September Reads

 

For the six books I read this month, I was still enjoying as much outside reading as possible! Here's a cameo from our dog, Biscuit, and that one time I got to enjoy a bath this month!

Sex & Vanity, by: Kevin Kwan

After reading (and loving) his Crazy Rich Asians trilogy (and loving the movie), I was so excited to rent Kevin's latest book from the library. It certainly entailed the same amount of amazing detailed location and luxury apparel descriptions, but the story fell a bit flat for me. The book is divided into two parts. The first is a wedding in Capri, Italy and the second is years later in East Hampton. Similar to the theme of his trilogy, the main character falls for someone who would not be accepted by her family. In the second half she is engaged to quite the eligible bachelor but has the courage to end the relationship to follow her heart. Enjoyable, but just not as good as Kevin's previous work.

Are We Nearly There Yet, by: Lucy Vine 

I borrowed this from a friend...... At age 30, Alice feels like she is on a downward spiral. Her destructive behavior (getting thrown out of clubs, getting fired) might have something to do with seeing all of her friends start getting married and having babies. She decides to go on a worldwide adventure and blog about it. I felt like this was a younger version of Eat, Pray, Love and I couldn't really get into the first half of the book. As it went on though, I loved seeing this character work through her issues and start to deal with her family and friends in a more mature way.

Nantucket Nights, by: Elin Hilderbrand

As Elin would agree, it's still Summer until September 21st! So I continued my recent Elin kick this month, and my Mom gave me Nantucket Nights as she is now an Elin fan and we swap books. This story focuses on the unlikely friendship of 3 very different women who first met as newcomers to the island in their early 20's. Every Labor Day, they have their secret "night swimmers" meeting at midnight where they eat, drink and swim in the ocean and confide their deepest secrets. This year, one of them doesn't come back to shore. As the investigation ensues, the island is deep in scandal, suspects, and secrets. As the story continues to unfold, there is a big twist at the end.

Summerland, by: Elin Hilderbrand

I got this paperback copy at Meijer. Four friends, on the cusp of their Senior year, attend a beach graduation party that ends in an accident that kills one of them. Penny dies and her twin brother is in a coma. Her boyfriend Jake and friend Demeter are unharmed. The close knit group of parents mourn all Summer and try to find answers of what exactly happened, while also dealing with their own issues and secrets. So many issues covered here - single motherhood, teen pregnancy, teen alcoholism, losing children not only to SIDS but also tragedy..... heartfelt Elin reading!

Beautiful Day, by: Elin Hilderbrand

 I rec'd this copy from a book swap page. What's better than a Nantucket wedding? As two families come together on the island, the bride abides by the wishes her deceased mother wrote in a notebook for her daughters big day. As with any Elin book, there is drama, heartbreak and healing with all the supporting characters leading up to and including the celebratory weekend!

Untamed, by: Glennon Doyle

I borrowed this book from a friend, but now that I have read it I think I will purchase my own copy to refer back to when I need it. This has been a buzz worthy book, and I've had friends telling me I have to read this. Now I wonder why I waited so long! The summary is so good (and powerful), I couldn't explain it better myself: 

There is a voice of longing inside each woman. We strive so mightily to be good: good partners, daughters, mothers, employees, and friends. We hope all this striving will make us feel alive. Instead, it leaves us feeling weary, stuck, overwhelmed, and underwhelmed. We look at our lives and wonder: Wasn’t it all supposed to be more beautiful than this? We quickly silence that question, telling ourselves to be grateful, hiding our discontent - even from ourselves.

I have a lot of thoughts as I work though this read, learning how to apply it to MY best life. But it was validating to hear these same thoughts that my friends and I talk about. Women are so focused on ensuring their partners needs are met, their childrens needs are met, making everything look good to others. And then what we might think of as "self care" isn't as fulfilling or authentic as it should be. I really love Glennon's confirmation that our society is geared toward "not feeling"...... we are looking for that magic pill, drinking, drugs - anything to distract from dealing with our feelings. Being human and living life is hard - it was never meant to be easy - so it's all in how we choose to deal with it.

