I thought about keeping mum about this until after our home inspection next week, but I’m terrible at keeping secrets: we have an accepted offer on a house! It’s a diamond in the rough that was built in 1929 and, sadly, hasn’t been taken care of over the years. The owner has been living with his girlfriend and left this house all but abandoned. We were really lucky that he asked our agent’s firm to sell the house because we were able to get in before anyone else and put in an offer at asking without competition to drive up the price. It’s in our ideal area (in fact, it’s three blocks away from the house we lost last year) and has charming details inside, including original hardwood floors throughout. The big things in the house (roof, siding, windows, furnace, air conditioner, etc.) have been taken care of, but the interior hasn’t been well-maintained or updated. We’re in for an adventure together as we bring this gem back to life! This isn’t going to be an easy or fast project. We don’t have an endless bank account to go in and make all of the changes right away. There’s going to be compromises and patience and DIYs! It’s going to be a labor of love, and we’ve actually purchased a URL to blog about our journey. (It redirects here for now, but I’ll share it once our first post is live.) If you want to follow our Instagram account before we actually have content, it’s @curatedcouple. I know I’m getting ahead of myself because it could all fall apart after the inspection, but I’m cautiously optimistic. Send good vibes!

Weekend Reading:

• Love the look of Chanel’s classic cap toe pumps but not the price tag? Try an affordable alternative.
• Here’s the real story behind the Zillow listing that went viral earlier this month.
• I just discovered Orlando’s blog and Instagram last week and I’m absolutely obsessed with his aesthetic, personality, and refreshingly honest take on relationships and not having a picture-perfect lifestyle blogger persona.
• Can’t say I totally hate the idea of rompers for men, but I do hate the name RompHim.
• Whitney looks adorable in a bee-print dress. I never would have expected it was from the Victoria Beckham for Target children’s collection!
• My birthday is fast approaching on May 30! This dress would be the perfect frock to celebrate in.
• We’re considering a long weekend getaway to Atlanta in August. Of course, the first thing I looked into was the best murals for Instagrams and outfit photos. 😉 Let me know if you have any recommendations!
• I’m all about the gadget Jess found that helps keep her from murdering house plants. (I’m the worst at remembering to water them.)
• Speaking of plants, learn more about “the Blue Apron of agriculture.” Basically, there’s a company called Seedsheet that sells collections of seeds in a plantable weed-blocking fabric. The fabric eventually dissolves and you’re on your way to growing dinner.
• I never got on board with Bauble Bar’s Crispin earrings because I didn’t care for the fishhook post, but I’m crazy about this version with a hidden post backing.

ICYMI:

• Another nautical roundup.
• Perfect pineapple pieces.

image via Unsplash

While I was working on this post this morning, Dave peeked over my shoulder and teased “Weekend Reading … about myself.” He’s so punchy in the morning! (::eye roll::) But yes, one of this week’s highlights includes my feature in Madison Magazine this month as one of the city’s most fashionable people. It was so flattering, but I really can’t hold a candle to the others featured in the section! (And in retrospect, I wish I had went with sandals for the picture. It was a chilly day in early April when we shot these and while we were inside the humid botanical gardens, it didn’t cross my mind to bring along warm-weather footwear!)

I house-hunting news, we have two properties to see today that have potential. One has been updated, but not to our tastes. (The bathroom is completely done in brown tile. It’s something…) However, it has a lot of space that we can expand into and my favorite feature is an upstairs bedroom with a balcony overlooking the backyard. It looks like such a relaxing space to make into our office. The other house was built in 1929, in our ideal neighborhood, and not officially on the market yet. We haven’t seen any interior photos and our real estate agent cautioned that it needs updates, but I’m still optimistic and it would be a relief to not have competing offers.

Weekend Reading:

• The “Plan Bee” drone can pollinate flowers just as well as bees can.
• Use code “FRIENDS” to save 50% on these items at M’oda ‘Operandi’s Friends & Family sale. I’m tempted to pick up Coqui Coqui’s Orange Blossom fragrance. I’ve heard really good things about it!
• I’m already a fan of Nicki Minaj, but now I love her even more.
• Remember the glory days of the wristlet?
• This gingham jumpsuit is too cute! I just ordered it to try on, along with this dress.
• Fran shared her experience saying yes to the dress at Kleinfeld Bridal.
• I’m sure we’re going to end up with a less-than-stellar bathroom in our house. Provided the home has more than one bathroom, Dave gave me the green light to paint the vanity pink like Elsie did in her guest bathroom. He cautioned that it means we’d also need to find a vintage brass light fixture for the room, preferably with a pineapple design. (This is love, people.)
• Here’s an easy DIY for a floral photo backdrop.
• Twenty-four books to add to your summer reading list. (I used to be such a voracious reader and I’m trying to get back into it. Let me know if you have any recommendations. I’m a sucker for psychological thrillers and compilations of humorous essays.)
• Tips to maximize space in a small closet.
• It’s almost rhubarb season and time to indulge in this strawberry rhubarb pie.

