A few years ago I started hearing this word romanticize. Everyone was telling us to romanticize our lives. I take this to mean doing a little extra to celebrate the season/holiday/event/etc. The intentionality of the celebration is what makes it special, and while that can look like extra work, the payoff is always worth it to me. Remember The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo? She said to hold onto the things that spark joy and get rid of the rest. Romanticizing things sparks joy for me, so I’m going to hold onto that as long as I can.
I’ve recently had the epiphany that I am an autumn. I’m a cold weather girly, and I love the change of seasons, especially with the crisp mornings and the need for a sweater or some boots. I am having the most fun with my pumpkins, fall flavors, fall decor, fall fashion, the slightly cooler temps, the leaves that are finally starting to change around here. We’ll have about a week before they fall off the trees, so open your eyes and really take in the beauty of this season. It’s nature at its best out there, y’all.
Romanticizing this fall season has been a true joy. I know we’re nearing the end of October, but fall isn’t over yet. It’s just beginning here in terms of temperature, so let’s stretch it out a little bit longer. Here are a few ways to easily romanticize your life before the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season is upon us.
Dog-aggressive. Unfriendly. Doesn’t like people. These were the things the adoption center told us about the dog we were looking at. We took Jack with us to look for another dog to add to our family and decided we’d introduce them and see how it went. The worst that could happen is that they didn’t get along and we’d know it wasn’t a good fit for us. But wouldn’t you know it turned out that dog-aggressive wasn’t the right description. Alpha energy is what they should have said. Needless to say, we fell in love and brought this spunky girl home with us. I was a big The Big Bang Theory fan at the time and have forever been a Broadway fan, so I decided Bernadette (after Bernadette from Big Bang and Bernadette Peters) was the perfect name for a small but spunky pup.
It’s almost fall, y’all! Monday is the autumnal equinox! Which brings me to the realization that the final installment of this summer recap series is long overdue. Life lately has been so blessedly full and wonderful that writing has been put on the back burner. However, as we enter the fall season, I can officially say goodbye to a stupendous summer with this post. So far I’ve shared: ~The things that kept me entertained ~The delicious things I’ve cooked up in the kitchen ~The things I wore the most along with some of my favorite purchases Feel free to catch up on those posts if you haven’t yet. I think this recap will be my favorite, though. Today I’ll share about our galavanting, get-togethers, and give my final thoughts on a summer well spent.
As we enter our third full week of school, I’m reminded August is coming to an end and summer, in my mind, will officially be over. September 1st is my kickoff to fall. I cannot wait another minute to put out a pumpkin or two and change my door hanger to something Auburn related for football season. AHHH! I’m getting so excited! I’m really trying to be intentional about looking forward to things. Time moves so quickly, and I find that looking forward to something has really made it slow down for me…or seem like it, anyway. Like when you were a kid waiting for Christmas, the time would drag on and on. But become an adult and BAM, lightening speed. ………I don’t know how any of this fall talk pertains to my summer. Let’s reign it in, shall we? The topic of today’s summer recap is: Most Worn Items/Favorite Purchases. If what I was wearing is not available, I’ll try to link this year’s version or just link to the shop I got it from. Not everything is clothes, but for the items that are, if you’re in the south with me, you know everything I’m about to share will be relevant in your closet until about November. Come on cooler temps! I’m ready for a sweatshirt!
Welcome back to the summer recap. Now that we’ve gotten the entertainment portion out of the way, let’s get into the eats. I always say summer Elizabeth is the best Elizabeth because of all the cooking and experimenting in the kitchen that I do. Oftentimes, Paul will find a new recipe and send it to me, and it will just sit in my inbox for…oh…ever. I get pretty burnt out as the school year goes on and don’t feel much creativity especially in the kitchen, but my summer self loves to try new things. Today I’m sharing some of my favorite recipes we made this summer and some accounts to follow on Instagram for more yummy recipes.
Summer. My favorite and least favorite time of the year. Favorite because I get a much deserved break from school. Least favorite because I hate the heat. Sweating and being hot in 100% humidity ranks up there as one of my least favorite things of all time, yet I still keep calling south Alabama home. Not for lack of trying to move, though. This time of year, I always ask Paul if we can please have a summer home in Maine. (He always says no.) Here in winter and spring, in Maine in summer and fall… Can you imagine? Those are my lottery winning dreams, though. Teachers don’t make enough for summer houses in Maine.
While February is nearing its end, I’ve got a bit of catching up to do. I believe reflection is a great way to remember to be grateful for the things in your life. Helps keep things in perspective, ya know? So today I’ll be recapping the first month of the year and all the good and bad it brought with it.
Have you ever felt a nudge to do something? Not just a one-time thought but a persistent, won’t-leave-you-alone type of nudge? This has been happening to me since January about this blog space that I have. It gets brought to the forefront of my brain at least once a day. I pay for this domain to stay mine, so when the emails started rolling in about the renewal fee being charged in January, it jolted my memory that Oh Yeah! I have this online space just waiting around for me. That’s what got the whole idea turning over and over in my mind. Then one night in the bathroom at the Flora-Bama of all places, a friend told me that I should write. (She was talking about a book, but that is an idea to ponder for another day…like a day 10 years down the road.) But I heard that come out of her mouth and thought, whoa! I’ve been thinking about this blog for a full month now and she says this…ok, I’m listening.
