Weekend Links

March 31, 2018 by jessica Leave a Comment

Happy Easter weekend! We’re keeping things low key around here, mostly because it’s going to be chilly and windy, which doesn’t offer much motivation to leave the house! While we’re hunkering down at home, I’d like to install the ceiling fan we purchased for our bedroom and the light fixture we bought for the office. Swapping out light fixtures makes the rooms feel more finished, even if they’re not to that point just yet.

In other news, how cute are the red hoop earrings pictured above? Callixto sent them over last week and I can’t wait to pair them with nautical stripes and my favorite pink dress this spring!

Weekend Links:

There’s still time to dye Easter eggs this weekend! I love how these eggs turned out with plant-based dyes.
Instagram is making tweaks to the algorithm to [hopefully] show you more timely content.
These eyelet bow-topped flats are perfect to wear to work this spring. I’m really tempted to pull the trigger!
If you need a reason to visit D.C., look no further than the Renwick Gallery’s new exhibition “No Spectators: The Art of Burning Man.”
Exploring why your favorite TV characters with less-than-lavish lifestyles have such expensive wardrobes.
Five stores that will match Costco’s prices.
More photos of Target’s upcoming Opalhouse line. I need to get my hands on those rattan chairs for our enclosed front porch, even if that renovation is a long ways off. (Although, I’m willing to bet that this rattan beauty is better quality than the Target ones will be!)
Add personality to boring white napkins with this dip-dye DIY.
Roasted fennel yogurt dip looks amazing.

Finds Under $50:

These earrings are on sale for a limited time. I love them in white.
I know this is such a dorky thing to be excited about, but I just purchased two of these laundry hampers and they look so good inside the closet.
Add a splash of color to your wardrobe with this red mini dress.
Take 50% off this color-blocked straw tote with code YESPLEASE to bring the price down to $34. It’ll be perfect for your trips to the farmers’ market.
If you were interested in Old Navy’s gingham bow sandals, get ’em now. The last size run sold out within a week. They’re also available in black, coral, or blush suede-like material.
These colorful earrings are fun for summer!

Earlier This Week:

The pieces I added to my wardrobe this month.
This week’s “The Coveted” is all about gingham.
March’s mini moments.
I’m eager to install this light fixture over the weekend. (Find it online here. I only paid $29, so keep an eye on it.)

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Weekend Links

March 24, 2018 by jessica Leave a Comment

Happy Saturday! We only have one more weekend to go until we’re wheels up in route to London! I can’t adequately describe how happy we are to having a trip on the horizon. We haven’t had a vacation in over a year, with the exception of taking a few days off last summer to paint the house. We both need a break from work and an opportunity to explore a new-to-us city. I’ve been going back and forth on booking reservations for tea at Sketch. It’s obviously an Instagram favorite and the tea service does have good reviews, but I’m not sure if spending the equivalent of $160 is worth it for a photo opp when I’d be just as happy with street food. Other than that, we’re in fairly good shape with our itinerary and we’ll be putting the finishing touches on it this weekend.

We’ll also spend time around the house this weekend putting our spring projects in motion. One of the biggest things we’d like to tackle is our outdoor space. Last summer, our lawn was mostly made up with weeds, which normally doesn’t bother me as long as it’s green, but we want to whip things into shape this year and create an outdoor area that we want to spend time in. We raked the leaves this week and picked up all of the sticks that fell over the winter. We also ripped up the landscape fabric that the previous owner put down over the entire perimeter of the yard for some ungodly reason. It looked awful and you’d see pieces of torn fabric in the yard, especially after mowing. Now that that’s gone, we’ll put down grass seed and see if that takes. We do need to have four trees removed when we get back from our trip because they’re infected with emerald ash borer. I was initially upset that four mature trees need to go, but they’re dying and removing them should give our yard a lot more sunlight in the afternoon. (Plus, one that’s getting taken out drapes over our deck and spiders randomly fall out of it. Ew.) After that, we’ll look to paint or stain our front porch, stain the deck, and buy outdoor furniture. Phew!

