Weekend Window Shopping: My Travel Uniform.

It turns out that the key to packing (for me) is to just pack the stuff you wear all the time. No reinventing the wheel, just keep it simple. Here's my ideal travel outfit (which I will shortly be wearing in Paris):
         
       

         
       
     
       

We Discuss: Another Average Week

A: GUESS WHO’S IN PARIS

M: Lololol

A: IMMA FIND HIM AND STAND NEXT TO HIM

M: You’ll block the sun

A: Whatever it takes

M: 

A: 

A: 

M: Baby gap has a closeout sale I guess

A: 

M: Heh

****

A: I just saw your IG story and I’m confused about why you’re calling my room “the guest room” tbh

M: Typo

A: We just ordered a plaque for The Marianne Suite so...

M: I am having your portrait painted on one wall Andy Warhol style

M: Too much?

A: 

M: I just spilled an entire la Croix trying to take a boomerang

A: rookie

****

M: I’m watching Killing Eve this weekend and it’s so good!

A: DUH

A: I HAVE BEEN TELLING YOU

M: I knew it would be! I just wanted to give it my full attention

A: Seriously my favorite show in a long time

M: Okay I really like this show but they whole secret team of people with NO FIELD TRAINING out hunting assassins is a little 🤷🏻‍♀️

A: Well, yeah. Just suspend that disbelief, Marianne.

M: Poor, poor Bill

A: OMG I KNOW

A: I need to watch it again

M: I really love Aunt Petunia tho

A: There were some one-off lines that I just love

M: Villanelle is the best part

A: Of course

M: I just like looking at her so much

A: And now you get the wardrobe thing

A: She’s just amazing

M: Yes!

A: I tried to explain and you were like lol

A:

M: Haha

A:

M: I loved that whole dinner

A: I know! It’s the best show.

Adrien: Sometimes I Go Out, I Swear.

I feel like my outfits have slipped into winter boring-ness so I thought I'd post something I wore out to an actual party. Lest you think I'm dressing up - haha. Not really. I am just employing Kim France's Party In A Top method of dressing up. But it's good - really all you need is a fun party top and the rest can be whatever. (GOD I AM SO LAZY.) Behold: 

I bought this top in December (I posted about trying it on here) but I never actually posted the outfit I'd described wearing if I bought it, so here it is! I don't generally spend so much (even with a discount) on a single blouse but I've worn this one for several occasions and it always makes me feel fancy. I'm wearing it with my Madewell coated jeans which are a staple in my closet. Madewell isn't carrying them right now but this pair of Joe's looks really good and this pair by Blank NYC is very on sale. Also, H&M has a pair suuuuper cheap. (I won't tell.) 

Anyway, since buying this top I am now a FIRM believer in the "party top." I almost bought this one from Anthro because the color is so amazing and something like this fun top would also totally work. Marianne mentioned that she really likes Loft's lace tops for dressing up. Something like this black lace top or this wrap top. I also like the idea of a simple blousy top in a great color working well in this capacity, like this one at BR. On to details:

My giant tassel necklace is from Ann Taylor from a million years ago but it still gets some love now and then. I love a tassel! This is the one I'm currently dying to own (my friend Nina has it and it's beautiful) but something like this Sole Society necklace is much easier on the budget. But of course, the best tassel is always Lulu Frost. Always. 

I wear these Madewell Lucien boots too much but they're comfortable and go with everything. I mean, what am I supposed to do? They're long sold out but the Regan style is pretty similar. My bag is a recent Poshmark purchase - a J.Crew Signet bag with the snakeskin key tag. It fits a surprising amount and is an easy little crossbody. They seem to be gone from the site right now, but there are lots available secondhand. 

Finally, because I am dumb I threw my AllSaints leather jacket over everything just to see what it looked like. Too much shiny, that's what it looked like. Hmmph. 

Shopping Report: An Update.

Y'all are probably real sick of hearing about this dress but THERE IS MORE SORRY/NOT SORRY. Because I am an obsessive weirdo I went back to Anthro yesterday hoping they'd magically have the leopard dress in my size. Alas, they did not, but while wandering around I noticed a sales assistant steaming the snakeskin version behind the counter. They hadn't even put them out yet but yes, I will take the small, please:

Turns out? It's great and the colorway works fine on me. I obviously bought the damn dress and also picked up the leopard for Marianne. (She has promised an outfit selfie!) I rarely buy anything full price at Anthro  but I think this dress is worth checking out because it's great and it's going to fly out of there. I'm wearing it today with tights and boots and will definitely be wearing it in a few months with bare legs and clog sandals!

Sort of related, I've been noticing a LOT of leopard and snakeskin on the Anthro site and thought I'd share a few of my favorites:

This blouse is SO FOR ME. I am going to keep a close eye on it for spring! (It needs to go on sale.) 

If you're leery about wearing A LOT of snake, maybe what you need is these ultra cool Supergas? 

I haven't bought a belt in ages but how f'ing great would this look with a plain black dress? 

There is a ton of leopard on the site (leopard 4Evr!) so I had to work hard to narrow things down:

This is more Marianne's jam than mine, but it's very 80s safari in a good way. 

