We Discuss Everlane Stockholm Syndrome.

A: Everlane's new cotton sweaters look like something from Old Navy that I accidentally put in the dryer.



M: Cotton sweaters are kind of bullshit. Those cotton sweaters are extra bullshit.

A: Right? They make me sad.

M: But kudos to Everlane for convincing people that already faded and shrunk sweaters are something they want.

A: Boxy, faded and shrunk is the new chic.

M: I mean, bravo. That said I really am going to have to try the wide leg crops so I can know that they are awful for sure. What is my problem.



A: I want to believe. Do it for science.

M: I 100% promise you they will be godawful on me but apparently I can't rest until I see for myself.

A: Now I want them too. I'm so suggestible.

M: Even better--I kind of want the ochre/baby poop color.

A: Marianne.

M: You don't know mah life.

M: But seriously, color aside, reading the reviews and seeing so many people that wear my size loving them just makes me want them more. All the pictures only show size twos so I was suspect.

A: Hey, I have Everlane Stockholm Syndrome because I still want these boots even though I know better:

M: I am a Wearer of Weird Shoes and those bum me out.

A: Ugh, thank you. I don't know why I can't quit them.

M: They would be a big departure for you! Maybe we both need to try and review. This is how a no buy works right?

A: Oh. Huh. Yeah, we're doing that right?

M: Riiiiight.

A: I mean, we talked about it.

M: Talking counts, right? Also effff yoouuuuuu:

Nice pants but too big

I like these pants but I wish they had a smaller size. The 00 is a 26' waist. Usually 00 is a 24' waist. Also, I'd prefer them without the stretch, but maybe that's just me.

A: FAKE NEWS.

M: Like, I am all for body positivity and whatever but WAH MY 00 PANTS ARE TOO BIG just stfu.

A: WON'T SOMEONE THINK OF THE SUPER DUPER TINY LADIES?

A: And because I have the attention span of a gnat, I've already moved on to wanting these:

M: No judgement.

A: I love both pairs of Madewell boots that I own. I rarely love anything Everlane sends me except for the v-neck tees. I am trying to learn from mistakes, here.

M: Ah those are pretty. I never consider olive shoes because I wear olive jackets so much and that seems too matchy? I'm complicated.

A: That's a good point, but wouldn't stop me.  I also want a leather jacket but le sigh.

M: All this talking about fall is making me sad.

A: It's inevitable. We should just eat our cilantro corn salad and try not to cry.

M: I'm just not ready.

A: Summer forever.

M: I'm 30 pages into the Everlane Pants reviews and ready to buy two pairs in two different sizes and colors.

A: Which two colors?

M: The black and the ochre shut up.

A: The ochre is growing on me.

M: Okay, two pair of pants, two colors, two sizes, ordered for science.

A: Yay for science! PLEASE REPORTS BACK.

BUY THIS (So We Don't Have To): Two Things Real Quick. Maybe Three.

Hey! So listen. Remember how I wasn't really excited by the Frye boot offerings on TJ Maxx? Well, I take it back. They just added a pair of the very classic Frye Veronica Slouch boots in a very un-classic burnt red color:

Available in many sizes! At $199 they aren't suuuuuper cheap but it's still a really good price for this style. I have a black pair and they're the most comfortable walking boots I own and they look great with skinny jeans. I just kinda wish I'd gone for a more interesting color.

Oh, and speaking of skinny jeans, there's also this pair of legit Jeanz for Teenz that is a good bargain:

J Brand jeans for $60? That's not half bad and they have a fair range of sizes available, which is nice. If you prefer your jeans to not look like you were dragged under a car first (which I personally love but I get is not for everyone), might I suggest these Joie moto jeans?

(In a surprise twist, it looks like they're slightly cheaper on Nordstrom Rack.) Those zip pockets, though, right? Sigh. It's happening, ya'll. Suddenly I want fall things.

PS. Please be advised that print placement is important. Thank you.

Weekend Window Shopping: Total Eclipse of the Cart.

LOOK, I KNOW. I know. I'm a total nerd and I just made a pun IN THE TITLE so you're probably already mad at me. But I'm pretty excited about the eclipse on Monday so why not go full nerd and make it the theme this week? Just be glad I didn't include stuff like this incredibly on-the-nose Givenchy clutch, this insane Maison Margiela dress or this beautiful necklace that caused involuntary grabby hands. That would just be mean.

