BEDKNOBS & BAUBLES

Recent Purchases

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Latest Purchases

It feels a little early to share a recap of monthly purchases with nine days left in July, but I feel confident this is it. We’re going on a social-distanced jaunt to northern Wisconsin to get away for a few days next weekend and everything was purchased in anticipation of that mini escape.

Not pictured: cloth masks, since there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight for the pandemic. I bought this one from Kate Spade before it was backordered and pre-ordered a set from Lele Sadoughi.

PURCHASED
See all of this year’s sartorial additions here.

  • J.Crew t-shirt – Northern Wisconsin is hardly the place to wear a tropical beach cover up after a few hours at the lake. This, however, is perfect. It’s incredibly soft and runs true to size.
  • J.Crew sweatshorts – I’ve stopped wearing Pandemic Pants (a.k.a. yoga pants) every single day while staying at home, but I still can’t resist the siren song of cute loungewear. These are great for hanging out at home, but the length is still appropriate to wear in public on your deck/balcony or for neighborhood walks. They do stretch out, so you might want to try your regular size and a size smaller to see which is best.
  • Tory Burch ‘Selby’ espadrille slide (also here) – Okay, a few cocktails may have swayed my decision to order Tory Burch’s take on Birkenstock’s classic Arizona slide, but I’m so glad I did! They’re not conventionally cute, but they look adorable with easy summer dresses and with the aforementioned sweatshorts and a Breton-striped top. They’re incredibly comfortable out of the box and run true to size. If you’re between sizes, though, go down a half size.
  • Paravel ‘Cabana’ tote in shandy – This actually hasn’t made its way here yet and I’m hopeful it’ll come by the time we set out next week. I’ve wanted an oversize carryall for road trips for awhile now, but I didn’t want something in canvas that would scuff easily. I love my Paravel products because the coated material resists stains and repels water. So, may as well add the tote to my collection. I’ll let you know if it doesn’t meet up to expectations!

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On the Right Foot: Cheesecake for Two, Psychology of Porches, A Must-Have Bag & More!

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source

I’ve been toying with the idea of moving these round-up posts to Mondays for a couple of reasons: (1) I do most of my reading over the weekend so I have fresh finds to share once the week begins and (2) isn’t it nice to start the week off on, well, the right foot with a mix of interesting reads, great products, and things to make your Monday a bit brighter? I think so!

Rekindle passion for your city.

A history of porches and the psychology behind designing them.

I just snagged this Kate Spade face mask. It’s now on backorder, but it’s worth adding to cart since we all know we’ll be wearing masks throughout the year. It’s breathable, has adjustable loops, and 100% of net profits support crisis counseling.

Knowing I’m going to have too many leftovers often keeps me from baking, which is why I’m all for this small-batch cheesecake recipe.

The lime-green leopard print on this top ($30) reminds me of Lisa Frank in the best way possible.

You can go on a virtual tour of the tomb of Pharaoh Ramses VI. The carvings and reliefs are more colorful and well preserved than I expected!

I prefer athletic skorts for biking and just added this one to my wardrobe. I adore the flirty, full a-line shape of the skirt portion.

Ashley shared the free software she uses to plan home renovations.

It’s entirely too early to start talking fall and winter, but it’s a good time to snag some under-$30 plaid blankets to tuck away!

A charming collection of stories from innkeepers.

How the director of The Baby-Sitters Club is reinventing the series for a new generation. (I can’t wait to watch it! I just need to get caught up on Dead to Me first!) Bonus: designing Claudia’s wardrobe.

Swap potatoes for chickpeas and mayo for Greek yogurt to turn a summer picnic staple into a healthier alternative.

This bamboo beaded bag is so good.

Is video dating here to stay?

In case you missed it:

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The Coveted

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The Coveted

ONE | TWO | THREE | FOUR | FIVE | SIX | SEVEN | EIGHT | NINE



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Weekend Roundup: Quarantine Shaming, an Amazing Headboard, Rhubarb Crisp, & More!

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Lele Sadoughi earrings

You may have noticed that I’ve been even quieter than usual on social media and the blog, taking a month-long break from posting after the long-overdue outrage over the murders of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless others. Posting shopping roundups and photos of my home felt too trivial, and while it still feels tone deaf to talk about anything other than the tipping point we’re facing, I do want to get back into some semblance of normalcy — but without falling victim to complacency.

When feeds went dark in honor of Blackout Tuesday, allowing Black voices to rise to the top, it was painstakingly obvious that I needed to diversify my feed. Viewpoints from people who didn’t look like me was refreshing and led to some introspection about why, exactly, my feed had been predominately whitewashed. It was never intentional, which is exactly why white people, myself included, need to do better. It’s easy to take the privilege of white skin for granted, but the systemic racism in this country will be impossible to overcome if we don’t earnestly begin to chip away at the barriers that BIPOC individuals face. Personally, I’d like to work at diversifying the content that I share in roundups like these so that we’re celebrating a wider range of voices, retailers, and content creators. Please let me know if there’s anyone I should have on my radar!

