WARDROBE
See this year’s sartorial additions here.

• Madewell packable straw visor in natural ($10) – I put my $25 birthday coupon toward this cute visor to put on when we’re hanging out on the deck and our umbrella just can’t shield all of the sun. The malleable material makes it easy to roll or fold to tuck into a tote bag, too.
• Madewell linen shorts in gingham ($55) – Aren’t these shorts just the sweetest? They’re a welcome alternative to the solid pairs I normally wear in the summer. They fit true to size.
• Boden fixed wrap jersey dress ($88) – If you’re back to in-person work events or meetings, get this dress. It’s easy to wear, breathable, flattering, and it has pockets. It also looks pretty cute with sneakers. It runs true to size. Be sure to fold it rather than use a hanger to avoid any stretched-out shoulders.
• Boden ruffle detail linen top ($80) – I’ve been such a fan of Boden this year. Their pieces are crafted so beautifully and this pretty top is no exception. It has a cute vintage-inspired print, straps that are wide enough to hide bra straps, and the linen fabric is substantial yet breathable.
• Joe’s Jeans mid-rise straight crop jeans ($80) – I bought a pair of these last year in blue and wore them so often that I wanted a backup pair. The traditional blue denim is no longer available, but I did find them in grey. They run large.

HOUSEHOLD

• All Modern ‘Piper’ Bench ($200) – I had been looking for a 36″ bench to put under a window in our bedroom over the past year and this one caught my eye, but it was constantly out of stock. One came back at the end of last month and I immediately snagged it. Assembly is straightforward, but I will say that it took a bit of effort because the holes weren’t drilled perfectly. After it was put together, though, it was sturdy. It doesn’t need to do much other than hold throw pillows while we’re sleeping, so it should work out.

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WARDROBE
See this year’s sartorial additions here.

• A New Day linen tank dress in black ($20) – This dress is a shapeless sack on its own. However, adding a belt or a simple tie around the waist makes it super cute! The fabric has a nice weight to it and it feels like it’s good quality for a Target dress. Go with your normal size.
• Chloé cat-eye sunglasses in black ($88) – These cat-eye shades are flattering, yet a touch more understated than my normal oversized sunglasses. I came across them while trying on sunglasses at Nordstrom Rack and couldn’t resist adding them to my collection.
• L.L. Bean organic cotton slub sweater in grey ($50) – This is such a cute sweatshirt-inspired sweater for spring. It’s lightweight and isn’t clingy, so it’s perfect to throw on with jeans for weekend errands or pair with workout wear for a morning walk. I went with my regular size medium.

HOUSEHOLD

• Schoolhouse winter + summer cotton coverlet ($200) – I’ve wanted this reversible blanket for awhile and finally bought it when Schoolhouse had a recent sale. I think it’ll be cute in our guest room whenever we get around to finishing that space.

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WARDROBE
See this year’s sartorial additions here.

• H&M tie-detail floral blouse ($18) – H&M items can be so hit or miss, but this one is a huge hit. It’s gauzy and airy, and a really fun retro-inspired print for spring. The v-neck is low enough to be flattering, too. Go down a size as I find H&M’s loose blouses to run rather large.
• Staud raffia moon bag ($265) – I put away a small portion of each paycheck into a “splurge” savings account, which allows me to indulge when a pricier can’t-live-without-it item crosses my radar. For this season, it’s this bag. I appreciate the Staud brand for its statement-worthy bags that don’t cost an arm and a leg, and I’ve admired the brand’s moon bags since their debut, but didn’t feel compelled to buy one until this raffia one debuted. It’s this perfect mix of vintage and modern, and looks great with all of my floaty summer dresses. It doesn’t hold a lot — not much more than a small shoulder bag — which is absolutely fine with a bag that essentially needs to be handheld.
• J.Crew square-neck, soft-crinkle gauze dress ($36) – J.Crew had a few incredible sales earlier this month and I ordered a few things that caught my eye. There were some misses, but this dress and the one listed below were huge wins. This dress has the most flattering neckline and a fitted bodice that’s forgiving thanks to the smocked back. I went with my normal size medium.
• J.Crew broken-in jersey tiered maxi dress ($24) – I also bought this dress in a medium, but probably could have gone down to a small. However, it can be adjusted easily with the waist tie that comes with it. It looks pretty with flat sandals and, of course, my new Staud bag. 😉
• A New Day flutter-sleeve wrap dress ($35; not pictured) – It’s such a bummer that this is nearly sold out because it’s really flattering. I went up a size to a large, which I tend to do with wrap dresses to give myself a bit more coverage.

HOUSEHOLD

• Target ‘Calla’ patio ottoman ($150; not pictured) – We’ve wanted to buy an outdoor ottoman for the past two years, but would forget until early summer when patio furniture was long gone. I snagged this one at Target right away this year and it’s a great size for both of us to use it at the same time. Plus, it’s on the affordable side of outdoor furniture. I don’t love the faux bamboo paint job on the metal frame and am going to spray paint it black to match the rest of our outdoor pieces once it’s warmer out.
• IVV textured lowball glasses ($48/two) – I’m such a sucker for pretty glassware and finally indulged in a pair of these after crushing on them for awhile. They’re beautiful and they make me the happiest.
• nuLOOM braided indoor/outdoor accent rug in the 2′ x 3′ size in light grey ($24) – I bought a pair of these for interior doormats because I wanted something more neutral than what we had originally. I can’t actually lay them out yet since our first floor is covered with paper for construction, but I think they’ll be a nice option. There are brown and black threads woven throughout so hopefully it’ll hide dirt. It’s made of polypropylene, so it should be easy to hose off when it’s dirty.

