DOG DAYS OF SUMMER

We just got back from Jackson, Wyoming. Yes, it was nice to get away but am I the only one that finds vacation somewhat stressful?

Maybe it’s the overachiever in me, I get antsy when I’m supposed to be ‘“relaxing”. Or maybe it’s because life comes with the highest highs and the hardest lows, and getting on a plane doesn’t magically leave your real life behind. Vacation just gives you a prettier backdrop.

One of the reasons we chose Jackson was our sweet Olive. She’s 13 now, and we’re intentionally planning trips where she can come with us. I have a feeling most of our adventures for the next few years will be domestic because, honestly, we just want as much time with her as we can get. Want the definition of bittersweet? Have an aging pet.

I recently read about a longevity drug for dogs, which immediately got my attention. The catch? Your dog has to weigh at least 15 pounds. Olive weighs 13½. So naturally, I’ve started considering a highly scientific treatment plan involving cupcakes. I’m fairly certain my veterinarian would not approve.

Now back to the highs and lows of vacation life:

• Right outside our house, they decided it was the perfect time to repave the road. Nothing says “peaceful mountain getaway” like dump trucks reversing before breakfast. Beep. Beep. Beep.

• It was also approximately one thousand degrees outside. The house had air conditioning. Well, two rooms had it. The rest of us were apparently participating in a pioneer reenactment.

• Then there was the wildlife. Standing on the plains and seeing hundreds of bison was genuinely breathtaking, especially considering the settlers nearly wiped them out completely. History lesson courtesy of Eli, who has quietly developed a YouTube obsession with history.

• The golf course was beautiful. Since Ivy was on crutches (courtesy of a hairline fracture from a tumble right before the trip) and couldn’t hike, we became golf cart tourists instead. Honestly? Highly recommend. Olive was deeply suspicious. What was this loud little vehicle with neither windows nor doors?

• Then there were the horses. Olive was completely mesmerized. Eli’s fascination with them faded, however, after stepping in what they left behind. Life has a way of keeping everyone humble.

• Olive was bitten by another dog, which gave all of us quite a scare.

• Ivy spent much of the trip on the couch with her leg up, happily writing and requesting bagels with cream cheese and lox.

• I reached a personal milestone. I successfully cooked chicken. I put it in raw... and somehow it came out cooked, moist and delicious. We’re all very proud.

• Because I’m convinced Big Brother is watching and retailers know I’m an insatiable scroller, every store was screaming 70% OFF shoes! So I spent a fortune, because of course I’m between sizes and have to try everything on and send most of it back just to find the perfect pair. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

• One thing I absolutely loved was the house itself. It was all on one floor, with the living room in the center. Every time I walked out of my bedroom I could see my kids. Ivy writing. Eli working on his business, truly his father’s son. We’re a family that likes to make things. I won’t say we’re workaholics... but none of us sits still for very long.

The older I get, the more I think vacations are just concentrated versions of life. Some moments are extraordinary. Some are inconvenient. Someone gets hurt. Someone learns something. Someone steps in horse sh*t.

It’s all the same story. The best of times. The worst of times. Usually all before lunch.

HANGER APPEAL

RUNNING LATE? CHANNEL YOUR FAVORITE CHARACTER.

When I am super, super rushed and I have to get dressed and I want to look cute, I think about being a particular character. Last week I was running seriously late and had zero time to overthink an outfit, so naturally, I thought of Sporty Spice

Not head-to-toe track pants, because it’s summer and I refuse to suffer, but the spirit of her: a midi dress, a chunky sneaker, hair pulled back like I mean business.

Here’s how it actually came together, piece by piece:

• The dress. I don’t think Sporty Spice would wear a white t-shirt maxi dress with a belt. But it’s a thousand degrees in Dallas and I want to look cool and relaxed, so she had to make an exception. Shop easy dresses here.

• The shoes. Flat running shoes, the cut-out kind, that I have been holding onto for about ten years waiting for them to come back in style. This is exactly why I hold on to everything. Shop flat running shoes here.

• The accessories. Without question, both Sporty Spice and I would do a baseball cap and some seriously mysterious sunglasses. Non-negotiable. Shop hats & sunnies.

