading:

• Did you see the Instagrams that Pete Souza posted of “President” Frank Underwood? So. Good. I can’t wait for the May 30 debut of the next season of House of Cards. It’s my birthday, so we all know where you’ll find me that day…
• This dress looks more expensive than it is. I’m debating between white or navy.
• Sure, pretty packaging makes for a great Instagram opportunity, but are we just creating more waste than necessary?
• Are you prone to headaches? Try natural pain relievers before reaching for a bottle of Advil.
• This is totally nerdy, but my favorite post I came across this week was this one on how to change outlets. Our house has a lot of black ones (which I might keep, depending on how they look when the rooms are painted and the floors are done) and outdated almond-colored ones. I’d like to swap them for white.
• This office faux pas is the worst.
• Grace included this jewelry cabinet in her weekend roundup. I’m absolutely obsessed with it! The best thing about our house is the “fourth bedroom,” which is really a walk-in closet in the upstairs hallway. There’s more than enough room for all of my clothes and I’d love to add this cabinet for my jewelry, which you know there’s a lot of!
• Bold stripes make this dress a showstopper!
• Anne’s stylish guide to Washington D.C. makes me want to book a trip to visit again. We’ve been to the city four times and still find plenty to do on each trip.
• Now that it’s finally getting warm out, I’m all about fresh veggies and fruits. I can’t wait to try this avocado and citrus salad.
• This $15 blouse is incredibly chic.

Notable Sales:

• Ann Taylor: 40% off full-price styles, which makes it a great time to pick up summer work wear.
• ASOS: Save 20% with code LIT20. I bought this dress recently. I love the mixed eyelet patterns.
• Nordstrom: It’s impossible to avoid the Half Yearly Sale hoopla right now, but it is a great time to pick up an indulgent piece you’ll wear for years like a pebbled leather bag, ankle wrap sandals, or a conversation-worthy cocktail ring.
• Lands’ End: 50% off regular priced swimwear with code STARS and pin 1278. I ordered a polka dot bikini to try. I’m hoping the high-waisted, ruched bottoms give me enough coverage to feel confident in a two-piece.
• Loeffler Randall: Up to 30% off spring shoes. These block-heel strappy pumps in gold are perfect for wedding season.
• LOFT: 50% off summer essentials. The dress I’m crushing on isn’t included, but it is available for 40% off with code VACAY. Doesn’t it look perfect for summer getaways?
• Old Navy: If you have a Gap brand credit card, you can snag flip flops for men and women for just $1 with code FLIP. We love having these on hand for trips to the water park, so it’s not a big deal if a stranger accidentally wanders off with the wrong pair.
• West Elm: Up to 30% off with code SUMMER. I have my heart set on buying this for our house. I also love the colors in this throw pillow and these brass candlesticks.

ICYMI:

• A pair of pearl sandals was just the thing I needed to fall in love with this dress again.
• Coveting a fresh blue and yellow color scheme.

I thought about keeping mum about this until after our home inspection next week, but I’m terrible at keeping secrets: we have an accepted offer on a house! It’s a diamond in the rough that was built in 1929 and, sadly, hasn’t been taken care of over the years. The owner has been living with his girlfriend and left this house all but abandoned. We were really lucky that he asked our agent’s firm to sell the house because we were able to get in before anyone else and put in an offer at asking without competition to drive up the price. It’s in our ideal area (in fact, it’s three blocks away from the house we lost last year) and has charming details inside, including original hardwood floors throughout. The big things in the house (roof, siding, windows, furnace, air conditioner, etc.) have been taken care of, but the interior hasn’t been well-maintained or updated. We’re in for an adventure together as we bring this gem back to life! This isn’t going to be an easy or fast project. We don’t have an endless bank account to go in and make all of the changes right away. There’s going to be compromises and patience and DIYs! It’s going to be a labor of love, and we’ve actually purchased a URL to blog about our journey. (It redirects here for now, but I’ll share it once our first post is live.) If you want to follow our Instagram account before we actually have content, it’s @curatedcouple. I know I’m getting ahead of myself because it could all fall apart after the inspection, but I’m cautiously optimistic. Send good vibes!

