every couple of months, i receive emails from readers inquiring about silk blouses. when i moved to texas, i began buying more silk and cotton tops to help with the summer heat. as fashion editors say, natural fibers breathe. i wear them to school with skirts and on weekends with shorts or jeans.
my favorite blouses are equipment shirts, but at full-price, they are true investment pieces. however i occasionally find them at nordstrom rack or last call neiman marcus. equipment shirts fit beautifully; the blouses are tailored with elegant shoulders and bodies versus the stereotypical giant silk shirts from the 80’s and 90’s. the signature style is slightly oversized so size down. i wear an XS or S. equipment is known for solid colors but they also have stripes, dots, and quirky prints.
grechen (of grechen’s closet) highly recommends everlane blouses. the everlane line runs less than $100, and it offers similar colors to equipment. i saw her in an everlane blouse in april, and the fabric was a lovely weight and color. grechen notes that everlane blouses are more forgiving at the hipline.
i also own blythe blouses by j.crew. the silk is thinner, but they fit well. i wear a 2 or 4. plus, they have two flap pockets like the signature equipment blouses. the best part about j.crew is the promotions! you can usually find a blythe blouse on sale and sometimes with an additional discount.
do you wear silk blouses? what are some brands that you like?
collage by me. images via shopbop, everlane, and j.crew.
the picks | equipment blouse | everlane blouse | j.crew blouse
p.s. i planned on sharing this post with you yesterday, but i shot (or typed) myself in my own foot. i was thrilled about having our internet back and then it crashed again. on the bright side, a technician will visit over the weekend and hopefully solve our problem for good. sophie can’t wait to bark at him (or her).
sometimes friends back east ask (sarcastically) if i wear boots in the spring and summer in texas. i usually reply with an indignant “no!” then “yeah” then “sometimes.”
but the majority of my warm weather days are spent in flats— flat sandals to be exact. this year, they’re showing up with simple ankle straps and darling details on the toes. you can wear them to work, to beach, to play, and to blog. that list sums up my summer activities.
i own three of the featured shoes (the ones from target and madewell); the coral boardwalks are my favorite.
the picks | mossimo lavada | mossimo lakitia | swedish hasbeens ornament and t-straps | madewell boardwalk | kimchi & blue daisy
i spent most friday afternoons of my childhood at the public library. my mom drove us there after school, and we were permitted to check out as many books as possible. i lived for fridays— we owned very few books in addition to an outdated set of encyclopedias and various dictionaries. borrowing library books felt like going on a great adventure.
my favorite authors included j.r.r. tolkien, eleanor estes, laura ingalls wilder, beverly cleary, and judy blume. when i grew older i read novels by toni morrison, john knowles, and amy tan over and over.
for my birthday, michael’s mom surprised me with a kindle, and that magical library feeling rushed back to my heart. i’m currently re-reading harry potter and the sorcerer’s stone.
i debated covering my kindle with gummy bears, but i opted for classic navy and white. what kind of cover do you use for your kindle or i-pad?
collage by me. images via amazon.
the picks | punchcase covers by leslie hsu | kindle covers by kate spade
this week i celebrated my birthday and michael asked for a small wishlist. i love wishes— my friends and i used to play the genie wishing game at school. it involved one simple question: if a genie gave you three wishes, what would you wish for? of course we replied, “more wishes!”
as an adult i still wish. we all should. of course, not every wish comes true. life wouldn’t be life if wishes were always real.
here are some cute things that didn’t make my birthday wishlist, but i ended up getting one of them anyway. can you guess which one it is?
collage by me. images via anthropologie and need supply.
the picks | pug locket | market bag | slingbacks | ring
for my tenth birthday, my parents took me to piercing pagoda at the two-story mall in my hometown. i sat on the small leather stool while the salesgirl dabbed rubbing alcohol on my ears. the process didn’t hurt and left me with two tiny gemstones. i couldn’t wait to buy more earrings.
as the years went by, i collected silver earrings, gold earrings, chandelier earrings, and hoop earrings. i even owned a pair of panda earrings from the national zoo in washington d.c. some earrings i kept, others i lost.
whenever i shop for jewelry, i’m always drawn to classic posts. they’re sweet and simple, and they remind me of that young girl with big brown eyes, waiting for her birthday earrings.
collage by me. images via shopbop.
the picks | angles | roses | owls | daisies | shamrocks | bees
on saturday, i’m hosting a fun party at madewell at the domain as part of our texas style council shop hop. madewell and TxSC have delicious treats for you, and i’m not solely referring to food— we’re holding an in-store styling contest and the winner will receive a $250 gift card. i know, right? maybe i can enter, too? no? what about a “friend” that looks like me and has the same name? okay. at least i tried. :o)
stop by from 5 to 7 to say hello and show off your madewell mixing skills. all registered attendees will receive 20% off so if you love something, buy it! see you soon, austin!
