After going to Milwaukee for an afternoon of shopping for a few fall staples, it became apparent that I can’t step foot inside of a store or — god forbid — a mall. I can usually talk myself out of items when I have a screen and miles of distance between myself and a covetable piece. In person? All bets are off. It wouldn’t have been quite so bad if I hadn’t already purchased the Kate Spade heels and the DVF romper. But, c’est la vie.

The upside in a month of overindulgence is that I have exactly one item on my October wish list: this coat. I have an emerald green version from a previous year, and I’d love to add the camel one to my coat collection.

PURCHASED – FOR ME
See all of this year’s sartorial additions here.

• Diane von Furstenberg “Henrietta” romper – I’m a sucker for a good DVF piece, especially in the form of this flattering romper. It runs big, so you’ll want to size down. The v-neck is low, which makes midday removal easy, but you might want to use a safety pin or add a snap for modesty — although, it might be due to my small chest that it gapes open!
• Kate Spade tortoiseshell pumps (also here)- I love a classic shoe and this pair from Kate Spade ticks all the boxes with a wearable height, wear-with-everything neutral print, and a patent upper. They run true to size.
• Banana Republic merino sweater in green and black – My wardrobe was void of slightly-boxy sweaters that I could wear to work and on weekends. I loved these because of the thicker material that layers well. (I hate when you can see hints of what’s layered underneath a sweater because it’s too thin.) They ran true to size for me, but I probably could have sized down for a more fitted look.
• Joe’s Jeans skinny ankle-length, raw-hem jeans (similar) – I gained weight in Portugal that I haven’t lost yet (oops) and I needed a pair of jeans that fit. These aren’t the same style exactly, but I bought a similar pair at Nordstrom Rack. I’ve always loved how soft Joe’s Jeans are.
• J.Crew pavé daisy chandelier earrings – The photo doesn’t do these justice. They’re much more sparkly and eye-catching in real life and will be perfect for the holiday season. I wore them to an event already and received a lot of compliments. They’re on sale with an extra 50% off today — get them before they sell out!
• Banana Republic chunky pointelle cropped sweater in cream – Fair warning for those with long torsos, this sweater is definitely cropped. It just covers the waistband of a pair of non-high-waisted jeans on me. The knit is really pretty with flecks of yellow and black in it. I went down a size.

PURCHASED – FOR HOME

• Target plaid throw pillow in green – This wool-blend pillow is better quality than you’d think for the price. It’s a zippered cover with an insert, rather than the sewn-in ones that you usually get at Target. It’s perfect for adding an autumnal touch to your home without going overboard. (My mom was in town a couple of weeks ago and also loved it. I ordered two more for her when they came back in stock.)
• Target striped shower curtain in grey – While we’re planning to do a full bathroom remodel eventually, I decided I wanted to give it an in-between update now. We’ll need to work with the existing beige tile, beige tiles, and beige linoleum flooring, and I thought this shower curtain would work well with the neutrals in the room. The fabric is really soft and seems like it’ll drape well.
• Crate & Barrel wood taper candle holders – I stopped by the brick and mortar store when we were in Milwaukee recently and fell in love with these acacia wood candle holders. They’re a great modern shape and the wood lends warmth to a table setting.

DIDN’T WORK OUT
Things I tried and didn’t love.

• Madewell “Roadtripper” jeans – The waist was higher than I expected. They ran true-to-size for me, though.
• Diane von Furstenberg “Savilla” dress – I was hoping to add some more business professional attire to my wardrobe and tried this dress, but I hated it on me. It felt matronly despite the wrap style that’s usually flattering on me. I think I just hate dresses with short sleeves.

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Not surprisingly, there were a fair amount of purchases while I was on my blog hiatus that I didn’t share. For home, there were deck lights, a grill, a cute wood box, a side table that’s on backorder, a vase, a surprisingly chic doorstop, and a vintage brass tray that looks like a patinaed version of this one. All in all, a good few months on the home front! Wardrobe purchases were more modest with a sweater, sneakers that are no longer available, my first foray into the headband trend, a formal dress, and a few workout items from Athleta and Target. (I’m obsessed with this hoodie that I bought in navy.) It was actually kind of refreshing to step back from the blog — and the pressure of always scouting out new items — and just enjoy what I already owned with just a few things sprinkled in to keep me from being bored!

PURCHASED – FOR ME
See all of this year’s sartorial additions here.

• Madewell ruffle strap polka dot dress (available here, here, and here) – I was trying to get through summer without purchasing many new items, since I do love what I already own for the season. But the truth is that I was getting bored and craved something new to add into the rotation. (Plus, I gained weight in Portugal that I haven’t lost yet and some of my favorite dresses and my favorite wigs just didn’t fit. Oops.) I bought this in my typical Madewell size and absolutely love the lightweight material and fit. It’s on the verge of being too large, but the buttons pull a little without a safety pin for modesty and a smaller size would have left too much gaping between them when I moved.

