Good morning. I meant to pop in with a post about our family room plans but the week got away from me. How was your week? We are a bit of a chaotic mess over here. The “back to college” piles are everywhere and seemingly in every room. But we are also trying to relax and enjoy our time together so that equates to things being very out of sorts. I know this time will fly and order will be restored. But if this sounds familiar, know you are not alone.
ON REPEAT
Ryan gave me this set for my birthday and I just love it. I’ve been wearing it on repeat. It’s a small blue pinstripe in person. The vest (40% off) can be found here and the pants here. It’s comfortable and I always receive compliments when I wear it. I took it to California and it was a great set to travel with. I was able to wear the pants with a white t and I paired the vest with white shorts.
TRULY LOVE
These necklaces are on sale for under $15. They are just like the high end ones and so cute. It’s been a really nice way to dress up a t shirt or blouse. So many color options, too.
A FAVORITE PURCHASE
This is one of those purchases I want to tell all my friends about. I don’t think the reviews do it justice as I wear it all the time and love it. Yes, it’s a bit short but you can tuck it in and you just don’t pull it out much. It is such a flattering fit. It’s soft, comfortable and feminine. I love the way v-neck stays open. This is one of my favorite pieces in my wardrobe. As is this handbag (Amazon version here).
*I wear a size small. Sunset necklace found here.
NOW $10 OFF
Just a heads up that this cute jacket is now $30. Really fun for fall transition time.
A FUN SPLURGE
This dress is soooo pretty in person. I am wearing if for an event I have coming up and will be taking it to 30A with me. It’s currently 30% off. Even Riley commented on how pretty it was when I tried it on.
These were a complete surprise. We ordered them for Riley and they are incredibly comfortable. Look, they are $20, so I’m not expecting them to hold up for years but she is so excited to take them to school with her. If in between sizes definitely go up. I put them on and immediately loved how comfy, too. I may even suggest going up a size no matter what. The 8 was comfy on me and I am a 7.5. The apricot color is a pretty ivory/taupe.
THESE JUST ARRIVED
When I mentioned our family room, it’s because we are finally getting around to swapping out our window treatments. A full post is coming soon. I was at my sister’s house (it’s beautiful) and loved her drapery panels. I was SHOCKED when she said where she found them. They are fully lined, blackout and pinch pleat. They are so pretty. I immediately ordered them in oatmeal for our family room. More to come but I’m telling you. . . .best deal around. They look just like my high end custom ones. I’m shook. If you want an exceptionally full designer look, use two panels on each side of the window. Even doing that the price is phenomenal.
I tried to do a close up so you could see the pretty texture. This is “oatmeal” and as with any drapery panel you order, definitely steam them. They will look like a million bucks after you do. I love that these are memory shaped (which you normally pay extra for) to have the perfect pleats. So good.
*They even come with the rings and the plastic sliders that help you raise or lower a bit for the perfect length. Just like Two Pages.
NANCY MEYERS VIBES
I’m craving all things Nancy Meyers right now and these chairs are so pretty. If you are looking for a set of smaller scale chairs that are beautiful . . . I would consider these. They have the high end Restoration Hardware look. So much character and interest.
And I like the styling with a small lumbar pillow. Very elegant.
I can’t get over this vanity. It looks almost identical to the custom one my sister has in her powder room. This is absolutely beautiful. It comes in a darker stain and has tons of storage. I LOVE this so much. The reviews are perfect.
BACK TO SCHOOL
Pretty soon Riley will be headed back to Notre Dame with her laundry drying rack. This is a genius design. She has been using it here all summer and I need one for our new laundry room. Look how tiny it folds up (that cylinder on the left). It really is an intelligent, space saving rack. She doesn’t like to put all of her things in the dryer so this is a life saver. And I will say, her clothes last much longer when they aren’t constantly in a dryer. Smart girl.
If you open one of our kitchen drawers, you will always see a bin of these. I use them all day long. I am list maker and am constantly writing on my legal pads as I work. Riley got a hold of these and asked me to buy them for her back to school bag. She LOVES them. I know they are just pens but believe me when I say you’ll never go back to any other ballpoint pen. They are smooth and don’t smudge. This is the best price I’ve seen on them.
I forgot we need to order this skirt. I will likely be cutting it and only using one side. Her twin XL bed will be raised and she will have rolling bins under it. It’s nice to be able to cover all of that. Freshman year we just used double sided velcro tape and it worked really well. Don’t be afraid to have scissors on hand and cut things to fit. It doesn’t need to look perfect!
If you are sending a child off to college, these are great for the shower. The holes are key so the water drains and they dry more quickly.
Also, I highly recommend getting one of these drying mats. It’s ideal for them to set their shower shoes and caddy on back in the dorm room. You want things to dry out quickly to avoid mildew. Riley really appreciated having one of these. Also great if they have cups, mugs or bowls that need to dry after rinsing.
*You can see my complete list of college dorm must haves here.
PLEASE CONSIDER THESE
I know it sounds weird but these are key for dorm rooms. We actually use them in our own home, too, because of high humidity. They absorb excess moisture. Believe me when I say you want to cut down on as much moisture as possible in the older dorm rooms. All you do is hang it in the closet and toss it when it’s full of water. If they fill up quickly it’s a good indicator that you have a high level of humidity and will want to keep using. If it’s in your own home, you may even want to consider a dehumidifier (especially if you live in the south).
EYEING THESE
We need a chair for Riley’s dorm room (the girls chose to do two chairs instead of a love seat) and these have great reviews. She will be able to use it for the next two years and then the kids can turn around and sell them.
TOTAL GAME CHANGER
I bought these smart plugs while heading home from my sister’s house in CA. Her home at night is so dreamy. The lamps come on and that is the only light they use. It’s so soft and beautiful. The best part is that it all turns on and off automatically and is gorgeous thanks to these little plugs. Couldn’t be easier. Now I just need a couple of more lamps!
I received the kindest message from a reader about how excited she was to find this. She thought her white plates were ruined (so did I) and was about to buy new ones. This miracle paste takes away all of the silver ware marks. It supposedly works really well on ovens, too. I haven’t tried that yet but I so happy to have my white dishes glistening again.
HEALTHY HABITS
Oral hygiene plays a major role in the overall health of our bodies. I will be the first to admit my flossing isn’t always happening. So many of the store brands have yucky ingredients or aren’t effective. Just started using Cocolab and love it. There are so many flavor options so it’s great for the kids, too. I ordered two for Riley to take back to school with her. The toothpaste is flouride free in case you are looking for that.
We are off to track down the crown molding we need for our laundry room. We have stalled on the project until we get that installed. We realized it’s silly to install cabinets and then try to maneuver ladders around the room to put up the crown. So wish us luck. The crown is my husband’s least favorite part of the project.
Have a wonderful weekend and I’ll see you back here on Monday.