Weekend Links:

I’m smitten with Clare Elsaesser’s art. I’m contemplating this print, this one, or this one for our home.
You’ll be surprised to learn what color the Eiffel Tower was originally painted.
This bathroom is seriously inspirational. I love how the different tiles work together to create a cohesive space.
A roundup of spring cocktails to try.
Fashion photographer Bill Cunningham wrote a secret memoir that will be published this September. You can pre-order it here.
Jessica’s roundup of every outfit she wore in Australia is giving me major wanderlust.
This chair is amazing.
I really dislike our kitchen. The walls have an awful textured treatment, the floor is outdated linoleum that looks like river rocks (seriously), and the counter is a speckled brown that hides just about every crumb and spill (great, until you clean and realize it was dirtier than you thought it was). We don’t want to invest too much in a remodel, so we’re just looking at doing cosmetic changes. One will definitely be painting the cabinets white. I’ve bookmarked this post with step-by-step directions for doing it right.
Gray Malin wallpaper is a thing!
My style icon, Iris Apfel, now has her very own Barbie! While I won’t be purchasing the doll, I did just order her book.
16 of the most beautiful streets in the world.

Finds Under $50:

I love the wood detail in these modern earrings.
How great is the bust detailing on this swimsuit?
I’m eager to try this lip scrub.
The perfect mug for weekend coffee.
These bow-topped slides are the cutest!
Classic menswear-inspired pajamas.
The shape of this sleek cocktail shaker is perfect.
A sophisticated jumpsuit that will look adorable with black slides this summer.

Earlier This Week:

Wearing all of my favorites in one outfit.
I have a crush on both pairs of earrings in this week’s “The Coveted.”
Sharing five of my can’t-live-without-it items under $50.

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image via Unsplash

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Weekend Links

March 10, 2018 by jessica 1 Comment

Happy Saturday, everyone! We made it through another week, which means spring is that much closer. (Don’t forget to “spring ahead” and move your clocks an hour forward tonight.) We have absolutely nothing on our must-do list this weekend and I couldn’t be happier about it. Yesterday afternoon was a busy one, though. I was on the phone for almost two hours scheduling companies to give us quotes on tree trimming and widening the end of our driveway. I also scheduled an appointment for someone to come in and discuss adding roller shades to our dining room and bedrooms. They don’t look difficult to do on my own, but I want to feel all of the material choices and have someone else measure and install them so I don’t screw it up. We’ll look at adding drapes down the road. For now, I just need our bedroom to be dark!

Weekend Links:

Daylight Saving Time starts tomorrow. Even though I find the concept asinine (even more so after reading this), I’m excited for it to be light out longer after work.
Exploring the history of leopard print clothing.
Lydia linked to this post about the early days of blogging in her “Peaks of the Week” post last Friday. Does anyone else miss the days where we were all eager to support each other and share the great things one another was posting? It made the blogging community so fun! I’d like to become better about doing that myself.
Mattel’s Barbie brand is honoring a new group of women in its “Shero” collection. The collection was launched in 2015 with dolls “based on women who break boundaries in sports, politics and entertainment.”
Did you see Bozoma Saint John’s amazing Oscar look?
These shoes look way more expensive than they are. Plus, you can take 40% off this weekend with code FRIENDS40.
How to estimate the cost of a renovation.
A tangerine, ginger, and chocolate tart looks like an amazing choice for an Easter dessert.
I discovered the whimsical work of Janet Hill Studio this week.
These are such good tips for having a date night at home. (I’m guilty of wearing loungewear … making a mental note to correct that!)

Finds Under $50:

I stopped by Old Navy yesterday to buy this dress in grey. It’s going to be so comfy for our international flight! I then spotted this dress on my way out. I was wearing layers and tights and didn’t want to go back in the dressing room, but it looks like it’s good quality and it’s really cute!
This tie-front dress is perfect for spring!
I always feel conflicted about designer knockoffs, but these affordable parrot earrings are pretty amazing.
A simple dress with a twist.
Brighten up your kitchen with a colorful collection of juice glasses. (While we’re on the topic of colored glassware, I’m thinking about this pitcher for the tray on top of our bar cabinet. It’s so pretty!)
A sophisticated menswear-inspired nightshirt.

