I have always said that I have inferior ear lobes. My friends laugh at this statement, but it’s true. I have never been able to wear earrings with any weight to them. They stretch my lobe really long and it looks ridiculous, in my opinion. That is why I stick to studs and light hoops. {I went out on a limb when I bought these beauties!}
So when I came across Lobe Wonder | Earring Support Patches, I ordered them on the spot. I have always loved Kendra Scott’s gorgeous earrings, but they are too heavy for me. I guess others have the same issue! The patches are simple oval stickers that you adhere to the back of your ear lobe. Put your earring in normally and pierce through the patch. The weight is supported by the patch, which decreases stretch.
Can I say that these little patches may have changed my life? While the change is not drastic, you can really tell a difference. Most importantly, the weight of the earring felt dramatically less while I was wearing the patches.
Seriously, amazing! Now, which earrings will I buy to celebrate? Maybe these or these!
I have learned that making a wish list per season helps when making choices. Just yesterday I put something back on the rack that wasn’t on my list of essential things for spring. I am truly trying to keep my closet stocked with only things I love and will wear over and over in a season.
My Spring ’15/Wish List:
1. Color Blocked Sunglasses
2. White Button Down
3. Envelope Clutch
4. Lariat Necklace
5. Leather Fringe Handbag
6. Slim Boyfriend Jeans
7. Pointed Toe Flats
8. Colored Pumps
What is on your wish list for spring? Find these and other spring essentials here.
Last week, for a girls’ night out, I spent an evening with Cheryl Strayed. Well, I spent an evening listening to her speak. You probably remember my excitement when I heard that Reese Witherspoon was producing and starring in the movie Wild, based on Cheryl’s book. I saw the movie on the day it opened. And loved watching Reese, Cheryl and Laura Dern walk the red carpet for premiers and award shows! {Whoa, with all those posts you might say I am a little obsessed. I swear -I don’t stalk!}
She spoke to a packed house at Benaroya Hall. How about some highlights?
1. She shared that she waited almost a decade to write about her trek on the Pacific Crest Trail because she didn’t have anything to write until that time. She didn’t want the book just to be about her. Instead, she wanted the book to be less about her time walking and more about what makes us all human. Those things that connect us all.
2. Her book editor asked her to edit out her pre-hike sexual encounters with women. Maybe a bit too edgy??
3. Cheryl dreamed of being a writer as a young girl. She was fascinated by the magic you could create with a sentence.
4. The advice Reese Witherspoon gave her about delivering her {one} line in the movie? “Don’t f*ck it up.”
5. She would one day like to hike the PCT with her husband and children. She wants her kids to be a little older so they can carry their own gear. Or she would take a llama. Pack animals are allowed on the trail.
6. No matter how hard she tried, she realized she was incapable of ruining her life. She finally decided she needed to something big. Something physical. She needed to do this to become the person her mother had raised. So, she hiked the Pacific Crest Trail.
At the conclusion of speaking individually {and successfully having the entire hall in tears} she sat with a moderator and answered questions from the audience. Guess, what? She answered my question! I asked her, “While reading your book, I was struck by your encounters with strangers and their kindness. Can you speak to this and how it effected your journey on the PCT?” Her answer included thoughts about the kindness of strangers after her mother’s death. How people she didn’t know showed up to help in big and small ways. This is the mid-west way. She added that the strangers she met on the trail helped her immeasurably and they are out there every year. The good is out there. Go find it!
PS: I really wanted to ask her about the red carpet and the 411 on Hollywood secrets. I decided against it because I was certain it wasn’t “literary” enough for the audience.
PPS: She admitted the ability to love her children and hate them in the exact same moment. OMG, I think I want to be her best friend!
PPPS: Anyone who can speak in front of 2,000+ people and drop F bombs all night-is all right in my book!
You may have been wondering, “Where is June?” While I am still in constant search of the most excellent version of myself, I am still here. Here and well. Sorry to have disappeared. I can feel the weight of winter being lifted. Spring brings optimism and lightness, literally and figuratively.
I spent this winter reading The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. While certainly not a new book, I had not read it. I love how it focuses on finding what is good in your life, changing up habits that don’t serve you or those around you, and clearing space to simply be happy. I appreciate how the author clearly states that she was not unhappy before launching her happiness project. She really just wanted to be appreciative and present in her every day. I 100% understand.