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The star of the show this month is undoubtedly that gingham coat. It’s beautiful! I fell in love with it on the brand’s Instagram feed and couldn’t get it out of my mind. I decided to order it with a portion of my tax return so I didn’t feel as guilty about adding yet another coat to my collection. If you haven’t already, sign up for Boden’s emails to stay abreast of discount codes. I saved 20% on the coat, which was a not-so-insignificant amount of money. As always, mini reviews, links, and the price I paid are listed below.

WARDROBE
See this year’s sartorial additions here.

• Nike ‘Daybreak’ sneaker in rattan ($68) – These are so comfortable! I bought a pair in light blue last year and they’re starting to look too worn to be a “fashion sneaker” and have been relegated to walking shoes.
• Boden ‘Bonnie’ gingham coat ($264) – This coat is gorgeous and is extremely well made from the matched pattern to the beautiful lining. I used the True Fit Size guidelines and they were correct for me. The coat is fitted in the shoulders and does have extra room in the torso, but it doesn’t look loose. It’s just a really beautifully cut, ladylike piece that you’ll have forever. I can’t say enough good things about it and I just can’t wait for it to get nicer out so I can snap some photos to share with you! (I’ll admit, though, that I’m nervous about this becoming too large. I’m actively working to lose weight and am down five pounds already, but I don’t think the smaller size is going to work. I’ve kept the packaging in case I need to do an exchange in the next month or so.)
• Boden blouson cotton top in black ($38) – This is such a flattering top! It has the ease of a t-shirt, but in an elevated shape with the ruched scoop neck and three-quarter length sleeves that you can dress it up for work/Zoom calls.
• Tuckernuck black stretch crepe shirtdress ($168) – I’m an event manager and we’re getting back to in-person programming. Unfortunately, the pandemic pounds made it so that my regular go-to pieces for work events no longer fit. This wasn’t cheap, but I wanted something that felt elevated and well made that I could easily wear to every event in the foreseeable future. My dress doesn’t open quite as nicely at the placket like the one in the image and has a mandarin collar effect, so I’ll need to iron it so it lays open for a more flattering look. I’m 5’6″ and it hits right above my knee. I went with a medium and it does seem like it runs large, but the sizing will likely be forgiving when I shed more of the weight.

HOUSEHOLD

• Target fabric storage box ($17) – The pattern on the top of these storage boxes doesn’t line up with the bottom, so steer clear if that’ll bother you. Otherwise, these are pretty cute for some hidden storage on a bookshelf.
• Vintage wine glasses ($15/set of six; find them on eBay) – I always believed that any glass could be a wine glass if you put your mind to it, but I do feel like more of an adult after finding a cute vintage set. 😉

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I love how a new year feels like a fresh slate and this month’s purchases were a reflection of that as I got back to the basics filling a couple of holes in my wardrobe with classic pearl drop earrings and a pair of non-cropped jeans. This month’s household projects desperately yearned for spring with some faux greenery and new sheets, and that boot tray is a long overdue need to keep our floors protected from salt and melting snow. As always, you’ll find the links below along with product reviews and additional commentary.

WARDROBE
See this year’s sartorial additions here.

• Chan Luu baroque pearl earrings in grey ($81; join their email and SMS list for a discount code) – These are more grey in person than they appear online. If you’d rather have a white pair, click here. They’re beautiful in person, and they nail that traditional-meets-modern design.
• J.Crew 8″ Toothpick Jeans in ‘Vista’ ($90) – I had one pair of jeans that fit and they were cropped, which wasn’t exactly great for a Wisconsin winter. After trying on three other pairs of jeans (and this pair in two sizes), I finally found one that fits and I feel good in. This pair hits me right at the ankle and I ended up with my regular size.

HOUSEHOLD

• Threshold small faux maidenhair fern ($15) & Threshold small faux ZZ plant ($15) – Target is knocking it out of the park this season with its selection of faux plants. I picked up the fern to put on the bottom shelf of our entryway table, atop of stack of books. We don’t get much sunlight there so most natural plants (at least those that are pet-friendly) would perish. This is a wonderful alternative that adds a cheerful dose of lifelike greenery. I put the ZZ plant on our desk. We have a couple of large real ZZ plants that Oliver doesn’t bother, but I didn’t want to tempt fate and poison our little dude with a tabletop one.
• Anji Mountain rubber boot tray with coir insert ($31) – Hey, I’ll be the first to admit that boot trays aren’t pretty, but this one isn’t bad! Plus, it’s practical! The coir insert is removeable so you can shake out any accumulated dirt and debris. I bought the small size, which is perfect for two pairs of winter boots.
• Hearth & Hand ticking stripe sheet set ($65) – While soft, these aren’t nearly as wonderful as our splurge-worthy linen sheets. However, I thought a set of striped sheets would be cute with our floral duvet cover. It is. Plus, it’s always nice to have another backup set in the linen closet.

MISCELLANEOUS

• Casegrace travel jewelry box ($9) – Gone are the days of tucking my jewelry into plastic sandwich bags when I travel! You can see more photos of this practical — and affordable — jewelry case here.
• Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Lipstick in Fierce Flamingo ($23) – I’m a sucker for pink lipstick and this one is even more vibrant than the shade I typically wear. It’s a fun infusion of color and a shot of dopamine I desperately need in the middle of winter. It’s a bit drying, though, so I can’t wear it for more than one day at a time to allow my lips time to recover.

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