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Hey friends, how are we? Hanging in there? I am not yet of the parenting stage where summer stresses me out, though it really is just around the corner. We are fortunate that Lou’s day care goes through the end of August, but I am watching all the camp kids roam the neighborhood and am already plotting how we might cobble together (and afford) a summer full of child care next year. In the meantime, I’m trying to enjoy the longer days and full time help while it lasts, knowing acutely just how fleeting both are.
Not to be a downer, but the changes in light are already noticeable. It’s a blessing and a curse of waking up before the sun - I get to see it change every morning, and as our days are creeping along to short, my kitchen is awash with light later and later. I’m fine with it, really. Though I have become a summer convert and surely will miss it when it’s gone, there is something comforting about the passing of seasons. With all of the chaos we are living amongst, the certainty that fall, then winter, then spring, then summer again will continue to arrive feels stable. Of course, we all know each season is getting more mercurial, and the best ones - fall and spring - seem to last mere days now, but they’re still here, still coming, and there’s something about it that makes me feel good.
July feels like it’s flying by, and with the upcoming weeks packed to the brim, it will be over before we know it. Everyone always says summer is great for slowing down, relaxing, enjoying, but I find it’s quite the opposite. Nothing about summer is slow, each day packed with activities, each week filled with adventures. It’s actually a point of contention between my husband and I - him, an activity person, who wants to have something on the calendar every weekend, the forever extrovert, and me, a home person, who wants to banish as many plans as possible and let the lazy dog days of summer take over in whatever form feels good in the moment, seeking pleasure in the comforts of open time.1
Pleasure being something I have been chasing this summer, as I try to undo some of the rigid conditioning I have imposed on myself of late. As mentioned previously, the pendulum has swung too far to the not that fun side of my personality, and I am actively working on getting it to level out somewhere in the middle - fun, but with boundaries. I’ve noticed my shoulders creep up to my ears and my stomach tighten and my head swirl with the bedtime! naps! green foods! put your shoes on! why aren’t you wearing underwear! of it all lately. While home in the midwest, I let much of that go and it felt good. She skipped naps, ran barefoot through the grass, skinny dipped in the pool, and stayed up way past bedtime. There were a few meltdowns, sure, but overall everything was fine. It was easier, though, having many extra set of hands to help and a desire to come off as a fun, chill mom to the rest of my family. Home, in the city, things are different. We have schedules and places to be and hot sidewalks and underpants are necessary for climbing on the playground, but I am working hard to bring some of that carefree-ness we picked up last weekend back here.
Anyways, all that is to say that the next season will be here before we know it, so stay up late, run through the park barefoot, and breathe in deep the hot, sticky, summer air while you can.2
Moving on! Below, some things I’ve been shopping for from Simon Miller, Staud, and Loeffer Randall, as well as the jazz slippers, striped shirts, green shoes, and miscellaneous items that have caught my eye lately. Below the paywall are some outfits of late and one beer on an empty stomach thoughts about Phia….enjoy!
Simon Miller: there is a ton of ridiculously fun stuff at Simon Miller right now, but as I don’t have many places to wear some of the best stuff (like this dress!!!), I still find myself gravitating towards the still fun but more wearable pieces. Like this beaded clutch that would be nice to have on hand, and these striped shorts, and this fringe skirt I can’t stop thinking about, and this very fun top, and of course these pants I’ve had my eye on for months, and this shirt I love in the stripe but would realistically buy in a solid, and this fun little crochet skirt.
Jazz shoes: I have been interested in jazz shoes, white ones, specifically, for quite some time now. It started with these Jamie Haller beauties I spotted and was like hey, I think I can pull those off?. Unfortunately those specific shoes are not exactly in my budget, so it’s left me hunting for alternatives. Here’s what I’ve found, from least expensive to most. ASOS jazz shoes, Tony Bianco Crew, Camper Casi Myra, Larroude Liza sneaker, Reformation Buffy, Caron Callahan Claudette Flat, By Far Prudent sneaker. Bonus: these Gabriela Hearst on The RealReal look great for any of my size 10.5 friends!
Loeffler Randall: I’ll admit that I slept on Loeffler Randall, mostly because I thought it was too feminine for me. Well, it appears I’m entering my feminine era, as much of it has started to call my name. Right now I have my eye on this sweet little top, this bandana (I’m trying so hard to get into them), these fun mesh flats, this great gingham dress I saw on Fanny Adams recently that sold me, these Pasha pants (I have the green and yellow striped and love them), and these fun gingham shorts. I’ve also been fantasizing about how I’d wear this skirt in Copenhagen next month.
Mens inspired (or just mens) short sleeve button ups: If you’ll recall, I spotted a gal in Paris wearing an open short sleeve button up over a bandeau top with jean shorts and she looked just so good I’ve been wanting to recreate that look. This was also after Jane Herman posted pics of herself wearing some fab Bode shirts, which of course I found myself lusting after. Bode, like Jamie Haller, is not in my budget, but that’s ok because there is a lot of good stuff out there! Like this embroidered shirt, this fun ikat shirt, this one with some sweet floral embroidery, this slightly more fun printed shirt, this cutie horse one for my horse gals, this wild oversized shirt, this cool moire cropped shirt, this sheer floral shirt, this entry level color organza shirt, and this oversized lace shirt.
Staud: Staud is another one I’ll admit I didn’t pay enough attention to for a while. I never thought it was for me, but of late, I’ve been changing my tune. I’ve been into mini dresses lately, and this printed one looks like it could be a great addition to my wardrobe. I also love these silky striped pants, these white big trousers, this cool peplum jacket, for reasons I can’t explain…these hot shorts, these linen pants, this big striped shirt, this sweet white dress, and for fall, this leather wrap skirt. Bonus rec: my sister wore a Staud dress to our other sister’s baby shower and she looked great a got a million complements!! I found one for you on Poshmark, for a lucky size 10.
Green shoes: idk what it is, but for some reason I’ve been wildly attracted to green shoes. They fall into the category of fun to have but likely wouldn’t wear so verdict is out if I’ll end up buying any of these, but you never know! It was these Simon Miller wedges that kicked off the search, but I also really love these Ancient Greek mules, these suede slides, these woven slides, and these kind of crazy olive cow print mules, and these extremely fun Jamie Haller pumps. I’ve also heard great things about Archies, so I’m interested in these for walks around the neighborhood.
Miscellaneous things that have caught my eye: Of course, there is a lot on my wish list that doesn’t fall nicely into a category. Such as: these Freda Salvador boots that are close to cowboy boots but aren’t quite and would cure my desire for white cowboy boots, these Margaux flats I keep coming back to and am kicking myself I didn’t buy in white while I had the chance, this sheer tunic dress I spotted on Jade Fox that now I need in a way I didn’t know was possible, this swimsuit I keep getting targeted for on Instagram (it’s working!), this cute little 440me tank, I think I’m finally falling for those Madesome pants (especially after seeing the brand in Paris to potentially buy for the store), this ridiculously cute toddler dress I saw on a kid in the neighborhood and now want to buy for Lou, these cute Nomasei flats that are out of my budget but I can’t help but lust after, the Relax Lacrosse shorts that are still taking up brain space, this nightgown adjacent cover up Fanny Adams looks fab in, and this great Matteau dress I spotted on Anna Newton (who looks incredible in it). Also, I almost bought these ugly adjacent Keens in Paris, and am kind of regretting not doing so.
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