We’re back in Philly! Our re-entry has been…a little rough, truthfully. There were a few “minor” (ha) issues with our house (flooded basement, broken stove, a faucet not working, no a/c, blah blah blah) but that’s old Philly row homes, I suppose. We’ve been waiting for permits to have some work done in the basement for years now (okfine months but feels like years) and I’m just trying to reach some sort of zen state until those go through.
The boys are thrilled to see all of their friends again (thrilled!!) but our poor dog is like PHILLY WTF.
She loves going for walks, but – gahhh – is terrified of some unidentifiable object on our block. So in order to walk her, the boys and I have to carry her down our block and around the corner. Once she is safely at The Corner She Has Deemed Safe, she’ll happily trot along on the leash.
But she seems to treat walks as something her humans require, rather than something she needs. So she’ll be out with us for an hour, sniffing things and pouncing on leaves while we chirp things like, “Go pee, Nieve! GO PEEEEE!” Then, when we return, defeated, she’ll promptly pee on the floor.
I did emerge, victorious, a few times after deciding that yes: I AM more stubborn than the dog, and simply refused to come back inside until she had done her thing. And while the walk was lovely (maybe her humans do require more walking than I realized) between the dog and the kids I was all, Good Luck To You, Mom Edit Team, I’ll See You When My Dog Is 2.
Was it a victory? Debatable. Also, “More Stubborn Than Dog” should probably go on my LinkedIn profile. I mean, a girl’s gotta take proper credit.
Anyway, the trainer starts next week.
May the force be with us all.
Two tops. I keep coming back to rag & bone’s 100% cotton, boxy striped shell (just seems perfect with everything), and Reformation’s strapless linen top. Technically speaking, neither are cropped, but both feel updated and easy to wear (Ref’s, in particular, has some strategic ruching I appreciate).
We need to talk about boots. There are basically only two styles of boots I’m interested in wearing atm. The first is a pair of cowboy boots, and Ref’s sustainably made, short cowboy boots are perfection – I’ll be wearing them all summer, even with cut-offs. The second pair is – once again – tan ankle boots. But not just any tan ankle boot, it’s gotta have a pointed toe, stiletto or otherwise interesting heel shape (no wedges or block heels), leather (not suede), and a shade of tan that isn’t too orange. Loefflar Randall’s Thandy Boot is exactly right. I have a version of this boot from a couple of years ago, and it feels significantly fresher and more modern than any other ankle boot, to the point that I’ve all but stopped wearing anything else. The problem is that a similar, more affordable version has eluded me for two years now. Examples: This Angel Alarcon pair is close but almost sold out, same with this Lola Cruz pair, and this Nine West pair is…ok, but slightly boring (and bordering on too orange). Anyway, is this worth a whole post/deep dive? This boot type is my go-to for almost every outfit, and has been for 3+ years now.
Diving in. I’m starting to switch over to summer makeup, which primarily means this turquoise eyeliner (in ‘deep end’). I just add a tiny bit under my lower lashes (literally just the outer edge) and get soooo many compliments. It’s a fun little add.
Summer stack. In addition to turquoise eyeliner, I love adding a colorful, delicate necklace to my usual summer outfits (almost always neutral tones) – it makes the whole look feel a little more interesting without overwhelming me with color. Something like this delicate green beaded necklace, or this stunning, pre-layered Chan Luu would be perfect.
Weekly outfit inspiration…goes to this seriously cool take on a white shirt + jeans. Saks recently started carrying Doen, and I couldn’t be more thrilled. Doen, if you’ve never heard of them, is a small, ethical, women-owned brand (fun fact: 82% of their products are produced in women-owned factories), and you can read more about their commitment to sustainability here. So yeah – I’m pumped. But the cool thing about this outfit is the slouch-on-slouch. The top is great, yes, but pairing it with those faded, oversized jeans is what makes my heart beat fast. It looks like the model is wearing Mother Denim’s lasso jean (ignore the color differences – Shopbop photos are notoriously off-color), but AGOLDE’s Baggy Jeans would also work. I’d finish the look off with these flat sandals and my usual bag.
Plus sizes. It’s tough to find a good, oversized pair of jeans for plus sizes, but Good American’s Drip Jeans are it (and come in straight sizes, too). Only a few retailers are calling this style, ‘Drip’…but you can find another wash (and more sizes) on the Good American website for the same jeans, now called, Good American Good 90’s Weightless Jeans.
