Happy Labor Day weekend! We thought about taking a relatively impromptu trip somewhere, but then decided that staying close to home to work on a few projects and relax was probably a better use of our time! We’ll squeeze in a daylong jaunt to Lake Michigan tomorrow, though! It’s going to be 80 degrees and I could use one last day to play in the water before summer temperatures finally leave us. I hope you have a lovely and relaxing holiday weekend!

Weekend Reading

• I can’t wrap my head around the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey. If you’d like to donate to the relief efforts, here are some options to consider. (I’d urge you to donate money instead of things. As well-meaning as supplies, clothing, and medications are, it takes time to sort through everything and even more time to get those items in the hands of the people that need them. Financial donations allow officials to purchase the items that are needed immediately.)
• The best part of grade school was adding new Lisa Frank school supplies to my arsenal. These sneakers would have been the Holy Grail item in my collection.
• Watching old episodes of Gossip Girl is one of my guilty pleasures. I loved this piece reflecting on the show’s fashion on its 10th anniversary.
• I love that Allie had her tailor take the bottom portion of her dress off. It looks so much cuter short!
• Can this just go on sale for like 50% off, please?
• How to brown meat so it’s actually brown.
• Five questions to ask yourself when you’re cleaning out your closet.
• The most popular interior design choices by age. (Maybe there’s something to it. I did just order this mid-century modern bar cabinet.)
• Ten things you should never pass up at an antique shop.
• If you’re hanging out at home this weekend, you can still make it a memorable one with these Labor Day weekend staycation ideas.

Five Under $50

• The cutest pajama shirt! It has cheetahs on it!
• A ladylike blouse. (A 40% discount will be applied at checkout.)
•  Take 50% off this graphic-print top.
• A one-shoulder top with preppy stripes.
• A wear-with-everything tote.

Earlier This Week:

• How to paint wood paneling.
• Where my money went last month.
• This week’s very grownup “The Coveted.” (That monkey-print dress arrived yesterday and it doesn’t fit! I’m so bummed! The shoulder seams didn’t sit correctly and it was too large on top. It also would have needed to be hemmed.)

• I can’t believe we’re heading into the last week of August! I’m looking forward to autumn — especially the days that are cool enough for sweaters, but warm enough for bare legs! But I feel like I barely enjoyed summer this year! With the house hunt, purchase, painting, moving, and housework, my favorite season slipped away. This weekend is all about making the most of one the last summer weekends with bike rides, grilling, and drinks on our deck.

I’ve been quieter than usual on the blog this week. I had been having terrible hand and wrist pain for the last few weeks and finally went to the doctor. I have tendinitis from overuse of those muscles (likely aggravated by using a paintbrush just about every night for a month!). I have a brace to wear when I’m doing activities that make my wrist hurt (e.g. typing, using the mouse, driving…), but what I really need is rest to let it heal. I’m pretty disappointed about it, but hey, at least it’s not carpal tunnel!

Weekend Reading:

• Christina and Robert’s redecorated patio is serving as major inspiration for ours. We won’t be doing anything with it this year given that it’s so late in the season, but it’s going to be our little oasis next year!
• Goop can be pretty ridiculous.
• Take an extra 20% off sale items at West Elm this weekend with code EXTRASALE. This leather chair is gorgeous and I love the black marble top of this coffee table.
• Interior decorating tips for your 20s, 30s, and 40s. The 30s section is spot on with what we’re currently focused on!
• Strawberry, pineapple, and orange sorbet sounds like the perfect late-summer dessert.
• Did you realize that dry conditioners are a thing?
• Isn’t this sweater just perfect for early autumn? I ordered it in the spice color, along with this denim mini skirt to hopefully wear with it!
• Tips on turning small talk into meaningful conversation.
• It’s Anthro Day today, which means there’s 20% off full-price items. Get this metallic tunic and let me know how amazing it is for holiday parties. (May as well pre-plan, right?)
• We binge-watched Friends from College last weekend and it’s amazing!

Five Under $50:

• I was first drawn to this emerald green shirt dress that looks way more luxe than its $35 price tag, and then I saw the printed version with monkeys and I’m even more obsessed with it. I love the cheeky print! I really want to order it to try with a structured black satchel and Ferragamo flats.
• Update your home for fall with gorgeous velvet pillows. These pillow covers are only $10.
• A cute travel pouch for all of your must-have cosmetics.
• Use code DEAL to take 40% off this blouse. I love the lace detail!
• Wool-blend felt gives these sneakers the perfect update for fall.