• The layer. A leather jacket, purely for the air conditioning situation, because nothing ruins a good outfit faster than walking into a freezing restaurant unprepared. Shop layers here.

• The finishing touches. My favorite striped shirt bag and a few silver bangles, thrown on in the last thirty seconds on my way out the door. Shop finishing touches here.

Here’s the thing about running late, you don’t have time to build an outfit from fifty little decisions. You need one decision that makes all the others for you. So instead of standing in front of your closet spiraling, pick a character and let her get dressed for you. Whether it’s Sporty Spice, off-duty Carrie Bradshaw, or your most put-together auntie, let that decide everything for you in about ten seconds flat.

Want to learn the process of character dressing? Click this video.

WHAT’S FEEDING ME

DANCE LIKE NOBODY’S WATCHING (BECAUSE NOBODY IS!)

Okay, I have to tell you about something. I was working out at home and I decided to turn on my camera, turn on my favorite music, and just let loose. My husband was walking through the room after he finished his workout and I convinced him to dance with me, no crowd, no lights, just us being ridiculous.

Nobody warns you that clubbing in your 20s, turns into dancing in your living room in your 50s.

I was a club kid, and to this day, music still completely sweeps me away. Lately I’ve been swapping some of my usual cardio for dancing, and I’d genuinely forgotten how much it lifts me up. No crowded dance floor. No lights. But that little rush of euphoria? Still there.

The things that make you feel most alive never really leave you. They just wait for us to remember them. So go do the thing you forgot you loved. It’s still there, waiting. And if you’re lucky, maybe you can talk your favorite person into doing it with you.

That’s been my version of “wellness” lately. Not another rigid routine, not another rule about what I should be doing with my body, just remembering what actually makes me feel like myself, and making more room for it.

P.S. It took a lot of convincing for Michael to let me post this.

CURRENT CRUSHES

COOLING OFF. WHATEVER IT TAKES.

It’s the season of sunscreen and self-tanner and hats but also key is make-up that won’t melt off your face. Check out my favorites here.

And believe it or not, sometimes I do put aside my tried and true reds. Summer is the perfect time for it. Here are my favorite combinations and yes, it’s a bit of a science. In each case, I’m pairing a matte with a touch of gloss or sparkle over top.

1. Chantecaille Lip Veil in Baobob, a natural “your lips but slightly better” shade + a dot or two of Nars Gloss in Dolce Vita in the middle for a little added moisture and shine.

2. Westman Atelier Lip Suede Matte Lipstick in Minx - a punchy pink + Sarah Creal Peptide lipgloss in Don’t Wait Up. This gives a gorgeous sparkle for a real evening moment.

3. Prada Soft Matte Blur Lipstick in Tiepolo, a gorgeous pinky nude + tiniest drop of U Beauty The Plasma Lip Compound in Rom Com, one of my favorite moisturizing glosses. Makes it a bit more peachy.

4. And always in my purse and my summer go-to is this One Skin OS-01 Lip Shield in color Bare Blush in bare blush because it’s a gorgeous color and has SPF.

I’m still eating popsicles and drinking tall glasses of whatever as long as there are ice cubes. Still obsessed with Half Man but need something new. Any recommendations? I’m reading The Dutch House, a bestselling 2019 novel by Ann Patchet. And by reading I mean I got through exactly 5 pages on the plane. But I already love it. The problem isn’t that I need someone fanning me and feeding me grapes (wait, are they frozen grapes?)I need someone or something to hold my book in front of my face. The combination of a flare up of an old carpal tunnel injury and a new mystery injury to my shoulder (no mystery, it’s called age) are making it difficult to do the basics. Good thing, I can distract myself with this amazing song I discovered while listening to an Afro Caribbean House playlist on Spotify. Sometimes technology delivers.

Oh and did I mention I’m completely obsessed with my August drop for QVC? It’s launching on Friday, August 7 and I think it’s the best one yet.

DEAR CARLA

ASK ME ANYTHING!

From fashion SOS moments to everyday dilemmas, ask me anything right here. Thank you readers for all of your questions and comments!