I thought it would be fun to do a little summer catch up. Can you believe it's August already!?!? There is still a little of summer left to enjoy but it seems like the back to school prep has thoroughly infiltrated my life. How do I know? I've woken up with a crack of anxiety at 5am not one, but two mornings in a row recently. Mmmmmkay. I think that's a good enough sign.
The to-do list is long and getting longer every second and it seems like there are so many logistics to balance along the way. My son will be heading back to campus soon but will be in a frat house instead of the dorms which kind of feels like we are learning the whole college move-in process again from the start. Then my daughter will be a senior this year so this school year will start with a flurry of college prep like essays and taking the SAT one.more.time.
As much as I'd like to sit back and savor these last days of August (which we will do with a family trip coming up!) my head is absolutely spinning with getting everything prepped for fall. I'm sure if you are a mom reading this right now you are nodding your head... you're spread too thin with an overwhelming to-do list too. I'm hoping we all find some grace and laughs and special moments amidst the chaos that is August.
So let's catch up!
Books I enjoyed this summer, I read more, but this is the highlight reel:
The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins, I don't usually go for this mystery/thrller genre but this was a fast and fun read for me that had some great twists and turns.
The Glassmaker by Tracy Chevalier, Chevalier is such a pro at building a world for you in her books. I could see and smell Venice on the pages of this beautiful story. (side note: she did some weird time traveling type things with her storytelling that I didn't care for, but it was easy to ignore and just get lost in the family saga that was so beautiful).
The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War by Erik Larson, if you need a little non-fiction palette cleanser (I often do) then I highly recommend this book. All of Larson's books are non-fiction that read like fiction and with this one I learned so much about the months and days leading up to the start of the Civil War.
The Women by Kristin Hannah, this book was the highlight of my summer reading. Wow! It's an incredible story that is hopeful and sad and just so dang good. I didn't know much about the Vietnam War and this was very enlightening. Plus, I still think about these characters all the time.
What we are watching:
Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders on Netflix, wow this is SO good and such a fun look into a world I knew nothing about!
Palm Royale on AppleTV+, this is such a fun escape with so many amazing outfits and scenes. The beauty vibe was perfect for summer!
Lots and lots of Olympics this week. My favorite is the tennis but my husband has gotten really into the surfing, which I have to say is both very exciting and calming to watch. The surfing all takes place in Tahiti and it looks so incredibly beautiful there. You can sit and watch those rolling waves for hours.
What I'm loving lately:
I'm really loving the Gap lately, I mean they are really stepping up with styles that are so chic and price points that are really fantastic. I also love that they use a lot of high quality fabrics at such a great price point. I just ordered this jacket (I love the unique style!) for fall and this sweater (I'm loving this color combo) for fall and both are GORGEOUS in person.
I somehow scratched, broke and lost 3 pairs of sunglasses in the past 3 weeks. Summer fun, much? I'm still holding out hope that one pair will be found but in the meantime I reordered the broken and scratched pairs from Amazon (thank GOODNESS for Amazon sunglasses!). Turns out these under $25 sunnies are my favorite and I just HAD to reorder. Shop them here (only $7!) and here.
I did a not-so-small Sephora haul on my birthday and found some new instant favorites like a brow pencil I adore and a new dry shampoo I'm loving (and this is from someone who has never found a dry shampoo they even remotely like).
So many pre-fall new arrivals: this slouchy lady jacket, all the stripe sweaters please, the cutest pjs, the grommet details on this bucket bag are stunning, I own and love these flats in burgundy and they are now available in some gorgeous suede colors - they are so comfy, I just ordered these sneakers - I'll report back on how I like them, same with these jeans... they were in my cart for a while and I will report back, I love the relaxed vibe.