If I worked in an office…I’d pick up a pair of these walkable, closed-toe, silver heels. They’re so shiny, they’re actually called ‘mirror metallic’ and I can’t stop thinking about them. I’d wear them with Athleta’s Endless Cargo Pants in ‘rustic beige’ and a black sweater from my closet. The resulting look is surprisingly fresh for spring. If you’re looking for a more affordable option, this Anne Klein slingback has that same almost-mirrored look (more sizes available at Amazon, too).
Is this the best travel makeup bag on the market? For only $26, this faux-leather “cloud” makeup bag has me really intrigued. I’ve tried many, but they either required too much work (my Trish McEvoy is amazing, but requires you to be ON TOP of makeup organization), or they’re too basic, and my brushes get leftover makeup over everything else inside the bag. This makeup bag, however, seems really well-designed. Truthfully, I don’t love the hokey text, “LIFE IS A JOURNEY, THE SIMPLER THE HAPPIER” (what does that even mean?) but there’s matching silicone travel bottles sooooo. (Obviously, I’m eyeing the ivory & beige color scheme.)
For the guys. I had bought Mike a waterproof overcoat years ago from Banana Republic, and not only does he use it over his suits when it’s raining, but he’s been throwing it on with jeans & sneakers anytime it rains on the weekend. The look is surprisingly cool – it’s one of those pieces, I’m happy to report, that is basically foolproof. For a similar one, I started looking at Banana Republic (maybe this??) but since that retailer has clearly lost their mind (their website literally gives me a headache), this Calvin Klein raincoat is the closest lookalike right now. Mike has it in black, but if you click the ‘charcoal’ you can see more clearly how the jacket looks. Perfect blend of tailored/not fancy.
New cookbook. Love & Lemons‘ new cookbook, Feel Good Food just arrived. I’m a big fan of her blog and her previous cookbook, so I had pre-ordered this one. Each section is divided into “make now” and “make ahead” sections, and – my favorite – she has another section that contains 3-day meal plans featuring one main ingredient. It’s everything from beans (you always start with one big pot), lentils, rice, and even vegetables: zucchini, corn, broccoli, etc. The meal plans aren’t overwhelming (3 days is easier for me to commit to than, say, 7) and the variety of recipes within those 3 days is pretty varied, so I don’t feel like I’m eating the same freaking thing all week. Love it.
Have a good weekend, everyone…
xo,
S
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Hang in there with your puppy! It gets easier (4-5 months old and no more accidents in the house and 8-13 months old before our lab started calming down and NOT eating every power cord in the house). He’s almost three now and we are so in love. Puppies are so cute but are so freaking exhausting. Those months…..man.
Also, right there with you on banana republic. Their website and app are awful, I haven’t been into their clothes in at least two years…not to mention their pricing these days!
Shana…you crack me up!!!!
About the cookbook, curious, do the “Kids” like the recipes?
Yes! My kids like *most* of her recipes. I sometimes make things a little simpler (for example, her vegan lasagne calls for roasted butternut squash pieces which my kids hate – so I’ll leave that out), but in general, it’s a win.
tbh, tho, my kids joke that I’m the only one who cooks so “weird” so their tastes might be a little off. 🙂
To your question whether or not tan boots are worth a deep dive – yes, please!!
Your trainer will probably recommend this if you haven’t been doing it already, but it helps to give a high value treat *every single time* she goes (and name it something specific, like “go potty”). So as you walk along and she pees, immediately give her a several high value treats and say “good potty!” so she starts to associate relieving herself with the word and the treat. Usually that means you can get her to “go” fairly quickly more often over time. The treat should be something a little different/better than usual treats. Our dog loved cheese, so we kept a baggie of cut-up string cheese at hand all the time, ready to go.
The other thing I’ve learned is to keep a notepad in the house and write down every time she goes. That way everyone in the house knows how long it has been since her last one. And it’s good to get her outside a lot: after she wakes up from a nap, after she plays, after she eats/drinks, really no more than 1.5-2 hours in between trips outside until they are 5-6 months old. They don’t get full control until they are close to a year old, so the more you can get them outside and reinforce the word/treat thing, and give them a chance to go, the quicker the housetraining will go! Good luck!