ICYMI:

• Breaking out a linen shirt in preparation for warmer temperatures.
• Getting “nauti” with sailor-inspired picks. (I’ve been saying “ahoy” lately, so that sweater is a must when it goes on sale!)

Happy Mother’s Day weekend!

Happy Friday! After touring a home last Saturday that left us both underwhelmed, we headed north to Dave’s parents’ cabin for an overnight stay. Even though it was brief, sipping beer on the dock and chatting by the late-night fire was the perfect mini getaway to start the week refreshed. It was also the maiden voyage of the Soludos slides above. They’re ridiculously comfortable so long as you don’t mind going without arch support.

This weekend also promises to be laid back. If the rain holds off, I’d like to go to the farmers’ market on Saturday and then we have two homes to see this weekend. Each of the houses have their pros and cons. One is a two-story home built in 1920 with a ton of original character and charm (and the smallest galley-style kitchen ever and no air conditioning). It’s $65,000 less than the other contender: a 1956 ranch that has been updated with a much larger and functional kitchen, a finished basement, larger bedrooms, and the cutest vintage bathroom with original tile and a turquoise tub. They’re both in good neighborhoods and close to the bike trail. I’m hoping that we’re drawn to one in person, and that we can have an offer accepted and put this whole hullabaloo behind us and start focusing on the good stuff: paint and furniture.

Weekend Reading:

• If you’re lucky enough to be in Los Angeles before May 29, snag tickets to the Museum of Ice Cream and take envy-inducing selfies in the pool of sprinkles.
• I’m not ashamed to admit that I’ll probably buy this dress just because it looks so cute on Allie.
• I’m all about this relaxed striped dress. It’s only $49, so there’s a high likelihood that I’ll snag it next month and wear it with my new favorite sandals and oversize earrings (in “warm sandstone”) every single weekend this summer.
• Hitha’s recipe for Indian black pepper chicken looks amazing. I’m adding it to our menu this weekend.
• These posters to raise awareness for pet adoption in Mumbai are brilliant.
• Grace shared her most recent reading list. I can personally vouch for Styled.
• I haven’t started reading this interview with Anna Wintour on politics and the business of fashion yet, but it looks interesting. (I helpfully emailed it to  myself two days ago with the subject line “read.”)
• We all know that I rarely don a pair of heels, but I’m tempted to add these to my collection in the red-orange hue.
• As if I didn’t already have intense wanderlust, a roundup of the prettiest beauty boutiques to visit is making me yearn to book a trip.
• Ikea issued the best response to Balenciaga’s $2,145 lookalike.
• The Met Gala is coming up on Monday, May 1. While you wait for this year’s looks to grace the red carpet, take a look back at some of the event’s best fashion moments.

ICYMI:

• The outfit I’ve worn pretty much every weekend so far this spring.
• Colorful favorites for spring.
• This month’s shopping confessions, er, budget update.

 

I hope you’re having a wonderful weekend! We’re off to see another house in a couple of hours. This one needs a bit more love and attention than the last house we put in an offer on, but there’s something I like about that. We’re less gunshy about making changes to the interior to really make it reflect our aesthetic. It’s hard to do that on a home that’s been recently renovated, even if the finishes aren’t to our taste. To that end, I’ve still been shopping for home items that I love, like a robin’s egg blue garden hose of all things. (It’s half that price at our local hardware store.) I never thought a garden hose would grace my wish list, but here we are. #Adulting

And with that, here’s what caught my fancy this week:

• Dolce & Gabbana is partnering with the home appliance brand SMEG for a collection of brightly colored kitchen appliances that highlight Sicilian folklore.
• How is Urban Outfitters navigating today’s retail landscape?
• Ah! This mini woven tote is so cute! I just love all of the colors.
• Abercrombie & Fitch is growing up, thanks to its senior vice president of design. (I’m surprised by how much I love this striped romper from the brand. Pair it with slides and a woven bag and you’re set for summer.)
• I had no idea that Victoria’s Secret and Nike are among the top brands for Millennials.
• I just bought this tie-front dress. I love that the top is lined and the fabric is thick enough that small-chested ladies won’t need a bra.
• These earrings also arrived this week. They’re pretty lightweight for how large they are.
• Here’s a cocktail that’s almost too pretty to drink.
• The iconic TWA terminal at JFK airport by mid-century architect Eero Saarinen is being renovated into a hotel.
• Just look at these gorgeous photos of Australia’s salt ponds.

ICYMI:

• Preppy favorites for this week’s “The Coveted.”
• Three one-piece swimsuits that are wallet-friendly alternatives to Marysia bathing suits.
• A ruffled dress I wore in New Orleans.

The photo above is from our trip to NOLA. I’m planning to have a travel guide up next week!