(Hey, remember when we did this? Good times.) 

These are straight up adorable and the print is just right - neither too big nor too small. 

This top is riiiight on the edge of being maybe too much for me which means I should go try it on and know for sure because it might be just the right amount of too much. 

BONUS ADORABLE LEOPARD-PRINT CARD CASE WHICH I DO NOT NEED. (BUT OMG.) 

Weekend Shopping Report: Anthropologie Disappoints Me.

This past weekend I went to Anthropologie in search of the mythical Juno Printed Dress that keeps eluding me. I never generally want anything from Anthro badly enough to pay full price and now that I'm like, TAKE ALL MY MONEY ANTHRO the dress has gone *poof*

This is the dress I'm talking about (which, if you follow us on IG, you might already know about):

You can't have me. 

Currently it's sold out in the leopard print version but I don't take no for an answer. It's popped back online a few times but never in the size I need. So, off I went to the store and I found two of them at my local Anthro! Unfortunately one was a M and the other an XL. Dammit. I tried on the medium because I'm no quitter:

I absolutely love it but it's definitely too big. And yes, I am wearing it over my Madewell jeans and Dr Martens. Also, because I have narrow shoulders, it felt pretty low-cut in the medium as well:

They did have a small in the green floral version so I tried that on just to confirm sizing:

The green floral is...not for me, but the fit is perfect. A new snakeskin version of the dress just got added and, while I really like it,  I worry the pinky-beige color won't look great on me. So, for now, I am holding out for the leopard dress in size small. (Holla if you find one and I will be your best friend forever!) 

I also tried on the leopard print cardigan which I loved so much in theory but on me it was a little more boxy than I like:

So cozy, though! It's on sale and appears to be sold out online (I'm sure it'll pop back) but there were lots in my store. I pretty much fled after that because I was trying to keep my eyes on the prize and not be tempted to buy things I don't need. HOWEVER, there is a good sale going on at Anthro right now - an extra 40% off sale items and it ends tonight!

Weekend Window Shopping: Madewell Sale on Sale.

Happy Friday! This has been the longest damn week, hasn't it? I barely had the energy to dig through this Madewell sale  (an extra 30% off sale styles with code BRAVO) which seems to be mostly bits and pieces. Also, it wouldn't give me image links of any of the bags and I really loved this canvas tote and this little crossbody bag, both of which are part of the sale! Here's what else I liked:  
         
       

         
       
     
       

Stuff I Like: Eating, Hibernating, Learning, Watching

I haven't done one of these in a while! Here are a few of the things that have been making my life better lately: 

This Salmon Salad I Eat For Lunch Every Week
It's that time of year when my weight is creeping up and austerity measures must be made. I pack my lunch every day and try really hard to pack food that's nutritious and also tasty. My latest obsession is this salmon salad recipe that I've been making every week. It really simple, makes two decent portions and tastes really good. You can put it in a collard wrap if you must but I prefer it on a toasted wheat pita with a handful of salad greens shoved in. Definitely get the good canned salmon with skin and bones included (I know, but they mix right in and you won't even notice and that's where the nutrition lives.) Because I'm bougie I like to use this fancy-ass mayo but Dukes is just fine too and I also add salt to the recipe because I'm not a monster.

This Comforter I Can't Live Without
I moved in with my boyfriend back in the summer and we have this great little 1960s ranch house that I adore. But y'all, I am freezing to death. This cute house of ours is drafty and I decided we needed a super cozy bed set-up so that I wasn't always a shivering poodle. On some dumb podcast I listen to (okay, it was Forever 35) a guest mentioned she had a silk-filled comforter that was great because it's weighty but also regulates body heat well.  I was like, THAT SOUNDS PERFECT. I scoured Amazon, bought the LilySilk All Season Luxury Silk Comforter and never looked back. I love it, my boyfriend loves it, the cats really love it. It's not super thick but it's deliciously heavy without being suffocating. It's not inexpensive but I've been so happy with it. Worth every penny.

This Audiobook That's Teaching Me French
Long story, but I never took a foreign language in high school. So, when we planned our trip last fall to Paris, I was pretty worried about the language thing and started listening to the Coffee Break French podcast. It's an excellent place to start and helped me to learn a few important words and phrases. Now, with our upcoming return trip to Paris (next week!) I wanted to go a little deeper. I researched the various programs and eventually bought Learn French With Paul Noble. This audiobook is an immersive method and within the first hour you're speaking full sentences, which feels like magic. It's not super helpful for just learning traveler's French (I think Coffee Break French does a better job of that) but it's still quite good, even if I tend to get snappy with Paul, who is smug. We get it Paul, you're a GD genius.

This Amazing Show You're Probably Already Watching
OMG are you watching Russian Doll? Marianne told me about it (she's watched it twice through) and I am currently obsessed. Also, Natasha Lyonne is just amazing and has the best hair. The basic premise is that the main character Nadia gets caught in a loop in which she repeatedly attends her birthday party and dies at the end of the night each time. It's dark and funny and kind of weird, just how I like it. I won't say more because I don't want to spoil it, just watch it.