Random Things I’m Excited About

It's Friday afternoon, I'm sitting at my desk looking out the window at glorious sunshine and feeling chatty! Here are a bunch of random things I'm excited about.

Spring refresh at home - David refinished the floor in our "sunroom" before we left for the Bahamas and this little change is making me so happy and inspiring other updates around the house. (Isn't that always the way...) From diving into a big closet clear-out to doing oft overlooked tasks (like dusting wicker trays and pleated lampshades) to polishing the silver I'm on a rampage. I'm also creating mood boards for a few rooms that need to come together and vowing to hang a few pictures this weekend that have been sitting on the ground for months waiting for their final resting place. Wish me luck!

Printing physical pictures - We created a wall collage of photos for our baby boy's first birthday and left it up for a full month. We all loved seeing more photos around the house so I've been printing a bunch of pictures for our house and the grandparents. I love the nostalgic feel of black and white photos and oddly picture frames are so expensive (!?) but these silver bamboo frames are under $20 and look like Ralph Lauren frames for a fraction of the cost.

A new curriculum - I'm currently developing a style "curriculum" to help readers create the timeless wardrobe of your dreams, and distill the principles that help you look and feel your best everyday! This was inspired by a recent chat with my best friend who lives and works in DC, and she loves when I share style "rules" to help her put outfits together, from how to balance proportions, to which types of shoes to pair with different pant styles, to which pieces to invest in and where you can save money, etc. So be looking out for that in the next few weeks! (I'll be featuring lots of wardrobe staples as well, from my most-worn white button up, to the best loafers at every price point, to my most worn jeans!) If you have a style question/topic you'd like me to answer in the curriculum please share it here!

Vintage Ralph Lauren fabrics - Each spring I feel the urge to add more florals to our home, be it fresh cut flowers or floral patterns in our decor. I grew up with Ralph Lauren floral bedding in my childhood bedroom, and have been down a rabbit hole on Etsy perusing pretty vintage floral RL textiles. (Best paired with crisp white sheets and a little wicker to complete the look!)

Bespoke stationery - Really nice personalized stationery is one of my favorite little luxuries and it's been on my to-do list to order a new set. I have my eyes on these bespoke correspondence cards and I got these simple initial notecards to get a feel for the quality and they're gorgeous!

New beauty favorites - I get pitches from 10-15 different beauty brands a week and say no to 99% of them because the products contain toxic ingredients. After falling in love with this clean-beauty bronzer, RMS Beauty offered to send me a few new products to try and not only do they have great non-toxic ingredients, but the products are really effective. Their Suncoverup Super Tint with SPF is an amazing alternative to traditional foundation and blends in a gorgeous, natural way - like a glowy veil over your skin while including sun protection! I have also been using their Kadaku Cleansing Gel and loving the way their foaming cleanser makes my skin feel (so fresh after washing but not stripped like some others do) and I the soft wash of color from this blush is so pretty! (I have in Sangria). I always check product ingredients using the Yuka App and which highlights potentially problematic ingredients in a formulation. Highly recommend using Yuka to evaluate your own beauty products and contemplate swapping items for better versions!

Weekend reading - I'm excited to pour myself a coffee in this lettuceware cup (such a steal!) and dive into my friend Hannah's first book How to Be a Better Drinker (she's so witty - this is going to be good) and drool over the photos in Aerin Lauder's Living with Flowers.

New pieces I'm loving - I've been placing a few orders to use as I develop my style curriculum, and some spring pieces I'm loving and will be shooting in the next few weeks include a blue and white shirt dress that looks amazing on women of any age, this white clutch bag, white denim flares (size up!), a chic gingham trench coat, pretty slingback flats, and a chambray midi skirt.

Local Events - Our favorite local bakery, Elephantine, does a special dinner pop up a couple times of year and for a few weeks in March they're featuring a special menu of flavors and dishes from Cairo! I love I'm also contemplating taking a topiary class at Snug Harbour Farm too. I've always found topiaries to be a bit fussy, but would love tools to better care for them!

Exploring the Southeast - We typically head to Charleston in March but I'm itching to explore a new area in the Southeast. I'm still thinking coastal, perhaps a town with pretty architecture and good food and a historic hotel? If you know of a place that fits that description I'd love to hear your recommendations!

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