Earlier This Week:

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image via Unsplash

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Weekend Links

March 2, 2018 by jessica 3 Comments

Happy Friday! I couldn’t be happier that this week is wrapping up. I was in a funk for most of it and kind of crabby, which I’m sure is partly due to the transitional weather that seems to drag on when spring is tantalizingly close. On the happier side, I played hooky on Tuesday afternoon to enjoy temperatures that edged close to 60 degrees. I bought myself tulips, went for a two-and-a-half mile walk, and made headway on some blog ideas. This week also marks a personal accomplishment of losing 10 pounds since Thanksgiving. I started counting calories with the MyFitnessPal app at the beginning of the year, so I’m only 5.3 pounds down there, but I’m still really proud of myself. I’m hoping to lose another 10 pounds this year, so form-fitting clothing purchases will be put on the back burner during this time. But you know I’m crazy about the loose dresses, so I’m sure I’ll amass plenty of spring duds I can wear throughout the weight-loss period. 😉 How was your week?

Weekend Links:

My new favorite Twitter account.
Organization guru, Marie Kondo, collaborated with Cuyana on a collection of perfect jewelry travel cases.
Angela kicked off a new blog series where she features her favorite font finds of the month, including a freebie to download. (Don’t be surprised if you see that ‘Chloe’ font make an appearance on the blog.)
Obviously Christmas is a long way off, but I couldn’t help ordering these mules yesterday to pack away for the holiday season. Aren’t they ridiculous in the very best way? It’s basically the shoe version of an ugly sweater.
Here are 45 ideas for decorating a blank wall in your home. Plus, use Grace’s tip for affordable art! (We have a random doorway cut between our master bedroom and the guest room from when the house was a two-flat. The guest room was the kitchen and we had to remove cabinetry when we moved in. The master bedroom must have been the living room. It wouldn’t be so bad if the door frame was more than just haphazard two-by-fours and there was an actual door to separate the rooms. Anyway, we’re looking to close it off and add a shallow bookcase to the master bedroom side to display items. That list is coming in handy.)
An interview with Desiree Gruber with great advice on building your personal brand.
This vase is such a work of art.
Chanel is launching a pop-up beauty shop with so many Instagrammable moments. Swing by if you’re in L.A. at the beginning of March!
My optometrist keeps suggesting I consider LASIK because I’ve had stable vision for well over a decade. (I swear, he must get some sort of referral commission considering how many times he’s suggested it.) Julia’s experience with vision correction sounds like absolute hell and has put me in the “F* no” camp on that one.
Meet the designers behind some of the most striking book covers.

Finds Under $50:

Bow-topped slides in a pretty lavender hue.
A pretty pink sweater is the perfect piece for winter-to-spring weather.
I love that this phone case is inspired by a take-out bag.
If you really want to make a statement at your next cocktail soiree, bust out a vintage-inspired velvet turban.
This dramatic necklace will add a punch to your simplest dresses this spring.
Use code DIYUMSN to take 30% off slides that come in a fun blue glitter option or a multi-color stripe.

Earlier This Week:

Reaching for the classics when I feel uninspired.
This week’s most coveted items.
What I bought this month.
Behind the Baubles with Candy Shop Vintage.

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image via Unsplash

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Weekend Links

February 24, 2018 by jessica 1 Comment

Weekend Links:

I didn’t particularly enjoy Savannah when we visited for day trip, but Ashley’s post makes me want to give it another shot.
This pineapple purse is equal parts ridiculous and amazing.
Thinking about purchasing a Dutch oven? Here’s a comparison between Le Creuset (which I have), Staub, and cheaper alternatives.
Lilly Pulitzer is collaborating with Pottery Barn this spring.
Seven ways to find inspiration when you’re in a home decor rut.
I love this tweed take on a denim jacket.
A primer on David Hicks, the inspiration behind Tory Burch’s spring collection. I’m all about this pretty scarf.
Flower shops are popping up in chic boutiques everywhere lately.
Jewelry designer Ariel Gordon has such a whimsical showroom!
Grace takes us on a tour of artist Hunt Slonem’s studio.

Finds Under $50:

BaubleBar is having a huge sale with up to 80% off. These ball drop earrings are just $12! I have them in black and turquoise.
An extra 40% off sale brings this brass pineapple down to just $15.
The gingham purse pictured above.
If gingham isn’t your thing, how about a darling pink mini bag?
This pretty top would look great with a pair of jeans on the weekend.
A halter-neck swimsuit with scalloped trim.

Earlier This Week:

Four ways to style a $49 shift dress.
Target is launching a new home decor line. I’m all about the rattan chairs.
Coveting crisp red and white for spring.

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