         

       

Stuff I Like: The Food Edition + Watching, Listening.

Rough week, right? Since my Whole30 is now a distant memory I can get back to stress eating with gusto. Thus, a food-themed entry, mostly.

image: Pinch of Yum

This Spring Roll Bowl That Is Amazing. 
My friend Malissa recently recommended this Spring Roll Bowl recipe and it was a revelation. Super fresh and full of good ingredients! And yes, there is sugar in there! That's what makes it delicious! I made it with shrimp but I think it would be great with any protein of your choice or with zucchini noodles in place of the rice noodles if that's how you roll. And definitely don't smell the fish sauce, just add it in and trust. I pretty much followed the recipe and thought that 7oz of rice noodles wasn't enough for the amount of sauce, but I ended up using the extra sauce to marinate the shrimp so that all worked out.

This Knife, By The Way.
If you're an adult who cooks and you don't have a good knife it's time to fix that. Last year for my birthday I bought myself a Wusthof Classic Ikon 7-Inch Santoku and I am SO IN LOVE STILL. I use it more than any other knife in my kitchen and it's worth every single penny. This set of two Ikon knives on Amazon seems like a good deal if you want a paring knife as well. Also, you need these tongs if you don't have a set. You'll wonder how you ever cooked without them. And get this spatula while you're at it. I'll stop now.

This Old Highball Which I Love.
Remember when I was comfort-reading Rosamunde Pilcher books? People drink a lot in those books and they especially like to drink whisky and soda. I am a fan of bourbon on the rocks but it's a winter thing for me, so I thought maybe I would try a bourbon and soda as a summer thing. And you know what? It's delightful. So simple and refreshing but still bracing. Add a twist if you desire, but it's not necessary. You don't need a recipe but this is still useful.

This Season of Bake. 
Y'all know that Marianne and I are big fans of The Great British Baking Show and the most recent season was seriously delightful. Delightful! Marianne hasn't watched it yet but I told her in a non-spoilery way that I actually really liked all of the final four contestants and that never happens. I don't know WTF this is all about but I am pretty sure I'm just going to not watch that. I mean, just stupid Paul? No Mary, Mel or Sue? Yeah, no thank you. (Seriously, look at that photo. They don't like him either.)

Finally, I am going off-theme to recommend a really timely listen:

This Podcast Episode That You Shouldn't Avoid. 
I am a native Virginian and the past week has been beyond horrifying and infuriating. Is this the tipping point? It has to be, right? Anyway, I highly recommend this episode of Pod Save the People for some really insightful interviews regarding the events in Charlottesville.

Adrien: I Can't Be Complicated.

The doldrums of August are when my outfits start going...real simple. I just can't get excited about any of my summer clothes anymore and it's too hot to really think about buying fall clothes yet, so I tend to go kind of boring. However, even though it's simple, I thought this outfit turned out fairly cute:

I'm wearing a simple swing dress from Loft (surprise!) that is slightly too tight in the arms but I keep wearing it anyway because it's so easy. They currently have a sleeveless version (more colors here) but I'm partial to this Lou & Grey dress which looks really comfortable. Old Navy also has something similar and this one at the Gap is fine, but I'm partial to this French terry dress. I'd wear the hell out of that. 

A plain dress needs a strong accessory and what's better than a red bag? Nothing, that's what. Mine is a vintage LV epi leather speedy but a great red bag doesn't have to be fancy. This red Frye bag is a glorious color and this adorable red Cambridge satchel is on sale! For a super-bargain, this MJ satchel at TheRealReal is a total steal. For your under-$50 option, this red Merona tote is pretty handsome. More details: 

I can't wear my giant Ann Taylor tassel with just anything - it demands a blank canvas. I can't find anything quite as enormous but this multi-tassel necklace will definitely make a statement! You also can't go wrong with a Lulu Frost tassel, that is just the truth. For something slightly less gigantic, I'd go with this pretty option from Ann Taylor! Oh, and my bracelet is a Bijouone Screw Cuff (a blatant knockoff of the Miansai modern screw cuff.)  

