Did you know that Smathers and Branson needlepoint hats are on Amazon?! You can also find them via Tuckernuck.
Continuing on from yesterday’s post…
10 More Things, 8/31
10 Things, 8/30
Pottery Barn Kids Backpack / Native Shoes (Basically sandals but approved by most schools for footwear!) / J.Crew Dress (Old, newer ones linked.)
Here’s what comes to mind right now:
Recent Finds, 8/29
Jenni Kayne Mules (But Nine West makes an awesome super similar pair. You can find that via Nine West or Macy’s. Finally, this pair from Steve Madden is solid!)
I have a super long “Recent Finds” for you today, written over a glass of wine. So this should be good! 😜
I talked about this on the blog earlier in the week, but I’m going to be heavily relying on coordinating basics, mostly in solid colors, this fall. Bring on the black, white, camel and olive green. I’m all about simplicity this season—in all areas of life, really—and I love when getting dressed in the morning is easy.
Btw: I think the J.Crew Sophie Sweater Blazer is being discontinued. It’s on MAJOR sale today. Can’t recommend it enough; size down!
Here are this week’s related finds:
Grilled Clams in Garlic Butter Sauce
Chef Mitch here!
You can grill pretty much anything if you try hard enough. And while much of what comes off my grill isn’t exactly blog-worthy—please note that the above photo was the best I got from my solo photoshoot 🙃—today I want to share my favorite new grilling recipe: grilled clams in garlic butter sauce. It’s so easy and really impresses the wife.
Evereve Try-On
Jeans (Also available in white.) / Boots / Olive Green Shacket (Also available in “Bone.”) / Striped Top / Chambray Shirt on the Wall (Also available in white.)
I dropped by Evereve on Chicago’s Southport Corridor this week to film some outfit try-on videos, which you can watch in my Instagram Stories today!
If you’re new to Evereve, the company is basically a curated collection of the best seasonal styles from top brands. I’m obsessed, and loved everything. There are 95 locations across the country, but you can also shop online! (Free shipping, too.) Here are the products from the casual and cozy outfits I put together:
🍋 Print to Benefit Pediatric Cancer Research
Lemon Dresses to Benefit Pediatric Cancer Research
🍋 Larkin Ladies in lemons on Lake Bloomington! And some really wonderful news:
20+ Things, 8/25
My friend Julia launched her line of ginger jars! Aren’t they stunning?! The one in the above photo is in Emma’s room, and I love it. Congratulations, Julia!
A little late on my weekly post for this series, but it’s a good one. :)
Amazon Essentials: 30+ Basics for a Steal
Have you shopped Amazon Essentials apparel yet? Amazon Essentials is one of Amazon’s private label apparel brands, and they specialize in basics. The idea is that you can build a capsule wardrobe for any member of your family by spending around $15 to $40 per piece. (With a few products priced lower and a jacket or two priced a little higher.) It’s pretty awesome if you’re after a simpler life, which I know so many of us are—these days, especially.
Home Tour: Lucy’s Room
Boom. Only took me 2+ years to finish and photograph this project. Callin’ it a win! 😉
In all seriousness, I’m so happy with it. 🥰 Here are the details:
Larkins in L.L.Bean
Striped Dress / Sandals / Girls’ LLBean Shirts / Mitch’s SunSmart Polo / Boat and Tote Zip Top (Size Large, Extra Long Handles) / Noodle’s Collar / Original Backpacks
Perhaps we should have ordered the tote bag in a size XL for Lucy. 😜
Mitch’s 11 Favorite New ALDI Products
Mitch here!
It’s been nearly two years since I wrote this guide to my most-loved ALDI products, and I figured it was time for an update. I’ve shopped at ALDI nearly every week since that post was written, and I’ve found some new favorites.
Recent Finds, 8/20
^ Currently planning my cousin’s October bridal shower and thinking about wearing this!
This posts starts out very August, and ends very fall. 😜
Gammy Camp 2021
Camp Gammy T-Shirts (Mitch’s graphic designer for his company did the logos!) / My One-Shoulder Striped Bathing Suit (Solid here) and Sunglasses / Emma’s Blue Floral Bathing Suit / Lucy’s Striped Bathing Suit / Emma’s Ruffled Bathing Suit / Emma’s Sunglasses
That’s a wrap! Today is the last day of Gammy Camp; the Virginia Larkins leave bright and early for their trek back to the East Coast.
