Where do you find inspiration?

Where do you find inspiration?

by | May 17, 2024 | Art

Lately I find myself longing

…for the good old days where there were fashion and lifestyle blogs everywhere, and I could pore through them, feeling connected, inspired, motivated. At some point they seem to have gone out of style and their content switched over to TikTok? It’s left me feeling a little lost. I need imagery! I need wit! Here are a few places I regularly visit when I need a creative lift.

ABBY RAMINSKY

Creative and original word explorations that make you want to become a writer yourself. Read Abby’s newsletter.

LE CATCH

Marlien Rentmeester’s blog is simply perfect. It lists fashion trends, high and low. Aspirational and inspirational. I love it so much. See Marlien’s recos.

BRITTANY BATHGATE

The best place for beautiful content that makes you feel relaxed and renewed. A perfect blend of relatable chats, clothing, home decor, art, and travel. Watch Brittany.

ALEXANDRA STEDMAN

Style ideas for days. Outfit repeating. British whimsy and realness. I’ve been following her since her pre-kid Frugality days. Check out Alex.

BENITA LARSSON

My favorite comfort-viewing niche: swedish minimalism, organization, and cleaning. I’m so here for all of it. Watch Benita.

PINTEREST: MY FAVORITE ARTISTS

And then, of course Pinterest. Among other things I have a board of all my favorite modern painters which is the best kind on inspiration. Paintings.

Transitioning to Spring — 9 Outfits I Wore Last Month

Transitioning to Spring — 9 Outfits I Wore Last Month

by | May 9, 2024 | Slow Fashion

When we got back from Mexico this past March, I thought, “Oh good, we will get back just in time for the beautiful Spring weather.” Uh, no. The middle of March was warm. Then bitter cold. Then everything in between. April was all over the place but actually not too rainy. Now, as we approach Mother’s Day weekend, the official, we-won’t-be-getting-any-more-frosts-and-you-can-plant-your-gardens time of year, I feel I can finally wear pretty much anything. I waited until just after Easter to do my closet switchover from Fall/Winter to Spring/Summer. All that means is I pull out all my shorts and try them all on and decide I don’t really like any of them. I also cycle the warm weather items I’ve had packed away in the big drawer in my dresser and replace them with my corduroys and cashmere and things I know I won’t wear for a while. It’s hugely satisfying. Welcome linen! Sandals. Tank tops. I’m especially excited to wear my clog sandals. Hello old friends. Flashbacks to my mom pulling boxes and boxes of clothes out of the attic and making me try everything on. How I hated it then, and now I love it. Some items I love just as much as when they were new, if not more. Other things I am so over and I say goodbye to them. I did a follow up inventory of my workout wear, specifically the running shorts and tops. I don’t usually get rid of much when I do a switchover, but I let a few things go. Only one pair of running shorts made the cut. And one pair of Patagonia baggies. After seeing what I had, I allowed myself to add a few new pieces. All clothing is old except for those with links.

J Crew linen dress | Sandgrens clog sandals

Lucky Bowie t-shirt | J Crew jeans | Kork-Ease mary janes

Gap tank | Loft trousers | Lotta from Stockholm clogs

Gap t-shirt | Everlane chinos | Troentorp clogs

J Crew linen shirt | Old Navy chinos | J Crew sandals

Gap tank | Pistola chinos | Lotta from Stockholm clog sandals

J Crew breton | J Crew linen pants | J Crew sandals

Michael’s t-shirt | Scotch & Soda chinos | Lotta from Stockholm clog sandals


J Crew button up | Old Navy chinos | Sam Edelman sandals
What I Packed for a Week in Mexico

What I Packed for a Week in Mexico

by | Mar 23, 2024 | Slow Fashion, Travel

We celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary with an overdue tropical getaway.

After a lot of discussion and many nights of scrolling through travel sites, we decided to call the travel agent who booked our Disney trip. Jennie designed the perfect trip for us, originally described as “anywhere warm enough in February where I can live in a swimsuit”. And is not touristy, crowded, or feels like we didn’t leave the US. Also has amazing food. And right on the beach? She came through and then some. We booked it and finally the time came, we flew to Playa del Carmen, just the two of us and it was absolute perfection.

WHAT I PACKED:

4 swimsuits: black Everlane one-piece, blue Athleta one-piece, black J. Crew two-piece, blue Roxy two-piece, and striped J. Crew rash guard
2 dresses: Madewell embroidered dress, Sundry striped dress
4 pairs of shorts: white Madewell denim cutoffs, Target white chinos, blue Patagonia baggies, black Everlane shorts
2 pairs long pants: Hudson blue jeans, black J. Crew linen drawstring pants
3 tank tops: black Banana Republic tank, navy GAP tank, blue LOFT tank
3 tees: blue David Bowie tee, gray Banana Republic tee, striped long sleeve J. Crew breton
2 sweaters/sweatshirts: black Santa Cruz sweatshirt, cotton navy J. Crew sweater
3 pairs of shoes: Nike daybreak sneakers, brown J. Crew sandals, black Rainbow flip flops
3 bags: J. Crew woven tote, Element backpack, olive green duffle
1 hat: black GAP baseball cap

I fit everything into a nylon duffle and was able to avoid checking any baggage. And I didn’t buy anything new for the trip.