I am blessed with a lovely life. Truly. But I do find myself wondering, “What now?” I seem to be wondering a lot lately. If I was having coffee with my 20 year-old self, I would urge her to follow her dreams. Dreams are big and plentiful when we are starting out. The runway is long. Options endless. Follow your dreams. However, as middle age creeps in the dreaming is so very different. More complicated I guess. What are my dreams at forty? I’m not afraid to follow my dreams, I just don’t know what they are exactly. Does that make any sense?
So while I quietly decide what happens next, I return to this creative space. A space that is all mine, which I am happy to share with all of you!
Just a quick pop-in post to say I love this Instagram account! Most of you know I have a thing with taking pictures of my shoes. {Big W makes fun of me and ironically takes secret pictures of his shoes on my phone for me to find.}
I Have This Thing With Floors is essentially a fan-based account. You take a picture of an insanely cool floor {and your shoes}, hash tag it, and the account owner regrams pictures!
Floors and shoes from all over the world. What is better than that? #ihavethisthingwithfloors
Once again I need your help! I am down to my last finishing touch on my dining room. Over the last 18 months, I have painstakingly created a space that I am proud to call my own. {My husband has doubted me every step of the way!} I love my dining table and chairs. It took three weekends, but painting the chalkboard wall and trim is finally done. The gallery wall, that I have been planning for years, took shape and is complete!
And the finishing touch? New lighting! Let me quickly say that I have limited my choices mainly due to budget. I eventually want to remodel the entire space and I am not keen on spending a large dollar amount on a light that may or may not stay. I have scoured the interweb and found two choices I really find appealing!
So, here are the choices and my thoughts:
THIS// Glass Orb Chandelier/ West Elm $399 {sale}
West Elm’s description: The Glass Orb Chandelier shimmers with seven luster-glass globes that hang from an antiqued brass frame. Adjustable globes let you style the shine at just-the-right height.
My take: I love the look of the clustered globes. This light comes with either luster {gold tones} or opal {opaque} globes. I prefer the luster. Being able to adjust the height of the globes makes me happy, but I worry that it might be overwhelming in our small dining room.
THAT// Vega 5 Chandelier/ Schoolhouse Electric & Co. $329
Schoolhouse’s description: This bare bulb fixture, the Vega 5 Chandelier, features five jointed arms with industrial-grade swivels and natural brass socket covers for a rich, polished finish with a mid-century modern aesthetic.
My take: Love the sleek lines and the understated profile of this light. It reminds me of Sputnik chandeliers, which are well outside my price range. The light comes in black/brass or all brass. My table measures 78″ long. I wonder if this chandelier is big enough for the table.
I have to share my latest find! Last week I was at my local book store looking for reading material for the weekend trip to the ski hill. I am a lodge mama {bunny} and need to occupy my time when waiting for my ski bums. On the magazine rack, I spotted Cherry Bombe. I had caught glimpses and heard whispers about this magazine on Instagram and I loved the cover. So simple- I was intrigued to read more.
The About page of Cherry Bombe’s website reads:
Cherry Bombe is a beautifully designed biannual publication that celebrates women and food—those who grow it, make it, serve it, style it, enjoy it and everything in between. It is about sustenance and style and things that nourish the mind, the eye and, of course, the stomach.
Our readers, subjects and contributors are passionate about food, aesthetics and the world around them.
I describe it as a collection of interesting blog posts in print. The short articles are wonderfully photographed and range in topics from recipes, to cookbooks, to chefs, to modern farmers, to food photography. I devoured it and can’t wait until the next issue.
I am facing shopping for a new swimming suit this spring/summer. It truly should be considered a form of torture. So, as the latest catalogs arrive in my mailbox I am in search of my next go-to-suit! The new J.Crew Style Guide arrived on Friday and I instantly fell in love. Not with a suit, but with a necklace! A gorgeous simple chain lariat worn with a bikini top. Be still my heart. It looks beautiful and not over styled. Plus this delicate necklace will look fantastic with flowy summer tanks or a simply v-neck t-shirt.
Surprising to me, I could not find that necklace anywhere on J.Crew’s website. {If you can find it-please let me know.} Instead I took it upon myself to do a bit of searching. I stumbled upon the E & E Project Etsy shop. They offer gold lariat necklaces at the perfect price point! Pop over and check it out! I am smitten with the simple chain lariat and the triangle gold bar lariat.
I think I’ll buy one this week! It is guaranteed to fit and it doesn’t involve a fitting room.