End of Season Deals

 Ahhhh, it's that time of year where you can find amazing deals on Summer items and then try to squeeze in at least one wear before the weather turns! Couldn't resist this Calais jumpsuit from Anthro ($49.95 + 50% off) as it pulls together several details that I love (wide leg crazy pants, patchwork print). And these classic black wedge sandals are one of my go-to styles (strap across the toes, ankle strap, bonus if they have buckles). This Dansko Astrid pair retail for over $100 and I got them for around $35 at Von Maur. Even though there is a buckle on the ankle strap, it actually velcros closed which I love - my similar pair of Rockport sandals like this had velcro and I wore them until they were trashed.

Wish You Were Here

 Happy 1st Day of Fall!!! This "Wish You Were Here" wall is another "bright spot", and it is painted by the same artist who painted the "Have A Nice Day" wall that I featured last week. This maxi dress is from the Scoop line at Walmart (from last year) and I remember posting about it earlier this year (February maybe?). I remember that day was so cold and nasty, so it was hard to get a good photo. But today could not be a more perfect Fall day! Blue skies, sunny, a bit of crispness to the air! Maybe now that it is Fall my hair will stay curled all day? All Summer long it was a complete flop. Cheers to Tuesday!

Have A Nice Day!

The third and final Bright Walls mural festival in Jackson has been postponed until 2021. That didn't stop them though from having a few "Bright Spots" done last week. There were 3 artists in town spread out appropriately for social distancing to give us something pretty and hopeful in 2020. This "have a nice day" is located on the library! 

 

Today, I am wearing an embroidered peplum top from Anthropologie. THESE are the kind of tops that I love from them and I own so many variations. I appreciate that they take a universally flattering silhouette, and add unique prints/details. This one has the cutest colorful embroidered design, and some button accents. It is a bit sheer, so I wore a white tee under so the colors would really pop! Paired with jeans (high rise Rockstar from Old Navy), slip on footwear (Birkenstock Madrid Big Buckle), and my designer dupe bracelets (No Boundaries from Walmart). I cannot find this top on the Anthro website right now, but it is on sale (with an extra 40% off). My store in Ann Arbor had a ton of them.

 

Two Ways to Wear Graphic Gemstones

Graphic tees seem to be here to stay, and to avoid a burnout of them I am only purchasing ones that "speak" to me (think: peacocks, 90's grunge bands, etc....). Being a long time jewelry maker, even if I've taken a short hiatus from it, one thing is true...... I LOVE gemstones and incorporating them into my work. So when I saw this oversized option pop up in an ad, I was quick to order it. The image is very muted, but I love how it gives the meaning of each stone under its name. I wore it two ways here..... first with jeans, a half tuck to show some definition, and a chunky gemstone necklace. Brown accessories (sandals and sunnies) fit this casual look. I then tucked it into my gemstone printed skirt I got a few years ago, and that called for black sandals and sunnies pairing. I like the contrast of the shirt showing "rough" gems, and the skirt showing "cut" gems! As I mentioned before, it is an oversized shirt (and super soft) so I went down a size and it is still roomy! It is long enough to wear with leggings/bike shorts. I'm sure I will continue to come up with outfit ideas. You can get your own AEO Oversized Gemstone Graphic T-Shirt here!

"That's cute Mom.... is it from Anthro?"

 While visiting my parents this past holiday weekend, my Mom had this shirt on so of course I had to compliment her and ask if she got it from Anthropologie. She did, so off I went to order one for myself (on sale + 40% off). These sleeveless flowy tops in fun prints have long been staples of mine from Anthro because they are so easy to wear on their own or layered! And the colors make for endless mixing and matching!