You know, I’m not sure why I’m always surprised when a four day work week turns out to feel like the longest week of my life, but it always does. Monday was productive at home, and Tuesday was a great day.
But Wednesday. Oh. My. Goodness.
Thursday was hair day! Praise be! It was also book club day. We read Every Summer After by Carley Fortune, and it was really good. I listened to it and really enjoyed the narrator.
I was basically itching to get out of the school house door on Friday afternoon, and I fully embraced relaxing Friday night.
So far Saturday has been lazy with the exception of laundry. The gloomy weather has been a great excuse to perch up on the couch and surf the internet for any good deals. I was influenced to buy this dress (got it in white but want in navy too if I love it) and this button down (got the blue and white bold stripe). I’ll let you know if they end up working out. They are relatively new arrivals, but we know how things start to sell out fast. I haven’t seen many people talking about the dress yet, so go ahead and scoop yours up now! The shirt wasn’t fully stocked but did have a few options left, so check it out now if you are curious. My motto is: Just return it later if it doesn’t work out or sell it to a friend.
Anyway, let’s wrap up this weekend by sharing a few things that have been useful, bringing me joy, and keeping me entertained lately.
We’ll start with an account on Instagram that is so incredibly interesting but also incredibly time-consuming. The account is @houseinhabit. She has a Substack account with a paid tier, which I don’t currently subscribe to, but I’m contemplating it. Jessica Kraus is the woman behind the account. She’s an independent journalist sharing hot takes and unpopular opinions on some of the biggest cases going on right now: Ghislaine Maxwell, Johnny Depp, Harvey Weinstein, and so many more. She’s unapologetic, authentic, and reliable. I am loving her account on Instagram and her newsletter. Riveting stuff, y’all, I promise!
The next thing I want to share is all about organization. I tried to be organized with my jewelry a while back. I even blogged about it in one of my early blog posts. (Check it out here.) It worked well until my Vivian Drew earring collection grew. Most of those are post-backed, so I found my trays overflowing. Enter an influencer on Instagram (but I can’t remember who). I saw her share this nifty little jewelry box that was not only pretty, but would help me keep things organized and tidy. Plus it would free up some space on the top of my dresser. It’s made a world of difference! You can take apart the dividers and customize it to fit what you need, but some drawers have different sized dividers than others. I’ve loved it!
Okay, I said I’d never use another planner in all my life. I even wrote a blog post about how much I loved the Simplified Daily Planner. (See that blog post here). But…… My mom always gives me a planner for Christmas, and I threw her for a loop when I said that I wanted to change to the Weekly Planner. Let me just tell you- I LOVE IT! Trying the weekly view of the planner was a great gamble.
Maybe the best thing about it is the absence of the spiral binding. I didn’t really care all that much about it when I was using the daily planner, but now that it’s gone, I am realizing how much better the weekly planner is- aesthetically and performative-ly. It also has a ribbon bookmark. I was always using paperclips or binder clips to mark my spot in the daily planner. This version is so much more efficient for me. If you’re a not-so-busy person that doesn’t need to schedule your day out by the hour, consider this weekly version. It has been a perfect fit for me.
I can’t believe I’m writing about this damn cup, but here we go. How many of us have seen an influencer on Instagram carrying this Stanley cup around? (I’m imagining all of you saying, “Omg, me!”.) Well, my mom of all people was the one who was influenced and scooped up one for me while it was on sale. Guys, it’s a cup. It keeps my water just as cold as my Yetis, Ozark Trails, Orcas, and Hydro Flasks. But what’s so great about it is the handle. The HANDLE! I am willing to buy more cups with handles. I don’t think it has to be a Stanley cup. But the handle is the ticket! Also the 40oz capacity is great. And the straw. Don’t you drink more or drink faster when you drink out of a straw, or is that just me? Okay, so get a cup with a handle and a straw that holds 40oz of water. So….maybe just get a Stanley cup.
I can’t let this week go by without talking about press on nails. Yes! I know! But press on nails are still a thing. Apparently Kim Kardashian talked about them and people went nuts, but I’ve been on this train for about a year now. I took a break for a while because of the beautiful Zoya polishes that I just had to try out, but I’ve started wearing the nails again. I discovered Red Aspen Love from Megan (@counterfam), gave them a try, and fell in love. As with most new things, there’s a learning curve, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll get better and better at the application and you’ll be so impressed with how natural they look. Everyone asks about them when I wear them, and I’m so excited to tell them they are press ons. They are, at most, $16 a set. I can get 2 manicures out of each set, and the nails last up to two weeks. The amount of money you save by using these is incredible compared to the price you pay at a salon. Another plus about this brand is that the glue is a safer glue and a million times better than what’s used when you go have them done. I’m having a little pop up party, so if you’re curious, I’d love for you to shop through this link.
Lastly, I’m currently listening to Spare by Prince Harry. I have a lot of thoughts and not all of them are that positive. However, I’m only finished with part one. Maybe I’ll change my mind by the end of the book. Stay tuned here and on Instagram, where I normally post my quick reviews of the books I read. If you’re a royal watcher and happen to be reading this one, let me know. I’d love to know your thoughts.
That’s gonna do it for this week. Here’s to a restful Sunday and a great week ahead! See you next week. I’ve got lots of fun things planned, and I can’t wait to share!