Weekend Reading:

• Love the look of Chanel’s classic cap toe pumps but not the price tag? Try an affordable alternative.
• Here’s the real story behind the Zillow listing that went viral earlier this month.
• I just discovered Orlando’s blog and Instagram last week and I’m absolutely obsessed with his aesthetic, personality, and refreshingly honest take on relationships and not having a picture-perfect lifestyle blogger persona.
• Can’t say I totally hate the idea of rompers for men, but I do hate the name RompHim.
• Whitney looks adorable in a bee-print dress. I never would have expected it was from the Victoria Beckham for Target children’s collection!
• My birthday is fast approaching on May 30! This dress would be the perfect frock to celebrate in.
• We’re considering a long weekend getaway to Atlanta in August. Of course, the first thing I looked into was the best murals for Instagrams and outfit photos. 😉 Let me know if you have any recommendations!
• I’m all about the gadget Jess found that helps keep her from murdering house plants. (I’m the worst at remembering to water them.)
• Speaking of plants, learn more about “the Blue Apron of agriculture.” Basically, there’s a company called Seedsheet that sells collections of seeds in a plantable weed-blocking fabric. The fabric eventually dissolves and you’re on your way to growing dinner.
• I never got on board with Bauble Bar’s Crispin earrings because I didn’t care for the fishhook post, but I’m crazy about this version with a hidden post backing.

ICYMI:

• Another nautical roundup.
• Perfect pineapple pieces.

image via Unsplash

While I was working on this post this morning, Dave peeked over my shoulder and teased “Weekend Reading … about myself.” He’s so punchy in the morning! (::eye roll::) But yes, one of this week’s highlights includes my feature in Madison Magazine this month as one of the city’s most fashionable people. It was so flattering, but I really can’t hold a candle to the others featured in the section! (And in retrospect, I wish I had went with sandals for the picture. It was a chilly day in early April when we shot these and while we were inside the humid botanical gardens, it didn’t cross my mind to bring along warm-weather footwear!)

I house-hunting news, we have two properties to see today that have potential. One has been updated, but not to our tastes. (The bathroom is completely done in brown tile. It’s something…) However, it has a lot of space that we can expand into and my favorite feature is an upstairs bedroom with a balcony overlooking the backyard. It looks like such a relaxing space to make into our office. The other house was built in 1929, in our ideal neighborhood, and not officially on the market yet. We haven’t seen any interior photos and our real estate agent cautioned that it needs updates, but I’m still optimistic and it would be a relief to not have competing offers.

Weekend Reading:

• The “Plan Bee” drone can pollinate flowers just as well as bees can.
• Use code “FRIENDS” to save 50% on these items at M’oda ‘Operandi’s Friends & Family sale. I’m tempted to pick up Coqui Coqui’s Orange Blossom fragrance. I’ve heard really good things about it!
• I’m already a fan of Nicki Minaj, but now I love her even more.
• Remember the glory days of the wristlet?
• This gingham jumpsuit is too cute! I just ordered it to try on, along with this dress.
• Fran shared her experience saying yes to the dress at Kleinfeld Bridal.
• I’m sure we’re going to end up with a less-than-stellar bathroom in our house. Provided the home has more than one bathroom, Dave gave me the green light to paint the vanity pink like Elsie did in her guest bathroom. He cautioned that it means we’d also need to find a vintage brass light fixture for the room, preferably with a pineapple design. (This is love, people.)
• Here’s an easy DIY for a floral photo backdrop.
• Twenty-four books to add to your summer reading list. (I used to be such a voracious reader and I’m trying to get back into it. Let me know if you have any recommendations. I’m a sucker for psychological thrillers and compilations of humorous essays.)
• Tips to maximize space in a small closet.
• It’s almost rhubarb season and time to indulge in this strawberry rhubarb pie.

ICYMI:

• Breaking out a linen shirt in preparation for warmer temperatures.
• Getting “nauti” with sailor-inspired picks. (I’ve been saying “ahoy” lately, so that sweater is a must when it goes on sale!)

Happy Mother’s Day weekend!