PURCHASED – FOR HOME

• A Meditation art print by Brian Sostrom – I love this print more than I can possibly tell you. I originally bought it for the bedroom, but Dave thought it was too moody (pssh — I think it’s calming) and I moved it to our entry. I went with the 18″ x 24″ print with the matte black metal frame. It has two hooks on top for hanging and I didn’t want to deal with getting two nails correctly spaced and level, so I used this tutorial to add picture wire.
• Schoolhouse Electric pillow shams in “Blooming Field” – I wanted to purchase these when they debuted this spring, but I kept hesitating. $36 on a king pillow sham is pricey, even though I loved them. I finally decided to go for it at the end of May and was crushed to see that they sold out. Schoolhouse said they’d be back in stock at the beginning of June. I checked every day that month. Nope. Then they said beginning of August. Nope. I finally received an email on Tuesday indicating they were available in limited quantities and I placed the order. I normally wait until items arrive to wax poetic, but if you want anything from the Blooming Field collection, now’s your chance. (I’m sure I’m going to adore them in person. I crushed hard on every item at the Schoolhouse flagship store in Portland last year.)

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I’m surprised that I only added four new things to my closet this month, with the exception of these sunglasses that Dave bought for me as a birthday gift while we were in London. I tend to go overboard before a trip with purchases that I “need” to round out the capsule wardrobe tucked in my suitcase. My favorite purchase of the month are the sandals that I’ve had on my wish list for years. In fact, this is the third summer I’ve wistfully looked at them, but thought that $250 was ridiculous to spend on sandals — and it is, but it isn’t. These go with everything. I’m sure the cost-per-wear at the end of the season will justify the upfront spend given how much I’ve already worn them.

It was also a light purchase month on the home front. We bought a few things on vacation: a couple of ceramic bowls, a vintage decanter tag to label our brandy, and a vintage cricket ball that I thought was too charming to leave behind. Other than that, we only bought a set of acrylic tumblers and a storage basket.

PURCHASED – FOR ME
See all of this year’s sartorial additions here.

• Ancient Greek ‘Eleftheria’ sandals in tan – As I mentioned above, I thought this was a frivolous purchase even though I’ve wanted them for years. I’m so glad I indulged! They’re incredibly versatile, and they’re surprisingly comfortable for having zero support. The leather foot bed makes for blister-free walks compared to insoles with synthetic materials. I would have bought them years earlier if I could have predicted how much I’d love them! I tried the metallic version, too, which are also very pretty. I went up a size.
• Loft swing dress (sold out; similar, which I just ordered) – I love swing dresses when it’s hot out, so this was a must have for my summer wardrobe. The only drawback was that it shrunk a bit in the wash despite line drying. There’s plenty of width to allow for that, but the length is concerning on an already-verging-on-too-short dress. I did order the same cut in a different pattern and material because I originally loved it so much, but I’ll have the new one dry cleaned to keep its length.
• Madewell ruffled shoulder crochet top – This is my favorite Madewell piece ever! The fabric is substantial, so it won’t be a true summer top, but it’ll be great for spring and fall. I went with a medium, which fits well and is my typical size at the retailer. The only downside: it’s selling out, but you can get a similar sweater-style here and a ruffled-shoulder tank here.
• Old Navy linen-blend shorts in black – These are great for the price point! I wanted a pair of shorts that didn’t feel too tight in the thighs and were long enough for ample rear coverage for our trip. These exceeded my expectations and held up wonderfully and didn’t really stretch out despite wearing them four times on vacation.

PURCHASED – FOR HOME

• West Elm acrylic tumblers – I bought cheap plastic cups last year to host friends for cocktails during our Memorial Day house crawl. They were a last-minute purchase at Target and were like $3 for a set of six. I never really liked them and these acrylic tumblers seem like a nice replacement. We’ll have to wait and see, though, as they haven’t arrived yet. I placed the order on May 31, the last day to use my credit card’s $25 birthday discount perk. I ordered three of each color in the double old-fashioned size. The clear ones are arriving this week, the blue at the end of June, and the pink in October. Haha. At least I’ll have a set of six this month! Eventually.
• Target storage basket – We never actually organized our entry closet after moving in. I was getting frustrated with the mess and the amount of random junk in there (including empty boxes for electronic equipment in case it failed us and we needed to return something), so I pulled everything out one day, gave a deep clean, and organized everything. I picked up this basket at Target to corral odds and ends that we use fairly regularly, like Bacon’s leash and harness, my work tote, and compact umbrellas. It’s a nice size to keep those smaller essentials easily accessible.

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