the picks | penfield jacket | chambray shirt | bow jeans | andie sandals
if you’re joining the texas style council at the domain this saturday, remember to check-in at LOFT from 12 to 2 and pick up your shopping passport. they’re super cute— indiana did a great job on them. RSVP for our shop hop before time runs out.
i’ll be at LOFT to welcome you for the weekend. all registered attendees will receive 30% off on saturday. not sure what to choose? your wish is my assist! i want to dress someone as this paper doll. i hope you like stripes and dots as much as i do. then again, who doesn’t?
p.s. the clogs aren’t from LOFT; i’m just craaaazy about clogs lately. :o)
the picks | floral stripe cardigan | zip back tee | dot print shorts | clogs
confession: i have a thing for prints and patterns. i’m drawn to them from an orderly and artistic point of view— i love geometric shapes and intriguing color pairings.
but you don’t have to be a design nut to appreciate a cool bag. if you’re a basics kind of girl, you can pair a busy tote with a simple outfit to add a little punch. if you’re a print maven, you can mix a patterned purse with a similar dress or blouse and still look divine.
i’m thrilled with my pendleton tote, but any of these bags would merit an ear-to-ear grin. maybe i can live vicariously through you!
collage by me. images via 6pm.com, anthropologie, and asos.
the picks | blue cherish tote | shibori floral bag | aztec backpack | woven affair purse
have you heard of pete the cat? he’s a groovy feline with his own series of children’s books. i’m a bit picky about what i read aloud to my class; i love classic authors like eric carle, leo lionni, and jan brett. but i can never turn down a funny, quirky character, and pete is one of them.
if you’re a teacher or mom, you’ll adore pete, too. he stays cool in all kinds of situations and sings catchy songs. beware: you’re in charge of singing the song first. then the kiddos will sing it with you.
find pete at your local bookstore or library. and because i once dreamed of being on reading rainbow, i’ll add this: you don’t have to take my word for it!
collage by me. images via amazon.
the picks | pete the cat plush | books
i meant to publish this post yesterday but we spent valentine’s day cooking fajitas, watching television, and salivating over chocolate malt ball cake. sometimes you have to choose between an empty blog or a full tummy.
valentine’s day is associated with many things, three being the color red, hearts, and smooches. in honor of the holiday, i chose some items that you can don all year long whether you have a valentine or not. all you need are a blouse, jeans, and dab of lipstick. fin.
collage by me. images via shopbop.
the picks | tory burch wallet | vanessa arizaga bracelet | MJ phone case | soludos espadrilles
lately all my favorite shoes happen to be clogs, and all these featured clogs are shoes that i own. i wasn’t always a “clog” person— i wore dr. scholl’s sandals in college but they’re not clogs per se. i’ve warmed up to them in the past couple of years because i’ve realized they’re very comfortable and cute in their own chunky way. plus, any shoe you can stand in for hours is a darn good shoe.
for my birthday, i kind of want silver clogs. i know what you’re thinking— silver clogs?! you crazy cat! but you’ve got me all wrong. i’m a crazy pug.
- kaysa (top): i bought these as part of my “clog christmas” along with the tan ones from lotta. the neutral leather is beautiful. did you know jessie of loeffler randall went to school in virginia? of course i love her line.
- ori: the geometric cutouts on these shoes are fabulous. they haven’t made their blog debut yet.
- lotta: when you think of swedish clogs, these tan cuties by lotta from stockholm come to mind. lotta is based in england but all her shoes are handmade in sweden.
- gloria: i’ve worn these wedges in multiple outfit posts because i sport them often to school. even though the wedge is high, i haven’t fallen yet (and i work with little ones). let’s attribute it to good balance and luck.
tell me about your favorite clogs!
collage by me. images via amazon and shoebacca.
the picks | kaysa by loeffler randall | ori by miista | lotta from stockholm | gloria by bed stu
dearest thursday is a new feature on the blog where i share my latest, favorit-est things. drum roll please…
- avalanche city: this band is on tour with fun but i discovered them through pandora radio. i love the song “drive on”— it reminds me of road trips with michael from virginia to pennsylvania and our biggest adventure from the east coast to texas. love means never getting tired of each other in a car.
- measuring hedgies: i saw these cups at anthropologie and not-so-secretly wanted them. hedgie is my favorite character from jan brett’s books.
- hepcat shades: for spring, madewell brought back the retro style sunglasses in new colors. the icy green is stinkin’ cute.
- folio clutch: allibelle bags are just plain beautiful. i love the pointed buckle on their spring clutches.
- pom pom throw: i’ve been looking for a unique throw blanket for our couch. i like the pom pom trim, but i think sophie will eat it. oh, puggy.
please click through on avalanche city and listen to their song! i promise you won’t regret it.
collage by me. images via bandcamp, madewell, anthropologie, allibelle, and serena and lily.
the picks | song | measuring cups | sunglasses | clutch | blanket
