BEDKNOBS & BAUBLES

Bon Voyage

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We’re leaving tomorrow for a Memorial Day weekend road trip to Cincinnati! I’ve never been to Ohio, so I’m eager to check another state off my list. We’ve found dozens of bars to visit and restaurants to try. (Although, I’m not too sure about the area’s beloved Cincinnati chili.) We’ll play the rest by ear and see what we stumble across. As always, keep in touch on Instagram and Snapchat (bedknobsandbaubles). See you on Tuesday!

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Sandals: J.Crew
Dress: MICHAEL Michael Kors (in black here and here)
Bag: Tory Burch

The Coveted

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Before I delve into the items that caught my eye this week, there’s a huge event worth mentioning: Nordstrom’s Half-Yearly Sale. It’s your chance to snag spring and summer merchandise at up to 40% off. Some of my favorites include a black trapeze sexy ball gown prom dress, a work-appropriate satchel, a “Nudist” sandal knockoff (or get the real version in navy on sale here), and simple leather sandals by Tory Burch (metallics available here). Now that that’s squared away, here’s what caught my eye this week:

  • A zigzag eyelet shell in navy. Aside from this top, I’m disappointed in J.Crew’s new arrivals this month. Who’s going to pay $110 for an ugly yarn and seed bead choker? The product description says, “So if someone asks if you made it yourself, you have our permission to say yes.” I wouldn’t take credit for it and evidently J.Crew doesn’t want to either. And then there’s this. What the hell? And these! Because plastic in the summer is always a good idea.
  • Ben-Amun statement earrings. In fact, there are many gorgeous new arrivals from the designer on The Outnet right now. Most earrings are under $100.
  • A sweet little notebook. I’d like to start bringing a journal on vacations to record daily activities and observations. I usually assume Facebook is good enough, but I’m forgetful and a notebook is much more romantic.
  • Culottes! They’re so ridiculous, but I still want a pair. White would look pretty with that J.Crew shell… 😉 Shop a selection of white culottes and other white pants here.
  • A navy bucket bag. Navy is by far my favorite color, but I have yet to add a bag in the hue to my collection. I’m also obsessed with this bag. I saw it at the Tory Burch boutique last month and haven’t stopped thinking about it.
  • Iridescent slides on sale! I also love these and the iridescent version of the heels I wore to a wedding last month.

Tropical Prints

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I wish I could say it’s good to be back home, but it’s really not as lovely as our vacation in Florida! We had such a relaxing week taking day trips to nearby cities, lounging oceanside, and dining (and drinking) at various restaurants. Despite getting back Saturday evening sun-kissed and sleepy, I set an alarm for 1 a.m. to await the debut of the Lilly Pulitzer for Target collection. Did anyone else stay up for it? I know many ladies had problems accessing the site (including Kristin Davis) and I was extremely lucky to find my must-have items. I was only able to add items to my cart if I clicked the quick shopping link on the mobile search page, instead of the product page. I managed to purchase the pineapple serving bowl (it was the one item I would have thrown elbows for in-store 😉 ), two of the giraffe-print pillows for our bed (lucky Dave), a cosmetic case, a pair of pom pom shorts, and this top. Honestly, I felt ridiculous making these purchases in the middle of the night, but everything was sold out when I stopped by Target around 8:15 a.m.

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Top: Milly x Banana Republic (old, also love this tank)
Shorts: J.Crew
Bag: Tory Burch
Necklace: c/o Helen Ficalora*
Ring: Lulu Frost
Sunglasses: Prada
Sandals: Sam Edelman (I wear these on repeat all summer.)
Lips: Stila “Fiore”
Nails: Clinique “Hi Sweetie” and Essie “In the Cab-ana”

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*Check back tomorrow for a special Mother’s Day giveaway!

Ten Things

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My favorite bloggers are women who are smart, self-assured, and authentic. And I love getting to know more about them, which is why I love the “Ten Things” posts from Fran and Alissa earlier this month. To follow in the footsteps of these lovely ladies, here are ten things you might not know about me:

  1. I’m allergic to cats, Bacon included. Fortunately, I don’t break out in hives around him like I do most cats. I just need a rescue inhaler for the asthma he caused. (And, yet, I still can’t resist his fuzzy little face.)
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  2. I’m comfortable around guns. My dad is a retired police officer and a hunting enthusiast, so we always had firearms around the house growing up. He was very open about them and answered questions my brother and I had, so we weren’t curious enough to snoop when our parents weren’t home. I didn’t share an interest in hunting, obviously, but I was required to take a hunters’ safety class. I earned top marks on the written test and the field test. I remember being surprised that not everyone hit the bullseye. I mean, you look down the barrel and shoot. How hard is it?! Haha. (My brother is in the U.S. Army and is an excellent marksman. It must run in the family.)
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  3. I took Dutch for two semesters in college. It’s a shame I only retained a handful of phrases and the correct pronunciation of “Gouda.”
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  4. I have a tooth on the roof of my mouth and only three incisors on the bottom instead of four. The one on the roof of my mouth is dormant (thank God), but there’s a calcium deposit where a tooth could have formed. Strangely, my brother has the exact same deformity and his tooth came in. Poor kid had to have it removed in elementary school. (His wisdom teeth never formed, so don’t be too sympathetic.)
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  5. I will always choose beer over wine. (Any fellow beer geeks can find me on Untappd with username jmhamm.) Also, I’ll never order soda. I stopped drinking it two years ago and now find it sickeningly sweet.
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  6. My dad trimmed my bangs when I was little by taping lined paper to my forehead to make sure his cuts were straight. I remember seeing the scissor shadows come dangerously close to my eyes!
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  7. I make really good sugar cookies. My mom is an fantastic baker and I’ve inherited plenty of family recipes, including the sugar cookie recipe that I’ve perfected.
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  8. I was in Girl Scouts long after it was socially acceptable. I stuck it out for twelve years and earned the Gold Award, the highest award in Girl Scouts, by organizing a summer reading program for first through third grade children.
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  9. I’m named after the main character in some tawdry romance novel my mom read when she was pregnant with me. (Bonus: I was born in May and my parents briefly considered giving that to me as a middle name. Until they said “Jessica May Hamm” out loud. A little too close to “mayhem” for their liking. They picked Marie.)
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  10. I hate watching movies, but I love binge-watching television shows.  A movie seems like such a time commitment to sit through, even though I have no problem planting myself in front of the TV for hours of House of Cards.
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Top: J.Crew Factory (similar here and here)
Shorts: J.Crew
Shoes: Sperry
Purse: Tory Burch
Bracelet: Monica Vinader
Rings: Lulu Frost, c/o Vrai & Oro
Sunglasses: Dolce & Gabbana c/o SmartBuyGlasses
Nails: Zoya “Blu” (and a Band-Aid on my index finger 😉 )
Lips: Clinique “Peony”