DAY ONE: I wore Jeans, the Bowie tee, and a sweatshirt, with Nikes. We flew from Philly to Cancun. After we settled into the resort I changed into my striped dress and sandals for dinner.

DAY TWO: I wore my Everlane one-piece, white jean shorts, navy tank, and flip flops. We spent all day lying on a Bali bed by the beach and reading. At night there was a Mexican fiesta on the beach with an amazing buffet, dancers and a Mariachi band.

DAY THREE: I wore my black J. Crew bikini with the rashguard, black Everlane shorts, blue tank, and Nikes. The absolute highlight of the trip: a tour of the ruins at Tulum, plus a Cenote, a lagoon snorkel, and lunch at a beach club.

DAY FOUR: I wore my blue Roxy bikini, with the striped dress as a coverup. Later I changed into my black linen pants, striped breton, and sandals for dinner.

DAY FIVE: I wore my navy blue Athleta one-piece, white jean shorts, and flip flops. We went on a tour of the premium part of the resort and then went Jet skiing. I changed into my embroidered dress and sandals for dinner.

DAY SIX: I wore the black J. Crew two-piece again, baggies shorts, black tank, and flip flops. We went on a Catamaran snorkel tour. There is a world renown coral reef off the coast of Cancun and you almost don’t need a boat to get there. I saw so many tropical fish as well as a turtle and a manta.

DAY SEVEN: I wore the blue bikini again and did a lot of nothing. Really getting used to living in the Caribbean and have no plans of leaving.

DAY EIGHT: I wore my last clean outfit: white chino shorts and gray tee. We spent a little bit of time on the beach before checking out and heading to the airport to fly back.

 

Almost every day I woke up before the sun without an alarm and walked on the beach while the sun rose over the ocean. It was so beautiful. I cannot recommend Mexico enough. Everyone is so friendly and laidback. We did water aerobics and played volleyball and got to know some of the other guests. The food was excellent, the weather was perfect. Thank you El Dorado Maroma for the best vacation ever. And to Jennie at Evergreen Travel for making it happen.

My Favorite Healthy Smoothie Bowls

My Favorite Healthy Smoothie Bowls

by | Mar 21, 2024 | Let's Get Fit

I LOVE A SMOOTHIE BOWL.

I used to think the whole idea of a smoothie in a bowl was weird and didn’t understand it. They seemed so unnecessarily complicated with all the layered fruit and coconut and chia seeds and I wondered why people bothered. Now I’m totally on board. I totally get it. My creations are quick and easy to make and thought they vary slightly, they generally include banana, mixed frozen fruit, spinach, protein powder, almond milk, and then are topped with granola and kiwi, strawberry, or blackberries if I have them. I blend them with a Ninja Bullet blender. I actually prefer mine to Playa Bowl’s.

This granola is very good. I usually make my own sugar-free granola but when I ran out, I was happy to find this. Highly recommend.

This blender is a workhorse. We use ours almost every day.

I like this brand of protein powders. Both the vanilla and the chocolate.

Juicy — What I Like About Juicing

Juicy — What I Like About Juicing

by | Mar 19, 2024 | Let's Get Fit

Hello friends, fruit lovers. 

When I was a child, the only juice in our house was orange juice. It was made from a can of frozen concentrate, the cheap generic brand. And my dad watered it down. We drank it only at breakfast.

Fast forward to today, our grocery list includes some if not all of the following: OJ, lemonade, cranberry juice, cranberry/pomegranate juice, grape juice. We ofter mix them with carbonated water from our SodaStream. Our fridge also contains Gatorade (only “the blue”), Celsius energy drinks, Fairlife protein shakes, Diet Coke, and La Croix (lime).

I know juice has a lot of sugar and is only marginally better than soda. There was a time when many people thought juicing was super healthy. Then they questioned whether they were actually just consuming a lot of fruit-based sugar without the benefit of fiber. Back when I was in college, my mom gave me a giant industrial juicer which I never used. When our apartment was robbed, and they took the juicer I was actually grateful.

Now I’m sort of wishing I had one. I do have a Ninja Bullet for making smoothies and smoothie bowls and it’s great, but I suspect I need a juicer in order to blend hardier things like carrots, celery, apples, and the like. Just like with my smoothies, I think the trick to limiting the amount of sugar in a juice is to include veggies. Kale and spinach are practically undetectable. Coconut water or almond milk add liquid without adding more sweetener when you already have frozen fruit in there. Protein powders, oats, chia seeds and almond butter all add fiber and/or protein, not more sugar.

If you’re in the market for a juicer, here are a few options I’m considering. (As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Just so you know.)

MATCHES MY BLENDER  |  NINJA

AFFORDABLE ONE  |  HAMILTON BEACH

PRETTIEST/SPLURGE  |  BREVILLE

GREEN JUICE

When I was in Mexico recently, I tried Jugo Verde. It was amazing. When I asked what was in it, they said, “cucumber, cactus, parsley, orange, and pineapple.” If I had a juicer, I would definitely make this.