I can’t believe it’s Monday already! We had an extended weekend that began on Thursday with a trip to visit my parents in northern Wisconsin. We didn’t do much other than swing by the Tall Ships Festival in Duluth, Minn., which was awful. As an event manager, I can be unfairly critical of other events, but this so poorly run that it made for a sour experience. Oh well. Not all weekend outings can be stellar, right? At least it was a beautiful day!
In other news, I finally ponied up the cash to purchase Adobe Lightroom. Game. Changer. Photo editing is a breeze and images look so much better edited in Lightroom versus Photoshop where I’m far too likely to screw up the color. (I’m really tan this year compared to my normal ultra-pale skin tone. It throws me off and I find myself removing orange hues from photos!) I also scooped up this summer dress from Target (available online in black). I’m not ready to start dressing for fall just yet, especially when tropical prints look so good with this necklace from Lisi Lerch. Lisi is basically the queen of tassel jewelry and I’m thrilled to share a “Behind the Baubles” interview with her later this week! (One quick note about the necklace: the tassel was askew after its trip through the mail, but a quick clamp in a hair straightener fixed it.)
Dress: Target (in black; love this version for pre-fall)
Necklace: c/o Lisi Lerch
Ring: c/o Julie Vos
Bracelet: House of Harlow (similar)
Sandals: Steve Madden (old, love these)
Bag: Cult Gaia
Sunglasses: Karen Walker c/o Shopbop
GAIN
Interior designers always have the inside scoop on the best places to scout out home decor. Here are seven shops to keep on your radar.
MEET
There’s a new class of CDFA Fashion Incubator designers. Meet them here. (I can’t pick a favorite!)
READ
Have you watched Stranger Things yet? We wrapped up the season last week. I didn’t love it the way some people did, but still really enjoyed the season and its nod to ’80s horror motifs.
SHOP
Tory Burch’s Private Sale is coming to a close today. I picked up a merino wool knit cap topped with a fluffy fur pom pom. Whether we want to admit it or not, it’ll be winter eventually. (How’s that for pessimism?)
TRAVEL
I’m all about visiting local markets when I’m overseas, so I’m bookmarking this one if we ever find ourselves in Paris.
SIP
This is probably the prettiest smoothie I’ve ever seen and it’s made with natural ingredients.
EARLIER THIS WEEK
Took part in a Clutter Cleanse Challenge.
Coveted more pre-fall pieces.
Wore a wooden watch.
Added a vintage snake necklace to my collection.
Floated away with this cutie.
Headed up north to visit my parents and will be attending the Tall Ships Festival in Duluth today!
PLUS, ENTER TO WIN!
There’s still time to enter to win a travel atomizer from Travalo valued at $50!
A few weeks ago, JORD reached out to me with the offer to try out one of their wood watches. I’m not opposed to wooden accessories. In fact, few things are more perfect for summer than a stack of wooded bangle bracelets or a necklace of wooden beads. But a wood watch? I was skeptical at first, but curiosity got the better of me and I picked out the Cora style with a rose gold face and koa wood. It turned out to be a versatile statement piece for summer, especially with a neutral outfit.
When placing an order, you’ll be asked to supply your wrist measurements in centimeters to ensure a comfortable fit. Despite this, my watch was a link too large when it arrived a few days later and off to the jeweler I went to have it resized. A few minutes later, the watch was ready for its debut. I was initially struck by how lightweight the watch is. The barely-there weight isn’t terribly surprising given that koa wood is known for its buoyancy. (In fact, ancient Hawaiians used to craft canoes and surfboards out of the material). Beyond that, it’s just an aesthetically beautiful timepiece with thoughtful details. I love that you can see the self-winding movement of the watch through the clear circle on the face and also through the transparent back of the watch. The face is dotted with Swarovski crystal markers and covered with strong, scratch-resistant sapphire crystal glass. Even the packaging is a showstopper with a tweed pillow nestled in a substantial wood box (containing extra links, of course) making it perfect for gift giving — even if it’s just for yourself! (No judgement here!)
Sweater: J.Crew
Shorts: Lou & Grey (go up a size; a bit sheer if they’re snug)
Watch: c/o JORD
Bag: Banana Republic (smaller similar style)
Sandals: Birkenstock
Sunglasses: Karen Walker c/o Shopbop
Bracelet: Hermes
Rings: c/o Julie Vos, Monica Vinader
Thanks to JORD for partnering on this post!