The dark side of Instagram’s favorite door.

Quarantine fatigue is real and shaming people won’t help.

I ordered this drink table with the walnut base. It’s backordered till October, which will be such a fun surprise when it arrives.

I recently came across Laurel Dailey’s photography. Her still-life work is moody and captivating. This is one of my favorite prints.

Simply putting more women in leadership roles at organizations doesn’t always mean that other women will be supported at those companies.

This bed! Swoon! (I’m seriously considering it. We bought a cheap bed frame a few years ago when we bought our king-size mattress. The headboard isn’t holding up well and replacing it has been on our eventual to-do list.)

How camping became this year’s hottest getaway. (While I’m not one for camping, we did book a long weekend in Door County, Wisconsin for later this summer. It sounds like they’re taking mask-wearing and social distancing seriously and our days will be spent hiking, swimming, and ordering takeout from local restaurants. The hotel we’re staying at has a mandatory 48-hour wait in between guests, which made me feel a lot better about booking this mini getaway.)

Love candles and supporting Black-owned businesses? Check out 228 Grant Street Candle Co. The ginger and kaffir lime candle sounds dreamy.

Fruit and berry crisps are my favorite summer dessert. I’ve used this recipe twice over the past few weeks and it’s perfection. I made it once with just rhubarb, which is tart and you may prefer a touch more sugar if you have a sweet tooth, and again with half rhubarb and half strawberries.

The best plant advice from Marcus Bridgewater, the man who became TikTok star Garden Marcus.

Finds under $50:

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Recent Purchases: May Edition

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Latest Purchases

I know this is the epitome of first-world problems (and I’m grateful I can even complain about this because I’ve been healthy), but one of the most difficult things about the global pandemic is not being able to travel. In a typical year, we would have already had at least one getaway by now. And while we were able to do long weekends in Chicago and Milwaukee before the world was turned upside down, it’s not nearly the same as our usual spring jaunts that Facebook is so helpfully reminding me of almost daily. (Yes, I know we were in Portugal one year ago … yep, I know Austin was two years ago … please stop.) These May trips are largely because my birthday is at the end of the month (tomorrow, in fact!) and I like to plan a jaunt to celebrate another trip around the sun. This year is just as memorable, of course, but not for the right reasons! Below, you’ll find a roundup of the things I bought during my birthday month.

I did order a couple of dresses (this and this) from Shopbop yesterday that are scheduled to arrive today (one of the perks of living in the same city as its warehouse!). Fingers crossed that I’ll be celebrating my birthday in one of them!

PURCHASED – FOR ME
See all of this year’s sartorial additions here.

  • J.Crew seaside short in chambray – I’m all about easy, pull-on shorts for summer bike rides when I don’t want to wear athletic clothes. These run true to size, but they get a bit stretched out at the end of the day. I just ordered a size smaller to have on hand, too, since I’ve been shedding some of this COVID weight — finally.
  • Halogen x Atlantic-Pacific polka dot utility jacket – This is a great pairing of a classic silhouette and a whimsical twist. I’ve gotten so many compliments on it! It runs true to size.
  • Madewell pull-on shorts in black – For the same reasons as above, I snagged this pair of shorts from Madewell. It’s hard to find shorts to accommodate an ample rear end and thighs, and these fit the bill. These also run true to size.

PURCHASED – FOR HOME

  • Schoolhouse Electric ‘Blooming Field’ duvet cover – I can’t even tell you how much I love this! I bought the pillow shams last year after falling head-over-heels for the pattern. Twelve months later, still obsessed with the design, I ordered the matching duvet cover. It’s such a great print that brings in a floral that isn’t too feminine.
  • Target self-watering planters – This isn’t very exciting, which is why I didn’t include them in the photo above. However, if you’re looking for inexpensive, lightweight planters for your patio garden, these are great options!

DIDN’T WORK OUT
Things I tried and didn’t love.

  • J.Crew seaside short in stripe – Unlike the chambray pair, this one fits a bit tighter and just didn’t look as cute. It kind of reminds me of the stripes a stereotypical train conductor wears.
  • En Saison striped tiered babydoll dress – Kudos to the brand for having a lining in a loose dress that isn’t tighter than the dress itself! However, the dress ran large and the ruffled sleeves made me look wide on top.
  • Luv Aj mother-of-pearl circle hoops – These are so pretty, so I was disappointed to see that the pearl design is only on one side of the earring. The back is all gold, which is easily seen when worn. There are better earrings out there for the price point.

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