Every summer, my wonderful mother- and father-in-law have their grandchildren down to their home on Lake Bloomington in central Illinois for a week or two. Emma looks forward to it all year! They do everything, from water sports and crafts to cooking and farming. (Mitch’s grandfather, dad, and younger brother are all farmers. They grow corn and soy bean crops, and also run a chicken farm called Above Normal Eggs!)
The 10 Best Lululemon Buys
Align High-Rise Leggings / Align High-Rise Shorts / Align High-Rise Joggers / Align Tank Bra / Flow Y Nulu Bra / Swiftly Tech Long-Sleeve Shirt 2.0 / Swiftly Tech Short-Sleeve Shirt 2.0 / Swiftly Tech Racerback Tank 2.0 / Essential Tank Top Pleated / Hooded Nulu Define Jacket
Ah, the world of Lululemon. If you haven’t tried the brand before, I might suggest not doing so lest you become addicted. 😆 (Just kidding. Kind of.) Seriously, though. It’s so nice, and the quality and softness is unparalleled. I wear it every morning these days—whether on bike rides during the spring, summer and fall or on walks with Lucy in the winter. (Though I heavily rely on Athleta’s fleece-lined Altitude Leggings for extreme cold in Chicago.) And I need to admit that I sometimes wear my Lululemon all day because #momlife.
It’s no secret that the brand is pricey. But I’m at the point in life where I’d rather own just a few pieces of high-quality athletic apparel as opposed to a lot of so-so stuff. My drawers aren’t overflowing, and I truly adore every single thing I own. And I’ve literally never had to retire anything because it’s worn out. That’s correct: My original leggings are six years old, and they’re still with me!
My best advice when investing in Lululemon is to buy basic pieces in solid colors that’ll go with everything. White, navy, black, gray and olive green are my go-to colors, and because I stick to them, most of my pieces can be mixed and matched. I don’t own a ton, but I can create dozens of different “looks” with that I do have!
Here are my all-time favorites:
Photo Diary: Ocean City Beach Days
Black Ruffled Swimsuit / Vineyard Vines Hat / Sunglasses / Girls’ Rufflebutts Swimsuits / Lucy’s Clips / Emma’s Minnow Swimsuits / Mitch’s Favorite T-Shirts
I’m very much guilty of unloading camera cards onto my computer and then totally forgetting about the images. But I came across these Ocean City photos yesterday while trying to make sense of my disorderly desktop, and they made me smile. So I thought I’d share them today on the blog. :)
10 Things, 8/16
Noodle covered in paint dust. ^ (Always a project going on around here!) Outdoor Rug / Kids’ Picnic Table / Kids’ Bistro Chairs
Helllllooooo.
The Best Amazon Beauty Products
Amazon Beauty is legit. It took me a while to realize how utterly fantastic it is, but the prices are awesome, the selection is vast, and nearly everything I order is on my doorstep within a day or two (and sometimes only hours later). Even better, you can set up “Subscribe and Save” on products you need regular refills for. (You can also select when you want the refills to come—anywhere from once every two weeks to once every six months—and there’s no penalty for discontinuing. I normally see a 15 percent discount for subscribing.)
I recently took some time to round up my favorite skincare, haircare, and makeup products, most of which are available via Amazon. (I’ll note here that Amazon’s makeup inventory is currently lacking, so I included where else to find them at the moment! Hoping that portion of the site is improved soon, as it’s really not in keeping with the company’s usual standards, in my opinion. 😉) Anyway, I really enjoyed putting this blog post together. :) Any Amazon beauty products you swear by that I should consider?!
10 Things with Mitch, 8/14
Mitch here!
Bad news. The “Mitch, Please” name for this column was rejected by the Kelly in the City higher ups. It was a valiant effort, but we lost and it’s time to focus on moving forward. Anyway, here are the first 10 things that came to mind this week. Enjoy!
Recent Finds, 8/13
Striped Ruffle-Collar Sweatshirt
Friday the 13th. 😬 What better way to spend it than shopping for transitional clothing, I guess? ;)
Foster Beach, Chicago
Lucy’s Swimsuit (Sold out version here.) / Emma’s Swimsuit / Girls’ Red Gingham Dresses (In this video of the night!) / Girls’ Denim Jackets / Nantucket Sweater / Sail to Sable Maxi Dress (Newer. Also love this one!) / Sunglasses / Mitch’s Sweatshirt / Mitch’s Warby Parker Sunglasses
This was one of my favorite nights of the summer some of our best friends—Peter and Bradley—and their kids. ♥️ Want to see a video of the evening? Watch it here!
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