Earlier This Week:

• I’ve had this dress for two weeks and I’ve already worn it three times.
• Rounding up what I’d like to wear this fall.
• Best. Earrings. Ever.

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image via

Between white supremacists marching in Charlottesville where Heather Heyer tragically lost her life, Trump’s complete and utter incompetency, and an horrific terrorist attack in Barcelona, this has been a pretty shitty week. Sometimes I feel superficial by glossing over current events on the blog. There are a lot of beautiful things in the world that I’d much rather talk about. However, that’s getting more and more difficult. Here’s to a weekend of love, acceptance, and healing.

Weekend Reading:

• The solar eclipse is this Monday! Here are tips on photographing it with your phone.
• Jenny shared great tips for first-time home buyers.
• Exploring the differences in work demands for people without children. I work in very flexible workplace and am allowed to leave early for personal reasons if need be. However, it’s a lot easier for someone with children to fall back on kids as an excuse without it being questioned by anyone.
• We’re going to Milwaukee today to pick up our new nightstands. (We saved around $60 on shipping to have them sent to the store for pick up and I was able to use an in-store discount when we ordered them.) I love the mid-century design, but I’d like to give them more personality by switching out the drawer pulls. I’m going to go with either this or this.
• Cathy shares her tips on growing your Instagram following. (I actually started using Planoly for Curated Couple and I love it!)
• This pleated ombre skirt is so fun! Wear it with a camel-colored sweater and neutral heels to let the skirt really stand out.
• Cookie Monster is coming out with a cookbook and it sounds pretty adorable!
• I’ve been following interior design Instagram accounts for inspiration in our house. Here are 25 to follow. Then, check out these five for actually purchasing home finds.
• Prada and Miu Miu’s fuzzy hats are all kinds of amazing and fashion editors agree.
• Why catalogs still survive in the digital age.

Five Under $50:

• I ordered a few things from Target to try on this week. It’s all going back except for this unexpected win: a glen plaid bomber jacket.
• An oversize pair of Lucite earrings make a major statement.
• A dark floral cami with flirty ruffles.
• A classic bag in faux leather.
• The mixed prints on this romper are gorgeous! It’s 60% off for a limited time with code SUMMER60.

Earlier This Week:

• The Kate Spade dress I’ll be wearing every week this fall.
• I’m crazy about the blue heels in this week’s “The Coveted.” They also come in navy velvet, which are just as gorgeous.
• I went down memory road with my sartorial purchases to figure out what pieces eventually landed in the donation pile. Hopefully this approach helps me save money in the future.
• My new sandals! They took zero time to break in! (Snag ’em here. I want the black ones next.)

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image via

We booked an April trip to London last week! I looked up flight prices on a lark and found round-trip tickets from Chicago for just $581 per person — which isn’t much more than a domestic flight! Plus, I had $500 in travel credits on my Capital One Venture card, bringing our combined ticket price to $662.  It felt indulgent to add a European trip to our calendar so soon after purchasing a house (even at such a great price), but it’s really fun to have something to look forward to and there’s plenty of time to save up money for spending abroad. Let me know what we need to add to our must-do list! We’re such planners that we already have a Google Map started for the adventure! We’ll be there for ten days, so we can add a day trip, too. (Paris is tempting for a daylong jaunt, but since neither one us has been before, I’m afraid we’ll feel like it wasn’t nearly enough time.)

Weekend Reading:

• Grace put together a list of blogging tips.
• White ankle boots are perfectly mod.
• Diptyque just released a New York candle.
• Costume designers share tips to organize your closet.
• Cj Hendry’s work looks like photographs of blobs of paint, but they’re actually colored pencil drawings.
• Food styling tips to make your salad photographs look more appetizing.
• Make fish tacos this weekend.
• I’m obsessed with the sleeves on this sweater.
• The interesting history of Kotex pads.
• 80 of the best online furniture shops.

Five Under $50:

• Use code DRESSITUP to save $50 on these sandals, bringing the price down to $48. I bought the acorn color, which should be perfect for summer-to-fall transitional outfits.
• The prettiest gold fringe earrings.
• Pink ankle-length pants are the work staple you didn’t know you needed.
• A flattering wrap dress that’s perfect for the weekend.
• A floral blouse with an interesting twist detail at the neckline.

Earlier This Week:

• I want the coat, the velvet platforms, and the faux pearl-encrusted bag. (At least the price point of the latter is reasonable.)
• Style steals under $50 and under $100!
• Five things we learned buying a house in an aggressive sellers’ market, and what we went through to snag our house.

photo via