Maeve Whimsical Pintucked Blouse - Anthropologie

High Rise Power Straight Jeans - Old Navy

Universal Thread Wenda Flats - Target

Gap Jean Jacket - consignment shop

Necklace - Express (old)

 

Self Portrait Kimono

 A few posts ago, I talked about how shopping trends were changing. Here's a good example of a retailer changing their style. Dress Barn, which has typically sold a more conservative look, has started to get into boho. I LOVE this new option from them, but I'm sure their loyal shoppers might not be thrilled about it. It looks like they are still offering a lot of what they are known for, but who knows if that will last? I believe all of their brick & mortar stores closed last year so online is the only option. I've noticed they have great sales too - for instance right now the entire site is 30% off! I saw this kimono in a pop up ad and was intrigued. I love unique prints, and the artsy feminine faces are really fun. I've seen doodle face prints like this before and always liked them. So easy to layer over black jeans and a tank, but it would be fun over a black dress too. I used the waist tie to as a head wrap!

Self Portrait Sheer Goddess Kimono - Dress Barn

High Rise Power Straight Jeans - Old Navy

Sonoma Shell - Kohl's (old)

Simply Vera Sunglasses - Kohl's

Birkenstock Essentials EVA in Black - Birkenstock 

Necklace - Anthropologie

How Shopping is Changing

Our society is changing by the day. Many changes were already in the works, but the pandemic has accelerated that, especially when it comes to shopping. The amount of businesses - large and small - that have gone bankrupt in the last few years is astounding. The push for online is high, and personally, I do not like it. I know some people only shop online and love it. For me though, the act of going shopping is a form of therapy - even if I don't buy anything. Also, the hassle of not knowing if something will fit, the quality, having to send it back, etc.... is not worth it to me. Being an avid reader, I have read 2 books (The Warehouse and Qualityland) where the future is a dystopian world where an Amazon like corporation is the only place to work/live/shop. That's a big "nope" for me, but I fear that is where we are headed.

My personal preference to shop in person is nothing though compared to the loss of retail jobs and vacant, dilapidated buildings I drive by daily (since no one wants to reuse them - we always have to have new, new new!). 

Just getting some of my thoughts out there as I have seen the following interesting trends recently:

Subscription boxes have been popular for years now, but you get to KEEP what is in them. How do you feel about clothing rental boxes? Since I shop second hand anyway, I don't mind it, but what happens to the clothes when they get too "used"? Nuuly is a newer rental company that has peaked my interest because is specializes in the brands I like such as Anthropologie, Free People, Urban Outfitters, etc.... Did you know that if you go to Anthropologie's website right now, and type "nuuly" into the search bar, you will find used clothes that Nuuly is no longer renting out for purchase? This might be a good way to get a piece you missed out on, in addition to the resources of eBay, Poshmark, Thred Up, buy/sell/trade boards. I'm also seeing more brands offer rental right on their site, like Loft and Banana Republic. Again, I question how this can be profitable for them? Based on my own purchases from those stores, how could an item hold up to multiple rentals? If you watch sales, you can purchase something about the same or cheaper than renting it. At what price point is rental worth it - for both the consumer and seller?

Speaking of Thred Up, did you know you can search for and purchase Thred Up items on Walmart's website? Seeing the rental option and second hand items for sale on these sites is telling me that retailers are doing anything and everything to try new ways to make money. We will continue to see more and more of this.

I've been a fan of LuLaRoe since it began (mostly their dresses), and if you are a fan too you know that consultants will do live videos on social media to sell the items. What I have noticed though, is some of the top sellers have now gone off on their own and sort of made their own "home shopping network" channel where you can buy just about anything??? So they've basically made a career out of warehousing a bunch of stuff - clothes, home goods, food items, etc..... - and selling it on social media via videos. Good for them, but this is odd to me.

A few weeks ago, Steinmart announced their closure. This is probably my Mom's favorite store, and you know I've found some pretty amazing things there too! Anyway, since this blog is mostly about shopping I wanted to share what has been in my head. What are your thoughts about online versus in person shopping? Do you buy used clothing or try rentals? Has there been a store closure you've been particularly bummed about?