Things I Loved In July

Looks like I’m making this a monthly thing, as I really enjoy looking back on what I’ve done or things I’ve liked. The summer holidays have been in full swing in my household for nearly all of July, and I have to say I love it. It’s a slower pace of life for 2 months of the year - no rushing to get out the door for school at 8.10am, no cajoling into uniforms. I’m lucky enough to have one child in nursery a few days a week and my older one loves holiday club at his school a few days a week, so I’m well aware of my privilege that this significantly eases the holiday pressures.

In the spirit of not beating myself up too much about good fortune in this respect, I’ve been making sure we enjoy the summer with lots of hanging in the garden, which is dried to a crisp, and ice lollies aplenty. I’ve also been busy working on some interesting client consultations, as well as something exciting that I’m planning to launch in September (by putting it out there, I now have to finish it).

On here interiors are my thing, but fashion and beauty are never far away from my orbit outside of work (they’re all pretty interlinked imho). I’ve bought a few new things this month, but have also been revisiting some oldies that I love.

These M&S cargo pants have been such a great buy, I bought them in white (risky move with kids, but maybe they’re to be worn when they’re both in childcare…) and am toying with the brown - they’re that good. Lightweight and cover me up, as a pale girl this is essential if I don’t want to be constantly sun creaming. Bonus points: I feel like I’m in All Saints.

Another M&S bargain is this oversized white linen shirt. Due to my constant suncream application, white clothes are always a bit of an issue with staining in summer so I’ve always avoided investing in a white linen shirt. This M&S one is a great option that I won’t feel too bad if it gets the telltale yellow marks… it can then go in the beachwear pile.

These Cos long sleeve tops are SO versatile. I’ve got it in white and black and whenever it’s a bit chillier, they’re what I reach for. Works well with slinky skirts, shorts, jeans… anything really!

I bought some red Mary Janes last summer and they’ve become such a staple when I want some interest to a relatively plain outfit. Mine were from Massimo Dutti and aren’t around but these are a good option if you don’t want a buckle, or Sezane has some similar ones.

I’ve bought a black satin dress from Arket about 5 years ago and it’s still such a staple in my wardrobe - I wear through summer with sandals or aforementioned red shoes and a shirt around my waist. In winter, I throw on a jumper and boots. They don’t have a similar one at the moment but this one from Max Mara, or this more affordable one from M&S would be a great alternatives.

I have a bit of a mental block about wearing denim shorts (have mentioned before have finally found some adult appropriate ones), maybe it’s trauma from super short ones as a teenager, but I find wearing a belt with them really ties things together. I’ve got a few options I reach for, including these plain ones in black and brown from Arket. Lately though, my studded belt has been the winner as it adds interest when I’m just wearing a plain tee. Mine has sold out but this one from Free People is very similar.

Got my eye on: this blue skirt from Massimo Dutti, this Brut graphic top and I love some fringing so keep going back to this top from Dissh.

For my own home, I tend to buy slowly, slightly agonising over decisions until I finally commit. I find this is a good way to avoid rash purchases and generally helps avoid trends, but also is probably very annoying for my husband.

I’ve been wanting to move my kids’ train play table (☠️) to their bedroom and replace with a coffee table or ottoman. When I saw The Honey Ottoman in Fermoie stripe was in The House Upstairs sample sale, I knew it was the one - practical for the kids to play on as it has a flat top, also great as bumping their head on the side of this is significantly better than a coffee table.

I nabbed a great bamboo chest of drawers on eBay (see pics) to go in the family bathroom in Norfolk, perfect for storing toiletries, flannels, toy dinosaurs etc. Struggling to find one just like this, but eBay has a great selection of bamboo/rattan chest of drawers to choose from.

This month I’m on the hunt for a new chest of drawers or wardrobe for my youngest son’s room. He’s had a broken IKEA chest of drawers for the last 3 years (sorry 2nd born), so now is the time. I’d love something like this but they’re wayyyy out of my price range. And he has some pine cupboards that I’m going to paint in Hay by Farrow & Ball to brighten up his room.

I tend to keep things simple over summer and focus on my skin so minimal makeup is needed. I’ll always use mascara (a L’Oreal loyalist from my days there, currently using Lash Paradise), concealer (Nars Creamy Concealer) and then I’ve been enjoying Violette FR’s cult Bisou Balm in Bonbon Coquelicot… it’s great for some noncommittal colour, as frankly I don’t have the time for proper lipstick any more.

My body is dryer than the Sahara dessert - currently I'm using Japanese brand Hada Labo’s Super Hyaluronic Serum on wet skin at the end of my shower. It’s so lightweight yet moisturising, perfect for summer, and comes in a big bottle with a pump to keep in the shower. One thing no one seems to mention when you have kids is you permanently have dry knees from crawling about on the floor all the time (just me?). I find the only thing to tackle this successfully has been Cerave SA Smoothing Cream.

For my hair, I’m incredibly lazy and focus on a good cut to do most of the work (Andreas at Larry King London is your King!). Over summer I use a bit of Ouai Hair Oil and Color Wow Dry Shampoo on lazy days and that’s about it.

I’ve been quite slow on the book front this month, but picked up Graydon Carter’s memoir “When the Going Was Good” and I LOVE it. It ticks all my boxes - New York in the 90s and early 00s, tick. Behind the scenes of magazines, tick. Celebrity gossip, tick. Highly recommend.

Next month I’m aiming to read David Sedaris’ latest book and Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash, as I've read so much about it, I need to see what the fuss is.

Finally… I’m finishing on the best tortilla chips I can ever remember having. They’re becoming a problem. .

Thank you so much for getting this far, your support is always so gratefully received! If you’re not a subscriber, my usual Substack is more interiors focussed and I do this every month… so if you like interiors, this is the place for you!

Happy summer holidays, everyone!

Steph x