My Latest Snag: The Hill House Home Nap Dress.
I know I’ve mentioned this here and there but I had been eyeing the Hill House Home Nap Dress and had to pounce when it was released in its limited-edition tartan print for the holidays. I feel like Clara from the Nutcracker in it (and my hair is just long enough for a braid!). So good! I love the way Nellie Diamond has re-branded loungewear, and I am just so into that smocked neckline situation. I was so sad to have missed out this popular Doen dress last season, so the Nap dress kind of makes up for it.
If you’re a fellow smocking lover: this Doen dress is sure to sell out in a hot second (a printed variation on a dress of theirs that was also wildly popular last summer — look for less with this) or this smocked maxi which looks prim and stodgy (?) but Julia of Gal Meets Glam has proven can also look darling (and bump-friendly).
You’re Sooooo Popular: The Tartan Top.
The most popular items on the blog this past week:
+This tartan top. Quick! You can still get it in time for Christmas Eve if you hurry! I like pairing it with jeans for a dressed down situation, but in the store, they paired it with black velvet trousers and I did a double-take…
+Ben Amun crystal cluster earrings. (Look for less.)
+Red sequin dress. MAJOR statement. Love.
+THE best bronzer. Will never mess around with another one again.
+I use this instead of eye shadow 90% of the time.
+An inexpensive, glitzy look for NYE.
+Truth Serum, one of my favorite products.
Turbothot: Doing Things to Completion.
I shared a little bit about this in a recent Magpie Mail post, but a few weeks ago, I started reminding myself nearly five or six times a day to “Do things to completion.” By that I mean: instead of folding laundry and placing it in a basket in the hallway, I would tell myself: “Fold it and put it away right now.” Instead of observing that we were running low on paper towels, I would tell myself: “Get a new spool from the linen closet so it’s under the sink when needed right now.”
As I settled into this frame of mind, I couldn’t believe how many tasks I was unknowingly and unnecessarily fragmenting throughout the day, in turn creating a lot of loose ends to tie up down the road.
A lot of this do-it-now work is in service to “future me,” who will be happy not to trip over the laundry basket late at night or find herself with dripping hands and no Bounty. But it has the added benefit of making “right-now me” feel more accomplished and organized and a lot less mentally burdened by the minutiae of running a household with a large dog and two small children and an exacting husband — the heft of which still startles me. Sometimes I march through our morning routine and can hardly believe that in the two hours I have been awake, I have not stopped moving — and yet the only thing I have actually accomplished is getting my small family fed, dressed, and out the door (and then the non-trivial task of tidying up what’s left behind). By taking the spare thirty or sixty seconds to “do things to completion,” I feel much calmer heading into the day.
I’m wondering if anyone else will find this suggestion helpful?
As always, other tips on maintaining a sense of serenity at home welcome.
Post-Scripts: An Affordable Winter Boot.
+This boot ($40!) is a good dupe for much more expensive fur-trim styles.
+Love these leopard boots for a little one.
+Such a chic puffer coat. Love the collarless neckline, the length, the athletic trim. CHIC! On the opposite end of the spectrum, I’m still daydreaming about this glitzed-up puffer.
+This fleece-up jacket is perfection. Love the oversized pockets, which remind me of my beloved liner jacket, which I basically wore without cease for a month straight.
+Another Everlane favorite: these thermal tees. I pretty much have one on most days of the winter beneath a chunky knit sweater. They are super thin, breathable, and comfortable. A great base layer.
+Love the star print on this peter pan collar onesie.
+These earrings are pretty and so different from anything else I’ve seen.
+Swooning over this dress for mini for spring.
+Absolutely love these vintage-style French placards — especially the “Merci.” Not sure how I would style it in my home but what a sweet reminder…
+I had forgotten about Caudalie’s Beauty Elixir — one of my favorite discoveries last winter! — until I found it at the bottom of my makeup bin, lost in the shuffle of the move. Perfect for setting makeup and refreshing skin.
+Kind of loving the idea of a pair of spa slippers for home…these would make me feel like I am at a hotel!
+I have been all about tartan this Christmas. Buying a set of these for next year (on sale!)
+How gorgeous is the wrapping on these soaps?! Almost too pretty to use. Would be an elegant way to outfit a guest bathroom…