Finally, my sandal of the summer of 2017, my copper Birkenstock Gizehs. I know, I know, I'm sorry. They're just so comfortable and cute that I don't want to wear anything else. I also love them in silver but they're getting hard to find. Ooh, but there are a couple of sizes of the Madrid sandals in copper at Yoox and they're on sale! Go get em.

We Discuss Brown Crayons and Fashion Lobotomies.

M: I bought that Urban Decay mascara you liked and hate it! Why can't there be One Mascara To Rule Them All? I'm back to using Tarteist for now.

A: Oh no, I'm sorry! I'm wearing it today and still love it though it doesn't really hold up all day.

M: Oh it's fine, I wanted to try something new, and I'm going to take it back and exchange it. I just need a different brush and formula.

A: I have rediscovered my love for Tarte BB cream. Man, that stuff is so good.

M: I re-bought It Cosmetics CC cream and like it a lot. It has more SPF than the Clinique stuff I've been using. It's so annoying that just replacing mascara, CC cream, and an eyebrow pencil was 96 freaking dollars. But I returned some other stuff so broke even.

A: That's some good sale math! I am nearly out of my Tarte BB cream, my Pixi cleanser and my Juno oil. Whyyyyy all at once?

A: Also! I got my eBates payout and used it to buy that $22 Foley + Corinna bag I didn't need. Oops.

M: Haaaa speaking of sale math.

A: Hush.

M: I did go back to an eyebrow pencil after over a year of Ka-Brow because I got tired of dealing with it and turns out the pencil took just as long because I'm rusty I guess.

A: I am currently using a NYX eyebrow pencil and an Anastasia pencil and, while the colors are different, the pencils are basically identical.

M: I should have gotten a cheaper one but I already knew the Benefit pencil is the right brown for me--so many dark browns have red in them and I have a very cool undertone and blah blah blah $24 for a brown crayon.

A: That's why I'm using two - one is too red, the other too brown. It's really stupid. It takes hours.

M: Sometimes I wish I was some person who never shops and wears the same stuff forever and doesn't wear makeup and is literally the opposite of everything I am.

A: I would like to be the kind of person who doesn't care about clothes or shopping or makeup but I don't know how to do that. How do you do that?

M: Total personality transplant? Lobotomy?

A: A lobotomy might work but sounds expensive.

M: Yeah voluntary fashion lobotomies are prob not covered by insurance.

A: That figures.

BUY THIS (So We Don't Have To): TJ Maxx, The Boot Report.

Yes, once again I've been scouring the new arrivals on the TJ Maxx website lest a good bargain gets away from my grabby grasp. I don't generally link to the shoes because the sizing is so limited, but there are some GOOD boots right now so you'll just have to pray to the size gods. Here's what I saw:

Delman boots! Several beautiful pairs:

These Delman riding boots are so glorious, I can't even. Tiny sizes only, I'm afraid, but YOU GUYS. These are $600 boots. If you have tiny feet please buy them because I can't! Ugh.

These over-the-knee boots are pretty legendary in the fashiony world for good reason. They're stretch suede so they fit like a glove and retail for close to $700 according to Nordstrom Rack. Again, tiny sizes only. BOOOO.

These Delman suede ankle boots have a better size range available and the price is incredible! Nordstrom Rack has a few colors available (and better pics) but the prices aren't nearly as good.

In non-Delman boot news, there are a couple of really great looking leather Chelsea boot styles all well under $100:

These are your basic perfect black Chelsea boot! They also come in a cool snake texture that of course I love. 

I immediately loved this pair of wingtip Chelsea boots because they remind me of the glorious and expensive Church's version that will never be mine. PS. They come in burgundy too! 

TJ Maxx also has several pairs of Frye boots but, while the prices are good, they aren't amazing. This pair is under $200 and looks like a super-classic Frye style:

Pretty nice, right? The perfect cognac brown and not too cowboy-leaning. Nordstrom Rack also has a ton of Frye boots, so definitely do a bit of comparison shopping. 

One more pair! Remember how you kept waffling last fall about perforated ankle boots? Maybe you didn't give in? Now's the time:

These beauties are Dolce Vita and they also come in a medium grey color. They're leather and under $60! These will be your perfect transition-to-autumn ankle boots. What are you waiting for?